IT General

For many of us, having remote access to our smart homes over the internet is non-negotiable. But is this really necessary? And more to the point, is there anything to be gained from not doing so?

Linux Mint has a reputation for being the distro most enthusiasts recommend to Windows users who want to try Linux. After trying Pop!_OS for a week, my next project was using Linux Mint for work, entertainment, and everything in between. After two weeks of daily driving Mint, I now understand why everyone recommends it as a Windows replacement.

If you’re in the market for a new USB-C hub, then Anker’s Prime Docking Station is a solid choice. Out of all the docks I’ve tested, this has to be one of my favorites. Here’s everything that I love (and the two things I dislike) with Anker’s latest USB-C hub.

TL;DR: Live stream Zverev vs. Diallo in the 2026 Australian Open for free on 9Now. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The tennis season starts right here, with the 2026 Australian Open serving up two weeks of elite tennis action.

Among the top stars in the opening round is German 28-year-old, Alexander Zverev, the No. 3 seed. This match against Gabriel Diallo, an unseeded Canadian, should be akin to warming up for Zverev. But expect the German to come out swinging. He's yet to win a Grand Slam and fell to Jannik Sinner in last year's Australian Open final. He'll want to make 2026 his year.

That said, don't count out Diallo. Anything can happen and Grand Slam tournaments often throw up surprises in the early stages.

If you want to watch Zverev vs. Diallo in the 2026 Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

How to watch Zverev vs. Diallo for free

Zverev vs. Diallo in the 2026 Australian Open is available to live stream for free on 9Now.

9Now is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Australia, meaning you can unblock 9Now from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the 2026 Australian Open by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like 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 Australia

4. Visit 9Now

5. Watch the 2026 Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world

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The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading services do tend to offer incentive deals such as free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these deals, you can live stream Zverev vs. Diallo without actually spending anything. This isn't a long-term solution, but it gives you enough time to watch the Australian Open before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for 9Now?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live tennis on 9Now, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Australia

• 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 one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $59.88 and includes an extra three months for free — 69% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Zverev vs. Diallo in the 2026 Australian Open for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Egypt vs. Nigeria in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations for free on Channel 4. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations has been incredibly entertaining. We're sad that it's almost over, but we're grateful for the goals, passion, and drama.

The AFCON final is scheduled to take place on Jan. 18, with hosts Morocco taking on Senegal. Before we get to the showpiece event, Egypt face Nigeria in the third-place playoff. Neither side really wants to be here. Egypt and Nigeria came so close to making the final, but tournament football is defined by small margins. This game is just a consolation, but it still matters.

If you want to watch Egypt vs. Nigeria in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Egypt vs. Nigeria?

Egypt vs. Nigeria in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations kicks off at 11 a.m. ET on Jan. 17. This fixture takes place at the Mohammed V Stadium.

How to watch Egypt vs. Nigeria for free

Egypt vs. Nigeria in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is available to live stream for free on Channel 4.

Channel 4 is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock Channel 4 to stream AFCON for free from anywhere in the world.

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Live stream Egypt vs. Nigeria for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like 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 the UK

4. Visit Channel 4

5. Watch Egypt vs. Nigeria for free from anywhere in the world

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The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of AFCON without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Egypt vs. Nigeria (plus the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Channel 4?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Channel 4, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

• 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 $78.18 and includes an extra four months for free — 78% 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 money-back guarantee).

Watch Egypt vs. Nigeria in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations for free with ExpressVPN.

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

Burp.

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

BELCH

Hurdle Word 2 hint

A monster.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for January 17, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

BEAST

Hurdle Word 3 hint

An outdoor deck.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for January 17 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for January 17, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

PATIO

Hurdle Word 4 hint

To dodge.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

AVOID

Final Hurdle hint

Tired.

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

WEARY

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

It's almost the New Moon, which means we're approaching a night where none of the Moon will be lit up. You might think that's tonight, but believe it or not, there is a small sliver of light coming from it. Read on to find out just how much Moon is on display tonight.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Saturday, Jan. 17, the Moon phase is Waning Crescent. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 2% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.

