IT General

There are a number of compelling reasons to catch the looming March 13-14 total lunar eclipse, which will be visible in the entire lower 48 states and greater Americas.

Perhaps the best one is that no two such eclipses are the same. That means, weather permitting, you'll witness something unique.

Total lunar eclipses occur when the sun, Earth, and moon are in alignment, allowing Earth to cast a shadow on the moon and block most sunlight from reaching the lunar surface. But our planet's atmosphere still allows red wavelengths of light to squeeze through, illuminating the moon in reddish, rusty, orangish, or crimson colors. Crucially, both the fickle conditions in Earth's atmosphere, and how deeply the moon passes through Earth's shadow, impact how light is ultimately projected onto the moon. This means different, and even unexpected, light shows.

"It's part of the thrill," Bennett Maruca, an astronomer at the University of Delaware who has witnessed a number of total lunar eclipses, told Mashable. "You don't know exactly what you're going to get."

SEE ALSO: NASA scientist viewed first Voyager images. What he saw gave him chills.

Totality — meaning when the moon is totally within Earth's shadow — will begin at 11:26 p.m. PDT on March 13, 2025 / 2:26 a.m. EDT on March 14 / 06:26 UTC, lasting for 65 minutes. And the reddening progresses over hours, as the moon gradually moves into the Earth's shadow. (Technically, the eclipse starts with slight dimming on March 13 at 8:57 p.m. PDT / 11:57 p.m. EDT / 03:57 UTC). So, weather permitting, you'll have ample opportunity to see these bloody colors in action.

During a total lunar eclipse, the sun, Earth, and moon are in alignment. Credit: NASA Scientific Visualization Studio A map showing how the Americas will have the opportunity to witness a total lunar eclipse on March 13-14, 2025. Credit: NASA

The first major factor at play in the amount of light and coloration illuminated on the moon is what's transpiring in our atmosphere, as sunlight must pass through our skies.

"Dust and clouds can affect the ultimate color of the moon during this event, which means that each total lunar eclipse ends up being somewhat unique and ultimately 'reflective' of the state of our own planet's weather," Eric Edelman, the planetarium director at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Jim and Linda Lee Planetarium, told Mashable.

For example, if there's lots of dust in the atmosphere — such as expansive dust clouds from the Sahara desert — you'll generally get a redder eclipsed moon, Edelman noted. Storms play a role in impacting how the penetrating light hits the moon, too. And volcanic eruptions — which can blast prodigious amounts of ash and gas high into the atmosphere — can dim lunar eclipses, as volcanic particles impede light that would otherwise get refracted towards the moon.

"It can be quite surprising."

The other significant player in the moon's illumination is how far the moon travels into Earth's shadow (called the "umbra," and visualized in the short NASA video below). When passing closer to the shadow's center, the moon is illuminated with the darkest colors — to deep browns and even purples. When passing nearer to the shadow's edge, the moon is illuminated with rusty, orange colors. The coming March 2025 eclipse, then, may be more on the rusty spectrum.

But the moon won't be all the same color. Our expansive natural satellite, some 2,159 miles across, will be illuminated by different parts of Earth's shadow, meaning it will display some of those darker colors, as well as the lighter rusty colors. "That's one of the cool things about this eclipse," noted Maruca. "You see the color gradient."

Tweet may have been deleted

Witnessing totality will mean a late night, or early morning, for many of us. But Maruca emphasizes it's worth it. It'll be a one-of-a-kind space light show. And you don't know exactly what you're going to get.

"It can be quite surprising," Maruca said.

This story has been updated with more information about the March 13-14 total lunar eclipse.

Connections is a game from the New York Times that challenges you to find the association between words. It sounds easy, but it isn't—Connections categories can be almost anything, and they're usually quite specific. If you need a hand getting the answers, we've got you covered.

While social platforms like Instagram and TikTok seem to rule the internet, some prefer quieter sites.

"I get very burnt out from social media a lot," 19-year-old Lauren told Mashable. Lauren prefers to chat with her long-distance boyfriend, Charlie, on Discord, but they met on another non-major social site: Quotev.

SEE ALSO: They met on Tumblr, and their relationship outlasted their accounts

Quotev, formerly Quizazz, is a quiz-making and fan fiction website aimed at teens. Lauren and Charlie met there nearly five years ago, when they were both 15, and they've been together ever since.

