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Microsoft is constantly updating Windows 11. During the first three months of 2026 we received three quality updates. Some introduced brand-new features to the world's most popular operating system, while others finally rolled out certain 2025 features to all Windows 11 users. Below are five new Windows 11 features that arrived this year that I believe matter the most.

Following a recent update, a small warning has appeared in Bambu Studio, the slicer software that Bambu Lab forces on you if you want to use all the features of your printer. But, like most nagging tactics from companies that would rather you never venture beyond their ecosystem, there’s nothing to worry about.

For a long time, my relationship with PDF tools followed a predictable arc. I would try something bloated, uninstall it within a week, and go back to stitching together command line utilities like a person who clearly had too much patience and not enough time. Then I found Stirling-PDF, and for once, the story seemed to end differently.

Every time I look back at big moments in Android’s history, 2014 pops up again and again. Wear OS was born, Material Design arrived, HTC’s iconic One M8 hit shelves, and people were clamoring to buy a $300 phone from a company they’d never heard of. This is the story of the OnePlus One.

SAVE $1,300.01: As of April 23, the Jackery HomePower 3000 is on sale for $1,698.99 at Amazon. That's a 43% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Jackery Jackery HomePower 3000 $1,698.99 at Amazon
$2,999 Save $1,300.01   Get Deal

If you’re looking for whole-home backup, the Jackery HomePower 3000 is back on sale at Amazon. This portable power station can power pretty much anything, from your fridge to your laptop.

As of April 23, the unit with solar panels is reduced by over $1,000, bringing the price down to $1,698.99 from $2,999.

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This Jackery device has a 3,600W output (7,200W surge) and 3,072Wh capacity, so it can keep essential household devices running during outages, often for many hours or even days. For seamless connection, it features a fast-switching UPS system that can take over within 20ms to help prevent interruptions to important equipment like security systems or medical devices.

It includes a range of ports such as AC, USB-C, USB-A, and DC, plus an RV-ready output, so it can be used on the road, not just at home. It also supports multiple charging methods, including fast AC and hybrid charging, as well as solar, car, and generator options. And because it's built with LiFePO4 battery technology, you know it'll last for years.

This is a limited-time deal at Amazon, so don't miss out.

TL;DR: TCGplayer has unopened presale listings for the Magic: The Gathering Secrets of Strixhaven Play Booster Box starting at $141.69 with shipping included.

Opens in a new window Credit: Magic: The Gathering Magic: The Gathering Secrets of Strixhaven Play Booster Box (30 Packs) $141.69 at TCGplayer
Pre-order Here

MTG is returning to Strixhaven, Magic’s fan-loved mage school. If you haven’t secured your box of 30 boosters yet, TCGplayer is the best to do it right now.

As of April 23, unopened presale listings for the Magic: The Gathering Secrets of Strixhaven Play Booster Box start at $141.69 with shipping included on TCGplayer, ahead of the expansion's April 24 release date. That's just under the dedicated trading card marketplace's own $142.15 market price.

Walmart is at a slightly higher price at $142.45. Over at Amazon, the lowest available seller listing is $143.99.

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In each of those 30 boosters, you’ll get 14 Magic cards, with each packing one to five rares or better, and — just like the original Strixhaven release — a Mystical Archive card featuring a classic instant or sorcery from Magic's history.

Going back to the trading card game’s magic mage school via Secrets of Strixhaven makes for a great night of drafting with friends, building decks, or just opening packs for the fun of seeing what Arcavios has in store this time around.

For more MTG boxes at a solid price, you can also grab the 30-pack Magic: The Gathering Final Fantasy Play Booster Box on sale for around $180. For those curious about the Avatar set, you can score MTG’s Avatar: The Last Airbender Beginner Box for as low as $18.99. 

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: How to play Pips, the newest NYT game

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Thursday, April 23, 2026:

AcrossReason to edit a text message

• The answer is Typo.

___ Wiseman, commander on NASA's Artemis II mission

• The answer is Reid.

Artificial hair extension

• The answer is Weave.

Batman or Superman

• The answer is Hero.

Manager's helper: Abbr.

• The answer is Asst.

DownThings that families and forests both have

• The answer is Trees.

1,000 make up a millennium

• The answer is Years.

Quickly change the topic

• The answer is Pivot.

Laudatory poem

• The answer is Ode.

"Huh ...?"

• The answer is Wha.

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

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

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

TL;DR: A wide range of AI courses are available to take for free on Udemy.

It's difficult to keep up with the world of AI. There's always something new right now, which can leave you feeling like you're drowning.

Trying to keep your head above water? Udemy is throwing you a lift raft in the shape of online courses on AI. You can find lessons on chatbots, AI agents, and machine learning. And better yet, a number of the best online AI courses are totally free to take on Udemy.

We've checked out everything on offer and lined up a selection of standout courses on AI:

• A Gentle Introduction to Generative AI

• AI Art Generation Guide: Create AI Images For Free

• AI Engineer: The Complete 2026 Skills and Roadmap To AI

• AI for Beginners: Learn The Basics of ChatGPT

• AI for Business and Personal Productivity: A Practical Guide

• AI for Dummies: Work Less, Earn More

• AI for Students: Boost Learning & Research with Gen AI

• AI Fundamentals: From Basics to Generative AI

• AI in Agriculture: Practical Introductory Course

• Artificial Intelligence for Healthcare

• Become an AI-Powered Engineer: Cursor, the AI-First IDE

• Build AI Agents with n8n: Free Hands-On Training

• Building Bridges: Intro to Ocean AI and AI Literacy

• ChatGPT 5 and AI Agents in 60 Minutes

• ChatGPT Prompt Engineering

• ChatGPT, Midjourney, Firefly, Bard, DALL-E, AI Crash Course

• How Smart People Use AI to Think, Lead, and Grow

• Introduction to Artificial Intelligence

• Master Generative AI: GPT, LLMs, Agents, and Use Cases

• Master Generative AI for Developer Productivity With Pieces

• Training AI with Human Data, Explained for Annotators

• Weavy AI Beginner Course: Creative AI Workflow

• Worldbuilding AI Futures

There's always a catch, and in this case it's that these free online courses don't include certificates of completion or direct instructor messaging. You do still get unrestricted access to all the video content and you can learn at a pace that suits you, so it's not all bad.

