IT General

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

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

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

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

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

Broken.

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

FRITZ

Hurdle Word 2 hint

To bother.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for March 6, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

ANNOY

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Hot food.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for March 6 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 6, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

SPICY

Hurdle Word 4 hint

After eighth.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

NINTH

Final Hurdle hint

A film star.

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

ACTOR

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

The Moon doesn’t look the same every night, and there’s a reason for that. As it moves through the lunar cycle, the amount of light we see changes slightly day by day, creating different phases visible from Earth. So, what's tonight's phase, and what does it mean?

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Friday, March 6, the Moon phase is Waning Gibbous. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 92% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.

The Moon is appearing less visible each night, but for now there's still so much you can see when you look up. With no visual aids, just craning your neck up and looking, you can see the Aristarchus Plateau, Mare Tranquillitatis, and the Tycho Crater. If you have binoculars, you should also catch a glimpse of the Mare Nectaris, Mare Frigoris and the Clavius Crater. A telescope will let you see even more, with standouts including the Linne Crater, Apollo 11 landing spot, and the Caucasus Mountains.

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 around 29.5 days to circle Earth, moving through a set of eight distinct phases along the way. Even though we always see the same side of the Moon, the portion lit by the Sun changes as it travels, which is why it can look full, half-lit, or barely visible at different points in the cycle. These changing views are what we call 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.

TL;DR: Unblock XVideos from anywhere in the world with a VPN. The best VPN for unblocking porn sites is ExpressVPN.

The online world is full of restrictions and blockades, but you can stay one step ahead with a hack. It's possible to secure access to restricted content from anywhere in the world with a VPN. And that includes popular sites like Pornhub, xHamster, and XVideos. You don't need to be a hacker. It's quick and easy.

Want to unblock porn sites like XVideos for free from anywhere in the world? We have the information you need.

How to unblock XVideos for free

VPNs can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect to a secure server in another location. This straightforward process bypasses content restrictions so you can access porn sites like XVideos from anywhere in the world.

Unblock XVideos by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a 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 a location that supports access to XVideos

4. Unblock XVideos

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for unblocking porn sites are not free, but most do offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can unblock porn sites and then recover your investment at a later date. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it works well if you're temporarily away from home on an unsecured network.

If you want to retain permanent access to the online world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for bypassing online restrictions is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for porn?

ExpressVPN is the top choice when it comes to unblocking porn sites like XVideos, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

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

• Strict no-logging policy

• Fast streaming speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Unblock XVideos for free with ExpressVPN.

Amazon went down on Thursday, effectively slowing the U.S. capitalist machine for at least a few hours. Thousands of bereft shoppers reported issues with the online retail giant starting just before 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT, which left them temporarily unable to complete their purchases.

SEE ALSO: The FCC wants to hear your Verizon outage experience

Crowdsourced outage tracker Downdetector received nearly 160,000 error reports for Amazon within 15 minutes, with checkout issues accounting for 38 percent. (Disclosure: Mashable and Downdetector share the same parent company, Ziff Davis.) Users also reported problems with Amazon's mobile app, as well as with its product page. Downdetector reports that the disruption does not appear to be limited to any particular network provider.

Amazon's official customer service X account acknowledged complaints about the problem, though has not yet provided any explanation as to what might be causing it. Complaints on Downdetector began to drop significantly two hours after they first began to spike, and some users report that Amazon had resumed working for them. As of writing, Mashable is not encountering any issues accessing Amazon's website in the U.S. or Australia. However, others still claim that they are having problems.

"We’re sorry that some customers may be experiencing issues," Amazon Help responded to multiple disgruntled customers. "We appreciate your patience as we work to resolve the issue."

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Drone strikes by the Iranian military recently damaged three Amazon data centres in the Middle East, disrupting some of its services in the region. However, these strikes only appear to have impacted local operations, meaning the U.S. outage is likely unrelated despite online speculation to the contrary.

