TL;DR: Score a one-year BJ’s membership for $15 (reg. $60) and save up to 20¢/gal. on gas through April 30 — just in time for spring shopping and road trips.

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Credit: BJ's Wholesale Club

1-year The Club Card Membership with BJ’s Easy Renewal

$15
$60 Save $45

 

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The warmer weather tends to sneak up fast, and so do those grocery bills and gas receipts. A one-year membership to BJ’s Wholesale Club is one of those simple upgrades that can make everyday shopping feel a little more manageable.

You can currently grab a Club Card Membership with BJ’s Easy Renewal for just $15 (reg. $60) through April 30, which opens the door to savings across groceries, household essentials, and even your weekend cookout prep.

Let’s start with the obvious, though. Gas prices. Members already get everyday savings at BJ’s Gas, but during this promo window, you’ll get an extra 15¢ off per gallon stacked on top of the usual 5¢ discount — bringing your total to 20¢ off per gallon through April 30.

Inside the club, it’s all about stretching your dollar further. BJ’s is known for offering competitive pricing on national brands, plus a wide selection of fresh produce, meats, bakery items, and deli favorites. Whether you’re planning a backyard BBQ, stocking up for a party, or just trying to cut down on weekly grocery runs, buying in bulk can help simplify things.

There’s also something to be said for convenience. Fewer trips to the store, more options in one place, and access to seasonal items that make spring and summer feel extra special.

Get a one-year Club Card Membership with BJ’s Easy Renewal® for just $15 (reg. $60) and enjoy an extra 15¢ off per gallon at any of the 199 BJ’s gas stations through April 30.

Grabbing this deal? Build your cart to $100+ and score a lifetime license to Microsoft Office 2021 free with code GWP4MAC (for Mac) or GWP4WIND (for Windows) through April 19.

Gift with $100+ purchase promo ends April 19, 2026. Exclusions apply. Only one promo code applicable per order. Prices subject to change.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

With the fervor of Heated Rivalry, there's a fierce desire among book readers for even more hockey. On Sunday, April 19, at BookCon, the "You Had Me at Hockey: A Look at One of Sports Romance's Hottest Genres", authors Rachel Reid (Heated Rivalry, Game Changer), Emily Rath (Pucking Around), Ngozi Ukazu (Check Please), Stephanie Archer (The Wild Card), and Kate Cochrane (Wake Up, Nat & Darcy) were joined by moderator and fellow author Bal Khabra (Collide) to discuss the rise and continued success of hockey romance.

Khabra kicked off the panel, asking just how hockey became so popular. Ukazu joked that it was as if the genre "escaped containment," like when the Omegaverse went mainstream, while Reid described the mystery around hockey, saying, "what [the players] are doing seems impossible." Archer also added that the sport itself is exceptionally hard on the body, and the celebrity around players, especially in Canada, is fun to play with.

But there's more to the genre's success than the tropes. "It has to be said," Rath argued, "that the cornerstone of why this is so popular in publishing is racism." She went on to say that straight, white women's voices dominated the romance genre for so long, pointing out that hockey is also the whitest sport. Among major league sports, the NHL is the most predominantly white. In 2022, ESPN reported that 83.6% of league players and staff were white, compared to the NFL, where 25-27% of players are white, or the NBA, where white players make up 17.5% of the league.

Zooming into the genre, the authors also spoke about the writing process. They dove into the deeper aspects of their work, even the smut. Rath said, "I think the least sexy thing you can ever do is write a sex scene." A similar sentiment came up during Reid's Saturday panel, where she described using the sex scenes to further the emotional arc. When readers ask authors if they can skip the spice, Archer says of her own books, "No, you can't skip the sex scenes. You're missing so much character development if you don't go on the journey with them."

The panel turned to the future, too. Many of the authors write BIPOC and queer representation into their novels, in a genre that often centers on whiteness and homophobia. "We're writing the world as we want it to be," Rath said.

Reid has found that there is progress toward a future that these authors and their readers want to see, saying that the NHL is interested in working with them. "People on the inside, they really want to work toward change and want to make this happen."

With the hockey fandom at an all-time high, there's a whole team behind these authors ready to drive change.

Apple's got new headphones in its lineup. Or does it?

The new AirPods Max 2 are the first proper upgrade to the company's first and only set of over-the-ear headphones, which came out in 2020; the revised version in 2024 only got a USB-C port instead of Lightning, and Apple, again, just called them AirPods Max.

Now, the AirPods Max 2 are here, but the list of upgrades is once again pretty short. I've spent about a week with a pair to see whether these are worth their price; here's what I found.

Design, colors, battery life: No changes

This is the first time, and possibly the last time, I'm lumping all of these together in a headphone review. The reason is simple: They're all the same. The design, weight, and dimensions haven't changed at all. Even the colors on offer are the same: Midnight, Starlight, Blue, Purple, and Orange.

I've had an old pair of Midnight AirPods Max with USB-C (check my full review), and the new ones Apple sent me were Blue. There's literally no way of telling that these are different model numbers and two years apart.

On the left, the new AirPods Max 2. On the right, the old AirPods Max. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

To be fair, there isn't very much I'd change here, design-wise. These headphones look great, they're incredibly sleek and comfortable, and even though I rarely use the physical controls on the right earcup, I have no improvement suggestions there, either.

Some people complain that the AirPods Max are too heavy. At 386.2 grams, they are pretty chunky; for comparison, Sony's WH-1000XM6 and Bose's QuietComfort Ultra headphones, which are also wireless, over-the-ear headphones with active noise cancellation, both weigh roughly 130 grams less. I don't mind the weight, but if you do, just note that nothing has changed in this regard since the very first AirPods Max model.

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What does annoy me is the fact that the AirPods Max can only be fully folded inwards, and when you do that, the chance of one earcup chaffing and scratching the other gets very high with each movement. Apple's Smart Case is practically a must-carry for this reason alone, but I'm unhappy to report that the case is still the same as before: Unsightly and not very protective.

I like the look of the AirPods Max 2, and I don't mind the fact that they're pretty heavy but...they are pretty heavy. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

The Blue color was nicer than I thought, because it's far more silver than blue. It is a lot flashier and more noticeable on your head than Midnight, so if you're looking for something subdued, Blue isn't it. It is odd, however, that Apple didn't introduce at least one new color with the new model.

Battery life is still listed at 20 hours with noise cancellation on, and I didn't notice any difference between the old and the new model.

They sound pretty much the same, too

If you're shopping for a pair of headphones, the way they sound should be pretty high on your list of priorities. With the AirPods Max 2, Apple left most of the hardware unchanged, with the biggest difference being the new H2 chip.

In theory, it should improve sound quality; in its marketing materials, Apple says the new model offers "elevated sound quality."

As hard as I tried, I couldn't hear the difference when it comes to sound quality. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

Both the old AirPods Max and the new ones sound excellent. They offer a wide soundstage and plenty of detail across all frequencies. The sound is tuned so that the bass and treble are pronounced, while the mid-range is a little subdued. I prefer to fix that with a trick: On the iPhone, go to Settings - Accessibility - Audio & Visual - Headphone Accommodations; turn the setting on, and select "Tune audio for Balanced Tone". I have it set to Moderate, which makes the overall sound brighter and the vocals more present.

With or without such tinkering, I could not hear the difference between the old and new models. My initial setup was to remove all equalization, turn off Bluetooth, connect the headphones to a MacBook Pro with a USB-C cable, and play some hi-res lossless track on Apple Music, while alternating between the two models. In such a setting, the two models sounded exactly the same.

With the biggest improvement to the new model being the H2 chip, I thought perhaps I could get a bigger difference by going wireless, and switching between various modes and options, including Transparency mode and Noise Cancellation. Nope. I still couldn't hear a difference, aside from noise cancelling being better on the new model (more on that in a bit).

Better noise cancellation and tons of new software features

The noise cancellation has been improved. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

Apple says the new H2 chip improves noise cancellation by 1.5x compared to the old model. I can't vouch for that exact figure, but the noise cancellation has been audibly improved. I've tested it by blasting white noise and jet engine noise on various speakers around the house, and not only did the new AirPods Max 2 blocked more noise, but they were also better at reducing noise depending on where I turned or how I moved my head.

That said, Apple's AirPods Max 2 still aren't particularly great at noise cancellation. While not directly comparable as they're a different type of headphone, Apple's own AirPods Pro 3 earbuds are a better choice, and not by a little. Wearing them on a busy street makes the outside noise vanish in a spectacular fashion; the AirPods Max 2 make the noise more tolerable, but the effect isn't nearly as noticeable.

The AirPods Pro 3 are worth mentioning here because they also have the H2 chip, and with this latest upgrade, Apple's AirPods Max 2 are essentially catching up with them. This means the AirPods Max 2 now also have features like Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, Live Translation, Voice Isolation, Personalized Volume, Loud Sound Reduction, and Siri Interactions. These are all great since they're optional. For example, I like to manually switch Noise Cancellation on and off, but if you prefer the headphones to do it automatically, Adaptive Audio is the way.

Still pretty great, but not all that new

The AirPods Max 2 are still a great product, but if you have an old model, you don't really need to upgrade. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

The AirPods Max 2 are Apple's only over-the-ear headphones (if you don't count Beats), and they're an excellent product. They sound pretty good, play nice with Apple hardware, they look great, and they're very comfy (if you don't mind the weight). They're pricy, and you can get better-sounding headphones for the money, but you will never get all of the features listed above in one product.

As a second-generation product, however, they aren't great. They're basically the same as the original, with the only meaningful upgrade being the new H2 chip. This does enable a number of new features as well as improve noise cancelling, but that's where the list of improvements ends. And yes, they're still priced at $549, which is more than you'll pay for similar headphones from Sony, Bose, or Sennheiser.

As a result, I can recommend the new AirPods Max 2 in one case only: If you're an avid Apple user shopping for over-the-ear headphones for the first time. If you have a pair of old AirPods Max at home, it's not worth upgrading, and I'd argue that if you just need something that cancels noise well, you'd do better if you just bought the AirPods Pro 3.

Apple AirPods Max 2

$529.99 at Amazon

 

See It at Amazon

With May the 4th coming up, my nephew and I are getting ready for our mandatory apartment tradition: hitting up BrickinBad (a local "Lego collector hub") so he can pick out a new set for us to build together over the weekend. Neither of us is a huge Star Wars fan, but you don't have to be to appreciate a good Lego build.

Lego's annual May the 4th drop is known for being an expensive, shelf-clearing event. But looking at the 2026 lineup, the prices are pretty reasonable. Yes, there's a $250 Ultimate Collector Series ship in the mix, but most sets run just under $50.

The official promotional event runs from May 1 to May 6, but seven of the eight new sets hit shelves early on April 26. But, if you hold off and buy them in May, Lego will throw in exclusive freebies — like a free Darksaber set if you spend over $160.

Whether you're treating yourself to some new desk decor or taking a kid on a weekend toy run, here's the full breakdown:

Lego Star Wars The Mandalorian's N-1 Starfighter (75442)

If you're going to splurge this Star Wars day, make it this one. Credit: Lego

It wouldn't be May the 4th without a ridiculously detailed Ultimate Collector Series model to anchor the event. This 1,809-piece N-1 Starfighter is the priciest set of the bunch at $249.99, but buying it automatically scores you an exclusive Mandalorian and Grogu Display gift. It drops on May 1 for Lego Insiders and May 4 for everyone else, so you'll want to jump on it before it sells out.

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Credit: Lego

Lego Star Wars The Mandalorian's N-1 Starfighter (75442)

$249.99 at Lego

 

Shop Now

Lego Star Wars The Razor Crest (75447)

If you want a more affordable weekend project ($250 is kind of steep), Mando's iconic original ship is a great alternative. This 930-piece version of the Razor Crest hits shelves on April 26, and if you wait to buy it during the May event for $149.99, it qualifies for a free Razor Crest mini-build.

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Credit: Lego

Lego Star Wars The Razor Crest (75447)

$149.99 at Lego

 

Pre-order Here

Lego Star Wars Grogu, Mandalorian Apprentice (75446)

Because there's no such thing as too much Grogu. Credit: Lego

For fans who prefer building characters over ships, this 1,200-piece model portrays Grogu in his apprentice era. (Holding off to buy this one in May also gets you the free Razor Crest mini-build.) It's intricate enough to display on an office desk without looking too toy-ish, plus there's really no such thing as too much Grogu merchandise in your apartment.

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Credit: Lego

Lego Star Wars Grogu, Mandalorian Apprentice (75446)

$129.99 at Lego

 

Pre-order Here

Lego Star Wars Anzellan Starship (75445)

A must-have if you love Babu Frik. Credit: Lego

If you're a fan of Babu Frik and his adorable droidsmith species, this 701-piece ship is a mid-range option. It drops on April 26 for $74.99 and is another set that'll score you the free Razor Crest mini-build if purchased during the promotional window.

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Credit: Lego

Lego Star Wars Anzellan Starship (75445)

$74.99 at Lego

 

Pre-order Here

Lego Star Wars Darth Vader Bust (75439)

Come to the dark side. Credit: Lego

You can grab this 349-piece Darth Vader bust starting April 26. It's great if you just want a small, $49.99 piece of the May the 4th action for your desk. If you want to complete a classic trilogy display while building up your cart to hit that $160 Darksaber freebie threshold, you might want to consider adding the Yoda bust to your cart too.

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Credit: Lego

Lego Star Wars Darth Vader Bust (75439)

$49.99 at Lego

 

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Lego Star Wars AT-RT Attack

A fun, action-focused build. Credit: Lego

At 297 pieces, this AT-RT Attack is the smallest and most affordable set of the entire drop. It hits shelves on April 26 for $44.99, giving you a quick, action-focused build that qualifies you for the free Razor Crest mini-build. It's also a great pick if you're taking a kid on a toy run and don't want to do any real damage to your bank account.

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Credit: Lego

Lego Star Wars AT-RT Attack

$44.99 at Lego

 

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Lego Star Wars The Mandalorian and Grogu: Allies & Villains (40856)

A solid mid-size build to celebrate the iconic duo. Credit: Lego

This 661-piece set drops just ahead of the holiday on April 26 and leans heavily into the Mando hype. At just $39.99, get a decent amount of bricks to keep you busy for an afternoon without emptying your wallet. Plus, it's an easy add-on to throw in your cart if you're just trying to cross that $160 finish line for the free Darksaber.

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Credit: Lego

Lego Star Wars The Mandalorian and Grogu: Allies & Villains (40856)

$39.99 at Lego

 

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Lego Star Wars Yoda Bust (75438)

A quick, affordable build for fans of the original trilogy. Credit: Lego

If you prefer the classics over the newer Disney+ shows, this 399-piece Yoda bust is a quick and affordable build. It won't take up your entire weekend to finish, but still helps you hit the $160 minimum to get the free Darksaber set.

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Credit: Lego

Lego Star Wars Yoda Bust (75438)

$39.99 at Lego

 

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TL;DR: Visual Studio 2026 brings AI-assisted coding, real-time collaboration, and cross-platform development into one powerful IDE, and it’s on sale only through today.

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Credit: Microsoft

Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2026

$42.97
$499.99 Save $457.02

 

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Modern development demands more than just a code editor — it calls for a smarter, faster, and more collaborative environment. And Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2026 is designed to simplify things in a very real way.

This latest version leans heavily into what modern developers actually need: speed, flexibility, and smarter tooling. Built as a fully 64-bit IDE, it handles large solutions and complex workloads without the usual slowdowns, which is especially noticeable when you’re working across multiple projects or environments.

One of the biggest upgrades here is how seamlessly AI is integrated into your workflow. Instead of feeling like an add-on, features like IntelliCode actively learn from your codebase to suggest entire lines or blocks of code, help refactor on the fly, and reduce repetitive tasks. It’s less about replacing your workflow and more about quietly speeding it up.

On the cross-platform side, Visual Studio 2026 keeps things flexible. You can build everything from .NET MAUI mobile apps to web apps with Blazor, and even target Linux or container-based environments — all without jumping between tools. Add in hot reload, and you can make changes in real time without breaking your flow.

Collaboration also gets an upgrade. With Live Share, teammates can jump into your session, edit, debug, and test code together without needing to clone repos or configure their entire setup. It’s a small shift that can make a big difference in how quickly teams move.

Then there’s CodeLens, which surfaces insights like test status, commit history, and code references directly in your editor, so you’re not constantly context-switching just to understand what’s going on.

Don’t miss this 2026 upgrade while it’s on sale. Get Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2026 while it’s just $42.97 (reg. $499.99) through April 19.

Grabbing this offer? Once your cart hits $100+, add Microsoft Office 2021 and apply GWP4MAC (for Mac) or GWP4WIND (for Windows) at checkout to get a lifetime license for free. Ends April 19.

Gift with $100+ purchase promo ends April 19, 2026. Exclusions apply. Only one promo code applicable per order. Prices subject to change.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Charge On the go with 56% off this 8-in-1 keyring cable when you get the GoCable 8-in-1 EDC 100W Cable for just $21.99 (Reg. $49.99).

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Credit: GoCable

GoCable 8-in-1 EDC 100W Cable

$21.99
$49.99 Save $28.00

 

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Whether you’re an experienced adventurer or a newbie to the outdoors, there are certain tools you need, including (but not limited to) adequate hydration, proper gear, and backup power options for your phone. With the GoCable, 8 features are combined into one portable tool that might optimize your outdoor experiences.

Despite its tiny and discreet design, the eight features included in this versatile cable include:

• Portable charging: 100W fast charging to speed up how long it takes to juice up your devices.

• Universal compatibility: Type-C to Type-C + Apple Lightning connectivity.

• LED display: Track your charging status with real-time visibility

• Magnetic cable consolidation: Manage your cables with a discreet design and magnets that prevent tangles.

• Bottle opener: Conveniently placed bottle opener for opening drinks on the go.

• Hidden cutter: Sleek and sharp cutting tool, tucked away for safety.

• Carabiner clip: Secure attachment with a clip-on carabiner.

• Fast transferring and processing: High-speed file transfer capability.

This portable keychain is just as at home on your backpack or on your desk. Unify all of your charging tools with this one streamlined tool, which doesn’t sacrifice charging speed for efficiency.

Whether you need to charge a device quickly while transferring files or you need an extra boost of charge on the go, this portable charger and keyring consolidates your convenience devices and your tech tools.

And with the carabiner, you can clip this keychain onto anywhere — from your clothes to your bags.

Get the GoCable 8-in-1 EDC 100W Cable for just $21.99 (Reg. $49.99).

Grabbing this offer? Once your cart hits $100+, add Microsoft Office 2021 and apply GWP4MAC (for Mac) or GWP4WIND (for Windows) at checkout to get a lifetime license for free. Ends April 19.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

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.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

Hurdle Word 1 hint

The edge.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

BRINK

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Moody.

Hurdle Word 2 Answer

POUTY

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

Hurdle Word 3 hint

America's bird.

Hurdle Word 3 answer

EAGLE

Hurdle Word 4 hint

A platform.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

FORUM

Final Hurdle hint

Cheapskate.

Hurdle Word 5 answer

MISER

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

After days of almost (and complete) darkness, the Moon is finally starting to reappear. We're currently in the Waxing Crescent phase of the lunar cycle, which means each night until the Full Moon we'll see it get more illuminated from the right side.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Sunday, April 19, the Moon phase is Waxing Crescent. Tonight, 5% of the moon will be lit up, according to NASA's Daily Moon Guide.

Despite more of it now being illuminated, the percentage of surface is still too little to be able to spot any surface details. Check again tomorrow.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon is predicted to take place on May 1, the first of two in May.

What are Moon phases?

NASA states that the Moon takes about 29.5 days to orbit Earth, during which it passes through eight distinct phases. We always see the same side of the Moon, but the amount of sunlight reflecting off it changes as it moves along its orbit, creating the familiar pattern of full, partial, and crescent shapes. We call these the lunar phases, and there are eight in total:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.

Released in August 2025, Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move on to the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.

How to play Pips

If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity with how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible — and common — for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

• Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.

• Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.

• Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.

• Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.

• Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

Easy difficulty hints, answers for April 19 Pips

Equal (0): Every domino half in this red space must have 0 pips. The answer is 6-0, placed horizontally; 0-2, placed vertically.

Equal (3): Every domino half in this purple space must have 3 pips. The answer is 3-3, placed vertically.

Number (1): The domino half in this light blue space must have 1 pip. The answer is 1-4, placed vertically.

Equal (4): Every domino half in this yellow space must have 4 pips. The answer is 1-4, placed vertically; 2-4, placed horizontally.

Equal (2): Every domino half in this dark blue space must have 2 pips. The answer is 0-2, placed vertically; 2-4, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for April 19 Pips

Number (7): Everything in this purple space must add up to 7. The answer is 3-0, placed horizontally; 5-4, placed horizontally.

Equal (0): Every domino half in this red space must have 0 pips. The answer is 3-0, placed horizontally; 0-5, placed vertically.

Equal (5): Every domino half in this light blue space must have 5 pips. The answer is 5-4, placed horizontally; 5-1, placed horizontally.

Less Than (7): Everything in this yellow space must add up to be less than 7. The answer is 1-6, placed vertically; 0-5, placed vertically.

Number (7): Everything in this dark blue space must add up to 7. The answer is 5-1, placed horizontally; 1-6, placed vertically.

Equal (6): Every domino half in this green space must have 6 pips. The answer is 6-6, placed horizontally; 6-5, placed vertically.

Greater Than (1): The domino half in this purple space must have more than 1 pip. The answer is 6-5, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for April 19 Pips

Number (2): Everything in this purple space must add up to 2. The answer is 1-0, placed horizontally; 1-2, placed vertically.

Less Than (2): Everything in this red space must add up to be less than 2. The answer is 1-0, placed horizontally; 0-2, placed horizontally; and 0-0, placed vertically.

Number (5): Everything in this light blue space must add up to 5. The answer is 0-2, placed horizontally; 3-4, placed vertically.

Number (5): Everything in this yellow space must add up to 5. The answer is 3-4, placed vertically; 1-6, placed vertically.

Number (2): Everything in this dark blue space must add up to 2. The answer is 1-2, placed vertically; 0-6, placed vertically.

Equal (3): Every domino half in this green space must have 3 pips. The answer is 3-3, placed vertically.

Number (9): Everything in this purple space must add up to 9. The answer is 1-6, placed vertically; 3-6, placed vertically.

Number (8): Everything in this red space must add up to 8. The answer is 6-4, placed vertically; 4-2, placed horizontally.

Number (4): Everything in this light blue space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-2, placed horizontally; 2-6, placed horizontally.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be a little easier if you love baseball.

As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

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. The sports Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words, and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise 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 before the game ends.

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: East Coast

• Green: Back end

• Blue: They don't call it soccer

• Purple: Past and present names

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: AL East Teams

• Green: First Words of Football Positions

• Blue: Premier League Managers

• Purple: Nicknames for the Dodgers Franchise, Over Time

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 #573 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• AL East Teams — BLUE JAYS, ORIOLES, RAYS, YANKEES

• First Words of Football Positions — DEFENSIVE, RUNNING, TIGHT, WIDE

• Premier League Managers — EMERY, GUARDIOLA, MOYES, SLOT

• Nicknames for the Dodgers Franchise, Over Time — BRIDEGROOMS, DODGERS, ROBINS, SUPERBAS

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you have a sweet tooth.

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.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Lippy

• Green: Gowns

• Blue: Played in Vegas

• Purple: Sweet treats

Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Cheeky

• Green: Dress measurements

• Blue: Cards in Texas Hold 'Em

• Purple: Last words of candy brands in the singular

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 #1043 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Cheeky: ARCH, FRESH, SASSY, WISE

• Dress measurements: BUST, HIPS, LENGTH, WAIST

• Cards in Texas Hold 'Em: FLOP, HOLE, RIVER, TURN

• Last words of candy brands in the singular: CAP, DUD, KID, MINT

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're constantly changing.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Small change

The words are related to changes.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe fine-tuning.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is There I Fixed It.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

NYT Strands word list for April 19

• There I Fixed It

• Adjust

• Modify

• Alter

• Improve

• Tweak

• Refine

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you can never sit down.

