IT General

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

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 23, 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 23, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Onward.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

No, 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 F.

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...

FORTH

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.

Los Santos has a new way to get you in trouble, and you don’t even have to commit a crime.

A new Grand Theft Auto V mod from artist Morry Kolman, who goes by WTTDOTM online, installs 235 virtual Flock license plate reader cameras around the game’s fictional city. Called Grand Theft Automated License Plate Reader, or GTALPR, it brings an extra layer of surveillance to your next drive. And because this is GTA, you can destroy the cameras and collect in-game cash from their wreckage.

But the opportunity to blow them up is only part of the point. Kolman wants players to feel what happens when a familiar environment becomes a place where they’re constantly being watched.

"I’m an artist, and much of my practice is based around giving people interesting and engaging ways to learn about the technological and political world around them," Kolman told Mashable. "GTALPR is very much in that vein." For Kolman, a game modeled on an American city, and familiar to millions of players, offered a way to make surveillance tangible.

"Suddenly, you're always watched," he added. "With the simple addition of some cameras, the entire environment gains a new passive layer of hostility."

Bringing Flock’s camera network to Los Santos

In the real world, Flock’s automated license plate readers capture vehicle images and enable police to search for vehicles and receive alerts about those on watchlists. Flock pitches the technology as a way to help law enforcement locate wanted vehicles. Civil liberties groups, including the ACLU, argue that these networks enable mass surveillance of people going about their everyday lives.

Kolman’s virtual version draws directly from the geography of the real network. "I chose 235 for the number of cameras to use in GTALPR because it is 1/10th the amount of Flock cameras currently in LA County, and Los Santos is about 1/10th its real counterparts size," he told Mashable.

His project page identifies the community mapping project DeFlock as the source for the camera count. The placements aren’t random, either. Kolman built himself a tool to compare the real and fictional maps, then used it to place cameras in corresponding locations. "The closest comparison is probably the area around Santa Monica Pier vs. Del Perro Pier," he said.

Credit: Morry Kolman

The result brings a real-world surveillance footprint into a place players may already know street by street.

One of the mod’s most pointed feature kicks in when players haven’t committed a crime. Each time a player passes through a camera’s field of view, there’s a 1-in-20 chance it will trigger an unprovoked police chase to "represent this pattern of false reports, and show that living with this surveillance is not a matter of 'having nothing to hide'... it is simply a matter of 'when will it happen to you,'" Kolman described.

Why bring the surveillance state to GTA?

His broader argument is that avoiding wrongdoing doesn’t eliminate the risks of being surveilled. He described the mechanic as a challenge to the familiar reassurance that people with "nothing to hide" have nothing to worry about.

Players can also dismantle the virtual network. Destroy a camera and collect its remains, and the mod awards $600 in game currency. The reward price is based on the estimated value of the parts inside a real Flock camera, after the group Eyes Off Cedar Rapids took one apart to examine its hardware.

There’s also built-in speedrun tracking for destroying the cameras, plus an option to render and save the images they capture — including pictures of players destroying them.

It’s an absurd addition to a game already full of opportunities for mayhem, but a fitting one in a country where Flock cameras have made everyday drives part of a searchable surveillance network.

As Kolman puts it, "I put Flock cameras in GTA V as a way to highlight and make tangible the pervasive intrusion of Flock and other ALPR cameras into daily American life via a game that is based on an American city and that millions of my fellow citizens are intimately familiar with."

The mod and its installation instructions are available through Kolman’s website.

ESP32 boards are incredibly cheap, and you can buy basic sensors to make them even more useful for just a few dollars. This means you can use an ESP32 to build projects that will save you more money than you spend on the hardware, effectively paying for themselves. Some of these projects are easy to set up, even for beginners.

Folding phones have been around for the better part of a decade, and there have been several truisms about them that, it turns out, aren’t true at all. The Motorola Razr Fold I’m writing these words on has upended several folding phone myths that I, like everyone else, used to believe.

My kids have gotten a little obsessed with Tamagotchis recently, so my home is full of the sound of incessant beeping. Seeing them look after their cute little electronic creatures made me wonder if I could build my own Tamagotchi to stop me sitting for too long at a time.

