IT General

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're never on time.

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for October 17, 2025 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for October 17, 2025 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Get to work...

The words are related to time.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe things that cause delays.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Running Late.

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for October 18

• Detour

• Closure

• Running Late

• Construction

• Weather

• Alarm

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

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

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're seeking shelter.

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

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for October 17, 2025 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for October 17, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A retreat.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter H.

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...

HAVEN

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for October 17, 2025

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

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

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

Today's Connections: Sports Edition requires expertise in women's tennis.

As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, 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 the latest 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: Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. 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: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Tools for the links

• Green: Dial-in

• Blue: Football players

• Purple: Film-related

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Golf clubs

• Green: Fine-tune

• Blue: QBs named Joe

• Purple: Last words of the basketball movies

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: Sports Edition #390 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Golf clubs - DRIVER, IRON, PUTTER, WEDGE

• Fine-tune - BETTER, IMPROVE, POLISH, SHARPEN

• QBs named Joe - BURROW, FLACCO, MONTANA, NAMATH

• Last words of basketball movies - CARTER, CHIPS, JUMP, MIKE

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections 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.

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.

Happy Thursday 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. 18 Pips

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

Number (9): Everything in this red space must add to 9. The answer is 3-6, placed horizontally.

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

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

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

Medium difficulty hints, answers for Oct. 18 Pips

Greater Than (4): Everything in this orange space must be greater than 4. The answer is 5-2, placed horizontally.

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

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 3-3, placed vertically; 3-6, placed horizontally; 1-3, placed horizontally.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add to 10. The answer is 3-6, placed horizontally; 5-2, placed horizontally.

Less Than (4): Everything in this orange space must be less than 4. The answer is 4-2, placed horizontally.

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

Number (10): Everything in this space must add to 10. The answer is 0-6, placed vertically; 4-1, placed horizontally.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add to 10. The answer is 10-10, placed horizontally.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add to 2. The answer is 4-1, placed horizontally; 6-1, placed horizontally..

Number (5): Everything in this space must add to 5. The answer is 3-1, placed horizontally; 6-2, placed horizontally.

Less Than (1): Everything in this orange space must be less than 1. The answer is 3-1, placed horizontally; 6-2, placed horizontally.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add to 0. The answer is 0-4, placed horizontally; 0-5, placed horizontally.

Equal (4): Everything in this purple space must be equal to 4. The answer is 0-4, placed horizontally; 4-5, placed vertically; 4-2, placed vertically.

Equal (5): Everything in this purple space must be equal to 5. The answer is 0-5, placed horizontally; 4-5, placed vertically; 6-5, placed horizontally; 5-2, placed vertically.

Less Than (5): Everything in this orange space must be less than 5. The answer is 3-2, placed vertically; 1-1, placed horizontally; 5-2, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for Oct. 18 Pips

Number (8): Everything in this space must add to 8. The answer is 6-2, placed horizontally.

Not Equal: Everything in this purple space must be different. The answer is 4-2, placed horizontally; 0-5, placed vertically; 6-6, placed vertically; 0-1, placed horizontally.

Number (29): Everything in this space must add to 29. The answer is 6-6, placed vertically; 6-5, placed horizontally; 6-1, placed vertically; 6-4, placed vertically.

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

Number (3): Everything in this space must add to 3. The answer is 2-5, placed vertically; 6-1, placed vertically.

Greater Than (3): Everything in this orange space must be greater than 3. The answer is 6-4, placed vertically.

Number (7): Everything in this space must add to 7. The answer is 0-6, placed horizontally; 1-4, placed vertically..

Equal (4): Everything in this purple space must be equal to 4. The answer is 4-4, 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.

TwitchCon 2025 kicked off with a massive celebration of its 10th Anniversary, including a whole host of new announcements about changes coming to the social media platform.

"As we head into 2025, our goal continues to be to make Twitch the absolute best place for our streamers, and also, an exciting place for new creators and viewers to build and find their communities," Dan Clancy, the CEO of Twitch, said in a press release about the new changes.

"We’ll continue to focus on expanding our user base and introducing more people to livestreaming, as well as the critical and important work of supporting those who have already found a home here."

