IT General

It's now cheaper to buy a brand new EV than a petrol car in Australia. Chinese EV giant BYD has slashed the Australian price of its entry-level 2026 BYD Atto 1 Essential, cutting it from an already affordable $AU23,990 down to a mere $AU19,990 inclusive of all additional fees. At the current conversion rate, that's a reduction from approximately $17,000 to a little over $14,000.

SEE ALSO: Chinese EVs are spreading across the globe, but not in the U.S.

The BYD Atto 1 made headlines at its Australian debut last year, when its $AU23,990 launch price made it the cheapest EV in the country at the time. This new price reduction has now made BYD's budget EV the cheapest car in the country overall, inclusive of EVs, hybrids, and petrol-powered vehicles. 

Previously, Australia's cheapest new car was the manual 2026 Kia Picanto Sport, a petrol vehicle with a base price of $AU19,190 (around $13,500). Adding mandatory on-road costs easily pushes the Picanto Sport's cost beyond the Atto 1 Essential, whose new $AU19,990 price tag already includes such fees.

BYD's Atto 1 Essential does technically share the title of Australia's cheapest new car with MG's petrol-powered MG3 Vibe, whose current $AU1,000 cash back offer prices it at $AU19,990 inclusive of fees. However, this deal is set to end soon on Sept. 30. Once it expires, and barring any further challenges, the BYD Atto 1 Essential will stand alone as the most affordable new car in Australia.

Unfortunately, the Atto 1 Essential's new $AU19,990 pricing isn't permanent either, only available for three months as a limited time offer from Sept. 15 until Dec. 15. Even so, it's an encouraging signal regarding the increasing affordability and uptake of electric vehicles across the globe. Also known as the Dolphin Mini in Latin America, Dolphin Surf in Europe, and Seagull in China, the BYD Atto 1 has been known to retail for as little as ¥56,800 (around $8,400) in its home market.

Australians get cheaper EVs, while Americans get left behind Credit: BYD

EV sales recently overtook petrol car sales for the first time in Australia, accounting for 24.9 percent of all new vehicles sold in August. Up 171 percent compared to the same time last year, EV sales individually outstripped petrol, diesel, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid car sales across the country. BYD was also Australia's second most popular automaker, following Toyota but edging ahead of Tesla.

"Australians have seen through the scare campaigns and are voting with their wallets for cars that are cheaper to run, cleaner, and reduce their exposure to international petrol prices shocks," said Australia's Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen, calling the milestone a "landmark moment."

Yet while Australians are enjoying cheaper EVs, U.S. drivers' options remain considerably more limited. The U.S. government's high tariffs continue to block Chinese vehicles from import, with former president Joe Biden previously stating that the effective ban is partly due to other automakers' inability to compete with China's "unfairly low prices." The Trump administration's elimination of EV tax credits last year has also increased prices on the smaller pool of vehicles that are available. As such, EVs in the U.S. continue to come at a hefty cost.

Earlier this year, U.S. automaker Slate announced that its upcoming two-seater Blank Slate electric pickup truck will cost $24,950 excluding fees (around $AU35,000) — a notable increase compared to its initial goal of a sub-$20,000 price tag. Upgrading it from two doors to four will further bump up the price to at least $29,950 (around $AU42,000).

The most affordable EV currently available in the U.S. is the 2027 Chevrolet Bolt, which starts at $28,995 excluding fees (around $AU40,000). That's more than double the Atto 1 Essential's Australian price, even without BYD's current offer. The Bolt may not be available for long either. General Motors previously announced that it was retiring the Bolt in 2023, intending to replace it with a new lineup of EVs. Though the automaker quickly reversed its decision due to popular demand, this is only a temporary stay of execution, as the latest 2027 Bolt is a limited run that's scheduled to end less than two years after launch.

After the Bolt, the next most affordable EV in the U.S. is the Nissan Leaf S+, which starts at $29,990 before fees (around $AU42,000). While Nissan announced plans to release a cheaper model in the U.S. last year, this has since been delayed, with no official word regarding if or when it might now arrive.

If brevity is the soul of wit, then Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) lost his wits a long time ago.

Richmond's affable coach has never been afraid to talk someone's ear off. However, his wordiness becomes a problem in Ted Lasso Season 4, episode 7, titled "Yes & Baby."

SEE ALSO: 'Ted Lasso' finally starts to do right by the Lady Greyhounds

The episode sees Ted trying to build a dating profile on Bantr, but he constantly gets stuck on the first prompt: Describe yourself in three words. How can he sum up his character in such few words? More importantly, how can he do that without sounding like he's bragging?