As we're so close to the New Moon (the night where the Moon appears completely dark from Earth), visibility is too low to see anything.

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.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you love fun group activities.

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 17, 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: To smother

• Green: To fling

• Blue: Rearranged letters

• Purple: Played during childhood

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Spread over

• Green: Throw

• Blue: Anagrams

• Purple: First words of kids' games

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 #951 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Spread over: BLANKET, COAT, COVER, PLASTER

• Throw: CAST, HURL, PELT, SLING

• Anagrams: INKS, KINS, SINK, SKIN

• First words of kids' games: CAPTURE, HIDE, RED, SIMON

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 17, 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 don't like foul language.

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 17, 2026 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for January 17, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: That's putting it midly!

The words are related to disappointment.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe angry words.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Foiled Again.

NYT Strands word list for January 17

• Tarnation

• Phooey

• Curses

• Foiled Again

• Fiddlesticks

• Drat

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 can take the heat.

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 17, 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 17, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

In flames.

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 F.

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...

FIERY

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 17, 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.

Critics are raving about Nia DaCosta's 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, and a big part of why is the absolutely sensational climax, in which Ralph Fiennes channels his inner metal god to perform Iron Maiden's "The Number of the Beast" before an awed Jimmy Crystal (Jack O'Connell) and his remaining Fingers. 

Last year, O'Connell himself stunned audiences with a dizzying collision of horror and dance with Sinners, in which he played the singing, Irish-jigging vampire Remmick. With The Bone Temple, O'Connell counted himself lucky to witness three-time Academy Award nominee Ralph Fiennes transforming from the mild-mannered Dr. Ian Kelson into a fire-twirling Satan, rocking out to an epic song.

In Mashable's Say More episode with DaCosta and O'Connell, the English actor described his reaction watching Fiennes perform this on set as "mindblown," saying, "Here's this legend of the game, fully going for it." 

For more from Mashable's Say More interview, check out the full episode on YouTube.

How did the Iron Maiden dance number in The Bone Temple come together?  Credit: Sony Pictures

DaCosta reveals this devilish lip sync was in the Alex Garland screenplay, which as a whole made her eager to come on as director. However, reading this particular scene on the page, she thought, "Well, this could end my career. It's like, how do you make this work?"

Across 28 Years Later and The Bone Temple, Dr. Ian Kelson is a bit of an odd duck in the post-apocalypse. He lives in a bunker under a towering ossuary he's made of the bones of the dead. Between that and staining his skin an orangey-red with iodine, he's an intimidating figure at a distance — mistaken for Satan himself by Jimmy Ink (Erin Kellyman) and her sir, Lord Jimmy Crystal. But up close, he's a soft-spoken, educated man, eager to offer comfort and compassion however his skills and dwindling supply of drugs will allow. 

However, under threat of torture and death, the good doctor must masquerade as Satan himself to con the Fingers, as Jimmy demands. Cue Iron Maiden. 

Using the hand-crank record player he's had squirreled away in his bunker and a flurry of remarkable DIY theatrics, Kelson not only awes Jimmy and the Fingers — who admittedly have never seen a rock show of any sort — but also excites the theater audience. 

Both times I've seen Bone Temple (so far), once Kelson's performance concluded, the audience broke into applause and cheers of elation. But staring at the script, DaCosta was aware of how big a swing such a scene is. 

"I think at this point in my career, I've learned to just, like, trust the process and the collaborators," she said. "And that was, like, absolutely that. So Shelley Maxwell, my choreographer; Gareth [Pugh] and Carson [McColl], our costume and production designers; the special effects team; stunts; hair; makeup — like, everyone just came together. And once we [could] see what we want[ed] to do… It was just amazing. And then Ralph having to do that [performance] for hours and be basically naked."

She then deferred to O'Connell, asking, "There was one day where you guys just came at night to see the full thing, right?"

"Yeah," O'Connell concurred, adding, "It was a bit of a crescendo moment. All departments, set design, costumes, a big, big ring of fire and things. They are amazing moments anyway, them crescendo times. But for me, it was very hallucinogenic." 