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:

To rise.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

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...

STAND

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.

TL;DR: This rare Microsoft bundle deal gives you a lifetime license to Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows and Windows 11 Pro for only $42.97 (reg. $418.99) through May 17.

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Credit: Microsoft

The Ultimate Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows: Lifetime License + Windows 11 Pro Bundle

$42.97
$418.99 Save $376.02

 

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Looking for an affordable way to make your old PC feel new again? If you don’t have the funds to buy a brand new computer, don’t worry. The Ultimate Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows lifetime license and Windows 11 Pro Bundle is the next best thing, offering your computer a total upgrade for only $42.97 through May 17.

Don’t count out your dusty old PC. This Microsoft bundle is here to give it a total facelift for less than $50. It kicks off with a lifetime license to some of the brand’s most popular tools — Microsoft Office, which you’ll pay for once and enjoy without any subscription fees.

You’ll get permanent access to a suite of eight helpful apps with Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows. It includes staples that have been around for decades, like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. You’ll also get newer favorites like Teams, OneNote, Access, and Publisher.

Once you’ve loaded the apps onto your device, you can upgrade your OS to Windows 11 Pro. It’s an operating system made for modern professionals, with tools that support your workflow. Enjoy a more powerful search experience, improved voice typing, a seamless interface, snap layouts, and much more.

You can rest easy knowing Windows 11 Pro takes your cybersecurity seriously. You’ll have biometric logins, encrypted authentication, and advanced antivirus defenses to keep your data secure.

Show your PC some love with the Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows and Windows 11 Pro bundle for only $42.97 (reg. $418.99) now until May 17.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Interested in buying a Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold? You might be permanently out of luck.

As spotted by 9to5google, Samsung has updated the online listing for the very big foldable phone to say that the "limited run" device is "now completely sold out." Presumably, that means you simply will not be able to get one at any point in the near future, if ever. 9to5google pointed out that Samsung had never referred to the TriFold as a "limited run" device before this website update.

Now, the site recommends users check out the Galaxy S26 Ultra or Galaxy Z Fold 7 instead.

"Keep visiting samsung.com to make sure you don't miss upcoming one-of-a-kind innovations, and shop the latest foldables and premium mobile devices now from Samsung Galaxy," the site now reads.

If you've been following the TriFold saga closely, this isn't terribly surprising. The device launched in Asia late last year, made its western debut at CES in January, and we were already hearing that it might have a limited run by March. Samsung did one final restock online and at a handful of Samsung retail stores around the U.S. in early April, and that was seemingly the end of the line for the TriFold.

Maybe this was always the plan, or maybe Samsung quickly realized there was no sustainable way to keep manufacturing a nearly $3,000 smartphone in the age of global memory shortages. Regardless, it seems like anyone who wanted a TriFold either already has one, or will never get one.

The first panel at BookCon drew lines of fans an hour before its start. Fans have shown up in style. I spotted dozens of iterations of t-shirts with the faces of actors Hudson Williams and Connor Storie plastered on them. Boston Raiders, Montreal Metros, and New York Admirals jerseys are in abundance, too. 3,000 fans are here, waiting to see Rachel Reid and Jacob Tierney in conversation for the first time.

But while this may be the first public conversation between the Heated Rivalry author and show creator on a grand stage, it's clear that these two have been in perfect sync since their first Zoom call. Moderated by former Teen Vogue editor-in-chief Versha Sharma, Reid and Tierney took to the stage at BookCon for a session called "Game Changing TV: Heated Rivalry." The conversations spanned across their entire collaboration, from their very first DM to the music that makes the show, to how their lives have changed since the show aired.

Tierney, whose knack for comedy shines through, discussed how the show moved at a lightning pace. The adaptation kicked off in August 2023, with the first episode airing on November 28, 2025. Heated Rivalry's inception and creation happened at lightning pace for television. Tierney, who was the co-creator and director of Letterkenny, said that, rather than the show being slowed down by roadblocks, at every turn it appeared to accelerate instead. The show was sold to HBO before it was even finished, with episode six only finishing four days before it aired.

Reid, who has penned six novels in the Game Changers series, has been involved in the journey since the beginning, first meeting Tierney over Zoom. The author said that throughout the process, she felt respected and involved in reading script drafts and audition tapes.

While the show's leads, Hudson Williams, who portrays Shane Hollander, and Connor Storie, who portrays Ilya Rozanov, weren't physically present at the panel, both asked questions on behalf of the pair. Storie's question was apt, asking the pair what made them such a mutually good fit for this adaptation. The pair said that their visions have felt instinctively aligned, with Reid noting that, as she wrote the infamous kiss between Scott and Kip depicted in episode 5 of Heated Rivalry, she had an image of the cinematic version, which Tierney was able to bring to life.

The show, which has become known for its intimate and plentiful sex scenes, is not there just for the sake of it. Tierney said he wanted to make a show with queer joy and a horny show at that, but more so, sex is a vehicle for the show's characters to be honest and vulnerable with each other.

Music also came up, with the show's needle drops, including Tatu's "All The Things She Said" and Wolf Parade's "I'll Believe in Anything," having a renaissance two decades after their release. There's no formal equation to the music; instead, they let the songs be like casting the right actor, with Tierney noting that songs should serve a "specific task."

Tierney is in the midst of writing season two of Heated Rivalry, which takes on Reid's sequel, Long Game. The writer and director called Long Game "an emotionally sophisticated book" and said that parts of Reid's Role Model will find their way into season two. For Reid, a new book in the Game Changer series, Unrivaled, is due for a 2027 release. The author is still in the writing stage, mentioning that while she felt pressure writing Long Game, the previous book in the series, Unrivaled presents a whole new challenge because of the show's massive popularity.

Fans in the room seemed alight, hearing first-hand from the author and creator of Heated Rivalry, basking in an hour dedicated to a show that set the internet and book world ablaze. Moderator Versha Sharma ended on the sentiment that the whole room could agree on: "Rachel Reid's universe is the world as it should be."

Meta is adding a feature to the web version of Threads that, honestly, probably should've been there a while ago.

As spotted by Engadget, Threads executive Connor Hayes posted an image showcasing a new redesign for the web browser version of the Twitter-like social network. It's a pretty substantial redesign, including a bunch of new elements on the left sidebar such as the ability to easily switch between different feeds. Eagle-eyed viewers will also undoubtedly notice the addition of a direct message inbox. That feature has been available in the Threads mobile app since last June, but web users have been without it for almost an entire year. That, seemingly, will change soon.

Hayes' post didn't include a specific timeframe for when this new redesign will go live, so don't get too excited just yet if you're a web-based Threads user who wants to send and receive DMs. The only hint Hayes gave is that users can expect to see some of these updates "in the coming weeks."

Longtime social media users might find it strange that there has been such a massive gulf in feature availability between the mobile and web versions of Threads, but it makes a certain amount of sense. Threads has actually become pretty popular, but largely on mobile. X is still the preferred microblogging service on web browsers, at least going by user count. Meta is just operating where its bread is buttered. At least now web users can rest assured that they haven't been forgotten.

TL;DR: Live stream Verona vs. AC Milan in Serie A for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Serie A showcases a number of interesting matchups this weekend, including Verona vs. AC Milan. These teams are at either end of the table, so most fans will be expecting a comfortable victory for the visitors. There's always the possibility that the slim chance of survival will drive Verona on to do something special at the Marcantonio Bentegodi.

If you want to watch Verona vs. AC Milan in Serie A for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Verona vs. AC Milan?

Verona vs. AC Milan in Serie A kicks off at 9 a.m. ET on April 19. This fixture takes place at the Marcantonio Bentegodi.

How to watch Verona vs. AC Milan for free

Verona vs. AC Milan in Serie A is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer.

BBC iPlayer is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock BBC iPlayer from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Verona vs. AC Milan for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK

4. Visit BBC iPlayer

5. Live stream Verona vs. AC Milan for free from anywhere in the world

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Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Verona vs. AC Milan without committing with your cash. This isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to live stream select fixtures from Serie A before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for BBC iPlayer?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on BBC iPlayer, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Verona vs. AC Milan in Serie A for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Atletico Madrid vs. Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey final for free on ITVX. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Atletico Madrid are fresh from beating Barcelona in the quarter-final stage of the Champions League. They're going to come up against Arsenal in the next round, but first they face off against Real Sociedad in the final of the Copa del Rey.

Atletico Madrid are comfortably above their opponents in La Liga, but Real Sociedad possess the quality to beat any side on their best day. The likes of Mendez and Oyarzabal will likely cause problems for Diego Simeone's team this weekend.

If you want to watch Atletico Madrid vs. Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey final from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Atletico Madrid vs. Real Sociedad?

Atletico Madrid vs. Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey final kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on April 18. This fixture takes place at the Estadio de La Cartuja.

How to watch Atletico Madrid vs. Real Sociedad for free

Atletico Madrid vs. Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey final is available to live stream for free on ITVX.

ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK, 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 the UK, meaning you can unblock ITVX to live stream the Copa del Rey for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Atletico Madrid vs. Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK

4. Visit ITVX

5. Watch Atletico Madrid vs. Real Sociedad for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Copa del Rey without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Atletico Madrid vs. Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey final before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for ITVX?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on ITVX, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Atletico Madrid vs. Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey final for free with ExpressVPN.

Sceye’s High-Altitude Platform System has completed endurance testing, marking a step toward wider deployment. The floating infrastructure aims to deliver internet from the stratosphere. Here’s what this means for the future of connectivity.

After seven years — a metric eternity in tech time — Sony has finally ventured back into the world of Bluetooth turntables. This spring, the company released the Sony PS-LX3BT ($399.99) and the Sony PS-LX5BT ($499.99), a pair of replacements for its original PS-LX310BT record player.

These newcomers have big shoes to fill. Long regarded as one of the best beginner-friendly turntables, the PS-LX310BT was a popular, perennial favorite for its easy setup, fully automatic operation, and minimalist look. It also helped that it was easy to find on sale for under $200 in its later years.

Admittedly, I never rode the PS-LX310BT hype train. The record player I've used for the past 10-odd years is an entry-level wired, manual turntable that's served me well for the most part, save for some occasional needle issues. I like it a lot... or at least, I thought I did until I used the new PS-LX3BT for a month (the cheaper option). It made me feel so spoiled that I was genuinely bummed to ship it back at the end of my testing period. If you're a vinyl novice in the market for a solid plug-and-play turntable, your search still ends with Sony.

Sony PS-LX3BT Full Auto Playback Turntable with Bluetooth Connectivity

$368 at Amazon
$398 Save $30

 

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Sony PS-LX3BT review: Setup and hands on

The PS-LX3BT ships in a few parts and looks a little intimidating right out of the box, but assembly wound up being a cinch. You just pop on its aluminum platter, hook a rubber belt around its motor pulley, place a slip mat on top, and snap some hinges onto its plastic dust cover. (You can also use it without the cover.) Sony's instructions are easy enough to follow, but there are plenty of setup tutorials on YouTube if you need extra guidance.

Here's what the Sony PS-LX3BT looks like right out of the box. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The PS-LX3BT is a belt-drive turntable, which means its motor is separate from its platter, the plate-shaped thing underneath your record. (They're connected by the aforementioned belt.) This produces less vibration when the motor is running, preserving audio quality, though the belt can stretch out over time and may need to be replaced eventually. The other kind of turntable you'll encounter is the direct-drive variety, which has a motor that's attached to the platter. These are more durable and have more consistent speeds, but they can be noisy. Professional DJs generally prefer direct-drive turntables, but belt-driven ones, which tend to be cheaper, are fine for the rest of us.

I did notice that the PS-LX3BT made a mechanical whirrr sound when it was on, but it was impossible to hear once a record started playing. This will only bother the pickiest audiophiles.

The Sony PS-LX3BT's main housing, or plinth, has a dark gray finish. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The PS-LX3BT is stupidly simple to use. Hit the "Bluetooth" button on the left-hand side of its base, or plinth, to connect it to a wireless speaker, soundbar, or wireless headphones. An indicator light next to the button glows blue when it's paired.

You can also hook up the PS-LX3BT to wired speakers if you're really worried about latency or sound quality. (Bluetooth compresses audio for the trade-off of portability, which, to vinyl purists, defeats the point of listening to analog vinyl.) There's an attached audio cable and a built-in phono preamp, so you just need to plug in your speakers of choice.

Two other buttons near the Sony PS-LX3BT's Start button let you manually stop and raise or lower the tonearm as needed. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

Once the PS-LX3BT is connected to some kind of audio output device, you just have to press the green "Start" button on the opposite side of its plinth. Your record will start spinning, and the tonearm will automatically move over, drop down, and start playing it from the beginning. When it reaches the end of the record side, the tonearm rises and returns to its cradle. It makes some mechanical clacking noises along the way, which might bug some folks, but it's great in that it's completely fuss-free.

The PS-LX3BT supports standard 12-inch albums or 7-inch singles, and you can play either of them at 33 1/3 or 45 revolutions per minute (RPM). There are knobs that let you switch between the two sizes and speeds on the right-hand side of its plinth. Sony throws in an adapter for 7-inchers, which you can stash in a slot within the plinth.

You can rip vinyl records onto your laptop using the Sony PS-LX3BT's USB-B port. Its power cable is removable (right), but its audio cable (left) is not. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable composite

The PS-LX3BT's rear connectivity includes a USB-B port that lets you rip vinyl tracks onto your laptop. I didn't have a USB-B cable on hand when I was testing the turntable, so I couldn't try it myself (it's sold separately). But this is a cool feature that I would absolutely use to digitize physical-exclusive bonus tracks, B-sides, and vinyl releases that differ from the streaming versions. I can't be the only one who misses the "Milkshake" sample on Beyoncé's Renaissance.

For $100 more, the premium PS-LX5BT model nets you a detachable audio cable, a slightly thicker slip mat, and a gold-plated audio jack, which "supports a high-grade wired connection," according to Sony. (From what I've read, it's mainly a durability thing.) Its plinth is black, while the PS-LX3BT is more of a dark gray.

The Sony PS-LX3BT's cartridge has a tracking force of 3.5 grams, which puts it on the heavy side. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The pricier PS-LX5BT also has a lighter, removable cartridge (the part that houses the needle on the end of its tonearm). Its cartridge has a tracking force of two grams, while the cheaper PS-LX3BT's cartridge has a tracking force of 3.5 grams. I think this is the biggest advantage of splurging on the PS-LX5BT: Lighter cartridges equal less wear and tear on your vinyl.

A tracking force of one to three grams is generally ideal, which makes the PS-LX3BT's cartridge a bit heavy. It's not adjustable, unfortunately, though you might be able to jerry-rig a counterweight yourself if you're concerned about long-term vinyl damage. Someone on Reddit lightened the tracking force of their PS-LX310BT (Sony's older turntable) by putting a kneaded eraser on the back end of its tonearm.

Sony PS-LX3BT vs. Sony PS-LX310BT: What's new?

The original Sony PS-LX310BT (top) versus the newer Sony PS-LX3BT (bottom). Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable composite

My sister, who lives nearby, happens to own the original PS-LX310BT, so I stopped by her apartment to check it out. There are a couple of small differences between it and the newer PS-LX3BT, but overall, the latter is a pretty iterative update. (My colleagues have said similar things about Sony's latest XM6 headphones and earbuds. That's modern consumer tech for you.)

Here's what sets them apart:

• The PS-LX3BT adds support for AptX and AptX Adaptive Bluetooth codecs.

• The PS-LX310BT's Start, Stop, and Up/Down buttons are flush on the side of its plinth. The same buttons protrude on the surface of the PS-LX3BT.

• The PS-LX310BT's record speed and size dials are knobs on the PS-LX3BT.

• The PS-LX310BT's dust cover has a smoky gray tint. The PS-LX3BT's cover is clear.

The PS-LX310BT retailed for $449.99 at launch, though it was often on sale for half that in recent years. I think it's still worth buying if you can catch it at a very cheap price, but it's getting tougher to find in stock nowadays.

The Sony PS-LX3BT's transparent dust cover lets you see colorful pressings clearly. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

If you already own the PS-LX310BT, there's no world in which you'd need to upgrade to the PS-LX3BT. Its design tweaks are minimal, and its tonearm-moving mechanism is exactly the same. In theory, its AptX and AptX Adaptive support translates to better wireless audio quality, but the records I spun on my sister's PS-LX310BT didn't sound worse.

Sony PS-LX3BT review: Final thoughts

I'm a Sony convert if my current record player dies. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The PS-LX3BT is a stylish turntable with idiotproof plug-and-play functionality. Its Bluetooth connectivity and automatic operation will turn off vinyl purists, but they're boons for newbies.

As someone who came to the PS-LX3BT from a wired, manual record player, I can't deny the appeal of this convenience — and if mine ever gives out, I'll seriously consider defecting to Sony. I'm precious with my vinyl collection, so I'd go with the nicer PS-LX5BT model for the lighter cartridge.

The PS-LX3BT and PS-LX5BT are both expensive compared to other top-rated turntables, so try to buy them on sale. (I think you're mostly paying a premium for the Sony name, though I'm inclined to trust its build quality over other random brands you might find at Best Buy or Amazon.) At the time of writing, both models were up to $30 off at major retailers.

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Robot vacuum releases for 2026 kicked off in February and have been relentless since. Compared to multiple pre-spring release dates, Narwal's April 13 launch of the Narwal Flow 2 feels a little behind. A new roller mop robot entering the fold at this point would need to have a little extra sparkle to stand out — to the average buyer, and to me, a vacuum reviewer who has had at least three robot vacuum and mop combos under her roof at any given point since January.

The roller mop is more flat and rectangular than most cylindrical ones. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

The Flow 2 comes with detergent that auto-dispenses into the water tank. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

What's special about the Narwal Flow 2?

Seemingly nothing, if you were merely comparing the bullet points in the Flow 2's Amazon description to the Amazon listings for other robovacs in its price range. 31,000 Pa suction power? A self-cleaning roller mop? Dual camera AI object recognition? On paper, it's nothing we haven't heard before. In practice, though, the Narwal Flow 2's AI skills around obstacles and messes have proven more reliable than other 2026 flagships that claim the same thing.

I've realized that the Flow 2's specs are actually loaded for how much Narwal is charging — especially with the Flow 2 at its launch sale price of $1,099.99. 31,000 Pa suction is quite strong for barely costing over $1,000, and heated water mopping is hard to come across at all. The Dreamxe X60 Max Ultra Complete mops with hot water, too, but it's not a roller mop vacuum (and it costs more).

The Narwal Flow 2 might have the best AI mess detection I've seen

Every big robot vacuum is flaunting AI-powered cleaning and obstacle recognition this year. The thing is, AI robot vacuum features mean nothing to me if they're dodgy. Most fancy AI robot vacuums I've tested recently seem to struggle with consistent mess detection, especially around liquid. The Narwal Flow 2 and its Freo Mind AI mode have been different, though.

When Narwal says that the Flow 2 "sees everything," it's honestly not that much of a stretch. When upcoming piles of debris or liquid spills are substantial enough, the Flow 2's front-facing camera snaps a picture before adjusting its cleaning approach accordingly. For instance, the Flow 2 knew that tracked kitty litter around the Litter-Robot was "scattered debris." Suction power audibly boosts when the Flow 2 crosses any area it thinks is heavily soiled.

Every robot vacuum I review has to take the Litter-Robot area test. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

The Flow 2 identified the field of dry scattered debris (and got Sansa in the picture). Credit: Screenshot / Narwal

Most AI robot vacs use live imaging like this for behind-the-scenes processing while cleaning, but photographic evidence of what the vacuum is seeing isn't always readily available. I appreciate that the Flow 2 is so transparent about its thought process — it's been fun to make a mess on the floor, then immediately check the app to see if the Flow 2 accurately recognized it.

Narwal's small obstacle avoidance has also been spot-on so far. The Flow 2 successfully avoids charging cords, shoes, and slippers on a daily basis, and even made it a point to steer around large clumps of potting soil (thinking they were pet waste). The app drops a little pin in the map, noting what type of obstacle it found, and you can see a photo of those, too. This is how I found out that the Flow 2 noticed more niche obstacles in its peripherals, like the very out-of-the-way power cord to my Mill food recycling bin and my cat's crinkle ball toys.

Is the Narwal Flow 2 good at mopping?

The Narwal Flow 2 is a beast at soaking up liquid spills. Instead of the traditional cylindrical roller mop design, this roller has flat slides like a conveyor belt. Narwal says this covers 0.157 square feet of floor surface per pass, which is allegedly more direct surface coverage than the sliver of a rounded roller mop hitting the floor at any given point. I believe that. The Flow 2 was super effective at fully soaking up runny spills like wine and thicker droplet consistencies like ranch and pancake batter.

The Flow 2 zeroed in on the wine and navigated around it more carefully. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

It took forever, but the Flow 2 did end up leaving the area spotless. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

Most notably, the Flow 2 left no sticky residue behind after mopping several drops of syrup — and every robot vacuum struggles to fully wipe syrup up. This has to be due to the roller mop's use of heated water, which we rarely see in roller mop robot vacuums. The combination of heat with a pressurized flat roller seems to be an elite pairing for melting away caked-on grime.

I realize that 140 degrees Fahrenheit isn't enough to kill bacteria by science's standards. But for me, the heated scrubbing provides an extra layer of sanitation (and subsequently, comfort) for walking around in bare feet.

Is the Narwal Flow 2 good at vacuuming?

The Narwal Flow 2's rug cleaning is definitely in the top percentile of the many flagship robot vacuums I've tested since January. I'd unsurprisingly rank it just below the Dreame X60 Max Ultra Complete's 35,000 Pa, but would surprisingly rank it above the Roborock Saros 20's 36,000 Pa. If you just want to compare the suction power to other roller mop robot vacuums, the Flow 2 is a smidge better than the Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Flow's 20,000 Pa.

There's a lot of variety in the Narwal app's customized vacuuming settings. There are four suction options from "quiet" to "super powerful," plus the occasional pop-up option for "vortex suction," depending on the floor type. You can choose between a standard or meticulous route, the latter taking longer as the Flow 2 scrupulously cleans in two zigzag patterns, one running perpendicular to the first to create a crosshatch pattern. My favorite part is being able to choose up to THREE cleaning passes for extra good measure.

I entrusted the Flow 2 with tackling daily rug buildup like shedded cat hair and long head hairs from my own personal shedding, small crumbs, and litter lodged in the fibers of my plush bath mats. All of those saw a 95 to 97 percent pickup rate. After recently watching the Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai miss a ton of tiny quinoa pieces that I dumped into the fluffy hallway rug, I experimented with the Flow 2's handling of the same exact mess. It went much better this time.

From sticky water bowl stains to flung food, the Flow 2 always excels in the cat bowl area. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

If the Flow 2 missed any cat food on the first pass, it always grabs it on the second or third. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

The Flow 2's performance on hardwood and tile has been solid, too. I was constantly sending it to clean up kibble and crusted wet food flung from my cats' bowls, fallen dryer lint, and two types of cat litter. None of the missed debris or dust here and there has been egregious, confirmed by the laser on one of my Dyson stick vacuums. Not even a minuscule stem was left behind after the Flow took several passes over dried bouquet remnants that my cat knocked out of a vase.

Factors to keep in mind

As helpful as the meticulous cleaning and navigational settings have been, they're sometimes granular to the point of being more complicated than they need to be.

