Technology

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

Tender.

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

JUICY

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Nose-related.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for February 21, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

NASAL

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Shine.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for February 21 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for February 21, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

SHEEN

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Wrong.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

AMISS

Final Hurdle hint

Distant.

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

ALOOF

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 well and truly into the new lunar cycle, and by day four we can expect to see more even more on the Moon's surface. We're over 10% illuminated now, so keep scrolling to find out what you can see on the Moon tonight.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Saturday, Feb. 21, the Moon phase is Waxing Crescent. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 16% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.

Even if you don't have any visual aids, you should be able to make out a few surface features on the Moon tonight. Standouts include the Mares Crisium and Fecunditatis. If you add a telescope or binoculars, you'll also be able to see the Endymion Crater.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will be on March 3. The last Full Moon was on Feb. 1.

What are Moon phases?

NASA tells us that the Moon completes a full orbit around Earth in roughly 29.5 days. During this cycle, it passes through eight distinct phases. Although we consistently see the same side of the Moon, the portion illuminated by the Sun shifts as it travels along its orbit. The changing angle of sunlight reflecting off the Moon’s surface is what makes it appear full, partially lit, or nearly dark at different times. The eight phases include:

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 the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 for free on ICC.TV. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The best international T20 teams are in India and Sri Lanka to compete for the T20 World Cup. This competition always delivers incredible drama and huge performances from the best players in the world, and this edition in no different.

You can expect the likes of India, South Africa, and England to be fighting it out in the latter stages. Those teams are the pre-tournament favorites, but this electric form of the game is always unpredictable. Australia were dumped out in the group stage, but the likes of Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and Pakistan have qualified for the Super 8 stage. We can't wait to watch the top teams come together over the next couple of weeks.

If you want to watch the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

What is the T20 World Cup?

The ICC Men's T20 World Cup is a Twenty20 International cricket tournament organised by the International Cricket Council. The event is generally held every two years. India are the defending champions.

In 2026, 20 teams will compete in 55 matches across five venues. The 20 qualifying teams are divided into four groups of five. In the group stage, each team will play four matches in a round-robin format, with the top two teams in each group advancing to the Super 8 stage. At this point, teams will be placed into two groups of four, and will play three matches. The top two teams in each group will advance to the knockout stage.

When is the 2026 T20 World Cup?

The 2026 T20 World Cup is the 10th edition of the competition. This year's event takes place from Feb. 7 to March 8.

How to watch the 2026 T20 World Cup for free

The 2026 T20 Cricket World Cup is available to live stream for free on ICC.TV.

This free live stream on ICC.TV is only available in select regions (see full list of territories here), but anyone can live stream the T20 Cricket World Cup for free with a VPN. These helpful tools can hide your IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in a location with free access. This simple process bypasses geo-restrictions so you can live stream on ICC.TV from anywhere in the world.

Access free T20 Cricket World Cup live streams 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 a location with access

4. Visit ICC.TV

5. Watch the 2026 T20 Cricket World Cup for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

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 every game from the 2026 T20 Cricket World Cup before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for ICC.TV?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on ICC.TV, 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 always secure

• Fast connection speeds

• 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).

Watch the ICC T20 Cricket World Cup 2026 for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream the 2026 NRL for free on 9Now. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

There are few other sports that can compete with rugby league when it comes to physicality and skill. It's clever handling and outrageous trickery combined with absolute brutality, and that's why we all love it.

And if you're looking for all of that and more on a weekly basis, you should check out the NRL. It's an electric competition featuring some of the best players and teams in the world. We're definitely not knocking what you get in the Northern Hemisphere, but there's something special about the National Rugby League. It feels like something wild happens every week.

Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!

If you want to watch the 2026 NRL for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

What is the NRL?

The National Rugby League (NRL) is a professional rugby league competition in Australasia, including clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory, and New Zealand.

Each team plays 24 matches in the regular season, with the first-placed team at the end awarded the minor premiership. This is followed by a finals series contested between the eight highest-placed teams from the regular season, culminating in the NRL Grand Final.

The defending champions are the Brisbane Broncos.

When is the 2026 NRL?

