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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for October 27, 2026 Fiddle meaning

A kind of violin.

Meddle meaning

Insert oneself into someone else's business.

Tinker meaning

Repair or adjust something in an unskilled way.

Trifle meaning

Something of little value.

Anvil meaning

Tiny bone in the middle of the ear.

Canal meaning

Pathway from the outer ear to the middle ear.

Drum meaning

A cone-shaped membrane in the ear.

Stirrup meaning

The bone in the ear is responsible for sound conduction.

Diving meaning

Diver transport.

Jingle meaning

A Christmassong.

Liberty meaning

Iconic symbol of American independence.

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Taco meaning

A Mexican-inspired fast food restaurant.

Bottoms meaning

Western-style flared pants.

Jar meaning

A Sylvia Plath novel.

Pepper meaning

A sweet pepper.

Tower meaning

A large building that contains bells.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for October 27, 2026 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: Joshing around

• Green: Anatomy of an ear

• Blue: Things and places with bells

• Purple: Things shaped like a bell

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Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Mess (With)

• Green: Parts of the Ear

• Blue: ___Bell

• Purple: Bell___

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 #1234 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Mess (With): FIDDLE, MEDDLE, TINKER, TRIFLE

• Parts of the Ear: ANVIL, CANAL, DRUM, STIRRUP

• ___Bell: DIVING, JINGLE, LIBERTY, TACO

• Bell___: BOTTOMS, JAR, PEPPER, TOWER

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

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

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

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

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

Today's NYT Strands hints will be easy if you have a bug problem.

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.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

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.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for October 27, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Who ya gonna call?

The words describe pests.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe rodents and bugs that you'd find in your home.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

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

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Exterminator.

NYT Strands word list for October 26

• Cockroaches

• Ants

• Rats

• Mice

• Ticks

• Termites

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

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

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

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

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're a like games of chance.

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.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for October 27, 2026 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 game of matching numbers.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter B.

The Wordle answer today is...

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

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

BINGO

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

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

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

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

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

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

While PowerToys is a fantastic open-source tool made by Microsoft, its Windows modding capabilities are fairly limited. When it comes to built-in Windows modding options, you can do stuff like bring back the Windows 10-style right-click menu (via Registry Editor), toggle transparency effects, use a limited selection of custom themes, finally move the taskbar again, and a few other things, which isn’t that bad considering they’re all available right from the get-go.

TL;DR: New users can get iScanner lifetime access for $24.97 (reg. $199.90) through Nov. 1.

Opens in a new window Credit: iScanner iScanner App: Lifetime Subscription (iPhone, iPad & Android) $24.97
$199.90 Save $174.93   Get Deal

A photo of a contract is a start. A clean scan you can edit, sign, and export is a lot more useful. The iScanner App Lifetime Subscription is on sale for just $24.97 (reg. $199.90) through Nov. 1, giving you scanning and document tools on iPhone, iPad, and Android devices.

Start with receipts, contracts, tax forms, handwritten notes, or assignments. Scan multiple pages, then export your files as PDF, JPG, DOC, XLS, PPT, or TXT. It’s a practical setup for working remotely, studying, or handling business documents away from your desk.

The cleanup features help turn a quick scan into a more usable file. Document borders are detected and adjusted automatically, while page straightening corrects curves and skews. Color correction and noise removal offer additional ways to refine the result. Text recognition supports more than 20 languages.

Once scanned, documents don’t have to stay untouched. Add text, mark up pages, fill forms with custom templates, or sign manually or with a signature image. You can also merge several documents or split a file into separate pages.

Organization matters just as much as capture. Folders and drag-and-drop controls help keep files manageable, while PIN locks restrict access to confidential scans. Page numbers, footers, and watermarks provide finishing touches when needed.

There are specialized modes beyond paperwork, too. Scan ID cards and passports, read QR codes, count similar objects, measure areas, or solve math problems.

The app is ad-free, keeping the workspace focused on the task. For anyone regularly turning physical documents into usable digital files, it brings several useful steps together.

