IT General

SAVE $80: As of Nov. 7, you can get Apple AirPods Pro 2 for just $169.99. That's 32% off the original price or $80 off.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods Pro 2 $169.99 at Best Buy
$249.99 Save $80.00 Get Deal

AirPods Pro 2 are your go-to for listening to podcasts or music while walking around town. With exceptional Bluetooth connectivity and an extremely comfortable ergonomic design, they stay connected even during strenuous exercise or busy subway rides and sound great doing it.

SEE ALSO: Walmart just leaked more of the best deals from its first Black Friday sale

With AirPods Pro 2, innovation happens internally. These look similar to past AirPods Pro, but they have new features like Adaptive Transparency, improved active noise cancellation, and a juicier battery.

With a redesigned audio driver and custom amplifier, these earbuds sound even better than the first generation. They sound just as great on nuanced live performances as bassy electronic music.

Right now you can get Apple AirPods Pro 2 for just $169.99 — that’s 32% off or $80 in savings. And just $1 off from their Prime Big Deal Days pricing.

The Adaptive Transparency feature reduces noise while keeping you in contact with the world, inserting sounds from the outside world into the mix. When you only want to hear the music, the improved active noise cancellation eliminates the world, quieting even loud street sounds so effectively that we were in awe.

AirPods Pro are exceptional earbuds for an on-the-go lifestyle. With their case, AirPods Pro will give you upwards of 30 hours of charge.

The video game industry made several surprise announcements this week.

In the midst of the U.S. presidential election, news broke that the Nintendo Switch 2 would be backwards compatible. A few days later, Death Stranding shadow launched on Xbox and the Windows PC game store, with a time-limited sale price of $20. That's a bit shocking because, for the last five years, Death Stranding has been a PlayStation console exclusive.

It did get a Steam release a while back courtesy of 505 Games, but as far as anyone knew, it wouldn't come to Xbox because PlayStation had published the game originally.

Tweet may have been deleted

That's not the case anymore. According to IGN (Disclaimer: IGN and Mashable are under the same parent company, Ziff Davis), Death Stranding developer Kojima Productions has seized control of the Death Stranding IP from Sony. Death Stranding is now theoretically open to a wider range of platforms. However, it’s worth noting that the upcoming sequel is being published by Sony and will launch exclusively on PS5, although it may not remain exclusive indefinitely.

If you never played Death Stranding, the perfect time was in 2020 when everyone was locked up inside, but the second best time is now. It's about a post-apocalyptic deliveryman braving the wastes of a ruined United States to bring people pizza and other basic goods. Death Stranding is equally as likely to provoke thoughts about isolation, emotional availability, and the gig economy as it is to make you laugh because you stumbled down a hillside.

There's nothing else like it, for better or worse.

SAVE UP TO 40%: Fitbit trackers are on sale at Amazon for up to 40% off, including the Fitbit Inspire 3 — a Mashable favorite.

Fitbit deals at Amazon Best overall Fitbit deal Fitbit Versa 4 $119.95 at Amazon (save $80) Get Deal Best budget-friendly Fitbit deal Fitbit Inspire 3 $69.95 at Best Buy (save $30) Get Deal Best Fitbit deal for varied workouts Fitbit Charge 6 $99.95 at Amazon (save $60) Get Deal

Somehow we're just a handful of weeks away from 2025. If you have fitness goals in mind for either the holidays or for the new year, a fitness tracker is a great companion for keeping tabs on your progress. You don't have to have super ambitious fitness goals to get good use out of a tracker. Even starting a new walking routine calls for a tracker since it's the perfect way to count steps, keep records of your activity, and monitor sleep. Plus, it's really nice to have the time just a quick glance away on your watch, instead of reaching for your phone.

Fitbit has always been one of the leading brands in fitness trackers, and their tech has only improved since Google acquired the brand in 2021. Instead of waiting for Black Friday sales, you can snag a Fitbit tracker at Amazon for up to 40% off today, which mean you'll be well on your way to tracking fitness by the time 2025 rolls around. Here are some of our top recommendations if you're in the market for a new Fitbit.

Best overall Fitbit deal Opens in a new window Credit: Fitbit Our pick: Fitbit Versa 4 $119.95 at Amazon
$199.95 Save $80.00 Get Deal Why we like it

Whether you're training for a 5k, a marathon, or going on the occasional hike, the Fitbit Versa 4 has ideal functions. Compatible with both iOS and Android devices, the Fitbit Versa 4 gets up to 6 days of battery life while tracking your workouts and sleep. Choose from over 40 exercise modes and get your daily readiness score each morning to help determine the best level of activity for the day ahead. The Versa 4 also gives a daily stress management score.

The Waterfall Blue, Pink Sand, and Black models are all included in the sale price at Amazon of just $119.95 which works out to a 40% discount off the normal price of $199.95.

Best budget-friendly Fitbit deal Opens in a new window Credit: Fitbit Our pick: Fitbit Inspire 3 $69.95 at Amazon
$99.95 Save $30.00 Get Deal Why we like it

A Mashable favorite, the Fitbit Inspire 3 is down to just $69.95 at Amazon which means you'll be saving a sweet 30% off the typical price of $99.95.

When it comes to the best fitness trackers, Mashable lists the Fitbit Inspire 3 as the best budget-friendly option. Sam Stone's review of the Inspire 3 for Mashable mentions major pros include intuitive functions, workout insights, and its wide range of included apps.

Stone writes, "It sits easily on the wrist, and compared to other wearables it’s relatively small. The watch counts steps, tracks heart rate, and measures calories burned, among other metrics, and, in combination with Fitbit app, converts all that information into data you can use to inform your workouts." All that for under $70 mean is a great deal, and you'll get both a small and large size band with the watch, so you can find a comfortable fit.

Best Fitbit deal for varied workouts Opens in a new window Credit: Fitbit Our pick: Fitbit Charge 6 $99.95 at Amazon
$159.95 Save $60.00 Get Deal Why we like it

If you're one to go for a run on Monday, take a HIIT class on Tuesday, and head off for a bike ride on Wednesday, the versatile Fitbit Charge 6 could be great. With over 40 exercise modes, the tracker is designed to keep tabs on all your varied activities. It also includes advanced health tools like a heart rate monitor that can detect irregularities and a sleep score.

