IT General

Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.

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

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

How to play Pips

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for June 12, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for June 12 Pips

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 0-1, placed vertically.

Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 2-1, placed horizontally; 0-1, placed vertically; 1-1, placed horizontally.

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

Greater Than (6): Everything in this space must be greater than 6. The answer is 3-3, placed vertically; 0-6, placed vertically.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for June 12 Pips

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

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 0-2, placed horizontally; 4-3, placed horizontally.

Number (4): Everything in this light blue space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-6, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (9): Everything in this space must be greater than 9. The answer is 4-6, placed horizontally; 5-1, placed horizontally.

Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 1-0, placed horizontally; 5-1, placed horizontally.

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 1-0, placed horizontally; 6-5, placed horizontally.

Equal (5): Everything in this space must be equal to 5. The answer is 6-5, placed horizontally; 5-3, placed horizontally.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for June 12 Pips

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

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

Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 4-4, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (9): Everything in this space must be greater than 9. The answer is 6-5, placed vertically.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically; 0-5, placed vertically.

Equal (5): Everything in this space must be equal to 5. The answer is 0-5, placed vertically; 5-5, placed horizontally; 3-5, placed vertically.

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 6-3, placed vertically; 3-5, placed vertically.

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

Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 3-0, placed horizontally.

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

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

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 2-4, placed vertically; 6-1, placed vertically.

Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 6-1, placed vertically; 1-2, placed vertically.

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

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

Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and one of the loudest voices of the internet, made numerous X posts Wednesday and Thursday in support of deporting immigrants from the United Kingdom, perhaps under violent conditions.

His comments and reposts, shared on the eve of SpaceX's initial public offering, channeled outrage over a knife attack against an Irish man in Belfast on Monday evening. A 30-year-old Sudanese refugee and legal resident allegedly committed the stabbing and has been charged with attempted murder, according to officials.

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk found the cheat code for capitalism. The SpaceX IPO proves it. What did Elon Musk say about the Belfast stabbing?

Among his posts, Musk amplified Rupert Lowe, a member of the British Parliament and founder of the anti-immigrant Restore Britain movement.

In one video clip Musk shared, Lowe calls for the deportation of migrants who can't financially support themselves. Musk reshared a post from Restore Britain announcing that the movement would "reverse the third-worldification of our country." Musk also replied "Yes" to an X post of Lowe's in which he declares, "Britain doesn't have a racism problem, it has an immigration problem."

Musk used the same single-word affirmation to reply to an X user's post quoting Lowe's support of "reverse mass migration" and adding the commentary, "Deport the invaders. Imprison the government." Lowe said on X earlier this week that "[m]illions and millions need to leave or be made to leave."

Anger over Monday's attack led to riots in Belfast and other locations in Northern Ireland. The protesters set cars, garbage cans, and a city bus on fire, according to the New York Times. They also appeared to target the homes of immigrants, the Times reported. Firefighters aided families when their homes were set on fire Tuesday night.

The victim, who was hospitalized with serious injuries, called for calm in a statement shared by his family, the New York Times said.

The UK regulator Ofcom will not reprimand X for surfacing or promoting posts that incited violence against immigrants for at least two months, according to the Guardian.

Musk denied that social media contributed to the riots and instead blamed "murderous migrants" as the source of people's anger.

Will Elon Musk's comments affect the SpaceX IPO?

When SpaceX filed for an IPO with the Securities and Exchange Commission last month, it acknowledged the chances that Musk's public commentary could influence the company's business.

"The actions and statements of Mr. Musk and his affiliated ventures, whether or not directly relating to us, may draw significant public attention and scrutiny to us and could potentially have a positive or negative impact on our business, relationships with customers and regulators, or stock price," the SpaceX filing read.

Musk's company xAI, which became part of SpaceX earlier this year, is also facing a class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of plaintiffs whose real photographs were allegedly used to create child sexual abuse material via the AI chatbot Grok.

Ahead of the IPO, a 40-foot tall inflatable effigy of Musk appeared in New York City's Times Square as a reminder of those cases. The inflatable's torso had an unmissable message tying SpaceX and Grok to the creation of child sexual abuse material. It was placed there by Safe AI Now, or SANE, a coalition of groups concerned about AI safety, according to Wired.

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SpaceX announced Thursday that it will make 555,555,555 shares available for purchase at $135 per share. The IPO is scheduled for Friday, June 12. SpaceX is on track for a $1.75 trillion valuation.

Musk's endorsement of forcibly removing millions of immigrants from the United Kingdom hasn't yet appeared to affect investor appetite for SpaceX stock. Retail traders have reportedly ordered $100 billion in SpaceX stock ahead of the public offering, according to Forbes.

The IPO is expected to make Musk the world's first trillionaire.

Your Android phone is filled with a wealth of features meant to make your life easier and more efficient. However, many of these highly helpful tools often go unnoticed, staying hidden in plain sight, but if you knew how much more convenient your phone could be, you’d be shocked.

