TL;DR: A lifetime license for Microsoft Windows 11 Pro is on sale for $9.97 (reg. $199).
If you’re still running Windows 10, here’s the deal – Microsoft pulled the plug on support back in October of 2025, meaning no more security updates. If you’ve been putting off the upgrade, you can switch to Windows 11 Pro right now while it’s on sale for just $9.97 (was $199).
Windows 11 Pro brings a noticeably cleaner interface along with improved multitasking tools like snap layouts and virtual desktops, both of which are great tools if you regularly juggle multiple windows or work on several projects at once.
On the security side, you’re getting biometric login, Smart App Control, and BitLocker encryption, which is a huge step up from an OS that isn’t getting security updates at all. These enhanced security tools add an extra layer of security when you’re logging into your computer, block untrusted or dangerous apps, and lock down your information if anyone gets their hands on your device. They’re a must for anyone handling sensitive files or working remotely.
Think about what’s actually changed since Windows 10 launched over a decade ago. The way we work, the security threats we’re up against, and the tools we rely on daily have all evolved. Windows 11 Pro is built with consideration for these changes. Whether you’re working from home, managing files, or just tired of your OS feeling dated, this upgrade brings day-to-day improvements that people truly notice. At $9.97 for a lifetime license, it’s an easy call if you’re still on Windows 10.
Protect your PC and upgrade to Windows 11 Pro for $9.97.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Last day to get lifetime ChatGPT, Gemini, and more for $751min.AI is a lifetime AI tool that combines top AI models into one platform for a single $75 platform (MSRP $540).
TL;DR: Get lifetime access to ChatGPT, Gemini, and more with 1min.AI, today only for $74.97 (reg. $540).
If you’re juggling multiple AI subscriptions just to cover all your bases, there’s a smarter way to do it. 1min.AI pulls ChatGPT, Gemini, Mistral, and dozens of other top AI tools into one browser-based platform — and right now, a lifetime subscription is just $74.97 (reg. $540).
So what can you do about it? A lot, honestly. 1min.AI is built for the kind of work that usually requires four or five different tabs open at once. Draft blog posts, rewrite and tighten copy, generate social content, research keywords, and keep your brand voice consistent across every project. Need to crunch documents? You can summarize, translate, or chat directly with multiple PDFs at the same time. There are also tools to build slide decks, generate images from text prompts, upscale low-res photos, remove backgrounds, extend edges, and turn rough sketches into polished visuals.
Here’s just a few of the AI models:
GPT
Claude 3 Opus and Claude 3 Sonnet
Gemini Pro 1.5
Llama 3
Mistral models
The plan comes loaded with 4,000,000 credits per month, and you can earn up to 450,000 additional credits through daily logins and small tasks. Credits work across writing, images, audio, and video — so you can shift your usage as the month demands. Unused credits roll over, so a slower month doesn’t mean wasted money.
The plan also supports up to 20 team members, with shared workspaces, an unlimited prompt library, unlimited storage, and unlimited brand voices. It’s a serious toolkit whether you’re a solo creator or managing a small team.
Lifetime access to 1min.AI’s Advanced Business Plan is $74.97 right now, but this offer expires May 10 at 11:59 p.m. PT. After that, it’s gone.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
The fierce battle over AI in schoolsMashable surveyed Big Tech leaders, EdTech innovators, parents, advocates, and legislators about their stance on classroom AI.
New York City, with the largest public school district in the country, was breaking ground on a novel, AI-themed high school when district leadership abruptly pulled the plug last month. They cited mounting parental concern and nationwide backlash to what has been labeled rapid, unsafe adoption of AI.
Because there has been a rapid adoption of AI among students across the country. Used properly, the tech could transform learning, many argue, and fill gaps in an overburdened education system. But others worry it'll be a generational misstep that could worsen learning development.
Mashable spoke with a dozen stakeholders — parents, child safety advocates, AI literacy experts, tech leaders, and a state representative proposing stronger EdTech regulation — to lay out what is at stake when you add AI to the equation.
Dylan Arena, chief data science and AI officer for education solutions giant McGraw Hill, told Mashable that the history of EdTech is cyclical. First there was the introduction of the internet and computers wholesale. Then, there was the push for 1:1 devices (personal laptops, Chromebooks, tablets). Now, it's AI.
He described similar hype cycles around personalized or "adaptive" learning (you'll hear this term surrounding AI, as well). Arena sees AI adoption as less an evolution and more a "pendulum swing or a wobbly spiral." AI, for what it's worth, is much older than our current LLM obsession will lead you to believe, and it's already been in classrooms. McGraw Hill's web-based AI assessment tool, ALEKS, was designed 25 years ago.
"Early on, the conversation was about access: devices, connectivity, and digital materials. Now the conversation has to be about impact," said Melissa Loble, chief academic officer at EdTech giant Instructure. Instructure, which offers popular learning management system Canvas, announced partnerships with OpenAI and Anthropic in 2025. "The benefits are real when technology is used with a clear purpose. We are not trying to add AI simply because it is new."
AI developers and tech proponents advocate for gated, human-administered AI experiences in the classroom, as well as administrative applications for teachers and staff, that will reduce workloads, enhance learning, and ease the friction of modern classrooms. They argue that future workforces will be defined by their ability to detect and leverage AI. Whether or not a student or educator intends to use it, they should at least know how AI operates.
"On one hand, the demand for generative AI in schools has grown at an extraordinary pace. On the other, that pace has understandably raised important questions about safety and the long-term impact on learning," said Naria Santa Lucia, general manager of the Microsoft Elevate initiative. "Ideally, every school adopts AI with a clear plan that includes guidelines co-developed with educators, strong privacy protections, and dedicated time for teacher training to ensure students and teachers are best prepared for the future AI economy."
"Our priority in education is to ensure AI works to the benefit of learning and students," Leah Belsky, vice president of education at OpenAI, told Mashable. "To do so, we partner with teachers, institutions, and students to advance our tool and research outcomes. We launched ChatGPT for teachers to help teachers build deep fluency with AI so that they can play a key role in guiding students in how to use AI well."
Many agree that the tech's adoption shouldn't be rushed, and that popular generative AI tools don't yet have their place in K-12. OpenAI and Anthropic, for example, only offer their classroom products for higher education.
"Our learning tools on Chromebooks are built with educators, giving them the control to decide what’s best for their students," said Google spokesperson Maggie Shiels.
The company reiterated that Gemini for Education, NotebookLM, and other Google AI products are compliant with child privacy laws, a leading concern in the debate. Students' chats aren't used for AI training and Gemini in Workspace isn't available to students under 18.
Most EdTech leaders Mashable spoke to share concerns about an overabundance of screen time among youth. Several acknowledged a concerning lack of long-term research on AI's impact on cognition and learning outcomes.
"The answer is not hype, and it is not fear," said Loble. "It is evidence, governance, and learning."
AI is the fastest growing consumer technology. It cannot be contained.
Those tools could be a genuine solution to public education's dilemmas, proponents say. "There is a real difference between purpose-built systems, systems built for educational outcomes, and general purpose AI," Ashish Bansal, founder of AI math tutor StarSpark.AI told Mashable.
Bansal says that generative AI tools can address inequities between students with access to support at home and those without. Multimodal technologies, like live translation, can make school easier for second language learners. He argues for classrooms built on collaboration, social interaction, and group problem solving, with generative AI offering support for individual learning.
Several EdTech makers Mashable interviewed are of the camp that smaller AI solutions can address societal issues posed by Big Tech's universal models, but they require time and investment. Moratoriums or bans would render that near impossible.
AI moratoriums could also pose risks themselves, Santa Lucia and others warn.
"I understand the instinct, everyone wants to be sure we get this right, and we share that caution. But we believe the real opportunity is not to stop progress, but to shape it," she said. "The more constructive path in my view is to meet that moment with intentional design."
"In our judgement, there shouldn't be any AI-facing instruction for children in elementary schools," said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).
Vocally opposed to teacher replacement, AFT's stance is that educators should have the opportunity to learn about and deploy generative AI should they see fit, empowering them to make the choice instead of Big Tech. AFT partnered with Microsoft, OpenAI, and Anthropic last year to launch the country's first National Academy for AI Instruction serving its 1.8 million members.
"AI is probably the most pronounced industrial revolution, certainly in my lifetime, but maybe in civilization," said Weingartern. "Every societal change shows up in teachers' classrooms."
AI education is not a green light for adoption, or even advocacy, argues Amanda Bickerstaff, CEO of AI for Education, an AI literacy organization that partners with educational institutions and advises districts on ethical AI deployment.
"We are living in an inflection point. When people think about generative AI, they often think of it like an app or device that can be turned off. But generative AI is more similar to the internet and electricity in that it's the power underneath the applications," she said. "[AI] is the fastest growing consumer technology. It cannot be contained."
On April 16, a group of 250 organizations and experts convened by child safety nonprofit Fairplay penned a letter to schools across the U.S. and Canada calling for a five-year moratorium on classroom AI. It wasn’t the first.
A few months prior, a group of concerned parents, teachers, and climate activists in New York City issued their own call for a two-year moratorium. The group was formed in the wake of an August Daily News op-ed written by NYC parent and public school teacher Liat Olenick.
“It's really insidious,” Olenick said of Big Tech's presence in schools. "Our kids are not the client, they're the product." In Olenick's experience, both parents and educators are being thrown into the world of AI with little transparency or communication from districts. In addition to fears about AI's impact on the environment, she says the deployment of AI learning chatbots like Amira and Magic School AI in NYC elementary schools tipped her to do something. Investing in the future of our children and planet, Olenick argues, does not mean investing in AI.
A moratorium, however, is a common sense option to get districts to slow down, proponents say.
Those pushing AI moratoriums argue that schools are jumping into a technology without fully knowing its ramifications. They cite the potential misuse of student data, as well as institutional security risks. Cyberattacks on K-12 schools have greatly increased in recent years, including a recent Instructure breach.
But the biggest concern of people like Olenick is the effect of AI on young learners' brains. Recent, limited scale studies on chatbots have indicated overuse leads to poorer critical thinking and other developmental effects.
Every pro-moratorium source Mashable spoke to expressed worry that more technology will worsen screen addictions, increase cognitive fatigue, and devalue the importance of human teaching and social interactions. Josh Golin, executive director of Fairplay, told Mashable that AI is supercharging existing problems across all of EdTech.
They're going after our tax money, our district money, that is extremely precious and in short supply.
Many sources called it a "Wild West" situation, and feared children were being used as guinea pigs in a nationwide AI experiment. They believe the argument that AI is ubiquitous, and that it will remain that way, is built on a faulty premise — that generative AI is good, effective, and in demand. The most concerned see a push for more AI as a thinly veiled attempt to solve understaffing with AI, not more funding.
Legislators, like Vermont House Representative Angela Arsenault, suggest pauses give time for regulation to catch up. "We fell so far behind with social media, and now we have fallen almost as far behind with EdTech in general. We are very quickly losing any opportunity we have to try to keep pace with AI." Arsenault and a growing number of bipartisan lawmakers have introduced a number of bills aimed at governing EdTech.
"It's time for everyone to pause and ask what kind of society we want to see," said Anya Meksin, Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) parent and deputy director of Schools Beyond Screens, one of the signatories of Fairplay's moratorium letter and co-authors of LAUSD's screen time limits resolution. In the last year, Schools Beyond Screens has grown to 2,000 members and 100 national chapters, advocating for reduced screen time in schools and a return to pencil and paper learning.
The urgency to adopt AI is manufactured, it's opponents argue. With mounting pressure from investors, companies must present a world where tech adoption is a need, not a want, one in which their billion-dollar evaluations are justified. School districts are just falling in line, having been "wined and dined" to spend tens of billions of dollars on tech over the last 20 years, said Golin.
"They're not nonprofits," said Meksin. "These are for profit companies going after public dollars. They're going after our tax money, our district money, that is extremely precious and in short supply."
In this framing, turning to smaller EduTech companies isn't a solution, either. Many still build on top of Big Tech's core models, they note, including OpenAI's GPTs. Most still want some form of tech in classrooms.
"The notion that an AI is going to be able to differentiate instruction and personalize a lesson better than I can is Orwellian," said Joe Clement, a Virginia public school teacher and co-author of Screen Schooled, a 2017 book detailing the overuse of technology in U.S. classrooms. Clement describes an "enmeshment" of student technology and AI, making it challenging to avoid in education. He argues it's overburdening children and making it harder to build engaged, critical learners.
While some believe AI is an equity gap filler, others believe it will exacerbate existing problems rampant across under-resourced schools. Many, like Clement, pointed to well-funded private schools pivoting away from 1:1 devices and technology in favor of hands-on human tutoring, leaving AI to the underfunded.
The lack of a unified voice, and little federal intervention, is further fragmenting the debate, sources explained. "The Federal Department of Education has really abdicated its responsibility of being a clearing house on best practices," said Weingarten. "In fact, they are doing the opposite. They're doing the bidding of Big Tech, as opposed to listening to the people."
The Department of Education issued AI guidelines in 2025, but, to Weingarten's point, have ceded AI's ethical implementation to schools themselves. AI policies across the country are still being penned or are nonexistent. Rapid initial adoption has made it even more difficult to retroactively scale it back and reset.
Confusion reigns and parents, teachers, districts, even students themselves, are trying to regain some semblance of control.
As Bickerstaff, the AI for Education CEO, puts it: "This is one of the noisiest things that's ever happened in education."
Review: Bowers & Wilkins PX8 S2 are the best headphones you (probably) cant affordThe Bowers & Wilkins PX8 S2 are the best headphones money can buy in 2026 — if they're in your budget.
After spending a few months with them, I think the Bowers & Wilkins PX8 S2 wireless headphones are the best headphones money can buy in 2026. That is — if you can afford them, which you probably can't.
That's not a knock on your earning capacity, but I'm making an educated guess that the average person can't afford to drop $799 on a pair of headphones, no matter how good they are.
And they're really good.
I have to admit — my favorite thing about the PX8 S2 may just be the design. I'm a sucker for headphones with metal and leather components, and I've often criticized Sony for its all-plastic approach to headphone design.
Like other B&W products, these headphones use a combination of die-cast aluminum and Nappa leather, which his known for its subtle grain and ultra-soft feel. Most headphones feature "vegan leather," which is just a tricky way of saying synthetic leather, which is usually a petroleum and plastic-based product. (Side note: Rebranding a plastic product as vegan is one of the crueler marketing tricks in the consumer world.)
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I love the design of the PX8 S2. The aluminum frame slides smoothly in and out of the leather-covered headband, and an exposed braided cable connects the earcups to the body. The metal touch controls are finely etched, and even the Bowers & Wilkins engraved on the earcups appears almost pixelated upon close examination. Every little detail is elegant and finely considered.
These headphones look similar to some other Bowers & Wilkins products like the Px7 S3 headphones, but with some nice upgrades. I will say, the headphones don't look quite as good on you as they do on their own, and I have to give it up to the Apple AirPods Max 2 for overall cool factor.
But as I said when these headphones first came out, I still think they're the best-designed headphones for sale right now.
For its newest flagship headphones, Bowers & Wilkins engineered a reference-quality pair of headphones, and while I'm not an audio engineer, I think they succeeded. These headphones produce a rich, balanced sound that sounds vivid and clear across the audio spectrum.
I don't hear any sacrifices in bass, mids, or treble when listening to Radiohead's Kid A, one of my go-to albums for testing headphone quality. The chaotic instrumentals of "National Anthem" have never sounded clearer to me, and that holds true whether I'm listening to Radiohead, Florence + The Machine, or Vivaldi.
To produce such deep sound, B&W uses custom-designed 40mm Carbon Cone drivers, which the brand promises deliver "our best sound quality ever."
Now, let's get technical. Unlike the new Apple AirPods Max 2, these headphones support high-resolution lossless audio over Bluetooth, not just via a USB-C connection. The headphones support aptX Lossless, AAC, and SBC codecs. They deliver 24-bit digital signal processing for the highest resolution audio.
If you consider yourself an audiophile, these luxury headphones won't disappoint you.
These headphones offer decent passive noise cancellation and high-quality active noise cancellation. On a commute, on a plane, or in a crowded office, they deliver more than enough noise cancellation for my needs.
That being said, if you're looking for the best possible ANC, then the Sony WH-1000XM6 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra (Gen 2) headphones still offer superior noise cancellation. At launch, these headphones were also missing the kind of spatial audio you'll find on most flagship headphones. This has since been made available in an over-the-air update (look for the "True Immersion" setting in the app), but, once again, it's not quite on the level of Apple, Sony, or Bose.
Likewise, while Sony and Apple both support Dolby Atmos, B&W doesn't. However, that's not necessarily a bad thing. As a Bowers & Wilkins representative told me, most music isn't produced for spatial audio. So, if you're chasing true high-fidelity, reference-quality sound, immersive audio features can actually compromise the audio.
The PX8 S2 offers 30 hours of battery life with ANC engaged, which is exactly on par with the Sony XM6 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2. (Apple AirPods Max 2 have only 20 hours, in comparison.) You can also get seven hours of playback with a 15-minute quick charge. So, pretty much in line with what you'd expect.
That said, there are some outliers. The Dyson OnTrac headphones offered 55 hours of ANC listening all the way back in 2024. More recently, the Soundcore Space 2 and Sennheiser Momentum 4 also offer 50+ hours.
Lastly, I've been happy with the call quality (and the noise cancellation on call quality) with the PX8 S2. They have eight microphones total, which is four fewer than the Sony XM6, but I haven't had any problems here.
Mashable puts a big premium on comfortable headphones that can be worn for many hours without interruption. In recent years, the Bose QuietComfort line has been completely unmatched in this regard, and that remains true.
Because of the metal components, these headphones are heavier than some competitors. Notably, at 310 grams, the PX8 S2 do weigh less than Apple AirPods Max 2 headphones, which weigh 386.2 grams. However, the latest flagship QuietComfort Ultra headphones are lighter at 264 grams.
If you're wearing headphones all day at work, you will notice the difference. That said, I haven't found these headphones to be uncomfortable, even when wearing my glasses. You'll have to decide if comfort or premium design is more important to you. Ultimately, you may prefer the lightweight feel of the Sony XM6 (254 grams).
This question is really hard to answer unless I know how much you would miss that $799 in your bank account. For people who'd barely notice, these headphones are absolutely worth it, IMO. I've been using them for six months, and I've been unable to switch back to my Sony XM6.
I also think these headphones are durable and fairly futureproofed, so they shouldn't need replacement anytime soon. I'm all for spending more for a longer-lasting, higher-quality product.
And yet... $799 is a big ask, and these headphones would probably be wasted on the average Spotify listener. But for audiophiles and people in the premium market, I don't think you'll be disappointed.
One last note: If you're waiting on these headphones to go on sale, don't hold your breath. Virtually all gadgets are getting more expensive in 2026, and these headphones almost never go on sale. When they do, they typically get a measly $10 discount. So, womp, womp.
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.
Design.
DECOR
Vertebrae.
SPINE
Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today
Goal.
GRAIL
Not the most.
LEAST
"Copy".
DITTO
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Moon phase today: What the Moon will look like on May 10See the Moon phase expected for May 10, 2026 as well as when the next Full Moon is expected.
The Moon is now in its Waning Crescent phase, which means we're getting closer to the New Moon and a start of a new lunar cycle. Over the coming nights, visibility will reduce significantly. But for now, there's still some features to be seen, so keep reading to find out what you can see on the Moon tonight.
As of Sunday, May 10, the Moon phase is Waning Crescent. Tonight, 46% of the moon will be be lit up, according to NASA's Daily Moon Guide.
Without any visual aids, tonight you can see the Kepler Crater and the Aristarchus Plateau. If you have binoculars, pull them out to catch a glimpse of the Gassendi Crater, Clavius Crater, and Mare Humorum. Finally, if you have access to a telescope, enjoy gazing at the Apollo 14 landing spot and the Schiller Crater.
There are two Full Moons in May, with the next due to take place on May 31.
According to NASA, the Moon takes around 29.5 days to complete a full orbit around Earth, passing through eight different phases along the way. Even though we always see the same side of the Moon, the way sunlight falls on it changes as it moves, which is what creates the familiar full, half, and crescent shapes. In total, there are eight main phases in the lunar cycle:
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.
NYT Pips hints, answers for May 10, 2026The New York Times' latest game, Pips, brings domino fun to your desktop. How to play Pips as well as hints in case you get stuck.
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.
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.
Less Than (1): Everything in this space must be less than 1. The answer is 0-6, placed vertically.
Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 4-0, placed horizontally; 4-3, placed vertically.
Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 0-6, placed vertically; 6-2, placed vertically.
Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 4-3, placed vertically; 3-5, placed horizontally.
Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically; 2-1, placed horizontally.
Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 2-1, placed horizontally.
Greater Than (0): Everything in this space must be greater than 0. The answer is 1-6, placed horizontally.
Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 6-6, placed horizontally; 1-6, placed horizontally; 6-5, placed horizontally.
Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 6-5, placed horizontally.
Greater Than (1): Everything in this space must be greater than 1. The answer is 6-3, placed horizontally.
Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-6, placed horizontally.
Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 0-6, placed horizontally; 6-3, placed horizontally; 2-6, placed horizontally; 6-4, placed horizontally.
Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 6-4, placed horizontally; 4-4, placed horizontally.
Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 5-6, placed vertically.
Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 5-6, placed vertically; 4-4, placed vertically.
Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 4-1, placed vertically.
Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 0-4, placed vertically.
Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 0-4, placed vertically.
Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 1-1, placed vertically.
Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 4-4, placed vertically.
Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 1-5, placed vertically.
Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 1-5, placed vertically; 4-1, placed vertically; 1-2, placed vertically.
Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 1-1, placed vertically; 1-3, placed vertically.
Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 1-3, placed vertically.
Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 1-2, placed vertically; 2-2, placed vertically.
Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 0-1, placed horizontally.
Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 3-3, placed vertically.
Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 4-5, placed horizontally.
Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 0-1, placed horizontally; 0-0, placed vertically.
Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 2-4, placed vertically.
Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 2-4, placed vertically.
Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 6-6, placed vertically.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 10, 2026Connections: Sports Edition is a New York Times word game about finding common sports threads between words. How to solve the day's puzzle.
Today's Connections: Sports Edition will require some sports and pop culture knowledge.
As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.
Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. 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.
Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: Stats
Green: Speedy
Blue: GOAT runners
Purple: Sounds like an NHL team
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Baseball Stats
Green: Moves Fast
Blue: Hall of Fame Running Backs
Purple: NHL Teams, Minus the First Letter
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 #594 is...
Baseball Stats: ERRORS, HITS, RUNS, WALKS
Moves Fast: BOLTS, RACES, SCOOTS, SPRINTS
Hall of Fame Running Backs: JAMES, RIGGINS, SANDERS, SAYERS
NHL Teams, Minus the First Letter: ANGERS, RUINS, SLANDERS, TARS
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.
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 10, 2026Connections is a New York Times word game that's all about finding the "common threads between words." How to solve the puzzle.
The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you believe in fate.
Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: Found on Spotify
Green: Meant to be
Blue: Cocktail terms
Purple: Time of renewal
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Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Music player buttons
Green: Destined
Blue: Verbs in making a mojito
Purple: What "Spring" might refer to
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 #1064 is...
Music player buttons: PLAY, REPEAT, SHUFFLE, SKIP
Destined: BOUND, CERTAIN, FATED, SURE
Verbs in making a mojito: GARNISH, MUDDLE, POUR, STIR
What "Spring" might refer to: COIL, FOUNTAIN, LEAP, SEASON
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.
NYT Strands hints, answers for May 10, 2026The NYT Strands hints and answers you need to make the most of your puzzling experience.
Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you have good eyes.
Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.
By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.
If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.
The words are related to clarity.
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These words describe lucidity.
Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.
Today's spangram is Clear Cut.
Overt
Obvious
Blatant
Clear Cut
Flagrant
Brazen
Glaring
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.
Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 10, 2026Here's the answer for "Wordle" #1786 on May 10 as well as a few hints, tips, and clues to help you solve it yourself.
Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you love coziness.
If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.
A hooded jacket.
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The letter A appears twice
Today's Wordle starts with the letter P.
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...
PARKA
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.
Prime Video is hopping on the short-form video feed bandwagonPrime Video has introduced Clips, which is basically TikTok but for Prime Video content.
Regardless of whether or not anyone wanted such a thing, Prime Video is turning into TikTok.
