IT General

TL;DR: Sign up for a 7-day free trial of Apple TV+ through Prime Video Channels to watch select F1 races for free. Watch the Barcelona-Catalunya GP for free with the Prime Video app.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Apple TV Prime Video Channel Watch the Japanese GP for free with a 7-day trial Shop Now

The Monaco GP is obviously a special race weekend, but the actual racing can be lame. I'm glad we're returning to a circuit that actually allows for the occasional overtake.

The big question is whether any team can bridge the gap to Mercedes this season. Could we start to see the tide change at the Barcelona-Catalunya GP? I'm hoping we get some competitive performances from McLaren and Ferrari.

If you want to watch F1 2026 for free from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is the Barcelona-Catalunya GP?

The Barcelona-Catalunya GP is the seventh race of the 2026 F1 season. Here's the full schedule from the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya:

• Practice 1 — 7:30-8:30 a.m. ET on June 12

• Practice 2 — 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET on June 12

• Practice 3 — 6:30-7:30 a.m. ET on June 13

• Qualifying — 10-11 a.m. ET on June 13

• Race — 9 a.m. ET on June 14

Fans can follow all the action from this race weekend without spending anything.

How to watch the Barcelona-Catalunya GP for free

I subscribe to Amazon Prime. I gladly hand over my cash for the fast shipping, exclusive Prime Day deals, and access to Prime Video. The access to Prime Video is not all that important to me. I occasionally watch the Champions League and NBA, but it's not a priority.

That was until I found out about F1 coming to Apple TV.

It is now possible to sign up for a seven-day free trial of Apple TV+ through Prime Video Channels. F1 is exclusive to Apple TV in the U.S., so by accessing this free trial, you can watch select races for free this season. The subscription costs £9.99 per month after the trial ends, but you can cancel this automatic renewal at any time.

By cancelling ahead of the renewal, you can watch the Barcelona-Catalunya GP this weekend without spending anything.

I already pay for Amazon Prime, so I understand the argument that I'm not really watching for free. I get that, but Amazon Prime does offer a 30-day free trial period if you're new to the service. By signing up for this free trial and then gaining access to Apple TV through Prime Video Channels, you can truly watch select races for free this season.

Already used this hack to watch a race this season? It's not your only option right now.

My recommendation is you go direct to Apple TV. This popular steaming service comes with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. Alternatively, Apple One bundles Apple TV with Apple Music, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness Plus, Apple News Plus, and 50GB of iCloud Storage for $19.95 per month after a one-month free trial.

The best Apple TV free-trial offer comes with purchases of new Apple devices. New subscribers can get three months of Apple TV for free after purchasing any eligible Apple product. If you're planning on upgrading to something from the Apple lineup in Memorial Day sales, you could gain access to Apple TV for a pretty large chunk of this season. You will obviously need to buy something, but if you were already in the market for an upgrade, this method makes a lot of sense.

How to live stream 2026 F1 for free in 2026 Best Apple TV Deal Apple TV 7-day free trial Shop Now Best Prime Video Deal Apple TV Prime Video Channel 7-day free trial Shop Now Best Apple One Deal Apple One 30-day free trial Shop Now

How to live stream 2026 F1 for free at a glance: Best Apple TV Deal Apple TV 7-day free trial Shop Now Best Prime Video Deal Apple TV Prime Video Channel 7-day free trial Shop Now Best Apple One Deal Apple One 30-day free trial Shop Now

This season of F1 is unlike any other. Every season of F1 has a number of fascinating storylines to follow, but due to a major set of regulation changes, there's so much uncertainty right now. And uncertainty can lead to exciting racing.

Lando Norris secured an incredible title victory on the final day of last season. Now the pressure is on McLaren to defend that title against a long list of talented drivers and motivated teams. Expect the likes of George Russell, Kimi Antonelli, Lando Norris, and Lewis Hamilton to challenge for race wins this season. Mercedes look like the team to beat this season, but there's still a lot of racing to come.

If you are interested in watching F1 2026 for free from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

What is F1?

Formula One (F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars. A season consists of a series of races (Grands Prix) that take place in multiple countries and continents on either purpose-built circuits or closed public roads.

Lando Norris is the defending champion. McLaren won the Constructors Championship in 2025.

When is F1 in 2026?

