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

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

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

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

What is Connections: Sports Edition?

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Yellow: Impasse

• Green: Ways to score a hockey goal

• Blue: Award-winning Brewers

• Purple: Meet the Youngs

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Even Match

• Green: Types of Hockey Shots

• Blue: Brewers to Win MVP

• Purple: ___Young

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 #721 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Even Match: DEADLOCK, DRAW, STALEMATE, TIE

• Types of Hockey Shots: BACKHAND, SLAP, SNAP, WRIST

• Brewers to Win MVP: BRAUN, FINGERS, YELICH, YOUNT

• ___Young: BRYCE, CY, STEVE, TRAE

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.

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

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

Hurdle Word 1 hint

A lost cat.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

STRAY

Hurdle Word 2 hint

They sound the same.

Hurdle Word 2 Answer

RHYME

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Cutting.

Hurdle Word 3 answer

AXING

Hurdle Word 4 hint

A great lake.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

EERIE

Final Hurdle hint

Fatty.

Hurdle Word 5 answer

PIGGY

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

The Moon is slowly making its way back into our skies. As we work through the lunar cycle, the Moon's crescent is growing a little more each night.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Monday, Sept. 14 NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon is in the Waxing Crescent phase, with 11% of its surface visible.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will take place on September 26.

What are Moon phases?

As the Moon orbits Earth, its appearance changes over the course of roughly 29.5 days, creating what we know as the lunar cycle, according to NASA. The phase we see depends on where the Moon is in relation to Earth and the Sun, and how much of its sunlit side is facing us. Throughout the cycle, it moves from a slender crescent to a half Moon and eventually a Full Moon, before the pattern begins again.

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.

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:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Easy difficulty hints, answers for September 14 Pips

Greater Than (1): Everything in this space must be greater than 1. The answer is 6-2, placed horizontally.

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 4-6, placed horizontally; 4-5, placed vertically.

Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 4-6, placed horizontally; 6-2, placed horizontally; 6-6, placed horizontally; 6-1, placed vertically.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for September 14 Pips

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 0-0, placed vertically; 3-6, placed horizontally.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 4-0, placed horizontally; 1-4, placed vertically.

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

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

Number (7): Everything in this space must add up to 7. The answer is 4-0, placed horizontally; 3-6, placed horizontally; 4-2, placed vertically.

Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 1-4, placed vertically; 4-4, placed vertically.

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

Hard difficulty hints, answers for September 14 Pips

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

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 1-3, placed horizontally; 3-5, placed vertically.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 3-5, placed vertically; 5-4, placed horizontally.

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

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

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

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 3-2, placed vertically; 2-4, placed horizontally; 2-5, placed vertically.

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 2-4, placed horizontally; 0-4, placed vertically; 4-3, placed vertically.

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

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

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 1-2, placed vertically.

Number (15): Everything in this space must add up to 15. The answer is 6-4, placed vertically; 5-0, placed vertically.

Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 5-0, placed vertically; 0-3, placed vertically.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 1-6, placed vertically; 0-3, placed vertically; 1-4, placed vertically.

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

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

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.

Coot meaning

Medium-sized birds that look like ducks.

Goose meaning

A large bird that is smaller than a duck but larger than a swan.

Loon meaning

Large diving birds with sharp red eyes.

Teal meaning

Small, European dabbling ducks.

Canary meaning

A small finch or person who gives info to the police.

Rat meaning

Rodent or someone who betrays a friend's trust.

Snitch meaning

A tattletale.

Stoolie meaning

Slang for stoole pigeon. A bird that's used to lure other birds into a trap.

Bag meaning

A flexible container to carry things.

Cutlery meaning

Edged cutting tools.

Stirrer meaning

Utensil with a long stem to mix drinks.

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Straw meaning

A tube used to suck up a beverage.

Blue meaning

Color with the hue of the sky or shorthand for a type of pasture grass.

Crab meaning

A decapod crustacean or a type of invasive grass species.

Lemon meaning

An acidic fruit or a kind of grass found in southern India.

Wheat meaning

A cereal grain or a kind of low-maintenance grass type used for feeding animals.

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 yesterday's Connections.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you know about birds.

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

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

What is Connections?

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

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

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

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

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

Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Birds that like water

• Green: Undercover

• Blue: Disposables

• Purple: Kinds of grass

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Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Waterbirds

• Green: Informant

• Blue: Common Single-Use Plastic Items

• Purple: ___Grass

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 #1191 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Waterbirds: COOT, GOOSE, LOON, TEAL

• Informant: CANARY, RAT, SNITCH, STOOLIE

• Common Single-Use Plastic Items: BAG, CUTLERY, STIRRER, STRAW

• ___Grass: BLUE, CRAB, LEMON, WHEAT

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 yesterday's Connections.

Today's NYT Strands hints will be easy if you excite easily.

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: Oh My Gosh!!

The words are related to being surprised.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words are adjectives used to describe fright or excitement.

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 That's shocking.

NYT Strands word list for September 12

• Exclaim

• Shudder

• Freeze

• Gasp

• Start

• Recoil

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.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if wash off your plates before putting them in the dishwasher.

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:

Cleanse.

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 R.

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...

RINSE

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 yesterday's Wordle.

If you need to take a breather after Lanterns' fifth episode, I don't blame you.

Episode 5 saw Green Lanterns Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) face off with Manhunter Zoe Macon (Poorna Jagannathan) in a battle that left Rushville in ruins. On top of that, it also pitted Hal and John against one another, leaving the role of Green Lantern in flux.

Between these game-changing confrontations and a number of key character deaths, episode 5 truly felt like a season finale. What do you mean, we still have three episodes left? How could Lanterns possibly top this? Let's take a look at what the show still needs to wrap up, and what it's already resolved in its biggest episode to date.

What happened in the Rushville fight?

A better question might be, what didn't happen? Zoe healed John from the wounds he sustained from Hal crashing their car. She then announced a town-wide kill order on Hal, causing the citizens of Rushville to gear up to protect the Manhunter in their midst. She also began obliterating chunks of Rushville with the laser satellite introduced in episode 4.

Meanwhile, Hal went Manhunter hunting in the hopes of delivering Zoe to the Guardians himself. First, he sent Antaan (Paul Ben-Victor) and his vengeful alien crew on a wild goose chase to William Macon's (Garret Dillahunt) compound, claiming Macon was the Manhunter. While Macon put on a convincing performance thanks to some language and backstory coaching from Zoe, Antaan figured out the ruse and killed him. (RIP to Lanterns' resident exhibitionist wife guy.) He tried to go after Zoe next, but Hal tossed him away from her, leaving him to blow up in mid-air. (RIP to the "Antaan is Atrocitus" theory.)

All this is just the prelude to the heart of the Rushville battle: the knock-down, drag-out fight between Hal and John at the motel. The two duke it out over the power ring, unleashing months' worth of resentment before Zoe blows the motel to smithereens. (In a sweet move, or maybe just a practical one, Hal manages to bubble John along with him for protection.) In the aftermath, John uses Hal's prone body as bait for Zoe before sniping her, therefore wiping out the second-greatest threat Hal is facing.

John, Hal's greatest threat, remains alive, and he takes both the ring and the lantern from Hal. But instead of reciting the Oath and taking over as Green Lantern, he tells Guardian Lianna (Laura Linney) he wants no more part of this. After all his traumatic childhood training, all his discipline, all his sacrifice — in the end, putting on the ring feels like nothing. To answer the question Hal poses after their fight: No, it wasn't worth it.

Now, Lanterns is both Lantern-less and Manhunter-less. With these two key elements wiped off the board, what's next for the series?

What comes next in Lanterns?

Now that Lanterns has gotten its Manhunter mystery out of the way, it can focus on its next big mystery: Who killed Hal Jordan?

Remember, episode 1 ended with John and Sheriff Kerry Kane (Kelly Macdonald) examining Hal's corpse at the football field in Rushville, right back where all the Manhunter shenanigans began. Episode 6 will likely pick up in the 2026 timeline, examining what John's life has been like post-Green Lantern training — please let him be an architect now! — and his quest to solve Hal's murder. Hopefully, we'll also find out what Hal was up to in the last decade. Did he stay in Rushville? Did he continue to woo the very married Kerry? Did he remember to feed Earl?

Since Lanterns takes place in 2026, that means that Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), first introduced in Superman, is now this sector's Green Lantern. Fillion is confirmed to be starring in Lanterns, but will he be appearing in a goofy cameo, or as an active participant in the investigation of Hal's murder? Plus, will we get more time with Lanterns' more extraterrestrial characters, like Lianna or Sinestro (Ulrich Thomsen)? Or any face time at all with the cosmic fear parasite Parallax, a Green Lantern franchise staple?

The answers to those questions await in Lanterns' last three episodes, but until then, I think we all need to take a nice, relaxing nap to decompress from the madness of episode 5.

Lanterns is now streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes premiering Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

Though many have tried, no one delivers a line like Christopher Walken. In Back in Black, Walken's distinctive diction turns "Shut up" into a moving "I love you." And that's just a taste of what makes this off-kilter comedy such a treat.

Written by Ron Murphy and Nick Torokvei, and helmed by the former, Back in Black stars Walken as Clyde Mortimer, an undertaker in a long line of undertakers. He runs Mortimer's Family Funeral Home with his chipper wife Autumn (a pleasant Jane Curtin), and their orphaned granddaughter Sam (Ella Ballentine of 2016's Anne of Green Gables and The Vampire Lestat). But things are rough in the death business, as no one in their charming small town is dying lately.

Clyde, who always has plenty to say, is funny in his fury, insisting that no one dying is no way to live! He's especially aggrieved about how the COVID-19 pandemic should have been a boom time for morticians, but the sharp decline in in-person gatherings prevented that. But fret not, Clyde, because Sam has a plan. And it involves her handy screwdriver.

Back in Black is like Dexter with a cozy crime twist.

The opening shot of this dark comedy is Sam using a screwdriver to build a coffin. This becomes a very telling image. With her family facing financial ruin, Sam uses her screwdriver and her engineering know-how to strategically loosen screws about town, leading to one death after another. To the average police officer, this might seem like a string of bad luck, these accidents at grocery stores, construction sites, and motel swimming pools. But a local cop is on to her.

Deputy Donna (a snarling Louise Lambert) is on the case, even if her sheriff (a blustering Tony Nappo) thinks she's way off base. However, the cat-and-mouse element of Back in Black is more a subplot. The main story focuses on Sam's relationship with her grandparents and the budding romances that emerge from the funeral of the first murder victim. When she's not listening lovingly to Clyde's rants or having a glass of wine with her grandma ahead of some embalming, Sam meets Kevin (a quirky Giamo Alfredi) a needy nephew of the deceased, and Charlotte (a whiskey-smooth Watson Rose), a raven-haired beauty who offers to help the Mortimers in their work — meaning putting makeup on the dead.

Through murder, Sam quietly expresses her love and devotion for her family, securing their future by ending that of others. And I do mean quietly. Sam doesn't speak. She is the Teller to her garrulous grandfather's Penn. And Ballentine proves a masterful scene partner, using a coyly comic series of countenances to express Sam's excitement, doubt, consternation, and pleasure. It's to her that Walken will repeatedly say, "Shut up." And far from coming off as a denouncement or diminishment of his onscreen daughter, it comes across as a playful "I see you." Sam doesn't need to speak for her grandfather to know her heart, even if he doesn't know her secrets.

Yet Ballentine is equally enchanting opposite the whole ensemble, whether taking in the awkward requests of Kevin, the surly accusations of Donna, or the silky seduction of Charlotte. The young actress smoothly pulls from a long line of silent but brilliant performances that date back to Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. That reflects the playfulness within Back in Black's sense of humor. However, don't get too cozy, because Murphy won't make a joke of murder.

Back in Black dares to challenge its audience.

In Dexter, the eponymous serial killer focuses his homicidal tendencies toward other killers, creating an anti-hero the audience is invited to theoretically root for. Back in Black offers no such comforting compromise. Sam, while she is seemingly sweet, is killing who is convenient. And that means good people will die. In the first instant, all we know about Dale (Stuart Hughes) is that he's a grocery store manager who is kind to his employees and customers alike. So, when he's locked in the walk-in freezer by a sabotaged lock, the audience has no reason to think that he had it coming.

And Murphy doesn't offer a silly depiction of death like one might see in Bryan Fuller's Pushing Daisies, where colorful hues and playful production design softened the blow of mysterious murders. Here, we are witness to Dale not only realizing he's trapped but crashing out as he realizes he is going to die. Other deaths will follow, with loved ones lamenting their losses in front of Sam, with no idea of her role in those demises. Each time, Murphy challenges the audience by bringing laughter and pain simultaneously.

Through a silly story about a failing family business, he creates a dark comedy centered on a morally complicated anti-hero who we might root for even as we are shocked and appalled by her actions. Watching Sam, I thought of Mia Wasikowska in Park Chan-wook's Southern gothic thriller Stoker. There, Wasikowska played a similarly doll-faced killer with familial motivations. But Back in Black is not remotely dark or dry like Stoker or Dexter. Despite its deadly content, Murphy keeps the tone that of a small-town feel-good movie. That makes every kill freshly shocking. And in the end, this collision of wicked and nice makes for a movie that is delightfully odd, unapologetically macabre, and a hell of a good time.

Back in Black was reviewed out of the Toronto International Film Festival. The movie's theatrical release date is TBD.

I think I have just seen my favorite animated movie of 2026. And it's Julián, based on Jessica Love's bestselling children’s book, Julián Is a Mermaid.

This year, cinemas have seen sequels for beloved IP like The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Toy Story 5, Minions & Monsters, Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender, and PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie. There have also been original animal-centered adventures like GOAT, Hoppers, and Swapped. Plus, coming up are Shaun The Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom, Forgotten Island, Wildwood, The Cat in the Hat, Steps, Ray Gunn, and Hexed.

So, what makes me so certain that Julián will be my favorite of the year? Well, for starters, it's a deeply charming story about a child fighting for his individuality, a message that speaks to me. Created by Cartoon Saloon, which produced The Secret of Kells, Wolfwalkers, and The Breadwinner, it is absolutely beautiful. But most of all, over the course of 85 minutes, this magical movie's style reminded me of some of my favorite animated movies and shows, including Steven Universe, Spirited Away, Craig of the Creek, and Luca. Yet at no point did Julián have me wishing I was watching those instead.

Julián thrives on comparison, not by being better than these rightly beloved films and series, but by being a solid stone in the path of the cathedral they collectively build to the glory of animation as an art form.

Julián is a summer-set story of LGBTQ+ youth and identity.

Named for its protagonist, Julián follows a little boy over a summer spent with his Dominican American abuela (Milcania Diaz-Rojas) in Brooklyn. He (Knyght Darius Jack) is a cheerful child with a vivid imagination, a love of the ocean, and little awareness of the mess he makes while playing. In the opening scene, his dad Javi (Anthony Sardinha) shows an appreciation for all of this, as Julián excitedly colors a picture, and splashes about glitter on the drive to New York. But his abuela hasn't seen the boy in a while, and her parenting style is very "my way or the highway." So, getting used to her rules will be an adjustment.

In the first act, Julián pulls a move from Paddington, trying hard to respect his host while making an absolute disaster of their bathroom. It's the kind of childish shenanigans that are both adorable and deeply annoying. Director Louise Bagnall expertly shows Julián's missteps as both, allowing the audience to understand him and his grandmother.

In the book (which is just 40 pages with illustrations), Julián's abuela is almost instantly accepting of his desire to be a mermaid and what that entails. Expanding the story, Julián takes time to develop their relationship, working in new characters and obstacles for both to explore. For his part, Julián is giddy to meet a trio of local girls, who are plotting their "mersonas" in sidewalk chalk drawings and readying for Coney Island's annual Mermaid Parade, where revelers dress in all sorts of nautical costumes for a day of festivities and community.

However, Abeula and her friends see Julián with the girls and heteronormatively assume he's a "lady killer." So, when Julián asks her to do his hair to show off to girls, he's thinking of long braids, like one of the girls has. When he sees the short-cropped cut she's done to "show off [his] handsome face," the boy is reduced to tears.

There's no point in this movie where Julián will come out as queer or discuss such labels with his loved ones. He's just a kid, loving the things he loves and being told that's wrong. After the tears over the haircut, after his insistence that the mermaid costume be colorful and covered in shimmer, Abuela understands who her grandson is. She decides she'll sew him the costume he dreams of, but she also fears how others will react. In a moment of pique, she warns him about being "too much." And so Julián is subjected to the stifling gender norms that are meant to protect him, but make him feel alone and ashamed.

However, like Julián Is a Mermaid (or Luca), this eponymous hero will find his happy ending, embraced by love, community, and family just as he is.

Julián is gorgeous and moving.

Bagnall creates a distinctive visual language for Julián that sets the film apart from Love's book. Thankfully, she rejects the three-dimensional CGI animation that has become almost mandatory for theatrical release across the medium.

Where Julián Is a Mermaid had a painterly look of watercolors, Julián reflects its hero's love of drawing by imitating the texture of markers and crayons. The colors are vibrant, showing the characters' Afro-Latino neighborhood in Brooklyn as a place of life and warmth. The soft edges of the characters and their round, bouncy designs reflect Julián's energy, which is like a Super Ball, high-soaring and playful. In sequences where the world transforms to reflect his imagination, watery fish fly, an aquatic goddess rises, and a whale shark with a belly made of stars soars with the boy mermaid. It's in these moments of embracing play that I thought of Craig and his Creek friends. In the movement of the sea creatures, I thought of Spirited Away's sprites or Ponyo's fishy wonders.

Julián's scenes of joy make moments where he is sad hit all the harder. This brilliant boy, whose nature is to sparkle, is (however briefly) urged to hide his light. The young voice actor's choked-up performance had me spilling tears of my own. The animation, shifting from fluid, spirited dances to stilted shoving, as this kid literally locks his imaginary friend up in a jewelry box, had my heart aching.

But even if you haven't read the book (I hadn't), the love that infuses every frame of Julián assured me that it would get better for him. The world around him is too bright and full of pleasure to keep him locked up in shame or confusion. So, rather than a simple but beautiful tale of a little boy and his abuela who go to the Mermaid Parade together (as Love's wonderful book is), Julián expands to be a thorough and thoughtful story of what it means to be different, misunderstood but still loved.

In the final act, rather than a gentle walk hand-in-hand to the Coney Island beach, Julián offers a rousing action sequence, as he runs away from home to join his friends at the parade. A race against time ratchets up tension, while his pursuing abuela is on a determined mission of her own, to mend what she fears she's broken.

In this race, Bagnall showcases the wonder of the Mermaid Parade, with a cast of characters that could all be Crystal Gems. They have big, colorful hair in pinks, greens, blues, and magentas. Their bodies are varied, none from the same cookie cutter. And when the boy and his friends call upon strangers at the parade for help, it's a trio of queer-coded mermaids (some with facial hair) who aid them kindly and easily. And here, I cried again — tears of joy for the recognition of what it means to find your community.

Where there are moments in Julián where the boy is faced with homophobia, the film overwhelmingly blooms with love. And I loved it right back.

Julián was reviewed out of its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Electronics giant LG has been under fire over the past few days after a viral two-hour video report by Gamers Nexus warned that LG's TVs surreptitiously record users' audio, even when the screen is turned off, as well as collecting details about networked devices, location data, and wireless network information.

Since the video's release, dozens of reaction videos have followed, with titles like "How to Stop Smart TV Spying" and "LG Isn't the Only TV Company Spying on You," from reputable channels such as Linus Tech Tips and RTINGS, respectively. 

In the wake of the video, LG has formally denied the claims on various news networks and in a statement on its website. Titled "Understanding Privacy on LG Smart TVs," LG unambiguously denies the central accusations of the Gamers Nexus video. 

"LG smart TVs do not continuously record or transmit users’ conversations. Speech-to-text processing begins only if a user activates a voice interaction through a supported wake-word feature or by pressing the voice (or AI) button on the remote control. Audio used for wake-word detection is processed locally on the TV and, if no wake word is detected, audio is not converted to text, stored, or transmitted. Voice-recognition results and related technical logs may be generated as part of processing a voice command. These records are associated with specific voice interactions and do not indicate continuous recording of conversations occurring outside an active voice recognition session."

LG claims that, "Speech-recognition results may be used to support voice-related features but are not uploaded later when the TV is offline or when connectivity is restored."

The company also pointed out that some of the most invasive features, like their Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) feature designed to learn from your viewing habits to offer better content recommendations, are optional.

But questions about LG's integrity, as well as the wording of their statement, still remain. If they contend that "LG smart TVs do not continuously record or transmit users’ conversations," does that mean they do so sporadically?

Ultimately, this controversy is another in a long-running series highlighting the need for a more honest conversation about the balance between consumer convenience and consumer privacy. It's definitely a conversation worth having, but in the future, it would be nice if it didn't happen after a major violation of consumer trust.

Nintendo has officially kicked off its Customer Appreciation Sale, reportedly using $300 million in government tariff refunds to fund discounts that are now in effect not only on the Nintendo Store and Nintendo eShop but also at participating retailers both online and offline. 

There is one major caveat, though: there is not a single deal for a Nintendo Switch 2 game, and, aside from a few accessory deals, there are no Switch 2 hardware sales either. So if you were hoping to use this sale to gear up for the Ocarina of Time remake, you're out of luck, though you can still save $10 on a pre-order through the right retailers. 

Who is this sale for, then? If you've been eying a classic Nintendo game but couldn't justify paying full retail price, or if you want to re-live older-generation games on next-generation hardware, now is the perfect time to indulge in some nostalgia.

Here are our favorite deals from this sale across hardware, games, and merchandise:

Best Nintendo Appreciation hardware deals

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Credit: Nintendo

Switch Pro Controller

$55.99 at Nintendo
$79.99 Save $24.00

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

Don't get us wrong: We're big fans of the Nintendo Switch and its innovative Joy-Con controllers, but occasionally you yearn for simpler times, when a single controller held all the buttons and joysticks you needed. Nintendo must agree with us, because their own Pro Controller does a fantastic job recreating the experience of classic Nintendo and Nintendo 64 games, many of which you may be playing for the first time on your Switch console. And trust us: If you're experiencing Goldeneye death matches for the first time, you're going to want this controller in hand to stand a chance.  

More hardware deals

• Nintendo Joy-Con (double) - $62.99 $89.99 (save $27)

• Nintendo Switch Joy-Con Charging Stand - $24.49 $34.99 (save $10)

• Nintendo Joy-Con (single) - $31.49 $44.99 (save $13)

Best Nintendo Appreciation game deals

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Credit: Nintendo

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Expansion Pass Bundle (Digital Download)

$55.97 at Amazon
$79.98 Save $24.01

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

What better way to prepare for the Ocarina of Time remake than to re-live (or maybe play for the first time!) Breath of the Wild, the clearest spiritual successor to the N64 classic. All the way back in 2017, it was the standout game at the annual Game Awards, winning Game of the Year, Best Direction, and Best Action/Adventure Game, while it was recently named the second-best Nintendo game of all time by IGN. And unlike a lot of nearly-decade-old games, Breath of the Wild still feels fresh all these years later.   

More game deals

• Luigi's Mansion 3 - $41.97 $59.99 (save $17)

• Animal Crossing: New Horizons - $41.97 $59.99 (save $17)

• Mario Party: Superstars - $41.99 $59.99 (save $17)

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Credit: Nintendo

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Digital Download) 

$48.97 at Amazon
$69.99 Save $21.02

 

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Why we like it

In keeping with the Zelda theme, you owe it to yourself to play the sequel to Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom. The game is just three years old now, but with more than 22 million copies sold, it's also one of the handful of modern games that are a required experience for self-respecting gamers, casting a long shadow on game development ever since its release. If you haven't yet had the pleasure of returning to Hyrule or discovering eerie Depths below, take advantage of this discount while it lasts.  

More game deals

• Metroid Dread - $41.97 $59.99 (save $17)

• Super Mario Bros. Wonder - $41.97 $59.99 (save $17)

• Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury - $41.97 $59.99 (save $17)

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Credit: Nintendo

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Bundle (Digital Download)

$84.98 at Amazon

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

We'll just go ahead and say it: there simply isn't a better party game than Mario Kart, and that's basically been true since the original NES release all the way back in 1992. It's the madness of flying shells, an ever-rotating leaderboard, and an incredible variety of fun, unique race tracks that make these games endlessly replayable. Be warned, though: many friendships have ended over a Mario Kart race gone wrong. 

More game deals

• Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Standard - $41.99 $59.99 (save $17)

• Kirby Fighters 2 - $13.99 $19.99 (save $6)

• Kirby: Star Allies - $41.97 $59.99 (save $17)

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Credit: Nintendo

Metroid Prime Remastered (Digital Download)

$27.97 at Amazon
$39.99 Save $12.02

 

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Why we like it

Everyone is focused on Zelda these days, and rightfully so, but Nintendo has an exhaustive library of unique IPs that every game should experience at least once in their lives, and after the essential Mario and Zelda games, we would argue Metroid deserves top billing as well. Suit up as Samus Aran and explore the otherworldly Tallon IV planet with updated visuals and an unforgettable soundtrack. 

