IT General

Recently, while looking for a good action movie to watch on Hulu, I came across the explosive action movie Sisu. It turned out to be the most exciting 90 minutes I’ve spent sitting down all year long. The gritty Finnish flick's visceral gut-punch is the epitome of what determination and perseverance fueled by adversity look like, with some Nazi vengeance and an all-female gun gang tucked in there for fun. The near-perfect film (Rotten Tomatoes currently ranks it at 94%) saw popularity so extreme, it demanded a sequel.

Python is popular for statistical analysis because of the large number of libraries. One of the most common statistical calculations is linear regression. statsmodels offers some powerful tools for regression and analysis of variance. Here's how to get started with linear models.

This was another busy week in tech news, with a big change on the way for Google Chrome, the arrival of Fedora Linux 43 and the new Affinity Photo app, more carriage disputes with YouTube TV, and much more. Here are the biggest stories you might have missed.

Buying a used car usually means juggling a long checklist, but speed and style can make it worth the hassle. The Ford Mustang has long been the dream for anyone chasing excitement on four wheels—an icon that has thrilled generations.

Take-Two Interactive Software Inc.'s Rockstar Games, which develops Grand Theft Auto, has terminated staff members involved in a British trade union. While the union accuses the studio of union-busting, the company claims that the workers were let go for misconduct.

Rockstar Games apparently fired over 30 employees on Thursday, according to a statement by the Independent Workers' Union of Great Britain (IWGB). The workers, who are members of IWGB, were involved in an IWGB Game Workers Union Discord channel; the union says the firings were illegal and retaliatory.

SEE ALSO: Rockstar explains how 'GTA 6' trailer was made and posts dozens of screenshots

"Rockstar has just carried out the most blatant and ruthless act of union busting in the history of the games industry," IWGB president Alex Marshall said in the union's press release. "This flagrant contempt for the law and for the lives of the workers who bring in their billions is an insult to their fans and the global industry."

Staffers were in offices across the UK and Canada, Bloomberg reported. According to IWGB organizers, some of the fired workers were visa holders sponsored by Rockstar, and others had medical conditions.

IWGB stated that it will "be mounting a full and robust defense of its members."

Meanwhile, Take-Two spokesman Alan Lewis told Bloomberg the firings were due to "gross misconduct, and for no other reason" and that "we fully support Rockstar's ambitions and approach."

Rockstar Games is most well-known for the Grand Theft Auto franchise. The latest iteration, Grand Theft Auto VI, has been delayed multiple times, with its long-awaited release now slated for May 2026 — but rumors are floating that it may be even later.

HBO Max has a righteous library of some of the best and most popular dramas just waiting for your attention, so we thought we’d highlight several selections while they’re still available on the streaming platform.

Prime Video is one of the world's biggest streaming services. Next to Netflix and HBO Max, it's one that I use almost every day for its huge library of content, but its interface is far from perfect. With so much on offer, one of the best ways to organize it all is through its Watchlist feature, but over time, mine has gotten so bloated it's almost as frustrating flipping through it as it is finding something to watch in the library—until I learned of this simple way of keeping the Watchlist neat and tidy.

Do you keep seeing web pages pop up with a chibi-style drawing of a girl with dog ears and a magnifying glass under the text "Making sure you're not a bot"? After a few seconds, it probably disappears, and you arrive at the web page you were visiting. What's going on?

Are you tired of memorizing dozens of keyboard shortcuts just to be productive? Do you wish there was a faster way to launch apps and execute commands without digging through menus? Let me introduce you to Kando—a gesture-based menu system that might change your entire workflow!

Amazon's Fire TV Stick range has been around for more than a decade and has become a cheap and easy way to add streaming support to your TV. The lineup has become confusing, though, with several models available in various bundles, and not many obvious differences between any of them. Here's how to choose your next Fire TV Stick.

Why are we so obsessed with serial killers?

Maybe it’s because we can’t quite imagine what it takes for an ordinary human brain to cross that line. Or maybe it’s just the morbid curiosity that so many of us find hard to shake. Ed Gein didn’t kill hundreds of people, but his story, one man on a farm, and one deranged devotion to his mother, quietly changed horror forever. Because from that frozen little town in Wisconsin emerged the DNA for three of the most iconic killers in film history: Norman Bates, Leatherface, and Buffalo Bill.

Join us as we delve into the story of Ed Gein. A story that inspired iconic movie villains like Norman Bates, Leatherface, and Buffalo Bill. Discover how Gein's twisted life rewrote the rules of horror, transforming the genre from monstrous fantasies to terrifying realities. Explore the psychology behind why we can't look away from these dark stories and what they reveal about the human condition.

Monster: The Ed Gein Story is now streaming on Netflix.

JSON has become a near-ubiquitous data format, used in API responses, save game files, and configuration. But many people feel it can be better, and various attempts have been made to expand or improve it. JSONC is one of those attempts.