Bonding over a passion for writing

Lauren and Charlie's relationship started when she noticed his writing on Quotev.

"This was before I even knew I wanted to go into journalism," said Lauren, who's since published work in publications like The Nation and Teen Vogue. "I was still very impressed with his writing. I was like, 'I need to keep in touch with this person. Like, this person is really cool. I want to be this person's friend,'" and that's how it started.

They chatted on Quotev for a while (the site used to have more social functions that no longer exist), but eventually moved to Discord and texting as they built more trust. Now, they talk every day for hours about school, their lives, and their fandoms — even though their interests don't always align.

"We do both love writing, and we both focus on that," she said. She discovered she wanted to go into journalism when she was 16. "We obviously have that to kind of bond us together."

"We talk every day for hours so we share a certain type of mundaneness," she said, "which is really nice. And I kind of prefer that over the interests part of it."

Lauren didn't tell her parents about Charlie due to the nature of how they met.

"We met really young, and when you're really young, you can't exactly come up to your parents and be like, 'Hey, I found this guy online that I'm dating now,' because there's a lot of safety concerns in that," she said. The concerns are valid and should be considered, Lauren said, but when she was 15, she wasn't thinking about that.

Lauren still hasn't told her parents about the relationship, however, because they're both queer and trans. Lauren uses both she and they pronouns.

"I'm very open about it anywhere else," like the internet, "but, yeah, it's still a bridge that I have to cross, that I will have to," Lauren said. 

That's also part of the reason Lauren and Charlie haven't met in person yet. They both live in the American South, but because of circumstances, they haven't taken their relationship offline.

That's going to change this year, however.

Meeting in person for the first time

"We do have plans to meet this year," Lauren said. She's graduating from community college in May, and Charlie plans to attend the ceremony. Once Lauren transfers to a four-year college, they will look into moving in together as she'll be living off-campus. 

"Hopefully, exciting things will be happening," she said.

While she's excited to finally meet Charlie in person, she's also nervous because he's a secret from her parents.

"I will need to figure out some sort of solution," Lauren said. She said she could lie and say Charlie is just a friend, but lying all this time has been exhausting. 

"I've always hidden this anyway, so it's not just the five years," she said. "Hiding my queerness has been a lifelong thing for me that I'm getting very frustrated and tired of doing, but at the same time, that fear is just still so high."

This is, unfortunately, not entirely uncommon. According to research gathered by The Trevor Project, an LGBTQ youth advocacy organization, one-third of LGBTQ young people face parental rejection, while another one-third don't come out until they're adults.

"The truth will come out eventually, but I don't know how I feel about that," Lauren said.

Lauren also calls the prospect of meeting Charlie surreal, as they've been together but apart for so long. "We are so used to being online and so we both always wanted to be together in person, but it's just like we're so close now, after talking about this since forever," she said.

While some might gawk at an online-only relationship, Lauren feels very lucky to have met her boyfriend. 

"Being almost 20 years old, people will see a relationship like mine, almost five years entirely online, high school sweethearts, something like that, and they'll kind of be like, 'Um, how did you do this?'" she said. 

But she doesn't regret meeting Charlie on Quotev. "Even though we haven't met in person, it's very hard, if anything happened to us, would I try to find someone else online? No, I wouldn't. But that doesn't mean that I regret how things are now. I just hope for a future where we're together in person, and we're still comfortable."

TL;DR: Get a refurbished 13.3-inch Apple MacBook Air (1.8GHz i5, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD) on sale for just $229.97. Act fast, because we have fewer than 50 available.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Refurbished 13.3-inch Apple MacBook Air (1.8GHz i5, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD) $229.97
$999.00 Save $769.03 Get Deal

MacBooks rarely come cheap, so this is a deal you don’t want to miss.

Get a refurbished 13.3-inch Apple MacBook Air (1.8GHz i5, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD) that was originally $999 laptop for just $230, plus free shipping.

This MacBook received a grade “A” rating — the highest possible. Plus, on the off chance you run into any issues, your purchase is backed by a 90-day warranty.

