IT General

Save $30: Grab the Nothing Headphone (1) on sale for just $269 as of Aug. 18. At Amazon, the 10% discount on the $299 headphones is a lightning deal, but you can also find them on sale at Nothing's website.

Nothing Headphone (1) $269 at Amazon
$299 Save $30 Get Deal

The Nothing Headphone (1) hit the market just over a month ago, and already, they're getting their first standalone deal.

As of Aug. 18, you can grab both colorways of the Nothing Headphone (1) at Amazon for $269 as a lightning deal, shaving $30 off their $299 price tag. If you happen to miss this deal, I also spotted the headphones on sale on Nothing's website.

Though a $30 markdown isn't huge, relatively speaking, it's decent for these headphones. (I stipulate that these are the headphones' first standalone deal because Amazon did run a buy one, get one 50% with the Nothing Phone (3) closer to both products' release dates). Besides being brand new, they're also priced significantly lower than other flagship headphones: the Bose QuietComfort Ultra and Sony WH-1000XM6's will run you $450 at full price, with AirPods Max costing $549. That said, the price discrepancies aren't totally without reason. In his comparison of all four headphones, Mashable contributor Alex Bracetti found that while the Nothing headphones stood out for their battery life, multiplatform connectivity, and from a pure value perspective, other options were better for their sound performance, overall noise cancellation, and multipoint connectivity.

SEE ALSO: The best headphones in 2025

That's not to say Nothing doesn't have anything to offer in any of those areas — in his full review of the Nothing headphones, Bracetti notes that their sound is dynamic, especially with some equalizer adjustments, and he found their adaptive noise cancellation to perform better than expected.

Of course, there's also the matter of the polarizing design. If it's your vibe, it might be hard to resist this deal. However, I will say as someone who tested these headphones briefly — if you prefer a lightweight pair of headphones, you'll want to steer clear. However, I did find their unique tactile on-ear button controls a smart alternative to anyone who prefers button controls. They're also IP54 water- and dust- resistant.

GPT-5 hasn't even been out for two weeks and OpenAI has already had to tinker with its tone.

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In a post on X over the weekend, OpenAI confirmed that it was making GPT-5 "warmer and friendlier" after initial complaints that it was too stodgy and cold in its interactions with users. Apparently, users should keep an eye out for phrases like "good question" in response to prompts, though OpenAI was quick to note that this shouldn't include outright flattery or sycophancy.

SEE ALSO: OpenAI took away GPT-4o, and these ChatGPT users are not okay

Power users of ChatGPT have had myriad issues with the new model since its launch earlier this month, with its supposed unfriendliness frequently coming up in social media posts. It also proved problematic for Sam Altman and company that OpenAI took away the option to manually switch to older models, though the option was eventually restored for paid users.

Cursory searches on places like X and Reddit reveal that there doesn't seem to be much of a change in how people are talking about GPT-5 yet. Many of the same complaints are still coming up, so it might be a while before OpenAI fully fixes the problem. And, as Reddit user MysticalMarsupial smartly put it, it's possible that OpenAI wants GPT-5 to be a bit colder emotionally for a very good and practical reason.

"Lawsuits. It's lawsuits," the user said. "They are afraid that you guys will fry yourselves into psychosis and that your families will sue OpenAI."

SAVE $4.68: As of Aug. 13, the Pokémon TCG White Flare Binder Collection is $50.98 at TCGPlayer, compared to $55.66 at Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG White Flare Binder Collection $50.98 at TCGPlayer
$55.66 Save $4.68 Get Deal

If you’ve been waiting for Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet — White Flare Binder Collection pricing to calm down, this is a nice chance to grab it for less. TCGPlayer has it for $50.98, which is $4.68 cheaper than Amazon’s $55.66 price tag. That’s money you could put toward another booster pack, sleeves, or maybe even a café drink for your next deck-building session.

Amazon lists the set for $55.66, down from a $68.99 list price (which is also inflated), while TCGPlayer shaves that down to $50.98. It’s not a massive discount, but it’s enough to make a difference, especially if you’re already planning to pick one up.

SEE ALSO: Save over $16 on Pokémon TCG Black Bolt Binder Collection when you skip Amazon’s markup

Inside you’ll find a thematic nine-pocket binder featuring the White Flare design, perfect for storing your best pulls. You also get five White Flare booster packs, plus a code card for Pokémon TCG Live so you can take the action online.

For players, this is a neat two-in-one: you get storage and the thrill of cracking open fresh packs. For collectors, it’s a stylish way to display your set while hunting for those coveted hits.

If Scarlet & White Flare is on your radar, this deal saves you a few bucks and gets you everything you need to play or display. With both binder and packs included, it’s a tidy bundle for fans of all stripes.

Most valuable Black Bolt and White Flare Pokémon cards Credit: Mashable Photo Composite / The Pokémon Company

Here are the most valuable cards you can pull in Black Bolt and White Flare right now. Don't want to leave it to chance? You can just buy them for the best price on TCGPlayer right now:

1. Victini – 172/086 – SV: White Flare
   Near Mint Holofoil: $450
   Market price: $474.25
   Most recent sale: $450

2. Reshiram ex – 173/086 – SV: White Flare
   Near Mint Holofoil: $420
   Market price: $445.20
   Most recent sale: $418

3. Zekrom ex – 172/086 – SV: Black Bolt
   Near Mint Holofoil: $400
   Market price: $406.80
   Most recent sale: $445

4. Victini – 171/086 – SV: Black Bolt
   Near Mint Holofoil: $430
   Market price: $430
   Most recent sale: $438.60

5. Zekrom ex – 166/086 – SV: Black Bolt
   Near Mint Holofoil: $203
   Market price: $208.05
   Most recent sale: $199.95

6. Reshiram ex – 166/086 – SV: White Flare
   Near Mint Holofoil: $190
   Market price: $203.13
   Most recent sale: $188.99

SAVE $820.01: The EcoFlow Delta 2 Max with 220W solar panel is on sale at Amazon for $1,198.99, down from the normal price of $2,019. That's a 41% discount that matches the lowest price ever at Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: EcoFlow EcoFlow Delta 2 Max portable power station with 220W solar panel $1,198.99 at Amazon
$2,019 Save $820.01 Get Deal

We're not far off from September now. That's awesome if you love pumpkin spice and 12-foot tall skeletons, but it can also mean we're about to get hit with fall storms. If your home tends to lose power during storms in the fall and winter, a portable power station can be a massive lifesaver. If you don't yet own one, there's a great deal on offer today.

