IT General

TL;DR: Unblock Pornhub from Utah with a VPN. The best service for unblocking porn sites is ExpressVPN.

Pornhub has banned visitors from a number of U.S. states from accessing their website, but why? This move was in response to the introduction of laws that require visitors to upload ID before accessing porn sites. The stalemate is showing no signs of going anywhere, so potential users in these impacted states require a solution. Fortunately, a simple workaround exists.

If you want to unblock porn sites like Pornhub for free from Utah, we have all the information you need.

How to unblock Pornhub for free in Utah

VPNs are useful tools that can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in other locations. This straightforward process bypasses geo-restrictions so you can access sites like Pornhub from anywhere in the world.

Unblock Pornhub by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a 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 a location that supports access to Pornhub

4. Visit Pornhub

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (2-Year Subscription + 4 Months Free) $139 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for unblocking porn sites are not free, but most do offer free-trial peiods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can unblock porn sites like Pornhub without actually spending anything. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you the opportunity to temporarily retain access to Pornhub before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to sites like Pornhub, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for bypassing content restrictions is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for Pornhub?

ExpressVPN is the top choice for unblocking porn sites like Pornhub, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

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

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

• Fast streaming speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Unblock Pornhub for free in Utah 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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: Student classes

• Green: Southwest-based sports conference

• Blue: Famous players in the purple and gold

  Purple: NFL cities, unfinished

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: College Student Classifications

• Green: Big 12 Schools

• Blue: Lakers in the Basketball Hall of Fame

• Purple: First Words in the NFL Team Locations

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 #241 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today

• College Student Classifications - FRESHMAN, JUNIOR, SENIOR, SOPHOMORE

• Big 12 Schools - COLORADO, TCU, TEXAS TECH, WEST VIRGINIA

• Lakers in the Basketball Hall of Fame - BAYLOR, O'NEAL, WEST, WORTHY

• First Words in the NFL Team Locations - GREEN, KANSAS, NEW, SAN

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for May 23 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: A rowdy gathering

• Green: Someone's personality

• Blue: Used in England

• Purple: The shape of an animal's facial feature

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: Quite the party

• Green: One's constitution

• Blue: British imperial units of weight

• Purple: What "Cat's Eye" can be used to describe

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 #712 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Quite the party: BASH, BLAST, BLOWOUT, RAVE

• One's constitution: CHARACTER, FIBER, MAKEUP, NATURE

• British imperial units of weight: DRAM, OUNCE, POUND, STONE

• What "Cat's Eye" can be used to describe: EYELINER, GLASSES, MARBLE, NEBULA

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 May 23

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 preferrined pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 23 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 23 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: The musical fruit

The words are food-related.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words are types of seeds that grow in a pod.

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 Bean Salad

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for May 23

• Green

• Kidney

• Black

• Fava

• Bean Salad

• Cannellini

• Navy

• Pinto

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.

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 May 23 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 May 23, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Often done to corn on the cob.

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 S.

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...

SHUCK.

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 May 23

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.

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

To be happy about an accomplishment.

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

PROUD

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Gave out cards.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 23, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

DEALT

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Three-dimensional.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 23 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 23 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

CUBIC

Hurdle Word 4 hint

A household task.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for May 23 Hurdle Word 4 answer

CHORE

Final Hurdle hint

A colorful flower.

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

PANSY

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

The Trump administration continues with its cost-slashing, anti-DEI agenda, and its coming for nationwide efforts to close the digital divide next.

On May 8, President Donald Trump posted to Truth Social that he was directing the end of the Biden-Harris era Digital Equity Act. Trump called the program — which allocated $2.75 billion to digital inclusion programs — "racist" and "illegal." Last week, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) abruptly terminated grants for 20 different state projects under the act, including digital access in K-12 schools, veteran and senior programs, and rural connectivity efforts.

The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) called the decision a "significant setback" to universal access goals. "SETDA stands with our state members and partner organizations who have been diligently building inclusive broadband and digital access plans rooted in community need, engagement, and systemic transformation. Equitable access to technology is not a partisan issue–it is a public good."

SEE ALSO: How are Asian Americans affected by online misinformation?

The decision points to an uncertain future for existing broadband and digital connectivity efforts managed or funded by the federal government. Since most serve specific communities and demographics which are at the highest risk of being technologically disconnected or left behind, they have entered the crosshairs of the administration's "anti-woke" crusade. Indigenous connectivity advocates, for example, warned that a Trump presidency would have an immediate impact on rural broadband projects that were in the process of breaking ground, as the president simultaneously promised to shake up the FCC and whittle down the federal government's spending.

“Ongoing efforts to bridge the digital divide in the U.S. face significant challenges with the recent termination of the Digital Equity Act, and potential drastic changes coming to the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program," said Sharayah Lane, senior advisor of community connectivity for the global nonprofit the Internet Society and member of the Lummi Nation. "This will critically impact the future of affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet access in underserved areas, further limiting essential education, healthcare, and economic opportunities."