Let’s talk about your new-to-you laptop

You arrived just in time to grab this MacBook Air deal, but you don’t have much time to grab it before they’re gone. So here’s what you need to know before you check out:

• An Intel Core i5 and 8GB of RAM are enough for everyday tasks and multitasking, but not for running intense programs

• You’ll have 128GB of SSD storage for downloading apps and saving files

• Enjoy a 13.3-inch display with Intel HD Graphics 6000

• Get up to 12 hours of battery life on a single charge

Hurry — get your MacBook at a steep discount of $230 with free shipping before they’re all gone (reg. $999).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Use code GUARD20 to grab AdGuard's ad-blocker, malware protection, and more for nine devices for only $15.97.

It seems as though ads run your life, popping up as unskippable video ads on YouTube or targeted promos that make it seem as though your phone is actually listening to your conversations. Rather than dealing with pesky ads for another day, invest in AdGuard.

The AdGuard Family Plan could be your permanent solution for banishing ads — as well as a smart addition that protects your devices and prevents malware and online trackers from ruining your digital experience. Grab lifetime access for only $15.97 (down from $39.99) with code GUARD20 at checkout.

All-in-one ad-blocking and privacy protection

AdGuard handily eliminates ads from your devices, so it's no surprise that it boasts 1,400+ five-star ratings. It's designed to remove distracting banners, intrusive pop-ups, or irritating YouTube ads for pet food, but you can also create filters to customize your experience on different platforms and manually block any missed ads.

In addition to streamlining your browsing, streaming, and gaming, AdGuard acts as a digital bodyguard, shielding your digital activity from trackers and analyzers. It even protects your devices from harmful malware and phishing scams, keeping your digital world safe and secure.

Since this AdGuard plan works on up to nine Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS devices simultaneously, it's perfect for anyone with an entire Apple or PC ecosystem—and families. Those with children will appreciate this ad-blocker's parental controls. You'll be able to restrict content that is inappropriate for your kids, ensuring they can only watch Peppa Pig and Bluey or access other child-friendly content.

Ditch the ads and protect your browsing by grabbing this AdGuard Family Plan lifetime subscription for nine devices, now just $15.97 when you use code GUARD20 at checkout. Act while supplies last.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: AdGuard Software AdGuard Family Plan: Lifetime Subscription $39.99
$169.99 Save $130.00 Get Deal

TL;DR: Through March 30, grab a lifetime of cloud storage from Koofr on sale for $119.97 with coupon code KOOFR.

Opens in a new window Credit: Koofr Koofr Cloud Storage: Lifetime Subscription (1TB) $119.97
$810.00 Save $690.03 with code KOOFR Get Deal

So many cloud storage services come with a monthly fee. It may feel cheap at first, but how many of those files are only there temporarily? With every month you pay for cloud storage, the value starts to fade. The cheaper overall alternative is to get cloud storage that lasts for life without needing to pay more than a one-time fee. Take a look at Koofr's offer for a 1TB lifetime cloud storage subscription for $119.97 with code KOOFR.

Koofr takes your privacy seriously with top-notch encryption for your files, both when they're being transferred and while they're stored. They also don’t track your activity, so you can rest easy knowing your data is secure and private.

What really stands out about Koofr is how flexible and user-friendly Koofr is. Whether you're on your smartphone, desktop, or using WebDAV, you can easily access and manage your files from anywhere. The interface is straightforward, so even if you're new to cloud storage, you’ll find it easy to use.

Plus, if you’re already using other cloud services like Dropbox, Google Drive, Amazon, or OneDrive, Koofr integrates smoothly, letting you handle everything from one place.

And for keeping your digital space in order, Koofr has some neat features. The Duplicate Finder helps you eliminate unnecessary duplicates, while advanced renaming options let you customize file links. This way, you can keep your files organized and your digital space clutter-free.

Keep your files safe and sound with a Koofr 1TB Cloud Storage lifetime subscription for $119.97 with promo code KOOFR through March 30.

StackSocial prices subject to change. 

The James Webb Space Telescope is peering into distant worlds and rewriting our grasp of the cosmos.

And in 2025, its budget is on track to get slashed.

At January's Meeting of the American Astronomical Society, Tom Brown, who heads Webb's mission office at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), showcased the observatory's achievements, while also revealing the institute has been asked to consider around 20 percent in cuts to its science and mission operations during the prime years of Webb's operation. (The institute manages major telescopes for NASA, like Webb and the Hubble Space Telescope.)

The budget shortfall would begin in October 2025, the start of the federal fiscal year. The telescope, orbiting about 1 million miles from Earth, has a team of scientists and engineers choosing the the most valuable targets, calibrating its observations, and fixing problems. Budget cuts would hit these jobs, and significantly diminish Webb's productivity, Brown said.

