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Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier for people who like baseball.

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. 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: Baseball's first GOAT

• Green: Winter sports stars

• Blue: Movies

• Purple: Midwest rivalries

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Babe Ruth Nicknames

• Green: Famous Winter Olympians

• Blue: Kevin Costner Sports Films

• Purple: Big Ten Rivalry Trophies

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 #736 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Babe Ruth Nicknames: BABE, BAMBINO, COLOSSUS OF CLOUT, SULTAN OF SWAT

• Famous Winter Olympians: ALYSA LIU, APOLO OHNO, MARIT BJØRGEN, PICABO STREET

• Kevin Costner Sports Films: BULL DURHAM, DRAFT DAY, FIELD OF DREAMS, TIN CUP

• Big Ten Rivalry Trophies: FLOYD OF ROSEDALE, OLD OAKEN BUCKET, PAUL BUNYAN'S AXE, VICTORY BELL

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.

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

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

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

How to play Pips

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for September 29, 2026

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.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for September 29, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for September 29 Pips

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

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

Less than (4): Everything in this space must be less than 4. The answer is 0-5, placed vertically.

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

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

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

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

Medium difficulty hints, answers for September 29 Pips

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

Less than (7): Everything in this space must be less than 7. The answer is 4-5, placed horizontally; 0-5, placed vertically.

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

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

Less than (12): Everything in this space must be less than 12. The answer is 0-5, placed vertically; 3-3, placed vertically.

Greater Than (8): Everything in this space must be greater than 8. The answer is 6-6, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for September 29 Pips

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

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

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

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

Greater Than (5): Everything in this space must be greater than 5. The answer is 6-3, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (1): Everything in this space must be greater than 1. The answer is 6-3, placed horizontally.

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

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

Less than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 4-1, placed vertically.

Number (7): Everything in this red space must add up to 7. The answer is 1-6, placed horizontally.

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

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

Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 1-1, placed vertically; 4-2, placed horizontally; 5-2, placed vertically.

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

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

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

Today's NYT Strands hints will be easy if you know anatomy.

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 September 29, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Have a heart

The words are related to matters of the heart.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe matters related to an actual human heart.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

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NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Cardiovascular.

NYT Strands word list for September 29

• Pulse

• Cardiovascular

• Vein

• Artery

• Atrium

• Blood

• Pressure

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.

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 September 29, 2026 Delta meaning

A letter of the Greek alphabet.

Hidden meaning

Something not clearly visible

Inside meaning

Something not outside

Model tank meaning

A recreation of the military vehicle.

Monsters meaning

Creatures, frequently scary.

Finding meaning

The process of discovering.

Secret meaning

A fact unknown to others, perhaps by design.

Toy meaning

Something that is used for play.

Freeze tag meaning

A child's game.

Oral phase meaning

A term linked to Freudian psychoanalysis.

Mouth meaning

A body part that, for a person, includes lips, teeth, and a tongue. It can also mean where a river ends.

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.

Remote meaning

Isolated.

Stream bed meaning

The bottom of a waterway.

Tucked away meaning

Stashed.

Home game meaning

When a sports team competes at their stadium or arena.

Drainage basin meaning

Where water runs down and eventually collects.

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 animated films.

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.

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.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for September 29, 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: Not in a crowded space

• Green: Geographical

• Blue: Related to titles

• Purple: Words within words

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

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Secluded

• Green: River features

• Blue: First words of Pixar films

• Purple: Phrases hiding Greek letters

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 #1206 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Secluded: HIDDEN, REMOTE, SECRET, TUCKED AWAY

• River features: DELTA, DRAINAGE BASIN, MOUTH, STREAM BED

• First words of Pixar films: FINDING, INSIDE, MONSTERS, TOY

• Phrases hiding Greek letters: FREEZE TAG, HOME GAME, MODEL TANK, ORAL PHASE

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 Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you like to swim.

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 September 29, 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:

Underwater swimming.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

No, there are no recurring letters.

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

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter 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...

SCUBA

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.

The retro aesthetic audio brand Nothing released its first pair of over-ear headphones just over a year ago, and already, they're back with improvements.

