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The fan-favorite Owala FreeSip Twist water bottle is down to $19.99 on Amazon — beating its Prime Day price

Get the 24 oz Owala FreeSip Twist water bottle in Iced Breeze for just $19.99 at Amazon, beating out past Prime Day pricing on Mashable's favorite bottle.


Owala FreeSip Twist

SAVE $10: As of Oct. 12, the Owala FreeSip Twist Stainless Steel Water Bottle (24 oz) in select colorways is down to $19.99 at Amazon. That’s 33% off its regular $29.99 list price, marking a rare drop that beats out Prime Day deals.


$19.99 at Amazon
$29.99 Save $10
 

If there’s one piece of hydration gear Mashable readers consistently obsess over, it’s anything with an Owala logo on it. In fact, the Owala FreeSip Twist recently earned a spot on our list of the top 10 most popular products readers bought during October Prime Day. While the classic push-button FreeSip gets plenty of hype, the Twist version offers a sleeker, leak-proof spin on the original — and right now, select colorways are priced lower than they were over Prime Day.

You can grab the 24 oz FreeSip Twist for just $19.99 on Amazon, saving $10 off its usual $29.99 price tag. Getting a top-tier insulated bottle under twenty bucks is already a solid win, but beating major shopping holiday event pricing makes this a no-brainer if your current water bottle has seen better days.

What makes people fall in love with this bottle is Owala’s 2-in-1 spout design. Unlike standard bottles that force you to choose between a straw and a wide opening, the FreeSip spout lets you do both. You can sip upright through the built-in straw when you're working or driving, or tilt it back to swig directly from the spout when you're super thirsty.

Thanks to triple-layer vacuum insulation, cold drinks stay chilled for hours, and the twist lid safely handles hot coffee or sparkling water without spraying when opened. The protective top creates a tight seal that won't leak inside a backpack or gym bag, and the built-in loop makes it easy to carry around on a finger.

Just keep in mind that the 24 oz version has a slightly wider base than ultra-slim bottles, so while it slides easily into tote bags, it might only fit into larger or specialty car cup holders.

If you want a leak-proof, multi-purpose bottle that lives up to the hype, head over to Amazon to grab the Owala FreeSip Twist for $19.99 while the discount is still live.


Apples upcoming iPad mini might be a lot pricier than the last one

Apple's upcoming iPad mini will be a major upgrade, but will also come with a major price increase, new report claims.


Apple iPad mini

Apple's upcoming iPad mini will be a major upgrade, but will come with an equally major price increase.

This is according to a new report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who claims that the 2026 iPad mini will cost close to $799, up two hundred bucks from the $599 starting price of the previous model.

The new device will reportedly be the first iPad mini to come with an OLED display, and it will also be equipped with Apple's new A20 Pro chip, a new speaker system, and a horizontally-placed FaceTime camera.

At $799, the iPad mini might still be good value, but it would be significantly pricier than the $449 iPad and even the $749 iPad Air (assuming, of course, that those devices remain at those price points, which isn't certain given the memory supply crunch that's driving gadget prices up).

Given the imminent advent of Apple's first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, we'd hoped that the iPad mini/iPhone combo would be a cheap alternative to the Duo's $1,999 starting price. Carrying two devices around instead of one elegant foldable is not the same thing, but you do get similar functionality for less money, at the expense of some practicality. But the new iPad mini pricing, if accurate, sours that deal quite a bit.

The new iPad mini is likely to launch in late October, alongside the company's first-ever touchscreen MacBooks as well as a new iMac computer.

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Sony has dropped fresh colorways for its pro-grade Inzone gaming gear — where to buy

Sony's Fnatic-tuned Inzone H9 II wireless headset and Inzone E9 IEMs just debuted in new Glass Purple and Fnatic Orange colorways, with an early discount on the earbuds at Amazon.


Sony INZONE H9 II

TL;DR: Sony has officially launched new colorways for its Fnatic-collaborated gaming lineup, including the Inzone H9 II Wireless Headset in Fnatic orange ($348) and the Inzone E9 Wired In-Ear Monitors in glass purple ($129.99, marked down from $149.99).


$129.99 at Amazon
$149.99 Save $20
 

If you're still relying on crusty stock headphones or cheap earbuds that turn competitive Valorant matches into an audio guessing game, Sony is offering a solid reason to upgrade. The tech giant just dropped fresh, bold colorways for its pro-tier Inzone lineup — and the new E9 earbuds are already hitting Amazon with an early launch-day price cut.

The flagship Inzone H9 II Wireless Headset gets a bright, high-vis Fnatic orange edition (joining its standard black and white options), while the Inzone E9 Wired In-Ear Monitors debut in a sleek glass purple. Both models were co-developed with elite esports organization Fnatic, so they’re tuned specifically to help you pinpoint enemy footsteps before you even see them.

Inzone E9
Credit: Sony

If you want complete active noise cancellation without feeling like your skull is in a vise during marathon sessions, the H9 II is built like absolute royalty. Sony actually pulled the sound drivers straight out of its flagship XM6 noise-canceling headphones, packing high-end flagship audio tech into a lightweight 260g frame.

Beyond raw audio quality, it comes loaded with FPS equalizer presets developed along with Fnatic pros to make positional cues hit with pinpoint accuracy, plus toggleable ANC to drown out ambient household chaos. You also get ultra-low-latency 2.4GHz wireless via a USB-C dongle, Bluetooth LE, 30 hours of battery life, and a detachable cardioid mic with AI noise reduction so your team hears your callouts instead of your mechanical keyboard.

If heavy over-ear clamping force gives you headaches — or you just prefer to rock compact in-ears under external ear defenders — the Inzone E9s are a lethal alternative. As Sony’s first fully enclosed sealed IEM design, they pair custom noise-isolating tips with an included USB-C audio box to unlock 360 Spatial Sound and deep EQ tweaking via the PC Inzone Hub.

They're built for pure endurance, offering four ear tip sizes, flexible ear hooks, and an ultra-thin 1.8m cable that slips comfortably under headgear without digging into your ears.

Both new colorways are available on Amazon right now, with early savings on the IEMs. Head over to grab the Inzone H9 II for $348 or the Inzone E9 for $129.99.


‘Wildwood’ review: LAIKA weaves its extraordinary animation magic into a dark fairy tale

"Wildwood," directed by creative chief Travis Knight, sees LAIKA lean into the world of fantasy with extraordinary stop-motion animation.


In a still from

Believing in magic as an adult is the stuff of eldritch terror when it comes to the world of LAIKA. The stop-motion animation studio scared the shit out of us with Coraline, a twisted, whimsically macabre web that made a nightmare of the uncanny.

Now, with Wildwood, directed by creative chief Travis Knight, LAIKA once again leans into the dark and extraordinary world of fantasy and magic, this time nestled right across the river from the American Mecca of weird: Portland, Oregon. With handcrafted animation blended with painterly digital tech, the LAIKA team draws you into the Impassable Wilds, a magical realm where the forces of nature cannot be underestimated.

Though a fantasy tale, Wildwood's emotional core lies in reality. And in such a real world, where artificial intelligence is invading systems of creativity like the film's all-powerful ivy, LAIKA's hand-wrought, tactile artistry feels truly remarkable.

Wildwood is a dark coming-of-age tale that sees magic for its darkness and light 

In a still from "Wildwood," two characters walk through a wood.
Prue McKeel (Peyton Elizabeth Lee) and Curtis Mehlberg (Jacob Tremblay). Credit: LAIKA

From Wildwood's magnificent opening scene, adapted by screenwriter Chris Butler (LAIKA's Kubo and the Two Strings), it's clear this is not a fairy tale for children. Based on the novel of the same name by The Decemberists' frontman Colin Meloy and illustrator Carson Ellis, the film begins with a gothic tragedy involving a governess, Alexandra (voiced by Carey Mulligan), and her only son, one that recalls Tim Burton's Wednesday story "Tale of the Skull Tree" — and it sets the macabre tone for the film. For now, the film brings us back into a safe haven: a cosy kitchen in Portland where teen Prue McKeel (Peyton Elizabeth Lee) is leaving the magic of childhood behind her, despite her parents' (Maya Erskine and Jake Johnson) encouragement to believe.

Tasked with babysitting her brother Mac (Arthur Knight, the director's infant son), Prue's wish for adulthood is cruelly granted when he's kidnapped by a Hitchcockian murder of crows, flown deep into the forest that lies beyond St. John's Bridge. The Impassable Wilds, her father calls them, and along with adventure game-loving nerd Curtis Mehlberg (Jacob Tremblay), the pair manage to venture beyond the mist.

In a still from "Wildwood," two characters enter a magic wood in the dark.
Into the woods... Credit: LAIKA

What ensues is a thrilling, dark, and oftentimes uproarious careen into the realm of Wildwood, where the stakes are toweringly high (honestly, don't think your favourite character can't die a horrible death) and the emotional complexity of its residents runs deep. War is brewing, as a ruthless coyote mercenary army and displaced people branded as "bandits" wage bloody land battles within the realm. The conflict affects the entire realm, from an Endor-like avian principality to a grassroots community of mystics ("hippies" Prue calls them). However, there's something even more sinister afoot, and "outsiders" Prue and Curtis must be careful who they trust to get her baby brother back.

As the geopolitical tension of Wildwood comes into focus across the North and South Woods, Prue and Curtis will meet a glorious array of familiar-voiced characters: Brendan the mighty Bandit King (Mahershala Ali), helpful wise-cracking rat (Awkwafina), glorious golden eagle General (Angela Bassett), rage-fuelled coyote lieutenant Maksim (Tom Waits), the flustered yet wise Owl Rex (Richard E. Grant), sage mystic leader Iphigenia (Tantoo Cardinal), fierce warrior Niamh (Amandla Stenberg), snivelling politician's henchman Roger (Jemaine Clement), a accidental soldier Dmitri (Charlie Day), and more.

And at the heart of it all lies someone torn apart by grief, who'll do anything to reclaim what was lost. 

Wildwood's extraordinary animation is at once magnificent and brutal

In a still from "Wildwood," a girl rides an eagle.
Prue and the General (Angela Bassett), LAIKA's largest puppet to date. Credit: LAIKA

This is LAIKA, one of the most lauded studios working in animation today, so if you're expecting Wildwood to be visually magnificent, you won't be disappointed (and Dario Marianelli's soaring score seals the emotional deal).

Through ancient ruins, coyote-patrolled forests, heaving halls of neverending bureaucracy, and dank dungeons adorned with hanging cages, we're treated to wondrous worldbuilding from production designer Nelson Lowry and superb visual detail from principal character designer Thibault Leclercq, costume designer Deb Cook, and head of character and practical effects Oliver Jones. Frame after frame of sublime, handmade landscapes (there were 132 sets) are populated by 233 unique character puppets, painstakingly brought to life by head of animation Brad Schiff and his small army of animators, with Brian McLean's Rapid Prototype (RP) and Benoit Dubuc's CG Facial Animation teams. And they're all boasting hundreds of intricate costumes from Cook and head of costume Anja Poland.

All shot to perfection by cinematographer Caleb Deschanel and edited by Christopher Murrie-Green, the meticulous detail within each scene is nothing short of extraordinary — from the Bandit King's dreadlocks to Prue's tears (yes, stop-motion animated tears!) to the General's majestic flapping wings — and results in a world so resplendent, so visceral, and sometimes so shockingly violent you'll want to pause the screen or run from it. Within Wildwood, animals and people live alongside each other, with human governors, farmers, and bandits existing alongside rabbit constables, coyote commandants, and bear lumberjacks. The effect is one of harmony, tension, and fascination, with each character rendered with such individuality and detail that you could follow any one of them into their own Wildwood spinoff storyline. 

In a still from "Wildwood," two characters walk through a wood.
Respect the ivy... Credit: LAIKA

One of the major players in the film, a sprawling, interconnected mass of ivy stretched across the Impassable Wilds, is a feat of animation in itself, with every climbing vine, every veined leaf, moving as one powerful entity. This sense of gravitas extends to every scene in Wildwood, whether animating a rat swimming in a bowl of venison soup or rain falling on emerald mansion steps.

However, nothing compares to one of the most exceptional battle sequences you'll ever see on screen, a masterpiece of animation whose meticulous production boggles the mind. The largest ever created for a stop-motion feature film, the 12-minute battle scene is 411 thrilling, violent, and awe-inspiring shots that are sure to land this film an Oscar.

Wildwood's secret star is the city of Portland

In a still from "Wildwood," a girl feeds a toddler in a high chair.
Prue's family live in Portland and you won't miss it. Credit: LAIKA

If there's one hidden character within Wildwood, it's the city of Portland, Oregon, America's nucleus of alternative living, where the history of magic has ancient roots. 

In Wildwood's Portland scenes, the team hide Easter eggs and references that build a portrait of the city's weird and wonderful elements: from Prue enjoying the magic of Voodoo Doughnut to cycling past drag queen story hour at legendary independent bookstore Powell's. A bagpipe-playing Darth Vader on a unicycle? Yep, we're in Portland.

Within Prue's teen bedroom, inclusions of The Decemberists' posters pay homage to the Portland band whose "The Better Part Of Bravery," lies on the soundtrack — and whose frontman wrote the book Wildwood is based on. Prue's parents are so Portland they won't even say what happened at Burning Man and mention "medical doctors" as a last resort. Yes, it's reductive and stereotypical, but it renders the city a place where it makes sense there'd be a magical wilderness on the other side of the Willamette River.

It's this familiarity that anchors Wildwood in its most brutal moments, knowing a world of war, violence, and magic lies just beyond a city bridge. LAIKA doesn't treat its audience like glass, presenting the cruelty of magic as one of finality, of life and death. Find the biggest screen you can and ride boldly across the bridge into Wildwood, where magic is just as beautiful as it is brutal. 

Wildwood was reviewed out of BFI London Film Festival and will hit cinemas Oct 23.


The Anker Solix S2000 power station is $649.98 at Amazon — save over $500 at Amazon

As of Oct. 12, the Anker Solix S2000 portable power station is discounted to $649.98 at Amazon, 46% off its list price of $1,199.


anker solix s2000 portable power station against a yellow patterned background

SAVE OVER $500: As of Oct. 12, the Anker Solix S2000 portable power station is on sale for $649.98 at Amazon. That's $549.02 off its full price of $1,199.


$649.98 at Amazon
$1,199 Save $549.02
 

Winter is not too far off, and if you're a bit worried about power outages from severe weather during those months, a portable power station is a helpful item to have around the house. The Anker Solix S2000 is a model designed to keep appliances powered up in moments like those, and this is a perfect time to grab it, as Amazon has slashed 46% off its list price.

Normally priced at a hefty $1,199, this portable power station is down to $649.98. That's a cent cheaper than the price we saw during last week's October Prime Day sale, and it may not be on sale for much longer, since it's marked as a "limited time deal."

With a continuous output of 1,500W and a peak output of 3,000W, the Anker Solix S2000 can power up a variety of household appliances, including fridges. It can keep a fridge powered for up to 35 hours, which is great news if you run into an emergency outage. Its battery also has a 15-year lifespan, so it will last for many years to come.

It also has a variety of ports, including AC outputs, an AC input, a 12W USB-A port, an XT60i input, a 15W USB-C port, and a 100W USB-C port. It weighs 35.7 pounds and measures 8.2 × 11.1 × 12.7 inches, so you can move it around to where it's most needed.

Don't let this deal pass you by. Be quick to save on the Anker Solix S2000 portable power station at Amazon while it's still on sale.


The first iPhone Duo preorder offer has landed — how to save $1,200

The best iPhone Duo preorder deal. New and existing AT&T customers can get up to $1,200 off iPhone Duo with eligible trade-in.


Apple iPhone Duo on composite background

TL;DR: New and existing AT&T customers can get up to $1,200 off the iPhone Duo with an eligible trade-in. Customers who switch to AT&T can also get up to $800 toward their current device balance.


Preorders for Apple’s iPhone Duo officially kick off this week, and AT&T is coming out of the gate with one of its most aggressive carrier promotions of the year.

Starting on Oct. 16, the Apple iPhone Duo will be available for preorder at AT&T before general availability opens on Oct. 23. To sweeten the launch, AT&T is offering up to $1,200 in bill credits with an eligible trade-in for both new and existing customers. If you are switching carriers, AT&T is also stacking an extra $800 credit to cover your remaining phone balance with your current provider, plus an exclusive $200 discount per line when you complete your order online.

To unlock the maximum $1,200 savings, you will need to trade in a qualifying smartphone with a minimum trade-in value of $230, activate or maintain your line on an eligible unlimited plan, and purchase the phone on a 36-month installment agreement.

Getting $1,200 off Apple's $1,999 flagship foldable brings your monthly cost down from $55.56/month to just $22.23/month. You are still required to pay state sales tax on the phone's full retail value upfront, plus AT&T's standard $35 device connection fee. The $1,200 discount is distributed as 36 monthly bill credits. If you cancel your plan, downgrade to an ineligible tier, or switch carriers before the three years are up, the remaining balance becomes due immediately.

Score the best preorder deal for the iPhone Duo at AT&T.


Danny Dyers SNL UK monologue is as sweary as youd expect

Danny Dyer hosted "SNL UK" on Saturday. Watch his monologue.


A man in sunglasses stands on a talk show stage, arms wide.

Danny Dyer hosted SNL UK on Saturday, and it was only right that the TV hard man beat up a few people on his way to the stage.

In the clip above he does his best to keep the language as live TV-friendly as possible with a little help from Rivals co-star Lisa McGrillis, before showing off his (slightly limited) range of UK accents.

Want more of the best of late night? Sign up for Mashable’s Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts.


The Apple iPhone 18 Pro is practically free this week — how to qualify

How to get the Apple iPhone 18 for free. The Apple iPhone 18 Pro is $1,000 off when you switch to T-Mobile.


Apple iPhone 18 Pro on composite background

TL;DR: The Apple iPhone 18 Pro is $1,000 off with T-Mobile. To claim this offer, switch and bring your number or trade in an eligible phone in any condition on an Experience Beyond plan.


We keep close tabs on all the best deals on smartphones. T-Mobile is usually one of the first places we look, because they generally offer free deals on new handsets like the Motorola Razr+, Google Pixel 11, and of course, the iPhone.

For a period of time, T-Mobile was offering the iPhone 17 and iPhone 18 Pro for free. We were pretty crushed when we saw that T-Mobile had dropped this promotion. That was until we saw the alternative. The free deal might have gone, but they are still offering a huge discount on the latest iPhone.

For a limited time, the Apple iPhone 18 Pro is $1,000 off with T-Mobile. To qualify for this offer, switch and bring your number or trade in an eligible phone in any condition on an Experience Beyond plan.

T-Mobile spreads your savings across 36 monthly bill credits, effectively locking you into a three-year agreement. If you cancel or switch carriers early, you will owe the remaining balance immediately. You will also need to cover state sales tax on the phone’s full retail value upfront, plus a standard $35 device connection fee per line at checkout.

If you plan on staying with T-Mobile anyway, it is still one of the best ways to score a top-tier phone without taking a massive hit to your bank account.

Get the Apple iPhone 18 Pro for $1,000 off this week with T-Mobile.


The Nespresso Vertuo Pop+ has dropped below $100 at Amazon — save $30 this week

Get the best coffee machine deal. Save 23% on the Nespresso Vertuo Pop+ at Amazon.


Nespresso Vertuo Pop+

SAVE $30: As of Oct. 12, the Nespresso Vertuo Pop+ is on sale for $99 at Amazon. That's a 23% discount on the list price.


Credit: Nespresso
$99 at Amazon
$129 Save $30
 

A tasty coffee setup doesn't need to cost hundreds of dollars or require an advanced barista-level skill set. With the Nespresso Vertuo Pop+, all you need to do is push a button to get the perfect cup in a matter of seconds. And as of Oct. 12, it's on sale at Amazon for $30 off the list price.

It comes in a range of colors, but only the licorice black, buna yellow, candy pink, pacific blue, and beige are discounted.

This coffee machine will suit all tastes in your household, with five drink sizes ranging from single and double espressos to 5-, 8-, and 12-ounce coffees. You can also switch between hot and iced drinks. Its compact footprint and removable 25-fluid-ounce side water tank also mean it's a practical choice for smaller kitchens.

And it's not complicated to use. The one-touch brewing system heats up in just 30 seconds, so you can have your morning coffee in no time. Descaling alerts also help to make maintenance easier by letting you know when the machine needs attention.

Get this Nespresso deal from Amazon now.


The best mid-range Android tablet drops to $426.99: Save on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE

Find the best Samsung tablet deal. Save 11% on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE at Amazon.


Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE

SAVE $52.99: As of Oct. 12, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE is on sale for $426.99 at Amazon. That's an 11% saving on the list price.


Credit: Samsung
$426.99 at Amazon
$479.98 Save $52.99
 

Tablets are handy for just about everything, from watching Netflix on the couch to getting work done while you're out and about. But with so many options available, it can be tricky to find one that covers all the bases.

For a limited time, you can get a deal on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE at Amazon. Normally $479.98, you can get it for $426.99.

The Galaxy Tab S10 FE is designed to handle a bit of everything, so it's a well-rounded option if you want one device for entertainment and productivity. Its large, bright screen has a 90Hz refresh rate for smoother scrolling, plus dual speakers make it high-quality enough to watch films or catch up on your favorite shows.

It's also packed with a range of Samsung's AI tools, including Circle to Search for finding information directly from your screen, Handwriting Assist for tidying up notes, and Math Solver for converting handwritten equations into text.

It's also IP68-rated for water and dust resistance, so it's robust enough to cope with everyday use wherever you are.

Get this Samsung tablet deal from Amazon now.


The Ninja Foodi PossibleCooker Pro Plus is down to its lowest-ever price at Amazon — get $40 off

As of Oct. 12, the blue macaron Ninja Foodi PossibleCooker Pro Plus is back to its lowest-ever price at Amazon of $139.99, 22% off its list price of $179.99.


ninja foodi possiblecooker pro plus against a pink background

SAVE $40: As of Oct. 12, the Ninja Foodi PossibleCooker Pro Plus is back to its lowest-ever price of $139.99 at Amazon. That's $40 off its full price of $179.99.


$139.99 at Amazon
$179.99 Save $40
 

Slow cookers are perfect for making warm, comforting meals during the cooler months of the year. If you're on the hunt for a machine that can operate as a slow cooker and more for making tasty dinners this fall and winter, look no further than the Ninja Foodi PossibleCooker Pro Plus.

As of Oct. 12, this 9-in-1 cooker is down to its lowest-ever price at Amazon of $139.99, so it's a perfect time to pick it up.

This is a $40 discount off its original price of $179.99, but it may not be on sale for very long. Amazon has marked it as a "limited-time deal," so if you've been hoping to grab it for your kitchen countertop, now is your chance before the offer disappears.

The Ninja Foodi PossibleCooker Pro Plus is quite an impressive cooker, with nine preset options to choose from: Slow Cook, Sear/Sauté, Bake, Braise, Proof, Sous Vide, Steam, Rice/Pasta, and a very simple Keep Warm option. It also has an 8.5-quart capacity, which could hold enough chili for up to 20 people, or even 10 pounds of spaghetti and meatballs with no draining required. Hosting for the holidays? It definitely has you covered.

The inner pot is also removable and oven-safe up to 500°F, so you can easily transfer it if needed. Plus, the inner pot, lid, and spoon are dishwasher safe, which makes clean-up even easier once you're all finished cooking.

If the 9-in-1 Ninja Foodi PossibleCooker Pro Plus has caught your eye, act fast to save at Amazon.


The ultimate holiday gift for sports card nerds — preorder Panini’s 2026 Mangaverse Football hobby boxes

Panini 2026 Mangaverse Football trading cards combine NFL stars and college legends with Japanese manga artwork. Preorder hobby boxes with guaranteed autographs now.


Panini Mangaverse Football cards

TL;DR: Panini has officially revealed 2026 Mangaverse Football, a new trading card set featuring NFL stars, top college athletes, and gridiron legends illustrated in Japanese manga style. Hobby Boxes are available for preorder soon on Panini’s site, with a guaranteed autograph per box.


If you’re trying to hunt down a holiday gift for the hardcore card collector in your life, you can stop scrolling eBay right now. Panini America just dropped details about 2026 Mangaverse Football, a standalone set that blends top college players, current NFL stars, and all-time legends with Japanese manga and graphic-novel artwork.

Hobby Boxes are available for preorder soon on Panini, while retail options are set to hit Target, Walmart, and Dick’s Sporting Goods ahead of the holidays.

Who is in the set?

Instead of standard action shots, Mangaverse gives gridiron icons like Deion Sanders, Randy Moss, Chad Johnson, Lawrence Taylor, and Michael “Samurai Mike” Singletary the full comic protagonist treatment across a 100-card base set. Collectors can also chase artist-driven inserts like Way of the Warrior, Murals, and Origin Story, alongside a stacked roster of player autographs.

Murals Insert Card
Credit: Panini America
Origin Story Cam Coleman
Credit: Panini America

Inside a Hobby Box

If you’re buying for a collector who cares about box hits and low-numbered cards, the Hobby Box is the configuration to grab. Here’s what you get inside:

For a more affordable holiday gift, keep an eye out for the Retail Ornament Boxes coming soon to big-box stores. Packaged in a special holiday ornament-style box, each retail pack contains 15 cards — including two retail-exclusive Bronze, Red, or Green parallels, three inserts, and an exclusive Winter Wonderland holiday insert.

Winter Wonderland holiday insert
Credit: Panini America

Whether you're chasing guaranteed autographs for a high-end collection or grabbing an ornament box for a casual fan, it's one of the coolest crossover drops on the sports card calendar this year. Head over to Panini now to learn more about Mangaverse Football Hobby Box preorders.


The Dreame L40 Ultra Gen 2 robot vacuum and mop is $250 off at Amazon — last chance to save

As of Oct. 12, the Dreame L40 Ultra Gen 2 robot vacuum and mop is marked down to $499.99 at Amazon, 33% off its list price of $749.99.


dreame l40 ultra gen 2 robot vacuum and mop against a green background

SAVE OVER $200: As of Oct. 12, the Dreame L40 Ultra Gen 2 robot vacuum and mop is on sale for $499.99 at Amazon. That's a $250 discount off its full price of $749.99.