Dual-format streaming

One way Twitch is planning to do that is through dual-format streaming, which lets streamers go live in vertical and horizontal formats simultaneously — pretty ideal if you don't want to choose between your laptop viewers or phone viewers.

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Twitch began testing this in August, so it shouldn't come as a huge surprise.

AI AI AI AI AI

If it feels like every social media platform is leaning into AI, that's probably because every social media platform is leaning into AI — and Twitch is a part of that.

During TwitchCon 2025, the company announced its partnership with Meta's AI glasses, which allow streamers to go live directly from the glasses. Twitch is still working to update its mobile app to support this.

Beyond Meta's AI glasses, Twitch is also using AI to automatically create clips from a previous stream so viewers can catch up on good moments they might have missed.

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"We want to give streamers something to do on Twitch even if one of their favorite streamers is not live," Twitch wrote in a press release. "We want to make it easy for them to dive into your content and catch up on the best moments they missed from your previous streams, so they’re ready for your next one."

New sponsorship tools

Five months ago, Twitch let streamers run their own promotions, leading medium-sized creators to increase their gifting revenue by an average of 30 to 45 percent. This year, Twitch also launched other updates to help streamers get sponsorships in the Creator Dashboard. The company plans to roll out those sponsorship offers to all monetizing streamers, including Affiliates, in the coming months.

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The company also announced updates to how it enforces community guidelines, expansions to the Creator Clubs Program, and two new roles: a lead moderator and a role for agents, managers, or other representatives.

Microsoft Excel's UNIQUE function does exactly as its name suggests—it extracts unique values from an array. In other words, you'll only see each value once in the result, even if it appears multiple times in the source. Let's look at how it works, how to use it, and how to avoid certain pitfalls.

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SEE ALSO: What's new to streaming this week? (Oct. 17, 2025)

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Horror and comedy are sometimes thought of as being at opposing ends of the genre spectrum — but it doesn't have to be that way.

Alongside its original movies and truly scary movies, horror streaming platform Shudder has a nice little section reserved for horror comedy. Think parodies, tongue-in-cheek gore fests, and the type of films that can make you laugh even while they're grossing you out or putting your nerves on edge.

SEE ALSO: The scariest horror movies on Shudder to keep you up at night

I've combed through the archives to track down the best horror comedies on Shudder, from Josh Ruben's highly entertaining Scare Me to Lee Min-jae's very silly Zombie for Sale...

Zombie for Sale Credit: Christine Rampage / AMC Networks

What's it about?

A family finds a way to profit from a zombie.

Why should you watch it?

What if zombie bites weren’t all bad? More specifically, what if a nip from the undead would give the impotent new life below the belt? That’s the preposterous premise that kicks off this gleefully bonkers South Korean comedy. The Park family is scraping by running a battered gas station when their fortunes are turned by a zombie (Jung Ga-ram) with a rejuvenating bite. That’s just the first act of director Lee Min-jae’s playful horror-comedy. Family hijinks, ghoulish action, gross-out gags, and absurdly earnest romance also pop up, making for a movie that is chaotically charming and pleasantly unpredictable.* — Kristy Puchko, Entertainment Editor

How to watch: Zombie for Sale is now streaming on Shudder.

Nina Forever

What's it about?

A grief-stricken man starts up a relationship with his colleague only to be haunted by his dead ex-girlfriend whenever they have sex.

Why should you watch it?

Yearning for a dark comedy that’s bloody fun? You’ll fall hard for Nina Forever. Co-writers/co-directors Ben and Chris Blaine have dreamed up a truly deranged tale of love and letting go, and it all begins with a macabre crush. Grocery clerk Holly (Abigail Hardingham) hopes she can help mournful motorcyclist Rob (Cian Barry) forget his last girlfriend, who died in a grisly accident. But every time these new lovers crawl into bed, Nina (Fiona O'Shaughnessy) intrudes. Or more specifically, her broken and bloody corpse crashes the party with snarky one-liners and withering eye-rolls. Full of gore, sex, and jaw-droppingly outrageous gags, this horror-comedy earns its hard-R, yet delivers a surprisingly tender tale.* — K.P.

How to watch: Nina Forever is now streaming on Shudder.

Deadstream Credit: Shudder

What's it about?

A "cancelled" YouTube prankster livestreams a tour of a haunted house in an attempt to redeem himself.

