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.

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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

Flashy.

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

GAUDY

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Assertive.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for July 18, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

PUSHY

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Hurdle Word 3 hint

Human.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for July 18 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for July 18, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

WIGHT

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Cruel.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

HARSH

Final Hurdle hint

Gorge.

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

GULLY

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

TL;DR: As of July 18, the DJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo on sale for $989 at Amazon. That's the first time we've seen this beginner-friendly bundle drop below $1,000.

Opens in a new window Credit: DJI DJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo $989 at Amazon
$1,599 Save $610   Get Deal

We're keeping a close eye on DJI drone deals. That's largely because these drones are firm favorites of content creators, but it's also because there are restrictions on DJI products in the U.S.

The new rules only restrict future imports. That means buyers can still purchase and use drones that are already in stock with retailers like Amazon. There will come a time when stock starts to disappear. At this point we expect prices to climb. That time has not come yet, because you can still find record-low prices on top models, including the DJI Mini 5 Pro.

As of July 18, the DJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo on sale for $989 at Amazon. We've never seen this beginner-friendly bundle drop below $1,000, so if you're interested in buying, this is the time to strike.

The DJI Mini 5 Pro is an ultra-light, palm-sized foldable drone. It delivers 42GB of internal storage, a 1-inch CMOS sensor that records 4K/60fps HDR video, and a 225° flexible gimbal that lets you take vertical shots and video from multiple angles.

The nightscape omnidirectional obstacle sensor with forward-facing LiDAR helps detect obstacles. It also has an upgraded ActiveTrack 360° which keeps the subjects of your shot in frame. It's all you need to start flying and shooting content right out of the box.

Get this DJI drone deal from Amazon this weekend.

After days of almost complete darkness, the Moon is finally illuminated enough to spot some features on its surface once again. What can you see when you look up tonight?

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Saturday, July 18, NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon phase is in Waxing Crescent phase, with 19% of its surface visible.

Without any visual aids, tonight you can spot the Mares Crisium and Fecunditatis. With binoculars or a telescope, you'll also add the Endymion Crater to your view.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will take place on July 29.

What are Moon phases?

The Moon completes one full cycle around Earth in about 29.5 days, moving through eight different phases along the way, NASA explains. Although the same side of the Moon always faces our planet, the amount of sunlight reflecting off its surface changes as it travels around Earth. This changing angle of illumination is what makes the Moon appear to transform throughout the month, from a thin crescent to a half-lit Moon and eventually a fully illuminated Full Moon, before starting the cycle again.

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.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you're a sports fan.

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.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for July 18, 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: Foul

• Green: POV

• Blue: Virtual earnings

• Purple: Burst

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Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Commit a basketball violation

• Green: Belief

• Blue: Things tracked in video games

• Purple: Words after "Pop"

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 #1133 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Commit a basketball violation: CARRY, DOUBLE DRIBBLE, GOALTEND, TRAVEL

• Belief: ATTITUDE, MIND, OPINION, VIEW

• Things tracked in video games: HEALTH, LIVES, SCORE, TIME

• Words after "Pop": CULTURE, FLY, QUIZ, TART

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for July 18, 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're a healthy eater.

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 July 18, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: A healthy breakfast

The words are related to food.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe a morning dish.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

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NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Bowl of Granola.

NYT Strands word list for July 18

• Sweet

• Oaty

• Nutty

• Crunchy

• Bowl of granola

• Salty

• Wholesome

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 love to dine out.

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 July 18, 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 July 18, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Restaurant seating option.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter O appears twice.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter B.

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...

BOOTH

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.

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.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for July 18, 2026

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 July 18, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for July 18 Pips

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

Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 3-5, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 3-5, placed horizontally.

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

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

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

Medium difficulty hints, answers for July 18 Pips

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

Less Than (4): Everything in this space must be less than 4. The answer is 1-1, placed horizontally.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 5-5, placed vertically.

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

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

Number (7): Everything in this space must add up to 7. The answer is 1-1, placed horizontally; 3-3, placed vertically.

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

Hard difficulty hints, answers for July 18 Pips

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 1-3, placed vertically.

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

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

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

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

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

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 5-4, placed vertically.

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

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

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 5-4, placed vertically.