Get lifetime iScanner access for $24.97 through Nov. 1. This offer is for new users only.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Get 1TB of Koofr cloud storage for one $159.99 payment (reg. $810) for a limited time, with code KOOFR.

Opens in a new window Credit: Koofr Koofr Cloud Storage: Lifetime Subscription (1TB) $159.99
$810 Save $650.01   Get Deal

While cloud storage is now a necessity, keeping track of another recurring payment is most certainly not. Koofr’s 1TB lifetime subscription is a one-time $159.99 (reg. $810) for a limited time, giving you ongoing storage access with one upfront purchase.

That 1TB provides room for documents, photos, videos, and other digital files. You can reach them from your smartphone, computer, or through WebDAV, so your storage isn’t tied to a device.

Koofr also connects to existing cloud accounts, including Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive. That’s practical when work documents live in one service and personal files live in another. Centralized access gives you a more convenient starting point without requiring you to remember where every file ended up.

Then there’s the organization side. Koofr Duplicate Finder helps identify unnecessary copies — the digital equivalent of discovering you’ve kept the same receipt three times. Advanced renaming options help bring consistency to file names, while link appearance customization gives you control over how shared links look.

For privacy, Koofr states that it does not track users. Files are encrypted both at rest and during transfer, adding protection while they’re stored and moving between locations.

The interface is designed to be straightforward, whether you’re new to cloud storage or already managing a substantial collection.

For someone who needs ongoing file space and regularly works across devices, that combination makes a clear case for buying once.

Get Koofr’s 1TB lifetime cloud storage subscription for $159.99, with no recurring storage fees with code KOOFR.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Many newer Kindle models allow you to link your Kindle and Goodreads accounts so that the reading progress on your Kindle shows up in Goodreads. This was never the case for my old Kindle 4, and if you jailbreak a newer Kindle and read using KOReader, you lose the benefits of this native integration. Thankfully, I was able to use a KOReader plugin to get my reading stats to sync with Goodreads.

Sick of web browsers tracking your every move and forcing intrusive, unnecessary AI features on you?

Apparently, you’re not alone. Some of your favorite internet personalities — and real-life memes from the late 2000s and early 2010s — are joining forces to promote Firefox, a browser that's pushing back against online tracking and unwanted AI features.

Mozilla, the non-profit organization behind the Firefox web browser, has just launched a new ad campaign to draw internet users away from AI-filled Google Chrome and back to Firefox's heyday in the late 2000s and early 2010s, when Firefox commanded up to 32 percent of the global browser market share.

To do that, Mozilla has brought together some of the biggest internet personalities of that era for a new ad campaign called "Come Back to Firefox."

"What happened to the internet?" asks the Numa Numa Guy in the opening of the new campaign video. "It used to be fun."

Overly Attached Girlfriend, Annoying Orange, Tay Zondaday of "Chocolate Rain" fame, and a slew of other internet memes appear in the ad longing for the internet days of old, before modern web browsers tracked your every move, sold user data for advertising purposes, and pushed AI features on its users.

Firefox offers an alternative to many other browsers that seem to be obsessed with AI and monitor users' online habits. Firefox includes a built-in free VPN to help keep users' browsing activity private, AI controls so users can decide just how much AI-related features they want accessible in their browser, and an ad blocker in the mobile version of the browser.

The full list of internet personality cameos includes:

• Numa Numa Guy

• Bad Luck Brian

• Overly Attached Girlfriend

• Where the Hell is Matt?

• Kelly's Shoes

• Annoying Orange

• Apparently Kid

• Tay Zonday 

• Chuck Testa

• Success Kid

The video isn't AI-generated. It actually features the real-life online personalities as they are today. For example, if you've been wondering what the Success Kid looks like all-grown up, you'll find out here.

“I kept going back to Firefox’s heyday, when the internet was really fun, weird, and interesting…That's the feeling we wanted to bring back with this campaign," Mozilla's Chief Marketing Officer John Solomon said in a statement provided to Mashable. 