We tend to worry a lot about the lifespan of our SSDs—and quite frankly, I often warn you to keep it in mind whenever I write articles myself.

After a big shakeup at Microsoft's gaming division, the new Xbox head had a big announcement to make on Thursday.

The new CEO of Microsoft Gaming, Asha Sharma, blew the lid off the next-generation Xbox gaming console in an X post. Sharma confirmed that the new Xbox gaming console is codenamed Project Helix.

"Great start to the morning with Team Xbox, where we talked about our commitment to the return of Xbox including Project Helix, the code name for our next generation console," Sharma posted along with a picture showing the words "Project Helix" on a black background.

That sort of looks like an X? Credit: Microsoft

Project Helix would be the fifth-generation Xbox.

While she didn't dive too deeply into the details yet, Sharma did share one important feature for the next-gen console: gamers will be able to play both Xbox and PC games on the Project Helix console. This confirms some long-standing rumors about the console.

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"Project Helix will lead in performance and play your Xbox and PC games," she said. "Looking forward to chatting about this more with partners and studios at my first GDC next week!"

When Mashable spoke to then-Xbox President Sarah Bond last year, Bond hinted that the Xbox console of the future would be more like a high-end gaming PC than a traditional gaming console. Bond also emphasized the importance of cross-platform games to the Xbox brand.

Ever since Bond's surprise departure, rumors have been swirling around what's next for Xbox.

While much is still unknown about Project Helix, a public confirmation of its existence from Sharma is big news for gamers.

Since 2022, Alan Ritchson has been taking names and kicking butt in Reacher. With season 4 still months away, fans of Ritchson can watch the actor in War Machine, a new Netflix movie and the perfect substitute for Reacher. War Machine arrives at 12:00 a.m. PT on March 6, 2026, making it the ideal Netflix movie to watch this weekend.

TL;DR: Use code PLAY through March 22 to get a lifetime of Pok Pok for a one-time payment of $44.97 (reg. $250) — a Montessori-inspired, ad-free learning app for kids 2–8.

Opens in a new window Credit: Pok Pok Pok Pok: Lifetime Subscription $44.97
$250 Save $205.03   Get Deal

Not all screen time has to feel like a compromise. If you’ve been looking for something that keeps your child engaged without the noise, ads, or overstimulation, a Pok Pok lifetime subscription is $44.97 (reg. $250) through March 22 with code PLAY — and it’s built very differently from most kids’ apps.

Pok Pok is designed around Montessori principles: child-led exploration, hands-on learning, and open-ended play. There are no levels to beat, no points to chase, and no flashy distractions. Kids tap a toy and simply start exploring. That’s it.

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The experience is calm and thoughtfully crafted, with hand-drawn animations and gentle sound design. It works offline, which makes it especially helpful for travel days or long car rides. And because it’s ad-free and COPPA-certified, parents don’t have to worry about surprise pop-ups or in-app purchase pressure.

The app supports foundational skills in STEM, counting, cause and effect, language, and problem-solving — all through play. Whether your child is mixing outfits in Dress-Up, building worlds in World Puzzle, exploring Space, or tapping through Number Journey, the focus stays on curiosity, not competition.

Family access across devices is included, and new content rolls out regularly to keep things fresh.

For parents who want screen time to feel intentional instead of chaotic, Pok Pok offers a refreshingly thoughtful alternative.

Get a lifetime of Pok Pok for the one-time payment of $44.97 (reg. $250) through March 22 with code PLAY.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Want to tune into the best shows on Netflix? The platform hosts a vast collection of award-winning titles that you can pick from, from Oscar-winning movies to Emmy-winning shows.

Elon Musk's X is reinventing its Creator Subscriptions, dubbing the new offering — wait for it — Creator Subscriptions 2.0.

Creator Subscriptions, in effect, allow people to pay their favorite influencers for exclusive offerings. That's right, some major changes are coming to the website formerly known as Twitter (and not just a continued lurch toward the far right). So, what's new? A few things. Here's what you need to know.