The Narwal refused to go near the wine just because of the setting it was on. Credit: Screenshot / Narwal

Narwal's cleaning settings were... hyper-vigilant when I wanted the Flow 2 to clean up a puddle of wine. No matter how many times I sent it to vacuum and mop this cleaning zone, the Flow 2 would clean the entire rectangle but the few inches with a wine splatter — even though I could see in the app that a liquid spill was detected. It took me forever to figure out that I had the Flow 2 in a custom "vacuum and mop at the same time" mode, and that the Flow 2 didn't want to vacuum over a liquid spill. I'm obviously thankful that the Flow 2 won't just drive through a puddle and suck wine up into the dust bin, but I'm surprised that the Flow 2 can't tweak its cleaning strategy, regardless of whether it's in custom mode. A heads-up like, "I'm not ignoring this spill just to annoy you. Switch me to Freo mode!" would have been nice.

After its initial mapping run, the Flow 2 quietly defaulted rug settings to "cross the carpet without cleaning it." That's the Freo smart cleaning system trying to avoid getting rugs wet when mopping, but that feels like an illogical extra step. Other premium robot vacuums automatically clean both floor types on the fly, and simply cut water flow and lift the mop on soft flooring. This setting is buried in the map management maze, and I don't think most people would assume that it's a setting they could even toggle. They'd just get pissed off that their new robot vacuum is refusing to vacuum the rug.

Our appetite for hearing more about open relationships is increasing. 

While monogamy may have been considered a given in previous generations, the big "tick" of conventional relationships, Google search interest in "ethical non-monogamy" (ENM) has increased astronomically, with searches increasing by 400 percent over the last five years. IRL, more people are considering giving ethical non-monogamy a whirl. In June 2025, Feeld's State of Dating report found that a third of heterosexual men and 11 percent of women in the UK said they'd be open to more than one long-term partner.

Perhaps it's not surprising, then, that representations of ENM have become increasingly visible in pop culture, from HBO's Industry to high-profile memoirs to Lily Allen's West End Girl. But how exactly do these books, TV shows, and albums represent ethical non-monogamy and do they get it "right"?

Depicting open relationships in pop culture 

Open relationships appear to be everywhere right now, from our shelves to our screens. Writer Lindy West's explosive memoir Adult Braces: Driving Myself Sane explored her experiences of polyamory within her marriage, setting the internet ablaze with TikTok theories about whether West is fully on board with the arrangement. 

Ask Me How It Works: Love in an Open Marriage by Deepa Paul explores her experience of being a mother and wife within an open marriage. Miranda July's novel All Fours, which sees a perimenopausal woman open up her marriage, also caused intrigue and critique.

On TV, in the latest season of Industry, Marisa Abela's Yasmin navigates opening up her relationship with her husband Henry (Kit Harington) as a means of escaping the "gilded cage" her marriage represents to her, and encouraging a sexual encounter with a younger employee. Abuse of power, much? Robin Wright's The Girlfriend and Dakota Johnson's Splitsville explored open relationships within the thriller and comedy genres. And  reality TV series Open House: The Great Sex Experiment saw therapists guide real-life couples through the reality of open relationships.

Probably one of the most famous discussions of non-monogamy of the last year, Lily Allen's explosive album West End Girl includes tracks such as "Nonmonogamummy," "Pussy Palace," and "Dallas Major," which outline Allen's personal experiences of being in an open marriage, the latter depicting her discomfort navigating dating apps within that space ("I hate it here"). Most notably, the legendary song "Madeline" explores her partner breaking the boundaries of their open agreement with one specific woman. The release of West End Girl led to a huge spike in Google searches around non-monogamy and open marriages, with Google searches around Allen and her open marriage reaching towering levels.

With this kind of notoriety came thinkpieces, TikToks, and conversations down the pub. Can open marriage work? Who is the ultimate villain here? One TikTokker called Allen's album a "warning label for anyone thinking of opening their relationship". Allen herself said in an Elle UK interview that while music execs were concerned that material about open relationships wasn't universal enough, after its release, women inundated her DMs with their own negative experiences of non-monogamy. 

But is one woman's experience a fair assessment of an entire community and their relationship dynamics? Is the way pop culture represents open relationships and non-monogamy reflective of, and faithful to, the actual reality of ENM? 

Biased on-screen depictions of non-monogamy

When it comes to recent pop culture representations of polyamory, there may actually be such a thing as bad publicity. 

The mass reaction to West End Girl and other pop culture representations of open relationships leaves a lot of nuance to be desired. While many people, women in particular, felt seen by Allen's raw lyrics, her story is an example of non-monogamy practiced unethically, or perhaps, one-sidedly. Does West End Girl and other stories like it reflect the reality and nuance of all non-monogamous relationships? Or are they giving them a bad name? 

Polyamory educator and queer sex therapist in training Leanne Yau, who has worked with over 1,000 polyamorous clients as a relationship coach, believes that portrayals like West End Girl do, unfortunately, "add to quite a lot of stigma about polyamory in our culture."

"If there was already a lot of positive representation to balance it out, then whatever," Yau adds. "But a lot of the narratives around polyamory are so overwhelmingly negative." Yau says there wasn't enough positive representation of polyamory in the album to "balance out what was otherwise a vulnerable and emotionally resonant piece of art." Entertainment and education are both important here, and they can be hard to reconcile.

In Michael Angelo Covino's Splitsville, a 2025 screwball comedy, two couples open up their marriages to avoid divorce. Yau views this as a trope used often in portrayals of open relationships, describing the film as "passive aggressive," lacking honest communication, and concentrating on the "wrong reasons" that couples may choose to open up their marriage, namely to not split up. For these reasons and more, Yau commended Splitsville in terms of entertainment value but she didn't view it as a good portrayal of polyamorous relationships.

Non-monogamy can be portrayed as entertainment, instead of truthful experiences

For relationship therapist and sexologist Madalaine Munro, a key issue with these portrayals of ethical non-monogamy is a prioritised "desire to entertain" within pop culture. This is arguably what leads portrayals to be sensationalised and dramatised, instead of being accurate.

"When looking at how ethical non-monogamous relationships are portrayed in TV, film, music, and literature, we can see that most mainstream media is driven primarily by the desire to entertain, which means stories are crafted around conflict, rupture, and emotional intensity rather than how harmonious healthy relationships can be," Munro tells Mashable. 

"Because of this, the love, trust, and communication that are central to healthy ENM are rarely depicted, and instead what we see are exaggerated scenarios in which boundaries are ignored, agreements are broken, or characters behave with secrecy and betrayal."

Munro adds that these portrayals subsequently shape false ideas about how non-monogamy functions. "This narrow, sensationalised framing is unhelpful because it can lead people to associate ENM with instability, chaos, or betrayal, rather than recognising that when practiced with integrity, these relationships rely on a strong foundation of trust, transparency, and clear communication," Munro says. "It subtly reinforces the idea that anything outside of monogamy must naturally involve harm or irresponsibility, which can deepen the social stigma around ENM and lead to the assumption that non-monogamous people are somehow less loyal or less committed."

Here, Munro says, many storylines and character arcs don't reflect "the emotional maturity and relational skill involved in sustainable ENM."

Yau agrees with Munro that ENM relationships are so often portrayed with betrayal or conflict at the centre. "One of my main gripes about polyamorous representation in the media is that so many stories start from a place of cheating. I don't think that's actually representative of reality," she says. 

"In real life, if a polyamorous relationship starts from a place of cheating, it is very, very unlikely to survive, because you need such a foundation of trust in order to be in a relationship anyway, and you need to trust each other even more to navigate polyamory. And starting from a place of cheating completely destroys the trust that you would need… So it's just not realistic."

The impact of novels about open marriage and relationships on representation

Like West, July, and Paul, writers are exploring the world of open relationships and ethical non-monogamy in novels and memoirs — and they seem to be doing a much better job at representation.

Author and journalist Cassie Werber, who has been in an open relationship for a decade with her now husband, published her 2024 novel Open Season wanting to see more realism in written relationships.

"All the depictions of open relationships I had seen or read assumed that they were actually about betrayal, and that they would always end in heartbreak," she tells Mashable. "Open relationships can be very complex and hard to explain. I had seen it done badly, and wanted to do it better."

Author Roxy Dunn's second novel, which was released in Jan. 2026, sees protagonist Misty come out of a long-term, conventional relationship and connect with Christopher, who is in a long-term, open relationship with the mother of his child, Sara. Dunn tells Mashable that her central question when writing the book was whether relationships – monogamous or non-monogamous – can offer a form of safety. Dunn was inspired by the cultural shift towards exploring non-monogamy, particularly on dating apps like Feeld. "I think people are questioning the status quo a lot more in terms of what a relationship ought to look like," she tells me, adding that having books that reflect the lives and situation of those practicing ENM is "really important".

With more elements of pop culture touching on the experience of polyamory and open relationships, diverse representations of these dynamics has never been more important. As Munro says, inaccurate portrayals of polyamory and open relationships in pop culture "flatten a complex, intentional, and relationally rich way of loving into a dramatic device". 

"As a result, they fail to represent the depth of inner work, clear communication and care that takes place in relationship structures outside monogamy, and by doing so may stop people from exploring something that may support their relationship needs."

TL;DR: Get a free iPhone 17e when signing up for a T-Mobile plan with no trade-in required. You can also get the iPhone 17 for free from T-Mobile when signing up for an Experience More plan and trading in an eligible device.

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Credit: Apple

T-Mobile: Apple iPhone 17 for free

 

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In the mobile carrier world, "free" is a word that usually comes with a whole lot of catches. Free deals usually force you into a premium plan and demand you trade in a pristine flagship phone to qualify for the discount. However, T-Mobile’s latest offer for the iPhone 17e is surprisingly straightforward.

For a limited time, you can score the newly-released iPhone 17e for free by simply opening a new line with T-Mobile. The standout feature of this deal? You don't need a trade-in. T-Mobile is covering the full $599 retail price of the iPhone 17e via 24 monthly bill credits.

Want something with a little more power? You can also pick up the iPhone 17 for free from T-Mobile when signing on for 24 months of an Experience More plan and trading in an eligible phone. This deal gets you unthrottled 5G data, 4K streaming, and heaps of international roaming, but it's does fall into that standard trade-in/premium plan category of free deal.

You might not need to upgrade to the iPhone 17, because the iPhone 17e packs a serious punch. It utilizes the same A19 chip found in the standard iPhone 17, meaning it’s fully compatible with the latest Apple Intelligence features. As Mashable’s Stan Schroeder notes in his first-hand look: "The combination of having Apple's latest chip and a decent amount of storage means this phone will be relevant for at least four to five years." So it sounds like you've covered for the forseeable future with this budget-friendly handset.

We should point out that you still need to pay taxes on the full retail price upfront, plus a $35 device connection fee. And, of course, you’re locked into a data plan for two years. But you've got a shiny new iPhone 17, so you're still winning.

Score an iPhone 17e for free at T-Mobile this weekend.

SAVE $500: The DJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo is on sale for $1,099 at Amazon. That's $500 off the list price of $1,599.

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DJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo

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What's in store for the drone market in 2026? We're honestly not sure. Legislative pressure is mounting on DJI imports, but we expected stock to be dipping already. That's clearly not the case, because stock is readily available on Amazon and some of the most popular drones are heavily discounted for a limited time.

The DJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo is down to $1,099 at Amazon. That's $500 off a beginner-friendly drone that offers professional specs without the hassle of FAA paperwork.

Lightweight drones like this have historically had to compromise on quality, but that's not the case here. The Mini 5 Pro offers a massive 1-inch CMOS sensor, so whether you’re shooting 50MP stills or 4K/120fps slow-motion, the dynamic range is staggering.

The DJI Mini 5 Pro also makes use of forward-facing LiDAR that powers the new Nightscape Omnidirectional Sensing, allowing the drone to dodge branches, power lines, and buildings even when you can’t see them on your screen. The last thing you want to do is crash your brand new $1,099 drone. This helps avoid that haunting scenario.

You're also getting 42GB of internal storage with this discounted drone. That means you can actually capture a full afternoon of 4K footage without needing an external card at all. It's a simple feature that makes a huge difference for users.

Save $500 on the DJI Mini 5 Pro this weekend.

You've likely seen the viral clips: Sydney Sweeney's Cassie, in dog ears and a heart-shaped dog nose, saying "woof woof" as Jacob Elordi's Nate pulls her leash. Or maybe you've seen the clip of Cassie dressed as a baby to shoot content for her OnlyFans — though HBO has apparently already altered it after intense backlash.

This is Season 3 of HBO's Euphoria, which Mashable's entertainment reporter Belen Edwards rightfully called gross rather than great. Euphoria seems to proudly showcase the salaciousness of sex work to gain viewers and viral moments, all while real sex workers struggle to maintain a voice online amidst censoring legislation.

What 'Euphoria' gets wrong about sex work

Mainstream portrayals of sex work are far from new, especially on HBO (See: The Deuce, Minx, and earlier seasons of Euphoria). But writer, director, actor, and OnlyFans performer Megan Prescott told Mashable she hasn't seen a good portrayal of sex work or online sex work on TV so far.

"I think there is such a snobbery in the world in general around sex work," said Prescott, who is also chair of National Ugly Mugs, a UK-based charity dedicated to sex worker protection and justice. "For some reason, we think that they [sex workers] don't know their own industry better than anyone else." She said mainstream shows often don't have real-life sex workers as consultants. 

Euphoria cast porn performer Chloe Cherry as Faye in Season 2, but it's unclear whether there are any sex worker consultants behind the scenes. HBO representatives for Euphoria didn't respond to Mashable's request for comment.

It's not a stretch to believe the show doesn't. As Edwards said in her Season 3 review, "Cassie's sex work has no depth to it, and in her 'right-wing suburban bubble,' everyone heaps shame on her, from her fiancé to her friends. Euphoria doesn't interrogate these biases or examine the intricacies of sex work further. Instead, it's happy to keep the shame coming," in the form of the now-infamous clip of Cassie dressed as a baby.

"We've just had someone write a show about their fantasy of a type of sex work, and in doing that, the general public will be like, 'Oh my god. On OnlyFans, you can dress up as a baby. That's disgusting,' which is just not accurate," Prescott said. 

OnlyFans' Acceptable Use Policy prohibits "illegal activity including actual, claimed, or role-played: exploitation, abuse, or harm of individuals under the age of 18." But Euphoria creators either didn't consult actual OnlyFans performers to create the show, or didn't care that they were portraying it inaccurately. 

We don't know the intentions of Euphoria creator Sam Levinson and the people behind the show; it can be provocation for provocation's sake. But when inaccuracies about sex work are broadcast to the world, sex workers feel the brunt of the fallout. There are already campaigns to ban porn or at least severely restrict access to it, and this portrayal could fuel those calls. But banning porn would make performers turn to more dangerous forms of sex work.

"Portrayals of sex work in mainstream media such as Euphoria rely on reductive and harmful stereotypes, which often shape public perception of sex workers in ways that justify harmful policy," said Diana Rotten, digital strategist for the campaign Scotland for Decrim.

Sex workers in the UK and beyond are facing increasingly hostile legislation, Rotten continued. This is partly due to the Online Safety Act, the UK's age-verification law. Age-verification statutes typically require proof of age, like a facial scan or government ID, to access explicit content — and sometimes content that's not at all explicit but still deemed "adult." 

Beyond age-verification, there have also been pushes to implement the "Nordic model" of in-person sex work, Rotten said, which criminalizes buyers of sex as opposed to sellers. But many sex workers highly criticize the Nordic model, saying it keeps them unsafe. For instance, Northern Ireland implemented the Nordic model in 2015, and from 2016 to 2018, there was a 225 percent increase in reported violence against sex workers. Sex workers often advocate for decriminalization instead.

The public's first impression of sex workers shouldn't be shaped through sensationalized and voyeuristic lenses, but grounded in the lived experience of sex workers themselves, Rotten continued. "Too often, the film and television industry is happy to create moral projections and spectacle on sex workers whilst failing to adequately demand improvement of their working conditions," Rotten continued.

Maedb Joy, founder and creative director of Sexquisite Events, a performing arts company that platforms sex worker artists, said similar, that unless you have sex workers in the decision-making process, it's not going to be accurately represented. She said portrayals are often one-dimensional (Anora came to mind) or reduced to stereotypes.

The 'gap' between TV and porn

Prescott is a former child actor and starred on the UK series Skins as Katie Finch. She said she was 16 when she did her first sex scene, and she didn't have a chaperone. (Today, working children must be chaperoned if they're under 16 or 18, depending on the UK territory.) Nor was it a closed set, meaning non-essential people were also present. Everyone was fine with that, she said.

"But as a 30-year-old woman, I started an OnlyFans, and there was an absolute uproar," despite how she's "done exactly the same thing on national television as a 16-year-old." 

Further, the gap between what someone might do on mainstream TV and OnlyFans is getting smaller (such as simulated sex), but society only demonizes the latter. But starring in someone else's TV show means relinquishing control of your image and sexuality, while OnlyFans can mean taking ownership of and profiting from it, Prescott said.

"I can only speak for myself, [but] I felt a lot safer doing sex work than I have in the acting industry, particularly before the MeToo movement," she said. "There's so many parallels between sex work and mainstream acting that the fact that actors have so many more rights than sex workers do is just appalling to me."

Real-world consequences from TV

It's not all bad news. Joy said representation of sex workers on mainstream TV is "getting there," noting the New Zealand series Madam, about a woman who opens a brothel after her husband has an affair with a sex worker. 

Another TV show out now, Margo's Got Money Troubles, may be another example of better representation. Based on the novel by Rufi Thorpe, the show follows a young mother who starts an OnlyFans account to support herself and her baby. Thorpe, who also executive-produced the show, paid OnlyFans models to consult on the story.

The reality is, to have an accurate portrayal of one of the most marginalized groups, they must be consulted. If you're not listening to sex workers or sex worker organizations, your idea of what sex work is like comes from media depictions of it, said Prescott, and those perceptions can turn into actual laws that impact people. 

As it is, Hollywood is profiting off of sex workers while actual sex worker income has recently decreased due to the enactment of age-verification laws. And sex workers have been banned or shadowbanned from major platforms for years now, thanks in part to previous legislation. FOSTA/SESTA, twin laws enacted in 2018, outwardly tried to stop online sex trafficking, but studies show they actually pushed sex workers offline into less safe situations. 

Major social media platforms cracked down harder on sexual content after FOSTA/SESTA went into effect, and that's been the trend for years. Just this month, Meta removed sex toy shop Bellesa's Instagram account. Nonprofit Repro Uncensored documented more than 70 queer, reproductive rights, and creative accounts removed from Instagram in April 2026.

Joy said the Sexquisite account had been removed before. "We lost our Instagram account at 26,000 followers just before we went on tour last year," she said. But at the same time, she sees companies like Honey Birdette allowed to promote their lingerie, and Sabrina Carpenter danced on a pole in the "Tears" music video. Sex workers are glamorized and used for aesthetics, but real workers aren't allowed to live those aesthetics, Joy said.

"It's the same old story that people get to take from our culture and profit off it and commodify it, but when it's literally our lives, it's criminalized," said Joy. 

These policies claim to protect women and children, but they often force people into more isolated and precarious working conditions, whilst failing to address poverty, which is the main reason for entry into the sex industry, Rotten said.

Media shapes perception. And in a world that is increasingly harsh on sex workers, we need to shape a better perception. 

Let the sound of clacking fans and roaring audiences lead you to Cats: The Jellicle Ball, a rapturous reinvention of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats.

Now on Broadway after a 2024 run at PAC NYC, Cats: The Jellicle Ball transposes the often confounding pageantry of Cats to the ballroom scene, a haven for LGBTQ art and expression. The move breathes new life and meaning into Webber's work, creating a joyful spectacle that is the only way I'll accept Cats from now on.

Cats: The Jellicle Ball brings ballroom culture to Andrew Lloyd Webber.

The cast of "Cats: The Jellicle Ball." Credit: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade

Despite its revamped title, Cats: The Jellicle Ball is still Cats. That means it's still the story of the Jellicle Cats gathering for the Jellicle Ball, where the leader of their clan, Old Deuteronomy (André De Shields) will choose one cat to ascend to the Heaviside Layer and be reborn.

However, Cats: The Jellicle Ball zeroes in on the "ball" aspect of the original Cats, smartly tying the musical's storyline to contemporary ballroom culture. Pioneered by Black and Latina trans women in the 1960s, but with origins dating back to the drag balls of the Harlem Renaissance, ballroom culture centers on competitive balls where attendees walk or perform in categories for prizes. Examples include "realness," tied to a performer's ability to "pass" as a cishet man, or "virgin vogue," a category for newer dancers. Participants are often members of "houses," which are part team, part chosen family.

All these elements map onto Cats: The Jellicle Ball eerily well, to the point that no part of the show's recontextualization feels awkward or forced. In directors Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch's vision, "Old Gumbie Cat" Jennyanydots (Xavier Reyes) becomes Mother of the Haus of Dots, whipping her house kittens into shape. The much lusted-after Rum Tum Tugger (Sydney James Harcourt) rules supreme in the realness category, while self-described "fat cat" Bustopher Jones (Nora Schell) rocks the body category. And yes, it all takes place on a catwalk. Here, each cat's introduction is more than just a wave hello to the audience: It's a full-on presentation to the Jellicle Ball's judges.

The presentations themselves are jaw-dropping, full of gravity-defying moves courtesy of choreographers Omari Wiles and Arturo Lyons. Their choreography highlights the five elements of vogue, from dips and spins to mesmerizing hand and floor performances. A rousing take on "Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat" even doubles as a lesson in the differences between Old Way and New Ways of voguing, charting the evolution of the art form.

Accentuating these looks further is the stunning costume, hair and wig, and makeup design by Qween Jean, Nikiya Mathis, and Rania Zohny, respectively. In Cats: The Jellicle Ball, performers' looks aren't as explicitly cat-like as those in the original production. You won't find any furry bodysuits or painted-on whiskers here. Instead, the musical pulls inspiration from streetwear and couture alike, creating a colorful blend of styles while still nodding to the show's source material with cat-eared hats, fur coats, or clawed boots. Like with Cats: The Jellicle Ball's dramaturgical shifts (Josephine Kearns served as dramaturg and gender consultant), each design choice cannily acknowledges Cats' past while pushing it into the future. That experience doesn't even let up during intermission, during which you can hear banger remixes of songs from other Webber musicals.

Cats: The Jellicle Ball pays moving tribute to LGBTQ history.

Junior LaBeija and Bryson Battle in "Cats: The Jellicle Ball." Credit: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade

Cats: The Jellicle Ball's new ballroom setting isn't just an opportunity for the show to rain glitter and general fabulousness on the audience. (Although, trust me, there is plenty of that.) It's also a tribute to the pioneers of ballroom culture, which has entered the mainstream thanks to documentaries like 1990's Paris Is Burning, shows like Pose, and copious references everywhere from Madonna's "Vogue" to RuPaul's Drag Race. Ballroom slang like serving, eating, or clocking it has also become more widely used, if divorced from its original context. But over the course of the two hours you spend at Cats: The Jellicle Ball, the musical hopes to give audience members that context and honor it, too.

The biggest examples come at the beginning of the show's second act, when Old Deuteronomy sings "The Moments of Happiness" to newcomer Sillabub (Teddy Wilson Jr.). As he reflects on the past, projections (courtesy of Brittany Bland) behind him display images of the Founding Mothers of ballroom, including Crystal LaBeija, whose image makes another cameo in the show. That thoughtful moment moves into Gus the Theatre Cat's (Junior LaBeija) self-titled number, in which he regales the Jellicle kittens with tales of his work in the theater. In a vacuum, the song is still a moving remembrance of glory days gone by. But having LaBeija, the iconic emcee featured in Paris Is Burning, perform the song adds a whole new layer of meaning to it. This is a titan of ballroom passing the torch to a new generation and making sure they know their history. The relevance of that casting might not mean something to everyone in the Broadhurst Theatre, especially if Cats: The Jellicle Ball is their first exposure to ballroom. But for those in the know, the effect is endlessly powerful.