As of Aug. 18, the EcoFlow Delta 2 Max portable power station with 220W solar panel is on sale for $1,198.99 at Amazon, marked down from the standard bundle price of $2,019. That equals a 41% discount, saving you $820.01. Today's sale price also matches the lowest ever at Amazon.

Excellent for power outages or taking out on a camping weekend, the EcoFlow Delta 2 Max portable power station gives you 2,048Wh of power. With it, you can keep your phones charged up, the coffee maker brewing every morning, and ensure the camp lighting stays on all night.

SEE ALSO: The Bluetti Apex 300 is it an all-time low at Amazon — power your whole home for less

During a power outages, the EcoFlow Delta 2 Max can keep the refrigerator cooling for 14 hours, a CPAP going for 41 hours, or the TV for 15 hours. Image how convenient it would be to not worry about food spoilage during the next storm.

With the 220W solar panel, your camping trips can have unlimited power, assuming there's sun. Plus, this solar panel is bifacial, capturing 220W on the primary side and 175W on the back for ambient light. The Delta Max 2 packs in the ports, offering six AC ports, four USB, and two USB-C at 100W.

Instead of worrying about bumping around with flashlights at home during the next power outage, keep the lights on thanks to the EcoFlow Delta 2 Max portable power station with a 220W solar panel. It's back down at its lowest price ever at Amazon of under $1,200 and if you order today, it should arrive before storm season.

SAVE 22%: As of Aug. 18, you can get the 3i G10+ robot vacuum and mop combo for $349.99, down from $449.99, at Amazon. That's a 22% discount and a $100 savings.

Opens in a new window Credit: 3i 3i G10+ Robot Vacuum and Mop $349.99 at Amazon
$449.99 Save $100 Get Deal

You've probably never heard of the brand 3i, but our go-to vacuum expert (and senior shopping reporter), Leah Stodart, says the 3i G10+ is one of the best robot vacuum and mop combos you can get for under $500. And right now, it's at an even better deal.

As of Aug. 18, the 3i G10+ robot vacuum and mop combo is on sale at Amazon for just $349.99, which is a $100 savings and a 22% discount from its usual price of $449.99.

SEE ALSO: How to make your robot vacuum work better: 3 setup tips to do right now

Stodart says she was "thoroughly impressed" with its smart navigation, which uses a high-tech LiDAR system to recognize and steer around more than 128 different types of objects. It also has a built-in livestream pet camera, which is pretty much unheard of for a vacuum within this price range. “That was firmly a $1,000+ robot vacuum feature until now," she writes.

It also features 18,000 Pa of suction and a one-of-a-kind debris compression system that packs down debris inside itself. It can hold up to 60 days' worth of compacted dirt and dust, so there’s no need for a bulky, self-empty dock.

“Because the G10+ doesn't need a self-empty dock, it can be stored under furniture (I put mine under the TV stand),” Stodart writes. “From reliable small obstacle avoidance technology to a livestream camera to wickedly high suction power for this price range, the 3i G10+ has more going on under the hood than any other budget robot vacuum I've tested.”

John Oliver has already made his feelings about U.S. health secretary RFK Jr. abundantly clear, but on Sunday's episode of Last Week Tonight he targeted the Make America Health Again (MAHA) movement in general, from the people behind it to the scientifically questionable ideas they espouse.

"It is maddening that for the first time in recent memory, there has been a genuine ground swell of support for a cleaner, healthier, less corporately-controlled America — but it's taken this fucking form," says Oliver in the clip above. "Because for the final time, it is absolutely legitimate to want America to be healthier, and there are clearly systemic problems when it comes to America's health. But these just aren't the solutions."

Oliver goes on to mention a recently published report in the Journal of the American Medical Association on child mortality and illness, conducted by researchers from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of California's Center for Healthier Children. The authors wrote a list of policy recommendations, including "investing in anti-poverty measures, broadening health insurance coverage, investing in primary care, and passing firearm safety laws", which Oliver says is "clearly pretty fucking far from what this administration is doing."

"Instead they are shredding the social safety net while elevating voices that push the responsibility for health down to the individual," the host concludes. "But I guess what I'm really saying here is, in its current form, MAHA is not about making America healthy again. At best, it is about laundering the reputation of an administration that is doing the exact opposite."

In July, streaming service Peacock raised its prices for new subscribers. While those changes didn't impact existing subscribers, Peacock has confirmed that the price increase would apply to all subscribers as of Aug. 22.

That means new pricing will go into effect on your next billing date, or, if you're on an offer, at the end of the promotional period.

So, as Aug. 22 approaches and new prices loom, let's examine how much Peacock will cost in the future.

SEE ALSO: The best movies on Peacock for the perfect night in How much does Peacock cost?

Peacock's ad-supported monthly Premium tier is jumping from $7.99 to $10.99 per month, while its annual Premium counterpart is going from $79.99 to $109.99 per year.

The monthly Premium Plus plan, which comes without ads, is going from $13.99 to $16.99 per month, while the yearly Premium Plus plan is going from $139.99 to $169.99 per year.

The price increase officially makes Peacock's ad-supported tier more expensive than Netflix's ($7.99 per month), HBO Max's ($9.99 per month, $99.99 per year), Disney+'s ($9.99 per month), Hulu's ($9.99 per month, $99.99 per year) and Paramount+'s ($7.99 per month).

The ad-free tier is also more expensive than Disney+'s ($15.99 per month, $159.99 per year) and Paramount+'s ($12.99 per month) However, it is less expensive than Netflix's ($17.99 per month) and Hulu's ($18.99 per month), and it costs the same as HBO Max's ($16.99 per month, $169.99 per year).

There is a fifth, cheaper Peacock subscription tier called the Select Tier, which comes with NBC's current seasons and library, including Law & Order, The Office, and the Chicago series; Bravos' current seasons and library, including The Real Housewives series; other TV libraries like Days of Our Lives and Yellowstone; and select channels like The Office Channel and NBC News Now Channel.

However, the Select Tier does not include Peacock's movie library, sports and live events, Peacock originals, movie channels, or your local NBC channel.

SEE ALSO: How to cancel Peacock

SAVE 17%: As of Aug. 18, you can get the Apple 2024 Mac Mini (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) for $499, down from $599. That's a 17% discount and a $100 savings.