SEE ALSO: Snapchat is testing creator subscriptions, giving top creators a new direct revenue stream Exclusive threads

X rolled out the ability for creators to hide a thread for subscribers only. So regular people will see the first post, while only subscribers will see the follow-up. It's a paywall of sorts on a thread.

"Instead of sending followers to external websites or newsletters—and risking drop-off along the way—audiences can now subscribe directly from the conversation," wrote X in a press release. "This approach allows creators to maximize both distribution and conversion: reach everyone with the initial post, while rewarding subscribers with deeper, exclusive content."

Think of it as a tease that creators can use to attract more subscribers.

Subscriber-only content in the main feed

Instead of being hidden on a separate tab, the subscriber-only content will now appear in a creator's main feed. That should make it easier for followers to keep up with all the content.

Back-end changes for creators

X highlighted several changes for creators, including a new dashboard and a shareable subscription card to promote their work.

"We are doubling down on creators, the platform's most influential experts, thought leaders, and voices, by investing in tools that enable sustainable incomes and deeper connections with their audiences," said Allegra Jacchia, Creators Product at X, in a press release.

I don’t know about you guys, but the arrival of a new month excites me, specifically because of all the fresh content being released on my favorite streaming platforms. March looks to be utterly illuminating on Paramount+, with the premieres of two new Taylor Sheridan series, the streaming debut of a breath-holding survival thriller based on a true story, a new, cut-throat cooking competition, and a documentary film that’s sure to titillate your senses.

Finding love isn't for the weak. Dating app exhaustion is realer than ever, and while people want to branch out and meet in person, they're finding it difficult. 

One reason is that dating apps are a legitimate way to find a partner, and not just a short-term one. Nearly 44 percent of adults say they use dating apps to find a long-term partner rather than just casual dating or hookups, according to the Pew Research Center. One in 10 partnered adults met their current partner through a dating app, and for younger adults and LGBTQ people, that number rises even higher. 

SEE ALSO: The best 9 dating apps for men who are tired of being alone

Dating apps aren't going away, despite fatigue. And it is possible to make them work for you if you want to find your special someone.

Are dating apps worth it?

Even using the "right" app for you may still bring moments of uncertainty and frustration (you're dating, after all), but finding the app with features that most closely align with your dating style and the type of partnership you're looking for can still make online dating worth it.

If you've been using apps for a while and are experiencing serious burnout, it's always fair to take some time off and come back to them when you feel ready. Our guide will be here for you! Even the best app can feel exceptionally tedious when you simply don't have the energy.

Which dating app is best for serious relationships?

There are so many dating apps, but not all of them are created equal when it comes to finding a serious, committed relationship.

Some free dating apps are better suited for casual flings or hookups (e.g., Tinder, Grindr, etc.), while others have matching algorithms and profile features specifically designed to help users find meaningful connections (e.g., eharmony, OkCupid, Hinge, and Coffee Meets Bagel).

The good news is that we've done the research (and hands-on testing) to figure out which apps work best for long-term relationships, and Match Group isn't the only player in the game. Plus, all of these platforms are available via Google Play and the App Store, so having an Android or iPhone won't limit your options. Some old-school dating sites still maintain desktop versions.

To find your match, here are the best dating apps for serious relationships in 2026:

We're in the swing of MWC 2026, the annual smartphone and consumer electronics trade show where leading brands announce their latest products. Unsurprisingly, there's no shortage of cool tech to talk about, but these are our favorites of 2026.

United Airlines flyers will experience a little more peace in the air as the company steps up enforcement of its noise rules.

In a recent change to the air travel giant's Contract of Carriage — essentially United's Terms and Conditions for ticket holders — the airline reserves the right to remove, and even ban, passengers who do not use headphones to listen to their music, movies, and social media feeds.

