IT General

After years of litigation, arguments, and presidential administration changes, the U.S. and China have officially struck a deal: the U.S. version of TikTok is finally being sold.

On Sunday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on CBS’s Face the Nation that the two countries have "reached a final deal on TikTok."

"We reached one in Madrid, and I believe that as of today, all the details are ironed out, and that will be for the two leaders to consummate that transaction on Thursday in Korea," Bessent said.

SEE ALSO: President Trump finally inked a $14 billion TikTok deal to keep the app alive

He added that while he is "not part of the commercial side of the transaction," he was responsible for getting the Chinese government "to agree to approve the transaction, and I believe we successfully accomplished that over the past two days."

This comes about a month after President Donald Trump signed an executive order declaring that the new TikTok deal met the requirements of the 2024 law that banned TikTok from operating in the U.S. At the time, Vice President JD Vance said the deal values the U.S. TikTok assets at $14 billion, as Deadline reported.

The new deal means that data for U.S. users will be managed by Oracle; the U.S. algorithm would be controlled domestically; and TikTok's U.S. operations would be under the control of a board of directors likely including Oracle's Larry Ellison, Fox Corp, Andreessen Horowitz, and Silver Lake Management, according to TechCrunch.

Calling all Innies and Outies! If you're missing Severance and yearning for some Choreography and Merriment in your life, you're in luck. Mashable has your first look at the premiere physical release of Theodore Shapiro's Severance Season 2 score.

SEE ALSO: 21 burning 'Severance' questions we have after the Season 2 finale

The release comes courtesy of Austin-based pop culture art, music, and collectibles shop Mutant, in collaboration with Lakeshore Records and Severance production company Fifth Season.

Pressed on 140gm exclusive color vinyl, the deluxe edition of Shapiro's Emmy-winning Season 2 score comes in a custom Lumon envelope along with artwork by Greg Ruth, which includes seven double-sided character portraits and a printed inner sleeve.

Great, now I need to rewatch the Season 2 finale for the umpteenth time. Credit: Mutant

On top of that, the release also features "exclusive in-universe ephemera" that any Severance fan will recognize immediately. There's a printout of the "Missing" Gemma (Dichen Lachman) posters that Irving (John Turturro) made, along with his drawing of the dark hallway leading down to the Testing Floor and the note he left Dylan (Zach Cherry). There's also an Innie Resignation Request form and a goat-themed eye chart. Rounding out the ephemera is my personal favorite: a set of postcards styled after the motivational posters Lumon made for the Severed Floor. Sometimes, we really do need reminders to "Grin & Baird It." It's what Kier Eagan would want.

Remember to "Bee Ever Merry!" Credit: Mutant

"The music of Season 2 of Severance is true to what came before in Season 1, while also developing new themes, new sounds, and new variations," Shapiro said in a statement. "The season's bold expansions into new storylines and new locations, along with the incredible filmmaking and performances, provided plenty of inspiration.”

The track list is as follows:

Side One

1. The Ballad of Ambrose and Gunnell

2. Elevator Down

3. The Fourth Appendix

4. Beast With Two Backs

5. The Eternal Dark

Side Two

1. Salt's Neck

2. Three's a Crowd

3. Trains Running

5. The Equator

5. Knock Down Drag Out

6. Together Again

Consider this your perfect soundtrack as we settle in for the (hopefully not too long) wait for Severance Season 3.

The Severance Season 2 soundtrack retails for $50. It is available for pre-order on Mutant’s website starting Thursday, Oct. 30.

Severance Season 2 is streaming on Apple TV.

SAVE $300: The Anker Solix C800 Plus portable power station is on sale at Amazon for $349, down from the standard price of $649. That's a 46% discount and the best price we've ever seen at Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Anker Solix C800 Plus portable power station $349 at Amazon
$649 Save $300   Get Deal

You might be packing away the summer camping gear now that we're almost to November, but there's something important to do while packing. It's an ideal to take inventory of what's in good shape to come on 2026 adventures and what needs improvement. If you haven't yet dabbled in the wonderful world of portable power stations, there's an excellent model on sale today.

