IT General

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

Quick.

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

HASTY

Hurdle Word 2 hint

A large artery.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for January 15, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

AORTA

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Pond birds.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for January 15 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for January 15, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

GEESE

Hurdle Word 4 hint

A judge's tool.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

GAVEL

Final Hurdle hint

Vacant.

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

EMPTY

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 moon is almost completely out of view as we near the end of the current lunar cycle. The lunar cycle is a recurring series of eight unique phases of the moon's visibility, and different phases occur as the Sun lights up different parts of the moon whilst it orbits Earth. Keep reading to find out what tonight's phase is.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Friday, Jan. 16, the Moon phase is Waning Crescent. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 5% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.

Unfortunately, visibility is too low to spot anything on the moon tonight.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will be on Feb. 1. The last full moon was on Jan. 3.

What are Moon phases?

Moon phases make up the lunar cycle, which NASA says lasts about 29.5 days, the time it takes the Moon to complete one full orbit around Earth. As the Moon travels around our planet, it passes through eight distinct phases. While the same side of the Moon always faces Earth, the amount of sunlight illuminating it changes depending on its position in orbit. This is why the Moon can appear full, partially lit, or completely dark at different points in the cycle. The eight phases of the lunar cycle 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.

People keep telling me to watch The Pitt, and now that the show is tackling generative AI in healthcare, I must. As Mashable's tech editor, I field a lot of questions about generative AI, and I also spend a lot of time talking to people who are extremely enthusiastic about artificial intelligence, and people who are extremely hostile to AI.

So, what does the latest episode of The Pitt Season 2 get right about AI in medicine, and what does it get wrong? 

SEE ALSO: How to watch 'The Pitt' without HBO Max How AI factors into The Pitt episode "8:00 AM." Credit: Warrick Page / HBO Max

AI wasn't the entire focus of Season 2, episode two, "8:00 AM." We also get to see a nun with gonorrhea in her eye, an unhoused man with a colony of maggots inside his moldy arm cast, and a clear view of an erection, which, of course, has lasted more than four hours.

However, one of the plotlines focuses on newcomer Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi's (Sepideh Moafi) attempt to modernize the ER and integrate AI into patient care. She introduces an AI app that automatically listens to patient visits and summarizes the pertinent details in their charts.

When an excited student says, "Oh my god, do you know how much time this will save?", Dr. Al-Hashimi has an answer: With the new AI app, the ER doctors will spend 80 percent less time charting. Later in the episode, the good doctor tells Dr. Robby (Noah Wyle) that it will also allow physicians to spend 20 percent more time with patients.

So far, so good, but the app immediately makes a mistake. It documents the wrong medication in the patient's chart, substituting a similar-sounding medication instead.

SEE ALSO: 'The Pitt' Season 2: Everything you need to remember from Season 1

This doesn't diminish Dr. Al-Hashimi's enthusiasm at all. "Generative AI is 98 percent accurate at present," she says. "You must always carefully proofread and correct minor errors. It's excellent but not perfect."

AI transcription is really good (and it still makes mistakes).

Dr. Al-Hashimi states that generative AI is 98 percent accurate. But is this really true?

Fact-checking Dr. Al-Hashimi's claim is actually tricky, because it's not entirely clear what she means. If she's referring purely to AI transcription, she's closer to the truth. That's a task that generative AI excels at.

Last year, a group of researchers conducted a systematic review of 29 studies that measured AI transcription accuracy specifically in healthcare settings. (You can check out the entire review, published in the BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making journal.)

Some of those studies did find accuracy rates of 98 percent or higher, and some found significant time savings for doctors. However, those studies involved controlled, quiet environments. In multi-speaker environments with a lot of crosstalk and medical jargon, like you’d find in a crowded emergency room, accuracy rates were much lower, sometimes as low as 50 percent.

Still, rapid advancements in large-language models are improving AI transcriptions all the time. So, we could be generous and say Dr. Al-Hashimi's claim is close to the truth, for the latest LLM models, in certain settings.

Generative AI is definitely not 98 percent accurate.

Let’s take the latest version of ChatGPT as an example. When the GPT-5.2 model was released a few months ago, OpenAI published documentation on the model's tendency to hallucinate and provide false information.

According to OpenAI, its GPT-5.2 Thinking model has an average hallucination rate of 10.9 percent. That’s really high, especially considering that OpenAI wants ChatGPT to help you with medical questions. (The company recently launched ChatGPT Health, a "dedicated experience in ChatGPT designed for health and wellness.") 

Now, when GPT-5.2 Thinking is given access to the internet, its hallucination rate drops to 5.8 percent. But would you trust a doctor who's wrong 5.8 percent of the time — and only when they can use the internet to check their work? And would you want your AI healthcare app to be connected to the internet at all?

