IT General

Driving used to be something more than just a way to get from one place to another. Just taking a drive down to the store could be an exciting experience in the right car. The so-called "driver's car", which emphasizes feedback and responsiveness to your inputs was a great way to forget about your dull 9-5 life. For those who cared about such things, there were plenty of choices at every budget level. These days? I'm starting to doubt that a true driver's car even exists anymore in any form.

2025 is nearly over, and it's the time of the year when music streaming services compete to create the best overview of your yearly music journey.

Today, Apple Music launched its Apple Music Replay '25, and as always, the company is highlighting the facts that it's more personal than ever.

Having seen a demo beforehand, I do have to agree. Yes, it's still a replay of your favorite artists, albums, and songs of the year, with some data sprinkled on top, telling you how many minutes you've spent listening to music, or the number of artists you listened to.

SEE ALSO: Apple was a role model, until it wasn't

However, you'll also find out which were the new artists that you discovered this year; which artists you kept coming back to, and which artists made a comeback into your rotation.

And, of course, you get a playlist with all your favorite songs of the year inside, as well as your monthly Replay highlights. Finally, if you want to listen to all of the songs you've played the most since joining Apple Music, you can do so in the Replay All Time playlist.

That's a lot of minutes played. Credit: Apple

Not everything will show up for every user, making the experience a bit adventure-like. The Replay and all the accompanying playlists and experiences can be accessed in the Home tab in Apple Music.

Alongside the personalized Replay, Apple also revealed its 2025 year-end charts; this time, the chart is topped by ROSÉ and Bruno Mars’ unavoidable hit “APT.”

Finally, Apple added some new experiences for the artists, which also get a replay of their own, showing them new metrics such as listenership growth, and year-over-year performance summaries.

Shingo Yamashita's Cosmic Princess Kaguya! is hitting Netflix in January, and judging by the above trailer, we're in for an absolute treat.

It's the Chainsaw Man and Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1 opening sequence director's feature debut, set in the dazzling, music-fuelled world of Tsukuyomi. According to Netflix's Tudum, the anime film is inspired by Japanese folktale The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter.

In the trailer, former moon resident Kaguya (voiced by Yuko Natsuyoshi) befriends Earthling, songwriter, and student Iroha (Anna Nagase). Not wanting to return to her lunar home, Kaguya instead wants to become a top idol and streamer, specifically in the virtual realm of Tsukuyomi. There, she meets "the diva of Tsukuyomi," Yachiyo (Saori Hayami), who sings Cosmic Princess Kaguya!'s main theme "Ex-Otogibanashi" ("Ex-Fairy Tale"), composed for the movie by Vocaloid producer ryo (supercell).

SEE ALSO: 20 best anime series on Netflix to watch right now

How will Kaguya reach her dream? By singing one of Iroha's compositions, the HoneyWorks-written "Watashiha Watashinokotoga Suki" ("I like who I am"), which you hear a snippet of in the trailer. And Vocaloid fans, you can also expect songs by kz (livetune), Aqu3ra, yuigot, and 40mP in the movie too.

Cosmic Princess Kaguya! is streaming on Netflix on Jan. 22.

Google Drive is a storage solution, but most of us treat it like a digital junk drawer. Files end up in random folders, duplicates stack up, and finding anything becomes a pain. The good news? With a bit of cleanup, you can sort out the clutter and tidy up your storage in just one afternoon.

This is it, the last month of 2025, and you know what that means—Prime Video's new Originals lineup for December is heavy on the holiday-themed stuff, with a dusting of other intriguing titles to take the chill off the colder weather.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you don't have a dirty mouth.

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 December 2, 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: An estimate

• Green: Profanity alternatives

• Blue: Baseball mascots

• Purple: Household nicknames

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Approximate

• Green: Mild oaths

• Blue: MLB player

• Purple: Family member nickname plus a letter

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 #905 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Approximate: BALLPARK, BROAD, GENERAL, ROUGH

• Mild oaths: FRICK, FUDGE, SHOOT, SUGAR

• MLB player: ANGEL, MET, RAY, ROYAL

• Family member nickname plus a letter: BROW, DADA, MOMA, SISI

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 December 2, 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 love bugs.

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 December 2, 2025 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for December 2, 2025 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: On the web

The words are related to bugs.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe eight-legged bugs.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Spiders.

NYT Strands word list for December 2

• Jumping

• Recluse

• Tarantula

• Spiders

• Widow

• Huntsman

• House

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 in the desert.

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 December 2, 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 December 2, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Thorny plants.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter C appears twice.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter C.

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...

CACTI

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 December 2, 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.

MARKET VALUE: The Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution Mega Lucario Elite Trainer Box is on sale for $105.90 at Amazon. That's close to market value compared to the listing on TCGplayer including shipping.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution Elite Trainer Box — Mega Lucario $105.90 at Amazon
  Shop Now

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are over, but you know what lives on? Deals on Pokémon. The world has gone mad for Pokémon over the last few years, and that fever is showing no signs of slowing down.

