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Implementing AI mandates without also providing support leads to a flood of low-quality output that erodes trust, wastes time, and degrades team morale. As a leader, you can’t eliminate this “workslop” with stricter reviews or harsher feedback; you need to take a systematic approach instead. Here’s how.  Rebuild a culture of trust. Make it safe to admit when AI isn’t helping. Teams that […]

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

Huge.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answer

JUMBO

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Consumption.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for February 2, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

USAGE

Hurdle Word 3 hint

A fairy.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for February 2 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for February 2, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

DRYAD

Hurdle Word 4 hint

A fragrant resin.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

MYRRH

Final Hurdle hint

Faithful.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

LOYAL

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

The Full Moon has passed, so now the Moon will be getting smaller each night as we move towards the New Moon.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Monday, Feb. 2, the Moon phase is Waning Gibbous. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 99% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.

It's a day after the Full Moon, and there's still a whole lot of moon in the sky tonight. This means there's lots to see, eithout or without visual aids. Without, the Mare Imbrium, Aristarchus Plateau, and the Mare Serenitatis all come into view. With binoculars, you'll also see the Posidonius Crater, Clavius Crater, and Apennine Mountains too. Finally, with a telescope, you'll see all this and the Caucasus Mountains, Rima Ariadaeus, and the Rupes Altai.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will be on March 3.

What are Moon phases?

According to NASA, the lunar cycle lasts around 29.5 days. This is how long the Moon takes to travel once around Earth. Over that period, it passes through eight recognised phases. The same side of the Moon always faces our planet, however the portion that appears lit changes as the Moon moves along its orbit. The amount of sunlight reaching the Moon is what makes it appear full, partially illuminated, or almost invisible at different points in the cycle. The eight lunar phases are:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

From "The Bear and the Maiden Fair" to "The Rains of Castamere," the world of Westeros is no stranger to catchy, in-universe songs. In its third episode, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms gets in on the musical action itself, incorporating two songs into its storyline, including one sung by Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell).

SEE ALSO: 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' Targaryen family tree: How everyone connects

At first glance, the song is a bawdy, jokey number, one that consistently builds up to curse words only to substitute them with words that sound alike. (Think "ass" and "grass," or "whore" and "horses.") It also doubles as a Westerosi history lesson about a key recent event: the Battle of the Redgrass Field, which is the conclusion of the Blackfyre Rebellion. Let's break it down, starting with the song's lyrics:

Prince Baelor was the firstborn. Prince Maekar sprang out last.

Daemon was the bastard, so they kicked his bastard —

Grass is green in summer, green grass I adore.

But grass is red all over when you kill a rebel —

Horses die in battle, this battle was the front,

Blackfyre's not a trueborn, he came from the wrong —

Country was in peril, the anvil was a rock,

The hammer smashed the bastard with his giant veiny 

Host of Dornish spearmen.

To understand the meaning of the song, you first have to understand the Blackfyre Rebellion. That rebellion has roots in the relationship between the Seven Kingdoms' current ruler, King Daeron II Targaryen, and his late father, King Aegon IV Targaryen.

Aegon IV and Daeron II had a rough relationship, especially when it came to the subject of Dorne. By Aegon IV's reign, Dorne had yet to become a part of the Seven Kingdoms. However, the Seven Kingdoms and Dorne still shared a peaceful relationship, with Daeron II even marrying Dornish Princess Myriah Martell. However, that wasn't enough for Aegon IV, who planned to attack Dorne unprovoked, despite Daeron II's protests. Because of Daeron II's opposition, Aegon IV often threatened that he would make one of his many bastards his new heir. He also spread rumors that Daeron II was a bastard, opting for maximum messiness.

SEE ALSO: 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' doesn't have an elaborate title sequence. Here's why.

Aegon IV never did name a new heir, but on his deathbed, he chose chaos and legitimized all of his bastards. One of them, Daemon Waters, took the name of Daemon Blackfyre, after the sword of Aegon the Conqueror. Daemon had actually received the sword from his father after winning a tournament at age 12, stoking the idea that he was Aegon IV's rightful heir instead of Daeron II.