The best early October Prime Day laptop deals (for now): Best MacBook deal Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $1,449 at Amazon (save $150) Get Deal Best Windows laptop deal MSI Prestige 16 AI+ (Intel Core Ultra X7 358H, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $1,399 at Costco (save $400) Get Deal Best gaming laptop deal Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (AMD Ryzen 9 270, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $1,649.99 at Best Buy (save $650) Get Deal

No pressure, Amazon, but I have high hopes for Prime Big Deal Days. The retailer's upcoming "October Prime Day" sale (set for Oct. 6 and 7) will be an opportunity to get the ball rolling on holiday tech deals that erase the steep price hikes we've seen so far this year amid the ongoing memory crisis. Laptops have been hit especially hard: Many of the models I've tested in the past nine months have gotten anywhere from $100 to $950 more expensive due to increased component costs.

In the weeks leading up to the sale, I'm not seeing a ton of noteworthy laptop deals on Amazon just yet (aside from some so-so MacBook discounts). Most of them involve no-name brands and third-party sellers that you should avoid. Fortunately, other retailers like Best Buy and Walmart are picking up the slack with savings of up to $900 on top Windows laptops and gaming PCs.

Below, I'm keeping a running list of the best early October Prime Day laptop deals I can find across the web. They'll probably get even better once the sale actually starts, but if you need to upgrade sooner rather than later, you've got a bunch of options already.

Best MacBook deal (for now) Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $1,449 at Amazon
$1,599 Save $150   Get Deal

The M5 MacBook Air is a fabulous all-rounder with incredibly fast performance, a premium haptic touchpad, a vibrant display, and a polished design. I like the 13-inch size for college students, in particular, because it's slightly cheaper and more portable than its 15-inch sibling. This upgraded model with 1TB of storage is $150 off on Amazon ahead of Prime Day. I think it could see a $200 discount once Prime Big Deal Days starts, based on its predecessor's pricing history, but this is still a solid deal in the age of RAMageddon. (If you need more memory, a 24GB RAM/1TB model is also $150 off right now.)

Read Mashable's full review of the Apple MacBook Air (M5).

More MacBook deals

• Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $689 $699 (save $10)

• Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,727 $1,799 (save $72)

• Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,849 $1,999 (save $150)

• Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M5 Pro, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $2,759 $2,999 (save $240)

Best Windows laptop deal (for now) Opens in a new window Credit: MSI MSI Prestige 16 AI+ (Intel Core Ultra X7 358H, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $1,399.99 at Costco (no membership required)
$1,799.99 Save $400   Get Deal

Truth be told, this 16-inch MSI laptop is a great deal even at full price. It has a super sharp (2.8K) OLED touchscreen, a healthy 32GB of RAM, and a beefy Intel Core Ultra X7 358H processor with Intel Arc B390 graphics. The latter is an iGPU that performs on par with an entry-level dedicated GPU, meaning you can play AAA games on this thing. It's of average weight for a 16-inch PC, but it's exceptionally sleek for its size (more than a 10th of an inch thinner than a 16-inch MacBook Pro). Costco's $400 discount on it brings it to the lowest price I've ever seen, and better yet, it's not restricted to Costco members.

More Windows laptop deals

• HP OmniBook 3 16 (Snapdragon X, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $699.99 $1,149.99 (save $450)

• HP OmniBook X 14 (Snapdragon X Plus, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $799.99 $1,099.99 (save $300)

• Acer Swift 16 AI (Intel Core Ultra X7 358H, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $999.99 $1,549.99 (save $550)

• LG gram Max 17 (Intel Core Ultra 7 355, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $999.99 $1,749.99 (save $750)

• Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 16 (Intel Core Ultra 7 355, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,099.99 $1,649.99 (save $550)

• Samsung Galaxy Book6 Pro (Intel Core Ultra 7 365H, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,199.99 $1,799.99 (save $600)

• Microsoft Surface Laptop, 13.8-inch (Snapdragon X2 Plus, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,399.99 $1,599.99 (save $200)

• Asus Zenbook A16 (Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme, 48GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,499.99 $1,899.99 (save $400)

Best gaming laptop deal (for now) Opens in a new window Credit: Asus Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (AMD Ryzen 9 270, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $1,649.99 at Best Buy
$2,299.99 Save $650.00   Get Deal

The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is renowned for its sleek, portable design and pretty, bright 2.8K OLED display. Our former tech editor called it "the MacBook Pro of gaming laptops." (It weighs slightly less than a 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro and is only 0.02 inches thicker.) This configuration with a high-end AMD CPU from early 2025 and RTX 5060 graphics is $650 off at Best Buy right now. It's the cheapest OLED gaming I could find ahead of Prime Big Deal Days.