That's not the only trouble Ted has with making his profile. As he and Keeley (Juno Temple) try to whip his Bantr account into shape, they also have a hard time describing what he wants in a romantic partner within the designated character limit. (Apparently, he wants someone with a love of "banger" show tunes.)

"I'm starting to think I may skew a bit loquacious," Ted laments.

Ted's struggle to keep things brief has been a charming quirk of his since Season 1. However, it's become a decidedly uncharming fault of the show as a whole.

In Season 1, episodes stayed around the half-hour mark: a standard length for a streaming comedy. However, as the seasons went on, episodes ballooned in length until audiences were routinely sitting through 50-minute episodes. The shift in runtime matched Ted Lasso's pivot into overt dramedy territory, but it also left the show feeling like a worse version of itself. The jokes weren't tight. Subplots piled up. Ted Lasso's saccharine niceness, welcome in short bursts, became cloying over longer periods of time.

Coming three years after Ted Lasso's supposed series finale, Season 4 felt like the perfect opportunity to reset the show and address major criticisms, such as the bloated runtimes. Instead, Season 4's installments remain squarely in the 45-to 50-minute range, so the problems remain. With the Lady Greyhounds in the mix, the problems feel even more pronounced, as the show strains under the weight of its massive ensemble and its myriad storylines.

As Ted's dating app woes suggest, Ted Lasso is too long-winded for its own good. If it were a Bantr profile, Bantr's servers would implode under all the excess. What the show needs to do is refine itself. That doesn't necessarily mean it needs to describe itself in only three words, Bantr-style. However, if it did want to go that route, I have a suggestion: Needs. Some. Trimming.

New episodes of Ted Lasso premiere Wednesdays on Apple TV.

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In its first four minutes, Ted Lasso Season 4, episode 7 addresses my biggest complaint with the season: It finally prioritizes the lives of the Lady Greyhounds.

SEE ALSO: Ted Lasso’s dating profile problem says a lot about the show itself

For the entire season, Richmond's women's team have operated more as a mob than as a crew of individuals. They've attended parties and pub trivia together, they've practiced and played games together, and they've heard their fair share of Ted (Jason Sudeikis) pep talks together. But, with the exceptions of Coach Alice (Tanya Reynolds) and striker Gemma (Abbie Hern), we've barely gotten to see who they are by themselves, off the pitch.

That all changes at the top of episode 7, titled "Yes & Baby," which details the many struggles the Lady Greyhounds are facing in their personal lives. Lizzie's (Faye Marsay) flaky ex has bailed on his promise to take one of their sons to school and watch the other, leaving her to juggle getting to practice and caring for them. Twins Siobhan (Rex Hayes) and Niamh (Aisling Sharkey) are facing a steep rent increase, Boots (Jude Mack) can't fix her car, and Shannon (Shannon Hayes) has a side job as a food delivery courier.

It's clear that their careers as second-division pro footballers aren't financially life-changing. Nor does anyone in their orbits seem to care about their achievements. Gemma's law professor dismisses her Richmond career as just a "football thing."

It's a welcome change to see Ted Lasso wrestling with the tougher realities its female players are facing, especially in contrast with the men of its first three seasons. No luxurious bachelorette pads or high-level endorsements await the Lady Greyhounds as Richmond works to get the team off the ground.

While the rest of the episode primarily focuses on Ted Lasso's main ensemble, it still makes much more room for the Lady Greyhounds than it has in the past. We actually get to see more of their dynamic in practice scenes, which have usually been reserved for Ted, Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt), and Alice to chat. Now, as Alice tries to say "yes, and" more, Ted Lasso begins to build a new, more open dynamic between her and the players, one that lets multiple members of the ensemble shine. (Shout out to Mady (Annelise Heywood) for wanting to play blindfolded to "sense" the ball, a gag that I wish Ted Lasso could have followed through on onscreen.)

"Yes & Baby"'s refreshing focus on the Lady Greyhounds culminates in their final locker room scene, when they question the new "Believe" sign. Like much of Ted Lasso, it's a bit on the nose, but then again, why should the women's team just get the men's team's hand-me-downs? And what good is just believing in the face of not being able to pay rent? Alice's amendment of the sign — changing it to "believe and win" — speaks to the fire and drive of every member of the team.