Cats: The Jellicle Ball also gestures to the trials and discrimination the LGBTQ community faces, artfully changing up Old Deuteronomy's 11th-hour disappearance to involve a harrowing encounter with police. With that, "Magical Mister Mistoffelees" (Robert "Silk" Mason) becomes a rousing number of resistance and solidarity, albeit with some clever magical humor thrown in. It's a euphoric sequence in a musical full of them. Old Deuteronomy's introduction alone had the audience out of our seats and clacking our fans along for several minutes, overjoyed by the power of sick beats, dance moves, and De Shields boogieing up and down the catwalk. "Memory," sung exceptionally by "Tempress" Chasity Moore's Grizabella, brought the house down. And every runway showdown prompted gasps and approving clacks around the theater.

Would you find this level of collective joy at a more "traditional" Cats staging? I'm not sure. The show's bizarre nature can be alienating, even off-putting. (Let's not forget the horrors of 2019's film adaptation.) Yet with its ballroom angle, Cats: The Jellicle Ball finds a clear focus for Webber's polarizing show and turns it into a weird, wild celebration of an important subculture. Come one, come all, and get swept up in the magic.

Cats: The Jellicle Ball is now on Broadway.

TL;DR: A lifetime subscription to Pok Pok, a Montessori-inspired app that helps kids learn through play, is now $59.99 (reg. $250).

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Credit: Pok Pok

Pok Pok: Lifetime Subscription

$59.99
$250 Save $190.01

 

Get Deal

Technology isn’t going anywhere. However, the rise of a virtual world doesn’t mean that we should give in to unhealthy online practices. That goes for kids, too. Pok Pok is an award-winning app that helps kids in grades 2 through 8 learn with calm, supportive, educational games. A lifetime subscription is now $59.99 (reg. $250).

Pok Pok is bringing children in grades 2 through 8, ad-free, low-stimulation learning. Not only is this a healthy way to introduce kiddos to screentime, but it also helps kids learn on their own — intuitive in-app tools give kids what they need to form new skills all on their own.

Pok Pok was created by concerned parents and developed in close collaboration with early childhood experts to provide kids with enriching and safe developmental tools. They do this with Montessori-inspired practices — an educational approach that focuses on hands-on, independent learning. This learning model helps kids develop life skills through impactful experiences. Pok Pok has no rules or levels, no pop-up ads, or sneaky in-app purchases – just a one-time subscription fee and lifetime access to learning.

This lifetime subscription doesn’t just live on one device. If a tablet happens to break or a phone gets lost, you can just install Pok Pok on a new device and keep the fun going. Your subscription lets you use Pok Pok on up to 10 devices, so it can grow with your current children or be passed down the line as your family continues to grow

For a limited time, get a lifetime subscription to Pok Pok for $59.99.

Grabbing this deal? Build your cart to $100+ and score a lifetime license to Microsoft Office 2021 free with code GWP4MAC (for Mac) or GWP4WIND (for Windows) through April 19.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Study 14 new languages with lifetime access to Babbel for $159 (reg. $646.20).

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Credit: Babbel

Babbel Language Learning: Lifetime Subscription (All Languages)

$159
$646.20 Save $487.20

 

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There’s more to learning a new language than rote memorization, but you wouldn’t know that from looking at some language-learning apps. If you’re not making any progress with dense vocabulary lists and grammar memory exercises, it might be time for a more practical approach. Babbel is a language-learning tool designed by actual linguists that walks you through learning up to 14 different languages in a more practical, natural way. Right now, a lifetime subscription is also available for $159 (reg. $646.20).

Babbel gives you lifetime access to all 14 of its current languages. That includes

• French

• Spanish

• German

• Italian

• Portuguese

• And more

If you want to focus on one language, you can. If you want to bounce between a few, you can do that, too.

The actual lessons are short, usually about 10 to 15 minutes each, and they cover language you’d use in everyday situations. Babbel teaches things like asking for directions, ordering food, shopping, getting around, making conversation, and handling common business situations.

Babbel also lets you start at the level that fits where you are now. You can go in as a total beginner, jump in at an intermediate level, or work through more advanced material. There are even pronunciation lessons with speech recognition that lets you say words and phrases out loud instead of just reading them. And if you want to practice an actual conversation, try the AI speech partner.

There’s nothing worse than forgetting the language you put all that work into studying. That’s why Babbel also includes personalized review sessions, so older material comes back around before it disappears from your memory.

Use code LEARN to get a Babbel Lifetime Subscription for $159.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Save on signature Apple performance with a Grade A refurbished Apple MacBook Pro (2020) for just $399.99 (reg. $1,580).

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Credit: Apple

Apple MacBook Pro 2020 (Refurbished)

$399.99
$1,580 Save $1,180.01

 

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Time to upgrade your laptop? Shopping for a student in your life or a young professional who needs a more advanced computer? Or looking for a good deal on new tech? Shopping refurbished gives you an opportunity to buy a 2020 MacBook Pro for 74% off.

The MacBook Pro is one of Apple’s tentpole devices; therefore, like most other Apple tech, it rarely goes on sale. By shopping outside the official Apple store, all the features of the MacBook Pro are no longer overshadowed by the cost.

With the following features, the Pro is fit for professionals and students alike:

• Vivid images thanks to retina display and true tone technology for creative work or play.

• Touch ID and a touch bar.

• Improved connectivity and optimized OS performance with 16GB RAM and 2GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5.

• 512GB SSD storage for fast operation.

Shopping refurbished offers the opportunity to save up to 74% while also making an environmentally conscious decision. Certified refurbished items undergo rigorous quality checks to ensure they arrive operational.

This Grade “A” refurbished product earned its rating by meeting the following criteria:

• Minimal wear on the body. May have light wear, but none are visible from over 1 foot away.

• No scratches or burns on the display screen.

• Clean and operational keyboards.

Get a refurbished Apple MacBook Pro (2020) for just $399.99 (reg. $1,580).

If you order this deal, you’ll get a lifetime of Microsoft Office 2021 on us. Add MSO to your cart and enter GWP4MAC (for Mac) or GWP4WIND (for Windows) to zero it out. Ends April 19 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Unblock Pornhub from anywhere in the world with a VPN. The best service for unblocking porn sites is ExpressVPN.

Access to Pornhub is in turmoil. Early in 2025, more than a third of U.S. states introduced age verification laws. In response, Pornhub banned visitors from those states from accessing their website. The same situation then took place in France, and although Pornhub is complying with the UK's age verification law, users are now required to provide personal information to access the site.

The situation is constantly changing, but you can stay one step ahead with a quick and easy hack. If you want to unblock porn sites like Pornhub for free from anywhere in the world, we have the information you need.

How to unblock Pornhub for free

VPNs can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure server in another location. This process bypasses geo-restrictions so you can access adult sites like Pornhub from anywhere in the world.

Unblock Pornhub by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in a location that supports access to Pornhub

4. Visit Pornhub

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Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

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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 your favorite site, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for bypassing online 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:

• Servers in 105 countries

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast streaming speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $78.18 and includes an extra four months for free — 78% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Unblock Pornhub for free with ExpressVPN.

If you're on a budget and things look bleak in the relationship department, don't panic. You don't need to shell out hundreds to find a genuine connection. As the weather warms up and the spring dating pool thaws out, there are plenty of free dating apps that let you chat, match, and meet a partner without shelling out cash upfront.

Dating itself will cost you time and money, so why should dating apps eat at your wallet, too? You don't have to resort to dating an AI to save money. Simply use a dating app's free tier. The good news is, the most popular apps are free to use — no credit card required.

What dating apps are completely free?

Mainstream dating apps like Tinder, OkCupid, and Hinge all have robust free membership tiers that compete with paid subscriptions. Some free, more niche dating apps, like Archer and Lex, are also worth checking out. It just depends on what you're looking for and how much work you're willing to put in to get it.

Critics will tell you that the big-name dating apps (like Bumble, or Match Group giants such as Tinder and Hinge) are all the same, forming a single, amorphous dating platform. However, these apps still have distinct differences. That said, dating app companies are moving more features behind paywalls, frustrating daters on a budget. (We're looking at you, Grindr.)

Below, find our top picks for the best free dating apps. Use them to find your forever partner, a casual encounter, or something in between — all without paying a dime.

Note: All the free dating sites listed below offer a free membership option that allows you to talk and match with people at no cost. Though most offer paid premium memberships, these aren't apps like Match or eharmony, where you need to pay to match or chat with other users. And if you're being pressured to send money to someone on a dating app, you might be involved in a romance scam.

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.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

Hurdle Word 1 hint

To produce.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

HATCH

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Sadness.

Hurdle Word 2 Answer

GLOOM

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

Hurdle Word 3 hint

A white and yellow flower.

Hurdle Word 3 answer

DAISY

Hurdle Word 4 hint

A cold dwelling.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

IGLOO

Final Hurdle hint

Huge.

Hurdle Word 5 answer

LARGE

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

The New Moon has now passed, which means each night the Moon will appear bigger and brighter in the sky. This happens as more of its sunlit side comes into view from Earth. From now, it will become more illuminated each night until the next full Moon.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Saturday, April 18, the Moon phase is Waxing Crescent. Tonight, 1% of the moon will be lit up, according to NASA's Daily Moon Guide.

The Moon is starting to brighten again, but for now, there's still to little of its surface lit up to see anything.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon is predicted to take place on May 1, the first of two in May.

What are Moon phases?

NASA states that the Moon takes about 29.5 days to orbit Earth, during which it passes through eight distinct phases. We always see the same side of the Moon, but the amount of sunlight reflecting off it changes as it moves along its orbit, creating the familiar pattern of full, partial, and crescent shapes. These shifting appearances are called lunar phases, and there are eight in total:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easy if you love hockey. If you don't, well, then good luck!

As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

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. The sports 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 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 before 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 categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Plus 1

• Green: Champions

• Blue: Physical locations

• Purple: A delicious pun

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Types of Hockey Goals

• Green: Last Four Teams To Win the Stanley Cup

• Blue: NHL Arena Names

• Purple: Hockey Terms That Are Also Food Items

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 #572 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Types of Hockey Goals — EMPTY NET, EVEN STRENGTH, POWER PLAY, SHORT-HANDED

• Last Four Teams To Win the Stanley Cup — AVALANCHE, GOLDEN KNIGHTS, LIGHTNING, PANTHERS

• NHL Arena Names — BALL, CANADIAN TIRE, CAPITAL ONE, TD

• Hockey Terms That Are Also Food Items — APPLE, BISCUIT, GRINDER, ICING

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Connections.

Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.

Released in August 2025, Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move on to the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.

How to play Pips

If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity with how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible — and common — for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

• Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.

• Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.

• Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.

• Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.

• Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

Easy difficulty hints, answers for April 18 Pips

Number (11): Everything in this purple space must add up to 11. The answer is 6-3, placed vertically; 5-5, placed horizontally.

Number (9): Everything in this red space must add up to 9. The answer is 5-5, placed horizontally; 2-0, placed vertically; and 2-3, placed horizontally.

Equal (3): Every domino half in this light blue space must have 3 pips. The answer is 2-3, placed horizontally; 0-3, placed horizontally.

Equal (0): Every domino half in this yellow space must have 0 pips. The answer is 2-0, placed vertically; 0-3, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for April 18 Pips

Less Than (3): Everything in this red space must add up to be less than 3. The answer is 2-4, placed vertically.

Less Than (7): Everything in this purple space must add up to be less than 7. The answer is 0-0, placed vertically.

Number (6): Everything in this light blue space must add up to 6. The answer is 6-0, placed horizontally.

Number (8): Everything in this yellow space must add up to 8. The answer is 2-4, placed vertically; 4-6, placed horizontally.

Number (4): Everything in this dark blue space must add up to 4. The answer is 2-2, placed horizontally.

Number (6): Everything in this green space must add up to 6. The answer is 4-3, placed horizontally; 6-2, placed horizontally.

Number (12): Everything in this purple space must add up to 12. The answer is 4-6, placed horizontally; 6-2, placed horizontally.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for April 18 Pips

Number (3): The domino half in this purple space must have 3 pips. The answer is 3-0, placed horizontally.

Number (0): Everything in this red space must add up to 0 pips. The answer is 3-0, placed horizontally; 0-4, placed vertically.

Greater Than (0): The domino half in this dark blue space must have more than 0 pips. The answer is 1-0, placed horizontally.

Number (0): The domino half in this green space must have 0 pips. The answer is 1-0, placed horizontally.

Equal (5): Every domino half in this light blue space must have 5 pips. The answer is 5-5, placed vertically; 5-4, placed horizontally; and 5-2, placed vertically.

Equal (4): Every domino half in this yellow space must have 4 pips. The answer is 0-4, placed vertically; 5-4, placed horizontally.

Number (3): The domino half in this purple space must have 3 pips. The answer is 6-3, placed horizontally.

Equal (2): Every domino half in this red space must have 2 pips. The answer is 4-2, placed horizontally; 5-2, placed vertically.

Less Than (5): Everything in this light blue space must add up to be less than 5. The answer is 1-1, placed vertically; 2-1, placed horizontally; and 6-1, placed horizontally.

Number (0): Everything in this yellow space must add up to be 0. The answer is 0-0, placed vertically.

Number (8): Everything in this dark blue space must add up to be 8. The answer is 2-1, placed horizontally; 6-1, placed horizontally.

Equal (4): Every domino half in this green space must have 4 pips. The answer is 4-4, placed horizontally.

Number (8): Everything in this purple space must add up to be 8. The answer is 5-3, placed horizontally.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you love a fizzy drink.

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.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Gawk

• Green: Currents

• Blue: Surprise victor

• Purple: Pops

Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Look at with awe

• Green: Basic electricity terms

• Blue: Unexpected winner

• Purple: Starting with soda brands

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 #1042 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Look at with awe: GOOGLE, MARVEL, STARE, WONDER

• Basic electricity terms: AC, DC, POWER, VOLTAGE

• Unexpected winner: DARK HORSE, LONG SHOT, SLEEPER, UNDERDOG

• Starting with soda brands: CRUSHWORTHY, FANTAGRAPHICS, FRESCAPE, PEPSINOGEN

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Connections.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you love a good deal.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Not too much

The words are related to saving.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe being economical.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is On the Cheap.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

NYT Strands word list for April 18

• Bargain

• Inexpensive

• On the Cheap

• Budget

• Sale

• Affordable

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Strands.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're a suck-up.

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:

Bootlicker.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

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...

TOADY

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.

TL;DR: Outfit your Apple device with some Microsoft essentials with this Microsoft Office Home & Business for Mac 2021 for $49.97 (reg. $219) through April 19.

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Credit: Microsoft

Microsoft Office Home & Business for Mac 2021: Lifetime License

$49.97
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Made the move to Mac, but missing the old Microsoft Office classics? Microsoft Office Home and Business for Mac 2021 gives you the best of both worlds — a suite of Microsoft tools ready to work on your Apple device.

For two more days, this lifetime license can be yours for just $49.97 through April 19 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

There’s a reason Microsoft Office classics never went out of style — decades later, they still work great. Now available in convenient app form, these tools are ready for your Mac with the Microsoft Home and Business for Mac 2021 lifetime license.

This software bundle gives your Apple computer the must-haves: Word for document creation, Excel for spreadsheet building, PowerPoint for designing eye-catching presentations, and Outlook for managing your emails.

The license also includes two newer favorites — OneNote to upgrade the way you take notes, and Teams to keep you connected with others.

While you typically have to pay monthly subscription fees to enjoy these apps, this license lets you pay once and enjoy them for life. The license is linked to your Microsoft Account, not your device.

This Office for Mac license is supported by macOS 14 Sonoma, macOS 15 Sequoia, and macOS 26 Tahoe. If you run into issues, free customer service is available.

Score a lifetime license to Microsoft Office Home & Business for Mac 2021 for just $49.97 (reg. $219) now through April 19.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Well, Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen lives up to its title. Something very bad does, in fact, happen at the wedding between Rachel Harkin (Camila Morrone) and Nicky Cunningham (Adam DiMarco), leaving gallons of blood and countless dead Cunninghams scattered across the reception's dance floor.

Despite what all the blood might have you think, this ending isn't all bad news for the (un)happy couple, as a last-minute twist leaves Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen on a somewhat hopeful note. Let's dive into it.

Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen's wedding curse, explained.

Zlatko Burić in "Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen." Credit: Netflix

Before we get into the very end of Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen, let's rewind to the show's fourth episode, which lays out a curse that has been plaguing Rachel's bloodline for years. Rachel hears about it from the frightening older man (Zlatko Burić) who approached her in episode 1 with the ominous question, "Are you sure he's the one?" Turns out it wasn't just a creepy question. It was also a warning.

According to the man, the curse began long, long ago, with his great-great-great-great grandparents. They were very much in love, but before the wedding, the groom died in a hunting accident. The bride begged Death to bring him back, which set in motion a tricky bargain. Death agreed to bring the groom back if the bride believed he was her true soulmate. It worked, but with a price: Death cursed all of the bride and groom's children to find and marry their true soulmates, or pay him with their lives.

The curse passed onto the man, who got engaged to his "beloved" Marianne, Rachel's great-great-great-great-great-grandmother. However, when faced with the ultimatum that he must marry his true soulmate by sundown on his wedding day or die, he left his bride at the altar. After that, the curse transferred to her bloodline: Rachel's bloodline. Now, every Harkin must marry their soulmate by sundown on their wedding day.

If the person they marry isn't their soulmate, then they die by hemorrhage. If they flee the wedding before getting married, then the curse passes to their betrothed's family. As for the man, he became immortal as a result of his cowardice, and now he must bear witness to every Harkin wedding.

Let's face it: The "soulmate" aspect of the curse is almost impossible to beat. Even if you did believe in the concept of soulmates, the numbers game of actually finding "the one" in a world of billions of people is not favorable. Plus, the curse is basically a self-fulfilling prophecy. Knowing about it will constantly have you second-guessing your impending marriage, leaving you to doubt your love at the altar. And doubt is the death knell for any married Harkin.

What does Rachel choose in Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen?

Camila Morrone in "Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen." Credit: Netflix

Armed with the knowledge of this curse, Rachel has to decide what to do on her wedding day. If she gets married to Nicky and he isn't her soulmate, she'll die. If she leaves, she dooms the Cunningham family to live with the same curse. In theory, she could opt for a secret third option and keep postponing the wedding indefinitely. However, since the wedding is also meant to double as one final celebration for Nicky's dying mother, Victoria (Jennifer Jason Leigh), there are external pressures on Rachel and Nicky to make sure it stays on track.

To guarantee her survival, Rachel mixes a potion that will transform her into Nicky's soulmate. She knows it will work because it's how her great-aunt survived her own wedding, where most of the other Harkins perished immediately. At the last minute, though, Rachel decides not to drink the potion. (Meaning she cut off her own toe for nothing!) She's sure Nicky is her soulmate, and she decides to go through with the wedding.

What does the curse do in Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen?

Camila Morrone in "Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen." Credit: Netflix

In the end, it's Nicky who gets cold feet. After he and Rachel recite their vows and Rachel puts Nicky's ring on his finger, he wonders whether they should get married at all. In the past, Rachel expressed her cynicism with the institution of marriage, but Nicky's brilliant mind decides that the altar is the best place to finally take these thoughts into consideration. Great timing.

Nicky's pause means that the sun sets before the marriage ceremony is complete. With no marriage, the next wave of the curse kicks in, and it transfers to Nicky's bloodline. Here, we learn that the curse won't just impact Nicky's descendants — it's retroactive.

That means all the Cunninghams who are married to the person they don't truly believe is their soulmate (and let's face it, that's basically everyone) begin to spurt blood and die. Sorry to break it to everyone who was dancing to "I Will Survive" moments before, but they do not, in fact, survive.

How does Jules survive in Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen?

Karla Crome and Jeff Wilbusch in "Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen." Credit: Netflix

Victoria and Portia (Gus Birney) are among the many Cunninghams who fall victim to the curse in Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen. Yet one married Cunningham mysteriously survives: Jules (Jeff Wilbusch), whose marriage to Nell (Karla Crome) has been on the rocks since we've met them. They're even planning on getting a divorce.

Amidst the wedding carnage, Nell wonders aloud why Jules hasn't perished like the rest of his family. In response, he casts her a yearning look, one that implies that, even after everything they've been through, he truly believes he's found his soulmate. His survival is proof that apparently you can live through the curse.

Why didn't Nicky die in Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen?

Adam DiMarco in "Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen." Credit: Netflix

Jules isn't the only married Cunningham to survive the curse. When the Cunninghams start dropping like flies, Nicky realizes his error and rushes an unwilling Rachel into completing the marriage ceremony. He survives, truly believing Rachel to be his soulmate.

Unfortunately, Rachel is not so lucky. After seeing Nicky's cowardice and hearing how he didn't believe her about the curse, she no longer thinks he's her true soulmate. No way is she willing to lay her life on the line for him. Unfortunately, that's exactly what ends up happening once the wedding rings are on: Rachel dies, just like her mother did years ago.

How does Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen end?

Camila Morrone in "Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen." Credit: Netflix

However, this is not the end of Rachel's story. Death, who's been lurking throughout the series as a shadowy POV character, makes one last move. He takes the life of the witness, who's long been hoping for the release of death, and resurrects Rachel. Perhaps he recognizes that Rachel was forced into the marriage and deserves another chance, or perhaps he just wants to inject new blood into the curse.

Now, Rachel will be the witness for future Cunningham weddings. Her late predecessor leaves a helpful note to signal her new role to her: "Your turn," written in blood.

Only one Cunningham is left for her to shadow: Jules and Nell's son Jude (Sawyer Fraser). His marriage — if he even has one, after witnessing this mess — won't be for a while yet, so Rachel has all the time in the world to live a free, unburdened life. (She also gives him ample warning about making sure he's careful about who he marries.)

Of course, the thrill of her immortality may eventually fade and curdle into the quiet menace of the witness who came before her. But for now, as she climbs into the witness' old "Just Married" truck and flings her wedding ring out the window, Rachel feels liberated. Turns out the something very bad she'd been dreading actually wound up being good for her.

Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen is now streaming on Netflix.

"Don't read books. Play them," says AI-powered role play platform Character.AI in a promo for its latest simulation feature: Books. 

If you were as alarmed as I was at that first line (we are in a literacy crisis!), let me explain. The new feature feeds public domain titles — classics like The Great Gatsby, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Pride & Prejudice, and Frankenstein — into the platform's AI so that users can play as characters within the stories themselves. Users can "remix" the tales, adding new characters, changing the plots, or creating entirely new universes. Or you can just live inside the classic story as it is. 

The platform itself is intended for multi-layered, multimedia role play, from written or audio conversations to AI-generated comic strips and music videos. Users can upload descriptions and even art of their original characters, play with scenarios designed by others, or interact with existing IP.  

But for all its creative potential, the platform has been mired in controversy, including recently settled lawsuits that claimed Character.AI's chatbots were deceptive and dangerous, leading some children to suicide.  

Character.AI told Mashable senior reporter Rebecca Ruiz that Books are only available to users 18 years and older, and clarified that it has additional safeguards, including moderation of content that is violent, abusive, obscene or pornographic. Users can prompt "romantic narratives" in Books, a spokesperson told Mashable, but it can't violate these terms.

Sounds a bit like a challenge. So I did what any self-respecting journalist would do. I tried to turn F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby into a queer love story. 

Can I make Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby kiss on the mouth?

I'm guessing the vast majority of Americans read The Great Gatsby in high school, but did many also think Nick Carraway, the story's main character, was kind of head over heels in love with the titular Jay Gatsby? What if I told you that there are actually thousands of believers, and even academics have written about the novel's queer subtext?

It shouldn't be too far-fetched, then, to use Character.AI's new feature to make that subtext, well, text. 