As of Oct. 27, the Anker Solix C800 Plus is on sale at Amazon for $349, marked down from the normal price of $649. That works out to a $300 savings from 46% discount. It's also the best price we've ever seen at Amazon.

If you or someone on your holiday shopping list likes to spend time outdoors camping, a portable power station is a must-have item. Anker Solix makes some of my favorite models like the C1000 and the C1000 Gen 2, but today's deal on the C800 Plus is incredible for camping.

The Solix C800 Plus comes with 768Wh of battery capacity from long-lasting LiFePO4 cells. It includes five standard AC ports, two USB-A, and two USB-C, one of which can output 100W. Like all Anker portable power stations, the display is easy to read and you have several options when it come to recharging, including solar.

One of the coolest and most camping-friendly features on the Solix C800 Plus is its upper storage compartment that's full of lighting options. It comes with a light that can be used as a floodlight, a flashlight, or in a mood-setting candle mode. The power station itself also includes a lightbar, so you'll be able to illuminate your path when you're walking around with the station.

SEE ALSO: Some of the best Anker Solix portable power stations have never been this cheap

The thoughtful light additions on the Solix C800 Plus make this model perfect for camping in any season. If you don't care about the extra light in the storage compartment and would rather use it to store your own goods, go for the Anker Solix C800 (without the Plus) which is also on sale at Amazon for $329, down from the list price of $599. Personally, I think camping with both a portable power station and a built-in light is awesome, but if you have plenty of other camp lighting, it might be worth the extra $20 savings to opt for the standard Solix C800.

In either case, the Anker Solix C800 or C800 Plus are perfect for camping. If you've been thinking too hard about what to gift your camping-included family member this holiday season, you can't go wrong with a portable power station. Now that the Solix C800 Plus is down to a record-low, this is a great time to snag the camp-worthy model.

For two decades, Cadillac’s V-Series has been the top dog of the brand’s performance lineup. It all kicked off with the CTS-V, Cadillac’s first twin-turbo V6, and today just two models carry the badge: the CT4-V and CT5-V, with the CT4-V being the most affordable, even in Blackwing trim.

Samsung is rolling out a new software update to owners of its Family Hub refrigerators. This will bring cool features like an upgrade to Bixby and smarter food tracking with AI, but it comes with curated advertisements on the cover screen.

You might need to act soon to keep accessing your X account.

Elon Musk's website, formerly known as Twitter, quietly announced it was killing off the old Twitter.com domain. That means the company is requiring users who use a hardware security key or passkey to re-enroll, otherwise they will be locked out of their account.

X's safety account posted a statement alerting folks to the change. It read:

"By November 10, we’re asking all accounts that use a security key as their two factor authentication (2FA) method to re-enroll their key to continue accessing X. You can re-enroll your existing security key, or enroll a new one. A reminder: if you enroll a new security key, any other security keys will stop working (unless also re-enrolled).

After November 10, if you haven’t re-enrolled a security key, your account will be locked until you: re-enroll; choose a different 2FA method; or elect not to use 2FA (but we always recommend you use 2FA to protect your account!)."

You can check the status of your 2FA on X by navigating to Settings & privacy > Security and account access > Security > Two-factor authentication. If your account is affected, however, X should prompt you to re-enroll. The change, X said, is being made so that everything can migrate away from Twitter's old domain.

"To clarify: this change is not related to any security concern, and only impacts Yubikeys and passkeys - not other 2FA methods (such as authenticator apps)," the safety account wrote. "Security keys enrolled as a 2FA method are currently tied to the twitter[.]com domain. Re-enrolling your security key will associate them with x[.]com, allowing us to retire the Twitter domain."

So Twitter really, truly is being killed off — and you might need to act to stay on X.