Amazon announced in a press release on Friday that the Prime Video mobile app has a new feed for Clips, which are short, shareable video clips taken from Prime Video content. This feature was first created with NBA games broadcast on Prime Video in mind, but this new development expands it to presumably include shows like The Boys and other Prime originals. Users can access the Clips feed by scrolling down on the home page to the Clips carousel and tapping any Clip.
From there, Clips can be shared with other users by copying and pasting a link. Users can also like Clips or use them as a gateway to access whatever show or movie is on display in said Clip. Right now, the feature is available to "select customers" in the United States on Android, iOS, and Fire Tablet devices. It'll become available to more people over the summer.
“As a first-stop entertainment destination, Prime Video offers customers a vast selection of premium content, and we want to make it as easy and seamless as possible for them to discover what's most relevant," Prime Video executive Brian Griffin said. "Clips gives customers a whole new way to browse with short, personalized snippets tailored to their interests. Whether they have a few minutes to scroll or are looking for something to watch when they have more time, entertainment is just a tap away.”
The TikTok comparison is obvious, though it should be noted that it doesn't sound like users can create their own Clips, at least at this time. In other words, this is mostly just another way for Amazon to market Prime Video content to users. React accordingly.
Resident Evil: Requiem gets a cool and free new mode, out now'Resident Evil: Requiem' is the gift that keeps on giving, as it's now gotten some surprise free DLC that sounds pretty fun.
Resident Evil: Requiem already had plenty of meat on the bone, between a decently sized campaign and plenty of post-game goodies to chew on. Now, a couple of months after launch, it's gotten some pretty fun-sounding free DLC.
Capcom released a surprise update this week that included an action-packed new mode called Leon Must Die Forever. Unlocked after you finish the main story, Leon Must Die Forever is a gauntlet of high-octane action challenges starring everyone's favorite former rookie cop, Leon S. Kennedy. Capcom's official description makes it sound pretty straightforward: kill more difficult-than-usual enemies within a time limit, fight bosses, unlock enhancements, and try not to die, despite the mode's name.
"Fight your way through areas you’ve visited previously throughout the game and defeat the final boss, all with stronger enemy variants, five increasingly difficulty ranks, and a race against the clock! Fill your enhancement gauge by defeating enemies in order to unlock Leon’s “enhancer abilities” exclusive to this game mode," Capcom's press release said.
Capcom has always had a habit of adding cool, stripped-down action-based modes to Resident Evil games that are meant to be played after finishing the story. Traditionally, they're usually called some variant of "Mercenaries," but the company went with the infinitely more fun Leon Must Die Forever for this one. If you're like me and you're still itching to roundhouse kick zombies and mutilate them with a hand axe despite having finished the story, maybe check this one out.
Amazon reveals the cause of the May 2026 AWS outageA "thermal event" caused a loss of power at a data center in Virginia, leading to an AWS outage.
Late in the week, an Amazon Web Services outage affected a range of websites. In the wake of that outage, which lasted from Thursday into Friday, Amazon has revealed what happened.
In an update on the official AWS status website, Amazon revealed that the outage was caused by a "thermal event resulting in a loss of power" at a single data center in northern Virginia. In other words, some tech overheated. This prompted Amazon to shift traffic away from that data center's "Availability Zone" during the late afternoon on Thursday. By early afternoon on Friday, Amazon had managed to restore its cooling systems, which kick-started the process of getting everything back online.
"Our main effort during the event mitigation strategy was to bring back our cooling systems capacity. By May 8 1:50 PM, we were able to stabilize cooling system capacity to pre-event levels, which helped us to restore the majority of the impaired EC2 instances and EBS volumes," Amazon said. "A small number of instances and EBS volumes remain impaired, and we continue to work to recover all affected remaining resources."
The outage affected some popular apps, like FanDuel and Coinbase. Users were unable to bet or trade as they normally would on those apps for a while, likely leading to some consternation on Thursday and Friday. However, the issue seems to be mostly resolved at this point, so you can probably get your NBA playoff prop bets in now, if you so desire.
Comparing the best art TVs: How to decide between The Frame and its growing list of competitorsSamsung has the OG art TV, but it's not automatically the best option anymore. Let's compare key factors like specs, frame colors, and art galleries.
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Any old smart TV can play a 10-hour-long YouTube slideshow of famous paintings. True art TVs have a few unique characteristics that separate them from the average flatscreen:
A flush mount: Art TVs come with a special mount that allows them to hang flat against the wall, just like a framed photo or print. From the side, you won't see any metal arms holding the TV up.
A matte display: The original versions of the world's famous paintings aren't displayed behind traditional shiny glass — if they were, you'd be able to see your own reflection better than the artwork. The Frame brought elite glare-free displays to the TV category to better replicate the authentic museum experience. The best art TVs use anti-glare coating so you can enjoy TV, games, and artwork even in bright sunlight.
Interchangeable bezels: The decorative picture frame-esque border is the other half of the "not a TV" illusion. Different art TVs use different frame colors, but all have the option to swap the traditional black outline for a white or wood-like finish.
So while the Hisense Déco TV that I tested and loved has a pretty curved white frame, it doesn't meet any of the above criteria — it's more of an artsy TV than an art TV by the books, though you may still want to consider it as an alternative to The Frame. If you're looking for a small bedroom TV that won't clash with your decor, I highly recommend the QLED Déco TV. We'll call it an honorable mention for this list.
Competition between the best frame TVs is about to stiffen up in the second half of 2026. Preorders opened for the pricey OLED LG W6 Wallpaper TV and the full-array mini-LED LG Gallery TV with Frame at the end of April, so release dates should be coming any time now. TCL has also confirmed that a pro version of the NXTVISION TV is on the way. I'll update this guide accordingly as each model becomes available for purchase.
5 times NASA astronauts pop up in Trumps newly released UFO filesThe Pentagon's recent UFO files release includes several cases of NASA astronauts describing strange sightings in space.
On Gemini 7's second lap around Earth, as the spacecraft glided over the Caribbean Sea, astronaut Frank Borman glanced outside and radioed a deadpan report: "We have a bogey at 10 o'clock high."
That moment in 1965 passed, folded into NASA's growing pile of strange-yet-seemingly-innocuous space oddities. But President Donald Trump's new UFO files suggest it never really left the government's imagination.
The release, published May 8 through a new government archive for unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAPs, pulls together records from NASA, the FBI, and several intelligence agencies. UAP is Washington's new catch-all for UFOs and other odd events that officials can't immediately explain. The administration says more files will arrive in rolling batches on a new website over the coming weeks. Its white-on-black typeset and grainy military photos add a nostalgic X-Files flair.
Astronauts have always carried unusual weight in UFO lore. They are trained observers, steeped in checklists and telemetry, but also symbols of humanity's push into the unknown. So when astronauts reported strange lights, drifting objects, or puzzling events in orbit, those accounts tended to stick — even when later investigations pointed to equipment glitches, space junk, or natural occurrences.
The newly released records don't prove extraterrestrial life exists, and officials repeatedly caution that many cases remain unresolved simply because investigators never collected enough data to reach a firm conclusion.
"I applaud President Trump's whole-of-government effort to bring greater transparency to the American people on unidentified anomalous phenomena," NASA administrator Jared Isaacman said in a statement. "We will remain candid about what we know to be true, what we have yet to understand, and all that remains to be discovered. Exploration and the pursuit of knowledge are core to NASA's mission as we endeavor to unlock the secrets of the universe."
NASA astronauts repeatedly reported strange sights during missions to the moon and aboard the United States' first space station, according to newly highlighted material in the files. The records include astronaut transcripts, crew debriefings, an audio recording, and annotated photographs, spanning missions from Gemini 7 in 1965 through Skylab in the 1970s.
During the Gemini 7 mission in 1965, astronaut Frank Borman radioed mission control to report what he called a "bogey," a military term for an unidentified aircraft. Borman and astronaut Jim Lovell also described a cloud of particles drifting near their spacecraft. Lovell later described a bright object that he saw against the darkness of space. Handwritten notes attached to the transcript labeled the event a "UFO sighting by Borman."
Apollo 11 astronauts described several unusual observations during the first human moon landing mission in 1969.
Buzz Aldrin told debriefers the crew saw a large object while en route to the moon and examined it with a monocular. The astronauts speculated it may have been part of the Saturn V rocket. Aldrin also described repeated flashes of light inside the spacecraft cabin. He later reported seeing a bright light the crew tentatively identified as a laser during their return to Earth.
Apollo 12 astronauts reported multiple unexplained sightings during their 1969 mission.
Alan Bean described seeing particles and flashes of light "sailing off in space" while using the spacecraft's optical telescope. Commander Pete Conrad later described illuminated debris floating outside the lunar module before the light source suddenly disappeared.
The archive also includes several Apollo 12 photographs marked with highlighted "areas of interest" above the lunar horizon.
Back in 1972, Apollo 17 astronauts reported some of the most detailed observations in the archive.
Ronald Evans described bright particles tumbling near the spacecraft, while Harrison Schmitt compared the scene to "the Fourth of July." Commander Eugene Cernan later reported intense flashing lights that appeared bright enough to resemble a train headlight. Schmitt also reported seeing a flash on the lunar surface near Grimaldi crater.
Another Apollo 17 image in the archive shows three unexplained dots in a triangular formation. Government analysts have reopened the case and obtained the original film for further study, according to the file.
Astronauts aboard Skylab, America's first space station, documented unexplained sightings in 1973 and 1974.
One crew saw frequent light flashes while trying to sleep. Another tracked a bright reddish object for several minutes, eventually concluding it moved in an orbit similar to Skylab's. A later crew reported flashing lights outside the station moving independently of the spacecraft, though astronauts suspected the objects may have been debris or satellites.
The DJI Mini 5 Pro drone hits new record-low price at Amazon — save over $500 this weekendThe DJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo is on sale for $1,059 at Amazon, saving you over $500 on list price.
SAVE OVER $500: The DJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo is on sale for $1,059 at Amazon. That's over $500 off the list price of $1,599.
Due to legislative pressure on DJI imports in the U.S., there is an expectation that we're going to see stock issues at some point. We have been saying that for some time though. We're not seeing any indications of low stock just yet. In fact, we're seeing strong discounts on popular models at Amazon.
The DJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo is on sale for $1,059 at Amazon. That's over $500 off this content creator favorite and the record-low price at Amazon.
The DJI Mini 5 Pro is a content creator’s dream, pairing a high-end 1-inch sensor with the ability to shoot 4K at 120fps for cinematic, high-contrast results. It’s also an incredibly safe mini-drone, using LiDAR-powered sensing to see obstacles like thin wires or buildings even when you're flying blind. It's good to know that you're expensive investment isn't going to smash into the nearest obstacle as soon as you lose sight.
There are so many useful features with this popular drone, but perhaps the biggest quality-of-life upgrade is the 42GB of internal memory. That's enough to house your entire 4K shoot locally so you should never be sidelined by lack of storage space.
Save over $500 on the DJI Mini 5 Pro this weekend.
T-Mobile is giving away the Apple iPhone 17 for free — how to claim this live offerHow to get free Apple iPhone. Get the iPhone 17 for free from T-Mobile when you switch and bring your number on an Experience Beyond or Better Value plan.
TL;DR: Get the iPhone 17 for free with T-Mobile. To qualify, simply switch and bring your number on an Experience Beyond or Better Value plan.
There's a battle going on between leading mobile carriers to offer you the most tempting offers. We've seen really impressive deals dropped by the likes of Verizon and AT&T recently, but T-Mobile is leading the charge with a free iPhone offer that doesn't require a trade-in.
For a limited time, anyone can claim the Apple Phone 17 for free when switching to T-Mobile and bringing their number on an Experience Beyond or Better Value plan. The iPhone 17e is also available for free with just about any T-Mobile plan. What sets these offers apart from much of the competition is that neither requires a trade-in. You do need to pay taxes and a $35 device connection fee, but that's a small price to pay for a free iPhone.
The iPhone 17 is built to handle Apple’s most advanced AI features. In Mashable's review, Stan Schroeder said it's an "excellent phone that matches the iPhone Pro models in many ways that matter." According to Stan Schroeder, the camera is "almost as good as the one on the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max."
How will T-Mobile's rivals respond? Only time will tell, but right now T-Mobile is offering one of the most tempting packages for anyone interesting in making the switch.
Score the Apple iPhone 17 for free from T-Mobile this weekend.
The Echo Show 5 is on sale at Amazon — save $20 this weekendBest smart home deal at Amazon. Save 22% on the Echo Show 5 at Amazon.
SAVE $20: As of May 9, the Echo Show 5 is on sale for $69.99 at Amazon. That's a 22% discount on the list price.
Smart home hubs can make your life a whole lot easier. Nowadays, robot vacuums and mowers, voice activated speakers, and so much more are smart. And a great way to manage all these devices is with a dedicated hub, like the Echo Show 5. And this model is on sale this weekend. As of May 9, this Amazon smart home hub is down from $89.99 to $69.99.
The Echo Show 5 is a smart display with a 5.5-inch screen that is perfect for displaying information like weather reports, news, and playlists. It supports music streaming from top providers like Amazon Music, Spotify, as well as video options from Prime Video.
It even includes a built-in 2 MP camera, so you can use it for video calls or home monitoring. When not in use, you can change the display to show rotating photo slideshows, and Prime members also receive unlimited cloud photo storage.
And if sustainability is on your mind when purchasing, the fabric on this device is made from 100% post-consumer recycled polyester yarn, the aluminium uses 100% recycled aluminium, and the packaging is fully recyclable.
Find this Echo Show deal at Amazon now. It's a limited-time deal, so don't miss out.
Get more space and solid performance with this MacBook Pro for under $500Get a refurbished Apple MacBook Pro (2020) with 1TB SSD for $429.97 through May 10 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
TL;DR: This refurbished 2020 Apple MacBook Pro is price-dropped to $429.97 (reg. $1999), featuring 16GB RAM and a 1TB SSD for work, multitasking, and daily use.
If you’ve been comparing MacBooks, you know just how fast the price rises as you opt for higher storage tiers and other vital features. Right now, you can get a refurbished Apple MacBook Pro (2020) for $429.97 (reg. $1999), making it an appealing option for anyone who needs extra space without putting a huge dent in their bank account. Get it on sale for 78% off until May 10 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
This model comes with 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD — a combination that’s well-suited for multitasking, larger files, and more demanding workflows. Whether you’re working on multiple tabs, editing media, or managing larger projects, the added storage helps reduce the need for constant file management.
Regarding performance capabilities, it’s powered by a 2GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost up to 3.8GHz, which keeps everyday tasks running smoothly. The 13.3-inch Retina display with True Tone also makes a difference if you spend long hours on your screen, adjusting brightness and color to your environment.
You’ll find the familiar MacBook Pro perks: a tactile Magic Keyboard, intuitive Touch Bar controls, and Touch ID for quick, secure logins. With up to 10 hours of battery life and four Thunderbolt 3 ports, this laptop is ready for a full day’s work … no scrambling for adapters or outlets required.
As a Grade A refurbished model, this MacBook Pro is expected to arrive in near-mint condition, with minimal signs of wear — a big part of why the price is so compelling.
This practical deal delivers generous storage without the high cost, making it a standout among current MacBook offers. Get this Apple MacBook Pro (2020) today, for $429.97 through May 10 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Pay $30 once and own Microsoft Office apps for life with this dealUpgrade your PC for just $29.97 (reg. $219.99) with this Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows lifetime license.
TL;DR: Upgrade your PC for just $29.97 (reg. $219.99) with this Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows lifetime license, on sale through May 18 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
Want to get a deal on something you’ll use every single day? This lifetime license to Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows gives your PC eight new tools to improve your workflow, and right now, you can snag them all for just $29.97 until May 18.
Whether you’ve been paying for Microsoft Office apps or trying to go without them, this lifetime license lets you pay once and enjoy them forever. There’s no cloud connectivity required — just download the apps to your device and work offline as needed.
Curious what this license includes? You’ll have all the old classics, like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, which can help you create documents, build spreadsheets, design presentations, and manage emails.
You’ll also get newer favorites, too. Stay connected with friends, family, and coworkers on Teams, and manage large databases with Access. OneNote upgrades how you take notes, and Publisher rounds out the suite by helping you create professional documents.
This edition may hail from 2021, but these apps have all been redesigned. They also include a ribbon-based user interface that provides easy access to features, tools, and customizations.
Before purchasing, make sure your device is running Windows 10 or 11 to be compatible.
Score major savings this month with this Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows lifetime license for just $29.97 (reg. $219.99) now through May 18 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Score core work tools without any recurring costs thanks to this $90 Microsoft Office dealGet a lifetime license to Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business for Mac or PC for just $89.97.
TL;DR: Get a lifetime license to Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business for Mac or PC for just $89.97 (reg. $249.99) now through May 17.
There aren’t many things you can pay for once and enjoy for life, but this lifetime license to Microsoft Office 2024 Home and Business for Mac or PC is one of them. This suite of five essential apps gives you tools to tackle both personal and professional tasks, and right now you can get them all for only $89.97 until May 17.
If you’re tired of paying month after month for your go-to apps, you’ll appreciate this Microsoft Office 2024 Home and Business deal. It’s a lifetime license, so you pay once and download the apps right to your device for permanent access.
This edition works on both Macs and PCs, so no matter your device, you can take advantage of these five Microsoft staples. You’ll get access to Word for creating documents, Excel for building spreadsheets, and Outlook for managing email.
PowerPoint is included so you can create presentations, and OneNote will upgrade the way you take notes.
This edition hails from 2024, but don’t worry. These apps feature AI enhancements that provide text, formatting, and design suggestions as you go. You can also let AI summarize text, translate content, and extract key info from your documents for you.
If you’re working in Excel, let AI-powered tools analyze your data, identify trends, and improve your charts and graphics. Need to get things done in Word? There’s also a new Focus Mode available so you can concentrate on your work and get more done.
Upgrade your computer with a lifetime license to Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business for Mac or PC for just $89.97 now.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
How to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup online for freeHow to watch World Cup for free. Live stream the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free from anywhere in the world.
TL;DR: Watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
The world will stop this summer for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
16 cities across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada will welcome the best international sides from around the world as they compete for arguably the biggest prize in sport. Huge names like Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, and Lamine Yamal are likely to steal the spotlight, but new stars always shine brightly in this prestigious competition.
If you're interested in watching the 2026 FIFA World Cup from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.
The World Cup is an international football competition between senior men's national teams. The 2026 World Cup has been expanded to 48 teams, split into 12 groups of four teams. The top two teams in each group and the eight best third-placed teams progress to the knockouts rounds.
The defending champions are Argentina. They won their third title at the 2022 World Cup after defeating France in the final.
The 2026 World Cup is the 23rd edition of this famous competition. This year's tournament takes place from June 11 to July 19 in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.
A number of free streaming platforms are offering coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup:
Australia — SBS
France — M6
Ireland — RTÉ
Italy — RAI
Norway — NRK
Netherlands — NOS
Spain — RTVE
UK — BBC iPlayer and ITVX (recommended)
These streaming services are geo-restricted, but anyone can access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in another location, meaning you can live stream the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free from anywhere in the world.
Live stream the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free by following these simple steps:
Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice
Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK
Visit BBC iPlayer or ITVX (recommended)
Watch 2026 FIFA World Cup for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this tournament before recovering your investment.
If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming platforms from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.
ExpressVPN is the best choice for accessing live sport on free streaming platforms, 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 secure
Fast connection speeds
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 the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free with ExpressVPN.
AdultFriendFinder vs. Snapchat: Which is better for sexting?What's the best app for sexting? AdultFriendFinder and Snapchat offer a bevy of fun features to help you get your flirt on through texts, photos and videos.
In the 21st century, flirting is no longer just something you do at a bar or club after a few drinks to build up your confidence. In fact, more often than not, it's a text- or photo-based exchange conducted between smartphones, with fingers doing the flirting that tongues used to manage. Getting exact data on how many people are digitizing their flirtations isn't easy, but for one example, consider the DirtySnapchat subreddit: it boasts over one million members and nearly 130,000 weekly visitors.
Of course, as sexting became more popular, we gained exponentially more ways to engage in it, from naughty websites to flirty dating apps to clever in-between options, where a suggestive text message or a racy photo are all part of the fun. It's also becoming increasingly common for services to offer a hybrid feature set, so that what begins as a fun text-based conversation and escalates to photo exchanges might finish off with a live video chat.
Today we're comparing two of the most popular options for sexting: AdultFriendFinder and Snapchat. Both platforms offer a bevy of fun features to help you get your flirt on through texts, photos and videos, and both have some clever, built-in features to help you do it safely and discreetly.
The big benefit of AdultFriendFinder is that it has a built-in community of like-minded people all looking for text-based flirtation. Unlike with Snapchat, which is a much more general, multi-purpose platform, AFF users have signed up with the express intent of having some "adult" fun, and their profiles usually reflect this, with wild photos and very explicit lists of kinks, turn-ons and interests.
In addition to the individual profiles, AFF also hosts communities and groups, often based around specific kinks or a love of erotic storytelling, and these public-facing communities are easy to find and engage with.
If your sexting journey is a solo one to start off, AFF will help you find a partner in no time, whereas finding a like-minded chat partner through Snapchat alone is no easy task.
A major strength of AdultFriendFinder is that it offers a robust identity verification service called ConfirmID, and while it isn't mandatory, you can opt not to talk to anyone who hasn't undergone the process. To get verified, users have to offer both a scan of a piece of government-issued identification and agree to have their face scanned via webcam to confirm that the person doing the scan is the same person featured in the ID document.
Once you're verified, a blue checkmark will appear on your profile photo, ensuring others know you're verified. If you want to only talk to other verified users, stick to profiles that feature that bleu checkmark and you're golden.
On Snapchat, by contrast, verification is as simple as confirming that the email associated with the account really belongs to you, which might be an effective deterrent against bots but doesn't do anything against catfishing scams.
What if you're new to sexting and want to pick up some tips or learn some of the lingo before you dive in? An often-overlooked aspect of the AdultFriendFinder universe is what is known as their "sex academy," the constellation of resources, including learning materials and erotic stories, that can help you acquaint yourself with the ins and outs of sexting before you ever speak to a real partner.
This is an unbelievably useful tool because, over time, sexters evolved their own shorthand language — not to mention suggestive emoji use! — to get their points across faster and not break the sexual tension with long, delayed texting.
Snapchat is free to download and free to use, and although there is a premium subscription option (Snapchat+), it's not really necessary or even particularly beneficial when it comes to sexting. Contrast this with AdultFriendFinder, which restricts one-on-one conversations to paying members, and you can easily see why Snapchat gets the edge here.
Because it's free to use, it's also much more widely adopted than AFF, which means it's extremely common for people to exchange their Snapchat IDs, or even for singles to include their Snapchat IDs in their dating profiles.
Another huge benefit of Snapchat is that, by design, all messages sent through the service are time-restricted. Everything you write or send will eventually disappear, not only from the chat history but from Snapchat's servers.
But some caveats do need to be mentioned here:
“Disappearing” does not mean “never stored.”
Anything sent digitally can potentially persist through screenshots, screen recording, device backups, or hacked accounts.
Even if Snapchat deletes its copy, the recipient may still have one.
So from a privacy perspective, the safest assumption is: if you send a nude on any platform, there is always some possibility it could continue to exist somewhere beyond your control.
That means if you're shy, or concerned about your privacy, or just feel more comfortable being naughty when you have the peace of mind of knowing there won't be a (digital) paper trail, Snapchat is probably the most secure option out there.
That having been said, Snapchat's official Community Guidelines take a strong stand against "sharing, promoting, or distributing sexually explicit content and conduct," so while such behaviors are actively encouraged on AdultFriendFinder, they are actively discouraged on Snapchat. The truth, though, is that, in practice, private consensual exchanges between adults are extremely common on the app and are generally not proactively policed unless:
Someone reports it.
AI moderation flags it.
It appears exploitative/commercial.
It involves minors/non-consensual content.
One of the perils of sexting, especially if you're doing it with strangers or people you've only recently met, is that exchanging nude photos or videos can be risky — bad actors can save or share your photos without your consent, or even use them to blackmail you, a practice known as "sextortion."
But if you're concerned about someone secretly screenshotting or even using a screen recording tool to record your naughty sessions, Snapchat offers a robust notification software that will alert you right away if someone takes a screenshot or starts a screen recording, and it's comprehensive enough to even pick up on many third-party tools that can do these things.