Opens in a new window Credit: unknown Apple Mac mini (2024, M4)

Heading back to school and need a desktop that’s both powerful and compact? You'll want to check out this deal on Amazon.

As of Aug. 18, you can get the Apple 2024 Mac Mini (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) for $499, down from $599. That's a 17% discount and a $100 savings. While it hit a slightly lower price of $469 during Prime Day, this is still a pretty good deal for a brand-new desktop.

SEE ALSO: M4 Mac mini: Why you should get it over the M4 MacBook Pro

The Mac Mini is a five-by-five-inch desktop computer (it kind of looks like an Apple TV box). It’s designed to sit right next to your monitor and has several connections, including an HDMI port, gigabit Ethernet ports, and a front-facing USB-C port. With an M4 chip, this compact machine delivers super-fast performance, and it’s built for Apple Intelligence, so you can get you write, create, and organize faster than ever before.

Plus, if you already have an iPhone or iPad, the Mac Mini fits right in, so you can send messages, take FaceTime calls, and transfer files between all your devices.

SAVE $31.99: As of Aug. 18, the Sony WH-CH520 wireless headphones are on sale for only $38 at Amazon. That's 46% off their current list price of $69.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Sony WH-CH520 wireless headphones $38 at Amazon
$69.99 Save $31.99 Get Deal

Although they're the most basic headphones in Sony's current lineup, the WH-CH520s still have a lot to love about them. First and foremost, their price.

As of Aug. 18, the Sony WH-CH520s are on sale for just $38 at Amazon — that's a savings of 46% or $31.99. Recently, these headphones got a $10 price hike, raising their list price from $59.99 to $69.99. That means the discount — which is just $2 shy of the lowest price on record — is an even better deal than it was on Prime Day.

The sound quality may not wow you like the $450 WH-1000XM6 headphones, but the WH-CH520s are still made by Sony. And when it comes to Sony products, we can always expect impressive audio. They'll last you a solid 50 hours on a single charge, which is actually 10 hours longer than the XM6s. Plus, a three-minute fast-charge gives you an extra hour and a half of listening time.

Other standout features include multipoint connection, hands-free calling, a lightweight and comfy design, and customizable EQ. You have the option to create your own sound profiles or pick a preset to match the genre you're into. For casual on-ears, they have a lot going for them. They even come in a variety of colors (all of which are on sale), including a trendy butter yellow.

SAVE $20: The Nothing CMF Watch 3 Pro is back at its lowest price ever at Amazon: $79, down from the standard price of $99. That's a 20% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: Nothing Nothing CMF Watch 3 Pro $79 at Amazon
$99 Save $20 Get Deal

The world of smartwatches and fitness trackers is crowded. We have tons of options to choose from, ranging from the super durable Apple Watch Ultra 2 to budget-friendly options from Fitbit. But there's a new kid on the block that comes packed with features and maybe best of all, it's sitting at a record-low price today.

As of Aug. 18, the Nothing CMF Watch 3 Pro is on sale at Amazon for just $79, marked down from the typical price of $99. That's a 20% discount that takes $20 off the price. It also matches the record-low price at Amazon.

Any brand that offers top-tier tech at a much more affordable price is worth keeping an eye on. Anker comes to mind, since that family of brands continues to knock it out out of the park. But we also mustn't forget the British tech brand Nothing and the brand new Nothing CMF Watch 3 Pro. For starters, it comes with tons of fitness tracker features for just $99 but now that it's back at $79, it's thoroughly impressive.

On the surface, the CMF Watch 3 Pro looks sleek and modern, without looking gaudy. Even the orange colorway options look awesome. But what really matters is how it functions. Nothing aims for the CMF Watch 3 Pro to come with all the features we see in smartwatches that sell for much, much more.

SEE ALSO: The Pixel Watch 4 is almost here: All the rumored new features coming to the smartwatch

You get an energy score, heart rate tracking, sleep monitoring, over 130 sport modes, GPS tracking, and a built-in mic and speaker for taking calls. It can also help you keep track of hydration and send you posture reminders. Yes, all of that is on offer from Nothing for just $79. Plus, you can get up to 13 days of battery life before you'll need to recharge. That's something no Apple Watch can claim.

The CMF Watch 3 Pro has a 1.43-inch AMOLED display and you can choose from 150 watch face options with the Nothing app. All in all, this could be the smartwatch/fitness tracker we've all been hoping for that also comes in at a super affordable price point.

While it's still at the lowest price ever at Amazon, snag the Nothing CMF Watch 3 Pro for under $80. Your fall fitness tracking will get a major level up with this upgrade.

Getting proper sleep can help improve nearly every aspect of your health, but over a third of adults in the United States don't get enough of it, according to the CDC.

If a noisy environment is what's keeping you up at night, you've likely considered foam earplugs, but those are no longer the only option available on the market — reusable earplugs and sleep earbuds offer a more convenient alternative.

SEE ALSO: Dodow review: A simple sleep gadget that's best for back sleepers

I spent a month and a half trying out earplugs and earbuds ranging from $50 to $349 to find the best of what's out on the market — and to see if getting earbuds just for sleep is actually worth it.

Note: Following the Ozlo Sleepbuds price increase to $349, we have decided we can no longer recommend them, especially in comparison to other premium options like the Anker Soundcore Sleep A30 earbuds, which cost $229.99.

How are sleep earbuds different than normal earbuds?

First, a confession: I used to wear AirPods nearly every night to sleep. More accurately, I used to wear a single AirPod so I could actually sleep on my side.

After testing earbuds designed for sleeping, I can tell you that everyday earbuds don't match up to the sleep earbud experience. For starters, standard earbuds aren't designed to be worn while you're lying on your side, so they often stick out of your ears and put hard plastic in contact with your ear. Not to mention, earbuds typically cap out at six to seven hours of battery life per charge, so if you're getting at least eight hours of sleep, you run the risk of interrupting it with the sound of your earbuds powering off.

Sleep earbuds, like the Soundcore A20 ones pictured in the middle, have a much thinner profile than traditional earbuds. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable

Sleep earbuds, on the other hand, can offer white noise options, better battery life, and significantly more comfort (that actually allows you to wear more than one earbud at a time). The pairs I tested came without microphones and with touch controls that worked but were less sensitive than traditional earbuds, so you can lie on your side without activating them. When I initially tested options for this guide, there weren't really any with active noise cancellation, but that has since changed thanks to the Soundcore Sleep A30 earbuds. Still, you'd be surprised at how well passive noise cancellation, a good fit, and white noise work.