Two camps emerged during the first years of Daeron II's reign: those who supported him, and those who supported Daemon Blackfyre's claim to the Iron Throne. Strikes against Daeron included his alliance with and supposed deference to Dorne, which he managed to bring into the Seven Kingdoms without any bloodshed, as well as Aegon IV's rumors about his legitimacy.

In 196 AC (after Aegon's conquest), official rebellion broke out as Daemon tried to take the Iron Throne for himself. The resulting conflict, lasting less than a year, was a bloody affair that culminated in the Battle of Redgrass Field. Redgrass Field isn't the actual name of a place in Westeros: The field just became known by that name due to all of the blood spilled during battle.

These are the events summarized in Egg's song, which calls out Daemon's parentage ("Daemon was the bastard") and Redgrass Field ("grass is red all over when you kill a rebel").

The song also highlights the hammer and the anvil, a tactic used by Daeron II's sons, Prince Baelor (Bertie Carvel) and Prince Maekar (Sam Spruell). Baelor and a host of Dornish spearmen slammed into Daemon's forces and smashed them up against Maekar and his men's shield wall. That makes Baelor the hammer and Maekar the anvil. (And it made Daemon and his supporters very, very dead.)

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has already hinted at the Battle of Redgrass field, when Dunk mentions how Ser Arlan of Pennytree (Danny Webb) fought in it in episode 2. Egg's song simply provides further context.

Egg's song may also canonically exist in George R.R. Martin's Dunk and Egg novellas. In The Sworn Sword, the second of the novellas, Dunk speaks to Ser Eustace Osgrey, whose sons died in the Battle of Redgrass Field. He says that "the singers can go on about their hammer and their anvil," but also reveals that there's a lot that's missing from the actual songs.

What's missing is a story for another season, but you can imagine the singers Eustace is talking about performing the same number Egg does. It's a fun case of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms extrapolating from a minor detail in a later book.

The song is also an intriguing look at how historical events would be memorialized for Westeros's smallfolk, who are A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' primary focus. Given a likely lack of literacy and education access, the smallfolk wouldn't remember Redgrass Field through lessons or history tomes. Instead, these tales would be passed down through song.

New episodes of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms air Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

Well, the cat's out of the bag. Or, should we say, the Egg's out of the... chicken? Whatever idiom you go with, one thing is clear: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has revealed Egg's (Dexter Sol Ansell) true identity.

Up until episode 3, Egg has been the sassy yet worldly squire to hedge knight Ser Duncan "Dunk" the Tall (Peter Claffey). But he isn't a member of the Westerosi smallfolk. Instead, he's none other than Aegon Targaryen, son of Maekar Targaryen (Sam Spruell), and grandson of King Daeron II Targaryen.

SEE ALSO: 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' Targaryen family tree: How everyone connects

The reveal comes at the end of episode 3, when Dunk attacks Prince Aerion Targaryen (Finn Bennett) as retribution for harming Dornish puppeteer Tanselle (Tanzyn Crawford). As Aerion prepares to stomp all of Duncan's teeth out, Egg storms in and demands the guards — whom he addresses by name — not to injure Dunk any further.

"If they do, they'll answer to my father," he says.

Aerion isn't outraged by Egg's intrusion the way he would have been had another member of the smallfolk interfered with his torture of Dunk. Instead, he's annoyed and addresses Egg informally, wondering what happened to his hair.

"I cut it off, brother," Egg replies. "I didn't want to look like you."

The exchange confirms Egg's Targaryen nature, but there have been plenty of other hints at his true identity. Whether you already knew the truth as a book reader, called it as a new audience member, or you were totally caught off guard and want to catch any clues you might have missed, we've got you covered. Here are the five biggest clues from A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms that Egg is really Aegon.

The Targaryen sigil coin at the pub

In A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' first episode, Dunk crosses paths with a drunk man at a pub who pays with a coin that bears the Targaryen sigil of the three-headed dragon. Moments later, he runs into Egg.