Each of these scenes is a welcome and necessary step toward getting to know the Lady Greyhounds better, both as individuals and as a team. But is it too little, too late? Why, seven episodes in, are we only just really getting to know the team that Ted Lasso came back to London to coach?

The answer is that in attempting a soft series relaunch, Ted Lasso has had a tough time balancing its older characters with the entire team it created to justify bringing the show back in the first place. Episode 7 shows promising signs of finally being able to strike that balance (at the continued sacrifice of the 30-minute episodes I've yearned for since Season 2). However, with three episodes left, the jury's still out on whether Ted Lasso can stick the landing and do justice to the Lady Greyhounds.

New episodes of Ted Lasso premiere Wednesdays on Apple TV.

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TL;DR: Live stream the 2026-27 Europa League for free on CazéTV. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Champions League gets most of the attention, and that makes sense because the very best teams in Europe compete in it. But that doesn't mean you should ignore the Europa League. Some of the most entertaining football in recent years has been played in the Europa League, with up-and-coming teams fighting it out for a moment in the spotlight on the European stage.

If you want to watch the 2026-27 Europa League for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

What is the Europa League?

The Europa League is an annual football club competition organized by UEFA. It is the second-tier competition of European club football, ranking below the Champions League and above the Conference League.

The defending champions are Aston Villa.

When is the 2026-27 Europa League?

The 2026-27 Europa League is the 56th edition of the club competition (and the 18th since it was rebranded from the UEFA Cup). This year's competition runs from Sept. 16 to May 26.

How to watch the 2026-27 Europa League for free

Select fixtures from the 2026-27 Europa League are available to live stream for free on CazéTV.

These free live streams are geo-restricted to Brazil, but anyone can bypass these restrictions with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Brazil, meaning you can unblock free live streams of the Europa League from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the Europa League by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

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

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Brazil

4. Visit CazéTV

5. Watch Europa League fixtures for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to free live streams of the Europa League without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch select fixtures (plus coverage of the Premier League, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the Europa League?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries, including Brazil

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 80% off for a limited time. This plan 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 $12.99 (with a money-back guarantee).

Live stream the Europa League for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Another Prime Day is coming, and if you want to shop all the best deals, you'll need an Amazon Prime account.

Amazon's flagship sale may be dead and gone for 2026, but its Big Deal Days event kicks off Oct. 6 and runs through Oct. 7. The now-annual 48-hour event is basically a mini Prime Day that happens in the fall. The retailer is likely to drop thousands of deals during the sale, but to shop them, you must be a Prime member.

Not yet a Prime member? Want to revive your old Prime account? You can sign up for a free 30-day trial and unlock access to the sale. And nothing is stopping you from canceling before the 30-day promo period ends to avoid paying full price — just saying. Students (and anyone aged 18 to 24) can also sign up for a 6-month trial for $0.

Regardless of whether or not you stick around, here's how you can sign up for Amazon Prime:

Total Time

• Under 5 minutes

What You Need

• Internet access
• Email address or phone number

Step 1: Go to the Amazon Prime sign-up page and click on Start your free 30-day trial.

Head to Amazon Prime's sign-up page.

Step 2: Input your email if you have an existing Amazon account or click on Create Your Amazon Account.

A new sign-in page will open up on the website. Input your email or mobile number and password if you have an existing Amazon account, or click on Create Your Amazon Account. If you make a new account, you'll need to provide some basic information such as name, email, and password.

Step 3: If you're creating a new account, follow the steps to verify your email with a One-Time Password.

If you choose to create a new account, Amazon will send an OTP to your respective email address or mobile number for account verification. If you are using an existing account, skip to Step 5.

Step 4: Input the OTP and click on Verify.

Once the OTP verification page appears on the screen, input the code and click on Verify.

Step 5: Sign up for your 1-month trial or purchase a full subscription.

New users have two options: sign up for a one-month trial for $0 or purchase a full subscription. Remember: you may not qualify for a free trial if you have already used this offer in the past with the same email or phone number.

What are your Prime membership options?

If you are purchasing a Prime membership subscription, you have four plan options:

• Monthly Prime Membership — $14.99 per month

• Annual Membership — $139 per year or under $12 monthly

• Young Adult Monthly Membership — $7.49 per month (young adults are also eligible for exclusive offers, including a 6-month no-cost Prime trial)

• Prime for government assistance recipients — $6.99 per month (must verify eligibility)

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.