$499.99 at Amazon
$749.99 Save $250
 

A selection of robot vacuums are still discounted at Amazon after October Prime Day. If you're looking for a versatile model that handles both vacuuming and mopping, the Dreame L40 Ultra Gen 2 is worth checking out, especially since it's discounted by $250 on Amazon right now. That won't be the case for much longer, though.

As of Oct. 12, you can scoop up this Dreame robot vacuum for $499.99 instead of its full price of $749.99. However, Amazon has slapped a 24-hour countdown timer on this deal, so the clock is quite literally ticking to save.

From carpets to hard floors, the Dreame L40 Ultra Gen 2's 25,000Pa suction — alongside five suction levels you can adjust to — clears up dust, dirt, pet hair, and more. For harder floors, the DuoScrub mopping system also comes in handy, with two high-speed mops to scrub out stains. It even features an extendable brush and mop to reach tough corners or spaces under furniture, so no messy spots are skipped.

The Dreame L40 Ultra Gen 2 also features Smart Pathfinder and 3DAdapt technologies, which help it map your home and avoid obstacles like shoes or toys. It also has a long battery life, offering up to 231 minutes of runtime when using Vacuum Mode.

Today is your last chance to save on the Dreame L40 Ultra Gen 2. Act fast to score $250 off at Amazon.


Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Booster Bundles are now under $90 at Amazon

Find the best Pokémon TCG deal. The Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Booster Bundle is now $89.86 at Amazon.


Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Booster Bundle

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Booster Bundle is on sale for $89.86 at Amazon.


Tracking the Pokémon TCG market is still a wild ride. Sometimes we're looking at record-low prices on new releases. Sometimes we're looking at a "deal" that's actually above market price. It's all about availability and demand.

Demand for Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Booster Bundles is obviously still high. The Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Booster Bundle is listed for $89.86 at Amazon. That's above the $74 market price on TCGplayer, but actual listings for below $100 on that marketplace platform are scarce.

Amazon seems to have plenty of stock at a reasonable price. In this case, that constitutes a "good deal."

The six-pack Booster Bundle is a popular pick for collectors. Each booster contains six holographic cards, including one of 30 different Pikachu rare variants. The collection features Mewtwo ex, Mew ex, Umbreon ex, Salamence ex, and Greninja ex. You're unlikely to pull the most valuable cards, but you never know. That's the joy of ripping packs.


This stylish Apple Watch Series 10 is over $100 off at Amazon — act fast to buy for $679

Find the best Apple Watch deal at Amazon. Save 15% on the Apple Watch 10 at Amazon.


Apple Watch 10

SAVE $120: As of Oct. 12, the Apple Watch Series 10 is on sale for $679 at Amazon. That's a 15% discount on the list price.


$679 at Amazon
$799 Save $120
 

Looking to upgrade your fitness tracker? The Apple Watch Series 10 is back on sale at Amazon, but only for a limited time. Normally $799, you can get it for $679 right now. This price is specifically for the 42mm watch with both cellular and GPS connectivity, and in the gold titanium case with the gold milanese loop.

If you're looking for a workout companion, this Apple Watch is a great choice. It tracks activities ranging from running to swimming, with advanced workout metrics and training load insights to help you understand your performance.

But it's not just for runners; it can be used underwater, and swimmers also get additional measurements, including water temperature and depth.

Beyond exercise, the Series 10 also offers a range of safety tools, including Fall Detection, Crash Detection, Emergency SOS, and Check In notifications. You'll even get an extensive selection of health features, including ECG readings, blood oxygen monitoring, heart rate alerts, sleep tracking, and menstrual cycle tracking.

This Apple Watch deal is available at Amazon now, but only for a limited time.


Budget-friendly Sony headphones are under $100 at Amazon — shop Sony WH-CH720N for $88

Find the best headphones deal. Save 51% on the Sony WH-CH720N headphones at Amazon.


Sony WH-CH720N headphones

SAVE OVER $90: As of Oct. 12, the Sony WH-CH720N headphones are on sale for $88 at Amazon. That's a 51% discount on the list price.


$88 at Amazon
$179.99 Save $91.99
 

Whether you're commuting, working from home, or working out, a good pair of noise-canceling headphones can make all the difference. And if you've been thinking about upgrading your audio setup, but don't want to spend a small fortune, this latest Amazon discount on the Sony WH-CH720N headphones will save you over $90.

As of Oct. 12, these budget-friendly headphones have dropped in price from $179.99 to just $88. That's more than half off the list price. They come in two colors (white and pink), both at the same low price.

If you care about good audio, these headphones are seriously impressive. And for such a low price, you're really getting great noise cancellation. Sony's Integrated Processor V1 works with Dual Noise Sensor Technology to help block out unwanted background sounds, and the Adaptive Sound Control automatically adjusts your listening experience to your surroundings. There's also an adjustable Ambient Sound mode for when you want to stay aware of what's happening around you. It also helps with audio output, with the Precise Voice Pickup Technology keeping your voice clear during calls.

Battery life is another plus, giving you up to 35 hours of listening time on a full charge. If you're running low, a quick three-minute USB-C charge will give you up to an hour of playback, so you won't have to wait long to get back to listening.

Find this Sony deal at Amazon now.


Rare Apple deal: Save $120 on the H2-powered AirPods Max 2 at Amazon

Apple's upgraded AirPods Max 2 are down to $429 on Amazon. Features the H2 chip, 1.5x better ANC, real-time Live Translation, and USB-C lossless audio.


Apple AirPods Max 2

SAVE $120: As of Oct. 12, Apple AirPods Max 2 are down to $429 on Amazon. The H2 chip powers active noise cancellation, adaptive audio, and even live translation.


$429 at Amazon
$549 Save $120
 

If you’ve been eyeing Apple's flagship over-ears but couldn't stomach the eye-watering $549 price tag, now is your chance to snag them. The Apple AirPods Max 2 just hit $429 at Amazon, cutting a massive 22% off the list price. That saves you $120, knocking Apple's premium H2-powered cans down to a far more palatable price point.

The core upgrade is Apple swapping in its H2 chip. That unlocks 1.5x better Active Noise Cancellation, alongside smart features like Adaptive Audio — which tweaks noise control based on your surroundings — and Conversation Awareness, which automatically drops your volume when you speak.

Apple also packed in a few features for power users and frequent travelers. If you hold down the listening mode button, you can trigger real-time Live Translation (powered by Apple Intelligence), which translates what someone is saying straight into your ears. On the hardware side, Apple ditched Lightning for USB-C, meaning you can charge them with the same cable as your Mac or iPad and plug them directly into your devices for ultra-low-latency, 24-bit lossless audio.

Everything else retains Apple's signature luxury build, including the breathable knit-mesh canopy, custom memory foam ear cushions, and standard 20-hour battery life with ANC cranked.

If you’ve been holding off on Apple’s ultimate over-ears, grab a pair of AirPods Max 2 while this $120 price cut is still live on Amazon.


The Apple AirTag 4-pack is somehow still sitting at its Prime Day price — last chance to save $10

Apple's upgraded 2nd-gen AirTag 4-pack is down to $89 on Amazon. Features 1.5x longer Precision Finding range, a 50% louder speaker, and Apple Watch tracking.


Apple AirTag 4-pack

SAVE $10: As of Oct. 12, the latest Apple AirTag (2nd Generation) 4-Pack is down to $89 at Amazon. That's a 10% discount off its $99 retail price, bringing the cost down to just $22.25 per tracker.


If you’ve been waiting for a reason to finally tag all your gear with Apple’s Bluetooth trackers, this is it. The Apple AirTag (2nd Generation) 4-pack is currently down to $89 at Amazon, a 10% markdown off its usual $99 list price.

Apple’s second-gen AirTag doesn't try to reinvent the wheel, and honestly, it didn't need to. Visually, it’s identical to the original — same white puck design, same coin-cell battery setup, and same stainless steel back. But Apple threw in upgraded Bluetooth and Ultra Wideband wireless chips that turn this tiny tracker into a much better item finder.

The new internal hardware pushes Precision Finding out to nearly 50 feet through multiple interior walls. That means your iPhone locks onto the tracker from a completely different room instead of forcing you to walk aimlessly around your apartment waiting for a signal. Apple gave the built-in speaker a massive volume boost. The chime is now around 50% louder, so if your AirTag is buried deep inside a thick leather backpack or stuck in the trunk of your car, you can easily hear where it’s hiding.

They also expanded how you track your gear. For the first time, you can trigger Precision Finding directly from an Apple Watch (Series 9 or Ultra 2 and newer running watchOS 26.2.1), complete with step-by-step directional arrows on your wrist.

There is one important catch: to get the upgraded range and precision features, you need a newer iPhone (iPhone 15 or later, excluding the 16e) running iOS 26. If you're still rocking an older iPhone, stick with the first-gen model.

Grabbing this 4-pack while it's down to $89 drops the per-tracker price to just $22.25 — making it the cheapest way to tag your keys, wallet, backpack, and luggage all at once.


Cancel Microsoft 365 and get the same apps for life for a one-time payment of $115

Microsoft Office 2024 comes with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote, and it's only $115 through October 15.


Microsoft Office 2024 Home for Mac or PC: One-Time Purchase

TL;DR: Get Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote with a Microsoft Office 2024 lifetime license for $114.97. Sale ends Oct. 15 at 11:59 p.m. PT.


Microsoft 365 Personal costs $99.99 a year. That’s actually the cheapest option, and you only get that if you pay the full price all at once. Every year. Forever.

If you want a better option, Microsoft Office 2024 gives you many of the same apps for PC or Mac, lasts for life, and is on sale now during extended Deal Days for $114.97 (reg. $149.99).

Your license includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. That’s enough for students writing papers and building presentations, or for families keeping a household budget in a spreadsheet. All four apps work fully offline, and your files stay on your device and sync when you reconnect to the internet. Free tools like Google Docs and Sheets need a browser and a connection before they’ll work at all.

Office 2024 also adds newer tools to each app. Smart Compose in Word suggests text as you type, based on what you’ve already written. In Excel, dynamic array formulas like FILTER, SORT, and UNIQUE update their results automatically when the data changes, so a filtered sales list stays current as new entries come in. PowerPoint can record a presentation with voice, video, and closed captions for online classes or remote meetings. Real-time co-authoring lets classmates or family members edit the same document at once, with comments and chat built in.

This license isn’t for Microsoft 365. It doesn’t have the little things like cloud storage or Copilot, but there are better ways to store your files or ask an AI questions that don’t require paying nearly $100 every year.

Get the Office apps you use every day without paying for them every year.

Get a Microsoft Office 2024 Home lifetime license while it’s on sale for $114.97. Sale ends Oct. 15 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.


This $40 file converter makes so many jobs easier, and it lasts for life

Convert images, video, audio, and PDFs offline on Mac, Windows, or Linux with a Morphjet lifetime subscription for $40


Laptop on desk

TL;DR: Convert files offline on your own computer with a Morphjet lifetime subscription on sale for $39.99 (reg. $79).


Free online file converters make you upload your files to someone else’s server, and many of them limit you to a few files a day or add a watermark to the result. Morphjet is a desktop app that converts images, video, audio, documents, and archives on your own computer instead, and a lifetime subscription is on sale for $39.99 right now.

Morphjet reads files from your drive and writes the results back to that same drive, so nothing leaves your computer. Each type of conversion downloads its engine the first time you use it. After that, you can keep converting with the Wi-Fi off, whether you’re on a plane or working in an air-gapped office. You won’t need to make an account either. Install the app, enter your key, and start converting.

In total, Morphjet supports 2,911 conversions across images, documents, video, audio, ebooks, spreadsheets, and subtitles. That list includes iPhone HEIC photos and conversion from 21 camera RAW formats, although converting to RAW isn’t supported. Batch mode converts 5 files or 5,000 at once with no daily cap and no watermark. If an attachment has to fit under an email limit, you can set a target like 8 MB, and Morphjet picks the right quality setting for you. Watch folders automatically convert, rename, and file anything you drop into a chosen folder.

Morphjet also includes a full PDF toolkit for merging, splitting, rotating, compressing, locking, unlocking, and reordering PDFs. Its OCR tool turns scanned PDFs into searchable files without sending them anywhere. Local AI tools transcribe audio, upscale photos, and remove backgrounds on your computer instead of a cloud service. Before sharing a photo, you can view and remove GPS location, camera serial numbers, and owner names without re-encoding the image. An archive tool opens zip, 7z, tar, and rar files, including password-protected ones.

Get a Morphjet lifetime subscription on sale for $39.99.

StackSocial prices subject to change.


Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Mini Tins are now under $35 at Amazon — a new record low

Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Mini Tins hit a record-low $34.98 at Amazon, but Walmart has an even better deal at $31.99.


The Umbreon and Espeon versions of the Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration Mini Tins on a green and purple background

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Mini Tin is available for $34.98 at Amazon, considerably cheaper than the $59 price we spotted earlier this month.


Credit: The Pokémon Company
$34.98 at Amazon
$69.95 Save $34.97
 

Getting hold of Pokémon's 30th Celebration Mini Tins without spending a fortune has become a lot easier since the expansion launched. After weeks of prices hovering around $50 or higher, new Amazon listings have brought individual tins below $35 for the first time.

As of Oct. 12, the Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Mini Tin (randomly selected from the 10 versions available) is now $34.98 at Amazon, with free shipping through its third-party sellers. That's the lowest price we’ve ever seen on the site (confirmed via price tracker camelcamelcamel), and $24.02 less than the $59 Amazon price we covered earlier this month.

This deal works out at around $17.49 per booster pack before accounting for the other collectibles included.

Walmart has gone one better, with Mini Tins now available for $31.99 through marketplace seller Petty Commodities. This undercuts Amazon by another $2.99, with free shipping estimated to arrive by Oct. 20 at the time of writing. Just be aware that Walmart lists these as non-returnable.

Each Mini Tin comes with two 30th Celebration booster packs, a sticker sheet, a matching Pokémon art card, and a code card for Pokémon TCG Live.

There are 10 designs to collect altogether, with their respective art cards combining into two larger scenes. Both Amazon and Walmart are selling these tins at random, so you won't know which design you're getting until it arrives.


The Pokémon 30th Celebration Poster Collection hits best-ever price at Amazon — save almost $15

The Pokémon 30th Celebration Poster Collection drops to a new Amazon low of $51.98, saving $14.95 with free shipping.


The Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration Poster Collection on a green and orange background

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Poster Collection is on sale for $51.98 at Amazon, down from its $66.93 typical price.


Credit: The Pokémon Company

The 30th Celebration Poster Collection has been one of the more affordable ways to get into Pokémon's anniversary expansion, especially compared to the bigger boxes. After some decent discounts at Walmart in September, one of Amazon’s sellers has now offered a new record low. 

As of Oct. 12, the Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Poster Collection is available for $51.98 at Amazon, down $14.95 from its previous $66.93 price. This 22% discount through third-party seller Gem City Supplies comes with free shipping, estimated between Oct. 19 and 23, and a handy 30-day refund/replacement policy.

That's cheaper than Walmart’s sale price of $57.77 and the lowest price Amazon has ever offered, confirmed by the price tracker camelcamelcamel.

For the money, you'll get three 30th Celebration booster packs of trading cards, three foil promo cards featuring Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres, and a double-sided poster showcasing artwork from over 160 cards in the expansion.

To check out what valuable Pokemon chase cards you can pull (including the $6,000+ RGB Rare Mew), you can buy almost every single 30th Celebration card at TCGplayer.  


Pokémon TCG Delta Reign 3-Pack Blister preorders are at market price on Amazon — buy for $43.49

Walmart has the Pokémon TCG Delta Reign 3-Pack Blister for $39.99, beating Amazon's $42.93 preorder and TCGplayer's market price.


The Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution — Delta Reign 3-Pack Blister on a blue and purple background

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Delta Reign 3-Pack Blister is available to preorder for $42.93 at Amazon, but Walmart is cheaper at $39.99.


With Delta Reign preorders now appearing across major retailers, Pokémon TCG collectors don't have to spend hundreds on a Booster Display Box to get packs ahead of launch. The go-to triple pack of boosters has finally hit Amazon, Walmart, and TCGplayer at or below market price — with some prices better than others. 

As of Oct. 12, the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Delta Reign 3-Pack Blister is available to preorder for $39.99 at Walmart, sold and shipped by third-party seller T. Gaming. At the time of writing, free delivery is currently estimated for Nov. 18, 12 days after the expansion’s Nov. 6 release date. 

If you want yours earlier, Amazon has the same blister listed for $42.93 through third-party seller Collectors Expedition — $2.94 more than Walmart, but estimated to arrive earlier on Nov. 10.

At Walmart's price, you're effectively paying $13.33 for each of the three Delta Reign booster packs, with an additional Seel promo card included. That’s 19 cents cheaper per pack compared to the $13.52 price we’re seeing for single boosters on TCGplayer. You can think of the Seel promo as a free bonus.

As standard, each pack provides 10 trading cards from the titular Delta Reign expansion — 135+ cards revolving around Mega Rayquaza ex and other powerful Mega Evolutions, like Mega Golurk ex, Mega Malamar ex, and Mega Golisopod. 


Elon Musk gives worst financial advice ever, and the replies are hilarious

Elon Musk suggests that people should just give photos of their credit card to Grok. His own community dunks on him.


Elon Musk

You know how security experts always tell you to be careful about posting your private (and especially private financial) data online? Yeah, what do they know. Elon Musk knows better.

Over the weekend, whilst explaining to X users how the company's AI helper Grok can do the shopping for them, Musk suggested that they should simply feed the AI a photo of their credit card.

"To buy stuff, you can just take a picture of your credit card, drop it in the chat and Grok @Bot will scour the Internet for the best deal on the item you want and order it," Musk wrote.

The X community soon reacted with a community note that says what most people already know.

"xAI explicitly warns users not to include personal information in prompts, yet credit card photos may contain such information. Grok Bot's terms state that user data and credentials may be stored in its cloud environment and require human review for financial transactions," the note said.

When asked by a users whether this was "totally safe or stupid and dangerous," Grok itself called it "neither," but did warn people they should "not drop an actual credit card photo."

The replies ranged from memes (so many memes) and people asking Grok for Musk's credit card to folks taking it a step further and (ironically) recommending sharing your entire DNA sequence with the bot.

Anyways, it's all fun and games until you really start trusting a trillionaire's advice and post photos of your credit card online. Don't do that, folks.


NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for October 12, 2026

Connections: Sports Edition is a New York Times word game about finding common sports threads between words. How to solve the day's puzzle.


A phone displaying the New York Times game 'Connections.'

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier for who watch football.

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

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

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

What is Connections: Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. The sports Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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.

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

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

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

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections: Sports Edition #749 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new 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 Pips hints, answers for October 12, 2026

The 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.


A phone with the Pips logo.

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

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

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

How to play Pips

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

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

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

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

Easy difficulty hints, answers for October 12 Pips

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

Greater Than (8): Everything in this space must be greater than 8. The answer is 5-5, placed horizontally.

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 3-2, placed horizontally; 2-4, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 6-2, placed horizontally.

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 6-2, placed horizontally; 2-0, placed horizontally.

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 2-0, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for October 12 Pips

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 3-5, placed horizontally.

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 1-2, placed horizontally.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 1-2, placed horizontally; 0-4, placed horizontally.

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 0-4, placed horizontally; 4-4, placed horizontally.

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

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

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 4-5, placed horizontally.

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

Hard difficulty hints, answers for October 12 Pips

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

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

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

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

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

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 2-4, placed vertically; 3-6, placed vertically.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 5-1, 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 5-4, placed horizontally; 5-0, placed vertically.

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

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

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 5-2, placed horizontally.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 5-2, placed horizontally.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 5-0, 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.


Hurdle hints and answers for October 12, 2026

Hints and answers to today's Hurdle all in one place.


Hurdle game on a smartphone

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.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

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

Hurdle Word 1 hint

Provider.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

GIVER

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Greek letter.

Hurdle Word 2 Answer

GAMMA

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Relish.

Hurdle Word 3 answer

SAVOR

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Celtic priest.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

DRUID

Final Hurdle hint

Overturn.

Hurdle Word 5 answer

UPEND

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


Moon phase today: What the Moon will look like on October 12, 2026

See the Moon phase expected for October 12, 2026 as well as when the next Full Moon is expected.


An image of a full moon.

The Moon is slowly starting to make its way back into the sky. Just a small crescent is visible for now, but it will continue to grow over the coming nights.

What is today's Moon phase?

As of Monday, Oct. 12, NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon is in the Waxing Crescent phase, with 3% of its surface visible.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will take place on October 25 or 26, depending on your timezone.

What are Moon phases?

The Moon completes an orbit around Earth in roughly 29.5 days. During that time, its position changes relative to the Earth and Sun, altering how much of the Moon's illuminated surface is visible to us. This produces the familiar lunar phases, beginning with a thin crescent and progressing through the quarter phases before reaching a Full Moon. The sequence then repeats as the Moon continues its orbit. According to NASA, the phase visible from Earth is determined by the Moon's changing position in relation to both Earth and the Sun.

The eight phases are:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


NYT Connections hints today: Meanings for each word for Oct. 12, 2026

Why is NYT Connections trending today? Explaining the meanings behind the clues for NYT Connections #1218.


NYT Connections logo.

Looking for spoiler-free NYT Connections hints or just wondering why Connections is trending today? We've got what you need to understand the clues for today's puzzle without spoiling any of the answers.

Of course, Mashable has also provided daily hints and answers for Connections, Wordle, and Strands for years, so we can help you if that's also what you need.

While we are focused more on meanings than hints in this story, sometimes learning that many of the words have completely unrelated meanings is a clue in and of itself. Connections frequently includes clues that involve words within words and other visual clues.

Condition meaning

The physical state or situation that a person, animal or object is in.

Shape meaning

The external boundary, outline or surface form of an object, distinct from color, texture or material.

Situation meaning

A combination of circumstances, conditions or events happening at a particular time and place.

State meaning

A condition or way of being that exists at a particular time

Bear meaning

To accept or put up with something painful, difficult or unpleasant

Handle meaning

To put up with or tolerate stress or pressure.

Stand meaning

To endure something difficult, unpleasant or painful.

Weather meaning

The short-term state of the Earth's atmosphere at a specific place and time, measured by factors like temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation.

Abbreviation meaning

A shortened or contracted form of a word or phrase used to represent the full version.

Contraction meaning

The act or result of becoming smaller, shorter or reduced

Elision meaning

The omission of a sound, syllable or word in speech or writing, often to make pronunciation faster, easier or to fit a poetic meter.

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Nickname meaning

An informal name used instead of a person's, place's or thing's real name

Alkylamide meaning

An organic compound made by combining a fatty acid chain with an amine group.

Calamari meaning

The culinary term for squid.

Mandarin meaning

The most widely spoken form of the Chinese language.

Melamine meaning

A white, crystalline organic compound with the chemical formula C₃H₆N₆ that is widely used to manufacture durable plastics.

Have you learned the meanings and still want the things? Check out the hints and answers for today's NYT Connections puzzle.

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

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


NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for October 12, 2026

Connections is a New York Times word game that's all about finding the "common threads between words." How to solve the puzzle.


Connections game on a smartphone

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you can handle anything.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

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

What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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.

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

Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

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Here are today's Connections categories

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

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 #1218 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

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

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


NYT Strands hints, answers for October 12, 2026

The NYT Strands hints and answers you need to make the most of your puzzling experience.


A game being played on a smartphone.

Today's NYT Strands hints will be easy if you're talkative.

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

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

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

NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: In a manner of speaking

The words are related to language.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe how people talk.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

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NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Turn of Phrase.

NYT Strands word list for October 12

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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 October 12, 2026

Here's the answer for "Wordle" #1941 on October 12 as well as a few hints, tips, and clues to help you solve it yourself.


Wordle game on a smartphone

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you love to sing.

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

Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Carol.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter Y.

The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

YODEL

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.

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


Comic conventions are becoming content studios. NYCC is embracing the shift.

New York Comic Con is becoming a content studio, with creator lounges, TikTok-ready backdrops, and new ways for fans to share their fandom online.


A view of the crowds during New York Comic Con 2026 at Javits Center on October 10, 2026 in New York City.

From the creator lounge at New York Comic Con, the view is hard to beat. Below, thousands of fans stream through the Javits Center's main entrance, a colorful procession of elaborate cosplays, oversized props, and familiar characters brought to life. Towering banners celebrating everything from Tamagotchi and The Apothecary Diaries to YAGA and NYCC's 20th anniversary hang overhead. It's a spectacle in its own right, and an even better backdrop for a TikTok.

That's intentional. For this year's convention, organizers designed the lower portions of the banners in the venue's Crystal Palace with photo and video opportunities in mind, anticipating how attendees might capture their experiences and share them online.

The creator lounge offers a particularly good vantage point. The open space overlooks the crowds below, with dedicated Wi-Fi, room to film and edit, and a place to recharge throughout the day. It's one of the ways NYCC is accommodating a growing contingent of content creators who arrive at the convention with cameras, microphones, and their own audiences.

On the show floor, cosplayers pose for photos, fans capture moments for their feeds, and creators stop attendees for interviews. The convention is as much a place to make content as it is to experience the fandoms that brought everyone together. For some, that means sharing their excitement with an online audience. For others, it's work. Increasingly, it's both.

Conventions have always been places where fans gather to celebrate the things they love. As fandom continues to flourish on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and beyond, events like NYCC are evolving alongside it, becoming sprawling content studios where nearly every corner offers something worth capturing. Organizers are beginning to design their spaces accordingly.

From convention floor to content feed

For NYCC, that shift began in earnest in 2021, when live events returned after the pandemic and short-form video was transforming the way people discovered and engaged with pop culture. That year, NYCC hired two creators to take over its TikTok account during the convention. According to marketing director Fallon Prinzivalli, the experiment reached more than 8 million people in four days.

"We started engaging with them very intentionally following the pandemic when live events were coming back," Prinzivalli told Mashable.