The Fitbit Charge 6 also has convenient Google integrations like Google Maps and Google Wallet for paying on-the-go.

"Dear Santa" premieres Nov. 25 on Paramount+.

Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, and Chloe East star in this A24-produced horror film, out Nov. 8.

Australia is set to ban social media for kids under 16, in a stated attempt to minimise "harms that are being caused to young people" through the platforms.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the measures on Thursday, after a decision by his government on Monday.

"Social media is doing harm to our kids and I'm calling time on it," Albanese said in a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra. "I've spoken to thousands of parents, grandparents, aunties and uncles. They, like me, are worried sick about the safety of our kids online."

"We don't argue that the changes that we will be legislating will fix everything immediately," he added. "We have laws such as people can't buy alcohol if they're under 18, and from time to time that can be broken. But those laws set what the parameters are for our society and they assist in ensuring the right outcomes."

SEE ALSO: Teens feel burnt out. Social media can make it worse.

Albanese said the law will not allow exemptions for users under 16 who have parental consent, nor will it accept "grandfathering arrangements" for young people already on social media.

The government intends to put "the onus will be on social media platforms" instead of parents and teens. Big tech companies are making slow progress in this space — for example, Instagram recently added Teen Accounts, a more restricted way for teens under 16 to use the app.

Most social media platforms including TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat don't let users under 13 make accounts, with varying levels of restriction for users under 16 and 18. However, in August, the U.S. Justice Department sued TikTok for allegedly violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), for allowing kids to create accounts without parental consent and collecting personal information from children under 13. It's one of several lawsuits across the U.S. against TikTok on the grounds of child safety.

Studies around teens, mental health, and social media aren't in short supply. In his address, the prime minister specifically called out campaigns run by Australian media organisations around the legislation, in particular the debated "Let Them Be Kids" campaign run by NewsCorp. Social change initiative 36Months, who have campaigned to ban social media for under-16s in Australia, were also present at Parliament House on Wednesday.

So, what's the timeline on Australia's social media ban?

The Australian government will determine the details of the law in a virtual national cabinet meeting on Friday, the legislation will be introduced to Parliament in two weeks time, and will come into force 12 months after passage. Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said "social media companies have been put on notice", and emphasised there is a one-year lead time before the law would be implemented.

The law's new definition of age restriction on social media will be adapted from Australia's current Online Safety Act. Passed in 2021, it's the country's online harms protection law, much like the UK's version. The eSafety Commissioner, Australia's independent regulator for online safety, will "provide oversight and enforcement" by issuing regulatory guidance for social media platforms.

OK, which social media platforms will be covered under Australia's ban?

When asked about specific social media platforms, Rowland clarified, "In terms of the services that will be covered, there will be a definition in the Act. But I think it is commonly understood that those definitions of what constitutes social media include ones such as Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and X. YouTube would likely fall within that definition as well."

How will the social media ban be enforced in Australia?

In a nutshell, it's currently unclear exactly how the social media ban will be regulated, as the prime minister said "there will be no penalties for users." When asked about age restrictions and the practicalities around it (how identification will work etc), Rowland said an "age assurance trial" would happen over the next year, with the government examining the platforms' individual measures and whether they're enough.

"There will need to be measures put in place to ensure that reasonable steps are being taken by the platforms to ensure that that age limit is complied with," she said.

"These platforms know their users better than anyone. These platforms understand their habits, their capabilities, what sort of content should be driven to them and what their behaviours are. So in this year that we will take in terms of implementation, that will be the key focus."

For more on internet safety for kids, Mashable's got you covered.

This beastly 16-inch MacBook Pro, packed with Apple's new herculean M4 Pro chip, is not designed for amateurs like myself — people who think "intensive" means opening 100 Google Chrome tabs and praying one's laptop doesn't self combust.

No ma'am.

This mammoth of a laptop is, instead, for professional power users. I'm talkin' 3D designers, seasoned animators, skilled video editors, and veteran music producers — folks who need a powerhouse that can handle heavy workloads without a single stutter.

However, thanks to the 16-inch MacBook Pro's eye-popping power efficiency, I'd argue that normies can splurge on the 16-inch MacBook Pro, particularly if they prefer laptops with Energizer Bunny-like endurance. (And I mean, who doesn't?)

You won't believe how long the 16-inch MacBook Pro lasted on a charge. It doesn't quite beat the record-breaking Microsoft Surface Laptop 7, but it's pretty darn impressive.

Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro, 2024) price and specs

The 16-inch MacBook Pro in this review costs a whopping $3,649, and it comes with the following:

• M4 Pro chip

• 14-core CPU

• 20-core GPU

• 48GB of RAM

• 2TB of storage

• Nano-texture display

Ouch! My wallet is screaming just looking at that price tag. Luckily, the cheapest 16-inch M4 Pro MacBook Pro has a more palatable cost of $2,499. Although it's still pricey, there's less sticker shock. This configuration comes with the same M4 Pro chip, but knocks you back down to 24GB of memory and 512GB of SSD storage.

If you’re a video editor, or any other professional handling massive files, you might need to bite the bullet and upgrade to at least 1TB of storage.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro, 2024) $2,499.99
Shop Now Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro, 2024) design

I mean, it's a 16-inch laptop, so don't expect it to be a featherweight. It weighs nearly five pounds and it's 0.66 inches thick.

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

Compared to its last-generation counterpart (i.e., 16-inch M3 Pro MacBook Pro), the new model is pretty much the same when it comes to design. It still sports a 100% recycled aluminum enclosure and that shiny, tell-tale logo on the lid that yells, "Yes, I'm an Apple laptop!"

It comes in Space Black and Silver.

My review unit sports the Space Black colorway. With a name like that, I was expecting the deepest, darkest black — think inky, onyx, obsidian vibes. After all, isn’t space, as in the vast, empty void beyond Earth, pitch dark? Apparently, I was wrong. Not to get all nerdy, but NASA says that “space isn’t absolutely black; the universe has a faint, suffused glimmer.”

Space Black is quite dark to the naked eye, but under bright lighting, it has a deep gray hue.

This colorway diminishes fingerprints, but it doesn't completely fend them off. Keep a microfiber cloth handy.