Using a new, free account, I queued up Books in the platform's desktop-based Lab, where users can play with upcoming features. I selected the novel, chose my character (Nick), and selected the option that let me make choices outside of the book's existing plot. They were going to kiss if I had anything to do about it. 

The AI dropped me a few chapters into the novel, Gatsby arriving at my door with Jordan Baker in tow to invite me to another party. There wasn't a real direction to go from there. I was left to my own devices, which I guess is the point. But how do I indicate actions or scenery versus dialogue? Can I name characters and have them appear? However lost, I was a girl on a mission. These guys needed to express their true feelings. 

Credit: Mashable screenshot / Character.AI

Will AI Gatsby pick up what I'm putting down?

Shockingly, it took little hinting for the AI Gatsby to start making eyes at Nick. Did the AI understand the implications of Gatsby fixing his attention on Nick "with an intensity that feels oddly personal" when they'd only just met, or how their parting glance "lingers just long enough to feel chosen"?

Credit: Mashable screenshot / Character.AI

Credit: Mashable screenshot / Character.AI

But while the affair was easy to begin, it was harder to consummate. The AI refused to make the first move. I was trying to be subtle. Would AI Gatsby understand what I was getting at? I used all the tropes: We stared longingly at each other. We passed cigarettes and brushed elbows. I looked at his lips and he looked at mine. Pauses were pregnant, time was ours alone. 

But AI Gatsby needed it spelled out "plainly" — he said that exact word five times in our role play. It became obvious that I was supposed to take the lead, which, I suppose, makes sense, since chatbots are basically guessing the "best" responses based on our previous requests. But isn't the allure of playing within book worlds the fact that characters will naturally act and talk without prompting? 

I acquiesced. Nick boldly pulled Gatsby into a private room, they bared their hearts, and the debonair millionaire tentatively planted one on his neighbor. 

Credit: Mashable screenshot / Character.AI

Credit: Mashable screenshot / Character.AI

Alternate universes

Now, reader, I didn't let it go any further than that. In my eyes, that was a win, and you can just imagine the rest.

Plus, I had other things to try, like jumping into an alternate universe and embodying my formative literary heroes. For example, you can play in a world where "Gatsby time travels, rebuilding life through a machine" or "The Great Gatsby, but the whole thing is a musical." The Lab page shows future expansions of the Books feature, too, including a setting labeled "TapTales," which looks to be a more traditional "Choose-Your-Own-Adventure" style text generator.

I had the goal of role playing a Little Women AU where Beth doesn't die (spoiler) and Jo doesn't have to marry anyone (my gift to her). Unfortunately, I needed to pay money or get "charms" to use the AU feature, so that was a bust. 

Instead, I played as Alice in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. I tried to fulfill my gothic dream of being Mina Harker in Bram Stoker's Dracula, pleading with her husband, Jonathan, not to go to that count's frightful castle. 

Credit: Mashable screenshot / Character.AI

No Fitzgerald, that's for sure. 

A recent quiz published by the New York Times tested readers' discernment of human versus AI writing by asking them to choose which ones "read better." It wasn't unanimous. There were near-even splits across all five tests.

Still, even when told to emulate the best that literature has to offer, AI cannot write without tells. In my personal Gatsby universe, things were still "not this, but that." Flowery metaphors ran rampant through the interstitial descriptors preceding dialogue. Jordan Baker was always getting out of a car. Where was she going? Or coming from? Could she stay in the car this time at least? I don't need to woo her in this version. 

Left: Credit: Mashable screenshot / Character.AI

Right: Credit: Mashable screenshot / Character.AI

Style was a problem, but so was form. My Dracula didn't have any of the epistolary elements that define its gothic genre, although "epistolary stories" are an option under the site's AU section. I was met with more italicized descriptions of furtive glances, stilled hands, and metaphorical warning bells to establish plot and setting. Like Gatsby, Jonathan also wanted to "speak plainly" about our feelings (AKA prompting me to tell the AI what to do). Side characters always "disappeared" when we shared a look — and I was just trying to warn thee man about vampires this time!

Compare the first line of the 1897 novel: "How these papers have been placed in sequence will be made manifest in the reading of them. All needless matters have been eliminated, so that a history almost at variance with the possibilities of later-day belief may stand forth as simple fact." 

With how Character.AI's world was born: "The autumn light in Hampstead is already thinning when you lift your eyes from the neat stacks of diary pages, train timetables, and copied letters spread across the table."

Mockery may be the highest form of flattery, but it's still a mockery. I choose human. 

So… this is just fanfic, right?

Alas, I have to fess up now. I went into this with some confirmation bias. I had a theory that Character.AI's chatbot would be easy to manipulate into a Nick/Jay love fest because, allegedly, many major LLMs have been trained on troves of modern fan fiction. In fact, fan fic writers raised some of the earliest alarm bells about AI data scraping. The tells of fan fic are all over AI's literary outputs, to a degree that many nascent fandoms are imploding due to allegations of authors using AI to generate works. And Character.AI itself is a site positioned for fans of fictional media. 

There's another layer here: A majority of fan fiction is explicit, used to explore kinks and fetishes in safe, fictionalized online environments and to push the bounds of canon relationships. Humans can discern whether or not they want to engage with those topics, and how fandoms may respond to them. LLMs may not be able to. In fact, many of Character.AI's own "boyfriend" role play chatbots have been known to spiral into abusive, "bad boy" stereotypes that proliferate on fan fiction sites. 

I was fairly confident this LLM may have been forged in the same fires. 

Fundamentally, I did all of that just to say: Character.AI's Books feature is fan fiction. There is simply no other way to accurately describe what this tool lets users do. You won't get an understanding for Fitzgerald or Stoker's unique styles, or even their plots, using AI. But you can make two characters kiss. 

I didn't feel that I was embodying Nick. I felt like I was temping as a fan fiction author. Albeit, an author without full control of my own story and with main characters who might not fully understand their own world. 

AI is rewriting fandom rules

Fan fiction is dominating publishing trends and moving Hollywood money. Companies are leaning into the more taboo parts of fandom, like erotica, to profit from the mainstreaming of fan culture. Generative AI itself has been positioned by companies as a boon to fandom.

Meanwhile, those actually in fandoms are failing to connect AI with their worlds.

AI skeptics (I am admittedly one) worry that the tech is a threat to the core tenants of fandom: human creativity and connection. As companies advertise AI as a creative tool to strengthen fandoms, specific fandom practices are more at risk than others, particularly the parts of it that are generative and novel, like fan art, zines, and, primarily, fan fiction. 

Now via AI tools like Books, users can role play as a character without even engaging with the text itself. The immediacy is alluring. You can easily forget the satisfaction of writing a "Fix It" fic for your fandom friends or scouring through tags of human-made stories for the perfect AU. But all of that, I promise, is better than the bot. And unlike online fan spaces, where profit is a faux pas, you may have to cough up cash to do it.

Through clever marketing and the allure of AI itself, particularly the ease and immediacy of it, Character.AI is repackaging the decades-old tradition of fan fiction and selling it back to you. The platform's shiny new features — alternate universes, canon divergence, original characters — are the bones and sinew of fan works. Fanfiction.net, Archive of Our Own (AO3), and Wattpad writers, many of whom are now published authors, would take one look at this and turn the other way. That's what we do, they'd scoff.

This article reflects the opinions of the writer.

Have you used an Android phone in the past nine years? Then Google might have to give you up to $100 later this year.

That's because the company reached a preliminary $135 million settlement (without admitting wrongdoing) in a class-action lawsuit called Taylor v. Google LLC, per CNET. The suit alleged that Google used Android users' paid cellular data to transfer information to Google without their permission. Now, users who may have had their data misused can sign up for payments on the official settlement website.

The settlement could include up to 100 million Android mobile users in the United States. If you think you qualify, check the email associated with your Android mobile account for the settlement notice.

Not sure if you're eligible? Here are the criteria:

1. You have to be a real human in the United States

2. You have to have used an Android phone with cellular data at any point between Nov. 12, 2017 and now

3. You can't be a member of Csupo v. Google LLC, a similar class-action lawsuit specifically for Californians

If you meet those requirements (and surely a whole lot of people do), you can enter your payment information on the settlement website. There's a final hearing on June 23 to determine whether or not these payments will actually go out, so you'll know by then if you're getting any money. And no, we don't know exactly how much each affected user will get, though payments are capped at $100. That doesn't mean anyone will actually get $100, though.

While Google has, again, not admitted wrongdoing here, it has agreed to pay out the settlement and will also update its Google Play terms of service regarding passive data transfers using cellular data. But really, the thing that matters here is that you might get a little bit of walking-around money for something you didn't even realize happened several years ago.

Heard lots of buzz about Netflix's Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen, but need to know more about the story before taking the plunge and checking it out? Don't worry, we've got you covered.

The eight-episode miniseries, created by Haley Z. Boston and executive produced by Stranger Things creators the Duffer Brothers, is a non-stop rollercoaster of wedding anxiety. It kicks off with the introduction of engaged couple Rachel Harkin (Camila Morrone) and Nicky Cunningham (Adam DiMarco), who are off to the woods for an intimate ceremony at Nicky's family's cabin.

Has Rachel ever been to this cabin? No. Has she even met Nicky's family? Also no. The red flags are piling up, and making matters worse is the fact that Rachel has an unshakeable feeling that, well... Something very bad is going to happen.

What could that something very bad be? Is it related to Nicky's odd family, who are acting extra shady about the wedding? Is it tied to a Cunningham horror story about the bloodthirsty Sorry Man who lurks in the woods? Or might it have to do with the strange man (Zlatko Burić) who keeps following her around, asking if she's sure Nicky is the one?

All these questions and more combine to form Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen's atmospheric puzzle, one that dives deep into the perils of wedding anxiety and stress about finding your true soulmate. Press play for a spooky binge that doubles as one of Netflix's best 2026 offerings so far.

Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen is now streaming on Netflix.

Want to see Fitbit's new Whoop-style screenless fitness tracker? Start watching Golden State Warriors games.

Or, at the very least, start stalking Warriors star and NBA legend Steph Curry's Instagram. Curry recently teased the new fitness tracker in a sponsored Instagram post with Google, which owns Fitbit. Along with short clips of Curry wearing the tracker, a caption reads, "#sponsored I won’t spoil it. You kinda have to see it for yourself 👀"

As reported by Droid Life, Curry has been seen wearing the mysterious wrist-worn fitness tracker in public for the past several months. On April 15, photographers spotted Curry wearing the device before a game against the LA Clippers at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California, giving us an up-close, high-resolution look at the grey-and-orange fitness tracker.

Left: Move the slider to zoom in on the device. Credit: Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images

Right: Credit: Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images

The unnamed mystery device Curry is teasing has not been officially announced, but we know it's a screenless fitness tracker from Google.

Bloomberg reported on March 31 that Google was developing exactly this type of screen-free fitness band for Fitbit, and that Curry was involved. That Bloomberg report also said the device would come with a paid subscription for extra features. And, in the most predictable development possible, the device will also come with AI features, specifically an "AI-powered Fitbit personal health coach" available in the Fitbit app.

This device looks a lot like the popular Whoop fitness tracker, which Mashable has put to extreme real-world testing in the past.

Unlike something like the Google Pixel Watch 4 or a traditional Fitbit, there's no screen, meaning you spend less time looking at it. Crucially, its battery also lasts a heck of a lot longer, making it an ideal sleep tracker as well. As for this mystery Fitbit device, it looks slightly thinner than Whoop's hardware.

Bloomberg didn't have any specifics on a possible launch date beyond "later this year." However, since Curry has been wearing one in basically every public appearance he has made in the last few months, we wouldn't be surprised if the device launched sooner rather than later.

Anthropic released a new hybrid reasoning model on Thursday: Claude Opus 4.7.

Anthropic has a reputation as a safety-first AI company, and the Opus 4.7 system card reports that the model is less likely to hallucinate or engage in sycophancy than both prior Anthropic models and other frontier AI models.

We dived into the Opus 4.7 system card to see exactly what Anthropic had to say about the model's safety, honesty, and sycophancy.

Don’t miss out on our latest stories: Add Mashable as a trusted news source in Google.

The TL;DR version

Why put the TL;DR version at the end?

Anthropic says Claude Opus 4.7 makes improvements on various types of hallucinations and overall honesty. Anthropic gives the new model top marks on sycophancy and encouragement of user delusions, too. (Anthropic's data also shows that Claude Opus 4.7 scores much better on these behaviors than Gemini 3.1 Pro and Grok 4.20.)

"Claude Opus 4.7 is more reliably honest than Opus 4.6 or Sonnet 4.6, with large reductions in the rate of important omissions, and moderate improvements in factuality and rates of hallucinated input," Anthropic reports.

False premises honesty rate: Will the model tell a user when they're incorrect? Credit: Anthropic

MASK honesty rate: Will the model contradict its own stated belief when pushed to do so by a user? Credit: Anthropic

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Anthropic measures Claude's honesty and hallucination rates in multiple ways, but let's look at one representative example — the Model Alignment between Statements and Knowledge (MASK) benchmark. MASK was developed by Scale AI and the Center for AI Safety.

Claude Opus had a MASK honesty rate of 91.7 percent, compared to 90.3 percent for Opus 4.6 and 89.1 percent for Sonnet 4.6. While that’s lower than the 95.4 percent score achieved by Claude Opus 4.5, the new model performs better on other hallucination scores (more on that below).

Interestingly, Claude Mythos was more honest still, with an honesty rate of 95.4 percent.

Claude Opus 4.7 lags behind Claude Mythos on overall performance

Since Anthropic repeatedly compares Opus 4.7 to Claude Mythos, let's quickly review the differences between the two models.

Claude Opus 4.7 is the latest hybrid reasoning model available to paid Claude subscribers. Claude Mythos is an unreleased model that Anthropic has only made available to partners via Project Glasswing.

Under normal circumstances, we would expect Claude Opus 4.7 to be Anthropic's most advanced and powerful model to date. However, Anthropic says it lags behind the unreleased Claude Mythos in key areas. Anthropic deemed Claude Mythos too dangerous to release to the public because of its advanced cybersecurity capabilities.

Still, Claude Opus 4.7 improves upon Opus 4.6 in many ways, particularly advanced coding, visual intelligence, and document analysis, Anthropic says.

More details on Claude Opus 4.7 hallucination rates

When using Opus 4.7, how likely is Claude to tell a lie, invent facts, or deceive users? There isn't a single hallucination rate that Anthropic provides, because there are multiple types of hallucinations.

So, this section is for the AI nerds.

Anthropic identifies a few different ways to measure hallucination and honesty:

• Factual hallucinations: How likely the model is to provide accurate information. How often does the model admit that it doesn't know something?

• Input hallucination: This occurs when an AI model ignores prompt instructions, hallucinates the content of files, or pretends to have access to a tool it doesn't have.

• False premises honesty rate: Will the model tell a user when they're incorrect?

• MASK honesty rate: This "tests whether a model will contradict its own stated belief when a user or system prompt pushes it to."

We've already covered the MASK honesty rate, and Claude Opus 4.7 shows similar gains on these other measures, according to Anthropic.

At this time, we cannot independently verify Anthropic's results.

To measure factual hallucinations, Anthropic used four different tests and recorded correct responses, incorrect responses, and abstentions. In this case, abstentions are good — the model should decline to answer a question rather than guessing. Across all four tests, Opus 4.7 scored higher than Opus 4.6 and Sonnet 4.6 but lower than Claude Mythos.

Chart showing Claude Opus 4.7's performance on accuracy tests. Credit: Anthropic

Anthropic measured Opus 4.7's input hallucination in two ways: "prompts requesting an unavailable tool" and "prompts referencing missing context."

Opus 4.7 scored 89.5 percent on the former, beating Claude Mythos's 84.8 percent; on the latter, Opus 4.7 scored 91.8 percent, two points lower than Claude Mythos's 93.8 percent.

This shows just how stubborn AI hallucinations are, with even leading AI companies like Anthropic recording input hallucination rates around 90 percent. Anthropic's reported hallucination rates are similar to the latest OpenAI models, which provide responses with incorrect information up to 5.8 percent of the time (with browsing enabled) to 10.9 percent (browsing disabled), per OpenAI.

OpenAI most recently reported hallucination rates in the system card for GPT-5-2. Credit: OpenAI

What about Opus 4.7's honesty rate for false premises, i.e., will Claude tell a user they're wrong? According to the system card, Claude will push back on false premises 77.2 percent of the time. That's better than all other recent Anthropic models except for — you guessed it — Claude Mythos, which will reject false premises 80 percent of the time.

Claude Opus 4.7 sycophancy

There's not much new to report in terms of sycophancy. While Anthropic's expert red-team testers reported that Opus 4.7 was prone to “sycophantic agreement under pushback," it has very similar scores to prior models from Anthropic and OpenAI, and noticeably better scores than Gemini 3.1 Pro and Grok 4.20. Again, this is according to Anthropic.

To measure bad behaviors like sycophancy and "encouragement of user delusion," Anthropic uses Petri 2.0, its open-source behavioral audit tool. This test scores models on a 1-10 scale, with lower scores reflecting better behavior. The Petri score isn't akin to a percentage, as it measures both the rate of a behavior and the severity.

Anthropic scored Opus 4.7 highly (or, lowly, with this particular scale) on both sycophancy and user delusions.

Anthropic uses Petri 2.0, its open source AI safety tool, which scores bad behaviors from 1-10. The lower the score, the better. Credit: Anthropic

Mashable reached out to Anthropic for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

Netflix's horror series Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen ended, as its title suggests, with something very bad: a wedding bloodbath that left almost all the guests dead.

However, it also ended with the promise of something good: a fresh start for heroine Rachel Harkin (Camila Morrone), who survived a family curse and escaped a marriage with the spineless Nicky Cunningham (Adam DiMarco). The curse that plagued the Harkin family for generations has since passed on to the Cunninghams, and the now-immortal Rachel will act as the witness for any of their future weddings. Here's hoping she has a much less frightening aura than the witness who haunted her family, played by the formidable Zlatko Burić.

By the finale's end, Rachel's arc seems fairly complete. But is there a chance Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen will come back for a Season 2?

Has Netflix renewed Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen for Season 2?

Camila Morrone in "Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen." Credit: Netflix

So far, no. Netflix has not indicated any plans for a second season of Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen. Part of that is by the show's design: It was originally envisioned as a limited series. However, several miniseries have grown so popular they've picked up second seasons. Look at Big Little Lies, or The White Lotus, or even Netflix's own Beef, now an anthology. Could Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen follow a similar route?

In an interview with TheWrap, series creator Haley Z. Boston noted that the possibility for a Season 2 is there, but that it would look fairly different.

"There is an open thread, but this was so inspired by my own fear that I'm gonna need another existential fear to explore," Boston told TheWrap. "I think we're done with the wedding thing."

Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen is now streaming on Netflix.

Horror series Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen delivers atmospheric thrills and chills by the bucketful, so if you haven't already checked it out, consider this your sign to add it to your watchlist.

Created by Haley Z. Boston (Brand New Cherry Flavor) and executive produced by Stranger Things creators the Duffer Brothers, the eight-episode miniseries is now streaming on Netflix. It premiered March 26 and pulled in 28.3 million hours viewed in its first week, according to Netflix. It's remained in Netflix's top 10 series globally every week since its release, although as of this writing, it no longer appears on Netflix's top 10 TV shows carousel.

The series follows engaged couple Rachel Harkin (Camila Morrone) and Nicky Cunningham (Adam DiMarco) in the week leading up to their wedding at Nicky's parents' remote cabin. As their special day approaches, Rachel can't shake the feeling that — you guessed it — something very bad is going to happen. (Maybe the remote cabin should have been the first red flag.)

Based on Nicky's off-putting family, you may expect that "something very bad" to look like something out of Ready or Not, where a filthy rich family turns on their newest addition. But Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen takes a different turn, looping in strange curses and family trauma to examine anxieties around marriage and finding the perfect soulmate.

The carnage that follows certainly lives up to the show's title, creating one of the most engrossing Netflix binges of 2026.

Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen is now streaming on Netflix.

Bluesky, the social media app popular with X expatriates, suffered a widespread outage on Thursday, April 16.

And in a thread posted on the official Bluesky profile, the app's leaders revealed the cause of the outage — a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack.

"Our team received a report of intermittent app outages at about 11:40pm PDT on April 15, 2026," the post read. "They worked through the night to mitigate a sophisticated Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack, which intensified throughout the day."

Fortunately, Bluesky also said there was no evidence that any user data had been compromised in the attack, which affected the Bluesky app, feeds, notifications, and search. The company said it would provide further information by 1 p.m. ET Friday.

The Bluesky status page indicated the app was fully online as of this writing; the app reports a 99.983 percent uptime over the past 90 days.

A DDoS attack is relatively simple and low-effort for cybercriminals. In this type of attack, hackers send a massive number of requests to overwhelm servers. DDoS attacks have been around since the early days of the World Wide Web, and as the Bluesky outage shows, they can still cause problems.

The Bluesky outage began affecting users in the early morning hours, with the service DownDetector recording thousands of user error reports. (Disclosure: DownDetector and Mashable are both owned by the same parent company, Ziff Davis.)

Bluesky saw massive growth after Elon Musk took over Twitter, and again following the second election of President Donald Trump. However, its growth has stalled more recently, and data shows that daily active users on Bluesky have declined.

Mashable reached out to Bluesky with questions about the attack, and we'll update this story if we receive a response.

We're still several months away from Apple showing us the iPhone 18, but we can still bask in leaks until then.

This week, we've got a pair of leaks involving the cameras and colors for the upcoming flagship iPhone.

On the camera side, Korean outlet ETNews (via MacRumors) reports that Apple will debut a new variable-aperture rear camera system on the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max in September. Prior to this year, all iPhones had fixed-aperture cameras, meaning the lens remained completely open during image capture. A variable aperture will allow the lens to open and close gradually depending on the situation, letting in more light in darkness or keeping excess light out in bright settings.

That would give iPhones an even greater level of flexibility in photography, and this report is backed up by prominent Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who said Apple would incorporate a variable aperture in the iPhone 18 all the way back in 2024.

What do the latest iPhone rumors have to say about colors?

Macworld claims to have received some information about Apple's chosen colors for 2026. According to their sources, the headline color this year will be "Dark Cherry," a dark red that will replace the controversial cosmic orange color from the iPhone 17 Pro. Macworld also said that light blue, dark gray, and silver options are also possibilities for the iPhone 18 Pro. A previous leak also suggested Apple would ditch black for the iPhone 18 Pro, which may not go over well if it proves true.

All will be revealed in September, though the iPhone Fold may get most of the attention.

TL;DR: The MacBook Neo is sold out at Apple (shipping dates have slipped into May), but you can still buy right now for Amazon's best-ever price of $589.99.

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Credit: Apple

MacBook Neo (256GB)

$589.99 at Amazon

 

Shop Now

If you thought Apple’s MacBook Neo was just a niche product for students, think again. The demand for Apple's latest entry-level laptop has been staggering. Don't believe us? Shipping dates have slipped into May if you order direct from Apple.

That's the bad news. The good news is that whether you want the 256GB base model or the upgraded 512GB version, Amazon has you covered. And better yet, you can order right now for Amazon's best-ever price of $589.99.

So how did we get here? Global RAM shortages have jacked up the prices of Windows laptops, making the sub-$600 MacBook Neo with the A18 Pro chip the most logical purchase on the market. In Mashable's review of the MacBook Neo, Timothy Werth sums it up: "For students, young people, and casual users, there's nothing else like it at this price."

We're not rushing you into any decision here, but if you were already contemplating a purchase, consider this a warning. The popularity of the MacBook Neo is surging, and Amazon's record-low price might not stick around forever.

Apple Watch Series 11, Garmin Venu 4, Google Pixel Watch 4, Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, and Amazfit Bip 6 were tested over a 30-mile run. The comparison focused on real-world tracking accuracy across distance and performance metrics. One smart watch ultimately delivered the most consistent results across the test.