Why should you watch it?

"Full of sick thrills and dark humor, it feels like a real find," wrote Mashable's Kristy Puchko in her review. "It doesn't need a big budget, an established horror franchise, or big names to stand out. Briskly paced, wildly fun, and surprisingly smart, Deadstream is a bloody terrific good time. So, keep an eye out for it."

How to watch: Deadstream is now streaming on Shudder.

Scare Me

What's it about?

Two writers take turns telling each other scary stories after the cabins they're staying in lose power.

Why should you watch it?

Scare Me is a great example of a very simple premise being executed perfectly. Josh Ruben's tale of an amateur writer growing increasingly jealous of his professional author cabin neighbor is brilliantly written and directed, splicing witty exchanges with cleverly conjured campfire vignettes that take on a life of their own when they're performed. And this one really is all about the performances — as well as writing and directing, Ruben also stars in Scare Me alongside The Boys' Aya Cash and Saturday Night Live's Chris Redd, and the focus on storytelling means the trio have to break out their full range of (very impressive) acting talents.

There's laughter, there's tension, and although the actual scares are few, there's a creeping sense of unease that twists into something more in the film's final act.

How to watch: Scare Me is now streaming on Shudder.

One Cut of the Dead

What's it about?

A film crew attempts to shoot a low-budget zombie movie in an abandoned factory.

Why should you watch it?

I can safely say that I've never seen a film quite like One Cut of the Dead. Shin'ichirô Ueda's (recently remade) comedy horror (which is far more heavy on the comedy than the horror) is essentially a movie within a movie within a movie — a Russian doll-style story about a crew making a shoestring zombie flick.

We spend the first half of the run time watching the zombie film itself, but things really get interesting in the movie's second half, when we zoom out (and back in time) to watch the director and the production crew putting the whole thing together.

If that explanation has left you feeling slightly confused, it might be for the best — One Cut of the Dead is the sort of film that's hard to explain in words, but is probably more entertaining the less you know going in.

How to watch: One Cut of the Dead is now streaming on Shudder.

Boar

What's it about?

A small town in Australia is stalked by a man-eating boar.

Why should you watch it?

Boar may not appear in the comedy category on Shudder, but let's be honest here — any film that features a hippo-sized monster pig going up against a former WWE wrestler has to be a little bit tongue-in-cheek.

Fortunately, Chris Sun's Boar is exactly that: a lighthearted popcorn-muncher that mixes some entertainingly crude dialogue with some truly ridiculous fight sequences.

The perfect film to watch with a group of friends and a few beers.

How to watch: Boar is now streaming on Shudder.

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Scare Package

What's it about?

A video store owner takes on a new staffer, who quickly gets an education in the fine art of horror movies.

Why should you watch it?

Scare Package is essentially seven miniature horror films for the price of one, an entertaining anthology from seven different directors that parodies every horror movie stereotype you can possibly imagine. Ridiculous gory deaths? Cheesy one-liners? The serial killer who won't stay dead? Each trope gets its own moment to shine in this delightful mishmash, which is as much Cabin in the Woods-style satire as it is a love letter to the genre.

How to watch: Scare Package is now streaming on Shudder.

Glorious Credit: Shudder

What's it about?

After separating from his partner, a troubled man stops at a rest stop and strikes up a conversation with an unseen figure in a bathroom stall who claims to be a god.

Why should you watch it?

You might think a movie set almost entirely in a rest-stop bathroom would be a hard sell, but the combination of a well-written script, Rebekah McKendry's creative direction and some top acting from Ryan Kwanten, J.K. Simmons, and André Lamar helps keep the pace of this one going. Extra points for the creativeness of the idea and the weird genre mishmash, which combines silly humour, tension, and Lovecraftian horror.

How to watch: Glorious is now streaming on Shudder.

*This blurb appeared on a previous Mashable list.

UPDATE: Oct. 16, 2025, 2:30 p.m. UTC This list was first published on Sept. 7. 2023. It has since been updated to reflect current streaming options.

Do you like scary movies? Peruse our editor-chosen list of 100 of the best horror films and use the filters to narrow down your picks for which to watch tonight.

Apple just unveiled the next generation of M-series chips, which will power the new MacBook Pro as well as the latest generation of the iPad Pro. And it's pretty good. So good, in fact, that it appears to even outperform Apple's very best chips from last generation.