The 2026 F1 season is the 77th edition of the championship. This year's championship features 24 Grands Prix events held all over the world between March and December:

1. Australian Grand Prix — March 8

2. Chinese Grand Prix — March 15

3. Japanese Grand Prix — March 29

4. Miami Grand Prix — May 3

5. Canadian Grand Prix — May 24

6. Monaco Grand Prix — June 7

7. Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix — June 14

8. Austrian Grand Prix — June 28

9. British Grand Prix — July 5

10. Belgian Grand Prix — July 19

11. Hungarian Grand Prix — July 26

12. Dutch Grand Prix — Aug. 23

13. Italian Grand Prix — Sept. 6

14. Spanish Grand Prix — Sept. 13

15. Azerbaijan Grand Prix — Sept. 26

16. Singapore Grand Prix — Oct. 11

17. United States Grand Prix — Oct. 25

18. Mexico City Grand Prix — Nov. 1

19. São Paulo Grand Prix — Nov. 8

20. Las Vegas Grand Prix — Nov. 21

21. Qatar Grand Prix — Nov. 29

22. Abu Dhabi Grand Prix — Dec. 6

It's important to note that these dates are only for race days. The Chinese, Miami, Canadian, British, Dutch, and Singapore GPs will host a sprint race.

How to watch F1 for free

In the U.S., F1 is now exclusive to Apple TV. An Apple TV subscription costs $12.99 per month or $99 per year, but it's possible to gain access to Apple TV without spending anything.

Apple TV Opens in a new window Credit: Apple TV Apple TV (7-day free trial) Apple TV comes with a 7-day free trial for new subscribers. This is a sneaky trick, but you could sign up to watch the next F1 race and then cancel your subscription before you need to spend anything. This obviously isn't a long-term fix, but it does give you the opportunity to live stream select F1 race weekends for free. Shop Now Apple TV Prime Video Channel Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Apple TV Prime Video Channel (7-day free trial) Already an Amazon Prime member? You're in luck. You can sign up for a 7-day free trial of Apple TV+ through Prime Video Channels. This lets you watch select F1 races live with the Prime Video app. The subscription typically costs £9.99 per month after the trial ends, but you can cancel at any time. That means you can watch select races without actually spending anything. Shop Now Apple One Opens in a new window Credit: Apple One Apple One (30-day free trial) Apple One bundles Apple TV with Apple Music, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness Plus, Apple News Plus, and 50GB of iCloud Storage for $19.95 per month after a one-month free trial. Time it right and this trial could provide access to up to four race weekends for free. You do need to be a new or returning subscriber to each of the included services to get the free trial. Shop Now

It's worth noting that the best Apple TV free-trial offer comes with purchases of new Apple devices. New subscribers can get three months of Apple TV for free after purchasing any eligible Apple product, including iPhones, iPads, Macs, or Apple TVs. This special offer goes live for 90 days after the new device is activated — that's a good chunk of the season.

After the action kicked off on Thursday, June 11, Matchday 4 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup has arrived. Don't worry if you missed the first few days; there are plenty more to go, with 48 teams competing in the largest World Cup tournament in history. Groups A through D have already got the ball rolling, and today will see Groups E and F do the same.

Today, June 14, is another busy day with four matchups in the U.S. and Mexico. The action kicks off at 1 p.m. ET. There's a lot to keep up with, especially if you're new to the World Cup madness, so we've broken down the details for you below. Here's what you need to know to tune in live today.

FIFA World Cup schedule today: June 14

• Group E: Germany vs. Curaçao (Houston Stadium)— kickoff at 1 p.m. ET

• Group F: Netherlands vs. Japan (Dallas Stadium) — kickoff at 4 p.m. ET

• Group E: Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador (Philadelphia Stadium) — kickoff at 7 p.m. ET

• Group F: Tunisia vs. Sweden (Monterrey Stadium) — kickoff at 10 p.m. ET

How to livestream FIFA World Cup games todayWatch Germany vs. Curaçao

Group E kicks things off on Sunday, June 14, with a first-ever meeting between Germany and Curaçao at Houston Stadium. Kickoff is at 1:00 p.m. ET, and live coverage will be on Fox and Fox One. Peacock will carry the live Spanish-language coverage.

Watch Netherlands vs. Japan

Group F's first matchup will see the Netherlands take on Japan at Dallas Stadium on Sunday, June 14. The Netherlands has the edge in the all-time series between the two teams, but both teams bring strong tournament experience. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. ET, and coverage will be on Fox and Fox One, with Spanish-language coverage on Peacock.

Watch Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador

A fresh matchup on the global stage, dark horse Ecuador takes on the Ivory Coast at Philadelphia Stadium. The Group E matchup kicks off at 7 p.m. ET and live coverage will be on FS1 and Fox One. Spanish-language coverage will be streaming on Peacock.