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TL;DR: Mashable readers can get the HUANUO FlowLift Pro Monitor Arm for $15.89 after clipping the Amazon coupon and applying code OFORSXRF.

Opens in a new window Credit: HUANUO HUANUO FlowLift Pro Monitor Arm $15.89 at Amazon
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Prime Day is rapidly approaching, and it's a great time to stock up on new tech. Level up your desk setup with a new monitor arm that's heavily discounted.

The HUANUO FlowLift Pro Monitor Arm typically retails for $49.99, but Mashable readers can snag it for just $15.89 by clipping the on-page Amazon coupon and using the code OFORSXRF at checkout.

The FlowLift Pro is compatible with 13-inch to 32-inch screens and has a max load of 19.8 pounds. It features smooth adjustment and positioning without any sagging. Find a view that's comfortable for you with a max height of 16.5 inches, 90-degree rotation, 90-degree swivel, and +85-degree/-25-degree tilt. It has a quick-release design, so popping your monitor into place is a breeze.

Most of the shows that premiered last week, including Apple TV's Cape Fear, were new to their respective streaming services. This week, three returning shows highlight the top shows to watch this weekend. Two of the returning shows will conclude after their fifth seasons. The other show, streaming on Netflix, has not been renewed just yet.

A quiet afternoon is the perfect excuse to build practical Excel tools that organize your hobbies, bills, and budget. These three guided projects show how a handful of formulas, tables, and formatting rules can transform a blank worksheet into practical tools that fit around your lifestyle.

Working in a developer environment shouldn't feel like talking to a chatbot. When Google released Antigravity 2.0, it replaced the entire workspace with a chat-first window that hides your file tree, strips out the terminal panels, and boots you straight into an agent dashboard most developers never asked for. This is not the interface I ditched VS Code for, and it bothers me.

For years, the Arris Surfboard has been the default pick for modems—the one you bought to ditch your ISP's rental fee and never think about again. And it definitely earned that reputation. The Surfboard lineup, especially the SB8200 and S33, has been rock solid for a lot of people.

Are you frustrated with free productivity apps offering bare-bones functionality? Or annoyed by paying a monthly fee for apps that fail to make you any more productive? Well, say hello to Super Productivity—a free app boasting powerful features that’ll put premium alternatives to shame!

Safety has become one of the biggest battlegrounds in the automotive industry, with automakers packing their vehicles full of advanced driver-assistance systems and crash-protection technology. However, not every brand delivers the same level of protection across its lineup, making brand-wide consistency just as important as the safety credentials of any single model.

Cash App is going beyond payments to become a cell carrier. The company has introduced Cash App Mobile, a service that offers unlimited 5G for a flat $40 per month — plus the promise of tie-ins with financial tools you might already use.

If you're one of Waymo's most devoted fans, you're about to be rewarded—provided you're willing to pay. The robotaxi service has launched a $30 per month Premier plan that offers exclusive parks for frequent riders.

I had a rather strange idea the other day. I've already been using USB drives for portable versions of apps for a long time. I also use them for storing ISO files and (obviously) storage for in-progress files.

or years, one of the biggest obstacles preventing electric vehicles from becoming truly mainstream has been affordability. While EV technology has improved rapidly, many electric SUVs still carry price tags that place them well beyond the reach of the average buyer. As a result, shoppers looking for a practical family vehicle have often found themselves sticking with traditional gas-powered crossovers.

Connecting your devices to hotel Wi-Fi is no fun, thanks in large part to those tedious Wi-Fi login pages. Fortunately, there's a way to only have to go through the process once, no matter how many devices you have. You just need to sneakily connect your own Wi-Fi network, and to do that, all you need is the right piece of kit.

I spent years on Windows without ever hearing about these apps. Then, when I switched to Linux—because so many mainstream apps don't have Linux versions—I was forced to go looking for alternatives. This is how I discovered some of the most powerful FOSS (Free, Open Source Software) apps that were a staple in the Linux ecosystem. And the most surprising bit is that all of these apps are cross-platform and work just as well on Windows—beating many paid apps.

Do you prefer recording a quick video to writing a text? If so, you'll really like what Reddit just unveiled.

Reddit announced the launch of video comments for all of its users on Thursday. The feature allows any Redditor to upload or record a short-form video reply right in the comments of any post in Reddit communities or subreddits. 

Reddit users were already able to comment with text, images, and GIFs. Now, they can reply with video too.

“We are continually evolving Reddit to deliver a more immersive and authentic human experience," said Reddit's Chief Product Officer Maria Angelidou-Smith. "The ability to reply with video gives users more creative ways to engage in communities they love."

SEE ALSO: AI is fueling Reddit's spam problem

With the new feature, Reddit users will see a video icon alongside the existing image and GIF icon options in the comment box. Clicking on the video icon will allow users to either upload an existing video or record a new video right there in the comment box.

According to Reddit, videos in comments will not play automatically. Reddit's safety systems will also check video comments before they are posted.