SEE ALSO: 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' episode 1: The coin in the inn could be a hidden clue

The coin suggests a Targaryen presence at the pub, and it also gives us a hint at the drunk man's identity. Up until the Egg/Aegon reveal, the chatter around Aegon has been that he was meant to attend the tournament with his brother Daeron, but the two never showed up. Now we know where one brother is, but where is Daeron? It's likely that he's the very man Dunk encountered in the pub, as Daeron's heavy drinking has earned him the nickname Daeron the Drunken.

Egg's shaved head

As we learn in House of the Dragon, Targaryen and Velaryon bastards like Alyn of Hull (Abubakar Salim) shave their heads to avoid drawing attention to their Valyrian blood. Egg's freshly bald head hinted from the start that he was trying something similar. Unlike Alyn, though, Egg is trueborn. Still, he seems reluctant to associate with his family, and who would blame him when he's got a tyrant like Aerion for a brother? Speaking of...

SEE ALSO: 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' episode 3: What does Egg's song mean? Egg's panicked reaction to Aerion at the tourney

Egg has an intense reaction to Aerion's joust against Ser Humfrey Hardyng (Ross Anderson) in episode 3, yelling at Humfrey to "kill him." Screaming for the death of a Targaryen would be considered treasonous — just look at what Aerion does to Tanselle's dragon-killing puppet show! — so a member of the smallfolk likely wouldn't engage in that conduct. But a Targaryen prince who wouldn't face consequences certainly would. Plus, Egg's vehement reaction to Aerion suggests a deeper personal tie, hinting at their tense brotherly history.

SEE ALSO: 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' doesn't have an elaborate title sequence. Here's why. Egg's fortune that he will become king

In episode 3, Dunk and Egg cross paths with a fortune teller. She tells Dunk he'll find great fortune and riches, and she tells Egg that he'll be king... oh, and that he'll die a painful death to the joy of many. Of course, Dunk thinks it's a load of rubbish and laughs good-naturedly at the fortune teller's work. But the words are terrifying to Egg because, as a Targaryen, it's likely that he could one day become king. That fact adds a new layer to his frightened reaction, because those words may very well be his actual future.

Egg calling Dunk "My Lord"

When a disguised Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) becomes Tywin Lannister's (Charles Dance) cupbearer in Game of Thrones Season 2, he teaches her a valuable lesson: She addresses him as "my lord," when in reality, a lowborn girl would refer to him "m'lord." The too-proper language betrays her noble origins. The same goes for Egg in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, who refers to Dunk as "my lord."

That's not all, though. Egg's entire way of speaking is incredibly formal, and it's riddled with knowledge that few people in Westeros would expect a young peasant to have. Case in point: His knowledge of the inner workings of tourneys, which he displays in episode 3. If Arya had made any of these slip-ups during her time disguised as Arry, she would definitely have been caught and killed. But unlike Egg, she was on the run during wartime, and her father had just been executed as a traitor. Egg, by comparison, is disguising himself during a period of peace. There's certainly a dangerous element to his actions, but he's also got more leeway to have a little fun with it.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is now streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes Sundays at 10 p.m. ET.

Another Game of Thrones show means another Targaryen family tree to memorize, and HBO's A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is no exception.

The prequel series primarily centers on lowborn knight Ser Duncan "Dunk" the Tall (Peter Claffey) and his young squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell), following their time at a tournament at Ashford Meadow. However, despite A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' focus on Westeros' smallfolk, it's not long before the Targaryens show up to bring drama (and tons of "ae" names) to the tourney.

SEE ALSO: 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' review: 'Game of Thrones' prequel is a surprising comfort watch

If you're wondering how all these new members of the House of the Dragon are related to one another, you've come to the right place. Below, we've laid out the Targaryen family tree as it stands heading into A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Season 1. For simplicity's sake, we've pruned some of the branches to show how these family members tie back to House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones, and we've focused on the major Targaryen players you'll meet early on. Read on to meet your newest crop of Targaryens — and see how they all connect.

Behold, the Targaryen family tree. Credit: Ian Moore / Mashable King Daeron II Targaryen

The current head honcho of Westeros is King Daeron II Targaryen, the great-grandson of House of the Dragon's Rhaenyra and Daemon Targaryen. You won't actually meet him in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, but his reign has molded the Westeros you'll see in the series.