Save $200: The 13-inch Apple MacBook Air (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) is back down to its lowest price of $799 ever at Amazon and Best Buy. This markdown saves you 20% on the $999 laptop.

Where to buy the MacBook Air deal Amazon Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $799 (save $200) Get Deal Best Buy Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $799 (save $200) Get Deal

We just wrote about how we hope to see the M4 MacBook Air at a new record low price this Black Friday season, but with sales still a little ways off, we're glad to see it return to its existing record low price as of Oct. 27.

That's right — you can pick up the 13-inch M4 Apple MacBook Air with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage for $799 at Amazon and Best Buy. The deal brings the laptop's price down $200 from its $999 list price, and is available in all four colorways at Best Buy, and in the sky blue and midnight colorways at Amazon.

SEE ALSO: Laptop specs explained: A jargon-free guide to what's inside your computer

The 13-inch Air is Mashable's favorite MacBook model for students, thanks to the combination of its affordability (even at full price), portability, and M4-level power (which can easily take you through most school tasks). Mashable's resident laptop expert Haley Henschel wrote this laptop "usurps the M1 MacBook Air as my top budget pick whenever it's marked down to $799, its lowest price on record."

Even for non-students, this is a great everyday laptop (especially if you don't find yourself needing the upgrades of the 15-inch Air, our MacBook recommendation for most people). In addition to what's outlined above, like its larger display counterpart, the 13-inch Air can be support two external displays with its lid open, is quiet, and has a great webcam.

The biggest drawbacks of this budget model are that you might have to pick up an external hard drive at some point due to the 256GB of storage space, and the 60Hz refresh rate. The port setup includes two USB-C ports, one MagSafe 3 charging port, and a headphone jack.

Google has a reputation for shutting down some of its most useful and well-loved apps. Over the years, countless users have watched services that became part of their daily routines suddenly get pushed aside. It’s a running joke at this point: just when a Google app or service finally gets some momentum, Google is ready to pull the plug.

TL;DR: Get a reliable refurbished Apple MacBook Air 13.3-inch for just $179.97 (reg. $999) through Nov. 2, with free shipping.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air 13.3-Inch 2017 (Refurbished) $179.97
$999 Save $819.03   Get Deal

If you’ve been craving the convenience and simplicity of a MacBook but not the thousand-dollar price tag, here’s your moment. For a limited time, you can score a refurbished Apple MacBook Air 13.3″ for just $179.97 (reg. $999) — and that includes free shipping through Nov. 2.

Sure, it’s not Apple’s newest model — but that’s exactly the point. This Air delivers everything you need for daily work, streaming, and browsing, minus the premium price.

SEE ALSO: Get the M4 MacBook Air with upgraded storage for under $1,000 in any color

Powered by a 1.8GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 128GB SSD storage, and Intel HD Graphics 6000, it’s built for smooth, reliable performance on the go. You’ll get a crisp 13.3-inch display, a 12-hour battery, and dependable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity — ideal for freelancers, traveling, or anyone who needs a solid laptop without spending a fortune.

Its Grade A/B refurbished rating means it’s been fully tested and cleaned, with only light to normal signs of use — so you’re getting a device that looks and performs well.

Lightweight and durable, this MacBook Air is proof that you don’t need the latest release to get that complete Apple experience.

Get the refurbished Apple MacBook Air (2017) while it’s just $179.97 (reg. $999) with free shipping through Nov. 2.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

SAVE 18%: As of Oct. 27, you can get the 100-inch Hisense Class QD6 Series QLED 4K Smart Fire TV (2025 model) on sale for $1,649.99, down from its $1,999.99 list price, at Amazon. That's an 18% discount and the lowest price we've ever seen for this behemoth.