The 2026 NRL season is the 119th edition of professional rugby league in Australia and the 29th season run by the National Rugby League. This season runs from Feb. 28 to Sept. 5.

How to watch the 2026 NRL for free

Select fixtures from the 2026 NRL season are available to live stream for free on 9Now.

9Now is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Australia, meaning you can unblock free live streams of the NRL from anywhere in the world.

Live stream the 2026 NRL from anywhere in the world 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. Live stream the 2026 NRL for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 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 watch the 2026 NRL without actually spending anything. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream select NRL fixtures before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming sites from around the world, you will need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for live streaming sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for 9Now?

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

• Servers in 105 countries including Australia

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast connection speeds

• 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).

Live stream the 2026 NRL for free with ExpressVPN.

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

Access to Pornhub is in turmoil. Early in 2025, more than a third of U.S. states introduced age verification laws. In response, Pornhub banned visitors from those states from accessing their website. The same situation then took place in France, and although Pornhub is complying with the UK's age verification law, users are now required to provide personal information to access the site.

The situation is constantly changing, but you can stay one step ahead with a quick and easy hack. If you want to unblock porn sites like Pornhub for free from anywhere in the world, we have the information you need.

How to unblock Pornhub for free

VPNs can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure server in another location. This process bypasses geo-restrictions so you can access adult sites like Pornhub from anywhere in the world.

Unblock Pornhub 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 Pornhub

4. Visit Pornhub

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 peiods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can unblock porn sites like Pornhub without actually spending anything. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you the opportunity to temporarily retain access to Pornhub before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to your favorite site, 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 Pornhub?

ExpressVPN is the top choice for unblocking porn sites like Pornhub, 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 always secure

• Fast streaming speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $78.18 and includes an extra four months for free — 78% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Unblock Pornhub for free with ExpressVPN.

This content originally appeared on Mashable for a US audience and has been adapted for the UK audience.

You can get pretty much anything with a tap and swipe of your smartphone: Movies, songs, takeaway, the entire range of products at Amazon. So why shouldn't you get a date in the same way? Yes, this is the age of on-demand apps and instant gratification. It's nothing new for the romantically inclined. Apps and websites have dominated the dating world for the best part of 20 years. But things are always changing within online dating.

According to the sex-perts at Lovehoney — everyone’s favourite progressively-minded sex toy brand — we're living in horny-but-wholesome times. Lovehoney has named 2026 "The Year of Pleasure."

That doesn’t mean one-night stands and flippant flings. According to research, one-night stands are on the decline. Would-be daters are now looking for "purposeful pleasure" and "meaningful connections". All of which means, hookups with actual substance. We're still hooking up, but we're getting more selective. That’s why using the right dating app is so important. Every dating app has something slightly different to offer, and you need the tools to find someone you actually want to share your time (and more) with. Getting a date might be as easy as tapping your phone, but it has to be the right date. To help you get started, we’ve looked at the top apps and taken advice from sex and relationship experts.

What to know before you swipe

Before you start downloading apps, it’s good know just how to approach online dating. Our advice is to be 100 percent up-front about who and what you’re looking for. And maybe give a pass to the mainstream dating apps that are more about romance and happily ever afters (that means you, eharmony). The best hookup apps make chatting quick and easy (messaging, video calls, all that good stuff), and even the free ones should have features like profile verification to help keep you safe. But most importantly, it's best to stick to apps which are purpose-built for hookups, casual fun, and satisfying your kink (whatever that might be). It can be freeing, not to mention productive, to be open about specific desires. The ways in which we understand sex and relationships are changing all the time — just looking at fast-growing "heteroflexible" sexuality — and hookup apps allow you to explore curiosities with no judgement or social anxiety.

SEE ALSO: The best sexting apps for discreet NSFW chats

It doesn’t matter what you’re looking for, whether it's the chance to explore a new sexual frontier, a friends-with-benefits situation on the reg, or an old school one-night stand (the one-night stand might be going out of fashion, but it’s still hella fun as long as it’s safe and on your terms). Whatever you're after, we’ve got your back with this guide on the best hookups apps, which is based on Mashable’s own real-world testing, expert input, and general experience. We’ve broken down each of the best hookup apps, with an option for every type of dater and every dating desire.