SEE ALSO: Disinformation on U.S.-Iran war takes over the internet

According to the United contract's Refusal of Transport rule, the company has the "right to refuse transport on a permanent or temporary basis or shall have the right to remove from the aircraft at any point, any passenger for the following reasons." Buried in the rule's safety provisions, which outline other reasons for removal such as inappropriate dress or carrying weapons on board, the list now includes "passengers who fail to use headphones while listening to audio or video content."

"We’ve always encouraged customers to use headphones when listening to audio content — and our Wi-Fi rules already remind customers to use headphones. It seemed like a good time to make that even clearer by adding it to the contract of carriage," said United spokesman Josh Freed in a statement to the press.

SEE ALSO: Rate your favorite audio brands for a chance to win a $250 Amazon gift card

Most carriers have policies that urge fliers to use headphones during flights. Southwest, for instance, lists headphones as a requirement on its website FAQ. Frontier also includes headphone requirements in its baggage policy, MSN reported. United appears to be the first to include headphone wearing in its passenger contract with explicit means to enforce the policy.

Across the industry, more and more air travelers are reporting passenger disruptions on flights, including violent altercations with fellow flyers and airline staff.

Fantasy author Sarah J. Maas has big plans for the future of A Court of Thorns and Roses. In an appearance on the March 4 episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast, Maas revealed that not one but two new ACOTAR books are on the way — and they'll be arriving just a few months apart.

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The sixth book in the ACOTAR series will hit shelves on Oct. 27 of this year, followed by the seventh on Jan. 12, 2027. (Insert 67 joke here.) Speaking with host Alex Cooper, Maas said the upcoming releases are part of a "really, really, really big" story she has been waiting to tell.

Opens in a new window Credit: Barnes & Noble A Court of Thorns and Roses 6 $32 at Barnes & Noble
  Pre-order Here Opens in a new window Credit: Barnes & Noble A Court of Thorns and Roses 7 $38 at Barnes & Noble
  Pre-order Here

"It's meant to be read ideally as one massive, massive story as opposed to like in a trilogy," Maas said. "It's not a trilogy. Arcs aren't wrapped up. It's like if you expanded all of part one, all of part two — all the parts — it would be huge like that. I've never told a story that way. This is how it wants to come out."

Few fantasy series of the past decade have built an online fandom quite like A Court of Thorns and Roses, Maas' bestselling saga about a young woman drawn into the dangerous and seductive world of the fae courts. Part of the blockbuster fantasy empire that has sold more than 75 million copies worldwide, the series has become a defining force of the BookTok era, helping popularize the romantasy genre. Posts dissecting Maas' sprawling fantasy world regularly generate millions of views, from elaborate character theories about Rhysand, Feyre, and the rest of the Night Court to heated ship debates and deep dives into every corner of Prythian.

Unsurprisingly, news of two new books arriving within just a few months immediately sent fans into speculation mode across TikTok, Reddit, and X, where readers began theorizing about the story's direction and which characters might take center stage next.

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The announcement’s debut on the Call Her Daddy podcast also reflects a broader shift in how major cultural news spreads. In recent years, podcasts have become a place where celebrities and creators reveal major projects directly to fans and occasionally drop the kind of headline-making news once reserved for traditional news outlets.

For ACOTAR fans, however, the biggest takeaway was simple: The next trip to Velaris is finally on the horizon.

As a lesbian, you probably know all about dating apps. Lesbian Americans (along with bisexual and gay Americans) are far more likely to have ever used dating apps than straight Americans: 51 percent to 28 percent, according to the Pew Research Center.

There are a few reasons why LGBTQ people might turn to online dating quicker than straight folks. For one, you might live in an area without a thriving LGBTQ community, and in-person dating may be hard. If you don't know other lesbians to begin with, how can you meet more IRL to date? (Sometimes, lesbian spaces can also be co-opted by The Straights.) And, unfortunately, in-person dating may also be less safe depending on where you live. 

Thankfully, we live in a time where we can find people like us with a few swipes. Lesbians are welcome on major dating apps, and there are also niche ones specifically for lesbians and other queer women and people. But which one to choose?