When someone asks what the most reliable Japanese car is, most people instantly say “Toyota.” Fair enough—they’ve earned that rep.

If you haven't been following international news too closely, you might not be aware that our friends down-under have a massive housing crisis. Then again, who doesn't? However, what makes the Australian story a little different from the rest of the world is how one company aims to solve the issue—spiders.

If there’s one brand that all long-time Android users know, it’s HTC. Technically, HTC never went away, but most people have forgotten about it. Seemingly out of nowhere, a whole new line of HTC Wildfire phones was just shown off.

A lot of high-powered mini PCs out there are powered by Intel chips. And while I'm not an Intel hater, I'm more of an AMD guy. Which is why I'm particularly happy to see that ASUS is launching a brand new ROG tiny PC—powered by one of the best mobile AMD chips out there.

Apple’s iPhone lineup has never been this diverse. You have four new phones on offer — iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max — with very different designs, dimensions, colors, battery sizes, and camera systems.

And yet, it feels like the iPhone 17 has been upgraded to the point of being a very good option for a lot of buyers; it finally has a 120Hz display, its battery life has been significantly improved, and, just like the other devices, it starts with 256GB of storage. The iPhone Air, on the other hand, has the same chip and display size as the iPhone 17 Pro, but only one camera on the back.

This is why, for a lot of potential buyers, the choice will fall down to the cameras. Apple hyped up the iPhone Air’s single camera as a many-cameras-in-one system, but is it really up to par with the other iPhones, let alone camera powerhouses like the Google Pixel 10 Pro? And is the iPhone 17’s camera system just as good as the one on the Pro models, only without the zoom, or is it noticeably weaker in other areas, too?

Let's go hands-on and compare some photos to answer all of your questions.

Camera shootout: Daylight Left to right: iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone 17, iPhone Air. In daylight, at maxed out resolution, the differences between the three phones are almost non-existent. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

I'm happy to report that all three cameras take wonderfully detailed daylight shots with accurate colors. Turn up the megapixel count to 48 if you want more details, but only do so when the light conditions are just right.

TL:DR: A three-way tie.

Camera shootout: Zoom Left to right: iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone 17, iPhone Air. Again, without zooming in, you'll get very similar photos across the three devices. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

There’s no real competition here: The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max have a telephoto camera capable of 4x optical zoom, while the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air simply do not have that lens. Still, you can zoom in on all three phones (yes, even past the default 2x) as Apple will take the zoomed-out photo out of the larger, 48-megapixel capture.

Left to right: iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone 17, iPhone Air. The level of detail and sharpness you get on the Pro Max is vastly better than the digital zoom on the other two phones. Still, the iPhone Air consistently performed a little better than the iPhone 17. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

As you can see above, the photos without the dedicated telephoto camera simply cannot measure up to the level of detail you get on the iPhone 17 Pro Max, especially at 8x magnification. Interestingly, I’ve gotten slightly better results with the iPhone Air than with the iPhone 17. This was quite consistent over various set-ups and zoom levels, indicating that the Air has a better overall main camera than the iPhone 17.

TL;DR: The iPhone 17 Pro Max wins in this category, which is no surprise. What is a surprise? The iPhone Air beat the iPhone 17.

Camera shootout: Ultra-wide Left: Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable Right: Left: iPhone 17 Pro Max, Right: iPhone 17. Sometimes the scenery demands an ultra-wide photo, and the iPhone Air just doesn't have the option. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

Only the iPhone 17 Pro Max and the iPhone 17 have the ultra-wide camera; the iPhone Air doesn’t even have the option to zoom out past the default, 1x setting. On both the iPhone 17 and the iPhone 17 Pro Max, the ultra-wide yields significantly blurrier photos than the wonderfully sharp main shooter, so I recommend avoiding it. However, sometimes you just have to use it — typically, when you need to place a large group of people within the frame — and that’s where the option is great to have, photo quality be damned.

TL;DR: The iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Max have a decent but not great ultra-wide camera; the Air lacks this altogether.