Generative AI may one day be 98 percent accurate. But we're not there yet.

Generative AI can't replace doctors. Credit: Warrick Page / HBO Max

Dr. Robby and other characters have a conversation about "gut" instincts in this episode. That's something that generative AI can't replicate, and one reason that many people don't want to see AI tools replacing human workers entirely, whether in the arts or medicine. 

The episode also spends a lot of time showing examples of empathy. The best doctors don't just have an encyclopedic knowledge of their specialty. They don't just have good gut instincts. They're true healers, who know that holding a patient's hand at the right moment can be just as important as the right diagnosis.

To be fair, most AI healthcare tools I've seen aren't trying to replace doctors. Instead, they want to give healthcare workers more diagnostic tools and save them time. As Dr. Al-Hashimi says repeatedly in the episode, she wants to give doctors more time at their patients' bedside.

AI can help save doctors time.

Radiology, or medical imaging, is one of the most promising applications for generative AI in healthcare settings. When radiologists at Northwestern University implemented a custom generative AI tool to help analyze X-rays and CT scans, their productivity increased by 40 percent — and without compromising accuracy.

I think even a lot of AI skeptics would agree that's a positive result, for patients and doctors.

The Pitt does seem to be setting up Dr. Al-Hashimi as something of a villain — or, at least, a foil for Dr. Robby — but good medicine and generative AI aren't necessarily in conflict. As with any tool, it can be extraordinarily helpful — or extraordinarily dangerous.

The Pitt Season 2 is now streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes being released every Thursday at 9 p.m. ET.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you love fashion accessories.

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 January 16, 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: Head accessories

• Green: Sleep preparation

• Blue: Bands

• Purple: Large

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Kinds of hats

• Green: Components of a kid's bedtime routine

• Blue: Musical acts with "A" as the only vowel

• Purple: Grand ___

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 #950 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Kinds of hats: DERBY, FEDORA, PANAMA, PORKPIE

• Components of a kid's bedtime routine: BATH, BRUSHING, PAJAMAS, STORY

• Musical acts with "A" as the only vowel: ALABAMA, BANANARAMA, KANSAS, SANTANA

• Grand ___: BAHAMA, CANYON, PIANO, SLAM

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 January 16, 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 love comics and superheroes.

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 January 16, 2026 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for January 16, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: DC crusader

The words are related to superheroes.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe an iconic comic superhero.

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 Batman.

NYT Strands word list for January 16

• Robin

• Joker

• Cape

• Batman

• Penguin

• Vengeance

• Manor

• Justice

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 car fanatic.

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 January 16, 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 January 16, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A rider.

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 R.

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...

RACER

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 January 16, 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.

Run like a rage zombie to your nearest theater, because after over two decades, Cillian Murphy is reprising his role from 28 Days Later in Nia DaCosta's 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. And what this means for the franchise has got us foaming at the mouth for the next installment.

SEE ALSO: '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple' review: Nia DaCosta delivers an exhilarating horror epic

Murphy, who played survivor Jim in Danny Boyle's original 28 Days Later, did not appear in 2025's 28 Years Later, also directed by Boyle. However, he did serve as an executive producer, and Boyle confirmed that Murphy would be back as Jim in The Bone Temple.

Now, audiences can see what Jim has been up to in the 28 years since the Rage Virus ravaged Great Britain. He doesn't show up until the very end of The Bone Temple, but his appearance does give us an idea of what to expect from the third installment in the 28 Years Later trilogy.

What happens at the end of 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple?

By the end of The Bone Temple, both Dr. Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) and Sir Jimmy Crystal (Jack O'Connell) have perished, the result of a fiery confrontation within Kelson's memorial to the dead. Finally free of Jimmy, Alfie (Spike Williams) escapes with Jimmy Ink (Erin Kellyman), who reveals that her real name is Kelly.

From there, The Bone Temple makes like Heated Rivalry and goes to the cottage. In the film's case, the cottage is the same place Jim, Selena (Naomie Harris), and Hannah (Megan Burns) escaped to at the end of 28 Days Later. Now, the house in Cumbria is cozy and lived-in, stocked with books and food and all the signs of setting down roots in a place for decades.

SEE ALSO: Say More: Danny Boyle reveals the tech and origins of '28 Years Later's most shocking moments

The ending scenes sees Jim quizzing his daughter on a history test he'll be assigning her. Selena, presumably the young girl's mother, and Hannah are nowhere to be found. Have they died or been rescued? Or are they just away from the house at the moment?

Either way, two people who are decidedly not Selena and Hannah are approaching the cottage. It's Spike and Kelly, and they're on the run from a horde of Infected. Jim's daughter wonders whether they should help them, to which he replies, "Of course." Cue the credits — and my burning anticipation for the third 28 Years Later film.

What will happen in the third 28 Years Later film?