It isn't perfect, so you do still need to exercise caution when you're being frisky with people you don't fully know or trust. At a minimum, you should verify that the person you're chatting with is who they claim to be, preferably over a video call, and you should never share sexually explicit content with someone you don't know and trust, especially if those images or videos can be used to identify you.
The bottom line? Both AFF and Snapchat offer fun platforms for engaging in some sexy texting, but the former is probably a more attractive option if you don't already have a sexting partner and the latter is a fantastic platform for getting more intimate with someone you already know.
How to watch the 2026 French Open online for freeHow to watch Roland-Garros for free. Live stream the 2026 French Open for free from anywhere in the world.
TL;DR: Watch the 2026 French Open for free on 9Now. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
The world of tennis is firmly focused on clay courts right now. Top players have already sharpened up in the Barcelona Open and Madrid Open, and now it's the turn of the main event: Roland-Garros.
Two-time champion Carlos Alcaraz will not defend his title, but this year's tournament is not short of star names. Expect the likes of Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Aryna Sabalenka, and Iga Świątek to be battling it out in the latter stages. It's always a special tournament, and we're expecting top-level competition from the best of the best in this edition.
If you're interested in watching the 2026 French Open from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.
The French Open, also known as Roland-Garros, is a major tennis tournament held over two weeks at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France. It's the only Grand Slam tournament held on a clay surface, and is the second of the four annual Grand Slam tournaments.
The current singles champions are Carlos Alcaraz and Coco Gauff.
The 2026 French Open is the 131th edition of the competition. This year's event takes place from May 18 to June 7.
The 2026 French Open is available to live stream for free on 9Now.
9Now is geo-restricted to Australia, 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 Australia, meaning you can stream the 2026 French Open for free from anywhere in the world.
Live stream the 2026 French Open for free by following these simple steps:
Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in Australia
Connect to 9Now
Watch the 2026 French Open for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer pretty generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Roland-Garros without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream the 2026 French Open before recovering your investment.
If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming platforms from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.
ExpressVPN is the best choice for streaming live sport on free platforms, 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 secure
Fast connection speeds
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 the 2026 French Open for free with ExpressVPN.
How to watch UFC live streams online for freeHow to watch UFC for free. Live stream the UFC for free from anywhere in the world.
TL;DR: Live stream the UFC on Paramount+. Access these live streams for free with a 30-day trial for Walmart+.
Some of the biggest names in sport became famous with the UFC. We're talking about the likes of Conor McGregor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Brock Lesnar, and Georges St-Pierre. All of these household names earned their stripes in the Octagon, and now the next wave of UFC superstars are primed and ready to take things to the next level.
And millions of fans from around the world will be watching every moment. Fortunately for this dedicated group of followers, it has never been easier to watch the biggest fight nights without spending anything.
If you want to watch the UFC for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. The UFC has over 578 fighters contracted that fight across 11 weight divisions. The organization produces events worldwide — the UFC has held over 750 events going into 2026.
The UFC is available to live stream on Paramount+. New subscribers can get Paramount+ for $8.99 per month with access to all UFC events.
Alternatively, you can sign up for a 30-day trial for Walmart+ to gain access to Paramount+ for free. Paramount+ is included as a perk of Walmart+, so with a free trial of Walmart+, you can live stream the UFC without spending anything. It's a sneaky trick, but it works.
If you're outside the U.S. for the next fight, you might need to use a VPN to unblock the UFC on Paramount+. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S., allowing you to unblock live streams of the UFC from anywhere in the world.
Live stream the UFC from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in the U.S.
Visit Paramount+
Watch the UFC from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to free live streams without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch the next fight before recovering your investment.
ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport, 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 connection speeds
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).
Watch the UFC from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
The 11 best wireless earbuds weve ever testedMashable tested the best wireless earbuds at every price point. See how Apple AirPods, Sony XM6, and Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds compare.
The best wireless earbuds range anywhere from $10 to $1,000, especially if you're going for professional-grade studio earphones. And if you care about active noise cancellation, you can easily spend $300 — that's the price of peace and quiet. You can also get hyperspecialized models like sleep earbuds, bone-conduction earbuds for working out, and open earbuds for transparency.
In 2026, our top picks for earbuds are the Sony WF-1000XM6, Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd gen), and Panasonic Technics AZ100s, which provide outstanding sound quality and ANC. But keep in mind that these models will run you $299 to $329. While we stand by the value of everything on this list, we know that spending over $300 on a pair of earbuds is a lot to stomach. That's why we've also included more budget-friendly wireless earbuds under $100 that still deliver excellent performance.
Ready to start shopping now? Here are our favorite wireless and noise-cancelling earbuds as of May 2026.
There are two types of earbuds: wireless and wired. While those descriptors are self-explanatory, let's get into the specifics of both.
Wireless earbuds connect to devices via Bluetooth for cordless usage. These earbuds range from $20 budget models to high-end models with active noise cancellation. While they don't require a wire to connect to a device, some wireless earbuds still have a wire that might go around the back of the neck to connect the buds.
While earbuds traditionally don't provide the passive noise cancellation of over-the-ear headphones, wireless models often feature ANC, which electronically blocks out background noise. With wireless headphones, you need to consider the battery life. Most models should have an eight-hour or more battery life before they need to be recharged.
Wired earbuds are the original model: two buds connected by a wire to your audio source. While they once felt high tech, they're pretty basic now. Wired earbuds with active noise cancellation are basically non-existent, and you won't find any on our list.
The biggest positive to wired headphones is that they don't need to be charged. They're a great backup option to keep in your bag in case your usual wireless headphones or earbuds run out of charge.
After extensive testing, Mashable Lead Shopping Reporter Bethany Allard rounded up the best sleep earbuds. You can read her full guide, but as of February 2026, we've added the Anker Soundcore Sleep A30 Special to this guide, which Allard says are the best sleep earbuds for most people. Also in February 2026, we added the Sony WF-1000XM6 earbuds as our top pick for the best overall earbud, and removed the previous generation, the WF-1000XM5, as the best Sony earbud.
As of August 2025, we also updated the best earbuds for working out to the Powerbeats Pro 2 and added the Shokz OpenDots One as the best open earbuds.
If you're just looking for a pair of everyday wireless earbuds, all but one of the models in this guide will check that box. (We formerly included the Marshall Mode earbuds for folks who preferred a wired option, but have since removed them from our guide as the version we tested is difficult to find in stock these days.)
If you're looking for the highest quality wireless earbuds, you can't go wrong with the Sony WF-1000XM6, Bose QuietComfort Ultra, Apple AirPods Pro 3, and Panasonic Technics EAH-AZ100 earbuds, our most recent recommendation in 2026. Both of these wireless earbuds feature elite noise-cancellation, stellar sound, long battery life, and a comfortable fit for extended wear.
Still, this guide includes several other earbuds we stand behind. Apple users may prefer the AirPods Pro, while shoppers on a budget may prefer buds from Marshall or Anker Soundcore. If you need help picking the perfect pair, read on.
Unique gift ideas for men who say they have everythingInteresting men deserve interesting gifts. Find unique gift ideas for your favorite guys.
Slippers, whiskies, and socks. Sure, these might sound like classic man gifts, but they're far from unique. The special guys in your life deserve something with a little more thought. We all know of course that it isn't that simple. Finding unique gifts for men can be a head-scratching exercise — particularly when you're catering for more eclectic, off-the-beaten-path tastes.
To find the perfect present for these types of guys — whether you're buying for your dad, brother, best friend, boyfriend , or husband — you’ll need to do some creative thinking. The trick is to get something they would haven't even thought of buying themselves. These are our picks for the most unique and interesting gift ideas for your favorite man — for Father's Day, birthday gifts, Valentine's Day, Christmas anniversaries, or just to say, "Thanks, my guy."
The best sexting apps for more discreet chats in 2026Looking for the best sexting apps of 2026? We tested dozens of apps for privacy, safety, and features.
Based on my extensive hands-on testing and expert input, I’ve picked the best sexting apps to keep your flirtiest, dirtiest chats truly private — whether you're messaging a partner, a hookup, or a verified creator.
Because sometimes the anticipation of a hookup is even hotter than the main event. In my experience, sexting is the ultimate form of digital foreplay. It’s the glue that keeps long-distance relationships from falling apart, the spark that stops long-term couples from feeling like roommates, and — for all you singles out there — the safest way to test sexual chemistry before you ever meet up in person.
If it feels like everyone is sending spicy texts these days, you're not wrong. Some studies show that up to 88 percent of American adults have engaged in sexting at some point in their lives. For many, it's become an essential means of connection, and research shows that sharing intimate pictures can evoke, demonstrate, and reinforce trust.
Remember: You can't (and shouldn't!) trust your most intimate moments to just any app. As fun as the buildup is, the sad truth is that no one ever knows for sure if their private photos will stay private once they hit send on standard messaging platforms. Sliding into the DMs on a standard social media app might feel like spontaneous fun, but in 2026, your digital footprint is forever. Plus, with Meta cracking down hard this April (wiping out Instagram accounts and posts just for hinting at sexual expression), it's obvious that mainstream platforms are becoming hostile territory for your spicy chats. If you're going to share that side of yourself, you need to know it stays between you and the recipient.
As one of Mashable's dating app experts, I've spent the last three years testing dozens of platforms to find the best and most discreet apps for the job. My highest priority is always user safety. I also spoke with security expert Gary Orenstein with Bitwarden, who stressed that for sharing intimate content, "privacy features cannot be optional — they’re essential." He recommends looking for apps with three key features: end-to-end encryption, disappearing messages, and screenshot detection.
After all, if you believe in safe sex, you should practice safe sexting, too. So, for all your NSFW messaging needs, these are the sexting apps I trust to get the job done without compromising your privacy.
Confide: I’ve moved this back to the #1 spot. Its privacy tools (like screenshot-proofing) just give it the edge over everything else right now.
Lovense Remote: I added this as the winner for "Group Sexting." It's also the best way for couples (and polyamorous folks) to sync Bluetooth toys for long-distance play.
FetLife: Added as "Best for Kink." It’s less of a standard app and more of a social network, but it remains the go-to place for finding niche communities.
You've probably seen other "best of" lists recommending apps I've left off. That's intentional. My goal is to recommend platforms where you can make connections, not just burn cash.
Here's why a few popular names didn't make the cut:
A note on "paid operator" sites: Many sites marketed for sexting (like InstaBang, Arousr, and SextLocal) don't primarily connect you with other real users. Instead, they often use "chat operators" to keep you talking and paying. While there's nothing wrong with a paid fantasy, I don't consider that mutual sexting. My list focuses on apps for real, user-to-user interaction (with the exception of SextPanther, which connects you with verified adult performers).
Couple's apps: You also won't find apps like Between on this list. While it's a private messenger for couples, it lacks the specific features that make sexting fun. If you want to level up your digital intimacy, my picks (like We-Vibe and Lovense) are much more interactive.
Many of us are trying to cut down on screentime. We’re Bricking our phones and re-learning how to be present, instead of mindlessly scrolling. But for most of us, streaming a classic movie, diving into a documentary, or rewatching a comfort show is not part of the digital detox. For that reason, we’re still (heavily) relying on a TV. But these days, you’re not tethered to a rectangular screen mounted to the wall. We have excellent projectors that offer awe-inducing displays. Most projectors also come with the benefit of being portable or at least easier to move with or pack along to a friend’s house.
Hisense makes some of the best TVs for those who are looking for an ideal combination of quality at an affordable price. The brand’s lineup of projectors has grown in both numbers and impressive stats in the last handful of years. I’ll admit, after testing the Hisense M2 Pro 4K projector, I don’t think I can go back to a non-laser projector, let alone a TV. The display quality, portability, gigantic 200-inch display, and brightness in daylight have me smitten. Of course, it’s not perfect, but I’ll be hosting movie nights from now on because no one I know has the tech to replicate this experience.
When shopping for a projector, you’ll notice two options: laser and non-laser. The non-laser versions tend to be cheaper and modern models use LED technology. But if you’re seeking the sharpest display and the best color brightness, a laser projector is the way to go. The Hisense M2 Pro has a 4K display with a triple-laser RGB (red, green, blue) light source.
I tested the Hisense M2 Pro projector for months, in conjunction with a 100-inch Elite Screens manual pull-down projector screen. And yes, I did feel like a school teacher starting a lesson every time I unfurled it. However, if you don’t have a projector screen or a white sheet, Hisense says you’re still in good shape. The projector is designed to adapt to the projection surface, make color corrections, and still be able to produce accurate color reproductions. You might even be able to simply use your living room wall instead of messing around with a screen.
For those who like deeper details, here are some noteworthy specs of the Hisense M2 Pro 4K projector:
Size: 7.6 in. x 8.6 in. x 9.1 in.
Weight: 8.6 pounds
Rated brightness: 1,300 ANSI lumens
Light source: R+G+B triple laser
Laser life: 25,000 hours
Warranty: 1 year limited warranty
Have you ever raced on Mario Kart’s Rainbow Road on a 200-inch display? I hadn’t either until testing the Hisense M2 Pro. Let me tell you about how much fun it is to have a Friday night four-person Mario party at 200 inches.
Reaching a 240Hz refresh rate and a low input lag of 12 milliseconds, gaming is awesome on the Hisense M2 Pro projector. For reference, you want at least a 120Hz refresh rate for a gaming-worthy TV, so the Hisense M2 Pro’s 240Hz is well above that threshold.
A common disadvantage of a projector over a TV is that projectors can struggle to produce a display that’s bright enough to view in daylight. Some projectors require you to draw the shades, pull blackout curtains over the windows, and turn off the lights. The Hisense M2 Pro is not one of those models. In testing, I was easily able to watch shows at 2 p.m. when I definitely should have been doing something more productive.
The M2 Pro has a brightness rating of 1,300 ANSI lumens, and while there are brighter models on the market, I was never let down by the M2 Pro during daytime viewing. However, since my testing took place primarily in the winter months, it might not be the best picture for bright summer days, especially if watching something fast-paced like a soccer game.
The Hisense M2 Pro has a major focus on versatility that makes it suitable for tons of situations. It weighs a bit under nine pounds, so it’s no problem to carry it from room to room. It also comes packed into a cute little carrying case with a handle. Even when I was moving the projector from the basement up the stairs to the living room, I packed it into the carrying case, which not only adds to convenience but also adds protection. I’ve fallen walking up those stairs enough times to not find it wise to carry an unprotected projector in my hands. The lightweight nature paired with a case makes the Hisense M2 Pro an ideal model for taking over to a friend's house, packing along for the summer cottage trip, or taking outside for a movie night.
The projector comes with Hisense’s Smart TV system, Vidaa OS, already installed, so your apps are nicely organized. If you don’t like that option, you could connect a Google Streamer or Fire TV Stick to the HDMI port. There’s also a USB-A port, should you have movies or shows on a thumb drive.
The only small non-travel-friendly element I found when testing the Hisense M2 Pro is its power supply. Instead of using a standard USB-C cable for charging, it uses a power brick with a 19V power supply. You’ll have to pack that along for powering up the projector since there’s no built-in battery on the Hisense M2 Pro.
Like many TVs, sound quality has been an issue with portable projectors. It often leads to a mismatched viewing experience where the display is massive in size and impressive in quality, while the onboard sound is pretty terrible. In my testing experience, I’ve almost always connected a projector to a secondary sound source, mostly my beloved Fender x Teufel Rockster Cross. But that wasn’t totally necessary with the Hisense M2 Pro. Its built-in dual 10-watt speakers have support for Dolby Digital and DTS Virtual:X, and the overall sound is not bad at all.
You can also use the M2 Pro in Music Sharing mode, which essentially turns the projector into a Bluetooth speaker, pairing with a device to pump out the tunes. It’s not the best Bluetooth speaker I’ve ever heard, but it gets the job done without complaints.
I’d recommend the Hisense M2 Pro projector for anyone looking to break it off with a standard TV and go with a projector. The 4K triple laser display is excellent, the built-in stand is convenient, and the onboard speaker is decent enough that you’re not forced to connect to an external sound system.
It takes a bit to get used to the auto-focus and keystoning process, but that’s a minor adjustment. The tradeoff of gaining the ability to have a 65-inch display in a bedroom or a 200-inch display in the backyard is well worth it. Plus, the $1,300 price tag is competitive for a laser 4K projector. However, this isn’t the right model if you don’t have space to project a display of at least 65 inches. Any smaller and you’ll end up with a blurred display.
It's a new lunar phase tonight, the Third Quarter. This means around 50% of the Moon is illuminated and we're even closer to the New Moon.
As of Saturday, May 9, the Moon phase is Third Quarter. Tonight, 56% of the moon will be be lit up, according to NASA's Daily Moon Guide.
If you look up with you no visual aids tonight you'll be able to spot the Mare Imbrium, Tycho Crater and the Oceanus Procellarum.
If you have binoculars, you'll be able to see the Mare Humorum, Alphonsus Crater, and Alps Mountains are just a few. And that's not all, if you have a telescope you'll see all this and the Fra Mauro Highlands and Caucasus Mountains.
There are two Full Moons in May, with the next due to take place on May 31.
According to NASA, the Moon takes around 29.5 days to complete a full orbit around Earth, passing through eight different phases along the way. Even though we always see the same side of the Moon, the way sunlight falls on it changes as it moves, which is what creates the familiar full, half, and crescent shapes. In total, there are eight main phases in the lunar cycle:
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.
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 9, 2026Connections is a New York Times word game that's all about finding the "common threads between words." How to solve the puzzle.
The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you knit or crochet.
Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: Parts of a show
Green: Accessories
Blue: Weaving
Purple: An essay
Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Vote for your favorite creators today
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Units of TV programs
Green: Things worn around the neck
Blue: Strings tied in knots
Purple: ___ Piece
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 #1063 is...
Units of TV programs: EPISODE, FRANCHISE, SEASON, SERIES
Things worn around the neck: BOA, CHAIN, LANYARD, TIE
Strings tied in knots: FRIENDSHIP BRACELET, MACRAMÉ, QUIPI. SHOELACES
___ Piece: CONVERSATION, PERIOD, PUFF, THINK
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.
NYT Strands hints, answers for May 9, 2026The NYT Strands hints and answers you need to make the most of your puzzling experience.
Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you have a green thumb.
Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.
By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.
If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.
The words are related to plants.
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These words describe garden crops.
Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.
Today's spangram is Spring Veggie.
Asparagus
Artichoke
Onion
Lettuce
Radish
Spring Veggie
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.
Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 9, 2026Here's the answer for "Wordle" #1785 on May 9 as well as a few hints, tips, and clues to help you solve it yourself.
Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you have great style.
If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.
A soft fabric.
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There are no recurring letters.
Today's Wordle starts with the letter S.
Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today's Wordle is...
SATIN
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.
Hurdle hints and answers for May 9, 2026Hints and answers to today's Hurdle all in one place.
If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.
There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.
An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.
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If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.
Bubbly.
PERKY
To accumulate.
AMASS
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A kink.
CRICK
A beer.
LAGER
Harmony.
AMITY
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Why pay for 20 different AI subscriptions when this has all of them for $75?Save 87% on a lifetime subscription to ChatPlayground AI and access 20+ AI models side-by-side for just $74.97.
TL;DR: A lifetime subscription to ChatPlayground AI’s Unlimited Plan is on sale for $74.97 (reg. $619) — 87% off.
If you’ve ever typed the same prompt into ChatGPT, and then Gemini, and then Claude just to see which one gives you the best answer, ChatPlayground AI was basically built for you. This new AI platform lets you send prompts to multiple models at the same time, and a lifetime subscription is on sale now for $74.97 (reg. $619).
ChatPlayground AI lets you run any prompt across 20+ AI models at once, including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity. Instead of toggling between tabs and losing your train of thought, you get side-by-side comparisons in the same tab you’re working from, so you can quickly grab the best response and keep it pushing.
Beyond chat features, ChatPlayground lets you generate images and PDFs, as well as upload existing images for context-aware answers. You can also streamline any task with prompt engineering tools and saved conversation history. Whether you’re writing, coding, or brainstorming, having everything in one place cuts down on the back-and-forth. Priority customer support is included, too, so you’re not left guessing how to troubleshoot on your own if anything goes sideways.
If you’re paying for multiple AI subscriptions month to month, those costs add up fast. This lifetime deal is worth doing the math on. Right now, the Unlimited Plan is on sale for $74.97 — down from $619. That’s a one-time payment for permanent access to all the models you’re already using, no renewals required.
Stop paying monthly with a ChatPlayground AI Unlimited Plan lifetime subscription for $74.97.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Whoop trackers will provide users with on-demand video access to licensed cliniciansLive on-demand video consultations are coming to Whoop.
Whoop, a screen-free fitness wearable with more than 2.5 million users, announced that it's bringing on-demand video consultations with health professionals to its subscriber base.
According to Whoop's announcement on Friday, live consultations with licensed clinicians will be offered to users in the U.S. starting this summer. Whoop is touting the fact that clinicians will have access to an array of biometric data collected in the app, and how that will aid experts in interpreting a user's health information.
Of course, it's probably not a coincidence that Whoop's announcement comes just one day after Google and Fitbit released their Whoop competitor, powered by Google Gemini.
To support users' fitness goals, Whoop is also partnering with the health records company HealthEx to provide Electronic Health Record (EHR) syncing. Under this partnership, Whoop users can keep track of their health history, including diagnoses, medications, and procedures, from right within the app.
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"Unlike traditional healthcare experiences that rely on brief, episodic snapshots, these consultations begin with a comprehensive understanding of the member’s health, powered by months of continuous data and, when available, bloodwork and medical history," Whoop says in its announcement.
While many of Whoop's newly announced features will be included in its paid membership, live video consultations will require an additional cost for users, which has yet to be announced.
“WHOOP is a membership, and we take that seriously,” said Whoop Chief Product Officer Ed Baker in a press release. “We’re always asking how we can deliver more value to our members, and these upcoming features are some of the most meaningful we’ve ever built, from bringing clinician support directly into the app to advancing our AI coaching to be more personal and actionable than ever.”
In a statement to CNBC, Whoop stated that the live consultation feature is not meant to replace a primary doctor or emergency visit.
Along with these live on-demand video consultations with health professionals, Whoop is also adding an assortment of new AI features, such as AI-powered personalized coaching.
Speaking of personalized coaching, this will be accessible under one of Whoop's new AI features called My Memory, which will serve as a centralized location to view, manage, and train Whoop's AI. In addition, Whoop is also a Proactive Check-Ins feature, which will provide personalized recommendations to users, such as when to sleep ahead of a big event or reconfiguring a training regimen based on a user's travel plans.
Amazon Web Services outage enters second day. Heres what we know.Beginning on May 7, an Amazon Web Services (AWS) outage has had ripple effects throughout the internet.
Since May 7, an Amazon Web Services outage has caused ripple effects across the internet.
As the AWS outage entered its second day on Friday, Amazon reported recovery efforts were underway.
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In its most recent update, posted at 12:29 p.m. PT, Amazon acknowledged that recovery "efforts are slower than we had previously anticipated," and that "Full recovery is still expected to take several hours."
DownDetector, a platform where internet users can submit error reports, showed a spike in problems with AWS starting around 8 p.m. ET on Thursday. User error reports slowed into Friday, then spiked again around 4 p.m. ET.
(Disclosure: DownDetector and Mashable are both owned by the same parent company, Ziff Davis.)
The outage centered on the US-EAST-1 Region, and CNBC reports it temporarily shut down trading on the popular apps FanDuel and Coinbase. The popular web analytics company Chartbeat also experienced issues, which it attributed to AWS outages.
A May 7 update on the Coinbase status page stated: "Coinbase experienced service disruptions due to increased temperatures in the affected AWS service. Our team is working to implement a fix and will continue to provide updates. Your funds are safe."
The last major AWS outage affecting the US-EAST-1 Region occurred in October 2025. As Mashable reported at the time, a wide range of apps were seemingly impacted then, including Amazon, Roblox, HBO Max, Venmo, Lyft, Signal, and AT&T.
Internet outages have occurred regularly over the past 12 months. Because AWS provides cloud hosting and other internet services, problems with AWS can cause widespread issues across the web.
This is a developing story...
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The wheels are coming off the Cybertruck. Thats not just a metaphor.Elon Musk's beloved Tesla Cybertruck now has issues with its wheel studs. No wonder it can't meet sales targets.