By this point, almost 80 years after the events of House of the Dragon, Westeros is experiencing a period of peace, and it's all thanks to King Daeron II. He put an end to the Blackfyre Rebellion, a bloody coup attempt by legitimized Targaryen bastards, and he also managed to bring Dorne peacefully into the Seven Kingdoms. They don't call him "Daeron the Good" for nothing!

SEE ALSO: Is 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' kid-friendly? Daeron II's sons: Baelor and Maekar Targaryen Bertie Carvel and Sam Spruell in "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms." Credit: Composite: Mashable / Images: Steffon Hill / HBO

King Daeron II has four sons with his wife, Dornish Princess Myriah Martell: Baelor, Aerys, Rhaegal, and Maekar. For the purposes of this show, you really only need to care about the first and fourth sons, Baelor and Maekar.

Prince Baelor "Breakspear" Targaryen (Bertie Carvel) is the eldest of Daeron II's sons. Not only is he heir to the Iron Throne, he's also Hand of the King. Like his father, he's deeply respected and viewed as wise and just. He has two sons with his wife Jena Dondarrion: Prince Valarr (Oscar Morgan) and Prince Matarys, but only Valarr appears in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Notably, Baelor doesn't have the Targaryens' silver hair, but instead favors his Dornish side with darker hair.

Harsher than his brother (but with much more silver hair), Maekar (Sam Spruell) is the Prince of Summerhall. He also has six children compared to Baelor's two, and several of them will play a larger role in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

Maekar's children: Daeron, Aerion, Aemon, Daella, Aegon, and Rhae Finn Bennett in "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms." Credit: Steffon Hill / HBO

Maekar and his wife Dyanna Dayne have six children together: Daeron, Aerion, Aemon, Daella, Aegon, and Rhae. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms primarily focuses on his sons, leaving Daella and Rhae out of the story.

His first son, Daeron (Henry Ashton), is also known as Daeron the Drunken, and he has the prophetic dragon dreaming gift of select Targaryens. House of the Dragon's Helaena Targaryen is similarly gifted.

Maekar's second son, Aerion (Finn Bennett), fits the bill of the classic "mad" Targaryen. Thinking he's a dragon in human form, he dubs himself "Aerion Brightflame" and wears a fiery helmet that is, admittedly, pretty sick. Still, his fashion choices can't make up for his cruelty and sadism.

Game of Thrones fans have already met Maekar's third son Aemon: He's none other than Maester Aemon from Castle Black. Don't expect to see him in Season 1 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, though, as he's currently studying to be get his maester chain in Oldtown. However, his existence in the world of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms serves as a reminder of how the show connects to Game of Thrones, whose events are a little under a century away.

As episode 3 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms reveals, Maekar's fourth son, Aegon, is none other than Egg himself. He's been journeying with Dunk this whole time, and he's shaved his head bald to hide his trademark Targaryen hair. Based on the show so far, Aegon has missed out on the sadistic streak of his brother Aerion, or of many of his Targaryen ancestors. Instead, he's curious, loyal, and protective of the smallfolk he and Dunk meet at Ashford Meadow. Yes, he's young, and there's certainly time for the world to harden him, but for now, he's a good Egg.

New episodes of Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premiere Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

UPDATE: Feb. 1, 2026, 10:47 p.m. EST This story was originally published on Jan. 18. It has been updated to reflect the reveal of Egg's true identity as Aegon Targaryen.

If there's one thing the Game of Thrones universe loves, it's a good prophecy.

While A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is refreshingly different from its more serious cousin House of the Dragon, episode 3 showed us that mystical future predictions still have a place in the world of Dunk (Peter Claffey) and Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell).

So what was the prophecy, and what might it tell us? We've unpacked it all below.

SEE ALSO: 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' Targaryen family tree: How everyone connects What is the prophecy in episode 3?

Wandering through the tent village in Ashdown together, Dunk and Egg are suddenly interrupted by a woman wearing a cloak.

"Say your fortune?" she calls out, and Dunk gives her a coin and says, "Oh yeah, go on then." We've copied the resulting exchange below, in full:

Stranger: "You shall know great success and be richer than a Lannister."

Dunk: "Thank you. Do the boy now."