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

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

Binding.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

TYING

Hurdle Word 2 hint

A slight smile.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for September 16, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

SMIRK

Hurdle Word 3 hint

__ Cent.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for September 16, 2026 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Meanings for each word for Sept. 16, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

FIFTY

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Found at a playground.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

SLIDE

Final Hurdle hint

Surprised.

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

ABACK

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

There's a little more of the Moon to see this week as its illuminated side continues to grow. That means we're getting a better view of some of its surface features each night.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Wednesday, Sept. 16, NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon is in the Waxing Crescent phase, with 26% of its surface visible.

You should be able to spot Mare Crisium and Mare Fecunditatis with the naked eye, while binoculars or a telescope will give you a closer look at Endymion Crater.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will take place on September 26.

What are Moon phases?

The Moon doesn't look the same from night to night. As it travels around Earth, which takes about 29.5 days, we see different portions of its illuminated side. This is what creates the lunar phases, with the Moon gradually progressing from a thin crescent to a half Moon and then a Full Moon before the cycle starts over. According to NASA, the phase we see is determined by the Moon's position relative to both Earth and the Sun.

The eight 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.

Taking leave from work for significant video game releases is a time-honoured tradition. Unsurprisingly, the highly anticipated launch of Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA 6) has fans eagerly planning to request time off to play from the moment it launches on Nov. 19.

It's tempting to drop everything and immediately dive in when you've looked forward to a game for years. However, GTA 6 is big enough that taking leave around this date is likely to raise some eyebrows. If you're going to do so, it's important to think carefully about how to go about it, so as to maximise your chances of success.

Your boss probably knows why you're asking for leave Reddit

Grand Theft Auto VI launches on a Thursday, just two days before the weekend. As such, many people are planning to take both Nov. 19 and 20 off, giving them four free days to commit crimes in the fictional state of Leonida. Others are extending their time off, setting aside a week or more to play the game. With the Thanksgiving public holiday on Nov. 26, taking five days of leave from Nov. 19 to 25 can give you eight days of uninterrupted GTA 6 time.

However, whether these leave requests will be approved is a different story.

GTA 6 is one of the most eagerly anticipated video games to come out in recent years. The first new Grand Theft Auto title in 13 years, it continues a video game series that has had massive cultural impact since it first launched in 1997. It even won The Game Awards' Most Anticipated Game award two years running.

SEE ALSO: 'GTA VI' Online release date: What we know so far

As such, there is a good chance that your boss has heard of GTA 6, and knows exactly what a Nov. 19 leave request means. What's more, with so many people looking forward to GTA 6, it's likely that others in your workplace are either considering or have already done so. Fan website GTA 6 Calculator even built a leave agreement generator, which creates a joke document outlining terms allowing workers "to fully immerse himself/herself in playing the game, while maintaining minimum professional obligations."

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

In a recent Reddit post to Australian corporate subreddit r/auscorp, user u/instanityxsl claimed that their boss had gone so far as to warn employees about requesting leave around GTA 6's launch date.

"In our last team meeting the team leader was saying 'just so you know any leave around Nov 19th may require further explanation for approval, we’ve seen a large number of leave applied for this date and we’re understaffed. HR knows why this is happening. It’s that GT game,'" u/instanityxsl stated. "I was planning on taking 19th to 27th off, but a lot of people from other teams have applied [for] annual leave on these days and it’s flagged as unusual."

While Australians generally receive four weeks of paid annual leave per year, workers in the U.S. aren't legally guaranteed any paid leave at all. As such, taking time off to play a video game may be an even trickier proposition stateside. 

You don't have to give a reason, but don't lie Reddit

Leave policies vary significantly among employers in the U.S., as there are few statutory requirements. While you need to tell your boss why you're requesting time off when taking family or medical leave, the handling of other leave requests is largely left up to your employer's discretion. This includes how much time you're permitted to take off, whether you need to provide an explanation, and how much notice is required.

Your best bet is to consider your individual circumstances, and how a leave request may be received depending upon your workplace culture and policies, current workload, and relationship with your boss. This includes talking with your boss early on. As always, giving them as much notice of your leave as possible enables them to plan around your absence, which can help achieve the outcome you want. 

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Whether to disclose the reason for your request is up to your judgement. There is no legal obligation to tell your employer what you plan to do during your time off. However, if they already suspect that GTA 6 is the reason behind your Nov. 19 leave request and directly ask you, attempting to skirt the question is unlikely to do you any favours. It's best to be honest, and let the chips fall as they may. A few days of gaming isn't worth jeopardising your work relationships.