SEE ALSO: The 7 best earbuds to buy in 2025 from Bose, Sony, and more Is it safe to wear earbuds to sleep every night?

First and foremost, it's important to consider that sleep earbuds aren't the only way to approach nighttime noises that might be keeping you up.

I consulted Dr. Ashley Kita, an otolaryngologist and assistant professor in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery at UCLA, to discuss any risks associated with wearing earbuds all night. While she didn't warn against using earbuds, she suggested that if what's keeping you up is a partner's snoring, you start looking for solutions there.

"If you're doing all of this to avoid a partner who is snoring, sometimes gently encouraging that person to investigate why they're snoring is kind of an important consideration," Kita said. "Because we find that obstructive sleep apnea is really underdiagnosed, and snoring, for some people, is the only sign of it."

If, however, what's keeping you up is less in your control, then you do want to be aware of three main aspects of using earbuds all night: proper hygiene, safe noise levels, and your ear comfort.

Proper hygiene

When I started testing these earbuds, I realized I was now wearing earbuds uninterrupted for longer than I typically would in the course of a day, even as someone who tests headphones for a living. When I asked Dr. Kita how that wear time might raise someone's risk for infection, she drew a comparison to the wear time of hearing aids:

"Many individuals wear hearing aids for longer hours during the day than they sleep at night," she said. And yet, folks who wear hearing aids don't often have ear infections, though long wear times may increase their risk.

SEE ALSO: How to set up Hearing Aid mode on your AirPods

With the long wear times, Kita said the main concern she could anticipate was wax buildup since the natural path for wax to exit the ear canal would be blocked. However, she said it's not necessarily a cause for concern, as wax can typically exit the ear canal at other points during the day when you're not wearing earbuds (or blocking your ear canal in any other way).

As for any heightened infection risk, Kita shared that it can increase when there's greater wax buildup that can then trap bacteria. She recommended cleaning the buds with isopropyl alcohol and a cotton pad after each use, if possible. (One of the brands we tested, Ozlo, recommends a weekly cleaning.) With all that said, someone's risk for infection really comes down to personal susceptibility — some people are more prone to ear infections than others. If you fall into that category, being more proactive about cleaning your earbuds is a good practice.

Noise levels

Noise-induced hearing loss is the second most common type of hearing loss (behind age-related hearing loss), so it's important to be aware of the level of noise you expose yourself to. Kita pointed me in the direction of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) chart for how long people can be exposed to certain decibel levels safely.

In its FAQ, Ozlo also cites OSHA's recommendation, as well as the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's recommendations, which top out at 90 decibels and 85 decibels for eight hours, respectively. We reached out to a rep from Soundcore to see if its earbuds have specific upper decibel limits, and will update this guide when we hear back. In general, though, Kita said the less noise, the better, recommending that you always try to use the lowest volume possible.

SEE ALSO: Video game industry makes it easier to find accessible games for disabled players

"While I don't necessarily love the idea of extra noise when you're not even conscious to appreciate it, if it's the thing that's keeping you asleep or letting you sleep, it just comes in this category of risks and benefits," Kita said. "Just make sure that it's quiet enough, then it really isn't that much different than using a white noise machine on your nightstand."

Comfort

Earbuds fitting comfortably is important for you to be able to fall asleep, but also for your ear health.

"Everyone's ear canal is shaped differently," Kita said. "And so something that might be really comfortable for your ears might really cause my ears to ache."

In other words, giving yourself earbuds-induced earaches every night can actually impact your ear health. If one of the below recommendations really isn't sitting right, even with adjustments to the ear tip sizes, don't be afraid to return them.

The best earbuds for sleeping

Below, I pulled three of the best sleep earbuds on the market. Between the overall, upgrade, and earplug picks, there's a wide range of price points, but as with any product, the most expensive of the bunch isn't necessarily the best overall. With that in mind, I highlighted where each earbud excelled, whether that be in comfort, noise cancellation, or ease of use, to help you pick the best sleep earbud possible.

UPDATE: Aug. 18, 2025, 9:45 a.m. EDT As of April 2024, the Ozlo Sleepbuds increased in price from $299 to $349 on Ozlo's website and Amazon in the United States due to tariffs. While we initially scaled back our recommendation to only grabbing them on sale, since testing the Soundcore Sleep A30s, which offer similar feature sets for far less, we no longer recommend the Ozlo Sleepbuds as one of our top pick sleep earbuds.

Other sleep earbuds we tested

At the end of the initial testing period, the one product that didn't make the cut was the 1More Sleeping Earbuds Z30, which, at $89.99, were the least expensive earbuds I tested. While significantly cheaper than the earbuds that did make the cut, their battery life, app features, and fit didn't quite match up to the other options on my list. However, if you're looking for very barebones low-profile earbuds (and don't mind hearing them die in the early hours of the morning), these aren't a bad option under $100.

1More Sleeping Earbuds Z30 $59.99 at Amazon
Shop Now

In keeping up with my value criteria, I decided to ultimately pull the Ozlo Sleepbuds as our best upgrade pick. After their price jumped up from $299 to $349 — far outpricing our existing picks (and most premium standard ANC earbuds, for that matter) — I determined their features didn't justify their price tag. The addition of sleep tracking (which is in the works) or ANC would make these earbuds much more competitive. On that note, the newly-released Soundcore Sleep A30 took their spot, as the only sleep earbuds with ANC on the market at the time of writing.

Ozlo Sleepbuds $349 at Amazon
Shop Now

Accessing porn — and the entire internet — has radically changed.

In June, the Supreme Court declared Texas's age-verification law constitutional. The following month, the UK's own age-verification law went into effect. Internet users have only begun to face the effects.

SEE ALSO: Why you think OnlyFans is easy money (when it definitely isn't)

Age verification laws broadly refer to legislation that requires proof of age to enter a website that hosts explicit content. In the United States, these state laws vary in language and requirements. In the UK, specific types of age assurance are listed, such as a facial scan or a credit card.

While these laws are outwardly about preventing minors from accessing porn sites, the reality is that they're being applied to mainstream social media sites and independent websites, and require adults to submit their personal information in order to access swaths of the internet. 

And this is only the beginning. Mashable spoke with experts who expressed "doom and gloom" about the future of our online lives.

What is age verification doing to the internet?

