When shopping for a Valentine's Day gift for the woman in your life, remember that romance doesn't stem from the amount of money you spend (or the number of stems in the bouquet).

The real sparks fly when your gift shows that you pay attention. Think about what type of gift could satisfy her latest obsession, or what type of gift could alleviate her latest pet peeve. Of course, heart-shaped or romantic Valentine's Day gifts are never a bad idea — we're just here to make sure they're not too cliché. Here are our picks for the best Valentine's Day gifts for her in 2026. Thoughtful, practical, whimsical, or appropriately mushy, these unique gift ideas go beyond the classic flowers and jewelry that you've already thought of.

TL;DR: Get more done with this Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows lifetime license, now $34.97 (reg. $219.99) until Feb. 22.

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Credit: Microsoft

Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows: Lifetime License

$34.97
$219.99 Save $185.02

 

Get Deal

From creating a standout resume to building a budget or drafting an invoice, there are some tasks that are just easier on your PC. If you’re looking to make them even easier, a Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows lifetime license can help. Now you can own eight powerful Microsoft tools for life for just $34.97 (reg. $219.99) through Feb. 22.

Got an endless to-do list piling up? Knock it out with Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows. This lifetime license gives you eight apps that make life a little easier — from finishing work tasks to answering emails — and there are no subscription fees required. You’ll get these eight Microsoft essentials for less than $5 each with this license, including new and familiar favorites.

Draft documents in Word, manage correspondence in Outlook, put together powerful presentations in PowerPoint, and build budgets in Excel. You can also stay connected to others with Teams, manage large databases with Access, take notes more efficiently with OneNote, and create professional documents in Publisher.

Don’t let the year of this edition give you pause — all the apps have been redesigned to help things work smoothly. There’s a ribbon-based interface so you can access features, tools, and customizations more easily. Just make sure your PC is running Windows 10 or 11 before your purchase, as Windows 7 and 8 won’t support the apps.

Get this Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows lifetime license for only $34.97 (reg. $219.99) now through Feb. 22.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Live stream Denver Nuggets vs. Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA for free with a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

It's been an action packed week of NBA action for both the Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies, with multiple games played across a number of arenas.

But this Sunday afternoon fixture should favor the Nuggets, who are riding high in the Western Conference while the Grizzles are scrambling in the bottom half. Can the Grizzlies pull off an unexpected win? Or will the Nuggets notch up another victory in what's shaping up to be a solid season?

If you want to watch Nuggets vs. Grizzlies in the NBA for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Nuggets vs. Grizzlies?

Denver Nuggets vs. Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA starts at 3.30 p.m. ET on Jan. 25. This game takes place at the FedExForum in Memphis, TN.

How to watch Nuggets vs. Grizzlies for free

Denver Nuggets vs. Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA is available to live stream for free with a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime.

This free live stream is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can access free live streams of the NBA from anywhere in the world.

Stream the NBA for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime (if you're not already a member)

2. Subscribe to a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

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

5. Watch the NBA from anywhere in the world on Prime Video

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Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

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

Learn More

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer money-back guarantees or free trials. By leveraging these offers, you can watch NBA live streams without actually spending anything. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does mean you can watch select games from the NBA before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the NBA?

ExpressVPN is the best service for accessing free live streams on platforms like Prime Video, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.95 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream the NBA for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Rams vs. Seahawks for free on TVNZ+. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

We're at a crucial stage in the NFL playoffs, as the Conference Championship games go down this weekend. In the NFC Championship game, the Los Angeles Rams clash with the Seattle Seahawks.

The Rams, the No. 5 seed, have had an exciting playoff run and defeated the Chicago Bears in overtime drama. But they'll face the toughest competition in the entire conference. The Seahawks are the No. 1 seed and they absolutely dominated the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round.

The winner of this game with face either the Denver Broncos or New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. The Seahawks look like the obvious pick on paper, but — as the Seahawks proved themselves in the last game with a 13-second touchdown — anything can happen at this stage And there was just one point between these teams when they met last month, a game won by Seattle.

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

When is Rams vs. Seahawks?

Los Angeles Rams vs. Seattle Seahawks takes place at 6.30 p.m. ET on Jan. 25. This fixture will be played at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington.

How to watch Rams vs. Seahawks for free

Los Angeles Rams vs. Seattle Seahawks in the NFL is available to live stream for free on TVNZ+.

TVNZ+ is geo-restricted to New Zealand, but you can access this free streaming platform from anywhere by using a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in New Zealand, allowing you to unblock TVNZ+ from anywhere in the world. Access free live streams of the NFL by following these simple steps:

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

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

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in a location with free coverage of the NFL

4. Register with TVNZ+

5. Watch the NFL for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.95 at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming do require a subscription, but the leading VPN services also offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. You can leverage these deals to get access to live streams of the NFL without committing any cash in the long run. This is obviously a short-term fix, but it will give you time to watch Rams vs. Seahawks and other NFL fixtures before you reclaim any upfront investment.

What is the best VPN for the NFL?

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

• Servers in 105 countries

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

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

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 — a saving of 49% — which includes a bonus three months usage at no extra cost. This plan also includes a year of unlimited cloud backup and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.95 (also with a money-back guarantee).

Live stream the NFL for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Patriots vs. Broncos for free on TVNZ+. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Does it get any more exciting than the NFL playoffs? And we're now deep into the postseason. It's time for the Championship Conference games, which means we're just one game away from the Super Bowl. Yes, it's all pretty exciting.

The AFC Championship Game sees the Patriots go on the road for a showdown with the Denver Broncos, with the winner set to face the victor of the Seattle Seahawks vs. Los Angeles Rams NFC Championship Game.

The Broncos are the AFC No. 1 seed and boast a record of 14-3 this season. But they scraped past the Divisional Round thanks to a controversial call against the Buffalo Bills. Meanwhile, the Patriots, the No.2 seed, scored a convincing win over the Houston Texans, including a sensational touchdown pass from MVP contender Drake Maye. Can New England continue that momentum and regain their former glory?

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

When is Patriots vs. Broncos?

New England Patriots vs. Denver Broncos takes place at 3 p.m. ET on Jan. 25. This fixture will be played at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado.

How to watch Patriots vs. Broncos for free

New England Patriots vs. Denver Broncos in the NFL is available to live stream for free on TVNZ+.

TVNZ+ is geo-restricted to New Zealand, but you can access this free streaming platform from anywhere by using a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in New Zealand, allowing you to unblock TVNZ+ from anywhere in the world. Access free live streams of the NFL by following these simple steps:

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

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

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in a location with free coverage of the NFL

4. Register with TVNZ+

5. Watch the NFL for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.95 at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming do require a subscription, but the leading VPN services also offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. You can leverage these deals to get access to live streams of the NFL without committing any cash in the long run. This is obviously a short-term fix, but it will give you time to watch Patriots vs. Broncos and other NFL fixtures before you reclaim any upfront investment.

What is the best VPN for the NFL?

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

• Servers in 105 countries

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

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

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95, and includes a bonus three months usage at no extra cost. This plan also includes a year of unlimited cloud backup and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.95 (also with a money-back guarantee).

Live stream the NFL for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

At present, I think the best Windows laptop for most people is the 13.8-inch Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 powered by the Snapdragon X Elite chip. It's a stylish workhorse with enough power to handle demanding workloads and has a premium build as well as an amazing all-day battery life (outdone by just two other models). Even the M4 MacBooks can't keep up. Beyond that, I have other picks for users with different budgets, use cases, and design preferences.

I chose my picks based on hands-on testing conducted by myself and other Mashable staff and contributors. We've reviewed dozens of PCs on the basis of performance, build quality, battery life, and value over the years, and the ones I'm recommending are the cream of recent-gen crops. Most of them scored high enough to secure a Mashable Choice Award, the highest honor we give to the gadgets we review.

New Windows laptops are coming soon — and so are higher prices (maybe)

Every major PC maker announced new Windows laptops at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in early January. They'll all be powered by new Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm processors, and many of them feature modular or ultra-ultraportable designs. Six of them will succeed some of the current top picks on this list (noted above). We'll be testing as many as possible in the coming months to see what's worthy of our recommendation, so stay tuned.

Relatedly, a word of caution: Next-gen Windows laptops could be significantly more expensive than their predecessors. It's because AI data centers have gobbled up DDR5 RAM and SSDs in recent months, leading to a shortage of such components for laptops and other consumer devices. Experts predict that PCs will get pricier over the coming months or ship with lesser specs, as Mashable's Alex Perry reported.

Very few PC makers have confirmed pricing and availability for their 2026 Windows laptops, so we don't know exactly how the shortage affects them just yet. The good news is that it might be up to a year before we see prices start to skyrocket. In a recent interview with Tom's Guide, a higher-up at Intel said that PC makers have “about nine to 12 months of inventory" on hand as a buffer.

Whether you're buying one of the excellent past-gen models on this list or sticking it out for something newer, I would strongly recommend upgrading your device with as much RAM and storage as your budget allows. You'll add some extra future-proofing while avoiding any potential price hikes down the road.

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

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

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

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

Hurdle Word 1 hint

A rock.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

FLINT

Hurdle Word 2 hint

A famous R&B singer.

Hurdle Word 2 Answer

USHER

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Done to fruits and vegetables.

Hurdle Word 3 answer

PRUNE

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Typically sat on.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

CHAIR

Final Hurdle hint

To crouch down.

Hurdle Word 5 answer

KNEEL

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

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

Released in August 2025, the 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 onto 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 for 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 Jan. 25 Pips

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

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

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

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 3-1, placed horizontally; 0-2, placed vertically.

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

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

Medium difficulty hints, answers for Jan. 25 Pips

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 3-6, placed horizontally.

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

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

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

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

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 3-0, placed horizontally; 4-0, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for Jan. 25 Pips

Equal (5): Everything in this space must be equal to 5. The answer is 5-3, placed vertically; 5-5, placed horizontally; 5-6, placed horizontally; 5-4, placed horizontally.

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

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

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

Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 1-1, placed horizontally; 1-0, placed horizontally.

Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 3-0, placed horizontally; 1-0, placed horizontally; 0-0, placed vertically.

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

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier if you remember your childhood games.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Yellow: Sad

• Green: Ocho sports

• Blue: Hockey stars

• Purple: Stars

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Disappointment

• Green: Sports, With "-Ing"

• Blue: Hall of Fame NHL Defensemen

• Purple: ___Star(s)

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

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

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections: Sports Edition #489 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Disappointment - BUST, DUD, FAILURE, FLOP

• Sports, With "-Ing" - BOWL, BOX, CURL, SURF

• Hall of Fame NHL Defensemen - BOURQUE, COFFEY, LEETCH, ORR

• ___Star(s) - ALL, CHICAGO, DALLAS, SUPER

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

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

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

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

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you love Italian food.

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: A replacement

• Green: Computer buttons

• Blue: Noodles

• Purple: Word endings

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Act as a backup

• Green: PC keyboard keys

• Blue: Pasta shapes

• Purple: Suffixes

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 #959 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Act as a backup: COVER, FILL IN, SUB, TEMP

• PC keyboard keys: ALT, ENTER, MENU, WINDOWS

• Pasta shapes: BOWTIE, RIBBON, SHELL, TUBE

• Suffixes: ATE, DOM, HOOD, SHIP

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

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

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

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

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're always on the right track.

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: The straight and narrow

The words are related to stiffness.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe solid, straight things.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Sticky Situation.

NYT Strands word list for January 25

• Sticky Situation

• Dowel

• Pole

• Picket

• Stake

• Cane

• Post

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

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

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

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're a model.

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

Where did Wordle come from?

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

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

What's the best Wordle starting word?

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

What happened to the Wordle archive?

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

Is Wordle getting harder?

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

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

A confident walk.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter T appears twice.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter S.

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...

STRUT

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

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

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

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

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

It’s almost a new lunar phase, with the Moon one night away from the First Quarter. This means that just under half of the Moon is illuminated tonight.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Sunday, Jan. 25, the Moon phase is Waxing Crescent. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 43% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.

There's plenty to see tonight, even with just your naked eye, including the Crisum, Serenitatis and Fecunditatis mares. If you have binoculars you'll also be able to catch a glimpse of the Endymion Crater and the Posidonius Crater. And finally, if you have a telescope, you can also see the Apollo 16 and 17 landing spots and the Rupes Altai.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will be on Feb. 1. The last full moon was on Jan. 3.

What are Moon phases?

NASA tells us the lunar cycle lasts about 29.5 days, which is how long the Moon takes to travel once around Earth. Over that period, it passes through eight recognised phases. While the same side of the Moon always faces our planet, the portion that appears lit changes as the Moon moves along its orbit. The varying amount of sunlight reaching the Moon is what makes it appear full, partially illuminated, or almost invisible at different points in the cycle. The eight lunar 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: Block ads for the whole family for life with an AdGuard Family Plan on sale for $40 right now.

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AdGuard Family Plan: Lifetime Subscription

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Ads are frustrating, but you aren’t stuck with them. If you’re sick of every ad you see online advertising the product you Googled a week ago, then try AdGuard. AdGuard is a comprehensive ad-blocking tool that doesn’t charge by the month. Instead, you can get an AdGuard Lifetime Subscription on sale for $39.99 (down from $169.99).

AdGuard focuses on three things at once: blocking ads, protecting privacy, and giving families more control over what shows up on shared devices. Once it is installed, it can hide banner ads, pop-ups, and auto-play video ads in supported browsers and apps, which often makes pages load faster and feel less cluttered.

On the privacy side, AdGuard limits how much advertisers and tracking scripts can follow you from site to site. That reduces the constant feeling that every ad is based on something you clicked days ago. It also checks sites against known malware and phishing lists, giving you another layer of defense against shady links.

The Family Plan adds parental controls that let you restrict adult or other unwanted content on kids’ devices. That is useful if you share tablets or laptops at home and want a simple way to keep younger users away from certain sites. The plan covers up to nine devices across Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, so one lifetime license can follow your phones, laptops, and tablets.

Right now, it’s only $39.99 to get an AdGuard Lifetime Family Plan.

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TL;DR: Get Microsoft Office for life on sale now for $99.97.

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Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business for Mac or PC Lifetime License

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You don’t need a Microsoft 365 subscription to get apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint anymore. Microsoft is finally letting users get lifetime access to recent versions of apps that are usually only available through a subscription. Right now, you can get a Microsoft Office Home and Business Lifetime License on sale for $99.97 (reg. $249.99).

Office 2024 Home and Business comes with:

• Word

• Excel

• PowerPoint

• Outlook

• Onenote

You install the apps locally, so you can keep working on documents, spreadsheets, and decks even when you are offline.

Compared with Office 2021, this version focuses on faster performance and smoother workflows. Excel handles large workbooks more efficiently and adds tools like dynamic arrays and AI-driven data insights to make analysis and charting less tedious. Word includes Focus Mode to hide extra toolbars and Smart Compose to suggest text as you type, which can help you draft faster and stay on task.

PowerPoint gets more flexible presentation tools, including the ability to record slides with voice, video, and closed captions, which works well for remote meetings or classes. Across the suite, the Fluent Design interface keeps the look consistent, so switching between apps is less jarring and easier to learn.

Office 2024 also brings updates on the security and accessibility side. Outlook improves search and adds an updated accessibility checker that flags unclear formatting or language, while Excel adds stronger protection around XLL add-ins.

Don’t waste your money on a Microsoft 365 subscription. Get a Microsoft Office 2024 Lifetime License on sale for $99.97. Sale ends Jan. 25 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

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Google is leaning harder into generative AI inside its photo ecosystem with the launch of Me Meme, a new feature rolling out in the U.S. that lets users turn themselves into custom memes directly inside Google Photos.

Announced by the Google Photos team this week, Me Meme uses generative AI to insert your likeness into meme-style images using preset templates or user-uploaded visuals. The process is intentionally simple: pick a template, select a photo of yourself, and let the tool generate a meme-ready image that can be saved, regenerated, or shared across platforms.

Unlike third-party meme apps, Me Meme lives entirely within Google Photos, positioning it as less of a novelty add-on and more of an extension of Google’s broader push to make Photos a creative hub, not just a storage locker. It also builds on Google’s growing suite of AI-powered creation tools, which already include photo-to-video effects, AI stickers, and smart editing features.

The feature appears aimed squarely at casual users rather than professional creators. There are no advanced controls, captions, or formatting tools here. Instead, Me Meme focuses on quick, shareable results that require minimal effort. First-time users are guided through a brief intro flow, reinforcing the idea that this is meant to be approachable, not intimidating.

As with most Google Photos features, Me Meme is rolling out gradually, so not everyone will see it immediately. For those who do, it’s a low-stakes way to experiment with generative AI without leaving an app they already use daily.

A monster winter storm is currently barreling through roughly two-thirds of the United States, stretching across a massive swath of the country from Amarillo, Texas, to familiar winter hotspots like Boston, Massachusetts, and Buffalo, New York. Reports from outlets like CNN indicate that cities like Boston could see more than 36 inches of snow over the course of the weekend, while areas south of the snow line, including Charlotte and Atlanta, are expected to see less snow and more ice, a combination that makes road conditions especially dangerous.

The scale of the storm has also driven a surge of activity on social media in the days leading up to its arrival. Across the country, residents have been clearing store shelves in preparation for being snowed or iced in, posting photos of empty aisles and last-minute supply runs.

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At the same time, users online are fixated on the novelty of places like the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex seeing significant snowfall, a spectacle that tends to be fun for a few hours until the ice sets in and the state’s fragile power grid starts to strain.

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Or you could be in Florida and not see any snow, with cities like Orlando currently predicted to reach a high of 86°F on Sunday.

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Going all the way back up north, Minnesota, it's so cold that a user posted a video of pasta frozen in mid-air. As former Fox 9 meteorologist Jennifer McDermed writes on X, Minneapolis hit a low of -21°F on Friday, with wind chills around -45°F.

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This article will continue to be updated as more posts and news emerge throughout the storm.

SAVE $500: The DJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo is on sale at Amazon for $1,099, down from the normal price of $1,599. That's a 31% discount that matches the record low at Amazon.

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DJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo

$1,099 at Amazon
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Despite the FCC ban on foreign drones, you can still get yourself a DJI drone. The fine print of the ban explains that any drone already in the country are excluded from the new legislation, which means they're fair game for ownership and operation. However, that means stock is dwindling, so if you're searching for a DJI drone, check out this deal.

As of Jan. 24, the DJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo is on sale for $1,099 at Amazon, marked down from the standard price of $1,599. That's a 31% discount that takes a hefty $500 off the price. It also matches the record low at Amazon.

The DJI Mini 5 Pro is a premium drone and the Fly More Combo makes it just that much more appealing. The bundle includes the DJI Mini 5 Pro drone itself, the DJI RC 2 camera-drone remote controller, a set of filters, three DJI Mini 5 Pro Intelligent Flight batteries, three propeller sets, a shoulder bag, and more. Boiled down, this is everything you'd want for an epic drone set-up.

In terms of performance, the DJI Mini 5 Pro is a stellar model. It has a one-inch CMOS camera with 4K HDR filming at 60fps. You can also go with 4K 120fps for slow-motion filming. DJI also made this model especially appealing for night flying thanks to the 360 degree Nightscape Omnidirectional Sensing and Nighttime return-to-home function. DJI's ActiveTrack 360° technology is a must-have feature if you'll be filming moving subjects like a cyclist, skier, or surfer.

While it's still in stock and on sale for a record-low price, snag the DJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo. The bundle is packed with advanced accessories while still being a perfect model for beginners.

People are freaking out about Fallout — and the reactions couldn’t be more divided. Some fans are calling it one of the best video game adaptations ever made. Others think it’s already betraying Fallout’s canon. So… are they right?

Winter is here, and that means snow! Just how much snow? Well, back in the day, after a big snowfall, you'd need to whip out the ruler or yardstick and actually trek out into the white winter wonderland. And with a huge winter storm set to blanket much of the South and Northeast this weekend (200 million Americans are expected to see snowfall), this isn't a rhetorical question.

Nowadays, thankfully, you don't even have to go outside to see just how long you'll be digging out your car or shoveling your walkway.

There are a few great online resources that can let you know just how many inches — or dare I say feet — of snow fell anywhere in the country. So, whether you're checking up on your adult kids, a distant relative, or your own backyard, here's how to check how many inches of snow have fallen.

NWS Snowmap and NWS Snowfall Analysis

Perhaps the easiest and most straightforward way to find out how much snow fell in your town is directly from the National Weather Service. There's the National Weather Service's Snowmap and the National Weather Service's Snowfall Analysis map. Both maps track how much snow, measured in inches, has fallen and place it on a map of the U.S. in a simple and easy-to-understand way. The Snowmap tracks the snowfall in a specific U.S. city by using circular markers color-coded to match the snowfall amounts, whereas the Snowfall Analysis website maps out the snowfall with a more traditional weather report design. Users can check out how much snow fell in the past hour, the past 24 hours, and the past 72 hours.

It's important to note that the NWS Snowmap and Snowfall Analysis sites only track how much snow has already fallen — they aren't forecasting services.

USA Today Snowfall Accumulation Tracker

If you're looking for a more modern tracker, then perhaps the USA Today Snowfall Accumulation Tracker is for you.

USA Today has built a sleeker tracker that uses the same trusted data from the National Weather Service. The site maps out the snowfall across the U.S. over the past 24 hours, 48 hours, and 72 hours. It even throws in a "Season" toggle so you can see how much snow has accumulated for the entire winter season so far.

Windy: The Windy map and weather forecast

If you're a complete weather head, then Windy.com might be the site for you. Windy maps out weather forecasts of all types — temperature, wind gusts, and, yes, snowfall. Unlike the previous options, Windy will also give you future forecasts of snowfall and not just how much snow is already on the ground.

Windy includes a highly interactive map, but there are also premium options that require a paid subscription, so unless you're a hardcore weather nerd seeking more than just how many inches fell in your hometown, it might just be more straightforward to check out the other platforms.

NCEI's Daily U.S. Snowfall and Snow Depth report

National Centers for Environmental Information's Daily U.S. Snowfall and Snow Depth report will provide the most accurate information when it comes to how much snow fell in your location.

However, the snowfall report will usually come a few days after the snow has already fallen. Why? Because the data is pulled from the Global Historical Climatology Network daily (GHCNd) database, which basically records daily climate summaries from land surface stations around the world.

With more than 100,000 stations, this data is as accurate as you're going to get if you want to know how much snow fell in a specific area.

It's hard to escape Timothée Chalamet in film these days. First he was Wonka, then he conquered Bob Dylan, and now he's taking audiences into the high-stakes world of 1950s table tennis as ping pong star Marty Mauser.

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Directed by Josh Safdie and distributed by A24, Marty Supreme is a major contender this awards season. Chalamet has already won the Golden Globe for his performance as Marty and we wouldn't be surprised if he took home the Oscar (finally). The sports dramedy also has a fantastic ensemble cast that includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A'zion, Kevin O'Leary, Tyler Okonma (aka Tyler, the Creator), Abel Ferrara, and Fran Drescher.

While it's still floating around in theaters, you don't have to battle the cold to watch it. Here's everything you need to know to catch it from your couch.

What is Marty Supreme about?

Inspired by the real-life story of table tennis champion Marty Reisman, Marty Mauser (Chalamet) is a man with a big dream — to achieve greatness and bring the art of ping pong to the masses. Already a legend in his own mind, though he's barely scraping by, Marty just needs to pay his way to the championship overseas first. And he'll do anything to get there — from pulling a gun on a coworker to seducing money out of a washed-up movie star (Paltrow).

"Exploding with chaos, character, and kinetic energy, Marty Supreme is a movie about the city's scoundrels, their sins, and why we love them anyway," writes Mashable's entertainment editor Kristy Puchko.

Check out the official trailer for a glimpse at Marty Supreme:

Is Marty Supreme worth watching?

Now the highest-grossing A24 film domestically, Marty Supreme has surpassed Everything Everywhere All at Once in North America with over $80 million. Audiences aren't just showing up for it; they're loving it. Currently, the sports comedy holds an 82 percent audience rating and an impressive 93 percent critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes — with most cheering on Chalamet's performance. He's already won the Golden Globe and is nominated for an Oscar. That's not all, though; the film is also nominated for Best Picture, Best Production Design, Best Film Editing, Best Directing, Best Cinematography, Best Casting, Best Costume Design, and Best Original Screenplay.

"This zinging dialogue, racing score, and electric cast collide to create cinema that celebrates New York, while recognizing its warts with a bleeding grin. All of this makes Marty Supreme an unusual crowdpleaser," Mashable's Puchko writes in her review. "Full of wild humor and shocking turns, it has its audience in a chokehold of tension and surprise, rarely letting up for us to breathe. And yet, what a thrill to be breathless."

Check out Mashable's full review of Marty Supreme.

How to watch Marty Supreme at home

Credit: A24

A24 has officially announced the digital release for Marty Supreme, but we're still waiting for details on its streaming debut. We've broken down the details we do know below.

Buy or rent on digital

Marty Supreme will be available to purchase or rent on digital video-on-demand platforms as of Feb. 3. You can buy the movie for your digital library and watch it whenever you want or rent it, which gives you 30 days to watch and only 48 hours to finish watching once you begin.

You can purchase and rent the film at the following retailers:

• Prime Video — buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99

• Apple TV — buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99

• Fandango at Home — buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99

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Rent or Buy 'Marty Supreme' at Prime Video

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Stream it on HBO Max

While we haven't got word on a specific streaming release date yet for Marty Supreme, we do know that it will make its debut on HBO Max.

A24 just renewed its output deal with Warner Bros. Discovery, so new A24 theatrical releases will still exclusively stream on HBO Max before anywhere else. If Marty Supreme follows a similar theater-to-streaming trajectory as other recently released A24 movies — like Sorry, Baby, Bring Her Back, and The Smashing Machine — we estimate that it will hit HBO Max sometime in April 2026.

HBO Max subscriptions start at $10.99 per month (thanks to its most recent price hike), but there are some ways to save some money on your plan. Check out the best HBO Max streaming deals below.

The best HBO Max streaming deals

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The best way to save on HBO Max on any given day is to sign up for the annual plan over the monthly plan. The HBO Max Basic plan with ads typically costs $10.99 per month, but if you pay for an entire year upfront, that price drops down to just $9.17. You'll pay $109.99 total for the year, which saves you about 16% compared to paying each month.

Rather go ad-free? The annual HBO Max Standard or Premium plans will also save you about 16% over their monthly counterparts. The Standard tier costs either $18.49 per month or $184.99 per year (about $15.42 per month), while the Premium tier costs either $22.99 per month or $229.99 per year (about $19.17 per month). Both tiers unlock ad-free viewing, but the Premium tier also adds 4K Ultra HD video quality, Dolby Atmos immersive audio, and the ability to download more offline content.

Get HBO Max for free: Switch to Cricket's Supreme Unlimited plan

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Want to get HBO Max for free? One of the best ways in 2026 is to switch your phone plan to Cricket's $60 per month Supreme Unlimited plan. It includes HBO Max Basic with ads for free — a $10.99 per month value. When you open up the HBO Max app or website, you'll just select Cricket as your provider and use your credentials to log in.