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

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

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

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

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

Most of us use the same handful of Excel commands every day, overlooking features designed to make our spreadsheets easier to manage. This weekend, explore five hidden gems that can change the way you work with Excel.

Summer's hottest ticket is an IMAX 70mm screening of The Odyssey.

People have spent hundreds of dollars, undertaken road trips, and even planned pregnancies around the possibility of seeing Christopher Nolan's latest film in IMAX 70mm. Sure, you may think Odysseus' (Matt Damon) journey home to Ithaca was hard, but did he ever face the struggle of having the AMC app crash repeatedly while trying to get The Odyssey tickets?

SEE ALSO: 'The Odyssey' review: Christopher Nolan turns an epic myth into a movie masterpiece

The intense buzz comes down to a major aspect of The Odyssey's marketing push: the many film formats you can see it in. The Odyssey is the first movie to be shot entirely with IMAX film cameras, so Nolan's preferred way for people to watch the film is IMAX 70mm. With this massive film format, viewers can see The Odyssey at its highest resolution, with the fullest image possible, shot in a square-like 1.43:1 aspect ratio. Other formats, including standard 70mm or 35mm, have smaller aspect ratios. That means they cut off a sizable chunk of the IMAX frame. While the movie will still rock, you'll lose head room on close-ups, as well as the sheer vastness of the landscapes Nolan and cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema are capturing.

So, in order to quite literally see the most of The Odyssey, you've got to go to a theater capable of screening IMAX 70mm film. However, there are only 41 movie theaters in the world capable of screening that format, as IMAX has not built new IMAX film projectors in decades. IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond told Variety that "we build new projectors every day, but film projectors using this film — it’s just not practical.” He did, however, note the desire for growth thanks to demand.

SEE ALSO: Should you see 'The Odyssey' in IMAX?

Of those 41 movie theaters able to show IMAX 70mm films, 25 are in the United States (eight of which are in California alone). There are nine in Canada, three in the United Kingdom, three scattered across Europe, and one in all of Australia. No theaters in Asia, Africa, or South America are able to screen The Odyssey in its intended format, turning the format that Nolan and his cast are encouraging viewers to go see into a very exclusive — and very Western — affair. (Not to mention costly. Tickets range from $18 and $33, depending on the theater, making it more expensive than other formats.)

Do you really only want to see a sliver of this? Credit: Melinda Sue Gordon / Universal Pictures

Exclusivity breeds status, and the scarcity of IMAX 70mm screens has turned The Odyssey screenings into full-on status symbols. When IMAX 70mm tickets went on sale a full year in advance, they sold out within the hour. People are reselling their tickets for close to a thousand dollars. On opening day, AMC, Fandango, and the official IMAX site kept kicking me out when I tried to search for New York screenings, even weeks after opening weekend, due to high demand. (This even includes the occasional 2 and 3 a.m. screenings.) Clearly, people don't just want to see The Odyssey. They want to see The Odyssey in its most premium, most expensive format, which has also been touted as its most definitive form.

Other blockbusters have taken a page from The Odyssey's IMAX 70mm playbook. Dune: Part Three, out Dec. 18, dropped IMAX 70mm tickets for its opening weekend way back in April. Like with The Odyssey, tickets sold out almost instantly. It was the Eras Tour Ticketmaster war for people with AMC A-List and A24 totes.

On the one hand, this booming interest in IMAX 70mm format is a positive sign for the future of moviegoing. It's brought conversations about film formats fully into the mainstream, and it's part of a box office upswing in 2026, one that's also been propelled by big-name biopics (Michael), high-profile sequels (The Devil Wears Prada 2), animated franchises (Toy Story 5), and low-budget horror hits (Obsession).

On the other hand, when so few people are able to catch a film in the format it was meant to be watched in, it creates an inevitable divide in the audience. There are those who have access, and those who don't. Or in The Odyssey's case, those who saw the film's full frame, and those who only saw a percentage of it.

As the IMAX 70mm format continues to be a draw, especially when paired with the right filmmakers and cast, here's hoping there will be greater efforts to make it more accessible in the long run. After all, no one should have to undertake an odyssey just to see The Odyssey.

The Odyssey is now in theaters.

High school can't last forever, but Heartstopper will in spirit, with the beloved teen Netflix series taking a wholehearted victory lap with its final chapter.

And reader, it's been a wonderful ride.