The UK's Online Safety Act doesn't just age-gate porn; it blocks material deemed "harmful" to minors. Days after the law went into effect, reports of non-explicit content on social media getting blocked in the region started to crop up. Subreddits from r/IsraelCrimes to r/stopsmoking are now walled in the UK. Video games, Spotify, and dating apps have instituted or will institute age checks. 

"The rollout of the Online Safety Act has shown just how disastrous this type of regulation can be," said Mike Stabile, director of public policy at adult industry trade organization, the Free Speech Coalition. 

Not only is age verification unpopular in the UK, but it's also ineffective. VPN downloads have soared, so people can pretend to be in a different location. Another creative workaround is using a selfie of a video game character to circumvent the check.

Over in the U.S., a preliminary study out of NYU also suggested that age verification doesn't work for these reasons. Some states have them, and others don't, and the statutes are vaguer — so it hasn't evoked such a broad-based reaction. But the Supreme Court decision sealed that similar laws will keep coming, Stabile said.

Adult performer and activist Siri Dahl told Mashable she's increasingly exhausted, not just by the SCOTUS decision, but also by how "a lot of average folks out there really don't understand the impact that this — well, has already started to have — but how far things can really go when it comes to censorship."

Online sex workers are already well-versed in the erasure of sexual content. In 2018, President Trump signed sister bills FOSTA/SESTA into law during his first term. While ostensibly passed to thwart sex trafficking, FOSTA/SESTA carved out an exception to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, making online publishers liable for solicitation posts on their websites. 

Many sites, including major social media platforms Facebook and Instagram, cracked down on sexual and sexually suggestive content as a result of FOSTA/SESTA. Over the years, sex workers have seen their accounts banned or shadowbanned online — as have sex educators, artists, and LGBTQ creators. And studies show that it makes sex workers less safe.

Other proposed legislation, like the EARN IT Act and the Kids Online Safety Act, also had similar trickle-down concerns from free speech advocates, such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation. The more recent TAKE IT DOWN Act, which passed earlier this year, could also censor legal, consensual sexual content.

Dahl told Mashable she's on her eighth Instagram account, and said the platform is getting more and more strict. This year, she's noticed that even the links OnlyFans creators like herself have in her bio, like Linktree, are starting to get "blacklisted" by being associated with adult content creators. (Instagram and Linktree haven't responded to Mashable's request for comment.) The link service she now uses, GetAllMyLinks.com, opens in the browser app as opposed to the Instagram app, so Instagram couldn't track where visitors would click out of from there. Apparently, Instagram found out about that, and "dinged" her account so she couldn't post anything new until she changed the link, she said.

Dahl is also seeing what she calls "OnlyFans fatigue," where the average person online gets tired of seeing OnlyFans models making viral videos on Instagram or TikTok to advertise their paid content. But "this viral strategy only exists because of attempts to censor the internet," she said. Creators can't be straightforward about pitching their OnlyFans, lest they be booted off the platform and not be able to advertise at all. 

Her own income has dropped thirty percent in 2025. This is partly because it's difficult for her to switch between advocacy work and porn, but she also attributes it to Pornhub blocking itself in most states with age verification laws because of the burden to comply. 

This tactic — pushing porn sites to remove themselves from states with these laws — is the "back door" strategy to ban porn, according to statements Project 2025 co-writer Russell Vought reportedly made in a secret recording. In a secret recording, Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, said that's the ultimate goal of these laws.

Yet, Dahl said the number one comment she gets when she speaks about age verification on Instagram is that, "there's no way they'd actually ban porn."

"It's a lot of denial," she continued.

Before the 2024 election, Dahl hosted the "Corn Telethon," a 12-hour livestream to raise awareness about Project 2025 and fundraise to help sex workers. Dahl is hosting the second Corn Telethon on September 4, this time with the broader message that free speech is for everyone.

"We're now deep enough into [the censorship] that you can start to see how it affects things completely outside of the adult industry," she said.

Porn and Project 2025

Banning porn is a cornerstone of Project 2025, the right-wing policy wishlist for Trump's second term. Already, a bill introduced in May (the Interstate Obscenity Definition Act) would rewrite SCOTUS's definition of "obscenity" (which isn't protected by the First Amendment), and effectively ban porn. Right after Trump's inauguration, an Oklahoma senator introduced a bill to ban porn and imprison its creators.

Given the SCOTUS age verification decision, Stabile fears that people will go "mask off" in the fall and spring, when state legislatures start getting back together.  

"People are going to attempt to restrict the internet even more aggressively," Stabile said. "I think people are going to work to restrict all sorts of content, particularly LGBTQ content, but also content that is broadly defined as any sort of threat or propaganda to minors."

Other experts Mashable spoke to agree with him.

Our dystopian online future

"At this point, legislatures feel no inhibition about trying to, quote, 'protect children online,' and so they're going to do the craziest shit," said Eric Goldman, law professor at the Santa Clara University School of Law.

Goldman couldn't predict what that would look like, but he said that's the intermediate step. "I'm going to jump to the end step," he said. "The end step is that most online users are going to be required to age authenticate most of the time they visit websites. That's going to become the norm." In a paper he wrote, Goldman called these statutes "segregate-and-suppress" laws.

Jess Miers, a visiting assistant professor of law at the University of Akron School of Law, said what happened in the UK is coming around the corner to the U.S. "We're gonna be following a lot of what we're seeing in the UK, which is the facial recognition, the giving over your identity, your physical ID," she said.

It's already happening: YouTube is now requiring age verification. It will apparently use AI to do so, but if it can't determine one's age from that, users will have to upload an ID or credit card.

When the SCOTUS decision came down in June, Miers posted on Bluesky that, "The blood is absolutely on the mainstream technology companies." Miers previously worked for the technology trade organization Chamber of Progress and wanted to file a brief in support of the Free Speech Coalition, which was fighting against Texas's age verification law (in what ultimately became the SCOTUS case). 

That ended up not happening. "The technology companies simply did not want to touch pornography," Miers said. In general, she said, tech companies try to stay away from the adult industry.

Miers believes that if big tech companies had shown up and fought against age verification because of the trickle-down effect of this decision, it would've brought more attention to the issue. Instead, people thought it wasn't going to impact them and didn't want to be associated with pornography.

Tech companies didn't think about "second-order censorship," Miers said, which comes after the primary regulation of censorship. An example is going after VPNs, as people are trying to use them as a workaround for the primary censorship.