Find the best free AI courses on Udemy.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you're into astronomy.

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.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for April 23, 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: The edge

• Green: Make-believe

• Blue: Solar system

• Purple: Rock groups

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Border

• Green: Kinds of fiction

• Blue: Words in a planetary mnemonic

• Purple: Starting with four-letter '80s bands

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 #1047 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Border: FLANK, NEIGHBOR, SKIRT, TOUCH

• Kinds of fiction: HISTORICAL, LITERARY, PULP, SCIENCE

• Words in a planetary mnemonic: EDUCATED, MOTHER, MY, VERY

• Starting with four-letter '80s bands: ASIAGO, DEVOTE, TOTORO, WHAMMY

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 April 23, 2026

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

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

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

FREE BOOKS: The latest Stuff Your Kindle Day takes place on April 23. The Cozy Mystery Book Blast, hosted by Cozy Mystery Book Club, isoffering cozy mystery books for free.

This has been such a huge month for Stuff Your Kindle Day. We've already been blessed by a number of free giveaways, and we're not done yet.

The Cozy Mystery Book Blast, hosted by Cozy Mystery Book Club, is offering participants the chance to download 150+ ebooks without spending anything. Everything that you download is yours to keep forever, so take this as your sign up to stock up ahead of the summer reading season.

SEE ALSO: I tested the best Kindles to help you find the perfect e-reader

Looking to make the most of the latest Stuff Your Kindle Day? We've lined up everything you need to know about this popular event.

When is Stuff Your Kindle Day?

The Cozy Mystery Book Blast takes place on April 23. This free giveaway only lasts 24 hours, so you will need to act fast to download everything you want to read. Clear your schedule, make a list of priorities, and add to your TBR list with this limited-time promotion.

Which ebooks are free?

The Cozy Mystery Book Blast has a helpful hub page with everything on offer organized by sub-genre:

• Contemporary Cozies

• Historical Cozies

• Paranormal Cozies

You can find these free ebooks from the Kindle Store and other popular retailers. There really is something for everyone in this latest book blast.

Is Stuff Your Kindle Day the same as Amazon Kindle Unlimited?

Everything you download on Stuff Your Kindle Day is yours to keep, and there's no limit on the number of books you can download. Stuff Your Kindle Day downloads don't count towards the 20 books that Amazon Kindle Unlimited subscribers can borrow at the same time, so don't hold back.

The best Stuff Your Kindle Day deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Kindle (16GB) + Kindle Unlimited (3 Months) $109.99 at Amazon
  Shop Now Why we like it

These popular e-readers let you take your entire library on the go. With weeks of battery life and an anti-glare display, you can read anywhere and anytime with the Kindle. Plus, you can get three months of Kindle Unlimited for free with your purchase for a limited time.

SAVE $70: As of April 23, the DJI Mic 3 is on sale for $259 at Amazon. That's a 21% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: DJI DJI Mic 3 $259 at Amazon
$329 Save $70   Get Deal

If you make content, you'll know the equipment you use can be the difference between something professional and something totally amateur. If you've been thinking about upgrading your tech for content creation, there's a great deal at Amazon right now on the DJI Mic 3.

As of April 23, this deal has dropped the price from $329 to $259. That's a saving of $70. In this bundle you'll get two transmitters, one receiver, and a charging case.

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If you shoot content while out and about, the lightweight design of the DJI Mic 3 makes it an ideal choice. But it's great for at home use too. In fact, the system supports multi-channel recording, allowing you to connect multiple transmitters and receivers. It's useful for podcasts or group setups.

It features adaptive gain control to help keep audio balanced in different environments, as well as three voice tones and two noise reduction levels to suit different recording conditions. Recording in a crowded place? Not a problem, the dual-band anti-interference technology helps to keep the audio clear, while built-in 32-bit float recording provides a backup to capture detail.

You can find this DJI deal online at Amazon now.

SAVE OVER $100: As of April 23, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic has dropped to $369.99 at Amazon. This is $130 off its list price of $499.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic (2025) $369.99 at Amazon
$499.99 Save $130   Get Deal

When it comes to buying a smartwatch, there are a couple of things to consider: Of course, you want plenty of features to help you with your day-to-day tracking, whether that be health-related or for fitness, but it's also nice when you can find something that looks stylish on your wrist. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic covers those bases, and it's on sale right now at Amazon.

As of April 23, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is on sale for $369.99 at Amazon. Overall, this is a $130 discount from its original list price of $499.99. It's marked as a limited time deal at the retailer. This means it may not be discounted to this price for long, so now is the time to scoop it up for less.

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If you've been hoping to find a smartwatch that evokes the style of a more classic timepiece, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic captures that design, making it a sleek pick for all-day wear. It's packed with plenty of features to keep up with you. These include an activity tracker, an Advanced Sleep Coaching feature, a Running Coach feature, vascular load tracking, and an Energy Score feature that shows how ready you are to tackle the day based on yesterday's sleep, activity, and heart rate.