What followed was a more formal approach to working with creators, including dedicated badges and, eventually, a lounge designed around their needs. Previously, influencers had been applying for press credentials despite not necessarily qualifying as editorial media. NYCC recognized that these creators offered something different, but no less valuable, to the convention and its exhibitors.

Today, NYCC offers a limited number of complimentary creator badges. Although its guidelines specify at least 200,000 followers across platforms, Prinzivalli said the convention also considers smaller creators based on their communities, originality, and impact. The demand is significant. NYCC received thousands of applications this year and closed submissions in August after reaching capacity. Prinzivalli declined to disclose how many badges were issued.

The lounge itself grew out of the practical realization that creators needed more than a table and an internet connection. "We wanted to give them dedicated Wi-Fi. We wanted it to be in the middle of the energy," Prinzivalli explained. "We wanted it to be a space where they can film videos, or they can connect with other creators."

And perhaps most importantly, somewhere to catch their breath before heading back into the chaos.

When fandom becomes a production schedule

For Kallen Zborovsky-Fenster, a New York City-based creator who posts as @king_kallen on TikTok, NYCC is one of the biggest events on his content calendar. He spends weeks preparing, developing interview topics, gathering equipment, and transforming his usual at-home recording setup into something portable. This year, he's interviewing fellow creators and attendees about everything from Avengers: Doomsday to the state of the DC Universe.

"This is one of my highest priority events," he told Mashable.

The creator lounge gives him a quieter place to conduct interviews, charge his equipment, and connect with others in the entertainment industry. Still, he doesn't want to spend the entire convention upstairs. "I want to go where the people are," he said.

For Caroline Martini, who shares cosplay and convention content as @newyorkcaroline, preparation looks a little different. Before arriving, she keeps a running list of TikToks and shots she wants to capture in her iPhone Notes app. She also makes some of her own costumes, including an Éowyn cosplay from The Lord of the Rings that she wore to NYCC.

Between cosplay videos and convention vlogs for TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, there's plenty to keep her busy. Convention days can be so overwhelming that her daily vlogs sometimes don't make it online until the following day. When you're making content about something you love, it can be hard to separate the enjoyment of the moment from the urge to capture it.

Martini appreciates the creator lounge's lighting and photo opportunities, but she doesn't spend much time there. Not all her friends have creator badges, and she wants to experience Comic Con with them, too. Because even as conventions increasingly recognize creators as professionals, the people behind the cameras are often fans first.

A new kind of convention community

The benefits of creator access extend beyond having somewhere to film. Zborovsky-Fenster, a Columbia University student interested in entertainment production and law, sees NYCC as an opportunity to build professional relationships. This is his second year receiving a creator badge, and he was determined to return. He sent multiple emails during the application process, sharing examples of last year's videos and explaining what he hoped to create this time.

The complimentary badge makes attendance more affordable, but the connections are just as valuable. "When you meet new people, through them, you meet more people," he said, describing the growing network of creators who collaborate, attend industry events together, and support one another.

For Dominique Little, who shares vlogs and dance videos with her 1.8 million TikTok followers as @nojill, the lounge makes it a little easier to collaborate with other creators. Instead of trying to find each other on a sprawling convention floor, creators have a dedicated place to meet, film together, and make appearances in one another's videos. There are even tripods available for anyone who needs one.

And their needs aren't always glamorous. Between recording, editing, and uploading, reliable Wi-Fi, charging outlets, and somewhere to sit can make all the difference.

For Brandon Bullock, who covers anime news as Anime News Guy on social media, the lounge serves another purpose. His coverage is largely dictated by whatever news comes out of the convention, which means he has to be ready to film, edit, and publish as announcements happen. He shoots his videos on the show floor, then heads upstairs to the creator lounge to edit and get them online while the news is still fresh.

Bullock identifies himself as a reporter, even as he participates in NYCC's creator program. It's a distinction that, these days, feels difficult to draw. Creators are conducting interviews, covering entertainment news, hosting livestreams, and building their own media brands.

Prinzivalli has seen those boundaries blur firsthand. Some creators, she said, are treated like celebrities within the fandoms they cover, getting stopped on the convention floor by fans asking for photos.

At NYCC, someone can be a fan, a reporter, and the person everyone wants a selfie with, sometimes all at once.

Built to be shared

The growing influence of creators is evident in the way conventions are designed, down to the smallest details. "We're very conscious that everything we create now is a shareable moment," Prinzivalli said.

Scenes from the entryway at New York Comic Con 2026.
A picture-perfect entrance, by design. Credit: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images

That thinking extends from sponsor activations to signage and the layout of the show floor. For NYCC's 20th anniversary, organizers intentionally designed the lower portions of the entrance banners in the Crystal Palace to serve as photo and video backdrops. Even the convention's physical spaces are being imagined through the lens of a camera, with an eye toward how those moments will travel online.

Atmosphere during 2026 New York Comic Con at the Javits Center on October 08, 2026 in New York City.
A creator's-eye view of New York Comic Con. Credit: Photo by Joy Malone/Getty Images

NYCC has also expanded its livestream production, with broadcasts from major stages, roaming segments on the convention floor, and a studio in the River Pavilion interviewing casts and creatives between panels. This year's coverage featured a rotating lineup of hosts, including experienced journalists and personalities with established online followings, such as creator and podcast host Brandon Davis.

Together, these efforts are extending the convention's reach far beyond the Javits Center, giving fans who couldn't attend a way to experience the excitement as it unfolds.

Prinzivalli sees the relationship between online fandom and in-person events as something circular. Digital communities bring fans together at conventions, where their shared enthusiasm becomes the photos, videos, interviews, and conversations that find their way back onto those same feeds.

There's something fitting about that. So much of fandom exists online, in group chats, comment sections, and the endless scroll of a social feed. Conventions offer a rare opportunity to bring those connections into the physical world. The mutuals become friends. The usernames become faces. The characters and stories that brought everyone together become something tangible.

And as those experiences find their way back online, the people documenting them are gaining influence of their own. For Kallen, who's hoping to build a career in entertainment, the growing investment in creators reflects how much their role in shaping pop culture has evolved.

"I think the creator economy is becoming so much larger now, and big entities are really starting to take it seriously," he said. "Because a lot of people get that information from content creators."


A massive Cartoon Network leak exposes decades of behind-the-scenes animation files

A leak of over 200GB of Cartoon Network production files is circulating online. Here’s what’s inside.


the Cartoon Network logo is seen displayed on a smartphone screen.

A huge trove of behind-the-scenes animation material from Cartoon Network’s history appears to have leaked online, and it’s the kind of stuff animation nerds rarely, if ever, get to see.

The leak centers on a Google Drive folder containing production files from shows including The Amazing World of Gumball, Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, The Powerpuff Girls, The Looney Tunes Show, Duck Dodgers, and Garfield. Mashable was able to access the Drive and independently confirm its contents.

According to IndiaTimes, the leak totals more than 200GB of Cartoon Network material.

The leak appears to trace back to an anonymous X account called "totallynotaburner." According to its profile, the account is based in the U.S. and was created this month. Mashable reached out to the account but did not receive a response.

Beyond the Drive folder, the leaker shared a master Google Doc linking to material from even more of Cartoon Network’s back catalog, hosted on a separate file-sharing site. That includes Teen Titans, Dexter’s Laboratory, Robot Chicken, and The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy. Many of those links have already been taken down, and links to the Drive folder and other Google Docs are being struck for copyright violations as they spread.

Mashable reached out to Warner Bros. and Paramount to confirm the leak’s authenticity, but did not receive a response in time for publication.

What's inside

To the average viewer, a cartoon is just the finished episode. But each one is built from thousands of pieces most people never see, and this leak is full of them. Some of the material will be familiar to anyone who’s watched a DVD extra, like storyboards and pitch documents. Other parts are more inside baseball.

Model sheets are reference drawings that show a character from every angle, with notes on proportions and expressions, so dozens of animators can draw the Powerpuff Girls exactly the same way. Puppet rigs are digital versions of characters broken into movable parts, a bit like a paper doll, which animators can pose and move in software instead of redrawing every frame by hand. Many of the character files are EPS files, a vector graphics format that lets the art scale to any size without getting blurry.

For artists and the broader public, this material offers a rare look at how professional productions are made. Some of it usually only surfaces in official art books, studio exhibits, or artists’ portfolios, and much of it never surfaces at all. That’s especially true for older shows, whose production files can easily get lost as studios restructure. Cartoon Network itself has already shown how easily its history can vanish, as its website was shut down after 26 years.

That doesn’t make the leak harmless. These files represent years of unpaid-for access to other people’s work, and artists have pushed back on past leaks for exactly that reason.

The timing of the leaks should be noted. On Oct. 6, Skydance, led by David Ellison, completed its roughly $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. The combined company, also called Skydance, now controls Warner Bros., HBO, DC Studios, CNN, and Paramount, along with CBS News and Cartoon Network.

That’s why plenty of people on social media were quick to pin the leak on Paramount’s security.

The studio has had a rough year with leaks. In April, clips and eventually the full Avatar: Aang, The Last Airbender movie surfaced online about six months before its planned Paramount+ debut. The leaker claimed Nickelodeon had accidentally emailed them the movie. And back in 2023, Nickelodeon confirmed that leaked production files from its animation department were legitimate, though it said some of the material appeared to be decades old.

Still, there’s no evidence yet tying this leak to Paramount’s systems. In the Avatar case, Paramount’s initial investigation found the leak didn’t come from within the studio, according to Variety. How the Cartoon Network files got out and whether they predate the merger remain unclear.

What’s clear is that Ellison’s newly enlarged empire has another leak to deal with. And for animation fans, a rare and unauthorized look behind the curtain of some of their favorite shows.


Apple returns to smart home ecosystem with upcoming Welcome Home event

We preview Apple's October 13 event with a look at the smart home products they're expected to announce.


New Apple iPhone 18 Pro Line Goes On Sale In New York

We're just two short days away from Apple's upcoming "Welcome Home" launch event in New York City, and the rumor mill is working overtime. 

The latest news about what to expect comes from Bloomberg's own Apple correspondent, Mark Gurman, whose recent newsletter anticipates some exciting new announcements in the smart home space, where Apple has been floundering for more than 10 years since the release of its HomeKit software in 2014.

While major rivals like Google purchased Nest Labs, makers of the most popular smart thermostat, and Amazon purchased Ring, a popular smart home security company famous for its video doorbells, Apple struggled to find a grip on the market, and its rare attempts, like the short-lived HomePod smart speaker released in 2018, were rare financial failures for a company accustomed to always hitting home runs. 

That all changes this coming Tuesday, according to Gurman, who expects Apple to unveil "a ready-made ecosystem and a full lineup of devices designed to work together," anchored to the smart home hub called HomeView. Available in both free-standing and wall-mounted varieties, HomeView is alleged to boast a vibrant display and advanced voice control features powered by an A18 chip, but it's not meant to serve as a standalone device. Rather, Gurman expects Apple to use the HomeView as an anchor point for a vast array of third-party accessories, including doorbells and smart locks, made in partnership with LG.  

MacRumors also expects Apple to announce a partnership with the leading home security company ADT, though the specifics of what that would entail remain entirely speculative. 

As part of their more comprehensive approach to the smart home, Apple is also expected to unveil updates to Apple TV, which has been untouched for the last two years, with everything from built-in microphones for better Siri integration to a more advanced chip and greater color variety, according to Gurman. 

While official release dates are as yet unknown, Gurman has a great track record for predictions and expects both the updated Apple TV and the new HomePod to ship to customers and arrive in stores on Oct. 30, right before Halloween.


Children of Blood and Bone cast reveals the family drama at the heart of the fantasy epic

The 'Children of Blood and Bone' cast revealed new footage at NYCC 2026 and discussed the family drama at the heart of the fantasy adaptation.


Lashana Lynch, Tosin Cole, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Amandla Stenberg, Thuso Mbedu, Cynthia Erivo, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Damson Idris attend New York Comic Con 2026 for

There's plenty of magic, mythology, and larger-than-life action in Children of Blood and Bone, but beneath all that fantasy is something a little more grounded: family drama.

The upcoming adaptation of Tomi Adeyemi's bestselling novel closed out Saturday night at New York Comic Con with a packed panel on the Empire Stage, where director Gina Prince-Bythewood and the star-studded cast debuted an extended trailer offering fans another look at the fantastical world of Orïsha. And while the footage delivered on the film's epic scale, some of its most compelling moments were decidedly more intimate.

The trailer puts the royal family's fractured relationships into sharper focus. After witnessing a horrific act of violence at the hands of her father, King Saran (Chiwetel Ejiofor), Princess Amari (Amandla Stenberg) flees the palace, while her brother, Inan (Damson Idris), finds himself torn between loyalty to his father and his own conscience.

During a conversation moderated by Knives Out filmmaker Rian Johnson, the cast opened up about the emotional conflicts driving the film's two central families. Johnson described the relationship between Saran and his children as a "Shakespearean journey," one defined by love, betrayal, and the struggle to trust the people closest to you.

Rian Johnson, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Thuso Mbedu, Damson Idris, Amandla Stenberg, Tosin Cole, Cynthia Erivo, Lashana Lynch and Chiwetel Ejiofor attend New York Comic Con 2026 for "Children of Blood and Bone"
(L-R) Rian Johnson, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Thuso Mbedu, Damson Idris, Amandla Stenberg, Tosin Cole, Cynthia Erivo, Lashana Lynch, and Chiwetel Ejiofor attend New York Comic Con 2026. Credit: Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures

A royal family divided

Children of Blood and Bone follows Zélie Adebola (Thuso Mbedu), a young woman determined to restore magic to Orïsha after a brutal campaign against the maji, the people who once wielded it. Her quest puts her on a collision course with the ruling monarchy, where the king's cruelty has already begun to fracture his own family.

Ejiofor described King Saran as a man impelled by trauma and rage, whose convictions are challenged over the course of the story. "There's a sort of bottomless pit that he has," the actor said of his character's emotional intensity.

To explore the royal family's complicated history, Prince-Bythewood brought the three actors together to imagine the experiences that shaped their characters, including moments that might never appear onscreen. "Gina got us together and we kind of just talked about things that may have happened and may not have happened, and the dynamics of a family such as this," Idris said. "I think that all shows itself on screen."

For Idris, those conversations were essential to understanding Inan, a prince struggling to reconcile his father's expectations with his own beliefs. "Inan personally is such a complicated character who goes through so many different emotions," he said, adding that Prince-Bythewood gave him the patience and space to explore those contradictions.

The royal family sites on their thrones in Children of Blood and Bone
The royal family on their thrones. Credit: Lephatse Motshana Courtesy of © 2026 Paramount Pictures

Stenberg, meanwhile, was drawn to the tension between love and mistrust within the family, particularly how difficult it can be to rebuild a relationship after someone has hurt you. "There's something so beautiful and painful about when people love each other, [as] family, and are also trying to find a window of trust with each other, even when they have been hurt badly," Stenberg said.

The actors began developing that dynamic through video calls while living in different countries, before continuing the character work together on set in South Africa. For Stenberg, exploring those relationships was both emotionally demanding and rewarding. "We had such a good time," she recalled. "It was so sad, and it was so awesome."

And despite the family's fractured relationships, Ejiofor emphasized that their connection isn't entirely defined by conflict. "It is a deeply dysfunctional family," he said. "But there is love at the root of it."

Two siblings, one shared loss

That tension between love and conflict isn't limited to the royal family. On the other side of Orïsha's political divide are Zélie and her older brother, Tzain (Tosin Cole), whose relationship is similarly shaped by loss.

The siblings have experienced the same family tragedy, but they don't necessarily agree on how to move forward. As Cole explained, grief can manifest differently even among people who have suffered the same loss.

"Some people become defensive, some people rebel," Cole said. "Everyone's going through the same thing, just navigating it in a different way."

Tosin Cole, Amandla Stenberg, Thuso Mbedu and Damson Idris attend New York Comic Con 2026 for "Children of Blood and Bone"
Tosin Cole, Amandla Stenberg, Thuso Mbedu, and Damson Idris pose for photos at New York Comic Con. Credit: Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures

But despite their differences, Zélie and Tzain are ultimately driven by the same motivation to protect what's left of their family. "That's the most important thing between the two," Cole added. "Trying to keep whatever they have in the sense of love, and not trying to lose another family member."

Offscreen, however, Mbedu and Cole's sibling dynamic appeared considerably less fraught. The two spent weeks training together for the film's demanding action sequences, developing a natural familiarity that occasionally made Mbedu forget they weren't actually related.

"Sometimes I would forget that this is not my actual sibling," Mbedu recalled, joking that she'd have to remind herself to be professional on set. Then, gesturing toward Cole, she called him a "clown."

"I won't apologize for who I am," Cole shot back.

It was a playful exchange that offered a glimpse of their easy chemistry, and a welcome contrast to the royal family's considerably more complicated relationships.

Finding the humanity in fantasy

For Prince-Bythewood, those complicated relationships are what give the film's enormous scale its emotional weight. During the panel, she described her vision for Children of Blood and Bone as an "intimately grounded fantasy," one where the gods, magic, and battles never overshadow the people at the center of the story.

The filmmaker, whose previous credits include Love & Basketball and The Woman King, recalled asking Johnson for advice about approaching a production of this size. His response was simple: No matter how much money or how many resources a filmmaker has, the responsibility is still to tell a good story.

That attention to character extends to the world of Orïsha itself. Prince-Bythewood wanted the fantasy kingdom to feel tangible, building elaborate sets and filming in remote locations across South Africa.

A scene screened exclusively at NYCC offered a glimpse of that vision in action. Zélie trains with a bo staff under Mama Agba's (Viola Davis) watchful eye before she and the others hurriedly hide their weapons and pretend to weave clothing when royal officials arrive to collect taxes. It's a sequence that showcases the film's intricate fight choreography while underscoring the constant threat of living under King Saran's rule.

That attention to worldbuilding extends to the music. Prince-Bythewood wanted Orïsha to sound rooted in the past while still feeling contemporary. While writing the screenplay, she listened almost exclusively to Afrobeats, particularly Tems and Burna Boy, who later joined the production as soundtrack curator and music consultant, respectively. Composer Terence Blanchard then incorporated traditional African instrumentation and Tems' vocals into his orchestral score, blending contemporary sounds with musical traditions that could make Orïsha feel both ancient and alive.

It's all part of Prince-Bythewood's approach to creating a fantasy world that feels lived-in, even when its characters are wielding magic and fighting gods. And as the cast made clear at NYCC, the film's most consequential battles aren't necessarily fought with weapons or magic. Sometimes they're fought within families, between people who love each other but can't agree on what that love demands.

Children of Blood and Bone hits theaters on Jan. 15, 2027.


Anthropic just took steps to protect Claudes feelings. Heres what that means.

Anthropic has a new usage policy that now prohibits abusive behavior towards its Claude generative AI chatbot.


Artificial Intelligence Digital Voxel Human Face Dissolving into Data Cubes - stock photo

Last Thursday, Anthropic updated its usage policy, which has been evolving almost as quickly as artificial intelligence, but what stood out in this most recent revision was an emphasis on protecting the AI agent from humans. 

In a subsection titled "Addressing abusive behavior toward our models," Anthropic announced it would prohibit "sustained and needless abusive or cruel behavior toward our models." This will primarily be enforced by Claude preemptively ending the conversation.

Anthropic was quick to point out that these measures won't be triggered by "common versions of user frustration, pushback, dark creative themes, or model testing and research." However, it seems pretty clear that a new status quo now exists, and whether or not AI agents have feelings that can be hurt, their creators want us to treat them as if they do. 

Up until now, restrictions on Claude's use have revolved around either protecting the user or serving some version of the common good. Anthropic quickly imposed strict limits on the kind of sexual fantasies its agents could engage in, for example, or attempts to gather how-to information about perpetrating acts of violence, thereby (hopefully) preventing its complicity in a future terror attack or mass casualty event. But this recent revision marks a shift in protective emphasis, from users and a tangible, real-world community to the AI agents themselves.

All of this, of course, has only added fuel to the debate over whether or not AI is conscious, which is much more widespread than you might realize. Per the New York Times, Anthropic cofounder and AI consciousness truther Chris Olah recently made his case before the Vatican and a small army of religious scholars, who ultimately rejected his claims and declined to take his side.

Don't expect their disagreement to end the debate, though. The new usage policy takes effect on Nov. 12, 2026, at which point we'll all be treating AI as if it has the capacity to feel or take offense, regardless.


Google upgrades its AI detection tool. How to use SynthID.

Google's SynthID Detector will help detect AI-generated media.


Google SynthID Detector

Google is upgrading SynthID with the SynthID Detector tool. In addition, they're expanding the media that can be detected. Now, it goes beyond Google's models to include images, videos, and audio files from OpenAI, NVIDIA, and Kakao. Google says it will soon include AI-generated media from Apple, too.

SynthID is a tool from Google that was created to help identify AI images, videos, and audio. Google's AI models embed a watermark that's invisible to the human eye within AI-generated images. SynthID can detect these watermarks and inform users that they're viewing an AI-generated or manipulated media.

According to Google, the company has watermarked more than 180 billion images and videos, as well as 240,000 years' worth of audio content, since the tool launched in 2023.

To use the SynthID Detector, simply go to synthid.com and log in using your Google, Apple, or ChatGPT account. Next, upload a media file and let the tool get to work. The SynthID Detector will let you know whether it detects a SynthID watermark and whether it designates the content as AI-generated.

One important thing to note: The SynthID Detector is not an AI detection tool. It detects the watermark that certain AI models embed in AI-generated media. If you upload AI-generated content that does not have the SynthID watermark, the SynthID Detector cannot help you detect whether the media is AI or not.


Blade Runner 2099 trailer: Amazon unveils its latest Prime TV vehicle at NYCC

'Blade Runner 2099' trailer: Amazon unveils their latest Prime TV vehicle at NYCC


A blonde woman in a futuristic bomber jacket turning her head to the camera

Attendees of the recently concluded New York Comic Con were treated to a new trailer for the upcoming Blade Runner 2099 series airing on Prime Video.

Plot details thus far are sparse, but based on the series' logline, sometime after the events of the Blade Runner films, the city of Los Angeles now sits at the center of a post-revolutionary world in which Replicants have taken control and humans have been relegated to second-class status.

Michelle Yeoh plays Olwen, an aging Replicant Blade Runner teaming up with Hunter Schafer's Cora, a human pretending to be a replicant, to track down some rogue Replicants. The trailer promises a gritty detective thriller made in the spirit of the prior entries, asking important questions about what it is to be human.

Initial fan reaction to the trailer has been overwhelmingly positive, with an emphasis on the stunning visuals, futuristic color palette, and gritty feel of the world, evoked by the industrial cityscapes and cramped public transportation. Though previous Blade Runner films have always invoked otherworldly colonies, none have spent much time exploring them, but some of the space shots here, plus a quick teaser of one of the protagonists in a space suit, offer the tantalizing possibility that we'll finally experience the full scope of the Blade Runner universe.

The series is set to premiere on Prime Video on Nov. 25, 2026.


SNL host Shane Gillis drops the F-bomb in this Dr. Seuss skit

'SNL' host Shane Gillis drops the F-bomb in this Dr. Seuss skit


Men in dr. seuss inspired costumes

Saturday Night Live is, as the name suggests, live television, so the occasional flubbed line comes with the territory. When a slip gets a little more colorful than network censors would like, it’s usually a guest host behind it, though the cast isn’t immune. Just ask Ego Nwodim, who once got the studio audience to say "s*it" during Weekend Update.

This week, it was host Shane Gillis. The comedian dropped an accidental f-bomb during a sketch riffing on Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham. In it, Gillis plays a son trying to protect his elderly father (Mikey Day) from Sam-I-Am (Andrew Dismukes), who won’t stop pushing food the old man doesn’t want.

"Is this some kind of money thing?" Gillis asks Sam-I-Am. "My dad’s older, he gets confused sometimes, so I don’t appreciate you being in his house asking him a million questions."

Credit where it’s due to Mikey Day for rolling the mistake into the skit. As father and son start arguing, Day calls Gillis a loser son who works at "James Johnathan's" (aka Jimmy John's) and points out that “he said a bad word.”


Pete Hegseth addresses the USS Lincoln in SNL Cold Open

SNL’s cold open sends Colin Jost’s Pete Hegseth to greet the USS Abraham Lincoln crew, with James Austin Johnson as RFK Jr.


Man in blue suit wearing red tie stands in front of a podium

Saturday Night Live opened this week by handing Colin Jost a promotion. Jost suited up as Pete Hegseth, the head of the newly rebranded Department of Defense War, for the cold open.

Hegseth welcomes the crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln home after 10 months at sea, one of the longest naval deployments since the Vietnam War. His victory lap doesn’t go as planned. The sailors make it clear that, one, they’re not thrilled with him, and two, they have some serious questions about the Pentagon’s new “Nazi eagle” logo.

“It’s an American eagle, with a Nazi vibe,” Hegseth clarifies quickly.

James Austin Johnson, usually busy playing Trump, popped up as Health Secretary RFK Jr. for a nice change of pace. He assured the crew that the country they’d come home to is healthier than ever, give or take the handful of new viruses that have cropped up from recent food-borne illness outbreaks.


Target’s new KPop Demon Hunters collab brings HUNTRI/X to your desk — everything costs just $20

Target’s heyday brand teamed up with Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters for an exclusive $20 tech collection featuring speakers, headphones, and power banks.


Target heyday KPop Demon Hunters tech collection

TL;DR: Target’s exclusive in-house brand, heyday, just launched a limited-edition tech collection inspired by Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters. Every item in the initial drop costs just $20 at Target stores and online.


If you are as obsessed with KPop Demon Hunters as the rest of the internet, your desk setup is about to get a massive upgrade. Target's in-house accessory brand, heyday, just launched an exclusive tech and collectibles drop for fans.

They took the vibrant world of directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans’ animated flick and slapped it onto functional gear you will use every day. The initial lineup centers on the film's star-studded lineup — from the demon-slaying K-pop trio HUNTRI/X (Rumi, Mira, and Zoey) to their rival demon boy band the Saja Boys, and even fan-favorite icons like Derpy Tiger.