"We wanted to remind people of what made the internet so wonderful in the first place," Solomon explained. "These are people who helped make it strange, creative, surprising, and fun. None of them were trying to go viral. They were normal, everyday people who were using the internet. That’s the way the internet should be and why we feel it’s a great moment for Firefox. Always independent and unlike big tech, not trying to extract more from everyday people.”

Firefox currently has an estimated 2.8 percent share of the global web browser market.

Netflix’s release slate ensures you never run out of something new to explore each week, and October's schedule is no exception. From foreign titles and originals to classic throwbacks, the streaming platform offers plenty, with some exciting movies landing this week.

SAVE $60: As of Oct. 26, the Soundcore by Anker Space One Pro wireless headphones are on sale for $139.99 on Amazon, down from their regular $199.99 list price. That cuts 30% off and saves you $60 on a pair that folds down to half its size.

Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Anker Soundcore Space One Pro $139.99 at Amazon
$199.99 Save $60   Get Deal at Amazon

You can score the Soundcore by Anker Space One Pro headphones on Amazon for $139.99, down from their typical $199.99 list price. In our review of the Space One and Space One Pro, we found both pairs look sleek — resembling a mashup of Beats and Bose — with intuitive physical buttons instead of finicky touch controls.

The biggest difference comes down to fit and sound isolation. The Space One Pro has a more snug, clamping fit on your head. That tighter seal creates better passive noise isolation, which, combined with Anker's adaptive active noise cancellation, helped block out distracting coffee shop chatter better than the base model during our testing.

SEE ALSO: Anker Black Friday deals are live: Save on earbuds, headphones, power banks, and more

For travelers and commuters, packability is another major win. Anker designed the headband to curl and fold down to half its size, making it much easier to toss into a backpack pocket or carry-on than bulky, rigid competitors.

Internally, the drivers deliver clear, punchy sound, and you can switch on high-res streaming or tweak the equalizer in the free companion app to get the exact bass and treble balance you prefer. It also includes dual-device Bluetooth pairing, so you can keep streaming music from your laptop while staying ready to take calls on your phone.

Battery life is built for long stretches away from an outlet. You get up to 40 hours of listening time with ANC on, and up to 60 hours with ANC off. Even if you forget to charge them before heading out the door, plugging in for a quick five-minute top-up gives you eight hours of juice.

Grab the foldable Soundcore Space One Pro on Amazon and save $60 today.

SAVE $50: As of Oct. 26, the Amazon Fire HD 8 tablet is on sale for $79.99 at Amazon. That's a 38% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire HD 8 $79.99 at Amazon
$129.99 Save $50.00   Get Deal at Amazon

Whether you're catching up on your favorite shows, reading a book in bed, or getting work done on your commute, a tablet can be a handy bit of kit to have around. If you've been wanting to add a tablet to your tech but don't feel the need to spend a small fortune, meet the Amazon Fire HD 8.

This is an affordable tablet for everyday use, and as of Oct. 26, it's dropped to $79.99 on Amazon.

The Fire HD 8 has an 8-inch HD display for watching movies, scrolling social media, and gaming. It also features a 5MP rear camera for taking photos, making it a useful everyday tablet.

It even has Alexa built in, so you can play music, check the weather, manage your shopping list, and control compatible smart home devices, including robot vacuums and light bulbs.

Amazon claims it can last up to 13 hours on a single charge, so it should be a pretty reliable device for use throughout the day without constantly reaching for the charger. There are also three smart tools to help with tasks such as polishing emails, summarizing webpages, and creating custom wallpapers.

This tablet deal is available at Amazon right now.

Apparently, getting better at something now requires adding "maxxing" to its name. There's sleepmaxxing, proteinmaxxing, looksmaxxing, and even cozymaxxing, because a night on the couch can apparently be optimized, too.

As of Oct 26, "maxxing" is Dictionary.com’s 2026 Word of the Year. The publisher describes it as:

“the practice of pursuing an activity to the fullest or optimizing a certain aspect of your life.”

