IT General

The New Moon has now passed, so each night the Moon should appear bigger in our skies, all the way until the next Full Moon on April 1 (in Northern America, other parts of the world will see the Full Moon on April 2, depending on time zones).

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Friday, March 20, the Moon phase is Waxing Crescent. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 2% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.

When is the next Full Moon?

In North America, the next Full Moon is predicted to take place on April 1.

What are Moon phases?

NASA says the Moon takes about 29.5 days to orbit Earth, going through eight different phases. We always see the same side, but the Sun lights up different portions as it moves, which is why it can look full, half, or just a thin sliver. These changing shapes are called the lunar phases, and there are eight in total:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you love game night.

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 March 20, 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: To bother

• Green: Board game squares

• Blue: Ancient folklore

• Purple: Yolk

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Disturb

• Green: Words on a Monopoly board

• Blue: Figure in Greek myth

• Purple: Egg ___

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 #1013 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Disturb: ALARM, CONCERN, RATTLE, SHAKE

• Words on a Monopoly board: BOARDWALK, CHANCE, LUXURY, PARKING

• Figure in Greek myth: FATE, FURY, MUSE, SIREN

• Egg ___: CARTON, NOODLE, ROLL, TIMER

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 March 20, 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 good if you love a good spin.

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 March 20, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Spring fever

The words are related to shapes.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe swirls.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Twist and Turn.

NYT Strands word list for March 20

• Coil

• Curlicue

• Corkscrew

• Twist and Turn

• Spiral

• Helix

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 a rockstar.

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 March 20, 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 March 20, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A legendary British band.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter S appears twice.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter O.

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...

OASIS

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 fair to say Fitbit has been through a few changes in the eight years since I wrote about breaking up with the then-dominant wearable. Spoiler alert: I ran away with the Apple Watch and never looked back. Now here comes the ex with a new announcement, and, uh ... I guess you'd say they've had some work done?

Fitbit was bought by Google for $2.1 billion back in 2019. The Fitbit co-founders left the tech giant in 2024, a few months before Google discontinued the Fitbit wearable altogether. The Google Pixel has become the default Fitbit smartwatch, and the Fitbit Charge 6 its sturdy old-school fitness tracker.

Meanwhile, the Fitbit app — where Google sells Premium subscriptions at $8 a month — has been loaded with new features. Now, whether you like it or not, those features include feedback from Google's AI, Gemini — or as it's called in its Fitbit flavor, Coach.

The company has trialed Coach via the Android version of the Fitbit app. The test expanded last month to iOS users — right around the same time Fitbit owners were required to have Google accounts, and the Fitbit accounts were discontinued.

SEE ALSO: Viral anti-masturbation app exposed sensitive user data

That deadline for switching to Google has been extended until May 19, 2026 — doing little more than perpetuating the agony for old-school Fitbit users.

All of which, apparently, makes this the perfect time for Google to invite Fitbit users to trust the company with their medical data. "When your coach understands your medical history, its guidance becomes safer, more relevant and more personalized," the company wrote in its latest Fitbit announcement.

The company added: "you have control of your data and how it's used, shared or deleted. Your medical records, like other health data in Fitbit, is not used for ads." (emphasis in the original.)

And if you're wondering whether to trust that claim, note that the AI features in question aren't from Google alone. Requests for health records go to b.well Connected Health, an AI platform that aggregates health data from various providers.

Clear, the security platform you may know from the empty line next to the TSA queue at many airports, is another partner, allowing you to search for medical records using a valid form of ID and a selfie.

So, Fitbit, you're looking well, and I see you have some new friends. We must catch up sometime. Bring my medical records? Yeah, let me think about that. I'll let you know!

Put Ryan Gosling and an alien puppet in a spaceship, and you get sheer joy.

That's the best way to sum up Project Hail Mary, a good chunk of whose runtime is a two-hander between biologist Ryland Grace (Gosling) and an alien named Rocky (voiced by James Ortiz). In addition to voicing Rocky, Ortiz also served as the creature's lead puppeteer, helming the crew that brought the endearing Eridian to life.