Best HBO Max deal for students: Save 50% on HBO Max Basic with ads

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$5.49 per month for 12 months

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College students can watch Marty Supreme when it hits streaming by signing up for an entire year of HBO Max with ads for half price. Verify your student status through UNiDAYS and retrieve the unique discount code to drop the price from $10.99 to just $5.49 per month. After 12 months, the price will jump back up to the full $10.99 monthly fee unless you cancel.

Best bundle deal: Get HBO Max, Disney+, and Hulu for up to 42% off

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You'll get the most bang for your buck if you opt for the Disney+ bundle deal that includes Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max for just $19.99 per month with ads. That lineup of streamers would usually cost you $34.97 per month if you paid separately for each, so you'll keep an extra $15 in your pocket monthly. If you prefer to watch without ads, the bundle will run you $32.99 per month as opposed to $56.47. That's up to 42% in savings for unlimited access to all three streaming libraries.

Color e-readers are the future of the e-reader market. Every brand is coming out with its own iterations — Amazon has a whole slew of Kindles now with color displays. But if you're looking to avoid Amazon, look to Kobo. We already know and love the Kobo Libra Colour, but what about the smaller, more affordable Kobo Clara Colour?

Even after testing dozens of e-readers, I still stand in awe of the occasional e-reader. The Clara took me by surprise, a perfectly handheld e-reader that's an incredible value considering its color display. I've already put the Kobo Clara Colour head-to-head with the Kindle Paperwhite, but today I'm focusing on the Kobo Clara Colour. Is it worth it? And what are the device's downfalls? Here's everything to know about the Kobo Clara Colour.

Kobo Clara Colour price and specs

The Kobo Clara Colour is the same price as the Kindle Paperwhite. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

The Kobo Clara Colour costs $159.99. It comes in two different colors, black or white, but let's get into what's inside.

• 6-inch E Ink Kaleido 3 display

• 300 ppi black and white resolution and 150 ppi color resolution

• USB-C charging port with up to 6 weeks of battery life

• 16GB of storage

• IPX8 waterproof rating can be fully submerged in water for up to one hour

• Night mode available

Why go for a Kobo?

Kindles are by far the most popular e-readers out there, so why should you swing for a Kobo instead? Kindles are Amazon devices, so if you're avoiding shopping on Amazon, you'll need to look elsewhere. Having tested our way through e-readers, we find Kobos equally great. They're just as fast and user-friendly as Kindles, but they're free of Amazon.

Your borrowed Libby books automatically populate on Kobo e-readers. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Another huge perk across Kobo devices is OverDrive integration. If you're using Libby, that's part of Overdrive's system. With Kobo's Overdrive integration, any book you borrow through Libby will auto-populate on your e-reader. While Kindle also has a Libby integration, it's not nearly as smooth as Kobo's.

The most affordable color e-reader

At $159.99, the Kobo Clara Colour is the most affordable color e-reader. It's more expensive than the basic Kindle, which costs $109.99, but it's the same price as the Kindle Paperwhite. Its affordability is key here, as color e-readers are typically expensive, so a price below $200 makes it more budget-friendly.

The Clara Colour is, in fact, colorful but also muted

Expect accurate but muted colors on the Kobo Clara Colour. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

With color e-readers, manage your expectations on just how vibrant they can be. On the Kobo Clara Colour, its colors are accurate but muted compared to a physical book or even an e-book on a tablet. This is the case with most color e-readers, since they have such low color resolution. The Kobo's color resolution is 150 ppi, half its black-and-white resolution. If you're reading a standard book, you won't fault the lower color resolution, but it might be a bummer for those reading graphic novels.

The perfect handheld size

The Kobo Clara Colour is perfectly palm-sized. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

In testing the Kobo Clara Colour, I put away my Kindle Paperwhite for a few weeks and was surprised but how much I didn't miss it. It was refreshing to use a smaller e-reader that truly felt handheld. The six-inch screen is smaller than the Paperwhite's, but I didn't miss the extra real estate. In fact, it was a worthy sacrifice for how comfortable it felt to hold.

Rather than the Kindle Paperwhite's screen that sits flush with the chassis, the Clara's screen is surrounded by a raised edge. This follows the same design as the basic Kindle. The Clara is also the same size as the basic Kindle, which, in my review of the Kindle, I noted would be the perfect e-reader if it were waterproof. Well, the Kobo Clara delivers a near-identical design and is waterproof.

Compatible with the Kobo remote

Kobo is the only e-reader brand with a remote for their devices. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Another reason to love the Kobo Clara Colour is its compatibility with the Kobo remote. Kobo is the only e-reader brand with a native remote. It connects to the Clara via Bluetooth so you can move forward (or backward) in the book with just the press of a button. Just prop up the Clara on a stand, get out the remote, and prepare for the coziest winter reading setup.

It needs better battery life

The biggest issue I have with the Kobo Clara Colour is its battery life. It lasts up to six weeks, which, compared to a phone or laptop, might seem like plenty. The issue is that the bar is high for e-reader battery life, with Kindles lasting up to 12 weeks. In the months I've had the Kobo Clara, I've needed to recharge it twice as often as the Kindle Paperwhite. If Kobo wants to one-up Kindle, it needs to improve the device's battery life.

Is the Kobo Clara Colour worth it?

Want an e-reader but don't want to shop at Amazon? Try the Kobo Clara Colour. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

If you're seeking a new e-reader and want to avoid Amazon, go for the Kobo Clara Colour. It's an incredible value at $159.99, the same price as the Kindle Paperwhite, but the Clara comes with color displays and a better handheld size. It's a worthy competitor to Amazon's Kindles, but there is room for improvement, especially around its battery life.

TikTok's newest goal-setting trend borrows from an old retail trick: the loyalty punch card. But instead of free coffee, these handmade cards offer users a small, tangible sense of accomplishment.

The appeal may be less about self-improvement and more about the ritual. For millennials and Gen Z —generations raised on sticker charts, gold stars, and achievement tracking — the punch card offers a familiar feedback loop. Creating the card, decorating it, and punching each hole delivers a hit of accomplishment that can feel meaningful even before the goal is fully realized.

Media theorists might recognize this as a form of interpassivity, in which the gesture of progress stands in for the thing itself: by turning goals into punchable milestones, users externalize motivation, letting the card do some of the work, while the satisfaction of the punch becomes its own reward.

"Making punch cards is such a fun way to make goals feel like a game," creator @caro.fields wrote in the caption of her TikTok. In a follow-up video, she added, "They're a whimsical way to make your goals feel more approachable." Creators like her highlight one of the trend's biggest draws: the act of designing, crafting, and punching the card can feel just as satisfying, and sometimes more immediate, than completing the goal itself.

These punch cards run on a kind of retail psychology. They don't just offer the promise of a future reward, but proof that you're getting closer to your goal. The difference is that instead of earning a free drink, users are tracking micro-goals that feel manageable in a chaotic day — five workouts, ten walks, seven days of journaling, a month of language practice broken into punchable steps.

But discipline isn't the only appeal. In an era of burnout, these cards function more like comfort objects than productivity systems. It's a tiny routine that makes effort feel tangible and maybe even fun.

And like many productivity trends on TikTok, punch cards often double as aesthetic objects. Unlike apps, no cards look the same. The careful lettering, color coding, and reward sections are as much part of the appeal as the goals themselves, blurring the line between tools meant to be used and objects designed to be seen.

The punch-card trend also reflects a broader shift toward analog tools in online spaces. From paper planners and bullet journals to analog bags and "dumbphone" experiments, TikTok has increasingly embraced tactile, offline objects as a response to digital overload — and often turning them back into content in the process.

The cards may not guarantee follow-through, but they do offer something immediate: a quick punch, a moment of satisfaction, and the feeling that progress, however small, has been made.

On the moon's extreme western rim, straddling the border with the lunar far side, a landmark nearly 600 miles wide almost completely escapes Earth's view. 

A colossal asteroid-like invader once ripped through the lunar crust, flinging out rings of mountains and scooping out a giant bowl, later flooded and backfilled with dark lava. The bullseye still stands today, scars memorializing that long-ago catastrophe. 

From space orbiter cameras, Mare Orientale, which means "Eastern Sea" in Latin, reads clearly as a fossil of violence, geometry, and time. But despite the lunar feature's vastness, its location has forced it to remain one of humanity's white whales. 

"Orientale has never been seen by human eyes," said Reid Wiseman, commander of NASA's Artemis II. 

On the upcoming historic mission, the first to send people into deep space in 50 years, astronauts Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Hammock Koch, and Jeremy Hansen will loop around the moon in the Orion capsule. Depending on final tests and weather conditions, NASA could launch the spaceship as early as Feb. 6. As the crew swing past the far side — the lunar hemisphere that never faces Earth — the astronauts may see landscapes no one has ever seen before in sunlight.

With Apollo 8 astronauts taking the first glimpse of the far side in 1968, Artemis II won't be the first mission to have this vantage point. But this time, the launch period, flight path, and lighting conditions of the lunar terrain could let the crew study parts of the moon humans have never seen directly, revealing subtle surface details that stayed hidden in earlier missions.

The far side of the moon

The far-side hemisphere was once dubbed "the dark side" because people had never seen it. The misnomer has led many to incorrectly assume the far side is shrouded in darkness, a confusion that persists even today. In reality, the hemisphere receives just as much light as the near side. 

People only ever see the near side because of one truly astronomical coincidence. It takes about a month for the moon, some 250,000 miles away, to orbit Earth. For the moon to make one full spin on its axis, it takes roughly the same amount of time. Until October 1959, when the Soviet space program swung the robotic Luna 3 probe around the moon and snapped some grainy pictures, no one had any idea what the other side was like. 

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Apollo crews only had brief views of the far side as they looped around the moon. Their launches were timed so that the near side, where they landed and explored, would be bathed in sunlight. But that usually meant when the near-side was well-lit, the far side was in shadow or only had a thin crescent illuminated. 

By comparison, Artemis II will have a high likelihood of seeing 60 percent of the far side that human eyes have never seen. That matters, mission leaders said, because despite having plenty of robotic spacecraft images of the far side, nothing beats firsthand observations. 

After all, having people there, not just machines, is the point.

Artemis II astronauts Jeremy Hansen, left, Christina Koch, center, and Jenni Gibbons, a backup crewmate, get hands-on geology training on a field trip to Iceland. Credit: Canadian Space Agency

"Most people think that the moon is only gray," said Jacob Bleacher, NASA's chief exploration scientist, "but the human eye can pick out a tremendous amount of detail." 

Three full hours of observations

NASA plans to make the most of that opportunity. Even though they won't put boots down on the moon, the Artemis II astronauts have received geology and science training so they know what to look for as the moon fills Orion’s windows.

During the flight, they hope to spend three full hours completely devoted to observations. Their eyes will scan the far-side terrain, studying variations in the grayscale. Those subtle nuances of how bright or dark patches of the surface appear can hint at different rock types and ages. 

Artemis II astronauts Christina Koch and Victor Glover, right, practice photography of lunar targets during a training exercise. Credit: NASA / James Blair

NASA expects the crew to move between looking with their own eyes, taking pictures with cameras, and talking through what they see with flight controllers in Houston. They will carry checklists from science teams on where to look, but they'll also have the freedom to explore as they please.

"The moon will look about like holding a basketball at arm's reach," Bleacher said, "so they'll be able to see a good bit of the moon, if not all of it."

Future Artemis landing sites

Scientists believe a lot could be gained from studying the far side. The near side has large dark patches, called maria, that together resemble the "man in the moon" face. When lava filled in the ancient craters, it erased other craters that recorded some of the moon's geological history. But on the far side, fewer of these dark splotches exist, suggesting that it has a more pristine record of cosmic collisions. 

During the NASA and Soviet space race, no one ever landed on this unseen side, even robotically, because of how challenging it is. The moon itself blocks communication between flight controllers on Earth and spacecraft on the other side. But in 2018, China put a communication relay satellite in space about 40,000 miles beyond the moon to allow the exchange of signals. That same year, China succeeded in becoming the first nation to put an uncrewed lander on the far side. 

Not only could the Artemis II observations enlighten scientists about solar system history, but the crew could help pick landing sites for future missions and pinpoint compelling science targets. They may just turn our familiar gray saucer into something new again. 

"We hope it's not 'the dark side,'" Koch said, referring to its old, misleading nickname. "We hope it's the lit far side." 

I'm an iPhone user, but not a ride-or-die iPhone user. When I tested the Motorola Razr Ultra for Mashable last year, it reminded me how much I like some Android features. And with the Samsung Galaxy S26 phones rumored to be coming in late February with One UI 8.5, I'm exactly the kind of person Samsung needs to woo.

Unlike a lot of iPhone users I know, I really would consider ditching my iPhone for an Android handset — if the price (and feature-set) were right.

Samsung phones tend to leak like a faucet ahead of their official launch, and that's exactly what's happening right now. We've already broken down everything we know about the Galaxy S26 line and the next Galaxy Unpacked launch event. Given what we know, these are the rumored S26 features that could convince me to defect from Apple to Android.

Privacy Display

As I wrote yesterday, Privacy Display has all but been confirmed. As you can see in an old video from Samsung leaker Ice Universe, the Privacy Display hides the content on your screen from the people around you. Normally, you have to buy a separate privacy protection screen to achieve this effect.

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As someone who often uses his phone on a crowded subway, this is the kind of innovative feature that appeals to me. And like AI and foldables, Samsung has once again beaten Apple to the punch.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5

All S26 phones released in the United States are expected to come with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor. And it's supposed to offer noticeable upgrades to battery life, on-device AI computing, graphics, and overall performance. Apple is still king in the laptop world thanks to its M-series silicon, but early tests show that the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 really is the "world's fastest mobile system on chip," as Qualcomm has promised.

Free access to Google Gemini

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 launched with an attractive offer: six free months of Google AI One Pro, normally $19.99 per month. That includes expanded access to the latest Gemini tools and cloud storage. I expect Samsung to put forward a similar launch offer for the S26 (as Pixel phones did, with 12 months of access for free).

Because of the global memory shortage, Samsung is rumored to be dropping its usual launch offer, which lets you get double the storage at no extra cost. An improved AI subscription offer would make sense, and I'm hopeful we get a similar or better offer this time. Samsung already features a lot of built-in Gemini AI features, and Apple is clearly losing the AI arms race.

Scam Detection

So far, Google's excellent Scam Detection feature has been exclusive to Pixel Phones, but per Android Authority, that could change with the S26 phones. This AI tool automatically alerts you're talking to a scammer. Unlike the iPhone, it doesn't just flag sketchy phone numbers. It proactively alerts you when the phone detects red flags.

Next-gen Gorilla Glass

Leaker Ice Universe also reports that the S26 line will have a new form of Gorilla Glass that will make screen protectors obsolete. The appeal for a feature like this is obvious, I think.

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Better cameras and image processing

It seems we're unlikely to get significantly improved cameras with the S26 line. However, a few changes are rumored, such as a larger aperture on the main camera (which could improve low-light photography) and a new sensor for the 3x telephoto lens. It's also possible that the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip will offer image processing benefits.

By all accounts, the iPhone 17 Pro Max and Galaxy S25 Ultra are very evenly matched in photography. If Samsung can prove it has gained a significant edge over the iPhone, I would consider switching.

Right now, the latest iPhones have two advantages: It's easier to shoot 4K, HDR video, and they have a better selfie camera. As a tech journalist who takes a lot of photos and videos on a daily basis, that's important to me. Samsung Galaxy phones do offer 8K video, but I think that's more of a gimmick rather than a practical feature. Samsung should stop chasing the shiny new thing (8K video) and focus on matching the iPhone's capabilities here.

A Liquid Glass-like look

I'm not a Liquid Glass hater like a lot of my peers in the tech world. I actually think the new design language looks very attractive. And Samsung seems poised to copy this aesthetic in One UI 8.5, as I've reported previously.

Tranlucent elements already exist in One UI 8. Credit: Samsung

This preview of One UI 8.5 looks very similar to Liquid Glass and iOS 26. Credit: Samsung / Good Lock

While I'd prefer for Samsung to move in a bolder, new direction with its physical phone design and UI (I miss the square corners), as iOS and Android systems come closer together, the switch becomes easier.

What could really make me switch? The Galaxy TriFold

Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

We don't know whether we'll get a U.S. release date for the Galaxy TriFold at the next Unpacked event, but I'm crossing my fingers. I got to play around with this device at CES 2026, and I can't stop thinking about it.

TL;DR: Live stream Gauff vs. Muchova in the 2026 Australian Open for free on 9Now. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The pick of the fourth round games in the 2026 Australian Open might be Gauff vs. Muchova. This battle between the third and 19th seed is particularly difficult to predict, but that's normal for the latter stages of any Grand Slam. A spot in the quarter finals is up for grabs, so expect both players to rise to the occasion.

If you want to watch Gauff vs. Muchova in the 2026 Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

How to watch Gauff vs. Muchova for free

Gauff vs. Muchova in the 2026 Australian Open is available to live stream for free on 9Now.

9Now is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Australia, meaning you can unblock 9Now from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the 2026 Australian Open by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Visit 9Now

5. Watch the 2026 Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world

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Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

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

Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading services do tend to offer deals such as free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these deals, you can live stream Gauff vs. Muchova without actually spending anything. This isn't a long-term solution, but it gives you enough time to watch the Australian Open before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for 9Now?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live tennis on 9Now, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Australia

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

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

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $59.88 and includes an extra three months for free — 69% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Gauff vs. Muchova in the 2026 Australian Open for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Zverev vs. Cerundolo in the 2026 Australian Open for free on 9Now. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The fourth round of the 2026 Australian Open includes some fascinating matchups, but Zverev vs. Cerundolo might be the best of the bunch. It's the third seed against the 18th, and it's a really difficult to call. Zverez is probably favorite, and he'll be looking to make it through to another Australian Open final this year. The big question is whether he can actually win a Grand Slam this season.

If you want to watch Zverev vs. Cerundolo in the 2026 Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

How to watch Zverev vs. Cerundolo for free

Zverev vs. Cerundolo in the 2026 Australian Open is available to live stream for free on 9Now.

9Now is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Australia, meaning you can unblock 9Now from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the 2026 Australian Open by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Visit 9Now

5. Watch the 2026 Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

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

Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading services do tend to offer deals such as free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these deals, you can live stream Zverev vs. Cerundolo without actually spending anything. This isn't a long-term solution, but it gives you enough time to watch the Australian Open before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for 9Now?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live tennis on 9Now, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Australia

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

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

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $59.88 and includes an extra three months for free — 69% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Zverev vs. Cerundolo in the 2026 Australian Open for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Alcaraz vs. Paul in the 2026 Australian Open for free on 9Now. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The fourth round of the 2026 Australian Open is here with a number of intriguing matchups. Alcaraz vs. Paul is one of the standout matchups taking place this weekend. Top seed Alcaraz has never won this tournament. Could this be the year that he makes it past the quarter final for the first time?

If you want to watch Alcaraz vs. Paul in the 2026 Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

How to watch Alcaraz vs. Paul for free

Alcaraz vs. Paul in the 2026 Australian Open is available to live stream for free on 9Now.

9Now is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Australia, meaning you can unblock 9Now from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the 2026 Australian Open by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Visit 9Now

5. Watch the 2026 Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

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

Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading services do tend to offer deals such as free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these deals, you can live stream Alcaraz vs. Paul without actually spending anything. This isn't a long-term solution, but it gives you enough time to watch the Australian Open before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for 9Now?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live tennis on 9Now, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Australia

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

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

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $59.88 and includes an extra three months for free — 69% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Alcaraz vs. Paul in the 2026 Australian Open for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Replace Windows 10 with Windows 11 Pro on sale now for $10 (reg. $199).

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Credit: Microsoft

Microsoft Windows 11 Pro

$9.97
$199 Save $189.03

 

Get Deal

If you’re still using Windows 10, your computer is vulnerable. Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 back in 2025, but it’s finally a whole lot cheaper to upgrade. Instead of paying $199, you can now get Windows 11 Pro on sale for only $9.97, but this offer won’t be around for much longer.

Windows 11 Pro gives you a more modern interface and tools that actually help with multitasking. Snap layouts and virtual desktops make it easier to keep work, school, and personal windows organized instead of buried in one crowded taskbar. The start menu, search, and quick settings panel are cleaner, so basic tasks feel less clunky than they did on older versions.

Security gets a noticeable upgrade, too. Windows 11 Pro supports TPM 2.0, BitLocker device encryption, Windows Hello biometric login, and Smart App Control to help block suspicious apps. That matters more now that Windows 10 is out of support and new threats will not be patched for older systems.

If you use your PC for gaming or creative work, Windows 11 Pro supports DirectX 12 Ultimate and newer drivers that can help modern hardware perform at its best. You also get built-in tools like Microsoft Teams and the Copilot assistant, which can help with quick answers, basic writing, or summarizing pages.

This license is a one-time purchase for a single PC, with lifetime access and updates for Windows 11 Pro itself. As long as your hardware meets the system requirements, this is one of the cheapest ways to move off Windows 10 and keep your main computer secure.

Right now, it’s only $9.97 to get Windows 11 Pro, but this offer expires Feb. 1 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

There's a smart simplicity to the title Mum, I'm Alien Pregnant. Out the gate, you know the premise of this body-horror comedy: A woman gets pregnant by an alien and needs her mom's help. And you've got a sense of the movie's cheeky sensibility. But can this indie offering out of New Zealand meet the expectations audiences might have for such a wild title? Because if you're going to promise a weird-ass movie, you better deliver weird-ass. (Looking at you, Anaconda.) And I'm pleased to report that Mum, I'm Alien Pregnant does just that. 

All hail THUNDERLIPS, the Kiwi writing/directing duo who have made the leap from kooky commercials, candy-colored music videos, and wild short films to a feature that is one of the strangest films I've seen in at least the last decade, if not ever. Like, if you love the Daniels' Swiss Army Man, I predict your odd heart will adore the goofiness, gloppiness, and overall WTF of Mum, I'm Alien Pregnant. 

If you like big swing cinema, you won't want to miss this one. And there’s more to it than being utterly bonkers. 

Mum, I'm Alien Pregnant delivers on its promise and goes far beyond. 

Credited as THUNDERLIPS, Sean Wallace and Jordan Mark Windsor have crafted an absolutely deranged story that's hilarious, heartfelt, and unapologetically gross. 

Hannah Lynch stars as Mary, a twentysomething underachiever who still lives with her mum (Yvette Parsons) Cynthia, who is tirelessly — even gratingly — supportive. So, when Mum hears that a young man with a deformed penis has moved into their apartment complex, she suggests Mary seek him out. After all, Mum suggests, Mary's internet search history — which includes tentacle-porn anime — suggests she might be into that! 

Before you can say "get out of my room," Mary meets Boo (Arlo Green) in the community laundry. Some awkward conversation leads to clumsy mutual masturbation, not only revealing Boo’s gossiped-about genitalia — which looks kind of like a clam with tentacles and testicles — but also ends in a fateful ejaculation that sizzles through Mary's clothes and — you guessed it — gets her pregnant. 

Mary's understandably peeved about this predicament. Thankfully, her mum is happy to help her get post-coital contraceptives. But simple human medicines won't stop this sperm. Boo's mom, Ann (Jackie van Beek), will explain: He's part alien because she was impregnated decades before during an abduction. So, his seed isn't of this world. And it's causing Mary all kinds of hilarious and horrifying problems, like a hyper-accelerated pregnancy. 

Mum, I'm Alien Pregnant is uniquely and unabashedly hilarious. 

As shown in laugh-out-loud comedies like What We Do in the Shadows and The Breaker Upperers (both of which also feature van Beek), New Zealand comedy at its best is an intoxicating blend of dry humor and absurd premises. Mum, I'm Alien Pregnant has such a stellar sense of humor, which perfectly suits its setting. One moment, we're watching a pretty typical dust-up between a surly twentysomething daughter and her chipper mum; the next we're seeing another mum gently chastising her half-alien son for masturbating, because his blue/electric ejaculate makes the lights in the building flicker. Let's not annoy our new neighbors, sweetie! 

THUNDERLIPS fills their fucked-up and funny film with such comical contrasts. Mary is ornery, snarling at everyone from her mum to her otherworldly baby daddy, and a small army of doctors who treat them both like science experiments as they seek help. Boo is the absolute opposite: wide-eyed, passive, and mumbling. (Though he says he has an OnlyFans account, where he's more of an exhibitionist. But he doesn't show his face.) 

Then there's their mums. As sniping as Mary is, her mother is endlessly cheery, with Ann being dryly shut-down in contrast. Altogether they make for a chaotic collective as they maneuver through modern medicine trying to stop this pregnancy, which is speeding along in hours instead of months. And just as THUNDERLIPS won't shy away from showing off the alien junk in Boo's boxers, they won't balk at exploring the mind-breaking weirdness of pregnancy. 

Mary is plagued by strange rashes, projectile vomiting, and her boobs growing abruptly and intensely. Standard stuff, right? Wrong. We're not talking Knocked Up or Neighbors-styled pregnancy jokes. THUNDERLIPS pushes it further, with a clear Aliens influence, but with bold splashes of color that keep the body horror from gestating into nightmares. And that all culminates into a totally bonkers ending with a setting that pushes the pregnancy weirdness to a whole new level. 

Mum, I'm Alien Pregnant is gross and deeply human. 

Mary is a bitch. But watching her be bossed about by her well-meaning mom, impregnated by the bozo next door, and then poked and prodded by doctors with curiosity but little caring, it's easy to see why. She's having to advocate for herself in a world where too many people assume women not only want to be mothers but just should be. 

At no point does Mary want this baby, so her pursuit of an abortion is the main thrust of the plot. Everyone around her speaks with either a comically flat effect or in a jaunty tone, making it clear she feels surrounded by fools. "Why must you make this all so humiliating?” she understandably bellows at a doctor. 

Lynch is incredible in every moment of righteous rage. THUNDERLIPS rejects the Hollywood pressure to create a heroine who is feminine, gorgeous, kind, or even talented. Like Muriel's Wedding, Mum, I'm Alien Pregnant centers on a loser who is compelling without being inspiring. Lynch brings brilliant verve into this role, colliding with her daffier co-stars while grounding this unhinged tale of accidental alien pregnancy through gritted teeth and a hard stare. Every time she tells someone she's "alien pregnant" it's funny, because of how frank — and frankly pissed-off — she is. Mary may be accused of being mean, but she's rightfully furious at the world around her that would bully her into the role of mother. 

THUNDERLIPS shows a keen sensitivity to this maternity pressure without getting sentimental. By making her pregnancy so extra(terrestrial), they bolster her feeling that the world has gone mad around her. The final act, which involves several female perspectives on pregnancy and parenthood, finally creates a safe space for Mary. And the conclusion is well-earned yet shocking in its subversion. 