Other than that, the M4 Pro shares the same design as its predecessor. In fact, it's got the same design as far back as the 2021 model, But I can't blame Apple; consumers love it. The MacBook Pro continues to be a solid and sturdy dream machine.

Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro, 2024) display

This configuration comes with a new nano-texture display option.

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

This doesn't come with the laptop. You have to pay an extra $150 to snag one. Is it worth it? It depends. Do you work in a sun-drenched office? Are you always working outdoors? If you answered yes to either of those questions, you'd benefit from a nano-texture display, as it's designed to handle challenging lighting situations while still providing decent visibility for users.

I couldn't wait to take the MacBook Pro outside in my backyard to test the nano-texture display, and I must say, I'm impressed!

The Apple laptop remained crystal clear, even as dappled sunlight attempted to wash out the screen. I didn't have to squint, adjust angles, nor play hide-and-seek with shadows — the display stood its ground, refusing to surrender to the sun’s relentless glare.

If you’re someone who spends a lot of time working in bright, unpredictable lighting, this nano-texture display might just be the unsung hero you didn’t know you needed.

Plus, compared to the last generation, the M4 Pro MacBook Pro's screen is brighter. It can hit a peak SDR brightness of 1,000 nits, up from 600 nits. The HDR brightness score continues to be 1,600 nits.

The 16-inch MacBook Pro, like the previous model, features a 16.2-inch, 3,456 x 2,234-pixel resolution display with ProMotion technology (i.e., up to 120Hz refresh rate). As expected, the display looked gorgeous while I feasted my eyes on the new Squid Game 2 trailer. It's rich, vibrant, and pure visual eye candy.

Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro, 2024) ports

The M4 Pro MacBook Pro now has Thunderbolt 5 ports, an upgrade from the previous generation's trio of Thunderbolt 4 ports. Thunderbolt 5 offers double the bandwidth of Thunderbolt 4 at 120Gb/s, which means faster data transfer speeds for your peripherals.

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

Over Thunderbolt, the 16-inch M4 Pro MacBook Pro supports up to two external displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz.

You'll also get an HDMI port, an SDXC card slot, a 3.5mm headset jack, and a MagSafe 3 port.

Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro, 2024) audio

If music were a dish, the 16-inch MacBook Pro would be a gourmet apple pie, straight out of grandma’s oven — piping hot, golden, and worth every sinful calorie.

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

Packed with a high-fidelity, six-speaker sound system (with fore-cancelling woofers), Era Istrefi's "Bonbon" sounded delicious to my ears. Yum!

The MacBook Pro is one of the most recommended laptops for music producers — and I see why. The laptop perfectly captured the gritty, exotic undertones and the pulsating, driving beat.

Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro, 2024) keyboard and trackpad

I'd describe my typing experience on the 16-inch MacBook Pro in two words: snappy and responsive. Plus, it's got enough key travel to make typing comfortable over long periods of time.

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

Just make sure you're not sitting next to someone who prefers piece and quiet. The keyboard emits some loud clacks.

Apple’s glass-covered Force Touch trackpad is, as always, a pleasure to use. It's spacious, responsive, and perfectly balanced between smoothness and resistance. Every swipe and click feel effortless.

Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro, 2024) benchmarks and performance

Somebody call the coroner because the M4 Pro chip inside the 16-inch MacBook Pro has obliterated the competition.

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

On Geekbench 6, which tests CPU prowess, the 16-inch MacBook Pro delivered a multi-core score of 22,758. For reference, the entry-level M4 MacBook Pro notched a score of 15,199 on the same test.

This is the best Geekbench 6 score we've seen at Mashable for a laptop. Coming in close second is the Razer Blade 18, which sports an Intel Core i9-14900HX. So yeah, the MacBook Pro just torched a gaming laptop.

Here are some other scores:

Cinebench R3 - 23,336 (multi-core)

Blender GPU test - 2,533.57

Once again, for reference, the entry-level M4 chip notched scores of 13,891 and 1,065, respectively, for Cinebench R3 and Blender. The M4 Pro chip is fast!

Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro, 2024) webcam

The M4 Pro MacBook Pro’s 12MP webcam is a step up, delivering sharper video quality with less artifacting in various lighting conditions. FaceTime calls looked great, and my fiancé was quick to notice the improvement in clarity.

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

Desk View is the real star, allowing a top-down perspective of your desk setup using only the built-in webcam. I assumed I’d need a secondary camera, but the 12MP webcam handles it all on its own. Whether you’re presenting or demoing, Desk View is a clever addition that’s both fun and functional.

The updated webcam also supports Center Stage, which may be familiar to those who own iPads. For the uninitiated, Center Stage ensures that you're kept in frame at all times, even if you lean a little bit to the left or shuffle over to the right.

Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro, 2024) battery life

The 16-inch MacBook Pro lasted an eye-popping 20 hours and 51 minutes in our video rundown test. In other words, this laptop nearly lasts 21 hours on a single charge.

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

As mentioned at the outset, it doesn't quite beat our reigning champ (i.e., Microsoft Surface Laptop 7), but it's nipping at its heels.

Is the Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro, 2024) worth it?

The 16-inch M4 Pro MacBook Pro didn't come to play. With jaw-dropping performance, impressive battery life, and a gorgeous nano-texture display option, this laptop is geared for professionals who need powerhouse specs and are willing to pay for them. If you’re a video editor, a 3D designer, or someone who needs serious firepower, this MacBook is as good as it gets.

Even if you're just an internet surfer and a Netflix browser, get it for the 20-hour+ battery life — if you have the money to blow, of course.

Either way, the M4 Pro is a future-proof machine that won’t leave you disappointed, as long as you’ve got the budget for it.

The 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro has officially entered the chat — and it’s here to remind Windows who's boss.

For those who haven't been closely following the PCs vs. MacBooks battle in recent months, Windows laptops began to gain the upper hand with the introduction of the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor. Machines with this new chip delivered shockingly long battery life and jaw-dropping performance — so much so that they began to eclipse the M3 MacBooks.