Obviously, Jim will play a larger part in the third 28 Years Later film, which Boyle has confirmed he'll direct. (That is, unless he dies saving Spike and Kelly, but I can't imagine that happening after the hype around Murphy's return.) Perhaps he takes Spike and Kelly in for a bit. Based on just the few minutes we spend with him and his daughter, their life is an infinite upgrade from Sir Jimmy and his ritual killings.

There are still a few loose story threads writer Alex Garland could pull into the third installment, if he so chooses. Spike's father Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) may be tracking his son across the mainland. And Cathy (Mirren Mack), the pregnant woman who escaped from Jimmy, may come back into the fold as well, as this trilogy has been consistently fascinated by pregnancy and raising children post-Outbreak.

Whatever happens, after 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, I'm seated and ready for whatever Boyle and Garland throw at us.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is now in theaters.

The often-imitated hair dryer has a lot of copycats that dupe Dyson's signature look but skimp on quality. A good rule of thumb: Avoid the $40 Amazon knockoffs that copy Dyson's signature fuchsia and nickel design. I promise they won't perform the same, and you'll be lucky if they last six months. However, in recent years, a handful of competitors have released Dyson Supersonic alternatives that truly offer similar results.

Opens in a new window Credit: Dyson Dyson Supersonic hair dryer (with 3 attachments) $329.99 at Dyson
$449.99 Save $120   Get Deal SEE ALSO: I tested the best Dyson Airwrap dupes under $300: The Shark FlexStyle is no longer your only option So, what's the best Dyson Supersonic dupe?

To answer that question, I tested a bunch of hair dryers. Some look similar to the Supersonic, and some look nothing like it. I wanted to find the best alternatives to the Dyson Supersonic that replicate the experience: That is to say, they dry your hair in a way that feels quick, easy, and at least a little luxurious.

My top recommendation as of January 2026? The Laifen Swift. Not only does it look like the real thing, but it utilizes ions to minimize damage and has a powerful 110,000 RPM high-speed motor. Plus, it's affordable, which is why it's held the top spot in this guide for nearly a year.

What makes the Dyson Supersonic special? 

The Supersonic has stood the test of time because with it, Dyson reimagined the hair dryer. Instead of a bulky, loud dryer, the Supersonic is sleek and compact yet more powerful than other dryers on the market (and a little less loud, too).

Dyson is known for this futuristic aesthetic on its products, but the look of this dryer also has a function. The ring-shaped head ditches the vented and coiled model of the traditional hair dryer and houses the tiny V9 motor in the handle. The combination of the V9 motor and the Air Multiplier technology makes for a dryer that clocks in at only 1.8 pounds yet still delivers a powerful airflow that’s notably quieter than the roar of a traditional dryer. That extra strong airflow also makes this dryer less reliant on heat and keeps hair damage to a minimum.

SEE ALSO: All the best Dyson beauty dupes we've tested

To further mitigate any heat damage, the Supersonic also measures the air temperature up to 20 times per second and uses a built-in ionizer to minimize static and give hair a sleek finish, which brings us to a quick ionizer science lesson.

Ionizers are pretty common in higher-end air dryers. Why? They blow negative ions at wet hair to reduce static electricity by sealing the hair cuticle and taking down the power of that positive ionic charge (aka what's causing that annoying frizz). As negative ions make contact with hair, they're also dispersing the positive ions of water, therefore cutting down on your drying time and reducing damage in the process.

SEE ALSO: All the best skincare tech that we tested and loved, and some that we didn’t

Basically, it's one of the reasons the Dyson Supersonic provides such quick and excellent results and why hair dryers with ionizers cost more money — they do more than simply dry hair.

Magnetic attachments designed to easily snap onto the blow dryer round out the futuristic feel of the Supersonic. Five are included: a styling concentrator, a flyaway attachment, a diffuser, a gentle air attachment, and a wide-tooth comb. It's a nice array of included nozzles, even for high-end dryers, which might typically include three or four attachments at the most.

Why is the Dyson Supersonic so expensive?

At $519, the Supersonic is definitely an investment. However, you're paying for a high-end motor that's built to last, multiple heat settings to protect hair, an innovative design, and of course, the ionic tech. Other dryers from popular hot tool brands like T3, ghd, and Harry Josh boast some similar features and run you anywhere from $150 to $350, but none quite capture the magic of the Supersonic.

SEE ALSO: Honest review of Ruggable: Are the washable rugs worth the price?

When I tested the Supersonic, I found that it had a luxe feel that stands out from other hair dryers. But don't forget: the Dyson Supersonic is now almost 10 years old.