How to find the best dating apps for lesbians Niche lesbian dating apps aren't your only option for finding love. Credit: Stacey Zhu / Mashable

In Mashable's recommendations below, you'll find both general dating apps and apps specifically for queer people. As the former appeals to the general population, you'll find more users in these spaces. The caveat, however, is that when you swipe on other women, you might find those coupled with men who are looking for another woman to have a threesome with (aka unicorn hunters). No judgment here, but that's probably not what you're looking for. Then again, people of all types are on dating apps like Tinder and Hinge. You never know who you may come across.

Then there are apps specifically for the community, like HER and Lex. If you yearn for a smaller dating scene, head for these apps. While there's no "Grindr for lesbians" — we go into why in the FAQ section — these apps are more so like stepping into your neighborhood lesbian bar than an app like Bumble. 

You can also try multiple dating apps, as each one below has a free version. You can filter by the gender you identify with and are looking for, and sometimes, as with OkCupid, there are many options to choose from.

Diving into the dating pool isn't easy, but the water's fine. Check out our guide below for the full rundown of our recommendations and dating app reviews.

When Visual Studio Code (VS Code) was released in 2015, it revolutionized code editing. But it can do so much more for the average person who doesn't write code (yet). Let's explore how it can be useful to you, even if you can't tell your HTML from your C#.

My Samsung Galaxy phone is four years old and feeling a bit long in the tooth. I'm planning to finally upgrade this year, but I have to admit that nothing on the market compares to an old favorite. I'd take the LG G2 in a heartbeat. Here's why.

The White House is using clips from popular video game Call of Duty in official posts about the war with Iran, just days after the U.S. entered an armed conflict in the Middle East.

The footage is seen amid a compilation of images of U.S. warfare posted to the official White House X account. The clip begins with gameplay from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, a scene depicting a kill streak animation in which a user unlocks the ability to launch a nuclear arsenal. The video is accompanied by the text "Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue."

SEE ALSO: Disinformation on U.S.-Iran war takes over the internet

To many, the post was an unsettling portrayal of a military strike that resulted in the deaths of thousands of Iranians, according to reports. A girl's elementary school in Minab was hit in an attack, killing dozens of children, and it's not clear if the school was an intended target by U.S. or Israeli forces.

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In a reply to the White House's post, Chance Glasco, founding developer of the Call of Duty franchise, said: "This doesn't surprise me. I remember after Activision took over post-Respawn formation there was a very awkward pressure from Activision for us to make the next CoD about Iran attacking Israel. Luckily the vast majority of our devs were disgusted by the idea and it got shot down."

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The internet has been rife with misinformation surrounding military operations and counterattacks in Iran, including posts intending to exaggerate or mislead users about the country's response to American and Israeli strikes.

Known political bots began posting decontextualized images and videos, including video game and flight simulator screenshots, just hours after news broke of the coordinated attacks. AI-manipulated images and videos had garnered millions of impressions on X, Instagram, and Facebook in a handful of days, according to researchers. With no sign that the posts would slow down as strikes continued, X announced it would be suspending users from its monetized Creator Revenue Sharing program if they posted AI-generated content depicting armed conflict without proper labeling. 

Video game footage has become a tool for U.S. propaganda, and has been used repeatedly by agencies of the Trump administration.

Last year, the Department of Homeland Security used images from Xbox game Halo in social media posts, emblazoned with the phrase "Destroy The Flood" and a link to an ICE recruitment page. The department had previously posted videos of immigration raids with the Pokemon tagline "Gotta catch 'em all." The posts came amid escalating operations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), including Minnesota-based "Operation Metro Surge," which would result in the killings of Minneapolis residents Rene Good and Alex Pretti, and Los Angeles resident Keith Porter. All three were U.S. citizens.

Printers on Windows have historically required individual drivers on Windows, which causes security vulnerabilities, limited hardware upgrades, and reliability problems. Now, Microsoft wants to replace that with “a fundamentally modern approach,” which includes a slow phaseout for legacy printer drivers.