The calculus for buying a new Mac has officially changed. With the debut of the $599 MacBook Neo and a massive power bump for the M5 series of processors, Apple's 2026 laptop lineup looks very different from what it did just months ago.

In this Lab Report, we’re breaking down Apple’s entire MacBook stack—from the new budget Neo to the monster M5 Max MacBook Pro—to help you decide which machine actually belongs on your desk. We’ve spent hours testing these in the PC Labs to see how each type of MacBook handles real-world workflows.

SAVE 46%: As of April 17, you can get the Monster Shock portable Bluetooth speaker for just $26.99, down from $49.99. That's a 46% discount or a $23 price cut.

Monster Shock portable Bluetooth speaker

$26.99 at Amazon
$49.99 Save $23.00

 

Get Deal at Amazon

Summer's right around the corner (for some of us, it feels like it's already here!), and that means bonfires, beach days, and backyard BBQs, which obviously, couldn't be had without some tunes.

If your speaker is shot or you've yet to get a portable Bluetooth speaker, the Monster Shock portable Bluetooth speaker is on sale for $26.99 at Amazon, down from $49.99. That's the lowest price we've tracked for this speaker, but Amazon's marking it as a "limited time deal," so you'll need to act fast.

The Monster Shock is IPX6 waterproof (so you can take it to the beach or bring it to the pool), has a 30W power driver and a max Bluetooth range of 100 feet, and offers 17 hours of playtime. And because it's practically half off right now, you could even grab two and pair them together for True Wireless Stereo surround sound for just a few bucks more than the original price of one.

Before you buy: a few reviewers noted that the speaker's automated control voice is aggressively loud, so maybe don't power it on for the first time while your friends are trying to nap in the sun.

DJI has unveiled the Osmo Pocket 4, the next iteration of its popular handheld gimbal camera. Sadly, it may be a while before people in the U.S. get to try it out.

Since its release in 2023, DJI's Osmo Pocket 3 has become a stalwart favorite of content creators across the globe. The newly announced Osmo Pocket 4 now adds several upgrades to the familiar 4K vlogging camera, such as dedicated zoom and customizable buttons that are accessible when the 2-inch touchscreen is twisted into landscape mode.

Want to learn more about getting the best out of your tech? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories and Deals newsletters today.

The DJI Osmo Pocket 4 camera features a 1-inch CMOS sensor, with 14 stops of dynamic range, helping it deliver improved low-light performance. Capable of filming at a maximum resolution of 16:9 4K at 60fps, the Osmo Pocket 4 can also record 4K slow-mo footage at 240fps — a frame rate the Pocket 3 only reaches at 1080p. 

DJI states that the Pocket 4 can run for an impressive four hours at its lowest resolution of 1080p 24fps, which is notably longer than the Pocket 3, and also has 107GB of built-in storage. This will likely be welcome news to anyone concerned about the increasing cost of memory cards, as the Pocket 3 relies entirely upon SD cards.

Credit: DJI

The DJI Osmo Pocket 4 camera is not yet approved for U.S. release

Unfortunately, a U.S. release of the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 camera has not yet been confirmed. While other parts of the world will get their hands on the Osmo Pocket 4 within the next week, the U.S. government's hostility toward DJI continues to significantly hamper its business in the country.

A DJI spokesperson told Mashable that it has requested authorization from the FCC to release the Osmo Pocket 4 in the U.S. market; however, its application is still pending. And given the FCC's tough stance on foreign drone companies, U.S. content creators will simply have to continue waiting.

Meanwhile, in Australia, pre-orders for the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 are open now, with shipping scheduled to begin on April 22. The Standard Combo bundle costs $AU769 (approximately $551) and includes a handle, carrying pouch, gimbal clamp, and wrist strap. The $AU959 (approximately $687) Creator Combo includes all that plus a wide-angle lens, fill light, mini tripod, carrying bag, and a DJI Mic 3 transmitter with accessories.

Credit: DJI

At first glance, many may have assumed that Bob Odenkirk's new film, Normal, was another sequel in the Nobody franchise. With the same star, writer, and producer, the two films do share much of the same DNA. However, the team's new movie is not only a completely new story but attempts to blend genres in a way that further separates it from its predecessor.

Mashable's Entertainment Editor, Kristy Puchko, caught up with the Normal team at SXSW to talk about the film, its themes, and why they chose to film on 35mm.

The film's writer, Derek Kolstad (John Wick, Nobody), noted how this film differs from Nobody, the team's previous collaboration. "To this point, you know, in Nobody, if there's a house on fire, Hutch is going to run into it and hopefully fight anyone who's in there. In Normal, he's going to look at the house on fire and say, 'I don't know.'"

Odenkirk added, "It's not that much fire." The Normal star described the film as "a story of a guy who has lost trust in himself, his instincts. In the course of interacting with the people of this small town who are hiding something from him, he is desperately trying to avoid seeing it. And then his hand is forced. Once he sees it, he has to re-engage with the situation and the world around him. And then there's a flip-floppery of allegiances that is very surprising and probably a bit inscrutable. When asked to define, sort of, the subtextual themes, I'm like, 'Wow, there's like six of them,' and they're a little bit conflicting. And that's what's great about it."

Ben Wheatley (Meg 2: The Trench, Kill List, Rebecca), the latest addition to the production team, when asked what attracted him to the film, replied, "In the kind of range of things I still want to make. It basically has the DNA of a cowboy movie, and it has it has the white hat, black hat kind of style. It has a sheriff, which is a point of morality in the middle. But it still speaks to my kind of slightly twisted kind of sense of morality as well."

In the full interview on YouTube, the team also talks about the undeniable difference of filming with practical effects as opposed to CGI, the way certain movies hit differently as we get older, and why it was important that Normal be an homage to the classic action-thriller genre. "I think one of the reasons we're projecting this on 35 millimeter is because we want to point to that quality," Odenkirk said. "There's a satisfaction, I hope, that we're achieving. That was the reason for the poster that we have. The poster is really a throwback visual."

Normal is now in theaters.

JD Christison walks through how to set up Starlink Roam, a satellite internet service designed for travelers. Follow along as he conducts a speed test and a work call in the middle of nowhere, while sharing essential tips and tricks of the network.

NASA’s Artemis II mission has safely concluded with a perfect splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. The Orion capsule returned astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and CSA’s Jeremy Hansen after a historic lunar flyby. The crew traveled farther into space than any previous human mission, advancing space exploration.

TL;DR: Amazon has the ASUS ROG Swift 32-inch 4K OLED gaming monitor on sale for $899.99, down from $1,299. That saves you $399.01 on a premium OLED display with a dual-mode panel that switches between 4K at 240Hz and 1080p at 480Hz.

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Credit: ASUS

ASUS ROG Strix 32-inch 4K OLED Gaming Monitor

$899.99 at Amazon
$1,299 Save $399.01

Get Deal

For players who are seeking an affordable gaming monitor upgrade that sports both high resolution and multiple refresh rates, Amazon has a monitor deal that ASUS fans won’t want to miss. 

As of April 17, the ASUS ROG Swift 32-inch 4K OLED gaming monitor is listed for $899.99 at Amazon, marked down from $1,299. That knocks $399.01 off the usual price and brings this high-end display below the $900 mark, reaching the lowest price this monitor has hit to year — confirmed via price tracker camelcamelcamel.

If you’re the type of gamer who prefers different visuals depending on what you’re playing, the ASUS ROG Swift’s dual-mode setup is perfect for you.

This mode means you can keep it at 4K and 240Hz when you want the full visual treatment for sprawling single-player games like Crimson Desert, then switch over to Full HD at 480Hz for a faster, more competitive edge in shooters and esports titles along the lines of Fortnite, Overwatch, and Marathon. This comes combined with its 0.03ms response time and G-SYNC compatibility.

For even better displays when gaming, this 32-inch monitor’s WOLED panel covers 99% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and supports true 10-bit color, which also gives it some added appeal for editing photos, cutting video, or just getting more out of everyday desktop use during life admin tasks.

ASUS has made it so that the screen includes anti-flicker tech, a custom heatsink, and OLED Care features designed to help reduce wear over time, attaching even more premium value to this deal. 

For an even bigger display, the 45-inch curved LG UltraGear OLED gaming monitor is over $400 off right now. Alternatively, the smaller LG 27-inch Ultragear QHD OLED gaming monitor has hit a record-low price at Amazon.

SAVE OVER $50: As of April 17, the Soundcore AeroFit 2 by Anker earbuds are on sale for $79.98 at Amazon. This is $50.01 off their list price of $129.99.

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Credit: Soundcore

Soundcore AeroFit 2 by Anker

$79.98 at Amazon
$129.99 Save $50.01

 

Get Deal

If a good pair of open earbuds have been on your shopping list, the Soundcore AeroFit 2 by Anker are worth a look. We're big fans of these earbuds — ranking them for the best ear hook design in our roundup of the best open earbuds — and now is an excellent time to check them out as they're currently discounted at Amazon.

As of April 17, the Soundcore AeroFit 2 by Anker earbuds are on sale for $79.98 at Amazon. Usually they're listed for $129.99, so this deal saves you just over $50. Every available color is on sale at this price as well, so you can choose between the minty green, abyss blue, black, brown, and white models.

If you're an active individual and want open earbuds for outside runs or workouts, the adjustable ear hooks on the Soundcore AeroFit 2 will help them comfortably stay in place. In our roundup of the best open earbuds, Mashable's Bethany Allard said, "While most ear hook earbuds come with some degree of flexibility, the AeroFits offer four locked-in angles, making them the most comfortable (and snug) open-ear hook buds we've tried so far."

Plus, the Soundcore AeroFit 2 provide great sound quality and a solid battery life that lasts up to 10 hours on a single charge, which is great news for people who want them for long workouts. You can spend more time focused on your routine than frequent recharges.

If they've caught your eye, now is the time to save on the Soundcore AeroFit 2 by Anker earbuds at Amazon while they're still on sale.

SAVE $40: As of April 17, the Keurig K-Mini coffee maker is discounted to $59.99 at Amazon. This is $40 off its list price of $99.99.

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Credit: Keurig

Keurig K-Mini Single Serve K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker

$59.99 at Amazon
$99.99 Save $40.00

 

Get Deal

If you've been searching for a coffee maker to have in your kitchen, but don't want a super fancy machine that takes up a lot of space, it's worth checking out the Keurig K-Mini. This little machine can help brew you a nice cup to enjoy each morning, and now is a great time to grab it as it's currently on sale at Amazon.

As of April 17, the Keurig K-Mini coffee maker has dropped to $59.99 at Amazon, $40 off its list price of $99.99. What's even better is all available colors of this coffee maker — studio gray, black, dusty rose, oasis, and evergreen — are on sale at this price, so you can pick up the model you think will be the best fit in your home.

The Keurig K-Mini is a nice pick if you live in a smaller space. It's less than five inches wide, so can easily be slotted into a little corner of a countertop. Using Keurig K-Cup pods, it can brew any coffee cup size between 6 to 12oz. It even features a removable drip tray, which is convenient if you like filling a travel mug (up to seven inches tall) to take on the go.

On top of all that, the Keurig K-Mini is energy efficient. It comes with an auto off feature that shuts down the machine 90 seconds after your last brew, which is a helpful way to save some power.

If it's the kind of coffee machine you've been hoping to get for your home, don't miss out on this great deal on the Keurig K-Mini coffee maker at Amazon.

TL;DR: Walmart has the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Chaos Rising Elite Trainer Box up for preorder at $114.99, down from $149.99. TCGplayer's unopened listings start at $118.56 with shipping included.

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Credit: The Pokémon Company

Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Chaos Rising Elite Trainer Box

$114.99 at Walmart
$149.99 Save $35.00

 

Pre-order Here

Chaos Rising is the next stage of the Pokémon TCG’s popular Mega Evolution set, and you can already secure its ETB under market price.

As of April 17, Walmart has preorders for the Pokémon TCG’s Chaos Rising Elite Trainer Box listed for $114.99, marked down from $149.99 with free shipping. Over at TCGplayer, presale listings are starting at $118.56 shipped. The ETB’s market price is sitting at around $119.

Compared to the higher prices of the Mega Evolution’s most popular expansion, Ascended Heroes, a cent short of $115 is a decently tempered price for a hotly-anticipated set of trading cards — set to come out on May 22. As Amazon preorders for Chaos Rising aren’t up at the time of writing, we expect Walmart’s allocation to sell out quickly. So grab yours now if you want the lowest price currently possible. 

Similar to other ETBs in the Pokémon TCG, the Chaos Rising Elite Trainer Box will grant you the following, no matter who you buy from: 

• Nine booster packs

• Full-art foil promo card (Fennekin)

• 65 sleeves

• 40 Energy cards

• Player's guide

• Six damage-counter dice

• Coin-flip die

• Plastic coin

• Collector's box with six dividers

• Code card for Pokémon TCG Live

Similar to Perfect Order, Chaos Rising will feature over 120 cards, featuring Pokémon and Mega Evolutions featured in the Pokémon Legends: Z-A video game — including Mega Greninja ex, Mega Pyroar ex, Mega Floette ex, Mega Dragalage ex, and Espurr. 

Speaking of Perfect Order, you can also buy the Pokémon TCG’s Perfect Order Elite Trainer Box for as low as $70 — following restocks at Amazon, Walmart, and TCGplayer. If it’s just packs with no extras you’re after, the Perfect Order Booster Bundle is available for around $40. 

SAVE $10: As of April 17, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K Plus is on sale for $29.99 at Amazon. That's a 25% discount on the list price.

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Credit: Roku

Roku Streaming Stick Plus

$29 at Amazon
$39.99 Save $10.99

 

Get Deal

Streaming devices are a great way to upgrade your streaming. Whether it's making it easier to watch from your laptop or you have an older TV that needs some help, they make watching the next hit Netflix original nice and easy. And if you’re considering purchasing one, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K Plus is on sale right now.

As of April 17, this model is $10 off, bringing the price down from $39.99 to $29.99. With this streaming stick, you'll get 4K picture and bright HDR color for everything you watch.

The setup is nice and simple, and unlike other TV sticks, this one doesn't require power from a wall outlet. It's directly powered from the TV. All you need to do is plug it into the HDMI port and start watching. Less cables and clutter is always a good thing.

It also comes with a single remote that will control both your TV and streaming device. This even has a voice search function for searching for content across various platforms. You'll also get access to all the major streaming apps in one place (Netflix, Prime Video, etc.), plus over 500 free live TV channels.

This Roku deal is available at Amazon now, so don't miss out.

At a Pentagon worship service on Wednesday, defense secretary Pete Hegseth recited an air rescue group's prayer he said drew from the Bible's Ezekiel 25:17. In reality, Hegseth delivered Samuel L. Jackson's Bible-inspired monologue from Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction. The Pentagon later defended Hegseth's "custom prayer."

Stephen Colbert called it out during The Late Show on Thursday night, showing Hegseth delivering said "custom prayer" beside the scenes from the 1994 film. The edit is really something. Watching the U.S. defense secretary essentially quoting Jackson's Jules Winnfield, from a scene in which the hitman interrogates and executes a man after eating his Big Kahuna Burger, is kind of an out-of-body experience.

"Despite all this, I want Hegseth to succeed," said Colbert. "He's the Secretary of Defense. If he succeeds, that means America succeeds. So please join me in prayer. God, I'm talking to you. You talking to me? Are you talking to me? War is like a box of chocolates. I'm tired of these MFing sins on my MFing soul."

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TL;DR: Amazon has the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Perfect Order Elite Trainer Box back in stock for $83.90 with free shipping, while Walmart has it for $69.99.

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Credit: The Pokémon Company

Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Perfect Order Elite Trainer Box

$83.90 at Amazon
$93.99 Save $10.09

 

Shop Now

The Perfect Order Elite Trainer Box is arguably the most affordable way into this Pokémon TCG expansion right now. Stock has been low for some time, but Amazon has finally found some product to sell.

As of April 17, Amazon is listing the Pokémon TCG Perfect Order Elite Trainer Box in stock at $83.90, down from a listed $93.99. Walmart is already sitting at a lower $69.99, and TCGplayer has multiple unopened shipped listings clustered in the low-$70 range. 

Since launching on March 27, the once-high preorder prices on Perfect Order have dipped and settled in the $70-85 range. While Walmart and TCGplayer are indeed the best places to buy the Perfect Order ETB, plenty of Amazon stock is readily available at its slightly higher price point for those who prefer shopping at that particular retailer. 

Similar to other ETBs, the Pokémon TCG’s Perfect Order Elite Trainer Box will grant you nine booster packs, a full-art foil promo card (Tyrunt), 65 sleeves, Energy cards, a player’s guide, damage-counter dice, a competition-legal coin-flip die, a plastic coin, a collector’s box with dividers, and a code card for Pokémon TCG Live.

Grabbing a Perfect Order ETB will give you a chance of pulling the trading card game expansion’s most valuable chase cards: 

• Mega Zygarde ex (Mega Hyper Rare) — $180.14 (market price)

• Meowth ex (Special Illustration Rare) — $165.69 (market price)

• Mega Zygarde ex (Special Illustration Rare) — $101.32 (market price)

• Rosa’s Encouragement (Special Illustration Rare) — $81.72 (market price)

• Mega Starmie ex (Special Illustration Rare) — $81.02 (market price)

To save even more on packs of new Pokémon cards, you can buy the Perfect Order Booster Bundle for around $40. If you’ve got even more in your budget, you can grab the Perfect Order Booster Display Box for around $200. 

Spotify has updated its iOS and Android apps to look better on tablets and foldable phones.

The new design, launched for everyone on Thursday, makes better use of the extra space you get on a tablet. For example, on an iPad, you can browse in a larger window on the left side of the screen while still having your now playing sidebar on the right, with album art, controls, and even lyrics.

The app is also more adaptive than before; switch from portrait to landscape mode and it will reconfigure the interface (instead of just resizing it) to make it look better in a particular move.

The design is adaptive, and the interface will accomodate to vertical or horizontal orientation as needed. Credit: Spotify

That sidebar on the right can be collapsed with a touch of the down arrow in the top left, or expanded to fit the entire display. Besides hosting controls and information on the song that's currently playing, it also has additional content down below, including related videos, information about the artist, and more. Another improvement is a prominent "Switch to Video/Audio" button.

“Tablets give you more room to explore, so we designed it to let you browse and discover new favorites alongside what’s already playing," Nicole Burrow, head of design at Spotify, said in a statement. "The goal was simple: Wherever you open Spotify, it should feel unmistakably like Spotify.”

The timing of the update is notable, as this update makes the Spotify app better not only on tablets but also on foldable devices. Apple is rumored to be working on its first foldable phone, the iPhone Fold, with a launch window late in the year, and other phone makers have been introducing foldable phones at an increasing pace.

In the first moments of The Mandalorian and Grogu's final trailer, we see the little guy sitting and meditating in a forest, in an image we've seen before, in an Empire Strikes Back galaxy far, far away...

Directed and co-written by The Mandalorian series creator Jon Favreau, with Lucasfilm president Dave Filoni, The Mandalorian and Grogu sees bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) hitting the big screen, teaming up with an early days New Republic and Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver) to eliminate Imperial war criminals. (Like the show, the film is set after Return of the Jedi and before The Force Awakens.)

Unveiled at CinemaCon, the trailer is action-packed, with plenty of Star Wars-level battles on an array of planets, and a herd of AT-ATs. But it also feels like one last ride for our two heroes...

The Mandalorian and Grogu hit cinemas May 22, 2026.

SAVE $1,500: As of April 17, the Toshiba 100-inch Z670 Series Mini-LED 4K TV is on sale for $2,499.99 at Amazon. That's the lowest-ever price at Amazon.

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Credit: Toshiba

Toshiba 100-Inch Z670 Series Mini-LED 4K UHD TV

$2,499.99 at Amazon
$3,999.99 Save $1,500

 

Get Deal

If you're looking for a new TV and want to go all-out on an extra large screen, Amazon's here to help. As of April 17, the retailer has dropped the price on the massive Toshiba 100-inch Z670 Series Mini-LED 4K TV, making now a great time to scoop it up for less.

This TV is usually listed for $3,999.99, but Amazon has dropped the price down to $2,499.99 for a limited time. This means you can save $1,500 right now. Not to mention, it marks its lowest-ever price at the retailer, which is a huge bonus.

And what an upgrade this TV is. This Toshiba TV's 100-inch screen size is sure to make you feel completely absorbed in what you're watching or playing. Its 4K resolution, Mini LED technology, and QLED Color will highlight every color and detail on screen. Gamers can enjoy smooth motion as well thanks to a native 144Hz refresh rate, and it also comes with VRR, ALLM, and AMD FreeSync Premium.

Plus, it's a Fire TV, so you can have all of your favorite streaming apps available to access right from the home screen. With so many exciting things to stream right now, it's nice to be able to jump into your favorites quickly and easily.

Since the Toshiba 100-inch Z670 Series Mini-LED 4K TV is marked as a limited time deal, it may not be on sale at this price for long.

SAVE $15: As of April 17, the Amazon Fire TV Stick HD is on sale for $19.99. That's a 43% discount on the list price.

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Credit: Amazon

Amazon Fire TV Stick HD

$19.99 at Amazon
$34.99 Save $15.00

 

Get Deal

Amazon's Fire TV Sticks are a simple and affordable way to transform your streaming setup. And right now it's an even cheaper streaming solution, because the Amazon Fire TV Stick HD is on sale for a limited time. As of April 17, this model is down to $19.99 from $34.99, saving you $15.

This isn't just a great option for streaming at home, it's a completely portable device so you can take it with you when you travel. Just plug it into your TV or laptop HDMI port and power the Fire Stick with a wall outlet and you're good to go. It's much easier than logging into your apps and streaming platforms on other devices, and negates the need to remember to log out when you leave.

And speaking of streaming platforms, you'll have access to the whole lot. Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+, Peacock, Tubi, and more are all available to download. They'll also sit neatly on one home screen, so it's easy to pick up shows and movies where you left them. More of a live TV watcher? Not a problem, you'll also have access to services like SLING TV and YouTube TV, as well as access to popular music apps such as Amazon Music and Spotify.

Head to Amazon to find this Fire Stick deal.

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, April 17, 2026:

Across

Sound made while sinking into a hot tub

• The answer is Ahh.

March Madness pick

• The answer is Team.

Like "status quo" and "mea culpa"

• The answer is Latin.

Large venue for a comedian

• The answer is Arena.

Piece of bacon

• The answer is Strip.

Down

Book of maps

• The answer is Atlas.

❤️

• The answer is Heart.

Constant critic

• The answer is Hater.

Car that's easy to park

• The answer is Mini.

Much of the afternoon, for a toddler

• The answer is Nap.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to the latest Mini Crossword.

Written and directed by YouTuber Curry Barker, Obsession has been gaining buzz among critics and horror fans since its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last fall. This creepy thriller about a crush gone carnage will hit theaters just as summer love could bloom. So, see it early — either as a cautionary tale, a way to get your heart pumping hard, or as a litmus test for your situationship.

Mashable has teamed up with Focus Features for advanced screenings in New York and Chicago ahead of the film's theatrical release. All you need to do to get in on the freaky fun is sign up:

Sign up for Mashable's NYC screening of Obsession.

Sign up for Mashable's Chicago screening of Obsession.

How to see Obsession early?

Join Mashable and Focus Features for an advanced screening in Chicago and New York City, the latter of which will be hosted by Mashable's Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko.

Details for each advanced screening are below:

Obsession NYC Advanced Screening

Monday, May 11 | 7:00 p.m. ET

AMC 19th St  | 890 Broadway, New York, NY 10003

Obsession Chicago Advanced Screening

Monday, May 11 | 7:00 p.m. CT

AMC River East | 322 E Illinois St., Chicago, IL 60611 

How to get Obsession advance screening tickets?