Stranger: "You shall be king...and die in a hot fire, and worms shall feed upon your ashes. And all who know you shall rejoice in your dying."

Egg: "What?"

Dunk [laughing]: "Thank you, that's very good."

While Dunk finds the woman's brutal prediction highly amusing, poor Egg looks troubled. Could what she says be more than just a cheap trick designed to earn some coin?

What does the prophecy mean?

The first thing to note is that prophecies aren't a new concept in the Game of Thrones universe. In House of the Dragon, Helaena (Phia Saban) makes a number of different prophecies, some of which have already been proven to be correct. In short, there are characters in Westeros that do have the ability to see into the future, so we can't immediately discount what the stranger says as nonsense.

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

As we find out at the end of episode 3, Egg is also much more than just stable boy — he's actually a Targaryen and the nephew of Prince Baelor (Bertie Carvel), who is next in line for the Iron Throne. Yes, Egg is quite a long way down the line of succession himself, but him becoming king is not completely out of the realm of possibility.

So, could the stranger have been telling Dunk and Egg the truth? Is the young Targaryen somehow destined for the throne, while Dunk will end up rich, presumably through his association with Egg? Only time will tell.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is now streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes Sundays at 10 p.m. ET.

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

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

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

How to play Pips

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for February 1, 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 February 2, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for Feb. 2 Pips

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

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-0, placed horizontally; 2-4, placed horizontally; 1-5, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 1-5, placed horizontally.

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

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

Medium difficulty hints, answers for Feb. 2 Pips

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

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

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

Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 0-3, placed horizontally; 5-2, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (8): Everything in this space must be greater than 8. The answer is 0-6, placed horizontally; 4-2, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (0): Everything in this purple space must be greater than 0. The answer is 5-2, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (0): Everything in this dark blue space must be greater than 0. The answer is 4-2, placed horizontally.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for Feb. 2 Pips

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

Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 4-4, placed horizontally.

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

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

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

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

Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 3-4, placed horizontally; 5-0, placed horizontally.

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

Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 3-6, placed horizontally.

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

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 3-0, placed vertically; 0-0, placed vertically; 0-1, placed vertically.

Number (9): Everything in this orange space must add up to 9. The answer is 3-0, placed vertically.

Number (9): Everything in this light blue space must add up to 9. The answer is 2-6, placed horizontally; 2-2, placed horizontally; 5-3, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 5-3, placed horizontally.

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

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier if you know aquaticsports.

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: 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: Texas education

• Green: Missouri sports

• Blue: Bowl game

• Purple: Comes in fives

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Texas College Teams

• Green: St. Louis Teams

• Blue: Can Be Followed By "Bowl"

• Purple: ____Five

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 #497 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Texas College Teams - AGGIES, COUGARS, HORNED FROGS, LONGHORNS

• St. Louis Teams - BILLIKENS, BLUES, CARDINALS, ST. LOUIS CITY

• Can Be Followed By "Bowl" - PRO, SENIOR, SHRINE, SUPER

• ____Five - FAB, FIERCE, HIGH, STARTING

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.

Just when you thought Industry was done putting Rishi Ramdani (Sagar Radia) through hell, the series keeps finding new ways to make him suffer.

SEE ALSO: 'Industry' Season 4 review: HBO's criminally underrated drama thrills in most ambitious season yet

Season 3 set the bar high with "White Mischief," a heart attack-inducing hour reminiscent of Uncut Gems. It went even further in its finale, when Rishi's debt collector Vinay (Asim Chaudhry) shot his wife Diana (Emily Barber) right in front of him. Season 4 has delved into the ruins of his life since then, hinting at a media circus between seasons that left Rishi as a suspect in Diana's murder. Unable to get a job, he's resorted to doing Harper Stern's (Myha'la) dirty work. He's also forbidden from seeing his young child, now living with Diana's family, for more than a few minutes at a time.

Sounds like rock bottom, right? But somehow, Industry makes things even rockier for Rishi in Season 4, episode 4, titled "1000 Yoots, 1 Marilyn."