"Censorship begets censorship," Goldman said. "If you're going to do censorship round one, people are going to try and evade it."

There's also the privacy concern about handing over information to random third parties at the risk of leaks. The hack of the Tea app is just one example of how technological vulnerabilities lead to threats to people's safety.

Think about the children

The stated reason behind these laws is to "protect children." But as journalist Taylor Lorenz pointed out, in the UK, age verification is already preventing children from accessing vital information, such as about menstruation and sexual assault. 

"We've really reached the dystopian stage of the internet."

Goldman said that many children will grow up "in a sanitized, controlled, censored internet." Miers worries about whether the next generation will be stunted because they won't have the tools to learn how to use the internet effectively and safely, and about what a changed internet will mean for their development, ability to socialize, and access to like-minded communities.

"Kids are going to miss out in terms of educational resources in terms of things like LGBTQ+ resources," she said. That was a big part of my use of the internet when I was growing up back then. It's self-discovery, right?"

"When we see crackdowns on spaces on the internet, we're essentially stripping away that potential for self-actualization," Goldman said. "We've really reached the dystopian stage of the internet."

SEE ALSO: The unseen risks creators face when they get political Is there hope for the internet?

In the face of censorship, Stabile and Dahl both called the adult industry resilient. Porn creators have been prosecuted before: obscenity court cases, raids on porn companies, and imprisonment, to give a few examples.

"The industry is a weed," Stabile said. "It is adept at growing in really hostile circumstances and figuring out ways to exploit the cracks and the resources that are available to survive." 

Those inside the porn industry want alternative solutions that keep minors out while not impeding on adults' viewing. (Device-level filters are often said to be the better fix.) They also want to stop people from going to non-compliant sites, Stabile continued, such as pirate sites and places that don't take down illegal content like child sex abuse material or non-consensual media.

The state of the internet does look dire. But Stabile compared it to knowing a hurricane is coming. You know it's going to wreak havoc, but that doesn't mean you don't board the windows and protect what you can protect.

"This isn't the end of a battle," he said. "This is the beginning of one."

SAVE OVER $10: As of Aug. 18, the Lego Icons Dried Flower Centerpiece set is on sale for $37.49 at Amazon. This is 25% off its list price of $49.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Icons Dried Flower Centerpiece Building Set $37.49 at Amazon
$49.99 Save $12.50 Get Deal

Lego's botanicals line features some really lovely displays for fans to piece together. If you've been on the hunt for something to have on display in your home, the good news is there are some impressive deals popping up on select models right now. One that has caught our eye is the Lego Icons Dried Flower Centerpiece set, which is down to $37.49 for a limited time.

This is a 25% discount from its list price of $49.99, allowing you to save $12.50. It's currently marked as a limited-time deal, so it may not stay at this price for long. If the Lego Icons Dried Flower Centerpiece set has caught your eye, now is the time to pick it up and save some cash.

SEE ALSO: Our 13 favorite Lego sets, sourced from actual Lego fans

The Lego Icons Dried Flower Centerpiece set comes with 812 pieces and is recommended for ages 18 and up. It's quite a vibrant display as well, featuring warm colors like red, orange, and yellow to make you think of autumn, with a gerbera and rose at its heart. It also has a split design, so you can build it with another person and then combine the two sections.

This limited-time deal won't last for long. Don't miss out on 25% off the Lego Icons Dried Flower Centerpiece set at Amazon. And if you want to see some more Lego sets worth picking up, see what else has dropped in August in our roundup of the best new Lego sets.

A meeting between U.S. and Russian presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin took place in Alaska on Friday, prompting several awkward moments and photos, and no deal for a ceasefire with Ukraine.

Kicking off Last Week Tonight with a roundup of the week's biggest stories, John Oliver didn't spend long on Trump and Putin's meeting — but he did make his feelings about it pretty clear.

SEE ALSO: John Oliver gives a brutal summary of the Trump/Epstein scandal

"Trump flew to Alaska to talk to Putin about Ukraine for less than three hours, after which they held a press conference which went so badly even this Fox News reporter couldn't put a positive spin on it," said Oliver, before playing a clip of a Senior White House Correspondent Jacqui Heinrich describing "the way it felt in the room" as "not good".

"Yeah not great, and while the White House later released this black-and-white photo of Trump looking tough while talking to Putin, it does seem that the vibe was more accurately summed up by this AP photo of Putin looking confident, and Trump looking like that room temperature shrimp is coming back up," Oliver said.

For more of John Oliver on the president, you can watch his thoughts on Trump and Epstein, Trump's "big beautiful bill", and Trump's tariffs.

Sleep earbuds have been on the market for a while, but even if you wanted to shell out, there weren't really pairs available with active noise cancellation — until now.

The Anker Soundcore Sleep A30 are one of the first pairs of sleep earbuds to come equipped with active noise cancellation (the now-defunct QuietOn sleep earbuds also offered ANC, to mixed reviews). The Sleep A30 is the successor to the Sleep A20 earbuds, which hold the throne among many (including Mashable) as some of the best sleep earbuds on the market.

So do the Sleep A30 earbuds deliver? I spent two months testing them out to find out.

How well does the ANC work?

First things first: Wearing regular active noise cancellation earbuds to sleep is not the move, especially if you're a side sleeper. I say this as someone who spent far too long wearing AirPods Pro to bed (only in one ear, so I could actually lie down comfortably). If you can somehow stomach wearing earbuds and side sleeping, chances are the battery life doesn't extend a full eight hours, meaning they're not ideal if you need a little more sleep.

The drawbacks of normal earbuds were why sleep earbuds found a market in the first place, but without any real ANC options, that market undeniably had a gap. Even more premium options, like the Ozlo Sleepbuds, came jam-packed with features designed to mask sounds and provide maximum comfort, but lacked any ANC.

The Soundcore Sleep A30s bring active noise cancellation to the sleep earbuds market. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable

With all that in mind, I think that Sleep A30 ANC provides solid, reliable ANC for a much-neglected consumer base. Is it the best noise cancellation I've encountered? No, but I don't expect it to be. My bedroom at night shouldn't be as loud as a coffee shop I'm trying to work in. Though I fortunately don't have particularly noisy neighbors or thin walls, I do have a moderately loud mini-split air conditioner, a partner who moves frequently in their sleep, and street noise from cars. The ANC noticeably diminishes all three — a few times during testing, my partner said something to me without realizing I put my earbuds in, and I couldn't hear him at all. Much like normal ANC earbuds, I don't think these ones are able to completely block out any sound you'll encounter, but I do think they provide you the best shot from what's available on the market.