Camera shootout: Low light Left to right: iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone 17, iPhone Air. This nocturnal scene was captured beautifully by all three phones. The one taken with the iPhone Air has the most accurate colors, but differences are minute. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

I was particularly interested in low-light performance, as this is where you really see whether the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air can hold their own against the Pro Max's powerful main camera. I'm happy to report that nighttime photos turned out roughly the same, no matter if I used the iPhone 17, iPhone Air, or iPhone 17 Pro Max.

TL;DR: All three phones took low-light photos of roughly the same quality.

Camera shootout: Macro Left to right: iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone 17, iPhone Air. The photos taken by the iPhone 17 and 17 Pro Max are almost identical. The iPhone Air simply cannot capture as many details up close. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

This test is perhaps unfair towards the iPhone Air, which doesn’t have a dedicated macro mode. But it’s still worth comparing the results, just to show how better the other two phones are when it comes to this specific photography type.

The iPhone 17 and the iPhone 17 Pro Max automatically switched to macro mode when I came in close to the flower, and both took a beautiful, detailed macro photo with vivid colors. With the iPhone Air, going in this close would only yield a blurry photo, so I used the 2x zoom option to get a bit more detail out of the flower. It’s not bad, but it's also nowhere near the quality of the other two photos when it comes to details. Also, the iPhone Air decided to blur the background, leaving me with a portrait photo; it’s not bad, but not exactly what I needed here.

TL;DR: The iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Max excel at macro photography; the iPhone Air doesn't even have a macro mode.

Camera shootout: Selfie Left to right: iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone 17, iPhone Air. In Croatia, we do not smile. Apparently. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

On paper, all three cameras should be the same, and judging by the selfies I took, they pretty much are. I've taken a number of selfies with all three phones and they're always true-to-life with accurate colors and tons of detail. Here, I've chosen a portrait selfie which turned out very similar across all three phones.

TL;DR: A three-way tie.

The iPhone 17 vs. the iPhone Air vs. the iPhone 17 Pro Max: Which is best for photography? They're all pretty good, but the iPhone 17 Pro Max has the most versatile camera. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

The good news is that the main camera appears to be very similar across all three phones, and the iPhone Air performed much better than I expected. For your bread-and-butter daylight photos, as well as low-light shots, nature shots, and selfies, you can choose any of these phones and be happy.

Being able to zoom out and in (especially in) does make a difference in photography. Also, the video capabilities of the iPhone 17 Pro Max are truly pro-grade, compared to the more basic (yet still very good) video shooting you get on the other two phones. If you like to tinker with settings, need tons of storage for videos (the iPhone 17 Pro Max goes up to 2TB), and use zoom a lot, then the iPhone 17 Pro Max is a must.

How we tested

The rules of this contest were simple. I took photos in a multitude of scenarios with all three phones, doing my best to use similar settings and take the photo from the exact same position. Then, I uploaded the photos to my computer to see just how different they looked. In this article I’ve used cropped up details from each set of photos to highlight the differences between each phone.

This is not a perfect test. Sometimes you’ll get a bad (or a surprisingly good) photo for no apparent reason. I did take several sets of photos in each scenario to confirm the differences I saw were real, but I’ve only used a single set of photos for each scenario for the purposes of this article.

Travel-minded folks who find it rude when the people in front of them on an airplane recline their seats have a new ally.

That ally would be WestJet, a prominent Canadian airline that shuttles people all over the world. WestJet recently announced that all Economy class seats on its passenger jets will now have a "fixed recline" design. In other words, those who pay for the cheapest seats won't be able to recline anymore. There will still be some reclining seats in both the "extended comfort" section of the plane and in the premium cabin, but it seems like most passengers will now be on an even playing field when it comes to the angle of their seat-backs.

SEE ALSO: Delta and other airlines are working with an AI startup that 'personalizes' prices

According to WestJet, this means its Boeing 747 jets will now have an additional row of seats in them, and you can expect these to roll out by the end of the year. This could also reduce per-seat ticket prices, in theory.

On the flipside, the more rows there are in a plane, the less space there is for each person. It may also come across as problematic for customers who hate losing access to something that has been standard in airplanes for years. Still, those of us who find it a bit unbecoming when the person in front of us decides to recline probably won't mind.

As always, just remember that the other people in the plane probably hate being there just as much as you do, and adjust your behavior accordingly.