SEE ALSO: 'Project Hail Mary's ending makes one big change from the book. Here's why.

The final version of Rocky audiences see on screen is a marriage of practical puppeteering and animated effects, but Project Hail Mary directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller knew they needed that practical base in order to truly sell Grace and Rocky's friendship.

"It's so important for that core relationship in the movie for Ryan to have a scene partner and someone with whom to bounce things off of," Lord told Mashable in a joint video interview with Miller. "That meant getting a real puppet that we could really photograph, and a great team of puppeteers, led by James Ortiz, that could respond to his improvisational ideas and offer ideas to Ryan so that he would not know what was going to happen next."

Gosling's improvisation and Ortiz and his team's responses lead to one of the film's most charming sequences: when Grace first meets Rocky in the tunnel Rocky has built from his ship to the Hail Mary.

SEE ALSO: How did Harry Styles' 'Sign of the Times' wind up in 'Project Hail Mary'? Thank Sandra Hüller.

While Grace is terrified by Rocky at first, he soon realizes that the alien means him no harm. They establish trust by mimicking one another's peaceful movements, including some perfectly awkward dance moves by Grace.

Gosling shot the scene with an earwig in, through which Lord and Miller pitched him ideas of gestures to carry out. He was also free to try some of his own.

"We left it to the puppet team to try and copy whatever it was that Ryan was doing, and we would be like, 'OK, do a little dance, or do the Macarena, or draw out a gun,'" Miller recalled. "Every time he would do that, the puppeteers had to figure out how they were going to copy what he did."

Even on set, the effect was one of delight.

"As we were shooting it, it was movie magic. You're like, 'I can't believe we're capturing this thing, and it's really happening.' You can see the joy on Ryan's face as he watches the little alien puppet trying to do whatever it is he's doing, and I think there's something so magical and special about that," Miller said.

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Another improvisational moment for Gosling, Ortiz, and the Rocky team? The scene when Grace gives Rocky a measuring tape in the hopes of comparing numerical systems. Rocky isn't able to read the numbers, and instead plays with the measuring tape much in the way an excitable kitten would play with a ball of yarn.

"We put a real measuring tape in Rocky's hands, and we just told [the puppeteers] to play the game of 'Don't look at the numbers, just mess around. Whatever you do, do not do what Ryan's asking you to do,'" Lord said.

"He was really reacting, going, 'Oh my God,'" Miller added.

So when you're watching Project Hail Mary, remember that even though Gosling is acting, some of Grace's wonder towards Rocky (and perhaps even the occasional exasperation) is totally real.

Project Hail Mary is now in theaters.

Like any book-to-film adaptation, Project Hail Mary makes some changes to its source material.

SEE ALSO: How did Harry Styles' 'Sign of the Times' wind up in 'Project Hail Mary'? Thank Sandra Hüller.

In most cases, Project Hail Mary's changes look like removing elements of Andy Weir's novel in order to streamline the film. For example, in the book, a key part of finding astronauts for the Hail Mary mission is determining whether they have a very rare coma resistance gene, all of which is missing from the movie. Another omission? A plan to power Astrophage production by covering the Sahara Desert in solar panels.

However, Project Hail Mary does make one addition in its final minutes that isn't in the book.

The film ends very much like Weir's novel, with biologist Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) living not on Earth, but on alien Rocky's (voiced by puppeteer James Ortiz) home planet of Erid. He's sent the Hail Mary's beetle probes back to Earth with instructions on how to breed the Astrophage-eating Taumoeba and save the sun. In the book, after Grace has spent years on Erid, we learn that the sun's luminosity has been restored, meaning Grace's research made it to Earth and humanity is saved.

However, we never actually see what that process looks like in Weir's book. In fact, we never return to Earth, as we're in Grace's mind the whole time.

The movie, on the other hand, does bring us back to Earth as the film winds down. It shows us its now-frozen oceans, a result of global cooling due to the sun's dimming. It also shows us what's happened to Stratt in the years since the Hail Mary launched.