Watch Tunisia vs. Sweden

Group F teams Sweden and Tunisia will go head-to-head on Sunday, June 14, at Monterrey Stadium. The two teams have never faced each other at the FIFA World Cup, making this a fresh matchup on the tournament stage. Kickoff is set for 10 p.m ET, and live coverage is on FS1 and Fox One, with Spanish-language coverage on Peacock.

Opens in a new window Credit: Fox One Fox One (3-month subscription) $39.98
$59.97 Save $19.99 only for a limited time Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Peacock Peacock (Spanish language coverage only) Starting at $10.99/month Get Deal More live streaming optionsLive TV cable replacement

Rather than a standalone streaming service like Fox One or Peacock, you can sign up for a live TV cable replacement service, like YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV. These options have a cable-like format, with over 100 live channels, but run off a WiFi connection. You'll get live access to Fox and FS1, plus tons of other popular networks. They can get pretty expensive, but most offer a free trial and a discounted introductory rate. Here are a few options to consider:

• YouTube TV — 10-day trial, then $67.99/month for 3 months

• Fubo Sports — 1-day trial, then $45.99/month for 1 month

• Hulu + Live TV — 3-day trial, then $89.99/month

Watch for free on ITVX, BBC iPlayer, and more with a VPN

Don't want to sign up for yet another streaming service? Consider subscribing to a VPN and streaming the World Cup matches for free on international services like ITVX, BBC iPlayer, NOS, or RTÉ. We recommend ExpressVPN — a Mashable-tested service and an Official Tournament Supporter of the FIFA World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Europe — as our VPN of choice for the sporting event. It offers servers in 105 countries, a user-friendly app available on all major devices, a speedy connection, up to 10 simultaneous connections, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you're new to VPNs, our global World Cup watch guide will help you nail down the details.

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpresVPN ExpressVPN (1-month plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

In an attempt to learn more about my sleeping habits, I purchased an Oura Ring at the end of last year. After wearing the ring to bed for nearly half a year, I didn’t feel like the information was worth burning $6 every month. So, I switched to RingConn—a company that doesn’t keep charging you after you buy its product.

Even if you’re not the biggest Android fanatic, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of the legendary Developer Options menu. It’s a treasure trove of secret settings, some of which are genuinely useful to anyone. Well, your Galaxy Watch has this hidden menu, too.

Soundbars are not a cheap piece of tech, so why ruin the sound quality of your expensive equipment by hiding it in an entertainment unit or blocking its path with furniture?

I've used AI chatbots for a long time. While standard chatbots can be useful, there are plenty of other useful things that you can use AI for. One of my most useful AI tools works completely in the background.

Home Assistant tracks all sorts of useful things, from presence in the home to energy usage. So why not add deliveries to that list and build some useful automations around them?

Proxmox is a special operating system designed for server machines. Unlike your standard server OS, Proxmox can spin up virtual servers inside it, each working in isolation just like a regular server operating system. It has a nice web interface to easily manage those virtual machines, but spinning up new machines using that same interface is a lot of busywork. The community around Proxmox builds and maintains free Proxmox scripts that automate all that busywork for you. Allow me to explain.

3D printing was once the pursuit of the most dedicated nerds on the internet. These people built machines from scratch using off-the-shelf parts and 3D prints, figured out what materials they could repurpose and extrude by experimenting, and improved the process piecemeal by swapping out components.

On March 11, Apple dropped the MacBook Neo like a bomb on the laptop market. I was at a New York City launch event to see its big unveiling, and the colorful budget laptop made a strong first impression. As I wrote at the time: If I were a Windows laptop that cost under $1,000, I'd be shaking in my boots.

Well, after spending an extra three months with this laptop on my desk, I'm updating my initial review. After months of RAMageddon price increases in the Windows world, the MacBook Neo is doubly impressive.

The Neo brings premium MacBook features — Liquid Retina Display, the intuitive macOS, a sleek aluminum design — to an entirely new market segment: the budget laptop.

The laptop starts at $599 — a version with Touch ID and 512GB costs $699 — and if you qualify for the $499 education price, this is truly a laptop with no viable competition, full stop.

Who is the MacBook Neo for? The MacBook Neo in citrus and indigo at the Mashable office. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

The MacBook Neo is Apple's first MacBook without an M-series chip since 2020. For that reason, the Neo is not a laptop for professionals like myself. If you need to do heavy-duty photo or video editing, work with 3D modeling programs, or run open-source AI models on your device, you'll want that MacBook Air or Pro with the latest M5 chips.