Crossovers have long been seen as practical family haulers, but a new generation is proving they can be just as thrilling as they are versatile. Beneath their everyday-friendly designs lie powerful engines, sport-tuned suspensions, and responsive steering that make driving them genuinely fun.

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.

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

A dot.

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

SPECK

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Nailing it.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for August 4, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

ACING

Hurdle Word 3 hint

More sensible.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for August 4 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for August 4, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

SANER

Hurdle Word 4 hint

One of the five senses.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for August 4 Hurdle Word 4 answer

TOUCH

Final Hurdle hint

Shrubbery.

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

BRIAR

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

Back in 2013, when the iPhone and Android had cornered the smartphone market, a plucky new mobile operating system showed up that promised to bring a new kind of smartphone. One that was entirely built on web technologies and web apps. It was from a familiar brand, but it never took off.

The best streaming deals to watch 'Weapons' at home: Best non-streaming option Rent or Buy on Prime Video $9.99 or $19.99 Get Deal Best HBO Max deal HBO Max (With Ads) $99.99/year (save $19.89) Get Deal Best deal with no ads Max Standard $169.99/year (save $33.89) Get Deal Best for students HBO Max Student $4.99 per month for 12 months (save 50%) Get Deal Get HBO Max for free HBO Max Basic With Ads Free for Cricket customers on the $60/month unlimited plan (save $9.99/month) Get Deal Get HBO Max for free HBO Max Basic With Ads Free for DashPass annual plan subscribers (save $9.99 per month) Get Deal Best bundle deal Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max $16.99 per month (with ads), $29.99 per month (no ads) (save up to 43%) Get Deal

Weapons, Zach Cregger's follow-up to the 2022 cult horror hit Barbarian, is one of the year's biggest horror success stories. It's not surprising, given that the script alone had Hollywood so excited it sparked a multi-million-dollar bidding war.

Not only did Cregger write the script, but he also directed, produced, and co-composed the music. Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Cary Christopher, with Benedict Wong, and Amy Madigan star in the wild horror hit of the summer.

If you skipped the theaters or can't wait to watch it again, Weapons now officially has a streaming date. Here's what you need to know to tune in — including where to watch it and when.

What is Weapons about?

Weapons tells the story of a community left in crisis when all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanish at the same time on the same night. The story splits its time between various non-linear viewpoints, including the missing kids' teacher Justine (Julia Garner) and Archer (Josh Brolin), father to one of the missing children.

Who or what is behind their disturbing disappearance into darkness? It's best that's all you know going into the film. As Mashable film critic Belen Edwards writes, "The best way to prepare for its thrills is to simply not prepare at all."

Get a glimpse at the mystery in the creepy trailer:

Is Weapons worth watching?

Strong test screenings led Warner Bros. to bump up the release date for Weapons from Jan. 2026 to Aug. 2025, and it definitely paid off. One of the biggest horror success stories of the year, the $38 million budget film has grossed $251M worldwide to date. Of course, box office totals only tell half of the story. Reviews tell the other.

With a 93 percent critic rating and 85 percent audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it's safe to say Weapons is worth watching. Even Stephen King gave it his nod of approval, calling it "confidently told and very scary."

Mashable's own reviewer writes, "The last thing I ever want to do is overhype a movie, but just trust me when I say: You are not ready for Weapons."

Check out Mashable's full review of Weapons.

How to watch Weapons at home Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

Weapons hit theaters on Aug. 8, 2025. If you missed the mystery unfold on the big screen or you can't wait to watch it again, there are a couple of different ways to watch it at home come Oct. 24: purchasing via digital video-on-demand, renting via digital video-on-demand, or streaming on HBO Max. We've broken down the details below.

Buy or rent on digital

As of Sept. 9, Weapons is available to purchase or rent on digital video-on-demand platforms. You can buy the movie for your digital library or rent it for 30 days. If you choose to rent, just note that although you'll have 30 days to watch, you'll only have 48 hours to finish watching once you begin.

You can purchase and rent the film at the following retailers:

• Prime Video — buy for $19.99, rent for $9.99

• Apple TV — buy for $19.99, rent for $9.99

• Fandango at Home (Vudu) — buy for $19.99, rent for $9.99

Opens in a new window Credit: Prime Video Rent or Buy at Prime Video $19.99 or $24.99 Get Deal Stream it on HBO Max

We originally predicted that Weapons would make its streaming debut on HBO Max just in time for spooky season and we're pleased to announce that is the case. It's following the same theater-to-streaming trajectory of other Warner Bros. titles like Final Destination: Bloodlines and Sinners. You can stream Weapons on HBO Max starting Oct. 24.