The brand announced its latest flagship product, the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro, on Sept. 28. This will be the second over-ear headphones release from Nothing this year, following March's budget-friendly Nothing Headphone (a), which I found to be a more well-rounded and better value pair of headphones than the initial launch.

The Headphone (1) Pro, though, show some serious potential. Though I've only spent a few days with the headphones so far, I have some initial thoughts, alongside everything else to know about Nothing's newest release.

Nothing Headphone (1) Pro: Price and specs

The Nothing Headphone (1) Pro cost $399, putting them $100 over the asking price of the Headphone (1) upon launch. The specs are as follows:

• Drivers: Bass dynamic driver, precision dynamic driver, and xMEMS driver

• Active noise cancellation: Adaptive, powered by 10 microphones

• Battery life: 30 hours with ANC on, 68 hours with ANC off

• Quick charge: Two hours of listening from a five-minute charge

• Spatial audio: Yes, five modes of dynamic spatial audio (standard, Studio B by Metropolis Studios, live house, club, concert hall)

• IP rating: IP52

• Multipoint: Yes

• Connection: Bluetooth 6.1, Google Fast Pair, Microsoft Swift Pair

• Colors: Black and white

Nothing Headphone (1) Pro vs. Nothing Headphone (1)

While the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro retain the same distinctive retro-rectangular look of the Headphone (1), the brand brought some updates that separate the newer model as the premium one. For instance, the transparent part of the ear cup is made of shatter- and scratch-resistant glass, while a combination of titanium and aluminum provides for a lighter overall product.

Last year's Nothing Headphone (1) are similar in appearances, but the brand made key changes for the update model. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable

Nothing also claims to have upped the noise cancellation power by 40 percent, thanks to the 10-microphone system with more optimally placed mics. Unlike the older headphones, all the microphones are placed inward on the ear cup, meaning less interference from wind and airflow.

SEE ALSO: The 10 best noise-cancelling headphones we use, love, and recommend

The headline with these headphones, however, likely lies with the broad listening experience. The triple driver architecture isn't one too common on headphones, but it's designed to provide the most robust listening experience. In the companion app, you have the option in the equalizer to tune the main drivers or the precision driver specifically.

In addition to the drivers, Nothing included five different modes of dynamic spatial audio, optimized for different genres of music.

If you're into audio editing, music mixing, or any aspect of audio production, Nothing also included a Flat EQ mode, which is designed to provide the most faithful reproduction of the original audio as possible. The headphones also feature an on-ear switch for this mode on the interior of the left ear cup.

Speaking of on-ear switches, it's worth noting that something that hasn't really changed between the two headphones is the excellent on-ear controls.

Nothing Headphone (1) Pro: First impressions The improved comfort on this design is a huge plus. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable

Though I haven't had much time with these headphones so far, immediately I could tell they were more comfortable than the Headphone (1), which I could not wear comfortably for more than an hour. Nothing claims the Pro headphones have 50 percent softer ear cushions and an overall lighter frame, both of which feel accurate and make the experience of using these headphones significantly more pleasant.

I've yet to put them through the wringer on the ANC front, but claims of improvements there also feel accurate so far — even the standard sounds of my apartment, like my own typing and the AC running, are basically impossible to hear when I'm streaming audio with the ANC on.

What I'm really looking forward to testing extensively is the robust sound profile. These headphones offer an impressive amount of customization, from the custom equalizer, presets, spatial audio options, and flat EQ mode. As a freelance podcast producer and editor, I'm particularly interested in trying out that last mode against my usual editing headphones.

Ultimately, I'm struggling to come up with critiques in my first days of testing, which I didn't experience with the Headphone (1) — we'll see how that develops over the rest of my testing period.

Nothing Headphone (1) Pro: Where to buy

The Nothing Headphone (1) will be available to purchase for $399 at Nothing's website, Amazon, and Best Buy on Sept. 29. We'll update this post as links go live.

You probably won't find many people who chose a Pixel phone for privacy reasons. Reputation aside, Pixel phones actually do have some great privacy features. However, you have to take the good with the bad.