It's a deal that may not last for long, so be quick to save on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic at Amazon. If you're looking for even more smartwatch deals, the Garmin Venu 3S is also discounted at Amazon.

How to watch the 2026 NFL Draft live at a glance: watch for free Tubi always free with an account Get Deal Watch for free Hulu with ads free 30-day trial (save $11.99) Get Deal Best standalone ESPN deal ESPN Select annual subscription $129.99/year (save $25.89/year) Get Deal

The future of the NFL gets its start this week in Pittsburgh as the 2026 NFL Draft kicks off. The Las Vegas Raiders will have the privilege of first pick, which is all but certain to be the national champion quarterback from Indiana, Mr. Fernando Mendoza. After that, it's anyone's guess what will unfold.

This year's draft is switching up the timing in the first round in an effort to get the ball rolling a bit faster. Now, instead of 10 minutes in between picks, teams will only have eight minutes. Timing for the subsequent rounds will remain the same. All 32 teams will take turns selecting new players to build their rosters for next season and beyond. If you want to watch it all happen live, we've got you covered with all the essential details. Here's what you need to know to watch the NFL Draft live.

When is the 2026 NFL Draft?

The 2026 NFL Draft will take place Thursday, April 23, through Saturday, April 25. Round one kicks off Thursday at 8:00 p.m. ET. Rounds two and three will be Friday, starting at 7 p.m. ET, and the final rounds, four through seven, will kick off at noon ET on Saturday.

Where is the NFL Draft this year?

The 2026 draft will take place at the Steelers' Acrisure Stadium at Point State Park in Pittsburgh, Pa. This is the first time the draft will be held in Pittsburgh since 1948.

Where can you watch the 2026 NFL Draft?

Live coverage of the 2026 NFL Draft will air on ABC and ESPN for the eighth straight year. It will also air live on NFL Network. If you have a digital antenna, your local ABC station will carry all the action. For those without cable access, you have a few different streaming options. It's ironic, given how complicated it is to actually watch NFL games, but I digress.

The ESPN app will simulcast live coverage of the draft, so an ESPN Select or ESPN Unlimited subscription will unlock access. Plus, for the first time, ESPN's coverage will also stream live and on demand on Disney+ and Hulu for subscribers.

Trying to tune in on the go? Live audio coverage of the 2026 NFL Draft will also be on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Westwood One Sports Radio, and ESPN Radio.

ESPN draft coverage will stream live and on deman on Disney+ and Hulu. Credit: Disney Can I watch the 2026 NFL Draft for free?

Surprisingly, yes, you can watch the entirety of the 2026 NFL Draft for free. As I said before, isn't it ironic?

Tubi, the always-free streaming service of our dreams, will also provide live coverage and expert analysis of every round of the draft through the NFL Channel. You can also utilize free trials of live TV streaming services like YouTube TV, Fubo, or Hulu to watch for free. Just don't forget to cancel before your trial ends, or you'll be charged full price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Tubi Watch the 2026 NFL Draft for free on Tubi   Learn More Streaming deals to watch the NFL Draft

If you want access to not only the 2026 NFL Draft live coverage but also ESPN’s new studio show, NFL Draft Daily, you'll need either an ESPN, Disney+, or Hulu subscription. The only one of these three streamers to offer a free trial is Hulu (get 30 days for free). Fortunately, though, they all do offer a variety of discounts. We've rounded up the best streaming deals below for ESPN, Hulu, and Disney+.

Opens in a new window Credit: Hulu Watch the 2026 NFL Draft for free on Hulu free 30-day trial, then $11.99/month Get Deal ESPN deals

• ESPN Select annual subscription — $129.99/year $155.88/year (save $25.89/year)

• ESPN Unlimited annual subscription — $299.99/year $359.88/year (save $59.89/year)

• ESPN Unlimited and Fox One bundle — $39.99/month $49.98/month (save $9.99/month)

• ESPN Unlimited and NFL+ Premium bundle — $39.99/month $44.98/month (save $4.99/month)

Hulu deals

• Hulu (with ads) annual subscription — $119.99/year $143.88/year (save $23.89/year)

• Hulu Student (with ads) — $1.99/month $11.99/month (save $10 per month)

• Hulu (with ads) — free for T-Mobile customers on Go5G Next and Experience Beyond plans $11.99/month (save $11.99/month)

Disney+ deals

• Disney+ Premium annual subscription — $189.99/year $227.88/year (save $37.89)

Bundle deals

• Hulu and Disney+ (with ads)— $12.99/month $23.98/month (save $10.99/month)

• Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Select (with ads) — $10/month with select Verizon plans $19.99/month (save $9.99/month)

• Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Select (with ads) — $19.99/month $36.97/month (save $16.98/month)

• Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Unlimited bundle — $35.99/month $53.97/month (save $17.98/month)

On April 12, I attended the PWHL game at TD Garden in Boston between the Boston Fleet and the Montreal Victoire. The Heated Rivalry effect was inescapable. It was an opportunity for hockey fans to turn out their favorite merch — someone in my row excitedly ran toward the crowd cameras to show off her 'I'm coming to the cottage' T-shirt. Heated Rivalry actor Ksenia Daniela Kharlamova was in the crowd, and the cheers that ensued when she appeared on the screen made you think one of the teams had scored a goal. And when the Heated Rivalry look-a-like contest winners shared a kiss on the jumbotron while t.A.T.u's "All the Things She Said" played, it caused the 17,000-person crowd to collectively lose their minds.