The Neo has an all-aluminum design; Apple matches the color of the keys to the aluminum. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable SEE ALSO: MacBook Neo vs. MacBook Air (M5): How Apple's new laptops compare

Instead, the MacBook Neo is meant to be baby's first laptop, and I mean that as a compliment. It's a starter laptop you might buy for a high school or college student who will eventually graduate to the Air or Pro, depending on their needs. But I also foresee another popular use case for this device — the party laptop.

Lots of people, including myself, use two laptops on a daily basis. You have your work laptop — in my case, a MacBook Pro — and then you have what I call the party laptop. It could be a simple Chromebook, an old work laptop, a gaming laptop, or even a tablet. When your workday is done, you put away the work laptop with your email and calendar, and fire up your party laptop for streaming, music, casual browsing, and retail therapy.

The MacBook Neo would be a perfect party laptop or Chromebook alternative, and while it lacks storage and RAM, Apple definitely didn't skimp on the entertainment features.

MacBook Neo design: We gotta talk about the colors Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

No tech brand does design better than Apple, at least, not for the mass market. And in the under-$1,000 laptop category, the Neo stands out for its premium design. Lately, we've seen many Windows laptops imitating the MacBook's metal body and rounded edges, but those are typically Ultrabooks that cost quite a bit. The Neo offers a budget price without compromising on Apple's signature all-aluminum build quality.

Let's look at the competition: Our No. 1 budget Windows laptop in 2026 is the Acer Aspire 16 AI, which costs $699. It's a good laptop, but it also has a flimsy hinge and plastic components. With the Neo, you get an aluminum chassis, plus it's $100 cheaper, plus it comes in fun colors, plus it has Dolby Atmos speakers.

The MacBook Neo comes in four colors: silver, indigo, citrus, and blush. Now, I will say, the blush is a very subtle pink. I say, if you're going pink, go pink. But in person, the citrus and indigo really pop. Apple also color-matches the keys to the aluminum finish, and it's those little details that elevate the design. The Apple team has been having a lot of fun with this product launch, and I think shoppers will, too.

MacBook Neo: Performance and battery Be honest, did you notice the home screen artwork says "MAC"? Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

When Apple unveiled the Neo, two competing opinions spread in the tech world. The MacBook Neo, with its fun colors and killer price, would either disrupt the entire Windows laptop market, or it would be an underpowered waste of space with its old iPhone chip and a measly 8GB of RAM.

In this case, the optimists were proven right.

To be sure, you're not going to edit a professional music video, mix a song, or work on an animation project with 8GB of RAM and the A18 Pro chip, first introduced for the iPhone 16 Pro. But don't believe what the haters are saying online: You can still do a lot with 8GB of RAM.

Here's what people are forgetting: Over the past few years, Apple has quietly made its MacBook Air and Pro laptops way overpowered for the average user. (The same is true for the iPad Air and Pro, as I explain in my M4 iPad Air review.) The original M1 MacBook was a legendary laptop that truly changed the category for good. Six years later, I know professional film editors who are still working on M1-era MacBook Pros and have zero complaints about performance or speed.

Apple M-series silicon changed the laptop market for good. Credit: Mashable SEE ALSO: Apple's M series chips are too powerful for their own good

As you can see in this chart, ever since Apple launched the M1 chip in 2020, the company's M-series silicon has progressed by leaps and bounds. At one point, it seemed like Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite chip might finally offer some true competition for Apple silicon, but then Apple released a new M chip.

Apple's M series chips have made such massive leaps in performance that you have to be a serious superuser to tax these devices to their limits. So, a simpler MacBook with less firepower makes sense for a ton of reasons. You don't need 16GB of RAM and an M5 chip to stream Netflix, make Word documents, and send emails.

But let's get specific. Let's talk benchmarks.

MacBook Neo review: Geekbench performance and stress tests Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

When testing a new laptop, Mashable runs a series of standardized tests, including the latest Geekbench 6 benchmark. The MacBook Neo received a multi-core score of 8,770, nearly identical to the 8,783 we recorded for the M1 MacBook Air. We also assessed its single-core performance, since that's a good measure of what we call snappiness, or how quickly it responds in everyday use. And this is where it gets interesting. The MacBook Neo achieved a single-core score of 3,484, significantly higher than most other laptops.

For reference, the Razer Blade 18 with an Intel Core i9-275HX processor scored 3,057 in single-core testing. So, it's no wonder I've been able to do a surprising amount with the A18 Pro Chip.