Last year, Dyson released the updated Supersonic Nural (which you can find more info on in the FAQ section of this article), but it's not a drastically different product, with the main upgrade coming in the form of smart features, including improved temperature regulation and attachment detection. I tested it for a few weeks and found the upgrades nice, but by no means game-changing, especially for a $549 hair dryer. I also tested it against other smart hair dryers and found that the T3 Aire IQ offered the best intelligent features for the price point (more on that below, too).

Even with the original Supersonic being an older model, there is something to be said about it standing the test of time, and for providing a luxurious (yet efficient) drying experience, especially for folks with thick hair. On the other hand, Dyson competitors have had plenty of time to develop alternatives, all at a fraction of the price.

Recent testing updates

I'm in the process of testing newer hair dryers from Dreame, including the Dreame Miracle Pro.

The newest addition is the Supersonic Nural dupe, the T3 Aire IQ dryer, which I added in April 2025. Prior to that, I added the Dreame Gleam hair dryer, the Dreame Pocket, and the Shark SpeedStyle Pro Flex in November 2024. In the same month, I removed the Shark HyperAIR from my recommendations as it's largely been phased out from store shelves after Shark discontinued it. If you're still especially keen to get it, a version with just one attachment is available at Walmart.

I also replaced the BaBylissPRO with the Dreame Gleam as the best pick under $100 — though the BaByliss is still a solid hair dryer, it felt more like a standard blow dryer than a Supersonic dupe. Plus, it's less widely available these days.

In February 2025, I tested the L'Oréal Airlight Pro, which at $475 costs even more than the original Supersonic and almost as much as the Supersonic Nural. The Airlight Pro looked and functioned very similar to the Zuvi Halo, which makes sense — the hair dryer was developed in partnership with Zuvi. At the time, I didn't include it as it wasn't that different than the Zuvi Halo, and cost significantly more. However, since then, the Zuvi Halo appears to be discontinued — it's been sold out for months on Zuvi's website after a drastic price hike to $634. I reached out to a representative from Zuvi to confirm the discontinuation, but didn't hear back. As I result, I've decided to remove the Zuvi Halo from our list of recommendations, and am reconsidering the inclusion of the Airlight Pro.

Finally, Dreame recently released the Dreame Pocket Ultra, an upgrade to one of our current recommendations, as well as the Dreame Miracle Pro, another Supersonic dupe contender. I'll be testing both for potential inclusion in this guide.

George R.R. Martin's plans for the end of his A Song of Ice and Fire series are much bloodier than the end of Game of Thrones.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter about HBO's upcoming A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Martin discusses the conclusion of A Song of Ice and Fire. While he hasn't finalized the ending of his epic saga — fans have been waiting since 2011 for The Winds of Winter, book six of seven — he does have thoughts on how it will differ from Game of Thrones. The series, created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, surpassed the source material in Season 5.

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

"I was going to kill more people," Martin told The Hollywood Reporter. "Not the ones they killed [in the show]. They made it more of a happy ending."

Fans of Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) may say differently, but several fan-favorite characters received kinder sendoffs. Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage), for example, became Hand of the King to Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright). For Martin, though, that ending is not in the cards for book Tyrion.

"I don’t see a happy ending for Tyrion," Martin revealed. "His whole arc has been tragic from the first."

That statement doesn't necessarily confirm Tyrion's death in A Song of Ice and Fire. He could be imprisoned, or tortured, or all manner of horrifying things. Still, the future doesn't look bright for him, should Martin ever finish his series.

However, Game of Thrones may have saved one book character from a similarly tragic fate.

"I was going to have Sansa [(Sophie Turner)] die, but she’s been so appealing in the show, maybe I’ll let her live," Martin said.

In Game of Thrones, Sansa winds up as the Queen of the North — a far cry from whatever death Martin may have originally been planning. Given the long wait for The Winds of Winter, it may take years before we find out whether Martin actually changed his mind about Sansa's fate, or what tragedy he has in store for Tyrion. But there's also a very good chance that we'll never find out at all.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres Jan. 18 at 10 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

Honda retired the Prelude back in 2001, leaving a hole in the sporty two-door lineup that combined style, reliability, and everyday usability. Seeing it back at the 2026 Detroit Auto Show makes the revival feel real in a way photos never could.

Here's the first thing mobile network experts want you to know when taking stock of the great Verizon service outage of January 2026. It won't be the last — and that being on AT&T or T-Mobile won't make you immune either.

Expecting a modern mobile network to function around the clock, around the year, like water, power or gas utilities, "isn't practically possible," says Octavio Garcia, Forrester analyst and mobile industry veteran. The infrastructure involved (cellphone towers, satellites, and as in Verizon's case, software) "is not immune to unforeseen outages due to multiple causes."

That said, experts also agree: This one was really bad for Verizon, and not just because it prevented an as-yet-untold number of 911 calls.