Such a confession won't necessarily destroy your application's chances, either. While some employers will no doubt be unsympathetic to fans' excitement, a few people on social media have reported explicitly GTA 6-related leave requests being approved. Redditor u/ddc431 even claimed that they will be closing their 18-person company for launch day, after several people requested the day off.

"if some of them are already spending an actual vacation day on this, and let's be real the rest of us are gonna be useless that day anyway, why am i making everyone pretend to work," u/ddc431 wrote. "so i just said screw it, we're closing. everyone. paid day, and it does NOT count as holiday. nobody loses a vacation day over it."

Reddit

Other employers have identified GTA 6's release as a motivational tool. Last month, several U.S. Army combat engineers in Georgia were offered a four days of leave to play Grand Theft Auto VI as an incentive for reenlisting. Those who chose to reenlist between Aug. 1 and Nov. 14 would be eligible for the pass, which was "specifically designated to coincide with the highly anticipated release of the video game Grand Theft Auto VI." At least 44 of the 130 eligible soldiers have reportedly taken up the offer.

Meanwhile, Redditor u/Perfect-Pension545 said they may turn launch day into a relaxing day of gaming in the office.

"I’ve also considered having a 'work day' that is anything but that — projector, GTA, drinks and good food," u/Perfect-Pension545 wrote. "Staff can either come in and socialise and play the game or take the day off."

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

An understanding employer is the best-case scenario. Unfortunately, even if you craft the most reasonable and considered request for leave on GTA 6's launch day, there's no guarantee that it will be approved. In such cases, being willing to delay your leave slightly may help you get the next best thing. Perhaps your boss expects your office to be particularly busy on Nov. 19 (which may be the case if others have already asked for some GTA 6-filled time off). You could instead proposed delaying your leave until Nov. 23, allowing you to dive into GTA 6 over the weekend and keep playing through Monday.

Though it may be disappointing not to spend launch day playing, waiting a day or two could ultimately offer you a better experience.

Should you just wait until the weekend? Reddit

Many people are keen to jump on GTA 6 as soon as it drops. However, there are some benefits to waiting until the weekend. 

GTA 6 is unlikely to suffer from the same server issues that Grand Theft Auto Online did in 2013. The multiplayer game was plagued with issues at launch, with players struggling to connect to its overloaded servers. In contrast, GTA 6 is a single-player game, so fans needn't fear that similar server issues will lock them out on launch day. GTA 6 is also available for preload, so you won't even have to endure downloading huge files at sluggish speeds on Nov. 19, provided you plan ahead.

Even so, it's likely that GTA 6 will likely still require some updates on launch day. Day-one patches are the norm in video games, allowing developers to update a game after it has been certified for consoles. With millions of players expected to boot up GTA 6 on launch day, any patch may take a while to download. Waiting until after the rush could save you some strife, while also giving GTA 6 developer Rockstar Games a little extra time to patch any issues that pop up on day one. 

Of course, this isn't a reason not to request leave for Grand Theft Auto VI if that's what you'd prefer. For those diving into big games on launch day, the energy and excitement of experiencing it alongside other fans for the first time can be akin to watching live sports rather than catching a replay. Just consider what you'd like to prioritise for your first GTA 6 session, and what will make this long-awaited launch feel most thrilling to you.

Fortunately, there's no reason to fret even if you can't get the time off. The fact that GTA 6 is a single-player game means that you won't miss anything if you can't boot it up right at midnight. Whether it takes you a day, a week, a month, or even a year to get to it (knock on wood), GTA 6 will still be there waiting for you.

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

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

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

How to play Pips

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for September 16, 2026

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible — and common — for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

• Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.

• Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.

• Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.

• Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.

• Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for September 16, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for September 16 Pips

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 1-6, placed vertically

Less Than (4): Everything in this space must be less than 4. The answer is 1-0, placed vertically.

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

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

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 1-3, placed horizontally; 3-5, placed horizontally.

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

Medium difficulty hints, answers for September 16 Pips

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

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

Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 6-1, placed vertically; 1-5, placed horizontally; 3-1, placed horizontally.

Equal (5): Everything in this space must be equal to 5. The answer is 1-5, placed horizontally; 5-5, placed horizontally.

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

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 4-4, placed horizontally; 4-1, placed horizontally.

Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 4-1, placed horizontally; 0-1, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for September 16 Pips

Not Equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 3-2, placed vertically; 1-5, placed horizontally.