I was able to edit a simple, cheesy video in Final Cut Pro using the MacBook Neo without struggling against the spinning wheel of death. Even when I layered video clips on top of each other and added a series of totally unnecessary transitions, the Neo handled the tasks just fine, as you can see for yourself:

For my MacBook Neo review, I also set up multiple Apple Shortcuts to perform complex tasks. I set up one Shortcut to automatically convert raw image files into JPEGs, crop them into a 16:9 aspect ratio, auto-adjust the color balance, hue, and saturation, and then save them in a specific folder. Using this Shortcut, the Neo edited a dozen massive image files with ease in under 30 seconds.

I set up another Shortcut to automatically convert all my video files into GIFs, also without problems.

Featured Video For You Budget MacBook arrives, AI tutoring gets an upgrade, Uber launches women-only feature | Tech Today The MacBook Neo does have one big flaw The lack of Thunderbolt 4 ports is a big drawback. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

In stress-testing the Neo, I found its kryptonite, which won't be a surprise. Because the Neo lacks a Thunderbolt 4 port, it can only offer transfer speeds of up to 10Gb/s, compared to 40Gb/s with the latest MacBook Air. Likewise, the A18 Pro chip offers 60GB/s memory bandwidth, compared to 153GB/s memory bandwidth on the M5 Air.

The A18 Pro chip offers:

• 6-core CPU (2 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores)

• 5-core GPU

• 16-core Neural Engine

The only time I encountered the spinning wheel of death? When importing or exporting large files. M-series MacBooks can multitask while doing this, but as you can see in my screen recording, the Neo really struggled to multitask while transferring large video files.

MacBook Neo battery life

Apple promises "all-day" battery life with the Neo. Specifically, the company promises up to 16 hours of battery for video streaming (and 11 hours for wireless web browsing). In our battery rundown test, we got exactly 14 hours and 50 minutes of battery performance.

If you want the MacBook Neo to last for an entire day of classes or a long travel day, I think it will be up for the challenge. And once again, it compares very favorably to Windows laptops under $1,000. In Mashable's testing database, the media battery life for this category is only 10.5 hours. So, once more, the MacBook Neo can do more for less money.

MacBook Neo: Display and speakers The headphones jack and side-firing speakers. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

The MacBook Neo has the same Liquid Retina display tech that you'll find on the $1,099 M5 MacBook Air and other Apple laptops. (The Neo's Display is 0.9 inches smaller than the Air, however.) It can offer up to 500 nits of brightness on its 13-inch, 2,408 x 1,506 resolution display. The color, clarity, and sharpness are as impressive as ever, particularly when you compare them to the average Windows laptop in this price range. It's a premium display in a budget laptop.

The MacBook Neo isn't simply a MacBook Air with a bunch of performance sacrifices, however. Apple actually improved the speaker system for the Neo (further solidifying it in my mind as the party laptop). Apple added two side-firing speakers, which you might mistake for SD card readers at first. The result is a speaker system that's surprisingly loud, clear, and compatible with Dolby Atmos.

MacBook Neo: What's missing? The MacBook Neo has the MacBook's signature all-aluminum design. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

The MacBook Neo does make both performance and hardware sacrifices to keep its price low, of course. Before buying the Neo, you need to understand what you're not getting:

• No 12MP Center Stage Camera (the Neo has a 1080p FaceTime HD camera)

• No True Tone technology

• No fast-charging capabilities

• No Thunderbolt 4 ports (it has one USB-C 3 and one USB-C 2 port)

• Only supports one external display

• $599 version only has 256GB of memory and no Touch ID (the $699 version has 512GB and Touch ID)

The MacBook Neo has a Magic Keyboard, but it's not backlit like you're used to. It also features a different trackpad. While it's extra-clicky, it's not quite as nice as a standard MacBook. That's hardly a breaking point, though.

Will Siri AI work with the MacBook Neo?

At WWDC 2026, Apple finally introduced Siri AI, which will be coming with macOS 27 Golden Gate. Even though the Neo lacks M-series silicon, Apple says it will be ready to support the new OS, the updated Siri, and new Apple Intelligence features.

For now, these features are only accessible on the Neo via the macOS 27 developer beta, but they will be widely available starting in the fall.

Final thoughts: Is the MacBook Neo worth it? Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

My verdict: The MacBook Neo is 100 percent worth it for budget shoppers. Unless you need a Windows laptop, it will be hard to find a Windows PC under $1,000 than can go head-to-head with the Neo.