The episode sees Rishi cozying up to FinDigest reporter and Harper ally Jim Dycker (Charlie Heaton). They wind up doing drugs together in a seedy apartment, and the night only spirals from there, ending with Jim dead, the police arriving, and a panicked Rishi leaping from the apartment balcony and shattering his legs. It's a shocking moment in a show full of them, not to mention a very involved stunt.

"It was the first time I got to be part of a stunt on that type of level," Radia told Mashable in a video interview. "There's a million things going through your head when you're dangling over a balcony like that."

SEE ALSO: Kit Harington breaks down 'Industry's 'emotionally moving' ghost story

The stunt involved wire work, and Radia remembered splitting the sequence into three sections: running up to the balcony, leaning over and getting his legs over the balcony, and then the jump itself.

Makeup for the aftermath of the fall proved equally involved, with a prosthetics team creating Rishi's bloody, broken legs. It's one of Industry's goriest images yet, along with Diana's murder.

Radia recalled lying on the ground around one o'clock in the morning, preparing to shoot the injury sequence. "I think we had probably 10, 15, 20 minutes to get that last bit done, and [the makeup and prosthetics team] were pouring all the blood on, and the camera is trying to position itself in the right place, and we were running out of time, as you always do in this industry, and we're just trying to get the shot," Radia said.

The final effect is gruesome, injecting more horror into a scene that asks, "What could possibly be next for Rishi?"

For Radia, Rishi's final scene in "1000 Yoots, 1 Marilyn" felt like a synthesis of the character he's been playing for four seasons.

"From a character perspective, it's Rishi doing what he's always done, which is just trying to run away from the problem, trying to get away from the situation that he's gotten himself in," Radia said.

But now that Rishi can quite literally no longer run, he has to confront himself, creating a kind of catharsis for him.

"It's a really poignant moment in the story," Radia said. "He's been struggling with so much guilt and grief from what's happened at the end of Season 3 that it all catches up to him, and he doesn't quite know how to process the emotions that he's carrying. Actually, I think what you see at the end of that episode is a sense of relief. It's a sense of going, 'I think this is the right thing that's happening, albeit not in the greatest of circumstances... Everything that's happened up until this point leads to now, and it's the right thing.' For once, I think his moral compass is in the right direction, and he feels like, 'Yeah, this is what should be happening.'"

New episodes of Industry Season 4 premiere Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

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

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for February 2, 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: While

• Green: Access granted

• Blue: Detectives

• Purple: Plants

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Duration

• Green: Credentials for entry

• Blue: Modern crime series protagonists

• Purple: Trees plus a letter

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 #967 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Duration: INTERVAL, PERIOD, SPAN, STRETCH

• Credentials for entry: LANYARD, PASS, STAMP, WRISTBAND

• Modern crime series protagonists: BOSCH, CROSS, REACHER, RYAN

• Trees plus a letter: FAIR, MARPLE, POPULAR, PSALM

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 2, 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.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're a birdwatcher.

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 February 2, 2026 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for February 2, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Formidable flock

The words are related to wildlife.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe winged animals.

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 Big Birds

NYT Strands word list for February 2

• Penguin

• Ostrich

• Pelican

• Big Birds

• Cassowary

• Rhea

• Condor

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

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

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

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

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 February 2, 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.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for February 2, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A tobacco stick.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring 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...

CIGAR

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 2, 2026

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.

The 68th Annual Grammy Awards were on again this Sunday night, celebrating some of the tunes and bangers that helped get us through the past year.

Returning to Los Angeles' Crypto.com Arena and hosted by comedian Trevor Noah for the sixth year in a row, the 2026 Grammy Awards' main ceremony featured performances by nominees such as Sabrina Carpenter, Lady Gaga, Rosé, and Bruno Mars.

As usual, the vast majority of the Grammy Awards' 95 categories were presented during the Premiere Ceremony prior to the main telecast. However, the biggest awards are announced during the main broadcast ceremony, which always includes Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist. The Dr. Dre Global Impact Award was also awarded during this year's main ceremony, going to Pharrell Williams.

The Grammy Awards main ceremony is being broadcast from 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on CBS, as well as for Paramount+ Premium subscribers.

Here is the full list of nominees and winners at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards' main ceremony. This article is being updated live, with winners bolded as they are announced. 