HBO Max subscriptions start at $9.99 per month, but there are some ways to save some money on your plan. Check out the best HBO Max streaming deals below.

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The HBO Max Basic plan with ads typically costs $9.99 per month, but if you pay for an entire year upfront, that price drops down to just $8.33. With the annual plan, you'll pay $99.99, which saves you about 16% compared to paying each month.

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Rather go ad-free? The annual Max Standard or Premium plans will also save about 16% over the monthly plans. The Standard tier costs either $16.99 per month or $169.99 per year (about $14.16 per month), while the Premium tier costs either $20.99 per month or $209.99 per year (about $17.50 per month). Both tiers offer ad-free viewing, but the Premium tier goes a step further with 4K Ultra HD video quality, Dolby Atmos immersive audio, and the ability to download more offline content.

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Looking for a way to get HBO Max for free in 2025? Switch your phone plan to Cricket's $60 per month Supreme Unlimited plan. It includes HBO Max Basic with ads for free. When you open up the HBO Max app or website, you'll just select Cricket as your provider and use your credentials to log in.

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Another way to get HBO Max for free in 2025 is to sign up for the DoorDash DashPass annual plan for $96 per year ($8 per month). DashPass memberships include $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees on eligible DoorDash orders all year long, plus a complimentary HBO Max subscription (with ads). Activate the subscription through your DoorDash account to get started. Rather watch ad-free? You can upgrade for a discounted rate.

Best HBO Max deal for students: Save 50% on HBO Max Basic with ads Opens in a new window Credit: HBO Max HBO Max Student $4.99 per month for 12 months Get Deal

College students can watch Weapons when it hits streaming by signing up for an entire year of HBO Max with ads for half price. Just verify your student status with UNiDAYS and retrieve the unique discount code to drop the price from $9.99 to $4.99 per month.

Best bundle deal: Get HBO Max, Disney+, and Hulu for up to 43% off Opens in a new window Credit: Disney / Hulu / HBO Max Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max $16.99 per month (with ads), $29.99 per month (no ads) Get Deal

For the most bang for your buck, check out the Disney+ bundle deal that includes Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max for just $16.99 per month with ads. That lineup of streamers would usually cost you $29.97 per month, so you'll keep an extra $13 in your pocket monthly. If you prefer an ad-less experience, the bundle will run you $29.99 per month as opposed to $50.97. That's up to 43% in savings for access to all three streaming libraries.

UPDATE: Oct. 17, 2025, 11:39 a.m. This article has been updated with the latest streaming information and pricing for "Weapons."

SAVE 30%: As of Oct. 17, the Jackery Solar Generator 5000 Plus portable power station is on sale for $2,998.95, down from its list price of $4,299, at Amazon. That's a 30% discount and $1,300.05 in savings.

Jackery Solar Generator 5000 Plus $2,998.95 at Amazon
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When a big storm rolls through and knocks out the power, those little portable battery packs aren't going to cut it for long. If you're serious about keeping your whole house running, or planning an off-grid adventure, you need something with real power.

SEE ALSO: I never go camping without this $24 portable charger

As of Oct. 17, the Jackery Solar Generator 5000 Plus portable power station is on sale for $2,998.95 at Amazon, down from its list price of $4,299. That's a 30% discount and $1,300.05 in savings.

The base model holds 5kWh of power, but you can stack extra battery packs to expand it to 60kWh. Jackery says that's potentially enough to power an average home for up to 15 days during an outage. With a 7200W output (expandable up to 14400W) and both 120V and 240V outlets, it can handle pretty much anything you throw at it — from your fridge and lights to heavy-duty appliances like electric dryers, ovens, or even an RV hookup.

It's got some smart features, too. The 0ms UPS mode means it switches to battery power instantly during an outage, so sensitive electronics like computers or WiFi routers won't even flicker. Plus, you can manage everything through the Jackery app, like monitoring power usage or setting it to charge during off-peak hours to save on your electricity bill.