I will continue to update this review for as long as I'm using the Neo. But as someone who works with a lot of video, photography, and AI tools, the MacBook Neo can handle quite a bit of my daily workflow. First-time buyers will also appreciate how easily it works with the iPhone and iPad. As per usual, your files can instantly sync across devices, and AirDrop fills any gaps.

As I said, if you're comparing the $599 MacBook Neo with a similarly priced Windows laptop or Chromebook, it's going to be really hard to say no to the Neo, especially as Dell, Microsoft, Lenovo, and Acer raise prices. And if you qualify for the $499 education pricing (unfortunately, Apple has cracked down on the requirements), don't overthink this one.

Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $589.99 at Amazon
  Shop Now at Amazon Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $689.99 at Amazon
  Shop Now at Amazon

UPDATE: Mar. 11, 2026, 11:18 a.m. EDT We’ve replaced one of the images in this review to correct a photo-editing mistake.

Earlier this week, Anthropic released its most powerful public model yet: Claude Fable 5. This model is the "safe" version of an even more powerful model, Mythos, that Anthropic has yet to release to the public due to potential dangers.

Just days later, the Trump administration issued an export control directive barring the use of Fable 5 from foreign nationals. As a result, Anthropic was forced to disable Fable 5 for all its customers to comply with the order.

SEE ALSO: Anthropic pulls Claude Fable 5, Mythos 5 after Trump admin order

In a statement, Anthropic said it believed the order was issued by the U.S. government to use a method to "jailbreak" Fable 5 to identify vulnerabilities. Anthropic claimed in its statement that other AI models could do the same without a bypass. The company specifically named GPT 5.5, the latest AI model from its biggest competitor, OpenAI, as one such model.

There are currently too many unknown variables to determine if this is accurate. However, Mashable was preparing a piece comparing Anthropic's Claude Fable 4 and OpenAI's GPT 5.5 prior to the Trump administration's order.

It appears the U.S. government's concerns could be related to just how powerful Claude Fable 5 appears to be, even with its safeguards.

Here's how Fable 5 stacked up against GPT 5.5.

Claude Fable 5 vs GPT 5.5: Feature set

According to Anthropic, "Fable 5’s capabilities exceed those of any model we’ve ever made generally available." 

"It is state-of-the-art on nearly all tested benchmarks of AI capability, showing exceptional performance in software engineering, knowledge work, vision, scientific research, and many other areas," Anthropic says. "The longer and more complex the task, the larger Fable 5’s lead over our other models."

When GPT 5.5 rolled out in late April, OpenAI said that the model had improved on its "agentic coding, computer use, knowledge work, and early scientific research" capabilities.

Both are very similar when it comes to their feature set and stated purpose. These aren't images or videos. generation models. These are large language models used for document analysis, data interpretation, and advanced coding and development. Both are definitely competitors when it comes to use cases.

The difference between the two competing models will be how they perform.

Claude Fable 5 vs GPT 5.5: Leaderboards and benchmarks

On the popular Arena leaderboard, Fable 5 far and away leads all of the other AI models.

Claude Fable 5 currently sits at the top of the Arena leaderboard with Claude Opus 4.7 Thinking and Claude Opus 4.8 Thinking taking the second and third spots. The top three are all Anthropic's models, with OpenAI's GPT 5.5 coming in fourth. 

Fable 5 also leads in Artificial Analysis, Simple Bench, and practically every other leaderboard that has ranked the AI model.

Credit: Anthropic

According to Anthropic's own comparison chart, when it launched Fable 5, the AI model simply blows GPT 5.5 away across multiple benchmarks, from agentic coding and knowledge work to cybersecurity.

While it may be accurate that other models can also identify these alleged vulnerabilities, perhaps the U.S. government calculated that Claude Fable 5 was just too dangerously good at it based on the data.

Claude Fable 5 vs GPT 5.5: Availability and pricing

Before Anthropic pulled Fable 5 due to the U.S. government's order, Fable 5 was available to paid subscribers on Pro, Max, Team, and seat-based Enterprise plans at no additional cost until June 22. Anthropic planned to remove Fable 5 from these plans on June 23 and temporarily move to a usage-based paid add-on model until demand for Fable 5 dissipated. 

Fable 5 was priced on its Claude API and consumption-based Enterprise plans at $10 per million input tokens and $50 per million output tokens.

Fable 5 is no longer available for any of Anthropic's users.

