Technology

As much as we’d like our devices to last forever, the sad reality is that many need replacing long before they’ve stopped working entirely. This sometimes takes the form of a welcome and considered upgrade, but too often it’s an early retirement due to servers being switched off and a lack of support.

Are you planning a dual-boot setup but worried about Secure Boot compatibility? Fear that disabling Secure Boot will compromise your Windows installation? Here are five Linux distros that work seamlessly with Windows Secure Boot—no BIOS tweaking required.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.

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

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

How to play Pips

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for December 28, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for December 28, 2025 Easy difficulty hints, answers for Dec. 28 Pips

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

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

Equal (3): Everything in this light blue space must be equal to 3. The answer is 6-3, placed vertically; 5-3, placed horizontally; 3-4, placed vertically.

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

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

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

Medium difficulty hints, answers for Dec. 28 Pips

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically.

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

Not Equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 1-1, placed horizontally; 6-2, placed vertically; 0-3, placed horizontally; 0-2, placed horizontally.

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

Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 2-2, placed horizontally; 0-2, placed horizontally; 3-2, placed horizontally.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for Dec. 28 Pips

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

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

Number (15): Everything in this purple space must add up to 15. The answer is 5-6, placed vertically; 4-5, placed horizontally; 6-1, placed horizontally.

Number (15): Everything in this orange space must add up to 15. The answer is 5-6, placed vertically; 4-0, placed vertically; 5-2, placed vertically.

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

Number (15): Everything in this green space must add up to 15. The answer is 0-5, placed horizontally; 6-2, placed horizontally; 4-4, placed horizontally.

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

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

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

Do you want to try Linux but don’t want to relearn a new interface? Worried that an unfamiliar desktop might slow down your workflow? You’re not alone—and these five Windows-like desktop environments (DEs) are designed to help you feel right at home.

Linux Mint is famous for offering a familiar Windows-like desktop experience, but did you know it’s also one of the most customizable distros—with built-in tools to tweak its look and feel? To give you an idea of what's possible, here's how I made Linux Mint Cinnamon Edition look like macOS.

It may sound a little strange, but I've used a phone as my primary PC for nearly two years. My journey started with the Moto Edge+, but I've since migrated to a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold smartphone. Here's everything I've learned along the way.

As someone who absolutely loves his Apple Watch, you’d have to pry my wearable from my cold, dead wrists. That’s an eventuality that I’ve been trying to delay as much as possible, since health and fitness are my primary motivations for wearing it.

Even if you tend to avoid the Linux terminal, chances are, at some point, you will have to edit a text file within the terminal. By default, pretty much every Linux distribution uses the 'nano' text editor. It's entirely keyboard-driven and uses some old-school shortcuts from the 1990s. Those shortcuts are counter-intuitive for me and I just don't want to bother learning them anyway. I have two choices here: learn something like Vim, which would take even longer, or use a more modern alternative of 'nano.' I went with the second option and tested a lot of console text editors. These are my favorites.

Smart ecosystems such as Alexa and Google Home are popular because they're so convenient. It's relatively simple to set them up and add smart home devices, and they're often good enough for many people's needs. There is a more powerful option, however: Home Assistant. While it may be a little daunting at first, there has never been a better time to give Home Assistant a try.

The safest way to secure your data on Windows is by keeping it in encrypted vaults. You can create hidden, password-protected virtual drives. Put your data in there, access it when you need to, and then hide the virtual drives again. This is everything you need to know to create and use super secure storage vaults on Windows.

Are you new to Linux and resisting the terminal? Or perhaps you're a longtime passionate user like me? Regardless, learning the Linux terminal opens up an entirely different world on Linux, and I will explain why.

AI is turning to supersonic jet engines to power its sprawling data centers. We talked to the company making these engines to learn about the symbiotic relationship between supersonic travel and AI.

Finding a reliable car under $15,000 is already a challenge, but finding an electric one that can outlast traditional gas-powered rivals seems almost impossible. That’s exactly why this budget-friendly EV stands out. Despite its low entry price, it delivers a level of reliability that many internal combustion competitors struggle to match, making it a surprisingly smart choice for cost-conscious buyers.

Over the last year, you may have noticed we're geeking out about even more things now. From the classics like Windows and Android, to new topics such as electric cars and weekly binge sessions, there's a huge and diverse collection of articles being published every day. But which stories brought in the most eyeballs in 2025?

TL;DR: Live stream Toronto Raptors vs. Golden State Warriors in the NBA for free with a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The festive NBA games just keep coming on Prime Video. Next is Toronto Raptors vs. Golden State Warriors. We're expecting an evenly-matched contest between two talented sides.

If you want to watch Raptors vs. Warriors in the NBA for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Raptors vs. Warriors?

Raptors vs. Warriors in the NBA starts at 3:30 p.m. ET on Dec. 28. This game takes place at the Scotiabank Arena

How to watch Raptors vs. Warriors for free

Raptors vs. Warriors in the NBA is available to live stream for free with a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime.