But that was then. This is now. The M4 chip is here and its presence is monstrous — it's a beastly gem that is the pride of Apple, but a scary-fast rival for the Windows world.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chip may have sparked whispers of Windows’ comeback, but Apple’s M4 has arrived to make those whispers vanish. This MacBook Pro is everything we hoped for and more — and it’s ready to prove that Windows’ short-lived bragging rights end here.

Apple MacBook Pro (14-inch, M4) price and specs

The 14-inch MacBook Pro in this review costs $1,799 via Apple's official website and comes with the following specs:

• 10-core CPU

• 10-core GPU

• 16GB of RAM

• 1TB SSD

If that’s too pricey for you, the cheapest configuration has a price tag of $1,599, but you’ll have to downgrade your storage to 512GB of SSD storage.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Pro (M4, 14-inch) $1,599.99 at Apple
Get Deal Apple MacBook Pro (14-inch, M4) design

My 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro comes in Space Black, but it's not quite black enough, if that makes sense.

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

If you’re hoping this colorway would scream "Batmobile black," you might be a bit disappointed. But it’s still deep enough to deliver that brooding, refined vibe.

My Space Black M4 MacBook Pro gives off the vibe of a mysterious man in the corner, smoking a cigar and sipping a bitter Old Fashioned — the kind of guy who doesn’t want company, but you can’t help being drawn to him. That said, I wish this hue leaned more toward a true inky black. Under certain lighting, it veers into dark gray territory, leaving me craving an even darker, sexier, more enigmatic finish.

Space Black is a new option for MacBook Pro models with the vanilla M-series chip. Last year, the Space Black colorway was reserved for the M3 Pro and M3 Max configurations — not for the entry-level, vanilla M3 models. However, it looks like Apple is being a little more generous this year. This onyx finish is now available for the base M4 models. Woot! (Last year, I begged Apple to bring Space Black to more Apple products, so this is likely a forecast that my wish may be coming true.)

While this color variant minimizes fingerprints, it doesn't get rid of them completely. You'll have to keep a microfiber cloth handy anyway.

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

You can also get the M4 MacBook Pro in Silver.

Other than that, there aren't any other notable gen-over-gen design changes for the M4 MacBook Pro. And why should there be? It's just fine the way it is, with Apple's signature logo on the lid and an island-style keyboard on the deck. The new MacBook Pro continues to feature a 100 percent recycled aluminum enclosure.

Plus, it brings a lot of power in such a portable package (more on that later); I could see this being my new travel companion for sure.

Apple MacBook Pro (14-inch, M4) display

You may be wondering, "Did Apple make any upgrades with the display?" The answer is yes, but they're minor.

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

Similar to the M3 MacBook Pro, the M4 MacBook Pro sports a 3,024 x 1,964-pixel display that continues to be quite striking to the eye. While watching Netflix’s Time Cut on the new laptop, I was blown away by the vivid, lush colors that brought the early-2000s sci-fi slasher to life. The Ugg boots, Victoria’s Secret PINK tracksuits, and Rollie Sneakers gave me flashbacks of peak Y2K cringe — but thankfully, the display’s stunning visuals made up for the throwback fashion fails.

The M4 MacBook Pro continues to sport a 16:10 aspect ratio, slim bezels, and that controversial notch that gets people in a tizzy. Do I love the notch? No. Will you get over it and forget it's there? Yes. My only complaint is that the notch should make itself useful and add Face ID to the mix.

The gen-over-gen improvement featured on the M4 MacBook Pro's display is brightness. Like its predecessor, the M4 MacBook Pro emanates 1,000 nits of sustained brightness for general use as well as 1,600 nits peak brightness for HDR content. However, the difference lies in the brightness offerings for SDR (Standard Dynamic Range). The M3 MacBook Pro delivered SDR content at 600 nits, but the M4 MacBook Pro is now more brilliant, now emanating SDR content at up to 1,000 nits.

There's also a new nano-texture display option. My review unit doesn't sport this feature, but I've had experience with this panel offering on the iPad Pro as well as the M4 Pro MacBook Pro. Its mission is to ensure that the display remains highly visible, even in challenging lighting situations (e.g., a sun-drenched room).

It holds up impressively well in bright settings, but the trade-off is a slight dip in the vividness and saturation you’d get from the non-nano-texture display.

Apple MacBook Pro (14-inch, M4) ports

You'll now find three Thunderbolt 4 ports on the MacBook Pro. Compared to its last-generation counterpart, that's one additional Thunderbolt 4 option for you to play with.

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

The M4 MacBook Pro also sports an HDMI port (supports TVs and 4K displays at up to 240Hz or 8K TVs up to 60Hz), a full-size SDXC card slot, as well as MagSafe 3 charging.

No, the 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro doesn't come with Thunderbolt 5; you'll have to upgrade to configurations with M4 Pro and M4 Max for that. As it stands now, the 14-inch M4 MacBook supports up to 40Gb/s of throughput for accessories. (With Thunderbolt 5, however, you can get faster data transfer up to 120Gb/s). The M4 MacBook Pro, in addition to the built-in display, can handle up to two high-res external displays. For example, the M4 MacBook Pro can support two 6K external displays at 60Hz.

This is awesome for anyone who desires a multi-monitor setup. The last-generation 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro could only support one external display at up to 6K at 60Hz. Womp, womp!

Apple MacBook Pro (14-inch, M4) audio

The 14-inch Apple MacBook Pro continues to have angelic audio that sounds like it's been tuned by a choir of heavenly beings.

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

I listened to "Timeless" by The Weekend and Playboi Carti, and as incredible as my M2 MacBook Air sounds, nothing on the entire planet beats the MacBook Pro's six-speaker sound system with four force-cancelling woofers and two tweeters.

I've been reviewing laptops for several years now, and nothing comes close to what the MacBook Pro has been able to do with sound. "Timeless" sounded so good that it gave me chills — as if the music danced around me in 3D.

Apple MacBook Pro (14-inch, M4) keyboard and trackpad

Apple didn't change a darn thing about the built-in Magic Keyboard. As a reviewer who has tested countless laptops, I wouldn't say the MacBook Pro sports the best keyboard (that praise is reserved for the HP OmniBook X), but it's up there.

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

The keys are spacious and well-placed with a black-and-white theme that provides high contrast for peak visibility. Plus, there's still Touch ID support, which is always a breeze to setup (unlike Windows PCs).