Fall is the perfect time for DIY projects. It's not too hot, but not too cold, and as long as you have the right tool for the job, you'll be able to power through those hard tasks easier than ever. Whether you're new to the Ryobi ecosystem or have been buying for years, here are some of the best tools you'll need to level up your DIY game.

If you took last week's Paramount+ movie recommendations for a spin, you might be interested to know that Tuner and The Get Out are still holding at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, on Paramount+ for U.S. subscribers. But, sitting in the top spot during this last week of September is a ridiculously hilarious gang of idiots who've made a long career out of doing really, really dumb stuff. Jackass: Best and Last is their swan song, and it's my top pick this week.

TL;DR: Join Costco as a new Gold Star Member for $65 per year and enroll in auto-renewal to receive a $20 Digital Costco Shop Card by email.

Opens in a new window Credit: Costco Costco 1-Year Gold Star Membership + $20 Digital Costco Shop Card $65
  Get Deal

If you’ve been thinking about joining Costco, a promotion with StackSocial adds a little extra to your first year. Sign up for a one-year Costco Gold Star Membership ($65), enroll in auto-renewal, and receive a $20 Digital Costco Shop Card to put toward your first warehouse run.

A Gold Star Membership gets you into more than 500 Costco warehouses across the U.S., where you can stock up on bulk groceries, household basics, and Kirkland Signature products. Members can also fill up at the Costco Gas Station and have tires installed at the Costco Tire Center while they shop. If you want to stretch your grocery and gas budget further, that access may help reduce regular household costs. Each membership also includes one Household Card for an individual age 18 or older living at your address.

Here’s how to sign up:

1. Buy the one-year Costco Gold Star Membership voucher from StackSocial.

2. Follow the instructions in your confirmation email to activate your membership online. Use a valid email address and enroll in auto-renewal.

3. Pick up your membership card at your local Costco warehouse, and bring a valid photo identification.

Your Digital Costco Shop Card should arrive by email within two weeks of successful sign-up and auto-renewal enrollment. Use it at the warehouse on groceries and household items you already planned to buy. Just note that the Costco Food Court doesn’t accept it.

Join Costco as a new Gold Star Member for $65 and receive a $20 Digital Costco Shop Card for a limited time.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

If you want to catch every Avengers: Doomsday teaser in Avengers: Endgame Encore, be warned. Not every theater is showing all four extra scenes.

SEE ALSO: 'Avengers: Endgame Encore' sets up 'Doomsday' with 4 new scenes. Here's what happens.

Instead, only IMAX screenings of Avengers: Endgame Encore are showing all of the extra scenes, along with Infinity Vision theaters. Infinity Vision is not a new film format, but rather a certification program created by Disney to tell audiences which Premium Large Format theaters have met their criteria for an "exceptional" moviegoing experience.

Audiences were disappointed by the fact that IMAX and Infinity Vision screenings of Avengers: Endgame Encore got exclusive content, especially since the missing scene amounts to a good chunk of the extra four minutes tacked on to Avengers: Endgame. In an Aug. 25 press release, Disney did make note of the difference between screenings, writing, "An additional sneak peek at [Avengers: Doomsday] will also be available to audiences who see Avengers: Endgame Encore on IMAX and Infinity Vision-certified screens."

What happens in the exclusive Avengers: Endgame Encore scene?

The exclusive Avengers: Endgame Encore scene takes place in the headquarters of the Time Variance Authority (TVA), first introduced in Season 1 of Loki. There, the TVA's Mobius (Owen Wilson), Ouroboros (Ke Huy Quan), and Casey (Eugene Cordero) observe a troubling incursion. Two alternate Earths are about to collide, and they're firing missiles at one another.

From there, the number of incursions multiples. It's not long before thousands of universes are colliding, and the TVA is out of its depth.

"The multiverse is collapsing," Ouroboros says.

It's a foreboding set up for Avengers: Doomsday, one that could explain how the main MCU crosses over with the Fantastic Four's universe and the universe containing Fox's X-Men.

Avengers: Endgame Encore is now in theaters. Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters Dec. 18.