This free live stream is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can access free live streams of the NBA from anywhere in the world.

Stream the NBA for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime (if you're not already a member)

2. Subscribe to a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

3. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

4. Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK

5. Watch the NBA from anywhere in the world on Prime Video

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer money-back guarantees or free trials. By leveraging these offers, you can watch NBA live streams without actually spending anything. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does mean you can watch select games from the NBA before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the NBA?

ExpressVPN is the best service for accessing free live streams on platforms like Prime Video, 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 so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% 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 just $12.95 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream the NBA for free with ExpressVPN.

As a professional headphones tester, the question people around me have asked me the most this year is some version of: What exactly are open earbuds? That often gets followed up with: Are they better than regular noise-cancelling earbuds?

SEE ALSO: How we test headphones and earbuds

The (somewhat) short answer to the first part: They're one of the most popular earbuds trends. If you haven't heard of them yet, you might have seen their other names: open-ear earbuds or open-ear headphones. This earbud type is unique in that no part of the earbud sits in your ear canal. Chances are, if you've seen one pair, you've seen the Bose Ultra Open earbuds, which, though great (I recommend them as one of the best open earbuds), are just one option of many on the market.

The Bose Ultra Open earbuds are part earbud, part fashion accessory, and one of the most popular options available. Credit: Bose

In addition the the cuff-designed Bose earbuds that focus on the listening experience first and foremost, there are open buds that use ear hooks to stay in place, designs made for exercise, and even open headphones. So to that second question — are any of those options better than noise-cancelling earbuds? As always, it depends on what you're looking for in a pair of earbuds. So let's start with the basics:

What are open earbuds?

Open earbuds are any earbuds that don't sit directly in your ear canal. Generally, this means they use air conduction to transmit the sound to your ears. Some folks also consider bone conduction headphones, like the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2, to be a type of open earbud, as they don't sit in the ear canal and send vibrations to the bones of your head, which then transmit as sound in your inner-ear canal. However, for the purposes of this guide, I'll be speaking primarily about the air conduction open earbuds.

Bone conduction headphones also leave the ear canal open, but use different tech to transmit sound. Credit: Shokz

A significant part of open earbuds' appeal is that they essentially provide a permanent transparency mode, without any annoying hissing or weird amplification of environmental sound. Some folks also find them more comfortable, suited for exercise, and a good alternative to traditional earbuds (if they don't like the feeling of earbuds in their ears).

Do open earbuds offer noise cancellation?

Open earbuds sit outside of the ear canal and don't encompass the ear (like a traditional over-ear headphone), so it's essentially impossible for any open earbuds to provide active noise cancellation.

Instead, open earbuds rely on using music to drown out the world around you, to an extent (though they will be noticeably less effective than a pair of ANC buds). Still, this is the point of an open earbud — they're designed for excellent noise transparency, not noise cancellation.

SEE ALSO: I tested sleep earbuds for months: Here are the 3 I'd buy, and the one I'd skip

What exactly does that mean? It means that in the best pairs of open earbuds, you'll find a balance between external sounds and the audio you're streaming. You'll be able to hear a barista calling your name clearly, cars driving along the road next to you, or yourself singing along. Frequently, transparency modes on traditional in-ear earbuds can amplify environmental sounds to an unnatural degree — because the transparency mode is built into the design, open earbuds essentially give you the experience of having your own personal speakers. They're an excellent solution for anyone who frequently finds themselves wearing only one earbud or sliding one ear cup slightly off their ear with over-ear headphones.

Can other people hear open earbuds?

Ideally, the sound leakage from open ear headphones is minimal to nonexistent, but that's not always the reality. While it won't be like you're actually using small Bluetooth speakers, certain models, especially at higher volumes, might play music clearly enough that someone standing within a couple feet of you might be able to make out the lyrics of what you're listening to.

Though I didn't have a pair on hand to confirm this theory, the sound leakage felt somewhat reminiscent of what you'd experience with the early 2000s on-ear headphones that often came with portable CD players.

The main benefits of open earbuds, summarized

Open earbuds won't appeal to everyone's taste, but anyone looking for their earbuds to give them the following is much more likely to be pleased:

• Comfortable wear: Open earbuds don't obstruct your ear canal, and can generally be much lighter on the ear than traditional earbuds and headphones.

• General awareness: You can still hear the world around you the entire time you're wearing open earbuds, making them great for taking out in public, whether on a run or for a stroll in the park.

• Exercise-friendly: Many open earbuds have IP scores that deem them water resistant or even waterproof, meaning they're okay to sweat in. Awareness of the world around you can come in handy when you're running down the street or want to stay alert at the gym. Finally, the ear hook design can help hold earbuds in place, making them ideal for use during more movement.

Beyond the lack of ANC, open earbuds have two major cons. For one, the audio itself won't sound as robust, because they're sitting outside your ears — hearing finer details or well-rounded bass is less likely across the board, even with the best-sounding earbuds. Some brands may also be prone to more audio leakage, meaning using them in already quiet settings (like studying at the library) could pose some risk of disturbing others.