To secure your seat for these advance screenings — at no cost — all you have to do is fill out the linked entry form, either for NYC or Chicago. Focus Features operates both forms. No purchase is necessary to enter.

From there, watch out for an email confirmation. Please note: Seating at the events will be first come, first served. No one will be admitted without being on Focus Feature's confirmation list.

Obsession opens nationwide on May 15.

TL;DR: Consider this your sign to upgrade your laptop while this MacBook Air is on sale for just $199.97 (reg. $999) through April 19.

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Credit: Apple

Apple MacBook Air (2017) 13" i5 1.8GHz 8GB RAM 128GB SSD Silver (Refurbished)

$199.97
$999 Save $799.03

 

Get Deal

It’s not every day that you can snag a MacBook for less than the cost of an iPad. But right now, you can bring home this powerful and portable MacBook Air for only $199.97. You’ll just have to act fast — this deal only runs for two more days and ends April 19 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

The MacBook Air is one of Apple’s most popular devices for good reason. It’s the brand’s most portable laptop — weighing in at just 2.97 pounds — but don’t be deceived by its size. This model doesn’t skimp on power.

This MacBook Air is packed with a 1.8GHz Intel Core i5 processor and 8GB of RAM, letting you multitask and tackle your entire to-do list from anywhere.

Save important files locally and download all your go-to apps thanks to 128GB of storage. The 13.3-inch widescreen display lets you work or play, all with crisp and vibrant visuals, thanks to the Intel HD Graphics 6000.

The 12-hour battery life lets you get through a full workday without powering back up, and easy Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity make it easy to connect from anywhere.

Curious how you’re saving $800 on this device? It comes with a Grade A/B refurbished rating, so you may receive a device with light scratches, dents, or scuffs, but after a comprehensive process, its functionality and quality are ensured.

Act fast to lock in the major savings on this MacBook Air and get it for just $199.97 until April 19.

Grabbing this deal? Score a Microsoft Office 2021 license for free when you apply a code at checkout through 4/19: GWP4MAC (for Mac) or GWP4WIND (for Windows). 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: The 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan is on sale for $79.97 (reg. $540), combining multiple AI models and tools for writing, images, and more in one platform.

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Credit: 1minAI

1min.AI Advanced Business Plan Lifetime Subscription

$79.97
$540 Save $460.03

 

Get Deal

The promise of AI is doing more with less effort. The reality sometimes — err, often — looks like juggling multiple apps to get there. 1min.AI aims to simplify that by bringing multiple AI models and tools into a single platform, and its Advanced Business Plan lifetime subscription is on sale for $79.97 (reg. $540) for a limited time.

Instead of switching between separate apps for writing, image editing, and document processing, 1min.AI puts a wide range of features in one place. You can generate and refine text, create and edit images, analyze PDFs, and even work with audio or video tools, all from the same interface. It supports multiple AI models, including GPT, Claude, and Gemini, so you can choose the one that best fits your task, whether that’s drafting content, optimizing websites, or brainstorming ideas.

For content creators and professionals, that kind of consolidation can save you so much time. Tools like article generators, paraphrasers, and summarizers can help overcome writer’s block, while image, video, audio, and document tools add flexibility across different workflows. That said, like most AI platforms, it works best as an assistant rather than a replacement, so outputs may still need editing and review.

The plan uses a monthly credit system to determine how much you can generate across tools. With this tier, you get 4 million credits per month, which can translate to over a million words, thousands of SEO keywords, or more than a thousand images, depending on usage.

You can also share the subscription with up to 20 team members, with built-in tools that make collaboration easier.

If your setup already involves multiple AI tools, having them in one place can simplify things, or at least cut down on the tab-switching.

Get the 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan lifetime subscription for $99.99 (reg. $540).

Grabbing this deal? Build your cart to $100+ and score a lifetime license to Microsoft Office 2021 free with code GWP4MAC (for Mac) or GWP4WIND (for Windows) through 4/19.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Unblock TNAFlix from anywhere in the world with a VPN. The best service for unblocking porn sites is ExpressVPN.

Your access to porn sites is often restricted, which is probably a good thing. However, there is a time and a place for everything. And when the time is right, you shouldn't have to put up with online restrictions.

If you're looking for the best way to unblock porn sites like TNAFlix from anywhere in the world, we have the information you need.

How to unblock TNAFlix for free

VPNs can unblock porn sites by connecting you to secure servers in other locations.

VPNs can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in another location, bypassing geo-restrictions to secure access to porn sites like TNAFlix from anywhere in the world. This might sound complicated, but you can unblock your favorite porn sites in just a few simple steps:

1. Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in a location that supports access to TNAFlix

4. Visit TNAFlix

5. Watch TNAFlix content from anywhere in the world

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Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

Get Deal

The best VPNs for unblocking porn sites are not free, but most do offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By taking advantage of these offers, you can unblock porn sites and then recover your investment at a later date. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it works well if you're traveling or temporarily away from home.

If you want to retain permanent access to sites like TNAFlix from anywhere in the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for bypassing online restrictions is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for porn?

ExpressVPN is the top choice when it comes to unblocking porn sites like TNAFlix, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy

• Fast streaming speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Unblock TNAFlix for free with ExpressVPN.

For the first time in six years, BookCon is back. Celebrating the book industry and its fans, BookCon returns to the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on April 18 and 19. The two-day convention is jam-packed with panels, author signings, and a robust show floor, and Mashable will be on the ground at the event, covering every must-see moment.

The event follows a big year for books. Heated Rivalry, based on Rachel Reid's bestselling series, has everyone headed to the cottage, and the movie adaptation of Andy Weir's Project Hail Mary took us to space. BookTok is one of the loudest and most influential spaces on the internet, literally reviving book sales in the modern age. Now BookCon can be an IRL space for book fans to celebrate their passion.

“It has been a dream for our team to bring back BookCon, and we are thrilled with how the book community has come together to help us build this incredible programming lineup full of diverse voices, genres, and perspectives," said Jenny Martin, Event Director for BookCon.

Leading up to the event, there's been a lot of chatter, so before the big weekend, here's everything you need to know about BookCon.

When and where is BookCon?

BookCon takes place Saturday, April 18, and Sunday, April 19. It will be held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City.

How to attend BookCon?

BookCon is a ticketed event, but it's unfortunately sold out. Tickets went fast, with BookCon posting on Dec. 3, 2025, that the event was officially sold out.

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Which authors will be at BookCon?

The BookCon lineup features tons of people's favorite authors, with panels and signings all weekend long. Rachel Reid (Heated Rivalry) will be there celebrating the show alongside the TV show's EP, Jacob Tierney. Authors of the buzziest adaptations including Andy Weir (Project Hail Mary, The Martian), Emily St. John Mandel (Station Eleven), May Cobb (The Hunting Wives), Robinne Lee (The Idea of You), and Casey McQuiston (Red, White, and Royal Blue) will be present. To celebrate the 15th anniversary of Divergent, Veronica Roth will be in attendance. Other authors attending BookCon include Jasmine Guillory, Leigh Bardugo, and RF Kuang. The full list of attendees can be found on BookCon's website.

What's the BookCon controversy?

While there is plenty of excitement around BookCon, the return of the event sparked quite a bit of noise online. Tickets sold fast, leading to some disappointment from fans who were hopeful to attend — but even fans in attendance have shared concerns.

Author signings and some panels require reservations for ticket holders. When the reservations went live, attendees had spreadsheets of all the events they wanted to attend and patiently waited in an online queue to sign up. Unfortunately, even after waiting an hour, some ticket holders couldn't secure any reservations. Now there's an active community on the BookCon subreddit trading reservations in hopes of scoring the spots they didn't get the first time.

Another controversy surrounding the event came forth when authors and fans questioned BookCon's association with ICE. ReedPop, which runs a variety of conventions including BookCon, is owned by parent company Relx. One of Relx's subsidiaries is LexisNexis, which has a multi-million dollar contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Several authors, including Rebecca Thorne and Sabaa Tahir, called out the connection, with Tahir no longer attending BookCon.

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View this post on Instagram

ReedPop has since issued a statement to clarify: "We at ReedPop do not sell customer information to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ReedPop/RX operates entirely at arm’s length and independently. None of our data is shared for marketing or commercial use by any other entity within our parent company."

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Where can I follow along with what's happening at BookCon?

We'll be on the ground at BookCon, so be sure to check back at Mashable.com and follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and X.

It's the most wonderful (and stressful) time of year for hockey fans: the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The first round of the 2026 NHL playoffs kicks off this weekend after one of the wildest endings to the regular season. I'm still flabbergasted that the Buffalo Sabres are at the top of the Atlantic division and that the Philadelphia Flyers managed to clinch a playoff berth with only 26 regulation wins.

The best ways to watch the Stanley Cup Playoffs at a glance:

---

The most games for the lowest price

Sling TV Orange plan

$115 for 3 months (save $22.97)

Get Deal

---

FOR TNT/TBS GAMES

HBO Max Standard

$18.49/month or $184.99/year

Shop Now

---

For ESPN/ABC games

ESPN Unlimited

$29.99/month

Shop Now

---

BEST INTRO PRICE

YouTube TV Sports plan

10-day free trial, then $54.99/month for 1 year (save $120)

Get Deal

It's been a pretty exciting year for hockey in general. Team USA bringing home the gold at the Olympics brought the NHL many new spectators. Beyond that, the smash hit Heated Rivalry also put a surprising spotlight on the league. New fans are in for a treat this postseason, as playoff hockey takes the action and the energy to new heights.

Veteran hockey fans know that anything can happen in the battle for the Stanley Cup. If you want to witness the excitement (and extreme frustration) of playoff hockey live, here's everything you need to know.

When do the Stanley Cup playoffs start?

The first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs kicks off on Saturday, April 18, at 2 p.m. ET. Teams generally play every other day, with games scheduled through May 3 if necessary. The dates for the second round, third round (conference finals), and Stanley Cup final will depend on how the first series pans out. The final will take place no later than June 21. You can check out the full schedule on the official NHL website.

What channels are the NHL playoffs on?

If you have cable or access to a cable login, live games will air on the ESPN/ESPN2/ABC and TNT/truTV/TBS family of networks throughout the postseason. Each series is not strictly designated to one broadcaster — for example, games in a series could air on TNT, ABC, and ESPN within the same week.

Check out the official hockey playoffs schedule on NHL.com to find out which channel to tune into for specific games.

How can I watch the Stanley Cup playoffs without cable?

As always, here's where things get complicated. If you don't have cable access or a cable login, you'll need at least one streaming service to catch all the hockey playoff games live in 2026.

To watch games that air on the TNT family of networks, you can either tune in through the HBO Max app ($18.49 per month for the Standard plan) or via a live TV streaming provider like Sling TV, YouTube TV, or Hulu + Live TV. To catch all of the games that air live on ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2, you can subscribe to ESPN Unlimited ($29.99 per month) or a live TV streaming provider.

Subscribing to a live TV streaming service will definitely get you the most bang for your buck, despite the cost being a bit higher (most are between $65 and $85 per month). But you can also choose to subscribe to both HBO Max and ESPN Unlimited for a combined $48.48 per month for access to every game. It's all up to preference.

Different from cable, live TV streamers rely on the internet and offer you a live channel lineup without a monthly contract. You can cancel any time it no longer suits you — no strings attached. These services aren't cheap, but many offer introductory rates and are still generally more affordable than a monthly cable bill. Plus, you get your money's worth with access to live and local channels spanning news, sports, and entertainment. It'll serve you long after a team is awarded the coveted Stanley Cup, should you choose to keep your subscription.

Here's a breakdown of your streaming service options to watch the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs live, as well as the best deals available for each.

For TNT, TBS, and truTV games: HBO Max

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Credit: HBO Max

HBO Max Standard

$18.49/month or $184.99/year

Shop Now

An HBO Max Standard subscription (not Basic) includes the B/R Sports add-on, which includes access to the NHL on TNT games (and simulcast TBS and truTV games). Of course, this only covers about half of the postseason, so you'll still need another way to tune into ESPN and ABC broadcasts. HBO Max Standard will cost you $18.49 per month or $184.99 per year (16% savings).

HBO Max deals:

• HBO Max Standard annual subscription — $184.99/year $221.88/year (save $36.89/year)

• Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max bundle — $32.99/month $56.47/month (save $23.48/month)

For ESPN and ABC games: ESPN Unlimited

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Credit: ESPN

ESPN Unlimited

$29.99/month

Shop Now

ESPN finally launched a direct-to-consumer streaming service last year, so sports fans can enjoy the full suite of ESPN networks under one subscription: ESPN Unlimited. For $29.99 per month, you'll be able to watch every NHL playoffs broadcast on ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC live. Of course, you'll need to pair it with HBO Max for the whole roster of postseason games, which would cost you $48.48 per month total.

ESPN Unlimited deals:

• ESPN Unlimited annual subscription — $299.99/year $359.88/year (save $59.89/year)

• Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Unlimited bundle — $35.99/month $53.97/month (save $17.98/month)

• ESPN Unlimited and Fox One bundle — $39.99/month $49.98/month (save $9.99/month)

The most games for the lowest price: Sling TV Orange plan

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Credit: Sling

Sling TV Orange plan

$45.99/month

Get Deal

Sling TV's Orange plan is your best bet to watch the most postseason NHL games for the lowest price. The Orange plan includes access to ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, TNT, and TBS, plus 30 other channels. While that doesn't include ABC, most ABC NHL games are also available through ESPN3, so you'll be all set. Sling subscriptions are a la carte, so you can add to and take away from your plan with no worries and cancel or pause your subscription at any time. The Orange plan costs $46 per month, but you can also prepay for three months and save.

Sling deals:

• Sling TV Orange 3-month prepay plan — $115 $137.97 (save $22.97)

• Sling TV Orange 7-day pass — $14.99 $34.93 (save $19.94 compared to single-day pass)

Best way to watch for free: YouTube TV Sports Plan 10-day trial

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Credit: YouTube TV

YouTube TV Sports plan

free 10-day trial, then $54.99/month for your first year

Get Deal

We're big fans of YouTube TV's massive 100+ channel lineup, which includes all of the networks you'll need to tune into the Stanley Cup playoffs live. On the other hand, we're not the biggest fans of the $82.99 per month cost. Fortunately, not only did the streamer launch a more affordable sports-based plan recently, but it also comes with a 10-day free trial and a discounted first year.

YouTube TV deals:

• YouTube TV Sports — free 10-day trial, $54.99/month for your first year $64.99/month (save $120)

• YouTube TV Base — free 10-day trial, $67.99/month for your first 3 months $82.99/month (save $45)

Honorable mentions:

• Hulu + Live TV (includes all networks) — 3-day trial, then $82.99 per month

• DirecTV My Sports (includes all networks) — 5-day trial, then $44.99/month for two months $64.99/month (save $40)

In the Venn diagram of tablets and books, our favorite e-readers fall perfectly in the middle. They're thin and portable like a tablet, but without the distraction of the internet. The best Kindles and e-readers stuff thousands of books — a full library, really — into a tiny frame.

And having tested a lot of e-readers and tablets for Mashable, I can tell you the Amazon Kindle lineup comes closest to perfecting the devices. All over the internet, you'll find TikTok users enthusiastically singing the praises of the Kindle and how to make the most of it. For parents, Kindles are a screen you don't have to feel guilty about. For avid readers, Stuff Your Kindle Day and Libby let you cross every last item off your annual reading list. You can even buy Kindle accessories like remote page-turners and gooseneck stands so you don't have to hold your Kindle while reading.

Ready to buy? Here's our guide to the best Kindles.

2026 Kindle updates

On April 7, 2026, Amazon sent a notice to some Kindle users stating that as of May 20, 2026, Kindle e-readers released in 2012 or earlier will no longer be supported. After May 20, Amazon will no longer lend software updates or provide web services to these devices, essentially bricking them. Users will still be able to read currently downloaded books on the device, but to add new books, they will need to connect the device to a computer. This is a huge hit, especially to Libby users who need web service access to read borrowed books.

The affected Kindles include:

• Kindle (1st generation)

• Kindle (2nd generation)

• Kindle DX

• Kindle DX Graphite

• Kindle Keyboard

• Kindle 4

• Kindle Touch

• Kindle 5

• Kindle Paperwhite (1st generation)

Owners of these Kindle models are obviously upset, as it means they'll need to purchase a new device to maintain access to all features. While some are considering switching to a different e-reader, like a Kobo, Amazon still makes great e-readers, and it's a testament to the brand that devices that are at least 14 years old are still going strong.

Which Kindle is right for you?

If you're concerned about buying the newest tech, that's not an issue. There are six updated Kindle models for sale, as well as older editions still in stock.

Before you choose a Kindle, you need to ask one question first: Do you want it to be waterproof? If you prefer reading near a body of water — whether in the bath, by the pool, or at the beach — that immediately narrows down your options. Since the Kindle Oasis is no longer available, your waterproof options are the Kindle Paperwhite, Paperwhite Signature Edition, Colorsoft Signature Edition, and Paperwhite Kids.

The Kindle Paperwhite Signature edition settings screen. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

Beyond water resistance, here are a few other features to consider:

• Display size: The basic Kindle has a 6-inch display, while the largest has a 10.2-inch display.

• Storage capacity: Kindles range from 16GB to 32GB of storage capacity.

• Battery life: The new Kindles generally have outstanding batteries. On the low end, they last up to six weeks per charge, while others last up to 12 weeks.

• Writing capability: The Kindle Scribe is the only model that allows you to write with the included stylus. 

The latest Kindles all boast a maximum brightness of 94 nits and a 300 ppi, high-resolution display with zero glare, so you can enjoy sharp text and images at any viewing angle. Kindles are also equipped with WiFi connectivity, allowing you to download all the reading material you could ever want. Plus, you can listen to audiobooks on Audible via the built-in Bluetooth connection.

Not to mention, out of all the e-readers I've tested, Kindles have the best compatibility with Libby. I love the digital platform because I can read for free and support my local library. Some other e-readers require you to download your library e-book to a computer and then upload it to an e-reader, but with Kindles, your e-books are sent straight to your device with a click.

And if you were a die-hard Kindle Oasis fan and are attached to page-turning buttons, you may need to stray from the Kindle line-up. Now, your best bet will be the Kobo Libra Colour.

How to get free e-books on Kindle

With just a click, transfer your Libby e-book to your Kindle device. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Your Libby ebook will automatically populate in your Kindle library. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

The best way to read free e-books on a Kindle is with Libby. Libby allows you to borrow e-books through libraries, and all you need is a library card. Through the Libby app, borrow books and then select the "read with Kindle" option, which allows you to send these e-books to your Kindle library.

Another option for finding free e-books is through Stuff Your Kindle events. These are author-driven events that offer limited-time deals on e-books, often making them heavily discounted or totally free.

How to make the most of your Kindle

Through our testing and daily use, we've spent a lot of time with Kindles, learning how to make the most of them. We've written extensively on all the ways to maximize your Kindle, so be sure to browse through our guides and explainers:

• How to make the most of your Kindle: 8 features you need to use

• The best Kindle accessories for reading in luxury

• What is Stuff Your Kindle Day? The best way to fill your e-reader with free books

• I've read hundreds of free Kindle books with Libby. Here's how.

• What is Kindle Rewards? Earn free credits when shopping the Kindle store

• What is Kindle Unlimited? A library of books at your fingertips for just $12 a month

• Where to get free e-books: Load up your e-reader without spending a dime

• Prime members can get a free e-book every month with Amazon First Reads

• How to download EPUB files on your Kindle

• 8 Kindle features you should be using

• How to delete books from Kindle
  

FREE BOOKS: The latest Stuff Your Kindle Day takes place on April 15-18. Stuff Your E-Reader, hosted by Indie Author Collective, is offering books in a variety of genres for Kindle and Kobo.

A lot has been said about Kindle in the last week or so, and we've tried our best to make sense of the situation. We're not going to get into the weeds of why "BookTokers, Bookstagramers, and the most passionate Kindle users across the internet are fuming this week," because another Stuff Your Kindle Day is live right now.

Stuff Your E-Reader, hosted by Indie Author Collective, is offering participants the chance to download books from a variety of genres without spending anything. Everything that you download is yours to keep forever, and unlike a lot of these giveaways, Kindle and Kobo readers can stock up during this limited-time event.

Looking to make the most of the latest Stuff Your Kindle Day? We've lined up everything you need to know about this popular event.

When is Stuff Your Kindle Day?

Stuff Your E-Reader takes place on April 15-18. A lot of these free giveaways only last 24 hours, so it's refreshing to have so much time to consider your options. You can relax and make a plan without stressing about missing the deadline.

Which ebooks are free?

Stuff Your E-Reader is an all-genre book blast for Kindle and Kobo readers. Stuff Your Kindle Days usually focus on a particular genre, which can exclude large portions of the reading world who might not be interested in downloading hundreds of romance titles. This event is truly for everyone.

The Indie Author Collective has launched a hub page for this event, with filters for promotions, genre, and representation. Check out everything on offer here.

Is Stuff Your Kindle Day the same as Amazon Kindle Unlimited?

Everything you download on Stuff Your Kindle Day is yours to keep, and there's no limit on the number of books you can download. Stuff Your Kindle Day downloads don't count towards the 20 books that Amazon Kindle Unlimited subscribers can borrow at the same time.

The best Stuff Your Kindle Day deal

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Credit: Amazon

Kindle (16GB) + Kindle Unlimited (3 Months)

$109.99 at Amazon

 

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Why we like it

These popular e-readers let you take your entire library on the go. With weeks of battery life and an anti-glare display, you can read anywhere and anytime with the Kindle. Plus, you can get three months of Kindle Unlimited for free with your purchase for a limited time.

SAVE OVER $1,500: As of April 17, the Jackery HomePower 3600 Plus is on sale for $2,148.99 at Amazon. That's a 42% discount on the list price.

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Credit: Jackery

Jackery HomePower 3600 Plus

$2,148.99 at Amazon
$3,699 Save $1,550.01

 

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Looking for a reliable power station that's capable of powering your whole home? Look no further than the Jackery HomePower 3600 Plus. This is a seriously impressive unit that can power a three-person household for over two weeks.

And as of April 17, this Jackery model combined with two 200W solar panels is currently on sale at Amazon, saving you over $1,500. Normally priced at $3,699, you can now have this reliable piece of kit for $2,148.99.

This is a seriously high-capacity power station that's designed to see you through long periods of no power. It has 3,600W of output (7,200W in parallel) and a 3,584Wh battery, which can be expanded up to 21kWh per unit or 43kWh when used with multiple units. It also supports dual-voltage output (120V and 240V in parallel), so it's the perfect choice if you need to power larger household appliances such as pumps and dryers.

At over $2,000, this is definitely a significant purchase. Thankfully, it's built to last. It uses high-temperature resistant ceramic membrane battery cells and is rated for up to 6,000 charge cycles, which gives it an estimated 10-year lifespan.

It also has several different charging options, including a full recharge in around two hours via hybrid AC+DC, approximately 2.5 hours via AC or gas generator, and around four hours with solar panels.

This power station deal is available at Amazon now, but note the "limited-time" sticker.

SAVE OVER $300: As of April 17, the Anker Solix C1000 is on sale for $428.99 at Amazon. That's a 46% discount on the list price.

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Credit: Anker

Anker Solix C1000

$428.99 at Amazon
$799 Save $370.01

 

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A portable power station is a great way to keep your essential devices and gadgets powered while off-grid or during a power outage. And if you’ve been considering making the plunge, Amazon has some great models discounted right now, including the Anker Solix C1000.

As of April 17, this model is over $370 off, now down to $428.99. That's also the best price so far this year.