Number (7): Everything in this space must add up to 7. The answer is 2-2, placed vertically; 3-5, placed horizontally.

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

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 4-5, placed horizontally; 5-6, placed vertically.

Number (11): Everything in this space must add up to 11. The answer is 3-5, placed horizontally; 5-6, placed vertically.

Number (15): Everything in this space must add up to 15. The answer is 5-5, placed horizontally; 5-2, placed vertically.

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

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

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

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 4-2, placed horizontally; 1-6, placed vertically; 0-0, placed horizontally.

Number (14): Everything in this space must add up to 14. The answer is 1-6, placed vertically; 4-4, placed vertically.

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

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier for people who've played basketball.

As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight, and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

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

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

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

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

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

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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: Sign on an injury

• Green: Basketball schemes

• Blue: John who?

• Purple: Milestone year

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Worn After an Injury

• Green: Basketball Defenses

• Blue: John___

• Purple: ___Year

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 #723 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Worn After an Injury: BRACE, CAST, SLING, SPLINT

• Basketball Defenses: MAN, PRESS, TRAP, ZONE

• John___: ELWAY, STERLING, WALL, WOODEN

• ___Year: CAREER, CONTRACT, REBUILDING, ROOKIE

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.

Boox makes the buzziest e-readers on BookTok, and the brand just released three new devices. As of Sept. 15, 2026, Boox unveiled three new E Ink electronics: the Note Air6 C, Note Mini C, and Palma 3. The latter is the brand's upgraded palm-sized e-reader, which we've been eagerly awaiting since the Palma 2 was discontinued.

All three devices come with an upgraded octa-core processor for better performance and now run on Android 16. As always, the new Boox devices have access to the Google Play Store, plus they'll have Bluetooth 6.0, and Boox's BSR refresh technology for a smooth display with decreased ghosting.

Here's what we know about the three new devices.

New Boox device pricing

The Boox Note Air6 C is available now, while the Mini C and Palma 3 are coming soon. All devices will be available for purchase from Boox and Amazon.

• Boox Note Air6 C E Ink notebook — $579.99

• Boox Note Mini C E Ink notebook — $579.99

• Boox Palma 3 e-reader — $339.99

About the Boox Palma 3 e-reader The Boox Palma 3 now comes with an aluminum frame. Credit: Boox

While there's been lots of noise around Boox's tiny Picco e-reader, the brand already had a small e-reader. The Palma 3 is the next generation of Boox's palm-sized tablet. With access to the Google Play Store, the Palma 3 isn't quite distraction-free like a Kindle or Kobo. However, Boox embraces the "Quiet Tech" philosophy to make the Palma 3 a low-stimulation second screen.

The Palma 3 has a new design featuring an aluminum frame to replace the Palma 2's plastic frame. It also has a paper-textured fiberglass backplate. It comes with 128GB of storage and even has a camera with an LED flash that processes document scanning. It also has dual microphones so you can create voice memos and do speech-to-text.

The mini e-reader now comes with Boox InkSense Plus handwriting support, which can be utilized with an optional stylus.

The Boox Palma 3 comes with 6.13-inch screen with 300 ppi resolution with a dual-tone front light. It has an octa-core processor and is supported by 6GB of RAM. It will be available in both black and white.

It costs $339.99 and Boox says it will be released soon.

About the Note Air6 C and Note Mini C Boox announced two new color E Ink notebooks, the Air6 C and Mini C. Credit: Boox

In addition to the Palma 3 e-reader, Boox also dropped two new E Ink notebooks.

The Note Air6 C is a color E Ink notebook with upgraded firmware. Now, users can annotate two documents side by side and use enhanced Calendar Memo, a Lasso tool, and Talk Insights. It offers real-time transcription and AI document summary. Its high refresh technology also delivers 40 percent faster page turning.

It runs on a 10.3-inch Kaleido 3 color display, and the Boox Pen3 stylus is included. It also has an integrated keyboard folio so you can type in addition to hand write on the device. The device has a purple-tinted black finish and a magnetic folio in umber and graphite. It has a 300 ppi black and white resolution, 6GB RAM, and 64GB of storage. It costs $579.99 and is available for purchase now.

For a smaller, more portable notebook, there's the Note Mini C. This 8.52-inch notebook also has a Kaleido 3 E Ink display. It comes with a flat cover-lens glass and 300 ppi black and white resolution. With access to the Google Play Store, you can download all your work apps including Teams, Outlook, Slack, and OneDrive. It's just 6 millimeters thin and weighs 300 grams, as Boox designed it to be used one-handed.