I've spent the past few weeks using the Asustor Lockerstor 2 Gen2+ NAS, and it is definitely a different experience than I'm used to. Focusing more on security and enterprise-grade features, this NAS is a great fit for small/medium businesses or enthusiasts, but it might not be the right choice for someone just starting out with homelabbing or self-hosting.

After two years, it appears we're getting a new Kindle. The news comes from leaked photos posted by Roland Quandt on WinFuture, showcasing 25 new photos of a new Kindle. In the photos, there appears to be a redesigned 12th generation of Kindle, an update to its 2024 predecessor.

From the photos, it appears the new Kindle e-reader will come in three different shades: black, light blue, and purple. It also appears that the device received an overall redesign. The most exciting change is something I'd hoped would come to a new batch of Kindles — a redesigned power button.

Here's your first look at the 12th Gen #Amazon #Kindle (s?). New colors, new design, Power button is now on the side. I know there are visual differences in the pics re the display and it's rounded corners. So this might be more than one new device. Official pics: winfuture.de/news,161586....

[image or embed]

— Roland Quandt (@rquandt.bsky.social) September 28, 2026 at 8:24 AM

In the leaked photos, the power button appears to be on the right side of the device, moved from its former position at the bottom. In my review of the 11th generation Kindle, one of my biggest complaints was its power button design, so a change is greatly appreciated. The 12th generation of Kindle also seems to have a more recessed screen that's flush to the edge, now more closely resembling the Kindle Paperwhite.

In addition to the 12th generation Kindle, we also appear to be getting a new Kindle Kids. While it looks like a standard Kindle, it includes a case and an extended warranty.

All the information we have about the new Kindles is inferred from the leaked photos, as there's been no other information provided with them. We're still waiting to learn more about the device's size, front light, storage space, and waterproof rating, or if any other Kindle devices are getting an update. At this time, we also have no details on the timeline and release of this device.

We suspect the new Kindle will cost $149.99, the recently raised price of the 11th generation of Kindle, but are waiting for Amazon to confirm.

Shop current Kindle models Amazon Kindle $149.99 at Amazon Shop Now Kindle Paperwhite $199.99 at Amazon Shop Now Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition $199.99 at Amazon Shop Now Kindle Colorsoft $289.99 at Amazon Shop Now Kindle Scribe $549.99 at Amazon Shop Now

Excel tables don't exactly sound exciting. You select some data, press Ctrl+T, and Excel gives you a nicely formatted block with distinct headers and banded rows. Very professional; very Excel. If that's all you think tables are for, I wouldn't blame you. I've been using Excel for decades, and even I sometimes take tables for granted. But the real benefit is what happens next.

TL;DR: Encrypt and privately share Windows files with an EncryptPro Personal Plan lifetime subscription for $39.99 (reg. $139).

Opens in a new window Credit: EncyptPro EncryptPro Personal Plan for Windows: Lifetime Subscription $39.99
$139 Save $99.01   Get Deal

Most file encryption tools make you build a locked vault, then wait while large files are decrypted before you can open them. EncryptPro encrypts files right on your PC and shares them through private PGP connections, and a lifetime subscription is on sale for $39.99 (reg. $139).

EncryptPro works fast and reliably to keep your files private. In testing on a standard machine, EncryptPro encrypted a 10.6GB file in just 35 seconds. Streaming decryption opens large files in seconds, so a 10GB video starts playing right away instead of waiting for the whole file to unlock. Every file and folder gets AES-256 encryption, and the app overwrites each original with zeros and then random data across multiple passes, so no readable copy gets left behind in the Recycle Bin.

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Unlike other security software, you don’t need to open a separate window to use EncryptPro. Right-click any file or folder in Windows Explorer to lock or unlock it. Then just double-click an encrypted file to open it in its usual app. Encrypted folders are still browsable, and custom icons show each file’s group and lock state even when EncryptPro isn’t running.

EncryptPro uses a zero-knowledge setup, so the company can’t access your files, and you can verify that yourself with tools like Wireshark and Glasswire. Nothing gets uploaded or synced to a cloud server. Your encrypted files work from USB drives and external drives, and you can open them offline on any PC.

