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Connections: Sports Edition is a new 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. 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.

Tweet may have been deleted

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: Newbie

• Green: Ways to keep a player from reaching base

• Blue: Basketball stars in Beantown

• Purple: Schools whose location shares a theme

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Inexperienced

• Green: Types of outs in baseball

• Blue: Boston Celtics stars

• Purple: Colleges in state capitals

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 #152 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today

• Inexperienced - FRESH, GREEN, RAW, WISCONSIN

• Types of outs in baseball - FLY, FORCE, STRIKE, TAG

• Boston Celtics stars - BROWN, HOLIDAY, TATUM, WHITE

• Colleges in state capitals - NAVY, TEXAS, VANDERBILT, WISCONSIN

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? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

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

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

If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.

Strands 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 February 22 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for February 22 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Here we (don't) go again

These words are stuck in bumper-to-bumper.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

The words are ways to describe a driving situation you don't want to be in for too long.

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 Traffic Jam.

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for February 22

• Congestion

• Gridlock

• Blockage

• Overcrowding

• Traffic Jam

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.

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.

Tweet may have been deleted

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.

Tweet may have been deleted

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's The Mini crossword answers for February 22 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: Historically successful sports franchises

• Green: Hair styling techniques

• Blue: Common crafting materials

• Purple: "Golden" phrases

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Member of a Team with the Most Championships

• Green: Create Some Volume/Texture in Hair

• Blue: Supplies for Macaroni Art

• Purple: Words After "Golden"

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 #621 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Member of a Team with the Most Championships: CANADIEN, CELTIC, PACKER, YANKEE

• Create Some Volume/Texture in Hair: CRIMP, CURL, FEATHER, TEASE

• Supplies for Macaroni Art: GLITTER, GLUE, MACARONI, PAPER

• Words After "Golden": DOODLE, GOOSE, PARACHUTE, ROD

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.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for February 22

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.

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

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 today: Hints and answers for February 22 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.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for February 22, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A dairy product or skincare product.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no reoccurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter C.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. 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...

CREAM.

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.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for February 22

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.

NVIDIA has now released its RTX 5000 range of graphics cards, and while it hasn't been smooth sailing, they are still probably the best GPUs money can buy. If you want to look at AMD's new offerings before making a decision, you'll be able to do so next week.

I was an adult with kids of my own before I camped outside for the first time. But when the time came, thanks to a tent with a transparent mesh top, I learned quite a bit as I lay there looking up at the night sky.

Microsoft has released a new update for Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.3291 for users in the Dev and Beta Channels. This update includes a number of improvements, particularly for the Snipping Tool.

Microsoft is rolling out some helpful improvements for the search in File Explorer and Start Menu in Windows 11. The changes are coming first to Insider Preview Build 26120.3291 for both the Dev and Beta Channels.

If you've ever wiped your browsing history clean, thinking it was gone for good, think again. Deleting your local history reduces your digital footprint, but doesn't eliminate it entirely.

It's always annoying when your hardware fails, but it's even more annoying when your extremely scarce hardware fails. This is exactly what's happening to some NVIDIA RTX 5090 buyers, sadly.

Computer mice should smell nice. That's the basic idea behind ASUS' newly-announced Fragrance Mouse MD101—yes, a mouse that radiates aromatic essential oils. You can't stop progress, I guess.

Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, architecture studio Balbek Bureau has been creating a series of social initiatives under the flagship RE:Ukraine.Their different installments focus on the building of a temporary housing system, the creation of a social support and rehabilitation centre, and a series of cultural heritage preservation projects. One of them is RE:Ukraine Villages – an initiative that uses a digital constructor to preserve Ukraine's rural architecture. To gather data about the specifics of each region, volunteers have been travelling around, and using online tools such a Google Maps, to research this unique material culture. As there was no prior written knowledge on village houses in Ukraine, their destruction by shelling could mean that they are lost forever.

To fill the gaps in academic interest on the subject, RE:Ukraine Villages are bringing their findings to higher education. They have partnered with Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture (KNUCA), giving students the opportunity to design 3D models of rural houses (khatas) and settlements.

All photographs featured in this video, unless credited otherwise, are curtesy of old khata project – a documentary project about Ukrainian rural architecture.