How to wear open earbuds

How exactly you'll wear an open earbud depends somewhat on the design and the brand. Ear hook designs tend to take a little more finessing to situate comfortably, while ear cuff buds can be more straightforward to put on.

The EarFun Clip earbuds cuff around the ears (and can be worn with an earring stack). Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable

However, with both styles, you'll likely spend some time during your first wears adjusting where exactly the earbud sits on your ear. Though this is something you'll do to some extent with all earbuds, it's especially important with open earbuds, as the sound quality can legitimately be affected by where the earbud is situated. Finding the right spot is simple: While playing music, slightly adjust the earbuds until they sit where they sound best.

Our favorite open earbuds

Like regular earbuds, open earbuds can run you anywhere from $25 to $300 — below, I've included tried and tested open earbuds models from across the price spectrum.

Best open earbuds Best budget option EarFun Clip $69.99 Shop Now Best ear hook design soundcore AeroFit 2 $129.99 Shop Now Best for most people Shokz OpenDots One $199.95 Shop Now Best upgrade pick Bose Ultra Open earbuds $299 Shop Now

Check out Mashable's full roundup of the best open earbuds.

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

Jolted.

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

WOKEN

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Plump and soft.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for December 28, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

PLUSH

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Liquid.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for December 28 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for December 28, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

FLUID

Hurdle Word 4 hint

A Native-American dwelling.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for December 28 Hurdle Word 4 answer

TEPEE

Final Hurdle hint

Measured in beats per minute.

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

PULSE

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

We're now in the Gibbous period of the Moon's lunar phase, which means we're just a few days away from the Full Moon. There's lots for you to see tonight on its surface, so keep scroll down to see what you'll be able to spot.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Sunday, Dec. 28, the moon phase is Waxing Gibbous. According to NASA's Daily Moon Observation, 58% of the moon will be lit up tonight.

There's more than half of the moon on display tonight, so there's lots to see. With just your naked eye, you'll be able to see the Mares Fecunditatis and Serenitatis, and the Tycho Crater. If you add binoculars, you'll also see the Endymion Crater, the Archimedes Crater, and the Apennine Mountains. With a telescope, you'll also see the Apollo 11 landing spot, the Descartes Highlands, and the Linne Crater.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Jan. 3. The last full moon was on Dec. 4.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, it takes roughly 29.5 days for the Moon to complete a full cycle, known as the lunar cycle. During this period, the Moon moves through a series of phases as it orbits the Earth. While the same side of the Moon always faces our planet, the amount of sunlight illuminating its surface changes over time. This is why the Moon appears fully lit, partially illuminated, or not visible at all at different stages of the cycle. The lunar cycle is divided into eight main phases:

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: Live stream Ivory Coast vs. Cameroon in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations for free on Channel 4. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

There are so many interesting fixtures in the group stage of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, including Ivory Coast vs. Cameroon. Most fans will be expecting these sides to battle it out for top spot in Group F. There are plenty of stars on display in this evenly-matched contest.

If you want to watch Ivory Coast vs. Cameroon in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Ivory Coast vs. Cameroon?

Ivory Coast vs. Cameroon in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on Dec. 28. This fixture takes place at Marrakech Stadium.

How to watch Ivory Coast vs. Cameroon for free

Ivory Coast vs. Cameroon in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is available to live stream for free on Channel 4.

Channel 4 is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock Channel 4 to stream AFCON for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Ivory Coast vs. Cameroon for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK

4. Visit Channel 4

5. Watch Ivory Coast vs. Cameroon for free from anywhere in the world

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 streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of AFCON without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Ivory Coast vs. Cameroon (plus more 2025 Africa Cup of Nations fixtures) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Channel 4?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Channel 4, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 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 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 $12.95 (with money-back guarantee).

Watch Ivory Coast vs. Cameroon in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Algeria vs. Burkina Faso in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations for free on Channel 4. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The next round of 2025 Africa Cup of Nations fixtures includes some really interesting matchups, including Algeria vs. Burkina Faso. Algeria will be expected to progress from Group E, but there are no easy games in tournament football. They'll need to be at their best to secure three points against Burkina Faso.

If you want to watch Algeria vs. Burkina Faso in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Algeria vs. Burkina Faso?

Algeria vs. Burkina Faso in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations kicks off at 12:30 p.m. ET on Dec. 28. This fixture takes place at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium.

How to watch Algeria vs. Burkina Faso for free

Algeria vs. Burkina Faso in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is available to live stream for free on Channel 4.

Channel 4 is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock Channel 4 to stream AFCON for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Algeria vs. Burkina Faso for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK

4. Visit Channel 4

5. Watch Algeria vs. Burkina Faso for free from anywhere in the world

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 streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of AFCON without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Algeria vs. Burkina Faso (plus more 2025 Africa Cup of Nations fixtures) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Channel 4?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Channel 4, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 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 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 $12.95 (with money-back guarantee).

Watch Algeria vs. Burkina Faso in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations for free with ExpressVPN.