Since HBO Max's Heated Rivalry premiered in November 2025, actors Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, as well as their characters Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, have become household names. But so has Rachel Reid. The author of Heated Rivalry and the Game Changer series, of which it's a part, has always had a loyal fan base, but now that the show is a global hit, it reaches far beyond the scope of the show and books.

BookCon 2026 marked the first big event for Reid since the Heated Rivalry adaptation, and fans came ready to celebrate and meet their favorite author. I sat down with Reid to chat about fandom and maintaining a sense of normalcy amidst the phenomenon.

Rachel Reid kicked off BookCon 2026 with "Heated Rivalry" show creator, Jacob Tierney. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Samantha Mangino: What's it like meeting fans at BookCon?

Rachel Reid: It's been great. For the last few years, more and more people have been wanting to meet me at these kinds of events. Even before the show [HBO Max's Heated Rivalry], it was already pretty surreal and overwhelming, but in a really good way. Now with the show, it's really exploded. I mean, I'm doing a photo line. That kind of thing makes you feel like you're in a Marvel movie.

SM: You said during your panel yesterday that authors aren't supposed to be seen like this, so I imagine it feels unbelievable to have all the eyes on you.

RR: Getting recognized all over New York, too, is a pretty wild feeling as an author. I've been getting like drive-by, "I love you, Rachels," and people on the street recognizing me. As an author, that's very odd. I think even the biggest authors on earth don't get recognized that often. We're just not seen that often.

SM: I think it really speaks to the show's popularity.

RR: Yeah, with all the promo the show has gotten, and everybody who made the show has been fantastic about including me in that, and that's been the difference maker.

SM: How do you feel life has changed since the show came out?

RR: I have to be a little more aware that things I say might become headlines. I can't just make flippant jokes. Things I share tend to get shared, so maybe I don't post as often. I'm also aware that people could be photographing or video recording me at any time. So I'm a little more careful there, although not as careful as I should be. I'm still getting used to that.

Obviously, my career has leveled up many, many levels very quickly. I feel like I've skipped steps somewhere. I had a list of goals that I checked off all at once. So now it's about thinking ahead and rethinking my goals.

SM: Have you been online, kind of watching the fandom explode?

RR: Not that much. I try to stay out of fan spaces generally, and I did that before the show, too, but certainly since the show, and my new book was announced. I've stayed away from like Reddit. I'm not on Threads, I haven't been on Twitter in years. I haven't been on Goodreads in years. I just use Instagram. I think it creates a nice barrier. I do have friends, so if I see hints of things happening on Threads, I'll be like, "Can you explain this to me?" I'm not gonna look myself.

SM: Are there any other boundaries you've created online?

RR: Definitely, I don't want anybody giving me ideas for the book. That's a big one. Obviously, I don't read fan fiction because that would not be a good idea.

I try to make myself a little less accessible than I used to be, and sometimes I feel bad about it, but it's just necessary. I do have kids, and I'm trying to maintain our privacy as much as possible. It helps that I live in Nova Scotia, Canada, which is not a big or fancy place. So when I'm home, my life doesn't feel that different. When I travel for things like this [BookCon], I get to face it.

SM: What's it been like gaining so many new fans since the show aired?

RR: It's been wild to see how Ilya and Shane have become household names. My characters went from having a small but loyal fan base, which was lovely too, but now everybody I've ever known knows these characters and has opinions about them. It feels like I found a genie and wished for the world to be obsessed with everything I wrote.

Everyone is so into these characters, and I think it speaks to how amazing a job Jacob [Tierney] and everyone involved did making the show.

It's a beautiful show, and I'm not surprised that people like it as much as they do, but I certainly didn't think it would find such a wide audience. There's something about the timing of it, and I think what people are craving too, that just made it all click.

People have told me it has changed their relationships with coworkers, neighbors, and even some relatives, because they didn't think they could be open about who they are with these people. Still, then, because they're such big fans of the show, they thought maybe it would be OK if I told them a little more about myself. Places feel a little safer than they did before.

Stephen Colbert's The Late Show is nearly over, and everything must go.

That's the key message of the video above, in which Jon Stewart joins the host to announce some items that you can now actually bid on from the show — from the mini red carpet (plus Stewart's Daily Show wig) to the actual Late Show sign — with proceeds going to World Central Kitchen.

"Buy this and, like me, you could have The Late Show hanging over your head for the rest of your life," says Colbert.

Even if you're not interested in the auction itself, the video is worth watching purely for the numerous spit-takes.

Want more of the best of late night? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter.

Tech companies and open-source teams are facing a deluge of AI-discovered software vulnerabilities. Now we're starting to get a sense of how big a deluge it is.

The Zero Day Initiative, the largest vendor-agnostic bug bounty program in the world, has already seen a 490 percent increase in submissions this month compared to April last year, according to data provided to Mashable. And the month isn't even over yet.

"Organizations that receive bug reports are struggling to keep up with the triage and response process,” Dustin Childs, Head of Threat Awareness at the Zero Day Initiative, told Mashable. “A couple of programs, most notably the Internet Bug Bounty program, completely shutter[ed] their doors rather than try to keep up.”

On March 27, the Internet Bug Bounty Program announced it was closing submissions entirely because of the bug submission crisis — which it said was changing the entire "landscape" of bug discovery. 

“AI-assisted research is expanding vulnerability discovery across the ecosystem, increasing both coverage and speed,” HackerOne, the group that administered the program, said in a statement. “Accordingly, we are pausing submissions while we consider the structure and incentives needed to further these goals.”

So as AI tools improve, they’re also finding much more severe vulnerabilities that require patching. And thanks to Anthropic, the deluge could be just beginning. 