Tesla's Cybertruck was already careening down the proverbial road to sales hell. Now, it seems some actual IRL roads could make the wheels come off this thing — literally.
Two years after the Cybertruck recall that made Tesla's angular EV a popular joke (remember the unnecessary foot pad that could slip off, because soap, and jam the accelerator?), the automaker is recalling all the models with 18-inch steel wheels it sold during that time. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that cracks can form in wheel rotors, eventually separating them from the hub, especially when driving over "higher severity road perturbations."
Add rough roads to the things that Musk's "apocalypse-ready" vehicle may not have been best equipped to handle at launch — a list that definitely includes soap and glue, and may, some owners report, include car washes. Our comprehensive list of Cybertruck recall reasons is here, but the TL;DR of faulty parts include windshield wipers, inverters, tire pressure monitoring systems, the backup camera, and steel panels that could also fall off.
Neither the NTSB nor Tesla knows of the wheels actually coming off in any consumer's Cybertruck. But what's got to sting Tesla is that this may have something to do with the small number on the roads, rough or otherwise. Only 173 Cybertrucks with 18-inch steel wheels have been sold between 2024 and 2026, the national recall has revealed. They include the cheaper $71,000 rear-wheel drive Cybertruck, announced in April 2025 and quietly discontinued in Sep. 2025.
That's not the total number of Cybertrucks sold, but it's also not as far off as you might think. We're a long way from Musk's claim that Tesla was going to sell a million Cybertrucks a year, or Tesla's official expectation of 250,000 sales in 2024. Just ask the Kelley Blue Book, which estimates 38,965 Cybertrucks sold in 2024. That slipped to 20,237 in 2025, marking a record-breaking decline in the EV world.
And that decline came despite Musk goosing sales through a significant amount of self-dealing. As the Los Angeles Times points out, more than 1,300 of the 7,100 Cybertrucks registered in the U.S. in the last quarter of 2025 were owned by Musk's other companies, including SpaceX.
And now? In the first quarter of 2026, the Blue Book says, the Cybertruck sales nosedive has continued at roughly the same rate we saw between 2024 and 2025. That is, a 48 percent decline year on year. Curiously, that's the same overall decline seen across all Tesla vehicles in Germany in 2025, after Musk threw his support behind the extreme right AfD party. (There's still no sign that Tesla will ever sell the Cybertruck in Europe.)
In short, Musk's politics aren't helping him with left-wing or moderate consumers in Europe or the U.S., and his pricey, problematic truck isn't helping him find buyers in conservative U.S. red states either. What's left? Tesla, increasingly reliant for its valuation on the unproven future prospect of Optimus robots that may fall over and self-driving taxis that only just began production, will have to answer that question sooner or later.
Disney+ app could see major changes, new report revealsDisney is reportedly looking to expand Disney+ into a 'super app' that does a lot more than just stream movies and shows.
Disney is apparently looking to create the only app Disney fans will ever need for the rest of their lives.
Bloomberg reported that new Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro wants to create a sort of "super app" that would blend the streaming functionality of Disney+ with other apps meant for real-life experiences, like Disney Cruise Line Navigator. The idea would be to put Disney's very important theme park, resort, and cruise line businesses in front of more eyeballs than usual, though at this stage, it's not entirely clear if this would mostly manifest as advertisements or a deeper layer of app functionality.
“Disney+ becomes the primary relationship between Disney and its fans, the place where everything comes together,” D'Amaro said in an earnings call this week.
There are pros and cons to this, just like anything else.
On one hand, if you're a real Disney-head, it would probably be more convenient to use the same app to watch The Mandalorian and book a trip to Orlando than the way things currently work. On the other hand, there are probably a lot of people (myself included) who like to occasionally watch things on Disney+, but don't have any real interest in Disney's cruise line or theme parks. For that audience, this could get a little annoying or unwieldy.
At any rate, it sounds like this is still a very early plan, so it might take a while to happen, or it might not happen at all. Maybe by the time it comes around, the vibe around cruise ships will be better than it is right now.
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Amazon Primes Fuel Up Friday saves you 20 cents per gallon of gasAmazon Prime members can save up to 20 cents per gallon at BP and Amoco on Fridays. Here’s how to claim your fuel discount.
SAVE 20 CENTS PER GALLON: Amazon Prime members can save up to 20 cents a gallon at BP and Amoco on Fridays. Here’s how to claim your fuel discount.
It's easy to forget all the benefits you get with Amazon Prime. Like, I somehow always forget that prescription and gas discounts are included with a membership. And, as the proud owner of a V-8 GMC Sierra, that's the kind of information I need to keep in the "relevant" file. I've literally seen regular gas (not even premium) as high as $4.30 per gallon in North Carolina, which is ridiculous. So, whenever there's a way to make filling up this truck even slightly cheaper, I'm all over it.
If you have Amazon Prime and you aren't using its fuel discount yet, you're basically throwing money away. By linking your Prime account to BP's "earnify" app (which is completely free to set up), you get a flat 10 cents off per gallon every single time you fill up at a participating BP, Amoco, ampm, or Thorntons location. There's no cap on how many gallons you can buy, and it works on all fuel grades. You don't even have to open the app at the pump — you just punch in your phone number, and it automatically applies the discount. (One less app to deal with, hallelujah.)
Even better, Amazon's running a "Fuel Up Friday" promo right now through May 29 that doubles the savings. If you time your fill-ups for Fridays, you get 20 cents off per gallon (valid once every Friday during the promo window).
Instructure breach update: ShinyHunters claim second hack, deface school websitesShinyHunters hackers have just breached Instructure for a second time.
ShinyHunters apparently isn't done with edutech giant Instructure.
The now-infamous hacking and extortion collective known as ShinyHunters has once again breached Instructure, the education technology company best known for its popular Learning Management System (LMS) application Canvas. ShinyHunters originally breached Instructure's systems just over a week ago, stealing data connected with nearly 9,000 schools worldwide.
According to a report from TechCrunch, this week, ShinyHunters hackers defaced Canvas login pages for several schools that use the coursework and messaging platform.
TechCrunch says that it saw at least three school login pages compromised with a message via an injected HTML file from ShinyHunters threatening to publicly release stolen data on May 12 unless Instructure agrees to “negotiate a settlement."
Instructure confirmed that it had been breached by the same bad actors responsible for the previously reported breach into the company. This marks a second breach into Instructure, though into a different part of its infrastructure this time.
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Instructure took Canvas offline temporarily while it investigated the second breach. The company says that it found that the hackers "exploited an issue related to our Free-For-Teacher accounts." The company has since temporarily shut down these accounts and restored Canvas access for its users.
Earlier this month, ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for a breach that Instructure later confirmed. According to ShinyHunters, the stolen data linked to the original breach is associated with 275 million Instructure users and affects 8,809 schools worldwide. The stolen data belongs to students, teachers, and school staff who use Instructure's products and contains users' names, email addresses, student IDs, and private messages exchanged on the Canvas platform.
The request from ShinyHunters to "negotiate a settlement" has become par the course for the group, which actively seeks to profit from its excursions.
Over the past year, ShinyHunters have claimed responsibility for data breaches at companies such as Panera Bread, Crunchyroll, Bumble, ADT, and Rockstar Games, among others.
Springtime is one of the best times to upgrade your TV. When new models hit shelves in March and April, older models get the deal treatment. It's like clockwork.
If you've recently realized your TV kind of sucks, now's as good of a time as any to make the investment in something better. With the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs underway and a boat load of new series and movies making their way to streaming, you'll be glad you upgraded.
We've rounded up the best TV deals to shop this weekend from top brands like Hisense, TCL, and Amazon so you can weigh your options.
It's fairly common to see 2025 TV models drop in price once the latest make their debut. But to see a brand-new 2026 model on sale for over 30% off is rare. You can get the 2026 Hisense 65-inch U7 Mini-LED TV for under $1,000 for the first time since its launch last month. Of course, if you want to save even more, you can certainly do worse than the 2025 model of the same TV (which is currently at a record-low $696.97).
The 2026 model is an iterative upgrade with an improved anti-glare coating and enhanced AI processor. Both models offer a 165Hz refresh rate, 2.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos sound system, up to 3,000 nits peak brightness, and the Google operating system.
"A premium Mini-LED TV with a price to match," as our friends at PCMag (also owned by Ziff Davis) put it, we'd only recommend grabbing the TCL QM8K when it's on sale. And lucky for you, the 85-inch model is down to a record-low $1,709.99 at Amazon with the help of an on-page coupon.
As far as specs go, the QM8K is pretty impressive, with up to HDR5000 brightness, 3,800 local dimming zones, a 2.2.2-channel Bang & Olufsen-designed speaker array with Dolby Atmos spatial audio, a 144Hz native refresh rate, and hands-free Google voice commands. Essentially, it checks all the most important boxes when buying a new TV: excellent Mini-LED picture quality, good sound, and plenty of smart features.
One of the most advanced TVs in Amazon's Ember lineup (recently rebranded from Fire TV), the Mini-LED is loaded with specs. It packs hands-free Alexa, Interactive Art Mode, a 144Hz refresh rate, and Intelligent Picture technology, which can fine-tune the details of whatever you're watching.
Our friends at PCMag (also owned by Ziff Davis) tested it last year and were pleasantly surprised. "With the Fire TV Omni Mini-LED, Amazon finally offers a Fire TV-based television that gets adequately bright," their reviewer writes. Its 4K QLED Mini-LED display features Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+ Adaptive, up to 1,400 nits of peak brightness, and 768 dimming zones. Typically an already affordable $820, the 55-inch model is now down to only $559.99 — its lowest price ever.
Amazon
Amazon 55-inch Ember 4-Series 4K TV — $379.99 $459.99 (save $80)
Amazon 65-inch Ember QLED 4K TV — $749.99 $849.99 (save $100)
Hisense
Hisense 75-inch E6 Cinema QLED 4K TV — $499.99 $799.99 (save $300)
Hisense 55-inch S7N Canvas QLED 4K TV — $647.99 $999.99 (save $352)
Hisense 50-inch S7 Canvas Hi-QLED 4K TV — $798.99 $1,299.99 (save $501)
Hisense 65-inch U8 Mini-LED ULED 4K TV — $999.99 $2,199.99 (save $1,200)
LG
LG 48-inch C5 OLED 4K TV — $896.99 $1,396.99 (save $500)
Samsung
Samsung 65-inch Q7F QLED 4K TV — $427.99 $629.99 (save $202)
Samsung 65-inch Q8F QLED 4K TV — $599.99 $899.99 (save $300)
Samsung 65-inch The Frame LS03F QLED 4K TV — $997.99 $1,497.99 (save $500)
TCL
TCL 75-inch T7 QLED 4K TV — $629.99 $899.99 (save $270)
TCL 75-inch QM8L SQD-Mini-LED QLED — $1,999.99 $2,999.99 (save 1,000)
SAVE 20%: As of May 8, you can get the Nex Playground for $239 at Amazon. That's a 20% discount or $60.99 in savings.
I'm not a gamer per se; I play old-school games like Tomb Raider and Crash Bandicoot on the PS5, but when I first tried the Nex Playground at my sister's house last Christmas, I was hooked. But every store I went to was out of stock. Nowhere had one! Eventually, I had to just accept my fate and have it shipped from Best Buy (I think it took two weeks).
Fortunately for you, Nex Playground is back in stock and on sale (for the first time in a long time) at multiple retailers. As of May 8, the Nex Playground is on sale at Amazon for $239. (You can also find it for $239.99 at Target, Walmart, and Best Buy.)
If you haven't seen a Nex Playground in person, it's essentially a plug-and-play console that uses an AI-powered wide-angle camera to track your natural body movements. Like Nintendo Wii, but without the hand controls. It's great for families, but I love using it to get a quick workout in between shifts.
It comes with five interactive games built in (including Fruit Ninja and Whac-a-Mole), but a Play Pass subscription (which is only $89 for the year or $49 for three months) will give you full access to the Nex Playground library.
Instagram loses end-to-end message encryption today. What it means for you.Parent company Meta announced the feature would be retired in March.
Instagram has officially pulled end-to-end encryption (e2ee) for direct messages.
The privacy feature, which prevents messages from being intercepted and read in transit between users, was previously an opt-in setting for Instagram users. Now, all chats will be under standard encryption. Under the latter, service or network providers can potentially access messages.
Meta announced an investment in end-to-end encryption in 2019, with plans to roll out the feature as a default chat setting across its platforms, including Messenger and Instagram. But the company has since reversed its course under wider industry pressure.
The platform quietly announced the feature would be retired in March, with a spokesperson explaining that the decision was spurred by low usage. Privacy groups have raised alarm about tech giants turning over private user communications to law enforcement and for use in AI training — Meta has said it does not use private messages to train its AI models.
Other online safety groups have welcomed greater transparency to improve platform moderation, including those fighting against the proliferation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and child predator networks.
For those who still want the privacy of end-to-end encryption, the company has recommended users turn to WhatsApp or Meta's standalone Messenger app, which still offers the feature.
Meta also said it notified users who had end-to-end encryption turned on in chats with friends, prompting them to download their chat histories and media. Users may need the latest app update to archive their encrypted chats, the company noted.
Boox just launched the Tappy wireless remote, leaving Amazon in the dustAs of May 8, Boox launched its new remote, the Tappy. Compatible with e-readers, you can now easily scroll and turn the page without holding your e-reader.
While Amazon might have the most popular e-reader with Kindles, the company is falling behind on supporting accessories. On May 8, Boox launched the Tappy remote, a wireless device that lets users turn the page on an e-book, scroll through articles, and hit play on an audiobook. The remote connects easily to Boox e-readers for seamless reading.
Remotes for e-readers are the hottest accessory at the moment. The trendy devices blew up on BookTok, of course, with e-reader users showing off their cozy reading nook setups that include an e-reader stand paired with a remote. Most of these remotes are off-brand models, but Kobo became the first e-reader brand to launch a native remote to its e-readers. Boox is now joining the party with its Tappy remote.
The Tappy retails for $25.99 and will be available on Amazon and Boox. Currently, the device is sold out of its US warehouse, but is available from its Hong Kong warehouse. At the time of writing, the Boox Tappy's Amazon listing is not live. It comes in two shades, sage (Amazon exclusive) and citrus (Boox exclusive).
The remote comes with three different modes:
Reading Mode: Best suited for page-by-page reading, you can flip through stories in most reading apps with a simple click.
Browsing Mode: This mode allows you to scroll up and down through vertical content, great for browsing news or long-form articles.
Multimedia Mode: For audiobooks or music, Tappy functions as a remote to skip to the previous or next track.
According to the brand, on Boox e-readers running Firmware V4.2 or later, you can customize button functions to suit your preference. So, a double-tap or long hold can execute different actions.
It connects to Boox devices via Bluetooth and, according to the press release, will work with other devices. TBD if that means it's also compatible with Kindles, which are Bluetooth compatible. This would be a huge boon for Kindle users, as it seems like Amazon is the last e-reader brand to make its own remote.
Once we get our hands on the Boox Tappy, we'll be trying it ourselves to see if it works with more than just Boox e-readers.
Gemini is already in your search results, your Gmail, your calendar, and your Android phone. At Google I/O on May 19, Google is going further. Faster AI, an assistant that actually acts for you, smart glasses built with real fashion brands, and a new laptop OS. Iyaz Akhtar is here to break down what to expect from Google I/O 2026.
Nintendo Switch 2 officially gets a $50 price hike in the USJust like everything else under the sun, the Nintendo Switch 2 just became more expensive.
After less than a year on the market, the Nintendo Switch 2 is going up in price.
The company announced in a press release on its website that the device is getting a price increase in every major region, including the United States. Customers in the U.S. will pay $50 more for the console, as its price is going from $449 to $499. Nintendo did not delve into specifics in the press release, citing only "changes in market conditions," but this is almost certainly a response to the global memory shortage driven by high demand for AI data center construction.
That same memory shortage was the culprit behind recent price hikes on PlayStation 5 consoles and Motorola phones, among other tech products. Even if the reasoning is understandable, it must be stated that video game consoles rarely rise in price over time in a normal economic environment. The opposite usually occurs, typically after at least a few years on the market. Nintendo having to hike the Switch 2's price less than a year after its June 2025 launch is fairly unprecedented, at least in recent memory.
Nintendo said the changes go into effect on Sept. 1 of this year, so if you want a Switch 2, that's your deadline to get one for $450.
How to watch Borussia Dortmund vs. Eintracht Frankfurt online for freeHow to watch Bundesliga for free. Watch Borussia Dortmund vs. Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga for free from anywhere in the world.
TL;DR: Live stream Borussia Dortmund vs. Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
After some incredibly tense Champions League action this week, the focus returns to domestic action over the weekend. There are a number of fascinating matchups in the Bundesliga over the next few days, starting with Borussia Dortmund vs. Eintracht Frankfurt.
The hosts are looking to secure second spot in the standings. They'll face a tough test against Eintracht Frankfurt, a team that is gunning for European qualification. It should be an exciting contest in front of a passionate support at the Signal Iduna Park.
If you want to watch Borussia Dortmund vs. Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
Borussia Dortmund vs. Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga kicks off at 2:30 p.m. ET on May 8. This fixture takes place at the Signal Iduna Park.
Borussia Dortmund vs. Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga 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 Borussia Dortmund vs. Eintracht Frankfurt for free by following these simple steps:
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK
Visit BBC iPlayer
Live stream Borussia Dortmund vs. Eintracht Frankfurt for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Borussia Dortmund vs. Eintracht Frankfurt 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 the Bundesliga before recovering your investment.
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Live stream Borussia Dortmund vs. Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga for free with ExpressVPN.
Nintendo is raising the price of the Switch 2 — where to buy before the hike hitsNintendo is raising the price of the Switch 2 by $50 this September, but you can still snag it for $449.99 at retailers like Amazon, Target, and Best Buy if you move fast.
Nintendo just announced that it’s raising the price of the Switch 2 due to "challenging business conditions" and the global economic outlook — crazy, considering last year's demand for the Switch 2 put literally everyone into a buying panic, and the Super Mario Galaxy Movie has already grossed over $800 million.
According to the Associated Press, U.S. gamers will have to cough up an extra $50 for the console by September. (Japan's price hike is happening later this month.) That's basically the cost of a new game or a Pro Controller that you're essentially handing back to Nintendo for nothing.
If you want to dodge the surcharge, you should probably grab your console sooner rather than later. Here's where to buy the Nintendo Switch 2 at its original $449.99 price point:
The Nintendo Switch 2 is currently available at Amazon for $449 (a whole 99 cents cheaper than its usual MSRP). You can buy it as a standalone console or as a bundle with games like Mario Galaxy 1 & 2 and Mario Kart World. (Just be sure to look at the "seller" when shopping on Amazon; if it doesn't say Amazon.com, it could be a sketch deal.)
Best Buy also has the Switch 2 available as a console only or gaming bundle. You can get it today for $449.99. Plus, if you trade in a similar device, you could get a few bucks shaved off that price.
If you're a GameStop fan, you can get the Nintendo Switch 2 there for $449.99. If you're OK with buying pre-owned, you can save an extra $32.
You can get the Nintendo Switch 2 for $449.99 at Target, plus save 30% on Super Mario Galaxy with your purchase. The discount will auto-apply once you add the console and the game to your cart, so there's nothing extra you need to do to get the deal.
Walmart's also offering the Nintendo Switch 2 for $449 or you can get the Galaxy Bundle for $499, which includes Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2.
If you prefer to buy direct, you can get the Nintendo Switch 2 console (and tons of accessories) right from the My Nintendo Store.
Groks voice mode comes to Apple CarPlaySpaceXAI's smart assistant Grok is now available in CarPlay.
Apple CarPlay users just got another AI assistant option for their cars: Grok.
On Friday, SpaceXAI (the SpaceX's subdivision that focuses on artificial intelligence) announced that Grok's voice mode is now available in Apple CarPlay.
Technically, Grok was already available in CarPlay, but it merely consisted of a placeholder app that displayed a "coming soon" message. Now, you can tap on the Grok icon, launch a new voice chat, and start chatting to the assistant.
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Grok follows ChatGPT, which was made available in CarPlay in April 2026. Apple originally added support for AI chatbots in CarPlay in February.
As is the case with other AI chatbots in CarPlay, you can't just invoke Grok via a voice command; you have to start the app manually before you can start talking to it. Another caveat is that you can't issue Grok commands to do stuff on your iPhone or in your car, but you can ask it about...stuff.
Some Tesla drivers, on the other hand, do get the luxury of invoking Grok with a "Hey Grok" voice command. The functionality was added in the company's latest "spring update," though availability varies by region.
Blair Underwood on honoring his mother, creating a legacy, and how he feels about AIStill need a Mother's Day gift? We recommend Blair Underwood's new book, "A Soldier's Wife."
Just in time for Mother's Day, Blair Underwood has written a new book, A Soldier's Wife: My Mother, the Marvelous Mrs. Marilyn A. Underwood, which pulls from his mother's writings and diaries to tell the story of her life. In addition to collaborating with Ylonda Gault on the book itself, he also teamed with his sister Marlo Underwood to perform the audiobook.
To celebrate the book's release and his mom, Underwood visited with Mashable Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko at the Say More studio in New York. Together they discussed Marilyn's life, her struggle with multiple sclerosis, her faith, and her deep love of fashion. Beyond that, Underwood shared how he found his mother's voice, and if he'd ever consider AI for such a job.
In their last conversation, Underwood had also spoken about how Sidney Poitier was a mentor to him as a young Black actor in Hollywood, and how Michael B. Jordan's Oscar speech for Sinners' tapped into Poitier's legacy.
For more of this interview and other Say More videos, be sure to check out Mashable's YouTube channel.
The Mafia Nanny writer Violet Matter on slow-burn romance, fandom, and season 3Writer Violet Matter talks slow-burn romance, fan fiction, and why season 3 of "The Mafia Nanny" is about much more than Davina and Gabriel's romance.
Few genres thrive online quite like slow-burn romance. The anticipation, the yearning — it's the kind of storytelling that naturally fuels fandom spaces and fan fiction archives. And on WEBTOON, The Mafia Nanny understands that dynamic better than most. The hit webcomic has spent nearly 100 chapters carefully building tension between its leads, Davina and Gabriel, while cultivating an intensely invested fandom in the process.
As The Mafia Nanny enters its third season on May 11, writer Violet Matter is thinking about a lot more than just romance. What started as a slow-burn about a fiercely competent nanny protecting the son of a handsome mafia boss has grown into something much bigger. Following the long-awaited payoff of chapter 98 (yes, that kiss), season 3 finds Davina stepping fully onto the offensive as the story digs deeper into the Angelini family and the dangerous world surrounding them. And while fans can expect a whole lot of action and espionage this season, they can also expect more skinship and stolen glances, too.
We talked to Matter about balancing romance with weekly serialized storytelling, how her fan-fiction roots continue to shape how she thinks about fandom and online community, and why the emotional heart of The Mafia Nanny always comes back to Mikey. Mashable has an exclusive first look at season 3's premiere chapter, "Episode 100."
Violet Matter: My understanding of the side characters has changed a lot. At first, they were more part of the fun-and-games aspect of the story. But over the first two seasons, they each developed their own goals and backstories.
So now, in season 3, it's been really interesting to think about the stakes for everyone, not just Davina and Gabriel, and what the implications are for how the rest of the story unfolds. Because you're right: This is a turning point. Davina is going on the offensive, and she's going to… upset some marbles, I guess.
From the very start, Davina defined her own role. They had an idea of what they were getting when they hired her, but from day one, she stepped in and said, "This is how I'm going to do this job, and I won’t compromise on that."
So we're definitely bringing that energy to its natural conclusion. There are a lot of easy ways out that could've been taken that won't be. There's this deep sense in Davina that she needs to dot every "i" and tie up every loose end before this is all said and done.
She won't be satisfied with an ending where Mikey is just sort of safe or mostly safe. It's going to be all or nothing.
Yes, but she'll also have to reconcile how some of the other rules she's broken in order to preserve this rule, and how that plays out. She's been having her cake and eating it, too, for a while. I think we'll see some of those consequences as well.
We get to see a lot more of the Angelini family itself. We've spent a lot of time expanding the world, especially in season 2, but now we’re going to see a lot more of the Don, and we're going to learn more about his endgame.
We know some of the things he’s done in the past that brought us to this point in the story, but we don't know all of them yet. So there’s going to be a lot more insight into his actions, both in the past and in the present, as the season unfolds.