DaCosta shared his affection for this time on set, declaring, "It was just so insane. It was so fun." She cheered her production team for their detail-oriented work, saying that in the end, they had so much they could "only do the very best ideas." The director added, "I had the best collaborators. Then Ralph killed it. And then the way that Jack and the other Jimmies responded to it was just so — because [their] response is really what the scenes about — like, what he's doing is amazing, but it's really about how these Jimmies are seeing this person." 

For DaCosta, whatever doubts she had looking at the script for the first time were allayed once she saw the first rough cut of Fiennes' dance footage. "On the [shoot] day, I was like, 'That's amazing," she recalled, adding, "When [editor Jake Roberts] sent me that [scene], while we were still shooting, I was like, 'All right, thank God. We're good."

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

When 28 Years Later hit theaters last summer, audiences were awed not only by Danny Boyle's blistering new vision of zombie horror, but also by the curious introduction of Jimmy Crystal. 

Played by Sinners' Jack O'Connell, Jimmy instantly captivated audiences, who were ravenous to see more of him in the 28 Years Later direct sequel The Bone Temple. But can you handle what director Nia DaCosta has in store as she takes the reins for the second film in this emerging trilogy? 

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

Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko welcomed O'Connell and DaCosta to our Say More couch to dig into all things Bone Temple. When it came to Jimmy Crystal, the pair shared how they made sense of the madman whose biggest influences are The Teletubbies, Jimmy Savile, and his horrific childhood trauma. 

Bone Temple's Jimmy was shaped by tragedy and TV.  Credit: Sony Pictures

Jimmy bookends 28 Years Later, beginning as a boy fleeing his family's home — which is under attack by the infected — seeking sanctuary in the nearby church where his father is a vicar. But before you can say "Amen," Jimmy's father gives himself over the infected horde while preaching it’s what God wanted.

This harrowing intro leaves Jimmy alone and terrified, cradled around the cross necklace his father has just given him. Then Alex Garland's screenplay winds into the coming-of-age story of a young boy named Spike (Alfie Williams), who is on his own 28 years after we see Jimmy in the opener. The two cross paths in the film's bonkers finale, where Spike is being chased by the infected only to be rescued by Jimmy and his fighting "Fingers," a youth gang of seven who all dress like their "lord." 

SEE ALSO: Nia DaCosta and Jack O'Connell dive into '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple'

At the time of 28 Years Later's release, Mashable covered how the costumes and sound effects of this zombie-slaying sequence mirrored the Teletubbies show that played on the TV as young Jimmy's sisters were slain. We also noted how Jimmy's blond Lancelot haircut and favoring of tracksuits with gaudy gold chains echoed the look of British TV personality Jimmy Savile, who would later be outed as a serial child predator. 

Where audience members might have seen these Savile signatures as a warning that Jimmy might not be trustworthy, we speculated that Jimmy wouldn't know that's the signal he's dropping, because he wouldn't have known the horrible truth about Savile. 

DaCosta confirmed our suspicions. "He perverts a lot of things," she said of Jimmy, but noted that in the world of 28 Years Later and Bone Temple, "Culture ended in 2001." Notably, Savile wasn't publicly exposed as a sexual predator until after his death in 2011. So, to Jimmy, Savile was worth admiring, just as he admires the Teletubbies. And his fixation on these elements of 2001 culture extend to his Fingers, like Jimmima (Emma Laird), who dutifully performs the "Dipsy dance" from Teletubbies while wearing jelly sandals and carrying a long-dead Tamagotchi. 

O'Connell said he could relate to Jimmy on this level, saying, "I was finding myself quite enthusiastic, because I was nostalgic about that period anyway." 