Bug submissions received by the Zero Day Initiative. Credit: Zero Day Initiative / TrendMicro The Claude effect

Anthropic recently heralded the arrival of Claude Mythos, claiming it was too dangerous for public release. Claude Mythos “demonstrated a striking leap in cyber capabilities,” the company said, and was capable of autonomously discovering and exploiting so-called "zero-day vulnerabilities" (the most urgent kind of bug, likely to be exploited by hackers) in every major operating system. 

Anthropic released Claude Mythos to a closed group of organizations, claiming it wanted to give tech leaders a chance to "secure the world's most critical software."The company said it found too many bugs to report them all at once.

Critics have dismissed this as security theater and a publicity stunt; Anthropic pledged to disclose all the vulnerabilities Claude found after they’re patched.

Tucked inside its April 7 blog post about Claude Mythos, Anthropic included quite the flex. The company wrote that “fewer than 1% of the potential vulnerabilities we’ve discovered so far have been fully patched by their maintainers.”

That’s because when Anthropic finds new zero-day bugs, it triages them and discloses only the highest-severity bugs first. The company says it does this to avoid flooding other organizations with “an unmanageable amount of new work.” 

What’s more, Anthropic estimates this is just “a small fraction” of the bugs it will find in the months ahead. To cope with the volume, Anthropic says it had to hire security contractors just to help with the disclosure process.

The volume and severity of bugs are increasing

Pre-Claude Mythos, cybersecurity researchers warned that AI tools had led to a surge in bug reports, but that the reports were typically very low quality. But the severity of bug reports is once again increasing, not that that helps developers.

“Not every submission ends up being a real bug, but we still have to triage it as if it is,” Childs said.

Daniel Stenberg, a Swedish open-source coding expert and lead developer of cURL, paused the cURL bug bounty program in January because of AI. Stenberg recently said that cURL had received more bug reports in 2025 than in the previous two years combined, and that number is set to double again in 2026.

“The main goal with shutting down the bounty is to remove the incentive for people to submit crap and non-well-researched reports to us. AI-generated or not. The current torrent of submissions put a high load on the curl security team and this is an attempt to reduce the noise,” he wrote on his blog.

However, he told Mashable that the latest deluge of security reports does, in fact, represent genuine security concerns, a stark reversal from last year’s trend. Stenberg wrote this month that he had heard from more than 20 open-source projects “who all confirm this trend: a larger volume of decently highly-quality security reports.” 

He confirmed in the latest update on his blog that both the volume of new bug reports and the severity of those bugs are increasing in 2026. “The rate of confirmed vulnerabilities is back to and even surpassing the 2024 pre-AI level, meaning somewhere in the 15-16% range."

Stenberg also worries about the impact on developers. “I can only imagine that projects that are all volunteers, with a larger code base that perhaps has gotten less scrutiny, perhaps because they are younger, they can easily get drowned in quality reports," he says. “That has to be overloading and take a mental toll on many maintainers.”

SEE ALSO: Discord group says it accessed Claude Mythos by guessing location

So, is this zero-day deluge the Claude Mythos effect in action? 

Until Anthropic completes its reporting on the bugs Claude Mythos discovered, it’s hard to know for sure, and neither Childs nor Stenberg said they could attribute the increases to Mythos specifically. 

Indeed, there are also signs that private companies are seeing an increase in AI-discovered bugs. Microsoft announced 165 new bugs patched in its April security update. Childs noted this was "the second largest monthly release in Microsoft's history," citing AI as a likely cause for the increase in his Patch Tuesday blog. 

In a statement to The Register, Microsoft denied that AI was to blame for the unusually security update, while crediting Anthropic researchers for one of the bugs.

No matter the cause, the overall industry trend line is clear — a huge increase in both potential and real bugs that require urgent fixing.

AI and cybersecurity: What comes next

In the Claude Mythos system card, Anthropic said AI tools will provide more benefits to cybersecurity defenders in the long run. However, hackers may have the advantage in the short-term.

Existing AI tools "already provide ‘significant help’ to the relevant threat actors in the sense of increasing their general productivity," the company said.

AI is likely both the problem and the solution for developers, who are turning to AI to triage the bugs discovered by AI.

"We’ve begun using AI to aid in the triage process," Childs says. "It’s the only way we’ll be able keep up with this level of submissions." He allowed that "many entries are AI slop, but we’ve purchased a few of these bug [reports] just to teach our models what AI slop look like so we can avoid them in the future."

If the industry doesn’t adapt to the new reality, Childs added, consumers will suffer the consequences.

"We’ve got to figure out how to scale up our fixes as fast as researchers (and attackers) are scaling up their findings," he said, otherwise users will have “little chance to apply these [fixes] in a timely manner" if they don't want to get hacked.

TL;DR: Learn every level of piano from home with this three-year subscription to flowkey Piano Learning app, on sale now for $69.99 (reg. $579).

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Piano lessons aren’t cheap, and they usually require you to get out of your pajamas. flowkey Piano Learning changes that, letting you learn whenever you want, from the comfort of your home — no outside clothes required.

While you would usually spend more than $24 on a single class, you can get a full year for less than that with this three-year subscription, now on sale for $69.99 (reg. $579).

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If you’d like to knock learning piano off your bucket list, there’s no better way than flowkey Piano Learning. This innovative AI-powered app works on your laptop, tablet, or smartphone, so all you need is a keyboard or a piano to get started.

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A lot of people have the knowledge to write a book, but they just don’t have the time to sit down and actually do it. However, Youbooks AI is designed to take real-world ideas — business insights, course material, research, even scattered notes — and turn them into structured, long-form content that’s actually usable.