On its surface, Mum, I'm Alien Pregnant plays like an outrageous midnight movie, rich in wild jokes, gross-out gags, and racy sci-fi spectacle. But beneath that, THUNDERLIPS has built a compelling mother-daughter tale that empathetically probes the choice to be child-free. So, if you see this for the unapologetically unhinged comedy, you won’t be disappointed. But you might walk away with some refreshing representation and weirdly prepared food for thought as well. 

Mum, I'm Alien Pregnant was reviewed out of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.

Recent TV news: TCL and Sony are going halvesies now

Sony has long been revered as one of the best TV brands, and its Bravia TVs have been no stranger to lists of the best TVs across the internet. But Sony as a TV brand is about to look a lot different. As of January 2026, TCL is in charge of Sony's home entertainment business, which spans TVs and home audio. The "Bravia" family of TVs isn't going anywhere, at least as far as branding and picture processing — but TCL will be behind much of the manufacturing and pricing. Sony TVs often toe the line of being so premium that they're too expensive for the average person to consider. But paired with TCL's budget-friendly expertise, they could make a wicked pairing come 2027.

New TVs announced at CES 2026

CES 2026 introduced a number of new TVs from the top TV brands, ranging from new and improved OLED and QLED models to first shots at RGB TVs. Upcoming 2026 models include the LG W6 Wallpaper OLED, Samsung Micro RGB, Hisense UR9 RGB, and Amazon Ember Artline QLED. This guide will be updated accordingly as each model officially becomes available for public purchase (and as long as their sizing options include 65 inches). Most CES-announced TVs are typically out by April of that year.

TL;DR:Live stream the NFL for free on 7plus, TVNZ, or Channel 5 / 5Action. Access these free live streams from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Football might be America's favorite sport, but interest from around the world has been steadily growing in recent years. You can find NFL fans in every corner of the globe nowadays, which means new ways of live streaming all the action are popping up everywhere. That's good news for fans.

By following a few simple steps, it's possible to live stream the NFL without spending anything. If you want to watch the NFL for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

What is the NFL?

The NFL is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC).

Each team plays 17 games in the regular season. Following that, seven teams from each conference advance to the playoffs, culminating in the Super Bowl. This game is played in early February between the winners of the AFC and NFC championship games.

The Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl LIX.

When is the NFL?

The NFL season begins annually with a three-week preseason in August, followed by an 18-week regular season running from September to January. Seven teams from each conference advance to the playoffs, culminating in the Super Bowl.

How to watch the NFL for free

The NFL is available to live stream for free on the following platforms:

• Australia — 7plus (select regular season games plus all playoffs and Super Bowl LX)

• New Zealand — TVNZ (select regular season games plus all playoffs and Super Bowl LX)

• UK — Channel 5 / 5Action (select regular season games and playoffs)

These streaming services are geo-blocked, but anyone from around the world can access these free platforms with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in other countries, meaning you can unblock free streaming services from around the world without hassle.

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

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

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

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in a location with free coverage of the NFL

4. Visit 7plus, TVNZ, or Channel 5 / 5Action

5. Watch the NFL for free from anywhere in the world

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Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.99 at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading services do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to free live streams of the NFL without committing with your cash. This is clearly not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch select NFL fixtures before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming sites to follow the whole season, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for unblocking streaming services is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for the NFL?

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

• Servers in 105 countries

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

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

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 — a saving of 49% — which includes a bonus three months usage at no extra cost. This plan also includes a year of unlimited cloud backup and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.95 (also with a money-back guarantee).

Live stream the NFL for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

What to know before you swipe

My number one rule is to be brutally honest about what you’re looking for. You’re here for a good time, not a long time — so own it. That also means staying in your lane; don't go looking for a one-night stand on an app like eharmony.

"Hookup apps help prevent situations where people are on mainstream dating sites with the intention of having a casual hookup but are unclear about these intentions," Suzannah Weiss, resident sexologist for Biird and author of Subjectified: Becoming a Sexual Subject, tells Mashable. "They also give women a space to be openly sexual creatures without judgment."

This safe space is more important than ever. According to Feeld, "heteroflexible" is the fastest-growing sexuality (up 193 percent), and interest in kinks like pegging has surged by 200 percent. People are getting more curious, and these apps are the playground where you can explore those specific desires without the awkwardness of bringing them up at a bar.

And here's a little insider secret I picked up from Alexander Liebisch, the CEO and founder of TinderProfile.ai: Timing is everything. He found that people messaging on Tinder's "free tonight" feature after 10 p.m. on a weekend had a 45 percent higher chance of hooking up.

So, whether you're looking for a one-night stand, a regular FWB situation, or just a space to explore your sexuality, I've got you covered. Based on all my hands-on testing and expert consultations, I’ve broken down the best hookup app for every type of person and mood.

Recent updates to this guide

• Hinge: Hinge just keeps getting better, so I’ve bumped it up higher on my list as of October 2025. Its user base is growing, and my own recent tests on the app have been surprisingly positive.

• Sniffies (added September 2025): I've added Sniffies, the map-based app for queer men, because it's been gaining a lot of traction. (It got a little too spicy for Apple and was pulled from the App Store, so it's now technically a dating site.) Don't say I didn't warn you about the NSFW content.

• FetLife (added September 2025): FetLife is my new favorite "Honorable Mention." It's not your typical hookup app; it's more of a social network for the kink community (and, oddly enough, the best hookup app for gamers). Just remember: it's a community, so don't treat it like Tinder.

Why some popular hookup apps didn't make the cut

You might notice a few apps that pop up in ads or other lists are missing here. That’s intentional. I swipe through the good, the bad, and the downright sketchy so you don’t have to. For an app to make my list, it has to be effective, safe, and worth your time.

Here's a shortlist of apps that didn't make the cut this year:

• Wild: You’ve probably seen ads for this one. On paper, Wild sounds like the perfect casual dating app. In practice, the paywalls are aggressive, the distance filter doesn't work, and you have to pay for anything that's even remotely useful. Unless you're willing to spend serious cash upfront (and hope for the best), the experience feels limited compared to more open apps like Tinder.

• DOWN: This app (formerly "Bang With Friends") is known for its simple "Get Down" vs. "Get Date" feature. It sounds clever, but in reality, the experience is messy at best. Many users report feeling scammed by subscriptions that don't deliver matches, or finding that the few real people on there are... let's say "odd." It’s hard to recommend an app when the main user complaint is "Is anyone real?" Hard pass.

• Facebook Dating: Yes, Facebook has a dating section, and it’s surprisingly massive (and completely free, which is huge). While it's a decent option for casual dating, the vibe tends to be a bit more "friends of friends" and "relationship-focused" than the anonymous, no-strings energy you get from apps like Pure or Feeld. (For Mashable's Chance Townsend, signing up was "the most uneventful dating experience" of his life.) It's worth a shot if you're already on Facebook, but it didn't quite crack my top tier for hookups specifically.

Apps I've cut from the list

• Plenty of Fish (removed January 2025): POF went through a rebrand recently, and honestly, I'm not impressed. My latest tests showed they got rid of key features like free messaging for non-matches, and I kept running into the same old profiles. At the end of the day, it just doesn't offer anything special that other apps aren't already doing better, so it's off the list.

• Match (removed August 2025): I know some people say they've found casual hookups on Match, but that's not what it's for. Match is where you go to find a serious, long-term relationship, and I still recommend it for that. But for a hookup? You're just fishing in the wrong pond, so I've removed it from this guide to avoid any confusion.

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier if you remember your childhood games.

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

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

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

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

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: Wallop

• Green: Collectible

• Blue: Defunct

• Purple: Toss this

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Hit

• Green: Sports Memorabilia

• Blue: Former NHL Teams, In Singular Form

• Purple: Ends in a Synonym For Throw

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 #488 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Hit - DECK, PUNCH, SLUG, STRIKE

• Sports Memorabilia - AUTOGRAPH, JERSEY, POSTER, TRADING CARD

• Former NHL Teams, In Singular Form - COYOTE, NORDIQUE, THRASHER, WHALER

• Ends in a Synonym For Throw - BLOB, SHUFFLING, SURPASS, WOODCHUCK

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

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

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

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

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

Released in August 2025, the 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 onto 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 for 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 Jan. 24 Pips

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

Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 3-4, placed vertically.

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

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

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 1-3, placed vertically.

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

Medium difficulty hints, answers for Jan. 24 Pips

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hard difficulty hints, answers for Jan. 24 Pips

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

Greater Than (10): Everything in this space must be greater than 10. The answer is 5-0, placed horizontally; 1-6, placed horizontally.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 1-6, placed horizontally; 3-1, placed horizontally.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 3-1, placed horizontally; 0-2, placed vertically.

Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 0-2, placed vertically; 0-0, placed vertically; 1-0, placed vertically.

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

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

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

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 2-5, placed vertically; 5-1, placed vertically.

Number (21): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 5-6, placed horizontally; 3-5, placed vertically; 0-6, placed horizontally.

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

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

TL;DR: Live stream Kalinskaya vs. Swiatek in the 2026 Australian Open for free on 9Now. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The third round of the 2026 Australian Open includes some huge games between top stars, including Kalinskaya vs. Swiatek.

Iga Swiatek is obviously the favorite here, but she hasn't performed particularly well in this tournament over the course of her illustrious career. Anna Kalinskaya made the quarter finals of this tournament back in 2024, so she'll go into this game believing that she can progress.

If you want to watch Kalinskaya vs. Swiatek in the 2026 Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

How to watch Kalinskaya vs. Swiatek for free

Kalinskaya vs. Swiatek in the 2026 Australian Open is available to live stream for free on 9Now.

9Now is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Australia, meaning you can unblock 9Now from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the 2026 Australian Open by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Visit 9Now

5. Watch the 2026 Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world

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Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

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

Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading services do tend to offer deals such as free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these deals, you can live stream Kalinskaya vs. Swiatek without actually spending anything. This isn't a long-term solution, but it gives you enough time to watch the Australian Open before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for 9Now?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live tennis on 9Now, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Australia

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

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

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $59.88 and includes an extra three months for free — 69% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Kalinskaya vs. Swiatek in the 2026 Australian Open for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Van De Sandschlup vs. Djokovic in the 2026 Australian Open for free on 9Now. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The third round of the 2026 Australian Open showcases some really interesting matchups and storylines, including Van De Sandschlup vs. Djokovic. Of course, all eyes will be on the Serbian legend. Can he wind back the clock and go all the way again? Or is this the last time Melbourne will see Novak?

If you want to watch Van De Sandschlup vs. Djokovic in the 2026 Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

How to watch Van De Sandschlup vs. Djokovic for free

Van De Sandschlup vs. Djokovic in the 2026 Australian Open is available to live stream for free on 9Now.

9Now is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Australia, meaning you can unblock 9Now from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the 2026 Australian Open by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Visit 9Now

5. Watch the 2026 Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

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

Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading services do tend to offer deals such as free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these deals, you can live stream Van De Sandschlup vs. Djokovic without actually spending anything. This isn't a long-term solution, but it gives you enough time to watch the Australian Open before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for 9Now?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live tennis on 9Now, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Australia

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

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

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $59.88 and includes an extra three months for free — 69% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Van De Sandschlup vs. Djokovic in the 2026 Australian Open for free with ExpressVPN.

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

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

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

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

Hurdle Word 1 hint

Alcohol.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

ETHYL

Hurdle Word 2 hint

On top.

Hurdle Word 2 Answer

ABOVE

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Dangerous.

Hurdle Word 3 answer

RISKY

Hurdle Word 4 hint

To contradict.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

BELIE

Final Hurdle hint

A horseback competition.

Hurdle Word 5 answer

JOUST

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

TL;DR: Live stream the 2026 Australian Open for free on 9Now. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

It feels like we're inundated with tennis tournaments over the summer months, and then nothing. After the US Open, tennis fans have a painful wait for the next Grand Slam.

But that wait is over. The 2026 Australian Open is finally here, delivering epic contests between the best players in the world. It's the first chance to see the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka, and Iga Świątek on the biggest stage. And better yet, it's possible to follow all the action from this showpiece event without spending anything.

If you want to watch the 2026 Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

What is the Australian Open?

The Australian Open is a tennis tournament held annually at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia. It's the first of the four Grand Slam tennis events held each year, followed by the French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open.

The current singles champions are Jannik Sinner and Madison Keys.

When is the 2026 Australian Open?

The 2026 Australian Open is the 114th edition of the tournament. This year's event takes place from Jan. 18 to Feb. 1.

How to watch the 2026 Australian Open for free

The 2026 Australian Open is available to live stream for free on 9Now.

9Now is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Australia, meaning you can unblock 9Now from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the 2026 Australian Open by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Visit 9Now

5. Watch the 2026 Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

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

Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to free live streams without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch the 2026 Australian Open before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for 9Now?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on 9Now, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Australia

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

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

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

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

Live stream the 2026 Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you're fashionable.

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: Fighter necessities

• Green: Final showdown

• Blue: Shirt features

• Purple: White and fluffy

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Gear for a boxer

• Green: Championship

• Blue: Kinds of necklines

• Purple: Snow ___

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 #958 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Gear for a boxer: GLOVES, MOUTHGUARD, ROBE, SHORTS

• Championship: AWARD, CROWN, CUP, TITLE

• Kinds of necklines: BOAT, CREW, HALTER, SCOOP

• Snow ___: CONE, GLOBE, LEOPARD, PEA

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

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

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

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

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're an art connoisseur.

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

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

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

NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: A work of art

The words are related to art.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe iconic artworks.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Famous Painting.

NYT Strands word list for January 24

• Famous Painting

• Night

• Starry

• Lilies

• Party

• Water

• Boating

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

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

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

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

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:

An edge.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter F appears twice.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter C.

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...

CLIFF

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

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

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

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

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

It's day six of the lunar cycle, and the Moon is well in our view now. There's plenty to spot on its surface, so what can you see when you look up?

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Saturday, Jan. 24, the Moon phase is Waxing Crescent. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 32% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.

Don't have any visual aids? Not a problem. Without, you'll still be able to see the Crisum, Serenitatis and Fecunditatis mares. If you have binoculars you'll also be able to catch a glimpse of the Endymion Crater and the Posidonius Crater. If you have a telescope, you can also see the Apollo 11 and 17 landing spots and the Rupes Altai.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will be on Feb. 1. The last full moon was on Jan. 3.

What are Moon phases?

The Moon’s phases are part of a repeating lunar cycle that lasts roughly 29 and a half days, according to NASA. This is the length of time it takes the Moon to orbit Earth once. During this time, the Moon moves through eight separate stages. Although the same face of the Moon is always turned toward Earth, how much of it we see lit up changes as its position shifts around the planet. This changing angle of sunlight is what causes the Moon to look fully illuminated, partly lit, or nearly invisible at different times. The eight phases in the lunar cycle 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.

SAVE $350: As of Jan. 23, get the Bluetti AC180 Portable Power Station for $449, down from its usual price of $799. That's a discount of 44% and the lowest price we've seen.

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Credit: Amazon

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$449 at Amazon
$799 Save $350

 

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A portable power station could be one of the most important purchases you ever make, especially if you find yourself staring down a huge winter storm (like this weekend!). If being prepared for situations where you lose electricity is important to you, you might want to seize this opportunity for being ready for the next time a disaster strikes.

As of Jan. 23, get the Bluetti AC180 Portable Power Station for $449, down from its usual price of $799. That's $350 off and a discount of 44%. It's also the lowest price we've seen.

This powerhouse packs a 1152Wh LiFePO4 battery to help you charge up all your stuff. It itself can be juiced back up to full capacity in just an hour as well, so you won't be caught waiting too long to use it again when needed. It has an 1800W output and a massive 11 outlets to use as well, so you don't have to swap out items and wait for them to charge. Use the optional solar charge controller and get up to 500W as well when needed.

All of that makes this portable power station a good option for going off-grid, or just powering everything you need if you happen to lose power in, say, a huge winter storm. It's a good idea to have on hand even if you don't need it too, though. So it's a good idea to get it while it's hot, so to speak, and lock yours in before it's gone.

SAVE 50%: As of Jan. 23, the LG 77-inch Class B5 Series OLED AI 4K UHD Smart webOS TV (2025) is on sale for $1,499.99 at Best Buy. That's basically a 50% discount or a $1,500 price cut.

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Credit: LG

LG 77-inch Class B5 Series OLED AI 4K UHD Smart webOS TV (2025)

$1,499.99 at Best Buy
$2,999.99 Save $1,500.00

 

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If you have the wall space for a cinema-sized upgrade, this is one of the best value-for-money TV deals we've seen in a while.

As of Jan. 23, the LG 77-inch Class B5 Series OLED AI 4K UHD Smart webOS TV (2025) is on sale for $1,499.99 at Best Buy. That's basically a 50% discount or a $1,500 price cut.

The B5 Series features LG's Alpha 8 AI Processor, which uses AI to optimize picture and sound quality in real-time. Because it’s an OLED, you get over 8.3 million self-lit pixels delivering perfect blacks and infinite contrast.

For gamers and sports fans, the native 120Hz refresh rate ensures smooth motion without blur. It’s also surprisingly future-proofed with four HDMI 2.1 inputs, support for NVIDIA G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium, and a dedicated Game Dashboard to tweak settings on the fly.

TL;DR: Enjoy a lifetime of cloud storage with this 100TB subscription to Internxt Cloud Storage, on sale now for $974.97 through Jan. 25.

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Credit: Internxt

Internxt Cloud Storage Lifetime Subscription: 100TB

$974.97
$9,900 Save $8,925.03

 

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How much would 100TB of cloud storage cost with iCloud? It’s a trick question. The most Apple offers is 12TB, and that will set you back $59.99 a month — that’s $719.88 every single year. Internxt Cloud Storage gives you a better option — own your cloud storage outright for life.

Right now, you can secure a lifetime subscription with 100TB to Internxt Cloud Storage for just $974.97, now through Jan. 25.

If you want to invest in a cloud storage solution you can use for life, it’s time to meet Internxt. With Internxt Cloud Storage, you can own your storage outright. This lifetime subscription for 100TB gives you plenty of room for life, and you only have to pay once.

Internxt gives you affordable cloud storage while keeping your data private. End-to-end encryption means that not even Internxt itself can access your data, while other companies not only access your data but also make money from it through targeted ads and data sharing. They’re GDPR-compliant, meaning they comply with strict European laws on user privacy and data security, too.

If you’re already established with another cloud storage company, rest easy knowing the transition will be seamless. Internxt offers easy cross-platform compatibility, and you can access it on all of your devices via the desktop app, web browser app, and iOS/Android app. They’re all user-friendly, making it simple to secure your files.

Get this 100TB subscription to Internxt Cloud Storage, on sale now for $974.97 through Jan. 25.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Bring the best of Microsoft to your Mac with this Microsoft Office Home and Business for Mac 2021 lifetime license, on sale now for just $49.97 (reg. $219) through Feb. 22.

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Credit: Microsoft

Microsoft Office Home & Business for Mac 2021: Lifetime License

$49.97
$219 Save $169.03

 

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Apps aren’t cheap these days. In fact, they typically come with endless monthly fees. If you’re looking for some dependable tools for your Mac that won’t set you back a small fortune, you can enjoy the best of Microsoft with this Microsoft Office Home and Business for Mac 2021 lifetime license.

Right now, this suite of six helpful apps can be yours for just $49.97 (reg. $219) — less than $9 each — through Feb. 22.

If you’re looking for dependable apps to help you tackle both personal and professional tasks, look no further than this Microsoft Office Home and Business for Mac 2021 lifetime license. It’s packed with six essentials ready to give your Mac a serious productivity boost.

This lifetime license allows you to draft your documents in Word, manage your emails in Outlook, design eye-catching presentations in PowerPoint, and create budgets in Excel. You’ll also have Teams to stay connected with family, friends, and coworkers, and OneNote to improve how you take notes.

Make sure your Mac is running macOS 14 or later for compatibility purposes. After your purchase, you’ll receive an instant delivery and download so you can permanently access these six apps on your Mac for life — no subscription fees, and no cloud connectivity needed.

Upgrade your Mac with this Microsoft Office Home and Business for Mac 2021 lifetime license, on sale now for just $49.97 (reg. $219) through Feb. 22.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

When U.S.-based TikTok users opened up the app on the morning of Jan. 23, many were met with a fresh pop-up. It was time to read the app's new Terms of Service (ToS) and there was only one option to continue using the app: Agree.

The prompt came along with a change in the platform's ownership, part of extended TikTok negotiations (brokered by President Trump) that spun out a U.S. TikTok entity with a U.S.-majority ownership instead of the continued exclusivity of Chinese company ByteDance. Most of the refreshed ToS comply with national security demands placed on the new TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC entity, in addition to state privacy obligations, like the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and Washington’s My Health My Data Act.

But some users noticed some concerning language as they reviewed the new document. "NO ONE is talking about Tiktok’s latest update on their terms and services," wrote X user GEEDEE, noting that the terms included tracking immigration status, religious affiliation, race, gender identity, and medical diagnoses. Others spotted language about collecting precise geolocation data.

So what's the deal? Did we all just agree to give more of our personal information to the social media giant as it bows down to its American owners?

TikTok's Privacy Policy

Simple answer: Not really. TikTok's updated Privacy Policy isn't changing the bulk of its existing data collection policies, which previously included collecting data users provide about themselves, including information about sexual and gender orientation, citizenship, and mental health diagnoses. TikTok has reserved the right to scan user-generated content — posts, comments, livestreams, audio messages, and other "virtual items" — to collect this information.

Here's the language from the previous policy, as recorded by the Wayback Machine on Dec. 1, 2025:

While some of the information that we collect, use, and disclose may constitute sensitive personal information under applicable state privacy laws, such as information from users under the relevant age threshold, information you disclose in survey responses or in your User Content about your racial or ethnic origin, national origin, religious beliefs, mental or physical health diagnosis, sexual life or sexual orientation, status as transgender or nonbinary, citizenship or immigration status, or financial information, we only process such information in order to provide the Platform and within other exemptions under applicable law. For example, we may process your financial information in order to provide you the goods or services you request from us or your driver’s license number in order to verify your identity.

And here is the new language as of Jan. 22, 2026:

Information You Provide may include sensitive personal information, as defined under applicable state privacy laws, such as information from users under the relevant age threshold, information you disclose in survey responses or in your user content about your racial or ethnic origin, national origin, religious beliefs, mental or physical health diagnosis, sexual life or sexual orientation, status as transgender or nonbinary, citizenship or immigration status, or financial information. For example, we may process your financial information in order to provide you the goods or services you request from us or your driver’s license number in order to verify your identity. We may also collect precise location data, depending on your settings and as explained below. We process such sensitive personal information in accordance with applicable law, such as for permitted purposes under the California Consumer Privacy Act.

We've bolded lines where the language is slightly different. The most apparent change in the app's data collection practices is that TikTok is now admitting that it will collect precise location data, unless you've opted out, and it explicitly mentions obligations under the CCPA.

Both versions of the privacy policy include a caveat that TikTok can collect this information from any kind of user-generated content. Previously, TikTok noted that it could "collect a version of your User Content that does not include [an] effect," meaning that if you thought you were fully anonymizing your content with a face or voice filter, TikTok could still see past it.

Under the new privacy policy, this practice also applies to generative AI products. And the content doesn't even need to be published, covering content that is in the "pre-uploading" stage, so while users are creating, importing, or editing — this is how TikTok has been able to recommend trending audios or generate hashtags while you're making a post, for example.

Third party advertising

As the New York Times reported, TikTok U.S. has expanded its advertising policies, with more "sweeping" language that allows for "customized ads and other sponsored content" from third parties based on information collected from TikTok users — that includes ads off the app.

Previously, TikTok's policy only mentioned using data for "tailored" in-app advertising and personalized recommendations.

Generative AI rules

TikTok also added a brand new section for content featuring generative AI, aligning the new tech with its existing Community Guidelines. Under the new policy, users cannot use AI-powered bots or interfere with the app's own generative AI tools, for example, and misleading, unlabeled generative AI content is prohibited.

TikTok instituted AI labelling in 2023, and added additional ways to filter out AI content in November.

Some users online have said they'll be leaving the platform under its new ownership, citing concerns about government surveillance and content moderation, following federal scrutiny of the app for its "foreign influences" and data collection. The concerns aren't entirely off the mark, with TikTok's new leadership already announcing it would be retraining and updating the app's content recommendation algorithm with more U.S.-centric aims.

If you've been on the app for a while and still haven't read through its Terms of Service, maybe now is the time.

TL;DR: Learning the local language makes travel more immersive — and you can learn all 14 of Babbel’s languages for one $159 payment (reg. $646.20) when you use StackSocial’s code LEARN at checkout.

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Credit: Babbel

Babbel Language Learning: Lifetime Subscription (All Languages)

$159
$646.20 Save $487.20

 

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Anyone who wants to get more out of their travels — whether that’s next month or years down the road — learning the language can change everything.

Being able to order food, ask for directions, or hold a simple conversation instantly makes trips feel more immersive and authentic. That’s how Babbel Language Learning shines.

Thanks to the StackSocial coupon LEARN, new users in the U.S. can get lifetime access to all 14 Babbel languages for $159 (reg. $646.20). It’s a one-time payment that gives you the freedom to learn now, later, or whenever travel calls.

Babbel is designed around real-life conversation, not endless drills. Lessons are only about 10 to 15 minutes and focus on situations you actually encounter while traveling, like transportation, dining, shopping, and meeting people.

You can use Babbel on your phone, tablet, or desktop, and your progress syncs automatically across devices. Heading somewhere without Wi-Fi? Download lessons ahead of time and keep learning offline.

You’ll have access to 14 languages, including Spanish, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, and more. Babbel also uses speech recognition technology to help fine-tune pronunciation and an AI conversation partner to practice speaking in real time. Both are helpful for building confidence before you arrive.

Developed by more than 100 linguists and backed by academic research, Babbel is built to help you speak and understand languages faster. With lifetime access, you’re not racing a subscription clock — you’re learning on your own timeline, trip by trip.

Get lifetime access to all Babbel languages for just $159 (reg. $646.20) with StackSocial’s exclusive code LEARN for a limited time.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

They call it the Friday news dump — companies posting embarrassing news on a day the media is least likely to bother covering it. But Meta just took the Friday news dump to a whole new level with this announcement: It's disabled its AI characters for teen accounts, at least until the characters can behave themselves.

The news wasn't just dropped on Friday — it was dropped in an update to a blog post from last October.

"We’ve started building a new version of AI characters, to give people an even better experience," the note from Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram and Alexandr Wang, Chief AI Officer, now reads — an upgrade Meta has long promised. Then came the part that would give many kids a very un-Rebecca Black Friday.

"While we focus on developing this new version, we’re temporarily pausing teens' access to existing AI characters globally. Starting in the coming weeks, teens will no longer be able to access AI characters across our apps until the updated experience is ready. This will apply to anyone who has given us a teen birthday, as well as people who claim to be adults but who we suspect are teens based on our age prediction technology."