After three sublime seasons, the series says its last "hi" with a joyous and moving 90-minute film that sends Charlie Spring (Joe Locke), Nick Nelson (Kit Connor), and their friends into their awaiting futures. So, how does Heartstopper Forever leave the Paris Crew, and how far have we come since we first arrived at Truham Boys School?

SEE ALSO: I'm trying to work but I just watched the 'Heartstopper Forever' trailer

It's been four glorious years for Heartstopper, one that's seen each season arrive with its signature leaf illustrations swirling back into fans' hearts. The first season hit Netflix in 2022, based on English writer and illustrator Alice Oseman's Tapas/Webtoon/Tumblr hit 2016 webcomic. Fans of Oseman's work found their beloved characters brought to life by Connor, Locke, and the crew, with the actors now synonymous with the series. "We built it, and it built us," William Gao's Tao says in the film, and it's accurate on many levels.

When I reviewed the first season of Heartstopper, I compared it to its teen show brethren, writing, "Heartstopper lies on the sugary sweet end of the teen dramedy series spectrum, worlds apart from Euphoria and Skins, younger but just as delightful as Sex Education, with a new gay love story akin to Love, Victor. But it doesn’t shy away from a poignant examination of queer identity amid steadfast heteronormativity." Of course, the show has evolved by Heartstopper Forever as its protagonists (and cast members) have grown up; however, it remains true to this curious and compassionate core.

The film, based on the sixth and final graphic novel and set over one final year of high school, is a joyous, heartbreaking, and true-to-form final hurrah, with a teen love story for the ages right at its heart.

Nick and Charlie have been through it. Joe Locke and Kit Connor in "Heartstopper Forever." Credit: Samuel Dore / Netflix

In Season 1, we met anxious 14-year-old student Charlie Spring (Locke), who was into The Strokes and his toxic, manipulative, closeted classmate, Ben Hope (Sebastian Croft). At the time, he was in a constant state of self-doubt, an experience that intensified over Seasons 2 and 3, with the latter an immensely challenging time in Charlie's struggle with anorexia, self-harm, anxiety, and body dysmorphia, with Locke giving sensitive insight into this very interior struggle. In Heartstopper Forever, Charlie is still managing this, but he's campaigning to make school a safer place for young queer students, where constant bullying made his life hell. Essentially, Charlie has become the person he needed.

We also met 16-year-old "rugby king" Nick Nelson (Kit Connor), who started to question his sexuality — and his friends — when sparks flew between him and Charlie. Season 2 saw a tremendous performance from Connor, as Nick dealt with the complexities of exploring his bisexuality and coming out, with the show also acknowledging biphobia, bi-erasure, and the anxiety of not feeling "queer enough." Nick's experience in this season resonated with me deeply, with Charlie clarifying the complication in one quote: "I think there's this idea that when you're not straight, you have to tell all your friends and family immediately. Like you owe it to them. But you don't." The season was reminiscent of Connor's own experience, who said he felt forced to publicly discuss his sexuality after fan pressure.

Featured Video For You 'Heartstopper’s Joe Locke and Kit Connor talk teenage vulnerability

By Heartstopper Forever, Nick has fallen head over heels for Charlie, become proud and curious about his sexuality, and dealt with the complexities of caring for someone you love who has an eating disorder. In the film, however, Nick's not doing well, with his dependence on Charlie and fear for his boyfriend's well-being making the future apart seem an excruciating fate. Reader, I absolutely connected with Nick in Heartstopper Forever, like facing a brutal mirror of my adolescent drama. Nick getting messy drunk and not dealing with his feelings? Yeesh, relate. Nick getting jealous over Charlie being flirted with and becoming deeply possessive? Shit. Nick spewing up his guts while yelling at someone he loves? GET OUT OF MY HEAD.

Heartstopper Forever sees Nick and Charlie dreaming of privacy and their own place, free from interruption. But they are also learning they will be OK without each other, a lesson not easy to learn when you're 18. Or 25. Or 40.

Heartstopper Forever sees the Paris Crew all grown-up. Corinna Brown and Kizzy Edgell in "Heartstopper Forever." Credit: Samuel Dore / Netflix

Of course, Heartstopper has spent as much time developing its supporting characters as it has its leads. Charlie's best friends Tao (William Gao), Elle (Yasmin Finney), and Isaac (Tobie Donovan) have all explored their sense of identity, dreams, and terrifying confessions of love.