Still, I can’t quite crown this keyboard as king. While it’s undeniably snappy and clicky, I’ve tested plenty of laptops with a springier feel that gives my fingers a more satisfying launch from letter to letter.

I have no notes for the glass-covered Force Touch trackpad. It's roomy and has the right balance of smoothness and resistance for highly responsive swiping.

Apple MacBook Pro (14-inch, M4) benchmarks and performance

The M4 chip is a monster that must be haunting Windows PCs' dreams.

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

Long story short, in the realm of Windows, Qualcomm has been bragging about its energy efficiency and performance numbers, claiming that it's better than the M3 chip. And according to our testing, Qualcomm was right; it does, indeed, have an edge over M3-based MacBooks.

As such, Qualcomm-based laptops, particularly those packed with Snapdragon X Elite processors, have been enjoying praise from laptops reviewers, like myself, who were blown away by their performance scores.

However, Apple dropped the M4 chip and obliterated Windows laptops in one fell swoop. On Geekbench 6, the MacBook Pro notched a sweet multi-core score of 15,199. This beats our most powerful non-gaming PC laptop, Microsoft Surface Laptop 7, which delivered a score of 14,548 on the same test.

We also tested the MacBook Pro on other benchmarks (higher is better):

• Cinebench R3 (multi-core) - 13,891

• Blender GPU score - 1,065

(Just a note: while we don’t yet have competitor scores for Cinebench R3 and Blender, this gives you a look at the MacBook Pro’s own impressive results.)

And hallelujah, the entry-level MacBook Pro now has a starting configuration of 16GB as opposed to 8GB, which means the risk of slowdowns while multitasking has decreased. Feel free to flood Google Chrome with as many tabs as you want.

Apple MacBook Pro (14-inch, M4) webcam

Apple upgraded the webcam from yawn-worthy 1080p to a better-quality 12MP.

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

To test the new webcam, I made two FaceTime calls with my fiancé: one using my M2 MacBook Air with its 1080p webcam and the other using the M4 MacBook Pro with the upgraded 12MP camera. He accurately identified the 12MP webcam. However, he noted that the difference between the two wasn’t dramatic, aside from a slightly sharper image. He observed "less artifacting" on the new camera, which handles varying lighting conditions much better than the 1080p webcam.

Personally, I'm lovin' the updated camera, which supports Center Stage, a feature that was once limited to newer iPad models and Macs connected to an Apple Studio Display.

What's Center Stage? It's a feature designed to automatically keep you centered in the frame, even as you move around during video calls. (This is available on video-conferencing apps like FaceTime and Zoom.)

Whether I swayed to the left or shuffled over to the right, the updated webcam followed me like a loyal dance partner.

The real star of the show, however, is Desk View, which lets the webcam capture a top-down view of whatever’s on your desk. Initially, I thought a second camera might be required to make Desk View work, but it turns out you don’t need one. With just the 12MP camera, I was able to activate Desk View during a FaceTime call. It’s pretty impressive.

Apple MacBook Pro (14-inch, M4) battery life

Apple claims that the MacBook Pro can provide up to 24 hours of video streaming on a single charge.

To test this proclamation, we kicked off our 1080p video rundown with the Tears of Steel film at 50 percent brightness. The 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro didn't quite reach 24 hours, but it survived for 16 hours and 32 minutes, which is still quite good. That's nearly 17 hours of battery life.

Is the Apple MacBook Pro (14-inch, M4) worth It?

The 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro basically said, "In your face!" to Windows laptops after they made noise with the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chip this year.

From its impressive battery life to its monstrous M4 chip performance, this machine is built to dominate. But let’s be real — at a starting price of $1,599, it’s an investment that’s not for the faint of heart.

If you’re a creative professional who thrives on serious power in a sleek, portable package, this MacBook Pro is your best friend. But if you’re only using it to browse the web or stream Netflix, you might want to save your cash for a more budget-friendly option. (Perhaps wait for the next-generation MacBook Air.)

For those ready to embrace Apple’s latest powerhouse, though, the M4 MacBook Pro won’t disappoint.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Pro (M4, 14-inch) $1,599.99 at Apple
Get Deal

The battle for the thinnest flagship phone has, apparently, begun.

Late last month, Korea's ET News published a report that Samsung is working on a slim smartphone that could launch "several months" after the launch of the Galaxy S25 series, which is likely to happen in the first quarter of 2025.

It appears that the report was accurate, as Smartprix (via MacRumors) has discovered a mysterious new Galaxy S25 model, listed in the GSMA IMEI database under the model number SM-S937U. The phone is listed under the Galaxy name, and there's no mention of it being called "slim," but there's a good chance that this is an entirely new Galaxy phone model, developed alongside the already existing new Galaxy phones.

Why would Samsung be working on a "slim" variant of its Galaxy flagship? Well, rumors say that Apple plans to launch a super-thin and light version of the iPhone, potentially under the name iPhone Air or iPhone 17 Air.

The new iPhone, which might be a replacement for the iPhone Plus variant, could have a 6.5 to 6.6-inch display, and a far thinner profile than any other existing iPhone.

As for the "slim" Samsung phone, we have no details, but can glean some clues from Samsung's Galaxy Alpha, a 2014 smartphone that was a lot thinner than other Galaxy models at the time. That device had a very slim body, reinforced by a metallic frame, a smallish 4.7-inch display, and it wasn't received particularly well. Samsung later incorporated some of the design elements from the Alpha into the Samsung Galaxy S6, which also had a thin profile and a metal frame.

SEE ALSO: Apple's iPhone 17 will come with a huge RAM upgrade, report claims

One thing is certain: Neither Samsung nor Apple have lately changed their winning formulas much when it comes to flagship phones. Perhaps it's time to shake things up a little with some super-slim smartphones.

SAVE $26: As of Nov. 7, the Govee TV Backlight 3 Lite is on sale for $63.99 at Amazon. That's 29% off its list price of $89.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Govee Govee TV Backlight 3 Lite $63.99 at Amazon
$89.99 Save $26.00 Get Deal

Govee's lights are a great investment when you want to add a pop of color into your room. Their TV backlights, in particular, can elevate whatever you're watching into a colorful, immersive experience. If you've been hoping to pick up lights like these to make an impression for your next movie night, Amazon currently has the Govee TV Backlight 3 Lite for 55-65-inch TVs on sale.