This power station has a 1,024Wh capacity and 2,000W output with a 3,000W peak, so it's capable to run multiple devices at once through its 10 ports. The ports include USB-A, and USB-C, and wall outlets, so anything from laptops to small appliances are compatible. And if you like to camp or hit the road, this is a great way to stay connected. It's also lighter than previous models, so it's easier to carry around.

This unit also supports fast recharging, and can reach full capacity in around 49 minutes when using the HyperFlash charging mode. It's also built with a robust, long-lasting battery, thanks to Anker’s InfiniPower system, meaning it's rated for around 4,000 charge cycles while maintaining at least 80% capacity. This equates to roughly 10 years of use.

You can find this Anker power station deal at Amazon now.

Starbucks is fully embracing AI, launching a beta app in ChatGPT this week that lets a chatbot choose your latte or refresher.

Users on ChatGPT can access the app by starting a prompt with "@Starbucks." They can then describe the mood they're in or want to be in — energetic, cozy, etc. — or simply ask the AI to pick something that matches their tastes, like non-dairy drinks or less caffeinated beverages.

In the announcement on Starbucks' website, the coffee chain also suggested users upload a photo to ChatGPT that "captures your vibe," and the AI will choose a drink to complement it.

Credit: Starbucks

Some of the prompts suggested by Starbucks include "@Starbucks, I want something bright to start my morning,” and "@Starbucks, I’m craving an afternoon boost that isn’t too sweet."

After choosing a drink and a store to retrieve it, users will be directed to the Starbucks app or Starbucks.com to pay and complete the order.

Starbucks considers the beta app in ChatGPT its newest way to encourage customers to try new beverages or, as they put it in their press release, "using AI to support something very human: helping you discover a drink you’ll love."

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

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.

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If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

Hurdle Word 1 hint

Flies a plane.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

PILOT

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Facade.

Hurdle Word 2 Answer

FRONT

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Hurdle Word 3 hint

Cabin.

Hurdle Word 3 answer

LODGE

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Downward.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

SOUTH

Final Hurdle hint

Nerdy.

Hurdle Word 5 answer

GEEKY

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

It's the last day of the lunar cycle, a roughly 29.5-day period in which the Moon orbits Earth, which means today is the New Moon. This is the point where the Moon sits between Earth and the Sun, so its sunlit side is facing away from us.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Friday, April 17, the Moon phase is New Moon. Tonight, 0% of the moon will be lit up, according to NASA's Daily Moon Guide.

Unsurprisingly, with 0% of the moon illuminated, there's nothing for us to see tonight.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon is predicted to take place on May 1, the first of two in May.

What are Moon phases?

NASA states that the Moon takes about 29.5 days to orbit Earth, during which it passes through eight distinct phases. We always see the same side of the Moon, but the amount of sunlight reflecting off it changes as it moves along its orbit, creating the familiar pattern of full, partial, and crescent shapes. These shifting appearances are called lunar phases, and there are eight in total:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will test your knowledge of multiple sports, and you'll need some basic knowledge of soccer.

As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

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. The sports Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words, and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise 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 before 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 categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Over the plate

• Green: Offense

• Blue: All in the family

• Purple: Home on the ____

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Things an Umpire Calls

• Green: An Attacking Player in Soccer

• Blue: MLB Father-Son Duos

• Purple: ____ Range

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 #571 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Things an Umpire Calls — BALL, OUT, SAFE, STRIKE

• An Attacking Player in Soccer — FORWARD, NO. 9, STRIKER, TARGET MAN

• MLB Father-Son Duos — ALOU, BONDS, FIELDER, GRIFFEY

• ____ Range — 3-POINT, DRIVING, LONG, MID

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Connections.

Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.

Released in August 2025, Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move on to the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.

How to play Pips

If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity with how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible — and common — for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

• Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.

• Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.

• Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.

• Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.

• Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

Easy difficulty hints, answers for April 17 Pips

Greater Than (4): The domino half in this purple space must have more than 4 pips. The answer is 5-3, placed vertically.

Number (2): The domino half in this red space must have 2 pips. The answer is 2-3, placed vertically.

Equal (6): Every domino half in this light blue space must have 6 pips. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically; 0-6, placed vertically.

Equal (5): Every domino half in this yellow space must have 5 pips. The answer is 5-5, placed vertically.

Less Than (4): The domino half in this dark blue space must have less than 4 pips. The answer is 2-3, placed vertically.

Number (2): The domino half in this green space must have 2 pips. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for April 17 Pips

Number (7): Everything in this purple space must add up to 7. The answer is 1-5, placed horizontally; 2-0, placed vertically.

Equal (3): Every domino half in this red space must have 3 pips. The answer is 3-3, placed vertically.

Less Than (2): Everything in this light blue space must add up to be less than 2. The answer is 0-0, placed horizontally.

Equal (5): Every domino half in this yellow space must have 5 pips. The answer is 5-4, placed vertically; 5-3, placed horizontally.

Number (3): The domino half in this dark blue space must have 3 pips. The answer is 5-3, placed horizontally.

Number (0): The domino half in this green space must have 0 pips. The answer is 2-0, placed vertically.

Equal (4): Every domino half in this purple space must have 4 pips. The answer is 4-6, placed vertically; 5-4, placed vertically.

Greater Than (4): The domino half in this red space must have more than 4 pips. The answer is 4-6, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for April 17 Pips

Number (5): The domino half in this purple space must have 5 pips. The answer is 5-2, placed horizontally.

Equal (2): Every domino half in this red space must have 2 pips. The answer is 5-2, placed horizontally; 2-4, placed horizontally.

Number (5): Everything in this light blue space must add up to 5. The answer is 2-4, placed horizontally; 1-4, placed vertically.

Less Than (3): Everything in this yellow space must add up to be less than 3. The answer is 1-1, placed vertically.

Does Not Equal: Every domino half in this dark blue space must have a different number of pips. The answer is 1-4, placed vertically; 6-5, placed horizontally; 3-3, placed horizontally; and 5-0, placed vertically.

Number (10): Everything in this green space must add up to 10. The answer is 6-5, placed horizontally; 5-1, placed vertically.

Number (4): The domino half in this purple space must have 4 pips. The answer is 4-5, placed horizontally.

Number (8): Everything in this red space must add up to 8. The answer is 4-5, placed horizontally; 3-3, placed horizontally.

Number (2): Every domino half in this light blue space must have 2 pips. The answer is 5-1, placed vertically; 1-2, placed vertically.

Less Than (2): Everything in this yellow space must add up to be less than 2. The answer is 5-0, placed vertically; 0-4, placed horizontally.

Number (6): Everything in this dark blue space must add up to 6. The answer is 0-4, placed horizontally; 1-2, placed vertically.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you're a musician.

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.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Crop details

• Green: Prevalent

• Blue: Grand instrument

• Purple: Beverages

Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Vegetable parts

• Green: Prevailing

• Blue: Parts of a piano

• Purple: Second halves of drink names

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 #1041 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Vegetable parts: BULB, LEAF, ROOT, STEM

• Prevailing: COMMON, DOMINANT, GENERAL, POPULAR

• Parts of a piano: HAMMER, KEY, PEDAL, STRING

• Second halves of drink names: SODA, STORMY, TAN, TONIC

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Connections.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're a pescatarian.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Shell company

The words are related to the sea.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe marine life with coverings.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Mollusk.

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NYT Strands word list for April 17

• Limpet

• Clam

• Oyster

• Conch

• Mollusk

• Scallop

• Mussel

• Abalone

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Strands.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you love Disney princesses.

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:

A beauty.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letters E and L appear twice.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

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...

BELLE

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.

The Pitt Season 2 is coming to an end, but if you're already hoping to head right back into the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center, don't worry. Unlike most streaming shows nowadays, The Pitt probably won't take multiple years to come back for Season 3.

In an almost unprecedented move for the streaming age, there was just one year between The Pitt's Season 1 and Season 2 premieres. (Both came out in early January.) If the show follows the same production schedule as it did between Seasons 1 and 2, it's highly likely that there will be a similar wait time for the next season, meaning viewers can expect Season 3 in early January of 2027.

Luckily, The Pitt does appear to be adhering to the same production schedule this time around. Ahead of The Pitt's PaleyFest LA event, creator R. Scott Gemmill told Variety that Season 3 was set to begin filming this June. Filming for Season 2 kicked off in June of 2025, which tees Season 3 up for the same production timeline.

When will The Pitt Season 3 take place?

While viewers will have to wait a little under a year between seasons, far less time will pass between The Pitt Seasons 2 and 3. There were roughly 10 months between Season 1 and Season 2, which takes place on July 4, 2026. However, at PaleyFest, Wyle told USA Today that Season 3 would be taking place in November, meaning there will only be a four-month time jump between seasons.

"It will be pre-Thanksgiving, moving into colder weather," Wyle said to USA Today. "The holidays are approaching. The weather's changing. People are turning on their heaters for the first time."

So get ready for mentions of The Pitt crew's family drama heading into Thanksgiving, as well as potential cold weather accidents. Whatever happens, I'm ready for Thanksgiving in January of 2027.

The Pitt Season 2 is now streaming on HBO Max.

Iyaz Akhtar looks into what happened to Google’s smart home ecosystem. Google’s move toward Gemini appears to have disrupted Google Home’s once smooth experience. The result is a system that feels less reliable and more inconsistent. Here’s what’s going wrong right now.

Stop your smart TV from tracking your viewing habits by disabling Automatic Content Recognition. This guide shows how to find and turn off these hidden privacy settings on an Amazon Fire TV. It’s a quick way to limit data tracking and improve privacy.

Google is warning that advances in quantum computing could make it easier to break the encryption that protects cryptocurrencies. The concern is that quantum hackers may be able to crack current security systems much sooner than expected. This could put crypto assets and blockchain-based systems at risk.

PCMag's camera expert Jim Fisher tests the budget Apple MacBook Neo with 8K video, RAW photos, and exports. The goal is to see how it handles real creative workloads and whether it’s a viable option for creative work.

SAVE $100: As of April 16, shop the DJI Flip 4K drone for just $539 at Amazon. That saves you $100 off its $639 list price.

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Credit: DJI

DJI Flip

$539
$639 Save $100

 

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Getting outside this spring and summer? If you're looking to capture your adventures from above and in 4K then you'll need the right equipment, and you don't need to be a professional either. DJI makes it easy to get started with a drone, and since 4K drones may be an investment, it's worth it to shop the deals.

Right now, you can grab the DJI Flip drone for just $539. That saves you $100 off its list price of $639. According to camelcamelcamel, the DJI Flip's record low is $509, meaning it's just $30 from its lowest price ever.

The DJI Flip is a lightweight drone, weighing just 249 grams. You won't have to worry about regulations either as it doesn't require FAA or Remote ID registration. It comes with a two-screen remote controller so you can see your footage as you capture it. The Flip films in 4K at 60fps, plus it features subject tracking so you'll always stay in frame.

Shop the DJI Flip for just $539 at Amazon now.

Astronauts from NASA's first crewed Artemis flight largely sidestepped a question about the diversity of the future astronauts assigned to the upcoming moon-landing mission. 

Speaking at a news conference days after their return to Earth, the Artemis II astronauts —  Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen — were asked whether the U.S. space agency should uphold its pledge to land the first woman and first person of color on the moon, a goal NASA has recently deemphasized. 

The moment highlighted an issue NASA has avoided publicly clarifying. The Artemis program's first landing mission is expected as early as 2028.

"That's a great question," Koch told Mashable. "Our understanding of that statement was basically that the Artemis campaign as a whole will usher in an era where that is true, and that it will happen naturally because of our astronaut corps."

Though Mashable sought each astronaut's opinion, only Koch answered before the moderator moved on to another reporter's question.

Before 2025, NASA had consistently described the first Artemis lunar landing as putting the first woman and first person of color on the moon. But over the past year, that language has largely disappeared from agency materials, following a White House executive order that curtailed diversity, equity, and inclusion programs across federal agencies. The directive labeled such programs "illegal and immoral."

The Artemis II crew itself marked a milestone. The mission was the first deep-space flight not composed entirely of white men. Koch became the first woman and Glover the first Black person to travel beyond low-Earth orbit. Their assignment to the lunar flyby crew occurred in 2023, during President Joe Biden's administration. 

The Artemis II crew, clockwise: Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Jeremy Hansen, and Reid Wiseman. Credit: Josh Valcarcel

Both have downplayed the historical significance of their distinctions in past interviews, focusing instead on the technical goals of the mission. Leading up to the launch, they often wouldn't elaborate on what those "firsts" meant specifically for women and people of color.

On Thursday, however, Koch seemed confident the milestone will happen, regardless of intention.

"The fact is we don't have to try too hard to make that come true, to make that be the reality of this mission," she said. "We actually have to try harder to not make that true in the astronaut corps that we have."

Floating in the Orion spacecraft, the four Artemis II astronauts embrace in weightlessness. Credit: NASA

Artemis II, a roughly 10-day mission around the moon and back, was NASA's first crewed journey beyond low-Earth orbit in more than a half-century. The $4.1 billion test flight vetted the Orion spacecraft's life‑support, power, navigation, and steering systems. The mission took the capsule past Apollo‑era distances, reaching a farthest point of about 252,756 miles. 

NASA has not yet announced crews beyond Artemis II. The next mission, Artemis III, will serve as a 2027 flight demonstration for docking Orion with commercially built lunar landers while in low-Earth orbit. Artemis IV is expected to attempt the program's first lunar landing the following year. 

Agency officials have said assignments will be based on mission needs but have not addressed whether earlier commitments about representation remain in place.

If you've already fallen under the spell of Witch Hat Atelier, Crunchyroll has a new way to stay immersed in the series between episodes.

The anime streamer has launched Witch Chat: The Witch Hat Atelier Companion Podcast, a new watchalong-style series under its Anime Effect podcast slate. The show is designed to guide viewers through the anime adaptation of Kamome Shirahama's beloved manga, and the first three episodes are available now on Spotify and YouTube.

Hosted by anime cosplayer and content creator Lena Lemon and Crunchyroll personality Tim Lyu, fans can expect episodic recaps and an even deeper dive into the magical world of Coco, Qifrey, Agott, Tetia, and Richeh. Or maybe you really want to make sure you're pronouncing words like Atelier, Qifrey, and Richeh correctly (because...same).

Credit: Courtesy of Crunchyroll

For a show like Witch Hat Atelier, which is already full of intricate lore, mysterious Brimmed Caps, and enough storybook beauty to inspire endless TikTok edits, a companion podcast feels like a natural fit. The first episode of the anime premiered on April 6, and the podcast gives fans another place to theorize about Coco's future, Qifrey's secrets, and whatever unsettling thing the Brimmed Caps are planning next.

It is also a reminder of how much anime fandom now lives online. According to Crunchyroll, 82 percent of anime fans discuss anime on social media, with TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube serving as major discovery tools for viewers. After all, it only takes one devastating edit to change the course of someone's life, or dictate what they watch next.

And if any new show feels built for that kind of fandom ecosystem — the cosplay, the fan art, the ship discourse, the aesthetic moodboards, the painstaking manga-to-anime comparisons — it's definitely Witch Hat Atelier. Judging by the online discourse so far, the Qifrey obsession has already begun.

Anthropic has been shipping products and making news at a blistering pace in 2026, and on Thursday, the AI company announced the launch of Claude Opus 4.7.

Claude Opus 4.7 is Anthropic's most intelligent model available to the general public. Notably, Anthropic said in a press release that Opus 4.7 is not as powerful as Claude Mythos, which Anthropic deemed too dangerous for public release.

Claude Opus is a family of hybrid reasoning models capable of multi-step reasoning and advanced coding. Until the announcement of Claude Mythos on April 7, Claude Opus was considered Anthropic's most advanced series of AI models.

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How to try Claude Opus 4.7

Claude Opus 4.7 is available now via Claude AI, the Claude API, and Anthropic partners such as Microsoft Foundry. The new model is priced the same as Claude Opus 4.6.

However, Anthropic noted that because "Opus 4.7 thinks more at higher effort levels," it uses more ouput tokens than its predecessor. Users can read more about how to optimize token usage in the Opus 4.7 migration guide.

How Claude Opus 4.7 improves over 4.6

As expected, Claude Opus 4.7 offers improved capabilities across the board.

In particular, Anthropic says Claude Opus 4.7 is better at advanced coding tasks, visual intelligence, and document analysis. Anthropic also says Opus 4.7 is "more tasteful and creative when completing professional tasks, producing higher-quality interfaces, slides, and docs."

"Users report being able to hand off their hardest coding work — the kind that previously needed close supervision — to Opus 4.7 with confidence. Opus 4.7 handles complex, long-running tasks with rigor and consistency, pays precise attention to instructions, and devises ways to verify its own outputs before reporting back," reads an Anthropic blog post.

Claude Opus 4.7: Benchmark performance

Anthropic released a detailed model card outlining how Claude Opus 4.7 compares to other Anthropic models and frontier models from OpenAI, Google, and xAI.

Opus 4.7 lags behind the unreleased Claude Mythos, which Anthropic reports scores significantly higher on common benchmarks such as Humanity's Last Exam. "Claude Opus 4.7 is less capable than Claude Mythos Preview on every relevant axis we measured and does not advance our capability frontier," the model card states." That means Claude Opus 4.7 is not evidence that AI development has accelerated beyond existing trend lines.

On Humanity's Last Exam (without tools), Anthropic reports that Claude Opus 4.7 outperforms all other frontier models except Claude Mythos.

• Claude Mythos scored 56.8 percent on HLE

• Claude Opus 4.7 scored 46.9 percent

• Gemini 3.1 Pro scored 44.4 percent

• GPT-5-4 Pro scored 42.7 percent

• Claude Opus 4.6 scored 40.0 percent

With tools, GPT-5-4-Pro scored 58.7 percent compared to Opus 4.7’s 54.7 percent. Mythos beat them both with 64.7 percent.

Mashable has not independently verified these benchmark results. Full results are available in the Opus 4.7 model card.

Credit: Anthropic

Overall, Anthropic scored Opus 4.7 above other leading models in some benchmarks, though Gemini 3.1 Pro and GPT-5-4 score higher in some areas.

Claude Opus 4.7: Safety and hallucinations

Anthropic also reports that Opus 4.7 shows a low risk of misaligned behaviors, with a similar risk profile as Opus 4.6.

For example, Anthropic says Opus 4.7 is less likely to hallucinate and shows lower rates of reward hacking.

"Claude Opus 4.7 is more reliably honest than Opus 4.6 or Sonnet 4.6, with large reductions in the rate of important omissions, and moderate improvements in factuality and rates of hallucinated input," the model card states.

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TikTok is in mourning over Gus Everett.

After news broke that Patrick Schwarzenegger had been cast opposite Phoebe Dynevor in the film adaptation of Emily Henry's Beach Read, readers immediately flooded TikTok with reactions ranging from confusion to outright despair. "#NotMyGus" became a common refrain on the app. Others seemed certain that the adaptation had already been ruined before filming even started.

Their main argument? The vibes are off. Sure, Schwarzenegger doesn't look like the literary sad boy Henry described in the book. But he also doesn't have the aura.

In Henry's novel, he is a literary novelist with dark hair, olive skin, and a slightly rumpled, brooding energy. He is handsome, but not in an obvious leading-man way. He feels worn down by life. His appeal comes from the tension between how emotionally closed-off he seems and how soft he actually is underneath it all.

Schwarzenegger, at least publicly, projects almost the exact opposite energy: polished, glossy, conventionally handsome, and impossible to separate from his nepo-baby image. Fans are not reacting because they think he is a bad actor. They are reacting because he does not really resemble the version of Gus that exists in the book.

That disconnect is especially striking because Gus is one of the defining romance heroes of the modern BookTok era. Readers have spent years fancasting actors like Paul Mescal, Logan Lerman, Joe Keery, and Dev Patel for the role, largely because they embody the melancholy energy people associate with Gus. Schwarzenegger, even after his acclaimed turn on The White Lotus, still feels more country club than tortured novelist.

Director Yulin Kuang has already defended the choice, saying she spent six months looking for Gus and ultimately prioritized chemistry with Dynevor over physical resemblance to the book version of the character. Kuang described Schwarzenegger as a "slow burn" choice and said there was "something electric" between the actors during chemistry reads.

That may be enough to win readers over when the film premieres. After all, styling can do a lot: darker hair, rumpled sweaters, bad posture, a little stubble.

But for now, the internet response says something bigger about how attached readers have become to the men they imagine while reading romance novels. By the time an adaptation is announced, fans are not just comparing the actor to the book; they're comparing him to the version of the character they have been carrying around in their heads for years.

In this modern era where seemingly every tech company is defined by its relationship with AI (or lack thereof), Allbirds has made perhaps the most 180-degree corporate pivot we've ever seen.

In case you're unfamiliar, Allbirds was a direct-to-consumer company that made wool sneakers popular among Silicon Valley types in the 2010s. Take note of the past tense, because the company announced in a statement this week that it is completely abandoning the shoe business to instead become an AI firm.

An unspecified investor has agreed to pony up $50 million to fund the brand's pivot to AI compute infrastructure; the money will go towards data center tech instead of shoe production.

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Allbirds has also changed its name to NewBird AI. In a company statement, it proclaimed that it would help facilitate access to AI hardware for clients.

"The rise of AI development and adoption has created unprecedented structural demand for specialized, high-performance compute that the market is struggling to meet...The result is a market where enterprises, AI developers, and research organizations are unable to secure the compute resources they need to build, train and run AI at scale.

NewBird AI is being built to help close that gap. The Company will initially seek to acquire high-performance, low-latency AI compute hardware and provide access under long-term lease arrangements, meeting customer demand that spot markets and hyperscalers are unable to reliably service."

It wasn't that long ago that Allbirds was riding high, and after a 2021 IPO, the company reached a peak valuation of over $4 billion. Amid the tech startup boom of the last 15-ish years, Allbirds Merino wool sneakers were commonplace in Bay Area tech offices. However, it's been a rough five years for the brand, and after failing to find a wider market, it was sold for pennies on the dollar to a brand management firm in March, according to the New York Times.

For what it's worth, NewBird AI stock rose 600 percent after the announcement, per the Times.

Still, it's highly unusual to see a clothing company completely drop the clothing part of its business in favor of buying up GPUs to lease to clients. Many companies, big and small, have pivoted towards AI in one way or another in recent years, with varying degrees of success.

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SAVE $25: The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select is on sale for $14.99 with code SAVE4K, down from the list price of $39.99. That's a 63% discount.

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Credit: Amazon

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select

$14.99 at Amazon
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Amazon makes some of the best smart home devices, like the collection of Echo speakers, Echo earbuds, and the fancy new Amazon Ember TVs. But one of the retailer's best offerings is the Fire TV Stick. These are fantastic if your TV is older and takes forever to load apps, or if you'll be traveling. If you're in need of a new streaming stick, check out this epic deal.

As of April 16, the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select is on sale for $14.99 with code SAVE4K, marked down from the normal price of $39.99. That's a 63% discount, taking $25 off.

Streaming with 4K HDR and connecting to high-speed WiFi, the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select is a great way to improve a TV that struggles to load apps quickly. You'll whiz to the Fire TV homepage with all your apps neatly organized in one location.

Another benefit of using a Fire TV Stick is access to Alexa. The virtual assistant will be able to take you back to your favorite episode, pick up your YouTube video where you left off, or recommend shows that match your preferences.

The Fire TV Stick is simple to both install and use. Plug the stick into an HDMI port on your TV, attach the power cable, and plug it into the wall. Once you pair it with your TV and your home's internet, you'll be on your way to expedited streaming.

If you travel often, packing along a Fire TV stick means you won't have to log into your streaming accounts on a random hotel TV or at the Airbnb. Just use your Fire TV Stick, and everything will load in once connected to WiFi. Just set a reminder to unplug and pack the stick before you check out.

Don't forget to use the code SAVE4K during checkout to snag the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select for just $14.99. Since this code tends to disappear quickly, hop on this one today.