With the holiday season sneaking around the corner, Netflix has an exciting lineup of films and shows that will have you hyped up on festive cheer in no time. The streaming platform is not disappointing with its upcoming titles for the end of the year, with highly acclaimed films coming to your screens as the year wraps up.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you know the law.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

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

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

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for October 24, 2025 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: To take legal action

• Green: Midnight

• Blue: Iconic pairs

• Purple: Animated animals

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: Take to court

• Green: Black

• Blue: Second in a famous real-life duo

• Purple: Rodents who are first in a cartoon duo

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 #874 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Take to court: CHARGE, FILE, INDICT, SUE

• Black: INKY, JET, PITCH, RAVEN

• Second in a famous real-life duo: CHER, CLYDE, HARDY, TELLER

• Rodents who are first in a cartoon duo: CHIP, ITCHY, PINKY, ROCKY

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 October 24, 2025

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

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

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

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're a foodie.

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for October 17, 2025 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for October 24, 2025 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: It's not polite to lick your plate

The words are related to food.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe tasty food.

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 Good Taste.

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

• Delicious

• Flavorful

• Good Taste

• Scrumptious

• Delectable

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.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're always on the road.

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 October 24, 2025 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 October 17, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A small, cheap hotel.

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 M.

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...

MOTEL

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 October 24, 2025

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 Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: How to play Pips, the newest NYT game

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025:

AcrossEthically sourced, as some eggs

• The answer is Cagefree.

Residents of Tehran

• The answer is Iranians.

Air sign?

• The answer is Sky Write.

___ Faire (medieval-themed festival, informally)

• The answer is Ren.

Athlete from Cleveland or the University of Virginia

• The answer is Cavalier.

Kind of bathing suit

• The answer is One piece.

Musical whizzes

• The answer is Maestros.

DownSinus-treating doctor, for short

• The answer is ENT.

Opposite of WNW

• The answer is ESE.

_mon URL ending

• The answer is Com.

De Armas who starred in 2025's "Ballerina"

• The answer is Ana.

Shape of flying geese

• The answer is Vee.

Prefix with friendly

• The answer is Eco.

Restaurant booking, informally

• The answer is Res.

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

Featured Video For You The Wordle Strategy used by the New York Times' Head of Games

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

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Mini Crossword.

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

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

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

How to play Pips

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for November 1, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for November 1, 2025 Easy difficulty hints, answers for Nov. 1 Pips

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

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

Number (4): Everything in this space must add to 4. The answer is 0-4, placed vertically.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for Nov. 1 Pips

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 4-4, placed horizontally; 4-6, placed vertically.

Number (12): Everything in this space must add to 12. The answer is 6-6, placed vertically

Number (12): Everything in this space must add to 12. The answer is 3-3, placed vertically; 4-6, placed vertically.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add to 0. The answer is 0-3, placed vertically.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add to 5. The answer is 2-3, placed vertically; 2-1, placed horizontally.

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

Number (1): Everything in this space must add to 1. The answer is 2-1, placed horizontally.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for Nov. 1 Pips

Number (3): Everything in this space must add to 3. The answer is 0-0, placed vertically; 3-6, placed horizontally.

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

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

Equal (6): Everything in this yellow space must be equal to 6. The answer is 6-2, placed horizontally; 3-6, placed horizontally; 6-6, placed horizontally.

Equal (5): Everything in this dark blue space must be equal to 5. The answer is 5-5, placed horizontally; 5-3, placed horizontally; 5-4, placed vertically; 5-2, placed vertically.

Equal (2): Everything in this green space must be equal to 2. The answer is 2-1, placed vertically; 2-2, placed horizontally.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add to 3. The answer is 3-4, placed vertically.

Number (1): Everything in this space must add to 1. The answer is 2-1, placed vertically.

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 4-4, placed horizontally; 3-4, placed vertically; 5-4, placed vertically.

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

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

TL;DR: Live stream the 2025 Paris Masters for free on France.tv. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

We've been desperately lacking matchups between the best tennis players in the world. The 2025 Grand Slams provided so many epic battles between the top stars. We became spoiled, expecting the games to simply keep coming.

Unfortunately, the schedule does become a little quieter after the U.S. Open. That has been tough to take, but all is not lost because the 2025 Paris Masters is bringing together the biggest names in the men's game. Carlos Alcaraz has already been knocked out, so all eyes will be on Jannik Sinner as he battles it out at La Défense Arena.

If you want to watch the 2025 Paris Masters for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

What is the Paris Masters?

The Paris Masters is an annual indoor tennis tournament for male professional players held in Nanterre, France. It is usually the last tournament on the calendar before the season-ending ATP Finals.

The defending champion is Alexander Zverev.

When is the 2025 Paris Masters?

The 2025 Paris Masters is the 53rd edition of this ATP Masters 1000 event. This year's tournament takes place from Oct. 27 to Nov. 2.

How to watch the 2025 Paris Masters for free

The 2025 Paris Masters are available to live stream for free on France.tv.

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

Access free live streams of the 2025 Paris Masters 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 France

4. Visit France.tv

5. Watch the 2025 Paris Masters for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can live stream the 2025 Paris Masters before recovering your investment. This is a sneaky trick, but it works.

If you want to retain permanent access to the best free streaming sites 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 France.tv?

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

• Servers in 105 countries including France

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

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

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to 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. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.95 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream the 2025 Paris Masters for free with ExpressVPN.

The Bose SoundLink Micro Bluetooth Speaker (2nd Gen) is a mixed bag. It offers solid highs and lows when you’re directly in front of it, but loses clarity off-axis and distorts past 50% volume. While durable, portable, and supported by useful app customizations, it feels at least $50 overpriced.