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Stratt's fate remains a mystery in the novel, although she believes that she'll eventually wind up in prison due to the extreme actions she took to get the Hail Mary off the ground. (The Sahara Desert plan, for example, proves an environmentally destructive resource drain, although it gets the job done.) The film takes a more optimistic approach, showing that Stratt is still alive and has received the beetles. Now, she's ready to start work on the next phase of Project Hail Mary.

"Quite honestly, I love writing Stratt," screenwriter Drew Goddard told Mashable while discussing Stratt's ending. "This movie is about three characters, really. It's a triangle between three characters, and we need to give her her moment."

Thus, Stratt's epilogue was born, granting us a hopeful glimpse into humanity's recovery effort.

Goddard continued: "That's what great about movies. You can cut away, whereas the book stayed with Grace. Once I put [the scene] in, no one questioned it. I was really grateful that they let us do it, because I thought it was really important to see her."

Project Hail Mary is now in theaters.

Project Hail Mary has shouted out Harry Styles so much, we might as well be calling it Project Hail Harry.

The sci-fi film's first trailer was set to Styles' song "Sign of the Times." Gosling then performed it during his Saturday Night Live monologue, all while Styles looked on. (Gosling also returned to SNL the following week to introduce one of Styles' musical performances.) Of course, all this Styles love stems from the fact that "Sign of the Times" appears in Project Hail Mary itself.

SEE ALSO: 'Project Hail Mary' review: Ryan Gosling delights in a sci-fi buddy comedy

Based on the novel of the same name by Andy Weir, Project Hail Mary centers on a last-ditch mission to save Earth's dimming sun from an alien microbe called Astrophage. During an emotional scene in the lead-up to mission's launch, everyone involved, including biologist Ryland Grace (Gosling) and project head Eva Stratt (Sandra Hüller), gathers for karaoke. Nothing will soothe your worries about the end of the world quite like communal singing!

In the scene, the usually business-focused Stratt takes center stage to perform an almost elegiac take on "Sign of the Times." It's screenwriter Drew Goddard's favorite scene in the film, although he claims no credit for the Styles song choice.

"I had nothing to do with it," Goddard told Mashable in a video interview. "We knew we needed this sort of hangout scene. I call it the 'calm before the storm' scene."

Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller suggested karaoke for the scene, and, Goddard recalled, just a few nights before shooting, they decided to try to get Hüller to sing in the film.

"She said, 'I'll only do it if I can do the Harry Styles song,'" Goddard said. "So it was Sandra's choice, which is insane to think about, because it lines up so perfectly with the point of the movie. It actually says 'breaking through the atmosphere,' for God's sake. I could not have chosen a better song. That's all Sandra. She picked it, and thank God she did."

Project Hail Mary is now in theaters.

The latest season of ABC’s The Bachelorette has been canceled after a video circulated online of its star, Taylor Frankie Paul, hurling chairs at her ex-boyfriend in front of her toddler daughter in 2023.

The Bachelorette was set to premiere on Sunday. Paul was already doing interviews for the show when ABC parent company Disney announced the cancelation.

“In light of the newly released video just surfaced today, we have made the decision to not move forward with the new season of ‘The Bachelorette’ at this time, and our focus is on supporting the family,” a Disney Entertainment Television spokesperson said in a statement.

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Paul is a #MomTok influencer, with over 6 million followers, and the star of Hulu’s reality hit, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.

That show recently paused production of its fifth season after reports came out that Paul and her ex, Dakota Mortensen, were being investigated by police in Draper City, Utah for an alleged domestic violence incident in February this year, People reports.

The 2023 video, released by TMZ, shows Paul kicking Mortensen and putting him in a chokehold while Paul’s young daughter is nearby on a couch. Paul then starts throwing metal chairs at Mortensen. One chair appears to graze the child, who begins crying.

Paul was arrested after the 2023 incident, on suspicion of domestic violence. Paul told podcaster Alex Cooper last year that those charges were dropped and denied that she ever hurt her daughter.

SEE ALSO: With LTK integration, you can now shop 'The Bachelor' franchise while you watch

In light of the video circulating on the internet, Paul’s public relations team lashed out at Mortensen, with whom she shares a son.