More gaming laptop deals

• Alienware 15 (Intel Core 7 240H, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $999.99 $1,599.99 (save $600)

• Alienware Aurora 16 (Intel Core 7 240H, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5050, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,099 $1,639.99 (save $540.99)

• Acer Nitro V 16 (Intel Core 7 240H, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,149.99 $1,629.99 (save $480)

• HyperX Omen 15 (AMD Ryzen 7 8745HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,249 $1,899 (save $650)

• Asus ROG Strix G16 (AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,599 $1,999.99 (save $400.99)

• Asus ROG Strix G18 (AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,849 $2,699.99 (save $850.99)

• Lenovo Legion Pro 5i 16 (Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,999.99 $2,649.99 (save $550)

• Alienware 16X Aurora (Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,999.99 $2,899.99 (save $900)

• Asus ROG Flow Z13 (AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395, 64GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $2,299.99 $2,999.99 (save $700)

• Asus ROG Strix G16 (AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $2,499 $2,999.99 (save $500.99)

• Acer Predator Neo 16 (Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $2,599.99 $3,199.99 (save $600)

• Lenovo Legion 7a 16 (AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $2,749.99 $3,549.99 (save $800)

The 2026 Primetime Emmys showcased the best television shows from the past calendar year. This year's ceremony followed a recent trend of several shows dominating the acting categories before taking home one of the major series awards. In fact, several shows made history with their wins.

External HDDs have their merits. Slower than SSDs, they make great backup targets (especially if you don't leave them on 24/7). They also feel a lot sturdier than an SSD, what with their massive size, at least by comparison. And in many ways, they are pretty durable, but no piece of electronics is immortal.

SAVE $60: As of Sept. 22, the Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 portable power station is down to $499 at Amazon. That's an 11% discount, bringing this upgraded 1070Wh generator under the $500 mark.

Opens in a new window Credit: Jackery Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 Portable Power Station $499 at Amazon
$559 Save $60   Get Deal

When it comes to portable power stations, Jackery is pretty much the brand everyone recognizes. Their bright orange-and-black boxes are practically mandatory gear at campsites, but their original mid-tier models used to take hours to recharge and lacked the punch needed for bigger gear. The upgraded Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 solves most of those old pain points, and as of Sept. 22, it's on sale on Amazon for $499 (down from $559).

The biggest upgrade in the v2 is how quickly it returns to full strength. Using the companion app, you can toggle on an emergency fast-charge mode that juices the entire 1,070Wh battery from dead to 100% in just one hour. By default, it charges in a slightly slower 1.7 hours to protect the battery over time, but having an ultra-fast option when you need to pack up in a hurry is a huge win.

SEE ALSO: Prime Day deals on power stations are already live: Shop the best deals on Jackery, Anker, Bluetti, and more

The unit delivers 1,500W of continuous output with a 3,000W peak surge. That means it can comfortably handle power-hungry gear like portable AC units, tailgating fridges, microwave ovens, or power tools without tripping a fuse. At 23.8 pounds with a foldable handle, it remains surprisingly easy to lug around compared to chunkier 1kWh competitors.

It also upgrades to long-lasting LiFePO4 battery cells, which last over 4,000 charge cycles — giving it a solid decade of regular use before losing noticeable capacity. Rounding out the setup are six outlets in total, including a fast 100W USB-C port for laptops, three standard AC wall plugs, and a quiet 30dB overnight mode so the fan won't keep you awake in a tent.

If you've been waiting to grab a reliable Jackery setup, snag the Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 while it’s sitting under $500.

The best deals this week, hand-picked by our shopping experts

• Apple iPhone 18 Pro — free at T-Mobile 

• Paramount+ — $0.99 for 2 months with code p2mcs26prem

• Apple AirPods Pro 3 — $199 $249 (save $50)

• Apple iPad 11-inch — $399 $449 (save $50)

• TCL 85-Inch Class QM8L Series TV — $2,497.99 $3,999.99 (save $1,502)

Back in May, the FBI warned the public about a "cyber criminal group" that steals sensitive data and uses it to extort victims. It appears the FBI is its latest target.