An always-measured Finney has seen Elle keep her head up amid gender dysphoria and anti-trans hate, finding her own path through artistic self-expression. "It feels like the whole world is against me," she told Tao in Season 3, reflecting the very real abuse, harassment, and discrimination young trans people face on a daily basis in the UK. In Heartstopper Forever, Elle is still burdened by this topical bigotry, asking her friends to show up to Pride for her, saying, "I just wanna be myself, to be free, to be happy." Is it too much to ask?

Yasmin Finney and William Gao in "Heartstopper Forever." Credit: Samuel Dore / Netflix

When he hasn't been sacrificing himself on the altar of dignity to win his best friend Elle's heart, Tao has kept his friends above water, with Gao's frantic energy a welcome buoy through the series' more serious moments. And the quiet legend of the series, the book-loving Isaac, realised his asexuality in Season 2 and experienced loneliness among his coupled-up friends.

Charlie's cool and deadpan sister Tori (Jenny Walser), the protagonist of Oseman's first novel Solitaire, has become Heartstopper's moral compass and supreme "look after him or you die" pep-talk queen. Tara (Corinna Brown) and Darcy (Kizzy Edgell) living out and free together as a couple, not "GOOD MATES" as everyone first assumed, has been powerful to watch. Darcy explored their gender identity and tried new pronouns in Season 3, while dealing with an unsupportive family life.

And Imogen (Rhea Norwood) has had a similar arc to Nick, as a straight-passing, popular jock hesitant to explore her own sexuality. By Heartstopper Forever, seeing Imogen's love for herself as a lesbian is a delight.

Heartstopper remains one of TV's best spaces for compassionate conversation. The crew: Yasmin Finney, Joe Locke, Tobie Donovan, and William Gao in "Heartstopper Forever." Credit: Samuel Dore / Netflix

I'll be honest with you. Heartstopper has always made friendship, teenage vulnerability, and questions of identity its horizon, and it's always shocked me, the maturity and compassion that these teen characters have. The audacity, to have emotionally healthy conversations with each other in late adolescence! Growing up, I didn't have the vocabulary to talk to my friends about identity, queerness, and mental health, which meant watching Heartstopper as an adult honestly felt like a fantasy series. It's the show I wish I'd had as a teenager, when heteronormativity made me bury myself.

Heartstopper has never been about over-the-top twists, instead making cinematic moments of friendship and found family, the power of showing up for each other, of feeling included, seen, and loved. Despite Charlie suggesting they might be "too old for this cringy stuff," there's plenty of sweet scenes involving DIY bedroom forts, hidden notes in photo prints, and impromptu pasta-fuelled sleepovers. For fans, there are flashbacks to Nick and Charlie's first class together, the famous snowball scene, and a return to the room where Heartstopper's pivotal pash happened. "They should put a plaque on the wall: This is where Nick and Charlie had their first kiss," Charlie says.

Joe Locke and Kit Connor in "Heartstopper Forever." Credit: Samuel Dore / Netflix

Heartstopper has long relished the joy, terror, and fireworks of new love and hormones. The show has matured over the seasons, going from innocent games of spin the bottle and dancing around to Julia Jacklin, Wolf Alice, or Maggie Rogers in the living room, to the apprehension, awkwardness, and chemistry of first sexual experiences and the world-ending devastation of first real heartbreaks.

But what makes Heartstopper a defiant show is its insistence on care, of characters turning up for each other, making mistakes, and showing compassion. It's the kind of gentle space viewers deserve, where characters explore their sexuality and identity, experience first love, and build friendships that celebrate their truest selves.

I haven't just loved Heartstopper. I've needed it.

Heartstopper Forever is now streaming on Netflix.

If you feel like you'd like to talk to someone about your eating behavior, in the U.S. you can call the National Eating Disorder Association's helpline at 800-931-2237. You can also text "NEDA" to 741-741 to be connected with a trained volunteer at the Crisis Text Line or visit the nonprofit's website for more information.

In the UK, you can contact Beat through webchat, email, or phone — England (0808 801 0677), Scotland (0808 801 0432), Wales (0808 801 0433) Northern Ireland (0808 801 0434). The helplines are open 3 p.m. to 8 p.m, Monday to Friday.