"Releasing an old video, which conveniently omits context, on their son's birthday is a reprehensible attempt to distract from his own behavior," a Paul spokesperson told People. "Thankfully, the public has seen this act before and knows who he is and sadly, many will recognize this pattern of manipulation, both in his actions on the show, and from their own experiences."

Before Paul’s Bachelorette season was canceled, she told People on Wednesday she was disappointed the domestic violence allegations would taint the show.

"Just the timing is hard, and it's a big deal. I feel like every premiere that I've experienced, I've never enjoyed fully, so this is another one ... it's extremely hard, and it took everything to get me here today," Paul told the magazine.

"I'm struggling for sure, but also at the same time I feel like if I don't show up, then I'm just giving these opportunities away and not enjoying what we've worked on and something super exciting that's coming.”

Social media was aghast at the video — and at Disney’s decision to hire Paul in the first place, after she previously faced domestic violence allegations.

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If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org.

An artificial intelligence replica of Val Kilmer, the Hollywood icon who died from pneumonia in 2025, will star in the forthcoming indie film As Deep as the Grave. Variety reported the news Wednesday.

Kilmer had originally been cast as a Catholic priest and Native American spiritualist in the movie, which faced pandemic-related delays. The role was based on a real-life man who played a part in the 1920s archeological excavation of Arizona's Canyon de Chelly, the heart of the Navajo Nation.

The actor ultimately never filmed a scene as his health worsened due to throat cancer.

SEE ALSO: Review: 'The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist' is a panic attack, in a good way

Writer/director Coerte Voorhees and producer John Voorhees, who are brothers, said they've used previously recorded material to create a "photorealistic digital model of Kilmer," according to the New York Times.

The Voorhees said they relied on generative AI programs to manipulate the trove of images, video, and audio. The Times reported that they inserted Kilmer's replica into previously filmed scenes using standard editing software. They also deployed AI to generate new scenes featuring Kilmer.

Kilmer's estate and daughter have been supportive of the decision to include an AI version of Kilmer in the film.

"He always looked at emerging technologies with optimism as a tool to expand the possibilities of storytelling," Mercedes Kilmer told Variety. "This spirit is something that we are all honoring within this specific film, of which he was an integral part."

The filmmakers said that Kilmer's estate had been compensated for the appearance and that the production had followed Screen Actors Guild guidelines. Mashable contacted SAG and the Voorhees' production company for comment via email, but did not hear back as of publication.

In 2021, years after Kilmer lost his voice due to throat cancer treatment, he partnered with a software company to create a synthetic voice based on hours of recorded audio of him speaking.

When Kilmer appeared in Top Gun: Maverick as his character, Tom "Iceman" Kazansky, his line of dialogue was powered by that voice.

TL;DR: Live stream Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Carolina Hurricanes in the NHL for free on 9Now. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

A number of fascinating NHL fixtures are taking place this weekend, including Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Carolina Hurricanes. On paper, the Carolina Hurricanes should take the win here comfortably, but the Scotiabank Arena could always inspire the Toronto Maple Leafs to an upset.

If you want to watch Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Carolina Hurricanes in the NHL from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Carolina Hurricanes?

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Carolina Hurricanes in the NHL starts at 7 p.m. ET on March 20. This fixture takes place at the Scotiabank Arena.

How to watch Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Carolina Hurricanes for free

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Carolina Hurricanes in the NHL is available to live stream for free on 9Now.

9Now is geo-restricted to Australia, 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 Australia, meaning you can unblock 9Now to live stream the NHL for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Carolina Hurricanes in the NHL 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 Australia

4. Visit 9Now

5. Watch Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Carolina Hurricanes for free from anywhere in the world

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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 NHL without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Carolina Hurricanes in the NHL (plus more NHL fixtures) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for 9Now?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on 9Now, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Australia

• 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 $78.18 and includes an extra four months for free — 78% 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).

Watch Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Carolina Hurricanes in the NHL for free with ExpressVPN.