The Personal Plan adds PGP file sharing with no passwords to email, 5 password-protected Security Groups, and up to 10 one-to-one connections with 2 members each. Upgrade Lock rotates a connection’s keys whenever you want, cutting off anyone who doesn’t get the new password. One master password opens any group, so a forgotten group password won’t lock you out.

Your license works on three devices at once running 64-bit Windows 10 or 11, and future updates are included.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

On July 24, 2025, Microsoft Research Asia – Singapore (MSRA – Singapore) opened its doors as Microsoft’s first research lab in Southeast Asia. The launch built on more than two decades of collaboration between Microsoft Research Asia and Singapore’s universities, research institutes, and government agencies. It marked a shift to a closer, more integrated relationship aimed at supporting Singapore’s innovation ecosystem and advancing the development and beneficial use of AI.

“When we established Microsoft Research Asia — Singapore one year ago, our vision was not simply to open another research lab. It was to build a bridge connecting Microsoft’s frontier AI research with Singapore’s world-class universities, forward-thinking government agencies, and dynamic industry ecosystem. One year in, what gives me the greatest confidence is not just the research we have produced, but the depth of partnership we have built. That is the foundation on which lasting impact is built.”

— Dr. Lidong Zhou, corporate vice president at Microsoft and managing director of Microsoft Research Asia

Established in 1998, MSRA has a presence in Beijing, Shanghai, Vancouver, and Tokyo, along with Singapore. The Singapore lab strengthens the collaboration with local partners and extends the scientific and societal impact of Microsoft’s global research community. 

Over the past year, the Singapore lab has grown its team, deepened partnerships, and explored how frontier AI research can create real-world value. Guided by its mission to advance frontier AI for humanity, its work spans four pillars: next-generation AI models and agentic systems, domain-specific AI for real-world impact, AI-native research practices, and ecosystem and talent development.

From frontier research to real-world impact – and back

Research has its greatest impact when it moves beyond the laboratory into practice: in health and medicine, enterprises, and the daily operations of organizations solving real problems. MSRA – Singapore aims to do just that through a two-way exchange: partners bring domain expertise, real-world data, and operational challenges, while the lab contributes frontier research and engineering capabilities. Together, they translate fundamental advances into practical solutions, while surfacing new questions that feed back into research in a kind of research-to-impact flywheel. Advances in AI foundations enable more capable models and agentic systems that can reason, plan, use tools, and collaborate with people. These capabilities create new opportunities for AI-native innovation. In turn, real-world applications reveal limitations and generate new questions, feeding insights back into foundational research and sustaining a continuous cycle of discovery, application, and learning.

Healthcare offers an early example of the lab’s research-to-impact model. Research on multimodal healthcare AI and self-evolving diagnostic agents is deployed and extended through partnerships across Singapore’s healthcare ecosystem. The lab is collaborating on multimodal and agentic AI approaches to support clinical decision-making, unlock insights from complex medical data, and advance research in disease diagnosis, risk assessment, and personalized care, with the longer-term goal of enabling meaningful real-world use.

Beyond healthcare, the lab is working with organizations across financial services, education, and technology to explore how frontier AI can address sector-specific needs and operational challenges.

“Over the past year, the lab has become an integral part of both Microsoft’s local ecosystem and Singapore’s broader innovation community. Its progress demonstrates the value of establishing a sustained research presence in Singapore.”

— Wee Luen Chia, managing director, Microsoft Singapore

Singapore has made AI a national priority through its National AI Strategy 2.0 (opens in new tab), which focuses on deploying industry-transforming AI, advancing frontier research in AI foundations, and developing responsible, socially beneficial applications. These priorities span areas including healthcare, education, finance, and Smart Nation (opens in new tab) services. MSRA – Singapore’s research portfolio aligns with these priorities, with a particular focus on building AI systems that are reliable and trustworthy across Southeast Asian contexts. 

The Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) has been a foundational partner. It supported the lab’s establishment and continues to support joint PhD training through the Industrial Postgraduate Programme (IPP). The relationship has since grown into strategic collaboration. In February 2026, EDB co-hosted an Executive Roundtable on AI in Logistics and Transportation, bringing together more than ten regional industry leaders to explore sectoral challenges.