TL;DR: The GoCable is an 8-in-1 keyring cable that can charge almost any device, and it’s on sale now for $29.99 (reg. $49.99).

Opens in a new window Credit: GoCable GoCable 8-in-1 EDC 100W Cable $29.99
$49.99 Save $20.00   Get Deal

Your phone, your laptop, and maybe a camera or a pair of Headphones all want a different cable, so you end up carrying three of them, but that’s no way to treat your pockets. The GoCable 8-in-1 EDC is a single keyring cable that can charge virtually any modern device, and it’s on sale right now for $29.99 (reg. $49.99).

Designed as an everyday carry essential, it combines ultra-fast charging with genuinely useful built-in tools, all wrapped in a compact, tangle-free design that clips neatly onto a bag, belt loop, or keychain.

With 100W charging capabilities (when paired with a compatible power source), the GoCable can power everything from phones and tablets to laptops, drones, and cameras.

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Universal connectors mean you’re covered whether you’re using USB-C or Apple’s Lightning. No more digging through tangled cords or carrying three different cables just in case.

What makes this cable especially useful are all the thoughtful little extras. An LED power display shows your real-time charging status. The magnetic wrap keeps things neat and frustration-free. There’s even a built-in bottle opener and a safe-proof cutter for impromptu moments like opening a package on the fly or cracking a drink at a picnic.

For how much it can do, you might be surprised by how tiny this cable actually is. At just 5.9 inches long, it’s small enough to pop in your pocket but big enough to comfortably keep your devices charged.

Stop packing your pockets with a different cable for every device. Pick up a GoCable 8-in-1 100W Cable while they’re on sale for $29.99.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

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

If you're in the market for a documentary this weekend to throw a bit of realism and fascination in between all the fire-breathing that HBO Max has been focused on for the last few weeks, then you've come to the right place. Not only has the prestige streamer's new Top 10 four-part Burning Man series, The Man Will Burn, continued to air its weekly episodes (episode 2 is now streaing), but this weekend has a couple of new additions in store, too.

With the World Cup wrapping up this weekend, we're about to have a lot of sports fans staring into their pints looking for the next thrill. Netflix might just have a few things that can help, for U.S. subscribers, including a new season of the docuseries Quarterback (read about it in this weekend's documentary roundup), and my top pick this weekend, a hilarious new golf series starring Will Ferrell (more below).

Gemini users who were hoping to see the launch of Gemini 3.5 Pro at Google I/O 2026 left disappointed. At the May developers' conference, the company launched a lighter-weight Gemini 3.5 Flash model for everyday use. However, Google CEO Sundar Pichai assured the audience that Gemini 3.5 Pro would follow in June.

"We are also excited for 3.5 Pro,” Pichai said at a pre-Google I/O media briefing. “We are using it internally. It's showing great improvements. We are still testing and refining it, and it will roll out to everyone next month."

As of July 17, there's still no sign of the model.

Our big Guessing Game is back! Enter now for a chance to win an Apple Watch.

So, where is Gemini 3.5 Pro?

Yesterday, Bloomberg published a report on the delayed launch, with reporters Julia Love and Davey Alba writing that "The delay has caused frustration among Google engineers, AI researchers, and managers, who are concerned the company risks losing its edge in the market to rivals Anthropic and OpenAI."

Mashable reached out to Google with questions about the Gemini 3.5 Pro launch timeline, and the company provided the same statement it shared with Bloomberg.

"We’re shipping quickly across a wide range of models while keeping them highly cost-effective for customers. We’re currently testing 3.5 Pro, an upgraded Flash model, and other models with partners, and we’re productively engaged with the U.S. government on model testing and broader frameworks."

While a one-month delay isn't normally a massive problem, the AI industry has been moving at lightning speed in recent months. The longer Google waits to release Gemini 3.5, the higher the performance bar it has to clear to maintain equal footing with its rivals. According to Bloomberg, even Meta has released a new model that outpaces Google Gemini.

Bloomberg's report suggests that there are two reasons driving the delay of Gemini 3.5 Pro. The first is bureaucratic. Because of the size of Google's organization and the number of products integrated with Gemini, delays are inevitable compared to leaner AI startups. Second, Bloomberg found that Google leaders are worried that Gemini 3.5 Pro may not be competitive with their rivals' recent releases.