Instead of starting from scratch, you feed Youbooks AI your topic, preferred tone, and any supporting materials. From there, it pulls in real-time research and uses multiple AI models to build out a cohesive manuscript.

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The result feels less like a rough draft and more like something you can actually refine and publish.

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Looking for something great to watch at home? Streaming subscribers are spoiled for choice between Hulu, Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, Apple TV, Prime Video, Shudder, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. And that's before you even look at the vast libraries of movies and television programs within each streamer!

Don't be overwhelmed or waste an hour scrolling through your services to determine what to watch. We've got your back, whatever your mood. Mashable offers watch guides for all of the above, broken down by genre: comedy, thriller, horror, documentary, and animation, among others. But if you're seeking something brand new (or just new to streaming), we've got you covered there, too.

14. Dolly

If you're planning on hiking this week, think twice about watching Dolly. In writer/director Rod Blackhurst's slasher movie, a couple (Fabianne Therese and American Pie's Seann William Scott) find their wilderness wandering violently interrupted by a mask-wearing figure, played by pro wrestler Max the Impaler. The film, which premiered at Fantastic Fest last year, sees the doll-faced villain hell-bent on mothering one of these doomed adventurers. You heard me. Mothering. If you're still recovering from Barbarian, this won't help. — Shannon Connellan, Senior Editor

Starring: Fabianne Therese, Seann William Scott, and Max the Impaler

How to watch: Dolly premieres on Shudder April 24.

13. Cheech & Chong's Last Movie

"Is this a documentary or a movie?" asks Cheech Marin in Cheech & Chong's Last Movie, and it's a fair question — one Tommy Chong can't really answer. Tracking the illustrious, high-flying career of the comedy legends, director David Bushell's film was fittingly released on 4/20. Countercultural icons of the '70s, Cheech and Chong team up for a rambunctious road trip down memory lane, through the cannabis-fuelled creativity and stoner humor of their hit films, stand-up sets, and comedy records. Buckle up. — S.C.

Starring: Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong

How to watch: Cheech & Chong's Last Movie premieres on Paramount+ April 20.

12. Nikki Glaser: Good Girl

Nikki Glaser, the stand-up comedian whose fame rocketed after her brutal live roast of Tom Brady on Netflix, is back with a new Hulu special. Nikki Glaser: Good Girl sees Glaser discussing beauty, sex and fame, mixing her trademark insult comedy with dry observational humor.

"Thank you for being here," she tells the audience in the teaser above. "Every single person in here, you mean so much money to me." — Sam Haysom, General Assignment Editor, UK

Starring: Nikki Glaser

How to watch: Nikki Glaser: Good Girl begins streaming on Hulu April 24.

11. This Is a Gardening Show

In Zach Galifianakis' new Netflix show, the actor sits between more than two ferns. This Is a Gardening Show sees the Baskets star proudly presenting exactly that, a short-format series in which Galifianakis celebrate his love of growing plants in his garden in rural British Columbia. In his signature deadpan style, he interviews kids and gardeners about the importance of growing our own food, living off-grid, and questioning the food systems that run what's on our plates. — S.C.

Starring: Zach Galifianakis

How to watch: This Is a Gardening Show begins streaming on Netflix April 22.

10. Killing Grounds: The Gilgo Beach Murders

For years, the unsolved murders of the Long Island Serial Killer horrified both true crime fans and New York residents, who helplessly followed the trail of bodies left along Gilgo Beach. Now, just weeks after suspected LISK Rex Heuermann pled guilty to seven murders, including the Gilgo Four, Prime Video offers a new docuseries with Killing Grounds: The Gilgo Beach Murders.

Five-time Emmy Award–winning journalist Kristin Thorne serves as the guide through the grim details of the Gilgo Beach murders, digging not only into Heuermann's homicidal behavior but also the stigmatizing of sex workers that inhibited the victims' families from getting public support or police assistance. Through interviews with sisters, friends, and mothers, this docuseries explores who these women were before it gives any attention to the brute who murdered them.

It's a fascinating series that plays out over four episodes. But pace yourself. Now that Heuermann is convicted, horrid details are revealed here that are hard to process. — Kristy Puchko, Entertainment Editor

How to watch: Killing Grounds: The Gilgo Beach Murders begins streaming on Prime Video April 22.

9. Criminal Record, Season 2

British crime drama Criminal Record is back, with Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo's detectives likely set to clash again. This time around, June (Jumbo) witnesses a young man's death when far-right protestors accost a political rally. Racked by guilt, she seeks to bring the man's killer justice — but to do so, she'll have to take a dangerous bargain from Daniel (Capaldi).* — Belen Edwards, Writer

Starring: Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo

How to watch: Criminal Record Season 2 debuts on Apple TV April 22.

8. Stranger Things: Tales from '85

It's been four months since Stranger Things ended with a controversial finale, but Netflix is already taking fans back to Hawkins with Stranger Things: Tales from '85. This animated spin-off series takes place during the winter between Seasons 2 and 3, when the Hawkins party faces off against dangerous new creatures from the Upside Down. How did these creatures make it through the gate Eleven (voiced by Brooklyn Davey Norstedt) closed in Season 2? More importantly, how does this adventure fit into the live-action seasons?