The Instagram and Facebook maker wants to stress "it is not abandoning its efforts" on AI characters, according to TechCrunch. Still, this is clearly an admission that something has the potential to go very wrong with the current version of its AI characters, where teen safety and mental health is concerned.

Meta isn't alone in this discovery. Character.AI and Google both settled lawsuits this month, brought by multiple parents of children who died by suicide. One was a 14-year-old boy who was in effect groomed and sexually abused, his mother says, by a chatbot based on the Game of Thrones character Daenerys Targaryen.

Blasted by a report from online safety experts, Character.AI shut down all chats for under-18 users back in October, two months after Meta simply decided to start training its teen chatbots to not "engage with teenage users on self-harm, suicide, disordered eating, or potentially inappropriate romantic conversations." Evidently, that training wasn't enough.

This isn't the first time Meta has had to backtrack on its ambitions for AI character accounts. In 2024, it removed AI personas based on celebrities. In January last year, it took down all its AI character profiles after a backlash over perceived racism.

The teen usage problem isn't a small one, either. More than half of teens 13-17 surveyed by Common Sense Media last year said they used AI companions more than once a month. For now, they'll have to do so somewhere other than Meta.

Lego and Crocs announced the beginning of a new partnership with the launch of the spectacular Lego Brick Clogs ($149.99), which look more like Legos than Crocs.

Described as a "multi-year global partnership," the brands will follow the new limited-edition Crocs with more product launches throughout 2026, starting in the spring. The future products will include "Crocs’ largest licensed assortment of unique Jibbitz charms" and more unspecified products for kids and adults.

“The Lego Group’s boundless imagination makes them the perfect match to Crocs’ wonderfully unordinary spirit,” said Carly Gomez, Chief Marketing Officer at Crocs, in a blog post. “We are both brands that pride ourselves in being built different, in celebrating self-expression, and in fueling creativity. I can’t wait for our fans to see what we’re creating together — we’ve truly broken the mold in a way that we never have before.”

The Lego Brick Clogs truly have to be seen to be believed. They're, dare I say it, brick-tacular.

The new Lego Brick Crocs in all their glory. Credit: Lego / Crocs

Left: Enhance... Credit: Lego / Crocs

Right: ...enhance! Credit: Lego / Crocs

Introducing the Crocs x Lego Brick Clogs

The Lego website describes the Brick Clogs as "a new and imaginative silhouette, constructed with the playfulness of Crocs and the boundless creativity of the Lego brick." Shaped like Lego bricks, they feature four logo-stamped studs, Lego and Crocs branding, and a pivotable heel strap. The product description also states that the clogs are made with an easy-to-clean and quick-dry material.

These are definitely collectibles more than practical footwear, and a description on the Crocs website clearly states they're "not intended for all-day wear."

My favorite detail? The new Lego Crocs come with a Lego Minifigure — who is wearing his own pair of Lego Crocs. In fact, the Minifigure comes with mini Lego Crocs of his own in four different colors.

Swap out your Minifigure's mini Crocs. Credit: Lego / Crocs

They're not practical, but we're here for them. Credit: Lego / Crocs

Crocs is known for its cross-brand collaborations and unique, limited-edition designs. The iconic ugly footwear brand has partnered with everyone from General Mills Cereal and 7/11 to Balenciaga. But this might be my favorite yet.

How to buy the Crocs x Lego Brick Clogs

The shoes are online now at both the Lego and Crocs websites, but they're listed as unavailable in all sizes. A "Coming Soon" notice says the shoes will be available Feb. 16. In the meantime, you can sign up for email notifications. The Lego announcement blog post also teases a second drop in the spring.

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Credit: Lego / Crocs

Crocs Lego Brick Clogs

$149.99 at Lego

 

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Credit: Lego / Crocs

Crocs Lego Brick Clogs

$149.99 at Crocs

 

Learn More

Just think, if you get your hands on these once-in-a-lifetime Crocs clogs, you too could look this cool:

Credit: Lego / Crocs

Once upon a time, there was an online video platform called Vimeo that internet users knew as the high-brow alternative to YouTube. If YouTube was known for its vloggers and amateur comedy skits, Vimeo was known as the place for well-produced short films by actual indie filmmakers. It had its own version of YouTube Premium, produced its own originals, and even received an Emmy nomination.

While Vimeo still technically exists, that version of Vimeo no longer does. Last September, Vimeo was acquired by the Italian tech company Bending Spoons. And now Bending Spoons has just laid off a significant number of Vimeo's employees.

Bending Spoons has confirmed the layoffs to TechCrunch but did not disclose just how many employees would lose their job. However, a former senior Vimeo engineer who left the company last month after 13 years, according to his LinkedIn, says the layoffs have nearly cleared out Vimeo entirely.

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

"Reviving this account to say: Almost everyone at Vimeo was laid off yesterday, including the entire video team," Derek Buitenhuis posted to his account on social media platform X. "If you're looking for talented engineers, there are a few on the market."

"Sucks to see something I built killed by private equity in a technology company skin suit," Buitenhuis continued.

Vimeo’s now-former VP of Global Brand and Creative, Dave Brown, also confirmed on LinkedIn that they were part of the layoffs and a "large portion of the company" was impacted.

Vimeo was founded in 2004, and while it never quite reached YouTube's levels of success, it carved out a respectable position as the number two video platform by focusing on artists and the art of filmmaking. However, as TechCrunch points out, in recent years, Vimeo attempted to pivot into artificial intelligence, offering new AI tools to screenwriters and video editors.

In September 2025, Vimeo announced that it was being acquired by Bending Spoons for $1.38 billion.

The name Bending Spoons may sound familiar to you. In 2024, a Bloomberg article described the company as "private equity hipsters" for the app store generation. The company has been on a buying spree over the past few years, acquiring legacy tech brands like AOL, Evernote, MeetUp, and WeTransfer. The company has also acquired other video platforms like StreamYard and Brightcover, too. By now, Bending Spoons is known in the tech industry for buying up underperforming legacy brands, firing employees, hiring cheaper labor, and raising prices, a familiar private equity playbook.

Vimeo as a service continues to exist, providing paid video hosting subscriptions for ad-free uploads. As of now, it's unclear what changes Bending Spoons has in store for the platform.

You might have a dangerous browser extension monitoring your browser history and not even know it.

As the good folks at Lifehacker reported, cybersecurity researchers with LayerX identified 17 malicious browser extensions across Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, with some active for up to five years. (Disclosure: Lifehacker is owned by Ziff Davis, the same parent company as Mashable.) These malware-infected browser extensions are part of the GhostPoster campaign, first identified in December by Koi Security.

The Koi Security researchers originally identified 17 malicious browser add-ons, for a total of 34 dangerous extensions. The extensions are no longer available, but if you've already downloaded them, they remain active and must be manually deleted as soon as possible.

As Koi Security found, the extensions hide "a multi-stage malware payload that monitors everything you browse, strips away your browser's security protections, and opens a backdoor for remote code execution." LaxerX further reports that the malware can weaken websites’ security measures, hijack affiliate traffic, inject iframes and scripts that track users, and inject malicious scripts onto a user’s device.

Here's the full list of extensions, via LayerX and Lifehacker:

• Google Translate in Right Click

• Translate Selected Text with Google

• Ads Block Ultimate

• Floating Player – PiP Mode

• Convert Everything

• Youtube Download

• One Key Translate

• AdBlocker

• Save Image to Pinterest on Right Click

• Instagram Downloader

• RSS Feed

• Cool Cursor

• Full Page Screenshot

• Amazon Price History

• Color Enhancer

• Translate Selected Text with Right Click

• Page Screenshot Clipper

Some of these were quite popular extensions. Google Translate in Right Click, for instance, had more than half a million installs, according to LayerX researchers.

The malware in the extensions is known as GhostPoster, which hides malicious code in the extension's PNG logo. The researchers say the malware campaign relied on sophisticated methods that let it evade detection for years. So if you've downloaded any of these extensions, it's best to delete them right away.

Read more about the GhostPoster campaign at Lifehacker.

"Isn't it wonderful to be back in the theater and giving people what they truly want: moi?" So asks Miss Piggy in the trailer for The Muppet Show, which returns for a special episode on Disney+ and ABC this February.

The one-night event revives the beloved Muppets variety series, which originally ran for five seasons from 1976 to 1981. All your favorites are back, from Kermit the Frog and Fozzie Bear to Gonzo and Statler and Waldorf. Plus, they'll be greeting new guests like Maya Rudolph, Seth Rogen (who also executive produces), and Sabrina Carpenter.

Carpenter already has history with the Muppets — specifically, with Miss Piggy herself. On the final stop of her Short n' Sweet tour, Miss Piggy was the Grammy winner's "Juno" arrest, which means that Carpenter was arresting her for being "too hot." We're sure that was music to Miss Piggy's ears.

You know what's not music to Miss Piggy's ears? What Carpenter tells her in the trailer: that her grandparents used to watch The Muppet Show. Maybe just stick to telling her she's hot!

For more of Carpenter and Miss Piggy's glamorous get-together (as well as more general Muppet chaos), check out the full trailer above.

The Muppet Show will also see the return of veteran Muppet performers Bill Barretta, Dave Goelz, Eric Jacobson, Peter Linz, David Rudman, and Matt Vogel.

The Muppet Show premieres Feb. 4 on Disney+ and ABC.

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

SAVE $1,500: As of Jan. 23, the 65-inch TCL QM9K Mini LED QLED TV is on sale for $1,499.99 at Best Buy — a full 50% drop from its usual $2,999.99. All other sizes have significant discounts as well.

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Credit: TCL

TCL 65-inch QM9K Mini LED QLED 4K TV

$1,499.99 at Best Buy
$2,999.99 Save $1,500.00

 

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TCL has already generated some serious buzz in 2026. The TCL X11L was one of the most talked about CES 2026 TVs, and as of Jan. 20, Sony has handed its TV business to TCL. But there was one big TCL announcement from the fall that may have slipped under your radar: TCL quietly released a new mini LED flagship TV, the QM9K, in Sept. 2025. Every single size is at least 40% off at Best Buy now, including a full 50% discount on the 65-inch TCL QM9K. That $1,499.99 price tag looks so much better than the original $2,999.99.

The QM9K is a slight step up from the TCL QM8K, which is also seeing a jaw-dropping discount (60% off) at Best Buy. As our current pick for the best QLED TV for most people, the QM8K clearly gets plenty bright enough for most situations. Yet the QM9K manages to outshine even that, with peak brightness beaming up to 6,500 nits compared to the QM8K's 5,000.

The other big jump happens between the number of dimming zones: The QM9K packs up to 6,000 dimming zones (depending on how big the screen is), while even the largest QM8K maxes out at 3,800 dimming zones. The QM9K also features Bang & Olufsen audio. All of these tweaks add up to quite the immersive HDR and graphically-demanding gaming experience.

The other QM9K sizes on sale include 75, 85, and 98 inches.

SAVE $723: As of Jan. 23, get the LG 39GX90SA-W 39-inch Ultragear OLED Curved Gaming Monitor for $876.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $1,599.99. That's a discount of 45%.

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Credit: Amazon

LG 39GX90SA-W 39-inch Ultragear OLED Curved Gaming Monitor

$876.99 at Amazon
$1,599.99 Save $723

 

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The right gaming monitor can completely change the way you experience your favorite games. So if you can splurge on one that rocks your world, you very well should. Thanks to this deal from Amazon, it's the perfect time to treat yourself and save some money while you're at it.

As of Jan. 23, get the LG 39GX90SA-W 39-inch Ultragear OLED Curved Gaming Monitor for $876.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $1,599.99. That's $723 off and a discount of 45%.

This immersive 39-inch curved OLED panel is all about keeping you in the middle of the action. It boasts a 3440 x 1440 resolution with deep, satisfying darker hues and eye-popping colors. It has a 240Hz refresh rate that promises smooth motion as well as a 0.02ms response time. Plus, it's compatible with NVIDIA G-Sync and AMD FreeSync, both of which combat screen tearing.

Additionally, the monitor has a built-in WebOS platform that lets you skip the additional streaming device. You can use apps like Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, and more straight from the screen, so if you prefer simply to watch content on this big boss of a monitor, you can do that with no strings attached.

Whatever you use it for, this is an excellent price for the monitor and you should lock yours in now if you're ready to spend on a gaming monitor that delivers.

SAVE 17%: As of Jan. 23, the Apple Mac mini (M4) is on sale for $499, down from $599, at Amazon. That’s a 17% discount or $100 in savings.

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Credit: Apple

Apple Mac mini (M4)

$499 at Amazon
$599 Save $100

 

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If you want the power of Apple’s latest silicon without the MacBook Pro price tag, the redesigned Mac mini is arguably the best bang for your buck right now. It’s super tiny, surprisingly powerful, and currently on sale. (What more could you want?)

As of Jan. 23, the Apple Mac mini (M4) is on sale for $499 at Amazon, down from $599. That’s a 17% discount or $100 in savings.

The new chassis is incredibly small. At just 5x5 inches, it’s roughly the size of an Apple TV box, making it easy to hide on any desk. Inside, it runs on the M4 chip with a 10-core CPU and GPU. Bonus: It now starts with 16GB of unified memory (double the previous generation's 8GB base), so it's fully capable of handling Apple Intelligence features and heavier multitasking.

Apple also finally added ports to the front for convenience. Just remember that this is a BYOD (Bring Your Own Display) situation — you get the computer, but you'll need to supply the monitor, keyboard, and mouse.

SAVE $29: As Jan. 23, get a like-new Kindle Paperwhite at a major discount. Shop a like-new Kindle Paperwhite at Amazon for just $114.99. That saves you $29 off its $143.99 list price.

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Credit: Amazon

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite

$114.99 at Amazon
$143.99 Save $29.00

 

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How are your reading goals going this year? We're just a few weeks into 2026 and if you're finding it hard to fit in reading time, maybe you need a little extra help. A Kindle Paperwhite is an extraordinary device as it basically puts an entire library in your pocket. We love Kindles for their small lightweight design, always easy to carry on the go. And right now, you can get a like-new Kindle Paperwhite at a discount.

As of Jan. 23, like-new Kindle Paperwhites are down to $114.99. That saves you $29 off the usual price of $143.99. A brand new Kindle Paperwhite costs $159.99 so this refurbished model is nearly $50 cheaper. While this isn't the lowest price we've ever spotted, it's still a decent savings of 20% off.

But why go for a refurbished model? These models are basically brand new. They're the latest generation of Kindle Paperwhite, but they that may have previously been returned. However, Amazon's verified their efficacy. Each device has been tested for functionality, battery tested, charged, and software updated.

The Kindle Paperwhite is not only our favorite Kindle, but our favorite e-reader. It's quick, user-friendly. With 16GB of storage, that's enough space to store not just hundreds of books but thousands of them

Shop the like-new Kindle Paperwhite at Amazon for $114.99 and save $29.

The Moon is getting brighter each night as it works its way through the lunar cycle. It'll keep getting brighter and bigger until the Full Moon, on Feb. 1.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Friday, Jan. 23, the Moon phase is Waxing Crescent. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 22% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.

You don't need any visual aids tonight, without you'll be able to see the Crisum and Fecunditatis mares. If you have binoculars you'll also be able to catch a glimpse of the Endymion Crater, and with a telescope you can also see the Apollo 17 landing spot.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will be on Feb. 1. The last full moon was on Jan. 3.

What are Moon phases?

The Moon’s phases are part of a repeating lunar cycle that lasts roughly 29 and a half days, according to NASA. This is the length of time it takes the Moon to orbit Earth once. During this time, the Moon moves through eight separate stages. Although the same face of the Moon is always turned toward Earth, how much of it we see lit up changes as its position shifts around the planet. This changing angle of sunlight is what causes the Moon to look fully illuminated, partly lit, or nearly invisible at different times. The eight phases in the lunar cycle 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.

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

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

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

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

Hurdle Word 1 hint

A talent.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

KNACK

Hurdle Word 2 hint

A book.

Hurdle Word 2 Answer

NOVEL

Hurdle Word 3 hint

A small brass instrument.

Hurdle Word 3 answer

BUGLE

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Typically found atop a church tower.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

SPIRE

Final Hurdle hint

To be inundated.

Hurdle Word 5 answer

DROWN

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

SAVE $30: As of Jan. 23, the Amazon Echo Studio is on sale for $189.99 with the on-page coupon code ECHOSTUDIO30. That's a savings of about 14% and drops it down to its record-low Black Friday price.

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Credit: Amazon

Amazon Echo Studio

$189.99 at Amazon
$219.99 Save $30

with code ECHOSTUDIO30

Get Deal

Last fall, Amazon launched four new Echo devices specifically built for Alexa+ — including a superpowered Echo Studio smart speaker. Previously debuting in 2019, this is technically the Echo Studio's first update in six years, though it looks and acts quite different. The speaker saw its first discount ever during Amazon's Black Friday sale. And now that same discount has reappeared.

As of Jan. 23, you can pick up the Amazon Echo Studio speaker for $189.99 instead of $219.99. Just enter the code ECHOSTUDIO30 at checkout (or click "redeem" next to the on-page coupon) to shave $30 or 14% off the price.

According to Amazon, you "can't find any smart speaker that sounds this amazing at this size." Despite being 40 percent smaller than its predecessor (it measures 6.1 inches by 5.8 inches), it packs Dolby Atmos and spatial audio support. You can even link up to five Studio (or Echo Dot Max) devices to Fire TV Sticks and get a home theater sound going. Plus, of course, it' s built for Alexa+, the superpowered AI assistant that can do more than ever before.

As for the look, Mashable's tech editor says it resembles the Death Star, with a circular orb design and flat control panel. Whether or not that's a selling point for you, we think it's pretty sleek. It comes in two shades (both of white are on sale): glacier white and graphite.

Apple has been running behind the competition when it comes to built-in AI features on iPhones for a couple of years, but the company may finally be set to change this by the end of 2026.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported this week that Apple is planning a big overhaul for Siri in iOS 27, which would theoretically launch in September alongside the iPhone 18, based on historical precedent. With this update, Siri will finally gets its long-awaited AI makeover and turn into more of a chatbot à la ChatGPT. Apple will reportedly announce this at WWDC in June and deeply integrate the new AI-powered Siri into iPhones, iPads, and Macs.

According to Gurman, users will be able to ask Siri to search the internet, generate AI images, analyze files, and use personal information, such as calendar entries and text messages, to complete tasks in a new chatbot interface. The new AI tool will also be integrated into music, podcasting, and email apps, though it remains to be seen if this is something users can turn off or not.

Apple has been working on an AI-powered version of Siri for a while now, but delays have pushed it to (presumably, based on this report) late 2026, while companies like Google and Samsung already have similar features on their mobile devices. In fact, Apple recently announced that it's using Google's Gemini technology to power the new AI Siri.

When it launches, Apple will face steep competition, as Google, OpenAI, xAI, and Meta have been operating in this space for years. Of course, Apple is also the most popular mobile brand in the world, which givers it a big advantage over its rivals.

SAVE 22%: As of Jan. 23, the Xreal One Pro AR Glasses are on sale for $599 at Amazon, down from $769. That's a 22% discount or $170 in savings.

XREAL One Pro AR Glasses

$599 at Amazon
$769 Save $170

 

Get Deal at Amazon

If you love your Steam Deck or your new iPhone but hate the neck strain that comes from looking down at a handheld screen for hours, Xreal has a pretty futuristic fix.

As of Jan. 23, the Xreal One Pro AR Glasses are on sale for $599 at Amazon, down from $769. That's a 22% discount or $170 in savings. It's also the best price we've seen this year.

Mashable Tech Editor Timothy Beck Werth recently took these for a spin, and while the required USB-C tether left him with "mixed feelings," the utility was undeniable. He found that being able to float Slack and email windows above his laptop made him feel like he was "living in the future," effectively creating a portable multi-monitor setup wherever he worked.

Sure, the look gives off major "Terminator 2 vibes," but unless you're ready to spend $3,000 on an Apple Vision Pro, this is a much more realistic entry point into AR — especially at this price.

2025 was another year of movie magic, but only 10 films made the cut in the Academy's eyes to earn spots on the Best Picture Oscar nominations list. We found narrowing the best movies of the year down to only 10 to be impossible, instead opting for a list of the top 25. So, of course, there were bound to be a ton of snubs (and some welcome surprises) this year. (Zero nominations for Wicked: For Good? Nothing for Chase Infiniti or Paul Mescal? Preposterous!)

Even though we're a bit flabbergasted that a few of our favorites didn't make the list, the ones that managed to nab the nomination are definitely worth watching.

Want to get familiar with the best films of the year (at least by the Academy's standards)? We've rounded up how to watch all 10. Queue 'em up for a movie marathon that's sure to be one for the books.

Bugonia

The dynamic duo that brought us Poor Things — director Yorgos Lanthimos and actor Emma Stone — is back with Bugonia, a conspiracy caper that'll make you question everything. It also stars the fantastic Jesse Plemons as Teddy, a bike-riding beekeeper and conspiracy theorist who believes aliens live among us and are to blame for the current state of the world — one being the no-nonsense big pharma CEO Michelle Fuller (Stone). He and his cousin enact a plan to kidnap Michelle and uncover the truth.

Bugonia was one of Mashable's top 25 movies of 2025, coming in at No. 11, so we're not surprised the Academy gave it a nod for Best Picture. It also picked up nominations for Best Original Score, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Actress in a Leading Role.

Read Mashable's review of Bugonia.

How to watch it: Stream it on Peacock

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Credit: Peacock

Stream "Bugonia" on Peacock

Starting at $10.99 per month

Learn More

Bugonia made its streaming debut on Peacock on Dec. 26, 2025. Peacock subscriptions start at $10.99, but you can save about 17% by opting for an annual plan instead. There are also significant discounts available for students, young adults, military personnel, first responders, medical professionals, and teachers. Of course, you can also rent or purchase the film at digital retailers like Prime Video for as low as $5.99.

F1

Perhaps the biggest surprise on this list, F1: The Movie stars Brad Pitt as legendary Formula 1 driver Sonny Hayes. After nearly three decades, he comes out of retirement to mentor a young hotshot rookie (Damson Idris) and lead a struggling team to victory. While it didn't earn a spot on our favorite films of 2025 list, audiences were obsessed with the film, flocking to theaters and giving it glorious reviews (currently a 97 percent on Rotten Tomatoes). Besides Best Picture, it also picked up nominations for Best Film Editing, Best Sound, and Best Visual Effects.

How to watch it: Stream it on Apple TV+

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Credit: Apple TV

Stream 'F1' on Apple TV+

Free 7-day trial, then $12.99 per month

Learn More

F1 is an Apple Original film, so it's streaming on Apple TV+, of course. If you're not an Apple TV+ subscriber, you can sign up for a seven-day free trial to watch the movie. After your trial period is up, it'll cost you $12.99 per month. You can also purchase it at digital retailers like Prime Video for $19.99.

Frankenstein

Guillermo del Toro has brought everyone's favorite monster back to life with a stirring new adaptation of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel. It stars Oscar Isaac as the titular doctor who is trying to overcome the childhood trauma of losing his mother (Mia Goth) by resurrecting an exquisite corpse (Jacob Elordi). As Mashable's Kristy Puchko writes in her review, "This misfit monster becomes a radiant analogy for self-love, as he is both horrid and beautiful, misunderstood and full of potential and love." Cracking the top five on our list of the best movies of 2025, we're happy the Academy gave Frankenstein its flowers. Beyond Best Picture, it's also nominated for Best Supporting Actor, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Original Score, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, and Best Production Design.

Read Mashable's review of Frankenstein.

How to watch it: Stream it on Netflix

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Stream 'Frankenstein' on Netflix

starting at $7.99 per month

Learn More

Frankenstein opened in select theaters in October 2025 and hit Netflix shortly after on Nov. 7. Netflix subscriptions start at just $7.99 per month if you don't mind watching with ads or $17.99 per month if you prefer to go ad-free.

Hamnet

Cracking the top 10 of Mashable's favorite films of 2025 list, Hamnet finds Academy Award–winning director Chloé Zhao back in the Oscar race. It's a heart-wrenching historical drama, based on the novel by Maggie O'Farrell, that offers a view of William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) and his mystical wife Agnes (Jessie Buckley) from a different lens. When the pair loses their youngest son, Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe), they weather their devastating grief in dramatically different ways. Be sure you have a box of tissues nearby. In addition to its Best Picture nomination, Hamnet also earned six other nods, including Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Costume Design, Best Original Score, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Casting, and Best Directing. Unfortunately, our favorite sad boy, Paul Mescal, was snubbed.

Read Mashable's review of Hamnet.

How to watch: See it in theaters

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Credit: Fandango

See 'Hamnet' in theaters

 

Learn More

At the time of writing, the only way to watch Hamnet is in select theaters. However, we are expecting an early February digital release at retailers like Prime Video, Fandango at Home, and Apple TV. We'll keep you updated when a specific date is announced. As a Focus Features film, we also expect it to stream on Peacock at a later date.

Marty Supreme

Directed by Josh Safdie and distributed by A24, Marty Supreme is a major contender this awards season. Chalamet already won the Golden Globe for his performance and is now hoping to grab his first Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role. In the sports comedy, he stars as Marty Mauser — a man with a dream to achieve greatness and bring the art of ping pong to the masses. It also stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A'zion, Kevin O'Leary, Tyler Okonma (aka Tyler, the Creator), Abel Ferrara, and Fran Drescher. Besides Best Picture and Best Actor, it's also nominated for Best Production Design, Best Film Editing, Best Directing, Best Cinematography, Best Casting, Best Costume Design, and Best Original Screenplay.

Read Mashable's review of Marty Supreme.

How to watch it: Buy or rent it on digital as of Feb. 3

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Credit: Prime Video

Buy or rent 'Marty Supreme' on digital

$19.99 to rent, $24.99 to buy

Shop Now

As an A24 film, we know that Marty Supreme will eventually make its way to HBO Max — likely not until April 2026. Until then, you can rent or purchase the film at digital retailers like Prime Video and Apple TV as of Feb. 3 for $19.99 or $24.99.

One Battle After Another

Part political thriller, part parenthood comedy, Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another is an absolute gem. As someone who has a hard time watching movies over 1.5 hours, this three-hour journey had me glued to the screen from start to finish. It's inspired by Thomas Pynchon's novel Vineland, One Battle After Another, and follows Bob Ferguson (Leonardo DiCaprio) as an ex-revolutionary who's living off the grid with his teen daughter Willa (Chase Infiniti). When his former nemesis and military antagonist Col. Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn) resurfaces and Willa goes missing, Bob must jump into action to find and protect her. It's our second favorite movie of the year, "not only for what it brings to cinema in terms of spectacle and spirit, but also what it has to say about America today," as Puchko puts it. It also scored the second-most Oscar nominations of any film: Best Picture, Best Directing, Best Supporting Actor (x2), Best Lead Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Score, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Casting, Best Cinematography, and Best Film Editing.

Read Mashable's review of One Battle After Another.