That started as a really minor joke in the script, just a little quirk to keep the bad guy interesting. And it's evolved into something that honestly deserves its own backstory. So yes, there has to be a dark reason for all of this.
We've had to walk a tricky line in season three because there’s still so much plot left to unfold. It's tempting to make every episode just Davina and Gabriel finally getting all their skinship and quality time together. But I do have to give the other characters screen time.
Their dynamic is only going to get stronger, especially as Davina finally starts to let down some of the last walls between them.
It's important visually, especially in comics. In prose, you can have intimate moments that don’t rely on physicality, but in a visual medium, the physicality is right there on the screen. So even something really minor can feel like a huge moment.
It's still very difficult for me. I feel like I could write fantasy or humor all day long, but when I get to romance scenes, I stop and overthink everything. I have to outline even really simple interactions because it feels like there’s so much politics at play between two people. There are so many things you can get right and so many things you can get wrong.
Everyone’s experience of love is so specific and unique. What works in real life for my husband and me is such a narrow experience compared to the whole spectrum of love, so figuring out how to portray romance in a way that feels emotionally accessible to a broad audience can feel intimidating.
So I think all you can really do is focus on what these characters need emotionally and where those needs meet in the middle.
It definitely influences the way I approach romance because I sometimes hesitate to commit too hard to romantic content. There’s always a little voice in the back of my head going, "The fans will write that part."
The fan fiction writer in me is always thinking: "Create a cool world and let other people play in it."
Sometimes I worry that if I make something too canon, I’m cutting off avenues for fans to imagine other possibilities. But the reality is, if fans don’t like something, they’ll just remix it anyway, and that’s beautiful.
Absolutely. It made me comfortable writing serially and just starting without being afraid. With my first project, Forever After, we really didn't have a solid plan. They basically let me run wild with the plot.
The Mafia Nanny was more structured because crime and action stories need tighter plotting. We approached it with a more deliberate system for weaving threads back together and making the pacing feel really tight. But at the end of the day, it's still serial storytelling. I almost never follow my outline.
We have kind of a vague mountaintop in the distance that we think we’re heading toward, but usually, I only have the next chapter or two outlined. After that, the characters kind of do what they want.
It was really important to me from the beginning not to villainize Mikey’s mother. It would've been easy to make her cold or awful because that’s often the first thing stories reach for in this kind of setup. But I didn't want to make commentary about her character beyond the fact that she was Mikey's mom and he loved her.
From Mikey's point of view, she was a great mom. And losing her is devastating, regardless of who she was. When I write him processing grief, I think about my own toddler and the way children narrate situations to themselves. They often get details wrong or invent explanations that help them make emotional sense of something.
Mikey has a little bit of that happening. And for him, it really hasn't been that long. The whole story takes place in less than a year.
One of the major themes this season is family. Hopefully, the story centers on the family these characters are building together, even with all the action and intrigue happening around them. Mikey is absolutely the heart of that family. He's symbolic in some ways because all of these characters are working toward a better future, and children naturally represent that. But he’s also incredibly specific in what he needs to feel safe and happy.
This season is really about the family staying together and realizing their potential.
Probably compromise. A lot of the characters are going to have to make decisions that are less than perfect. I don't think the ending of this story is going to go completely one way or another. It'll probably end in an imperfect compromise.
The artists are much better at using the medium than I am. I try to leave space in the script for them to take advantage of the format because they constantly come up with visual ideas I never could. But it has been fun to experiment with things like pacing panels vertically and thinking about how tension evolves as you scroll.
There was a really cool moment in season 2 where the producers figured out how to embed a GIF effect into the comic. As you scrolled, the words moved while the image stayed still. I still don't know how they did it.
There are so many possibilities in this format that I don't think anyone has fully unlocked them yet.
It's a delicate balance. I love reading the comments, but it can be tempting to engage too directly. Because I came from fan fiction spaces, I learned early on that fan communities are sacred. Even though the fan in me wants to participate, I think there needs to be some distance. I never want fans to feel like the writer is invading their space or pulling ideas directly from them in a way that feels murky.
So I mostly just read comments, enjoy them, and occasionally like particularly clever ones.
I can't really walk away from them because fan fiction is literally why I have this job. A producer read my fic and reached out asking if I'd ever considered writing comics. I genuinely thought the message was spam.
Fan fiction is such a powerful way to find community and practice storytelling. It's not the writing I'm most proud of, but I'll always proudly claim it because I loved writing it. And honestly, fan fiction just gives me so much joy.
If you approach it as a form of creative transformation, then anyone can understand that. Why is SNL so popular? They're taking stuff in culture that's real, and they're giving it a new spin, a new lens. That's all of humor. That's a ton of fairy tales and fantasy, the things we come back to again and again.
There's definitely pressure from readers who want the kiss immediately, preferably in episode 1, and then every episode after that.
But honestly, I think that pressure is a good sign because it means readers are emotionally invested. Slow burn storytelling is difficult in a serial format because the biggest danger is that readers get bored week to week. You don't want it to feel like constant teasing without payoff. So if the characters aren't together yet, there has to be a believable emotional reason why.
Me too. Sometimes, if characters get together too quickly, the tension disappears.
There are a lot of really fun things coming up. Season 3 leans more into an espionage vibe because there are now so many characters with conflicting motivations who are all lying to each other. I'm excited to see readers theorize about which characters are secretly aligned and which ones are working against each other. There's going to be a lot of intrigue.
I love seeing different characters take center stage at different points. It creates opportunities for so many subplots and emotional dynamics.
Gerard Butler reveals the real-life disasters hes survived with Slash or PassCould Gerard Butler survive these disasters in real life? (Um, he has a lot actually!)
"I did not come here to poke at your trauma," is not a thing I, Mashable Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko, expected to say to anyone, much less Scottish action star Gerard Butler. When we sat down to celebrate the release of Greenland 2: Migration with a game of "Slash or Pass," I'd prepped to talk about disaster movies, having no idea how many actual disaster scenarios Butler has faced off-screen.
"My life is a disaster," he laughed while playing the game. But you should watch for yourself to see Butler coolly explain all the stressful scenarios he's survived. Then you too will know that, when in danger, we should look for Gerard Butler.
In our round-up of disaster movies, we touched on Titanic, Airplane!, Geostorm, Twister, The Happening, and of course, Greenland and Greenland 2: Migration. The sequel sees Butler reprise the role of engineer/family man John Garrity, who successfully got his wife and son to safety as the world-threatening comet Clarke barreled to Earth. This time, he'll face natural disasters and man-made menace to get his loved ones to a new "green land," a place of peace, clean air, and the promise of a better tomorrow.
Greenland 2: Migration is now streaming on HBO Max.
Greenland 2: Migration review: Gerard Butler returns to be the dad we needGerard Butler returns to be the dad we need in "Greenland 2: Migration."
In case this week hasn't stressed you out enough, Greenland 2: Migration has arrived to kick your cortisol levels into overdrive.
Incredibly, this sequel to Greenland imagines an even worse-case scenario to the first film's premise. Sure, the 2020 disaster movie featured a massive comet called Clarke that was barreling toward the Earth so fast and furious it was sure to destroy most of the world's population and life as we know it. But what if, five years later, the survivors have a new series of Herculean obstacles to face before they can find any kind of peace?
Greenland 2: Migration throws earthquakes, tsunamis, and radiation storms with vicious lightning at the Garrity family — and that's all in the first 20 minutes. From there, the story takes them on a dangerous trek to find a "promised land" where they can live happily ever after. But beneath all this action and disaster, this sly sequel is about the challenge of being a good dad as Gerard Butler's family man, John Garrity, gives everything he has to save his family at every turn.
Brace yourself, because Greenland 2: Migration will have you gasping and crying before those credits roll.
Set five years after Clarke first pitched the Garrity family into a frantic flight to a high-security bunker in Greenland, this sequel shows a world transformed by the comet's impact. The globe is pockmarked with impact craters and death. In voiceover, John (Butler) explains that at least 75% of the world's population has been wiped out. Those who survived struggle against radiation that makes it dangerous to be outside without a special mask.
In their bunker, the Garritys' new community shares resources and debates what the future can look like. Rations are running low and tremors shake the bunker, threatening to shatter it. But scientists theorize that the crater where the biggest chunk of Clarke hit could become a new cradle of life. It's said the air and water there is pure, the land rich and ready to be cultivated. Plus, the furious natural disasters that plague this bunker don't get past the new mountains formed by the crater's impact.
Determined to give his 15-year-old son Nathan (Roman Griffin Davis) and his wife Allison (Morena Baccarin) the best life this world can offer, John asks them to pack up and trek from Greenland to this promised green land in the South of France. But getting there won't be easy.
It's not just that nature is ruthlessly indifferent to the remnants of humanity. What resources and terrain that remains is being fought over. Marauders make the roads dangerous, while what's left of London is a scene of riots. As in Greenland, the Garrity family will see the best and worst of humanity, finding vicious foes and earnest friends. And through it all, John doggedly pushes his family forward.
The experience of watching Greenland was similar to a panic attack. One sequence after another made things harder for the Garritys, the plot playing out like the escalating worst-case scenarios that anxiety can trigger. And on top of that, the ticking clock of Clarke's impact made for chest-tightening tension. There was an incredibly prolonged sense of scramble to the first film, which separated John and Allison, forcing them to fight not only to survive but to find each other, all while keeping their young son — who has diabetes that requires insulin — safe.
In Greenland 2: Migration, there's less excitement and more sadness. The frenzy of being chased out of their spacious and pristine suburban home is swapped for a speedy fleeing of a crumbling bunker, where all they own can be shoved into a backpack or two. Inexplicably, the only mention of Nathan's diabetes is that he should grab as much insulin as he can before they leave the bunker. Shouldn't insulin be refrigerated? Wouldn't he run out eventually? Shhhh, this movie doesn't have time for your petty logic.
In the first film, the Garritys were everyday folks. Now, they are trauma-hardened refugees, alert and scared, but not as panicked as they were on day one. This shifts the feeling of the movie from fearful to a world-weariness that weighs heaviest on John, because he knows something the others don't. In the first act, it's hinted that John's scavenging trips to recover resources from the radiation-rich outside world have irrevocably hurt his health. His ragged cough becomes its own ticking clock: Can he get his family to safety before his time is up?
Butler's long been a solid choice as an action lead. Here, his broad shoulders stand strong against a sea of physical assaults from water, fire, stone, and man-made violence. His signature growl roars to boost the morale of his family as they face nauseating challenges, like traversing a rope bridge during an earthquake. But it also purrs low and alluringly to offer comfort to his loved ones. This is a man not only looking to make it to tomorrow, but all too aware that he's paving the path for his son's future one hard-won step at a time. There's a throbbing heartbreak to that.
The existence of the whole world was under threat in the first film. Here, the stakes are more immediate, personal, and devastating; mortality takes on a new meaning for an aging father who's increasingly aware he'll never see his boy become a man.
Screenwriters Mitchell LaFortune and Chris Sparling neatly knit this emotional thread into the barrage of action set pieces. Director Ric Roman Waugh (Greenland) brings disaster-rich pages to vivid life, reimagining major cities and natural landmarks as wastelands or life-or-death obstacle courses. There's plenty of nightmare fuel in what the Garrity family faces. Yet Greenland 2: Migration doesn't quite hit the way the first one did.
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I'm not sure if that's the movie's fault or mine. This sequel does have a more elegiac tone, and understandably so. Outside of John's declining health, what he's seen in the last five years is that even the end of the world as we know it does not guarantee that mankind will get our shit together and embrace community and kindness. Even as he's taking down a bad guy with a gun, there's a look of sorrow in his eyes, because this struggle just won't end. But am I projecting? On my way to see this film and on the way home afterwards, I couldn't help but doomscroll through horrifying news headlines about violence, war, and cold-blooded murder. I'm aware that this hopelessness might be my own. I might have brought it into my understanding of the film. Or this sequel is reflecting a fear that's in the zeitgeist right now.
To be fair, Greenland 2: Migration does offer sparks of hope, both in compassionate people met along the way and a climax that strives for heart-warming. And it is soul-lifting to see Butler as the dad who won't ever give up. Waugh's message with the movie seems to be a recognition that the evils and violence of the world can be overwhelming, even for the strongest among us. But there's still value in fighting for a better tomorrow. Still, after all the horrors seen on screen and off, this sequel is less entertaining than it is a determined reminder of how much cruelty in the world is not caused by an act of God, but acts of man.
Greenland 2: Migration is now streaming on HBO Max.
The Magic: The Gathering The Hobbit Play Booster Box is way below market price at Amazon — save over $10Preorder the Magic: The Gathering The Hobbit Play Booster Box for $209.70 at Amazon, over $15 below TCGplayer's market price.
TL;DR: Amazon has the Magic: The Gathering The Hobbit Play Booster Box available for preorder at $209.70 ahead of its Aug. 14 release. TCGplayer’s market price is $226.05, making Amazon’s listing $16.35 cheaper.
Any Magic: The Gathering collector who’s worried about climbing prices for the upcoming Hobbit expansion can quickly grab a whole display box of 30 booster packs for well under market value.
As of May 8, you can preorder the Magic: The Gathering The Hobbit Play Booster Box for $209.70 with free shipping — with a delivery date of Aug. 17, after the expansion’s release date of Aug. 14.
TCGplayer is currently higher for the same Play Booster Display. Its market price is $226.05, while the lowest listing is $225.80 with shipping included, and the listed median is $225.92. That makes Amazon more than $15 below market price right now.
Buyers will get 30 Magic: The Gathering The Hobbit Play Boosters and one traditional foil Middle-earth Box Topper card. Each Play Booster includes 14 Magic cards, with one to three cards of rare or higher rarity, three to five uncommons, seven to nine commons, one land card, and one traditional foil card of any rarity.
There’s also a shot at special alt-art and alt-border cards, with foil borderless rare or mythic rare cards appearing in less than 1% of boosters.
For Lord of the Rings fans who are just getting into Magic, Play Boosters are made for drafting with friends, building decks, chasing Booster Fun, or just opening packs because the art rules.
Featuring beloved characters of Middle-Earth, the set follows Bilbo, Gandalf, and the Dwarves from The Shire to the Lonely Mountain, with Smaug, Erebor, treasure, and plenty of second-breakfast energy along the way.
For expansions you can buy right now, the 30-pack MTG Edge of Eternities Play Booster Box is on sale for only $129 — its lowest-ever price on Amazon. The Magic: The Gathering Avatar The Last Airbender Jumpstart Booster Box is also $17 off.
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Mothers Day 2026 deals: Score free food from Denny’s, Pizza Hut, Dunkin, and moreCelebrate Mother's Day with the best free food deals from a number of popular restaurants, including Denny’s, Pizza Hut, Dunkin', and more.
We all want to treat our moms to the best, but sometimes the budget doesn't quite line up with the best of intentions. That's where freebies, voucher codes, and limited-time exclusives from popular restaurants come to the rescue.
You can find some really great food offers from the likes of Denny’s, Pizza Hut, Dunkin', and more popular names on Mother's Day this year. We've checked out everything on offer to bring you the very best, so you can treat her right this weekend.
Moms can get a free 24-ounce iced drink (any flavor) on Mother's Day.
Reward members get a BOGO free scoop on May 9. You might need to think of something else to do on Mother's Day, but it's still a nice early treat.
Score $10 off online orders of $30+ when you get breakfast for delivery or pickup with the code MOMDAY. This offer is live from May 9-11.
From May 9-10, Dunkin' is offering 3x points when you order either a 6- or 12-count donut box or 20- or 50-count of Munchkins.
Moms can get a free medium sundae with any adult entrée purchase.
From May 7-10, Morton's The Steakhouse is dropping an exclusive Mother's Day menu that starts from $79 per person.
Outback Steakhouse is dropping a limited-time “Mum’s Day Menu” with filet mignon and lobster tail combinations. Looking to go all-out this Mother's Day? This could seriously impress.
Pizza Hut is serving up its famous Heart Shaped Pizza for Mother's Day. This limited-edition pizza is available at select locations nationwide through May 10.
Caniac Club members get a BOGO Free Box Combo on May 10-11.
Ruth's Chris Steak House is offering a Mother's Day brunch on May 9-10, starting at $49 per person.
Get a free single burger with any $10 purchase using the app code for National Burger Month. OK, that's not a Mother's Day deal. But does she like burgers? If she does, it's a perfect Mother's Day deal.
TCBY is giving moms a 6-ounce treat for free. This offer is only valid on May 10, but your mom can choose between a small cup or cone.
White Castle is celebrating moms with a BOGO deal on combo meals. Plus, you can score 20% off any order this weekend by using the code WCMOM.
Daily Show host Desi Lydic roasts Trumps predictably weird Mothers Day tribute"Daily Show" host Desi Lydic has mocked the speech Donald Trump made during his recent Mother's Day event paying tribute to military mothers.
Mother's Day is coming up this weekend, and Donald Trump decided to celebrate with a predictably rambling and odd speech.
"Trump marked the occasion with an event honoring military moms, or as he calls them, military MILFs," jokes Daily Show host Desi Lydic in the clip above. "And I assume he showed them the love and respect they deserve."
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Cue a clip of the U.S. president talking about Melody Wolfe, the mother of National Guard staff sergeant Andy Wolfe, who was recently shot and injured near the White House. Trump went on a complete tangent during his speech, talking about how autocorrect often changes wife Melania's name to "Melody" in Truth Social posts; he then made strange noises with his tongue to illustrate how fast he apparently types these posts.
"Well, now I know what I'm not getting for Mother's Day," says Lydic. "Horny again, ever."
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NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 8, 2026Connections: Sports Edition is a New York Times word game about finding common sports threads between words. How to solve the day's puzzle.
Today's Connections: Sports Edition will require some baseball knowledge.
As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.
Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. 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.
Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: Following along
Green: Fielding components
Blue: Player-focused
Purple: It's all in the name
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Ways to consume a sporting event
Green: Parts of a baseball glove
Blue: Associated with Victor Wembanyama
Purple: Teams with Wolf/Wolves nicknames
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 #592 is...
Ways to consume a sporting event: IN PERSON, RADIO, STREAMING, TELEVISION
Parts of a baseball glove: FINGERS, HEEL, POCKET, WEBBING
Associated with Victor Wembanyama: 1, FRANCE, SPURS, THE ALIEN
Teams with Wolf/Wolves nicknames: NC STATE, NEVADA, TIMBERWOLVES, WOLVES
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.
John Krasinskis interview with Stephen Colbert is a wild rideJohn Krasinski joined Stephen Colbert on "The Late Show" on Thursday, and the interview ricocheted through some wild pivots.
John Krasinski joined Stephen Colbert on The Late Show on Thursday, and the interview ricocheted through some wild pivots.
Having been a bit of a regular on Colbert's show, the Jack Ryan: Ghost War star managed to squeeze in expensive bourbon shots and debates about whether or not A Quiet Place is a Christmas movie, as well as a cheeky spot of leg wrestling.
Beating each other to a pulp seems to be a trend with these two. And with next week the last week ever for The Late Show, watching Colbert and Krasinski pilfering the desk bar and flipping each other on the red carpet seems an excellent way to honour their friendship. It's a two-parter, with one half above, the other on YouTube.
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NYT Pips hints, answers for May 8, 2026The New York Times' latest game, Pips, brings domino fun to your desktop. How to play Pips as well as hints in case you get stuck.
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.
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.
Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 1-1, placed horizontally; 1-5, placed horizontally.
Greater Than (5): Everything in this space must be greater than 5. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically.
Greater Than (5): Everything in this space must be greater than 5. The answer is 6-4, placed vertically.
Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically; 2-2, placed horizontally.
Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 6-4, placed vertically; 0-4, placed horizontally.
Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 0-5, placed vertically; 0-2, placed horizontally.
Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 0-2, placed horizontally.
Equal (5): Everything in this space must be equal to 5. The answer is 0-5, placed vertically; 5-4, placed horizontally.
Less Than (4): Everything in this space must be less than 4. The answer is 1-5, placed vertically.
Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 1-5, placed vertically.
Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 2-3, placed vertically.
Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-3, placed horizontally.
Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 4-3, placed horizontally; 0-0, placed vertically.
Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 5-6, placed vertically.
Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 5-6, placed vertically; 6-6, placed vertically.
Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 2-4, placed horizontally.
Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 2-4, placed horizontally.
Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-6, placed vertically.
Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 3-6, placed vertically.
Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-4, placed vertically.
Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-3, placed vertically.
Equal (5): Everything in this space must be equal to 5. The answer is 5-4, placed vertically; 5-3, placed vertically.
Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 2-2, placed vertically; 2-0, placed vertically.
Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 5-3, placed vertically.
Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 5-4, placed vertically.
Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 1-0, placed vertically.
Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 2-0, placed vertically.
Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 5-1, placed vertically.
Less Than (4): Everything in this space must be less than 4. The answer is 5-1, 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.
Normally $799, the Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 power station is on sale for $499 if you act fastFind the best portable power station deal. Save 38% on the Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 at Amazon.
SAVE $300: As of May 8, the Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 is on sale for $499 at Amazon. That's a 38% discount off the list price.
The Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 is back on sale at Amazon, and this time it's $300 off. That brings the price down from $799 to $499. This price is for the unit only, but there are various upgrade options on sale, including carrying bags, solar panels, and extra units bundled together.
This portable power station has a 1,070Wh capacity, a 1,500W AC output, and a 3,000W surge peak. This means it's capable of powering all kinds of devices, from bigger units like fridges to personal items like your laptop. It weighs 23.8 pounds and includes a foldable handle, so it's also a great choice to take with you for camping trips.
The unit can be charged from 0% to 100% in around one hour using emergency charging via the Jackery app, or in 1.7 hours in default mode using ChargeShield 2.0 technology, so you don't need to spend hours prepping it for use.
The power station includes two USB-C ports, one USB-A port, one DC car port, and three AC outlets with pure sine wave output, along with LED lighting.
Head to Amazon to secure this Jackery deal.
NYT Mini crossword answers, hints for May 8, 2026Answers to each clue for the May 8, 2026 edition of NYT's The Mini crossword puzzle.
The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.
With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.
So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.
Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Friday, May 8, 2026:
The answer is Smush.
The answer is Chance.
The answer is Mayday.
The answer is Orbit.
The answer is Needs.
The answer is Share.
The answer is Maybe.
The answer is Undid.
The answer is Scats.
The answer is Hey.
The answer is C'mon.
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.
Beats Solo 4 headphones just got a huge discount at Amazon — act fast to save almost $100Get the best deal on headphones. Save 45% on the Beats Solo 4 at Amazon.
SAVE $90: As of May 8, Beats Solo 4 are on sale for $109.95 at Amazon. That's a 45% discount on the list price.
If you're looking to upgrade to a decent pair of headphones, Beats is usually a safe bet.
The brand is beloved for its loud, bass-heavy sound and a range that covers everything from earbuds to speakers. And as of May 8, there's a great deal live on Beats Solo 4 headphones. Right now, you can make these yours for just $109.95. That's a $90 discount, and the best price for this model since August 2025. The only catch is this price is only available in two colors: black and gold and metallic pink. For $20 more, you'll get cloud pink, matte black, and slate blue.
The sound quality for these headphones is truly impressive thanks to features like the custom acoustic architecture and updated drivers, and personalized spatial audio with dynamic head tracking.
They're comfortable for hours of wear due to the flex-grip headband, ergonomically angled adjustable ear cups, and UltraPlush ear cushions. And the battery life lasts fir hours, keeping you going for up to 50 hours. When you run out, Fast Fuel charging gives you up to five hours of playback from a 10-minute charge.
Get this Beats deal now at Amazon.
I tried the Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai at home. I was cursing it out more often than I was cheering it on.I tried Dyson's new robot vacuum at home. The Spot+Scrub Ai beats the 360 Vis Nav, but gets torched by Roborock and Dreame.
UPDATE: May. 8, 2026, 5:00 a.m. EDT I first wrote about my first impressions of the Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai in March 2026 after a week of using it daily at home. This review was updated after three more weeks of testing.
Dyson had nowhere to go but up after its last robot vacuum. You don't even need to test the new Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai to already know that it dunks on the 2024 Dyson 360 Vis Nav any way you dice it.
Still, as the third Dyson robot vacuum attempt after two flop releases, there's a lot riding on the Spot+Scrub Ai's success. If it sells well, that means the 360 Vis Nav truly was just a fluke. But if the Spot+Scrub Ai can't compete with the best robot vacuums of 2026 from other brands, perhaps it's time to accept that we don't always need to force the "stick vacuum brand to robot vacuum brand" pipeline.