The group, known as ShinyHunters, claims it has stolen personal information on FBI employees and job applicants, according to multiple reports published Sept. 22. The alleged stolen data includes names, home addresses, phone numbers, and details about some employees’ spouses, 404 Media reported. ShinyHunters' stated demand to the FBI? Take back the warning. The group also reportedly defaced an FBI recruitment website with a message mimicking a law enforcement seizure notice.

The FBI Jobs website Credit: Screenshot/Chance Townsend

ShinyHunters also supplied 404 Media with a sample purportedly containing personal information on 5,000 FBI employees, including home addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, and, in some cases, details about their spouses. Using OSINT Industries, an open-source intelligence tool, the outlet found that some phone numbers corresponded to the names listed alongside them. A separate check using Darkside, a tool for searching previously compromised data, linked some numbers to Department of Justice personnel.

"The FBI is aware of claims regarding unauthorized activity affecting FBIjobs.gov and is currently investigating," the agency told PCMag.

While the scope remains unclear, the group has been explicit about what it says it wants.

"This is NOT financially motivated," a spokesperson told The Register. "We want the FBI to correct or retract their statements they made, which included substantial false allegations."

The grievance dates back to a May 15 FBI advisory, published after an attack on a learning management platform disrupted educational institutions. The bureau warned that attackers use "real or exaggerated claims of access to sensitive or personal information" to pressure victims into paying. It also said ShinyHunters uses "harassment strategies," including threatening calls and messages to victims and their families, and, in some cases, swatting — or making false emergency reports to send armed police to a victim's home.

FBI public service announcement Credit: Screenshot

ShinyHunters disputes that description. "We are willing to allow you a time of 1 week to correct or simply REMOVE the 2026 Quarter 2 FLASH report on us that includes several FALSE allegations," the group wrote in a message to FBI Director Kash Patel and the agency’s assistant director for the cyber division, Brett Leatherman (as per quoted by PCMag). "We wish to state unequivocally [that] our threats and claims are very real. Not exaggerated and never a bluff. This PSA today is living evidence of that."

As for how it supposedly got in, ShinyHunters points to the FBI’s job application website. The group told The Register that it exploited a zero-day vulnerability — a previously unknown security flaw — in Oracle PeopleSoft software. It claims the flaw allowed it to run commands on the servers without first logging in.

From there, the group says it reached FBI-managed servers hosted on AWS GovCloud and downloaded between two and three terabytes of data. It also named human resources, MedLink, and Criminal Justice Information Services among the allegedly compromised services.

Those technical claims remain unverified, though. In an analysis of The Register’s reporting, cybersecurity firm CyPro noted that the account lacked details needed to assess the alleged vulnerability. "ShinyHunters did not publicly identify a vulnerability reference, PeopleSoft component, exploit request, affected configuration or product version," the firm wrote. The reporting also did not establish how the attackers allegedly moved from the recruitment website into other systems.

Still, this wouldn’t be the group’s first attack involving PeopleSoft. In June, Google’s threat intelligence researchers documented a ShinyHunters campaign exploiting a vulnerability in the software, with educational institutions among its targets. And on Sept. 18, ShinyHunters hijacked the Cl0p ransomware gang’s leak website and demanded an eight-figure payment. That incident also featured a similar mock seizure notice.

ShinyHunters' data leak site Credit: BleepingComputer

For anyone whose information is in the alleged haul, the stakes go well beyond the group’s feud with the FBI. Home addresses, phone numbers, and family details could give scammers, harassers, or foreign intelligence services a way to reach not only employees, but the people closest to them. Even applicants who never got the job could be exposed.

The bureau has already faced a separate, highly personal breach this year. In March, Iran-linked hackers accessed FBI Director Kash Patel’s personal email and published photographs and documents. The FBI said the material was historical and contained no government information.

For now, ShinyHunters has made its demand clear. But for anyone caught up in the alleged breach, the more pressing questions are personal: Does the group have my information, and what will it do with it? Time will tell.