How to watch it: Stream it on HBO Max

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Credit: HBO Max

Stream "One Battle After Another" on HBO Max

Starting at $10.99 per month

Learn More

One Battle After Another made its streaming debut on HBO Max back in December 2025. The cheapest HBO Max subscription will cost you $10.99 per month, but you'll have to endure some ads along the way. Don't want ads? The price jumps up to $18.49 per month. You can also rent or purchase the film on digital retailers if you prefer for as low as $6.99.

The Secret Agent

Directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho, The Secret Agent is a time-jumping political crime thriller that follows Marcelo (Wagner Moura), a tech expert in his early 40s, who's justifiably paranoid in his mission to escape his country's authoritarian regime. "It's a heavy topic explored with humanity, boasting such a compelling script, impeccable acting, and striking 1970s aesthetic that it's impossible to look away," Mashable's Shannon Connellan writes in her review. It also picked up nominations for Best Actor, Best Casting, and Best International Feature Film.

Read Mashable's review of The Secret Agent.

How to watch it: Buy or rent it on digital as of Jan. 27

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Credit: Prime Video

Buy or rent 'The Secret Agent' on digital

$14.99 to rent, $19.99 to buy

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The Secret Agent makes its digital debut on Jan. 27, 2026, which means you can rent or purchase it at digital retailers like Prime Video and Fandango at Home for $14.99 or $19.99. Eventually, since it's a Neon film, we expect it to make its streaming debut on Hulu at a later date. Stay tuned.

Sentimental Value

A riveting family drama, Sentimental Value follows the reunion of sisters Nora (Renate Reinsve) and Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) with their estranged father Gustav (Stellan Skarsgård), a charismatic, once-renowned director. Gustav offers Nora a role in his hopeful comeback film, but when she turns it down, he gives the part to a young Hollywood actress (Elle Fanning). It navigates the complicated relationships and dynamics that arise and dives deep into human emotions. Beyond Best Picture, it's also nominated in several other categories: Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress (x2), Best Original Screenplay, Best Lead Actress, Best Directing, Best Film Editing, and Best International Feature Film.

How to watch it: Buy or rent it on digital

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Credit: Prime Video

Buy or rent 'Sentimental Value' on Prime Video

$14.99 to rent, $19.99 to buy

Shop Now

Sentimental Value made its digital debut on Dec. 23 — you can rent or purchase it at digital retailers like Prime Video and Fandango at Home for $14.99 or $19.99. Eventually, it will make its streaming debut on Hulu alongside other Neon films. We're expecting a March streaming date, but stay tuned for more details to come.

Sinners

Black Panther director Ryan Coogler is back with another smash hit. Puchko called it "easily one of the best movies of the year" back in April, and it ended up earning the top spot on our list in December. It's set in the 1930s Jim Crow-era South and stars Michael B. Jordan in a dual role as twin brothers who return to their hometown with the goal of setting up a juke joint. Its grand opening is disrupted by something supernaturally monstrous. With bits of horror, history, and musical theater all sprinkled in, it's a genre-fluid movie in every sense of the term. Sinners took the Oscars by storm with a record-breaking 16 nominations. Essentially, every award it could be nominated for, it is.

Read Mashable's review of Sinners.

How to watch it: Stream it on HBO Max

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Credit: HBO Max

Stream "Sinners' on HBO Max

starting at $10.99 per month

Learn More

Sinners made its streaming debut on July 4, 2025, on HBO Max. As noted above, HBO Max subscriptions start at $10.99 per month, but you can save money by opting for an annual subscription instead. Rather not sign up for a streaming service? You can purchase or rent Sinners at digital retailers like Prime Video for only $5.99 or $14.99.

Train Dreams

Based on Denis Johnson’s 2011 novella of the same name, Train Dreams follows a man's search for meaning as the 20th century arrives. Joel Edgerton stars as Robert Grainier, who grows into adulthood among the Pacific Northwest forests, where he helps expand the nation’s railroad empire. As Mashable's reviewer writes, "it's a steady, meditative, and at times devastating journey with many a conversation around the fire." It's also nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Original Song.

Read Mashable's review of Train Dreams.

How to watch it: Stream it on Netflix

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Credit: Netflix

Stream "Train Dreams" on Netflix

starting at $7.99 per month

Learn More

You can stream Train Dreams on Netflix as of Nov. 2025. The cheapest Netflix subscription will run you $7.99 if you watch with ads or $17.99 per month if you watch ad-free.

SAVE $26.54: As of Jan. 23, get the Magic: The Gathering March of the Machine Booster Box for $123.45 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $149.99. That's a discount of 18% and below market value.

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Credit: Amazon

Magic: The Gathering March of the Machine Booster Box

$123.45 at Amazon
$149.99 Save $26.54

 

Get Deal

There are always a ton of Magic: The Gathering expansions floating around at any given moment, and more on the way. If you want any hope of getting all the cards on your wish list or you just want to make great decks, you'll want to wait for some great sales, like this one going on at Amazon.

As of Jan. 23, get the Magic: The Gathering March of the Machine Booster Box for $123.45 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $149.99. That's $26.54 off and a discount of 18%. It's also well below market value.

This booster box contains 36 packs, which equates to 540 additional Magic: The Gathering cards. That breaks down to 15 cards per booster, with at least 1 Multiverse Legend card per pack, 1-2 cards of rarity Rare or higher, and 1 traditional foil in every pack. You can also look forward to 3-5 Uncommons, 8-9 Commons, and 1 Land card each pack.

The set itself explores the fall of planes in the Magic: The Gathering Multiverse to the Phyrexian invasion. That means corrupted Planeswalkers and devious machines, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.

Whether you're building new decks for play or you're ready to add a whole new set to your collection, this is a good deal to go ahead and snag and get started cracking those packs.

SAVE $370: As of Jan. 23, the Anker Solix C1000 Gen 2 portable power station is on sale for $429 at Amazon. That's nearly half off its list price.

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Credit: Anker

Anker Solix C1000 Gen 2 portable power station

$429 at Amazon
$799 Save $370

 

Get Deal

Anker is well-known for its lineup of quality tech at budget-friendly prices — and the Solix C1000 Gen 2 portable power station is no exception. Its typical $799 price tag is already relatively low compared to competitors, but Amazon has dropped the price to make it even more affordable.

As of Jan. 23, the Anker Solix C1000 Gen 2 is on sale for only $429. That's 46% or $370 in savings on a Mashable Choice Award-winning device. You'll notice a progress bar on the shop page below the price — this means it's a Lightning deal at Amazon. You'll have to grab it before that progress bar reaches 100 or before the timer runs out, whichever comes first.

Mashable contributor Lauren Allain spent some time with the second-generation Solix C1000 and called it "the perfect model for taking on a weekend camping trip or keeping around the house for occasional power outages." She credits its respectable 1,024Wh capacity, peak output of 3,000W, zippy 49-minute recharge time, and its convenient array of ports.

Compared to the previous generation, it has a fancier LCD display, charges quicker, and weighs less, plus two of its USB-C ports can now handle 140W (as opposed to 100W). And for what it's worth, the newer model is currently about $40 cheaper if you act fast.

One of the greatest free solo climbers of all time, Alex Honnold, is about to risk everything to scale the Taipei 101 skyscraper — one of the tallest buildings in the world. And you can watch it all happen live on Netflix. Here's everything you need to know to tune in.

What is Skyscraper Live?

Unlike the prerecorded climbing documentary Free Solo, Skyscraper Live will follow Honnold as he scales the Taipei 101 skyscraper in real time. A true high-stakes live broadcast, viewers will experience every moment of Honnold's ascent of the iconic 1,667-foot-tall building live. If you can already feel your palms sweating, you're not alone.

"I’m sure viewers will probably be on edge watching this," Honnold said in a Q&A. "I assume that most people will be sort of uncomfortable watching the whole thing. But I hope that viewers get a little bit of my joy from the experience — that they can appreciate the fun of it and the beauty of it, the scenery, just the whole experience. It’s not just extreme sports — it’s more."

How to watch Skyscraper Live

The Skyscraper Live two-hour global event will take place on Jan. 23, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT) live only on Netflix.

If you don't already subscribe to Netflix, the most affordable way to sign up is to opt for the monthly subscription with ads for $7.99. If you don't want ads, your next-best choice is to sign up for Netflix Standard for $17.99 per month. There's also a third tier dubbed Netflix Premium, which costs $24.99 per month and lets you watch on four household devices at once in 4K Ultra HD + HDR with no ads.

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Credit: Netflix

Netflix subscription

Starting at $7.99 per month

Shop Now

The best Netflix deals

Before you sign up for Netflix, check out the deals below to see if you can get a free or discounted subscription. Be sure to double-check the terms for more details.

Best Netflix deal for T-Mobile customers

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Credit: Netflix

Netflix Standard (with ads)

Free for select T-Mobile customers (save $7.99 per month)

Get Deal

T-Mobile customers on most Go5G plans, as well as Experience Beyond and Experience More plans, get Netflix Standard with ads for free (reg. $7.99 per month) as long as their account is in good standing. You need to have two or more lines of any type of Go5G or Magenta plan, or at least one line of Go5G Next, Go5G Plus, Magenta MAX, Experience More, or Experience Beyond, in order to be eligible.

While the Netflix subscription is free for eligible customers, you'll have to manually activate it by logging into My.T-Mobile and selecting Manage add-ons. Once there, add Netflix in the Services section, and you'll be prompted to either create a Netflix account or sign in to an existing one. T-Mobile will take care of your Netflix bill each month. Check out the terms and FAQs on the promo page.

Best Netflix deal for Verizon customers

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Credit: Netflix / HBO Max

Netflix and HBO Max bundle (with ads)

$10 per month for Verizon customers with myPlan (save $8.98 per month)

Get Deal

As of December 2023, Verizon customers with myPlan can add a Netflix and HBO Max bundle (with ads) for just $10 per month ($8.98 per month in savings). That essentially gets you Netflix with ads for free. Eligible Verizon customers include those on the Unlimited Welcome, Unlimited Plus, or Unlimited Ultimate plans. After enrolling in the promo, you'll have to complete the account setup separately for each service. Eligibility details, terms, and FAQs can be found on the Verizon support page.

Best Netflix deal for Xfinity customers

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Credit: Apple TV+ / Peacock / Netflix

Netflix Standard with ads, Peacock Premium, and Apple TV+

$18 per month with Xfinity StreamSaver (save $13.97 per month)

Get Deal

Comcast launched its Xfinity StreamSaver package in 2024, which includes Netflix Standard with ads ($7.99 per month), Peacock Premium ($10.99 per month), and Apple TV+ ($12.99 per month). Essentially, current and new Xfinity Internet or TV customers can add the StreamSaver bundle to their existing services for only $18 per month. Typically $31.97 per month for all three, you'll save about $13.97 monthly.

How to watch Free Solo

Free Solo, the National Geographic Documentary Film following Honnold climbing the face of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, is a great way to pre-game the Skyscraper Live broadcast. Directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, the 2018 Oscar winner is a captivating and nauseating adventure up a 3,000-foot mountain without the assistance of ropes, harnesses, or other protective gear.

If you want to watch the documentary feature before diving into the livestream, it's currently streaming on Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+. If you're already signing up for Netflix to watch Skyscraper Live, you can kill two birds with one stone. If you want to see what you're getting yourself into before pulling the trigger, you can watch for free on Hulu with a 30-day trial.

PREORDER NOW: Nintendo is releasing a real life Talking Flower from the Super Mario Bros. Wonder game. Preorder now at Nintendo, before it arrives on March 13, 2026.

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Credit: Nintendo

Nintendo Talking Flower

$34.99 at Nintendo

 

Pre-order Here

For trinket lovers, you can never have enough tchotchkes to showcase all of your passions. With the upcoming launch of Super Mario Bros. Wonder on the Switch 2, Nintendo is bringing some of the game to life with a delightful new talking toy. A hallwark of Wonder are the sweet little talking flowers all along the path, which speak sweet affirmations as you play. If you've thought, "Wow, I need one of these flowers in real life," then this news is for you.

Nintendo is launching the Talking Flower figurine that actually speaks to you and can in ten different languages. Spontaneously throughout the day or whenever you press the Talk Button, the Flower will send you some words of encouragements. It will even comment on the time of day, temperature, and play the occasional background music.

The Talking Flower is available for preorder and will launch on March 13, 2026. Preorder it now at Nintendo for $34.99 and prepare for a springtime treat delivering some much needed affirmations.

Tesla has discontinued Autopilot in the U.S.

As odd as that may sound, given how adamant CEO Elon Musk has been about the importance of autonomous driving, it's more of a pricing reshuffle than an actual removal of any specific feature, but it's still going to annoy many users.

Here's what's happening: If you buy a new Tesla car in the U.S., you will no longer receive the Basic Autopilot set of features, which was previously included with every Tesla. Instead, you're getting Traffic-Aware Cruise Control, which is a feature that maintains set driving speed and slows down when there's a slower vehicle in front of you.

Basic Autopilot, which is no longer available in the U.S., also includes Autosteer, which is an important driving assistance feature as it keeps vehicle centered in the lane. The combination of Traffic-Aware Cruise Control and Autosteer is what enables you to hit one button (or stalk) and basically have the car drive itself on a highway (with you paying attention, of course).

Sorry, this is your only option now. Credit: Tesla

It's worth noting that Tesla also offers Enhanced Autopilot in some countries outside of the U.S., which is a far more comprehensive set of features, as it includes Autosteer, Navigate on Autopilot, Traffic Light and Stop Sign Control, and Smart Summon.

In the U.S., Tesla configurator now offers just one option: Full Self-Driving (FSD), which costs $99 per month, and is still available as a one time purchase for $8,000, though that option is going away on Feb. 14.

Annoyingly, Tesla's configurator doesn't really mention the change. The word "Autopilot" simply isn't mentioned anywhere on the page.

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

The move is likely another (desperate?) Tesla effort to push customers to purchase FSD. But it's a very costly change for users who want Autosteer and don't really care about FSD (which is still beta software and does not offer autonomous driving, despite Musk having promised it for years), as they now have to pay $99 per month to get this feature. Even worse, Musk recently said that the price of the software will "rise as FSD's capabilities improve."

Buyers of Tesla's premium models — the Model S, Model X, and the "Cyberbeast" version of Cybertruck — get FSD for free, so this change doesn't really affect them. For anyone buying a new Model 3 or Model Y, though, it's FSD or (almost) nothing.

Judging by some of the comments on social media, people aren't happy about this change. Some have noted that cheaper, entry-level cars from other companies now come with these basic safety features whereas a Tesla Model 3 or Y doesn't.

Ironically, the situation is better in Europe, where most Full Self-Driving features aren't allowed yet. There, buyers still get Basic Autopilot with every new car, and can also opt for the Enhanced Autopilot, which costs half the price of FSD. This will likely change when (if) FSD gets the green light from European regulators, which, even more ironically, means that Tesla buyers in Europe will likely stop hoping (and petitioning) for it to happen.

Updated on Jan. 23 at 9:43 a.m. ET: Microsoft said it had fully resolved the issues that caused a large-scale Microsoft 365 outage on Thursday, rendering a number of users unable to access their email during a workday.

"We've confirmed that impact has been resolved," Microsoft posted on X at around 1:30 a.m. ET on Friday.

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

Microsoft blamed the outage on a problem processing traffic in North America, posting Thursday night that it was seeing "continued improvements in service availability and functionality as a result of our load-balancing efforts." Microsoft 365 customers can also reference the closure communication MO1221364 in their admin dashboard for more details. The communication provides a little more insight, blaming a third-party networking issue for the outage.

Microsoft 365 suffered a major outage on Thursday, leaving some users unable to send or receive emails. That's obviously not ideal in the middle of a workday.

As the afternoon bled into the evening on the East Coast, the company said it was working toward a full resolution — though folks may still see issues — and shed some light on what caused the problem.

The most recent update on Microsoft's 365 status page indicated its infrastructure either mishandled or wasn't able to handle the traffic coming its way.

Under a section labeled "root cause," the status page read, "A portion of dependent service infrastructure in the North America region isn't processing traffic as expected."

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

The company also said it was "carefully rebalancing traffic across all affected infrastructure in the region." It added it was "proceeding as quickly as possible and this incremental approach will also help us identify whether any additional actions may be required to ensure longstanding recovery."

We may get further details down the line from Microsoft, but, for now, it appears the company is working toward resolving the issue.

Wondering how to watch college basketball this season? Here are your best options:

---

Best for regular season

FuboTV

7-day trial, then $84.99/month

Get Deal

---

Best for affordability

Sling TV Orange + Blue

$23/month for your first month, then $45.99/month

Get Deal

---

Best for top weekend games

Paramount+ with Showtime

$12.99/month or $119.99/year

Get Deal

---

Best for Big Ten games

Peacock Premium

$10.99/month

Get Deal

---

Best for small school fans

ESPN+

$29.99/month

Get Deal

The 2025-26 men’s college basketball season is now well underway. The season's action began last November and will run until March, after which we get a 68-team single elimination tournament to determine the NCAA Division I national champion. That tournament culminates in the 2026 Final Four, the semi finals and championship games, held at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 4 and 6 in Indianapolis.

In other words, that's a whole lotta college basketball. More than 5,000 games are played per season — in fact, it's closer to 6,000 — with each team playing 31 games in the regular season. And that number is set to increase in 2026-27.

The University of Florida is the defending men’s college basketball national champion. The Florida Gators won the title in last year's San Antonio Final Four, clinching their third title overall and beating off competition from the Houston Cougars. Current favorites to win the 2026 national title include Michigan, Arizona, and UConn.

All of which means there's a near-endless amount of college basketball to watch this season. You just need to know how and where to watch your favorite teams.

Can I watch college basketball games without cable?

Yes, you can watch college basketball games without cable. For many games, if you can’t be there in person, the only way to watch is via online live streaming services. 

Some of the exclusive streaming services are ACC Network Extra, B1G+, ESPN+, FloHoops, Peacock, and SEC Network+. Even for those games on traditional TV channels, there are plenty of options to watch without cable or satellite TV. 

There are two main alternatives to cable or satellite TV. One option is cable replacement, such as FuboTV or Sling. They offer a variety of channels, but they will cost you. Another option is to get a streaming service connected to a specific TV network. Those are cheaper, but they also have fewer channels.

What channels are college basketball games on?

Knowing what channels broadcast your favorite team will help you decide what streaming services to select. Broadcast contracts are based on the home team, so we've put together a list of the TV networks with contracts connected to each conference. 

Here is a list of each conference and the channels and streaming services that will air games for each conference in 2025-26:

• America East — ESPN+

• American Athletic Conference (AAC) — CBS, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+

• Atlantic 10 (A10) — CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN+, MASN, USA Network

• Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) — ACC Network, ACC Network Extra, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN+, The CW

• Atlantic Sun — ESPN+

• Big 12 — CBS, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+, Fox, FS1, Longhorn Network

• Big East — CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, Fox, FS1, FS2

• Big Sky — CBS Sports Network, ESPNU, ESPN+, 

• Big Ten — Big Ten Network, B1G+, CBS, Fox, FS1, Peacock

• Big West — ESPN+, Spectrum Sports

• Colonial Athletic (CAA) — CBS Sports Network, FloHoops, MSG, NBC Sports Philadelphia, SNY

• Conference USA (CUSA) — CBS Sports Network, ESPNU, ESPN+

• Horizon — ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+

• Ivy League — ESPN+ 

• Metro Atlantic Athletic (MAAC) — ESPNU, ESPN+ 

• Mid-American Conference (MAC) — CBS Sports Network, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+

• Mid-Eastern (MEAC) — No intra-conference national TV games

• Missouri Valley — CBS Sports Network, ESPN+

• Mountain West (MW) — CBS, CBS Sports Network, Fox, FS1, NBC Sports Bay Area

• Northeast (NEC) — YES 

• Ohio Valley (OVC) — ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+ 

• Pac-12 Conference — CBS, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+, Fox, FS1, Pac-12 Network

• Patriot League — CBS Sports Network, ESPN+

• Southeastern Conference (SEC) — CBS, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+, SEC Network, SECN+

• Southern (SoCon) — ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+ 

• Southland — ESPN+

• Southwestern Athletic (SWAC) — ESPNU, ESPN+

• Summit League — CBS Sports Network 

• Sun Belt Conference (SBC) — ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+

• West Coast (WCC) — CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+

• Western Athletic (WAC) — ESPNU, ESPN+

In-season tournaments can make separate deals with TV networks. So for your favorite team, its road games and tournament games may appear on different networks than listed here. 

What are the best streaming services for college basketball?

The channels needed to comprehensively watch college basketball during the 2025-26 season are ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, Fox, FS1, FS2, Longhorn Network, MASN, MSG, NBC Sports Bay Area, NBC Sports Philadelphia, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network, SNY, Spectrum, The CW, USA Network, and YES. 

Additionally, you may want to consider streaming-only services like ACC Network Extra, B1G+, ESPN+, FloHoops, Peacock, and SEC Network+. Then for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, you’ll also need TNT, TBS, and TruTV. 

If you have all those options, you can watch nearly every game this season, but there are not enough hours in the day to watch every game of every basketball team this season. Here’s some help to select the best streaming services to see the teams and leagues you’ll watch the most. 

Most complete coverage: FuboTV

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Credit: FuboTV

FuboTV

 

Get Deal

FuboTV will be a great option for the college basketball regular season. Its Pro plan at $84.99 per month will give you access to hundreds of college basketball games. There is also a seven-day free trial. 

If you’re a fan of teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference, you’ll want to upgrade to the Elite plan to get the ACC Network. The Elite plan is $104.99 per month. 

The biggest channels missing from the FuboTV lineup are TBS, TNT, and truTV. Those carry a large chunk of games during the NCAA Tournament, and the 2026 Final Four and national championship game are scheduled to be broadcast on TBS. To get those games, you’ll need to go elsewhere such as the B/R Sports add-on with Max. 

FuboTV Pro plan channels: CBS, FOX, Big Ten Network, CBSSN, ESPN, ESPN2, FS1, FS2, MSG, NBC Sports Bay Area, NBC Sports Philadelphia, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network, and USA Network. 

FuboTV Elite plan channels: CBS, FOX, Big Ten Network, CBSSN, ESPN, ESPN2, FS1, FS2, MSG, NBC Sports Bay Area, NBC Sports Philadelphia, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network, and USA Network. Plus, ACC Network, ESPNU, and ESPNEWS. 

Channels unavailable through FuboTV: Longhorn Network, MASN, SNY, Spectrum, TBS, TNT, truTV, The CW, and YES.

Most affordable cable replacement: Sling TV Orange + Blue

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Credit: Sling TV

Sling TV Orange + Blue

 

Get Deal

If you’re a casual college basketball fan, an option like Sling may be a good fit for you. With the Sling Orange plan, you get ESPN, ESPN2, TBS, and TNT for $45.99 per month (with an introductory deal of 50% off for the first month). 

You may want to increase your Sling tier if there are specific teams or leagues that you’re passionate about watching. The biggest channel that you can’t get through Sling is CBS, so you may need to look to Paramount+ to supplement this to catch all those games. 

Sling Orange plan channels: ESPN, ESPN2, TBS, and TNT. 

Sling Orange & Blue plan channels: ESPN, ESPN2, TBS, and TNT. Plus, FS1, truTV, USA Network, and Fox (in select markets). 

FOX is available on Sling TV in select markets. Those include Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Detroit, Gainesville, Houston, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa, and Washington, D.C. 

Sling Orange & Blue + Sports Extra plan: Fox (in select markets), ESPN, ESPN2, FS1, TBS, TNT, truTV, and USA Network. Plus, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, FS2, Longhorn Network, Pac-12 Network, and SEC Network. 

There are other options through Sling with different price points for just the Blue plan or the Sports Extra package added to either just the Orange plan or just the Blue plan. 

Channels unavailable through Sling: CBS, CBS Sports Network, MASN, MSG, NBC Sports Bay Area, NBC Sports Philadelphia, SNY, Spectrum, The CW, and YES.

Best for CBS broadcasts: Paramount+ with Showtime

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Credit: Paramount+

Paramount+ with Showtime

 

Get Deal

CBS mainly shows college basketball games on the weekends, so if you’re mainly a weekend viewer until March, this would work for you.

Paramount+ gives you a seven-day free trial. To live stream CBS on Paramount+, you need the Paramount+ with Showtime tier, and that is $12.99 per month. You can also choose the annual plan at $119.99 per year, and you save about $3 per month. 

Paramount+ also gives students a 25% discount. 

CBS Sports Network games are not available to live stream through Paramount+

Best for exclusive Big Ten games: Peacock Premium

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Credit: Peacock

Peacock Premium

 

Get Deal

The Big Ten Conference will have games exclusively on Peacock this season, so to catch all those conference contests, you’ll need Peacock.

Members of the Big Ten Conference in 2025-26 include Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, UCLA, USC, and Wisconsin.

There are 58 Big Ten men’s basketball games scheduled to be broadcast exclusively on Peacock. Peacock Premium costs $10.99 per month or $109.99 per year.

Best for small school fans: ESPN+

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Credit: ESPN+

ESPN+

 

Get Deal

If your favorite team plays in the America East, Atlantic Sun, Ivy League, or Southland conference, then ESPN+ is the only way to watch those teams without going to the games. For many other leagues that don’t have many games on traditional TV channels, ESPN+ is the primary way to watch games.

The ESPN Select tier (for classic content, studio shows, and replays) is priced at $12.99 per month or $129.99 per year. ESPN Unlimited (all ESPN live channels and ESPN+ content) costs $29.99 per month or $299.99 per year.

Best channel selection: YouTube TV

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Credit: YouTube TV

YouTube TV

 

Get Deal

YouTube TV offers a 7-day free trial. It is then $59.99 per month for the first two months. That will get you most of the way through the 2025-26 college basketball season. After the introductory rate, the rate is $82.99 per month starting in the fourth month. 

YouTubeTV Base Plan channels: CBS, FOX, ACCN, Big Ten Network, CBSSN, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, FS1, FS2, SEC Network, TBS, TNT, truTV, The CW, and USA Network,

Channels unavailable through YouTube TV: Longhorn Network, MASN, MSG, NBC Sports Bay Area, NBC Sports Philadelphia, Pac-12 Network, SNY, Spectrum, and YES.

TL;DR: Live stream Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL for free on 9Now. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The NHL action starts this weekend with the Toronto Maple Leafs facing off against Vegas Golden Knights in a non-conference matchup. This is an intriguing prospect. The Golden Knights sit on top of the Pacific Division and won 6-5 in overtime in their last encounter with the Maple Leafs. That being said, it's tough to get a result at the Scotiabank Arena.

If you want to watch Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Cameroon vs. Morocco?

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL starts at 7 p.m. ET on Jan. 23. This fixture takes place at the Scotiabank Arena.

How to watch Cameroon vs. Morocco for free

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL is available to live stream for free on 9Now.

9Now is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Australia, meaning you can unblock 9Now to live stream the NHL for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL for free by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Visit 9Now

5. Watch Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Vegas Golden Knights for free from anywhere in the world

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Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

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

Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the NHL without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL (plus more NHL fixtures) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for 9Now?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on 9Now, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Australia

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

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

Watch Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream the NHL for free on 9Now or Prime Video. Access these free live streams from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

There is no other sport that combines skill, grace, elegance, and people punching each other quite like ice hockey.