The RTX 5090 is a fantastic graphics card—so long as you're ready to rely on DLSS 4's multi-frame generation to make games playable. For nearly $2,000, the RTX 5090 should be way more powerful than it is, and DLSS 4 is the limiting factor.

Your work laptop should be for professional use, not personal storage. Keeping your sensitive data and unauthorized applications on it can jeopardize security, compromise your privacy, and even put your job at risk. Here are a few things you should never keep on your work laptop.

Your iPhone already does a ton of stuff, but have you had it suggest you recipes? It's something you probably didn't think you needed until now, but if you want to let your phone take over and decide what you should eat, this new feature on Apple News+ might be what you're looking for.

TL;DR: Skip the monthly fees for your favorite productivity apps and get lifetime access to Microsoft Office 2019 for just A$62.

Opens in a new window Credit: InterPlein Microsoft Office Home & Business 2019 for Mac or Windows A$62.00 at the Mashable Shop
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For a limited time, Mashable readers can get lifetime device licenses for this Microsoft Office 2019 software suite. What apps are included in this Microsoft Office package?

You’ll get access to all the core tools, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, Publisher, and OneNote — everything needed for productivity, whether at work or home. Licenses for Windows and Mac devices are available.

Can the apps be used without an internet connection?

Yes, once installed, you can use the apps offline without worrying about connectivity. This is especially useful for anyone working in places with limited internet access.

What’s the advantage of a lifetime license?

A one-time purchase gives you permanent access to all the tools without monthly fees. The license covers a single Mac or Windows device, and your access lasts as long as your device does.

It's a cost-effective solution for those who prefer owning their software outright.

Who would benefit most from this 2019 license?

It’s great for students, remote workers, and home users who need reliable, offline access to essential Office apps without the hassle of recurring payments.

How many devices can I install Office on?

This package allows you to install Microsoft Office on one device and is compatible with Windows 10 and Windows 11 systems. The Mac version is compatible with MacOS13 and newer devices.

Ready to own your Office tools for life? For A$62, you can skip the subscriptions and enjoy a lifetime of productivity with Microsoft Office 2019.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Perplexity also has a Deep Research tool now, and it's powered by a version of DeepSeek R1.

According to the announcement, the AI search engine's new tool does "in-depth research and analysis on your behalf," by crawling the web and compiles a comprehensive report of its findings. If Deep Research sounds familiar, that's because Google and OpenAI both have their own versions of the research tool for Gemini and ChatGPT respectively — yes, they're both also called Deep Research. XAI's new Grok 3 took some creative liberties and called its research tool Deepsearch.

But while Google, OpenAI and xAI's research tools rely on their own proprietary models, Perplexity uses a customized version of the open-source DeepSeek R1. Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas confirmed this in a follow-up to a Feb. 3 post on X saying, "can easily enable something like Deep Research at 10-100x lower pricing, using a custom version of R1." About a week later Srinivas indicated that this is what Perplexity did by reposting replying, "done" with a checkmark emoji.

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Perplexity is offering Deep Research free of charge for its users — with limitations. Non-paying Perplexity users get free access to "limited number of answers per day," and paying subscribers get unlimited access as part of the $20 a month Pro plan. This is different from Google Gemini, ChatGPT, and Grok 3 which only offer their research tools to paying users.

While Perplexity based its Deep Research off of DeepSeek's R1 model, because R1 is open-source, it means that programmers can tweak and customize it for their own purposes. Last week, Perplexity introduced its own open-source version of R1, called R1 1776, "that has been post-trained to provide uncensored, unbiased, and factual information." This is a direct response to claims that the original R1 censors responses criticizing the Chinese government.

Tweet may have been deleted

But Perplexity Deep Research is not without flaws. Decoder discovered that the tool inaccurately attributed the term "stochastic parrots" to AI researcher Gary Marcus, when in fact it was coined by Emily M. Bender in a research paper. Users have also noted that Perplexity Deep Research gives outdated and inaccurate data, which is a problem since the company has touted it as tool for investment and market analysis. Srinivas said in an X post that they're addressing the issues, adding "for finance specifically, data accuracy is a must and high stakes."

But it just goes to show that hallucination for all LLMs is a persistent problem that might not ever go away, so use with caution.

Younger readers may not remember this, but Google Maps wasn't always the default way to look up how to get places.