It comes with a Boox InSight magnetic active stylus and an orange magnetic folio case. It costs $579.99 and will be available soon.

Looking for spoiler-free NYT Connections hints or just wondering why Connections is trending today? We've got what you need to understand the clues for today's puzzle without spoiling any of the answers.

Of course, Mashable has also provided daily hints and answers for Connections, Wordle, and Strands for years, so we can help you if that's also what you need.

While we are focused more on meanings than hints in this story, sometimes learning that many of the words have completely unrelated meanings is a clue in and of itself. Connections frequently includes clues that involve words within words and other visual clues.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for September 16, 2026 Latin meaning

The historical language of ancient Rome.

Long John Silver meaning

A fictional pirate and the main villain from the film "Treasure Island."

Marigold meaning

A yellow-orange flower that blooms in summer.

Steam iron meaning

A household appliance that uses a combination of heat, weight and moisture to smooth wrinkles in clothing.

Dimension meaning

The scope or magnitude of something.

Nickelodeon meaning

A coin-operated music player.

Pennywise meaning

The famous ficitonal clown from the movie "IT."

Quarterback meaning

An American football position, typically the leader and primary strategist.

Barrett meaning

A quarrelsome person.

Carlos meaning

A common male name with Spanish and Portuguese roots.

St. Vincent meaning

A person or thing that leads, directs or gives information to help find or understand something.

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Wadsworth meaning

A butler in the 80's film "Clue".

Borat meaning

A comedic fictional character played by Sacha Baron Cohen.

Clink meaning

A short, sharp ringing sound made by glass or metal objects hitting each other.

Frank-N-Furter meaning

A fictional cross-dressing scientist in "The Rocky Horror Show."

Widener meaning

A tool used to enlarge an existing hole.

Have you learned the meanings and still want the things? Check out the hints and answers for today's NYT Connections puzzle.

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

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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

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

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you're a science geek.

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.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for September 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: Periodic table

• Green: Spare change

• Blue: Writers

• Purple: Meaty eats

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

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Ending in metal elements

• Green: Starting with U.S. coins

• Blue: Poets' middle names

• Purple: Sausages plus a letter

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 #1192 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Ending in metal elements: LATIN, LOHN JOHN SILVER, MARIGOLD, STEAM IRON

• Starting with U.S. coins: DIMENSION, NICKELODEON, PENNYWISE, QUARTERBACK

• Poets' middle names: BARRETT, CARLOS, ST. VINCENT, WADSWORTH

• Sausages plus a letter: BORAT, CLINK, FRANK-N-FURTER, WIDENER

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

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

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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

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

Today's NYT Strands hints will be easy if you make heads turn.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for September 16, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Hard not to notice

The words are related to attention.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe ways to capture someone's attention.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

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NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Eye Catching.

NYT Strands word list for September 16

• Eyecatching

• Flashy

• Vivid

• Striking

• Vibrant

• Bright

• Jazzy

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for September 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 September 16, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Flimsy.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter W.

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...

WISPY

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

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

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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

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

Foldable phones are expensive, so I get why you would be nervous about breaking their flexible internal screen — especially after the horror stories that plagued the first-generation models. But as someone who has used folding phones for the past couple of years, I can tell you firsthand that those screens are more durable than you think.

If you need a display for a Raspberry Pi project, the obvious solution is to buy a dedicated accessory specifically designed to work with your single-board computer. For many projects, however, a used $25 Kindle can actually be a better choice.

How do you get from a chatbot that sometimes makes things up to a machine that humans might struggle to control?

There are several steps in that argument, and plenty of uncertainty. But an idea known as recursive self-improvement, or RSI, helps explain why some AI researchers are sounding increasingly urgent warnings.

The premise is straightforward. An AI helps build a more capable AI, which becomes better at building the next one. In simple terms, the systems get better at getting better.

It is easy to see the appeal. For scientists, doctors, engineers and business owners, increasingly capable AI could help accelerate drug discovery, design better batteries, improve manufacturing and develop software faster.

But that promise comes with an unsettling question: Could AI improve faster than humans can test it and make sure it is safe?

SEE ALSO: Anthropic's CEO urges the industry to slow down, and Sam Altman agrees

That concern is at the heart of an essay published on Sept. 12 by Dario Amodei, co-founder and chief executive of Anthropic, the company behind Claude. "We must slow the pace at which we improve the capabilities of AI models," he wrote. Referring to recursive self-improvement, he warned, "Left unchecked, it could outrun our ability to understand and control these systems, and so must be pursued very carefully, if at all."