Beyond that, O'Connell spoke of how Jimmy has "deep-seated trauma based on seeing his family get mauled to death in front of his very eyes." Yet O'Connell was pleased that Garland's script and DaCosta's vision didn't let Jimmy off the hook for the violence he enacts because of his trauma. Instead, it gave him a foil in Dr. Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes). "What I love — also — about the film is we see Jimmy's unfettered depravity," he said, "with Dr. Kelson, with his advancements in medicine and the inquisitive mind, wanting to know what it was about the infected — and if it is curable. You have these two plots unfolding simultaneously and then they meet… You've got ultimate darkness meeting hope." 

Nia DaCosta digs into the twisted faith of Jimmy Crystal.  Credit: Miya Mizuno / Sony

Some of the most ghoulish moments in Bone Temple are not when the infected attack, but when Jimmy and his Fingers do. Invading a farmhouse, they take four people captive, and then give them "charity" — a term Jimmy has twisted to mean torture, like flaying the skin from their torsos. When he's not giggling over violence or recounting Teletubbies episodes to his amused apostles, he's twisting his own story into one where he is Satan's son, Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal, born to raise hell. 

"Jimmy corrupts everything," DaCosta said, "Even with, like, the Teletubbies, he calls them the 'Teletummies.' It's also about how he remembers a thing. His entire dogma is built around this misremembered death of his father. You know, like, 'Oh yeah, my dad is Satan, because he thinks that's what he saw [when his dad was mobbed by the infected in the church]." 

Speaking to when Jimmy preaches, the director said, "Those scenes in particular were so fun, because for me, that's when, when reading the script, I thought, 'OK, I know this character now.'" 

Nia DaCosta reveals what Jimmy and Samson have in common.  Credit: Miya Mizuno / Sony

When shooting scenes involving Jimmy's dark dogma and its violent rituals, DaCosta had a clear vision of how it would look. "It was really important to me to hold on to like, we're gonna sit on these actors and watch them," she explained, "Because this is when we as an audience get to see the person that he is, not just the monster. Because every monster has a person in there, which is also sort of like the infected." 

She added that Jimmy had a commonality with the infected Alpha, Samson, saying, "It's like they're infected — they're not actually monsters. They're sick. So, that was just super important to me." 

Tying this back to Jimmy and Kelson, the Satanist tyrant and the "atheist doctor," DaCosta said, "It is really beautiful to watch Kelson tease out — sort of like in a psych eval — 'So you talk to your dad in your head?' But also you realize, like, Jimmy actually did think he might see his dad [at the Bone Temple], and he's lonely, you know? You kind of feel that in the scene," she concluded, turning to O'Connell to add, "I thought you played that beautifully."

How's that.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple opens in theaters Jan. 16.

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For many parents, screen time can feel like a constant balancing act. You want something engaging for your child — but not loud, addictive, or filled with ads. That’s exactly the space Pok Pok was designed to fill.

Pok Pok is a Montessori-inspired app created for children ages 2–8, offering a digital playroom full of open-ended games that encourage creativity, problem-solving, and independent exploration. There are no levels to beat, no points to rack up, and no overstimulating sounds competing for attention.

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Instead, kids learn through curiosity, cause and effect, and imaginative play at their own pace.

Inspired by the Montessori philosophy developed by Dr. Maria Montessori, Pok Pok focuses on hands-on discovery and self-directed learning. Each “toy” inside the app supports foundational skills like early STEM thinking, numbers, spatial awareness, language development, and emotional growth without feeling like a lesson.

The experience is intentionally calm. All artwork, animations, sounds, and music are hand-crafted in-house to create a peaceful environment that doesn’t overwhelm young minds. Pok Pok is also completely ad-free and offline-friendly.

Kids can explore themed worlds like space, dinosaurs, puzzles, dress-up, music, and islands, with new content added regularly. One subscription works across all family devices, and everything is intuitive enough for even toddlers to navigate independently, though many kids love exploring alongside a caregiver.

A Pok Pok Lifetime Subscription is available for $59.99 (reg. $250) for a limited time.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: If you’re tired of time-wasting language apps, Babbel’s lifetime plan is just $129.99 (reg. $646.20) thanks to the StackSocial code LEARN.