Google Photos is the default way to back up photos for more than a billion people around the world, and the service works so well that many of us never even think about switching to something else. But if you care about your privacy and would like to share as little of your personal data with Google as possible, backing up your photos to Google Photos becomes a liability.

While AI true believers worry about doom-and-gloom scenarios of AI destroying the world, some major financial institutions are sounding the alarm over a more grounded AI-related concern: scams.

On Tuesday, a consortium of big global banks put out a "principles paper" detailing their apprehensions regarding AI assistants as it relates to commerce. It also details principles that they would like to see followed as AI companies develop and continue to work on the technology.

Namely, the banks are concerned that AI agents empowered to act on behalf of customers will lose money to scams and fraud and, in turn, hurt merchants.

"As highly regulated financial entities, we are focused on managing risk effectively as emerging technologies arise," reads the opening of the paper. "Consumers are unclear if AI agents will act in their interests."

"They are concerned that AI agents may buy the wrong thing or spend too much – or even worse, lose their money to scams and fraud,"  the paper continues. "They are not sure whether they will be protected or who they ​will need to go ​to if things ⁠go wrong."

The paper, called Building Trust in Agentic Commerce, was published by Bank of America, Capital One, ASB Bank, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, ING Group, and NatWest Group.

Agentic commerce introduces new safety risks, with potential for higher rates of scams, fraud and disputes. There may be mismatched expectations between consumers, AI agents and merchants on what product or service should be provided, or when and how, or who would be liable if an AI agent exceeds its authority. Some providers may engage in unsafe practices, including requesting consumer card details and entering them directly into websites, prioritizing payment methods with lower protections, and not complying with payment processing standards and payment scheme rules. Malicious actors may attempt new attack vectors for scams and fraud, including compromising or impersonating AI agents and merchants, and engaging in new forms of social engineering.

The groups also voiced their concern for merchants and business owners, as the rise of AI shopping chatbots can likely lead to an uptick in credit card disputes and chargebacks due to the actions of the AI agent.

The paper outlines five principles — Transparency, Safety, Privacy & Data, Choice, and Interoperability — which the banks would like to see the AI industry follow.

For example, the financial institutions believe that the AI companies should prioritize consumer and merchant safety and consent when it comes to users' data and privacy. The banks would also like the AI companies to respect consumers' choices in the market without locking them in with restrictions.

The paper's release date certainly had interesting timing. It was released within 24 hours of the reported discovery of a serious zero-day vulnerability within Meta's Muse agentic AI assistant. The paper was also dropped within hours of Amazon's announcement that the e-commerce giant would be blocking Muse from making purchases on its platform.

Spam calls are one of those annoyances that can quickly turn from a minor inconvenience into a daily problem. A single unwanted call is easy enough to ignore, but when robocalls, sales pitches, and potential scams start interrupting you throughout the day, constantly checking your phone becomes exhausting. Installing a third-party app might seem like the obvious solution, but you may not need one at all.

Not to be outdone by Anthropic, OpenAI is launching a couple of new ChatGPT models on Tuesday.

Mere hours after the launch of Claude Opus 5.5, GPT-6 Sol and Luna became available to users, per an OpenAI blog post. These new models are said to provide better accuracy at a more cost-efficient value than prior models. They can also be thought of as less-intensive versions of GPT-6 Astra, which launched earlier in September. OpenAI says Sol and Luna are better for work at different scales than what you might use Astra for.

"We trained GPT‑6 Sol and Luna with similar methods as GPT‑6 Astra, bringing the advances behind Astra’s state-of-the-art performance in professional work, factuality, coding, computer use, and alignment to faster, more affordable models," OpenAI's blog post said.

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If you want to try these new models right now, they're available in Work and Codex for Plus, Pro, Enterprise, Business, and Edu customers. Go and Free users can access Luna in the ChatGPT desktop app, but be warned: neither model is available in basic Chat just yet. Here are the prices for the new models, per 1 million tokens:

• GPT-6 Sol: $2 input, $10 output

• GPT-6 Luna: $0.10 input, $0.50 output

Those prices represent a 50 percent decrease in cost compared to GPT 5.6 Sol and Luna. Meanwhile, OpenAI says GPT-6 Sol and Luna outperform those older models to the tune of making half as many factual errors as before. It's worth noting that the 5.6 variants launched just a few months ago, so that means (if OpenAI is telling the truth) the company was able to cut down on errors by half in just one financial quarter.