These are the best hookup apps for 2026.

TL;DR: Live stream France vs. Italy in the 2026 Six Nations for free on ITVX. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2026 Six Nations is really started to take shape.

Italy, Ireland, England, and Scotland have all won one game after two rounds, and Wales are still seeking a first victory. That leaves France at the top of the standings after beating Ireland and Wales in impressive fashion. France look like the team to beat this season. Next uup they face Italy at the Stade de France.

If you want to watch France vs. Italy in the 2026 Six Nations for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is France vs. Italy?

France vs. Italy in the 2026 Six Nations starts at 3:10 p.m. GMT on Feb. 22. This fixture takes place at the Stade de France.

How to watch France vs. Italy for free

France vs. Italy in the 2026 Six Nations is available to live stream for free on ITVX.

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

Live stream France vs. Italy from anywhere in the world 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 ITVX

5. Live stream France vs. Italy for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 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 watch France vs. Italy without committing with your cash. This isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream most of the 2026 Six Nations before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming services to watch the Winter Olympics, the T20 World Cup, and more from anywhere in the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for the 2026 Six Nations?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport, 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 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).

Live stream France vs. Italy in the 2026 Six Nations for free with ExpressVPN.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you're a car connoisseur.

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 Pips hints, answers for February 21, 2026 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Record

• Green: Marks in school

• Blue: NYT puzzle feedback

• Purple: Auto makers

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Experience

• Green: Attendance status

• Blue: Commentary about your Connections results

• Purple: Car brands plus two letters

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 #986 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Experience: BACKGROUND, HISTORY, LIFE, PAST

• Attendance status: ABSENT, EXCUSED, LATE, PRESENT

• Commentary about your Connections results: GREAT, PERFECT, PHEW, SOLID

• Car brands plus two letters: AUDITS, DODGERS, INFINITIVE, MINION

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 February 21, 2026

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

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

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you love a cold ale.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for February 21, 2026 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for February 21, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: The beer necessities

The words are related to a popular drink.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe an alcoholic drink.

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 Home Brew.

NYT Strands word list for February 21

• Water

• Malt

• Flavor

• Hops

• Home Brew

• Yeast

• Wheat

• Sugar

• Barley

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 yesterday's Strands.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're hyperaware.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for February 21, 2026 Where did Wordle come from?

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

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

What's the best Wordle starting word?

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

What happened to the Wordle archive?

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

Is Wordle getting harder?

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for February 21, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Alert.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter A appears twice.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter A.

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...

AWAKE

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints. Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

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

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

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

I love in a rural area where losing power also means losing access to water, and being snowed in means being cut off from help. When combined with the need to stay warm, these challenges make winter storms particularly scary—but at my house, we face them with confidence using batteries as our only source of emergency power. Let me tell you how.

TL;DR: Score lifetime licenses to Office 2021 Pro and Windows 11 Pro for $44.97 (reg. $418.99) — but only through Feb. 22.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft The Ultimate Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows: Lifetime License + Windows 11 Pro Bundle $44.97
$418.99 Save $374.02   Get Deal

Are you still using Windows 10? If you’ve been meaning to upgrade your PC setup, this is one of those “don’t overthink it” moments.

You can grab the Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows + Windows 11 Pro bundle for just $44.97 — a steep drop from the MSRP of $418.99. The catch? The deal wraps after Feb. 22 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!

On the Office side, you’re getting the full Professional lineup: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, OneNote, Publisher, and Access. Whether you’re building reports, running data in Excel, drafting proposals, or creating presentations, this is the classic Microsoft toolkit — and it’s yours for life.

Pair that with Windows 11 Pro, and your PC can feel modern again. The interface is cleaner, multitasking is easier with snap layouts and desktops, and security gets a serious upgrade with BitLocker encryption and advanced protections.

It’s also built for professionals, with tools like Hyper-V and Windows Sandbox for advanced workflows. Copilot, Windows’ AI-powered assistant, is built in too. This can help you summarize pages, generate ideas, or tweak settings quickly.