I tried the Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai at home against top flagship Dreame, Roborock, Eufy, and Shark robot vacuums. (There were seven robot vacuums in my apartment at one point in winter 2026.) Does Dyson's stick vacuum prowess finally translate to robovacs? Let's discuss. Use the table of contents to skip to the results of specific testing categories.
I had been manifesting a robot vacuum with a laser since trying my first Dyson stick vacuum with a laser in 2022, so the dust-illuminating green light is easily the Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai's biggest talking point. The green light works together with AI to help the Spot+Scrub Ai find hidden stains and microscopic debris, decipher between wet and dry messes, and then adjust cleaning accordingly. Unlike many other robot vacuums, which just make a set number of passes in the specified zone or room, the Spot+Scrub Ai double-checks each spot before moving on and goes back again if necessary.
The rest of the Spot+Scrub Ai's upgrades seem huge compared to the 360 Vis Nav, but were long overdue compared to the rest of the robot vacuum market. The Spot+Scrub Ai isn't just Dyson's first roller mop robot vacuum — it's the first Dyson robot vacuum that mops at all. In classic roller mop robot vacuum fashion, the roller gets rinsed in real time to ensure that every inch of floor is being scrubbed with a clean pad. It's much less common to find a robot vacuum and mop combo that actually mops with warm water for more efficient stain breakdown, but the Spot+Scrub Ai does. (Most only wash the mop with hot water, but clean with room temperature.)
The Spot+Scrub Ai also finally adds a self-emptying dock (those have been ubiquitous for half a decade), and washes and dries the roller mop. An AI-powered HD camera brings small obstacle avoidance technology to the Spot+Scrub Ai's resume, but it doesn't send or record images (so no livestream pet camera).
For general vibe and decor purposes, I can't say that I'm thrilled with the look of the dock. The three canister situation is bulky (just like the robovac itself) and unnecessarily industrial. But if you think this design is loud, just wait until you hear the self-emptying noise. FWIW, I do appreciate the built-in detergent tank and bagless dustbin.
Despite so many new features, Dyson surprisingly didn't hike the price from the 360 Vis Nav. The Spot+Scrub Ai costs $1,199.99, matching the debut price of the 360 Vis Nav when it came out in 2024. I'm glad that Dyson realized that the 360 Vis Nav was comically overpriced, which is probably why it's not hard to find it on sale for more than 60 percent off.
The Spot+Scrub Ai started out by acing several of my standard litter box cleaning tests for all robot vacuums. I have an uncovered self-emptying litter box (crystal litter) in the bathroom and a Litter-Robot Evo (clumping grass seed litter) in the kitchen. Both areas get pretty covered in tracked litter after even a day, but I pour extra on the floor for the initial test. The Spot+Scrub Ai finished with about 98 percent debris and dust pickup of each litter type, spinning around to use the laser to check for lingering particles before officially marking the area as complete.
Though the Spot+Scrub Ai is round (not D-shaped like 360 Vis Nav), the roller mop doesn't shy away from wall edges. I watched it scoot right up against baseboards, the open laundry closet door, and the washing machine. It even hugged the toilet as well as I could hope for in such a tight area.
The first wet spill obstacle course included splatters of chunky salsa and a red wine spill on hardwood. The Spot+Scrub Ai bodied the salsa, picking up a surprising amount on the first pass. It turned around and came back the other way to grab the few chunks that were flicked out of the way at first. Overall, the Spot+Scrub Ai+ had to have made about five passes over the same spot of hardwood floor after I assume it noticed that some salsa, a piece of dry cat food, or a speck of litter was left behind. In the app, you can follow along on the map to see where a stain has been detected. That part had me cheering out loud... for a second.
But that level of precision was missing when the botvac approached the spilled red wine. It wasn't the actual roller mop that blundered this spill, but the two spinning side brushes that are typically associated with dry debris.
The Spot+Scrub Ai's whole ethos is using artificial intelligence to clean on its toes, right? There's been so much hype surrounding the joint slay of the AI camera and green light to make tweaks to cleaning in the moment — to the point that they straight up included it in the title of the vacuum. So I feel like it's valid to assume that the Spot+Scrub Ai is smart enough to not make a mess worse. If it sees a puddle in the path ahead, wouldn't it make sense to pause the spinning dry brushes so that they don't further slosh the spill around?
Instead, I witnessed the Spot+Scrub Ai drive right over the spill with side brushes spinning full speed ahead, spattering wine in the vicinity on the floor as well as all over the underside of the vacuum. (Liquid seeping into the interior parts is a recipe for your robot vacuum to stop working.) Those side brushes, now soaked in wine and salsa, don't get washed in the dock like the actual roller mop does.
You can imagine my surprise when I heard the "cleaning complete" announcement, just to look down and see the abandoned puddle smeared to the corner of my kitchen Ruggable, plus a pile of spilled protein powder on the rug completely ignored. Dyson claims that the Spot+Scrub Ai relies on photographic evidence of mess removal before heading back to the dock. How was this missed? And what if the rug wasn't machine washable?
Several red flags popped up during my first week with the Spot+Scrub Ai. Since Dyson baked so many fancy and customizable settings into the Spot+Scrub Ai's app, I was open to the possibility of cleaning and navigation getting better over time. (That's AI's whole thing, after all.) Unfortunately, those initial concerns didn't sort themselves out over the next few weeks of testing.
Mopping fail aside, the Spot+Scrub Ai struggled to maneuver around my apartment without issue on a regular basis. While I've accepted that roller mop robot vacuums are the tallest type of robot vacuum mop combo, the Spot+Scrub Ai is so thick and cumbersome that it limits the reach of its AI mess detection features. It doesn't fit under the Litter-Robot step where a ton of litter gathers, or under the table legs in the hallway, where cat fur tumbleweeds and leaves batted off the dried arrangement on the table gather.
But it's more unforgivable that the Spot+Scrub Ai is too tall to fit under my kitchen counters — even other roller mop robot vacuums like the Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Flow had no problem scooting underneath. Then, the Spot+Scrub Ai never failed to get stuck after half wedging itself under the cabinets, battling with the bottom drawer for a minute straight every single time. Similarly, the Spot+Scrub Ai ended up scraping some gross brown gunk off the bottom of the dishwasher because the squeeze was that tight. You could drop a keep-out zone for tight areas like this in the MyDyson app, but that's kind of a crucial area for a robot vacuum to simply skip. Under-cabinet crumb duty is a non-negotiable in my book.
The Spot+Scrub Ai displayed consistently mediocre rug and carpet performance. It did a satisfactory job with cat hair in the medium pile living room rug, but left behind more than a few sprinkles and tortilla chip crumbs on the same rug. The Spot+Scrub Ai also had a pretty poor showing during the high pile test that I give to every robot vacuum.
I sprinkle small debris like dry quinoa or rice on a faux fur Tumble rug to really challenge the lifting capabilities on plush carpet — the Spot+Scrub Ai's pickup rate was only about 75 or 80 percent, leaving pieces behind in and laying on top of the fibers. Some were visible to the naked eye, some I only discovered after they got stuck to my bare feet.
The 18,000 Pa suction power is a tad low for a $1,199.99 robovac, considering the much-cheaper Eufy C28's 15,000 Pa did a better job on rugs in my testing.
Perhaps the Spot+Scrub Ai's obnoxious industrial design would have grown on me had the cleaning experience itself been a breeze. But I had to rescue the Spot+Scrub Ai from being lost or stuck multiple times — just to carry it back to a dock that was the ugly duckling of the Dreame, Roborock, and Shark robot vacuum docks that I was testing at the same time.
The transparent bagless dustbin advertises every particle that's been sucked off of your floor. The transparent water tank resembles a plastic water bottle that was left in a hot car for a week. I realize that these design choices were supposed to help us keep track of what needed to be emptied or filled when, but at what aesthetic cost?
No, the Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai requires way too much babysitting to be worth its price tag. There are far better robot vacuum and mop combos that cost the same or less — this applies even if the Spot+Scrub Ai goes on sale. If you want a roller mop robot vacuum with reliable AI-powered cleaning, buy the Narwal Flow 2. If you really just want a Dyson, buy the Dyson V12 Detect Slim or the Dyson PencilVac.
As NASA's Juno flew around Jupiter last week, the spacecraft snapped a photo of an object before it could make a clean getaway.
That clunky, bumpy thing at the far right edge of the frame is Thebe, the second largest of the gas giant planet's inner moons. The rarely photographed Jovian world was caught on camera May 1, during a close pass. (It's actually not quite clear whether Juno saw it coming or going.)
Though the mission's JunoCam takes most of the stunning imagery from Jupiter's system, this picture came from the little-known Stellar Reference Unit instrument. The spacecraft was just 3,100 miles away from Thebe in space when it took the portrait. Each pixel represents just under 2 square miles.
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"While the SRU's primary function is to image star fields for navigation, its high sensitivity in low-light conditions makes it a powerful secondary science instrument," according to NASA.
As of the latest count, Jupiter has a bevy of 115 moons. But unlike the large Galilean moons that astronomers have known since the 17th century, Thebe is a modern-day discovery. Scientists first learned of its existence during the Voyager 1 mission in 1980. The moon is one of four small natural satellites that circle Jupiter inside the orbit of Io, a larger tortured world with active volcanoes.
Thebe sits at the outer edge of Jupiter's so-called "gossamer" rings and is believed to play a crucial role in their formation. Scientists think these fainter rings are the product of meteors slamming into Thebe and neighboring moon Amalthea. The impacts are thought to then cause rocks and dust to spray into space around the planet.
Thebe, named after one of Zeus' nymph lovers in Greek mythology, is predominantly red and only about 60 miles wide. Its most distinctive feature is a huge central depression, known as Zethus crater, on the far side of the moon. It spans almost half the width of the moon itself.
Despite its diminutive size, Thebe is built for speed. At a distance of 138,000 miles from Jupiter, it zooms around the planet every 16 hours. That's fitting for an image whose target looks like it's sprinting away.
As of 2026, the spacecraft has orbited Jupiter for nearly a decade. It's studying the origin and evolution of the gas giant planet and its network of moons and dust rings.
During Juno's primary mission, the spacecraft collected data on Jupiter's atmosphere and interior. Among its discoveries was finding that the planet's atmospheric weather layer extends way beyond its water clouds.
After completing 35 orbits, the spacecraft transitioned to looking at the entire system around Jupiter. While the JunoCam has been responsible for many key observations, the SRU instrument has made its own discoveries, such as the "shallow lightning" in Jupiter's atmosphere.
The extended mission will continue until the spacecraft dies. Though Juno will eventually fall toward Jupiter as its trajectory degrades, NASA says it poses no risk of crashing into or contaminating any of the moons, some of which could be habitable worlds.
Stay private online with this 5-year VPN for $15Get a 5-year iProVPN subscription for $14.99 (reg. $360) through May 10 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
TL;DR: iProVPN’s five-year plan is on sale for $14.99 (reg. $360), offering secure browsing, global server access, and support for up to 10 devices, through May 10 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
If you’ve been meaning to add a VPN to your setup, this deal makes it easy to check it off your list. A five-year subscription to iProVPN is down to $14.99 (reg. $360), which breaks down to just a few dollars per year for ongoing online privacy.
iProVPN is built to keep your browsing private and secure while opening doors to content that may be restricted in your region. It employs AES 256-bit encryption — the industry standard for safeguarding data — and features a kill switch that immediately halts your connection if the VPN drops, preventing accidental exposure.
With more than 250 servers in over 45 countries, iProVPN offers flexibility for users looking to access region-locked content or simply enjoy a more private connection. The service supports up to 10 devices simultaneously, making it a strong fit for households with multiple gadgets.
iProVPN is also designed to be fairly easy to use, even if you’re not used to VPNs. The interface is straightforward, and switching to different servers takes less than a few clicks. That makes it a more approachable option if you want added privacy without having to constantly adjust settings.
Beyond privacy, iProVPN includes built-in ad blocking and malware detection to help keep your browsing experience clean and safe. Split tunneling lets you decide which apps use the VPN and which connect directly, while the Smart Connect feature automatically picks the fastest server for you, which is ideal for anyone who prefers plug-and-play simplicity.
Performance can fluctuate depending on your location and server selection, especially if streaming is a priority. However, for everyday browsing, enhanced security, and on-demand access to international content, iProVPN covers all the essentials.
Lock in a five-year iProVPN subscription for $14.99 (reg. $360) until the promo ends on May 10 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Connections.
Stuff Your Earbuds Day is live now — how to score 100s of free audiobooksStuff Your Earbuds Day is live on May 8-9. Stuff Your Eardbuds Day, hosted by Romance Audio Bookworms, is offering free audiobooks from a variety of genres.
FREE AUDIOBOOKS: Stuff Your Earbuds Day is live on May 8-9. Stuff Your Eardbuds Day, hosted by Romance Audio Bookworms, is offering free audiobooks from a variety of genres.
The Stuff Your Kindle Day schedule is intense. That's good news for bookworms looking to keep their reading list stocked up for free, but it's bad news for anyone tasked with announcing these events (like us).
So it's refreshing when we get something new to break up the monotony of Stuff Your Kindle Day, like Stuff Your Earbuds Day.
Stuff Your Eardbuds Day, hosted by Romance Audio Bookworms, is offering up free audiobooks from a variety of genres. There's no limit on the number of audiobooks that you download and everything that you do download is yours to keep. Need a breather from your TBR list? This is your chance to stock up on audiobooks ahead of the summer.
Looking to make the most of Stuff Your Eardbuds Day? We've lined up everything you need to know about this popular event.
Stuff Your Eardbuds Day takes place on May 8-9. This free giveaway is live for 48 hours, giving you plenty of time to make a plan, scout your options, and download everything on your list.
Hundreds of audiobooks are listed for free over this event, but there's a catch. The likes of Chirp, Google Play Books, Apple Books, Spotify, BookFunnel, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble NOOK are hosting these free deals, but you won't find anything from Audible. Amazon doesn't allow authors to offer their audiobooks for free, so Audible is notably absent from the list.
Looking to really treat your mom on Mother's Day? If she enjoys listening to music, audiobooks, or podcasts, AirPods Pro 3 are worth every cent. And for a limited time, they're on sale for $199.99 at Amazon. That's close to the lowest-ever price at Amazon.
The Sheep Detectives review: Deeply silly sleuth story is much smarter than it needed to beHugh Jackman leads a cast of star-voiced sheep in "The Sheep Detectives." Review.
At a glance, the pitch for The Sheep Detectives seems less like an actual movie that exists and more like an unhinged Mad Libs page: From the co-creator of TV's The Last of Us, Craig Mazin, comes a cozy crime comedy in which Hugh Jackman stars as a misanthropic shepherd, whose unexpected death spurs his furry flock into amateur investigating. Lending their voices to these sleuthing sheep are Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Chris O'Dowd, Patrick Stewart, Regina Hall, and Bella Ramsey. At the helm sits Kyle Balda, director of Minions: The Rise of Gru. And for good measure, the rest of the human cast includes the likes of Nicholas Braun, Nicholas Galitzine, Molly Gordon, Hong Chau, and Emma Thompson.
Incredibly, The Sheep Detectives is a real movie. Frankly, it could have been a deeply stupid movie with bad CGI animation and a predictable solution, and I still would have been pleased that it even existed at all. I just love a big swing for its bonkers ambition. But props to Balda and his kooky cast, because The Sheep Detectives is so much more than silly fun. It's a smart parody of the detective stories with a cheeky sense of humor, a sensational ensemble, and an ending so poignant that I actually teared up!
It might sound like sheer hyperbole, but I mean this sincerely: The Sheep Detectives is an utter crowd-pleaser sure to be one of the most entertaining movies of the year.
Based on Leonie Swann's 2005 novel Three Bags Full, The Sheep Detectives begins on the farmland of George Hardy (a terrifically game Jackman), a lonely shepherd who dedicates his life to the care of his sheep. Through voiceover, George explains that he doesn't care much for people, but he loves his flock. Then, he introduces each ram, lamb, and ewe by name. There's the fluffy diva Cloud (Regina Hall), the spunky lamb Juno (Ramsey), the sage-like Mopple (O'Dowd), the rambunctious twin rams (both voiced by Brett Goldstein), and his favorites, the tawny-colored Lily (Louis-Dreyfus) and the surly black sheep, Sebastian (Cranston).
At the end of each day, George settles down with the setting sun and a mystery novel, which he reads aloud to his sheep. He suspects they understand neither hide nor hair of these detective stories, but he treasures the tradition all the same. Little does George know that when speaking amongst themselves, the sheep compare notes each night, hoping to crack the case ahead of the novel's sleuth. It's always Lily who gets it right. So, when one morning they find George dead in their meadow, Lily leads the others in finding his killer.
With Sebastian and Mopple at her side, she travels to the nearby village to size up the suspects, including a grimacing butcher (Conleth Hill), a rival shepherd (Tosin Cole), the rude bed-and-breakfast proprietor (Chau), and a mysterious stranger (Gordon), whose arrival in town is quite suspicious.
Of course, while Lily and her flock understand English, they don't speak it. So, they'll need to figure out how to communicate their findings with investigative journalist Elliot Matthews (Galitzine) and the village's only police officer, Tim Derry (Braun). Along the way, they'll not only use what they've learned from George's books, but also face some hard truths about what it means to be a sheep.
Craig Mazin's script doesn't spoof detective stories. Instead, like Scream did for slashers, The Sheep Detectives draws attention to the tropes of its genre to better subvert them. Lily dedicatedly notes how motive, means, and alibis are all crucial pieces of information. But both she and the cop soon realize that solving a murder isn't as simple as a checking off the boxes in a game of Clue. Humor comes not only from the weird twists the investigation takes, but also from the inventive ways the sheep find to communicate their message to this clown of a cop.
Braun is a solid fool in the role, bouncing not only off the CGI sheep, which are brought to life with animation that finds a cozy spot between photo-real and cutesy critter. He also plays the foil to smarter figures, like Galitzine's reporter, Gordon's could-be femme fatale, and Emma Thompson's lawyer, whose tongue is as sharp as her attire.
Mazin shrewdly brings together archetypes from a cozy English village and from film noir to create a thrilling conflict of tone. Reflecting this mash-up, The Sheep Detectives repeatedly leaps from bouncy comedy to tense moments around the murder investigations. And Balda's ensemble manages each leap with grace. Louis-Dreyfus shoulders the lead, making Lily vibrant, determined, and on occasion rattled. Cranston recalls his Isle of Dogs performance, playing a mangy animal whose yearning to belong and fear for self-preservation are at odds. O'Dowd brings a dopey sweetness that matures into a solemn sincerity as The Sheep Detectives grapples less with the mystery than with the grief of George's death. As these sheep butt heads over the case, there's terrific tension because of how the animation and voice work knits together to create characters who feel absolutely real, even in their wacky scenarios.
Allow me to give my favorite non-spoilery example. In this quaint village, where a festival consists of three small booths arranged in a line behind the bed-and-breakfast, every shop seems to have a neon sign. Not the expected hand-painted wooden sign announcing their shop name. Neon. I first noticed it at the butcher shop, where the grimacing butcher was interviewed under neon pink signs resembling butcher knives. Later, I saw the words "police station" emblazoned in blue neon. And then, during a walk-and-talk where much exposition was being laid down, we see two big green wrenches on the side of a building... in neon, of course. Then, the characters walk past a sign that serves as an explanation and punchline for a joke I didn't even realize was being set up. It read: "Nancy's Neon — huge discounts for locals."
It's a small, blink-and-you'll-miss-it gag. But it had me cackling. And beyond that, it bolstered The Sheep Detective's genre-mashup by infusing the small English village coziness with the harsh lighting of a neo-noir neon signage. The Sheep Detectives is filled with thoughtful elements like this that reflect the layers Balda, Mazin, and their terrific cast have built in.
For grown-ups who love a mystery to solve, The Sheep Detectives offers a murder case that is curious and not easy to crack. The suspects, played by dazzling comedic performers, are colorful, quirky, and even a bit cranky, adding a burst of energy to each interrogation.
For kids who love animal movies, The Sheep Detectives smartly offers furry, funny heroes who offer life lessons in an easy-to-understand way. Sure, this movie involves death, murder, and grief. But there's no blood and little violence. Plus, death is not taken lightly by man or beast here. Actually, how Lily and her flock learn to face what has happened to George could be a learning moment for kids, as it's explained simply but sensitively.
The humor here ranges from physical comedy to quips to visual gags and sheep shenanigans. And as such, The Sheep Detectives is a rare thing, a comedy unashamed to be a comedy. Yet with Mazin's eye for detail and Balda's skill for crafting sheer silliness, The Sheep Detectives is more. It's a feel-good movie that's sure to delight all ages.
The Sheep Detectives opens in theaters May 8.
Dont panic, David Attenborough is fine. Its his 100th birthday.Sir David Attenborough turned 100 years old on Friday, and has thanked people for their well-wishes. A wasp was named after him too.
Sir David Attenborough turned 100 years old on Friday, with people across the globe sending him their well-wishes. He was also honoured with a wasp.
A beloved natural historian, conservationist, and broadcaster, Attenborough has educated millions about the wonders of the natural world across a career spanning over 70 years. Since joining the BBC in the early 1950s, Attenborough has presented a slew of well-received documentary programs such as Planet Earth, Blue Planet, and Extinction: The Facts. To many, his recognisable voice is synonymous with the majestic beauty of nature.
Attenborough has regularly worked behind the camera as well, writing and producing numerous documentaries capturing the amazing world around us. He is also a conservationist, advocating for renewable energy, combating climate change, and protecting the planet's biodiversity.
His work has inspired countless people, drawing attention to the beauty and fragility of our environment, as well as the urgent need for us to protect and preserve it.
"Don't waste anything," Attenborough said in a 2020 interview. "Don't waste electricity, don't waste food, don't waste power. Just treat the natural world as though it's precious, which it is."
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As such, Attenborough's 100th birthday is cause for celebration. Various events have been organised to mark the occasion in the UK and abroad, including live BBC special David Attenborough's 100 Years on Planet Earth and a 242-foot (80-metre) sand portrait of him by arts collective Sand In Your Eye. The Australian Museum is also marking Attenborough's birthday by offering free entry to their exhibit Bloodsuckers: Nature's Vampires.
Google also marked the occasion with an Easter egg, which generates images of animals, plants, and a message of thanks over Search results of Attenborough's name.
Of course, when an older, widely beloved personality such as Attenborough hits the headlines without immediate context, it inevitably causes some initial alarm. Fortunately, this adrenaline spike was unwarranted.
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While Attenborough has not been active on social media since a brief stint in 2020, he released an audio message via the BBC thanking people for their well-wishes.
"I had rather thought that I would celebrate my 100th birthday quietly, but it seems that many of you have had other ideas," Attenborough said on Thursday. "I've been completely overwhelmed by birthday greetings from pre-school groups to care home residents and countless individuals and families of all ages.
"I simply can't reply to each of you all separately, but I would like to thank you all most sincerely for your kind messages, and wish those of you who have planned your own local events tomorrow [to] have a very happy day."
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Attenborough received at least one unorthodox birthday gift this week, with London's Natural History Museum naming a new species after him. Over 50 species have previously been named after Attenborough, including a long-beaked echidna, a ghost shrimp, and a plesiosaur. Now one more has been added to the list: Attenboroughnculus tau, a species of parasitic wasp found in Chile. Though it was initially collected in 1984, the museum only recently identified the insect.
The museum announced its name on Thursday, stating that the decision was to honour Attenborough's work and inspire others to pursue natural history.
"I got this idea [that] I wanted to be a taxonomist from Attenborough from Life on Earth," principal curator of insects Dr. Gavin Broad told Australia's ABC News. "It was Attenborough who opened my eyes to the bigger world … so it's his fault I am where I am now."
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Despite the fortuitous timing, a parasitic wasp may not seem like the most complimentary creature that could be associated with Attenborough. It also isn't the first parasitic wasp to receive his name, preceded by the Smicromorpha attenboroughi from India in 2021.
Even so, it's still fairly fitting considering Attenborough's reverence and respect for all living creatures, despite reportedly hating rats. (While there are no rats named after Attenborough, he is the namesake of a carnivorous pitcher plant which ingests them.) If anyone could find beauty in a parasitic wasp, it'd probably be Attenborough.