The shorthand for "maximizing" can describe a serious self-improvement effort or a joke about doing very little. Its versatility has helped it spread across beauty, wellness, work, and everyday internet conversation.

Dictionary.com traces the term’s roots through "min-maxing," a gaming strategy that involves developing a character’s strengths until their weaknesses matter less. Online communities eventually gave "maxxing" another "x" and an expanding list of things to work on.

One of its most recognizable forms is "looksmaxxing," which focuses on improving physical appearance. But the template has spread into workplace conversations about "tokenmaxxing," or using as much AI as possible, and lifestyle trends like "frictionmaxxing," which implores you to "rethink your relationship to your device — and your humanity." Increasingly, Dictionary.com says, people also use "maxxing" as a word on its own.

The dictionary recognition has been building, too. In September, Merriam-Webster added "looksmaxxing" among 1,400 new words and definitions, alongside "vibe-coding" and "cuffing season."

The word's history also goes beyond jokes about optimizing your bedtime. Looksmaxxing grew out of incel forums and sits within the broader manosphere, a network of online communities often associated with misogyny and rigid ideas about masculinity. Mashable has explored the subculture through its looksmaxxing glossary and coverage of its racist beauty standards and dehumanizing language about women.

SEE ALSO: The Looksmaxxing Glossary: Every term you need to understand the internet's most unhinged subculture

One of looksmaxxing's most recognizable figures is Braden Peters, better known as Clavicular, who shares appearance-focused (and often misogynistic) advice with millions of followers. While looksmaxxing can involve everyday grooming and skincare, its more extreme forms include crash dieting and "bone smashing" — striking facial bones in the unfounded belief that doing so will create a more defined face. There's also "pheromone-maxxing," which involves skipping showers, avoiding deodorant, or wearing unwashed clothes in the hope that a stronger natural scent will attract potential partners.

The concerns extend beyond physical injury. New Zealand's Classification Office, for example, warns that some looksmaxxing content can encourage disordered eating, obsessive scrutiny of appearance, and feelings of hopelessness, while exposing viewers to misogynistic or extremist messaging. That history matters as the language becomes mainstream, even as people adopt "maxxing" for pursuits far removed from those communities.

What else made the shortlist?

Dictionary.com’s other finalists were "affordability" "data center," "odyssey," and "unc." Its explanations, respectively, pointed to the cost of living, debates over AI infrastructure, Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, and slang for someone considered older or out of touch.

Together, the choices offer a recognizable portrait of 2026: money worries, AI everywhere, a major movie event, and, yes, slang with roots in incel forums.

If that all sounds exhausting, there's always touching-grass-maxxing.

The Elon Musk-owned X has a new main character — or, this time, two entire countries.

While the platform is no stranger to users from different countries trading barbs with their neighbors (see: the FIFA World Cup), what's happening between France and Japan has gotten a little ugly. As protests in France continue over the rising cost of living and demands for better learning conditions in schools, X users in the country began to fight back against Japanese users who blamed the unrest on Black and Arab people.

At the end of the day, it's ugly internet beef. But to understand why it's these two countries in particular, here's some context.

France's "Act 3" protests

France is in the middle of a major protest movement. It started in mid-September at a high school in Créteil, southeast of Paris, where students and staff were frustrated by a shortage of teachers and resources. Since then, parents and union members have joined high school students, and some demonstrations have ended in clashes with police using tear gas. On Oct. 6 alone, about 56,000 people marched through Paris.

Frustration over rising living costs and struggling public services has fueled the unrest, too. Given that mass movements like these create unruly environments, there has also been rioting and looting in the streets of Paris.

Because the protests are about the state of education in France, the turnout skews toward students — and Gen Z loves anime. As Bloomberg reports, a Sony Group study of anime watchers across 10 countries found that "79 [percent] of anime fans between the ages of 13 and 17" had watched more anime than the year prior, with 68 percent of Gen Z respondents saying the same. At Oct. 17 demonstrations in Paris, Lyon, and Montpellier, students carried the Straw Hat Pirates' flag from One Piece, along with references to Naruto, Dragon Ball, and Jujutsu Kaisen. One slogan going around declared, "The world will be saved by Otakus."