Soundcore Sleep A30 specs

With the headline feature discussed, let's get into what to expect with the Soundcore Sleep A30 earbuds. The specs are as follows:

• Active noise cancellation

• 9 hours of battery life per charge, 6.5 with Bluetooth audio (45 hours in case)

• Seven total ear tip options (four sizes of silicone ear tips and three sizes of memory foam), plus three sizes of ear wings

• Slightly slimmer profile earbuds than the Sleep A20 earbuds

• Adaptive snore masking sounds powered by real-time detection microphones in case

• New, more customizable soundscapes

• Snooze feature with alarm

• New mint colorway

The biggest flaw of the Soundcore Sleep A30 earbuds

I have a lot more praise to heap on the Sleep A30 earbuds, but before I do, I want to talk about their biggest flaw: the sleep detection feature. As of Aug. 18, there is no way to toggle the sleep detection feature off, which means if you're streaming audio, it'll shut off once the earbuds sense you're sleeping. In my experience, this often meant shutting off audio while I was still awake (a problem I also experienced on the Sleep A20 earbuds, which did have an option to turn that feature off).

Missing: the option to toggle off sleep detection. Credit: Screenshot / Soundcore

This complaint does come with a pretty major stipulation: Based on a notification from the Soundcore app, it appears that the next update on Aug. 20 will allow users to switch sleep detection off. With that in mind, I won't spend too long harping, but I will say the only workaround to reconnecting to Bluetooth audio was completely removing and reconnecting the earbuds. It's not ideal generally, but especially when my partner already fell asleep and I had to put the earbuds back in the case (which automatically lights up upon opening).

A fix is on the way! Credit: Screenshot / Soundcore

Their second biggest flaw (that I don't anticipate any changes to anytime soon) is their price. This also comes with a few caveats, but I do need to acknowledge that $229.99 is a lot to ask for earbuds used just for sleep. Granted, they're far cheaper than the $349 Ozlo Sleepbuds, and they do come with ANC — the price makes sense. However, it's still steep, and far from your only option for effective noise blocking. The Sleep A20 are still a great (more) affordable option at $179.99 — especially if you can grab them on sale. Or if you don't need to stream audio, the Loop Dream or Loop Quiet 2 earplugs are both great for sleeping as well, clocking in at $49.95 and $24.95, respectively.

The sound-blocking power

Sleep earbuds commonly feature white noise options to help block out sound, and the Sleep A30 don't abandon this tactic just because they have ANC. The app offers three main types of sound: AI-powered brainwave audio, snore masking sounds, and white noise.

Brainwave audio

The brainwave audio section of the app allows you to customize a series of binaural soundscapes that use AI to help create the most soothing sleep environment possible. I can't say that I noticed a huge difference between these soundscapes and the snore masking or white noise in terms of my sleep quality, but I did appreciate the level of customization. The app offers six different scenarios: starry sky, ocean, forest, inner peace, deep learning, and productivity boost. I found the latter two a bit too busy, but it did indicate Soundcore was trying to create some non-sleep use cases for these earbuds.

You can do a surprising amount of personalizing for the brainwave audio soundscapes. Credit: Screenshot / Soundcore

Within those scenarios, you can toggle spatial audio on, as well as adjust the audio density, space, and brightness. This reminded me of the custom equalizer on the Sleep A20 earbuds, but felt much more in line with the needs of a sleep earbud.

I was also able to add in "elements" to these soundscapes: rain sounds, bubble sounds, guqin, wooden fish, and singing bowl. You can add up to four out of five of these sounds at once — apparently, rain sounds and bubble sounds don't play well together.

Rain sounds and bubble sounds don't mix, apparently. Credit: Screenshot / Soundcore

Though these sounds were ultimately a bit too busy for my personal taste, I did appreciate that the toggles let me calm them down and gave more personalization than I'd seen on other sleep earbuds.

Snore masking sounds

While snoring isn't really an issue my partner or I experience (as far as I can tell), I found this batch of sounds to be my favorite. You get 14 soundscapes, including ones like urban breeze, rainy alley, and whistling winds. They were simple, relaxing, and genuinely drowned out more noise without being distracting in their own right.

The snore masking soundscapes > Credit: Screenshot / Soundcore

As I didn't really have the conditions to test them in, I can't speak to how well the snore masking sounds automatically adjust, but I appreciated that the app does let you toggle off that adjustment (and the ability to recommend snore masking sounds, in case you don't want the case mics listening in). These sounds reminded me a lot of the Ozlo Sleepbuds soundscape, which I strongly favored over those found in the Sleep A20 earbuds.

White noise

Speaking of the Sleep A20 earbuds, the Sleep A30 app brings the return of the white noise feature. You can mix and match up to three sounds from a nice long list of white noise mainstays, but as I did with the Sleep A20, I found these to sound a bit busy, so I didn't really go for them beyond testing.

You can mix and match white noise sounds for your perfect blend. Credit: Screenshot / Soundcore Customizability

I've been talking about it throughout this section, but it really can't be overstated how much customization the app allows for with the soundscapes. You can also set specific sounds for your "bedtime" and "fall asleep" sounds (to be played before and after sleep detection).

Select sounds can also be downloaded into your earbuds to play automatically upon putting your earbuds in — after initial setup, you never really need to use your phone to use the earbuds.

Sleep A30 comfort and design

Soundcore didn't do a drastic overhaul of these earbuds' design, but the small changes made across the board do add up.

For starters, the Sleep A30 earbuds come with memory foam in addition to silicone, for even more grip and noise-blocking. The trade-off is that they are a little firmer, so I stuck to the silicone mainly. But it bears repeating — it's nice to have the options, especially at this price point! (The only downside is that the memory foam ear tips don't come in an extra small size.)

You can mix and match to find your best fit. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable

They also rounded out the ear wing some, which feels ever-so-slightly more comfortable to me than the wing tip on the Sleep A20 buds. The softness of the silicone and design of the Sleep A30 buds in general was so good that I was actually able to stick to the default medium size tips and wings as a person who almost always has to swap out for the small or extra-small size on earbuds.