The Dyson V8 Plus is almost $200 off at Amazon — buy now for under $350Find the best vacuum deal at Amazon. Save 35% on the Dyson V8 Plus at Amazon.
SAVE OVER $190: As of May 8, the Dyson V8 Plus is on sale for $349.98 at Amazon. That's a 35% discount on the list price.
If it's time for a vacuum upgrade, check out this deal on the Dyson V8 Plus at Amazon. As of May 8, it's on sale for $349.98, a $190.01 discount from its usual price of $539.99.
It's an ideal vacuum for all spaces in your home thanks to its Motorbar cleaner head that's designed to clean different floor types. It's great for pet hair too, and is able to detangle long hair. It comes with three attachments for cleaning different areas, along with a wall dock and charger.
Dyson states that the vacuum gives up to 40 minutes of suction power in one go, or up to five minutes if you're using Max mode. This is one of two power modes, the standard mode is ideal for everyday cleaning while the Max mode is for more intensive spot cleaning. It can also be converted into a handheld vacuum for cleaning your car, your stairs, or just those really hard-to-reach corners.
Dyson's filtration system is impressive — with this vacuum you'll trap 99.99% of particles as small as 0.3 microns and expel cleaner air.
Head to Amazon now to score this Dyson deal.
The Magic: The Gathering Edge of Eternities Play Booster Box hits record-low price at Amazon — save over $40The MTG Edge of Eternities Play Booster Box is down to $129 at Amazon, beating Walmart’s list price and near TCGplayer.
TL;DR: The Magic: The Gathering Edge of Eternities Play Booster Box has dropped to $129 at Amazon, marking its lowest-ever price with Amazon. Walmart is matching that price, while TCGplayer listings start slightly lower at $128 with shipping included.
If you have been waiting for Edge of Eternities to drop in price before adding the expansion to your trading card collection, Amazon has dropped a record-low price.
As of May 8, the Magic: The Gathering Edge of Eternities Play Booster Box is available for $129. That’s $35.70 off Amazon’s $164.70 list price, and it brings the 30-pack box down to around $4.30 per booster. It's also the lowest price this box has ever been with the retailer — confirmed with price tracker camelcamelcamel.
Walmart is also showing the same $129 price, but from a higher $169.99 regular price, which works out to a $40.99 saving. TCGplayer currently has Edge of Eternities Play Booster Displays listed as low as $128 with shipping included, with its market price sitting at $128.27 and a listed median at $164.63. So while TCGplayer is technically a dollar cheaper, Amazon might be the most convenient option for a lot of shoppers.
For anyone who skipped this set when it first launched, Edge of Eternities is Magic’s first full space opera expansion, sending players into the Sothera system as a star system teeters on the edge of disaster. You can expect cards based on distant planets, alien factions, dazzling magic, and a dangerous supervoid at the center of everything.
The Play Booster Box itself includes 30 Play Boosters, each containing 14 Magic cards and a token. Every pack includes at least one Traditional Foil, with 1-4 cards of rarity Rare or higher. There’s also a slim chance of pulling a Foil Borderless Mythic, while Traditional Foil Lands replace regular lands in 20% of boosters.
For more savings on Magic: The Gathering boxes, you can still grab the 24-pack MTG Avatar: The Last Airbender Jumpstart Booster Box at its lowest-ever price. Among upcoming expansions, you can still pre-order MTG’s The Hobbit Bundle for only $69.99.
Pokémon TCG Chaos Rising Booster Pack preorders are down to market price at Amazon — buy for $13Amazon has the Pokémon TCG Chaos Rising Sleeved Booster Pack for $12.99, just $2.08 over TCGplayer's market price.
TL;DR: Amazon has the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Chaos Rising Sleeved Booster Pack up for preorder at $12.99 with free delivery, shipped and sold by MVP Marketplace. TCGplayer also currently has the same sleeved booster starting at $10.87 shipped, and non-sleeved boosters for $9.85.
Chaos Rising preorder prices have been steadily going up for Elite Trainer Boxes, but prices for Booster Packs seem to have stabilized.
As of May 8, Amazon has the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Chaos Rising Sleeved Booster Pack listed at $12.99 with free delivery. The listing is shipped and sold by MVP Marketplace, with Amazon currently showing delivery as early as May 21 for some shoppers. Just keep in mind that Pokémon lists Chaos Rising’s official release date as May 22, so that early delivery estimate may not be accurate.
Amazon is now only $2.08 above the Sleeved Chaos Rising Booster’s market price on TCGplayer. Also at TCGplayer, unopened presale listings for the same Chaos Rising Sleeved Booster Pack start at $10.87 with shipping included, with a listed median of $10.92 and a market price of $10.91.
If you care less about the cardboard sleeve, TCGplayer also has the standard Chaos Rising Booster Pack starting at $9.85 shipped, though its listed market price is higher at $12.06. Either way, each sealed Chaos Rising Booster Pack contains 10 random trading cards.
The Chaos Rising expansion launches the next wave of the Pokémon TCG’s Mega Evolution era, with over 120 cards, more new Mega Evolution Pokémon ex, more than 20 Trainer cards, and more than 35 Pokémon and Trainer cards with special illustrations. Expect Mega Greninja ex, Mega Floette ex, Mega Pyroar ex, and Mega Dragalge ex to headline this highly anticipated expansion.
To save even more on boosters, you can still buy the 36-pack Pokémon TCG Chaos Rising Booster Display Box for $278.95 — making it so you’re only paying roughly $7.74 per pack. As for the last expansion, you can still grab the Pokémon TCG’s Perfect Order Build and Battle Box for around $40 at Amazon.
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Gmails Help me write will now sound more like youGmail's 'Help me write' AI tool is getting more personalized and smarter.
Gmail's "Help me write," an AI-based assistant for drafting your emails, is a useful tool, but it can on occasion sound somewhat stiff compared to your own voice.
This should now change. In a blog post published Thursday, Google said it added two personalization enhancements to its Gemini-powered Gmail tool.
One is topic contextualization, a feature that can connect Gmail to your Google Drive and Gmail based on your prompt, and then insert relevant info into your email draft based on the data it gathered from these apps.
The other new feature is tone and style personalization, enabling AI to write drafts that match the tone and style of your previous emails.
In an example Google has provided, the user is drafting an email on recent influencer campaign launches, and the AI is able to get the actual names of the campaigns from Google Drive files, as well as info on how these campaigns are doing from recent emails. On top of that, the tone of the email is a bit more casual.
Google originally announced these changes in February, but they're now rolling out to following users: Business Starter, Standard, and Plus, as well as Enterprise Starter, Standard, and Plus. The feature is also rolling out to Google AI Plus, Pro, and Ultra consumer-grade users, as well as on the Google AI Pro for Education suite.
Jimmy Kimmel reacts to Marco Rubios awkward meeting with the PopeJimmy Kimmel has reacted to footage of Secretary of State Marco Rubio meeting the Pope.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been having an awkward week. First he made the strange decision to quote rap lyrics while discussing the war in Iran, and now he's gone for a slightly uncomfortable meeting with the Pope after the president attacked the religious leader on Truth Social.
"The president would have gone there to meet the Pope himself but they decided it was too dangerous — when he enters a church all the holy water starts to boil," says Jimmy Kimmel in the clip above. "So they sent little Marco to a summit that got off to an awkward start."
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Kimmel goes on to play footage of Rubio entering a room and shaking hands with Pope Leo XIV, exchanging a few brief words, then posing for an unsmiling photo.
"Alright, good talk," says Kimmel. "That's what Marco calls 'vibing' with someone. They have the chemistry of parents at their daughter's wedding two months after the divorce."
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Hurdle hints and answers for May 8, 2026Hints and answers to today's Hurdle all in one place.
If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.
There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.
An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.
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If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.
Group of eight.
OCTET
A box.
CRATE
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Sequence.
ORDER
A feather.
QUILL
To squeeze.
WEDGE
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Moon phase today: What the Moon will look like on May 8See the Moon phase expected for May 8, 2026 as well as when the next Full Moon is expected.
It's the day before the Third Quarter, so the Moon is closer to 50% illuminated. During this phase of the lunar cycle, the Moon is only half lit again, but this time it’s the opposite side compared to First Quarter, as the Moon moves toward the new moon.
As of Friday, May 8, the Moon phase is Waning Gibbous. Tonight, 66% of the moon will be be lit up, according to NASA's Daily Moon Guide.
If you look up with you no visual aids tonight you'll be able to spot the Mare Imbrium, Tycho Crater and the Kelper Crater.
If you have binoculars, you'll be able to see even more, including the Clavius Crater, Gassendi Crater, and Apennine Mountains are just a few. And that's not all, if you have a telescope you'll see all this plus the Apollo 15 landing spot, the Schiller Crater, and the Fra Mauro Highlands.
There are two Full Moons in May, with the next due to take place on May 31.
According to NASA, the Moon takes around 29.5 days to complete a full orbit around Earth, passing through eight different phases along the way. Even though we always see the same side of the Moon, the way sunlight falls on it changes as it moves, which is what creates the familiar full, half, and crescent shapes. In total, there are eight main phases in the lunar cycle:
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.
How to watch the 2026 Giro d’Italia online for freeHow to watch Giro d’Italia for free. Live stream the 2026 Giro d’Italia for free from anywhere in the world.
TL;DR: Live stream the 2026 Giro d’Italia for free on SBS on Demand. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
There is something incredibly special about watching the best cyclists in the world compete in the Grand Tours. The scenery is often incredible, the fans are always passionate, and of course, the racing is electric. You quickly become aware that you're watching something special. These athletes are simply not normal, and we're blessed to be able to watch these stars compete over three weeks of gruelling competition.
The Giro d'Italia is the first Grand Tour of 2026. This year's event will feature the likes of Jonas Vingegaard, Giulio Pellizzari, Felix Gall, and Adam Yates. There are a number of talented riders very much in the running for the pink jersey this year.
If you're interested in watching the 2026 Giro d'Italia for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
The Giro d'Italia is an annual multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in Italy. The Giro d'Italia is one of cycling's most prestigious three-week-long Grand Tours (alongside the Tour de France and Vuelta a España).
The 2026 Giro d'Italia is the 109th edition of the famous race. This year's race will start on May 8 in Bulgaria and will finish on May 31 in Rome.
The 2026 Giro d'Italia is available to live stream for free on SBS on Demand.
SBS on Demand is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can unblock this free streaming platform with a VPN. These powerful tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Australia, meaning you can access SBS on Demand from anywhere in the world.
Live stream the 2026 Giro d'Italia for free by following these simple steps:
Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in Australia
Visit SBS on Demand
Watch the 2026 Giro d’Italia for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to free live streams without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch the 2026 Giro d’Italia before recovering your investment.
If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming services from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.
ExpressVPN is the best service for live streaming top sporting events from around the world, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries including Australia
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 connection speeds
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 the 2026 Giro d’Italia for free with ExpressVPN.
How to watch MotoGP live streams online for freeHow to watch MotoGP for free. Live stream the 2026 MotoGP World Championship for free from anywhere in the world.
TL;DR: Watch the 2026 MotoGP World Championship for free on ServusTV. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
Are you looking for thrilling and unpredictable racing? No we're not talking about F1, unless you like regular pit stops, safety cars, and the same driver winning almost every week. We're talking about a form of two-wheel racing where anything could happen.
MotoGP is where the real action can be found. Every week you see the best riders in the world go wheel to wheel with their rivals, throwing their bikes into corners with absolutely no sense of self preservation. It's an awesome spectacle, and it doesn't need to cost you anything to watch.
Want to watch the 2026 MotoGP World Championship for free from anywhere in the world? We have all the information you need.
MotoGP is the oldest established motorsport world championship, with the inaugural season taking place in 1949. Races last approximately 45 minutes, without pitting for fuel or fresh tires.
The likes of Ducati, Honda, and Yamaha do battle for the constructors' championship. Marc Márquez is the defending champion.
The 2026 MotoGP World Championship features 22 races held all over the world between March and November:
Thailand GP — March 1
Brazil GP — March 22
USA GP — March 29
Qatar GP — April 12
Spain GP — April 26
France GP — May 10
Catalonia GP — May 17
Italy GP — May 31
Hungary GP — June 7
Czechia GP — June 21
Netherlands GP — June 28
Germany GP — July 12
Great Britain GP — Aug. 9
Aragon GP — Aug. 30
San Marino GP — Sept. 13
Austria GP — Sept. 20
Japan GP — Oct. 4
Indonesian GP — Oct. 11
Australia GP — Oct. 25
Malaysia GP — Nov. 1
Portugal GP — Nov. 15
Valencia GP — Nov. 22
The good news for fans is that it's possible to live stream the 2026 MotoGP World Championship without spending anything.
The 2026 MotoGP World Championship is available to live stream for free on ServusTV.
ServusTV is geo-restricted to Austria, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Austria, meaning you can access ServusTV from anywhere in the world.
Unblock ServusTV by following this quick and easy process:
Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in Austria
Visit ServusTV
Watch MotoGP for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer money-back guarantees. By using these money-back guarantees, you can watch MotoGP live streams without fully committing with your cash. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does mean you can watch select races without actually spending anything.
If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming services from around the world, you will need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for live streaming sport is on sale for a limited time.
ExpressVPN is tough to beat when it comes to streaming live sport, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries including Austria
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
Impressive streaming speeds without buffering
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 the 2026 MotoGP World Championship for free with ExpressVPN.
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 8, 2026Connections is a New York Times word game that's all about finding the "common threads between words." How to solve the puzzle.
The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you love a sweet treat.
Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: Tongue kiss
Green: Same shape
Blue: A surprise
Purple: Sweets
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Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Canoodling
Green: Five-sided things
Blue: Unexpected places to be "Out of"
Purple: Ending in candy brands minus "S"
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 #1062 is...
Canoodling: FIRST BASE, MAKING OUT, NECKING, TONSIL HOCKEY
Five-sided things: HOME PLATE, JEANS BACK POCKET, SCHOOL CROSSING SIGN, THE PENTAGON
Unexpected places to be "Out of": LEFT FIELD, NOWHERE, THE BLUE, THIN AIR
Ending in candy brands minus "S": BURGER KING WHOPPER, FILM NERD, MEMENTO, PITCHER'S MOUND
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.
NYT Strands hints, answers for May 8, 2026The NYT Strands hints and answers you need to make the most of your puzzling experience.
Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you like ordinary things.
Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.
By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.
If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.
The words are related to simplicity.
These words describe plain things.
Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.
Today's spangram is Run of the Mill.
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Basic
Pedestrian
Ordinary
Run of the Mill
Prosaic
Common
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.
Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 8, 2026Here's the answer for "Wordle" #1784 on May 8 as well as a few hints, tips, and clues to help you solve it yourself.
Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're always in the background.
If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.
A shadow.
There are no recurring letters.
Today's Wordle starts with the letter U.
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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...
UMBRA
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.
Travel blogger on hantavirus-stricken cruise ship: were peopleTravel blogger Jake Rosmarin brings a human face to the outbreak aboard the m/v Hondius.
Boston-based travel blogger Jake Rosmarin is among the approximately 100 people aboard the m/v Hondius, a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean now struggling to contain a deadly hantavirus outbreak.
In a tearful video Rosmarin filmed for TikTok, the outside world was asked to remember the “uncertainty” for passengers. "What is happening is very real for us right now," Rosmarin said. "We’re not just a story, we’re not just headlines, we’re people, people with families, with lives, with people waiting for us at home.”
Before departing from Argentina on the 35-day cruise, Rosmarin filmed a video tour of the ship — highlighting the dining hall, bridge, outer decks, and his own room.
Three passengers on the Hondius, which departed on April 11 from Argentina en route to Cape Verde, have died from hantavirus, which is typically contracted through exposure to the feces, urine, or saliva of rodents. It is believed the disease spread during a birdwatching expedition, according to NBC News.
The World Health Organization is currently reporting five confirmed cases of the virus. This specific strain of hantavirus, known as the Andes strain, can spread from person to person.
After the first infections began to show on the ship, 30 people aboard the Hondius disembarked on April 24 on the island of St. Helena, including the wife of a man who died from the virus. Her husband’s body was removed as well. Contact tracing was not conducted in St. Helena, according to reports.
The unnamed widow then flew to Johannesburg and then attempted to fly home to Amsterdam, but was removed from the flight before it took off for Europe. The woman has since died.
Several of the people who got off in St. Helena are now in the United States, specifically California, Arizona, Texas, Georgia, and Virginia. Representatives of the World Health Organization say the outbreak “is not the start of a new pandemic or epidemic,” according to NBC News.
The Hondius is currently en route to the Canary Islands and is expected to arrive in three or four days, but the president of the Spanish-controlled islands is currently resisting the ship docking there. No one aboard the ship is currently symptomatic, Hondius operator Oceanwide Expeditions declared in a statement.
On Wednesday, WHO offered key facts about hantavirus:
Hantaviruses are a group of viruses carried by rodents that can cause severe disease in humans.
People usually get infected through contact with infected rodents or their urine, droppings or saliva.
Infection with hantaviruses can cause a range of illnesses, including severe disease and death.
In the Americas, hantaviruses can cause hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS), a severe respiratory illness, with a case fatality rate up to 50 percent.
Andes virus, found in South America, is a currently known hantavirus for which limited human‑to‑human transmission among contacts has been documented.
In Europe and Asia, hantaviruses cause hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS).
Symptoms of hantavirus can emerge anywhere from one to eight weeks after exposure, and typically include fatigue, fever, headache, muscle aches, abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting.
WHO warns that early diagnosis of hantavirus infection is difficult because many early symptoms are similar to flu, pneumonia, and COVID. The Andes strain of hantavirus is not as easily transmitted as flu or COVID though, according to health experts cited by NBC News.
Hantavirus can cause two distinct syndromes: pulmonary syndrome (HPS), which affects the lungs, and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), which affects the kidneys. HPS is much more dangerous, with a 38 percent fatality rate, according to USA Today, while HFRS has a 1 percent to 15 percent fatality rate.
There is no specific treatment or vaccine available for hantavirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Patients should receive supportive care, including rest, hydration, and treatment of symptoms," the agency states on its website.
Wear a face mask and go to the nearest hospital or medical facility immediately.
The "too powerful for its own good" M5 MacBook Air is down to its best-ever price — buy for under $950The 2026 Apple MacBook Air with the M5 chip is back down to its lowest price ever of $949. That's 13% or $150 off its list price.
SAVE $150: As of May 7, the Apple MacBook Air (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) is back on sale for just $949 at Amazon. That's $150 off its list price of $1,099 and its lowest price on record.
When Mashable Tech Editor Tim Beck Werth tested Apple's newest MacBook Air, he called it a "near-perfect machine" that's "too powerful for its own good." It's extremely similar to the M4 Air, but now packs Apple's M5 silicon and comes with a steeper starting price of $1,099. "For $899, or even $949, I'd find this laptop irresistible," Werth writes in his review.
I'm pleased to announce that his wish has been granted, as the 13-inch Apple M5 MacBook Air is now just $949 at Amazon. As of May 7, you'll save 14% or $150 on the base model with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of solid-state storage. That's also its lowest price on record, which it's reached just once before.
While the starting price for the M5 MacBook Air is technically higher, you're getting more storage than the previous generation. So when you do the math, you'll actually be saving even more by grabbing this deal.
Aside from the speedier processor and more base storage, the 2026 Air also comes with the N1 wireless chip, which brings support for WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 6, and is configurable with up to 4TB (up from 2TB). Otherwise, the specs are largely comparable to the previous generation. It still packs a 60Hz Liquid Retina display, 12MP Center Stage webcam, dual Thunderbolt 4 ports, and 18-hour battery life.
It's certainly not an essential upgrade if you already have an M3 or M4 MacBook Air. However, if you're rocking an older MacBook or you're just joining the Apple world, this is the best MacBook to get. And as Werth put it, at this price it's irresistible.
Bring iconic pieces of art to your walls for just $25 with this cool smart TV toolShow off legendary paintings on your wall with Dreamscreens Dream Art Collection 4K
TL;DR: Show off legendary paintings on your wall with Dreamscreens Dream Art Collection 4K, on sale now for just $24.99 (reg. $49.99).
Want to jazz up your living room? Dreamscreens gives your houseguests something to talk about, putting more than 500 famous paintings from history on display right on your wall. You don’t have to spend a fortune on prints and frames; all you have to do is plug the drive into a USB slot in your Smart TV.
Right now, you can snag Dreamscreens for just $24.99, with no coupon code required.
Whether you’re an art lover or you just want to switch up your home’s aesthetic, Dreamscreens Dream Art Collection 4K brings over 500 paintings to your wall in seconds. It’s a USB drive packed with famous paintings from throughout history, and there’s no complicated setup — all you have to do is plug it in.
Wondering which paintings are included? Iconic images like The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh, The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci, and The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo. It serves as a great conversation starter at home, turning your TV into a talking point.
Dreamscreens delivers 4K quality, so you can check out every detail of each painting in ultra-high definition. You can also choose to see the paintings in their original aspect ratio with the standard screen version, or select the widescreen version to fill the entire television screen.
Not interested in static art? You can also set it up as a video slideshow, with background music to set the vibe.
Just one framed print of these paintings could set you back hundreds of dollars. Dreamscreens gives you access to over 500, so you can consistently change things up and enjoy variety.
Get Dreamscreens Dream Art Collection 4K for just $24.99.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Bumble is officially killing the swipeBumble's founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd said that Bumble is saying goodbye to the swipe.
When Bumble posted a cryptic image on Instagram telling the swipe that "it's over," people questioned whether the dating app was really getting rid of swiping. Today, its founder and CEO, Whitney Wolfe Herd, confirmed that it is.
On "The Axios Show," Wolfe Herd said, "We are going to be saying goodbye to the swipe and hello to something that I believe is revolutionary for the category."
The change in the matching mechanism will hit certain markets starting in the fourth quarter of 2026.
What will replace the swipe? Wolfe Herd didn't say exactly, but it likely has to do with the new AI-driven matchmaking experience, Dates. Wolfe Herd has also mentioned on multiple earnings calls that Bumble is revamping the app's backend as well.
"We are evolving into our next chapter," Wolfe Herd told Axios's Sara Fischer, which is similar to what a Bumble spokesperson told Mashable yesterday when asked about the Instagram post.
The full episode doesn't appear to be live yet, but from Axios's own coverage, Wolfe Herd also said that the app will not "force one gender over another to do something first," yet the app will keep "the essence of what was always meant to be women making the first move."
Bumble has already begun moving away from its "women making the first move" ethos that it held since its inception in 2014.
In 2024, the app launched "Opening Moves" to let men message women first in heterosexual matches. Then-CEO Lidiane Jones said the move was at least partly due to dating app fatigue. Wolfe Herd soon returned as Bumble's CEO in early 2025, and in February 2026, the app removed the option in Mexico and Australia.
Swiping has been integral to Bumble's user experience since its launch, two years after Tinder (which Wolfe Herd also cofounded) popularized the "hot or not" swipe model. But given that Bumble's revenue and paying users are down year over year, it seems the company wants to try something new to regain those users.
Tinder, too, has seen financial dips recently, and it's also made some changes.
In March, Tinder released a suite of new features, including an AI matchmaker, Chemistry. Hinge, meanwhile, doesn't have swiping and keeps growing financially, suggesting that dating app users may be tired of rejecting someone with their thumb.
AirPods with cameras reportedly in final testing at AppleApple is apparently in the final stages of vetting a new AirPods model with cameras that would interface with AI.
Apple might expand its AI wearable efforts into the world of AirPods.
Bloomberg reported today that Apple is in the final stages of testing a new AirPods model that would feature small cameras in each earbud. They would have longer stems than the AirPods you're used to, but would otherwise look very similar, says Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
According to his latest report, the device has "entered a phase where prototypes feature a near-final design and capabilities" after years of development internally, but we don't have a firm release date yet. It's also possible that these prototype AirPods never make it to market.
In case you're worried about being surreptitiously recorded by any random person with AirPods you see on the street, these cameras would not be used for any kind of photo or video capture. Instead, Gurman says they would be low-resolution modules used to see the environment for the purpose of interacting with an AI assistant.
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We first heard about AirPods with cameras back in 2024, when the reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo described AirPods with built-in infrared cameras. At the time, he said these modules would be similar to FaceID cameras and power new spatial audio experiences. More recently, Gurman reported on camera-equipped AirPods this January, saying the focus would be on powering AI features.