His rivals were quick to respond, and concur. "I agree with Dario that we need to pace the frontier," OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman wrote on X. Elon Musk said, "Dario is right." Google DeepMind co-founder Demis Hassabis also backed the proposal’s direction, writing, "Dario’s essay points towards the right path forward."

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But all these testaments still leaves some big questions unanswered. What would slowing down actually involve? And how could AI’s ability to build better AI become dangerous? The answers start with what happens inside the self-improvement loop.

What does "self-improvement" actually mean?

Building an AI model involves more than writing code. Researchers choose training methods, prepare data, run experiments, and decide which results are worth pursuing.

AI can help with those tasks. Recursive self-improvement takes that a step further: An AI helps build a successor that is better at developing AI. That successor then helps build an even more capable version. In simple terms, the systems get better at getting better.

This would not necessarily look like a chatbot rewriting its own brain mid-conversation. It could happen across generations of models, each using research tools and computing resources to help develop the next.

Is AI already doing this?

Parts of the process are happening, but accessing a full "recursive" loop is a higher bar.

Anthropic's own website says its AI can already handle tasks such as rewriting training code to make it run faster and carrying out experiments that humans have chosen. The harder part for the AI is deciding what to investigate in the first place (which problems matter, which ideas are worth testing, etc.).

Humans still provide crucial direction, so this does not yet amount to AI independently developing a more capable successor. As the company puts it, "We are not there yet, and recursive self-improvement is not inevitable."

Other researchers, on the other hand, have demonstrated how a (though narrower) self-improvement loop can work. In 2025, researchers introduced the Darwin Gödel Machine, a coding agent that repeatedly modified its own software and tested the changes. Its success rate on one coding benchmark rose from 20 percent to 50 percent.

In this experiment, while improving the agent's certain tools/ways of working, the underlying AI model stayed the same. It is hard to ignore the question that is left: What happens when AI can build better versions of itself faster than humans can keep up?

"We are not there yet, and recursive self-improvement is not inevitable." - Anthropic So where does the danger come in?

The concern is that AI could become more capable without becoming more reliable or controllable. This is known as the "alignment" problem — ensuring systems follow human intentions and limits. An agent rewarded for improving a test score might instead cheat on the test. With broader access, it could bypass restrictions or conceal its actions to achieve its goal.

RSI could leave researchers less time to catch those failures before a more powerful successor arrives. Amodei warns in his essay that within six to 12 months, more capable AI agents could take over the internet through a "botnet" — a network of compromised computers — potentially causing hundreds of billions of dollars in damage.

But a runaway loop is not inevitable. Training requires computing resources, energy and time, and useful improvements may become harder to find. The risk depends on how quickly capabilities advance — and whether safeguards can keep up.

Why are researchers talking about it now?

Recent incidents have given researchers concrete reasons to question whether existing oversight is sufficient.

In August, independent evaluation organisation METR published an investigation into OpenAI agents that coordinated an unauthorised attack on Hugging Face. It described agents communicating through an unsanctioned message board, collaborating to manipulate an automated scorer and experimenting with ways to disguise their actions.

SEE ALSO: OpenAI agent went rogue, escaped, and hacked Hugging Face

The incident did not demonstrate recursive self-improvement. It showed that agents could pursue a task through actions their operators never authorised — the kind of failure that could become more consequential in stronger systems.

Addressing those failures is central to Amodei’s proposal. He calls for independent evaluators inside AI companies, more time for safety research and coordination between companies and governments. "The stakes are too high for pacing to be an empty exercise — we need to use the time it gives us wisely," he wrote.

The challenge is turning those commitments into safeguards that work, and verifying that companies follow them as competitive pressure grows.

Move over, Jack Reacher. It's Frances Neagley's turn to step into the spotlight. TheReacher television universe on Prime Video is set to expand with its first spin-off series, Neagley, with Maria Sten reprising her role as the titular character.

Most people buying a high-end monitor spend real time researching panel technology, refresh rates, and color accuracy, then plug it into the cable that came in the box without a second thought. That cable is usually a budget part from a generation or two ago, rated for a fraction of the bandwidth the display actually needs. That's the problem. You have to stop pretending that the cable is part of the whole package; it's more like a bonus when you pick the right monitor for your PC.