You can find a number of popular Pokémon products on Amazon. Generally, prices for these items are inflated to the point that they're not worth considering (even with the added convenience of Prime shipping). But sometimes, we see something fall in price to the point that shoppers should consider spending their cash with Amazon.

As of Dec. 2, the Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution Mega Lucario Elite Trainer Box is on sale for $105.90 at Amazon. That's close to market value compared to the listing on TCGplayer including shipping. Prices are still inflated across the board right now, but that's the state of play with Pokémon. People are spending the money, and the market value reflects that.

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It's worth noting that this item is sold by CFA Enterprises LLC. We don't usually recommend shopping with third-party sellers on Amazon, but Kings Games have excellent reviews and we'll take what we can get with Pokémon right now. The market is unstable and prices and stock changes all the time. It's a wild world out there.

Score the Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution Mega Lucario Elite Trainer Box for close to market value at Amazon.

As a language, JavaScript receives more than its fair share of criticism. Its default global variables, prototypical inheritance, and dynamic typing are often considered flaws that can lead to sloppy code. But I’m here to defend JavaScript, not as the ideal language, but as a great choice for beginners.

SAVE OVER $400: As of Dec. 2, the Hisense 65-Inch QLED 4K S7N CanvasTV is on sale for $847.99 after Cyber Monday. This is $450 off its list price of $1,297.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense Hisense 65-Inch Class QLED 4K S7N CanvasTV $847.99 at Amazon
$1,297.99 Save $450   Get Deal

If you were hoping to score a new TV over Black Friday and Cyber Monday, fear not, as a few retailers still have TV deals worth shopping. Amazon is among them, with plenty of great discounts leftover. Amazon is still offering the sleek Hisense 65-Inch QLED 4K S7N CanvasTV for $847.99.

This price for the Hisense 65-Inch QLED 4K S7N CanvasTV is $450 off its list price of $1,297.99 and matches the best price we saw over Cyber Monday. It's worth keeping in mind that a lot of these deals are disappearing fast, so act fast to avoid missing out.

SEE ALSO: Cyber Monday 2025: Live updates on deals still live from Amazon, Apple, Best Buy, Walmart, and more

Similar to Samsung's The Frame TVs, the Hisense CanvasTV allows you to display art and photographs on your screen when you're not watching. It even features a low reflection coating that prevents glare, which means the TV can be watched even when there's lots of light in the room.

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For when you're ready to watch a show or movie, it boasts a high-quality 4K QLED display that makes images on screen burst with bright, vibrant colors and plenty of detail. Games run smoothly as well thanks to a Variable Refresh Rate of 48Hz to 144Hz, allowing for high frame rates. It even comes with Google TV, which brings together all of your favorite streaming apps to make swapping between shows and movies on different services smooth and easy.

Don't miss out on the Hisense 65-Inch QLED 4K S7N CanvasTV down to $847.99 at Amazon. If you're curious what other models are marked down right now, have a look through our breakdown of Cyber Monday TV deals to see if any other offers are still available.

Christmas shouldn’t be stressful, but here we are, only a few weeks out and already wondering where the rest of the year went. This year, why not give yourself the gift of a smarter home?

MARKET VALUE: The Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolutions Phantasmal Flames Booster Display Box is on sale for $248.99 at Amazon. That's below market value compared to the listing on TCGplayer.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolutions Phantasmal Flames Booster Display Box $248.99 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $51   Get Deal

We've been pretty busy tracking the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals to drop over the last few weeks. We all need a break at this point. We need something other than AirPods, robot vacuums, and TVs. What we need is Pokémon.

The Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolutions Phantasmal Flames Booster Display Box is on sale for $248.99 at Amazon. That's over $50 off the list price and below market value compared to the listing on TCGplayer. We know that these prices can still be inflated, but it's what people are willing to pay right now. Needless to say, Pokémon is having a very big moment right now.

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This popular item comes with 36 booster packs from Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution — Phantasmal Flames. The Phantasmal Flames expansion has over 120 cards to collect and new Mega Evolution Pokémon ex, making this a great opportunity to deep dive into the collection for a decent price.

Score the Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolutions Phantasmal Flames Booster Display Box for below market value at Amazon.

Donald Trump's Thanksgiving rant on Truth Social angered a lot of people, including some Republicans, after the president used the R slur to describe Minnesota governor Tim Walz.

"Walz responded with four words of his own: 'Release the MRI results,'" says Stephen Colbert in the Late Show clip above, responding to the fallout from Trump's post. "In response Trump says he will release MRI results but doesn't know what part of his body was scanned. Ah, here's a theory: Maybe the part that's broken is the part that's supposed to know?"