We love the merging of elements, and so do millions of fans from all around the world. The issue for these legions of dedicated hockey fanatics is that it's not easy to follow the sport for free. But nothing is impossible in this golden age of streaming.

If you want to watch the NHL for free from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

What is the NHL?

The National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America made up of 32 teams (25 in the United States and seven in Canada).

When is the NHL?

The NHL season is typically held from October to April, with each team playing 82 games. After the regular season, 16 teams advance to the Stanley Cup playoffs, a four-round tournament that runs into June to determine the league champion.

How to watch the NHL for free

Select fixtures from the NHL are available to live stream for free on these platforms:

• Australia — 9Now (21 regular-season games)

• Canada — Prime Video (Monday Night Hockey with 30-day trial)

These free streams are geo-restricted, but anyone can bypass these restrictions with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in Australia and Canada, meaning you can access these streaming services from anywhere in the world.

Live stream the NHL for free by following these simple steps:

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

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

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Australia or Canada

4. Visit 9Now or Prime Video

5. Live stream the NHL for free from anywhere in the world

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Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

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

Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch the NHL without actually spending anything. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream select NHL fixtures before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming platforms from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best service for streaming sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for 9Now?

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

• Servers in 105 countries including Australia and Canada

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

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

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream the NHL for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream the NBA for free with a 30-day free trial of Amazon Prime. Live stream the NBA for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The NBA is a unique sport. There's nothing else in which incredibly tall athletes can be made to look absolutely tiny by aliens who can dunk without leaving the ground. And almost all of these shockingly tall athletes display a skillset that mere mortals can't even fathom.

The NBA could make a legitimate argument that it hosts the very best athletes in the world. Sure, the NFL might disagree. And rugby definitely attracts some special specimens. But the NBA has a bunch of seven footers dunking on each other. That's tough to beat.

If you are interested in watching the NBA for free from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

What is the NBA?

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America made up of 30 teams (29 from the United States and one from Canada). The defending champions are the Oklahoma City Thunder.

When is the NBA?

The 2025–26 NBA season is the 80th edition of the competition. The regular season runs from Oct. 21 to April 12. The play-in tournament is scheduled to be played on April 14-17, followed by the playoffs on the next day, and concluding with the NBA Finals from June 4 to June 21.

The in-season NBA Cup will take place from Oct. 31 to Dec. 16.

How to watch the NBA for free

The NBA is available to live stream for free with a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime in the UK.

86 regular-season games, the Emirates Cup Championship, the play-in tournament, one third of first and second round games of the Playoffs, a Conference Finals series, and the NBA Finals are available to Prime members in the UK. The full schedule can be found here.

These free live streams are geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can access free live streams of the NBA from anywhere in the world.

Live stream the NBA for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime (if you're not already a member)

2. Subscribe to a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

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

5. Watch the NBA from anywhere in the world on Prime Video

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Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

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

Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer money-back guarantees or free trials. By leveraging these offers, you can watch NBA live streams without actually spending anything. This isn't a long-term solution, but it does mean you can watch select NBA games before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming sites from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for Prime Video?

ExpressVPN is the best service for accessing live streams on platforms like Prime Video, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.95 (including money-back guarantee).

Watch the NBA for free with ExpressVPN.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is coming once again for shows like Jimmy Kimmel Live! with new guidance for "equal time" rules for broadcast interviews with political candidates.

On Thursday night, Kimmel himself unpacked the rules and Donald Trump's FCC chair Brendan Carr's "latest attack on free speech" (Carr's threats toward ABC saw Kimmel's show temporarily pulled off the air in September). The late show host said the FCC is "now trying to use equal time rules to prevent shows like ours and The View from conducting interviews with candidates. They're reinterpreting long agreed upon rules to stifle us."

So, what exactly are these rules and how do they affect talk shows? In his monologue, Kimmel broke it down, running through the impact of the 1927 Radio Act, which required broadcasters "to give equal time for legally qualified camps, meaning, if you put one candidate on the air, you had to offer the same amount of airtime to all the other candidates."

As Kimmel explains, a 1959 amendment made exempt "what they call bonafide newscasts and bonafide news interviews from the rules governing equal time, and that allowed ABC, CBS, NBC, etc, to interview one candidate without having to interview all of them, which mostly applied to news programs, until years later, when talk shows started having candidates on."

Kimmel's examples include John F. Kennedy's 1960 appearance on The Tonight Show with Jack Paar and Bill Clinton's 1992 interview on The Arsenio Hall Show, both while campaigning for president. And Jay Leno's 2006 interview with Arnold Schwarzenegger when campaigning for governor of California, which saw Democratic rival Phil Angelides file a complaint to the FCC demanding equal time — the FCC denied his request and the exemption for talk shows has remained to this day.

"They ruled that Arnold appearing on Leno, this was a bona fide news interview, even though it was a talk show and therefore not subject to those equal time rules," said Kimmel. "And that's how every talk show's operated since then. Until this week, when Trump's little ferret in the FCC, Brendan Carr, who, as you know, is doing everything he can to shut us up the easy way or the hard way, is trying to say we no longer qualify for the bona fide news exemption when it comes to interviewing candidates, which is a sneaky little way of keeping viewpoints that aren't his off air."

"I have no idea what the outcome of this is going to be," Kimmel concluded. "I wanted to point it out, because it is another example of this administration trying to squash anyone who doesn't support them."

TL;DR: Live stream Spizzirri vs. Sinner in the 2026 Australian Open for free on 9Now. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

It feels like it only just began, but we've already reached the third round of the 2026 Australian Open. And that means more huge games involving some of the top stars, like defending champ Jannik Sinner.

Sinner faces off against Eliot Spizzirri in the third round. The unseeded American faces a tough task here, with most fans expecting the Italian to make it through to another final. Sinner has made the final of the last five Grand Slams. Now that's consistency.

If you want to watch Spizzirri vs. Sinner in the 2026 Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

How to watch Spizzirri vs. Sinner for free

Spizzirri vs. Sinner in the 2026 Australian Open is available to live stream for free on 9Now.

9Now is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Australia, meaning you can unblock 9Now from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the 2026 Australian Open by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Visit 9Now

5. Watch the 2026 Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world

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Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

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

Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading services do tend to offer deals such as free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these deals, you can live stream Spizzirri vs. Sinner without actually spending anything. This isn't a long-term solution, but it gives you enough time to watch the Australian Open before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for 9Now?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live tennis on 9Now, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Australia

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

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

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $59.88 and includes an extra three months for free — 69% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Spizzirri vs. Sinner in the 2026 Australian Open for free with ExpressVPN.

Where to pre-order 'Super Mario Bros. Wonder' for Switch 2

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Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park

Pre-order from Nintendo

Pre-Order Here

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Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park (Upgrade Pack)

Pre-order from Nintendo

Pre-Order Here

It's official: Super Mario Bros. Wonder is getting an expanded Nintendo Switch 2 release this year. The delightful game — which we called "an exceedingly silly and playful return to form for Nintendo's mascot" in our review back when it was originally released in 2023 — is set to get both a physical and digital Switch 2 Edition on March 26.

This new version also comes with an expansion called Meetup in Bellabel Park, new additions to the cast with Rosalina and her buddy, Co-Star Luma, plus a number of other smaller enhancements.

If the announcement has you itching to get your hands on it, preorders are now live, although for the moment they're only available for the upgrade pack. If you already own a Switch 2 console and a copy of Super Mario Bros. Wonder for the original Switch, you can drop some cash on the upgrade pack right now at Nintendo for $19.99 to secure the upgrade, which will activate when the edition launches for Switch 2 on March 26.

At the time of this writing, preorders are not available for the standard Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of Super Mario Bros. Wonder in its digital or physical format.

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Credit: Nintendo

Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park (Upgrade Pack)

$19.99 at Nintendo

 

Pre-order Here

What comes with the Switch 2 upgrade?

The Switch 2 upgrade for Super Mario Bros. Wonder is stacked with exciting new goodies for Nintendo fans.

The main new addition is Meetup in Bellabel Park, an expansion that adds a brand new area to the existing game. Here's what Nintendo has to say about the new location: "Gather friends and family and visit Bellabel Park, a new area of the Flower Kingdom that features two large plazas filled with attractions. Team up or face off in challenges like Fast Cash: Tip Tap’s Coin Spree where you collect as many gold coins as you can, or Knock ‘em Back: Bubble Blaster where you duke it out and try to survive with the most lives intact."

Alongside a new spot to explore, the Switch 2 Edition also expands the cast to include Rosalina and Co-Star Luma. It's perfect timing for the former, given she's about to have her big screen debut in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. Alongside new characters, there's also new boss courses and a new assist mode to help you out as you play.

That's not all, though. Nintendo also revealed that three new amiibo are set to drop on the same day as the Switch 2 Edition: Elephant Mario, Poplin & Prince Florian, and Captain Toad and Talking Flower.

The Talking Flower — which is now available to preorder at Nintendo for $34.99 with a release date of March 12 — speaks to you randomly throughout the day, whether about what time it is, the temperature, or just to give you words of encouragement. If this chatty plant is something you can't wait to bring home, you can get your preorders in now ahead of release day.

Donald Trump announced on Truth Social he'd secured the "framework of a future deal" on Greenland on Thursday, but as for the details? That's basically it.

Seth Meyers took "A Closer Look" at the president's deal (?) with NATO on Late Night, including the fact that Trump referred to the timeframe as "infinite" without supplying terms, a timeline, or any other details.

"How do you have, like, no more details about a deal you just made for a thing only you want. You sound like you're doing a book report on a book you didn't read, but it's worse, because it's a book you wrote," says Meyers. "It's like if JD Salinger got up in front of the class and said, 'Uh, Catcher in the Rye is about, like, a baseball game or something. It takes place in like, a bakery, maybe.'"

Meyers then finished his monologue examining reports on why Trump backed down on his Greenland demands, after threatening tariffs and refusing to rule out using military force.

"This dumb episode's yet another example of what happens when Trump encounters even minimal resistance, he backs down," Meyers said. "It's a lesson opposition leaders here and abroad should remember."

TL;DR: The LG 34-inch UltraGear OLED curved gaming monitor has dropped to $699.99 at Amazon. That's nearly half off its usual $1,299.99 list price.

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Credit: LG

LG 34-inch Ultragear OLED Curved Gaming Monitor

$699.99 at Amazon
$1,299.99 Save $600

Get Deal

The LG UltraGear range of gaming monitors have been seeing some strong price cuts on Amazon, but the latest offer is perfect if you’ve been hunting for an OLED version at a steal. As of Jan. 23, the LG 34-inch UltraGear OLED curved gaming monitor has dropped to $699.99 on Amazon, slashing nearly half off its original $1,299.99 list price.

That’s a serious discount for a monitor that’s firmly aimed at high-end PC gamers, with all the bells and whistles one would expect from a brand like LG. 

The 34-inch OLED panel sports a 21:9 ultrawide aspect ratio with a dramatic 800R curve, wrapping your field of view in a way that flat screens can’t compete with — making it one of the best ways to improve your immersion when gaming. Resolution comes in at WQHD (3,440x1,440), which promises to strike a nice balance between visual sharpness and performance demands.

In terms of specs, speed is one of this monitor’s greatest strengths. You’re getting a blistering 240Hz refresh rate paired with an almost instantaneous 0.03ms response time, making it a great fit for competitive shooters like Fortnite and fast-paced action games like Hades II. Support for AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and NVIDIA G-Sync also helps keep things smooth and tear-free, even when frame rates fluctuate.

What’s more, LG has leaned into the OLED advantage with DisplayHDR True Black 400, delivering deep blacks and punchy contrast that shine in darker scenes. Add HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort support, plus a fully adjustable stand, and you’ve got a monitor that works just as well for long gaming sessions as it does for everyday use when working or doing life admin.

As for other brands, you can also grab the 49-inch Samsung curved Odyssey G9 monitor for only $699.99. For more from LG, the 32-inch version of another monitor from the UltraGear range is now only $199.99.

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Friday, Jan. 23, 2026:

Across

Attach, as one plant to another

• The answer is Graft.

Email button with a backward-facing arrow

• The answer is Reply.

Make very excited

• The answer is Amp up.

Two-time Best Actor nominee Nick

• The answer is Nolte.

Total dork

• The answer is Dweeb.

Down

Word that can precede piano, total or staircase

• The answer is Grand.

Cut again, as a lawn

• The answer is Remow.

Company whose logo has a bite taken out of it

• The answer is Apple.

Champagne glass

• The answer is Flute.

Laid-back kind of personality

• The answer is Type B.

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

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

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

Teyana Taylor is hosting SNL this week alongside musical guest Geese, and the teaser is wonderfully weird.

The Oscar-nominated One Battle After Another star appeared with the Brooklyn band and SNL's Marcello Hernández to promote the upcoming show, and the sheer awkwardness is my kind of energy.

"Dream brunch rotation" indeed.

Donald Trump launched his "Board of Peace" at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday, the president's committee that will function as "transitional administration" in the reconstruction of Gaza. 60 nations have been invited to join, with each member guaranteed a seat for the sky-high cost of $1 billion.

Stephen Colbert unpacked Trump's new billion-dollar board on The Late Show Thursday, including reports that Trump will be its chairman for life (even after he is no longer U.S. president) and hold the only veto over any matter. But he also landed a blow on his own network CBS (Colbert's show was controversially cancelled after the host accused CBS' parent company Paramount of paying a "big fat bribe" to Trump during a monologue.)

"Admittedly, the idea of paying a billion dollars to obey Donald Trump seems a little steep," Colbert said of the Board of Peace admission fee. "After all, CBS got to do it for just $16 million. Check my math on that one."

Someone call the fire department.

SAVE $550: As of Jan. 23, the Roborock Qrevo CurvX is on sale for $949.99 at Amazon. That's a 37% discount on the list price.

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Credit: roborock

Roborock Qrevo CurvX

$749.99 at Amazon
$1,499.99 Save $750

 

Get Deal

Our love for robot vacuums has well and truly followed us into 2026, and if you've been looking for a great model that can vacuum and mop your floors, the Roborock Qrevo CurvX is a great choice. And as of Jan. 23, it's on sale for $949.99, taking $550 off the list price.

This robot vacuum is built to tackle all kinds of mess. With a 22,000Pa suction and a zero-tangle design, it can deal with everything from stubborn carpet debris to pet hair. The built-in mop means it can also scrub away at any stains or spills. It’s also the slimmest Roborock yet, so it can get into the low spaces under couches and cupboards where dust is hard to reach.

Part of this vacuum's design is the dock. This is where it charges, empties, and does all its maintenance. The mops are washed here using 80°C hot water, and the dock handles drying, emptying, and refilling automatically. The navigation doesn't need any help from you either. It has obstacle recognition via structured light and an RGB camera, and the AdaptiLift chassis lets it adjust height up to 4cm to get over door thresholds and around furniture.

And it can all be controlled from the Roborock app, including cleaning modes and settings. It even a two-way voice interaction so you can talk to your pet when you're away from home.

Get this robot vacuum deal from Amazon now.

SAVE OVER $400: As of Jan. 23, the Kamrui Pinova P2 Mini PC is on sale for $292.46 at Amazon. Get 10% off and use code 12600KAMRUI at the checkout.

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Credit: Kamrui

Kamrui Pinova P2 Mini PC

$292.46 at Amazon
$759.94 Save $467.48

 

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If you're in need of a new gaming setup, but your desk space won't allow it, this deal on the Kamrui Pinova P2 Mini PC is the answer. A small, compact unit, this model is the ideal pick for gamers with not much space to spare. And as of Jan. 23, it's on sale for a new record-low price. You can find it at Amazon right now for $292.46 by stacking the 10% off code and 12600KAMRUI at the checkout.

And despite its size, it's powerful. It's powered by a 12th Gen Intel Core i5-12600H processor, giving you up to 4.5GHz turbo performance. It comes with 16GB of dual-channel RAM and a 512GB SSD, with support for up to 4TB storage, so it's more than capable of handling multitasking and heavy gaming without lagging or slowing down.

The mini PC also supports triple 4K displays at 60Hz via HDMI, so you can extend your setup for a more immersive experience. It also includes WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, and Gigabit Ethernet for fast connectivity, and has multiple USB ports for connecting extra devices or headsets.

Get this mini PC deal from Amazon.

The best streaming deals to watch "Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere" at a glance:

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WATCH NOW

Rent or buy "Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere" at Prime Video

$19.99 or $24.99

Shop Now

---

Watch as of Jan. 23

Hulu annual subscription

$99.99 per year (save $19.89)

Get Deal

---

Watch as of Jan. 23

Hulu and Disney+ bundle

$9.99 for your first month (save $3)

Get Deal

---

Watch as of Jan. 23

Hulu Student

$1.99 per month (save $10 per month)

Get Deal

---

Watch as of Jan. 23

Hulu (with ads)

free for select T-Mobile customers (save $11.99 per month)

Get Deal

Move over, A Complete Unknown, a new biopic just hit the streaming world. This time around, Jeremy Allen White trades The Bear's kitchen for the recording studio in Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, where he plays The Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen.

The biopic also stars Jeremy Strong, Paul Walter Hauser, Odessa Young, Marc Maron, and David Krumholtz. It hit theaters last fall, but if you missed it, now's your chance to stream it at home. Here's everything you need to know about how to watch Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere.

What is Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere about?

Written and directed by Scott Cooper and based on Warren Zanes' book Deliver Me From Nowhere, Springsteen follows Bruce Springsteen (White) during a pivotal moment in his life: recording his 1982 album Nebraska, just as he was on the cusp of global stardom. Rather than charting his life and career from beginning to end, Springsteen is already a star when Deliver Me From Nowhere opens. Like 2024's Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, it chronicles him grappling with his success and the ghosts of his past.

Check out the full trailer:

Is Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere worth watching?

While it didn't earn a spot on our list of the best movies from 2025, White's performance has stirred up awards season hype. He was already nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture.

The Springsteen biopic currently holds a 60 percent critic rating at Rotten Tomatoes, but a more positive 82 percent audience rating.

Mashable's own film critic writes, "While the film's music remains classic as ever, and while White does an admirable job channeling Springsteen, Deliver Me From Nowhere fails to deliver anything revelatory about the actual emotions behind the music."

Still, if you're a Bruce Springsteen or Jeremy Allen White fan, it's certainly worth a watch.

Read our full review of Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere.

How to watch Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere at home

Credit: 20th Century Studios

Springsteen opened in theaters nationwide on Oct. 24, 2025, after premiering at the 2025 Telluride Film Festival. If you missed out, no biggie; it's now officially available to watch at home. You'll have three different ways to watch as of Jan. 23, 2026: buy it on digital video-on-demand retailers, rent it from digital video-on-demand retailers, or stream it. See the details below.

Buy or rent on digital

The 20th Century Studios film officially made its at-home debut via video-on-demand retailers like Prime Video and Apple TV on Dec. 23, 2025. You can purchase Springsteen for your own digital library or rent it for 30 days. Just keep in mind that with rentals, you'll only have 48 hours to finish watching once you start.

Here are some quick links to buy or rent the film on digital:

• Prime Video — $19.99 to rent, $24.99 to buy

• Fandango at Home — $19.99 to rent, $24.99 to buy

• Apple TV — $19.99 to rent, $24.99 to buy

• Google Play — $24.99 to buy

• YouTube — $24.99 to buy

Stream it on Hulu

Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere made its streaming debut on Hulu on Jan. 23, 2026, just three months after its theatrical debut.

Hulu subscriptions start at $11.99 per month (thanks to a recent price hike), but there are a few different ways you can save. We've rounded up the best ongoing Hulu streaming deals below.

The best Hulu streaming deals

Best Hulu deal for most people: Hulu annual subscription

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Credit: Hulu

Hulu (with ads) annual subscription

$119.99 per year (save $23.89)

Get Deal

The best way to cut back on the cost of a Hulu subscription is to opt for an annual plan instead of a monthly plan. By paying for a year upfront for $119.99 (which breaks down to $9.99 per month), you'll save about 16% or just shy of $24. It's not the biggest discount, but every dollar counts.

Best bundle deal: Get Hulu and Disney+ for 45% off

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Credit: Hulu / Disney+

Hulu and Disney+ (with ads)

$12.99 per month (save $10.99 per month)

Get Deal

One of the best deals in the streaming world is Disney's bundle plan. You can get both Disney+ and Hulu with ads in the Duo Basic bundle for just $12.99 per month. That's only a dollar more than paying for one streamer on its own, saving you about 45% total. Better yet, through Feb. 17, you can save an extra $3 on your first month of this bundle plan if you've never subscribed before.

Best for students: Hulu Student

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Credit: Hulu

Hulu Student (with ads)

$1.99 per month (save $10 per month)

Get Deal

College students can save 83% or $10 per month on a Hulu with ads subscription. Sign up through the Hulu Student promotional page and verify your college email address via SheerID, and the price will drop from $11.99 to just $1.99 per month.

Best for T-Mobile users: Hulu (with ads) free for select customers

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Credit: T-Mobile / Hulu

Hulu (with ads)

free for select T-Mobile customers

Get Deal

Aside from the free trial, the only way you can get Hulu for free in 2026 is through T-Mobile's Go5G Next and Experience Beyond plans (you'll also get Netflix and Apple TV+ for free). If you're already on one of these plans, head over to the T-Mobile promo page and choose "redeem now" to claim the offer. You'll just have to enter your T-Mobile number and account details to sign up for Hulu. If you're not on the Go5G Next plan or Experience Beyond plan, make the switch to start taking advantage of the best free streaming lineup around.

Tesla now operates Robotaxis in Austin, Texas without human safety monitors in the driver's seat.

While the above sentence is technically correct, the company may have just moved the safety monitors to another car that follows the first one.

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced the news on X on Thursday. "Just started Tesla Robotaxi drives in Austin with no safety monitor in the car," he wrote. The official Tesla account on X went a step further, calling the ride "full unsupervised."

One "unsupervised" Robotaxi ride in a Tesla Model Y is detailed in a video by Joe Tegtmeyer, retweeted by Musk and Tesla. At one point, we see that a black Tesla Model Y is following the Robotaxi. "You'll also notice behind the Model Y is a chase car, I think they're using that for validation," Tegtmeyer says. The black car keeps following the Robotaxi throughout the ride.

Neither Musk nor Tesla have explained what the second car is for, so it's hard to make any definitive statement about it. It is, however, very possible that the car carries humans who are ready to intervene if something goes wrong with the Robotaxi ride, which sounds a lot like safety monitors.

We'll see whether Robotaxis in Austin will start making autonomous rides without another Tesla following them. For now, this could just be a cool trick that allows Musk to brag about Robotaxis making autonomous rides with "no safety monitor in the car."

Meanwhile, Tesla's chief competitor Waymo is carrying out fully autonomous rides in six major cities in the U.S., having added Miami to the list just days ago.

SAVE $50: As of Jan. 23, the Apple AirPods Pro 3 have dropped to $199.99 at Best Buy as part of the retailer's Deal of the Day. This is $50 off their list price of $249.99.

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Credit: Apple

AirPods Pro 3

$199.99 at Best Buy
$249.99 Save $50

 

Get Deal

Best Buy's Deal of the Day page has quite a nice surprise for Apple fans today. For those who have had their eye on the AirPods Pro 3 — which earned spots on both our lists of the best earbuds and best headphones — the retailer has marked them down to $199.99 on Jan. 23.

This deal saves you $50 off their standard list price of $249.99, but again, it only lasts through the rest of the day. If you've been hoping to pick up these earbuds for a discounted price, now is a great time to do it.

The AirPods Pro 3 are an upgrade well worth considering. Our review from writer Adam Doud called them "a remarkable upgrade in functionality over their predecessors, with better battery life and ANC, as well as a new heart rate sensor." Compared to the Pro 2s, these cancel up to twice as much outside noise, so you can feel fully focused on what you're listening to.

Along with great sound quality, they also boast a battery life that lasts up to eight hours on a single charge with Active Noise Cancellation turned on, or up to 10 hours if you're in Transparency mode or using the Hearing Aid feature. If they tick all the boxes for what you've been looking for in new earbuds, now is your chance to grab the AirPods Pro 3 for $50 off at Best Buy.

If you're curious which other earbuds are worth checking out right now, our roundup of the best earbuds can point you in the direction of some more of our favorite picks.

TL;DR: The Magic: The Gathering Edge of Eternities Play Booster Box has dropped to just $139.99 at Amazon, nearly matching its lowest-ever price and undercutting its usual price by $25.

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Credit: Magic: The Gathering

Magic: The Gathering Edge of Eternities Play Booster Box (30 Packs)

$139.99 at Amazon
$164.70 Save $24.71

Get Deal

Amazon has cut this in-demand booster box to close to its best-ever price. As of Jan. 23, the Magic: The Gathering Edge of Eternities Play Booster Box is available for $139.99. That's $25 off its $164.70 list price, and is just $1.01 away from its historical low on the platform — according to price tracker camelcamelcamel. 

For anyone who skipped this space-themed expansion at launch, this is an especially tempting moment to jump in. Edge of Eternities is Magic’s first full-on space opera set, sending players to distant planets and collapsing star systems with brand-new mechanics like Station, Warp, Landers, and Void. The Play Booster Box includes 30 Play Boosters, each containing 14 cards and a token, with 1-4 rares or better per pack and a guaranteed Traditional Foil in every booster. There’s even a very slim chance of pulling a borderless foil mythic, making the box appealing to both trading card collectors and players. 

What really makes this deal stand out is how it compares to the wider market. Over on TCGplayer, Edge of Eternities Play Booster Boxes are currently listed as low as $159.69, with shipping costs adding to this figure. The platform’s market price sits around $151.85, meaning Amazon’s current offer undercuts both typical listings and overall market value by a noticeable margin.

If you’re excited for Magic: The Gathering’s newly launched Lorwyn Eclipsed expansion, you can still grab the Play Booster Box on sale for around $14 off. For beginners or Avatar fans, the MTG Avatar: The Last Airbender Beginner Box is also down to its best-ever price on Amazon. 

Dreame (pronounced like "dreamy") is not letting your favorite brands rest. And it's not just Roborock that should be worrying.

After promising growth in 2025 and a monumental showing at CES 2026, it's clear that we're going to be seeing the Dreame name pop up a lot in 2026. So, who is this robot vacuum company looking to master the rest of the home tech industry?

What is Dreame?

Dreame is a Chinese brand making headway in various product markets in the U.S. It was founded in 2015 and is a member of the Xiaomi Ecological Chain, which also has ties with Roborock. Though Xiaomi is one of Dreame's investors, Xioami is not considered to be the parent brand of Dreame. Dreame also owns robot vacuum brand Mova.

What does Dreame make?