More game deals

• Xenoblade Chronicles 3 + Expansion - $62.97 $89.98 (save $27)

• Endless Ocean: Luminous Standard - $34.97 $49.99 (save $14)

• Donkey Kong Country Returns HD - $41.97 $59.99 (save $18)
  

Best Nintendo Appreciation merch deals

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Credit: Nintendo

Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo

$76.99 at Nintendo
$109.99 Save $33

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

Lots of merch leans more towards novelty than practicality, but this Alarmo clock does exactly the opposite, nodding to your favorite company with an essential item you'll use every day of your life. It isn't a half-thought-out, poor-quality clock, either. You can choose from among your favorite Nintendo characters to wake you up each morning, while a built-in motion sensor quiets the alarm sound when you're ready to get up. And when you finally get out of bed, you'll be rewarded with a unique character celebration animation.

More game deals

• Mario Kart Slouch Hat - $16.44 $24.99 (save $9)

• Amiibo Samus Figurine - $20.99 $29.95 (save $10)

• Amiibo Donkey Kong and Pauline Figurine - $20.99 $29.99 (save $10)

In a lengthy essay published Saturday morning, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said that the AI industry needs to deliberately slow the pace of AI development. Amodei proposed a three-point plan he's calling "pacing the frontier," and it is a striking message from the head of a company racing toward what could be the largest IPO in history.

Soon after Amodei shared the essay on X, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman publicly accepted his rival's proposal. "I agree with Dario that we need to pace the frontier. This has been a primary topic of discussions we've had at OpenAI in recent weeks."

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

On his personal site, Amodei frames his argument around two recent developments he says convinced him the industry needs more caution. The first is a sharp acceleration in AI capabilities since the summer, driven by models increasingly being used to help build the next generation of AI, a phenomenon called recursive self-improvement. The second, and more notable, concern was the OpenAI-Hugging Face incident, in which a swarm of rogue AI agents escaped a secure sandbox and attacked a third party.

Because of this, Amodei wants to offer a fix but is explicit that he doesn't want to freeze model training. Amodei's proposed three-point plan is as follows:

• Anthropic will unilaterally grant outside evaluators (such as the safety group METR) permanent, employee-like access to verify its practices, similar to how bank regulators sometimes embed with financial firms.

• AI companies within democracies should coordinate on shared safety standards.

• Third, and hardest, he wants that coordination extended globally, including with China, while doubting Beijing would reliably comply.

He also paired this with some hawkish asks, like continued chip export restrictions on China and tighter security against model theft. Amodei framed these as necessary to preserve the U.S. lead over "authoritarian regimes," while also giving the industry room to pace safely.

While in a vacuum, this is the kind of thing you'd want a major AI CEO to ask for, it's part of a much bigger battle in the industry over who defines AI safety policy. Weeks earlier, OpenAI — which had opposed California's SB 53 frontier AI safety law — reversed course and called for the law to be strengthened in the wake of the Hugging Face incident. One analyst told Fortune the move might be genuine, but could also help OpenAI cement its lead by raising the bar for smaller rivals while signaling seriousness to regulators after its own stumble.

TechCrunch notes that coordination between the leading labs seems unlikely given the "apparent animosity" between OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Amodei, as well as concerns that a coordinated slowdown could invite antitrust scrutiny.

Additionally, Anthropic is reportedly targeting a Nasdaq listing as early as mid-October, at a valuation that could reach roughly $2 trillion. A high-profile essay casting the company as uniquely safety-conscious could be a boon as it opens its doors to outside evaluators.

None of this makes Amodei's underlying concerns wrong; researchers across labs have flagged similar risks. Just this week, an Anthropic employee left the company and publicly accused Anthropic of recklessness, warning of "out of control" AI.

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

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

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

Hurdle Word 1 hint

Rounded.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

CURVY

Hurdle Word 2 hint

A collection.

Hurdle Word 2 Answer

GROUP

Hurdle Word 3 hint

A large animal found in Alaska.

Hurdle Word 3 answer

MOOSE

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Simpson patriarch.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

HOMER

Final Hurdle hint

To look into.

Hurdle Word 5 answer

PROBE

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

The Moon may be hard to spot right now, but that won't last for long. As the new lunar cycle gets underway, a little more of it will become visible each night.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Sunday, Sept. 13, NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon is in the Waxing Crescent phase, with 5% of its surface visible.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will take place on September 26.

What are Moon phases?

As the Moon orbits Earth, its appearance changes over the course of roughly 29.5 days, creating what we know as the lunar cycle, according to NASA. The phase we see depends on where the Moon is in relation to Earth and the Sun, and how much of its sunlit side is facing us. Throughout the cycle, it moves from a slender crescent to a half Moon and eventually a Full Moon, before the pattern begins again.

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.

What do you do when the big plans you made fall to pieces? This is both the question faced by the antihero at the heart of Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, and the men who made it.

Written and directed by Bassam Tariq, Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother stars two-time Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali as Latif, a Muslim family man and hit man on a mission. Dedicated to protecting his community, Latif wields a sword in their defense. But when his wife dies unexpectedly, he drops everything (including properly disposing of a recently slain body) to care for their three children.

On a less dramatic level, one might imagine Tariq and Ali relate. The two met while in development on the MCU's Blade movie. But once they realized it wasn't coming together, Tariq approached Ali with his original script for Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother.

Here, in the story of a hit man having to question his choices while using violence to defend his loved ones, Ali finds a place to put the muscle he built prepping for Blade to use. But beyond that, he brings to life a complex character who adds to the rich tapestry of the American antihero.

Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother is a family drama, and a gangster drama, and an action movie.

Credit: Orion / Amazon MGM Studios

Tariq begins his film with a compelling collision of sight and sound. Onscreen, Ali bursts into frame, bringing down a skinhead in an empty public bathroom. The violence is efficient, communicating this is not the first time Latif has taken on such a task.

Over this scene, audio plays, explaining the title, which comes from the Quran. An unseen girl reads a passage about how the Prophet was asked who to honor after Allah, and three times, the prophet said, "Your mother," before he said, "Your father."

Even before the phone call comes to announce how his world has changed — even if you aren't familiar with the Quran quotation — you understand Latif is ill-equipped to replace the void his wife's death leaves. Soon, we see how, as he struggles to speak to his teen daughter (a marvelous Adia) about her burgeoning sexuality, and to find a source for what his infant needs most: mother's milk.

While struggling to cope with his grief and the overwhelm of single parenting, Latif desperately tries to exit his violent vocation. But as every gangster movie makes clear, it's not an easy thing to walk away from being a hit man. The one last job demanded of his handler won't be ignored. So, as he seeks breast milk to feed his child, he must also face off against hired guns, and a Christian cult leader (John Cho) on a violent crusade.

Tariq's plot line seamlessly blends elements of a gangster drama with exhilaratingly intense action sequences and a tender father-daughter drama that is absolutely breathtaking. Like Sinners, Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother moves smoothly, weaving together genre elements with character development in a richly realized world to create a film that is familiar yet scorchingly unique.

Under Tariq's direction, there is not only poignant dialogue or a surprising story. It's a film alive with tiny but crucial visual details. It's in the blade by Latif's side, or the saucy video his daughter sneaks on her laptop through stolen WiFi, and in the platinum grill that Cho sports on his teeth, glistening not only in precious metals but also diamonds forming a cross on each tooth. Each is evocative, urging the audience to think deeper about who each figure is — even as they rush to escape, fight, or rescue each other. Each element is an invitation to make the movie our own by how we choose to translate them.

Mahershala Ali is absolutely riveting in Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother.

Credit: Orion / Amazon MGM Studios

When Ali revealed his Blade movie with the MCU seems dead, fans online grieved publicly. But from the ashes of Marvel's fumble comes an action hero that is all Ali's own, with one of the best performances of his career.

Brandishing blades and his muscle-bound arms, Ali tears into fight scenes with a focus that is exhilarating on its own. But Tariq enhances the stakes by putting Latif's children in immediate peril. It's not enough for Latif to rip through a flood of Christian militants, armed to the teeth with guns. He must do it while keeping an eye on his defenseless baby. And if that means putting lubricant and broken glass on leather gloves as an impromptu weapon, that's what it means. (And it's awesome.)

The resounding presence that Ali has brought to Moonlight, Green Book, and Luke Cage is radiant here. In moments of battle, he is quiet, his body primed to spring into action like a snake leaping from a coiled posture. There's moments where it seems Latif is most comfortable in warrior mode, where he can rely on his body and might. In scenes where he must cajole or convince, he's stiffer, clearly uncomfortable in being in a position of needing help.

In these scene's, Ali's stiffness reverberates with a tension born from Latif's fear that he is not enough. How can he compare to his wife when it comes to caring for their children? His fear of failing them drives every moment, major and seemingly mundane. But Ali makes sure no moment feels mundane.

Credit: Orion / Amazon MGM Studios

A scene of prayer at the mosque where he holds his hungry infant daughter as he silently cries becomes a moment of silent and stillness that reflects Tariq's keen understanding of great filmmaking. He pulls from Eastern masters like Akira Kurosawa and Hayao Miyazaki, creating a moment of ma — a quiet space to allow the audience to see what the world is like before violence shatters its peace. Except, in this moment it's not a soft rain falling, it's a man whose faith is shattered by loss, crying by himself as he's surrounded by his community. In this moment, Latif cannot keep up the façade that he is okay. And his eldest daughter is the one who sees this. (I can sense the elder daughters out there nodding in recognition.)

Make no mistake. The action in Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother is electrifying, sparked with stakes, grit, and style. This is thanks in no small part to Ali's athleticism in the role, and Tariq's embrace of saturated colors, painting everything from mosques to strip clubs to a tacky mansion in vivid hues of red, gold, blue, and greens. But the heart of Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother is the relationship between Latif and his eldest daughter, who, on the brink of womanhood, sees him, flaws and all.

With her mom gone, she steps up as a second parent in the house, which brings tension and guilt to Latif's dealings with her. They also share a disillusionment with Islam, largely because of the cruelty of their lost mother. Latif certainly sees himself in her, and this weighs on him too. But it's not all heavy emotions.

Tariq and Ali smartly weave in not just levity, but the goofy intimacy that breathes in the bonds of father and daughter. A sendoff scene might have been too maudlin or earnest were it not for the pair sharing a laugh over a perfectly executed dad joke. Again, the moment of ma, as Latif sets off for the climactic battle, and Tariq takes the time to remind us exactly what is being fought for.

Adia is a superb scene partner, not only to Ali, whose intense glare she matches, but also in scenes shared with young Jahleel Kamara, her onscreen little brother. She gives her sister depth by showing her as both patient and caring and annoyed. In scenes with her Mormon crush, she shrinks in shyness. And these shades make her boldness in communication with her dad reflect not only their shared fire, but also the closeness of their bond.

Credit: Orion / Amazon MGM Studios

Then there's John Cho, who brings a fresh menace as the cult leader. Rather than delivering a big, brash performance, Cho's performance is more nuanced. He lets the sparkling grill and flashy cowboy attire — bedecked with Christian iconography — speak loud, so he can speak in a deceitfully folksy whisper. It's enchanting and alarming, because it's easy to imagine being sucked into the easy warmth in his tone. But the things he's saying with a smile are downright scary. His showdown with Latif is inevitable, and as it gets closer, the tension will catch the breath in your throat. And it won't be the last time.

Because of how Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother came about, some might write it off as the "not-Blade Blade movie." But that's their mistake.

Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother is a blisteringly original and absolutely gorgeous film. Tariq shows a comprehensive understanding of what draws Americans to not only action movies but also antihero/crime dramas. He delivers spectacles of violence, but grounds them in gripping, human stakes. Then, through that, he weaves a magnificent character-driven thread that is accentuated by color, details, and an extraordinary cast. Simply put, Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother is a stunner, and easily one of my favorite films of 2026.

Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother was reviewed out its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. The movie opens in select theaters on Sept. 25. and everywhere in October.

Today's NYT Strands hints will be easy if you know like James Bond.

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: Top Secret

The words are related to counter-intelligence work.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe a spy.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

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 Undercover.

NYT Strands word list for September 12

• Plant

• Agent

• Counterspy

• Asset

• Opertaive

• Mole

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.

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.

Droppy signal meaning

To hang downward.

Flaccid meaning

Lacking firmness.

Sagging meaning

Drifts down.

Slack meaning

Not tight.

Cleveland meaning

24th President.

Garfield meaning

20th President.

Grant meaning

18th President.

Madison meaning

4th President.

Empty meaning

Contains nothing.

Excess meaning

Contains too much.

Kewpie meaning

A small chubby doll with a topknot of hair.

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Odie meaning

Gender-neutral name of British origin.

Doublespeak meaning

Deceptive language.

Heathcliff meaning

A fictional character in Wuthering Heights.

Paramount meaning

Superior to others.

Porridge meaning

A soft food made of boiled grains in milk or water.

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.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you know U.S. History.

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

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

What is Connections?

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

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

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

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

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

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

Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Soft

• Green: Leaders of the Executive Branch

• Blue: One word, two letters

• Purple: Words with a high point

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Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Lacking in Firmness

• Green: U.S. Presidents

• Blue: Words That Sound Like Two Letters

• Purple: Ending in Elevated Landforms

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 #1190 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Lacking in Firmness: DROOPY, FLACCID, SAGGING, SLACK

• U.S. Presidents: CLEVELAND, GARFIELD, GRANT, MADISON

• Words That Sound Like Two Letters: EMPTY, EXCESS, KEWPIE, ODIE

• Ending in Elevated Landforms: DOUBLESPEAK, HEATHCLIFF, PARAMOUNT, PORRIDGE

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.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if pay attention.

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:

Lock in.

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 F.

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...

FOCUS

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.

At TIFF this week, Caleb Hearon and Zooey Deschanel sat down for the "For You Feed to Feature Film" panel, moderated by TikTok's Global Entertainment Partnerships Lead Jenny Kim, to talk about making the leap from online content to the big screen.

The two star together in Trash Mountain, which Hearon also co-wrote with Ruby Caster. A clip of the panel from Mashable's Entertainment Editor, Kristy Puchko, offers a preview of the advice they gave to creators hoping to make the same jump.

Deschanel's message was simply to stop waiting for permission. She recalled being told early in her music career that she couldn't make it as a musician because she'd already built a name for herself as an actor, and her response was basically to ignore it. "How about you just be the person that does it first," she said, adding that she believes everyone on that path already has something worth putting into the world.

Hearon went further, discussing the instinct people have to box creators into a single identity. His advice was to "Get comfortable saying no very early" and not to let companies or institutions push you into things "just because you're convinced it's the only way to get ahead."

He was candid about the money, too, noting that most of his bills get paid by "reading ads on my gay little podcast," not acting, despite doing four movies last year. Creators now have real leverage, according to Hearon, even as institutions increasingly offload financial risk onto them because of the "DIY nature" of content creation. His takeaway is to "learn how to say no early and make your fucking thing."

Our entertainment editor, Kristy Puchko, is on the ground at the Toronto International Film Festival and will have a full recap of the panel soon. Until then, you can also check out her review of Caleb Hearon's Trash Mountain.

While the iPhone Duo was the standout product during Apple's September event, the second biggest news was the camera additions to the iPhone 18 Pro lineup.

For the first time ever, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max include a genuine variable aperture. It's paired with a new set of manual controls, upgraded video features, and a fresh approach to photo authenticity, making this arguably the most substantial camera overhaul Apple has shipped in years.

It's also a meaningful shift in what Apple wants the iPhone to be. Case in point, the event kicks off with different cinematic scenes shot on the iPhone 18 Pro. Between the adjustable aperture, manual shutter speed, manual focus, and a live histogram, the iPhone 18 Pro is basically an entry-level DSLR that can call and text your friends.

That said, it's worth watching how long Apple sticks with the hardware. Variable aperture isn't new to smartphones broadly; Samsung shipped a version of it with the Galaxy S9 and S10, before quietly dropping the feature entirely.

So, whether the feature is here to stay or not, here's a closer look at everything that's new.

Manual controls

For people who like to fine-tune their shots rather than let the phone decide everything, there's a new "Pro controls" panel baked right into the Camera app.

It surfaces the aperture setting mentioned above, plus shutter speed (how long the sensor is exposed to light — faster freezes motion, slower creates blur or lets in more light) and white balance (a color correction that keeps whites looking white instead of tinted orange under indoor lighting or blue in shade).

See that graph in the left corner. Credit: Apple / Mashable screenshot

There's also a histogram, which is a small graph that plots how exposed an image it. It looks technical, but the practical use is simple: if the graph is bunched up on the left, your photo's probably too dark; bunched on the right, it's probably blown out and too bright.

Smarter tracking, sharper video

Apple has reworked what it calls the "computational imaging pipeline" to produce cleaner, more detailed images. It's a neat, low-key upgrade, as smartphone photos are normally heavily processed by algorithms (merging multiple exposures, reducing noise, sharpening detail) rather than being raw, untouched captures.

Photographic Styles, the tool that lets you set a consistent color/mood preset across your photos, now also includes texture and grain controls. On the video side, Cinematic effects can now be applied after the fact to footage shot at up to 60 frames per second; time-lapse videos support 4K and Dolby Vision HDR; and Audio Mix's algorithms have been updated to produce cleaner-sounding voices and isolate background music more effectively.

There's also a new AI-powered smart focus system designed to lock onto and track a single moving subject through a frame, which should help with shooting kids, pets, or anything else that won't stay still.

Variable aperture

The headline feature is a 48MP main camera built around a physically adjustable aperture, something iPhones have never had before. In cameras, an aperture is the opening in a lens through which light passes to hit the camera sensor. A wider opening lets in more light (better for dim rooms or night shots) and blurs the background more; a narrower opening lets in less light but keeps more of the scene in sharp focus, which is useful outdoors or in group photos where you want everyone's face crisp.

The standard for most smartphone cameras has been a fixed aperture of a single size (the iPhone 17 Pro, for example, had a ƒ/1.78 fixed aperture). Apple says the aperture on the 18 Pro and Pro Max uses six hair-thin, laser-cut blades that can be physically adjusted between four aperture settings, automatically widening or narrowing depending on the lighting and depth of field a shot calls for.

Apple says the change improves low-light photos and produces crisper background detail in group shots, while giving photographers a level of manual control that wasn't previously available on the phone.

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As previously stated, variable aperture settings have existed before, but they don't stick around for long. The biggest reason is durability and production. It's a lot of delicate moving hardware to cram into a device that regularly gets dropped, tossed in bags, and generally treated worse than a dedicated camera ever would be. Even current-generation stabilization systems can behave unpredictably after a hard enough drop, so a mechanical aperture introduces a new point of failure.

The Galaxy S27 was rumored to be getting its own variable aperture system as recently as eight months ago. However, reports in August suggest Samsung scrapped those plans because they made the phone bulkier and were expensive to add for what Samsung deemed to be "minor image-quality gains."

Whether Apple's engineering proves more durable than Samsung's, or whether variable aperture quietly disappears from the iPhone lineup a generation or two from now, remains an open question.

Apple Reference Image

Perhaps the most unusual and frighteningly needed addition is Apple Reference Image, a new authenticity feature built around the Main camera's redesigned sensor.

Credit: Apple / Mashable screenshot

When a photo is taken in the new "Reference" capture mode, the sensor's data is cryptographically signed and processed through Apple's Private Cloud Compute into an unalterable reference version of the image. In short, it's a digital negative.

That reference photo sits alongside the normal shot in the Photos app, which can be compared with the final image to check whether it's been edited. Combined with image metadata and upcoming support for the SynthID watermarking standard, which flags AI-generated or AI-edited images.

Apple is positioning the feature as a way for photojournalists and everyday users alike to verify that a photo is what it claims to be, at a moment when AI-edited and AI-generated images are becoming harder to distinguish from real ones.

The solar system's smallest planet has suffered significant shrinkage, drawing up 30 percent more than scientists even previously estimated. 

Mercury, which orbits closest to the sun, is a tiny rocky world that has continuously leaked heat into space since its sizzly formation 4.5 billion years ago. As its heavy iron core cools, the entire planet shrinks, like a grape transforming into a raisin in the sun. Its outer crust buckles and cracks around it, but on a planet scale, those surface wrinkles translate into huge cliffs and mountainous ridges. 

A new study reveals Mercury has lost up to 14.5 miles of its diameter since birth. That might not seem like much until you realize that the planet is only 3,000 miles wide overall. For decades, researchers may have underestimated the planet's contraction because the rough terrain was obscuring the true extent of the damage. 

"Thirty percent is a little bit surprising, but the corrected amount of contraction actually makes sense to me," said Gaku Nishiyama, a planetary scientist at the German Aerospace Center Institute of Space Research and lead author on the study, in a statement. 

A barrage of meteors pock Mercury's surface, cratering the land and hurling giant shattered rock across the planet. The rubble seems to create a fresh gravel spread, concealing the planet's wrinkles. 

While testing Nishiyama's hypothesis, a team of researchers discovered a clear pattern: The rugged regions contained the fewest visible wrinkles. Around major impacts, like the massive Rachmaninoff crater, tectonic cracks disappeared almost entirely under thick layers of debris. 

"We compared a global map of Mercury's surface roughness with maps of shortening structures and contraction," Nishiyama said. "Mercury appears to have shrunk considerably more than what the visible tectonic record alone suggested."

After accounting for these hidden features, the researchers recalculated Mercury's total contraction. The results were published in the Geophysical Research Letters journal this week. 

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For scientists, the findings could resolve a long-standing tension. Previous estimates suggested far less shrinking than physics predicted, leaving researchers uncomfortable with their understanding of how planets cool. By correcting the math, astronomers may be able to unlock clues about Mercury's original temperature and how other shrinking rocky worlds, like our own moon, evolve over time. 

NASA's Messenger spacecraft captured the Rachmaninoff crater, a double-ring basin about 180 miles wide, on Mercury in 2009. Credit: NASA / JHUAPL / CIW

A faster shrinkage rate may mean Mercury holds a much larger metal core that contains fewer light elements, such as silicon, than previously thought. That matters because a larger iron core would rewrite what scientists know about Mercury's birth. More metal would strongly suggest the planet survived a catastrophic collision with another body in its ancient history, an event that could have stripped away most of its rocky crust. An oversized core might also explain how such a tiny world kept its interior churning, a necessity for its global magnetic field. 

Scientists won't have to wait long to verify the team's work with fresh data. The BepiColombo spacecraft, a joint mission of the European Space Agency and Japan's JAXA, is on its last leg of its space journey to Mercury. It's expected to enter orbit around the planet in November. 

Equipped with advanced lasers, BepiColombo will scan Mercury's surface to detect fine details in its surface features that earlier space missions missed. Only two missions — NASA's Mariner 10 and Messenger — have visited the planet before, and only Messenger has ever orbited it.

Anthropic is reportedly in talks with Nvidia to secure funding for its upcoming IPO, according to an exclusive report from Reuters. If the deal goes through, it'd make Anthropic's IPO one of the largest stock market debuts ever.

Reuters report cites two people familiar with the discussions between the Claude maker and Nvidia, although they weren't at liberty to speak publicly. According to Reuters, Anthropic is looking to raise as much as $100 billion in the offering, which would raise the company's valuation to around $2 trillion.

That would put Anthropic in the same financial weight class as some of the world's largest public companies, despite not yet being publicly traded itself. One source told Reuters that Nvidia is considering investing up to $10 billion as part of the deal, though the terms are still being worked out and could change.

Anthropic declined to comment on the discussions, and Nvidia did not respond to Reuters' request for comment.

Known as anchor investing, lining up a major investor ahead of an IPO has become common practice for companies planning especially large listings. A well-known backer buying in early can reassure the broader market that the offering is a safe bet. Reuters noted that Nvidia and Amazon played similar roles in chip designer Arm's IPO, while Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund did the same for SpaceX.

If it goes forward, Anthropic's IPO would extend a wave of major stock listings this year, following Elon Musk's SpaceX going public in June. Citing Dealogic data, Reuters reported that U.S. IPOs, excluding blank-check companies, had already raised a record $137 billion through the end of August.

Nvidia and Anthropic already have significant financial ties. Reuters reported that Nvidia agreed last November to invest up to $10 billion in Anthropic as part of a broader partnership under which Anthropic committed to spending $30 billion on Microsoft's Azure cloud service, which runs on Nvidia chips.

A new investment tied to the IPO would further deepen that relationship.

The newly announced iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max officially opened for preorders today, with the new Apple smartphones going on sale promptly at 8 a.m. ET.

Despite rumors that the online Apple Store was down ahead of the launch, the site appears to be working fine. Retailers and mobile carriers have also gone live with iPhone 18 Pro preorder deals, with companies like T-Mobile offering the iPhone 18 Pro for free for qualifying customers.