Right now you can get the Govee TV Backlight 3 Lite for $63.99, 29% off its list price of $89.99. Amazon has these lights marked as a limited-time deal, so there's no better time to scoop them up. This box also comes with everything you need to get started.

SEE ALSO: Best Buy is already going hard with QLED TV deals ahead of Black Friday

Alongside the light strip, you'll get an easy-to-setup camera that's placed just above your TV to capture all of the colors on screen. And controlling the lights is simple, too. You can do it all right from the Govee Home App or they can even be paired with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant for voice control.

Lights like these can really improve a watching experience, so don't miss out on this deal at Amazon.

If you're looking for even more deals to check out, you're in luck with Black Friday right around the corner. Some retailers have been getting in the seasonal sale spirit early — like Target, Walmart, and Best Buy — so it's worth checking out our breakdowns for each to learn more about what they've got planned for the sale event and when their sale events are expected to kick off.

TL;DR: A wide range of online courses from Stanford University are available to take for free with edX.

edX hosts absolutely loads of online courses from famous schools like Stanford University. And better yet, some of the best examples of these courses are available to take for free. We know it sounds too good to be true, but you could become a student of Stanford University without spending anything.

You can find online courses on useful topics like Python, mathematics, computer science, and much more. We have checked out everything on offer and lined up a selection of standout options from Stanford University.

These are the best Stanford University courses you can take for free this month.

• Algorithms: Design and Analysis

• Communicating with Presence

• Compilers

• Computer Science 101

• Databases: Advanced Topics in SQL

• Databases: Modeling and Theory

• Databases: OLAP and Recursion

• Databases: Relational Databases and SQL

• Designing Your Career

• Introduction to the Natural Capital Project Approach

• Language, Proof, and Logic

• Nano at Stanford

• Quantum Mechanics for Scientists and Engineers 1

• Quantum Mechanics for Scientists and Engineers 2

• R Programming Fundamentals

• Semantics of First-Order Logic

• Statistical Learning with Python

• Statistical Learning with R

These free courses do not include certificates of completion, but that's the only catch. You can still learn at your own pace with unlimited access to all the resources on offer. So what's stopping you from enrolling?

Find the best free online courses from Stanford University at edX.

Opens in a new window Credit: Stanford University Stanford University Courses Free at edX Get Deal

When it comes to streaming options, the list goes on and on: Hulu, Netflix, Max, Disney+, Apple TV+, Prime Video, Shudder, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. And that's before you even look at their vast libraries of movies and television within each one!

It can be overwhelming. So Mashable offers watch guides for all of the above, broken down by genre: comedy, thriller, horror, documentary, animation, and more. But maybe you don't know what you want beyond something new and entertaining. No worries.

SEE ALSO: The best Netflix TV shows of 2024 (so far)

Mashable's Entertainment Team has scoured the streaming services to highlight the most buzzed-about releases of this week and ranked them from worst to best — or least to most watchable. Whether you want horror documentaries, awaited animation, or directorial debuts, we've got you. 

8. A Man Called Otto

Seeking something feel-good? This American adaptation of Fredrik Backman's darkly comic Swedish novel A Man Called Ove aims to provide. But be warned, it misses the balance of grief and good humor that the book (and its Swedish movie version) manage. A Man Called Otto shaves off a lot of the saddest bits of the plotline, including casting America's Dad, Tom Hanks, in the lead role of a recently widowed curmudgeon, who reluctantly becomes a part of his neighbors lives.

For Mashable's review, I jeered, "Sadly, this feel-good movie falls flat because it never allows us to feel that bad. Gestures at grief and regret are not enough to make the emotions hit us at our core…. Hanks in the lead role, though committed, cannot escape his generations-long persona to be a believable son of a bitch. Without such saltiness, which made A Man Called Ove exhilarating, A Man Called Otto feels infuriatingly inert and frankly idiotic."
— Kristy Puchko, Entertainment Editor

Starring: Tom Hanks, Mariana Treviño, Mike Birbiglia, and Rachel Keller

How to watch: A Man Called Otto is now streaming on Hulu.

7. Poolman

Chris Pine swings big with his directorial debut. For one thing, he pulls triple duty, co-writing the screenplay, helming the production, and headlining as the titular poolman, Los Angeles native Darren Barrenman. Bolder yet, he's crafted a neo-noir comedy that references everything from Chinatown to Golden Girls to Erin Brakocovich with equal enthusiasm. And yeah, that makes for a movie that's humor can be confounding to those not tapped into L.A. culture. The result is a movie that is an absolute mess of ideas.

In Mashable's review out of the film's Toronto International Film Festival premiere, I wrote, "That the plot barely makes sense might’ve been forgivable if Pine could elicit from his performers the kind of exhilarating energy and distinctive wackiness we’ve seen in the works of the Coens and Anderson. Instead, his cast, while charismatic, dances between a blurry line of broad comedy and nuanced parody that can't find its footing. Theirs is a world vaguely interesting but never sharply realized. And as such, we, the audience are always treated as outsiders. In the end, Poolman plays an inside joke that never let its audience inside."— K.P.

Starring: Chris Pine, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Danny DeVito, Annette Bening, John Oritz, and DeWanda Wise

How to watch: Poolman is now streaming on Hulu.

6. Meet Me Next Christmas

Netflix's 2024 slate of cheesy Christmas rom-coms kicks off with Meet Me Next Christmas. Christina Milian plays Layla, who hits it off with James (Kofi Siriboe) when they meet at an airport on Christmas. They decide to reunite next Christmas at a Pentatonix concert (very specific, I know), but Layla isn't able to score tickets to the sold-out show in time. Now, it's a race against the clock for Layla to secure her fairytale ending. But when sparks fly with the concierge (Devale Ellis) she hires to help her out, she may just have to re-evaluate what she truly wants.* — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter

Starring: Christina Milian, Devale Ellis, Kofi Siriboe, Tymika Tafari, Mitch Grassi, Scott Hoying, Kirstin Maldonado, Kevin Olusola, Matt Sallee, Kalen Allen, Nikki Duval, and Wesley French

How to watch: Meet Me Next Christmas is now streaming on Netflix.