Best Rap Album

• Let God Sort Em Out by Clipse, Pusha T & Malice

• GLORIOUS by GloRilla

• God Does Like Ugly by JID

• GNX by Kendrick Lamar (WINNER)

• CHROMAKOPIA by Tyler, the Creator

Best New Artist

• Olivia Dean (WINNER)

• KATSEYE

• The Marias

• Addison Rae

• sombr

• Leon Thomas

• Alex Warren

• Lola Young

Best Música Urbana Album

• DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS by Bad Bunny (WINNER)

• Mixteip by J Balvin

• FERXXO VOL X: Sagrado by Feid

• NAIKI by Nicki Nicole

• EUB DELUXE by Trueno

• SINFÓNICO (En Vivo) by Yandel

Best Contemporary Country Album

• Patterns by Kelsea Ballerini

• Snipe Hunter by Tyler Childers

• Evangeline Vs. The Machine by Eric Church

• Beautifully Broken by Jelly Roll (WINNER)

• Postcards From Texas by Miranda Lambert

Best Pop Vocal Album

• SWAG by Justin Bieber

• Man's Best Friend by Sabrina Carpenter

• Something Beautiful by Miley Cyrus

• MAYHEM by Lady Gaga (WINNER)

• I've Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 2) by Teddy Swims

Best Pop Solo Performance

• "DAISIES" by Justin Bieber

• "Manchild" by Sabrina Carpenter

• "Disease" by Lady Gaga

• "The Subway" by Chappell Roan 

• "Messy" by Lola Young (WINNER)

Song of the Year

• "Abracadabra" by Lady Gaga

• "Anxiety" by Doechii

• "APT." by Rosé and Bruno Mars

• "DtMF" by Bad Bunny

• "Golden" by HUNTR/X

• "luther" by Kendrick Lamar with SZA

• "Manchild" by Sabrina Carpenter

• "WILDFLOWER" by Billie Eilish (WINNER)

Record of the Year

• "DtMF" by Bad Bunny

• "Manchild" by Sabrina Carpenter

• "Anxiety" by Doechii

• "WILDFLOWER" by Billie Eilish

• "Abracadabra" by Lady Gaga

• "luther" by Kendrick Lamar with SZA (WINNER)

• "The Subway" by Chappell Roan 

• "APT." by Rosé and Bruno Mars

Album of the Year

• DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS by Bad Bunny (WINNER)

• SWAG by Justin Bieber

• Man's Best Friend by Sabrina Carpenter

• Let God Sort Em Out by Clipse, Pusha T & Malice

• MAYHEM by Lady Gaga

• GNX by Kendrick Lamar

• MUTT by Leon Thomas

• CHROMAKOPIA by Tyler, the Creator

TL;DR: Enjoy eight powerful apps for life for one low price with this Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows Lifetime License, on sale now for $34.97 through Feb. 22.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows: Lifetime License $34.97
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Curious what apps you’ll get? This license includes Word for all your document needs and Excel to help with your spreadsheets. You’ll have Outlook to keep up with correspondence, PowerPoint to create presentations, Teams to stay connected with others, and OneNote to upgrade the way you take notes. There’s also Access for managing large databases and Publisher to create professional documents.

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A new GPU is the most thrilling thing when you're a PC gamer. After all, it's often the single most impactful component in a PC, and upgrading your graphics card can give you a major performance boost in all your games.

I recently lost my gaming laptop's secondary SSD, and the most likely cause was sustained overheating and throttling. Which means that I was now in the market for a new drive, and unlike before, I was now keenly aware of the thermal situation when it came to my SSDs.

Smart security cameras can be a great way to monitor what's going on in and around your home. Used well, they can play an important role in keeping your home safe, but you may not be using them to their full potential.

Cold storage is all about keeping your files and making them last for years, just in case you ever need to retrieve them to look at old memories. Improper methods of storage can cause those memories to be lost forever, which is why some formats are better than others for storing stuff over the long term.

I cover many tech companies, with Samsung phones and accessories currently serving as my center of gravity, but there’s one brand primarily associated with furniture and home decor that has come out of nowhere to become the tech company I’m most interested in.