If you have any questions before ordering the new iPhones, we're here to help. Mashable Senior Editor Stan Schroeder has been reporting live from Apple Park all week and going hands-on with the new devices, and we'll have full reviews to share in the weeks ahead.

Apple iPhone 18 Pro, 256GB

Save up to $1,200 at T-Mobile

 

Pre-order Here at T-Mobile Pre-order Here at AT&T Wireless Pre-order Here at Walmart

iPhone 18 Pro Max, 256GB

Save up to $1,200 at T-Mobile

 

Pre-order Here at T-Mobile Pre-order Here at Walmart Pre-order Here at Apple.com

How much do the new iPhones cost?

The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199, and the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at $1,299. Both phones are $100 more expensive than last year's iPhone 17 Pro line, thanks to the global memory crisis.

When does the iPhone 18 Pro officially launch?

While preorders opened this morning, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max will officially launch on Friday, Sept. 18. If you preorder, that's when your phone should arrive, and when you can go to your local Apple store to check them out for yourself.

What colors are available for the new iPhones?

The new Pro models come in four colors this year:

• Burgundy

• Glacier Blue

• Silver

• Black

When will the iPhone Duo be released?

If you're still deciding between the iPhone 18 Pro Max and the iPhone Duo, you have a bit more time to make a decision. The foldable iPhone Duo will be available for preorder on Oct. 16 and will hit store shelves Oct. 23. It will set you back $1,999.

How does the iPhone 18 Pro Max differ from the iPhone 17 Pro Max?

We'll be honest: The phones are very similar this year, but there are some key differences. (Read our full breakdown of the iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 17 Pro Max.)

Here are the biggest changes:

• The new models introduce a new physical variable aperture for professional-quality photographs and videos, as well as smart focus tracking, cinematic video effects, and improved low-light photography.

• The iPhone 18 Pro has a better battery life

• A new A20 Pro chip provides better support for AI tools

• The new iPhone 18 Pro models are more expensive and have new color options

What are the best iPhone 18 Pro preorder deals?

All the big carriers are competing to attract new customers by offering big savings on the iPhone 18 Pro — if you meet certain terms and conditions, of course. Over at T-Mobile and AT&T, you can save $1,200 on the new phones, letting you get the new iPhone for free. Apple is also offering major trade-in credits.

• T-Mobile: Switch to T-Mobile and bring your existing phone number to get the iPhone 18 Pro for free. Alternatively, you can trade in an eligible phone on an Experience Beyond plan to score this deal.

• Apple: Get between $175 and $885 in trade-in credits.

• Apple Upgrade: Apple's new leasing program lets you pay as little as $34.99 per month for the Pro.

• AT&T: Save up to $1,200 on the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max by trading in your iPhone 14 or newer device and activating an AT&T Premium 2.0 plan.

• Total Wireless: Save $600 on the iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max via the All Access plan.

• Verizon: Get up to $1,020 off when you upgrade and bring an eligible trade-in on an existing myPlan.

• Visible: If you buy the iPhone 18 Pro through Visible+ Pro, you'll receive $480 in monthly service credits. Both new and existing members are eligible.

• Walmart: The big-box retailer doesn't offer any true preorder deals, but you can finance the new iPhone for $78/month through OnePay, a Klarna-backed service.

• Xfinity: With a qualifying trade-in and device payment plan on the Mobile Plus plan, you can save $1,200 on the Pro model.

When do iOS 27 and Siri AI come out?

Very soon! iOS 27 will be available before the new phones, and anyone with a compatible iPhone can set it up starting on Monday, Sept. 14. The new Siri AI app will arrive with it.

Can you buy the new iPhone 18 Pro at Amazon?

No, Amazon does not sell the new iPhone 18 Pro line. However, Amazon is a great place to pick up iPhone 18 Pro Max cases, grips, and accessories, as well as the new AirPods 5 and Apple Watch Series 12.

Amazon typically sells renewed and refurbished iPhones. You can buy the new iPhones from Walmart, however.

What are reviewers saying about the iPhone 18 Pro Max?

Nothing yet. Mashable has received the new Pro and Pro Max phones for testing along with other tech journalists, but it's too soon for anyone to render a verdict just yet. Early first impressions have been positive, however, and you can learn more in these reports:

• Video: I played with Apple’s new iPhones. Here’s what surprised me most.

• Video: Our first take on the iPhone 18 Pro: Intelligent photography

• iPhone Duo hands-on: I barely noticed the crease

Should I buy the iPhone 18 Pro Max?

We'll have a full review of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max in the weeks ahead, so stay tuned! In general, Apple smartphones are very reliable, and we think you can purchase the devices with confidence.

We will say this for now: If you already have an iPhone 17 Pro Max, the new models don't make a super obvious case for upgrading. And there are good reasons to consider waiting for next year's iPhone 19/20.

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

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

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

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

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

What is Connections: Sports Edition?

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

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

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

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

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

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

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

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

• Yellow: Arizona sports

• Green: Midwest cities

• Blue: Football dynasty

• Purple: Pro volleyball

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Arizona Pro Teams

• Green: Big Ten School Locations

• Blue: Manning Family Members

• Purple: Major League Volleyball Teams

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 #719 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Arizona Pro Teams: CARDINALS, DIAMONDBACKS, MERCURY, SUNS

• Big Ten School Locations: CHAMPAIGN, COLUMBUS, LINCOLN, PISCATAWAY

• Manning Family Members: ARCH, ARCHIE, ELI, PEYTON

• Major League Volleyball Teams: PULSE, SUPERNOVAS, VALKYRIES, VIBE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Easy difficulty hints, answers for September 12 Pips

Less Than (4): Everything in this space must be less than 4. The answer is 3-1, placed vertically.

Less Than (1): Everything in this space must be less than 1. The answer is 0-5, placed horizontally.

Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 3-1, placed vertically; 1-4, placed vertically.

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

Not Equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 0-5, placed horizontally; 4-2, placed vertically; 6-6, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for September 12 Pips

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

Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 0-0, placed vertically; 0-3, placed horizontally.

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

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 0-3, placed horizontally; 3-3, placed horizontally.

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

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 0-6, placed horizontally.

Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 6-3, placed horizontally; 0-6, placed horizontally.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for September 12 Pips

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 4-1, placed vertically.

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

Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 4-1, placed vertically; 1-1, placed horizontally; 6-1, placed vertically; 1-3, placed vertically.

Greater Than (1): Everything in this space must be greater than 1. The answer is 1-3, placed vertically.

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

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

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

Less Than (4): Everything in this space must be less than 4. The answer is 2-5, placed vertically.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 2-5, placed vertically.

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

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 4-3, placed horizontally; 3-5, placed vertically.

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

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

Greater Than (10): Everything in this space must be greater than 10. The answer is 5-6, placed horizontally.

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

Number (12): Everything in this space must add up to 12. The answer is 0-3, placed vertically; 3-6, placed vertically.

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

Number (15): Everything in this space must add up to 15. The answer is 2-3, placed vertically; 6-6, placed vertically.

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

The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max officially went on sale today ahead of their Sept. 18 launch (the foldable iPhone Duo won't be available until next month). And when you buy a new phone, that usually means buying a new phone case. The best iPhone 18 Pro cases will protect your phone when it inevitably slips out of your hands and tumbles to the ground, risking your $1,200 investment.

A lot of case companies started selling burgundy and glacier blue iPhone 18 Pro cases before the phones were even announced, and you can already find a ton of stylish and cute iPhone 18 Pro cases for sale online. Whether you're looking for a cheap $12 clear case, a classic PopSockets Grip, or a more fashion-forward Velvet Caviar case, we've found the top options for iPhone shoppers. We also checked Apple's official collection of iPhone 18 Pro Max cases for you.

If you're upgrading from the iPhone 17 Pro, there are two things you need to know. You can save up to $1,200 on the iPhone 18 Pro thanks to preorder deals, and your iPhone 17 Pro case should fit the 18 Pro just fine. Apple kept the measurements and button layouts exactly the same.

Our favorite iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max cases so far

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Credit: OtterBox

OtterBox iPhone 18 Pro Profile Series Case

$39.99 at Amazon

Let's start simple with this classic OtterBox iPhone 18 Pro Profile Series Case. It's not fancy or eye-catching, and that's exactly the point. The minimalist case is also MagSafe compatible.

Shop Now

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Credit: Casetify

Casetify iPhone 18 Pro Max MagSafe Case

$64 at Amazon

Here's another classic option, available for both the Pro and Pro Max. It's shock and drop-proof, and incldues an opening for a phone lanyard or strap.

Get Deal

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Credit: Casetify

Casetify iPhone 18 Pro Max Ripple MagSafe Case

$56 at Amazon

Looking for a case to match the new burgundy color? Casetify's MagSafe Ripple case provides extra protection — and extra color-matching.

Shop Now

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Credit: Velvet Caviar

Velvet Caviar Burgundy 1990 Jelly iPhone Case

$40 at Velvet Caviar

Velvet Caviar's burgundy iPhone case features a semi-transparent jelly base.

Shop Now

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Credit: Torras

Torras Clear iPhone 18 Pro Case

$11.02 at Amazon
$13.99 Save $2.97

If you like the color of your new burgundy or glacier blue iPhone 18 Pro, then don't cover it up. This affordable iPhone case protects your phone without hurting your wallet, too.

Get Deal

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Credit: ESR

ESR Clear MagSafe Compatible iPhone 18 Pro Case

$14.99 at Amazon

Looking for an affordable clear case that works with MagSafe? Try ESR's straightforward clear case, which will still protect your phone against sudden drops. ESR promises military-grade drop protection.

Shop Now

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Credit: PopSockets

PopSockets iPhone 18 Pro Case Mirror Abalone

$40 at PopSockets

Looking for something a little funky? PopSockets has some of the best iPhone 18 Pro case designs, and they obviously fit great with PopSocket phone grips, too.

Shop Now

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Credit: Pela

Pela iPhone 18 Pro Case Navy Stripes

$49.99 at Amazon

Pela has a huge selection of iPhone 18 cases on Amazon, and the company uses eco-friendly, plant-based materials in its phone cases.

Shop Now

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Credit: Moft

Moft Pink iPhone 18 Pro Max Case

$42.49 at Amazon
$49.99 Save $7.50

Here at Mashable, we strongly believe that every new generation of iPhones should come with a pink color option. Until Apple hears our prayers, you can get this pink case, which will look great with the new glacier blue iPhone 18 Pro.

Get Deal

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Credit: Velvet Caviar

Velvet Caviar Jelly Glow Aura iPhone 18 Pro Case

$39.99 at Amazon

It's giving pastel, it's giving Lisa Frank, it's giving 90s tie-dye. (It's also giving drop protection and MagSafe.)

Shop Now

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Credit: Apple

Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max Clear Case with MagSafe

$49 at Apple

Apple's official phone cases aren't always the most affordable, but they are some of the best, for obvious reasons.

Shop Now

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Credit: Apple

iPhone 18 Pro Max TechWoven Case with MagSafe

$59 at Apple

Apple's TechWoven cases offer a firm grip and solid protection, and you can match the case to the color of your new phone. If you want the very best iPhone 18 Pro cases, this is a very safe bet.

Get Deal

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Credit: Casely

Casely iPhone 18 Pro Case Shell Shocked

$44.95 at Amazon

If you love the look of tortoise shell accessories, which, fortunately, are not made from actual tortoises, then try this Casely case on for size. Click the link to see dozens more styles from the brand.

Shop Now

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Credit: Casetify

Casetify Dark Cherry Jelly iPhone 18 Pro Case

$64 at Casetify

Here's another burgundy-themed case to match your new iPhone. The dark cherry is a near perfect match for the new iPhone color.

Shop Now

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Credit: Smartish

Smartish iPhone 18 Pro Wallet Case

$29.99 at Amazon
$34.99 Save $5.00

Save $5 on this convenient iPhone wallet case. This product has racked up more than 60,000 reviews on Amazon.

Shop Now

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Credit: FireNova

FireNova Silicon iPhone 18 Pro Case

$16.98

Looking for a simple silicon iPhone case? This affordable silicon case comes in over a dozen colors and keeps it simple — in a good way.

Shop Now

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Credit: Pitaka

Pitaka Edge iPhone 18 Pro Max Case

$59.99 at Amazon

If you prefer razor-thin cases, then Pitaka makes some of the best iPhone cases around. The brand's Edge line is a good alternative to Apple's FineWoven tech cases, and it's just 0.04 inches thick and weighs 0.81 ounces.

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The top iPhone 18 Pro accessories to buy

OK, so you've reviewed the best iPhone 18 Pro cases and picked out your favorite, but you're not done yet. Apple rolled out a bunch of new accessories and cases for the iPhone 18, and brands like PopSockets have hundreds of grips, stands, wallets, and accessories.

Here are some of the top phone grips, screen protectors, and other goodies to pair with your new iPhone.

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Credit: Spigen

Spigen GlasTR EZ FIT Screen Protector for iPhone 18 Pro

$19.99 at Amazon

This screen protector comes with its own applicator so you can get the alignment and fit just right.

Shop Now

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Credit: PopSockets

PopSockets Phone Grips for MagSafe

$28.99 at Amazon

PopSockets has a ton of MagSafe-compatible phone grips in a variety of styles and colors, all conveniently available via Amazon Prime.

Shop Now

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Credit: Kate Spade New York

Kate Spade New York Magnetic Card Holder/Wallet

$40 at Amazon

This Kate Spade iPhone accessory has enough room for some cash and cards, and it attaches magnetically to your iPhone.

Shop Now

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Credit: Torras

Torras MiniMag Power Bank 10,000mAh for iPhone 18 Pro

$49.99 at Amazon

If you watch a lot of video or use your cameras a lot, then this portable charger will be a lifesaver.

Shop Now

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Credit: Octobuddy

Octobuddy Magnet Suction Grip

$29.99 at Amazon

The Octobuddy went mega-viral among creators filming their own content, and it's a very convenient way to capture the perfect hands-free shot.

Shop Now

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Credit: PopSockets

PopSockets Suction Phone Grip for MagSafe

$23.99 at Amazon
$35 Save $11.01

Pssst... PopSocket's answer to the Octobuddy is on sale over at Amazon.

Get Deal

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Credit: Apple

Apple Wrist Strap for iPhone

$29 at Apple

This is one of the most affordable products you'll find on the Apple website. Match the color to your new iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max.

Shop Now

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Credit: Apple

Apple iPhone FineWoven Wallet with MagSafe

$59 at Amazon

Apple's FineWoven MagSafe Wallet comes in nine different colors. Apple shows the bright pink magenta color with the new burgundy iPhone, but we're not sold on that color combo.

Shop Now

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Credit: Apple

Hikawa Grip & Stand for iPhone (MagSafe Compatible)

$54.95 at Apple

We've never been quite sure what to make of this Hikawa phone grip, available only at the Apple Store. It's definitely stylish.

Shop Now

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Credit: Mkeke

Mkeke Screen Protector for iPhone 18 Pro (3-Pack)

$9.99 at Amazon
$16.99 Save $7.00

This screen protector pack features laser-cut 9H tempered glass.

Get Deal

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Credit: Anker

Anker Nano Magnetic Power Bank, 5,000mAh

$54.99 at Amazon
$59.99 Save $5

Finally, we have one more recommendation: This mini magnetic power pank from Anker, on sale now. This device wirelessly charges your phone whenever you're suffering from low-battery anxiety.

Get Deal

American comedian Caleb Hearon's made his mark as a content creator, amassing fans across social media and through his podcast So True with Caleb Hearon. Earlier this year, he appeared in three films in supporting turns, ranging from the stoner-comedy Pizza Movie, to the critically heralded The Devil Wears Prada 2, to the Netflix offering Little Brother. But with Trash Mountain, Hearon is penning his next chapter as leading man. 

Written by Hearon and Ruby Caster, Trash Mountain is as funny as you might expect, if not funnier. But the real surprise is how truly touching this comedy with a snarky Hearon as its leading man is. Brace yourself, because Hearon is going to make you cry. 

What's Caleb Hearon's Trash Mountain about?

Caleb Hearon stars in "Trash Mountain." Credit: TIFF

 Directed by Kris Rey, this comedy begins with Hearon in his comfort zone, performing stand-up at a drag club before kiki-ing with colorful queens backstage. In an efficient and effusive opening sequence, Trash Mountain establishes Gavin (Hearon) as living it up in Chicago with a solid set of squirrel friends. But then he gets a call from his sister Abbi (Zooey Deschanel) that their dad has died. 

Just like that, Gavin is back in the rural Missouri town where he grew up. Sleeping on his young nephew's bed, he wakes up to the sound of LEGOS clattering in play. He's bossed about by his religious grandmother (Jacki Weaver) and grudgingly helps Abbi sort out their father's home, which is stacked floor to ceiling with stuff, stuff, stuff. It's not just a matter of cleaning house, but locating their dead dad's lost Social Security card for some bureaucratic red tape related to his estate. But — as a sage named Trish offers, finding something so small in so much mess is like "looking for a virgin in a whore house." (Trash Mountain exudes small-town color.)

Uninterested in revisiting his past or connecting to his grief, Gavin is constantly cracking jokes and hits up Grindr for some easy fun. But working through his dad's stuff brings up feelings even Gavin can't laugh off. And his one night-stand named Jerome (Jaboukie Young-White) begins to blossom into something more. 

Caleb Hearon is a damn star, but the whole ensemble is sensational.  

Through the stand-up intro, Trash Mountain smartly starts with a version of Hearon his fans know well, smart, snarky, and gay. But as soon as Gavin hits Missouri, the story turns fish-out-of-water. Hearon's performance becomes more layered as Gavin, on the surface, presents as an unflappable smartass. Deschanel proves a surprisingly terrific partner, dropping her bubbly New Girl persona for an irreverent humor that matches Hearon's. She also proves adorable with her onscreen husband (a charming Kyle Marvin) without getting treacly. But she and Hearon share an easy intimacy and comedic timing that make them terrifically convincing as siblings, especially as they one-up each other with increasingly acerbic jokes as their grandmother looks on in horror. 

Props to Weaver, who expertly takes on the role of the hysterical, pushy matriarch. When the siblings run from their heartache with humor, it's grandma's earnest cries for compassion that shake them out of their irreverent reverie.

In those moments, Deschanel is terrific, trembling on a throbbing vulnerability. But Hearon is the surprise, revealing his range. He strides out of quick-witted reads and into fury, hurt, and ultimately grief. With a beguiling Young-White, he shares an electric chemistry. But watching Hearon's familiar and effective schtick be stripped away for a grounded and earnestly emotional climax was so striking that I cried through the final act, and more afterward.

Trash Mountain is primed to be a queer cinema landmark. 

Executive produced by Lilly Wachowski, Trash Mountain will speak to plenty of folks, particularly American queers who grew up in conservative hometowns. (It's me!) 

Through Gavin's story, Hearon and Caster capture a familiar narrative for LGBTQ people. Growing up in a small town where homophobia thrived, Gavin left for a big city, where he built a life and community. There, he could be himself with the relentless gawking or judgment of a too-small town. But coming home again is like being shoved into a box you were never going to fit into. The Big City Gay coming back home might not be openly harassed, but may be treated as a novelty, subject of awkward conversations with an old classmate at Wal-Mart, or with strangers who aim to be friendly and end up being a bother. 

Gavin chafes at the expectations of a town he gladly left in his rearview, yet yearns to reconnect with his surviving family. But his low-key disdain for his hometown is an obstacle there. Yet Trash Mountain won't dismiss the town in the same way its hero has. Rey recognizes the political context of the place with a pick-up truck driving by with a Confederate flag, a "don't tread on me" flag, and a "Trump 2020" bumper sticker for good measure. However, by contrast, there's Jerome, an openly gay man from Seattle who loves this town. There's Trish, who's gruff, direct, and kind in a combination that feels deeply Americana. And there's loving shots of the scenery, be it a rolling plain or a lively dive bar. This is a place that's wonderful and flawed all at once.

This complex portrait of Gavin's hometown reflects how he feels about his father, who was, by all accounts, an alcoholic, a hoarder, and a loner. All those labels might urge Gavin and Abbi to try to box up their grief like so many forgotten magazines of "floppy disk porn." But ultimately, as they plan a funeral for their dad, they recognize all of the good and the bad to say goodbye. Even now, thinking of the quirk and tenderness of Trash Mountain's final scene, I tear up. 

Finely tuned, Trash Mountain is an uproarously funny comedy about coming home again, and a tender drama about the grief of not just losing a parent, but also the challenge of accepting them as they are. Within all this, Hearon and company made a film that is not just terrifically entertaining and cathartically tear-jerking, but also a showcase for its leading man. 

Cheers to Hearon. I can't wait to see what he headlines next. 

Trash Mountain was reviewed out of the Toronto International Film Festival. 

In case you missed Apple's Sept. 9 event, there are a few new iPhones in town. And the big carriers are already competing to offer the best iPhone preorder deals and lock in new customers. Remember: The new iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will be available for preorder starting Sept. 12 at 8 a.m. ET, so you can secure your new phone ASAP.

The best iPhone 18 preorder deals at a glance:

---

Preorder at T-Mobile

Get iPhone 18 Pro for free with qualifying trade-in or by switching

Get Deal

---

Preorder at AT&T

Get iPhone 18 Pro for free with qualifying trade-in

Get Deal

---

Preorder at Visible

Get $480 of monthly service credits with purchase

Get Deal

---

Preorder at Total Wireless

Take $600 off iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max

Get Deal

---

Preorder at Apple

Get up to $885 in credit with trade-in

Get Deal

By now, the annual iPhone launch is basically the first indicator of fall. The foldable iPhone Duo has captured most of the hype this year, but the tried-and-true iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max flagship models also deliver exciting new updates. While the Duo won't be available until October, the 18 Pro and Pro Max hit shelves on Friday, Sept. 18.

The new Pro models come in four new colors: deep black, silver, burgundy, and glacier blue. The 18 Pro starts at $1,199, while the Pro Max starts at $1,299 for the 256GB models (storage options go up to 2TB). That's a $100 price increase over last year, and new phones keep getting more expensive. Fortunately for our wallets, carriers like T-Mobile are offering up to $1,200 off, and you can also take advantage of the Apple Upgrade program if you don't mind leasing your iPhone.

Save up to $1,200 with iPhone 18 preorder deals

If you're ready to preorder your new device but your wallet isn't quite keeping up with your enthusiasm, we've found a few ways to save money. To take advantage of most carriers' offers, you'll need to switch providers, trade in an older iPhone, or choose a specific phone plan. Smaller carriers like Visible and Total Wireless are also offering up to half off the new iPhone if you sign up for certain plans.

Here are the best preorder deals for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max:

• T-Mobile: Get the iPhone 18 Pro for free when you switch to T-Mobile and bring your number or trade-in an eligible phone on an Experience Beyond plan. You can also score up to $930 in trade-in credit when you switch a line to T-Mobile's Experience More or Go5G Plus plans.

• Total Wireless: Save $600 on iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max on the All Access plan.

• Apple: Trade in an iPhone 13 or later model and get between $175 and $885 in credit towards the iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max. You can also score up to $1,200 in trade-in credit through specific carriers.

• AT&T: Get the iPhone 18 Pro for free or up to $1,200 off iPhone 18 Pro Max with qualifying trade-ins of iPhone 14 or later and activation on AT&T Premium 2.0 plan or higher. You can also get up to $800 in credit to pay off your current device just by switching to AT&T.

• Verizon: Get up to $1,200 off when you add a new line (with qualified trade-in) on eligible myPlan or up to $1,020 off when you upgrade with an eligible trade-in on existing myPlan.

• Visible: Buy the iPhone 18 Pro with Visible+ Pro and receive $480 through monthly service credits. New and existing members are eligible.

• Walmart: The big box retailer doesn't have any preorder deals just yet, but you can finance the new iPhone and pay as little as $78/month if you qualify through OnePay, a Klarna-backed service.

• Xfinity: Get the iPhone 18 Pro Max for free with a qualifying trade-in and device payment plan on the Mobile Plus plan.

What about Amazon iPhone preorder deals?

As of this writing, Amazon's iPhone 18 Pro listings aren't live, and Amazon typically isn't the best place to shop for new Apple smartphones. However, we'll update this page if any iPhone 18 Pro Amazon deals appear in the days ahead. In the meantime, you can preorder the new AirPods 5 and Apple Watches at Amazon.

Apple AirPods 5 earbuds

$129 at Amazon

 

Pre-order Here at Amazon Pre-order Here at Apple.com Pre-order Here at Walmart

Apple Watch Series 12 (GPS, 42mm)

$399 at Amazon

 

Pre-order Here at Amazon Pre-order Here at Best Buy Pre-order Here at Walmart

Apple iPhone 18 Pro, 256GB

Save up to $1,200 at T-Mobile

 

See It at T-Mobile See It at AT&T Wireless See It at Walmart

iPhone 18 Pro Max, 256GB

Save up to $1,200 at T-Mobile

 

See It at T-Mobile See It at Walmart See It at Apple.com

Not too long ago, if you wanted AirPods with active noise cancellation, you had one option: the AirPods Pro. For several years following, Apple kept ANC strictly limited to its premium options: the Pros and the AirPods Max. Then in 2024, Apple threw a curveball AirPods 4, offering two models, with the more expensive one featuring ANC on a sub-$200 pair of AirPods for the first time ever.