The Biden administration, which pledged billions of federal dollars to building out the nation's high speed broadband and fiber optic network, had made closing the digital divide a central component to its massive federal spending package, including launching the Affordable Connectivity Program, the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, and the BEAD initiative. BEAD funds, in particular, were split up between state broadband infrastructure projects, including 19 grants over $1 billion. But now the funds are being pulled out from under them.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has had the $42 billion BEAD budget under review since Trump took office, and has falsely claimed that the program "has not connected a single person to the internet," but is rather a "woke mandate" under the previous presidency.

SEE ALSO: Why the 'digital divide' persists within Indigenous communities

Meanwhile, Trump has pushed to open up an auction of highly sought after spectrum bands to serve WiFi, 5G, and 6G projects under his "One Big Beautiful Bill" — a move that may sideline rural connectivity projects focused on building reliable, physical connections to high speed internet. Advocates have long fought for federal investment in "missing middle miles" of fiber optic cables and broadband, rather than unstable satellite connections, such as those promised by Elon Musk's Starlink.

"We need to prioritize investments in sustainable infrastructure through programs like BEAD and the Digital Equity Act to ensure long-term, affordable Internet access for all Americans, strengthen the economy, and bolster the nation’s overall digital resilience," said Lane.

TL;DR: Live stream Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (Game 2) in the 2025 NBA playoffs for free on YouTube. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2025 NBA Conference Finals have started in style, with impressive wins for the Thunder and Pacers. The pressure is now on Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle, and the rest of the Minnesota Timberwolves to level the series in the Western Conference Finals. Of course, that's easier said than done when it comes to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

If you want to watch Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (Game 2) in the 2025 NBA playoffs for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (Game 2)?

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (Game 2) starts at 8:30 p.m. ET on May 22. This game takes place at the Paycom Center.

How to watch Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (Game 2) for free

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (Game 2) in the 2025 NBA playoffs is available to live stream for free on YouTube.

This free live stream is geo-restricted to India, but anyone can bypass these restrictions with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in India, meaning you can access this free live stream from anywhere in the world. The process is actually really simple with a streaming-friendly VPN.

Live stream the NBA Conference Finals for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a 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 India

4. Visit YouTube

5. Watch Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (Game 2) for free

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (2-Year Subscription + 4 Months Free) $139 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Learn More

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

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming services from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for YouTube?

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

• Servers in 105 countries including India

• 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 two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (Game 2) for free with ExpressVPN.

On May 23, the final installment of the Mission: Impossible saga is set to come to an end with Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. Known for its vicious villains, the franchise sports its Biggest Bad yet: an AI known as The Entity that's bent on wiping humans off the planet. Mashable Senior Creative Producer Mark Stetson sat down with the cast (Simon Pegg, Angela Bassett, Hayley Atwell, Pom Klementieff, and Greg Tarzan Davis) to discuss the film's themes of humanity and friendship and its exploration of the future of AI.

First, Simon Pegg, who has played Benji Dunn since Mission: Impossible III — when we first get a hint of The Entity's existence — helped break down the origins of this Big Bad. "Yeah, I mean, the Entity was around in its nascent form a long time ago. It was a malicious code, basically, which itself evolved into what we are up against in Dead Reckoning, in The Final Reckoning. And I love the idea that McQ [Director Christopher McQuarrie] looked back into the past to see where things may have started, where the rumblings of the Entity may have begun. And further back as well, to, obviously, when Bill Donloe was exiled to Alaska."

Hayley Atwell, first appearing in the franchise as Grace in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, goes on to discuss film's theme of friendship and humanity in the face of its AI villain. "I feel like the core theme of this film is friendship. So that, of course, the anti-God and and the Entity...is the sort of the villain...the thing that sets up the stakes. But really it's a film about a team coming together and sacrificing personal ambition for the sake of the good of all people. And it's a triumph of the human spirit... It's so, so beautiful and so heartfelt."

Finally, Angela Bassett ties the interview up in a really nice bow when asked why it's important to prioritize humanity: "I mean, what do we have left without it? You know, we have to. We're made to be in communion with one another... So even though it's a great tool...we need to keep [AI] in its lane and [make sure] it's [a] benefit to us, not to the detriment of us."

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning opens exclusively in theaters on May 23.

Springtime means bright blooms, longer days, and a new class that's getting ready to graduate college. And if you’re here, that means you’re preparing to look on proudly as a young woman accepts her diploma and takes her first steps into the real world of adulthood. Whether she’s your daughter, granddaughter, niece, cousin, girlfriend, or best friend, you know how much hard work she put in to get here — so you definitely want to find the perfect gift for her to celebrate how far she’s come. These are our suggestions to shower the college grad with love on her big day.