The outage's only close contender in the worst cell service implosion of the 2020s would be the great AT&T nightmare of Feb. 2024. That one also lasted roughly 11 hours; a later investigation revealed 92 million calls didn't go through, including 25,000 calls to 911.

"This outage does feel like a bigger deal," says Alex Besen, a 30-year veteran of the mobile data industry, now CEO of The Besen Group. "In 2024, many [AT&T] customers had intermittent data and SMS ... this outage took down voice and data simultaneously, and left phones stuck in SOS mode."

SEE ALSO: Verizon outage today: Verizon reveals how to fix ongoing issues, offers $20 credit Verizon had a 'core failure'

The AT&T outage was eventually traced to one employee running a network update that was wrongly configured. This one, Besen says, was "more of a core failure" — a software issue that so blindsided the company that Verizon couldn't confirm it was dealing with a software issue for the majority of the outage.

We'll have to wait for a full investigation on the Verizon outage to make a full comparison between them. We'll also have to wait to see what role the largest round of layoffs in Verizon's history, which occurred in Nov. 2025, had in this situation.

It's entirely possible that one of those 13,000 former staffers — including at least one Network Engineering project manager — could have held the kind of institutional knowledge crucial to stopping a software-driven outage.

In the meantime, the tale of the tape from Downdetector (where users report outages and which, like Mashable, is owned by Ziff Davis) does suggest the Verizon outage was worse than its AT&T predecessor.

During the Feb. 2024 outage, Downdetector-reported outages from AT&T customers peaked at 74,000 concurrent reports (that is, within the same 15 minute window), but were starting to level off by 9 a.m. ET.

Contrast that with Jan. 14 2026, when Downdetector hit a high of 178,000 concurrent reports from Verizon customers — and that peak came right in the middle of east coast daytime, at 12:45 p.m. ET.

Verizon stores, now in SOS mode

For Verizon, the SOS message was horribly appropriate — and potentially ongoing. As aggrieved customers consider whether $20 is enough compensation, many may follow through on promises to cancel their contracts altogether. SOS might as well stand for "save our stores."

"Verizon will suffer from brand reputation impact and possible customer churn," Forrester analyst Garcia told Mashable. "This is expected to happen during the first six to nine months after the outage."

One way to shorten that churn time: Implement something similar to the AT&T Guarantee, a mobile industry first which launched in Jan. 2025, just under a year after the great AT&T outage. The company now says it delivers automatic compensation: One full free day of service if your wireless goes out for an hour or more.

In the meantime, Verizon and its competitors wait to see how large the exodus will be. And there isn't even a silver lining to be found in Verizon having fewer but happier people to deal with on its service.

"Losing customers would almost certainly hurt Verizon in the short term, even if it slightly reduced network load," says Besen.

TL;DR: Introduce your Mac to Microsoft favorites with this Microsoft Office Home and Business for Mac 2021 lifetime license, on sale now for just $49.97 (reg. $219).

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Office Home & Business for Mac 2021: Lifetime License $49.97
$219 Save $169.03   Get Deal

Mac lovers, it’s time to get reacquainted with an old favorite. Microsoft Office tools have been around for decades — and that staying power is for good reason. Microsoft Office Home and Business for Mac 2021 can help you tackle both professional and personal tasks, so you’ll get great use out of this lifetime license. And right now, you can secure it for just $49.97 (reg. $219).

Whether you’re struggling through the second semester or in need of a serious productivity boost at work after the holidays, Microsoft Office Home and Business for Mac 2021 is ready to help you get things done. This version provides your Mac with six essential apps, all for less than $9 each.

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Thanks to this lifetime license, you’ll be able to draft documents in Word, build budgets in Excel, answer emails in Outlook, and design presentations in PowerPoint. It also includes Teams to keep you connected with friends, family, and coworkers, and OneNote to improve your note-taking.

After purchase, you’ll receive an instant delivery and download to get started on your Mac. It helps you avoid the subscription fees and the hassle of cloud connectivity. Just check if your Mac is running macOS 14 or later for compatibility.

Get this Microsoft Office Home and Business for Mac 2021 lifetime license for only $49.97 (reg. $219).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Live stream Golden State Warriors vs. New York Knicks in the NBA for free with a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The New York Knicks continue to hunt down the top spot in the Eastern Conference standings. They're not far behind the impressive Pistons, so a win against the Warriors would mean a lot. Of course, securing that win over the experienced Warriors is easier said than done.

If you want to watch Warriors vs. Knicks in the NBA for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Warriors vs. Knicks?

Warriors vs. Knicks in the NBA starts at 10 p.m. ET on Jan. 15. This game takes place at the Chase Center.

How to watch Warriors vs. Knicks for free

Warriors vs. Knicks in the NBA is available to live stream for free with a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime.

This free live stream is geo-restricted to the U.S. and UK, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S. or UK, meaning you can access free live streams of the NBA from anywhere in the world.