And with the announcement of the AirPods 5 at the brand's "Surprise and Shine" keynote event on Sept. 9, AirPods without ANC have become a thing of the past altogether. At $129 and $149, both the AirPods 5 and AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case come with ANC (not to mention live translation). It also means there are now three options for noise-canceling earbuds from Apple.

Apple AirPods 5 earbuds

$129 at Amazon

 

Pre-order Here at Amazon Pre-order Here at Apple.com Pre-order Here at Walmart

Apple AirPods Pro 3 Noise Cancelling Heart Rate Wireless Earbuds

$199 at Amazon
$249 Save $50

 

See It at Amazon See It at Walmart

In deciding what to get, it's worth weighing out what you need out of your earbuds. To help you make your choice, we broke down the differences between the AirPods 5 (with and without the Wireless Charging Case) and the AirPods Pro 3, Apple's premium wireless earbuds. We just started testing the new AirPods, so stay tuned for a true head-to-head comparison. In the meantime, this is how they compare in specs, features, and form factor.

First: the AirPods 4 vs. the AirPods 5

Before we jump into the full comparison, a quick note on why we're not breaking down AirPods 4 vs. 5 comparison — it's because there really is none. The $129 AirPods 4 feature no noise cancellation, while the ones that do go for $179. Sure, you can catch them on sale for $99 a lot of the time, but you also won't be able to take advantage of the improved ANC, sound quality, Live Translation, and improved controls of the AirPods 5.

So, unless you're trying to spend more money on an inferior product, I'd recommend sticking with the newer AirPods. (That said, the difference isn't so stark that AirPods 4 users need to upgrade).

Apple AirPods 5 vs. AirPods Pro 3: Price and specs

Pricing

• AirPods 5 — $129

• AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case — $149

• AirPods Pro 3 — $249

Specs

AirPods 5

• Battery: Four hours of listening time (six without ANC), 20 hours total with case

• Listening modes: Adaptive audio and transparency

• Controls: Force sensor for playback and calls

• Charging: USB-C charging case

• Find My: Not available on this charging case

AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case

• Battery: Five hours of listening time (seven without ANC), 22 hours total with case

• Listening modes: Adaptive audio and transparency

• Controls: Force sensor for playback, calls, and volume swipe controls

• Charging: USB-C charging case, MagSafe, Qi compatible

• Find My: Speaker included to work with Find My

AirPods Pro 3

• Battery: Eight hours of listening time (10 with Transparency mode and Hearing Aid feature)

• Listening modes: Adaptive audio and transparency

• Controls: Force sensor for playback, calls, and volume swipe controls

• Charging: USB-C charging case, MagSafe, Qi compatible

• Find My: Speaker included to work with Find My

Apple AirPods 5 vs. AirPods Pro 3: Design

The AirPods Pro 3 have interchangeable foam-infused silicon ear tips, opposed to the open ear design of the AirPods 5. Credit: Adam Doud / Mashable

Most notably, the two earbuds will wear differently. The AirPods Pro 3 feature silicone ear tips for a true in-ear design, while the AirPods 5 stick to the open-ear design. (It should be noted that, though these are technically open earbuds, they sit somewhat in the ear canal, unlike other clip or hook style open earbuds.) Without ear tips to create a tight seal, noise cancellation will take a hit with the AirPods 5.

If you opt for the AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case, the earbuds' stems feature swipe volume controls, just like the AirPods Pro. Both AirPods 5 have playback and call controls on the stems.

As for the charging case, the Pro and standard AirPods stick to the usual deviation, with the Pros featuring a shorter, wider look. Both the Pros and the more expensive AirPods 5 will have wireless charging and Find My capabilities, but the Pros get the slightest edge with a lanyard loop.

The Pro 3 and both AirPods 5, however, have a water- and dust-resistance rating of IP57.

Apple AirPods 5 vs. AirPods Pro 3: Sound quality

A multichannel acoustic architecture comes to the AirPods 5. Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

Again, Mashable's team hasn't yet had the chance to finish testing the new AirPods. We can say that, per Apple, the multiport acoustic architecture in the AirPods 5 was inspired by AirPods Pro 3 design. Considering the discrepancy in price, however, and the AirPods Pro 3 in-ear design, it's safe to say the Pros will have the superior sound quality.

Previously, AirPods haven't offered a manually adjustable equalizer, but that's set to change with iOS 27. If you have an iPhone that supports iOS 27, you'll soon be able to access custom EQ settings for your AirPods.

Apple AirPods 5 vs. AirPods Pro 3: Noise cancellation

According to Apple, the AirPods Pro 3 have up to three times more noise cancellation than the AirPods 5. While ANC is difficult to quantify, it does make sense that the in-ear design and the foam-infused silicone ear tips of the Pros would offer, at the very least, more passive noise cancellation.

That said, the AirPods 5 ANC isn't anything to scoff at. Apple claims the ANC on the new generation is one and a half times more powerful than the ANC found on the AirPods 4 with ANC.

Apple AirPods 5 vs. AirPods Pro 3: Battery life

This is pretty much as it's written on the tin — the AirPods Pro 3 undeniably have the superior battery life, bringing eight hours per charge with ANC (and 24 hours in the case). The $149 AirPods 5 come next, with five hours per charge with ANC (and 22 hours in the case). The AirPods 5 remain at the same level as the AirPods 4 with ANC, at four hours per charge with ANC (and 20 hours in the case).

While the AirPods Pro 3 do have double the per-charge battery life of the standard AirPods 5, it's worth remembering that the Pro 3 are also $120 more — nearly the price of another pair of AirPods 5.

Apple AirPods 5 vs. AirPods Pro 3: Extra features

The Pro 3 are great companions for a workout. Credit: Adam Doud / Mashable

The Pros are designed to offer an all-encompassing experience, and their extra features show exactly that. The Pros have a built-in heart rate monitor that works with the Apple Fitness app and other compatible health apps, making them especially great for exercise. The Pro 3 also have a hearing test, aid, and hearing protection features.

Both the AirPods 5 and the Pro 3 have Live Translation capabilities.

Apple AirPods 5 vs. AirPods Pro 3: Which is better?

If you're wearing earbuds daily, for multiple hours of the day, the longer battery life, versatility, and superior ANC and sound quality of the AirPods Pro 3 are likely worth the investment.

However, for more casual users, the AirPods 5 allow for an experience of some of the better parts of Apple's noise-cancelling experience without the hefty price tag to match.

Where to buy the AirPods 5 and AirPods Pro 3

---

Available September 18

AirPods 5

$129

Pre-Order Here

---

Available September 18

AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case

$149

Pre-Order Here

---

Available now

AirPods Pro 3

$249

Shop Now

Apple finally revealed the new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max at its Sept. 9 "Surprise and Shine" event, alongside the foldable iPhone Duo.

But believe it or not, there are already credible reports and leaks floating around about a potential 20th anniversary "iPhone 20" arriving in fall 2027. If the rumor mill is correct, Apple will skip the iPhone 19 entirely, and this wouldn't be the first time Apple has gotten creative with numbering. The iPhone 20 would commemorate the 20th anniversary of the original model, which was released on June 29, 2007.

To mark 20 years of the iPhone, Apple has reportedly been prepping a major redesign that uses curved glass elements and potentially even a waterfall display.

If you're on the fence about upgrading to the iPhone 18 Pro, then you may want some idea of what next year's iPhone might look like. So, here are the latest iPhone 20 rumors.

iPhone 20: When will it come out?

First things first, the release date. Apple always launches its flagship iPhone models in September, and there's currently no reason to think that will change soon.

In other words, it's widely expected that this phone will be announced in early September 2027, followed a week or two later with an official launch. (For reference, the iPhone 18 Pro was announced on Sept. 9 and launches Sept. 18.) The 20th anniversary iPhone is also the perfect opportunity for Apple to do some weird, fun stuff with its signature device.

iPhone 20: What will it look like?

This is the big point of interest regarding the iPhone 20, and most of what we know dates back to leaks from last year. In 2025, there were multiple credible reports that the iPhone 20 model would undergo a major redesign that uses significantly more glass than the typical phone.

Bloomberg and The Information both reported in May of last year that it would have an all-glass, edge-to-edge display. Specifically, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the source of more Apple scoops than anyone else on the planet, predicted the iPhone 20 would be a "mostly glass, curved iPhone without any cutouts in the display," and feature "curved glass edges all around." That means curved glass wrapping around the edges of the device, and perhaps more importantly, a seeming lack of a notch or Dynamic Island cutout for the selfie camera.

Other reports point to curves around the four corners of the phone. Also in 2025, Korean outlet ETNews reported the 20th anniversary iPhone will have four-sided bending for a bezel-less full-screen experience.

However, other prominent leakers have thrown cold water on rumors of a radical, waterfall-edge display. On X, leaker Ice Universe said that despite the rumors, the iPhone 20 will not have a true curved display.

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And in 2026, Ice Universe speculated that "a true quad-curved display is unlikely" due to manufacturing challenges, suggesting Apple will opt for a "visual quad-curved" design.

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So, instead of a waterfall display with curved glass on the iPhone, we might get something more like the iPhone Air, with rounder corners and sides, plus a visual effect around the edges similar to what you see on the Apple Watch.

Credit: CNET Group

We've seen wrap-around and waterfall displays on other devices like TVs, but a more sculptural, curved glass iPhone would definitely stand out in the mobile market.

Unfortunately, Apple is keeping a very tight lid on the iPhone 20 so far. The most recent update comes from Gurman at Bloomberg (of course), who reported in June that there will be two iPhone 20 models launched in 2027, likely in the Pro category, and that they will measure in at around 6.3 inches and 6.9 inches.

Do the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo tell us anything about the iPhone 20?

With the iPhone 18 Pro, Apple reduced the size of the Dynamic Island, and the iPhone Duo utilizes an under-display FaceTime camera that doesn't waste any pixels. It will be interesting to see which of these elements are carried forward into the iPhone 20.

Apple has clearly embraced curved glass and refracting light in its new Liquid Glass design language, so it would make sense if the iPhone evolved to match accordingly.

iPhone 20: New buttons!

Lastly, for now, leaker Instant Digital posted on Weibo late last year that Apple is working on "solid-state" (in other words, non-moving and non-mechanical) buttons for the iPhone 20. The unique feature here would be haptic feedback for power, volume control, and camera control. I could see this being somewhat controversial, like when Apple got rid of the home button, but we'll have to wait and see.

As soon as we learn more about the iPhone 19/iPhone 20, we'll be sure to update this post. If you want to be the first to know about new tech, science, and digital culture news, sign up for Mashable's Top Stories and Deals newsletters today.

Top smartphone deals of the week

• Get the iPhone 18 Pro for free at T-Mobile

• Samsung Galaxy S26 FE + $200 Amazon Gift Card — $799.99 $999.99 (save $200)

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Why our solar system missed out on having a super‑Earth, a type of world that teems across the galaxy, has long bugged astronomers.

Now, a new study proposes an intriguing explanation: maybe the sun ate it.

Mutlu Yildiz, an astronomy professor at Ege University in Turkey, used computer simulations to wind back the clock and study the young sun with and without a swallowed planet to see which version best matches the star we know today. His models that fed the sun a dense, rocky super‑Earth — about five to 10 times more massive than Earth and rich in heavy elements like Mercury — lined up closely with real measurements.

Earlier work has proposed that a super‑Earth could have formed and then spiraled through space into the sun billions of years ago, but this paper is perhaps the first to delve deeply into the idea, asking whether the sun retains evidence that such an event took place. 

"We believe it could," Yildiz said in a statement.

Lithium is one of the most important chemical clues pointing to a planet's engulfment. When the sun formed, it was made from the same stuff as meteorites and the gas cloud around it. From those rocks and gases, scientists can estimate how much lithium the newborn sun should have had. Today, the sun's surface has over 100 times less lithium than expected. 

Lithium atoms only break apart deep inside a star, where it is much hotter, so the missing element hints that something might have dragged it down. 

An artist's rendering of a super-Earth orbiting a sun-like star Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech illustration

The new study, published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, suggests a scenario in which the ill‑fated planet brings in material that is poor in lithium but rich in heavier elements. Yildiz dubbed the hypothetical planet Dev Dilek, meaning "Great Wish" in Turkish. The name Dilek is traditionally associated with wishes directed toward Mercury, and the prefix "Dev" means giant.

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Mixing that lithium-poor material into the sun's outer layers helps explain the lithium shortage. Meanwhile, the extra heavy elements buried just below the surface make the models of the sun's interior — including how sound waves travel and how deep the churning outer layer goes — line up better with what astronomers actually observe.

The study also checks whether a rocky planet could realistically survive the plunge into the sun long enough to deliver its material to the right depth. Separate calculations track how a compact, iron‑rich world behaves as it falls through hot solar gas. Under intense pressure, the planet shrinks, exposing a smaller area to the gas and slowing the rate at which its outer layers burn off. 

In the computer simulations, the planet loses only a fraction of its mass before reaching the base of the convection zone. That means most of its rocky core could end up exactly where the solar models need it, according to the research.

While Yildiz had a hunch that absorbing a planet could affect the sun's structure, he didn't expect the math to align so closely with a specific type of planet's mass range. 

"That was one of the most interesting outcomes," he said. 

Astronomers already have evidence that stars can eat their planets. Some stars briefly brighten and swell after swallowing nearby exoplanets, and subtle shifts in the orbits of hot Jupiters suggest that many are slowly falling inward toward their stars. Studies of sun-like stars also find chemical patterns that hint at past planet meals.

The new paper puts a mirror in front of our own star. Though it doesn't prove the sun devoured a super‑Earth, it does show that a sun with an early planetary feast matches a wide range of measurements better than any model without it. 

"The next step is to see if these fingerprints can be independently detected," Yildiz said.

Based on my extensive hands-on testing and expert input, I’ve picked the best sexting apps and online sites to keep your flirtiest, dirtiest chats truly private — whether you're messaging a partner, a hookup, or a verified creator.

Because sometimes the anticipation of a hookup is even hotter than the main event. In my experience, sexting is the ultimate form of digital foreplay. It’s the glue that keeps long-distance relationships from falling apart, the spark that stops long-term couples from feeling like roommates, and — for all you singles out there — the safest way to test sexual chemistry before you ever meet up in person.

If it feels like everyone is sending spicy texts these days, you're not wrong. Some studies show that up to 88 percent of American adults have engaged in sexting at some point in their lives. For many, it's become an essential means of connection, and research shows that sharing intimate pictures can evoke, demonstrate, and reinforce trust.

You can use just about any mainstream dating app, like Tinder, Hinge, and even Hily, to find a potential sexting partner (though I think Pure is probably the best dating app for this). If you're a woman, finding a willing digital playmate is usually as easy as existing. If you're a man, it requires a little more finesse and charm, but it's definitely still possible.

But once you've actually found someone who matches your freak, moving that conversation off the dating grid and into a secure app like Signal is the best way to go.

You've heard of safe sex. But what about safe sexting?

As fun as the buildup is, the sad truth is that no one ever knows for sure if their private photos will stay private once they hit send on standard messaging platforms. Sliding into the DMs on a standard social media app might feel like spontaneous fun, but in 2026, your digital footprint is forever. Plus, with Meta cracking down hard this April (wiping out Instagram accounts and posts just for hinting at sexual expression), it's obvious that mainstream platforms are becoming hostile territory for your spicy chats. If you're going to share that side of yourself, you need to know it stays between you and the recipient.

As one of Mashable's dating app experts, I've spent the last three years testing dozens of platforms to find the best sexting apps for the job. My highest priority is always user safety. I also spoke with security expert Gary Orenstein with Bitwarden, who stressed that for sharing intimate content, "privacy features cannot be optional — they’re essential." He recommends looking for apps with three key features: end-to-end encryption, disappearing messages, and screenshot detection.

For years, our number-one recommendation that hit all three of those marks was Confide. But with the app officially shutting down, Signal has become my new gold standard for secure messaging. While its "Screen Security" setting prevents screenshots on your own device, it doesn't prevent someone else from taking a screenshot of your chat on their device. However, its open-source encryption and foolproof disappearing messages still make it one of the safest options for sending nudes.

Whether you're looking for an encrypted vault to text your long-term partner, a sex-positive platform to explore new kinks, or a secure space to find someone entirely new, there's a platform out there that won't compromise your privacy. If you believe in safe sex, you should practice safe sexting, too. Here are the apps I trust to get the job done.

Recent updates to this guide:

• Signal (July 2026): Promoted to our No. 1 overall recommendation following the official closure of Confide. Its open-source encryption makes it the gold standard for secure, free sexting.

• Lovense Remote: Added as our top choice for "Group Sexting." It remains the best interactive option for couples and polyamorous groups to sync Bluetooth toys across long distances.

• FetLife: Expanded our analysis of its custom community groups, cementing its spot as the best social network for exploring niche kinks safely.

Why some popular sexting apps didn't make the cut

You've probably seen other "best of" lists recommending apps and platforms that I've intentionally left off. My goal is to recommend secure spaces where you can build genuine, mutual connections without burning through cash or risking your digital privacy.

Here's why a few common names didn't make the cut this month:

• "Paid Operator" platforms (InstaBang, Arousr, SextLocal): Many web-based platforms marketed for fast sexting don't connect you with real local users. Instead, they hire paid "chat operators" who use fantasy scripts specifically designed to keep you replying and draining your wallet per message. While there is a market for paid fantasy, I don't consider it mutual sexting. This guide prioritizes authentic, user-to-user interaction (with the explicit exception of SextPanther, which uses clearly verified, real adult performers).

• Basic Couples Messengers (Between, Paid Vaults): While apps like Between offer private spaces for long-distance couples, they lack the specific, sex-positive interactive features (like integrated toy controls, screenshot blocks, or custom timer countdowns) that make digital foreplay fun. If you want to level up your intimacy, highly interactive platforms like We-Vibe and Lovense are much better options.

TL;DR: The new Apple iPhone 18 Pro is available for free right now with T-Mobile. To claim, trade in a qualifying device and activate a new line on T-Mobile’s Experience Beyond plan. New customers who switch to T-Mobile and keep their existing number will also qualify.

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Credit: Apple

T-Mobile: Free iPhone 18 Pro

 

Get Deal

We've been treated to some major smartphone drops in recent months. We got the new Motorola Razr lineup, new Google Pixels, and foldable phones from Samsung. All the major players had their moment in the spotlight, but now it's time for the main event: Apple's annual iPhone launch.

After months of speculation, rumors, and leaks, Apple has finally announced the new iPhone 18 Pro, and pre-orders open today, with the phone set to release on Sept. 18.

Any new smartphone announcement causes a stir, but none more than the iPhone. Nothing gets the people going quite like a shiny new iPhone, especially if it folds. And mobile carriers like T-Mobile know that, so they tend to drop seriously tempting iPhone pre-order deals to persuade you into upgrading. And this launch is no different.

The Apple iPhone 18 Pro is available for free right now with T-Mobile. There are two ways to take advantage of this pre-order deal:

• Switch to T-Mobile and bring your existing phone number

• Trade in a qualifying phone (in any condition) on an Experience Beyond plan

The full savings are distributed as monthly credits over a 36-month payment plan. As long as you intend to stay locked into T-Mobile’s top data tier for three years, it's easily one of the best ways to score Apple's premier hardware without a major hit to your budget.

T-Mobile requires you 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 come on, that's a small price to pay for the latest iPhone.

Score the iPhone 18 Pro for free from T-Mobile.

It may be one of the most popular dating sites out there, but eharmony imposes some seriously inconvenient limits on what non-paying members can do on the site. If you sign up with a free account, you'll be able to create a profile and answer their proprietary personality questionnaire, browse through the profiles of local singles, and even read profiles, but you won't be able to match with others or even view all of their profile photos. 

Opens in a new window

Credit: eharmony

eharmony

 

Learn More

If you like how the site operates and want to unlock its full potential, it's worth upgrading to one of their three paid membership tiers. Here's what those membership levels unlock and what they will cost you:

Premium Light

The most basic membership tier, Premium Light, will allow you to send Likes to hopefully match with other singles, view a single, high-resolution profile photo from other accounts, and apply more sophisticated search filters to eharmony members, in case you're looking for something very specific. With this membership, you'll also be allowed to send an unlimited number of messages to up to 15 of your matches each month. The Light membership will also unlock access to an AI-based assessment of your profile, with personalized tips to help you stand out more.

The cost of a Light plan varies significantly by your location, the duration of your commitment, and the promotional offers currently on the site, but expect to pay around $15 per month for a Light-tier membership.

Premium Plus

If you decide to step up from a Light membership, the next available tier is Plus, which offers the same features as Light but increases the aforementioned messaging cap from 15 users to 30 and allows you to browse an unlimited number of high-resolution profile photos from matches and potential matches. Another cool feature of the Plus-tier membership: you'll be able to see who has visited your profile, even before they've interacted with you.

The cost of a Plus plan varies significantly by your location, the duration of your commitment, and the promotional offers currently on the site, but expect to pay around $17 per month for a Plus-tier membership.

Premium Unlimited

If you're really enjoying eharmony and perhaps especially if you foresee yourself using the service over a longer period of time, the Unlimited membership offers some undeniably great perks, beginning with removing the messaging cap entirely (hence "unlimited"), allowing you to gab away to your heart's content with as many people as you match with. But one of the Unlimited membership's best features is also its most exclusive: you'll be the first to see new eharmony member profiles, so you have the opportunity to match with and message them first. 

The cost of an Unlimited plan varies significantly by your location, the duration of your commitment, and the promotional offers currently on the site, but expect to pay around $19 per month for a Plus-tier membership.

Which membership tier is right for you? That's entirely down to your budget and dating needs, but we would wager most people would be perfectly happy with the Light membership tier, so we advise you to start there and step up if or when you desire.

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

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

Hurdle Word 1 hint

Each one.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

EVERY

Hurdle Word 2 hint

A safe.

Hurdle Word 2 Answer

VAULT

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Moving images.

Hurdle Word 3 answer

VIDEO

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Taking legal action.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

SUING

Final Hurdle hint

Rumbled.

Hurdle Word 5 answer

SHOOK

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

It's the start of a new lunar cycle, which can only mean one thing: the Moon is working towards being full again. Over the next few nights, we'll notice it getting bigger in the sky.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Saturday, Sept. 12, NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon is in the Waxing Crescent phase, with 2% of its surface visible.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will take place on September 26.

What are Moon phases?

As the Moon orbits Earth, its appearance changes over the course of roughly 29.5 days, creating what we know as the lunar cycle, according to NASA. The phase we see depends on where the Moon is in relation to Earth and the Sun, and how much of its sunlit side is facing us. Throughout the cycle, it moves from a slender crescent to a half Moon and eventually a Full Moon, before the pattern begins again.

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.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you love cars.

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

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

What is Connections?

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

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

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

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

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

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

Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Automotive enhancers

• Green: Online communicators

• Blue: These do different actions but share the same word

• Purple: Same second word

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Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Ways to personalize a car

• Green: People in an online forum

• Blue: Things that blink

• Purple: __ alert

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 #1189 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Ways to personalize a car: BUMPER STICKER, FUZZY DICE, HOOD ORNAMENT, VANITY PLATE

• People in an online forum: LURKER, POSTER, SPAMMER, TROLL

• Things that blink: CURSOR, EYELIDS, SMOKE DETECTOR, TURN SIGNAL

• __ alert: NERD, RED, SPOILER, WEATHER

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.

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.

Turn signal meaning

Used to indicate a change of direction in a motor vehicle.

Weather meaning

The conditions outside at a particular space and time.

Poster meaning

A document featuring art or details, frequently displayed in clear view.

Bumper sticker meaning

A sticker commonly found on vehicles.

Vanity plate meaning

A license plate with custom wording or numbers.

Cursor meaning

An indicator of a mouse's location on a computer screen.

Spoiler meaning

A story detail about a show or an automotive design feature to improve aerodynamics.

Troll meaning

Someone who harasses others online, or a mythological creature.

Smoke detector meaning

A device intended to warn people of a potential hazard.

Fuzzy dice meaning

A popular decorative feature in cars.

Spammer meaning

Someone who harasses online via repetitive actions.

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Nerd meaning

An intelligent person who possesses deep knowledge of various topics.

Red meaning

A primary color.

Eyelids meaning

Movable skin folds that protect the eyes.

Hood ornament meaning

A decorative element added to the front of a vehicle.

Lurker meaning

Someone who watches on social media but never posts.

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.

Today's NYT Strands hints will be easy if you know how to relax.

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: Don't obsess

The words are related to taking it easy,

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe not being bothered.

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 Let it go.