If you want hard numbers to back that up, OpenAI says GPT-6 Luna beat the 5.6. release by 5.4 percent, using AutomationBench as a measuring stick, and it did so while costing 58 percent less per task. There are a handful of other benchmarks used in the blog post, and the new GPT-6 models come away looking better than their predecessors in all of them, naturally.

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

Ubuntu got me through a decade of Linux use, but I've come to realize that there's a better way — not just for me, but for most non-hardcore Linux users. Immutable distros might just be your choice.

Waymo just announced a new transit rewards program that incentivizes pairing robotaxi rides with public transit.

The transit rewards program is now available to Waymo employees in the San Francisco Bay Area, but it will open to the Bay Area public in a few weeks, according to the Google-owned autonomous rideshare company.

The program requires a Visa credit or debit tap-to-pay card (rival credit card Mastercard already offers transit incentives on most major U.S. systems, many of which already offer tap-to-pay in lieu of transit cards or tokens).

"To participate, riders will link their Visa card in the Waymo app," according to a statement from Waymo. "When riders in the SF Bay Area use their Visa card to take a Waymo trip and public transit within 2 hours of each other, we will automatically issue $2.85 in Waymo Cash, which is the cost of a bus fare in San Francisco." The Waymo Cash is loaded into the app and can be used for future robotaxi rides.

Over two dozen San Francisco Bay Area transit agencies are participating in Waymo's rewards program, according to the company.

In announcing the rewards, Waymo also stated the company is leasing 40 parking spots at stations within the Caltrain commuter system, which covers a wide swath of the Bay Area. Waymo vehicles will occupy the parking spots and be available to take riders from train stations to their destinations.

SEE ALSO: How California's high-speed rail is already helping the planet

Waymo says that half of its riders in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and Phoenix already use transit, and the program will encourage more ridership on buses and trains.

The new rewards program received the blessing of state transportation officials and San José Mayor Matt Mahan.

"San José has always believed innovation should make everyday life work better," Mahan said in a statement. "This partnership does exactly that by using new technology to strengthen public transit, not replace it, making regional travel more seamless and giving people more ways to get where they need to go."

Motorola is better known for its Razr foldables than its conventional flagship phones, particularly in the U.S. — it skipped the country entirely this year with the first-generation Signature. However, that's changing with the debut of its latest high-end Android phone, the Signature 27.

X has introduced a new way for users to be contacted on its messaging service without sharing a phone number or following each other. The company launched X Numbers on Tuesday, giving XChat users a private code they can share with people who need to message or call them without a mutual follow.

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According to X's Help Center, anyone who enters a user's enabled X Number can message them even if the user doesn't follow them or has a closed inbox. Those conversations go straight to the inbox instead of message requests, and the sender can also place calls, depending on the recipient's call settings.

Despite its name, X says an X Number isn't a phone number. It's also separate from the safety numbers Chat uses to verify identities in encrypted conversations.

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk's SpacexAI faces another lawsuit from child sexual abuse survivor

The feature is optional, and X says users can turn it off or refresh it at any time. Refreshing generates a new code, cutting off new contacts who only have the old one. X notes that people a user has already messaged can see their X Number and may share it with others, though a "Hide from others" setting can prevent that. The company also says users will be notified when someone contacts them through the code.

To set one up, X says users can open Chat, enter their Chat PIN if prompted, open the inbox dropdown menu, and tap "Number."

The launch is the latest step in Elon Musk's long-stated goal of turning X into an "everything app," a vision often compared to China's WeChat, which combines messaging, payments, and other services.

X launched its standalone XChat app on the App Store on April 24, positioning it as a WhatsApp competitor. The app has been pitched on the idea that users already have an X account and a network of contacts, so they don't need to exchange phone numbers. X Numbers extends that approach to people outside a user's existing network.

The company has also moved into payments. X Money went live on July 27, but only for premium subscribers. On Aug. 31, X announced that X Money was available to all Premium and Premium+ subscribers with U.S. accounts. The service isn't yet available to free users.

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