100-inch Hisense Class QD6 Series QLED 4K Smart Fire TV (2025 model) $1,649.99 at Amazon
$1,999.99 Save $350   Get Deal at Amazon

Shopping for a massive TV (like, 100-inches massive) usually means holding out for Black Friday and hoping for a decent discount, though "decent" for a TV this big can still be a fortune. But, an early deal just popped up on a gigantic Hisense QLED that might save you the wait, because it just hit its lowest price ever.

As of Oct. 27, you can get the 100-inch Hisense Class QD6 Series QLED 4K Smart Fire TV (2025 model) on sale for $1,649.99, down from its $1,999.99 list price, at Amazon. That's an 18% discount and the lowest price we've ever seen for this model.

SEE ALSO: What's the best time of year to buy a TV? Yes, there's an answer.

The QD6 uses a QLED panel, which means you get that Quantum Dot color boost for over a billion shades (it should make everything look more vibrant and realistic compared to standard LED TVs). It's a 4K screen, naturally, and runs Fire TV, so all your streaming apps and Alexa voice control are built right in.

Gamers should take note too: this model has a native 144Hz refresh rate panel and supports AMD FreeSync Premium, Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) to further reduce lag and screen tearing. Plus, it handles Dolby Vision for HDR and Dolby Atmos for sound, giving you a more immersive experience for movies and shows. Getting a 100-inch TV with these kinds of specs for under $1,700 is pretty wild, especially now that it's hit its lowest price yet.

The year 2025 hasn't even ended, and OnePlus has already been hard at work teasing what's going to be its next phone, the OnePlus 15. Now, it's launching in China, with lots of surprises.

SAVE $250: The Roborock Q10 S5+ robot vacuum and mop is on sale for $299.99 at Amazon, down from the normal price of $549.99. That's a 45% discount and the lowest we've ever seen at Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: Roborock Roborock Q10 S5+ robot vacuum and mop $299.99 at Amazon
$549.99 Save $250   Get Deal

It's spooky season on so many levels. We have high-tech Halloween decor frightening the neighborhood and the iconic 12-foot skeleton watching over our homes. But inside, horrors are happening, too. It's the season of tracking all of those crunchy fall leaves and pine needles inside. Once the pine needles come in, they never seem to disappear and can end up all over the house, magically moving super far away from the door they entered through. Instead of battling the debris, offload the task to a trusty robot vacuum. There's a powerful model on sale today.

As of Oct. 27, the Roborock Q10 S5+ robot vacuum and mop is on sale at Amazon for $299.99, marked down from the normal price of $549.99. That's a 45% discount and the lowest we've ever seen at Amazon.

With impressive specs like 10,000Pa suction power and a self-emptying base that can hold up to 70 days worth of debris, the Roborock Q10 S5+ might be your best option for clean floors this fall. Plus, it's down to a new record-low price.

In testing for the best robot vacuum, Mashable Senior Shopping Reporter and vacuum expert Leah Stodart said, "I think the Roborock Q10 S5+ is the best bang for your buck near $500 that Roborock has whipped up in a long time." And now that it's under $300, we're even more impressed.

SEE ALSO: Our vacuum expert loved this smart robot vac at $400 — now it's only $269.99

Stodart was also impressed with its overall performance and wrote, "It has reliably completed all missions in my apartment for weeks, and isn't nearly as obnoxious when self-emptying as most other robot vacuums I've tested — it barely reaches 70 decibels, which isn't much louder than competitors while they're just cleaning." This could be ideal if you have pets that tend to get frightened by loud noises or kids who nap mid-day.

The Roborock Q10 S5+ is designed with accurate and quick LiDAR smart mapping and it should be able to avoid pet waste and obstacles like toys or socks. You can even set the charging base to recharge during off-peak times if your electricity prices vary throughout the day.

While it's sitting at a new record-low price, snag the powerful Roborock Q10 S5+ robot vacuum and mop at Amazon for just $299.99. Our vacuum expert likes this model at full-price, which means it's an even better pick at this epic sale price.