OpenAI has made GPT 5.5 available to OpenAI Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise users in ChatGPT and Codex. Usage-based API pricing for GPT 5.5 starts at $5 per million input tokens and $30 per million output tokens.

GPT 5.5 is currently available for OpenAI's users.

TL;DR: Live stream Germany vs. Curaçao in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free on ITVX. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has kick-started with a number of really interesting matchups. Germany vs. Curaçao doesn't look like the most evenly-matched contest on the schedule, but anything can happen in tournament football. Germany must win to avoid embarrassment in front of the eyes of the world.

If you want to watch Germany vs. Curaçao in the 2026 FIFA World Cup from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Germany vs. Curaçao?

Germany vs. Curaçao in the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off at 1 p.m. ET on June 14. This fixture takes place at the NRG Stadium.

How to watch Germany vs. Curaçao for free

Germany vs. Curaçao in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is available to live stream for free on ITVX.

ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock ITVX to live stream the 2026 World Cup for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Germany vs. Curaçao for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK

4. Visit ITVX

5. Watch Germany vs. Curaçao 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 most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the 2026 World Cup without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Germany vs. Curaçao (plus more World Cup fixtures) before recovering your investment.

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

What is the best VPN for ITVX?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on ITVX, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan 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 $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Germany vs. Curaçao in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free with ExpressVPN.

SAVE $35:97: Get three months of free access to Kindle Unlimited as part of Amazon's early Prime Day special offers. In total, that's a savings of $35.97 for the three-month duration. Current and past Kindle Unlimited members aren't eligible for this deal.

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$35.97 Save $35.97 get 3 months for free Get Deal

Prime Day is officially on the calendar. Instead of July, Amazon is hosting Prime Day between June 23 and 26 this year, but the deals have already started. One of the best offerings applies to those who plan to spend the summer reading. Here are all the details.

For a limited time, Amazon is offering a free three-month subscription to Kindle Unlimited, which usually comes with a bill of $11.99 per month. In total, that works out to a savings of $35.97. You'll need to be new to Kindle Unlimited to be eligible for this deal, and it'll auto-renew at $11.99 per month until canceled.

You have the Kindle, but you've been waiting in a Libby line for your titles to become available. We've all been there. Instead of waiting, consider upgrading for the summer by snagging this free deal from Amazon that'll give you three months of access to nearly unlimited book titles.

SEE ALSO: Prime members can get a free e-book every month with Amazon First Reads: See the thrilling June 2026 picks

Kindle Unlimited has more than 5 million digital titles, audiobooks, and magazines. The Kindle Unlimited subscription is a bit like a library hosted by Amazon. Members can borrow up to 20 titles at a time, and magazines don't count in this title total.

If you have a Kindle, that'll be great for reading your Kindle Unlimited books, but it's not a requirement. You can use Kindle Unlimited on any device with the Kindle app. That includes your phone, tablet, computer, or any web browser. But if you're wondering, the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite is Mashable's favorite Kindle.

If you've never tried out Kindle Unlimited, but you're interested in reading more for the next three months, hop on this free deal.

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

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If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

Hotel option.

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

SUITE

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Grey.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for June 14, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

ASHEN

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

Hurdle Word 3 hint

To sit upon.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for June 14 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for June 14, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

PERCH

Hurdle Word 4 hint

A stand.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

KIOSK

Final Hurdle hint

Part of a ship.

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

BILGE

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 Sweden vs. Tunisia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free on ITVX. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is finally here, and the start of this famous tournament has already delivered loads of huge moments. We're expecting more of the same from Sweden vs. Tunisia.

These sides will battle it out with Netherlands and Japan for places in the knockout rounds. On paper, it's a really difficult group to predict. We could see any of these four sides taking control of the group, so these opening games could prove pivotal.

If you want to watch Sweden vs. Tunisia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Sweden vs. Tunisia?

Sweden vs. Tunisia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off at 10 p.m. ET on June 14. This fixture takes place at the Estadio BBVA.

How to watch Sweden vs. Tunisia for free

Sweden vs. Tunisia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is available to live stream for free on ITVX.

ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock ITVX to live stream the 2026 World Cup for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Sweden vs. Tunisia for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK

4. Visit ITVX

5. Watch Sweden vs. Tunisia 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 most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the 2026 World Cup without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Sweden vs. Tunisia (plus more World Cup fixtures) before recovering your investment.

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

What is the best VPN for ITVX?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on ITVX, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan 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 $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Sweden vs. Tunisia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free with ExpressVPN.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you're from Boston.