Colbert goes on to play a recent clip of the president talking about the MRI taken on his heart and abdomen in October, with the president telling reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, "It wasn't the brain because I took a cognitive test and I aced it."

"No, it's true," says Colbert, in Trump impression mode. "I did so well on the cognitive they put me in the extra credit tube."

SAVE $250: The 13-inch MacBook Air M4 (16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) is still on sale at its best-ever price after Cyber Monday. Save $250 off its list price of $1,199.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple 13-Inch MacBook Air M4 $949 at Amazon
$1,199 Save $250   Get Deal

Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales have come and gone, but a few retailers still have some deals hanging around for shoppers to jump on ahead of the holidays. This includes some Apple deals. Even now, Amazon's still offering the 13-inch 2025 M4 MacBook Air (16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) at its lowest-ever price of $949.

This discount saves you $250 on the M4 MacBook Air, which usually retails for $1,199. It's a deal you'll want to be quick to grab as it may not last long beyond Cyber Monday. Already some configurations have gone up in price, so now's the time to make a move.

SEE ALSO: Cyber Monday 2025: Live updates on deals still live from Amazon, Apple, Best Buy, Walmart, and more

If a new laptop has been on your shopping list, the 13-inch 2025 M4 MacBook Air is a portable option that's great for both work and play. It comes with the M4 chip which offers speedy performance and with up to 18 hours of battery life, it'll keep you moving all day. On top of that, its 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display will make pages, videos, and more pop with crisp detail and color.

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This particular configuration also comes with 16GB of Unified Memory and a 512GB SSD. Again, it's a deal that may not be live for long as we get further into the week, so act fast to save on the 13-inch MacBook Air M4 at Amazon

Looking for even more discounts like this? It's worth having a look at our breakdown of Cyber Monday Apple deals to see if anymore are still available before Cyber Monday offers disappear for good.

Python's interactive usage modes are easy to take for granted, but to me, interactive use is one reason it's my favorite programming language. Here are the reasons why interactive Python is my favorite programming tool.

SAVE $80: Apple AirPods 4 with ANC are on sale for $99 after the Amazon Cyber Monday sale. That's $80 off and the lowest-ever price for this model.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods 4 (with ANC) $99 at Amazon
$179 Save $80   Get Deal

We're busy tracking the best deals still live after Cyber Monday. You might think that everything is back up to full price, but there are quite a few discounts still live. It's almost like the whole thing was pointless. A great big charade designed to manufacture excess spend. Anyway, you can still score Apple AirPods 4 (with ANC) for their best-ever price after Cyber Monday.

Apple AirPods 4 with ANC are on sale for $99 after the Amazon Cyber Monday sale. That's $80 off and the lowest-ever price for this model.

Were you safely tucked up in your Black Friday and Cyber Monday bunker for the last few weeks? Have you emerged from safety to what you hoped would be a quiet period of rest? Tough luck. The deals are still coming in hot.

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The AirPods 4 feature an improved fit and Adaptive Audio that seamlessly blends ANC and Transparency mode. We reviewed them positively and noted the improved call quality, sound, and ANC. You know what you're getting with AirPods. If you missed out on the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, you can still pick up these AirPods at their best-ever price ahead of the holidays.

Score Apple AirPods 4 with ANC for their lowest-ever price after Cyber Monday.

The XGIMI MoGo 4 Laser Projector is slick and portable with built-in Google TV functionality and plenty of connectivity options. Although you can take this projector almost anywhere, its limited brightness and battery life dull some of its potential.

Donald Trump's Thanksgiving day message was angry and offensive even for him, with the president ranting on his own Truth Social about how people had allowed the country to be "divided, disrupted, carved up, murdered, beaten, mugged, and laughed at," before going on to call Minnesota Governor Tim Walz the R slur.

"I hate to be the one to tell you, our country isn't being laughed at — they're laughing at you," says Jimmy Kimmel in the clip above. "I wonder why he didn't get that Nobel Peace Prize. It makes no sense."

Kimmel goes on to play a clip of Trump doubling down on his comments while being interviewed on Air Force One, saying "I think there's something wrong with him" about Walz.

"Another bold statement from the President of the Eighth Grade," says Kimmel.

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 Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025:

AcrossFittingly, the letters that bookend "Get along well"

• The answer is Gel.

Coke, e.g.

• The answer is Drug.

Sprite

• The answer is Pixie.

Pepsi ___

• The answer is Cola.

Subway scurrier

• The answer is Rat.

DownMeasure of a country's economic output, for short

• The answer is GDP.

N.Y.C. mayor Adams

• The answer is Eric.

Vegas casino shaped like a pyramid

• The answer is Luxor.

___ monster (venomous lizard)

• The answer is Gila.

Have a bite

• The answer is Eat.

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

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.