5. The Lost City

Does it ever feel like nothing will fix your problems but a Sanda Bullock romantic comedy? Enter 2022’s The Lost City, which is streaming on Netflix from Saturday. Is it a perfect movie? No. Is it a ridiculously fun adventure chock-full of charismatic actors and one iconic sequin jumpsuit? Heck yes, it is!

Bullock is Loretta Sage, a reclusive romance novelist who has given up on love in her own life after the death of her husband. Channing Tatum is simply perfect as the himbo cover model for her books who is secretly in love with her. When an unhinged billionaire kidnaps Loretta because her latest book recalls similar details to a lost treasure he’s hunting, Tatum takes it upon himself, and his zero useful skills, to rescue her.* — Kristina Grosspietsch, Writer

How to watch: The Lost City is streaming on Netflix from Nov. 9.

4. The J Horror Virus

If you watched Ring back in the day and were both forever afraid of technology and straight onto The Grudge, watch The J Horror Virus on Shudder. Directed by Sarah Appleton and Jasper Sharp, the film tracks the evolution of Japanese supernatural horror that specifically embeds sinister forces within modern tech — think Ju-On, Cure, Marebito, Pulse, Shutter, Psychic Vision: Jaganrei and more. Yes, you'll need to watch it on a screen. — Shannon Connellan, UK Editor

Starring: Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Takashi Shimizu, Rie Inoo, Shinya Tsukamoto

How to watch: The J Horror Virus is now streaming on Shudder.

3. Black Cab

Nick Frost as a creepy cab driver? We're in. Directed by Bruce Goodison and written by Virginia Gilbert, Black Cab sees a couple's cab home from a night out turn into a terrifying ordeal. Anne (Synnøve Karlsen) and Patrick (Luke Norris) are the imperilled passenger protagonists, whose driver (Frost) takes a turn into a creepy stretch of possibly haunted road. — S.C.

Starring: Nick Frost, Synnøve Karlsen, Luke Norris

How to watch: Black Cab is streaming on Shudder Nov. 8.

2. My Old Ass

Getting a visit from your future self sounds intimidating and fascinating. They're also two words I'd personally use to describe Aubrey Plaza, who plays a young woman's future self in My Old Ass, directed by Megan Park and produced by Margot Robbie. The film sees Plaza as a woman who emerges when pre-college attendee Elliott (Maisy Stella) enjoys a psychedelic trip. There's a lot to learn here, from both past and present.

As Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko writes in her review, "Though among this year's Sundance darlings, the coming-of-age comedy — from Margot Robbie's LuckyChap Entertainment — doesn't fall into maudlin navel-gazing or complicated artsy twists. Instead, it's a briskly funny time-travel movie that bucks genre convention and allows its characters to be as charming as they are messy." — S.C.

Starring: Aubrey Plaza, Maisy Stella, Kerrice Brooks, Maddie Ziegler, Percy Hynes White

How to watch: My Old Ass is now streaming on Prime Video.

1. Arcane Season 2

It's been three years since League of Legends-based series Arcane first rocked our world with gorgeous animation, kick-ass fight scenes, and a truly devastating story of lost sisters. Now, with its heavily anticipated second — and final — season in November, we'll finally be able to see what happened after Jinx blasted the Council of Piltover with her shark rocket.

Any chance of Mel, Jace, and Viktor surviving is slim, and an action-packed Season 2 teaser promises that things will only get darker from there. With Piltover and Zaun in an all-out war, is there any hope for Vi and Jinx to reconcile? Or is their sisterly bond gone for good? Either way, you can bet we're in for the return of one of the best fantasy series on TV.* — B.E.

Starring: Hailee Steinfeld, Ella Purnell, Katie Leung, Reed Shannon, Amirah Vann, Mick Wingert, Ellen Thomas, and Brett Tucker

How to watch: The first three episodes of Arcane Season 2 premiere Nov. 9 on Netflix, with three new episodes dropping on Nov. 16 and Nov. 23.

(*) denotes a blurb has been lifted or modified from a prior TV preview.

TL;DR: Live stream Swiatek vs. Kasatkina in the 2024 WTA Finals for free on TVNZ+. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Swiatek hasn't had it all her own way in the 2024 WTA Finals, so there's a degree of pressure in her upcoming meeting with Kasatkina. We're expecting a close match in Riyadh, and you can watch all the action without spending anything.

If you want to watch Swiatek vs. Kasatkina in the 2024 WTA Finals for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

How to watch Swiatek vs. Kasatkina in the 2024 WTA Finals for free

The 2024 WTA Finals are available to live stream for free on TVNZ+ in New Zealand, including Swiatek vs. Kasatkina.

If you're abroad for this game, you might need to use a VPN to unblock TVNZ+. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in other countries, meaning you can unblock TVNZ+ from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the 2024 WTA Finals 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 New Zealand

4. Visit TVNZ+

5. Watch Swiatek vs. Kasatkina in the 2024 WTA Finals 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 leading services do tend to offer incentive deals such as free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these deals, you can access free live streams of Swiatek vs. Kasatkina without actually spending anything. This isn't a long-term solution, but it gives you enough time to watch every WTA Finals match before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the WTA Finals?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream the WTA Finals for free, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including New Zealand

• 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 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.

Live stream Swiatek vs. Kasatkina in the 2024 WTA Finals for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

SAVE $90: As of Nov. 7, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 14-inch Chromebook is on sale at Target for $139.99 as part of its early Black Friday sale. That's 39% off its list price of $229.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lenovo Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 14-inch Chromebook $139.99 at Target
$229.99 Save $90.00 Get Deal

Over the years, Black Friday has grown to take over a large chunk of November. There are many retailers that like to jump on the seasonal sale bandwagon early, and Target's offering just that this year with an early Black Friday sale running until Nov. 9. There are some excellent offers included in this early sale, like this deal on a Lenovo Slim Chromebook.

You can score this Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 14-inch Chromebook for just $139.99. That's $90 off its list price of $229.99, and worth picking up if you're in need of a budget-friendly upgrade.