Stream the NBA for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime (if you're not already a member)

2. Subscribe to a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

3. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

4. Open up the app and connect to a server in the U.S. or UK

5. Watch the NBA from anywhere in the world on Prime Video

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Learn More

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer money-back guarantees or free trials. By leveraging these offers, you can watch NBA live streams without actually spending anything. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does mean you can watch select games from the NBA before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the NBA?

ExpressVPN is the best service for accessing free live streams on platforms like Prime Video, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.95 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream the NBA for free with ExpressVPN.

Every top brand has its own take on ANC earbuds, each with a unique style and a plethora of features. Since you can't possibly try all the latest earbuds, the Mashable team has taken on the task of reviewing the best ANC earbuds for you.

We've recently updated this guide with our new favorite picks, including the Apple AirPods Pro 3 and second-generation Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds. The latter have already gone on sale ahead of Black Friday, but don't worry if the others haven't just yet — our team will be tracking the best headphones and earbuds deals all the way up to and through the shopping holiday.

SEE ALSO: I found 30+ early Black Friday tech deals I'd recommend to friends and family: Save on Apple, Samsung, DJI What are the best noise-cancelling earbuds? Not all earbuds are created equal — some are far more comfortable than others. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

While there are plenty of audio brands that provide good sound quality and noise cancellation, audio leaders Bose and Sony are in a league of their own. Not only do they offer phenomenal ANC, but they also make music and podcasts sound better. On a good pair of headphones, "Espresso" by Sabrina Carpenter sounds even catchier, somehow.

Earbuds usually aren't as comfortable as over-the-ear headphones. I know this well, as I've found many pairs of earbuds that just plain don't fit in my ear. Others are downright uncomfortable. Once again, Bose offers the most comfortable headphones and earbuds. However, Bose and Sony aren't the only brands out there. That's why we set out to test the best the market offers and see what makes a great pair of wireless earbuds.

How do noise-cancelling earbuds work? Noise-cancelling earbuds are small enough to slip in your pocket. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

All noise-cancelling headphones, including earbuds, have some passive noise cancellation. While over-the-ear headphones naturally block out noise by wrapping around the ears, earbuds don't block sound as effectively. Instead of covering your ears, wireless earbuds deliver sound directly into the ear canal to drown out other noises. They rely more on active noise cancellation (ANC) to reduce environmental noise.

ANC is an electronic process within the headphones. Internal microphones listen to your surroundings and then invert the sound, effectively canceling it. Sometimes, with noise-cancelling headphones and earbuds, you'll hear a slight buzzing or humming in the background, and that's the ANC at work. The best ANC earbuds shouldn't have this buzzing, however.

A pair of cheap earbuds is a compact alternative to over-the-ear headphones, but let's be clear, just because these earbuds are affordable, it doesn't mean they skimp on features. Two of the best earbuds we've tested are nearly $300 — Apple AirPods Pro costs $249.95, and Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds come in at $299 — but we've found models for even less. You don't need to spend $300 on a pair of great earbuds; in fact, you don't even need to spend $100.

Among all the earbuds we've tested, which is an extensive list, these are the best budget earbuds.

What's considered budget?

Budget is a relative term, so for this list, we're looking at earbuds under $200, but mostly under $100. Our top pick is the EarFun Air Pro 4, which have a list price of $79.99, and have the noise cancellation of a much more expensive pair of earbuds. Going the budget route might mean making compromises, but not sacrifices. For under $100, you can still get active noise cancellation and self-charging cases.

We do include a couple of models closer to $200, which we get isn't exactly everyone's idea of budget-friendly. For those models, the Bose QuietComfort earbuds and the Apple AirPods 4 with ANC, we consider them budget pairs, relatively speaking. Compared to premium options, the Bose QC earbuds offer an awfully similar experience for significantly cheaper. In the case of Apple, AirPods' entire line runs at higher price points than most of the consumer audio market. That's why we recommend the AirPods 4 both with and without ANC for folks who want to stay in the Apple ecosystem, enjoy AirPods' quality sound, but aren't quite ready to make the jump to the Pros.

Currently testing

Another pair of earbuds that are currently in consideration for this list are the CMF Buds 2. We're currently testing these earbuds and will update this guide once complete.

Other models we've tested

The models on this list are pulled from our extensive testing here at Mashable. Our previous top pick on this list was the Apple AirPods 3; however, the AirPods 4 have replaced them, making them more expensive, and they also lack great Android compatibility.

Another pair of headphones we considered for this list were the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC earbuds with sound by Bose. We tested these buds, and while they're pretty good for $100, they have a bad case design and just aren't that comfortable compared to other models on this list — plus, the $100 introductory price went up to $129.99.

What are the best noise-cancelling headphones for flying?