Instead of paying monthly for productivity tools and operating system upgrades, this bundle locks in both with a one-time payment.

If your current setup is feeling dated, this combo checks a lot of boxes in one move. Get the Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows + Windows 11 Pro bundle for just $44.97 (reg. $418.99) through Feb. 22 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

It's no secret that OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, is losing money at a rapid clip. Some estimates suggest the company will run out of cash sometime in 2027 — and even a possible $100 billion investment round won't keep the lights on for long.

What might help? A new product — specifically, one designed by Sir Jony Ive, the Apple veteran brought on board last May at a cost of $6.5 billion — assuming it can launch while the company still has cash in the bank. Despite multiple setbacks, OpenAI has said Ive's first product will be announced this year, even as they're staying tight-lipped about what it actually is.

Now The Information says it has the details on that first launch: An AI-powered smart speaker with a facial recognition camera built in. Reportedly, it will cost between $200 and $300. But — and given the situation, this is a huge but — we won't get to see it until Feb. 2027 at the earliest.

The camera will "allow people to buy things by identifying them with a facial recognition feature similar to Apple’s Face ID," members of the company's 200-employee strong AI device group told the site. Whether facial recognition will facilitate the sign-in process or be used to actually purchase products (blink once for coffee maker, blink twice for frother?), is not yet clear.

SEE ALSO: OpenAI is retiring GPT-4o, and the AI relationships community is heartbroken

A smart speaker may not be the most inspiring product an AI company could dream up, but others are supposedly on the way. AI glasses are next, according to the report, but "likely won't be ready for mass production until 2028." An AI-powered smart lamp is also in the works. There's no word on another rumored OpenAI product — smart earbuds.

Will the smart speaker generate enough enthusiasm (and pre-orders) to keep the company afloat? To answer that, you have to wonder whether people really want a speaker with a camera that can scan their face in their living room. Apple might be more likely to get away with the creepiness factor of that — after all, the iPhone maker constantly emphasizes its privacy features, and its business model doesn't include selling ads.

But OpenAI does sell ads — and consumers are already wary of how many ads the Amazon Echo smart home device gives them. Besides, the market for AI devices is likely to be a lot more crowded in 2027, with Apple said to be working on a smart pin.

So what's the value proposition of a smart speaker? "The device will be able to observe users through video and nudge them toward actions it believes will help them achieve their goals," one of the Information's sources inside the company said. "You could imagine the device observing its user staying up late the night before a big meeting and suggesting that they go to bed, for example."

If a creepy speaker being the boss of your bedtime works for you, then OpenAI may just have a pathway to profitability. Otherwise, CEO Sam Altman may be increasingly desperate to keep the company funded. Perhaps his smart speaker with camera could also look for loose change in your couch cushions.

Luxury sedans are often synonymous with high ownership costs, especially when it comes to maintenance and repairs. But one Italian-built four-door upends that stereotype in 2025 by delivering premium refinement and surprisingly sensible upkeep compared with many rivals. While its competitors can come with hefty service bills and expensive parts, this luxury sedan’s maintenance profile keeps long-term costs more manageable, a rare combination in a segment known for costly ownership.

The monitor you choose for your gaming PC is one of the most important decisions you’ll make for your setup. It’s your window into the virtual world, and it directly affects how much you can get out of your PC’s rendering power.

Not every AI tool you stumble across in your phone's app marketplace is the same. In fact, many of them may be more of a privacy gamble than you would have previously thought.

A plethora of unlicensed or unsecured AI apps on the Google Play store for Android, including those marketed for identity verification and editing, have exposed billions of records and personal data, cybersecurity experts have confirmed.

SEE ALSO: Two Amazon cloud outages in December triggered by AI tools, report says

A recent investigation by Cybernews found that one Android-available app in particular, "Video AI Art Generator & Maker," has leaked 1.5 million user images, over 385,000 videos, and millions of user AI-generated media files. The security flaw was spotted by researchers, who discovered a misconfiguration in a Google Cloud Storage bucket that left personal files vulnerable to outsiders. In total, the publication reported, over 12 terabytes of users’ media files were accessible via the exposed bucket. The app had 500,000 downloads at the time.