13 years ago, Cillian Murphy first donned his iconic undercut and newsboy cap in Peaky Blinders, a crime drama about a Birmingham gang post-World War I. The show ran for six seasons on BBC and Netflix, with its final episodes airing in 2022. However, Tommy Shelby's story is not over, as the character returns for the Netflix movie, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man.

The Lexus ES has long been the cornerstone of the Japanese luxury brand, a sedan defined by its elegance, comfort, and sporty driving dynamics. Lexus fans may recall how the ES arrived alongside the flagship LS in 1989, and over the last three decades, it has built a reputation for giving buyers the executive treatment at a competitive starting MSRP.

Numerous reports, including Mashable's own coverage, were published on Wednesday about a new hacker tool called DarkSword that is being used to target iPhones. 

Apple has now shared with Mashable some important information regarding the threat and how the company is addressing it.

According to Apple, the company last year patched the underlying iOS vulnerabilities that the spyware exploited. In addition, Apple also pushed out an emergency software update for iOS 15 and iOS 16 on March 11 meant for older iOS devices that were not able to update to the more recent, patched versions of iOS.

Apple says that any user running iOS 15 through iOS 26 are protected from DarkSword spyware. 

SEE ALSO: Hackers target millions of iPhones with new DarkSword spyware

However, users running iOS 13 or iOS 14 need to update to iOS 15 in order for their device to receive these same protections. Apple says users still using these older versions of iOS will receive an alert to install a Critical Security Update within the next few days.

Apple also shared that security researchers confirmed that DarkSword spyware and other similar exploits do not work on devices with Apple’s optional Lockdown Mode protection enabled. In addition, iPhone 17 users were protected from these attacks thanks to the lineup's Memory Integrity Enforcement feature.

On Wednesday, Google, along with cybersecurity firms Lookout and iVerify, published detailed reports about DarkSword, a new hacking toolkit being deployed by bad actors, such as a notorious hacking group with ties to the Russian government. One of DarkSword's most concerning aspects is that the spyware did not require the target to download any malware or other malicious file. DarkSword is deployed by a target simply visiting a compromised website.

According to Apple, Apple Safe Browsing in Safari blocks all known malicious URLs identified by Google.

Apple also provided other general security and safety tips, such as using two-factor authentication for logins, never clicking on unknown links or attachments, and always keeping your devices' software up-to-date.

Apple has also published more information about how it's protecting users from these web-based attacks in a post found on its website.

Ryan Gosling is one of Hollywood's most likable movie stars. His Canadian charm paired with his handsome looks makes for a winning formula. Gosling's versatility is his greatest asset. The three-time Oscar nominee can play someone who steals your heart in The Notebook, just as he can easily beat you to a pulp in Drive. I'm glad to see the struggling cornerback in Remember the Titans got back on his feet.

Plezy is quickly emerging as one of the best third-party clients for Plex, with a few notable enhancements over the official apps. Now, it’s getting even better with expanded Picture-in-Picture availability, updates to the TV interface, and other changes.

Reddit appeared to be inaccessible to some users Thursday afternoon, with attempts to access the site showing a "server error" message.

At 3:20 p.m. ET, more than 30,000 users have reported problems with accessing Reddit, according to Downdetector. However, as of 3:50 p.m., user issues appeared to have been resolved.

While Reddit's status page shows no reported issues, attempts by Mashable to access Reddit by both desktop and app were met by errors shortly after 3 p.m. ET. Users on other social media sites also reported issues.

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Should user-reported issues spike again, this story will be updated.

In the automotive world, luxury usually translates to more. More hand-crafted leather, more high-resolution screens, more panoramic roof space, and more social clout. It can also translate to more visits to the gas station.

Toyota has built its reputation on cars that just work, from dependable sedans to SUVs people trust with everything from commutes to road trips. The Toyota RAV4 is a big part of that story—a compact SUV that’s been practical, efficient, and easy to live with for decades.

One of the biggest Android stories of last year was Google’s planned major changes to sideloading. It caused a legitimate uproar in the community, leading Google to backtrack a bit. Now, we’re getting our first look at what these new restrictions will look like.