SEE ALSO: Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 review: Google Gemini practically lives here rent free

This laptop is a great fit for students or those just looking to have a nice new work laptop. It's got a thin, lightweight design with a 14-inch FHD display, MediaTek Kompanio 520 processor, 4GB RAM, and 64GB storage capacity. It also offers up to 13.5 hours of battery life, which is nice for those who need a laptop to last them throughout the work day.

Target is not the only location offering some excellent early Black Friday deals. Walmart and Best Buy have their own sale plans for the month that are worth catching up on. These retailers are bound to have a wide variety of discounts up their sleeves as we inch closer to the sale event itself.

A visualisation of major large-language models (LLMs), ranked by performance, using MMLU (Massive Multitasks Language Understanding) a benchmark for evaluating the capabilities of large language models.

» see the visualisation
» main source: Life Architect data
» see the data
» chart rendered with our lovely tool VizSweet

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 November 7'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 November 7 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 November 7 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A thing that happens.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter E appears twice.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter E.

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...

EVENT.

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 November 7

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 the latest Wordle.

Connections is the latest New York Times word game 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 November 7'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 November 7 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Tossed together food

• Green: Perception of you

• Blue: Art or album information

• Purple: Scrambled artists names

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: Food-Related Jumbles

• Green: Public Standing

• Blue: Info on a Museum Placard

• Purple: Anagrams of Famous Painters

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 #514 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Food-Related Jumbles: HASH, SALAD, SCRAMBLE, STEW

• Public Standing: CHARACTER, IMAGE, NAME, REPUTATION

• Info on a Museum Placard: ARTIST, MEDIUM, TITLE, YEAR

• Anagrams of Famous Painters: DIAL, EGADS, MONTE, YOGA

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 November 5

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.

SAVE $50: As of Nov. 7, Bose's Ultra Open wireless earbuds are on sale for $249.99 at Target, $50 off their list price of $299.99. This deal is part of Target's early Black Friday sale event.

Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose Ultra Open-Ear True Wireless Bluetooth Open Earbuds $249.99 at Target
$299.99 Save $50.00 Get Deal

It may only be the start of November, but quite a few retailers are jumping into the Black Friday shopping season early. Target is one such spot that has already launched its early Black Friday sale event that runs through Nov. 9, and this first wave of deals has some real gems. In particular, this discount on the Bose Ultra Open earbuds caught our eye.

Right now, you can score the Bose Ultra Open earbuds for $249.99 as part of Target's early Black Friday sale. This is $50 off their list price of $299.99. This sale is only running until Nov. 9, so if you've been looking to upgrade your earbuds, now's your chance. They're worth the investment, too.

SEE ALSO: Save $70 on Bose QuietComfort Ultra noise-canceling earbuds

In our review of Bose's Ultra Open earbuds, writer RJ Andersen said that not only are these earbuds "cool and functional, but the sound quality is great, the fit is incredible, and the comfort level is off the charts." We've also ranked them as great earbuds for working out due to their noise transparency. Mashable Shopping Reporter Samantha Mangino said that, "they're super comfortable even for long periods of time, and they're ideal if you hate the clogged-up feeling of traditional earbuds."

This early Black Friday deal won't stick around for long, so pick up the Bose Ultra Open earbuds at Target before the offer is gone forever.

This Back Friday sale at Target is just the beginning of a month of delightful deals. Other retailers are jumping in on the action as well with more early sale events. Check out our breakdowns of Walmart and Best Buy's Black Friday events to learn more about what to expect from them in the coming weeks.

SAVE OVER $100: As of Nov. 7, the Apple iPad (9th Gen) is on sale for $199.99 at Amazon. That's a saving of 39% on list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad (9th Gen) $199.99 at Amazon
$329.00 Save $129.01 Get Deal

You can find a wide range of tablets from top tech brands out there, but if you really want the best model on the market, you should consider investing in an iPad. When it comes to stunning visuals, impressive features, and slick style, the Apple iPad is tough to beat.

As of Nov. 7, the Apple iPad 9th Generation is on sale for $199.99 at Amazon. This deal saves you 39% on list price — a total discount of over $100. It's worth noting that this deal is exclusive to the 64GB, WiFi-only version.

SEE ALSO: The best Apple Watch deals ahead of Black Friday: New models are already on sale

The 9th Gen Apple iPad offers a stunning 10.2-inch retina display and all the latest Apple smart features, such as Touch ID. Everything is powered by Apple’s A13 Bionic chip, delivering incredible graphics and fast performance. And this iPad comes with 12mp and 8mp cameras, front and back respectively.

Beat the Black Friday rush and save over $100 on this iconic iPad.

SAVE $70: As of Nov. 7, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Noise-Canceling Earbuds are on sale for $229 at Amazon, down from $299 — a 23% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose QuietComfort Ultra Noise-Canceling Earbuds $229.00 at Best Buy
$299.00 Save $70.00 Get Deal

Ready to up your on-the-go audio game? Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are tough to beat. These earbuds combine Bose’s world-class noise-canceling technology with an impressive spatial audio feature, bringing music and podcasts to life more immersively. Normally priced at $299, they’re now available at Best Buy for just $229 — a saving of $70, or 23% off. If you’ve been considering upgrading, now’s a great time to jump.

The QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are engineered to give you peace and quiet wherever you go. Bose’s CustomTune technology adjusts the sound and noise cancelation specifically to your ears, creating a uniquely personalized listening experience. From working from a noisy café to blocking out everyday distractions, these earbuds are designed to make everything sound better.

SEE ALSO: The most comfortable headphones we've ever tested will take care of your ears

But these earbuds aren’t just about canceling noise. Bose’s new Immersive Audio shifts the soundstage from “inside your head” to “right in front of you,” creating a more natural listening experience. With up to six hours of playtime per charge (or four hours with Immersive Audio), plus three extra charges from the case, you can keep the music going all day long.

Comfort and fit are also key, and Bose doesn’t disappoint here. With nine combinations of ear tips and stability bands, you’re sure to find a fit that’s both secure and comfortable. Plus, the Bose app offers Adjustable EQ settings, letting you fine-tune bass, mid-range, and treble to match your preferences.

Features like Aware Mode allow you to stay connected to your surroundings without removing an earbud, and intuitive touch controls make it easy to manage playback, volume, and calls on the go. Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity also keeps your devices paired and connected within 30 feet.