"The operations work at STScI, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, and other NASA contractors is funded by the operational budget for Webb, so the funding cuts would incur reductions in staff working in these areas," Brown, who also researches star and galaxy formation, told Mashable.

SEE ALSO: NASA scientist viewed first Voyager images. What he saw gave him chills.

"One could see reductions in observing efficiency, anomaly response, calibration cadence and fidelity, support for instrument modes, and even the number of observing modes available for science," he added.

With the Trump administration's agency reductions and mass-layoffs, including firings of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientists, significant cuts of some 20 percent to Webb may now be even more realistic. "We expect worse. The announcement of this 20 percent budget cut was made before the arrival of DOGE and other ongoing budget reductions," Franck Marchis, a planetary astronomer at the SETI Institute, said in a statement. Marchis noted that there will also likely be a "significant impact" to the outreach programs that provide the public information about Webb's progress and discoveries.

In 2025, NASA's budget request for Webb was $187 million, which included $60 million in grants that enable scientists at other institutions to plan and pursue investigations with the telescope. Yet Brown noted, in his presentation, that Webb's operations costs were "set idealistically low in 2011," and the operations budget must now contend with higher-than-anticipated inflation and a tight NASA budget. The space agency has a lot of ambitions and investments spread across a budget of some $25.4 billion, such as $7.6 billion in annual costs for the looming exploration of the moon, and eventually Mars. For example, NASA's new megarocket, the Space Launch System, was afforded over $2.4 billion in the 2025 fiscal year.

"If the budget cuts were to happen, the cuts would impact all aspects of operations."

Should Webb's operations budget be cut, meaning a drop of some $37 million compared with 2025 levels, little would be immune.

"If the budget cuts were to happen, the cuts would impact all aspects of operations," Brown said. "This includes solicitation and peer-reviewed selection of observing programs, observation planning and scheduling, flight operations and commanding, systems engineering, anomaly response, data calibration, data analysis tools, science data products, data processing and archiving, management of research grants, and public outreach."

The Webb telescope, which came online in 2022, is currently in its prime five-year mission. But it's performing excellently, and NASA suspects it could run for two decades, if not more. Its productivity over this span, however, could be hampered.

A deep field view of the universe captured by the James Webb Space Telescope, including some of the farthest-away objects ever seen in infrared light. Credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / STScI Tweet may have been deleted

UPDATE: Mar. 1, 2025, 5:00 a.m. EST This story originally published on Jan. 29, 2025, and has been updated with a quote from Franck Marchis along with other information about the Webb telescope.

The Webb telescope's powerful abilities

The Webb telescope — a scientific collaboration between NASA, ESA, and the Canadian Space Agency — is designed to peer into the deepest cosmos and reveal new insights about the early universe. It's also examining intriguing planets in our galaxy, along with the planets and moons in our solar system.

Here's how Webb is achieving unparalleled feats, and may for years to come:

- Giant mirror: Webb's mirror, which captures light, is over 21 feet across. That's over two-and-a-half times larger than the Hubble Space Telescope's mirror, meaning Webb has six times the light collecting area. Capturing more light allows Webb to see more distant, ancient objects. The telescope is peering at stars and galaxies that formed over 13 billion years ago, just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang. "We're going to see the very first stars and galaxies that ever formed," Jean Creighton, an astronomer and the director of the Manfred Olson Planetarium at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, told Mashable in 2021.

- Infrared view: Unlike Hubble, which largely views light that's visible to us, Webb is primarily an infrared telescope, meaning it views light in the infrared spectrum. This allows us to see far more of the universe. Infrared has longer wavelengths than visible light, so the light waves more efficiently slip through cosmic clouds; the light doesn't as often collide with and get scattered by these densely packed particles. Ultimately, Webb's infrared eyesight can penetrate places Hubble can't.

"It lifts the veil," said Creighton.

- Peering into distant exoplanets: The Webb telescope carries specialized equipment called spectrographs that will revolutionize our understanding of these far-off worlds. The instruments can decipher what molecules (such as water, carbon dioxide, and methane) exist in the atmospheres of distant exoplanets — be they gas giants or smaller rocky worlds. Webb looks at exoplanets in the Milky Way galaxy. Who knows what we'll find?