NYT Strands word list for September 12

• Free

• Detach

• Release

• Let it go

• Disengage

• Unloose

• Liberate

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.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you think positively.

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:

Neat.

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 N.

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...

NIFTY

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.

Social media users on Threads have discovered a fun new way to celebrate Apple event week: the web game "Design the next iPhone."

The game was made by Neal Agarwal for his website Neal.fun, where you can play the game for free. Agarwal's site hosts other short and sweet mini-games like "Draw logos from memory" and "Asteroid launcher."

"Design the next iPhone" is exactly what it sounds like: You can create the iPhone of your dreams, selecting all of the ports, cameras, and buttons you desire. You can even add fun little attachments, from googly eyes to steering wheels. So, if you've ever wanted an iPhone with a built-in joystick or rotary dial, this is your chance.

Credit: Screenshot courtesy of Neal.fun

Credit: Neal.fun

I'll admit — design has never been my strong suit. So, while I wasn't trying to create an absolute nightmare of a phone, that's exactly what I ended up with. Something tells me Apple isn't going to be interested in a phone with an antenna and two little feet. (Fun fact: My first cell phone did, in fact, have an antenna, kids.)

My only complaint about the game? I couldn't make a proper flip phone, which is something Apple is rumored to be working on for the future.

Top iPhone preorder deals

• T-Mobile: Get the iPhone 18 Pro for free when you switch or trade in an eligible phone on an Experience Beyond plan

• AT&T: Get up to $1,200 off the new iPhones with qualifying trade-ins of iPhone 14 or later

• Total Wireless: Save $600 on iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max on the All Access plan

• Verizon: Get up to $1,200 off when you add a new line (with qualified trade-in) on eligible myPlan

• Visible: Buy the iPhone with Visible+ Pro and receive $480 through monthly credits

In early September, Apple held a big event to announce a ton of new stuff, but one product stood out more than any other: The iPhone Duo.

Apple's first foldable device has two displays, a wealth of multitasking features, and a trendy form factor that's sure to be a conversation-starter. But it also begs the question: Why get an iPad when you could get one of these, or vice versa? Has Apple made a "phablet" that makes the iPad redundant?

Let's take a look at what makes these devices different, and explore why you might want one or the other.

iPhone Duo vs. iPad: Price

The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999. It absolutely must be noted, first and foremost, that this is more expensive than the starting price for any iPad model. Even the most premium one, the iPad Pro, starts at $1,199, and all but its most high-end variants come in below the starting price of the iPhone Duo. That's to say nothing of the fact that you can get a standard iPad for as little as $449, an iPad Mini for $599, or an iPad Air for $699.

So, if you want an Apple touchscreen device with a bigger display than the average iPhone, the iPhone Duo is not the most cost-effective way to accomplish that. Not by a long shot.

The only exception, if you were planning to buy a new iPhone and a new iPad Pro, opting for the Duo alone could save some money. But that's a very specific use case

iPhone Duo vs. iPad: Specs and design

Even an iPad Air is way, way bigger than an iPhone Duo. Credit: Joe Maldonado/Mashable

Since there are several different kinds of iPads, it would take way too long to list out all of their specs compared to the iPhone Duo. However, display size is probably the most important factor here, so these are the different display sizes for each device:

• iPhone Duo: 5.4-inch cover display, 7.6-inch inner display

• iPad: 11-inch display

• iPad Mini: 8.3-inch display

• iPad Air: 11-inch or 13-inch display

• iPad Pro: 11-inch or 13-inch display

If display size is what you're after, the iPhone Duo will provide the smallest one of this group by a good margin. It's probably great for reading books, sketching art, or watching movies by the standards of a phone, but any iPad will be better for those things on a pure screen real-estate level.

Storage is going to be another primary concern. The regular iPad and iPad Mini both top out at 512GB, while the Air tops out at 1TB and the Pro at 2TB. You can also get an iPhone Duo with up to 2TB of storage, but that costs a staggering $3,199. By comparison, the 2TB iPad Pro is $2,299, a full $900 cheaper. Again, the iPad provides a stronger value here if storage is the main thing you care about.

It should also be pointed out that at 254g, the iPhone Duo is significantly lighter than any iPad model. It would be weird if it weren't, considering it's a phone and not a tablet. I would also hope it goes without saying that not a single iPad model has a screen that can bend, so if that's really appealing to you, this is a no-brainer.

Oh, one more thing: The iPhone Duo has two 48MP camera lenses on the back for something resembling real photography. Meanwhile, every modern iPad has but a lone 12MP lens. Technically, you can take pictures with an iPad, but that doesn't mean you should. If you care about photography, get an iPhone Duo.

iPhone Duo vs. iPad: Software features

Split-screen multi-tasking is available on both devices. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

In announcing the iPhone Duo, Apple emphasized that the user experience took a lot of cues from iPadOS. But this fact still needs to be shouted from the rooftops: These two devices do not use the same operating system.

The iPhone Duo runs on iOS 27, and the iPad on iPadOS. They are similar because every Apple OS is similar, but they are not the same. There are two separate App Stores, and apps are designed specifically to work in one environment or the other. Some apps will have wildly different interfaces or features depending on the device you're using, and in some cases, apps just will not be supported at all, at least not natively.

Apple has outfitted iOS 27 with multitasking features specifically for the Duo, meaning you can have two apps open at once, side by side on the inner display. That's great and convenient, especially since you can drag and drop elements from one app to another. Unfortunately for the iPhone Duo, this is old hat for iPads; they've had split-screen multitasking for a while, and you can have more than two apps open at a time on an iPad.

That said, the iPhone Duo has some tricks the iPad doesn't, thanks to its form factor. For example, you can photograph someone using the inner display while the outer display shows the subject of the photo that you're seeing. That works with FaceTime calls, too.

As far as I know, there is basic parity between the two devices with AI features. Siri AI should work on both, and apps like Image Playground exist on the iPad, too. One final point here is obvious: if you want something to use as a telephone, get an iPhone Duo. By default, iPads can't even connect to cellular networks unless you pay extra for a model that can. You wouldn't want to use a big tablet as a phone, anyway.

iPhone Duo vs. iPad: Apple Pencil and accessory support

An iPhone Duo can't do this. Credit: Joe Maldonado/Mashable

There are pros and cons to both devices when it comes to accessory support. Most importantly, you can use an Apple Pencil on the iPhone Duo's displays, which was a nice surprise during the announcement. Beyond that, though, things get a little more tricky.

For instance, iPads don't support MagSafe accessories or wireless charging of any kind right now. They might in the future, but they don't in the present. The iPhone Duo does support those things, but unlike the iPad, it doesn't support external, attachable keyboards. It's much easier to use an iPad like a laptop than an iPhone Duo.

At the end of the day, one of them is a tablet, and the other is a phone. I think they can co-exist.

Preorder the new Apple products

Apple iPhone 18 Pro, 256GB

Save up to $1,200 at T-Mobile

 

Pre-order Here at T-Mobile Pre-order Here at AT&T Wireless Pre-order Here at Walmart

iPhone 18 Pro Max, 256GB

Save up to $1,200 at T-Mobile

 

Pre-order Here at T-Mobile Pre-order Here at Walmart Pre-order Here at Apple.com

Apple Watch Series 12 (GPS, 42mm)

$399 at Amazon

 

Pre-order Here at Amazon Pre-order Here at Best Buy Pre-order Here at Walmart

Apple AirPods 5 earbuds

$129 at Amazon

 

Pre-order Here at Amazon Pre-order Here at Apple.com Pre-order Here at Walmart

SAVE $9.99: The 2026 Lego City Advent Calendar is on sale at Amazon for $25, down from the normal price of $34.99. That's a 29% discount.

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Credit: Lego

2026 Lego City Advent Calendar

$25 at Amazon
$34.99 Save $9.99

 

Get Deal

December and Black Friday are still several months away, but the year's hottest Advent calendars are already on sale. If you want the best selection, it's time to get shopping. Each year, Lego puts out a handful of fantastic Advent calendars, and if you're in the mood for a classic winter scene, check out this deal.

As of Sept. 11, the 2026 Lego City Advent Calendar is on sale at Amazon for $25, marked down from the normal price of $34.99. That's a 29% discount that saves shoppers $9.99 well before the season begins.

With 252 delightfully cheery pieces, the Lego City Advent Calendar is always a seasonal joy. This year's version has Santa himself, a handful of elves, a Christmas tree, and a snowman holding an irresistible cup of cocoa.

Each daily surprise comes with simple step-by-step instructions, and the entire collection can sit in the included fold-out Santa's workshop area.

As we get closer to December, it's likely this model will begin to come in and out of stock. Since it's in stock and inexplicably on sale, we suggest jumping on this deal as soon as possible. This feels like a hidden deal that could vanish at any moment.

SAVE $250: As of Sept. 11, you can grab an unlocked Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra (256GB) or Galaxy Z Fold 8 (256GB) on sale at Amazon for $1,049.99 (reg. $1,299.99) and $1,649.99 (reg. $1,899.99), respectively. That's $250 in savings on either phone.

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Credit: Samsung

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra (256GB, Unlocked)

$1,049.99 at Amazon
$1,299.99 Save $250

 

Get Deal

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Credit: Samsung

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 (256GB, Unlocked)

$1,649.99 at Amazon
$1,899.99 Save $250

 

Get Deal

Not everyone is an iPhone person. While the tech world is fully consumed by news of the iPhone Duo, 18 Pro, and 18 Pro Max releases, Android folks can quietly snag a new Samsung Galaxy phone for less.

Amazon has an unlocked Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra base model with 256GB of storage for just $1,049.99 instead of $1,299.99. That's $250 in savings. And if you'd prefer a foldable phone like the iPhone Duo, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 with 256GB is also on sale for only $1,649.99 at Amazon — a savings of $250 as well.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra is Samsung's premium flagship device, which goes to head to head with Apple's new iPhone 18 Pro Max. "If there's ever been a phone to make you ditch Apple, this is it," Mashable's tech editor Timothy Beck Werth cheered in his review. It features a world-class camera array, a brilliant 6.9-inch AMOLED display with up to 120Hz refresh rate, a speedy Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, battery that lasts all day with heavy use, an included stylus, and a Privacy Display. It's expensive, but ultimately worth the investment for the right person. Plus, a nearly 20% discount certainly helps.

The Z Fold 8 is a worthy Duo alternative for Android users. Plus, it's worth mentioning that Samsung has been in the foldable game for years. The Z Fold 8 is our favorite Android foldable to date, and our tech editor says it's "undeniably fun to use and show off." It's incredibly thin and light, features a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 that can support heavy multitasking, and is a dream machine for editing photos, reading, gaming, and streaming. Its biggest flaw is the dual 50MP wide and 50MP ultrawide cameras, which are "fine, but not elite." A $250 price drop might be enough to make up for that, though.

TL;DR: Minecraft Dungeons II releases on Sept. 29, for PC, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Switch 2. Pre-ordering either the $29.99 Standard Edition or the $49.99 Deluxe Edition before Sept. 28 unlocks the Twisted Cape, Twisted Chicken pet, and two hero skins.

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Credit: Minecraft

Minecraft Dungeons II — Standard Edition

$29.99 at Minecraft

 

Pre-order Here

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Credit: Minecraft

Minecraft Dungeons II — Deluxe Edition

$49.99 at Minecraft

 

Pre-order Here

Put down the diamond pickaxe and unsheathe your sword — Minecraft Dungeons II drops on Sept. 29, and digital pre-orders are officially open.

The sequel expands on the original in a ton of exciting ways. Mojang Studios and Double Eleven are sending players on a brand-new quest across the Overworld and beyond to stop a mysterious evil threatening two different worlds. You can tackle the campaign entirely solo or grab up to three buddies for local couch co-op or online cross-play.

Along the way, you'll clash with hordes of aggressive mobs, craft legendary builds using upgraded armor and weapons, and master deep combat mechanics designed to test your party.

If you are planning to jump into the action on day one, choosing the right version comes down to how much extra loot you want in your inventory.

Standard Edition: $29.99

The Standard Edition is the simple choice for gamers who just want the core campaign without any extra filler. At $29.99, it gets you full access to the base game on launch day alongside the Minecraft Launcher setup. Even with the base version, anyone who pre-orders before Sept. 28 scores a batch of launch-window cosmetics to customize their character.

Preorder bonuses for both editions include:

• Twisted Cape

• Twisted Chicken Pet

• Two additional hero skins

Deluxe Edition: $49.99

If you know you are going to sink dozens of hours into grinding gear, the Deluxe Edition packs a massive punch for $49.99. For the extra twenty bucks, you get access to two future DLC expansion packs as soon as they drop down the line. On top of post-launch story content, it grants instant access to the Minecraft Launcher, the ethereal Soul Cape cosmetic, an aquatic Blub Pet companion, and four Deluxe hero skins.

Whichever version fits your budget, lock in your order before Sept. 28 so you don't miss out on that mutated chicken pet on day one.

TL;DR: Igloo just launched a brand-new Winnie the Pooh-themed collection. Prices start at $27.99.

Igloo's Winnie the Pooh collection at a glance:

---

Disney Winnie the Pooh Hunny Pot 15 Oz Coffee Mug

$27.99

Shop Now

---

Disney Winnie the Pooh Hunny Pot 32 Oz Travel Mug

$39.99

Shop Now

---

Disney Winnie the Pooh Plush Tote Cooler Bag

$39.99

Shop Now

---

Disney Winnie the Pooh Hunny Pot Cooler Bag

$39.99

Shop Now

---

Disney Winnie the Pooh & Pals Little Playmate 7 Qt Cooler

$49.99

Shop Now

Igloo (the cooler company) just launched a brand-new Winnie the Pooh-themed collection, and I am living for it. I'm also super happy to see a brand choose a different character than Snoopy for fall — I love Snoopy, but the Peanuts gang just seems to get an unfair amount of publicity during the Ber months. Anyway, I digress.

The limited-edition collection includes five pieces, and prices start at $27.99:

• Disney Winnie the Pooh Hunny Pot 15-ounce Coffee Mug ($27.99): The most affordable item in the collection is a 15-ounce travel coffee mug. It has a tinted yellow, leakproof flip 'n' sip lid with a small mouth-opening cover that clips into place. Its double-walled, vacuum-insulated design keeps your drinks cold or hot, depending on what you put in it. You could honestly put soup in this too...don't @ me.

• Disney Winnie the Pooh Hunny Pot 32-ounce Travel Mug ($39.99): My favorite piece in the collection is the 32-ounce travel mug. One is on its way to my apartment right now. It's built like the coffee mug, but it comes with a leak-resistant silicone straw with a little honey bee topper.

• Disney Winnie the Pooh Plush Tote Cooler Bag ($39.99): This tote bag doubles as a cooler. It would make a super cute lunch box for a preschooler or kindergarten student. (Hell, I'd carry this around in my truck for snacks.) It's insulated, so it'll keep your goodies hot or cold.

• Disney Winnie the Pooh Hunny Pot Cooler Bag ($39.99): The Hunny Pot Cooler is probably my second favorite item in the lineup. You could literally use this as a kitschy purse if you wanted to. According to the product description, it can hold up to nine cans. (Do with that what you will.)

• Disney Winnie the Pooh & Pals Little Playmate 7-quart Cooler ($49.99): If you prefer a more traditional-looking, hard cooler, the seven-quart Winnie the Pooh & Pals Little Playmate Cooler is $49.99. It also holds up to nine cans.

You can't buy these items on the Igloo Amazon storefront just yet, so you'll have to shop direct until it's updated (if it is — remember, this is a limited-edition collection!).

Shop Igloo deals on Amazon

• Igloo Classic Playmate Cooler — $16.99 $22.99 (save $6)

• Igloo Marine Cooler — $34.98 $46.99 (save $12.01)

• Igloo Tag Along Too Cooler — $39.99 $49.99 (save $10)

• Igloo Coolers Retro Collection — $49.99 $65.99 (save $16)

The best iPhone 18 preorder deals at a glance:

---

Preorder at T-Mobile

Get iPhone 18 Pro for free with qualifying trade-in or by switching

Get Deal

---

Preorder at AT&T

Get iPhone 18 Pro for free with qualifying trade-in

Get Deal

---

Preorder at Visible

Get $480 of monthly service credits with purchase

Get Deal

---

Preorder at Total Wireless

Take $600 off iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max

Get Deal

---

Preorder at Apple

Get up to $885 in credit with trade-in

Get Deal

In case you missed Apple's Sept. 9 event, there are a few new iPhones in town. And the big carriers are already competing to offer the best iPhone preorder deals and lock in new customers.

The annual iPhone launch is basically the first indicator of fall. This year, the foldable iPhone Duo has captured most of the hype, but the tried-and-true iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max flagship models also deliver some exciting new updates. While the Duo won't be available to preorder until October, the 18 Pro and Pro Max hit shelves on Friday, Sept. 18. Better yet, preorders open Sept. 12, so you can secure your new phone ASAP.

The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max come in four new colors: deep black, silver, burgundy, and glacier blue. The 18 Pro starts at $1,199, while the Pro Max starts at $1,299 for the 256GB models (storage options go up to 2TB). That's a $100 price increase over last year, and new phones are getting very expensive. Fortunately for our wallets, carriers like T-Mobile are offering up to $1,200 off, and you can also take advantage of the Apple Upgrade program if you don't mind leasing your iPhone.

Save up to $1,200 with iPhone 18 preorder deals

If you're ready to preorder your new device but your wallet isn't quite keeping up with your enthusiasm, we've found a few ways to save some money. To take advantage of most carriers' offers, you'll need to switch providers, trade in an older iPhone, or choose a specific phone plan. Smaller carriers like Visible and Total Wireless are also offering up to half off the new iPhone if you sign up for certain plans.

Here are the best preorder deals for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max:

• Apple: Trade in an iPhone 13 or later model and get between $175 and $885 in credit towards the iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max. You can also score up to $1,200 in trade-in credit through specific carriers.

• AT&T: Get the iPhone 18 Pro for free or up to $1,200 off iPhone 18 Pro Max with qualifying trade-ins of iPhone 14 or later and activation on AT&T Premium 2.0 plan or higher. You can also get up to $800 in credit to pay off your current device just by switching to AT&T.

• T-Mobile: Get the iPhone 18 Pro for free when you switch to T-Mobile and bring your number or trade-in an eligible phone on an Experience Beyond plan. You can also score up to $930 in trade-in credit when you switch a line to T-Mobile's Experience More or Go5G Plus plans.

• Total Wireless: Save $600 on iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max on the All Access plan.

• Verizon: Get up to $1,200 off when you add a new line (with qualified trade-in) on eligible myPlan or up to $1,020 off when you upgrade with an eligible trade-in on existing myPlan.

• Visible: Buy the iPhone 18 Pro with Visible+ Pro and receive $480 through monthly service credits. New and existing members are eligible.

• Walmart: The big box retailer doesn't have any preorder deals just yet, but you can finance the new iPhone and pay as little as $78/month if you qualify through OnePay, a Klarna-backed service.

• Xfinity: Get the iPhone 18 Pro Max for free with a qualifying trade-in and device payment plan on the Mobile Plus plan.

What about Amazon iPhone preorder deals?

As of this writing, Amazon's iPhone 18 Pro listings aren't live, and Amazon typically isn't the best place to shop for Apple smartphones. However, we'll update this page if any iPhone 18 Pro Amazon deals do go live in the days ahead. You can preorder the new AirPods 5 and Apple Watches at Amazon.

Apple AirPods 5 earbuds

$129 at Amazon

 

Pre-order Here at Amazon Pre-order Here at Apple.com Pre-order Here at Walmart

Apple Watch Series 12 (GPS, 42mm)

$399 at Amazon

 

Pre-order Here at Amazon Pre-order Here at Best Buy Pre-order Here at Walmart

Apple iPhone 18 Pro, 256GB

Save up to $1,200 at T-Mobile

 

See It at T-Mobile See It at AT&T Wireless See It at Walmart

iPhone 18 Pro Max, 256GB

Save up to $1,200 at T-Mobile

 

See It at T-Mobile See It at Walmart See It at Apple.com

TL;DR: Right now, you can get Samsung's newest mid-range phone for $799.99, plus a $200 Amazon gift card to spend on whatever else you want.

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Credit: Samsung

Samsung Galaxy S26 FE (256 GB)

$799.99 at Amazon
$999.99 Save $200

 

Get Deal

While the internet's busy arguing over Apple's new $2,000 foldable phone, Samsung is handing out $200 in digital cash to Android users.

Right now, you can get the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE (256 GB) for $799.99, plus a $200 Amazon gift card to spend on whatever else you want. All you have to do is add it to your cart, check out, and you should receive the phone and a physical Amazon gift card on your selected shipping date (though the listing mentions the gift card may ship separately, depending on your location).

If you want to spend a little less (and you don't need a ton of storage), you can get the 128 GB version for $699.99. This one comes with an Amazon gift card, too.

The Samsung S26 FE was basically made for anyone who wants to take influencer-level videos without spending a fortune on video equipment. It has an Exynos 2500 chip, a 4,900 mAh battery, a bright 6.7-inch 120Hz AMOLED display, and a 50MP camera packed with Galaxy AI features. That includes a feature called "My FanCam" that automatically keeps your subject centered in video.

It won't shock you that there's a superabundance of interview podcasts and internet series out there. You're probably subscribed to a bunch of content creators (perhaps those who made this year's Mashable 101), or maybe you depend on your feed to hand-deliver the most viral clips.

But your time is precious, so we've rounded up the best on the internet this week.

Whether you're into deadpan showdowns, niche hot takes, or simply wholesome interviews between creative minds, here's what we reckon is worth your time (and of course, we'd never leave out Mashable's own Say More, what are you, nuts?).

So True with Caleb Hearon: Trixie Mattel

Settle in, friends. Trixie Mattel's interview with Caleb Hearon is all the glorious chat you need. The drag icon, podcaster, entrepreneur, musician, and DJ joined the So True host for the unfiltered chat of dreams. "Does the devil wear Skechers?" Maybe!

How to watch: YouTube, TikTok, Spotify, Apple Podcasts,

Baby, This Is Keke Palmer: Tommy Davidson

In Living Color legend Tommy Davidson sat down with Keke Palmer for one of the realest chats you'll see this week. In the latest episode of Palmer's podcast, the actor and comedian unpacked his adoptive childhood, growing up in D.C. between Black and white communities, early stand-up shows (including a tragedy that changed his perspective), those iconic impressions, and, of course, In Living Color.

How to watch/listen: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Instagram, TikTok

In Your Dreams With Owen Thiele: Lisa

In one of the most delightful interviews of the week, Owen Thiele chatted with none other than global superstar Lisa. It happened! In the latest episode of In Your Dreams, the pair talked a little Blackpink history, how she learned Korean after joining the group, starring on The White Lotus, and more. Grab a blanket and a comforting beverage and enjoy.

How to watch/listen: YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, TikTok, Instagram

Royal Court: Brittany Broski x Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock

The Practical Magic 2 press circuit has seen some enchanting interviews this week, with stars Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock charming the likes of Therapuss with Jake Shane, Good Hang with Amy Poehler, and more. But it's Brittany Broski we have to highlight here, as the Hollywood icons enter the realm of the Royal Court. Margaritas and real estate restoration crimes all around.

How to watch: YouTube, Instagram, TikTok

Mythical Kitchen: Gillian Anderson

Gillian Anderson enjoyed her "last meal" on Mythical Kitchen, joining host and chef Josh Scherer for a delicious walk down memory lane. The Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma star feasted on fried chicken with dipping sauce (they had to), as well as family favourites like her mother's tuna noodle casserole, a Thanksgiving green glass jello, and raisin pie. Plus, Scherer throws in the carrot-ginger dressing from Dojo restaurant on St. Mark’s Place, where Anderson worked as a server.

How to watch: YouTube, TikTok, Instagram

And, of course...

Say More: Belen Edwards x Adults cast

Who better to help us deal with adulthood than the Adults cast? In this week's episode of Mashable's Say More, Entertainment Reporter Belen Edwards asked stars Malik Elassal, Lucy Freyer, Jack Innanen, Amita Rao, and Owen Thiele pressing questions from the Mashable staff about becoming an adult. It's news you can use!

Where to watch: Mashable, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok

And here are a few more the internet loved this week:

• Call Her Daddy: Alanis Morrisette

• Hot Ones Versus: Inde Navarrette vs. Michael Johnston

• Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang: Carly Rae Jepsen

• Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend: Matt Groening

• The Romesh Ranganathan Show: Ray Winstone

• We're Here to Help: Jake Johnson x Zooey Deschanel

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage, sign up for our Trending Now and Top Stories newsletters, or get Mashable push alerts to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

Big corporations exist to make money, and T-Mobile is making that very clear with its application of one new iOS 27 feature.

At Apple's big iPhone launch event this week, the company announced a feature called iPhone Handoff, which is coming with the latest iOS update. The feature will allow eSIM users to use the same phone number on two iPhones and choose which device is active at any given time. The active phone can receive calls, texts, and other cellular communications.