The rounder wing on the Sleep A30 earbuds (left) sacrificed no comfort or stability. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable

Though the Sleep A30 and A20s are the same in this regard, it's worth noting that the Ozlo Sleepbuds only offer four sizes of silicone tips, which are connected to the wing tips — so if you prefer the small wings and medium ear tips, you're out of luck.

Beyond the fit of the earbuds, the Sleep A30 case is slightly sleeker. It feels especially upgraded in the built-in interior lights and no-slip silicone base that keeps it more secure on a nightstand. Though not quite as luxe feeling as the metal exterior of the Ozlo Sleepbuds, it still felt like a case worthy of its price point.

A built-in light means you can find these earbuds easily in the dark. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable

On a less functional note, Soundcore also added a mint colorway, which is just a nice addition for folks who care about the aesthetics of their products (me).

App design

Confusing companion apps are never ideal, but they're especially egregious on earbuds designed for sleep. The literal last thing I want to do when I'm tired and ready for bed is try to figure out which button will let me adjust the most basic settings of my device.

Thankfully, Soundcore stepped it up from the Sleep A20. This app is clean, with the most important features at the top. They went the extra mile to make the atmosphere serene, and I was able to get to all the settings I needed to without a hitch. My only wish for this app would be to toggle which panels I want available on the home screen and in what order — then, it would be perfect.

The app home screen up top. Credit: Screenshot / Soundcore And the experience as you scroll down. Credit: Screenshot / Soundcore

Once within the panels themselves, it was easy to find the information I needed, whether it be sleep data (I now know I toss and turn around 34 times on average during the night) or alarm settings (the addition of a snooze feature was a nice touch).

It feels a little vulnerable sharing my sleep data with the internet. Credit: Screenshot / Soundcore You're limited to five alarms, but you can snooze them. Credit: Screenshot / Soundcore The Sleep A20 vs. Sleep A30 earbuds

Are the Sleep A30 earbuds better than the Sleep A20 earbuds? It's a natural question to ask after any product gets a shiny new version. While the Sleep A30 earbuds do come with a nice suite of upgrades, they are $50 more — a gap that widens if the Sleep A20 earbuds drop their sale prices.

The Sleep A30 (left) and Sleep A20 (right) earbuds from Soundcore. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable

In my opinion, both earbuds have their place. I can't say that after using the active noise cancellation, I find it necessary for my particular sleeping situation. If I lived in my old apartment, where a neighbor in the building across from me liked to regularly sing loudly outside his window at 1 a.m. (the acoustics of a narrow alley did wonders for amplifying this, btw), I'd probably happily pay the extra $50 for the added power. In other words, I think one is an excellent budget-friendly option, while one is an excellent premium option.

Are the Soundcore Sleep A30 earbuds worth it?

Compared to the other major premium option on the market — the Ozlo Sleepbuds — the Soundcore Sleep A30 earbuds are absolutely worth it. For nearly $120 less, they bring the best of what I would expect from a premium sleep earbud — active noise cancellation, solid battery life, and plenty of optimization for sound in comfort. Even without the direct comparison, these earbuds feel worth it if you want a sleep earbud with the best features available on the market.

That's not to say they're perfect or the absolute best choice for everyone. The Sleep A20 are still a worthy non-ANC alternative if you're looking to save some money. But if you want to invest a little extra, the Sleep A30 earbuds are now the premium sleep earbuds to beat.

Anker Soundcore Sleep A30 $229.99 at Amazon
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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's The Mini crossword answers for August 4 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: A sign

• Green: A window

• Blue: Perks at a Four Seasons

• Purple: Tells time

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: Indication

• Green: Opportunity

• Blue: Hotel amenities

• Purple: Words before "Watch"

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 #800 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Indication: CUE, NOD, PROMPT, SIGNAL

• Opportunity: BREAK, CHANCE, OPENING, SHOT

• Hotel amenities: BREAKFAST, PARKING, POOL, WI-FI

• Words before "Watch": DIGITAL, POCKET, STOP, WRIST

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 August 4

Are you also playing NYT 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 the latest Connections.

If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.

Strands 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 preferrined pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for August 4 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for August 4 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: If the shoe fits...

The words are clothing-related.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words are things worn on the feet.

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 Footwear.

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

• Sneaker

• Sandal

• Loafer

• Footwear

• Slipper

• Espadrille

• Clog

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 the latest Strands.

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for 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 today: Hints and answers for August 4 Where did Wordle come from?

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

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

What's the best Wordle starting word?

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

What happened to the Wordle archive?

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

Is Wordle getting harder?

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

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for August 4, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A problem.

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 I.

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...

ISSUE.

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 August 4

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

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

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

Connections: Sports Edition is a new 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: NYT Mini crossword answers, hints for August 18, 2025 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: How something fits

• Green: Armchair quarterbacking

• Blue: Player in common

• Purple: Same first word

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: Function

• Green: Fantasy football moves

• Blue: Teams Breanna Stewart has played for

• Purple: Red ___

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 #329 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today

• Function - ASSIGNMENT, DUTY, POSITION, ROLE

• Fantasy football moves - ADD, DROP, SIT, START

• Teams Breanna Stewart has played for - LIBERTY, STORM, UCONN, USA

• Red ___ - BULLS, CARD, GRANGE, RAIDERS

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.

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 the latest Connections.

TL;DR: Live stream the 2025 US Open for free on 9Now. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

This has been a pretty special season for tennis. Fans have been treated to some absolutely epic Grand Slams, with some of the best players in the world reaching new heights. Anyone worried about the loss of the Big Three should be comforted by the emergence of some genuine stars over the last year or so.

And now it's time for the final Grand Slam of 2025. There are a lot of scores to settle and reputations to restore.

If you want to watch the 2025 US Open for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

What is the US Open?

The US Open Tennis Championships (or US Open) is a hardcourt tennis tournament held annually in Queens, New York. The US Open is the fourth and final Grand Slam tournament of the year, after the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon.

The defending singles champions are Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka.

When is the 2025 US Open?

The 2025 US Open is the 145th edition of the tournament. This year's event takes place from Aug. 24 to Sept. 7 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

How to watch the 2025 US Open for free

The 2025 US Open is available to live stream for free on 9Now.

9Now is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone from around the world can access this site with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in Australia, meaning you can unblock 9Now from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the 2025 US Open 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 the 2025 US Open for free from anywhere in the world

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The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to free live streams without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch the 2025 US Open before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the US Open?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport, 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

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• Fast connection speeds

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for $12.95 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream the 2025 US Open for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.