Another app, called IDMerit, exposed know-your-customer data and personally identifiable information from users across 25 countries, predominantly in the U.S.

Information included full names and addresses, birthdates, IDs, and contact information constituting a full terabyte of data. Both of the apps' developers resolved the vulnerabilities after researchers notified them.

Still, cybersecurity experts warn that lax security trends among these types of AI apps pose a widespread risk to users. Many AI apps, which often store user-uploaded files alongside AI-generated content, also use a highly criticized practice known as "hardcoding secrets," embedding sensitive information such as API keys, passwords, or encryption keys directly into the app's source code. Cybernews found that 72 percent of the hundreds of Google Play apps researchers analyzed had similar security vulnerabilities.

Most developers reach a point where a few Git commands start to feel almost unfair. They clear hours of confusion in minutes and provide a level of control that seems impossible the first time you see it in action. My own introduction to these commands explained why experienced Git users describe the tool as both intimidating and strangely reassuring. You break something, you feel the panic rise, you run a short sequence of commands, and the entire mess dissolves as if it never existed.

Xbox is making big changes at the very top of the corporate ladder.

IGN reported the bombshell news on Friday afternoon that Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer is retiring, effective on Monday, Feb. 23. On top of that, Xbox president Sarah Bond, who recently confirmed some important details about the next Xbox console in an interview with Mashable, has also resigned from the company.

SEE ALSO: How Xbox president Sarah Bond became a major player in gaming

Spencer had been a top dog at Xbox since the mid-2010s, overseeing the brand's shift into a subscription-based business with Game Pass. Bond, meanwhile, was widely seen as Spencer's heir apparent at the company, frequently serving as a public face for Xbox in recent years.

SEE ALSO: Epstein Files release: Microsoft permanently banned Jeffrey Epstein from Xbox Live

Spencer's replacement at the top of the Xbox division will be Asha Sharma, who currently leads Microsoft's CoreAI product and appears to have little experience in the gaming business. Sharma was previously an executive at Meta and Instacart, per IGN. She will work closely with Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty, who has been promoted to Chief Content Officer. In an email to staff members, Spencer said this had been in the works since last fall.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

"Last fall, I shared with [Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella] that I was thinking about stepping back and starting the next chapter of my life. From that moment, we aligned on approaching this transition with intention, ensuring stability, and strengthening the foundation we’ve built," Spencer wrote, per IGN. "Xbox has always been more than a business. It’s a vibrant community of players, creators, and teams who care deeply about what we build and how we build it. And it deserves a thoughtful, deliberate plan for the road ahead."

Aside from the pivot to sustaining Xbox through Game Pass subscriptions, Spencer will also be largely remembered for overseeing the division as it went on a wild acquisition spree over the last several years. Xbox's blockbuster purchases of Bethesda and Activision occurred under Spencer's watch, giving Microsoft an astoundingly large portfolio of franchises to work with, at least in theory.

There will surely be plenty of reporting in the days and weeks ahead on what this all means for Xbox, but given the brand's general trajectory over the past year or so, there will be a lot of speculation that this is not a positive development. Xbox console sales have been faltering for a while now, while first-party software titles such as Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2 did not meet sales expectations last year. Beyond that, at least some portion of the gaming audience has disavowed the Xbox brand due to its recent inclusion on the BDS boycott list as a result of Microsoft's ongoing tech partnership with the Israeli military.

In other words, Xbox has been on a financial and reputational downturn for some time now. It will now be up to Sharma and Booty to correct that.

Pickup trucks are known for strong resale values, but one model consistently outpaces nearly every rival when it comes to holding its worth over time. The Toyota Tacoma doesn’t just retain value, it dominates depreciation charts, often selling for far more on the used market than comparable midsize trucks years after they were new. That resilience makes it one of the smartest choices for buyers who care about long-term ownership costs as much as performance and capability.

Netflix hosts an impressive collection of award-winning films and shows, spanning genres, languages, and themes. But when it comes to these films, you can't leave out Oscar winners from the conversation. Next month, Netflix has one movie, Train Dreams, nominated for Best Picture at the 2026 Oscars.