Opens in a new window Credit: Babbel Babbel Language Learning: Lifetime Subscription (All Languages) $129.99
$646.20 Save $516.21   Get Deal

If you’ve bounced between language-learning apps before, you already know how easy it is to spend time without actually building confidence. Babbel takes a more practical, adult-focused approach — one that prioritizes real conversation over endless tapping and guessing.

Babbel works across desktop and mobile, with progress synced automatically, so you can learn wherever it makes sense. Lessons can also be downloaded for offline use, making it easy to practice on a commute, while traveling, or anytime WiFi isn’t available.

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With access to 14 languages and more than 10,000 hours of learning content, the platform is designed for long-term progress, not quick wins. Each language course is broken into 10- to 15-minute lessons built around situations people actually encounter — ordering food, navigating transportation, handling everyday conversations, or communicating in professional settings.

The curriculum was developed by over 100 expert linguists and informed by academic researchers from institutions such as Yale University.

Babbel also includes speech recognition technology to help fine-tune pronunciation and an AI-powered conversation partner that encourages learners to respond naturally in real time. Personalized review sessions reinforce what you’ve learned, so progress feels steady and measurable.

For anyone serious about learning a language — and actually using it — Babbel offers a thoughtful, proven path to fluency.

StackSocial is offering a Babbel Lifetime Language Learning subscription with access to all 14 languages for $129.99 (reg. $646.20) when you use code LEARN for a limited time.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Creating automations in Home Assistant can be a long and time-consuming process. You don't have to reinvent the wheel, however. There are some useful blueprints that you can use to create complex automations in next to no time.

The pressure is mounting on social media companies to enforce their rules and protect children on the platforms. Australia recently instituted a ban on children under the age of 16 from social media platforms. Gaming platforms like Roblox are now using facial recognition technology to prevent kids from interacting with adults in chats.

And now TikTok, the social media platform well known for its popularity with young people, will be rolling out its own age verification system in Europe to detect underage users on its site, according to a Reuters report.

TikTok's age-detection system analyzes a user's profile information, published videos, and behavioral signs to estimate if a user is under the age of 13. Per TikTok policy, users must be at least 13 to sign up for the platform. Once the age detect system flags an account, the user will be reviewed by specialist moderators. User accounts will not be banned automatically.

TikTok told Reuters the age-detection system will be rolled out across Europe in the coming weeks after testing the program in Britain for the past year. The system was specifically designed to comply with European regulatory requirements.

EU regulators have been pushing for social media platforms to act on child safety issues, including ensuring users are of the minimum age required for a platform. The European Parliament is looking into potentially instituting a social media ban similar to the one in Australia for children under the age of 15.

As Mashable covered earlier this week, some online platforms are discovering the difficulties with online age verification. Roblox users, for example, have been uncovering simple workarounds to the platform's age verification, which involved simply uploading animated avatars or even drawing facial hair on their image with a Sharpie.

TikTok's method is bound to pick up some false positives on users who are over 13 but mistakenly get flagged or even removed for being underage. We'll have to see just how accurate it is, and how many disgruntled users it leaves in its path once it rolls out more broadly.

Another weekend arrives, and lucky for us, so does another opportunity for a cozy binge with some of the best shows Amazon Prime Video has to offer—two of which I’ve seen and did not regret watching. My top recommendation, though, is the first thing I’ll be diving into this weekend, right along with you. It’s hard for voracious consumers like me to avoid shows that boast a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score.

I’m tired of trying to plug my printer in and failing multiple times because of the archaic USB-B connector on it. That connector is 30 years old, and it’s time to ditch it. Arduino did, even on its lowest-cost microcontrollers. If Arduino can embrace USB-C, so can printer manufacturers.

Storage prices have been steadily climbing over the past few months, with no slowdown in sight, while files keep getting bigger. Windows doesn’t always make it easy to manage your drive, and before you buy more of that expensive storage space, there’s an easier solution.

The 2026 K4 Hatchback takes everything Kia learned from the K4 Sedan and wraps it in a tighter, more playful shape. After seeing it in the flesh at the 2026 Detroit Auto Show, it’s clear this five-door was built with Civic shoppers in mind.