The company says a community must be listed as public and "suitable-for-work (SFW)" to be eligible for video comments.

Unlike other social platforms, Reddit has a large number of users that prefer complete anonymity. However, there's no requirement that the video posted in a comment be created by a user — so the feature can easily become simply yet another way to post a meme response, this time in video form.

As an example, Reddit shared a link to a video AMA with Mel C. from the Spice Girls that was conducted two months ago on the platform. The AMA utilized the video in comments feature before it rolled out to all users. In other words, Reddit is promoting at least one way they hope the feature is used.

OpenAI is considering massive product-wide price cuts to address industry concerns and keep up with the rising popularity of competitor AI companies, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Speaking to anonymous insiders, the publication reported that the Sam Altman-led company is debating reducing subscription usage costs to retain its customer base — competitors like Anthropic are reportedly debating the same move.

According to those close to the company, this may include lowering costs for ‌highly sought after tokens, a response to an ebbing trend among tech companies known as "tokenmaxxing" or the burning out of processing tokens (and entire corporate budgets) in order to boost the productivity of their AI products.

SEE ALSO: New safety rules for under-16 Snapchat users

According to the Wall Street Journal, business executives across the industry have criticized AI costs. Altman recently said that high prices are a "a huge issue" for the company, but the decision hasn't been finalized just yet, insiders told the Journal. Meanwhile, investors are also beginning to cool on AI, amid ebbing stock market numbers from major players like Nvidia.

Still, OpenAI is making moves to become a more profit-driven company. On Monday, OpenAI officially announced it was filing for an IPO, with a yet-undetermined timeline. Industry rumors suggest OpenAI could go public as early as September and could be valued at $1 trillion. Anthropic also recently filed for public status, suggesting the AI price wars are only just getting started.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

For roughly two hours Wednesday night, Knicks fans collectively prepared for heartbreak.

By halftime of Game 4, Madison Square Garden was on edge, social media was melting down, and the Spurs looked poised to even out the score of the NBA Finals.

Then the Knicks pulled off the largest comeback in NBA Finals history.

New York erased a 29-point deficit, beat San Antonio 107-106 on an OG Anunoby tip-in with 1.2 seconds remaining, and moved one win away from its first championship since 1973.

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The result transformed social media from a digital wake into a rolling highlight reel of celebration, as videos of Knicks fans screaming in bars and on city streets flooded timelines.

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Here are some of the biggest moments from Game 4, both on the court and online.

OG Anunoby's game-winner instantly became the play of the night

For most of the fourth quarter, social media was busy trying to process how the Knicks had climbed back into the game. Then Anunoby gave everyone something else to talk about.

With seconds remaining, the Knicks forward tipped in the go-ahead basket, sending Madison Square Garden into a frenzy. Within minutes, timelines were full of every possible angle of the play, from television broadcasts and slow-motion replays to fan-shot footage captured from the upper deck — and Ben Stiller's courtside iPhone.

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The Knicks' playoff run has turned Madison Square Garden into one of the internet's recurring characters, and Wednesday night was no exception.

As the comeback gained momentum, cameras repeatedly cut to celebrity fans sitting courtside, including Timothée Chalamet, Taylor Swift, Spike Lee, and Mariska Hargitay, who collectively lifted Donald Trump's curse. Their reactions quickly became viral content in their own right, with clips spreading across social media almost as quickly as game highlights. Who will ever be able to forget Taylor Swift's white-girl dancing to Jalen Brunson's three-pointer? Or Larry David's near heart attack over Josh Hart's missed layup in the fourth?

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MSG quickly became the center of the internet's attention. Fans posted videos from every level of the arena, capturing everything from the mounting stress before the Knicks' comeback to the chaos that followed Anunoby's game-winner. While television cameras focused on the court, fans documented the comeback from every imaginable angle, creating a crowdsourced record of the historic night.

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The final buzzer marked the beginning of another wave of viral content.

Videos posted throughout the night showed fans — like New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani — erupting inside bars, chanting in the streets, and celebrating well after the game ended. For a few hours, timelines became a live feed of New York City's collective joy.

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No major sports moment is complete without memes, and Game 4 produced plenty. Social media users compared Anunoby's game-winner to everything from classical works of art to scenes from the viral thriller Obsession, while others turned Victor Wembanyama's reaction into an instant meme format. Knicks fans also resurfaced years-old posts from Josh Hart to spur up some momentum.

In the hours after the final buzzer, timelines became a mix of celebration, disbelief, and attempts to explain the inexplicable through increasingly absurd references.

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The Knicks still need one more win to secure their first NBA championship in more than five decades. But regardless of what happens next, Game 4 already feels destined to live on as one of those rare internet moments that transcends sports.

Most lists like this consist of theatrically released movies, but we are nine years deep into the era of streaming original movies being nominated for Oscars, and there’s still the sense that “real movies” go straight to theaters. That conclusion is absurd.