Noise-cancelling headphones are at their most useful on airplanes. It's difficult to find a moment's peace when so much is going on around you. Frequent flyers may prefer to rest or work, and the best way to prepare for either is by using the best ANC headphones to block out the chaos. 

SEE ALSO: The best MacBooks in 2025: Which should you buy?

Because shopping for headphones shouldn't be as stressful as heading to the airport, we've done extensive testing to bring you the top options. Our top pick is the second-gen Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones, but read on to see other great picks for the best noise-cancelling headphones for airplanes in 2026 — all based on Mashable's hands-on testing.

How much should I spend on noise-cancelling headphones?

If you want to find the best noise-cancelling headphones for flying, you should be prepared to pay $200 to $450 for most options. Premium headphones offer improved active noise cancellation, customizable settings, and transparency modes that allow you to hear those all-important gate announcements.

Many cheap headphones claim to offer "noise-cancelling" features, but a random pair of $50 over-ear headphones with passive noise cancellation will let a lot of sound through. They'll also struggle to connect and switch between devices easily, or simply feel uncomfortable.

SEE ALSO: What does Airplane Mode do?

At the end of the day, going for that good all-around pair is worth it, because on a flight, ANC on its own won't save the day — otherwise, we'd just direct you to our guide to the best noise-cancelling headphones. For long flights, comfort is also key. It won't matter if your headphones block sound if you only want to wear them for two out of five hours of your flight. And because this is a flying-focused roundup, we did give extra points to headphones with thoughtful design that makes storage easy.

If that $200-plus price range feels totally out of the question, we've included a couple of budget earbuds and headphones in the under-$100 category, but they come with tradeoffs. If you're okay with a mid-range pick, consider buying wireless earbuds with ANC instead of over-ear headphones.

If the cost of a pair of headphones is off-putting, you can always wait for a sale to start. We see headphones from Bose, Sony, and Apple get marked down year-round — if you don't want to keep your eyes peeled yourself, Mashable's deals coverage is a great place to find any noteworthy headphone deals.

SEE ALSO: The best gifts for people who love to travel Recent testing updates

In July 2025, we swapped the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones for the newer Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones.

After testing them for a few weeks, we decided in February 2025 that the EarFun Air Pro 4 earbuds earned a spot on our guide as our top budget pick, knocking out the cheaper but inferior Anker Soundcore P3i earbuds. Shortly after, we added the Sennheiser Momentum 4 headphones as one of our recommendations, thanks to their long battery life.

For September 2024, we didn't change our lineup, deciding against including the Dyson OnTrac headphones — although we really like their long battery life, the 55 hours of charge might be overkill for air travel. Plus, they're a little too bulky and expensive to recommend as travel headphones.

After finally making moves to stop its Grok AI from creating nonconsensual sexualized images and CSAM, Elon Musk's X has announced another major platform overhaul today.

X's head of product Nikita Bier announced on Thursday that the social media platform was going to ban apps that reward users for posting on the site. Bier specifically mentioned it was going to block "InfoFi" apps and developers from accessing its API. 

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InfoFi stands for Information Finance and has become popular in the Web3 space for rewarding users for engaging with online communities and posting on social media.

Why is X banning these types of apps? According to Bier, these apps were encouraging users to post low-quality content solely to receive crypto tokens.

"We are revising our developer API policies: We will no longer allow apps that reward users for posting on X (aka 'infofi')," Bier posted on X. "This has led to a tremendous amount of AI slop & reply spam on the platform."

According to X, many users of these InfoFi apps appeared to be posting spammy, low-quality AI-generated content solely to get paid in crypto tokens by these apps. The mass posting of this kind of content on a social network harms the platform's overall quality.  

SEE ALSO: AI slop is killing the internet

Bier went on to say that X has "revoked API access from these apps, so your X experience should start improving soon (once the bots realize they’re not getting paid anymore)." X's head of product then joked that if a developer had their account terminated, they could reach out, and X would help get them set up on competitor platforms like Threads and Bluesky.

X's Bier has recently butt heads with the cryptocurrency community on X over low-quality engagement. Earlier this month, Bier was critical of users who just mass reply "gm," a common phrase within the crypto community, and then complain that the X algorithm doesn't boost their content. 

This latest decision is likely to cause an uproar with X's crypto users as well. As Decrypt noted, the token for the popular InfoFi platform Kaito dropped by more than 15 percent shortly after Bier's announcement.

As a result of Bier's announcement, Kaito shared that it was sunsetting its Yaps app, which paid users to post on X.

Are you ready to dive into some fun Raspberry Pi projects? From creating your own off-grid long-range mesh texting system to building a microscope, here are three Raspberry Pi projects sure to keep you busy this weekend.

TL;DR: Live stream Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA for free with a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Oklahoma City Thunder no longer look like an unstoppable force. They still look great, but they can bleed. And that's good news for the NBA.