“Singapore is building deep research capabilities to push the boundaries of AI and other frontier technologies. Microsoft Research Asia – Singapore is an important partner in this effort. Since its launch in 2025, the lab has brought Microsoft’s global research expertise closer to our ecosystem, partnering academia, industry, and government to advance frontier AI research and translate it into real-world applications in areas such as healthcare. MSRA is also developing the next generation of AI research talent who can create meaningful impact for our economy and society.”

— Low Jin Yong, senior vice president and co-head, Digital Industry Singapore

Government engagement extends beyond EDB. In July 2025, IMDA (opens in new tab) co-hosted Microsoft Research Asia Singapore Day (opens in new tab) — Advancing Industrial AI, a full-day event spanning healthcare AI, interactive world simulators, AI agents, and societal AI. MSRA – Singapore has also engaged with the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Health. 

From enduring partnerships to shared discovery

In addition to its deep ties with government agencies, MSRA has built strong connections with Singapore’s academic community, supporting more than 75 research projects with Singapore institutions since 2004. The opening of the Singapore lab has brought new engagements, with nine new projects in its first year with National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU) across healthcare AI, robotics, AI systems, and multi-agent systems. 

A landmark example is the five-year Framework Research Agreement (opens in new tab) with NUS, announced in 2025, which provides a platform for joint AI research, talent development, and academic exchange. It defines shared research priorities in healthcare, societal AI, spatial intelligence, and data-intensive computing alongside an annual NUS–MSRA Academic Symposium that brings researchers from both organizations together to shape the collaboration agenda. 

“This partnership creates new opportunities for frontier research, talent development, and knowledge exchange, strengthening connections across academia, industry, and the broader innovation ecosystem.”

— Professor Liu Bin, deputy president (Research and Technology), National University of Singapore

The collaboration is already producing concrete research across several frontier areas. NUS Assistant Professor Mike Shou and MSRA’s Xinxing Xu are developing unified multimodal AI for healthcare. NUS assistant professor Yang You and MSRA distinguished scientist Furu Wei are studying systems foundations for diffusion-based language models. NUS assistant professor Jialin Li is working with MSRA on rigorous distributed agreement in multi-agent systems and verifiable machine learning systems.

“Whether during my visit to the Systems Research Group in Beijing or through our ongoing collaborations, I have been impressed by how deeply MSRA researchers engage with difficult problems and how openly they exchange ideas. For young faculty and students, it is a rare environment to explore ambitious ideas.“

— Jialin Li, Sung Kah Kay Assistant Professor, School of Computing, National University of Singapore, MSRA StarTrack Scholar

The NUS–Microsoft Research Asia AI Summer School has reached more than 300 students since its launch in 2025, attracting participants from Singapore, Southeast Asia, and beyond. Through three days of lectures, hands-on workshops, and small-group discussions, the program creates a forum for researchers and students to engage with emerging AI questions and scholars shaping the field. The 2025 program featured a keynote by Doug Burger, technical fellow and corporate vice president of Microsoft, on the AI revolution. Ahead of the 2026 Summer School, Lidong Zhou delivered a lecture on system intelligence, helping frame the conversations that followed. 

“I have seen the NUS–MSRA partnership grow through sustained collaboration in AI research and talent development. What makes this partnership especially meaningful is the opportunity to bring together researchers and students from both communities to learn from one another, pursue new ideas, and create lasting impact together.”

— Tulika Mitra, dean, NUS School of Computing

Beyond NUS, Microsoft Research Asia — Singapore has built connections across Singapore’s research community, including with NTU, Singapore Management University (SMU) (opens in new tab), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), and other institutions. Research arising from these partnerships has already been published at leading venues, including the International Conference on Learning Representations (opens in new tab) (ICLR) and the Conference on Language Modeling (opens in new tab) (COLM). 