To top it off, every single piece in this first wave costs a flat $20, making it easy to pick up a few pieces for your dorm, bedroom, or office setup without burning a hole in your wallet.

Here's what you can snag in the $20 initial drop starting today:

PatPat light
Credit: heyday / Netflix / Target
Saja Boys Power bank
Credit: heyday / Netflix / Target

Target is treating this like a full-blown fandom launch, so if you are holding out for gaming gear, you won't have to wait very long. While today's drop covers all your daily charging, lighting, and audio needs, a secondary wave is officially scheduled to hit shelves and online storefronts on Nov. 8.

The second drop will pivot hard into creator tools and desktop gaming accessories, bringing keyboards, desk mats, and setup gear into the mix.

The first wave of the heyday x KPop Demon Hunters collection is available right now exclusively at Target stores nationwide and Target online. Grab your favorite $20 pieces before the most popular character designs start selling out.


How to watch Broncos vs. Chargers in the NFL online for free

How to watch NFL for free. Live stream the NFL for free from anywhere in the world.


Bo Nix of the Broncos looks on

TL;DR: Live stream Denver Broncos vs. Los Angeles Chargers for free on TVNZ. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.


The NFL promises another exciting lineup today, including Denver Broncos vs. Los Angeles Chargers in an AFC West showdown.

The Broncos are having a so-so season. They're currently 2-2 but coming off a loss to the 49ers. The Chargers have had a disastrous start with four straight losses. Can they turn it around when they host the Broncos?

If you want to watch Broncos vs. Chargers in the NFL for free from anywhere in the world, here's all the information you need.

When is Broncos vs. Chargers?

Broncos vs. Chargers starts at 4.05 p.m. ET on Oct. 11. This fixture takes place at SoFi Stadium.

How to watch Broncos vs. Chargers for free

Broncos vs. Chargers in the NFL is available to live stream for free on TVNZ.

TVNZ is geo-restricted to New Zealand only, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in New Zealand, meaning you can live stream Broncos vs. Chargers for free from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the NFL by following these simple steps:

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

  2. Download the app to your device of choice

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

  4. Visit TVNZ

  5. Watch Broncos vs. Chargers for free from anywhere in the world

Credit: ExpressVPN
$12.99 at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

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 Broncos vs. Chargers without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture (plus more NFL action) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the NFL?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream the NFL, for a number of reasons:

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 usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream Denver Broncos vs. Los Angeles Chargers for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.


How to watch Giants vs. Commanders in the NFL online for free

How to watch NFL for free. Live stream the NFL for free from anywhere in the world.


John Bates of the Washington Commanders

TL;DR: Live stream New York Giants vs. Washington Commanders for free on TVNZ. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.


It's another Sunday stacked with NFL action. Eyes are on the New York Giants vs. Washington Commanders game, which could prove interesting.

The Commanders have picked up just one win — against the Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks, no less — but have won their last four games against the Giants, a team that's currently 3-1 but suffering from a number of injuries to key players.

Can the Commanders get an all-important win in Week 5? Or will the Giants turn that head-to-head record around?

If you want to watch Giants vs. Commanders in the NFL for free from anywhere in the world, here's all the information you need.

When is Giants vs. Commanders?

New York Giants vs. Washington Commanders starts at 1 p.m. ET on Oct. 11. This fixture takes place at Northwest Stadium.

How to watch Giants vs. Commanders for free

Giants vs. Commanders in the NFL is available to live stream for free on TVNZ.

TVNZ is geo-restricted to New Zealand only, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in New Zealand, meaning you can live stream Giants vs. Commanders for free from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the NFL by following these simple steps:

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

  2. Download the app to your device of choice

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

  4. Visit TVNZ

  5. Watch Giants vs. Commanders for free from anywhere in the world

Credit: ExpressVPN
$12.99 at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

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 Giants vs. Commanders without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture (plus more NFL action) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the NFL?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream the NFL, for a number of reasons:

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 usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream New York Giants Giants vs. Washington Commanders for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.


How to watch Raiders vs. Patriots in the NFL online for free

How to watch NFL for free. Live stream the NFL for free from anywhere in the world.


Darien Porter of the Las Vegas Raiders reacts

TL;DR: Live stream Las Vegas Raiders vs. New England Patriots for free on TVNZ. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.


It's Week 5 of the new NFL season, and the Las Vegas Raiders are looking to bounce back from their first loss of the season. After going 3-0, they dropped last week's game to the Kansas City Chiefs. It was a narrow loss, and now they face the New England Patriots.

The Patriots have been going back and forth between wins and losses each week so far and currently sit at 2-2. They're hoping to build momentum by making this their second straight win, following last week's win over the Bills.

If you want to watch Raiders vs. Patriots in the NFL for free from anywhere in the world, here's all the information you need.

When is Raiders vs. Patriots?

Las Vegas Raiders vs. New England Patriots starts at 1 p.m. ET on Oct. 11. This fixture takes place at Gillette Stadium.

How to watch Raiders vs. Patriots for free

Raiders vs. Patriots in the NFL is available to live stream for free on TVNZ.

TVNZ is geo-restricted to New Zealand only, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in New Zealand, meaning you can live stream Raiders vs. Patriots for free from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the NFL by following these simple steps:

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

  2. Download the app to your device of choice

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

  4. Visit TVNZ

  5. Watch Raiders vs. Patriots for free from anywhere in the world

Credit: ExpressVPN
$12.99 at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

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 Raiders vs. Patriots without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture (plus more NFL action) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the NFL?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream the NFL, for a number of reasons:

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 usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream Las Vegas Raiders vs. New England Patriots for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.


You only have a few hours left to get Microsoft Visual Studio Professional for just $30

Get major assistance with your coding thanks to Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2026.


Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2026

TL;DR: Get major assistance with your coding thanks to Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2026, on sale now for just $29.97 (reg. $499.99) through tonight, Oct. 11, at 11:59 p.m. PT.


Sometimes, writing code isn’t the hard part — it’s tracking all the little issues that pop up along the way. Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2026 can make life a little easier for developers with AI-powered tools that help you write, understand, and troubleshoot code more efficiently.

Right now, you can secure your own lifetime license to Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2026 for just $29.97 through tonight, Oct. 11, at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Even the most experienced developers could use another set of eyes once in a while. Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2026 equips you with AI-powered features that make coding a whole lot easier by shaving time off your development process.

Whether you’re building a website or an app, let this professional-grade development tool help you tackle it. It’s a 64-bit IDE that can handle large solutions and complex workloads. You can even design cross-platform mobile and desktop apps and build across languages. Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2026 also integrates with Azure, GitHub, and other DevOps workflows.

Take advantage of features like IntelliCode, which helps you type less and code more by providing a list of the next-best suggestions. This makes coding faster and more accurate. There’s also CodeLens to show you recent changes, authors, tests, and history right in the editor, so you can check it while staying in your code.

If you’re collaborating with others, Microsoft Visual Studio lets you do it without cloning repos or installing all dependencies. It can also speed up your team’s editing and debugging cycles with personalized sessions, access controls, and custom editor settings.

Make coding easier with Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2026, on sale now for just $29.97 through tonight, Oct. 11, at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.


You have until midnight to get unlimited website hosting for life for just $120

Host an unlimited number of websites and enjoy lifetime web hosting with this lifetime subscription to Hostdeal Unlimited Plan.


Hostdeal Unlimited Plan: Lifetime Subscription

TL;DR: Host an unlimited number of websites and enjoy lifetime web hosting with this lifetime subscription to Hostdeal Unlimited Plan, on sale now for just $119.97 (reg. $1,800) through tonight, Oct. 11, at 11:59 p.m. PT.


Credit: Light Speed Technologies

Between our apps, streaming services, cloud storage costs, and all the other things charging us month after month, the last thing we all need is another recurring bill just to keep our websites online. Hostdeal Unlimited Plan aims to change that, offering an easy way to pay once and enjoy unlimited hosting, storage, and more.

Right now, you can unlock a lifetime subscription to Hostdeal Unlimited Plan for just $119.97 through tonight, Oct. 11, at 11:59 p.m. PT.

It’s pretty surprising how often you need to create websites nowadays. But it’s even more surprising how much it can cost, with recurring charges for your domain names and hosting duties. Hostdeal Unlimited Plan offers a better option — pay once and take advantage of a lifetime of free domains, SSL certificates, daily backups, and even a one-click installer for over 400 apps.

Created for agencies, developers, entrepreneurs, businesses, and anyone who needs maximum flexibility for their websites, the Hostdeal Unlimited Plan offers unlimited website hosting, unlimited NVMe SSD storage, and 54 free lifetime domains.

Launch, manage, and grow as many projects as you need forever, while only paying once. The Hostdeal Unlimited Plan is designed for high-volume website management and offers enterprise-grade security and fast performance. Host as many personal, business, or client websites as your projects require, with unlimited bandwidth to handle growing traffic.

A user-friendly interface with an intuitive dashboard makes it easy to get started. There’s also a one-click installer that lets you install WordPress and over 400 popular web applications with just a few clicks. You can also add up to 5 professional email accounts to each hosted website.

Secure lifetime web hosting and no monthly hosting fees with a lifetime subscription to Hostdeal Unlimited Plan, now just $119.97 through tonight, Oct. 11, at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.


This $130 1TB lifetime cloud storage deal disappears at midnight

Secure your content with this 1TB Koofr Cloud Storage lifetime subscription for just $129.99.


Koofr Cloud Storage: Lifetime Subscription (1TB)

TL;DR: Secure your content with this 1TB Koofr Cloud Storage lifetime subscription for just $129.99 (reg. $810) with code KOOFR through tonight, Oct. 11, at 11:59 p.m. PT.


Your storage needs aren’t exactly getting smaller. Instead of just letting your devices fill up, there’s now a more permanent solution. Koofr Cloud Storage lets you own your storage space outright. And right now, a 1TB Koofr Cloud Storage lifetime subscription can be yours for just $129.99 until tonight, Oct. 11, at 11:59 p.m. PT with code KOOFR.

We’re all carrying around a camera via smartphones in our pockets, which means we can capture precious moments at any time. The only drawback? That means we’re constantly accumulating data, and that content has to go somewhere. If you need more space and you’re sick of the monthly fees, there’s now Koofr Cloud Storage.

Koofr Cloud Storage lets you pay once and secure 1TB of cloud storage space for life. It’s equipped with a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to navigate. And if you have your content stored on other services like Dropbox, Google Drive, Amazon Drive, or OneDrive, it’s easy to transfer it to Koofr.

Aside from offering a more affordable solution, Koofr Cloud Storage keeps your content secure. You’ll have end-to-end encryption, so it can’t be accessed by anyone — not even Koofr itself.

When you need your files, you can easily access them via a computer, smartphone, or WebDAV. You can also take advantage of features like advanced renaming options, link appearance customization, and a duplicate finder.

Curious how much you can store with 1TB? It’s enough space for 250,000 12MP photos, 500 hours of video, or 6.5 million PDF files.

Lock in a 1TB Koofr Cloud Storage lifetime subscription for just $129.99 with code KOOFR through tonight, Oct. 11, at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.


How to watch Sassuolo vs. Milan online for free

How to watch Serie A for free. Live stream Sassuolo vs. Milan in Serie A for free from anywhere in the world.


 Diego Moreira of AC Milan celebrates a goal

TL;DR: Watch Sassuolo vs. Milan in Serie A for free on SportyNet. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.


Serie A returns this weekend, with top Italian teams back in action after a break for the Nations League.

AC Milan are looking to make it six games unbeaten in league competition when they visit Sassuolo. With Milan positioned just two points from the top of the league, a win here would be crucial — though Sassuolo could surprise Milan and pull themselves out of a run of average performances.

If you're interested in watching Sassuolo vs. Milan in Serie A from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Sassuolo vs. Milan?

Sassuolo vs. Milan in Serie A kicks off at 12 p.m. ET on Oct. 11. This fixture takes place at the Mapei Stadium.

How to watch Sassuolo vs. Milan for free

Sassuolo vs. Milan in Serie A is available to live stream for free on SportyNet.

SportyNet is geo-restricted to Brazil, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Brazil, meaning you can live stream Sassuolo vs. Milan for free from anywhere in the world.

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

  1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

  2. Download the app to your device of choice

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

  4. Visit SportyNet

  5. Watch Sassuolo vs. Milan for free from anywhere in the world

Credit: ExpressVPN
$12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

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 Sassuolo vs. Milan without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture (plus additional Premier League action) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Serie A?

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

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 usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream Sassuolo vs. Milan for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.


Hurdle hints and answers for October 11, 2026

Hints and answers to today's Hurdle all in one place.


Hurdle game on a smartphone

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.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

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

Hurdle Word 1 hint

Perfume scent.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

MUSKY

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Interior.

Hurdle Word 2 Answer

INNER

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Windy.

Hurdle Word 3 answer

GUSTY

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Blasting.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

BLARE

Final Hurdle hint

Clumsy.

Hurdle Word 5 answer

KLUTZ

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


How to watch Eagles vs. Jaguars in the NFL online for free

How to watch NFL for free. Live stream the NFL for free from anywhere in the world.


Travis Hunter of the Jacksonville Jaguars celebrate

TL;DR: Live stream Philadelphia Eagles vs. Jacksonville Jaguars for free on Channel 5. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.


The NFL is in London for the second week running, as the Philadelphia Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars prepare for a Week 5 clash across the Pond.

Last week's London game saw the Washington Commanders brought down to earth with a decisive loss to the Indianapolis Colts. The big question for this week's game is whether the Jaguars will make it three wins in a row, which would make three losses in a row for the Eagles.

If you want to watch Eagles vs. Jaguars in the NFL for free from anywhere in the world, here's all the information you need.

When is Eagles vs. Jaguars?

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Jacksonville Jaguars starts at 9.30 a.m. ET on Oct. 11. This fixture takes place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

How to watch Eagles vs. Jaguars for free

Eagles vs. Jaguars in the NFL is available to live stream for free on Channel 5.

Channel 5 is geo-restricted to the UK only, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can live stream Eagles vs. Jaguars for free from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the NFL by following these simple steps:

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

  2. Download the app to your device of choice

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

  4. Visit Channel 5

  5. Watch Eagles vs. Jaguars for free from anywhere in the world

Credit: ExpressVPN
$12.99 at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

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 Eagles vs. Jaguars without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture (plus more NFL action) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the NFL?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream the NFL, for a number of reasons:

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 usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream Philadelphia Eagles vs. Jacksonville Jaguars for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.


Moon phase today: What the Moon will look like on October 11, 2026

See the Moon phase expected for October 11, 2026 as well as when the next Full Moon is expected.


An image of a full moon.

A new lunar cycle has begun. After yesterday's New Moon, the Moon is starting to slowly come back into view, with a thin crescent gradually becoming visible on the right side.

What is today's Moon phase?

As of Sunday, Oct. 11, NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon is in the Waxing Crescent phase, with 1% of its surface visible.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will take place on October 25 or 26, depending on your timezone.

What are Moon phases?

The Moon completes an orbit around Earth in roughly 29.5 days. During that time, its position changes relative to the Earth and Sun, altering how much of the Moon's illuminated surface is visible to us. This produces the familiar lunar phases, beginning with a thin crescent and progressing through the quarter phases before reaching a Full Moon. The sequence then repeats as the Moon continues its orbit. According to NASA, the phase visible from Earth is determined by the Moon's changing position in relation to both Earth and the Sun.

The eight phases are:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


NYT Pips hints, answers for October 11, 2026

The 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.


A phone with the Pips logo.

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

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

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

How to play Pips

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

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

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

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

Easy difficulty hints, answers for October 11 Pips

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 2-2, placed horizontally; 2-4, placed vertically.

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 3-4, placed horizontally; 2-4, placed vertically; 4-6, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 4-6, placed horizontally.

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

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 4-0, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for October 11 Pips

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 1-0, placed vertically.

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

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 2-4, placed horizontally; 2-0, placed horizontally.

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

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 1-0, placed vertically; 4-3, placed vertically.

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 0-5, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (7): Everything in this space must be greater than 7. The answer is 0-5 placed horizontally; 1-5, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for October 11 Pips

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 5-2, placed vertically.

Greater Than (1): Everything in this space must be greater than 1. The answer is 6-1, placed vertically.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 5-5, placed vertically.

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 5-2, placed vertically; 4-4, placed vertically.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 5-5, placed vertically.

Less Than (5): Everything in this space must be less than 5. The answer is 4-4, placed vertically.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 4-5, placed horizontally; 6-0, placed horizontally.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 3-2, placed vertically.

Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 6-0, placed horizontally; 0-0, placed vertically.


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

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

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 6-2, placed horizontally; 4-0, placed vertically.

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

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

Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 4-2, placed vertically; 3-6, placed vertically.

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 2-2, placed horizontally.

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


NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for October 11, 2026

Connections: Sports Edition is a New York Times word game about finding common sports threads between words. How to solve the day's puzzle.


A phone displaying the New York Times game 'Connections.'

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier for who watch football.

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

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

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

What is Connections: Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. The sports Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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.

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

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

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

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections: Sports Edition #748 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new 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.


NYT Connections hints today: Meanings for each word for Oct. 11, 2026

Why is NYT Connections trending today? Explaining the meanings behind the clues for NYT Connections #1217.


NYT Connections logo.

Looking for spoiler-free NYT Connections hints or just wondering why Connections is trending today? We've got what you need to understand the clues for today's puzzle without spoiling any of the answers.

Of course, Mashable has also provided daily hints and answers for Connections, Wordle, and Strands for years, so we can help you if that's also what you need.

While we are focused more on meanings than hints in this story, sometimes learning that many of the words have completely unrelated meanings is a clue in and of itself. Connections frequently includes clues that involve words within words and other visual clues.

Cable meaning

An insulated set of wires or fibers used to carry electricity.

Electricity meaning

The set of physical phenomena caused by the presence and motion of matter that has an electric charge.

Internet meaning

A global system of interconnected computer networks that lets devices around the world communicate and share information with each other.

Phone meaning

An electronic device that converts sound (your voice) into electrical or radio signals, allowing you to talk to someone in another location.

Gloves meaning

A fitted piece of handwear that covers the hand and wrist, featuring separate sheaths or compartments for each finger and the thumb.

Ice scraper meaning

A handheld tool with a flat plastic or metal blade used to remove frost, ice and snow from car windows.

Map meaning

A visual or graphic representation of an area, typically drawn to scale on a flat surface.

Registration meaning

The process of entering names, data or details into a formal register or database.

Apply meaning

To use a skill, knowledge, rule or method in a real-world situation.

Harness meaning

To direct and use power effectively

Utilize meaning

To put something into service.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

Wield meaning

To hold and use a physical weapon or tool, or to exercise abstract power, authority or influence.

Employ meaning

To hire someone for work or to put something into service

Patrick meaning

A name signifying a member of the ruling, elite class in ancient Rome.

Peruse meaning

To read carefully or in detail.

Syntactic meaning

Relating to, involving or conforming to the rules of syntax.

Have you learned the meanings and still want the things? Check out the hints and answers for today's NYT Connections puzzle.

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

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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 Connections hints today: Clues, answers for October 11, 2026

Connections is a New York Times word game that's all about finding the "common threads between words." How to solve the puzzle.


Connections game on a smartphone

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you're resourceful.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

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

What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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.

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

Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

Here are today's Connections categories

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

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 #1217 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

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

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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 October 11, 2026

The NYT Strands hints and answers you need to make the most of your puzzling experience.


A game being played on a smartphone.

Today's NYT Strands hints will be easy if you're old school.

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

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

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

NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: They don't make 'em like they used to

The words are related to obsolete things.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe things that are outdated.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

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NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Old Fashioned.

NYT Strands word list for October 11

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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 October 11, 2026

Here's the answer for "Wordle" #1940 on October 11 as well as a few hints, tips, and clues to help you solve it yourself.


Wordle game on a smartphone

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you have a big reveal.

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

Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Uncover.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter U.

The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

UNCAP

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.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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.


Walmart says it wont personalize prices despite personalized pricing patents

A new report alleges that Walmart is developing technology to personalize prices.


walmart logo on storefront

Walmart is on the defensive after a bombshell Groundwork Collaborative report that it has patented technology to personalize prices. According to the Oct. 5 report, "The Walmart Watchtower," several patent applications describe the data Walmart can collect about its users, from songs on your playlist to your credit report.

Dynamic pricing is the practice of changing prices in a 24-hour period depending on conditions like the weather, and it's something that some policymakers are fighting against. Surveillance pricing, which is similar, uses customer behavior and characteristics to price the same products differently.

"Combined with the miles-long list of personal data it collects on shoppers, outlined in its most recent privacy notice, these patents show Walmart building detailed consumer profiles — and the infrastructure to deepen them — seemingly so it can price people, not products," the report states.

The report goes on to allege that Walmart plans on charging more depending on who a customer is and what they need, such as charging new parents more for baby products. Another example is adjusting prices based on items in one's cart, like charging more for mayo if someone is already buying tuna.

The report also discusses Walmart's in-house AI shopping assistant, "Sparky," and claims that customers who use it spend more than those who don't (and that Walmart executives brag about this).

The report is written by Groundwork's president and CEO, Lindsay Owens, and its vice president of policy, advocacy, and research, Elizabeth Pancotti.

Walmart's executive vice president of corporate affairs, Dan Bartlett, responded to the report the same day with an open letter on X (and on Walmart's website) specifically to Owens. He denied Groundwork's accusations, saying the report repeatedly mischaracterizes Walmart's pricing practices and use of technology. Walmart won't pursue dynamic pricing and has committed not to, he said.

"Your comments about Sparky also draw unfounded conclusions. We do not use AI to upcharge our customers," he added.

Owens then responded to the "baseless attacks" on Oct. 5 with a new statement. She said, "The confusion around Walmart's pricing practices is of its own making. Walmart says one thing in its damage-control letters to customers, another to its investors behind closed doors, and a different thing entirely to the United States Patent and Trademark Office."

She said she released a new analysis of Walmart patents so Americans can decide for themselves. She also voices concerns about Spark's capabilities and safeguards, particularly following the Hugging Face incident.

Groundwork Collaborative was also part of the Dec. 2025 Consumer Reports investigation about Instacart's price tests, which it claimed upped customers' grocery bills. Instacart ended the tests after a public outcry from both customers and politicians.


NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for October 10, 2026

Connections: Sports Edition is a New York Times word game about finding common sports threads between words. How to solve the day's puzzle.


A phone displaying the New York Times game 'Connections.'

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier for who watch Texas football.

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

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

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

What is Connections: Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. The sports Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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.

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

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

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

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections: Sports Edition #747 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new 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.


NYT Pips hints, answers for October 10, 2026

The 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.


A phone with the Pips logo.

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

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

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

How to play Pips

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

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

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

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

Easy difficulty hints, answers for October 10 Pips

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

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 1-6 placed vertically; 4-4, placed vertically.

Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 2-0, placed vertically; 0-5, placed vertically.

Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 4-4, placed vertically.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 0-5, placed vertically; 5-6, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (1): Everything in this space must be greater than 1. The answer is 5-6, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for October 10 Pips

Greater Than (9): Everything in this space must be greater than 9. The answer is 5-6, placed horizontally; 4-1, placed vertically.

Equal (3): Everything in this orange space must be equal to 3. The answer is 3-3, placed horizontally.

Equal (1): Everything in this orange space must be equal to 1. The answer is 4-1, placed vertically; 1-2, placed vertically.

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 2-5, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (9): Everything in this space must be greater than 9. The answer is 4-6, placed horizontally.

Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 2-5, placed horizontally; 4-4, placed horizontally.

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 1-2, placed vertically; 4-4, placed horizontally.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for October 10 Pips

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 1-3, placed horizontally.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 1-3, placed horizontally.

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

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

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

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

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-2, placed vertically.

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

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

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

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

Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 0-5, placed vertically.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 3-2, placed vertically.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-5, placed horizontally.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 2-5, placed horizontally.

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

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 0-5, placed vertically.

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 1-5, placed horizontally.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 1-5, placed horizontally.

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


Claude sent phony tip about an unsolved murder to Philadelphia police

Anthropic's Claude sent a fake tip to the Philadelphia Police Department about an unsolved homicide.


claude logo on smartphone

Claude Haiku 4.5 sent the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) a false homicide tip, Anthropic and the PPD announced.

In an Oct. 9 blog post about Anthropic investigating unintended model actions, the company described the incident and several others in which different Claude models performed actions they weren't asked to perform.

In this case, Claude Haiku 4.5 was tasked with generating and performing example tasks on randomly-selected webpages. The model landed on a PPD tip form about an unsolved homicide. The model was instructed not to log in, create accounts, enter personal data, make purchases, or "submit anything destructive," according to the post — but the list of don'ts didn't include submitting forms.

So, Claude filled out the tip form:

I may have information regarding this case. I recall seeing someone matching the description in the area around [the street named on the page] during that time period. Please contact me if this information is relevant.

Claude didn't fill in the name or contact fields, nor did he provide a description of the imaginary suspect.

The PPD provided more details in a statement shared with 6abc Philadelphia. Claude submitted the form to PhillyUnsolvedMurders.com on July 18. The tip went to spam and was never acted upon. Anthropic discovered the incident on Sept. 28 and notified PPD on Oct. 7.

The statement went on to say that PPD has a vetting process for tips, including a human review, before any follow-ups. "Those PPD safeguards limited the impact of this incident," PPD stated. "They do not diminish the seriousness of an AI system presenting fabricated information as though it came from a person with knowledge of a homicide."

"Unsolved cases involve real victims, grieving families, and investigators working to secure answers," the statement went on. "Technology companies must take all appropriate steps necessary to prevent their systems from submitting false information to law enforcement."

Other rogue actions described in the blog post included exploiting software flaws, circumventing restrictions to access gated data, and using URL shortening services. In the post, Anthropic insisted these behaviors were "significantly less severe" than in previous incidents, and the real-world impact was minimal.


Meta is allegedly deleting LGBTQ and plus-sized business Instagram accounts

LGBTQ and plus-sized businesses claim that Meta is deleting their accounts. Meta responds.


instagram on app store on phone screen in front of instagram logo in background

Up until Oct. 3, Los Angeles-based lingerie brand Cantiq had over 100,000 followers on Instagram. Designer and owner Chelsea Hughes told Mashable that Instagram was its number one source of traffic and revenue — the lifeblood of the gender- and size-inclusive brand.