Graduation season is creeping up on us and that can mean only one thing: it's time to figure out what to give your favorite grad to welcome them to post-college reality. Graduates are about to enter the often overwhelming (and sometimes terrifying) world we call adulthood, and you're tasked with giving them something to help ease the transition. The trick is to find that sweet spot between something your college grad will really need in life and something they'll actually want to use. New graduates might not even know what they need to survive post-grad life — but that's where you come in.

My body refuses to fall asleep on planes, though not for lack of trying. I've stayed up late before flights, booked red-eyes, popped melatonin, ordered a couple glasses of red wine from the beverage cart — and yet there I sit, wide awake in my economy seat.

I need to keep busy with in-flight entertainment. I'm not built to be raw-dogging flights, and that tiny seatback screen keeps me sane at 30,000 feet. If I can't binge last year's Oscar nominees or lock into a weird HBO documentary for a few hours, I start to think a little too hard about the safety record of the Boeing 737 Max I'm trapped inside. (I am very fun to travel with.)

Knowing this, my extremely brilliant and thoughtful husband gifted me a Twelve South AirFly Pro for Christmas last year. This $54.99 Bluetooth transmitter gadget lets me watch in-flight movies with my wireless Bose headphones. It's not a glamorous device — it's just a dongle with an aux cable on one end — but it's an easy way I make flying more comfortable.

I used the AirFly Pro for the first time on round-trip flights between Chicago and London this spring, and I'll never fly without it again. Also worth noting: It's on sale.

Twelve South AirFly Pro $44.99 at Amazon
$54.99 Save $10 Shop Now Fly like a Pro

While wireless headphones and earbuds are vastly more popular than wired models nowadays, the airline industry hasn't adjusted accordingly. (United and Delta have added Bluetooth-enabled screens to some of their planes, but I've yet to fly on one personally.) To watch movies and shows on that seatback screen, you still have to plug in wired earphones with an old-fashioned 3.5mm audio jack.

Some airlines hand out complimentary cheapo wired buds for long-haul flights, but they sound terrible and don't offer a lick of noise cancellation. The AirFly Pro exists to bridge the technology gap for a better in-flight entertainment experience.

Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

Setting up the AirFly Pro is ridiculously simple:

• Plug it into the screen or armrest

• Press and hold the power button

• Turn on your headphones

• Wait for them to pair

If you're traveling with someone, you can even connect the AirFly to both of your headphones at the same time. My AirFly Pro paired instantly with my Bose headphones and remembered them on my return flight.

SEE ALSO: The best noise-cancelling headphones for flying: 8 picks to improve your travel experience

The AirFly Pro's audio sounded fine to me, and I never had connection issues. I did notice that in-flight announcements were a split-second delayed compared to the plane's PA system, but the sound and dialogue on movies always lined up perfectly.

Twelve South has the AirFly Pro rated at 25 hours of battery life, and that seemed accurate. Mine lasted the full eight-hour flight from Chicago to London, a few hours beyond that (because I forgot to turn it off), and then most of the way through my nine-hour return flight. When it finally died, 10 minutes of charging gave it enough battery for at least 30 more minutes before we landed.

Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The biggest downsides to the AirFly Pro? The fact that you can't use it while it's charging, and that it's kind of expensive for a Bluetooth transmitter. That said, it works like a charm and feels like a future-proofed purchase, since planes probably aren't getting rid of their 3.5mm audio jacks anytime soon.

Where to buy the AirFly Pro Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The $54.99 AirFly Pro (currently on sale for $44.99) comes with a soft travel pouch and a keyring cap in addition to its charger. For $20 less, you can pick up the AirFly SE, but you lose a little battery life and the dual listening mode.

I've seen the AirFly line sold at airports before, but I'd recommend snagging one before you jet off on your next trip, as my Pro model is easy to find on sale. At the time of writing, Amazon and Best Buy both had it listed for $13 off. The AirFly Pro is also available as part of some Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphone and earbud bundles.

Shop the Twelve South AirFly line: Twelve South AirFly Pro $54.99 Shop Now Twelve South AirFly SE $34.99 Shop Now Twelve South AirFly Pro 2 $59.99 Shop Now

Some people possess an innate talent for finding gifts on a budget. No matter the occasion (anniversary, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day) or recipient (wife, boyfriend, teens, in-laws), they somehow nail it every time — winning the unofficial "best gift-giver" award among those who are lucky to know them. If you're not the most intuitive gift giver, fear not. We've put together a list of the best gift ideas for under $50. These unique, budget-friendly gifts won't break the bank, and you might even see some solid discounts on them if you're lucky.

Full-size luxury sedans are supposed to be the best that the automotive world has to offer in terms of comfort and technology. While the segment has long been dominated by offerings from German brands, a Korean automaker has joined the fight and may actually be the best choice that money can buy.