SEE ALSO: 'Stranger Things: Tales from '85' review: This baffling prequel won't cure the Season 5 hatred

The answer to the latter question: not too well. Tales from '85 has little to no bearing on the main series. If its story feels like an afterthought, that's because it is — one that's been awkwardly smashed between two established seasons. As I wrote in my review, "For something that's meant to fit into Stranger Things, Tales From '85 winds up feeling woefully disjointed." — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter

Starring: Brooklyn Davey Norstedt, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, Luca Diaz, EJ Williams, Braxton Quinney, Benjamin Plessala, Brett Gipson, Odessa A’zion, Janeane Garofalo, and Lou Diamond Phillips

How to watch: Stranger Things: Tales from '85 begins streaming on Netflix April 23.

7. Kevin

Created by Aubrey Plaza and Joe Wengert, this animated series is for adults only.

Set in the hip neighborhood of Astoria in Queens, New York, Kevin centers on a coddled house cat (voiced by Jason Schwartzman), who is so livid when his people break up that he runs away. Soon, he ends up in a pet rescue named Furrever Friends, where a snippy Shih Tzu (Amy Sedaris) barks orders to a crusty crew of pets.

Much like Archer or South Park, the humor here is outrageous and crude, dealing in sex, drugs, violence, and gross-out gags. And it's added fun to listen for the many, many celebrities that Plaza and Wengert got to play in their turd-filled sandbox. —K.P.

Starring: Jason Schwartzman, Amy Sedaris, Aparna Nancherla, Gil Ozeri, Aubrey Plaza, John Waters, and Whoopi Goldberg

How to watch: Kevin debuts on Prime Video April 20.

6. Running Point, Season 2

Celebrate the NBA playoffs with the return of Running Point, Netflix's charming basketball comedy from Mindy Kaling, Ike Barinholtz, Elaine Ko, and David Stassen. Season 1 introduced viewers to Isla Gordon (Kate Hudson), the freshly appointed Los Angeles Waves president tasked with saving a sinking team. By Season 2, she's got her sea legs, but she's also got more opposition in the form of her brother Cam (Justin Theroux). He claims he's a reformed man, but will he try to take control from Isla? Who will prevail in this sibling showdown of who knows ball? — B.E.

Starring: Kate Hudson, Scott MacArthur, Drew Tarver, Max Greenfield, Brenda Song, Fabrizio Guido, Justin Theroux, Toby Sandeman, Jay Ellis, and Chet Hanks

How to watch: Running Point Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.

5. Marty Supreme

Polarizing comments about opera and ballet aside, Timothée Chalamet is on fire in Marty Supreme, which at first glance might look like a sports drama. But under its greasy and gritty surface, it's much, much more.

Co-written and directed by Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme takes the true story of a charismatic ping-pong player and makes it the stuff of New York legends. Chalamet stars as Marty Mauser, a skilled pro table tennis player whose mouth is regularly writing checks his ass can't cash. Though set in the 1950s, Safdie chooses an '80s soundtrack of synth pop that makes Marty feel like an anti-hero ahead of his time, with a hustle and frenetic energy better suited to an era of big egos and bigger ambitions. Chalamet and an incredible ensemble build on this energy to the point where at times, as in Safdie's Uncut Gems, Marty Supreme can feel like a masterfully orchestrated panic attack.

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

Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A'zion, Kevin O'Leary, Tyler Okonma, Abel Ferrara, and Fran Drescher

How to watch: Marty Supreme begins streaming on HBO Max April 24.

4. Good Boy

Mashable's Entertainment team fell hard for Good Boy, a haunted house thriller that centers on a charismatic dog named Indy. When his owner takes him to a remote cabin, this good boy quickly realizes something is off. But, being a dog, he struggles to communicate the threat they face to his human. The traditional haunted house scares hit all the harder when audiences are watching a sweet dog in a fight for survival. And we only came to love the movie more as we learned how it was made.

Married collaborators Ben Leonberg and Kari Fischer created Good Boy by building a movie around their lovable pet, Indy. In an interview with Mashable, they detailed how they directed their dog. We even gave it a go on our own, creating a deeper appreciation for the patience and filmmaking prowess demanded of this concept. So, we wholeheartedly recommend Good Boy as a thrilling film. And hey, if you need to know before you hit play if the dog dies, we've got you covered there too. Then, we invite you down the rabbit hole of how a movie like this gets made, so you can appreciate how special Good Boy and Indy really are. — K.P.

How to watch: Good Boy begins streaming on Hulu April 25.

3. No Other Choice

Boasting a corporate jargon title long-deployed to evade responsibility, Park Chan-wook's anti-capitalist parable No Other Choice might feel a little too real to those burned by the job market. This wicked social commentary is one of the director's most comedic films to date, but that doesn't mean it's not dark as hell. 

Based on Donald E. Westlake's 1997 novel The Ax and written by Park, Lee Kyoung-mi, Jahye Lee, and Don McKellar, the film follows hardworking paper company employee Yoo Man-soo (an outstanding Lee Byung-hun), who gets the chop in a merciless company restructure. With his family to provide for, including his wife Mi-ri (Crash Landing on You's Son Ye-jin) and two kids, Man-soo scrambles to find a job — and when the perfect opportunity comes along, he takes drastic measures to ensure he'll land it.

Critics praised No Other Choice for its moral ambiguity and biting social satire. As I wrote in my own review, "As a viewer, we're simultaneously rooting for Man-soo and unnerved by his capacity for calculated manipulation and murder. No Other Choice poses the question: Would you kill for the life you want? In fact, the film doesn't even ask it, instead presenting a man believing himself forced into making such a decision due to cold, hard corporate strategy. It's out of his hands."* — S.C.

Starring: Lee Byung-hun, Son Ye-jin, Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, Yeom Hye-ran, and Cha Seung-won

How to watch: No Other Choice begins streaming on Hulu April 24.