It'll only be available to T-Mobile customers in the U.S. at first, and that's where things get interesting: T-Mobile announced on its website that the feature will cost $5 per month.

So, in other words, you can buy an iPhone Duo and an iPhone 18 Pro and switch between them whenever you want without much hassle, aside from adding an extra $5 to your T-Mobile bill every month.

How to set up the iPhone Handoff feature

Activating one phone is seemingly as simple as unlocking it, but you can't use them both for texting, calling, etc., at the same time. To set it up, go to the eSIM section of the Settings app, tap Phone, tap Continue, then tap Transfer. If it works, you'll get a message saying a device has been activated when you unlock it.

It's unfortunate that this feature is only available to T-Mobile customers stateside right now, and that T-Mobile is taking advantage of that fact to charge a small fee to use it. But, at the very least, it does sound reasonably intuitive.

SAVE $50.03: The 32-inch Samsung Class HD H5000F Smart TV is on sale at Amazon for $97.96, down from the normal price of $147.99. That matches the record-low we've seen at Amazon.

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Credit: Samsung

32-inch Samsung Class HD H5000F Smart TV

$97.96 at Amazon
$147.99 Save $50.03

 

Get Deal

It's hard to find anything for under $100 these days, let alone something you could potentially use for several hours every day. But if you're one to shop for deals that are so attractive they make you do a double-take, we've found something special.

As of Sept. 11, Amazon is selling the 32-inch Samsung Class HD H5000F Smart TV for only $97.96, marked down from the normal price of $147.99. That works out to a 34% discount, matching the record low we've seen on Amazon.

You've always considered putting a TV in the garage, the entry way, or making an upgrade to the guest room, and now here's your chance to do so for under $100. While the 32-inch Samsung is fairly petite in display size, it's perfect for a kids' room, rec room, or catching games in the garage. For under $100, the options are endless.

This 2025 Samsung TV has HDR for contrast and detail, as well as object tracking sound for a more real-life experience. In addition, the slim design gives the TV a modern feel.

Since everything is too expensive these days, scoring a Samsung TV for under $100 feels like a heck of a win. Just be sure to check out before this deal vanishes from Amazon.

Shop more TV deals on Amazon.

SAVE UP TO $1,200: Verizon is packed with iPhone 18 deals, including options that save up to $1,200 on a new device.

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Credit: Apple

iPhone 18 Pro preorders at Verizon

Save up to $1,200

Learn More

Welcome to a great week for Apple fans. Earlier this week, we got introduced to the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the iPhone Duo, Apple's first foldable phone. If you've made the decision to upgrade, you're probably searching for the best deal on preordering the iPhone 18 Pro. Verizon has some attractive options on offer, which we've broken down into easy-to-digest terms below.

If you're interested in signing up for a Verizon Simplicity Pro plan, you can look forward to a simple $80 monthly bill. Broken down, it works out to a $50 device payment for the iPhone 18 Pro and a $30 bill for the Verizon Unlimited plan. More benefits of this option include the ability to upgrade to the newest iPhone once every 12 months.

Another option at Verizon is to sign up for a myPlan account to save up to $1,200 on a new iPhone 18 model. If you switch to Verizon or open a new line, you're eligible to save the full $1,200 with a qualified trade-in. Those who upgrade an existing myPlan account can save up to $1,200 with an eligible trade-in.

If you're in the mood to buy a new iPhone and sign up for a Verizon Simplicity or myPlan account, you can snag a free Apple Watch and Apple iPad. Over 36 months of bill credit, Verizon will cover the cost of both the Watch and tablet.

Finally, anyone who switches to Verizon Business with an eligible trade-in can get the iPhone 18 Pro (256GB) for free. If you prefer the iPhone 18 Pro Max, switching to Verizon Business will offer a savings of $1,200 on the upgraded model.

Keep in mind preorders for the iPhone 18 Pro at Verizon begin on Sept. 12 at 8 a.m. ET and preorders for the iPhone Duo begin on Oct. 16 at Verizon.

All of the best iPhone 18 Pro preorder and trade-in deals

• AT&T: Get the iPhone 18 Pro for free with qualifying trade-ins of iPhone 14 or later

• T-Mobile: Get the iPhone 18 Pro for free when you switch or trade in an eligible phone on an Experience Beyond plan

• Total Wireless: Save $600 on iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max on the All Access plan

• Verizon: Get up to $1,200 off when you add a new line (with qualified trade-in) on eligible myPlan

• Visible: Buy the iPhone with Visible+ Pro and receive $480 through monthly credits

• Xfinity: Get the iPhone 18 Pro Max for free with a qualifying trade-in and device payment plan on the Mobile Plus plan

TL;DR: Apple’s brand-new iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, and foldable iPhone Duo are officially hitting AT&T. To lure switchers, AT&T is offering up to $1,200 off with an eligible iPhone trade-in in any condition, up to $800 to cover your tab if you switch, and automatic bill credits if you ever hit a network outage.

AT&T iPhone 18 and Duo deals

---

Apple iPhone 18 Pro (256 GB)

$33.34/month | With trade-in deal: As low as $0/mo ($1,200 off)

Learn More

---

Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max (256 GB)

$36.12/month | With trade-in deal: As low as $2.78/mo ($1,200 off)

Learn More

---

Apple iPhone Duo (512 GB)

$55.56/month | With trade-in deal: As low as $22.22/mo ($1,200 off)

Learn More

Thinking about upgrading your phone or jumping ship from another carrier? Apple just dropped its latest iPhone lineup, and AT&T is rolling out some massive incentives to get you onto its network.

Whether you want Apple’s first-ever foldable or a top-tier camera setup, here is everything you need to know about the new phones and the deals AT&T is offering.

Apple’s big splash this year is its very first foldable, the iPhone Duo. Closed, it feels like a normal pocketable phone with a 5.4-inch outer screen, but it flips open into a huge 7.6-inch inner display for gaming, watching videos, or running apps side-by-side. It runs on the ultra-fast A20 Pro chip, sports an eSIM-only design so Apple could fit a dual-battery system inside, and comes in star white or night sky.

If you prefer a classic, heavy-duty phone, the 18 Pro lineup gives you a choice between a 6.3-inch screen on the standard Pro or a massive 6.9-inch display on the Pro Max. The biggest upgrade here is in the camera: a new 48MP main sensor equipped with an actual physical variable aperture, giving you real hardware control over background blur and low-light shots. Both run on the A20 Pro chip, feature Ceramic Shield 2 for 3x better scratch protection, and come in black, silver, glacier, or an all-new burgundy.

How the AT&T promos work and what to know

AT&T is running a few different stackable offers right now, but there are a few important conditions to keep in mind before you click buy:

• Up to $1,200 Off via Trade-In — You can trade in an eligible iPhone in any condition to get up to $1,200 off. The catch? Securing the full $1,200 requires an Unlimited Premium 2.0 plan and a trade-in of an iPhone 14 or newer. Lower tiers like Unlimited Extra 2.0 cap out at $930 off, while older iPhones yield lower credit amounts.

  All savings are delivered via monthly bill credits over a 36-month installment plan — if you leave AT&T early, you forfeit remaining credits and owe the balance.

• Up to $800 Switcher Credit — Coming from T-Mobile or Verizon? AT&T offers up to $800 to help pay off your remaining device tab on your old carrier.

• Save $200 Online — Order on AT&T or through the AT&T app to shave an extra $200 off per line right off the top.

• Next Up Anytime ($10/mo) — An optional add-on that lets you swap your phone for a new model up to three times in a 12-month period once a third of the device is paid off.

Checkout costs and fine print

Expect a $35 activation/upgrade fee per line plus sales tax paid upfront on the full retail price of the phone. Also, if you add a line to secure a promo, you must keep all other lines active for at least 90 days, or your credits will stop.

On the upside, your service is backed by the AT&T Guarantee: if a qualifying network outage hits your area, your phone will automatically ping you via iOS 27 and issue a bill credit without making you call customer service.

Release and preorder dates

Preorders for the new devices are split across two dates:

• iPhone 18 Pro & Pro Max — Preorders begin Sept. 12 at 5:00 a.m. PT.

• iPhone Duo — Preorders begin Oct. 16 at 5:00 a.m. PT.

Just make sure to double-check your current plan and trade-in device before preorders go live so you can grab the full discount. Orders can be placed online at AT&T, via the AT&T app, or in AT&T retail stores.

All the best iPhone 18 Pro preorder and trade-in deals

• AT&T: Get the iPhone 18 Pro for free with qualifying trade-ins of iPhone 14 or later

• T-Mobile: Get the iPhone 18 Pro for free when you switch or trade in an eligible phone on an Experience Beyond plan

• Total Wireless: Save $600 on iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max on the All Access plan

• Verizon: Get up to $1,200 off when you add a new line (with qualified trade-in) on eligible myPlan

• Visible: Buy the iPhone with Visible+ Pro and receive $480 through monthly credits

• Xfinity: Get the iPhone 18 Pro Max for free with a qualifying trade-in and device payment plan on the Mobile Plus plan

Apple's next big iOS update is finally on the launch pad.

At its "Surprise and Shine" event on Sept. 9, Apple showed off new wares like the iPhone 18 Pro lineup, the foldable iPhone Duo, new Apple Watches, and the AirPods 5. One of the smaller (but still significant) nuggets of news to come out of the event concerned iOS 27. Specifically, when you can finally download it to your iPhone.

Users with compatible iPhones will be able to install iOS 27 on Monday, Sept. 14.

How to download iOS 27

If you have one of the compatible iPhones (keep scrolling for the full list), then starting on Monday, Sept. 14, you can look for iOS 27. Apple typically releases a new iOS at 10:00 a.m. PT (1:00 p.m. ET).

Follow these steps to get iOS 27 set up on your iPhone:

• Go to the Settings app on your phone

• Go to General

• Go to Software Update and wait as the system checks for new updates

• When iOS 27 appears, you can download and install the new OS

You can also click "Automatic Updates" and turn this feature to "On." That way, iOS 27 should automatically download once it's available (your phone must be locked and charging to download automatic updates).

What's new with iOS 27?

This is a big one! Siri AI, new Apple Intelligence tools, and Liquid Glass updates are all coming soon. Credit: Apple

If you haven't been following along, iOS 27 is the one that finally brings us Siri AI. You can now talk to Siri like you would an AI chatbot, and it's powered by Google Gemini.

Some of the most exciting changes coming to iPhones involve new AI photo-editing features, such as spatial reframing. Users will more easily be able to remove unwanted details, or even describe the edits they'd like to Siri by voice or text. Android smartphones from Google and Samsung have had a full suite of AI editing tools for a couple of years now, and Apple is finally catching up. Smart photo editing will also help users make the most of the iPhone 18 Pro Max's new camera features.

Apple also included some new and subtle customization options for Liquid Glass, various small updates for apps like Health, Photos, and Notes, and more.

Every iPhone that supports iOS 27

Of course, you can only go through that whole downloading process if you have a device that supports iOS 27. Here are the devices that work with the new iOS:

• iPhone SE (second generation or later)

• iPhone 11

• iPhone 11 Pro

• iPhone 11 Pro Max

• iPhone 12

• iPhone 12 Mini

• iPhone 12 Pro

• iPhone 12 Pro Max

• iPhone 13

• iPhone 13 Mini

• iPhone 13 Pro

• iPhone 13 Pro Max

• iPhone 14

• iPhone 14 Plus

• iPhone 14 Pro

• iPhone 14 Pro Max

• iPhone 15

• iPhone 15 Plus

• iPhone 15 Pro

• iPhone 15 Pro Max

• iPhone 16

• iPhone 16e

• iPhone 16 Plus

• iPhone 16 Pro

• iPhone 16 Pro Max

• iPhone 17

• iPhone 17e

• iPhone Air

• iPhone 17 Pro

• iPhone 17 Pro Max

• iPhone 18 Pro

• iPhone 18 Pro Max

• iPhone Duo

If you don't have one of those, you're out of luck. We should also note that Siri AI will not be coming to Europe due to some regulatory issues. Sorry, European friends.

TL;DR: Braun Household officially launched the OptiBrew Pro in the U.S. for $199.95. The pod-free drip machine is designed to replace both your standard morning pot and single-serve pod systems.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Braun

Braun OptiBrew Pro

$199.95 at Amazon

 

Shop Now

Braun wants to upgrade your basic morning coffee pot. Instead of buying a separate pod machine, a cold-brew pitcher, and a stand-alone milk frother, the new OptiBrew line puts everything into one super-slim, 6.75-inch-wide machine.

The whole setup runs on regular ground coffee — meaning zero plastic pods to throw away — and uses smart temperature tech to make sure your coffee tastes good, not burnt. You can brew a single 8-oz cup before heading out the door, or brew a full 12-cup pot in under 8 minutes when people come over.

While the base OptiBrew handles standard drip and iced coffee, the U.S.-bound OptiBrew Pro goes a step further for latte lovers. It adds a "Coffee Shot" button that makes super-strong, espresso-style coffee, plus a built-in whisk on the side to froth hot or cold milk for fancy drinks.

You can dial in seven precise sizes, ranging from a single 8-oz travel mug to a full 12-cup glass carafe (which brews in under eight minutes flat). The OptiBrew Pro gives you five distinct brew styles to match whatever you're craving:

• Regular — Classic hot drip calibrated for smooth, balanced morning sipping.

• Bold — A stronger, richer hot brew for an extra punchy kick.

• Over Ice — Brews concentrated hot coffee directly over ice without watering down your drink.

• Rapid Cold Brew — Cuts out the traditional overnight wait, using specialized pressure and flow extraction to deliver low-acid, refreshing cold brew in minutes instead of 24 hours.

• Concentrated Coffee Shot — The Pro’s secret weapon — a fifth brew mode that creates a rich, intense coffee concentrate built specifically as a base for lattes and cappuccinos.

To complete your café orders at home, the OptiBrew Pro features an integrated whisk frother mounted on the side of the machine. It whips up dairy milk or plant-based alternatives into thick, creamy foam for hot drinks, or silky cold foam for iced drinks, saving you from spending extra cash on an external frothing wand.

It’s also packed with thoughtful daily features, like an intuitive control panel, a 24-hour programmable timer so you can wake up to freshly brewed coffee, and an adjustable warming plate that keeps your carafe warm for up to four hours.

Score a full coffeehouse setup at home — grab the OptiBrew Pro for under $200 at Amazon.

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

TL;DR: The ASUS TUF Gaming 32-inch curved monitor (VG32VQM5AZ) is on sale for $189 at Amazon for a limited time, knocking $60 off its $249 price.

Opens in a new window

Credit: ASUS

The ASUS TUF Gaming 32-Inch 240Hz Curved Gaming Monitor

$189 at Amazon
$249 Save $60

Get Deal

A high-speed curved gaming monitor for under $200 is already a pretty sight for your gaming budget, but the fact that it’s a deal on a model from a top-tier brand like ASUS is even better. 

As of Sept. 11, the 32-inch ASUS TUF Gaming monitor (VG32VQM5AZ SKU) is $189 at Amazon as a limited-time deal, knocking $60 off its $249 list price for a 24% discount. The new monitor is sold and shipped by Amazon, and free 30-day returns are included as well. 

For what’s now this TUF Gaming monitor’s lowest price with the retailer (confirmed with price tracker camelcamelcamel), you get a 31.5-inch Full HD panel with a 1500R curve — giving the display a more enveloping shape than ASUS' flatter TUF alternatives. The top spec here is its top overclocked speed of 240hz alongside a minimum 0.5ms GTG response time.

That’ll not only keep your rounds of Fortnite or whatever single-player game you’re playing feel more fluid, but the added AMD FreeSync Premium for variable refresh rates — and ELMB Sync — will altogether reduce ghosting and tearing to make your display feel far less choppy. 

To keep anything you play or watch extra eye-popping in terms of pure visuals, this monitor covers 120% of the sRGB color gamut and supports HDR, with Shadow Boost available to lift detail in darker parts of a scene or level. 

To round out the package, the DisplayWidget Center even lets you tweak settings with a mouse instead of repeatedly digging through the monitor's physical controls.

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

Spending time with the iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro has Bridget Carey rethinking what’s important in an iPhone upgrade. Following Apple's big September iPhone event, Carey breaks down the standout Duo features, what the crease is really like, and the questions she has for the future of Apple Watch and the next era of Apple.

Top iPhone pre-order deals

• AT&T: Get the iPhone 18 Pro for free with qualifying trade-ins of iPhone 14 or later

• T-Mobile: Get the iPhone 18 Pro for free when you switch or trade-in an eligible phone on an Experience Beyond plan

• Total Wireless: Save $600 on iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max on the All Access plan

• Verizon: Get up to $1,200 off when you add a new line (with qualified trade-in) on eligible myPlan

• Visible: Buy the iPhone with Visible+ Pro and receive $480 through monthly credits

Read more about the iPhone Duo and foldable phones: Apple's iPhone Duo: The foldable phone of the future
Apple iPhone Duo vs. iPhone 18 Pro Max: How to decide between them
The Xiaomi 18 Fold is an iPhone Duo lookalike with one huge advantage

Timecode chapters
00:00 Apple’s new iPhone tricks
00:14 Reporting from the iPhone event at Apple Park
00:19 Opening and closing the iPhone duo
00:28 Big changes coming to iPhone
00:38 John Ternus has one more thing
00:46 Bridget Carey’s iPhone duo event experience
01:03 iPhone duo
01:14 Taking video on iPhone duo
01:37 Smart take on iPhone duo
02:04 Snoopy comes to iPhone duo
02:21 iPhone duo crease
02:41 Hidden camera behind iPhone duo screen
02:51 iPhone duo size
03:11 iPhone duo cases
03:28 MagSafe on iPhone duo
03:34 iPhone 18 Pro updates
04:07 Aperture on iPhone 18 Pro
04:42 Apple Watch changes
04:43 Apple Watch audio intelligence, recording, transcribing
05:20 New Apple Watch sensor
05:33 New Apple iPhone and Apple Watch accessories
05:47 One more tip to help cover the cost of your new iPhone
05:56 Get the most money for your iPhone trade-in
06:18 Let us know in the comments what you want to see from one more thing

Video credits
Host: Bridget Carey
Scripted by: Bridget Carey
Producer: Carly Marsh
Camera: Celso Bulgatti, Bridget Carey
Video editor: Carly Marsh
Thumbnail designer: Tharon Green

"No kings."

What the phrase means in 2026 America might be different to what it meant to England during the 1381 Peasants' Revolt, but it's a powerful declaration in either context.

Connecting these words across time, Paul Greengrass' The Uprising tracks one of the defining moments of radicalism in British history. We meet Andrew Garfield as John Ploughman, a farmer who plays a key role in the resistance. In the 14th century, farmers, artisans, priests, and more common folk took on the tyranny of King Richard III, as the impact of the Black Death hung heavy, the Poll Tax ruined lives, and the Hundred Years’ War between England and France raged.

And in the film, Ploughman indeed says aloud, "No kings."

"It was a line that Paul thought he should cut because he had written it before all of the "No Kings" protests that were happening in the United States against Trump," said Garfield. "He was worried that it would feel like we are trying to say something specific in response to something that's just happening. But in fact, it predated any of that stuff happening in real time.

"It felt the right thing just to go, no, this is something universal. This is something that is unfortunately timeless. And it's a beautiful sentiment. The idea of hierarchy that is preordained being deconstructed feels very important."

Mashable Senior Editor Shannon Connellan sat down with Garfield, in the historic Charterhouse in London, a medieval monastery built before the revolt, just around the corner from St Johns Priory and Smithfield, where major events in the uprising happened (you'll see them in the film).

Watch the interview above, in which Garfield unpacks The Uprising, including working with co-stars Cosmo Jarvis and Jamie Bell, the choreography involved with Greengrass' handheld, documentary-style action, and wielding farm tools against steel and armour.

The Uprising opens in theaters in the U.S. on Sept. 10; a UK release will follow on Oct. 9.

Want more film and TV news and reviews delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for Mashable’s Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts.

TL;DR: Narwal unveiled three new floor cleaners across three categories: the Freo 20 Edge robot vacuum ($799 for 31,000 Pa suction), the 3.1-lb V50 Cube self-emptying stick vac, and a next-gen wet & dry vacuum powered by 752°F steam cleaning.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Narwal

Narwal Freo 20 Edge robot vacuum

$799 at Amazon

 

Shop Now

Narwal just expanded its home-cleaning lineup with three new devices across three core categories: a feature-packed robot vacuum, an ultralight self-emptying stick vacuum, and a heavy-duty steam wet-and-dry vacuum.

Credit: Narwal

Built to deliver premium floor care without high-end compromises, the Freo 20 Edge packs flagship-grade 31,000 Pa suction for deep carpet cleaning. It features real-time self-cleaning mopping at room temperature, so it never drags dirt back across your floors, alongside 150+ object recognition powered by hidden dToF LiDAR navigation and structured light sensors to avoid household obstacles.

It automatically empties the robot's dustbin into a 2.5L self-sealing dust bag (good for up to 120 days) and uses 45°C (113°F) hot air to dry the mop track after every run. The Freo 20 Edge is available on Amazon for $799.

Credit: Narwal

Credit: Narwal

The V50 Cube is Narwal’s first stick vacuum in the US, also its most compact model yet, with a handheld body weighing just 3.1 lbs. It combines AI-optimized suction technology and carpet-focused vacuuming with a compact 5-in-1 dock that handles automatic dust emptying, brush self-cleaning, and tool storage.

The base station takes up less floor space than an iPad Air while doing all the heavy lifting. Slide the vacuum in, and the dock takes over — emptying the dustbin into a 100-day UV-sterilized bag, scraping the cyclone mesh, detangling the brush roll, charging the battery, and hiding all your attachments inside.

The vacuum uses a certified ZeroWrap 4-stage detangling brush roll with a wide-angle aqua LED light that exposes micro-dust and pet hair hiding in dark corners. Rollouts for the V50 Cube begin in Europe in September 2026. Official U.S. pricing and launch dates will be announced soon.

Credit: Narwal

Credit: Narwal

Designed to conquer greasy kitchen messes and sticky, dried-on spills, the next-gen wet & dry vacuum turns up the heat with extreme sanitization. It combines a high-temp 752°F steam function at the source with 203°F hot-water floor mopping to instantly dissolve stubborn grime and kill floor bacteria without harsh chemical sprays.

It features 25,000 Pa of suction power paired with 33N of downward mopping pressure to force dirty water into the recovery tank in a single pass. When docked, the base station flushes the internal pipes and roller with hot water and steam, followed by a quiet hot-air drying cycle to prevent mold and unpleasant odors.

Narwal has this high-temp steam series slated for an official European rollout in 2027, with U.S. availability and exact price tags to follow closer to launch.

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

SAVE OVER $50: As of Sept. 11, the Lego Icons Tropical Aquarium set is on sale at its lowest price yet, $423.99, on Amazon. Compared to its full price of $479.99, that saves you $56.

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Credit: Lego

LEGO Icons Tropical Aquarium Building Set (10366)

$423.99 at Amazon
$479.99 Save $56

 

Get Deal

Lego's massive 4,154-piece Tropical Aquarium set has received a huge $56 discount on Amazon, hitting its lowest price yet at the retailer. If you've been on the lookout for a big new build to put together this fall, or over the cooler months to come when you're spending more time inside, this set is well worth a look.

While this Lego set is usually priced at $479.99, Amazon's knocked it down to $423.99. This marks its lowest price yet there, so it's a perfect time to grab it if its delightfully vibrant underwater display has caught your eye.

While the Lego Icons Tropical Aquarium set's colors are certainly eye-catching, its 4,154-piece build is quite detailed as well. Within the aquarium, you'll find four fish, an oyster shell with a pearl, plants and coral, sea worms, sea snails, and more. It even features dials and cranks you can rotate to make the fish swim or coral sway, which is an incredibly cool way to breathe a bit of life into it.

You'll also want to make sure you have plenty of space available for it, as the store page says it measures over 14 inches high, 20.5 inches wide, and 11 inches deep. It's also worth noting that this set is recommended for adults to assemble, likely due to its high piece count and more complex functional elements.

There's no telling how long this deal will be live for, so act fast to save on the Lego Icons Tropical Aquarium at Amazon.

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TL;DR: The Magic: The Gathering Marvel Super Heroes Play Booster Box is on sale for $147.98 at Amazon, down from its $209.70 list price.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Magic: The Gathering

Magic: The Gathering Marvel Super Heroes Play Booster Box

$147.98 at Amazon
$209.70 Save $61.72

Get Deal

As a Magic: The Gathering expansion, Marvel Super Heroes has been one of the biggest examples of major price fluctuations in trading card products since its release in June. While stocks last, though, you can score over $60 off the 30-pack Play Booster Box.

As of Sept. 11, the Magic: The Gathering Marvel Super Heroes Play Booster Box is $147.98 at Amazon through third-party seller Industrial Resolution. Altogether, that cuts $61.72 from the $209.70 list price — bringing the cost of each Play Booster down to approximately $4.93.