Next, the defending champions take on the Houston Rockets. The Rockets have the talent to beat any team on their best day, but they've been steadily sliding down the standings lately. Can they produce a huge performance and beat the Thunder? You can find out without spending anything.

If you want to watch Rockets vs. Thunder in the NBA for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Rockets vs. Thunder?

Rockets vs. Thunder in the NBA starts at 7:30 p.m. ET on Jan. 15. This game takes place at the Toyota Center.

How to watch Rockets vs. Thunder for free

Rockets vs. Thunder in the NBA is available to live stream for free with a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime.

This free live stream is geo-restricted to the U.S. and UK, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S. or UK, meaning you can access free live streams of the NBA from anywhere in the world.

Stream the NBA for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime (if you're not already a member)

2. Subscribe to a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

3. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

4. Open up the app and connect to a server in the U.S. or UK

5. Watch the NBA from anywhere in the world on Prime Video

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Learn More

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer money-back guarantees or free trials. By leveraging these offers, you can watch NBA live streams without actually spending anything. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does mean you can watch select games from the NBA before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the NBA?

ExpressVPN is the best service for accessing free live streams on platforms like Prime Video, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.95 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream the NBA for free with ExpressVPN.

There is not much that can stop a dedicated fandom.

Not paywalls, not cancellations, and certainly not even the source of their fan fervor itself, as was the case in several high profile instances of extreme parasocial behavior. And as queer hockey romance Heated Rivalry has dominated social feeds, it has once again proved that federal laws are not going to dissuade a fan from their idols of worship.

Fans of the show living in Russia, for example, have risked jail time in order to engage with the viral phenomenon, writes Russian reporter Mikhail Zygar for Vanity Fair (the show chronicles the same-sex love affair between a Russian hockey player and his Canadian rival). Fans have flooded dedicated Telegram channels to share encrypted links and bumped up its ratings to the top spot on Kinopoisk, a Russian media review site. They're leaning on VPNs to obscure their IP addresses and engaging in online piracy. You wouldn't steal an enemies-to-lovers romance, would you?

SEE ALSO: A new 'Heated Rivalry' book is on the way — preorder 'Unrivaled' by Rachel Reid now

Despite the collective joy attached to the series, the stakes are serious. The Russian Federation has some of the most extreme anti-LGBTQ laws on record, including an outright ban on LGBTQ content. Russian leaders have attacked and censored what they call the "International Public LGBT Movement," convicting more than 100 individuals for the crime in 2025 and imprisoning at least two. Violators can also face fines of 400,000 rubles ($5,111) to 5 million rubles ($63,898), PinkNews reported.

As of today (Jan. 15), the government has officially charged Russian streaming services with the crime of violating the country's propaganda laws, which prohibit the amplification of "nontraditional sexual relationships" to Russian citizens. The charges target domestic sites and cloud sharing services like Beeline TV, Kinopoisk, Wink, Ivi, Amediteka, 24TV, and Digital Television.

The determination of Russian fans to stream the hot new show mirrors a general trend in online fandom and among Heated Rivalry fans, specifically, who initially shared ways to torrent the series using VPN services and links pulled from its parent network, Crave Canada, and licensing network HBO Max US. HBO Max reportedly only signed on to the project after successful pitches from employees who were fans of the show's book series. They said they felt they needed to "do their civic duty" and get the show to the masses.

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The success of Heated Rivalry — and the formidable sports romance book industry from which its source material gained its following — lies partially in the compelling, often erotic, juxtaposition of an extremely masculine sport and the emotional stakes taken on by its characters. At large, cisgender male erotic fiction (also called slash fic, MLM romance, boylove, or yaoi, for anime lovers and the chronically online) has historically offered an outlet for sexual exploration, community, and LGBTQ acceptance. Fandom scholars and Heated Rivalry show runner Jacob Tierney have explained its popularity with cis women is due in part to the ability of writers to ignore the gendered power dynamics of heterosexual pairings and lean into the rarity of sexual partners being on equal footing — although much of the genre relies on stereotypical tropes that critics say still feeds into gender and racial binaries.

Hockey, in particular, is one of the most popular sports depicted in the genre. As of 2025, the National Hockey League has had no active, out LGBTQ players. So subverting that reality is particularly appealing to fans, especially those in restrictive, patriarchal environments.

One former hockey player, Jesse Kortuem, made headlines just this week, posting a statement about feeling empowered to come out after seeing the success of Heated Rivalry. Kortuem didn't compete for the NHL but told reporters that the homophobia rampant in the sport eventually led him to retire. "I know many closeted and gay men in the hockey world are being hit hard by Heated Rivalry's success," Kortuem told Out. "Never in my life did I think something so positive and loving could come from such a masculine sport."