"We might learn things we never thought about," Mercedes López-Morales, an exoplanet researcher and astrophysicist at the Center for Astrophysics-Harvard & Smithsonian, told Mashable in 2021.

TL;DR: Get a lifetime license to PDF Converter Pro for £19.07 (reg. £79.49) through 30 March at the Mashable Shop and alleviate your PDF headaches.

Opens in a new window Credit: Acethinker PDF Converter Pro: Lifetime License £19.07 at the Mashable Shop
£79.49 Save £60.42 Get Deal

If you’re tired of clunky online converters and endless subscription fees, PDF Converter Pro is your one-stop solution for all things PDF. For just £19.07 (until 30 March), you’ll get a lifetime license to this powerful desktop software that lets you convert, edit, and protect your PDFs without relying on the internet.

Need to convert PDFs to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or even JPG and PNG images? Easy. Want to create PDFs from other file formats? You can do that, too. Thanks to built-in OCR technology, you can even extract text from scanned PDFs while preserving the original layout and graphics.

PDF Converter Pro doesn’t stop at simple conversions. You can merge multiple PDFs into one document, split files into individual pages, or compress large PDFs to free up space. Need to protect sensitive information? Add password protection with a click — or unlock PDFs just as easily. Plus, you can extract images from any PDF in a single step.

Designed for both Windows and macOS, the software offers batch processing for handling multiple documents at once, and it’s been updated with editing features like annotations, text changes, and image adjustments (editing features available on Windows only).

Stop relying on slow online tools. 

Manage your PDFs with ease with a lifetime license to PDF Converter Pro for just £19.07 (reg. £79.49) until 30 March at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: You can get an Internxt 10TB cloud storage lifetime subscription for £222.60 (reg. £2,384.16) when you use the code STORAGE20 at checkout through 30 March. 

Opens in a new window Credit: Internxt Internxt Cloud Storage Lifetime Subscription: 10TB Plan £222.60
£2,384.16 Save £2,161.56 Use code 'STORAGE20' Get Deal

Are you doing a ‘low-buy year,’ like half the internet? Even if you're not, you’re probably looking for ways to save as much money as possible. Many people are canceling subscriptions, and the first one to go could be Dropbox or Google Drive. Instead, store your files with this lifetime cloud storage deal.

You’ll no longer be chained to annoying monthly payments — just pay once and be set for life. Mashable readers can get 10TB of storage with Internxt for £222.60 by using the code STORAGE20 at checkout. That's 92% off. And if you don’t need that much space, 2TB and 5TB plans are also available.

Cloud storage without fees

With Internxt, you may be paying more upfront, but your cloud storage plan will pay for itself in time, saving you money in the long run.

You also won’t have to worry about running out of storage space on your phone, computer, or tablet ever again with 10TB to go around. Here’s about how much that space can fit:

• 2 million photos

• 250 hours of 4K video

• 6.5 million documents

Another thing you won’t have to worry about is security. All of your Internxt files are end-to-end encrypted for your peace of mind.

Imagine never worrying about cloud storage again. That’s Internxt. Use code STORAGE20 at checkout to get this affordable cloud storage plan for £222.60 (reg. £2,384.16) for a limited time.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Live stream Crystal Palace vs. Millwall in the FA Cup for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The FA Cup is all about big games between big rivals, and that's exactly what we're getting from the fifth round. Crystal Palace face off against Millwall in the fifth round. The Premier League side will be expected to win this London derby, but anything can happen in the FA Cup.

If you want to watch Crystal Palace vs. Millwall in the FA Cup for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Crystal Palace vs. Millwall?

Crystal Palace vs. Millwall in the FA Cup starts at 12:15 p.m. GMT on March 1. This fixture takes place at Selhurst Park.

How to watch Crystal Palace vs. Millwall for free

Crystal Palace vs. Millwall in the FA Cup is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer.

If you're abroad for this fixture, you can use a VPN to unlock BBC iPlayer. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock BBC iPlayer from anywhere in the world.