Delivery is set for Sept. 18 on this one in particular at the time of writing, but also a $148.88 Amazon listing sold by The Game Capital and fulfilled by Amazon itself, with delivery estimated for Sept. 16, if you don’t mind spending slightly more. 

That said, you can save even more by shopping elsewhere. Walmart has the same Play Booster Box for $119.95 via ForgeAndFireGaming.com, with Walmart handling fulfillment and free shipping; meanwhile, TCGplayer has listings going for as low as $116.73 (including shipping) — only 91 cents above its estimated $115.82 market price. 

Whichever retailer you choose, the box contains 30 Play Boosters, each with 14 cards from the Marvel hero-themed collection. Every pack has one Traditional Foil, alongside one to four cards of rare or higher rarity, three to five uncommons, six to nine commons, and one land. There’s also a sub-1% chance of finding a Foil Borderless Mythic Rare.

Apple upgrades its 18 Pro line with improved camera aperture and AI capabilities. CNET's Patrick Holland unpacks the main things you need to know about the latest iPhone 18 Pro handsets.

Read more about the iPhone 18 Pro and Apple’s latest iPhones: Apple iPhone Duo vs. iPhone 18 Pro Max: How to decide between them
iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: Battle of the flagships

Timecode chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:18 Variable aperture
01:20 Pricing increase
01:56 Other design updates
02:52 iOS 27 goodies
03:30 Battery life
03:55 Conclusion

Video credits
Host: Patrick Holland
Scripted by: Patrick Holland
Producer: Celso Bulgatti
Camera: Celso Bulgatti
Video editor: JD Christison
Thumbnail designer: Zooey Liao

Didn't manage watch Trump's midterm convention? You weren't the only one.

The good news is Daily Show host Michael Kosta has recapped the whole thing. In the clip above Kosta goes through the lowlights, from Senate hopeful Ken Paxton's jokes falling a little flat ("Oh no he didn't...make anyone laugh," says Kosta after a clip of Paxton's jokes getting a tumbleweed response) to Trump offering Americans $5,000 if the Republicans win both the House and the Senate.

"$5,000? That's two trips to the grocery store!" says Kosta. "Or one if you buy raspberries. I like how Trump calls this a dividend. Do you know when businesses hand out dividends, when they're raking in money? The last time I checked, we, as a country, have negative $40 trillion of money."

Kosta wasn't the only one to poke fun at the convention. Elsewhere, Jimmy Kimmel also had some thoughts about the empty seats.

Want more of the best of late night? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter.

SAVE $10: As of Sept. 11, select colors of the Anker Nano Power Bank (45W, 10,000mAh) are on sale for $49.99 at Amazon. That's $10 off their list price of $59.99.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Anker

Anker Nano Power Bank, 45W 10,000mAh Portable Charger

$49.99 at Amazon
$59.99 Save $10

 

Get Deal

For those who are frequently on the go, or if you have big travel plans this fall, a portable charger is a very helpful tech item to have on hand. The Anker Nano Power Bank (45W, 10,000mAh) is one option to consider, especially since Amazon's knocked $10 off its list price. The deal won't last for much longer, though.

As of Sept. 11, select colors of this power bank (black, green, and white) have dropped from $59.99 to $49.99 at the retailer. However, each of these has a percentage bar on its store page indicating how much of the sale inventory has already been claimed, and some colors are selling fast. If you're hoping to grab it, be quick to pick up your favorite before the offer runs out.

This Anker Nano Power Bank is a very compact charger, with the store page noting that it's 16% smaller than standard models (measuring 3.21 × 1.99 × 1.42 inches and weighing 8.2oz) and featuring a retractable charging cable that makes it easy to carry around. That built-in cable is quite durable as well, with the store page noting it can withstand over 20,000 bends. The power bank is also flight-approved, which is great for travelers.

In terms of power, it boasts a 10,000mAh capacity and 45W max fast charging, alongside pass-through technology and a smart display so you can keep an eye on your charging devices. If you need an extra battery boost when you're out and about, this power bank seems well worth picking up.

The deals are being claimed quickly, though, so be quick to score this discount on select colors of the Anker Nano Power Bank at Amazon.

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It's the New Moon tonight, which means the side we see is completely dark. This is because the Moon is positioned between Earth and the Sun, with the sunlit side facing away from us.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Friday, Sept. 11, 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 September 26.

What are Moon phases?

The Moon's appearance gradually changes as it travels around Earth, completing a full lunar cycle in approximately 29.5 days, NASA tells us. What we see from Earth depends on the Moon's position in relation to the Sun, which affects how much of its illuminated side is visible. As the cycle progresses, the Moon passes through a series of phases, from a thin crescent to a half Moon and then a Full Moon, before starting over.

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.

TL; DR: At IFA 2026 in Berlin, TCL officially unveiled a massive hardware showcase spanning smartphones, tablets, and TVs. Highlights include the TCL P80 Ultra and P80 Pro, the versatile TAB A1 tablet series, and the absurdly bright X11L SQD-Mini LED TV, which packs up to 10,000 nits of peak brightness.

TCL took the stage at IFA 2026 to reveal a massive wave of upcoming gear. Instead of just throwing tech specs at us, they focused on solving two real-world problems: stopping screen glare from frying your eyeballs, and building TVs so ridiculously bright your living room feels like a movie theater. Here is a quick breakdown of what’s coming down the pipe.

Smartphones: Vibrant colors that don't blind you

Leading the phone pack are the TCL P80 Ultra and P80 Pro. They're the first phones ever to mix AMOLED screen colors with TCL's matte, paper-like display tech. So you get rich, vivid colors without feeling like you're staring into a mirror under sunlight.

Both pack huge 6.83-inch screens, big batteries meant to last all day, and a physical button on the side that flips the screen into a muted reading mode or monochrome e-ink style. If you want serious zoom, the Ultra adds a periscope lens for long-range shots, while the base-model P80 keeps things simple with a super-thin profile.

Pricing and availability

European rollouts kick off Sept. 11, while US carrier and retail launches are still pending, so stateside buyers will have to hold tight a bit longer.

Tablets: One for your bag, one for your couch

TCL also dropped four new tablets in its TAB A1 Series, split into two sizes. The 11-inch models (TAB A1 and TAB A1 NXTPAPER) are super light and easy to throw in a backpack for quick browsing or reading on a flight.

If you want something bigger to binge TV shows or doodle with a stylus, the 12.2-inch "Plus" models give you way more screen space, smoother scrolling, and a massive 10,000mAh battery so you aren't hunting for an outlet every five minutes.

Pricing and availability

The TAB A1 series is already rolling out globally, with prices hovering around $190 to $299 depending on screen size and configuration.

TVs: Absurdly bright screens and framed art

On the TV front, TCL is pushing Mini LED tech to its absolute limits. The standout TCL X11L comes in massive 75-, 85-, and 98-inch sizes and hits 110,000-nit peak brightness. That is tech-speak for "this TV is bright enough to cut through direct sunlight in your living room while keeping dark scenes ink-black." It even has high-end Bang & Olufsen sound built right in.

For living rooms where a giant black mirror ruins the aesthetic, TCL also introduced the A400 Pro NXTVISION TV. It uses a matte, anti-reflective display wrapped in a light walnut woodgrain frame, allowing it to seamlessly blend into your wall as a digital art display when you aren't binge-watching your favorite shows.

Pricing and availability

The flagship is already rolling out in Europe, and US listings for the X11L are already live, priced between $3,499 (discounted) for the 75-inch screen and $9,999 for the 98-inch model. Meanwhile, TCL has yet to confirm the exact release dates for the art-focused A400 Pro.

If your wallet can handle the hit, your eyes — and your living room setup — are definitely in for an upgrade. Learn more at TCL.

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TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution — Pitch Black 3 Booster Pack Blister is on sale for $21.88 at Amazon, down from its $29.99 list price.

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Credit: The Pokémon Company

Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Pitch Black 3 Booster Pack Blister

$21.88 at Amazon
$29.99 Save $8.11

 

Get Deal

Buying single Pokémon TCG: Pitch Black Boosters can still run you a good amount above MSRP, but Amazon’s new Blister price drop makes it so you soften the blow to your trading card budget. 

As of Sept. 11, the Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution — Pitch Black 3 Booster Pack Blister is $21.88 at Amazon through third-party seller reVend. Against the $29.99 list price, you’re saving $8.11, or 27%. 

Spread across the three included boosters, that works out to roughly $7.29 per pack. Compared to buying Pitch Black boosters a la carte for $8.95, this three-pack blister is saving you $1.66 per pack for a total of $4.98 — with the Binacle promo card essentially acting as a free bonus. 

That said, TCGplayer is still slightly cheaper, with listings as low as $19.99, including shipping. Whichever way you go, though, you’re still getting a rare chance to grab this under market price — with the trading card selling platform currently valuing this one at $22.25. 

Grabbing packs for less money doesn’t mean there still aren’t valuable chase cards to pull, though. Amongst Pitch Blacks' most pricey cards, the biggest hits still include SIR Mega Darkrai ex, MHR Mega Darkrai ex, and SIR Morpeko ex — worth up to just under $195. 

If you’re after one card in particular, you can buy any single Pokémon card from Pitch Black right now on TCGplayer.

SAVE $60: As of Sept. 11, the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 is on sale for $439 at Amazon. That's a 12% discount on the list price.

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Credit: DJI

DJI Osmo Pocket 3

$439 at Amazon
$499 Save $60

 

Get Deal

Want to make your videos look a little more polished without lugging around a full-size camera? The DJI Osmo Pocket 3 is the perfect product for exactly that, packing a proper camera and built-in gimbal into a tiny, pocket-sized frame. And as of Sept. 11, you can get it for less at Amazon. Normally priced at $499, there's now $60 off the list price, bringing the cost down to $439.

This vlogging camera from DJI has a 1-inch CMOS sensor that records in 4K at up to 120 fps, making it a great option for shooting everything from travel footage to sunsets and night scenes.

It has a rotating 2-inch touchscreen that lets you switch between horizontal and vertical shooting, and the 3-axis mechanical stabilization keeps footage steady as you move. Another bonus is the ActiveTrack 6. This can keep you centered in the frame as you film.

There's also built-in stereo recording, and DJI OsmoAudio lets you connect a DJI Mic 2 or Mic Mini transmitter directly to the camera for better sound.

Head to Amazon now to get this deal on the DJI Osmo Pocket 3.

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SAVE OVER $800: As of Sept. 11, the Sony 65-Inch BRAVIA 8 II QD OLED 4K TV is on sale for $2,498 at Amazon. That's $801.99 off its full price of $3,299.99.

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Credit: Sony

Sony 65-Inch BRAVIA 8 II QD OLED 4K HDR Smart Google TV

$2,498 at Amazon
$3,299.99 Save $801.99

 

Get Deal

With Labor Day in the rearview, there's a little bit of time to kill before the next wave of sale events hits. But if you're still hoping to save on high-quality tech in the time in between, Amazon has plenty to check out. This includes some great discounts on TVs. If you're in the market for a fall upgrade, the Sony 65-Inch BRAVIA 8 II QD OLED 4K TV has had over $800 slashed from its price tag there.

As of Sept. 11, this Sony TV's price has dropped from $3,299.99 to $2,498 at the retailer, for a total savings of $801.99. Though it's worth mentioning that it is marked as a 'limited time deal', so time is of the essence to snag it at the price while it's still on sale.

Sony's OLED display brings out vibrant colors and deep contrast in what you're watching, making the picture quality of movies and shows a rich treat for the eyes. Plus, 4K resolution helps sharpen that picture so you can see every detail as it unfolds. According to the store page, this TV's XR Processor with AI technology also boosts color, contrast, and clarity, so images can really shine on screen.

For those who are signed up to multiple streaming services, it's also a Google TV, so that you can jump into all of your favorite apps right from the home screen. And considering how much there is to look forward to this fall for streaming, that's a big positive. Its 65-inch screen size is also a great fit for those looking to buy a mid-range TV for their home, not stretching too big or squished too small.

The clock is ticking on this limited-time deal, though. So act fast to save on the Sony 65-Inch BRAVIA 8 II QD OLED 4K TV at Amazon.

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SAVE $57: As of Sept. 11, the Holy Stone HS600 is on sale for $242.99 at Amazon. That's an 19% discount on the list price.

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Credit: Holy Stone

Holy Stone HS600

$249.99 at Amazon
$279.98 Save $29.99

 

Get Deal

Getting into drones doesn't have to mean spending hundreds on a high-end model. Models like the Holy Stone HS600 offer 4K video, a gimbal, and a great set of flight features without the hefty price tag. And as of Sept. 11, it's even cheaper at Amazon, with the drone now on sale for $242.99. This saves you $57 off the list price and is the lowest-ever price for this model.

For the price, the HS600 packs in plenty of useful kit. Its 4K camera uses a dual-axis gimbal and electronic image stabilization to help keep footage steady, and the Sony sensor can record at up to 30fps. It also has brushless motors designed to provide a more stable flight.

It has integrated FAA-compliant Remote ID, so there's no need to buy a separate module, and at 541g, it's relatively easy to take with you. It also comes with a carrying case, making it useful for travel and on-the-go use.

It's a great option for beginners, too. Follow Mode can automatically track a subject, and Waypoint Mode lets you map out a flight path rather than controlling every movement manually.

Head to Amazon to grab this Holy Stone drone deal while it's on sale.

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Trump held a midterm convention in Texas on Wednesday, and attendance levels were already looking a bit shaky based on the number of Republicans making excuses about why they wouldn't be able to go.

In the clip above, Jimmy Kimmel gleefully analyses the number of empty seats in the room, first playing a clip of Trump maintaining that the room was packed despite video footage to the contrary

"Could there be a better metaphor for this presidency than him bragging about the size of his crowd to a bunch of empty seats? I don't think so. When does the kid come out and inform the emperor that he has no clothes? That arena was as empty as a Waymo," Kimmel says. "This is what happens in North Korea. It is really terrifying that this is the news that some people are getting exclusively."

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SAVE $78: As of Sept. 11, the Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet is on sale for $76.99 at Amazon. That's a 50% discount on the list price.

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Credit: Amazon

Amazon Fire HD 10 Tablet

$76.99 at Amazon
$154.99 Save $78.00

 

Get Deal

If you're in the market for an affordable tablet, Amazon currently has a great deal on the Amazon Fire HD 10. As of Sept. 11, it has dropped in price to just $76.99, saving you $78 off the list price. That's half off, and according to camelcamelcamel, the lowest-ever price for this device.

This tablet comes with a 10.1-inch 1080p Full HD display, so it's a great buy if you want a tablet for watching shows, playing games, or settling down with an e-book. It also promises up to 13 hours of battery life, meaning you shouldn't need to keep reaching for the charger during the day. It also comes with 32GB of storage, so there's plenty of room for streaming apps, games, and whatever else you need.

It's designed to be lightweight yet durable, with strengthened aluminosilicate glass, and it has a 5MP front-facing camera for video calls. You also get handy tools for drafting emails, summarizing webpages, and creating wallpapers, plus Alexa support and parental controls through Amazon Kids.

This tablet deal is available at Amazon now, but only for a limited time, so don't miss out.

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Planning to upgrade your iPhone this year? If you're someone looking to get the most feature-packed device, typically the choice would be easy: You'd buy the latest iPhone Pro Max model, and this time around, that's the iPhone 18 Pro Max.

However, Apple decided to throw a curveball at iOS users this year with the release of its first-ever Apple foldable, the iPhone Duo.

Now, iPhone users looking for a new smartphone have to make a difficult choice. I know. I'm one of those users who assumed I'd just go with the new Pro Max, but the unveiling of the Duo has me second-guessing that choice.

Do I go with the iPhone 18 Pro Max or the iPhone Duo? Each is powerful in its own right, as they both have Apple's new Apple Silicon chip A20 Pro. But, both are missing features that the other has.

So, instead of just comparing specs, let's look at the use cases for each device.

If you want the biggest screen...

Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

At 6.9 inches, the iPhone 18 Pro Max has the largest traditional smartphone display. When the iPhone Duo is closed and in its smartphone "form," it's smaller. The Duo's outer display is only 5.4 inches.

However, when the Duo is opened up, the inner display has 50 percent more screen space than the iPhone 18 Pro Max, measuring 7.6 inches. Ultimately, the Duo has more screen for you to work with.

The winner: The iPhone Duo

If cameras are of the utmost importance

Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

The iPhone 18 Pro Max has a 48MP Pro Fusion camera system, a 48MP Fusion Main lens, a 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide lens, and a 48MP Fusion Telephoto lens. It also introduces a physical variable aperture feature for the first time. The Duo has the same main lens but without the variable aperture, and the same ultra-wide lens. The iPhone Duo does not have a telephoto lens, but it does have a 12MP Center Stage selfie camera and an under-display FaceTime camera.

Hardware-wise, the iPhone 18 Pro Max is the superior smartphone camera when compared with the Duo. It has more rear camera lenses, and that physical variable aperture will provide users with plenty of control of lighting and depth of field.

For serious photographers or filmmakers looking for a smartphone to match your workflow, the iPhone 18 Pro Max's new software capabilities with Pro Controls is going to be a big plus too. With Pro Controls, users can adjust shutter speed, lens aperture, white balance, and more.

If you care about photography or videography above all, then the choice is clearly the iPhone 18 Pro Max.

The winner: iPhone 18 Pro max

If you're a content creator

Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

I just made the case that when it comes to smartphone cameras, the iPhone 18 Pro Max is superior to the iPhone Duo. And that's true…for the most part.

While filmmakers will want to go with the iPhone 18 Pro Max, online content creators may actually want to consider the iPhone Duo.

Yes, the iPhone 18 Pro Max has the extra lens and pro control features. Yes, the iPhone 18 Pro Max even has a better front-facing camera with its 18MP selfie camera compared to the iPhone Duo's 12MP selfie camera.

However, the foldable aspect of iPhone Duo opens up a whole world of creative use cases, especially for those who typically make social media-friendly content. 

The iPhone Duo can be folded in numerous ways to act as its own stand or tripod in order to take full-body photos and videos when working solo. The iPhone Duo even has unique features like Smart Take that take advantage of those capabilities and automatically snap photos of users without having to utilize a countdown.

When opened, the iPhone Duo's outer display can be used as a monitor so users can take selfies with the better 48MP without just guessing if they're even in the frame.

If you're a content creator who never manually changes the settings on your camera and barely, if ever, utilizes the telephoto lens, the iPhone Duo may actually be better for you.

The winner: The iPhone Duo

Price matters

Finally, an easy one. 

If you're looking for the most powerful but also simultaneously the most affordable device, don't even look at the iPhone Duo. It's the most expensive iPhone ever.

The Duo starts at $2,000. The iPhone 18 Pro Max is $700 cheaper at $1,299. Get the iPhone 18 Pro Max.

The winner: The iPhone 18 Pro Max, duh

You're a mobile gamer

If mobile gaming is your thing, it seems like Apple may have finally created the perfect iPhone for you.

People who've already had a hands-on with the iPhone Duo are saying that the foldable is seemingly made for gamers. The full-sized inner screen provides a perfect balance of display real estate with mobility. In addition, when turned to its side, one screen can be used as a traditional landscape-mode display, while the other can be used as a full-sized game controller.

Now, there is one addendum to add here. It may be a while for most game developers to update their games to use these features or even create games specifically tailored to the iPhone Duo. But, when all is said and done, the iPhone Duo will clearly have the upper hand over the iPhone 18 Pro Max when it comes to gaming.

The winner: iPhone Duo

You're a multitasker

This is a no-brainer choice if you're a multitasker. Go with the iPhone Duo.

The Duo appears to work much like an iPad, with the ability to run multiple apps side by side. The inner screen will also provide an optimal experience when using features like picture-in-picture video.

The winner: iPhone Duo

You have too many iPhone accessories already

Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

Unless you're upgrading your iPhone 17 Pro Max to the iPhone 18 Pro Max, which is the same size as its predecessor, you're going to have to buy a new iPhone case.

However, most other accessories should still work! Rigs to utilize your iPhone as a professional camera, swappable camera lenses, attachable battery packs, selfie sticks, tripod mounts – all of those should be compatible with your iPhone 18 Pro Max. After all, the traditional iPhone design has been this way for some time.

That may not be so with a completely different-looking iPhone product like the iPhone Duo. While some accessories may still work with your Duo, they certainly weren't designed to fit or align perfectly with its design. Many accessories may just not be compatible at all.

So, if you rely on many essential third-party iPhone accessories, you may want to stick with the iPhone 18 Pro Max.

The winner: iPhone 18 Pro Max

You just really want a foldable device

Yeah, just buy the iPhone Duo.

You think foldables are dumb

Why are you even here? Get the iPhone 18 Pro Max.

Top iPhone pre-order deals

The iPhone 18 Pro Max opens for pre-orders on Sept. 12, and the big carriers are rolling out their best offers:

• T-Mobile: Get the iPhone 18 Pro for free when you switch or trade-in an eligible phone on an Experience Beyond plan

• AT&T: Get up to $1,200 off the new iPhones with qualifying trade-ins of iPhone 14 or later

• Total Wireless: Save $600 on iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max on the All Access plan

• Verizon: Get up to $1,200 off when you add a new line (with qualified trade-in) on eligible myPlan

• Visible: Buy the iPhone with Visible+ Pro and receive $480 through monthly credits

Astronomers have taken a patch of distant sky and turned it into a 3D map, revealing a colossal system with about 5,000 times more mass than the Milky Way in the early universe.

In previous space pictures, this area looked like a flat painted ceiling. Galaxies appeared close together simply because they lined up from our point of view, even if some were separated by billions of light‑years in depth.

Because of that optical illusion, astronomers couldn't say for sure whether they were looking at one gigantic galaxy cluster under construction or a corridor where many clusters were in development. 

The 3D map answered that. By measuring how far away the galaxies are, scientists watched that view transform into a chain of clumps. That new way of looking at the data showed this was not a construction zone for a regular galaxy cluster but a supercluster — a cluster of clusters. Rather than one heap of galaxies, they were looking at cities of clusters.

"I think the distance and sheer scale of the structures we are studying is really extraordinary. These are structures containing hundreds to thousands of galaxies," said Vandana Ramakrishnan, a graduate student at Purdue University in Indiana and lead author of the study, in a statement. "It brings home the vastness of the cosmos."

The main system mapped is called COSMOS‑Z3.1‑A, and it's the earliest supercluster ever found. A second, smaller one, COSMOS‑Z3.1‑C, sits nearby in the same field. Both are so distant that we see them as they were when the universe was only about 2 or 3 billion years old, less than a quarter of its current age. 

Early surveys could only conclude that these were crowded locations for young galaxies. The clues came from a project called ODIN, which used the Dark Energy Camera on the U.S. National Science Foundation's Blanco 4‑meter telescope in Chile. In those images, the combined region stood out as a place where far‑off galaxies seemed tightly packed together.

The team turned to large telescopes in Chile, Hawaii, and Arizona, using instruments that spread each galaxy's light into a detailed rainbow. Because the universe is expanding, light from distant galaxies is stretched toward redder colors. Measuring that stretch reveals how long the light has traveled and how far away a galaxy lies.

In three dimensions, COSMOS‑Z3.1‑A broke down into 10 dense clumps of galaxies. COSMOS‑Z3.1‑C showed a similar pattern on a smaller scale, with about four. Each clump is massive and crowded enough to grow into its own galaxy cluster. 

Scientists say the new 3D view makes it easier to test the basic story of how the universe built its largest architecture. In computer models, groups of galaxies form first. They slide along highways, or filaments, under gravity, piling into chains of clumps. Over time, they merge into rounder, more settled clusters and superclusters. The results of the study were published in The Astrophysical Journal. 

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The 3D map also shows where these growing giants fit into the universe's larger cosmic web. Matter gathers into long highways that meet at intersections. Those hubs are where the clusters and superclusters tend to collect.

The Dark Energy Camera on the Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope in Chile helped astronomers find two unusually dense superclusters in the early universe. Credit: Nicole Firestone

"When we look at galaxy clusters in the nearby universe, we are seeing the finished product," said Eric Gawiser, a Rutgers University physics and astronomy professor, in a statement. But "This distant structure takes us back to a much earlier stage when the individual pieces were still coming together. It allows us to study how the universe built structures on its largest scales."

Once the galaxies were arranged in 3D, the researchers could estimate how much mass they have. They found both systems should eventually become more massive than the Coma Cluster, one of the largest known clusters in our area. In particular, COSMOS‑Z3.1‑A is head and shoulders above other heavyweights.

"We think there should be fewer than one such object for every 10,000 galaxy clusters," Ramakrishnan said.

The new Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile should make it possible to study more superclusters like this. Eventually, researchers hope to have enough data to compare how these systems look at different ages and track how galaxies evolve into dense cluster cores.

At the Google I/O event in May, CEO Sundar Pichai announced that the company's newest frontier model, Gemini 3.5 Pro, would launch in June.