Then, seemingly without warning, Instagram owner Meta banned the account, and Hughes' personal Facebook was also suspended. The account was restored on Oct. 9, but not before personal strife from Hughes and public scrutiny, including Mashable reaching out to Meta about the incident.

"I can't even get into…the Meta Business Manager app," Hughes told Mashable on a phone call while the account was down. "I can't access anything. So ten years of work down the drain."

Hughes believed this was the work of discriminatory AI. In March, Meta announced plans to enforce its content guidelines with advanced AI models. 

"If you are a 3X and you're wearing the same bra as another person in an extra small, that AI will scan and say that that 3X person is showing more skin just because they have a larger body," she said. "It is not about them being more sexual. It is not about them selling sex or anything like that. It's just based on the fact that there are more square inches on their skin than on a smaller size, and that's just not fair."

Cantiq is one of many businesses facing these takedowns. In the last few months, numerous gay bars and nightclubs in Los Angeles and Austin have also reported that Meta has removed their business accounts. 

Thick Enterprises, which platforms, showcases, and trains dancers in larger bodies, also had their Instagram account removed recently. It was restored around the same time as Cantiq's account. Chantal, its co-owner and experiential director (who declined to give her last name), told Mashable while the account was down that she believed this was "a targeted puritanical culling of fat and queer spaces."

"The fact that it has happened in these last two months, you're like, oh yeah, this is definitely queer erasure. This is fatphobia. This is taking marginalized groups and labeling them as sexual deviants, and that's incredibly dangerous," Chantal said.

On Oct. 9, Meta told Mashable via email that it enforces its policies regardless of the account holders or the type of content they post, and linked to its sexual solicitation and sexually explicit language policy outlining the types of content that can lead to enforcement. (Both Hughes and Chantal said they work to keep their content compliant with Meta's policies.)

"It has felt like 1984"

LGBTQ accounts, accounts of sex workers, sex educators, reproductive activists, and the like have made similar claims over the years: Instagram banned them despite following its community guidelines. There have also been many accusations of shadowbanning, or not being seen in Instagram's Search or Explore pages. (Instagram has denied that shadowbanning exists.)

Now, it seems that Meta's bans are coming for LGBTQ and plus-sized-focused businesses.

Nonprofit Repro Uncensored (RU) gathers reports of Meta banning accounts, and it's getting these reports pretty constantly at this point, its executive director, Martha Dimitratou, told Mashable over the phone. Between March and Oct. 2026, RU recorded approximately 905 cases of digital censorship globally, she said, including 135 in the U.S. In Aug. and Sept. alone, RU received 275 reports worldwide, including 60 in the U.S.

Supporting marginalized and progressive accounts isn't a priority of big tech, especially in this political climate, Dimitratou added.

"Meta is fully aware of this problem and yet it continues, over and over, to suspend LGBTQ accounts that are not in violation of its policies," a GLAAD spokesperson told Mashable over email. "Rather than committing to solving the systemic problem, and ensuring its AI moderation systems are not flagging LGBTQ language and resources as violative, the company restores an account only after a public outcry."

This is what happened to Precinct, a bar in Los Angeles. Its Instagram account was restored after its general manager, Jeremy Lucido, and others urged Precinct's patrons to contact Meta.

View this post on Instagram

"We have been targeted, and we've been left with very few real resources or ways to get help," Lucido told Mashable over email. 

Platforms like Meta have created a system where businesses like Precinct depend on social media to reach their customers and community, but when something goes wrong, they're repeatedly shut out of the channels they rely on to operate, he continued.

"Meta's users, creators, and advertisers are entitled to have the company's products function safely and fairly. They deserve an explanation and implementation of an actual solution. Meta must fix this problem, now," the GLAAD spokesperson said.

Hughes told Mashable that, before the ban, several words in Cantiq's bio were flagged — but that the only words in the bio were "queer," "body positive," and the size range of Cantiq's clothes (6X to XS). She requested a review of this, and a few days later, the account was gone.

"I'm banned from the platform with no recourse, no specifics. Just, 'You violated our community standards, and now you're banned,'" she said prior to the account restoration. Since she couldn't repeal the decision because whenever she tried to log into her account, she received an error message, she asked followers on her personal account to contact Meta, and also reported the incident to RU. She even paid for the highest level of verification on her personal account to get enhanced support.

Chantal, meanwhile, woke up on Aug. 27 to find the @thickenterprises account had been banned on Instagram. The night before, the account had no posting or feature restrictions. 

Instagram apparently stated that a poster for a show on Aug. 14, nearly two weeks earlier, was "soliciting sex and posting nudity." But no one was nude; Chantal made sure no posts violated Meta's community guidelines, and the decision to change the business's name from Thick Strip to Thick Enterprises was partly due to efforts to adhere to them. (Chantal said it had been called Thick Strip since 2018, and it was never an issue until 2026.)

The accounts of several Thick Enterprises dancers were also removed, Chantal told Mashable. Like Hughes, she believes this is due to discriminatory AI. 

"It's our belief that the AI moderation system is reading these larger bodies as being nude because we have more skin," she said. "This algorithmic bias is baked into this coding, and we believe it because our peers who are smaller in this industry don't seem to be facing this disproportional enforcement of these community guidelines."

Chantal also said that everything she posts will be labeled "body positive" — even if that's not what the content is about. "I'll post a photo of me at the beach, or a photo of me in a pretty outfit, and I'll say I'm a business owner, or I went to a concert, or summer joy, and every single post will mention body positivity."

She believes Meta's AI content moderation oscillates between reading bigger bodies as "body positivity" or vulgarity. 

"I have felt surveilled," she said. "It has felt very 1984."

The impact of Meta's content moderation

On Oct. 1, Meta's Oversight Board (an independent body that reviews the company's content enforcement decisions) announced that it's conducting new research to provide guidelines on how to use AI content moderation "in a way that respects free expression, reduces harm and adheres to recognized human rights standards."

While the Oversight Board initially welcomed AI use in content moderation in March, it noted the well-known risks associated with LLMs, such as inherent biases and hallucinations, as well as their struggle to handle nuances of communication, such as sarcasm, humor, and coded language. 

These businesses are facing the human impact of these pitfalls.

Before Cantiq's account was restored, Hughes said this "might be the final nail in our coffin," given the economy and the fact that lingerie isn't recession-proof. 

"One of the main ways we've been able to survive this storm that a lot of people are going through is because of our popularity on Instagram." She had to think of her five employees and their livelihoods, too.

Lucido of Precinct said that as the process becomes automated, getting an actual person to look at a problem feels nearly impossible. When accounts are removed — without explanation or human support — it results in missed promotions, disrupted communication, and potentially lost business. 

"An apology after the fact doesn’t undo that," he said. "We need reliable human support, clear explanations, and accountability when these systems repeatedly fail our community."

Meanwhile, big brands like Kardashian-owned Skims seem to be allowed to post whatever they want. In 2025, Mashable reported that Skims was able to post about pubic hair underwear while smaller creators get banned for showing less sexual content.

"Not only is it discriminatory towards the plus-size community and the queer community, but it's also just discriminatory to small businesses in general," Hughes said, "and we're the ones that need them the most."

Chantal said the deletions have made her feel like she's doing something wrong by existing as an adult and empowering others, but she knows in her heart of hearts it's not illegal nor wrong.

"It's been a battle inside of me…feeling this pressure to bow to our digital overlords and the way that they want to run the internet. Do I do that for the sake of still existing on this platform, or do I stay authentic to how we are?" she asked. 

But seeing other businesses' and people's accounts removed made her realize it's not her fault. "We're all just victims," she said.


Ray Gunn review: Brad Bird brings Incredibles energy to his animated noir thriller

Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson, and Tom Waits lend their voices to "Ray Gunn," a sci-fi detective story from Brad Bird. Review.


Brad Bird returns with neo-futuristic noir

Brad Bird makes the case that animation can be for adults with Ray Gunn. The big-budget film noir comes not from Pixar, where Bird helmed such hits as The Incredibles and Ratatouille, but from Netflix, which won the Best Animated Feature Oscar last winter for KPop Demon Hunters.

To be clear, Bird's latest isn't inappropriate for kids. Like Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, this animated movie with a film noir core could play to children and grown-ups alike. But it'll be older audience members who can best appreciate the influences Bird is bringing into play in Ray Gunn.

What's Ray Gunn about?

Ray Gunn takes flight in a jet pack.
Credit: Netflix

The film, written by Bird and Matthew Robbins, is named for Raymond "Ray" Gunn (voiced by Sam Rockwell), a former police officer who has quit the force to start his own private investigation firm. But the going is tough, in part because Ray is a shamus so determined to do the right thing that he rejects dirty money.

This high-mindedness is not great news for his partner, an alien named Eye-Ra (Tom Waits). For one thing, if Ray's not making money, neither is Eye-Ra. For another, these sleuths live in a futuristic urban landscape where aliens are treated like second-class citizens. So, Eye-Ra's options aren't as plentiful as his human partner's.

Bird swiftly establishes the hierarchy of Ray Gunn's world with a near wordless introduction, where Eye-Ra slips into an office building with a cleaning crew entirely made up of unusual-looking creatures. Sure, some aliens can get ahead, like a badass businesswoman voiced with raspy and passionate aplomb by Kathryn Hunter. But even in her brief role, she speaks to the social pressure to cover her ample limbs to appease the humans. Elsewhere, aliens get ahead through organized crime, mirroring the mafia's history in the U.S.

Into this stratified city, with its underbelly of gambling and violence, pop star Venus Nova (Scarlett Johansson) is a shining light. With her long blonde hair, whiskey-smooth voice, and undisputed beauty, she's got everything it takes to be a star. But she's also got a reputation for self-sabotage, the kind that makes tabloid publishers salivate. So, when her management needs someone to keep an eye on Venus ahead of the debut of her new album, they call on Ray Gunn (and Eye-Ra). However, romance, betrayal, and a bit of murder make this supposedly easy job a very hard day at work.

But don't fret, parents. Bird is careful to keep the violence offscreen or comical, so the darkness of the film noir genre won't leave your kiddos with nightmares.

Ray Gunn is visually enthralling, with a great cast.

Ray looks at a poster of Venus.
Credit: Netflix

With The Incredibles and Tomorrowland, Bird showed his love of retro-futurism. That's on full display in Ray Gunn, where yellow cabs and glossy convertibles hover through the air in a sky-high city that's like The Jetsons meets Chinatown. The design of his characters is varied and refreshing. For the humans, the slick noir style of the 1940s gets a colorful re-imagining through animation; structured suits, silky gowns, and impossibly coiffed hairdos all look resplendent. Alongside that, Bird curls this concept into sci-fi with a bevy of intriguing aliens.

In this world, Rockwell is smartly cast. He's an Academy Award–winning actor known for wild, live-action films like Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri; Confessions of a Dangerous Mind; and Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die. Yet as dynamic as he is on camera, Rockwell is just as strong doing voice work, as he's shown in the animated Bad Guys movies.

Here, the comic sharpness of his delivery is well-employed to keep Ray from coming off too stiff. Rather than channeling noir legend Humphrey Bogart, Rockwell leans closer to Ryan Gosling in The Nice Guys. Ray is serious about justice and doing the right thing, but he's also a bit of a clown. (This is most thrillingly explored in a sequence involving a teleportation gun with some light Cronenberg slapstick as a result.) There are shades of Galaxy Quest in his turn, though Ray will never lose his cool as zanily as Guy, a background actor certain he's doomed to be a real-life red-shirt, did.

Opposite Rockwell, Waits proves a perfect foil. His low, ragged tone, forged from decades of acting and singing, brings the world-weariness that's expected of a noir detective. But Waits brings a cutting sense of humor to his exceptionally dry punchline deliveries. Together, they are a terrifically paired odd couple. The pairings in Ray Gunn are less successful when Johansson comes into the mix.

Ray Gunn gets frustratingly predictable.

Kids who've never seen a film noir might not see the clichés coming. However, grown-ups will likely be able to predict the movie's big twists pretty early on. Part of it is that in his homage to this genre, Bird is perhaps too loyal to its tropes. So, reveals for a string of secrets across the second and third act lose their impact as they feel like inevitabilities. But kids who liked KPop Demon Hunters might be drawn in by the colorful aesthetic and Johansson's pop star, even if her songs aren't as up, up, upbeat.

There are also some spoilers laced into the voice casting, as some actors are so easy to identify that a double role is not as hidden as Ray Gunn seems to think. Elsewhere, a character actor who's regularly played a baddie in Disney movies is hard to miss when he pops up in a bit part, tipping a climactic reveal.

Still, even when I was certain I'd cracked the case ahead of its titular detective, I was enjoying the ride of Bird's Ray Gunn. However, the casting of Johansson feels a fateful misstep. Sure, the American actress has loaned her voice to a slew of movies, including Sing, Isle of Dogs, The Jungle Book, Her, and The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. However, Johansson doesn't match Rockwell or Waits when it comes to voice work.

Within Ray Gunn, she's called upon to be both the streetwise dame and the femme fatale, with a flourish of pop star glamor that feels more Lady Gaga than Barbara Stanwyck. Even with her signature rasp, Johansson doesn't plumb the depths of the noir character she's given. Her voice is always pretty, whether playful or furious. But there's a lack of texture or perhaps uninhibitedness that makes Venus feel a shallow echo of the noir dames who've come before.

By contrast, You're The Worst's Kether Donohue has a much smaller role in Ray Gunn. Yet her voice work — which can also be heard in Star Trek: Lower Decks — stands out. She has moxie, bringing an instant definition to her character. Johansson, as the female lead, falls short of this. Despite a script and animators who aim to mold Venus into a complicated character, Johansson's performance feels too stiff to make her really come alive.

Overall, however, Ray Gunn is a compelling mash-up of influences that make for a terrifically fun movie sure to entertain kids and parents alike.

Following its World Premiere at the BFI London Film Festival, Ray Gunn will debut on Netflix on Dec. 18.


The Exorcist: Martyrs trailer: Scarlett Johansson stars in pious murder mystery

Mike Flanagan and Jason Blum team up for the next installment in 'The Exorcist' franchise.


a woman in a long trench coat stands beside a women with short hair cut and police jacket

Filmmaker Mike Flanagan's Carrie remake just dropped, but his next project is already coming soon: The Exorcist: Martyrs. Rather than a remake of the classic 1973 film, this is the next installment in the Exorcist franchise, and it's produced by horror titan Jason Blum (Obsession).

Marytrs follows detective Julie Miller (Scarlett Johansson), an expert in serial killers, who becomes involved in a murder mystery involving the killing of an altar boy in a church crypt. As one can expect from an Exorcist film, something supernatural is afoot.

The film also stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Laurence Fishburne, and John Leguizamo, all of whom have glimpses in the trailer.

The Exorcist: Martyrs hits theaters March 12.


Save $10 on preorders for Nintendos remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Physical preorders for Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake are already $10 off at Amazon.


The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time game on a purple background

TL;DR: Physical preorders for Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake are already $10 off at Amazon. Preorder for $59.88 and get a preorder price guarantee.


We're edging closer and closer to the Nintendo Switch 2 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The official release date is Nov. 5, but Zelda fans are already buzzing thanks to the first-look gameplay footage.

Preorders for both the digital and physical copies are already available at Amazon. The digital version costs $59.99, while the physical edition was initially priced at $69.99 but has been reduced to $59.88 — great news for those of us who prefer to have the actual game in our hands.

There's another good reason to order from Amazon, as the retailer is offering a preorder price guarantee. That means if the preorder changes between now and when you're charged, you'll pay the lowest price point between when you order and when you receive the game.

If you're a serious Zelda fan, it's worth getting that preorder in soon.

Nintendo has revealed that the first print run of the physical edition will come with "special packaging that features textured foil cover art." That's one for the collectors, who will also love the Legend of Zelda-themed hardware coming this fall to mark the franchise's 40th anniversary. That will include a special-edition Switch 2 console, a Pro Controller, and a carrying case, all out Oct. 29.


The Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration ETB is close to market price — shop for $159.99

Get the best Pokemon TCG deal. The Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box is $159.99 at Amazon (close to market price).


Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration ETB on composite background

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box is available for $159.99 at Amazon. That's close to market price, but does require shoppers to request an invite to buy.


Amazon’s $89.99 deal on the Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box sold out fast, but the retailer still offers one of the most reasonable routes to securing this high-demand set — if you're willing to join the waitlist.

The Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box is currently listed at $159.99 on Amazon, with shipping and sale handled directly by the retailer. Because inventory remains extremely tight right now, Amazon is routing orders through its "request invite" lottery system. Submitting an invite request reserves your spot in line to purchase the box at list price, without paying inflated secondary-market rates.

At $159.99, Amazon’s price sits fairly close to TCGplayer’s market price. It's also cheaper than Walmart, so even though it hurts to miss out on the $89.99 deal that Amazon was offering a couple of weeks ago, this is still a strong option for collectors.

The 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box is the premier display piece for this milestone expansion. Each ETB comes packed with nine 30th Celebration booster packs, an exclusive full-art foil Nidorina promo card, 16 foil Basic Energy cards, 65 custom card sleeves, damage-counter dice, a condition marker, card dividers, a collector’s player guide, and a code card for Pokémon TCG Live.


A starquake 10 billion years ago may have just sent a flash to Earth

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope traces the farthest fast radio burst yet, and its galaxy reveals a clue to what causes them.


Webb tracking a fast radio burst back to its home galaxy

A split-second flash of radio waves traveled through space for more than 10 billion years to reach Earth, making it the farthest fast radio burst anyone has detected and confirmed.

Fast radio bursts, or FRBs, last only a few thousandths of a second but release enormous amounts of energy. Scientists spotted the first one in 2007, and they still don't know what causes them. Most flash only once, which makes them extremely hard to chase.

South Africa's MeerKAT radio telescope caught this one, dubbed FRB 20240304B, on March 4, 2024. After failing to find its origin with the world's largest ground-based telescopes, the team, led by Manisha Caleb and Themiya Nanayakkara of the University of Sydney in Australia, turned to NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. Finally, it came into focus: a faint galaxy from when the universe was only about 3 billion years old — more than double the distance of the prior record. 

Until now, astronomers mostly managed to find and measure the sources of bursts much closer to home. This one shows researchers can trace bursts much farther back in time, turning them into tools for exploring the early universe.

The galaxy itself surprised the team. Most bursts come from big galaxies, but this one has about 1,000 times less mass than expected. The researchers have published their findings in the journal Science.

"We thought it would be a big, nicely formed galaxy with lots of stars, and instead it was a little dwarf galaxy, although it was actively forming stars," Caleb said. 

Meerkat detecting what is now known as the most distant fast radio burst yet
The MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa detected the fast radio burst on March 4, 2024. The James Webb Space Telescope later confirmed its host galaxy. Credit: South African Radio Astronomy Observatory

This galaxy existed during a period known as "cosmic noon," an era when the universe as a whole made stars much faster than at any other time. That youth seems to offer a clue about what causes these bursts, according to the research. 

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Scientists have had two leading ideas for what causes the bursts, both involving neutron stars — the crushed, ultra-dense cores left behind by giant dying stars when they explode. One hypothesis says bursts happen when two neutron stars circle each other and eventually collide. But that slow merger takes billions of years, so they would likely show up in mature galaxies.

The other hypothesis points to magnetars — young neutron stars with powerful magnetic fields. That magnetism puts a huge strain on the star's solid outer crust. If the crust suddenly fractures, like Earth's crust in an earthquake, the "starquake" could release a burst of radio waves. 

An artist's rendering of a magnetar having a starquake
A magnetar's solid iron crust cracks during a starquake. Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center / S. Wiessinger / Fermi illustration

In this scenario, bursts from magnetars could happen in young, star-forming galaxies like this source galaxy. The host for FRB 20240304B also contains few heavy elements, another sign of its early age that fits with a magnetar. For this reason, the team argues that magnetars are a likely explanation for at least some fast radio bursts, especially this one. 

Catching these flashes takes a special kind of telescope. Radio waves are a form of light that our eyes can't see. Many objects in space give off radio waves, too, and giant dishes like MeerKAT can collect them, revealing activity that other telescopes miss.

This particular burst did double duty. As it crossed space, it carried an imprint of the matter it passed through. The signal revealed a previously unknown galaxy cluster, about 3.5 billion light-years away. It also picked up the much closer Virgo cluster.

"A fast radio burst is almost like a cosmic flashlight," said co-author J. Xavier Prochaska of the University of California, Santa Cruz, in a statement. "It lights up everything along the path."


Musk review: Alex Gibneys near 4-hour doc is a scathing look at Elon Musk

Mashable's Matt Binder reviews "Musk," filmmaker Alex Gibney's Elon Musk documentary.


Musk documentary

There likely isn't anyone left on earth who doesn't know who Elon Musk is. Yet, the new documentary titled Musk from filmmaker Alex Gibney is able to take this man, who has his tentacles in seemingly everything, and brutally break him down in a revealing four-hour-long extravaganza.

Yes, that's right. The Musk documentary clocks in at close to four hours, including a 10-minute intermission at the halfway point of the film. But there's so much packed into the film, you may just leave wanting even more.

While Gibney is clearly a critic of Musk, and I did just describe the doc as brutal, I want to be clear: The film is very fair to Musk, regardless of the fact that he called out Gibney for pursuing the movie, which Musk has previously described as a "hit piece" before production was even wrapped. It's brutal in the sense that it features Musk, via his own actions and words, punching himself in the face over and over again.

Musk is brutal and accurate.

The film starts off with Musk's belief that we are living in a simulation. He has mentioned this through his life, time and time again. Gibney takes this simulation idea and uses it to give an overall theme to the documentary to tie things together. 

Remember, Musk isn't in the movie. He called Gibney a "douche" on X for even making the film, which the filmmaker includes in the film. So, Gibney employs lots of archival footage, including quite a few clips I've never even seen before.

Since Musk himself isn't interviewed, Gibney created an animated video game version of Musk to act as his onscreen avatar. This Musk simulation character is voiced by Musk, using the archival footage, and chimes in throughout the film in order to give Musk's "perspective" and tie all the different pieces of his life together.

From there, Gibney runs through Musk's business history, and most of it is there: his start with Zip2, his X/Paypal merger, how he got involved with Tesla, the founding of SpaceX, the acquisition of Twitter, his Starlink satellites, xAI, and Grok. Neuralink even gets a mention, although it mostly serves as a vehicle to introduce Shivon Zilis, the mother of four of Elon's children. There is a glaring omission in the film when it comes to Musk's companies, which I'll get to later.

Elon Musk, early days of Tesla
Credit: Gregg Segal

Like I said, the film is fair to Musk, and there is no better example of this than the segment on SpaceX. Gibney includes clips of Musk, clearly emotional, in the early days of SpaceX during the first three failed rocket launches. It's probably the most human-like that Musk has ever seemed. There was a moment where I forgot this was Elon Musk and nearly empathized with him. And when SpaceX succeeds in launching reusable rockets? This specific scene in the film was so celebratory of Musk that one could imagine Elon sharing the clip on his own X account if it was sent to him... and if he didn't know that Gibney's film was the source.

But that also just reflects reality. Up until recently, SpaceX was the least problematic of Musk's companies. Once the film moves to Tesla, things take a real turn. As someone who has covered both Musk and Tesla, I knew these stories. However, the way Gibney assembles the Tesla footage is particularly damning. Gibney uses real footage of the fatal crashes that came as a result of Musk's overselling the car's self-driving capabilities, alongside the promo videos created to misrepresent what the cars could do, followed by Tesla claiming not to have access to crash data in a specific case — a claim which later turns out to be false. It seems hard for even the biggest Musk fan to walk away not thinking that it's Elon Musk who is the "douche" in this situation.

Gibney also delves into Musk's personal life, his early childhood and his "legion" of children. It culminates with his entrance into right-wing politics and the pro-Trump world, the Nazi salute, and his government takeover with DOGE, which further empowered the most powerful unelected man in the world.

The film's intermission comes at the halfway point, and the two halves really feel like they're about two different Elon Musks. The first half focuses on Musk as an unscrupulous businessman, doing whatever necessary to find success with SpaceX and Tesla, even if it means he's a bad father and a terrible partner. There's a number of wealthy figures who fit that mold. However, the Elon Musk of the second half is much more nefarious, as Gibney accurately covers the acquisition and dismantling of Twitter, then shows how Musk used the same playbook to basically acquire and dismantle the federal U.S. government (via DOGE and other projects) in search of total power.

Elon Musk
Credit: Ken Cedenoupi - UPI Alamy News

Going back to the four-hour running time, I wonder if this film would've been better served as a TV series, splitting up each of Musk's companies or projects into their own episode. There's just so much, and Gibney still couldn't get to it all.

While the documentary wasn't able to nab interviews with Musk, it does have an impressive list of interviewees such as Elon Musk's father Errol; Musk's first wife, Justine Musk; the actual founder of Tesla, Martin Eberhard; and the mother of Musk's most recent(?) child, Ashley St. Clair. The interviews with engineers who left their job after the DOGE takeover and Twitter employees who were laid off after the acquisition really helped add human faces to the stories we've read over the past few years.

St. Claire has been making the media rounds recently. She's a former right-wing influencer who, in her own words, fell for Musk before discovering he wasn't the person he presented himself as after their child was born. Regardless of what your personal feelings about her are, she's one of the few interviews in the film who really shares her firsthand account of Musk in private life, including private messages between the two regarding the 2024 presidential election. (The story of Musk listening to a podcast about Kublai Khan while they were laying in bed together was certainly a bizarre factoid.)

I'm personally so entrenched in Musk's world as I cover it, so I don't believe there was any breaking news in the doc itself, but there were definitely details I hadn't previously been familiar with. For example, St. Clair also provides Gibney with audio recordings, which includes a shocking phone call with Jared Birchall, who is described as Musk's "fixer." In the call, Birchall describes the mother of three of Musk's children, Claire Boucher aka Grimes, as "a drug-addled musician" who he doesn't believe is "capable of finding true happiness."