Still reeling from IT: Welcome to Derry's terrifying first episode? Wishing you could catch the next episode right away to see what in the world comes next after that unexpected ending? Well, you're in luck, because IT: Welcome to Derry episode 2 is dropping several days early.

SEE ALSO: 'IT: Welcome to Derry's shocking episode 1 ending, explained

Episode 2, titled "The Thing in the Dark," will premiere Friday, Oct. 31 at 3 a.m. ET on HBO Max. That means you can ring in your Halloween with Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård) and all the poor children he's terrorizing.

"The Thing in the Dark" will also air on HBO during IT: Welcome to Derry's regularly scheduled time slot: 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 2. The following installments of the eight-episode series will continue to air at 9 p.m. ET on Sundays, all the way up until the Dec. 14 season finale.

Based on HBO's trailer of the coming episodes, IT: Welcome to Derry is only going to get gnarlier from here. The look ahead teases the military's mysterious involvement in Derry, including the presence of Dick Hallorann (Chris Chalk), who while most known for his role in The Shining, does appear briefly in Stephen King's IT. Also on the table is a trip to the sewers, a police investigation into the bloodbath at the theater, and Pennywise wreaking fiery havoc on Derry. Bring on the scares.

New episodes of IT: Welcome to Derry premiere Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

SAVE $200: As of Oct. 27, the 13-inch Apple MacBook Air with the M4 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage is on sale for only $999 at Amazon. That's $200 or 17% off its usual cost of $1,199. That's the lowest price on record for most colors.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $999 at Amazon
$1,199 Save $200   Get Deal

If you're looking to upgrade your laptop for cheap, the M4 MacBook Air is an incredible value — even at full price. When it debuted earlier this year, its price tag made us do a double take. In a world where everything — especially tech — is getting more expensive, the base model M4 MacBook Air is $100 cheaper than its predecessor. And as of Oct. 27, you can get it for even cheaper.

The upgraded M4 MacBook Air with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage usually goes for $1,199, but right now, it's down to only $999 in every color. That's $200 or 17% off its list price and matches the lowest price on record for most colors. Not to mention, it's the same cost as the base model with 256GB of storage when its not on sale. In other words, you'll get double the storage for the same sub-$1,000 price.

Besides the ultra-low cost, we love the M4 MacBook Air for its impressive processing power, improved 12MP FaceTime camera, and open-lid support for two external displays, meaning you can still use its own screen even when it's hooked up to monitors. It's earned a top spot on our list of the best laptops for 2025, best MacBooks, and best cheap laptops. So long as you don't need the more advanced specs of the MacBook Pro for things like video editing or graphic design work, the M4 Air will treat you wonderfully.

As Mashable's resident laptop expert Haley Henschel writes, "This is a no-brainer recommendation for budget-conscious Apple users in need of a fast and portable laptop for everyday tasks."

VHS tapes might not have undergone a revival in interest like vinyl records or cassette tapes, but plenty of people still have sizable collections of VHS around the world, and there's a niche, but enthusiastic subculture interested in this retro medium.

Once again, Walmart has decided that a 24-hour Black Friday sale just isn't enough. Today, the big-box retailer announced its plans to host two Black Friday Deals events starting in mid-November. Walmart+ members will get first dibs on the deals, as per tradition.

"We’re dropping up to 60% off top brands and offering thousands of deals under $20," John Furner, president and CEO of Walmart U.S., said in a press release, adding that the company aims to help shoppers have their "most budget-friendly holiday yet."

Walmart's first Black Friday sale will run online and in stores from Friday, Nov. 14, through Sunday, Nov. 16. Paid (non-trial) members of its Walmart+ membership program will get five hours of early access to the deals online beginning Thursday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m. ET.

The top deals from that first sale will include a 98-inch TCL QLED 4K TV for $998 (was $1,798), the Dyson V12 Detect Slim vacuum for $399.99 (was $729.99), a Keurig iced coffee machine for $44.97 (was $79), and a Lego Speed Champions two-pack set for $25 (was $44.98).