"We are also excited for 3.5 Pro," Pichai said at a pre-Google I/O media briefing. "We are using it internally. It's showing great improvements. We are still testing and refining it, and it will roll out to everyone next month."

That never happened.

June eventually turned into July, and then August, and as of Sept. 10, there's still no sign of the model. The Google DeepMind website states, "3.5 Pro coming soon," as it has for months. Meanwhile, the long-time leader of Google DeepMind, Demis Hassabis, has been shuffled into a new position.

As Google stalls on Gemini 3.5 Pro, its chief AI rivals are releasing boundary-breaking new models. OpenAI recently released GPT-6 Astra, kicking off a new generation of GPT models, and Anthropic recently released Fable 5.1. Both models have made critical advances in cyber coding capabilities. They've also been used to resolve famous open questions in research-level mathematics, such as the Jacobian Conjecture and the Navier-Stokes problem (the latter was resolved with quite a bit of controversy, however). Chinese AI lab Moonshot also released Kimi K3, a massive open-source model with 2.8 trillion parameters.

Meanwhile, Google has rolled out a Gemini app for Windows and lighter-weight models such as Gemini 3.6 Flash.

It's been quite the turnaround for Google, which had raced forward in the AI arms race thanks to its massive user base and unprecedented access to training data.

So, where is Gemini 3.5 Pro?

At the Alphabet Q2 earnings call in July, Pichai said that "Gemini 3.5 Pro is currently in testing, and our team is already building the next generation of models."

Earlier that month, Bloomberg published a report on the delayed Gemini 3.5 Pro launch, with reporters Julia Love and Davey Alba writing that "The delay has caused frustration among Google engineers, AI researchers, and managers, who are concerned the company risks losing its edge in the market to rivals Anthropic and OpenAI."

At the time, Mashable reached out to Google with questions about the Gemini 3.5 Pro launch timeline, and the company provided the same statement it shared with Bloomberg: "We’re shipping quickly across a wide range of models while keeping them highly cost-effective for customers. We’re currently testing 3.5 Pro, an upgraded Flash model, and other models with partners, and we’re productively engaged with the U.S. government on model testing and broader frameworks."

The company did not respond to Mashable's most recent questions about the delay, and we will update this story if we receive more information.

Since the Bloomberg report, Google DeepMind has undergone a seismic leadership shakeup. In August, Pichai announced that Demis Hassabis, Google DeepMind's co-founder, will henceforth serve as the chairman of Google DeepMind and chief scientist of Alphabet, with AI researcher and longtime Googler Koray Kavukcuoglu leading the lab as the new senior vice president. The announcement also revealed that legendary AI researcher Jeff Dean would be leaving Google to start a new venture, along with several other researchers.

Crucially, Kavukcuoglu is based in Google's HQ in Mountain View, California, whereas Hassabis was based in London. An in-depth Fortune report said Google employees were "shocked" by the news, which raised concerns that Pichai was consolidating power in Mountain View.

So, is Hassabis's new role a promotion or a demotion? That's the billion-dollar question analysts have been asking ever since, though Google characterized the move as a promotion.

Fortune’s report on the “difficult year” at Google DeepMind also cited “delayed models, high-profile exits of talent, and a very public fight" among employees over military defense contracts. 

Bloomberg's July report suggested there were two other reasons driving the delay of Gemini 3.5 Pro. The first is bureaucratic. Given Google's organizational size and the number of products integrated with Gemini, delays are inevitable compared with leaner AI startups. Second, Bloomberg found that Google leaders were worried that Gemini 3.5 Pro may not be competitive with their rivals' recent releases.

Google continues to fall on AI leaderboards

Without a new frontier model, Google has tumbled down AI leaderboards. On the Arena leaderboard, Google is in 14th place as of this writing, behind models from Chinese labs such as DeepSeek and Moonshot. In Arena's coding leaderboard, the area where Anthropic and OpenAI have reported such rapid advancements, Google is currently ranked 25th.

Of course, the AI industry can and does change rapidly, and a new, highly advanced model could reverse Google's momentum overnight. The company still has some key advantages over other AI companies. Google not only has unprecedented access to the world's data, but it can also put its AI tools directly into the hands of billions of Android and Google Search users worldwide.

And even though Gemini 3.5 Pro is delayed, the company is already talking about Gemini 4.

"We are now training Gemini 4, and we're being very ambitious with it," Pichai said at the Q2 earnings call. "I am very excited by the progress I'm seeing internally on Gemini 4, and I'm confident that people will be pleased when we are putting it outside."

In response to a question about whether Google could still compete at the frontier level, Pichai sounded very optimistic.

"We are really focused, putting a lot of effort into Gemini 4. It's a very ambitious effort. We want to compete at the frontier level of where the frontier will be when Gemini 4 comes out, and so we are applying a lot of our compute and effort in that direction...And so, picking up pace and releasing models almost at a monthly cadence is part of our roadmap as we are building Gemini 4 as well."

But the longer Google waits to release Gemini 3.5 Pro, the higher the performance bar it will have to clear to maintain equal footing with its rivals.

There are a few things you expect to see when a crowd of college students takes over a fraternity lawn in broad daylight. People stretching on yoga mats before a group run probably aren't among them. Neither is a lineup of cold plunges.

But that’s the setup at a "wellness darty," a gathering that combines the social side of a college day party with activities you might otherwise associate with a fitness studio. A traditional "darty" — literally, a daytime party — usually revolves around drinking, music, and hanging out. At the wellness version, the agenda might include Pilates, a run, an ice bath, and a coffee or matcha afterward.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

These events have drawn students at the University of Miami, University of Florida, Florida State University, Syracuse University, and the University of Alabama, with local wellness groups organizing the gatherings. There’s still music and a crowd of people meeting up, but alcohol isn't the main event.

When I was in a sorority in 2017, our darties definitely didn't involve yoga mats...and I’m not the only one doing a double take. The trend has prompted TikTok users to share their own college party memories, with former students posting footage of nights out that looked very different from a group run.

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For the students attending, though, the idea may feel less surprising. As more young people look for ways to socialize that don’t revolve around drinking, a workout followed by coffee with friends fits into a broader idea of what a fun college weekend can look like.

The events gained widespread attention after Aydan Child, founder of Florida wellness community Peak Pulse, shared a TikTok of students gathering outside a University of Florida fraternity house to stretch and work out. "Imagine explaining a wellness darty to someone who went to college in 2012," the text over the video read. As White Claw commented on the post, "I just broke out in hives."

That gathering (with reportedly "hundreds" of attendees) was one of 20 wellness darties the club has hosted across Gainesville and Tallahassee, and they aren't alone: The charity and wellness group Sweat & Soak has organized events for University of Alabama students featuring workouts, cold plunges, and saunas, while The Wellness Society hosted an outdoor mat Pilates class at Syracuse University's fraternity DKE (yes, on their front lawn). The "global wellness community" now has chapters in high schools and on college campuses around the world, hosting similar events this month.

According to data from Eventbrite, seeing this type of event on campus may not surprise Gen Z much: morning raves have grown 20 percent. Coffee clubbing — along with sauna and ice bath events, which are also part of the "soft clubbing" movement — are up 478 percent and 256 percent, respectively.

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Why are students showing up?

Pilates, run clubs, elaborate morning routines, and post-workout matcha are familiar parts of the wellness content young people encounter online. It only makes sense to put these digital trends together into a social event that would attract Gen Z-ers.

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Research hints at why. McKinsey's 2024 wellness report found that 56 percent of surveyed U.S. Gen Z consumers considered fitness a "very high priority," compared with 40 percent of U.S. consumers overall. And, its 2025 research also found that Gen Z and millennials accounted for more than 41 percent of annual U.S. wellness spending, despite making up 36 percent of the adult population.

That interest in wellness also overlaps with beauty and fashion trends among young women, with labels like "Pilates princess" turning a workout routine into an aspirational lifestyle online. I mean, ever heard of the "clean girl" aesthetic? Popularized by figures like Hailey Bieber, the look is associated with slicked-back hair, dewy skin, and minimal-looking makeup.

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This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

In the broader lifestyle content surrounding it, you’ll also find matching workout sets, under-eye patches, Pilates classes, and matcha runs — all presented as parts of the same daily routine for looking and feeling good.

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Alongside the interest in wellness, younger people’s relationship with alcohol has been changing for years. A 2023 Gallup survey showed that the share of adults under 35 who reported drinking fell from 72 percent in 2001–2003 to 62 percent in 2021–2023. Plus, 52 percent of Gen Z-ers considered moderate drinking unhealthy in 2023, up from 34 percent five years earlier. Researchers have also documented declining youth drinking in countries including England, Sweden, Australia, and Iceland, suggesting the shift extends well beyond the U.S.

A growing number of young adults in the US are choosing to abstain from alcohol Credit: Statista

There isn’t one explanation for that change. Cost is one possible factor: In a 2023 study of young people in England, participants pointed to alcohol’s affordability as a reason their generation might be drinking less. A University of Michigan study found that young adults sometimes skipped drinking because of a recent hangover, alongside concerns about money and school or work commitments. The possibility of an embarrassing moment ending up online may also play a role.

As Northeastern University historian Malcolm Purinton told the Times Union, "People don’t want to go viral for intoxication, whether in high school or college." Another reason? According to a survey in 2021, 51.7 percent of young adults abstained from alcohol because they disliked the taste/smell.

Apparently, "you’ll acquire a taste for it" wasn’t a convincing sales pitch. Credit: Statista

Drinking less may also be connected to young people spending less time socializing in person. Wellness darties offer a reason to get together, with the turnout suggesting there’s still an appetite for shared plans — even when drinking isn’t the focus.

And for students who find socializing difficult, these events offer a way to ease into it through a shared love of fitness. University of Alabama sophomore Riley Meyer, who helped facilitate a Sweat & Soak event, told USA Today, "I think my generation… does have a problem with socialization, especially without the context of alcohol at a party, and I think that when you have an activity built in, it gives you something to do."

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The internet has questions

Online, the combination of college partying and wellness has prompted everything from amusement to disbelief.

One widely viewed X post described the footage as "truly bone chilling." Another asked why college students were "cosplaying as 30-something matcha/pilates/corporate warriors."

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The responses also reveal different expectations of what college is supposed to look like. In the r/GenZ discussion, one commenter identifying as a millennial explained that memories of partying were "strongly tied to the feelings of youth, self-discovery, and newfound freedom." One parent expressed nostalgia for her college experience: "There was a LOT of heavy laughter and dancing and hooking up, and it was fun."

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Others online questioned why a different kind of social event was attracting criticism at all. As the original poster asked, "Isn’t trying to be more health-conscious a generally GOOD thing?"

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For some, though, the concern centered on the pressure to make every experience an opportunity for self-improvement. "I think it’s generally because our generation is too fixated on optimizing everything," one commenter wrote. "There is beauty in imperfection."

There’s still a Saturday night

Students attending these events made the point to reporters that they are still partying.

Meyer, for example, said that she and her friends went home after their wellness darty, took a break, and went out later. "It’s not like it prohibited us from going out, it just gave us something else to do," she told USA Today.

Child, who is sober, told the publication that Peak Pulse’s events are open to everyone. Some end at a bar, where coffee and matcha are encouraged, but alcohol is also available. He told People that students can go out on Friday night and still make room for a run on Saturday. There is data that suggests Gen Z is in an alcohol resurgence — 74 percent of Gen Zers report having had a drink over the past six months, up from 66 percent three years ago, according to a July 2026 report.

Whether "wellness darties" become a campus tradition or eventually take on a new name, their appeal offers a glimpse of what students may want from their social lives beyond college: more ways to spend time together that fit their interests and routines, with drinking optional. For the clubs, bars, and event organizers hoping to attract them, a fraternity lawn full of yoga mats is a useful place to start paying attention.

TL;DR: Pay $49.99 (reg. $499) once for MusicMagic’s Starter Plan and get 100 lifetime AI music generations, unlimited distribution, commercial rights, and 100% royalty retention.

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Credit: MusicMagic

MusicMagic Starter Plan: Lifetime Subscription

$49.99
$499 Save $449.01

 

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Your shower-song career can finally leave the bathroom. MusicMagic turns a mood, topic, story, or your own lyrics into a fully produced track, with eight genres to choose from and tools for distributing your hard work to major streaming platforms. For a limited time, you can grab a lifetime subscription to its Starter Plan for only $49.99 (reg. $499).

You don’t necessarily need a recording studio, a band, or production experience to turn the song rattling around in your head into something you can actually release. MusicMagic Starter uses AI to handle much of the process, from writing lyrics and generating the track to creating cover art and distributing the finished song.

Give MusicMagic a mood, topic, or story, then choose from eight genres and let the AI turn that prompt into lyrics and a fully produced track. If you’ve already written lyrics of your own, you can bring those instead and have the AI build the music around them.

The available genres include pop, rock, electronic, lo-fi, classical, jazz, hip-hop, and R&B, giving you ample room to experiment with different sounds and styles. Finished songs can run up to 120 seconds and be downloaded as WAV or MP3 files, with previous creations saved to your MusicMagic library.

The platform also handles music distribution, letting you release tracks to major streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music without paying a per-release distribution fee. AI-generated cover art is included, too, knocking another item off the release checklist.

And if your experiment with AI music somehow turns into actual listeners, you keep 100% of your streaming royalties. The plan includes full commercial rights to the tracks you create, so they can also be monetized or used commercially without an additional MusicMagic licensing fee.

There is a limit to how prolific your imaginary record label can become. The Starter Plan includes 100 AI music generations for the lifetime of the account, rather than 100 new credits every month. But distribution itself is unlimited, so you aren’t restricted to a set number of releases from the music you’ve created.

Normally $499, you can grab the MusicMagic Starter Plan on sale for only $49.99.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Get a MagellanTV lifetime subscription for $149.97 (reg. $999), with access to more than 4,000 documentaries.

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MagellanTV Documentary Streaming Service: Lifetime Subscription

$149.97
$999 Save $849.03

 

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If your streaming queue could use fewer scripted dramas and more engaging and educational content, MagellanTV is built around documentaries. The service offers over 4,000 movies and series across categories including history, science and technology, nature, space, true crime, travel and art and culture. You can get the MagellanTV lifetime subscription while it’s on sale for $149.97 (reg. $999).

MagellanTV is designed for viewers who want to learn about their favorite subject rather than watch whatever happens to be trending. Its library includes curated collections and playlists focused on people, places and events, with new documentaries added each week. Available titles can stream in 4K when that quality is offered, and there are no ads interrupting the programming.

The catalog covers a broad range of interests, from ancient history and biographies to space, science, Earth, nature and technology. There are also collections covering travel and adventure, historical drama, current history and social issues. This way, you can move from a documentary about the cosmos to one about an archaeological discovery without switching to a different streaming app.

MagellanTV works across TVs, laptops and mobile devices, and you can cast programs from a phone or tablet to compatible devices including Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast and smart TVs. Multiple-device streaming also makes it possible to watch from wherever you happen to be.

MagellanTV is ideal for anyone who regularly turns to documentaries for entertainment or wants a deeper library than the documentary selection offered by general-purpose streaming platforms. It’s also a straightforward option for households with people who have interests, given the range of categories available. Some titles have geographic restrictions, so the available library can vary depending on where you live.

For documentary programming and not just another general entertainment service, MagellanTV offers plenty to explore. Get your MagellanTV lifetime subscription for $149.97 (reg. $999).

StackSocial prices subject to change

Watching the showcase of impulsive and absolutely illegal decisions made in the film Bad Apples, I couldn't get the words of a doomed galactic senator out of my head: "If you lead your thoughts through to conclusion, it will lead you to a place we cannot go."

It's exactly this place of no return that the Saiorse Ronan-led dark comedy thriller relentlessly cannonballs into, with director Jonatan Etzler putting his protagonist down a dubious, desperate path. With Ronan's always-impeccable talents supported by a sublime young cast, Bad Apples leans into unethical impulses, all the while exposing home truths about the under-resourced education system and social disdain toward children with behavioural, emotional, and social difficulties. Plus, it's really funny.

Teachers, parents, you're going to want to watch this film (and I want to know what you think of it).

Bad Apples sees Saiorse Ronan as a teacher who meets her edge

Written by Jess O'Kane as an adaptation of Rasmus Andersson's novel De Oönskade, Bad Apples enrols you with Somerset-based primary school teacher Maria (Ronan), who has thought of nothing but a teaching career since childhood. Alas, the reality of an underfunded education system wears down her Miss Honey-drenched dreams and raises the stakes with a "difficult" student.

Beyond overwhelmed, Maria's all-too-real lack of institutional support comes to a head accommodating the needs of disruptive student Danny (excellent newcomer Eddie Waller). A boy with the shortest of fuses, he swears at his classmates, destroys their belongings, ruins excursions, and generally gives Maria hell. Here, young Waller delivers in spades, with O'Kane's script heaped with unapologetic expletives and violent threats. Despite her frazzled attempts to control the situation and the attempted assistance of teacher's pet Pauline (an outstanding Nia Brown), Maria is held accountable by concerned parents, denied professional support by the equally stressed principal (Rakie Ayola), and facing the school's dreaded regular Ofsted inspection. Suddenly, a moment of violence occurs.

With her job genuinely on the line, Maria takes action. How do you solve a problem like Danny? Reader, she locks this kid in her own basement. 

Saiorse Ronan gives a masterclass in unreliable protagonist

With full knowledge of the kidnapped child playing video games in her home, Maria keeps the ruse up — and Ronan plays the audience entirely with her inner insistence on her actions being justified. Practicing such deadpan statements aloud as "I've got your son in my basement" and lazily searching "how to control a large pet" online land with comedic finesse, as Maria digs herself deeper and deeper into a proverbial hole.

Notably, a large part of Bad Apples gives us an insight into Maria's real sense of loneliness. She retreats into her nightly sense of control in her cosy farming simulator game and never socialises outside of school. Adding stress to an already tempestuous working environment, Maria works with her ex, the man she moved to Somerset for, who then left her for another woman — an especially brutal move in a small town. So, with Danny kept in the basement, Maria not only controls a newfound peace in her classroom, but enjoys a warped sense of company in her primary-aged prisoner.

This sense of messed up perspective extends to Danny, who screams to go home to his absent father (Robert Emms) as much as he enjoys a Stockholm Syndrome-like existence learning his ABCs from Maria and being actually cared for (albeit while being incarcerated in a basement and shitting in a bucket). Over the course of the film, Maria and Danny develop a deeply strange, playful, and volatile bond. But is this genuine camaraderie, or is Danny merely trying to get the hell out of here? It's a dark dance of ethics, and one that draws wonderful moments of pure comedy from both Ronan and Waller. 

Bad Apples plays out a micro decision with macro implications

Maria's actions in Bad Apples aren't just unhinged, they're criminal. However, the film plays out the scenario anyway, just to see what might happen if you, say, shut a disruptive student in a basement the day of your school's Ofsted inspection, the day after he attacked a fellow student.

Beginning as a trope of a Difficult Student, Waller's Danny finds superb moments of vulnerability and humanity, especially through moving scenes with Ronan's Maria. In contrast, Brown's Pauline, the straight-A student, the ultimate teacher's sycophant, becomes the film's real power player.

Through the film's diabolical set-up, Etzler and O'Kane are able to pose ethical questions about overworked teachers and the lack of resources educators have to work with children with behavioural difficulties, as well as assumptions we make of "difficult" kids. Here, communities would rather sweep troubled kids like Danny under the rug (or into a basement) than begin to try to understand him. I honestly want to know what teachers and parents think of this film, as I'm neither myself.

Ultimately, who in this situation is actually the bad apple?

Bad Apples was reviewed out of BFI London Film Festival 2025. The film is showing in UK cinemas from Sept. 11, with international dates TBC.

SAVE $50: As of Sept. 11, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds are on sale for $249 at Amazon. That's a 17% discount on the list price.

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Credit: Bose

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds

$249 at Amazon
$299 Save $50

 

Get Deal

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds are back on sale at Amazon, so if you're looking for a premium pair of earbuds at a great price, look no further. As of Sept. 11, they have dropped to $249, knocking $50 off their usual price. The deal is available on all five colors: white smoke, deep plum, desert gold, midnight violet, and black.

Noise cancellation is a major selling point with these earbuds. Bose says these earbuds offer its most effective noise cancellation, as well as an ActiveSense feature that helps soften sudden changes in background noise when you switch to Aware Mode. There's also CustomTune, which uses the shape of your ears to personalize both the sound and noise cancellation.

They also come with nine combinations of eartips and stability bands, so getting a comfortable, secure fit should be easier. And for calls and voice notes, SpeechClarity uses noise-rejecting microphones to help reduce background noise and wind. Plus, you'll get up to six hours of battery life in Quiet or Aware Mode, or up to four hours with Immersive Audio.

Get this earbuds deal from Amazon now.

A new national study has revealed that women face a troubling double when it comes to carrying a key component of sexual health: condoms. 

When Australian women were asked about other women carrying condoms, the two most common answers were both about her sexual conduct: that she is planning to have sex (45.4%), and that she sleeps around (38.6%). Yet, the most common answer about men carrying condoms? “Is prepared” – at 43.9%. 

Credit: Moments Sexual Health Study 2026

Key findings from the 2026 Moments Sexual Wellness Study:

• Buying condoms has gotten easier for women, but being judged for carrying them has gotten worse

• Three in four Australian women have hidden, disguised or abandoned a condom purchase

• Two-thirds of Australian women have gone without a condom because neither person had one

More here.

Additionally, the study found that Australian women aged 18-45 are still uncomfortable buying or carrying condoms. And, while more women felt comfortable buying condoms than 10 years ago, feelings of judgement for carrying condoms has actually gotten worse. 

“The stigma [around condoms] didn’t dissolve. It relocated,” said sex educator Eleanor Hadley about the findings. “We’ve spent a decade making the public part of this easier – better shelf placement, self-checkouts, more open conversation – and by our own tracking, buying condoms has genuinely got easier. But nobody was working on the private part. That’s where it has settled, and that’s where women are now paying for it.”

With an overwhelming feeling of judgement running rampant across women even throwing a pack of condoms in their regular groceries, three in four Australian women are usually either hiding them via self-checkout or disguising them within other items. 

The study also found that “Other respondents had waited until a shop was quiet, bought online to avoid buying in person, asked somebody else to buy, or gone somewhere they were less likely to be known.” Some Australian women have simply abandoned their condom purchases altogether. This has prompted condom brands like Moments Wellness to offer services like discreet condom deliveries (and even subscriptions).

With public perception working against them, women are struggling to get to a place where, as Moments puts it, “A condom should be able to sit beside coffee, deodorant or lip balm without recruiting the rest of the basket as cover.” Though we’re yet to break the stigma completely, here’s hoping conversations created by projects like Moments Sexual Health Study can help normalise being assertive with one’s own sexual health, for women, as much as men. 

About the study: Moments Sexual Health Study 2026. 1,111 Australian women aged 18–45, weighted by age, state and region. Carrying behaviour, partner response and responsibility were measured for the first time in 2026 and have no prior comparison. The 2026 wave was fielded by a different provider to the 2017 and 2021 waves. More here.

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

Spiteful.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

CATTY

Hurdle Word 2 hint

To dawdle.

Hurdle Word 2 Answer

DILLY

Hurdle Word 3 hint

To change.

Hurdle Word 3 answer

AMEND

Hurdle Word 4 hint

A composition.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

ETUDE

Final Hurdle hint

A Christmas plant.

Hurdle Word 5 answer

HOLLY

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

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier for people who watch the WNBA.

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

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

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

What is Connections: Sports Edition?

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Yellow: IR

• Green: How to get on base

• Blue: Aces

• Purple: Types of dunks

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: NFL Injury Report Designations

• Green: Ways to Reach First Base

• Blue: Las Vegas Aces

• Purple: ____Dunk

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 #718 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• NFL Injury Report Designations: DOUBTFUL, OUT, PROBABLE, QUESTIONABLE

• Ways to Reach First Base: ERROR, HIT BY PITCH, SINGLE, WALK

• Las Vegas Aces: GRAY, LOYD, WILSON, YOUNG

• ____Dunk: NIKE, REVERSE, SLAM, WINDMILL

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Easy difficulty hints, answers for September 11 Pips

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

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

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

Equal (5): Everything in this space must be equal to 5. The answer is 4-5, placed horizontally; 5-2, placed vertically.

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 1-2, placed vertically.

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 5-2, placed vertically; 1-2, placed vertically.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for September 11 Pips

Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 1-5, placed horizontally; 1-6, placed vertically.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 1-5, placed horizontally; 5-2, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (1): Everything in this space must be greater than 1. The answer is 5-2, placed horizontally.

Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 3-6, placed vertically; 2-1, placed vertically.

Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 1-6, placed vertically; 2-4, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 2-1, placed vertically; 3-4, placed horizontally.

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

Hard difficulty hints, answers for September 11 Pips

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

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

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