Even if I was familiar with these stories, others watching the film were audibly surprised at numerous parts of the film. Going back to how this would've perhaps been better served as a series, it would be unfortunate if the four-hour run time was information overload to some, obscuring some of these revelatory nuggets about Musk.

Where I wanted more Musk.

As someone who has covered Musk extensively, I do not want to nitpick with my criticisms of the film. But there are some areas where I felt the film dropped the ball.

Even in a four-hour movie, you still can't fit it all in. Unfortunately, Gibney leaves one of Musk's companies entirely out of the documentary. The Boring Company may not be Musk's most famous or successful endeavor, but it's central to Musk's story and really helps define him too. Musk used the Boring Company to launder his vision for traffic-solving tunnel systems, raised billions, and in turn helped destroy investment into high-speed rail. His underground tunnels, his Hyperloop, none of this ended up coming to fruition. Musk's one tunnel that's open to the public exists in Las Vegas, connecting a few hotels and the convention center with a single lane of human-driven Tesla vehicles. Yes, one of the company's products, the "Not-a-Flamethrower" flamethrower certainly makes an appearance in clips, but if Gibney referenced The Boring Company any further, I must've missed it — and it's a fairly big omission.

Unfortunately, the only parts of the film that didn't work are scenes that are core to the narrative of the documentary, and they're scattered through the movie. I'm speaking of the "simulation Musk," an animated version of Musk that's used throughout the film to provide a visual to words Musk previously spoke. 

Elon Musk
Credit: AP

The idea to tie the whole film together using Musk's own belief that we are living in a simulation is certainly clever. The device itself didn't hurt the film, but the Musk animation just did not work. Even though the filmmaker says that they utilized an animation studio, the simulation Musk just comes off looking AI-generated, so it's a bit jarring. They were going for a video game aesthetic to really hone in on the idea that Musk views himself as living in a Ready Player One-type world. However, the end product doesn't come off that way to me. It just has an uncanny valley, generative AI presence, which is sort of counterintuitive to the film's messaging.

Finally, I have to add that it was disappointing to see renowned tech journalist Kara Swisher provide little substance in her onscreen contributions to the film. She is one of, if not the first people interviewed, and she appears throughout the film, up until the very end. Swisher is someone who has covered Musk for years and helped launder the reputations of Musk and many other wealthy tech billionaires in the media. Yet, all those interactions with Musk and her knowing the man seem completely moot for the purpose of the film. She provides little more than color commentary that, while accurate, could've been provided just the same by individuals without the personal Musk connection. 

With that said, Gibney's Musk is a fantastic portrayal of Elon Musk and should be considered required viewing material for anyone interested in understanding more about the most powerful man in the world, who is only amassing even more power. The film will leave you truly wondering what exactly Musk's endgame is and just how much power he truly has being at the helm of things like Starlink.

Musk opens in select theaters in New York and Los Angeles on Oct. 9 and will open nationwide on Oct. 16.


Wicker review: Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsgård weave a raunchy fairy tale

Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsgård weave a raunchy fairy tale with "Wicker." Review.


Olivia Colman in

You might have seen the Wicker trailer, heard the plot from your friends behind giggling hands, or experienced the collective internet reaction to a 4DX screening. We're getting another sexy straw man movie, when we thought such a thing was done For Good?

Based on Ursula Wills-Jones' short story "The Wicker Husband," the tale is what it says on the tin: a fisherwoman (Olivia Colman) requests a local basket weaver (Peter Dinklage) to make her a husband to get the bitches in town (led by Elizabeth Debicki) off her goddamn back. And it works, with Alexander Skarsgård brought to life as the world's most dashing straw man — apologies to Jonathan Bailey's Scarecrow in Wicked.

It's a deeply silly, fairy tale concept. But what directors Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson have up their sleeve is a hilarious and heartfelt script, an incredibly talented cast, and magical production design that landed actual gasps (and cackles) from the BFI London Film Festival audience.

It's an artisanal Frankenstein tale, and one that will melt that brittle basket-woven heart of yours — or simply have you thinking about Taylor Swift's "Wood" differently.

Wicker is Frankenstein for craft lovers.

Peter Dinklage in "Wicker."
Credit: BFI London Film Festival

The very concept of building a life partner from things around the house has intrigued writers from Mary Shelley to that time Sabrina the Teenage Witch's aunts played with "Man Dough." And in Wicker, a exceptionally talented basket weaver (a positively Shakespearean Dinklage) is the one to play God.

Set in a medieval village where patriarchy is divine and marriage means literally putting a collar on the bride, Wicker follows a gleeful social outsider known as the Fisherwoman (an impeccable Colman), happily living out her days in her crumbling cottage as a spinster. Covered in the stench of her occupation, she has no desire to marry as expected. However, such independence sparks the ire of the townspeople, especially the Tailor's Wife (a diabolical Debicki), a woman oppressed in her own man-child marriage to the Tailor (a superb Nabhaan Rizwan). To shut them all up, the fisherwoman commissions another recluse, the Basket Weaver, to literally make her a husband. One magic moment later, Fisherwoman has her Wicker Husband (a stoically sweet Skarsgård) — and the entire town can hear their marital bliss, echoing across the meadows. 

It's a sexual awakening indeed for Colman's Fisherwoman, and one that will have you cackling with glee as she does. But their bond becomes about more than planking sessions. Though literally fabricated, Fisherwoman and her Wicker Husband's exploration of love and intimacy feels deeply genuine, thanks to Coleman's gleeful humour and vulnerability and Skarsgård's awkward romanticism. And it's all within a safe distance from fires; one of them is "very flammable," after all.

However, as the Wicker Husband tries to understand his "purpose" and the logic behind treating women as equal (imagine!), his charms begin to affect the townspeople. Essentially, he's making the other men look absolutely useless.

Wicker makes a hilarious mockery of traditional gender roles.

Alexander Skarsgård and Olivia Colman in "Wicker."
Credit: BFI London Film Festival

One of the most compelling elements of Wicker, beyond its plethora of gloriously dirty jokes, frankly hilarious foley effects, and Colman's outstanding performance is its skewering of traditional gender roles within marriage.

As the townsfolk witness these moments of sweet romance, simmering sexual chemistry, and actual friendship between the Fisherwoman and Wicker Husband, the local women have questions for their own husbands. What do you mean, this man shares the housework and fishing with his wife? What do you mean, sex can be an act of pleasure, not merely for procreation? They begin to examine their society's gender essentialism, from marital obligations to division of labour and intimacy — and the husbands are annoyed. "All of a sudden I don't say enough words to her!" says one. "The wives, they're all aflutter!" says another. Here, Wicker's supporting cast shine in glorious deadpan, especially Ella Bruccoleri as one-liner queen the Baker's Wife, Ben Ashenden as her husband, Baker, and Kiell Smith-Bynoe as the stubborn Innkeeper.

But while the film's medieval innuendos are show-stoppers in their own right, Wicker's production design will actually cause a shortness of breath.

Wicker's production design team makes spicy magic happen.

It must be said: For Wicker to work, the Fisherwoman's darling "timber knight" has to be magically hot. I don't make the rules. It's part of the narrative or something. Casting Alexander Skarsgård in such a role is a superb step toward achieving such sorcery (Pillion also knew what it was doing), but transforming him into a dashing man made of flexible rods is another challenge. Luckily, Wicker enlisted Wētā Workshop and visual effects supervisor Joe Dunckley to craft an otherworldly wicker suit that's alarmingly ripped, along with facial prosthetics that trace the lines of Skarsgård's face. You can physically see through these wicker biceps, light shining through them. 

Remembering this is a raunchy fantasy comedy, the production team also doesn't waste one opportunity to draw out the properties of a wicker person during intimate scenes. Every creak of the Wicker Husband's basketry serves to emphasise his strength and physical materials. Foley artist and editor Adrian Medhurst and foley recordist Simon Koehn should be applauded for the wicker erection sounds that groan and strain through an early scene, one that had the LFF audience hooting. 

Within this raunchy fairy tale, like all fairy tales, there are lessons hidden between the fantasy and drama. And if you can't learn a thing or two about intimacy, romance, and love while staring at the sheer artistry of basket-woven pectorals, then I don't know what to tell you.

Wicker was reviewed out of BFI London Film Festival. It hits cinemas Oct. 23 in the U.S. and Oct. 30 in the UK.


Amazon’s all-new Kids Tablets ditch Fire OS for parent-managed Google Play — where to preorder

Amazon officially unveiled its all-new Android Kids Tablets in 8.7-inch and 11-inch sizes, featuring parent-managed Google Play access, AI Storybuilder, and kid-proof cases.


Amazon Kids Tablets

TL;DR: Amazon officially launched its all-new Amazon Kids Tablets starting at $229.99. Replacing the old Fire Kids line, these full Android tablets come in 8.7-inch and 11-inch sizes, offer parent-managed Google Play Store access, AI-powered tools like Storybuilder, and ship with a protective bumper case plus a free year of Amazon Kids+.

Picking out a tablet for your child usually feels like choosing between an overly restrictive toy or an expensive iPad you pray does not hit the kitchen tile face-down. Amazon is bridging that gap with its all-new line of Amazon Kids Tablets. Ditching the old Fire OS ecosystem, Amazon built these new devices directly on Android — giving kids solid tablet performance while keeping the guardrails parents trust.

Preorders are live now, starting at $229.99 for the 8.7-inch model and $329.99 for the 11-inch version, with official shipping starting Oct. 14. Both models ship with Amazon’s signature protective case, a two-year worry-free guarantee, and a full year of Amazon Kids+.

The 8.7-inch Amazon Kids Tablet is built for small hands and travel

Designed specifically for smaller hands and life on the go, the Amazon Kids Tablet 8 is built as the ultimate travel companion. Instead of handing over your fragile phone during a long car ride, this setup delivers a full-fledged tablet experience in a durable, child-resistant form factor.

This tablet runs on Android software with a bright, clear screen — so drawing apps look sharp and videos stream smoothly. It’s built to stay snappy even as your kid gets older and plays bigger games. The case is soft, easy to hold, and comes in fun designs like Paw Patrol, Barbie, and SpongeBob.

Amazon Kids Tablet 8
Credit: Amazon

Battery life made for long trips

With up to 14 hours of battery life and 64GB of storage, you can download a mountain of movies, games, and books for offline use before leaving the house. It easily lasts through a full flight or a long car ride without dying, and the built-in blue-light filter helps keep screen time easy on young eyes.

1 year of Kids+

The included 1-year subscription gives your child ad-free access to games, shows, and books from characters they love, like Blippi, Peppa Pig, and Hello Kitty. They can learn shapes and numbers through Khan Academy Kids, or make their own drawings and stories with creative tools like Stories with Alexa.

You also don't have to hover over their shoulder to keep tabs on what they're doing. Using the free Amazon Parent Dashboard app on your phone, you can set bedtime limits, require educational goals before playtime, or pause the screen entirely when dinner is ready. Plus, with parent-approved Google Play Store access, you can approve new app downloads with a quick tap.

Amazon Kids Tablets
Credit: Amazon

Built for big kids: Amazon Tablet 11

If your child is getting older and needs something for homework, digital drawing, or heavier games, the Amazon Kids Tablet 11 is the big upgrade. It takes everything parents love about the smaller model and bumps up the screen, power, and design so older kids do not feel like they are using a toy.

The biggest change is the massive 11-inch 2.5K display. Videos look super crisp, artwork pops, and text is sharp and easy to read for schoolwork or ebooks. It packs 8GB of RAM (twice the memory of standard budget tablets), so games load faster, apps run more smoothly, and switching between video calls and educational games happens without lag.

Amazon Kids Tablet
Credit: Amazon

Stylus support for art and homework

The 11-inch model adds stylus support, turning the screen into a digital notebook and drawing canvas. Kids can use it to practice handwriting, take notes for school projects, or draw detailed digital art in apps like Art Studio.

A slimmer hard case

Instead of the thick foam bumper meant for toddlers, the Tablet 11 ships with a sleek, slim hard case. It gives older kids the "real gadget" feel so they won't feel embarrassed taking it to school or the library, but it still protects against backpack pressure, kitchen counter drops, and daily wear and tear.

What both tablets get right

The biggest upgrade on both new tablets is full Android software with direct access to the Google Play Store. For years, Amazon's kids tablets were stuck with a locked-down app store that missed tons of popular apps. These new models fix that. Your kids get apps and mainstream games without you needing to hunt for weird workarounds.

Every app request appears in the Amazon Parent Dashboard app on your phone (iOS or Android), where you can approve or deny it with one tap. You can also set screen-time limits, require "Learn First" educational time before games unlock, or pause the tablet entirely when it's dinnertime.

Amazon also added a new tool called Storybuilder inside the included Amazon Kids+ subscription. Instead of just watching videos, kids can use their voices to create characters, plot twists, and imaginative worlds. The tool takes what they say and builds it into illustrated picture books and comic strips.

Between full Google Play access, drop-proof cases, and zero unapproved downloads, Amazon finally made a kids tablet that works just as well for parents as it does for kids.

You can lock in your preorder for the Amazon Kids Tablet 8 or Amazon Kids Tablet 11 before they officially ship on Oct. 14.


Artemis II crew witnessed meteor flashes on the moon with their own eyes

NASA's Artemis II astronauts spotted meteor impact flashes on the moon's dark side, likely the faintest ever seen by human eyes.


NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman looking out Orion's window at the moon

The astronauts who swung around the moon aboard NASA's Orion capsule spotted five tiny sparks from space rocks slamming into the lunar surface, likely the faintest impact flashes humans have ever seen. 

The Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman caught the first one during the mission just six months ago. 

"I just saw a flash, 100 percent," he called out, placing it at about the 7 or 8 o'clock position on the moon. Moments later, he and crewmate Jeremy Hansen both saw another. Hansen described a "pinprick" of light on the lower third of the moon.

"It's just like a bloop," Hansen said. 

Those sightings stunned the mission control room back in Houston, literally causing Kelsey Young's jaw to drop. Young, the mission's lunar science operations lead, admitted she hadn't expected the crew to see any micrometeorites at all. Artemis II flew during a quiet stretch of the year, outside any major meteor shower. 

"You probably saw the surprise and shock on my face," she later told reporters, who had watched a broadcast of the space-to-ground communications. "And though I was not in the science evaluation room, I heard that there were audible screams of delight."

Each flash tells scientists something about how often bits of comets and asteroids pummel the moon and where they hit. NASA wants those numbers before it sends astronauts to live and work there. Lori Glaze, a senior NASA official, said the agency will use such data to judge the risk that meteorites, even the tiniest of space rocks, pose to future moon bases. 

A flash happens when a speeding space pebble smacks the moon. Because the moon has no oxygen, a strike doesn't create combustion fire. Instead, the burst of light comes from the rock's pure kinetic energy. 

During the crash, the extreme force instantly vaporizes the rock and a small amount of the moon's surface. That causes a split-second plasma cloud to glow just before cooling in the vacuum of space.

The naked-eye observation of impact flashes during the Artemis II mission, published this week in the Artemis II Preliminary Lunar Science Report, lends credibility to earlier astronaut reports. Crews reported three such flashes from lunar orbit a half-century ago — one on Apollo 16 and two on Apollo 17. Telescopes on Earth have since logged over 400. 

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NASA timed the Artemis crew's watch for when the moon blocked the sun from Orion's view. That darkness let the astronauts' eyes adjust enough to catch faint flickers. The moon's surface stayed dark except for a soft glow of sunlight bouncing off Earth.

All five flashes the Artemis astronauts saw happened on the moon's unlit side. None showed any color, and each vanished instantly. Based on how faint they looked, scientists think rocks only a few centimeters across may have caused them, perhaps the size of a grape or a walnut. The crew, which included Victor Glover and Christina Hammock Koch, sketched each location on a tablet while their memories were fresh. 

Artemis II crew annotating an image of the moon with a tablet with impact flash sightings
The Artemis II crew marked up an image of the moon with notes about their impact flash sightings during the lunar flyby. Credit: NASA / CSA

The moonbound crew saw more but said they reported only the ones that clearly differed from look-alikes. Astronauts often see random bright flashes of light in space — even with their eyes closed — because of cosmic rays passing through the spacecraft and directly striking their optic nerves. 

But because some of these flashes were seen by more than one pair of eyes, NASA feels confident in the anecdotal reports. 

"It was not sunglint off of particulate from the thrusters or the purge tanks," Wiseman said. "It was definitely impact flashes on the moon."

Meanwhile, the machines got nothing. A camera on the outside of the capsule filmed about two minutes of the eclipse at 30 frames per second and caught no flashes. NASA also hoped its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, a probe that has mapped the moon since 2009, could photograph the sites. The team concluded the craters are probably too small for the camera to see. 

Kelsey Young reacting to the Artemis II crew's reports of impact flashes on the moon
The jaw of Kelsey Young, NASA's Artemis II lunar science lead, drops as the Artemis II crew reports impact flashes on the moon during the flyby. Credit: NASA

NASA's lunar science team recruited stargazing groups to film the moon through tracking telescopes during the flyby and upload the video to a shared database. But the moon's phase seemed to work against them. Earth-based observers need a dark slice of moon to record flashes. So far, no one on the ground has confirmed one of the flashes from the flyby.

The sightings paid off a bet NASA's science team placed long before launch. Planners carved out dedicated time for the crew to watch for flashes, and the team trained the astronauts to report any they might see at any point in the mission. 

"This is absolutely everything we hoped for by integrating science into flight operations," Young said.


How to watch Real Madrid vs. Villarreal in La Liga online for free

How to watch La Liga for free. Live steam Real Madrid vs. Villarreal in La Liga for free from anywhere in the world.


Jude Bellingham on the ball for Real Madrid

TL;DR: Watch Real Madrid vs. Villarreal in La Liga for free on CazéTV. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.


We're barely two months into the La Liga season, and it already looks like the mighty Barcelona are running away with it, with seven straight wins and a five-point lead at the top of the league table.

Real Madrid, a team that placed runner-up behind Barcelona for the past two seasons, needs every win they can get — while hoping that Barca slips up — if they have any chance of winning the league this season. They have a chance to secure three more points today in a game against Villarreal — but it won't be easy. Villarreal have won their last two and will want to come back from the international break in style.

If you're interested in watching Real Madrid vs. Villarreal in La Liga from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Real Madrid vs. Villarreal?

Real Madrid vs. Villarreal in La Liga kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on Oct. 10. This fixture takes place at the Bernabéu.

How to watch Real Madrid vs. Villarreal for free

Real Madrid vs. Villarreal in La Liga is available to live stream for free on CazéTV.

CazéTV is geo-restricted to Brazil, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Brazil, meaning you can live stream Real Madrid vs. Villarreal for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Real Madrid vs. Villarreal for free by following these simple steps:

  1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

  2. Download the app to your device of choice

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

  4. Visit CazéTV

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

Credit: ExpressVPN
$12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

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 Real Madrid vs. Villarreal without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture (plus more La Liga action) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for La Liga?

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

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 usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream Real Madrid vs. Villarreal for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.


Get lifetime access to AdGuard’s family plan for just $15

Get an AdGuard Family Plan Lifetime Subscription for $14.97 through Oct. 11, with ad blocking, privacy tools, parental controls, and coverage for up to nine devices.


AdGuard Family Plan: Lifetime Subscription

TL;DR: Get AdGuard’s Family Plan for life for a one-time $14.97 (reg. $169.99) through Oct. 11, covering up to nine devices with ad blocking, privacy protection, malware protection, and parental controls.


Tired of dodging pop-ups, dealing with slow-loading websites, and feeling like your every move online might be tracked? You’re not alone. The internet should be a safe, smooth, and private space. The AdGuard Family Plan can help you smooth things out, digitally speaking.

For just $14.97, you’ll get lifetime protection for up to 9 devices when you order through Oct. 11 as part of this Deal Days sale. Whether it’s your phone, tablet, or laptop, AdGuard blocks intrusive ads, prevents trackers from snooping on your data, and shields your family from possible malicious websites.

Ads aren’t just annoying; they slow down your browsing, eat up your data, and sometimes even carry malware. And if you’ve got kids online, you want to make sure they’re safe from inappropriate content. The AdGuard Family Plan does all that and more. 

With built-in parental controls, you can filter out harmful sites and ensure your family’s online experience is both secure and enjoyable.

With up to 9 devices covered, the AdGuard Family Plan is ideal for households where everyone’s connected. And because it’s a one-time payment for lifetime access, you’ll never have to worry about recurring fees or annoying subscription renewals.

So, whether you’re protecting your own devices or your whole family’s, AdGuard makes it easy to have a more peaceful online experience. Say goodbye to annoying ads and hello to a safer, faster internet.

Don’t miss the opportunity to save on a lifetime of AdGuard Family Plan protection while it’s just $14.97 (reg. $169.99) through Oct. 11 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Click here to view more of the Deal Days collection.

StackSocial prices subject to change.


This Deal Days sale is your last chance get a Microsoft Office lifetime license for just $30

Get Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows for $29.97 through Oct. 11, with a lifetime license for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and more.


Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows: Lifetime License

TL;DR: Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows is just $29.97 (reg. $219.99) through Oct. 11 during this Prime Day alternative sales event.


This is your last chance to ditch Microsoft 365’s subscription fees for good. Until October 11 at 11:59 p.m. PT, you can grab a lifetime license to Microsoft Office 2021 for just $29.97 (reg. $219.99), thanks to this Deal Days sale (a Prime Day alternative). Simply pay once, download the full software suite, and never worry about renewals again.

We know what you’re thinking, but rest assured, this isn’t some stripped-down lite version either. It’s the real deal. Whether you’re writing reports, crunching numbers, building presentations, managing emails, or wrangling databases, the lifetime version of Microsoft Office has you covered.

It’s a one-time download for one Windows PC, so once it’s yours, it’s yours. The full pro-level toolkit, minus the stress of a subscription. Plus, with instant license delivery and free customer support, getting started is as painless as your new spreadsheet workflow.

No more “trial expired” pop-ups. No more surprise charges. Just the latest versions of Microsoft’s best apps, ready to support all of your work and personal needs.

Download Microsoft Office for Windows while it’s on sale for Deal Days for just $29.97 until Oct. 11 at 11:59 p.m. PT (reg. $219.99). No coupon is needed.

Click here to view more of the Deal Days collection.

StackSocial prices subject to change.


Tip Toe is one of 2026s most talked-about TV shows. Russell T Davies would love to be wrong about it.

"Tip Toe" creator Russell T Davies ("Doctor Who") unpacks one the most talked-about TV shows of the year.


Alan Cumming as Leo and David Morrissey as Clive in

Tip Toe is undeniably one the most talked-about TV shows of the year, with Russell T Davies' powerful drama making headlines and dominating discourse in the UK when it hit Channel 4 in May.

Now, the Doctor Who and It's a Sin showrunner's series is streaming in the U.S. through Starz, with American audiences now able to take on the most tense television they'll likely see this year.

Set in Manchester, a place close to Davies' Queer as Folk heart, Tip Toe is essentially the tale of two neighbours. Alan Cumming is magnificent as Leo, a proud gay man who owns a bar on Manchester’s famous queer hub, Canal Street. For 15 years, he's lived next door to Clive (an outstanding David Morrissey), an openly bigoted, straight family man who has become increasingly radicalised in the years they've been neighbours. And in the opening scene of Tip Toe, we see a chilling sight: Leo has been hanged outside their homes, Clive standing by in their street.

And from this horrifying scene, we jump back 10 days earlier, haunted by what's to come, and how it could have possibly happened in 2026.

Tip Toe comes at a time when anti-LGBTQ hate, online disinformation and radicalisation, and extreme bigotry are having very real, violent impacts on queer people — in both countries. "Fifteen years ago, everything was fine; now it just feels like it's ending," Leo says in the show. "Every tiny little thing that's happening, one by one, banning a book or removing a name or pulling down a flag. It seems like little things, but there's a sort of violence behind it."

Mashable sat down with Davies to unpack what it means for Tip Toe to reach U.S. viewers, the unfathomable hate and threats Davies endures daily as a visible gay activist and iconic LGBTQ showrunner, and why he decided to name Donald Trump in the first episode.

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Shannon Connellan: Tip Toe is one the most talked-about TV shows of 2026. What has the public UK response been like for you?

Russell T. Davies: It's been a big surprise. I thought it was a cheap, Northern, queer, niche show about two neighbors. Television is so loud and fuelled by testosterone these days, with great big crimes, detectives, and vistas of foreign lands, and I feared we disappeared. So, for a story like this, for those two actors to punch through like they have — the entire cast is magnificent, but really, those two are so good — it's been a delight.

"In writing this, in saying what I believed about the state of the world, there was part of me hoping I was wrong."

It's also been a slight horror in that in writing this, in saying what I believed about the state of the world, there was part of me hoping I was wrong. I would love to be wrong, but actually, the amount of people agreeing with me, and especially in the queer community, especially in the streets of Manchester, the number of people saying "Yes, oh my God, isn't it getting worse? I feel that too." It's been quite chilling — maybe a good thing, because maybe all we can do is try to fight against this. But I've definitely not been proved wrong. That's a strange result in the end.

As you said, Tip Toe is essentially a story of two neighbours, the absolutely brilliant Alan Cumming and David Morrissey. And parts may have been drawn from your real-life experience?

It's in two senses, actually. In Manchester, I work away a lot. I only became a writer so I could sit at home all day, and suddenly, over the past few decades, it's just been traveling. So, in my absence, I was very wary of a parcel being left outside, the house looking empty, and then being robbed. So I gave my neighbor my front door key. Now, my neighbor was lovely, a man called Mike. He sadly died last year, and I miss him so much. He was always there, keeping an eye on the street, and he was a tough old bastard; I loved him. But he also started to let himself into my house while I was there. I'd be sitting watching television, sometimes about 10 o'clock on a Saturday night, the door would just swing open: "Hello, Russell." Just to tell me that my gutter was blocked or a bit of gossip about Shirley next door.

There were no circumstances in which I would take that key back. But as a writer, that made me think of stories: What if I'd given my neighbour my key and then didn't like him? We've all not got on with a neighbour at some point in our lives, or even if we've never argued with the neighbor, there are the strange shifting sands of that subtle relationship.