Access a free live stream of Crystal Palace vs. Millwall 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 BBC iPlayer

5. Live stream Crystal Palace vs. Millwall for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) $99.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Crystal Palace vs. Millwall without committing with your cash. This isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream this game before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for BBC iPlayer?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on BBC iPlayer, 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 eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Stream Crystal Palace vs. Millwall in the FA Cup for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Manchester City vs. Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup for free on ITVX. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The FA Cup fifth round showcases a number of fascinating matchups, including Manchester City vs. Plymouth Argyle. The Championship side knocked out Liverpool in the last round, and they get another massive Premier League team as their reward. Sometimes life isn't fair.

If you want to watch Manchester City vs. Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Manchester City vs. Plymouth Argyle?

Manchester City vs. Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup starts at 5:45 p.m. GMT on March 1. This fixture takes place at the Etihad Stadium.

How to watch Manchester City vs. Plymouth Argyle for free

Manchester City vs. Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup is available to live stream for free on ITVX.

ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK, 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 the UK, meaning you can unblock ITVX from anywhere in the world.

Access a free live stream of Manchester City vs. Plymouth Argyle 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 ITVX

5. Live stream Manchester City vs. Plymouth Argyle for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) $99.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Manchester City vs. Plymouth Argyle without committing with your cash. This isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream this game before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for ITVX?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on ITVX, 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 eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Stream Manchester City vs. Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup for free with ExpressVPN.

Connections: Sports Edition is a new version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

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

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

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

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

Tweet may have been deleted

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.

Tweet may have been deleted

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.

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: Mistakes

• Green: Participate in events like floor routine and balance beam

• Blue: Measured from the mound

• Purple: Mascots minus a letter

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Goofs

• Green: American gymnasts in 2024 Olympics

• Blue: Stats for a relief pitcher

• Purple: Team names, minus a "B"

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 #159 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today

• Goofs - BLOOPERS, BLUNDERS, ERRS, FUMBLES

• American gymnasts in 2024 Olympics - BILES, CAREY, CHILES, LEE

• Stats for a relief pitcher - GAMES, HOLDS, SAVES, WINS

• Team names, minus a "B" - EARS, ILLS, RAVES, RUNS

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.

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 today's Connections.

If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.

Strands 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 March 1 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 1 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Let us prey

These words hunt to eat.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

The words are animals that prey on others.

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 ApexPredators.

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for March 1

• Tyrannosaurus

• Crocodile

• Lion

• Human

• Orca

• ApexPredators

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 today's Strands.

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.

Tweet may have been deleted

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.

Tweet may have been deleted

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's The Mini crossword answers for March 1 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: Objects and creatures linked to fortune

• Green: Words starting with a "to" or "bo" sound

• Blue: Nicknames for famous stage plays

• Purple: Preceding words in well-known titles

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Associated with Good Luck

• Green: To-Bo- Compound Words

• Blue: Broadway Musicals, Familiarly

• Purple: Words Before "Cowboy" in Film and Music

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 #629 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Associated with Good Luck: HORSESHOE, LADYBUG, PENNY, SHAMROCK

• To-Bo-Compound Words: TOLLBOOTH, TOMBOY, TOOLBOX, TOWBOAT

• Broadway Musicals, Familiarly: FIDDLER, MERRILY, PHANTOM, SUNSET

• Words Before "Cowboy" in Film and Music: DRUGSTORE, MIDNIGHT, RHINESTONE, SPACE

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 March 1

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 today's Connections.

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

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 today: Hints and answers for March 1 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's The Mini crossword answers for March 1, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

What a helicopter or drone does in place.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no reoccurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter H.

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...

HOVER.

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 March 1

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 today's Wordle.

The Yellowjackets cast gives us a peek into what's actually going on during Ben's intense trial in Season 3, Episode 4.

The first 4 episodes ofYellowjackets Season 3 are now streaming on Paramount+ with Showtime, with new episodes weekly.

Another day, another scam, and this time E-ZPass users are the target. Here's everything you need to know about the scam, how to keep yourself safe, and what you can do if you do get scammed.

Have you ever wondered about the magic behind noise-canceling headphones? It's an amazing feature to have for headphones, shutting you out from outside noise that can be distracting. The truth is, I can't ever go back to regular ones anymore.

Nintendo Switch Online customers in Japan and South Korea will lose access to Super Formation Soccer on March 27th. This is a harsh reminder that subscriptions are not a replacement for ownership, and that legacy game publishers are not motivated by preservation.

Accessibility can be challenging, but with the advancement of robotics, there is a lot to look forward to in the world of accessibility. Assistive robots not only help today; they build a future where technology lifts barriers.