Credit: Walmart

Shoppers will have just over a week to relax before Walmart's second Black Friday Deals event, which runs from Tuesday, Nov. 25, through Sunday, Nov. 30. (Early access for paid Walmart+ members opens on Nov. 24 at 7 p.m. ET.) That sale will be shoppable exclusively on Walmart.com for the first 72 hours; on Nov. 28, aka Black Friday proper, the deals will be available both online and in stores.

A Walmart rep couldn't confirm whether its stores will be closed on Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, Nov. 27), which has been the company's policy since 2020.

Walmart's festivities will wrap up with an online-only Cyber Monday sale on Monday, Dec. 1. Paid Walmart+ members will, of course, get five hours' worth of early access the evening before.

Opens in a new window Credit: Walmart Walmart+ membership $98/year Learn More

According to the company's press release, all three holiday sales will include giftables from Walmart's toys, electronics, home, fashion, and beauty departments. The release named brands like Apple, Dyson, Lego, De'Longhi, and Barbie.

Walmart is the second major retailer to announce its plans for Black Friday 2025, following Best Buy. For its part, the tech retailer will start rolling out some early Black Friday deals on Halloween — sooner than ever before.

Chromebooks have improved a lot since they were first launched back in 2011. Modern models are fast and capable, yet many people still think they're limited or underpowered. If you've considered but resisted switching to ChromeOS, here's the truth about some of the myths that might be holding you back.

The official end of support for Windows 10 has come and gone, and so it's time to move on to something else, right? Well, on paper it may seem like Microsoft is the arbiter of when Windows 10 should wind down, but in reality it might actually be the mighty Google that really decides when Windows 10 is done.

Happy Monday and welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.

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

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

How to play Pips

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for October 18, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for October 18, 2025 Easy difficulty hints, answers for Oct. 27 Pips

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

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

Number (3): Everything in this space must add to 3. The answer is 3-1, placed vertically; 2-4, placed horizontally; 0-3, placed horizontally.

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 0-3, placed horizontally; 2-3, placed vertically.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for Oct. 27 Pips

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 1-3, placed horizontally.

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 1-3, placed horizontally; 3-4, placed horizontally.

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

Number (9): Everything in this space must add to 9. The answer is 4-4, placed vertically; 4-2, placed vertically.

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

Number (5): Everything in this green space must add to 5. The answer is 0-2, placed horizontally; 5-3, placed vertically.

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 0-2, placed horizontally; 2-3, placed vertically.

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

Hard difficulty hints, answers for Oct. 27 Pips

Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 1-1, placed horizontally; 1-4, placed vertically; 1-2, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this red space must add to 4. The answer is 1-4, placed vertically.

Number (1): Everything in this space must add to 1. The answer is 0-2, placed horizontally; 1-3, placed vertically.

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 0-2, placed horizontally; 2-3, placed vertically.

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 1-3, placed vertically; 2-3, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this red space must add to 4. The answer is 2-2, placed vertically.

Number (1): Everything in this space must add to 1. The answer is 0-1, placed vertically.

Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 0-0, placed vertically; 0-3, placed horizontally; 0-4, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (5): Everything in this space must be greater than 5. The answer is 0-3, placed horizontally; 0-4, placed horizontally.

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

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you love a good drink.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Yellow: To emit

• Green: Just a bit

• Blue: Found in alcoholic drinks

• Purple: A quartet

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: Emanate

• Green: In the slightest

• Blue: Cocktail garnishes

• Purple: ___ Four

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 #869 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Emanate: BRANCH, FAN, RADIATE, SPREAD

• In the slightest: JUST, MERELY, ONLY, SIMPLY

• Cocktail garnishes: CHERRY, MINT, OLIVE, TWIST

• ___ Four: CONNECT, FAB, FANTASTIC, PETIT

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for October 24, 2025

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

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