The Straw Hat Jolly Roger is not an uncommon sight at protests these days. In the show itself, the main character, Monkey D. Luffy, and his pirate crew spend much of their adventures fighting corrupt governments and freeing oppressed peoples. The flag, as a symbol of rebellion, has appeared at demonstrations in Indonesia and Nepal.

Ironically, though, some Japanese users on X did not like this. On Oct. 19, the X account Anime Spotlight shared a roundup of Japanese users who were angry that the flag had become associated with violent unrest. It’s unclear how widely that view is shared.

Some Japanese X users then blamed France's unrest on Black and Arab immigrants, often with slurs and images of monkeys or the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Those posts echoed anti-immigration talking points that circulate among right-wing influencers and politicians in Europe and the U.S., even though the protests are about underfunded schools.

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French users hit back, and they weren’t any gentler. Their posts, translated from French, have gone viral — primarily going after Japanese men, playing on stereotypes about brutal work culture, loneliness, and the sexualization of young girls in some anime and manga.

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

While the beef started with Japanese users attacking Black people, plenty of the French jokes are racist, too.

Why France and Japan?

What makes the feud strange is that these two countries usually get along famously. Japan has long held a romantic view of France, and France has been one of manga's biggest markets in Europe. Their leaders have even gotten in on the anime fandom: In April, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and French President Emmanuel Macron struck the Dragon Ball Kamehameha pose together at a joint news conference.

In fact, Japan has its own fantasy version of France, so well known that there’s a name for the shock some tourists feel when the real city doesn't match it, called Paris syndrome.

The fantasy of what Paris and France are is part of the reason this feud kicked off. Many Japanese fans love an idealized "Western" version of Paris, not one with tear gas in the streets. Plenty of Westerners hold an equally idealized picture of Japan, largely shaped by anime, in which the country is viewed as polite, safe, quirky, and seemingly problem-free.

The lens through which many in the Western world view Japan is now being shattered, as the feud sheds light on some very real issues in the country.

It's been an open topic for a while now that foreigners can face less-than-stellar treatment in Japan. Nationalist party Sanseito won 14 seats on a "Japanese First" platform. In February, Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party won a landslide while taking a tougher line on immigration. A Stanford survey found that opposition to bringing in foreign workers rose to about 53 percent in February, roughly 17 percentage points higher than in 2022.

Takaichi became Japan’s first female prime minister last October and is a staunch conservative. Before taking office, she regularly visited Yasukuni Shrine. The shrine honors Japan’s war dead, including 14 convicted World War II war criminals. Takaichi also considers the late nationalist Prime Minister Shinzo Abe a mentor. Japan’s neighbors, especially China and South Korea, see the shrine as a symbol of the country’s wartime aggression.

Another well-documented part of Japanese culture that's being poked at is its work culture. The problem of overwork is serious enough that the government is required by law to report on it to parliament every year, and its 2025 white paper was the 10th such report. The first report, published in 2016, found that 22.7 percent of surveyed companies had employees logging more than 80 hours of overtime a month, the official threshold at which the risk of death from overwork becomes serious.

Relatedly, there is great concern over mental health. Japan recorded 19,097 suicides in 2025, the first time the yearly total fell below 20,000 since records began in 1978. That brought the suicide rate down to 15.4 per 100,000 people. Men accounted for 13,117 of those deaths, compared with 5,980 women. The picture is more complicated than overwork alone, though. Health problems were the most commonly cited factor, followed by economic struggles and family issues. And while overall numbers fell, suicides among children hit a record high in 2025 for the second year in a row, reaching 532.

The bigger picture

As stated, online beef between citizens of two countries is not new. This particular moment in digital culture is a bit different, as it targets the West's mythical image of Japan, shaped by anime, games, and the Japanese government’s own "Cool Japan" soft-power push.