If you've heard of Dreame before, it probably stemmed from a hunt for the best robot vacuums or a good Dyson Supersonic dupe. Despite the upcoming expansion of its product line, Dreame certainly hasn't taken its foot off the gas of these established categories — the new vacuums and hair stylers coming in 2026 are the picture of ingenuity, as we've learned to expect from Dreame.

The part that wasn't expected? Dreame put down roots in a ton of new product categories at CES 2026. Dreame showcased kitchen appliances (from countertop gadgets to full dishwashers, ovens, and refrigerators), a smart air conditioner, smart rings and a health-monitoring watch, a series of mini LED TVs, AI glasses and an AI action camera, a red light therapy mask, and a pet-specific air purifier. Dreame also showcased a range of smart home devices under the name Navo Home, including smart locks and a smart security camera. The Dreame robotic lawnmower and robotic pool cleaner lines also received upgrades.

See the FizzFresh fridge? It has a built-in sparkling beverage system. Credit: Timothy Beck Werth / Mashable

The Dreame smart ring, smart glasses, and AI waterproof action camera can work together. Credit: Timothy Beck Werth / Mashable

It's like a mashup of Samsung and Dyson with a pinch of Oura, Meta, and a few more. There's something for every room in the home (plus the yard) in the eclectic range, which Dreame is calling a "whole-home smart ecosystem."

Mashable Tech Editor Timothy Beck Werth, who was on the floor at CES, was "shocked by how many things they had on display." According to reactions across the internet, most everyone who stopped by Dreame's booth was just as perplexed. That includes various CES judges and panelists who crowned Dreame with more than 50 awards over CES weekend.

Not all of the products that debuted are actually set to be released in 2026, of course, nor will all of them be available to buy in the U.S. As of January 2026, the new cordless Dreame vacuum mop, stick vacuums, robot vacuums, hair tools, air purifiers, pool cleaners, and lawnmowers are solidified in the North America market, and the Dreame TVs are supposedly launching globally sometime this year.

Are Dreame robot vacuums good?

At this point at least, Dreame's pièce de résistance is still the robot vacuum.

As Mashable's resident vacuum expert, I've found Dreame robot vacuums to be consistently reliable across the board. Most recently, I tested the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller that just came out in August, naming it the best robot vacuum right now. Its 30,000 Pa of suction power was a new high for the market at the time, beating the Roborock Saros models that were previously on top.

Hot take: Roborock vs. Dreame is the new Shark vs. Roomba. Dreame's flagship robot vacuums have been going spec for spec with Roborock since CES 2025. Dreame hit the 30,000 Pa milestone with the Aqua10 Ultra Roller months before Roborock did. The existence of the upcoming Dreame Cyber 10 Ultra means that the Roborock Saros Z70 will no longer be the only robot vacuum with a folding mechanical arm, and Dreame's sounds like it'll be the better option.

The Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller has been great for cat hair on my rugs. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

The Dreame X60 Max Ultra has a debris-sensing blue light. Credit: Dreame

Most intriguing to me personally, the 3.1-inch tall Dreame X60 Max Ultra isn't letting the new and improved Roborock Saros vacuums be the lone title holders of strongest robot vacuums of 2026. It's going to be a battle of the 35,000 Pa robot vacuum mop combos with two different takes on heated scrubbing — and I can't wait for it all to go down in my apartment. The X60 Max Ultra is also equipped with a proactive light that senses the debris ahead and adjusts the cleaning strategy accordingly. It sounds similar to the Dyson laser, which I've been waiting forever to see on a Dyson robot vacuum.

All of that incredible innovation aside, what's so endearing about the Dreame vacuum lineup is that there's something for everyone. The high-end Dreames aren't ridiculously expensive given their top-of-the-line specs. Mid-range Dreame options are also incredibly powerful for the $500 to $700 spectrum, like the Dreame L40 Ultra: Its 25,000 Pa of suction power is more than twice as strong as the most powerful Roomba's 13,000 Pa, and the Roomba Max 705 Combo costs more. It's a similar story with the most budget-friendly options like the Dreame D10 Plus, which offers 6,000 Pa of suction power, automatic emptying, mopping, and smart mapping for less than $200 on sale.

With iRobot going bankrupt and Shark taking forever between robot vacuum releases, Dreame is inarguably a frontrunner in the conversation about the best robot vacuum brands.

Are Dreame hair tools good?

Dreame hair care really keeps Dyson and Shark on their toes. My colleague, lead shopping reporter and resident hair tool expert, Bethany Allard, gives frequent props to Dreame devices for combining the best elements from other popular hair tools.

In August, Dreame announced the $229.99 Miracle Pro hair dryer, an affordable Dyson Supersonic alternative that meshes the T3 Aire IQ's smart digital display and the Supersonic Nural's scalp-sensing heat protection, plus red light therapy. The summer 2025 drop also included the $299.99 (or $179.99 on sale) Dreame Dazzle, a Shark FlexStyle dupe that adds smart nozzle recognition and a digital display.

At CES, Dreame debuted the AirStyle Pro HI, an elevated version of its Dyson Airwrap dupe that recognizes your hair type, and the Aero Straight Pro, an air straightener that uses AI to detect your hair type and level of moisture to minimize heat damage in a whole new way.

Like Shark, the hair tool to skincare device pipeline was imminent for Dreame. One of the lesser talked-about beauty products at Dreame's CES booth was the wireless Dreame Chrona face mask, which will allegedly have 280 LEDs and four modes. It's quietly mentioned near the bottom of Dreame's beauty-specific CES page, but we don't know much more past that.

CES goers got to try on the Dreame LED mask. Credit: Dreame

The Dreame Chrona mask doesn't have a remote attached to it. Credit: Dreame

Dreame's big weakness isn't its products or prices

It doesn't seem that many customers have complaints about the quality of Dreame products. Looking at vacuums in particular, Dreame is relatively transparent about its approach to quality assurance. Dreame's official blog posted a pretty thorough breakdown of its vacuum testing process in December 2025. In a virtual media briefing I attended ahead of CES, Dreame showed some clips of the rigorous testing process for its Cyber 10 Ultra — further confirmation that such fancy new vacuums aren't released until Dreame is confident that they'll hold up in any household.

But it seems like far less effort is going into the quality assurance behind Dreame's customer support, and that's obviously a big red flag to potential future buyers.

The vibes are bad in discussions about it online. Upon Googling "Dreame customer service Reddit" (the only place to look if you want the real honest tea), three different users described their experience as "a nightmare," "pure horror," and "pure hell." People cited long wait times to get a response and dead-end conversations when a response does finally come through. One anecdote encapsulates the unanimous takeaway well: "I love their products, but their service is absolutely horrible for the price we pay."

One glaring theme I noticed was how impossible it feels to talk to a real person. Countless Reddit users wondered if Dreame has actual human customer service reps at all. It's a position most of us are all too familiar with: Arguing with an incoherent customer support chatbot, Tim Robinson in The Chair Company-style. That part just feels scammy to folks, even if the company itself is completely legitimate.

It's not uncommon for customer service to be at its best in the company's base country. But customers care about feeling distant from the company they're buying from — not geographically, but in terms of a customer relationship.

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

The longevity of the company is comforting here, as Dreame has been around for more than a decade. But it'd be a shame if bad customer service was scaring U.S. buyers away from Dreame when the products themselves are so solid.

Granted, even entrenched mega brands like Samsung have their fair share of poor customer service reviews — that clearly hasn't hindered Samsung's success. If Dreame wants to be taken as seriously as Samsung is in such a wide array of categories, prioritizing trust from customers could be a real secret weapon.

Where are Dreame products sold?

Dreame does seem to be making an effort to concretize itself to U.S. customers, beyond being just another brand on the internet. Dreame has opened a handful of brick-and-mortar stores in California and one in New Jersey. You can also check out Dreame vacuums in person at more than 175 Target stores in various states across the U.S.

Online, you can buy Dreame products at Amazon, Target, Best Buy, Walmart, and dreametech.com.

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Credit: Dreame

Explore dreametech.com

Shop products on the Dreame website

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But first, the elephant in the room

The lukewarm rivalry between Shark and iRobot heated up for a second in March 2025, when iRobot went rogue and overhauled the entire Roomba lineup outside of its usual release schedule. But the last ditch effort to get people excited about Roombas again didn't work. Once iRobot's lack of acquisition interest dwindled down to zero potential buyers, iRobot filed for bankruptcy in December 2025. Ownership of the brand was surrendered to its manufacturer Picea.

Let's break down why Roombas were considered the best for so long, and where iRobot went wrong.

Where Roomba wins: Small obstacle avoidance and more options

iRobot simply has more robot vacuums than Shark, and that variety alone will make it a more palatable brand to more people. The variety in the Roomba lineup offers flexibility for mixing and matching staple features like smart mapping, mopping pads that automatically avoid carpet, self-empty docks that also wash and dry the mopping pads, and small obstacle avoidance technology.

There are more Roombas to choose from because iRobot releases new robot vacuums more frequently than Shark — for the past few years prior to bankruptcy, at least. The Roomba range seriously widened when iRobot randomly overhauled the Roomba lineup with eight new models in March 2025. That was certainly an interesting move, considering new Roombas had typically been announced in August in years past.

iRobot released a bleak financial report that same week, and I couldn't help but feel like the surprise spring drop was tainted with a sense of urgency. Still, at the time, I thought it'd be interesting to see if these new Roombas could make iRobot a competitive brand again.

The 2025 Roombas all have LiDAR towers — a first for iRobot. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

Yes, you can still buy a Roomba online despite the bankruptcy filing. Here's a quick look at the main new models that were all introduced last March:

• Roomba 105 for as low as $149 on sale (standalone model with smart mapping)

• Roomba 205 Combo for as low as $269.99 on sale (space-saving dust-compacting model with smart mapping)

• Roomba Plus 405 Combo for as low as $399.99 on sale (self-washing and -drying mopping pads, no small obstacle avoidance)

• Roomba Plus 505 Combo for as low as $599 on sale (self-washing and -drying mopping pads, small obstacle avoidance)

• Roomba Combo 10 Max for as low as $599.99 on sale (stronger suction power, self-washing and -drying mopping pads, and small obstacle avoidance)

• Roomba Max 705 Combo for $1,299.99 (self-washing roller mop, stronger suction power, and small obstacle avoidance)

iRobot thankfully diverted from the traditional flat mopping pad with its 2025 overhaul. Now, the Roomba Plus 405 and 505 Combo use dual spinning mopping pads — a design that the majority of iRobot customers prefer, iRobot told me in a press briefing. The Roomba Max 705 Combo was actually one of the first mainstream roller mop robot vacuums, which debuted months before that became a major trend of the best robot vacuum and mop combos out of CES 2026.

Not for nothing, iRobot heard the cries of the anti-mop crowd on Reddit and released a vacuum-only version of one of its more powerful models, the Roomba Max 705 Vac. A lot of people simply don't want to deal with tanks or anything soggy at all, but finding a vac-only robot vacuum typically means settling for a super basic model — all of the most advanced robot vacuums are automatically hybrids nowadays.

The Roomba Max 705 Combo has a paint roller-esque mop and a wooden dock. Credit: iRobot

The new Roomba Plus 405 Combo has two spinning mopping pads — a first for iRobot. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

iRobot's mastery of small obstacle avoidance gives it serious leverage over Shark — it's some of the best small obstacle avoidance I've experienced from any brand I've tested at home. The Roomba Combo 10 Max, the Roomba Plus 505 Combo, and both 705 models have the special small obstacle detection camera system, which helps to avoid small obstacles that less-advanced robot vacuums would typically eat, like a phone charger, extension cord, rogue sock, or pet waste. In short, it solves the main gripe that many robot vacuum non-believers have: robot vacuums get stuck so often that they're more trouble than they're worth. I first experienced it when reviewing the Roomba j7+ and Combo j7+ and could never go back to the habit of pre-tidying.

Where Roomba loses: No recent innovations, still too expensive

iRobot isn't the pioneer it once was.

The self-emptying, smart mapping Roomba S9+ was a huge deal when it came out in 2019, and the Roomba j7+'s small obstacle avoidance set a new standard for robot vacuum navigation in 2021. Its star power was so influential that "Roomba" became the colloquial generic term for any robot vacuum.

But somewhere down the line, iRobot stopped innovating in the ways that justified its steep price points. Roombas started costing way too much for the brainpower or cleaning performance they offered. I saw the Roomba flop era coming from a mile away. iRobot tried to rectify its overpriced tendencies with the eight new Roombas in March, but even those didn't sell well enough to save iRobot from bankruptcy.

Neither basic nor premium Roombas are super cost-efficient

So while I'll give credit to Roomba for getting more practical with its prices, Shark still does budget-friendly better. For instance, I think that the perfect starter robot vacuum is one with smart mapping and self-emptying, with suction power being less of a priority as long as it's sufficient for light daily upkeep. In Roomba world, the cheapest option for this is the Roomba 105 + AutoEmpty Dock, going for $449.99 at full price or around $299.99 on sale. In Shark world, the same capabilities can be secured for as low as $199.99 on sale with the Shark IQ RV2302AE.

Either way, there are definitely more powerful cheap robot vacuums than both of those out there. It's the same story on the premium end of the spectrum: The fanciest Roombas still cost way too much given their skills. The Roomba Plus 505 Combo that I tested comes to mind, which retails for $999.99 but goes on sale for $849.99. While it didn't have any glaring drawbacks, it also doesn't exist in a vacuum — $849.99 could get you significantly stronger suction power with Roborock or Dreame, plus extras like a livestream pet camera in some cases.

Even the most powerful Roomba doesn't stand a chance against the most powerful contenders from other brands. On its face, the Roomba Max 705 Combo sounds like a beast: It has "175 times the suction power of a 600 Series Roomba" and is coined as the most powerful 2-in-1 Roomba. But iRobot, who is quietly revealing Pa suction power measurements for the first time, has confirmed that the Roomba Max 705 Combo has 13,000 Pa suction power.

The Roomba Plus 505 Combo. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

That means that even the best Roomba for pet hair or carpet is significantly weaker than the other flagship robot vacuums out there — still a relevant point, even if it's not a direct comparison to Shark. The 2025 Roborock Saros line had 22,000 Pa, while the 2026 Roborock and Dreame flagship vacuums both hit a new record of 35,000 Pa. It's not hard to find a robot vacuum with 15,000+ Pa with self-washing and drying mopping pads for less than $700. As a refresher, the Roomba Max 705 Combo costs $1,299.99.

Will my Roomba still work now that iRobot went bankrupt?

iRobot does not expect the company's restructuring to disrupt app functionality, customer programs, or ongoing product support. That's comforting news to people who already have a Roomba. But for those still deciding if they should buy a Roomba, that's not a worthwhile option right now.

Where Shark wins: Spot cleaning and affordability

Shark has historically been in tune with what the average person is willing to spend on a robot vacuum. The brand consistently offers core capabilities like smart mapping and mopping at affordable price points, topped with a straightforward user experience that doesn't involve a million high-level app functions. It's a particularly enticing brand for first-time robot vacuum owners.

The Shark Matrix RV2310 is a reliable little vacuum. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

Shark's more approachable price points don't necessarily mean it skimps on cleaning performance, though. Shark Matrix vacuums clean in a grid pattern, approaching the area several times from multiple angles to grab anything it may have missed in the first pass or two. According to Shark, Matrix mode dishes out 30 percent better carpet cleaning than the older RV Shark models. For Shark 2-in-1 robot vacuums, a mop in Matrix mode vibrates 100 times per minute to scrub at stains that likely wouldn't budge from a single pass of a cheaper robot mop or a paper towel. Matrix mopping always comes in clutch for keeping up with the constant layer of shoe prints by my front door.

Shark even extends the Matrix cleaning mechanism to most of its super-affordable models, making any of the RV2310 or RV2300 models a solid choice for a budget robot vacuum. Shark's spot cleaning has been such a streamlined, reliable feature in every Shark robot vacuum I tried. My ultimate spot cleaning test is the area outside either of my cats' litter boxes — even the cheap Shark robot vacuums always got to the right spot and cleared the kitty litter before I walked in there with bare feet.

In September 2024, Shark finally caught on to the whole "self-sustaining mopping pads" thing with the release of the Shark PowerDetect robot vacuums. They originally cost between $999.99 and $1,199.99, which seemed quite reasonable (at the time) compared to the models that cost $1,599.99. They can often be found on sale between $499.99 and $699.99.

The Shark PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

For good measure, the PowerDetect models are also equipped with large wheels that hoist the vac over carpet to keep it dry during mopping mode. Those hydraulics also helped the PowerDetect to be one of the only robot vacs I've tested that's never gotten stuck on a rug corner or scrambled up my bath mats.

Where Shark loses: Small obstacle avoidance and slow releases

Shark's biggest shortcoming is that it takes forever to release new robot vacuums, and that staggered schedule often leaves it playing catch-up with other brands. Brands like Roborock and Dreame seem to drop new crops of robot vacuums twice in the time period that Shark introduces a single new model. Overall, Shark's entire lineup feels a little basic compared to its competitors.

The PowerDetect line was in desperate need of a successor for a while. When Shark did finally "revamp" the series in fall 2025, the upgrades were criminally underwhelming. The major difference is heated mop washing and drying for improved sanitation between mopping sessions, hence "ThermaCharged" in the title. That's not exactly a front-page headline when the vacuum is still so far behind other brands' models in the same price range.

The purple lights indicate "Dirt Detect" mode. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

Another lesser-known late 2025 model, the Shark Stratos NeverTouch robot vacuum, is similarly bland. Its description mentions "ultra-powerful suction" and states that the Stratos delivers twice the suction power of the Roomba i5 Combo. A $799.99 robot vacuum is more powerful than an entry-level Roomba that came out in 2023? Yeah, I would hope so.

Shark is the lone major robot vacuum brand that hasn't really invested in small obstacle avoidance, and that seriously cramps the "premium" feel. This is such a staple feature in my life, as I'm sure it is for anyone whose floor might be cluttered lived in from time to time. In my testing, the Shark ThermaCharged was so inept at diverting obstacles (even large ones) that it gave up on cleaning missions instead of simply driving around a tote bag of groceries or a cordless Dyson vacuum attachment laying on the ground.

In the same vein of too-basic navigation, only the most premium Shark robot vacuums automatically stop mopping when carpet is sensed. This means vacuum and mop mode aren't possible at the same time with any of the 2-in-1 Shark Matrix models, and a person needs to manually attach the water tank to switch to mopping mode. That's enough of a pain to make someone want to skip mopping altogether. Even the cheap Roomba 105 Combo can detect carpet — the first time in recent memory where a base-tier Roomba outshines a base-tier Shark.

Shark's sonic mopping system feels outdated now

Shark also has yet to grow out of the D-shaped mopping pad while every other major brand has graduated to dual rotating mops or roller mops. The sonic vibrations of the PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro and PowerDetect ThermaCharged did a solid job of wiping up small spills and shoe stains on my apartment's hardwood, but they weren't able to scrub in corners and along edges like the Roomba 405 or 505 Combo's flexible spinning mops can.

If Shark doubles down on the D-shaped pad design in its next release, it should at least give the pad more mobility to scoot out past the circular body of the vacuum — similar to what Roborock did with the Saros 20 Sonic that it announced at CES 2026.

Shark doesn't do itself any favors by refusing to list its vacuums' suction power in Pascals (Pa). Almost every other major robot vacuum brand measures suction power in Pa (even iRobot now), which makes comparing options easy. Shark still insists on keeping an air of mystery by solely comparing suction power to other vacuums in its own family tree, or by making vague claims like "50% better suction than the best-selling iRobot."

Where iRobot and Shark both lose: Their apps suck

Ironically, two of the most longstanding names in the robot vacuum game have the two most outdated-feeling apps. The bare bones home maps in both the Roomba Home and Shark Clean apps are far less intricate than the color-coded maps that Roborock or Eufy offer. Pausing a clean or adding an extra room to the queue is similarly clunky on both.

Our winner: Neither

Still not sure which side to take in this debate? Here's my take as a professional robot vacuum reviewer: Neither iRobot nor Shark is the best robot vacuum brand. Dreame vs. Roborock is the new Shark vs. Roomba, and I highly recommend taking a look at all of the Dreame robot vacuums and Roborock robot vacuums within your budget. You're probably going to find an option that's smarter and more powerful than the Roomba and Shark vacuum cleaners in your cart.

Before I knew just how bleak things were looking for iRobot, I crowned iRobot as the better robot vacuum brand for most people. Shark takes forever to release new robot vacuums, so there are simply more Roombas to choose from. Those Roombas offer more meticulous mopping and accurate obstacle avoidance than Shark's array, making Roombas the more capable robot vacuums from a technical standpoint. Plus, even Shark's most premium robot vacuum feels basic compared to flagship vacuums from most other brands.

But Shark recently earned an inherent leg up on iRobot: Shark isn't bankrupt. In fact, SharkNinja is a brand is flourishing. It just needs to divert some attention from cordless vacuums, beauty tech, kitchen tech back to its robot vacuum line. While the premise of new Roombas under Picea ownership hasn't been ruled out, Shark is clearly in a more cushioned financial position to keep putting out new products. If the next new Shark robot vacuum masters small obstacle avoidance and corner mopping, it'll have officially regained the traction lost to the Roomba 405, 505, and 705 Combos.

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Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2 just ended, but star Walker Scobell is already eager for the future of the show.

In a Say More interview with Mashable Entertainment Reporter Belen Edwards, Scobell revealed that Season 3, which is currently shooting and set to release this year, is "even better than I imagined."

As a massive fan of Rick Riordan's original book series, Scobell's appreciation for Season 3 stems from his deep fandom of the source material — especially The Titan's Curse, which Season 3 will adapt.

"Listen, I love Season 2, and I love Season 1. Perfect, I love them so much," Scobell told Mashable. "But there's something about The Titan's Curse to The Last Olympian that's just a completely new level, and it's just so different."

From The Titan's Curse onwards, Riordan's books get considerably darker, a challenge that Scobell relishes as he and his castmates grow up alongside Percy and his crew of heroes.

"They're getting older, and things are getting pretty serious with this Great Prophecy," Scobell explained. "It think it gets really difficult for them, because now things are real. They're not invincible — not like they weren't before, but they've seen how they're not invincible."

Thankfully, amid Season 3's emotional damage (and book fans know there's a lot of that to go around), audiences will also be getting some levity. That includes one iconic scene from The Titan's Curse: all those Hoover Dam puns.

"We're gonna be getting a lot of good dam jokes," Scobell revealed. "That's the only thing I'm gonna confirm. As a fan, before we got episode 5, Aryan [Simhadri] and I were like, 'There's no way they take that out.' Because it's my favorite part of that book. There's no reason for them to laugh at that point. But I love how they're just sitting there, laughing about these dam jokes."

Sounds like we're in for a dam good time, right?

"It's gonna be a dam great season," Scobell said.

For more of Mashable's interview with Scobell, including a deep dive into finale fight scenes, changes between Riordan's book and the show, and what's next for Percy and Thalia (Tamara Smart), check out the full video on YouTube.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2 is now streaming on Disney+. Season 3 arrives later in 2026.

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

More than three years since the Orion capsule's inaugural voyage, NASA is about to shoot the capsule into space again — but this time four astronauts will ride it to the moon.

Artemis II — which mission leaders say could happen as early as two weeks from now in February — is a crucial practice run for NASA's hardware that turns Artemis I's uncrewed success into a fully human mission.

"While Artemis I was a great success, there are new systems and new capabilities that we will be demonstrating on Artemis II, including the life support systems, the display capabilities, software, and et cetera," said Lakiesha Hawkins, NASA's acting deputy associate administrator for exploration systems development. "This is a stepped approach, and all that we learned from Artemis II, we will build upon that to prepare us for our first crewed landing on the surface of the moon for Artemis III."

Though the crew won't ever leave the confines of the spaceship during their 10-day mission, the four members will hold a place in history as the first space travelers of Artemis, the new exploration program named after Apollo's goddess twin. It's the beginning of NASA's ambitious plan to send astronauts to Mars by the late 2030s, preparing for a world far less hospitable than Earth.

This second Artemis mission — the first crewed lunar flyby in over 50 years — raises the stakes. Instead of just proving that the Space Launch System rocket and capsule can survive, NASA must show that the vehicles can keep people alive on a 10‑day trip around the moon and back. The mission will test crew controls and emergency options that future astronauts will rely on when NASA tries to land on the lunar surface and eventually push on toward Mars.

Artemis II will carry Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Hammock Koch and Jeremy Hansen. Hansen, a Canadian Space Agency astronaut, will be the first international crewmate on a lunar mission. 

The astronauts will launch from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, atop the 322-foot mega moon rocket, loop around the moon on a roughly four‑day outbound trip, fly about 4,600 miles beyond it, and return to a splashdown off the coast of California.

The Artemis II mission will take four astronauts on a 10-day voyage around the moon. Credit: NASA infographic

That distance could set a new human spaceflight record, exceeding the one set by Apollo 13, which traveled 248,655 miles from Earth in 1970. Whether Artemis II reaches its planned 257,000 miles depends on when exactly the mission launches.

Koch said she had recently met Fred Haise, now in his 90s and the last surviving Apollo 13 crew member. 

"He said, 'I heard you're going to beat our record,' and it made me realize maybe he's paying attention to it more than we are. I think that sometimes when we talk about superlatives, we may inadvertently ignore the real story of what's going on in our mission," she said. "It's not about farthest, first, fastest, longest. It's about the teamwork."

A major change from the 25-day Artemis I mission in 2022 is the path the crew will take. Artemis II will use what NASA calls a "free return trajectory," which means once Orion heads toward the moon, gravity from Earth and the moon will naturally bend the spaceship's course back home, even if later engine burns fail.

Another big difference comes right after launch. Before committing the astronauts to deep space, NASA will park Orion in a high Earth orbit that takes about a day to complete. That gives the team time to thoroughly check the spacecraft while it remains relatively close to home.

"When we get off the planet, we might come right back home, we might spend three or four days around Earth, we might go to the moon," Wiseman said. "That's where we want to go, but it is a test mission, and we are ready for every scenario."

During this phase, the crew will perform a test of how Orion handles when astronauts steer it — practice for later missions that must dock with a lunar lander. Once the ship separates from the upper stage, they'll turn Orion around and manually fly near the spent propulsion section, using cameras and windows to approach and back away. 

From left, NASA pilot Victor Glover, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, NASA astronaut Christina Hammock Koch, and NASA Commander Reid Wiseman climb the crew access arm at the launchpad for an Artemis II test. Credit: NASA / Frank Michaux

For the return home, NASA has tweaked its original re-entry plan after discovering damage to Orion's heatshield following Artemis I. Engineers have since adjusted the flight path so the capsule doesn’t plow through the atmosphere as hard or as long. By aiming closer to San Diego, California, versus Baja California, Mexico, they can shorten the hottest part of the ride. 

While the agency has committed to launching Artemis II no later than April 2026 and is working toward a possible February window, which opens Feb. 6, mission leaders stressed that schedule will never outrun safety.

"I've got a good eye for launch fever," said John Honeycutt, head of the mission management team. "I'm not going to tell the agency that I'm ready to go fly until I think we're ready to go fly."