Way back in the day, people would use paper maps, but there was an interim period for a while where a lot of people used a website called MapQuest. Well, MapQuest is not only still around, but we've actually got a reason to use it in 2025. Sort of. If you go to a special Gulf of Mexico-themed part of MapQuest, you can type in anything you want, and it'll generate a map that renames the Gulf of Mexico after whatever you typed in. For example:

SEE ALSO: Google Maps is adding weather incident reporting I had to, sorry. Credit: Screenshot: MapQuest

There's not really a lot more to say about this. You can name it whatever you want, which is also official U.S. government policy these days. All of this was brought on by the fact that some people have apparently decided the Gulf of Mexico is called something else now, and Google Maps actually complied and changed the name in that app. Apple did the same thing, too.

Have fun, folks.

Meta's top executives may see huge bonuses in the coming years, despite the company's forceful trimming of its workforce amid what CEO Mark Zuckerberg expects to be a more challenging year for the company.

According to a recent Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing, Meta is proposing a new target bonus percentage that could see certain corporate executives receiving a bonus of 200 percent of their base salary. The number is more than double the 75 percent figure under the company's previous plan. Zuckerberg, for what its worth, isn't included in the new bonus structure.

SEE ALSO: Smooth, silent, strange: What it's really like to hail a robotaxi

Meta recently recently reduced its employee stock options by 10 percent, Business Insider reported, as its market value has gone up.

On Feb. 10, Meta released an internal memo to its workforce announcing the company would begin notifying "low-performing" employees that they were being laid off, part of a sweeping 5 percent cut to teams across the U.S., Europe, and Asia that would see up to 4,000 Meta workers lose their jobs. A previously leaked memo from Zuckerberg explained the cuts were an efficiency effort ahead of what would be an "intense year" for the tech giant. Meanwhile, the company has increased the number of employees working on generative AI.

Shortly after the layoffs, affected employees took to business social networking platform LinkedIn to share their experiences at Meta and push back against the corporation's "low-performing" characterization, harnessing the platform's #OpenToWork tag in their own defense. Last year, amid even larger workforce cuts, Meta employees took to platforms like TikTok to fight the company's "efficiency" moves.

Do you have a computer or smartphone that's easy to repair? Or, when your laptop or phone needs service, will you be forced to buy a whole new device?

A new report from the U.S. PIRG Education Fund takes a look at just how repairable laptops and smartphones are from some of the biggest computer companies in the world and graded them with a repairability score.

One notable stat from the report is that while most smartphones have become easier to repair compared to last year's report, laptops have moved in the opposite direction. HP laptops, for example, are harder to repair than they were in previous years.

Asus tops the laptop repairability list

Only one computer company received a grade in the A's for laptop repairability and that's Asus with an A- score. 

Acer was close behind with a B+, followed by Dell, Microsoft, and Samsung, with each receiving a grade of B-. HP received a C, followed by Apple with a C-.

SEE ALSO: Take $300 off the Asus ProArt PZ13 laptop at Best Buy and unleash your creativity

While this is an improvement for Apple when compared to previous reports, the company still falls into last place when it comes to laptop repairability.

Lenovo received a failing grade of F. However, the U.S. PIRG Education Fund noted that it failed Lenovo because it was only able to test one device due to the fact that the company did not provide the "full French repairability index for 12 of the 13 models available in both the U.S. and France."

France requires companies to make repairability scores and information available to the general public. A survey found that 86 percent of French consumers utilize the repair score when making purchasing decisions. The report could not properly grade Lenovo without this information. For what its worth, Lenovo received a C grade in the 2024 repairability report

A tie on the smartphone repairability list

When it comes to the smartphone repairability rankings, Apple and Google are both tied at the top of the field with a B- grade.

Motorola comes in with a C+. Samsung is in last with a C-.

Right to Repair

On the smartphone end of things, it appears that the Right to Repair movement has had an effect. Longtime iPhone users might recall just how difficult it used to be to repair Apple's smartphone device. 

Right to Repair is a legal right for consumers to be able to modify and repair products that they purchase and requires tech companies to provide access to service information and affordable replacement parts.

However, while the Right to Repair has been successful in changing how smartphone manufacturers operate, it appears the movement needs to shift focus towards laptops where repairability appears to be lagging if not outright regressing.