From early exposure to research leadership: Cultivating Singapore’s next generation of AI talent

For Microsoft Research Asia, talent development is not a standalone program but a long-term investment in Singapore’s research and innovation capacity, supporting a comprehensive talent pipeline spanning internships, joint PhD supervision, visiting scholar programs, and fellowship initiatives. Through these opportunities, students and early-career researchers gain access to world-class mentorship, a curiosity-driven culture, frontier research challenges, and a global network connecting academia, industry, and real-world applications.

What makes this model distinctive is its continuity. Students may engage with Microsoft Research Asia through workshops or summer schools, gain hands-on experience through its flagship research initiative, Microsoft Research Asia Stars of Tomorrow Internship Program, or pursue doctoral research through joint PhD programs. Some participants later return as faculty collaborators, mentors, or research leaders. Together, these programs form a connected pathway that supports researchers at successive stages of development. 

The IPP represents a sustained form of collaboration, enabling PhD students to conduct long-term research under joint mentorship from academia and industry. Qiming Huang, the first IPP student at MSRA — Singapore, is co-supervised by NUS professor Mike Shou and MSRA researcher Xinxing Xu. Through the program, Huang worked closely with researchers from both institutions, gaining exposure to academic rigor and industry-driven research. At CVPR 2026 (opens in new tab), one of the world’s leading conferences in AI and computer vision, Qiming Huang’s paper on RobotSeg – a foundation model for robot segmentation in image and video – was selected for an oral presentation.  

“Working alongside researchers from both Microsoft Research Asia and NUS changed how I approach AI research. Beyond technical guidance, I learned to frame ambitious questions, collaborate across disciplines, and think about the real-world impact of research

— Qiming Huang, IPP student from National University of Singapore

NTU assistant professor Jianfei Yang, embodies the continuous collaborative opportunities enabled by Microsoft Research Asia. As a student, Yang’s team won the Beauty of Programming competition, an experience that inspired him to pursue a PhD and begin an academic career. Over the years, he watched many of his classmates and close friends grow into outstanding researchers through MSRA programs. Today, he collaborates with MSRA researchers in robotics and jointly supervises students through the IPP, creating for the next generation the same opportunities that inspired his own journey.

“Although I never interned at Microsoft Research Asia myself, it always felt close. Having the opportunity to work alongside a research lab that inspired so many researchers of my generation, and now to co-mentor students together, is both meaningful and rewarding.”

— Jianfei Yang, assistant professor, director of Multimodal embodied AI and Robotic Systems (MARS) Lab, Nanyang Technological University

NTU associate professor Ziwei Liu, himself a former MSRA intern, recently saw one of his students become the only Asia-based recipient of the Microsoft Research global Fellowship award for 2025–2026. 

“As a former intern, I have seen how an environment that brings together world-class researchers, open scientific exchange, and ambitious young talent can shape the next generation of researchers. It is especially meaningful to see my own students now benefit from these opportunities.”

— Ziwei Liu, associate professor, College of Computing and Data Science, Nanyang Technological University

The Stars of Tomorrow Internship Program has engaged more than 90 students from Singapore-based institutions over the years. For many students, these internships serve as a gateway to frontier research and help bridge the gap between academic study and real-world innovation.

For exceptional doctoral students, the Microsoft Research Asia Fellowship provides another pathway for growth, recognition, mentorship, and access to Microsoft’s global research community. Since the program began, 13 students from Singapore-based universities have received the fellowship, many of whom have gone on to become professors, industry research leaders, and technology entrepreneurs around the world.

The next phase: Scaling what works

As Microsoft Research Asia — Singapore enters its second year, the focus is shifting from building foundations to scaling the strongest models of collaboration and demonstrating their impact more broadly.

One year ago, the lab opened with a mission to advance frontier AI in close partnership with the ecosystem around it. That mission is already taking shape through joint research, talent development, and the first partnerships connecting lab work to real-world challenges.

The year ahead is about scaling what works. By deepening these connections, Microsoft Research Asia — Singapore can bring more frontier research into practice and create meaningful value for Singapore, the wider region, industry, and society. 

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The post One year in: How Microsoft Research Asia – Singapore is advancing research, partnership and talent for real-world impact appeared first on Microsoft Research.

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