Long before social media feeds or targeted ads, my mother used to say that life tends to show you the thing you're looking for. Or the thing you're afraid of. Or the thing you keep insisting you don't want.

If you were trying to get pregnant, suddenly everyone around you was pregnant. If you wanted out of your relationship, magazines on the grocery store rack were filled with tips on "spicing up your marriage." If you were single, you noticed couples everywhere.

At the time, it felt like a kind of folk psychology, an observation about attention, projection, and the stories we tell ourselves during moments of transition. Nothing mystical. Just the mind's tendency to organize the world around its current preoccupations.

But today, that feeling is no longer just in our heads — it's computational, built into the systems we use every day. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Google don't just reflect what we notice; they actively infer who we are and what comes next, based on demographics such as age and gender, as well as behavioral patterns. And once they decide what life stage you're in, they keep showing it to you, whether it fits or not.

Across social platforms, users describe being quietly ushered through a narrow, linear life script, one that often resembles something like dating → engagement → wedding → pregnancy → parenting. These systems assume users are progressing along an expected trajectory. When lives diverge from that path, for instance, after a breakup, during infertility, following divorce, or by choice, the algorithm often fails to recalibrate.

What looks like a coincidence or annoyance is something more structural: platforms building a version of identity that won't update, even as a person's life changes.

Trapped in a life phase you never chose

On social platforms, users may still encounter content they don't want, despite repeatedly muting keywords or clicking "not interested." Research shows that recommendation algorithms often rely far more on implicit engagement, such as watch time and clicks, than on explicit feedback signals, like hiding or muting, meaning the system can continue serving the life someone once searched for — or was assumed to want.

Elizabeth Losh, a media theorist, digital rhetoric scholar, and professor of English and American Studies at the College of William and Mary, said this persistence is rooted in how recommendation systems are built.

"Sites like TikTok and Instagram depend on targeted advertising and data harvesting models that emphasize demographic segmentation," said Losh, who is also the author of Selfie Democracy: The New Digital Politics of Disruption and Insurrection. "[They] slice and dice audiences by gender, age, political loyalties, and other categories, manufacturing needs and desires for each stage of life."

Those stages often reflect cultural expectations rather than real user diversity. Advertisers treat transitions like marriage, fertility, and parenting as high-value consumption moments, incentivizing platforms to sort users into life-phase categories that are difficult to exit once assigned.

"You can see how those assumptions get locked in," Losh said. "The persuasive power of the recommendation algorithms themselves continues to reinforce standardized life trajectories."

How the algorithm decides who you are

Platforms rarely explain how they infer a user's "life phase," but scrolling itself is data.

TikTok has acknowledged that time spent watching a video is weighted more heavily than most other signals in its recommendation system. Even a pause due to curiosity, confusion, or discomfort can be interpreted as interest. Once a system associates a user with a category, similar content can quickly snowball.

Lauren Klein, professor of Data & Decision Sciences and English at Emory University and co-author of Data Feminism, says these inferences reflect historic gender norms far more than neutral "user data."

"In many cases, age and gender are the only data points companies know about their users," Klein said. "In the absence of [a] meaningful signal, designers default to what they assume someone of a particular age and gender would want to see."

Those assumptions are shaped by long-standing cultural expectations about users' lives, including those around beauty, partnership, reproduction, and caregiving.

Because recommendation and ad systems are profit-driven, Klein added, there is little incentive to challenge defaults that appear to perform well.

"These companies are motivated by their own bottom line," she said. "If default life-phase content seems to generate engagement or purchases, there's no obligation to consider other desires or preferences."

When the TikTok feed contradicts reality

Emerging research suggests that algorithmic systems do more than match users with content; they're also shaping people's identities. 

Researchers describe this phenomenon as "algorithmic persistence," in which systems continue to serve content tied to a presumed identity long after it is no longer applicable. Klein notes that because recommender systems are optimized for engagement rather than accuracy, they have little incentive to recalibrate unless user behavior changes significantly, something many people don't know how to do, or even realize is necessary.

"There's an added social reinforcement mechanism," Klein said, adding that users already receive constant messages about what they should care about. "The algorithm amplifies that pressure."

Over time, this creates a kind of ambient discipline, technology nudging users toward a version of adulthood they might not want, can't access, or have already outgrown.

"The isolation of personal scrolling is a kind of 'technology of the self,'" Losh said. "It subtly encourages people to regulate themselves according to dominant social scripts."

Performance, play, and structural limits

If algorithmic persistence explains why users get "stuck" seeing irrelevant content, performance helps explain why pushing back doesn't necessarily free them.

Short-form video platforms are built around visibility and play. Users duet, stitch, parody, and perform alternative selves. Queer creators experiment with gender; others engage in what Losh calls "generation-swapping," performing exaggerated versions of parents or elders. Comedy and remix culture offer highly legible ways to critique dominant life scripts.

That visibility is not meaningless. Losh notes that these platforms have created space for experiences once considered rare or invisible: intersex parents documenting their lives, people speaking openly about ectopic pregnancy or asexuality, sex workers sharing the unglamorous realities of their labor. Other forms of relational storytelling — like content about lavender marriages or the rise of "guncles" — quietly challenge heteronormative family scripts through humor and affection rather than argument.

But visibility, Losh cautions, is not the same as structural change. Even as platforms become increasingly adept at identifying and amplifying counter-narratives, they continue to circulate within algorithms optimized to sort users into marketable categories. That means wedding content becomes queer wedding content, or family content becomes nontraditional family content. The identity may shift, but the life-phase logic remains intact. In that sense, personalization doesn't eliminate the script so much as adapt it.

Within recommendation systems, critique does not reliably trigger corrections. Because engagement itself is the primary signal — watch time, interaction, repetition — even content meant to challenge a life-cycle narrative can be absorbed as evidence of interest in it. A parody of wedding culture may still be logged as engagement with wedding content; a rebuttal to parenting norms may circulate alongside the very material it critiques.

Why is it so hard to reset your algorithm?

Algorithmic identity is not something users can update with a single click. Training data reflects the past. Profit incentives favor broad categories. And recommender systems are built to optimize engagement loops, not to reflect the complex, nonlinear lives of their users.

Designing for people who don't want children, who co-parent, who are queer or polyamorous, or who move in and out of relationships requires time, care, and a willingness to challenge default assumptions.

"It takes more work to design for users at the margins," Klein said. "But those users often reveal where systems break down."

When asked what a more feminist or equitable recommender system might look like, Klein was skeptical.

"I'm not sure there's such a thing as a feminist advertising mechanism," she said. "But one feminist principle we can take seriously is refusal."

For platforms, that would mean letting users opt out of targeted ads, allowing them to withhold their age or gender without penalty, avoiding punitive privacy defaults, and giving users ways to signal life changes without automatically triggering new assumptions.

For now, most platforms offer limited transparency and little meaningful control.

Living with the algorithmic lag

The algorithm lags behind real life. It clings to who someone was — or who it decided they were — because updating that identity is less profitable than nudging it forward.

For users, that lag often mirrors the same narrow life script society has long imposed. What's new isn't the pressure, it's the infrastructure delivering it.

The feed doesn't reflect reality. It reinforces a familiar script — whether it fits or not.

TL;DR: Live stream Indiana Pacers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA for free with a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

This week's NBA action includes a replay of the 2025 NBA Finals as the Indiana Pacers go on the road to face the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Oklahoma won those games but the more interesting story was Indiana's incredible playoffs run, which defied the odds. But the Eastern Conference champions have had a tough 2025-26 season so far — they're currently sat at the bottom of the conference, while Thunder are at the top of the Western Conference with the best record in the league. Can the Pacers pull off another improbable result? Or is their season a write-off?

If you want to watch Pacers vs. Thunder in the NBA for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Pacers vs. Thunder?

Indiana Pacers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA starts at 7 p.m. ET on Jan. 23. This game takes place at the Paycom Center.

How to watch Pacers vs. Thunder for free

Indiana Pacers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA is available to live stream for free with a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime.

This free live stream is geo-restricted to the U.S. and UK, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S. or UK, meaning you can access free live streams of the NBA from anywhere in the world.

Stream the NBA for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime (if you're not already a member)

2. Subscribe to a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

4. Open up the app and connect to a server in the U.S. or UK

5. Watch the NBA from anywhere in the world on Prime Video

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The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer money-back guarantees or free trials. By leveraging these offers, you can watch NBA live streams without actually spending anything. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does mean you can watch select games from the NBA before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the NBA?

ExpressVPN is the best service for accessing free live streams on platforms like Prime Video, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.95 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream the NBA for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Houston Rockets vs. Detroit Pistons in the NBA for free with a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

This week's must-watch NBA action sees the Houston Rockets visit Eastern Conference leaders the Detroit Pistons. The Rockets will have their work cut out — the Pistons have an excellent win-loss record and have impressed b-ball fans with their robust defense. That said, Houston are considered an on-the-up franchise and a playoffs contender.

The game is also featured as part of Rivals Week, a recent NBA concept that highlights key rivalries across the conferences. This one's particularly interesting because it features a brotherly rivalry, with twins Ausar and Amen Thompson playing on opposite teams — Ausar for the Pistons, Amen for the Rockets.

If you want to watch Rockets vs. Pistons in the NBA for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Rockets vs. Pistons?

Houston Rockets vs. Detroit Pistons in the NBA starts at 7 p.m. ET on Jan. 23. This game takes place at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, MI.

How to watch Rockets vs. Pistons for free

Houston Rockets vs. Detroit Pistons in the NBA is available to live stream for free with a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime.

This free live stream is geo-restricted to the U.S. and UK, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S. or UK, meaning you can access free live streams of the NBA from anywhere in the world.

Stream the NBA for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime (if you're not already a member)

2. Subscribe to a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

4. Open up the app and connect to a server in the U.S. or UK

5. Watch the NBA from anywhere in the world on Prime Video

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Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

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

Learn More

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer money-back guarantees or free trials. By leveraging these offers, you can watch NBA live streams without actually spending anything. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does mean you can watch select games from the NBA before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the NBA?

ExpressVPN is the best service for accessing free live streams on platforms like Prime Video, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.95 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream the NBA for free with ExpressVPN.

I fell in love with Arco from its very first frames.

In these opening moments, a flock of birds soars towards a cluster of towers jutting into the clouds, each holding up platforms covered in greenery and wind turbines. The image is utopian, yet there's a slightly foreboding to it. What led humanity to move to the sky? What lies below the clouds? The answer, unsurprisingly, is ecological disaster of our own making.

That tension between beauty and hard truths fuels the entirety of Arco, as French director Ugo Bienvenu pairs a charming tale of friendship with a sobering look at the realities of climate change. It's a glorious sci-fi journey, one told through the most remarkable animation you'll see this year.

What's Arco about?

The people who live on the platforms from Arco's opening scene are able to time travel. They fly to the past with the help of colorful cloaks and light-refracting crystals, bringing rainstorms and rainbows as they go.

Kids under the age of 12 are not allowed to use this technology, which doesn't sit right with 10-year-old Arco (voiced by Juliano Valdi in the English-language dub). So what does this aspiring adventurer do? He steals his sister's cloak and jets off to 2075, only to find himself stuck there. Thankfully, he has a newfound friend in Iris (voiced by Romy Fay), who is determined to help him get back to his own time.

Arco is another formidable animated film about climate change.

Credit: Courtesy of NEON

While Arco's future is an idyllic one, fueled by renewable energy and a deep connection to nature, Iris' version is far more troubling — and hits closer to home.

Iris lives in a suburb that would seem right at home in our current moment, apart from a few changes. Her robot caretaker Mikki (voiced by Natalie Portman and Mark Ruffalo), as well as her town's hordes of robot laborers, speaks to significant technological advancements. So, too, do the holograms her workaholic parents (also voiced by Portman and Ruffalo) use to communicate while they're away at work.

But the most telling difference between our present and Iris' future is that of the protective bubbles that pop up around people's houses during ever-frequent destructive weather events. The threat of severe storms looms over the town, while kids talk casually about their families preparing for disaster in the face of encroaching wildfires. Clearly, this is a society that lives with the impacts of climate change, yet makes no large-scale attempts to mitigate its effects for future generations. (Sound familiar?)

Arco knows that climate change — and humans' acceleration of it — is what led his ancestors to make their way above the clouds. Through his eyes, everyday elements of Iris' world become accelerants of oncoming ecological collapse, such as the town's cars, or the excess of grocery stores, as opposed to his family's homegrown approach.

Bienvenu is never too heavy-handed in his messaging around climate change. Still, each of these world-building details combine to build a growing background sense of dread, one that only makes Iris and Arco's friendship all the sweeter by comparison. They offer up hope in a rapidly deteriorating world.

Arco's treatment of climate change recalls two of 2024's most outstanding films, Flow and The Wild Robot. Like Arco, each present worlds impacted by ecological calamities. However, these are not grand, sweeping stories of saving the world, but rather stories of the innocents — like Flow and The Wild Robot's animals, or Arco's young Iris and Arco — who have no choice but to endure these storms. In addition to Flow and The Wild Robot, Arco is further proof of animation's ability to communicate the realities of climate change to younger and older audiences alike.

Arco is a downright stunner.

And what animation is on display in Arco! A comic book artist himself, Bienvenu translates his 2D illustrative style to the big screen. The effect is glorious, reminiscent of the fantastical works of Jean Giraud (aka Mœbius) and the films of Studio Ghibli.

In addition to the rainbows and solarpunk sky towers of Arco's future, Bienvenu finds wonder in the 2075 timeline. The forests of Iris' town are lush wonderlands, while her school provides unexpected opportunities for escapism. Each classroom can transform into a variety of environments, from galaxies to underwater landscapes, offering Bienvenu and his team opportunities to flex their animation muscles and take Iris and Arco's adventure to new heights.

Another highlight of the animation is the mysterious trio of men (voiced by Will Ferrell, Andy Samberg, and Flea) who are tracking Arco down. They each rock colorful suits, bowl cuts, and rainbow glasses, and their bumbling attempts to find Arco are among the funniest and most visually distinct moments of the film.

In a mainstream animation landscape dominated by 3D-animated films, Arco's visuals are a testament to the enduring power of 2D work, as well as French filmmakers' commitment to the medium. If you love animation, run, don’t walk — or better yet, fly by rainbow — to catch it.

Arco opens in NYC and L.A. on Jan. 23, after an awards-qualifying run in 2025. It will open nationwide Jan. 30.

UPDATE: Jan. 22, 2026, 12:04 p.m. This review was first published on Nov. 14, 2025. It has been updated to reflect theatrical availability.

From the first musical moments of The Testament of Ann Lee, I was enraptured. Admittedly, I went in knowing nothing of its subject, an 18th-century religious figure who led the Shakers, a sect also known as the "Shaking Quakers" because of the physicality of their worship. However, the opening thrums of music and the graceful yet powerful thrust of bodies in an inexplicable dance number in a dark forest entranced me and made me eager to know more. 

From this intriguing opening, The Testament to Ann Lee stretches beyond the bounds of historical drama by embracing the music and movements that define the Shaker religious practice. In that, wonder is born onscreen, reflecting their faith in a God that honors such performance as exaltation. 

Written by The Brutalist's screenwriters Mona Fastvold and Brady Corbet, this is a sweeping American tale of love, faith, community, and creativity that is challenging, enchanting, and awe-inspiring. 

The Testament of Ann Lee reveals the birth of a religious community in America. 

Credit: Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

Helmed by Fastvold, The Testament of Ann Lee charts the life of the eponymous religious leader, not only through dramatic scenes of hardship and joy but also through musical numbers that reflect the Shakers' culture. 

As a young girl in England, Ann is horrified by her vicious father, in both his prohibiting the speech of his many children, but also in his dominion over his wife's body for his own sexual desires. Still, as a young maiden, Ann (Seyfried) strives to be a good wife to her rugged husband (Christopher Abbott), giving in to his demand for sex despite her own lack of interest. That is, until a series of miscarriages convinces her that chastity, hard work, and song is a better way for her to serve God. 

This belief will earn her devoted followers, including her brother William (Thunderbolt*'s Lewis Pullman), the resolute Mary (Thomasin McKenzie), and an American preacher (Tim Blake Nelson). However, as this boundary-pushing woman preaches of God and these tenets from England to New York, she will earn her the ire of her lusty husband and the violent rejection of those unmoved by the Shakers' song. 

Amanda Seyfried is a marvel in The Testament of Ann Lee. 

Credit: Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

Seyfried is no stranger to musicals, but this one is very different from the Broadway adaptations she's starred in before. Forget the bouncy glee of Mamma Mia! or the resounding theatricality of Les Misérables. The motions here feel more akin to modern dance, the song more mantra then belted or cheered.

Limbs of conservatively dressed Shakers shoot forth sharply, pausing in the air as if awaiting a signal or a sign, then plunging in a new direction. Their bodies rise and fall in a rhythm they create through their shared song. In the film's opening, they move through a forest, dancing in unison, throbbing together like one living organism. Through this connection in movement, Fastvold instantly and effectively communicates that this is a community that lives, loves, and suffers together. 

This sentiment of union through hardship is bolstered with every successive song-and-dance number. For instance, when Ann endures a series of miscarriages, a song, deep-throated and aching, pulls her through one to the next, the motions of sex, birth, and loss connecting across scenes to create a sense of flow and growing agony. For it's not just her loss. Others' arms embrace her across scenes of conception and birth, expressing a physical connection, but also ones that scar her. Thus, Seyfried is not just the film's center, but the core of its company. 

As Ann is resolute in her faith, Seyfried carries a certainty, whether working to construct a colony, the sect's signature chairs, or a better bond with her "children" — meaning her followers, who call her "Mother." Yet certainty doesn't make for stoicism. Seyfried's portrait is awash in jubilation, agony, and earnestness. Her eyes echo this fervor, even in climactic moments of violence. But it's in the song and dance that this role becomes extraordinary. In every motion and note, Seyfried leads the cast as Ann leads her people in the film, resolute and radiant. 

Mona Fastvold's vision in The Testament of Ann Lee is rapturous. 

Credit: Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

Like The Brutalist, The Testament of Ann Lee tackles decades of an immigrant's life in an America that welcomes their labor and violently rejects their culture and autonomy. Set in different eras, the films work together as a timeless and dynamic diptych of this country's melting pot, sometimes warm, often scorching. But beyond America, Fastvold's film sings the song of a woman who fought without raising a fist for the sanctity of community and glory of art. 

Choreographer Celia Rowlson-Hall creates movements that feel modern yet don't clash with the period piece's production design. Her dances evoke passion but not sexuality, reflecting Lee's tenets of faith. Alone, one dancer might seem strange — creating some understanding of the suspicion of the neighboring New Yorkers. But joined by the company, they become glorious, a reflection of what wonders our simple mortal figures can manifest, through work and the embrace of our souls. 

The music by composer Daniel Blumberg was inspired by Shaker hymns. Their lyrics, deceptively simple and repetitive, draw us in through the rounds. The music around them strange, experimental, yet inviting. Thus, we are welcomed in — not only to their story but to the feeling of their exuberance. 

Told in movements, broken up by title cards quoting Bible verses like "The Woman Clothed by the Sun With the Moon Under Her Feet," The Testament of Ann Lee swells and swoons like an orchestra playing an epic opera. Less an investigation into her testament and more a reveling in its passion and resilience, this drama is dynamic and dreamy. It may not make you a believer, but it may well leave you awestruck.

The Testament of Ann Lee opens in wide release Jan. 23.

UPDATE: Jan. 22, 2026, 1:46 p.m. This review was first published on Sept. 21, 2025, as part of Mashable's coverage of the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. It has been updated in anticipation of its wide release.

American cinema has long been fascinated by professional fighters. Rocky, Raging Bull, The Fighter, The Wrestler, Cinderella Man, Creed, Million Dollar Baby, Girlfight, Ali, The Hurricane, Warrior — the list goes on and on. Within this sports subgenre, actors like Sylvester Stallone, Robert De Niro, Russell Crowe, Will Smith, Hilary Swank, Michael B. Jordan, and many more have made their mark, with rave reviews, big box office, award nominations, and big wins. So, it's a shrewd move for Dwayne Johnson to prove he's ready to leap from smoldering action-comedy star to dramatic heavyweight with The Smashing Machine. 

The pro wrestler formerly known as The Rock has spent decades building broad appeal as a movie star, ranging from the lip-curling machismo in the Fast and Furious franchise to the bouncy bravado of his voicework as Maui in Moana to a swath of half-baked action movies that coast on his broad shoulders and signature smile. But with The Smashing Machine, Johnson sheds his larger-than-life persona to disappear into the role of UFC fighter Mark Kerr.

The ways he does this are laudable, but the results are mixed because of writer/director Benny Safdie's challenging choices in constructing this narrative and reconstructing his leading man's face. 

The Smashing Machine reveals the out-of-the-ring struggles of Mark Kerr. 

Dwayne Johnson plays Mark Kerr in "The Smashing Machine." Credit: A24

Picking up in 1997, the Safdie-scripted drama follows the beginning of Kerr's MMA (mixed martial arts) career within the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Set across several years, The Smashing Machine ushers audiences to Japan, where Kerr would compete in Pride FC, then back to the U.S., where he trained while carrying on a tumultuous romantic relationship with Dawn Staples (played here by Johnson's Jungle Cruise co-star Emily Blunt). 

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Rather than centering his narrative around a particular goal — like winning a belt or defeating a particular nemesis — Safdie chooses a more scattershot approach. A smattering of scenes across Kerr's highs and lows aim to capture the contrast of "The Smashing Machine" in the ring, where he was mighty and intimidating, to the man behind the persona, who was gentle, even when battling his own demons. However, without a driving narrative, the film feels meandering, lacking momentum.

The Smashing Machine shies away from sports drama cliches, with mixed results. 

Benny Safdie, writer/director of "The Smashing Machine," holds a camera in the film's final sequence. Credit: A24

Elements of Kerr's story are pretty common within the pro fighting industry. Take a look at Dark Side of the Ring for many examples. The incredible demand put on a fighter's body and the ruthless training regimen can encourage abuse of painkillers and other drugs to cope with the physical strain. However, Safdie's so matter-of-fact about Kerr's intravenous drug use that it almost seems harmless. There's a casualness to how Mark is shown readying an injection, doing so while getting dressed and carrying on a conversation, that almost suggests his drug use is not a problem, but part of a routine. But a vague but vicious argument with Dawn shortly after suggests Kerr's losing his grip. 

It might be lauded that Safdie and Johnson (who is also a producer on The Smashing Machine) aren't interested in making Kerr's real-life low points into a gaudy spectacle. But little is given to otherwise illustrate his battle here. Safdie's script reveals a near-fatal overdose through a phone call between Dawn and Mark's friend/colleague Mark Coleman (Ryan Bader). His time in rehab happens entirely offscreen. Thus, much of his struggle with addiction is limited to strained jokes about doctors who offer him over-the-counter painkillers and his passive-aggressive comments to Dawn, when she returns from a boozy meal with friends. Essentially, the punches feel pulled, outside the ring and inside too. 

The Smashing Machine won't let audiences get close to Mark Kerr. 

Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt embrace in "The Smashing Machine." Credit: A24

Safdie rejects the standard of Hollywood boxing movies by keeping his cameras firmly outside of the ring. A cavalcade of other directors have used close-ups to give audiences an unblinking look at everything from the fear or confidence flashing on the fighter's face to the sweat and blood streaming down their muscles. But Safdie won't let us any closer than the fans in the film, stuck behind the ropes. It's a choice that echoes his aim of authenticity over Hollywood razzle-dazzle. But it literally and emotionally keeps us at a distance. 

Other forms of authenticity work better. Handheld camera lends energy and a hazy excitement to everything from Mark striding to the arena to his grappling with a hysterical Dawn. A soundtrack of late '90s/early '00s songs (like Sublime's "Santeria" and Sugar Ray's "Every Morning") played in the background help audiences time-travel back to his heyday. But most impactful is Safdie's unconventional casting choices.

As he's done in past films like Uncut Gems, he peoples The Smashing Machine with nonactors. In this case, to play Mark's friends and rivals, the director brought in fighters Ryan Bader, Oleksandr Usyk, Satoshi Ishii, James Moontasril, Cyborg Abreu, and Marcus Aurélio, many making their acting debuts. They bring an earthiness and earnestness to the film, with Bader being a terrific standout, seemingly effortless in scenes of professional drama and domestic bliss. 

In terms of Johnson's performance, authenticity meant asking the actor to bulk up and to wear facial prosthetics and meticulously detailed wigs to resemble Kerr. And here's where Safdie's choices hurt Johnson most. 

Dwayne Johnson is incredible in The Smashing Machine, but the prosthetics are a problem. 

Dwayne Johnson plays Mark Kerr in "The Smashing Machine." Credit: A24

Props to the make-up team — the prosthetics are seamless and do the job of erasing the familiar face of The Rock. This transformation gives Johnson the space to create a performance that is distinctly separate from his own personas in pro-wrestling and as the leading man of many an action franchise. Do they make him look like Mark Kerr? I'm less convinced. But we've seen plenty of thespians get Oscar gold for hiding their famous features to better inhabit a character. (That includes Charlize Theron in Monster, Brendan Fraser in The Whale, and Nicole Kidman in The Hours, just to name a few.) 

The problem is that while these prosthetics erase The Rock, they also inhibit Johnson's face. Sure, his performance here is more nuanced than in his splashy blockbusters. An early scene where Kerr, bruised and battered, gently explains his work to a little boy and a judgmental grandmother is gracefully done. The softness in his tone is reflected in a gentle physicality as he insists there's camaraderie outside the ring. Later, this gentleness reemerges as he talks to his fellow fighters and as he pleads with a spiraling Dawn. (Blunt gives her best to a role that is achingly archetypal, painting Dawn as a volatile drunk with a Jersey Shore thirst for fashion and fighting). However, this performance is often cut off by the brow bone of the prosthetic. 

Creating a ledge that throws a dark shadow, the make-up too often makes it hard to see Johnson's eyes. So, much like being pushed out of the ring in the fight scenes, we're pushed out of Mark's experience by not being able to see how he's feeling. In a showier Johnson performance, this might not be an issue, as he can ooze emotion out of big gestures and bellowing line delivery. But here, nearly every aspect of the film is aiming for subtlety, to better explore the shades of gray of Kerr. And without seeing his eyes, we're too often left in the dark. 

In the end, Johnson gives a career-defining performance that should well prove he can handle meatier, even artier fare. Blunt gives her all in a thankless role, and Safdie, in his feature-length directorial debut without his brother/Uncut Gems co-helmer Josh Safdie, takes some big swings. It's a shame he didn't have a sharper eye on what was hitting, and what was leaving his audience needing more.

The Smashing Machine is now streaming on HBO Max.

UPDATE: Jan. 22, 2026, 2:41 p.m. EST "The Smashing Machine" was reviewed out of its North American Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in this article, originally published on Sept. 20, 2025. It has been updated to include the latest streaming information.