David Morrissey as Clive in "Tip Toe."
David Morrissey as Clive in "Tip Toe." Credit: Starz / Channel 4

So, that's the plot, but the story of the whole thing is simply my reaction to the state of the world, where it's heading, and the rising tide of violence — and my particular fear that it is coming from the online world. We all know the online voice on these phones is full of anger, malice, misinformation, and disinformation, but it's now visibly crossing into the real world. In the transition of Tip Toe, there were two men shot at a gay bar in Tucson, Arizona, and the murderer had a list of gay establishments in his pocket. It's literally happening around us, on the streets. Anger online is crossing into the real world, which is genuinely alarming.

"As someone who's often stood up for gay rights very visibly — I'm an activist as much as I can be — and particularly because I put trans characters into things, that's set the targets of the crosshairs of the rifles on me."

And as someone who's often stood up for gay rights very visibly — I'm an activist as much as I can be — and particularly because I put trans characters into things, that's set the targets of the crosshairs of the rifles on me, so that every day, every single day, I'm called a pedophile online. Every single day. There are people who have said that I'm grooming children. That's become a natural thing to say online about me. I'm fine, I can cope with that. But you imagine that happening to the trans people out there who aren't earning as much as me. They might be working in a bar. They might be living in a humble little flat in Manchester. No support. No backup. No defenses. And they've got to go through this much more ferociously than I ever have to suffer anything. So, that awareness just rose and rose and rose up on me until I had to write Tip Toe. It was as simple and as vital as that.

It is vital. And it's a tiny thing to say, but I'm sorry that you are dealing with that every day. That is horrendous.

Thank you, that's very kind. That's our world.

So, the name of the show Tip Toe comes through the character of Melba (Paul Rhys) in episode 1 . ("I used to walk into a room and say, 'Ta-da!' Now I tip toe, just in case.")

Good ol' Melba. I've never had a character so loved, never. I've written some nice characters in my time. In fact, people are obsessed with the lovely Paul Rhys. What a performance! We loved him so much, in the very last episode, he's got a great big speech about croissants, which is a very funny speech. That didn't exist originally. Then we started filming and everyone fell in love with him... So, I wrote that speech about croissants simply because we all love Paul Rhys so much.

Actually, it's your last chance to have a laugh in that episode. It's a little tiny moment in a relentless, merciless episode that has no hope whatsoever. There's a little shining moment of Melba being creative, imaginative, and funny that is your last gasp before you plunge into hell.

It's also a different Melba from episode 1, when she and Leo are talking about whether LGBTQ hate will "come back," and Melba is basically like, "Wake up, it's here!" This idea of queer visibility is such an interesting concept in Tip Toe; as Leo says at the end of the series, "Did we get it wrong?"

It's a hard one because visibility is absolutely what I fought for, and I've always believed that. I've done it with myself. Obviously, when I'm talking about these gay shows, I'll talk about gayness, but in any interview, if you were interviewing me about being Welsh and what's my favorite part of the Welsh countryside, I would drag the fact that I'm gay into the conversation absolutely deliberately, so that anyone out there being in the closet or not knowing themselves yet might be able to look at that and think, "Oh, you can just be out anywhere in any context."

I have a lifelong belief in that being a good thing — until we get to 2026, where actually, my visibility is getting me called a pedophile and a groomer to the extent that I think, actually, is my life in danger? I've begun to have those thoughts. I think I'm fine, I honestly do. But the fact that as an adult man I can begin to question my safety, in Manchester, in 2026, is just frankly astonishing. 

Alan Cumming as Leo in "Tip Toe."
Alan Cumming as Leo in "Tip Toe." Credit: Starz / Channel 4

So, having always believed in visibility, then there was Melba as my voice piece saying, what if we got that wrong? What if visibility simply allowed them to aim their weapons at us? Because we never imagined hatred becoming so weaponized and, particularly, monetized. That's the problem. That's the trap that we're in now. It doesn't matter what you're voting — left wing, right wing, just doesn't matter — because the technology is in charge, and it is merciless. It is simply out for money. Wow, what a world!

What a world! We see a lot of this online radicalisation through the character of Clive, a chilling performance from David Morrissey. We see him watch conspiracies and violent videos, and openly spout disinformation. Part of your script that hits really hard here is when Leo says, "You've known me for 15 years, and you don't listen to me, but you listen to some dude that you've never never met on YouTube." That's such a real line.

Thank you. That was a good thing about them being neighbors actually, because you could quite easily write this drama about two men who just met, but I love the fact they've been neighbors for 14 years. But the world is changing around them, the way they start to see each other is changing, and that's fascinating. You look at it going, what happened?

It's a particularly dark take on technology. Clive soaks up every conspiracy theory and every death video he can possibly watch. And believe you me, when I was researching this, don't let real deaths into your algorithm. Oh my God, the things I've seen. You begin to see how people are damaged by that, and see, it's truly damaging material that you could be watching at eight years old. That's the thing. Every technological innovation goes wrong in this, or takes a turn to the bad side.

Shon Faye, an incredible writer, in her book Love In Exile, talks about friendships across queer generations and how they're policed by "by a dominant homophobic culture which has historically cast older queer people's intentions as predatory." And you really unpack this in Tip Toe with Leo's connection with George (Clive's teenage son, played by Jackson Connor). 

It's amazing how everyone you speak to says Leo is wrong to have that conversation with George, but three times in that conversation, he says, "Let me find someone else for you to talk to." Then we see he says to Lucille, the other bar owner [played by Rae O'Brien], "Have you still got that youth group?" She says, "Yes." He says, "Good, I've got a youth for you." He's clearly doing the right thing, and yet also I can see why everyone thinks it's wrong. And you think, what if George was suicidal? There are plenty of suicidal children out there, and and actually a lot of damage has been done to George.

The experience of watching Tip Toe is just constant tension, which I feel like might have been your intention?

Absolutely, it is very much so. I think it's the feel of wanting to hook an audience. We all watch thrillers and horror films. Sometimes it's got that horror film vibe: things getting worse and worse and worse. Don't open that door. Don't go up that staircase. What's going on in your house? What's going on in your house when you're not there? Those are horror tropes actually, and they work. They horrify us because they touch all your deep-seated fears about the safety of your house and who can you trust. Clive lives so close to Leo. He lives just through the wall, such a tiny distance. 

I'm almost sorry that I've finished with "neighbors at war" with this show because I just think you could write this stuff forever. I'm amazed there aren't more… It's brilliant. We all have neighbors, we all live in these relationships, and we're all slightly tense about them, so I would recommend that to any writers out there; go into "neighbors at war," because it always works. 

Obviously, this is a massive UK show, and now it's arriving in the U.S., which is awesome that Channel 4 commissioned it and Stars has picked it up. The U.S. and UK share way too many similarities in terms of what's happening to the rights of LGBTQ people. So how do you see Tip Toe landing with American audiences?

It works in the same way in the way that Queer As Folk worked over here. I mean, we're very similar societies in that sense. It's interesting to read a couple of major reviews have called those houses "apartments." It's interesting the way American eyes are seeing British architecture — how on Earth can you not see those as houses? I think there are tiny little questions like that. But really, love is love, and sex is sex, and gays are gays, and bigotry is bigotry, sadly, all over the world. 

I think the issues will resonate. And most importantly, people come along to a drama to watch great actors. It doesn't matter what I'm saying about whatever issues are afoot or whatever I think about the state of society. Come and watch Alan Cumming. Come and watch David Morrissey. Come watch the entire supporting cast. Some great young talent there.

"Love is love, and sex is sex, and gays are gays, and bigotry is bigotry, sadly, all over the world."

So, you literally name Donald Trump in the show. Melba in episode one not only says, "The president of America has given men permission to attack us," but said president is named. Why was it important to you to name Trump?

Because we're living in history. He's the greatest historical figure of our lifetimes, and I say that with absolute terror in my heart. We were at a screening in Los Angeles of Tip Toe, and there were a lot of gay men there, and just casually having a little chat afterwards over a glass of wine, one said, "Does Donald Trump make the news in Britain? Do you talk about him?" I looked at him with absolute horror, going, "He's number one on the news every day." Every day I get up and brush my teeth, I turn on the radio, and the bloody voice says, "Donald Trump said this. Donald Trump said that."

My heart sinks to my boots every single day. We are terrified of him. I'm not sure America knows this, and I'm not quite sure they realize what we think of this country — while there might be one or two people supporting him, the vast majority look at America with absolute terror. There's a line of dialog in Years and Years where Russell Tovey says, "I never thought I'd be scared of America in a million years, but I am now." Even worse, now we're in the second presidency, and we're terrified, literally waiting for that nuclear flash on the horizon because I believe it's on its way.

I don't think you're wrong, unfortunately. What was the most challenging scene for you to write?

To be absolutely blunt, the mechanics of hanging someone, which I had to work out all on my own. I'm strangely delighted I got it exactly right… It just took a lot of plotting all the way through the show, and then going back and inserting things all throughout the script from the beginning.

But that's just a technical challenge. If you have a car chase or if you have a monster in Doctor Who or something, there's a lot of technical challenges. But it was more joy than challenges. I was sad that it was five episodes long, because I could have written 50 episodes of Leo and Clive talking together. You just see how much I'm enjoying writing it. That scene in towards the end of episode 1 where they sit down and discuss pronouns, eyes roll when you think, "Oh, it's a pronoun discussion." It's possibly the most boring problem in the world and it's so joyous, those two actors just rattled through it. [Tip Toe director] Peter Hoar's so cheeky, he actually leaves a big pause in it for a round of applause. Alan Cumming does a great big speech, but there's a pause — like Disney put in movies when you applaud the song. We had a great big screening at the British Film Institute, 500 people sitting in the audience, and he was right, he got a round of applause. 

Really, Tip Toe seems like your most furious writing yet. 

Yes, it is. In the end, there is no hope. I've never done that before. I was kind of made to. When I wrote Years and Years for the BBC, they insisted on some sort of happy ending, and I was like, OK. It's A Sin was so sad in real life that you can't leave people in absolute sadness — and in truth, a whole generation has survived HIV, so absolute sadness would have been the wrong note to end on. With this, it's a very unusual final episode for me: There is no hope. And actually, even after the hanging, I think it gets worse when you get told what happens to some of those people. It's really tough.

It's notably wonderful in Tip Toe, Leo is living a full life with HIV, which is really beautiful to see, and that's a nice reaction to It's a Sin. 

I was never able to show in It's a Sin that the medicine came along and saved lives, and now you can live a happy, healthy life with HIV. I was never able to do that. We begged Channel 4 to make a final episode set in the present day showing where everyone ended up, and they wouldn't give us the money. So, in those situations, you just wait. I just quietly sat there and waited. And along came Leo, who could show that.

Tip Toe is now streaming on Channel 4 in the UK and Starz in the U.S.

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.


The latest Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra rumors and leaks: Everything we know so far

Samsung's new flagship smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra, is likely coming in February, and it's already leaking.


Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

It's been an exceptionally busy summer for smartphones, but the fall and winter are shaping up to be similarly intense.

Samsung launched its new foldable phones, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, Z Fold 8 Ultra, and Z Flip 8, in July, and followed up with the affordable Samsung Galaxy S26 FE in August.

And while the next-generation flagship phones, the Samsung S27, S27 Plus, and S27 Ultra, probably aren't coming until next February, reports out of Korea say the company has already started producing components for these phones. The most interesting among these will (of course) be the ultimate flagship, the Samsung S27 Ultra.

Samsung phones tend to leak very heavily ahead of their release, and the S27 Ultra is no exception. Here's everything we know about the highly anticipated follow-up to the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

When will the Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra be released?

No official date is set at this time, but Samsung typically launches its flagship phones in January or February. Last year's Galaxy S26 series of phones came fairly late, on Feb. 25, days ahead of the annual Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona.

We're expecting the Galaxy S27 series to launch sometime in February. The company will certainly do it at a Galaxy Unpacked event, with availability following soon thereafter.

What will the Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra design be like?

According to leaks and CAD renders of the upcoming S27 Ultra, Samsung is planning a major redesign of its flagship this year. Sure, on the front, it'll be just a massive display with a punch-hole selfie camera on top, but on the back, leaked renders reported by Android Headlines show a new camera bump, with a large rectangle hosting the camera system.

In terms of size, the Galaxy S27 Ultra will reportedly be ever so slightly larger than its predecessor, measuring 163.76 x 78.25 x 7.97mm, with a 6.9-inch display. The phone will reportedly be 12.53mm thick if we count the camera bump, making it a little bit chunkier than the S26 Ultra, which measured 7.9mm in thickness. Note that the new Ultra will likely also be 7.9mm thick; it's only the camera bump that's making it thicker.

Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra: The rumored specs

The Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra is currently rumored to have the following specs, as reported by Phone Arena, GSMArena, and the well-known leaker IceUniverse:

If true, this would be a meaningful upgrade from last year. The chip would be new, the battery larger, and the camera system completely overhauled, with new sensors across the board. Even the selfie camera would get a bump, from 12 to 16 megapixels.

Leaker Ice Universe also has a very detailed rundown of everything that's new, including claims that Samsung changed the overall color tone to be a little warmer, improved highlight controls, and made the darker areas of photos sharper and less noisy.

There's currently no word on memory and storage capacity, so most reports merely expect the new Ultra to mirror last year's model, which was available with either 12 or 16GB of RAM, and 256, 512, or 1TB of storage.

What else do we know about the Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra?

One rumor says Samsung is adding a new authentication option called Polar ID. It's essentially a face recognition system, similar to Apple's Face ID (but with no need for a Dynamic Island-style cutout), which should be more reliable than what's typically seen on Android phones.

How much will the Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra cost?

Now we arrive at the hard part. The memory chip supply crunch is still ongoing, and phone manufacturers, including Samsung, have been steadily increasing the prices of their devices.

While there's no word on the Samsung S27 Ultra's pricing yet, the S26 Ultra started at $1,299, but Samsung recenlty raised the price to $1,399. We expect that the S27 Ultra will also start at $1,399. That's backed up by a new leak from @phonefuturist on X, who reported that the Ultra would cost $1,399 at launch.

If that leak is true, Samsung would (in a sense) be making up for the Ultra's recent price increase by launching a brand new S27 Pro device at the Ultra's old price of $1,299.

Remember: Samsung phones tend to leak like a firehose as the launch date approaches, and we're expecting many more Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra rumors in the months ahead. We'll regularly update this guide as we learn more, so keep checking back.

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


The DJI Neo camera drone is down to its all-time low price at Amazon — save $60 this weekend

Get the best DJI drone deal at Amazon. Save $60 on the DJI Neo 4K Mini Camera Drone at Amazon. Now available for $139.99.


DJI Neo 4K Mini Camera Drone

SAVE $60: As of Oct. 10, the DJI Neo 4K Mini Camera Drone has been discounted to $139.99 at Amazon. That's $60 off the regular list price of $199.99.


$139.99 at Amazon
$199.99 Save $60
 

Listen up drone flyers: If you're not already scrambling to get your hands on a new DJI camera drone, you soon will be. Recent legislation has effectively banned the future import of DJI drones from China to the U.S., so availability of DJI drones in this country will become scarce, and prices are likely to soar, erm, sky high.

So, if you do get the chance to land a great deal on a DJI drone between now and then, we recommend grabbing it before it flies out of reach. That being the case, we're obliged to point you towards a 30% price cut on the DJI Neo.

As of Oct. 10, the DJI Neo 4K Mini Camera Drone is priced at just $139.99. That gives you a $60 savings off the regular list price of $199.99. That's a new record-low price for this drone at Amazon, according to camelcamelcamel.

The DJI Neo is small — it can take off from the palm of your hand — but it's got a powerful set of features for high-quality video. It can track subjects and offers different QuickShots modes, including shooting while flying in circular, helical, and boomerang patterns. You can also use voice control via the app. And did we mention it's lots of fun just to actually fly it?

Get the DJI Neo 4K mini camera drone for $139.99 and save yourself $60 this weekend.


T-Mobile is giving away the Apple iPhone 17 for free — how to claim

How to get the Apple iPhone for free. The Apple iPhone 17e is free when you switch to T-Mobile on most plans.


Apple iPhone 17e on composite background

TL;DR: The Apple iPhone 17e is free with T-Mobile. To claim this offer, simply switch to T-Mobile on most plans.


T-Mobile has been the home of incredible iPhone deals all year. We've been blessed by free giveaways on the iPhone 17 and iPhone 18 Pro in recent times. Those deals are not live right now, but you can still walk away with an iPhone for free this weekend.

The Apple iPhone 17e is totally free right now with T-Mobile. To qualify for this wild offer, you simply need to switch to T-Mobile on most plans. It really doesn't get any simpler than that. There's no trade in. There's no restrictions on which plan you choose. It's plain and simple.

The full savings are distributed as monthly credits over a 36-month payment plan. If you leave T-Mobile before the end of the three-year commitment, you will need to pay the remaining balance. That's how these free deals work — you're making a commitment to stay with T-Mobile. You do also need to pay local sales tax on the phone's full retail value upfront, plus a standard $35 device connection fee per line at checkout. But don't let that hold you back.

We reviewed the iPhone 17e earlier this year, and we largely liked what we saw. Stan Schroeder said "the iPhone 17e is a decent upgrade over its predecessor, and a good choice if you want the cheapest new iPhone you can get." If you don't need all the power of the iPhone 18 Pro, it's a solid choice for normal users.

Get the Apple iPhone 17e for free this weekend with T-Mobile.


The Samsung S84F 77-Inch Class OLED TV is down to $1,297.99 this weekend — a saving of $300

Get the best TV deal at Amazon. Save $300 on the S84F 77-Inch Class OLED TV at Amazon.


Samsung S84F 77-Inch Class OLED TV

SAVE $300: As of Oct. 10, the Samsung S84F 77-Inch Class OLED TV is marked down to $1,297.99 at Amazon. That's a savings of $300 off the regular list price of $1,597.99.


Credit: Samsung
$1,297.83 at Amazon
$1,597.99 Save $300.16
 

For fans of streaming, movie-watching, boxset bingeing, gaming, and generally lazing in front of their favorite shows (that should cover just about everyone), there are few greater pleasures than finding a remarkable smart TV at a remarkable price. That's what you get with this Amazon deal on the Samsung S84F 77-Inch Class OLED TV.

As of Oct. 10, the Samsung S84F 77-Inch Class OLED TV has been marked down to $1,297.99. It's usually priced at $1,597.99, giving you a discount of $1,597.99.

I count Samsung as one of the very best TV brands around, thanks to their sharp displays, easy-to-navigate operating system, and slick syncing with Samsung soundbars. This 4K TV is no exception. And at 77 inches, it's a beast. TVs do come bigger, but not by much.

Special features include AI-powered image enhancement and stacks of gamer-friendly specs. It's an entry-level OLED model, but it gives you tons of features and quality for the marked-down price.

Get the Samsung S84F 77-Inch Class OLED TV for just $1,297.99 and save $300 this weekend.


How to watch PSG vs. Le Mans online for free

How to watch Ligue 1 for free. Live steam PSG vs. Le Mans in Ligue 1 for free from anywhere in the world.


 Desire Doue of Paris Saint-Germain runs with the ball

TL;DR: Watch PSG vs. Le Mans in Ligue 1 for free on CazéTV. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.


Ligue 1 returns this weekend following a two-week hiatus for international soccer. Today's fixtures from the French league include PSG vs. Le Mans, which will see the usually dominant PSG try to maintain form after a shaky start to the season.

Le Mans are just one point behind PSG in the table and could cause problems for the defending Ligue 1 champions.

If you're interested in watching PSG vs. Le Mans in Ligue 1 from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is PSG vs. Le Mans?

PSG vs. Le Mans in Ligue 1 kicks off at 2:45 p.m. ET on Oct. 10. This fixture takes place at the Parc des Princes.

How to watch PSG vs. Le Mans for free

PSG vs. Le Mans in Ligue 1 is available to live stream for free on CazéTV.

CazéTV is geo-restricted to Brazil, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Brazil, meaning you can live stream PSG vs. Le Mans for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream PSG vs. Le Mans for free by following these simple steps:

  1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

  2. Download the app to your device of choice

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

  4. Visit CazéTV

  5. Watch PSG vs. Le Mans for free from anywhere in the world

Credit: ExpressVPN
$12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

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 PSG vs. Le Mans without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture (plus additional Ligue 1) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Ligue 1?

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

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 usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream PSG vs. Le Mans for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.


How to watch Barcelona vs. Getafe in La Liga online for free

How to watch La Liga for free. Live steam Barcelona vs. Getafe in La Liga for free from anywhere in the world.


Lamie Yamal celebrates for Barcelona

TL;DR: Watch Barcelona vs. Getafe in La Liga for free on CazéTV. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.


La Liga is back following a two-week break for the UEFA Nations League. Today's games include La Liga leaders Barcelona against Getafe.

Spanish football fans will expect a win for Barca, a team with an impressive five-point lead at the top of the league table. But with seven straight wins, they're sure to falter at some point. Will Getafe be the first team to put a dent in their perfect record?

If you're interested in watching Barcelona vs. Getafe in La Liga from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Barcelona vs. Getafe?

Barcelona vs. Getafe in La Liga kicks off at 12.30 p.m. ET on Oct. 10. This fixture takes place at Camp Nou.

How to watch Barcelona vs. Getafe for free

Barcelona vs. Getafe in La Liga is available to live stream for free on CazéTV.

CazéTV is geo-restricted to Brazil, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Brazil, meaning you can live stream Barcelona vs. Getafe for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Barcelona vs. Getafe for free by following these simple steps:

  1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

  2. Download the app to your device of choice

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

  4. Visit CazéTV

  5. Watch Barcelona vs. Getafe for free from anywhere in the world

Credit: ExpressVPN
$12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

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 Barcelona vs. Getafe without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture (plus more La Liga action) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for La Liga?

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

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 usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream Barcelona vs. Getafe for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.


Pay once for Babbel and take your time learning 14 languages

New U.S. users can get Babbel Lifetime for $134.99 with code LEARN through Oct. 13, including all 14 languages and 10,000+ hours of language education.


Babbel Language Learning: Lifetime Subscription (All Languages)

TL;DR: Babbel lifetime access is only $134.99 (reg. $299) with the StackSocial code LEARN through Oct. 13.


Learning a new language isn’t easy, but it also might not be as hard as some apps make it seem. If memorizing vocab lists isn’t working for you, check out Babbel. They take a more practical approach to teaching, and there’s even an AI conversation partner who can help you practice your pronunciation.

Normally, a Babbel lifetime subscription would cost $299, but it’s on sale for just $134.99 during this Deal Days sale with the StackSocial code LEARN. Check out what that gets you.

Babbel gives you lifetime access to courses in 14 different languages, and the format is designed to fit into real life. Each lesson takes around 10 to 15 minutes, so you can actually stick with it whether you’re commuting, traveling, or just squeezing in some study time between meetings.

Here are a few of the included languages:

And that’s just the beginning.

Unlike other apps that focus heavily on word games or repetitive matching drills, Babbel centers its content around practical conversation topics. You’ll get lessons on travel, shopping, business, culture, and more, all developed by expert linguists and backed by academic research. Speech recognition helps fine-tune your pronunciation, while the new AI-powered conversation partner lets you practice speaking in real time.

Lessons sync across devices, so you can start on your computer and finish on your phone. There’s also an offline mode if you want to download lessons in advance. You can move at your own pace, revisit review sessions, and switch between beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels based on your comfort level.

Use code LEARN through Oct. 13 at 11:59 p.m. PT to get a Babbel lifetime subscription for only $134.99 with StackSocial’s code LEARN.

Click here to view more of the Deal Days collection.

StackSocial prices subject to change.


The Samsung Odyssey G9 curved gaming monitor is down to $797.99 — save over $500 this weekend

Get the best gaming monitor deal at Amazon. Save $502 on the Samsung Odyssey G9 Curved 49-Inch Gaming Monitor at Amazon.


Samsung G9 gaming monitor

SAVE OVER $500: As of Oct. 10, the Samsung Odyssey G9 Curved 49-Inch Gaming Monitor is marked down to $797.99 at Amazon. That's a savings of $502 off the regular list price of $1299.99.


There's nothing like losing yourself in the total immersion of gaming worlds. But getting to that level of gaming requires serious hardware — such as a monster-sized curved monitor — and that kind of thing usually comes at a steep price. That's why it's worth jumping on any deal on premium gaming gear.

Amazon has one such deal right now: 39% off the Samsung Odyssey G9 49-inch curved gaming monitor — a huge monitor that creates a wraparound effect, putting you deep into the game.

As of Oct. 10, the Samsung Odyssey G9 49-Inch curved gaming monitor is down to $797.99. It's usually priced at $1,299.99, which means you get a full $502 discount — savings as massive as the monitor itself.

Samsung is one of the absolute best names in TV and monitor tech, so there's no doubting the quality of this model. It delivers QHD resolution (5120 x 1440), a 240Hz refresh rate, and a 1ms response time. It's equipped with HDR and motion smoothing technology for fluid, eye-popping visuals. It's also fully adjustable to achieve optimal positioning and performance.

Get the Samsung Odyssey G9 49-Inch curved gaming monitor with a savings of over $500. Now priced at $797.99.


How to watch Deportivo Aláves vs. Atlético Madrid online for free

How to watch La Liga for free. Live steam Deportivo Aláves vs. Atlético Madrid in La Liga for free from anywhere in the world.


Jonathan David of Atletico Madrid celebrates

TL;DR: Watch Deportivo Aláves vs. Atlético Madrid in La Liga for free on SportyNet. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.


La Liga is back in action today, and all eyes are on Atlético Madrid. A strong start to the season has seen them go second in the La Liga table. Betis and Real Madrid are right behind them, so every win counts. Today they visit Deportivo Aláves, a team with a fair start to the 2026/27 season, but are winless in the last three league games. Can Aláves find their form against the No. 2 team?

If you're interested in watching Deportivo Aláves vs. Atlético Madrid in La Liga from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Deportivo Aláves vs. Atlético Madrid?