Since Google I/O 2026, Anthropic announced it was launching its most advanced model ever, Claude Mythos Preview. The AI company said the model had such advanced cybersecurity capabilities that it would only be shared with trusted partners. Anthropic eventually did release a version of Claude Mythos called Fable 5 on June 9.

On July 9, OpenAI announced its own next-generation model with advanced cybersecurity coding abilities, GPT‑5.6 Sol.

This week, Chinese AI lab Moonshot released Kimi K3, a massive open-source model with 2.8 trillion parameters. Early testers say it has similar capabilities as Fable 5 and GPT-5.6 Sol, only with a much lower cost.

Without a new frontier model of its own, Google has taken a tumble down AI leaderboard rankings, despite its massive advantages in the AI arms race. Google not only has unprecedented access to the world's data, but it can also put its AI tools directly into the hands of billions of Android users worldwide.

Gemini 3.5 Pro may be launching soon, but while Google readies the model for release, the competition is racing ahead.

While people think of Linux as a modern operating system, it embodies ideas that are more than 50 years old. Here are some of the oldest ideas and why they stick around in modern Linux distros.

Even the sportiest of EVs have struggled to really garner the praise of driving enthusiasts. Creating an electric car that feels fun to drive has proven to be one of the biggest challenges that modern automakers have had to face. One slightly surprising brand has, however, seemingly cracked the code. The Ioniq 5 N is undoubtedly one of the most entertaining cars on the market, electric or not.

When I first installed a local LLM, I expected to use it the same way that I'd been using ChatGPT. It soon became apparent that on my modest hardware, this wasn't going to work. By changing the way I use my local LLMs, they've become much more useful.

Awards don't always mean a great movie or a streaming session worth sitting through, but they do make narrowing down Netflix's extensive catalog a little easier, especially when you are getting overwhelmed by new releases that flood your home page recommendations.

Apple sued OpenAI, accusing the company of stealing its trade secrets. But what now? CNET’s Bridget Carey breaks down what to expect next — and how it might impact OpenAI’s hardware plans.

Samsung recently confirmed it will share news about its latest foldable phones at the July 22 Galaxy Unpacked event in London, where the tech world expects the company to release three new devices: the Galaxy Z Flip 8, the Galaxy Z Fold 8, and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.

However, the Korean tech company hasn't confirmed the existence of these devices, which is why it's so weird to see the unreleased flagship Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra listed for sale online. What's even weirder? The foldable phone listed for sale features football legend Lionel Messi's face emblazoned on the case with 24-karat gold plating, and it carries a $13,130 price tag.

The product first appeared in a July 15 press release in which a company called Caviar announced a new limited-edition "Legends" collection. Caviar makes custom and bespoke designs on iPhones, Samsung Galaxy smartphones, and other gadgets. A promo for the collection states, "The portrait of the Argentine captain is integrated into the back panel of the Samsung Fold 8 folding flagship, whose complex engineering mirrors the multi-faceted genius of Messi’s play."

The Legends collection features a Cristiano Ronaldo-themed iPhone and a Messi-themed Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, and the press release and product listing include pictures of the custom design. Under the "Warranty" section of its site, the company writes, "Caviar guarantees the authenticity and quality of all products purchased through Caviar."

Credit: Caviar Credit: Caviar

"The launch of this unique collection coincides with the upcoming FIFA World Cup final and the release of the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. The tournament holds special significance as it marks the final World Cup where both of these legendary players will compete," the press release states. "The collection is strictly limited, with only 19 pieces available worldwide."

Typically, Samsung devices leak heavily ahead of their official launches, but Samsung has yet to release any official images of the rumored smartphones. Beyond an announcement about a new Flex Titanium display, Samsung has kept quiet about the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's release, price, and specifications.

At this time, it's unclear if Caviar based on the design on official photos of the unreleased smartphone, or if the images are purely concepts based on rumored details about the phone. The launch could also be a calculated marketing strategy, piggybacking off Galaxy Unpacked anticipation to promote a little-known design brand.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy Unpacked is almost here: Everything we expect from the July 22 event

Mashable reached out to both Samsung and Caviar with questions about the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra product listing on Caviar's website, and we'll update this story if we receive additional information.

Credit: Caviar