Gurman says the AirPods will apparently include a little LED indicator light that turns on when the cameras are working their magic, but without seeing the earbuds in action, we don't know how visible that will be to anyone else yet.
While Apple has a strong track record with privacy, there are obvious privacy concerns with putting cameras (no matter how low resolution) in a pair of earbuds. Meta's Ray-Ban glasses have enabled a lot of bad behavior, for instance.
All of this begs the question: Would you wear earbuds with a built-in camera?
As someone who vividly remembers the very negative public response to Google Glass, I do wonder if the populace will feel differently this time around.
Big Tech companies clearly think there will be demand for this sort of device. OpenAI is working on an AI wearable with the famed designer Jony Ive, and Motorola released a concept AI pendant at CES 2026. Apple is also rumored to be working on a wearable AI pin, while Meta and Google have invested in developing smart glasses with cameras.
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New report: X remains the most dangerous platform for LGBTQ usersGLAAD's Social Media Safety Index fails all major platforms on LGBTQ safety, X gets lowest scores while TikTok ranks at the top.
Elon Musk's X is still the most unsafe social media platform for LGBTQ+ users, according to a new report by GLAAD.
The organization's annual Social Media Safety Index (SMSI) and its "platform scorecards" grade social media sites on LGBTQ safety, privacy, and expression. GLAAD assessed external-facing policies on diversity programs, content moderation, user suppression, and enforcement mechanisms, among other metrics, for six major companies: Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, YouTube, and TikTok.
X scored just 29 points out of a possible 100. No platform has ever scored above a 67.
While X may have received the worst marks of the bunch, none of the platforms analyzed by the organization got passing grades. Many, in fact, hit historic lows. GLAAD found that all platforms were "rife with anti-LGBTQ hate, harassment, and disinformation," and noted nationwide rollbacks on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts.
The report specifically calls out Meta and YouTube's updated LGBTQ policies, including Meta's overhaul of its Hateful Conduct policy. YouTube's score fell 11 points, the most severe drop, compared to the 2025 analysis. TikTok was the only platform whose score did not decrease over the last year, although it still only earned a score of 56 out of 100.
GLAAD began issuing platform scorecards in 2021. Over the last five years, X has consistently earned some of the lowest scores among competitor platforms — X came out on top of TikTok in the organization's 2022 report. Scores are based on corporate transparency metrics established by global digital human rights organization Ranking Digital Rights and 14 LGBTQ-specific online indicators, GLAAD explained.
GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis wrote:
ChatGPT users can now choose a trusted contact"OpenAI to notify user's trusted contact in the event of a possible serious safety concern."Leading social media companies today do not meet basic best practices in content moderation, transparency, data privacy, and workforce diversity — and continuously refuse to meaningfully prioritize the safety, privacy, and expression of LGBTQ people and other marginalized communities. Advertisers should question commitments to LGBTQ safety and the disregard for the safety of LGBTQ users as they plan which platforms to continue to support.
To LGBTQ creators, advocates, and organizations targeted on and by these platforms: these companies need to hear from you. The threats in your DMs, the disinformation fueling anti-LGBTQ legislation, and the bullying that leads to real-world violence are not just ‘part of the job.’ They are systemic failures that tech leaders have the tools to fix, yet they choose to profit from them instead."
OpenAI has been under intense legal and public pressure to improve the way its flagship AI product ChatGPT responds when a user express suicidal feelings.
On Thursday, the company launched a feature called Trusted Contact, which allows users to designate an adult to notify should the user talk about self-harm or suicide in a serious or concerning way.
The optional feature only encourages the trusted contact to reach out to the user. It does not share chat transcripts or conversation details.
"Our goal is to ensure that AI systems do not exist in isolation," the company said in a blog post announcing the feature. "Instead they should help connect people to the real-world care, relationships, and resources that matter most."
OpenAI has been sued multiple times for wrongful death by family members of ChatGPT users who died by suicide after ChatGPT allegedly coached them to end their lives or didn't respond appropriately to their discussions of psychological distress. OpenAI has denied the allegations in the first of those lawsuits.
The state of Florida is also investigating ChatGPT's links to "criminal behavior," including the "encouragement of suicide and self-harm."
Trusted Contact was developed with feedback from experts, including OpenAI's Expert Council on Well-Being and AI and the American Psychological Association.
"Helping people identify a trusted person in advance, while preserving their choice and autonomy, can make it easier to reach out to real-world support when it matters most," Dr. Arthur Evans, chief executive officer of the American Psychological Association, said in a statement.
Users can start the Trusted Contact process by clicking on their ChatGPT settings.
One adult age 18 or older can be added via the Trusted Contact form.
The contact doesn't need a ChatGPT account.
The designated contact will receive an invitation from OpenAI explaining their role as a trusted contact. They must accept the invite within one week in order to activate the feature. The contact can share their phone number or email address as a contact method. Should the person decline, the user can add a different adult.
When OpenAI's automated monitoring systems detect discussion of self-harm or indicates a serious safety issue, ChatGPT alerts the user that the company may notify their trusted contact. The user prompt encourages outreach to the trusted contact and provides conversation starters.
The safety issue is then reviewed by what OpenAI describes as a "small team of specially trained people." When the human reviewers confirm a possible serious safety concern, ChatGPT sends the Trusted Contact a brief email or text message. If the person has a ChatGPT account, they will receive an in-app notification.
The notification doesn't include details about the user's discussion. Instead, it informs the trusted contact that the user mentioned self-harm and encourages the contact to reach out. The message includes a link to guidance for having sensitive conversations.
Users are free to remove or edit their Trusted Contact at any time. The Trusted Contact can also remove themselves via ChatGPT's help center.
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're feeling suicidal or experiencing a mental health crisis, please talk to somebody. You can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. You can reach the Trans Lifeline by calling 877-565-8860 or the Trevor Project at 866-488-7386. Text "START" to Crisis Text Line at 741-741. Contact the NAMI HelpLine at 1-800-950-NAMI, Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. ET, or email info@nami.org. If you don't like the phone, consider using the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Chat. Here is a list of international resources.
GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen leans into the spin in confusing eBay acquisitionIn his quest to takeover eBay, GameStop's CEO Ryan Cohen has made some perplexing choices. Now, he's leaning into the spin.
GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen surprised the business world on May 3 when he announced that GameStop was making a bid to acquire eBay for $55 billion.
The news raised an obvious question: How could GameStop, valued at roughly $12 billion, afford to buy eBay?
In a now-viral CNBC interview on Monday, Cohen declined to answer this riddle, and the interview only raised more questions about the acquisition.
In its announcement, GameStop said it would offer half cash and half stock, and noted that GameStop's 1,600 physical storefronts could serve as hubs to authenticate and fulfill eBay orders. In addition, GameStop has also quietly purchased a 5 percent stake in eBay in recent years, and Cohen presented CNBC with a letter from TD Securities confirming that the bank would provide $20 billion in financing.
However, for many analysts, the math simply isn't mathing. When pressed on how he would get to $55 billion, Cohen repeatedly told CNBC he didn't understand the question.
Mashable reached out to GameStop for clarification on Cohen's interview, and the company responded on Wednesday with a link to a recent post from Cohen on X, where he joked, "I’m selling stuff on eBay to pay for eBay." That post is now pinned to the top of Cohen's profile.
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In a follow-up X post, Cohen shared a screenshot of an eBay listing for old socks, along with a warning that his account had reached a $50,000 monthly limit for eBay listings. And not long after that, Cohen shared a screenshot of an email that said his ryan_5050 eBay account had been "permanently suspended because of activity that we believe was putting the eBay community at risk." (The ryan_5050 eBay profile is still online, with active listings for vintage software and gaming memorabilia.)
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This is what's called "leaning into the spin."
GameStop has a history as a meme stock, but by all accounts, the bid for eBay is no joke. In later interviews, Cohen described the deal in more detail, and the New York Times described the offer as "a deal that sounded like a reverse merger." Before becoming chairman and CEO at GameStop, Cohen founded the popular online pet store Chewy.
eBay confirmed receipt of the acquisition bid in a May 4 press release.
The bare-bones press statement says that eBay had received an "unsolicited proposal" and that it "had no discussions with or outreach from GameStop prior to receiving the proposal."
It also said that eBay's board of directors would review the proposal and consider whether or not GameStop was really capable of delivering an "actionable proposal." (Mashable reached out to eBay with questions, but we have not received a response.)
The New York Times reports that Michael Burry, a GameStop investor who was famously portrayed by Christian Bale in The Big Short, has since sold all of his GameStop holdings.
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Google AI mode labels some Reddit and social media posts as ‘Expert Advice’Google has a few new updates for AI Overviews, including a feature that sources perspectives from social media and online communities.
Google announced a few new AI-related updates to Google Search this week, including a new feature that appears as "Expert Advice" in AI Mode and the AI Overview section at the top of the search results page.
When a user performs a search, Google will now bring in social media posts and forum discussions from around the internet in order to help answer a user's query. The content will appear beside the creator's name, handle, or the community name where the information was posted. A link will also be included to the source.
In one of Google's examples, a search about taking pictures of the Northern Lights provided the user with "Expert Advice" from sources such as photography news website DPReview and a WordPress-hosted website for an aurora borealis tour company. However, the advice also featured commentary from Reddit's r/photography subreddit.
Labeling social media and forum posts as "Expert Advice" could certainly be problematic for certain search queries. Search results from platforms like Reddit have become very popular among users looking for reviews or recommendations on products or services.
However, users likely shouldn't trust these sources for something like medical advice. And because many spammers are taking advantage of Reddit's newfound visibility in Google Search, not all Reddit commentary comes from actual users.
Google says that these new sources won't always be labeled "Expert Advice." The company is describing this content as a "preview of perspectives." In some of Google's examples of the feature, the social media and forum content appears under the title of "Perspectives" or "Community Experiences."
Along with this new feature, Google announced a few more updates to AI Overviews and AI Mode as well.
AI Overviews will now provide users with recommendations on topics or queries for "Further Exploration" in order to encourage users to dig deeper.
In addition, Google has launched a link preview feature inside AI Overviews to give users more information about a certain source. Users will see a pop-up with a preview of the website when hovering over a link.
Speaking of links, Google is making links in AI Overviews more obvious, too. Relevant links in AI responses will be highlighted and appear right next to the information.
Google is also rolling out a feature that will highlight links in AI Overviews from news sources that a user subscribes to. According to Google, in its testing of the feature, users were more likely to click links for sources that they were already subscribed to.
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Preorder the new Google Fitbit Air and get a free $35 credit at the Google StorePreorder the Google Fitbit Air for $99.99 and get a free $35 Google Store credit.
GET A FREE $35 GOOGLE STORE CREDIT: Preorder the Google Fitbit Air before it launches on May 26 to get a free $35 credit to the Google Store. The credit arrives after your order ships.
A new fitness tracker has entered the chat. The Google Fitbit Air is set to launch on May 26, and it comes packed with useful and user-friendly features. If you're considering an upgrade to the latest Fitbit, check out these preorder benefits.
Through May 25, preorders for the Fitbit Air come with a free $35 Google Store credit. Google will provide the credit after the fitness tracker ships. Additional bands start at $34.99, so the free credit is a great opportunity to snag a band that matches your preferences.
In addition to the free Google Store credit, preorders get three months of free access to Google Health Premium, which also launches on May 26. A month's subscription to Google Health Premium normally comes with a price of $9.99.
Google says this service uses Gemini to give personal health and fitness coaching, adaptive to your lifestyle and preferences. It gives users a detailed sleep score, weekly coaching spotlights, medical record summaries, and fitness plans that adapt to their goals. It also contains a workout library and meditation sessions.
Co-designed with NBA star Stephen Curry, the Google Fitbit Air is a lightweight and minimalistic fitness tracker, falling into the category of a screenless fitness tracker like the Whoop. However, unlike the Whoop, the Fitbit Air comes with a starting price of just $99.99.
If you're looking for a thin and lightweight fitness tracker, the latest Fitbit Air could be perfection. Preorder it from Google before it launches on May 26, and you'll get a free $35 Google Store credit.
Anime fans: Crunchyroll just dropped a streaming deal youll want to know all aboutCrunchyroll is offering anime fans three months of streaming for either $1.99 or $2.99 per month. Sign up on Crunchyroll or Prime Video.
TL;DR: Through May 21, new and returning anime fans can get three months of Crunchyroll Fan for $1.99 per month (reg. $9.99 per month) or Mega Fan for $2.99 per month (reg. $13.99 per month) directly or as a Prime Video add-on during the Crunchyroll ANi-MAY sale.
Crunchyroll jacked up its prices earlier this year after ending its free streaming plan, much to the dismay of anime fans. But the streamer is kind of making up for it with its ANi-MAY Sale this month.
Through May 21, new and returning subscribers can get three months of the Crunchyroll Fan subscription tier for just $1.99 per month (reg. $9.99) or the Crunchyroll Mega Fan subscription tier for just $2.99 per month (reg. $13.99). That's $24 or $33 total in savings across three months. The deal is available through the Crunchyroll app or website directly or as a Prime Video add-on subscription.
The Fan subscription gets you ad-free access to the entire Crunchyroll library, including new episodes shortly after airing in Japan. You'll also get offline viewing, 5% off select products in the Crunchyroll Store, and the ability to stream on one device at a time. With the Mega Fan subscription, you'll unlock access to the Crunchyroll Game Vault, 10% off select products, members-only offers, early access to sales, and the ability to stream on four devices at a time.
The anime-streaming giant is loaded with a vast selection of popular titles, Crunchyroll Originals, and simulcasts, including One Piece, Gachiakuta, Solo Leveling, Demon Slayer, and the beloved Witch Hat Atelier.
If you've ever been the least bit curious about anime and want to explore the genre, this is the subscription to get. And what better time than during the ANi-MAY Sale, when it's only a couple of bucks per month. Just imagine how much you can watch in three month's time.
Google just launched the Fitbit Air — meet the latest screenless fitness trackerThe new Google Fitbit Air starts at $99.99 and uses Gemini AI to track fitness and health data.
Summer fitness tracking just got an upgrade. On May 7, Google officially launched the Fitbit Air, which Stephen Curry has been sporting for weeks now. The screenless health and fitness tracker is set to ship on May 26 and is perhaps Whoop's newest competitor. While the Fitbit Air looks great and comes with user-friendly features, it's price of $99.99 might be one of its best attributes.
As the name suggests, the Fitbit Air is incredibly lightweight, coming in at just 12 grams with the band. It's designed to be comfortable enough for all-day and all-night wear. That's great news since Google says battery life can stretch for up to one week, and it has advanced sleep tracking capabilities.
We have tons of options when it comes to fitness trackers, including smart rings, but not many fall under the $100 price mark. Google aims to bring a level of simplicity to fitness tracking with the Fitbit Air, both in functionality and overall look, according to the brand's press release.
Like we've come to expect from fitness trackers, the Fitbit Air does the standard tracking of workouts, 24/7 heart-rate monitoring, and monitoring sleep stages. Getting more detailed and unique, the Fitbit Air takes note of heart rate rhythms and is equipped with Afib (atrial fibrillation) alerts. It also tracks SpO2 and heart-rate variability.
When it comes time to workout, you don't necessarily have to let the Air know because it's designed to automatically detect and track workouts. Google says over time, the tracker will get better at automatic detection as it becomes more accustomed to your routines. If swimming is your preferred workout, it's water resistant up to 50 meters.
The Fitbit Air's battery life is said to last for up to seven days, and a full recharge should only take about 90 minutes. If you're short on time, Google says a five-minute charge will earn you an additional day of battery life.
In addition to the standard colorway options, there's a special edition on offer at launch — the Stephen Curry model. The NBA champ helped Google with developing the Fitbit Air, and the special model comes with a Performance Loop band with a water-resistant coating. The interior has raised bands that are said to help with increased airflow during intense activity. The Stephen Curry edition of the Fitbit Air comes in at $129.99, or $30 more than the Air with a Classic band.
Preorders for the Fitbit Air are already live. Google says the tracker is set to hit shelves on May 26. You can also pre-order accessory bands today, which start at $34.99. There's an additional incentive to preorder since Google is offering a free $35 Google Store credit on all orders. The credit will show up after your order ships.
TL;DR: Live stream Aston Villa vs. Nottingham Forest in the Europa League for free on ServusTV. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
The Europa League final is calling to Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest, but only one side can book a place in the showpiece event. Nottingham Forest secured a 1-0 win in the first leg, but Aston Villa will be confident of turning things around at Villa Park.
If you want to watch Aston Villa vs. Nottingham Forest in the Europa League from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
Aston Villa vs. Nottingham Forest in the Europa League kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on May 7. This fixture takes place at Villa Park.
Aston Villa vs. Nottingham Forest is available to live stream for free on ServusTV.
ServusTV is geo-restricted to Austria, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Austria, meaning you can unblock ServusTV to stream the Europa League for free from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Aston Villa vs. Nottingham Forest for free by following these simple steps:
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in Austria
Visit ServusTV
Watch Aston Villa vs. Nottingham Forest for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Europa League without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Aston Villa vs. Nottingham Forest (plus more Europa League fixtures) before recovering your investment.
ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on ServusTV, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries including Austria
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 Aston Villa vs. Nottingham Forest in the Europa League for free with ExpressVPN.
TikTok AI text summaries are rolling back after wild errorsTikTok rolled out AI text summaries for videos, but the feature has been rolled back after making some big errors.
TikTok was offering AI-powered text summaries of videos, but that's no longer happening.
Business Insider reported that the feature, which went live recently, is being heavily scaled back due to its propensity for strange, inexplicable errors.
Rather than describing what's happening in the video, the feature will now just identify products seen in the video instead. According to Business Insider, one of the most wild errors the summary feature made was describing a very straightforward video of Charli D'Amelio as a "collection of various blueberries with different toppings."
One does not have to go far on social media to find other examples.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
BI also noted some other examples it saw, such as describing a dog training video as "a captivating display of intricate origami art, meticulously folded from a single sheet." Another favorite of mine is a video of Shakira described as "a repetitive sequence of several distinct blue shapes appearing and moving across the screen."
It remains unclear exactly how this feature made it into the live version of the app if it had such serious problems, but we can rest easy knowing it's not in there anymore.
Mashable has reached out to TikTok for comment, and we'll update this story if we receive a response.
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I test e-readers and the Kindle I use everyday is now on sale — shop Kindle deals that arrive before Mothers DayMother's Day is right around the corner and a Kindle is the perfect gift. Luckily, there are plenty of deals to shop that will arrive in time for Sunday. Shop all the deals now, including the e-reader that our e-reader expert uses everyday.
As an avid reader, I think I have the best job in the world: I get to test e-readers.
That means among the many e-readers in my collection, I also have access to the full Kindle line-up. After testing through every single e-reader in Amazon's line-up, the one I still use everyday is the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition. While I still think that the Paperwhite is the best for most people, I've taken to the Signature Edition because of its plentiful 32GB of storage. I download a lot of books to my e-reader at once so I need a device to handle it and the Signature Edition fits the bill. Plus, I certainly don't mind that it's ad-free.
But is now a good time to buy a Kindle? Definitely — especially with Mother's Day this Sunday. First, all of the e-readers on sale right now will arrive in time for Mother's Day so if you're looking for a gift for mom, let this be it. And while these aren't the lowest prices ever, I do have to say, they're still pretty good. The Signature Edition is just $15 more than its lowest price ever and the standard Paperwhite is just $10 more than it's lowest price ever. So if you don't want to wait for Amazon Prime Day, which is coming this June, now is a great time to buy.
We've found three great Kindle e-reader deals to shop, plus, there are a ton of books on sale to shop, too. Here are the best Kindle deals to shop — and they'll all arrive before Mother's Day.
According to camelcamelcamel, the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition's lowest price ever is $149.99. That means right now at $164.99, it's only $15 off from its record low. It hasn't even been that low since last year. So leading up to Prime Day, this is the best deal to shop right now.
The Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition has lots of special features you can't get in the standard Paperwhite. It includes auto-brightness that responds to your surroundings, plus it has wireless charging capabilities. But its two best features are its plentiful storage and ad-free display. With 32GB of storage, it holds thousands and thousands of books at once. Plus, no ads feels like a nice bonus so your lock screen isn't totally inundated by Kindle promotions. If you were to upgrade to the ad-free Paperwhite, that's $154.99 on sale. So for just $10 more you get twice the storage with the Signature Edition: not too bad.
And most importantly, if you're looking to get this as a gift for mom, then it'll arrive in time for Sunday.
Read our full review of the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition.
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite — $134.99 $159.99 (save $25)
Amazon Kindle Colorsoft — $189.99 $249.99 (save $60)
Right now, the Kindle bestseller list is dominated by Sable Sorensen's Fury Bound, the sequel in the The Wolves of Ruin series. But if you're just playing catch up, you can grab the first book, Dire Bound, for just $1.99.
Dire Bound is described as Fourth Wing meets The Hunger Games, centering on Meryn Cooper, who has to fight to save her sister, Saela, when she's kidnapped across the border. Now as an elite warrior, bonded to a direwolf, Meryn must do whatever it takes to save her sister. It's a fan favorite book with over 160,000 reviews on Goodreads.
But there are a ton of deals you can shop now to stock your new Kindle's library.
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon — $1.99 $14.99 (save $13)
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid — $2.99 $14.99 (save $12)
Banyan Moon by Thao Thai — $1.99 $9.99 (save $8)
Buckeye by Patrick Ryan — $2.99 $14.99 (save $12)
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner — $2.99 $14.99 (save $12)
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt — $2.99 $9.99 (save $7)
Him by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy — $0.99 $5.99 (save $5)
The Honey-Don't List by Christina Lauren — $2.99 $9.99 (save $7)
My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren — $2.99 $9.99 (save $7)
Orbital by Samantha Harvey — $1.99 $9.99 (save $8)
Red Rising by Pierce Brown — $2.99 $9.99 (save $7)
Wild Side by Elsie Silver — $0.99 $5.99 (save $5)
A whole bunch of Google glasses are on their way this year. And guess what? We’re probably going to hear a lot more about them very soon. Let’s break down what we know and what we think is coming.
Act fast — the Bluetti Elite 30 V2 portable power station is under $220 at Amazon (for a few more hours)The Bluetti Elite 30 V2 is on sale at Amazon for a limited time only for $218.99, down from the list price of $239. That's a savings of $20.01.
SAVE $20.01: In select colorways, the Bluetti Elite 30 V2 is on sale at Amazon for $218.99, down from the standard price of $239. This sale price is set to expire at 8 p.m. ET on May 7.
In a few shorts weeks, we'll unofficially be in summer camping season 2026. If you've been toying with the idea of heading to the campground with more than a small power bank to recharge your phone, you could do well with a portable power station. While not being massively heavy, they can recharge much more than a single phone. Check out this limited-time deal at Amazon on a fun Bluetti model.
Until May 7 at 8 p.m. ET, the Bluetti Elite 30 V2 is on sale in select colorways for $218.99 at Amazon, marked down from the standard price of $239 listed at Bluetti. You'll want to go with the black, purple, or green option to get this sale price.
For weekends spent camping or going on all-day beach trips, the Bluetti Elite 30 V2 is ready to come along in your backpack. Weighing under 10 pounds, it's easy to pack along on any adventure that'll take you off of grid power. Take it camping and you'll be able to utilize the 288Wh to recharge a phone 16 times or get four recharges for a laptop.
Since it's so portable, it's also great during a power outage at home. Keep it on your bedside table to power up a lamp, recharge your phone, and have use of a CPAP machine come bedtime. The Bluetti Elite 30 V2 includes two USB-C ports, two USB-A, and two standard AC outlets.
Before this deal expires tonight, upgrade your off-grid trips with the Bluetti Elite 30 V2. It's available in fun colorways and it's on sale for under $220 at Amazon.
The best college graduation gifts for life in the real worldHooray for a grad gift they'll actually use.
Graduation season means it's time to figure out what your favorite grad needs. One great idea is a practical gift that will help welcome them to post-college reality. Graduates are about to enter the often overwhelming (and sometimes terrifying) world we call adulthood, and you're tasked with giving them something to help ease the transition. The trick is to find that sweet spot between something your college grad will really need in life and something they'll actually want to use. New graduates might not even know what they need to survive post-grad life — but that's where you come in.