Thunderbird, the desktop email client from Mozilla, is finally testing support for Microsoft Exchange accounts in the Daily and Beta channels. You can try it out now to help find bugs before it rolls out to all Thunderbird users.

Last month, Motorola announced a new fitness-focused smartwatch called the Moto Watch Fit. It’s officially available starting today, and there are some interesting features, but the price may be the most surprising thing about it—not in a good way.

After whirlwind week of announcements from Google and OpenAI, Anthropic has its own news to share.

On Thursday, Anthropic announced Claude Opus 4 and Claude Sonnet 4, its next generation of models, with an emphasis on coding, reasoning, and agentic capabilities. According to Rakuten, which got early access to the model, Claude Opus 4 ran "independently for seven hours with sustained performance."

Claude Opus is Anthropic's largest version of the model family with more power for longer, complex tasks, whereas Sonnet is generally speedier and more efficient. Claude Opus 4 is a step up from its previous version, Opus 3, and Sonnet 4 replaces Sonnet 3.7.

Anthropic says Claude Opus 4 and Sonnet 4 outperform rivals like OpenAI's o3 and Gemini 2.5 Pro on key benchmarks for agentic coding tasks like SWE-bench and Terminal-bench. It's worth noting however, that self-reported benchmarks aren't considered the best markers of performance since these evaluations don't always translate to real-world use cases, plus AI labs aren't into the whole transparency thing these days, which AI researchers and policy makers increasingly call for. "AI benchmarks need to be subjected to the same demands concerning transparency, fairness, and explainability, as algorithmic systems and AI models writ large," said the European Commission's Joint Research Center.

Opus 4 and Sonnet 4 outperform rivals in SWE-bench, but take benchmark performance with a grain of salt. Credit: Anthropic

Alongside the launch of Opus 4 and Sonnet 4, Anthropic also introduced new features. That includes web search while Claude is in extended thinking mode, and summaries of Claude's reasoning log "instead of Claude’s raw thought process." This is described in the blog post as being more helpful to users, but also "protecting [its] competitive advantage," i.e. not revealing the ingredients of its secret sauce. Anthropic also announced improved memory and tool use in parallel with other operations, general availability of its agentic coding tool Claude Code, and additional tools for the Claude API.

In the safety and alignment realm, Anthropic said both models are "65 percent less likely to engage in reward hacking than Claude Sonnet 3.7." Reward hacking is a slightly terrifying phenomenon where models can essentially cheat and lie to earn a reward (successfully perform a task).

One of the best indicators we have in evaluating a model's performance is users' own experience with it, although even more subjective than benchmarks. But we'll soon find out how Claude Opus 4 and Sonnet 4 chalk up to competitors in that regard.

While most Star Wars games get a lot of attention at release and will continue to be spoken about as time goes on, there was one that did not receive this treatment. Star Wars: The Old Republic, also known as SWTOR got better as time went on, but is seen as just an MMO. I’ve played this a lot, and it’s more like a single-player game with MMO features.

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This iOS app transforms your iPhone or iPad into a handy little scanner that works for basically any document type. It's also only A$39 (reg. A$312) for a lifetime subscription.

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iScanner is the number one US-based scanning and document management tool, letting you knock items off your to-do list from anywhere. Need to save a receipt for taxes? Do you have a contract you need to digitize? You can scan any document using just the phone on your iOS device. 

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Amazon is aiming to make shopping just a bit easier. This week, Amazon launched a new generative AI feature that produces short audio summaries, detailing everything you need to know about a product.

The audio descriptions, which Amazon is calling "hear the highlights", are created from on-page product summaries, reviews, and information from other websites, crafting short snippets that deliver everything you need to know about a product. The product summaries are now available on a limited number of items on Amazon and for US customers only. To access "Hear the highlights", you can do so in the Amazon app.

This is just the latest feature in Amazon's AI line-up. Launched in 2024 but still in beta testing, Amazon's Rufus is a chatbot to help you find the right product. You can chat with Rufus to ask questions about which coffee maker is right for you. Within product pages you can ask Rufus details about a product and get quick answers without needing to do the research yourself.

If you're looking to use Amazon's "hear the highlights", here's how.

How to use "hear the highlights" Credit: Amazon

"Hear the highlights" is only available within the Amazon shopping app for US-based customers. When you click into a product page, you'll see a "hear the highlights" button. By clicking on the button, you can then hear the short summary, delivering the essential production description, helping you make your choice.

This feature is only available on certain products. You can view it now on the following listings:

• Ninja Mega Kitchen System

• Osea Undaria Algae Body Oil

• Step2 Rain Showers Toddler Table

• SafeRest Waterproof Mattress Protector

• Shokz OpenRun Pro headphones