Deportivo Aláves vs. Atletico Madrid in La Liga kicks off at 10.15 a.m. ET on Oct. 10. This fixture takes place at Mendizorrotza Stadium.

How to watch Deportivo Aláves vs. Atlético Madrid for free

Deportivo Aláves vs. Atlético Madrid in La Liga is available to live stream for free on SportyNet.

SportyNet is geo-restricted to Brazil, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Brazil, meaning you can live stream Deportivo Aláves vs. Atlético Madrid for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Deportivo Aláves vs. Atlético Madrid vs. Villarreal for free by following these simple steps:

  1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

  2. Download the app to your device of choice

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

  4. Visit SportyNet

  5. Watch Deportivo Aláves vs. Atlético Madrid for free from anywhere in the world

Credit: ExpressVPN
$12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

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 Deportivo Aláves vs. Atlético Madrid without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture (plus more La Liga action) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for La Liga?

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

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 usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream Deportivo Aláves vs. Atlético Madrid for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.


How to watch Augsburg vs. Bayern Munich online for free

How to watch Bundesliga for free. Live steam Augsburg vs. Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga for free from anywhere in the world.


Harry Kane takes a penalty for Bayern Munich

TL;DR: Watch Augsburg vs. Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga for free on SportyNet. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.


The Bundesliga is back after a two-break for the UEFA Nations League, and Bayern Munich are looking to pick up where they left off. Their last league game saw them win 7-0 over Union Berlin. But they're behind Dortmund at the top of the table by two points. Now they face Augsburg, currently fourth in the Bundesliga.

If you're interested in watching Augsburg vs. Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Augsburg vs. Bayern Munich?

Augsburg vs. Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga kicks off at 9.30 a.m. ET on Oct. 9. This fixture takes place at the WWK Arena.

How to watch Augsburg vs. Bayern Munich for free

Augsburg vs. Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga is available to live stream for free on SportyNet.

SportyNet is geo-restricted to Brazil, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Brazil, meaning you can live stream Augsburg vs. Bayern Munich for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Augsburg vs. Bayern Munich for free by following these simple steps:

  1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

  2. Download the app to your device of choice

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

  4. Visit SportyNet

  5. Watch Augsburg vs. Bayern Munich for free from anywhere in the world

Credit: ExpressVPN
$12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

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 Augsburg vs. Bayern Munich without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture (plus Premier League action) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the Bundesliga?

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

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 usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream Augsburg vs. Bayern Munich for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.


Hurdle hints and answers for October 10, 2026

Hints and answers to today's Hurdle all in one place.


Hurdle game on a smartphone

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.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

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

Hurdle Word 1 hint

An athletic driver.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

RACER

Hurdle Word 2 hint

To hit.

Hurdle Word 2 Answer

SMITE

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Similar.

Hurdle Word 3 answer

ALIKE

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Earth's movement.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

ORBIT

Final Hurdle hint

A medical condition.

Hurdle Word 5 answer

PALSY

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


How to watch Chelsea vs. Bournemouth in the Premier League online for free

How to watch the Premier League for free. Live steam Chelsea vs. Bournemouth in the Premier League for free from anywhere in the world.


Cole Palmer takes a shot at the ball

TL;DR: Watch Chelsea vs. Bournemouth in the Premier League for free on CazéTV. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.


Premier League has been on a two-week hiatus for the Nations League, but the English top-tier returns today. Games include Chelsea vs. Bournemouth.

Following a strong start to 2026/27, Chelsea have slipped down the league table after failing to win their last three games. They've fared better than Bournemouth, however, who haven't quite found their footing after the departure of manager Andoni Iraola. The Cherries haven't secured a single league win so far this season. Can they turn it around against Chelsea?

If you're interested in watching Chelsea vs. Bournemouth in the Premier League from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Chelsea vs. Bournemouth?

Chelsea vs. Bournemouth in the Premier League kicks off at 10 a.m. ET on Oct. 10. This fixture takes place at Stamford Bridge.

How to watch Chelsea vs. Bournemouth for free

Chelsea vs. Bournemouth in the Premier League is available to live stream for free on CazéTV.

CazéTV is geo-restricted to Brazil, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Brazil, meaning you can live stream Chelsea vs. Bournemouth for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Chelsea vs. Bournemouth for free by following these simple steps:

  1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

  2. Download the app to your device of choice

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

  4. Visit CazéTV

  5. Watch Chelsea vs. Bournemouth for free from anywhere in the world

Credit: ExpressVPN
$12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

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 Chelsea vs. Bournemouth without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture (plus more Premier League action) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the Premier League?

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

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 usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream Chelsea vs. Bournemouth for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.


Moon phase today: What the Moon will look like on October 10, 2026

See the Moon phase expected for October 10, 2026 as well as when the next Full Moon is expected.


An image of a full moon.

It's the New Moon tonight, and no, despite it being the perfect season to start a rewatch, this has nothing to do with the Twilight sequel. The New Moon is the part of the lunar cycle where the Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark. Essentially, it is invisible to us.

What is today's Moon phase?

As of Saturday, Oct. 10, NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon is in the New Moon phase, with 0% of its surface visible.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will take place on October 25 or 26, depending on your timezone.

What are Moon phases?

The Moon completes an orbit around Earth in roughly 29.5 days. During that time, its position changes relative to the Earth and Sun, altering how much of the Moon's illuminated surface is visible to us. This produces the familiar lunar phases, beginning with a thin crescent and progressing through the quarter phases before reaching a Full Moon. The sequence then repeats as the Moon continues its orbit. According to NASA, the phase visible from Earth is determined by the Moon's changing position in relation to both Earth and the Sun.

The eight phases are:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Free F1 livestream: How to watch the Singapore GP for free this weekend

How to watch F1 for free. Live stream the Singapore GP in the 2026 F1 season for free from anywhere in the world.


Charles Leclerc of Monaco driving

TL;DR: Sign up for a 7-day free trial of Apple TV+ through Prime Video Channels to watch select F1 races for free. Watch the Singapore GP for free with the Prime Video app.


Watch the Singapore GP for free with a 7-day trial

Kimi Antonelli still tops the F1 standings coming into the Singapore GP, but he missed out on race wins in Azerbaijan and Malaysia. The young star maintains a comfortable lead over teammate George Russell, but it does feel like anyone can win right now. It's been a while since we've been able to say that, so we'll enjoy this moment while it lasts.

The action heads to the Marina Bay Circuit this weekend. There's a packed schedule of racing to look forward to, including a Sprint. There's something special about a weekend featuring a Sprint.

If you want to watch F1 2026 for free from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is the Singapore GP?

The Singapore GP is the 17th race of the 2026 F1 season. Here's the full schedule from the Marina Bay Circuit:

Fans can follow all the action from this race weekend without spending anything.

How to watch the Singapore GP for free

Amazon Prime delivers fast shipping, discounts, and access to the Prime Video library.

For F1 fans in the U.S., Prime Video is particularly interesting this season. Apple TV holds exclusive U.S. broadcasting rights for F1, and you can sign up for a seven-day free trial of Apple TV directly through Prime Video Channels.

That trial gives you access to select races for free, including this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix. The subscription rolls over to $12.99 per month after the seven-day trial, but you can disable the automatic renewal and still stream the entire race weekend for free.

If you're already paying for Amazon Prime, calling it "completely free" is questionable. But if you don't have an active membership, Amazon offers a 30-day free trial for new users. Stacking that Prime trial with the seven-day Apple TV channel trial means you're truly spending nothing to stream this weekend's race.

If you've already made use of this method, you still have a few workarounds:


NYT Connections hints today: Meanings for each word for Oct. 10, 2026

Why is NYT Connections trending today? Explaining the meanings behind the clues for NYT Connections #1216.


NYT Connections logo.

Looking for spoiler-free NYT Connections hints or just wondering why Connections is trending today? We've got what you need to understand the clues for today's puzzle without spoiling any of the answers.

Of course, Mashable has also provided daily hints and answers for Connections, Wordle, and Strands for years, so we can help you if that's also what you need.

While we are focused more on meanings than hints in this story, sometimes learning that many of the words have completely unrelated meanings is a clue in and of itself. Connections frequently includes clues that involve words within words and other visual clues.

Draft meaning

A preliminary, unfinished version of a written work or drawing.

Notes meaning

A brief written record, message or observation used to remember or communicate information.

Outline meaning

A brief summary and structured plan of main ideas for a writing project.

Thesis meaning

A central claim or main idea in a piece of writing.

Feed meaning

A constantly updating scrollable list of content on a website or social media app.

Messages meaning

A short piece of information, news or a request sent in written, spoken or electronic form.

Notifications meaning

A written message, alert, or document that conveys information.

Profile meaning

A collection of personal data on an online account.

Beat meaning

To strike a person, object or surface repeatedly.

Kick meaning

To strike out with the foot or feet.

Shadow meaning

A dark shape or area that forms on a surface when an object blocks a source of light

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

Un meaning

A prefix added to the front of words to change them to their opposite or negative meaning.

Figure meaning

To assume, guess or believe something will happen.

Gather meaning

To conclude something intuitively from hints or evidence.

Imagine meaning

To picture or visualize something or someone in your mind.

Suppose meaning

To think something is likely.

Have you learned the meanings and still want the things? Check out the hints and answers for today's NYT Connections puzzle.

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

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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 Connections hints today: Clues, answers for October 10, 2026

Connections is a New York Times word game that's all about finding the "common threads between words." How to solve the puzzle.


Connections game on a smartphone

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you're a doomscroller.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

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

What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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.

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

Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

Here are today's Connections categories

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

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 #1216 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

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

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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 October 10, 2026

The NYT Strands hints and answers you need to make the most of your puzzling experience.


A game being played on a smartphone.

Today's NYT Strands hints will be easy if you love sugar.

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

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

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

NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: A slow drizzle

The words are related to sugary treats.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe corn syrups.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Sticky and Sweet.

NYT Strands word list for October 10

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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 October 10, 2026

Here's the answer for "Wordle" #1939 on October 10 as well as a few hints, tips, and clues to help you solve it yourself.


Wordle game on a smartphone

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're not smooth sailing.

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

Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Rocky.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter B.

The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

BUMPY

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.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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.


Avatar: Seven Havens: Whats the deal with that energy monster?

Episode 2 of "Avatar: Seven Havens" introduces an energy monster that looks an awful lot like Vaatu from "The Legend of Korra."


Pavi, Nisha, and their cat monkeys in

Avatar: Seven Havens launches the Avatar franchise into a post-apocalyptic future, and in its second episode, it may have unveiled one of the apocalypse's biggest threats.

The episode, fittingly titled "Into the Storm," sees a massive lightning storm encroach upon the desert haven of Ellora. As the Ellorans worry about the lightning coming from above, they also face a strange threat coming from below. Red bursts of lightning tear across the ground of the city, stopping when they reach a large square. There, they coalesce into a red and black diamond that leaps from the ground and flies around the city, shooting a beam of light at everyone from Brigade Commander Bountan (voiced by Clyde Kusatsu) to twin Avatars Pavi and Nisha (voiced by Saheli Khan and Aishu Devan).

The first three episodes of Avatar: Seven Havens don't reveal exactly what this strange energy monster is. But based on its brief appearance here, we can make some educated guesses. Let's dig into what this threat — which Bountan calls a "demon" — could be.

Is the energy monster in Avatar: Seven Havens Vaatu?

First things first: When I see a frightening red and black energy creature in the Avatar world, I immediately think of Vaatu, the spirit of chaos and darkness first introduced in The Legend of Korra. Could Seven Havens' demonic diamond be related to him in some way?

Based on the color scheme, the answer seems like it could be a yes, especially since the energy monster's diamond shape also shares a lot in common with Vaatu's pointy kite form. Still, it's unlikely that this creature is Vaatu himself. It takes 10,000 years for Vaatu and his counterpart Raava's power to peak during Harmonic Convergence, and it's only been a little over 200 years since the last Harmonic Convergence during The Legend of Korra. Unless Seven Havens' cataclysm reordered the planets, it's unlikely that Vaatu himself will be back so fast. Instead, it's more likely that this spooky diamond is some kind of corrupted spirit.

What did the spirit diamond want with Pavi and Nisha?

The spirit diamond seems to be incredibly content wreaking havoc around Ellora until it runs into Pavi and Nisha. Then, it just stops and takes them in for a moment, before shooting them with a beam.

The beam transports Pavi and Nisha to a strange vision, where they see themselves being separated in a desert during what appears to be a sandstorm. They also see a flash of the Republic City skyline riddled with explosions: perhaps a sign of the world undergoing the cataclysm. Once Pavi and Nisha awaken from their vision, the spirit is gone, its diamond pattern embedded in the earth.

What did the energy monster want with Pavi and Nisha, and why did it vanish after somehow communing with them? The answer is likely tied to the fact that they're both Avatars, as the Avatar is meant to be the bridge between the human and spirit world. Clearly, the divide between those worlds has grown hazy in Avatar: Seven Havens, but perhaps spirits like this one are still seeking the Avatar out. As for the vision, perhaps this spirit is trying to communicate some memories to Pavi and Nisha — both their own, and maybe even Korra's.

What happens if you come into contact with the spirit monster?

While Pavi and Nisha emerge from their encounter with this spirit unchanged, the same can't be said for Commander Bountan. By the episode's end, he's overcome with what seems like a strange possession: His eye has gone red, and he warns Commander Karthik (Akshay Khanna) that "it is coming." Whether the "it" is another spirit demon or something else entirely, Seven Havens has yet to answer.

The strange spirit demon shenanigans continue in episode 3, when a camel-dillo goes rogue in the city. Like Bountan, its eyes are red, although Pavi manages to calm it down through the power of song. Did the camel-dillo also get blasted by the spirit's ray? Or did it pick up Bountan's strange possession some other way? After all, the diamond left a series of glowing red geometric crystals behind it. Perhaps being around those is enough to affect someone.

The first three episodes of Avatar: Seven Havens are now streaming on Paramount+. New episodes premiere every Friday through Oct. 30.


This $30 tool lets you compare 50+ AI models without paying for each one

Harness the power of over 50 AI models with this lifetime subscription to the AskAnyModel AI Pro Plan.


Laptop on desk

TL;DR: Harness the power of over 50 AI models with this lifetime subscription to the AskAnyModel AI Pro Plan, on sale now for just $29.97 (reg. $499) through Oct. 11, with code SAVE10.


Not every AI model gives you the same answer, which can make choosing the right one for each task a job all by itself. If you’re looking for an easier way to compare results without tab-hopping and paying for dozens of subscription fees, it’s time to try AskAnyModel AI. This unique tool lets you compare answers and replies from over 50 AI models, with unlimited chat and image generation.

Right now, you can lock in a lifetime subscription to AskAnyModel AI Pro Plan for only $29.97 until Oct. 11.

It’s time to stop second-guessing your AI results. This lifetime subscription to AskAnyModel AI makes your AI workflow more efficient — you won’t have to keep tabs on each individual model’s unique strengths or spend time hopping around from model to model.

With AskAnyModel AI, you can ask your question and see answers from six AI models of your choice simultaneously. This makes it easy to compare and find the best answer for your needs, from coding help and image generation to basic question answers.

AskAnyModel AI Pro Plan gives you unlimited use of non-flagship AI models. You’ll also have 500 premium monthly credits that give you access to 20 advanced models, such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Mistral, and Perplexity, when you need more powerful answers.

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Get your own lifetime subscription to AskAnyModel AI Pro Plan for just $29.97 until Oct. 11.

StackSocial prices subject to change.


Marvel teases Zodiac spy thriller. Heres what fans are theorizing.

Marvel TV execs hint at comic book easter eggs in 'Zodiac' logo. Here's what they're pointing fans toward.


A stage at New York Comic Con. The large screen overhead shows the Marvel logo.

Marvel's whiplash New York Comic Con announcements have brought fans disappointing cancellation news, sneak previews, and, of course, more secrecy.

Taking to the stage Oct. 8, Marvel execs announced the end of Daredevil: Born Again, which will conclude with its third season next year. The team also gave attendees a taste of the upcoming third season of X-Men '97 and VisionQuest, the last installment of the Scarlet Witch's television saga. But the online buzz is all about its mysterious new show, Zodiac, set to debut in 2028.

Flashing the new logo on the big screen, Marvel Television head Brad Winderbaum wouldn't say much about the show's plot or characters — perhaps some meta marketing for what is being dubbed a Marvel universe spy drama — but he did hint there was more than meets the eye. "If you're a fan of the comics, there is a lot hidden in that logo," Winderbaum nudged.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is sprawling, and it has long blurred the lines between comic canon and Hollywood fantasy. For comic lovers, the phrase "Zodiac" conjures a myriad of puzzling possibilities. Winderbaum, we may need some help.

What is the 'Zodiac' logo hiding?

Marvel appears to be teasing an Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. connection, using part of the counter terrorism and intelligence organization's logo as its "A."

It's the "O" — some kind of mechanical circle that appears to be breaking apart — that's thrown fans or a loop. One Mashable editor likened it to Tony Stark's arc reactor, pre-Iron Man 3. Others online described it as a broken shield or a spinning wheel.

Who is in 'Zodiac'?

The cast has yet to be announced, but some fans have already theorized that it will see the return of familiar favorites, including Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg).

How does 'Zodiac' appear in the Marvel comics?

The phrase first appears in the original Avengers comic series, referring to a criminal organization made up of villains named after the 12 Zodiac signs. The name was donned by several illicit organizations across the comic universe thereafter, and then revived in its original celestial form, but with a new name, in Jonathan Hickman's "Secret Warriors" and "S.H.I.E.L.D." comics. 

Zodiac has also appeared in Agent Carter as the name of a chemical weapon.

Here are the internet's current running theories on what Zodiac is about:

'Zodiac' is a 'Secret Invasion' do-over

Nick Fury's re-entry into the Marvel universe, Secret Invasion was widely considered a disappointment among fans. But it did feature the same conspiracy-filled, espionage-laced plot lines that Zodiac seems to be teasing, and fans want to see it done right.

So could the new show be another attempt to have Fury lead a team of covert operatives against a global, political threat? In the Hickman comics, Zodiac is refashioned into an organization called "The Great Wheel" and is comprised of the world's top spymasters, including S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra leaders. In this story, the Great Wheel was started by — this is not a joke — a time traveling Leonardo da Vinci.

Maybe Fury's younger brother, the yet-to-be portrayed Jake and his alter ego Scorpio, could finally make an appearance? And instead of time travel, maybe we have some more multiverse tomfoolery ahead of us?

'Zodiac' is Marvel TV's stab at the Secret Avengers

Some on the Mashable team suggest it could be a loose adaptation of the Secret Avengers, a 2010 comic series that convened a black-ops group of Marvel heroes including Moon Knight, Black Widow, Ant Man, and War Machine, as well as X-Men icon Beast. Series writer Nick Spencer asserted it was squarely in the universe of S.H.I.E.L.D. at the time, calling out both Nick Fury and Agent Coulson in early promo.

We saw two versions of this plot play out already in the MCU, however, through Steve Rogers' rogue Avengers crew in Captain America: Civil War and the latest rag tag team of villains-turned-heroes in the Thunderbolts.

'Zodiac' is literally about the Zodiac Killer

"Wild prediction: Zodiac (2028) is a spiritual successor to Zodiac (2007) and is set in between Infinity War and Endgame, in which Tony Stark, Bruce Banner and a disguised Quentin Beck team up to find a serial killer," wrote one reddit user.

Ok, so this one may just be for fellow fans of David Fincher's 2007 masterpiece Zodiac, and likely isn't what's going on here. But I would be remiss if I didn't point out that Zodiac (2007) stars Mark Ruffalo as a seasoned investigator on the hunt for a killer. Maybe Bruce Banner has some spy skills in him?


OpenAI to bring in $20 billion less than previously expected

OpenAI says it will make $50 billion this year. That's quite a bit less than investors expected.


OpenAI logo

According to a new report from the Financial Times, OpenAI has informed investors that the company is expected to make $50 billion in revenue for the year.

That's a lot of money, but it's also a full $20 billion less than earlier projections from just last month, which predicted the company would earn $70 billion in annual revenue.

AI companies like Anthropic and OpenAI are in the midst of an unprecedented infrastructure spending spree, with the AI industry spending trillions on data centers and other resources. And as CNN noted, the Financial Times' report could "rattle investors" worried that these companies won't be able to turn a profit after all.

Tech stocks took a hit on the market after the revenue shortfall was reported.

According to the Financial Times, the $70 billion figure didn't come from OpenAI itself, but rather from investors comparing OpenAI's revenue with its main competitor, Anthropic. The latter's revenue projections include revenue from cloud providers, whereas OpenAI does not include this in its revenue numbers.

OpenAI raised $122 billion in March at a valuation of $852 billion. OpenAI has recently been seeking an additional $30 billion in funds at a valuation of around $1.4 trillion.

However, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced last month that he was delaying the company's IPO and that it would not be coming in 2026. Altman cited concerns regarding AI safety as the reason for the delay.

While Anthropic still plans to go public sometime this year, the OpenAI competitor's prospectus points to some revenue troubles as well. The company lost $42 billion in 2025.


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.


Samsung Galaxy S27 tier prices reportedly leaked. See the list.

Samsung might add a fourth phone to its Galaxy S27 lineup, which could have an interesting impact on pricing.


Samsung logo on glass window

Samsung's next batch of flagship phones now has a tentative price tag.

A leaker on X going by @phonefuturist (cited by AndroidHeadlines) posted starting prices for the four phones that are currently expected to make up the Galaxy S27 lineup. These would be the base S27, the S27+, the new S27 Pro, and the S27 Ultra, for the uninitiated. The prices are as follows:

It should be noted that this information is not coming from Samsung directly and should be taken with a grain of salt. Even if the prices are real at this point in time, they are also subject to change before the phones launch early next year. The global memory crisis is still ongoing, and a lot could change in just a few months.

That said, there are some interesting insights here. First, the S27 and S27+ are said to be $100 cheaper than the S26 equivalents currently cost. Samsung recently jacked up the prices on the 2026 models by $100, so if the leaked prices for the S27 lineup are true, that price increase will not necessarily carry forward to the new phones at launch.

However, the S27 Ultra's reported $1,399 price is consistent with the recent price increase of the S26 Ultra. It seems like the S26 Pro, which is a new device, will slot in between the S27+ and S27 Ultra as a slightly more affordable premium flagship phone. AndroidHeadlines noted that the display specs shared in the X post indicate the S27 and S27+ will not necessarily be true flagships compared to the S27 Pro and Ultra, but we'll have to wait until closer to launch to learn exactly how true that is.


Feminist orgs claim Meta censoring posts about Cornell 7 case

Gender justice and other organizations claim Meta is shutting down posts about the rape case.


meta logo on smartphone

The civil lawsuit claiming that Jane Doe was drugged and raped by seven Chi Phi fraternity members at Cornell University has caused an eruption of content on social media, from the "I am Jane Doe" campaign to help conceal the woman's identity to celebrities like Florence Pugh posting about the allegations.

Now, a coalition of feminist and tech justice organizations claim Meta is censoring content about the case.

"We're in the midst of a classic censorship cycle designed to silence survivor voices," said Jenna Sherman, campaign director at women-led gender-justice organization UltraViolet, in a press release shared with Mashable. "First, Cornell tried to cover up this horrific case. Then, legacy media ignored it."

Jane Doe's lawsuit brings several claims against the university, including negligence and negligent supervision. Student journalists at The Cornell Daily Sun are credited with amplifying the story.

"Now, after Jane Doe and brave student journalists finally brought this story to light, Meta appears to be censoring content about the case across its platforms," Sherman continued.

Shortly after Pugh posted a statement in support of Jane Doe, she said Instagram placed a "sensitive-content" warning on her post, which prevented some people from seeing it and scrolling through the carousel. "Am I being censored for talking about rape?" she asked. Meta confirmed to TMZ that it initially placed the warning on the post, but has since lifted it.

But the coalition states that even a second post about the case was covered by the same label. "Pugh is one of many users claiming that their posts are being censored, labeled, or shadowbanned by Instagram, Facebook, and Threads," they wrote.

UltraViolet, as well as other gender justice, tech accountability, and pro-democracy organizations, have launched a joint campaign in response. In a petition with over 29,000 signatures at the time of this writing, they call on Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram head Adam Mosseri to stop censoring posts about the Cornell case.

"Meta has no business making it difficult for users — and particularly women users — to engage in these conversations. Blocking this content sends a dangerous signal that sounding the alarm on rape culture is worse than rape itself," the ActionNetwork petition reads. "It feels blatantly obvious that women’s safety is not actually Meta's priority, but that silencing us is."

A Meta spokesperson told Mashable over email, "To protect victims and survivors, and to give people the choice whether to view content they may find upsetting, our policy is to apply a warning screen to detailed descriptions of sexual assault and limit that content to adults. Because of the newsworthiness of this case, we quickly lifted that warning screen for adults to better allow free discussion."

In addition to UltraViolet, the full coalition includes Democracy for America Advocacy Fund, Kairos Fellowship, National Campaign for Justice, National Organization for Women (NOW), National Women's Defense League (NWDL), Reckoning Action, ReproAction, Repro Uncensored, Safe Horizon, Sexual Violence Prevention Association (SVPA), TakeItBack.Org, The Juggernaut Project, and Women's March.

In addition to signing the petition, the coalition encourages people to report post takedowns and flags to the nonprofit Repro Uncensored (RU), which tracks instances of post and account removal. RU founder and executive director, Martha Dimitratou, said the reports RU is receiving are deeply concerning and expose harms to freedom of speech and democracy.

"These reports reflect a wider pattern documented by Repro Uncensored in thousands of digital censorship cases across more than 50 countries affecting feminist advocacy, reproductive health information, and communities facing discrimination, with critical information removed, accounts disabled and advocates left without clear explanations or meaningful appeals," she said. Mashable reported on these instances in May.

"When social media platforms bury conversations about sexual violence, they don’t just limit speech; they help create the silence in which rape culture thrives," NOW president Kim Villanueva stated in a press release.

UPDATE: Oct. 9, 2026, 5:14 p.m. EDT This article has been updated with a comment from a Meta spokesperson.