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 June 14, 2026 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: Rotates

• Green: Comedic aids

• Blue: A popular children's story

• Purple: A US state

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Things that spin

• Green: Classic slapstick props

• Blue: Featured in "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland"

• Purple: What "MA" might refer to

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 #1098 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Things that spin: GLOBE, GRINDSTONE, GYROSCOPE, ROULETTE WHEEL

• Classic slapstick props: BANANA PEEL, CREAM PIE, RUBBER CHICKEN, SELTZER BOTTLE

• Featured in "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland": CATERPILLAR, POCKET WATCH, RABBIT HOLE, TEA PARTY

• What "MA" might refer to: MASSACHUSETTS, MASTER OF ARTS, MILLIAMPERE, MOTHER

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 June 14, 2026

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 royalty.

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 June 14, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Peer group

The words are related to titles.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe high positions.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Nobility.

NYT Strands word list for June 14

• Duchess

• Marquess

• Baron

• Nobility

• Lady

• Viscount

• Lord

• Earl

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 like editing photos.

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 June 14, 2026 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 June 14, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A brown filter.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter S.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

SEPIA

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.

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.

It's shaping up to be quite a big summer for the big action camera brands.

GoPro recently released its new Mission 1 Pro cinema camera. Insta360 just dropped its new Luna Ultra gimbal camera. And DJI is preparing to launch its new Osmo Pocket 4 Pro gimbal camera.

However, it seems things are heating up beyond just new product launches for the latter two competitors, DJI and Insta360.

SEE ALSO: DJI Avata 360 review: How does this drone compare to the Antigravity A1? DJI sues Insta360

Earlier this week, as PetaPixel reports, DJI filed two patent lawsuits against Insta360 over the company's Luna series of cameras, such as the Insta360 Luna Pro and the new Insta360 Luna Ultra. DJI filed the suits the same day Insta350 released the new Luna Ultra for sale in the U.S.

“Insta360’s new Luna line of gimbal cameras, including but not limited to the Luna Ultra, supporting accessories, and the Insta360 mobile application (collectively, the “Accused Products”) blatantly copy DJI’s patented inventions wholesale,” says DJI

DJI is seeking a permanent injunction against Insta360, which would force the company to stop selling its Luna line of cameras, as well as monetary damages. 

The first lawsuit from DJI alleges two design patent violations from Insta360. DJI claims that Insta360 is clearly infringing on its patents by copying the design of its DJI Osmo Pocket 3 camera.  According to DJI, "the Accused Products are handheld gimbal cameras with integrated optics—the same product architecture pioneered by the DJI Osmo Pocket—and Insta360 markets them expressly as competitors to DJI’s Osmo Pocket line."

In the second lawsuit, DJI alleges that Insta360 committed four utility patent violations. The violations relate to patents covering the gimbal aspect of the camera, the tracking feature, and its operation. 

Insta360 strikes back

In response to DJI's lawsuits, Insta360 countersued, alleging five patent infringement claims against DJI.

"The company asserts that DJI infringed its patents relating to gimbal stabilization, gimbal directional control, camera smooth stabilization, telemetry overlay, and panoramic video stabilization," says Insta360.

According to Insta360, DJI is violating its patents with multiple products, such as the Osmo Pocket series, Ronin/RS series, Osmo Mobile series, and Osmo 360.

What's going on?

There's no doubt that the Insta360 Luna Ultra and the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 Pro are very similar. As DPReview points out, both cameras are marketed as handheld vlogging cameras with "two lenses and integrated gimbals, and a similar form-factor."

However, it's not the first time this year that DJI sued Insta360 over its patents. 

In March, DJI filed a lawsuit in China against Insta360, claiming that six drone-related Insta360 patents were developed by Insta360 employees who left DJI within one year. Under Chinese patent law, the timing of the employee's departure from the company and the development of the patents may mean the patents actually belong to DJI. (And it should be noted that Insta360 announced a new drone brand shortly before the Trump administration's ban on DJI drones went into effect.)

The timing of DJI's lawsuits is significant.

DJI is unable to sell its DJI Osmo Pocket 4 Pro, along with a number of its other products, such as drones, in the U.S. because the U.S government, under President Donald Trump, has classified it as a "Chinese military company."

With Insta360 launching the Luna Ultra this week, DJI is unable to actually compete with its biggest competitor in the niche gimbal camera industry that it essentially led over the years. Insta360's Luna Ultra is filling a void in the U.S. that DJI is unable to fill. In response, DJI appears to be hoping patent law could bail them out from falling behind in the U.S. market.