2. Half Man

The second series – and first fully fictional outing – from Baby Reindeer creator Richard Gadd, Half Man tells the story of the love/hate relationship between two step brothers, from their difficult teenage years in Glasgow to their changing fortunes as adults. It's dark, depressing, and often gripping TV.

"Is it as good as Baby Reindeer?" I asked in my review. "No. But that would have been close to impossible. Baby Reindeer, with its unique subject matter, incredible blend of awkward comedy and extremely dark themes, and true story tagline, felt like a groundbreaking show. The kind of series that doesn't come along every year. Half Man walks a more well-trodden path. But it does what it does well, cementing Gadd as a storyteller with a lot more to offer." — S.H.

Starring: Richard Gadd, Jamie Bell, Stuart Campbell, and Mitchell Robertson

How to watch: Half Man begins streaming on HBO Max and BBC iPlayer April 23.

Best of streaming this week: Apex

From Baltasar Kormákur comes a horror-thriller that should scare the adrenaline junkie right out of you.

Charlize Theron stars as a rock climber determined to take on the white water rapids in Australia solo. But out here in the wilderness, she soon realizes the forces of nature aren't what she should fear. It's a hunter who has his sights set on her.

A truly gnarly action movie, Apex pits a steely Theron against an unhinged Taron Egerton. And sure, the script by Jeremy Robbins sets up some early hints that this is going into sicko territory, but I'd wager you won't predict just how wild this cat-and-mouse game gets. Silence your cell phone. Turn the lights down, and give yourself over to this frightening, fucked-up ride. — K.P.

Starring: Charlize Theron, Taron Egerton, and Eric Bana

How to watch: Apex begins streaming on Netflix April 24.

(*) denotes a blurb came from a prior list.

When it comes to hookup sites and apps, reputation matters. After all, a company can buy all the advertising it wants, but if it doesn't deliver the goods, word of mouth alone will cause it to sink. 

In the dating app world, lots of contenders have come and gone, but only a handful have stood the test of time, and those that have survived have done so because the word got out that they work. Here are five hookup sites and apps that are extremely popular among their own users, and what makes them so special:

Tinder

Tinder is obviously super popular. With some 75 million monthly users across 190 countries, Tinder is still the go-to app for finding fun connections.

It's also well worth a premium subscription, since that unlocks unlimited likes, profile boosting, and the ability to swipe through singles across the world, which makes planning your future vacation or spring break fling that much easier.

SEE ALSO: Adult Friend Finder vs. Tinder: How they compare as hookup apps

And if you're one of the many people complaining that Tinder isn't working for you, do us all a favor: spend some time and energy taking quality photos of yourself, in good lighting, rather than mirror selfies or grainy, low-res photos pulled from Facebook. For most of you out there, that will go a long way to making Tinder "work" again. 

Grindr

The largest gay dating app in the world continues to improve, having recently achieved the milestone of 15 million active users. If you're in the LGBTQ community and looking for some short-term fun, Grindr should be your first foray into the app-based hookup world.

Standout features for fun-seekers include a grid-based location system, showing you exactly how far or close your potential hookup is, as well as the ability to drop a geo-tagged pin in the chat, sharing your location with your would-be fling. We're also a big fan of the Taps feature, which enables some suggestive, non-verbal flirting and makes breaking the ice easier than ever.

AdultFriendFinder

AFF has been around forever, but there's power in longevity. It's also arguably the horniest hookup site with mainstream appeal — all you have to do is spend a few minutes browsing the homepage, replete with naked photos and live webcam shows, to understand what we mean. 

Sure, it isn't perfect. You will have to wade through a lot of inactive or fake profiles, for example, and some of the best features are locked behind a paywall, but if you spend some time exploring the site's free public areas, from the webcam shows to the discussion boards, you'll quickly see why it's endured for 30 years. 

SEE ALSO: 3 AdultFriendFinder features exclusive to paid users

As of 2026, it boasts about two million weekly active users, most of whom fall into the 30-38 age category, so if you're feeling a bit too old for Tinder but too young for SilverSingles, give AFF a try. 

Pure

If you haven't heard of Pure, you're not alone: the app is a darling of the younger crowd, having recently become the most-used app among Gen Z, and it's easily the most unconventional app on this list. 

Built from the ground up to be a hookup app, Pure features enhanced safety features, including both age and photo verification, as well as something they call Safety Signal, a feature that enables users to share the place and time of their meetup with a trusted third party, helping everyone involved feel more secure.  

When it comes to matchmaking, Pure users have three photos and a 350-word bio to go off, as well as a dedicated Turn-Ons section, where you can list your kinks, including everything from communication to wax play. And if you really want to gamble on a fun time, you can test your luck with their Devil's Bones feature, which randomly connects you with another Pure user in a voice chat. 

Feeld

Feeld is beloved by its users for offering a safe space for queer, polyamorous, and kink-forward dating and hookups. And though it's been around for more than a decade, having been founded in 2014, it's undergone explosive growth in the last few years, as more and more people discover its charms. 

If you're looking for a nonjudgmental space to explore your kinks, and perhaps especially if you and a significant other are testing out ethical non-monogamy and want to find partners with similar interests, Feeld should be at the top of your list. Its Constellation feature, for example, allows you to link your public-facing Feeld profile to up to five other member profiles, allowing people to see your profile when they search for couples or groups

Perhaps most refreshingly of all, while Feeld does employ a carousel-style swiping system, the left and right swipes don't automatically like or dislike a profile. In fact, unless you actively hit the like or dislike button, the same profiles will continue to show up in your search, encouraging you to spend more than a few seconds evaluating prospective matches.