Japan may be propped up as safe, polite, and a bit quirky, but its image, like every country's, has blind spots too. The same Western audiences that idealize Japan can overlook its immigration fights, its overwork crisis, its abusive justice system, or the way its wartime history is still contested at home and across Asia.

Race plays a part in which stories stick, too. Asian American immigrants, particularly from East Asian countries, are often held up in the West as model minorities, a "flattering" stereotype often used to justify continued oppression of Black American and Asian communities.

None of that excuses the racism flying both ways. Many of the posts from French users attacking the Japanese are no better than the posts they’re answering, and stereotypes about either country don’t add up to a fair critique of it. But the feud illustrates why a country’s pop culture exports rarely tell its whole story.

That’s true of Japan seen through anime, and of Paris seen through postcards.

When dealing with data corruption, you're much more likely to blame your SSD than anything else. And even if it's not your SSD, it'll be your OS or maybe even the CPU.

A website usually lives in a browser, where I navigate between pages, open images, and download files individually. On Linux, HTTPDirFS offers another way to access web content by mounting an HTTP server as a filesystem through FUSE. You can then browse the exposed resources through a file manager, much as you would browse files stored on your computer.

New TVs cost hundreds or thousands of dollars, but you'll often struggle to hear dialogue because of the tiny speakers. That's why it's worth spending a bit more on a 5.1 home theater soundbar system, like the LG S6FTR, which will bring a cinematic experience to your living room.

Los Angeles turned on approximately 20 cameras at dangerous intersections around the city on Monday (Oct. 26), intended to catch speeding drivers and, hopefully, save lives.

For the next 60 days, drivers exceeding the speed limit by at least 11 miles per hour will receive written warnings by mail. Following that, tickets will be issued to offenders, with fines ranging from $50 to $500, depending on the driver's speed. By the end of the year, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) plans to activate 125 cameras across the city.

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LA is currently trying to get a handle on vehicular violence, with car crashes in the city claiming about 300 lives annually, a toll that exceeds the annual number of homicides in the city of 4 million, according to the Los Angeles Times. The city has placed cameras near high-injury/high-death intersections, near schools, and at spots known for street racing.

LA is years behind other large cities like New York, Oakland, and San Francisco, which have already installed speed cameras. In the latter city, the cameras brought about a dramatic 80 percent drop in speeding.

LADOT expects its cameras to reduce fatal crashes at their locations by 53 to 71 percent. Malibu, a nearby city in Los Angeles County, recently launched a speed camera pilot program on 21 miles of the Pacific Coast Highway. Over the course of nine days last month, the cameras recorded approximately 100,000 speeding violations.

Google Keep is where I dump everything I need to remember. Grocery items, article ideas, errands, and random thoughts all end up in different notes. Finding anything later is a whole other problem.

Apple has a fresh new iOS update for everyone to check out.

Monday marked the official launch of iOS 27.2, which is now available as a software update on all compatible iPhones. To install it, simply open the Settings app, tap General, and then tap Software Update. No need to fiddle with beta software this time — this is the real deal.

As for what's new, iOS 27.2 isn't the most monumental update in the world, but there's plenty to mess around with. For starters, Siri AI is now available in several new languages: French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish. It's also been updated for English-language users so it will now be able to recall past conversations you've had with Apple's chatbot. Additionally, the Messages app will offer context-sensitive suggestions to take quick actions in Calendar or Reminders based on what's being said in the text conversation.

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Dual Capture now works on FaceTime group calls, meaning you can have both your front and rear cameras active at the same time while talking to more than one other person. For new iPhone Duo owners, iOS 27.2 also adds Apple Pencil support. Meanwhile, the Edge Light feature uses the iPhone Duo's display to light up your face during video calls in low light.

There are plenty of other small changes to check out, too, such as individual profiles in the Apple TV app and a reimagined Up Next view in the Podcasts app. Multiview will also let sports fans watch up to four events simultaneously, though the feature appears to be limited to sporting events on Apple TV.

In total, iOS 27.2 might not be the most seismic update in the world, but there's still a good amount to play with.