Technology

TL;DR: Watch South Africa vs. New Zealand in Rugby's Greatest Rivalry for free on RugbyPass TV. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

When it comes to international rugby, it truly doesn't get any bigger or better than South Africa vs. New Zealand. In fact, you could call it Rugby's Greatest Rivalry.

The All Blacks are playing eight fixtures in August and September, including four Test matches against the World Champions. The first of those Test matches takes place this weekend at Ellis Park, and fans can watch for free.

If you're interested in watching South Africa vs. New Zealand in Rugby's Greatest Rivalry from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is South Africa vs. New Zealand?

South Africa vs. New Zealand in Rugby's Greatest Rivalry (1st Test) kicks off at 11:10 a.m. ET on Aug. 22. This fixture takes place at Ellis Park.

How to watch South Africa vs. New Zealand for free

South Africa vs. New Zealand in Rugby's Greatest Rivalry (1st Test) is available to live stream for free on RugbyPass TV.

This RugbyPass TV livestream is geo-restricted to the U.S., 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 U.S., meaning you can live stream South Africa vs. New Zealand for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream South Africa vs. New Zealand for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice

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

4. Visit RugbyPass TV

5. Watch South Africa vs. New Zealand 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 they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch South Africa vs. New Zealand without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture (plus other tour fixtures) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for RugbyPass TV?

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

• Servers in 105 countries, including the U.S.

• 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 usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream South Africa vs. New Zealand for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Watch Udinese vs. Como in Serie A for free on SportyNet. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Serie A kicks off this weekend with a number of really interesting fixtures, including Udinese vs. Como.

All eyes will be on Cesc Fabregas's team as they look to build on an impressive fourth place last season. Udinese finished 10th last campaign, so they'll be hoping to start well and establish themselves in the top half of the standings.

If you're interested in watching Udinese vs. Como in Serie A from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Udinese vs. Como?

Udinese vs. Como in Serie A kicks off at 12:30 p.m. ET on Aug. 22. This fixture takes place at the Bluenergy Stadium.

How to watch Udinese vs. Como for free

Udinese vs. Como in Serie A is available to live stream for free on SportyNet.

SportyNet is geo-restricted to Brazil, 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 Brazil, meaning you can live stream Udinese vs. Como for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Udinese vs. Como for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice

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

4. Visit SportyNet

5. Watch Udinese vs. Como 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 they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Udinese vs. Como without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture (plus additional Premier League action) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Serie A?

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

• Servers in 105 countries, including Brazil

• 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 usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream Udinese vs. Como for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Moon is more than half illuminated tonight, so it's a perfect opportunity to do some Moon-gazing (cloud cover dependent, of course). If you don't know exactly what you're looking at, NASA's Daily Moon Guide is a great resource to find out the names and locations of certain lunar features. With the assistance of this tool, keep reading to see what you should be able to see tonight.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Saturday, Aug. 22, NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon is in its Waxing Gibbous phase, with 70% of its surface visible.

Without any visual aids, tonight you can see the Mares Crisium, Serenitatis and Fecunditatis. With binoculars you'll also be able to see the Clavius Crater, the Alps Mountains, and the Archimedes Crater. If you have a telescope, you'll also be able to see the Apollo 11, 16 and 17 landing spots.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will take place on August 28.

What are Moon phases?

The Moon goes through a series of phases that cause its appearance to change as seen from Earth. As the Moon orbits Earth, it goes through a lunar cycle that takes about 29.5 days to complete, according to NASA. The positions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon determine how much of the Moon’s illuminated side is visible from Earth, creating its different phases. Throughout the cycle, the Moon changes from a thin crescent to a half Moon, then a Full Moon, before repeating the cycle once more.

The eight phases are:

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.

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 August 22, 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 August 22, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for August 22 Pips

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 2-6, placed horizontally.

Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 2-6, placed horizontally; 6-0, placed vertically.

Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 6-0, placed vertically; 0-5, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (6): Everything in this space must be greater than 6. The answer is 0-5, placed horizontally; 3-1, placed vertically.

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

Medium difficulty hints, answers for August 22 Pips

Less Than (4): Everything in this space must be less than 4. The answer is 2-1, placed vertically.

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

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

Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 4-1, placed vertically; 2-1, placed vertically; 1-0, placed horizontally.

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 1-0, placed horizontally; 4-0, placed vertically; 6-0, placed vertically.

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

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

Hard difficulty hints, answers for August 22 Pips

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

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

Number (16): Everything in this space must add up to 16. The answer is 1-6, placed horizontally; 6-4, placed vertically.

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

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

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 1-1, placed vertically; 3-0, placed horizontally.

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

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 3-4, placed vertically; 2-6, placed horizontally.

Number (12): Everything in this space must add up to 12. The answer is 2-6, placed horizontally; 6-3, placed vertically.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 3-4, placed vertically; 6-0, placed vertically.

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

Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 6-3, placed vertically; 1-5, placed horizontally.

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

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

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier if you've watched NFL football.

As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, 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 the latest 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: Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. The sports 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 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 before 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: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Significantly worthy

• Green: Referee tools

• Blue: West Coast sports

• Purple: Sounds like a bowl game

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Important

• Green: Accessories for a Football Referee

• Blue: California Soccer Teams

• Purple: College Football Bowl Games, with the First Letter Changed

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: Sports Edition #698 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Important: INDISPENSABLE, KEY, PIVOTAL, VITAL

• Accessories for a Football Referee: BEAN BAG, COIN, FLAG, WHISTLE

• California Soccer Teams: BAY, EARTHQUAKES, GALAXY, WAVE

• College Football Bowl Games, with the First Letter Changed: BEACH, GRANGE, HOSE, SIESTA

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections 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.

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 for the mountain enthusiasts.

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 August 22, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Peak Americana....

The words are adjectives related to mountains.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe mountain peaks in America.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Mountain Range.

NYT Strands word list for August 22

• Green

• White

• Smoky

• Sawtooth

• Cascade

• Rocky

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you're familiar with woodworking.

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 August 17, 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: Needed for woodwork

• Green: Melons

• Blue: Using the hose

• Purple: Famous girl groups in pop/tv

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Carpentry Tools

• Green: Kinds of Melon

• Blue: Garden Hose Settings

• Purple: Girls of Pop Culture

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 #1168 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Carpentry Tools: CHISEL, HAMMER, PLANE, SAW

• Kinds of Melon: BITTER, MUSK, WATER, WINTER

• Garden Hose Settings: CONE, JET, MIST, SHOWER

• Girls of Pop Culture: GILMORE, GOLDEN, MEAN, SPICE

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for August 13, 2026

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

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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 Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you like shrimp.

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 August 22, 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 August 22, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A big shrimp.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter P.

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...

PRAWN

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.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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.

The Walmart checkout lane is about to get a long-awaited upgrade.

The big-box store and its subsidiary, Sam’s Club, will soon accept mainstream contactless payment options like Apple Pay and Google Pay, the company announced in a press release on Friday. Walmart shoppers will be able to use Tap to Pay at select Walmart and Sam's Club stores starting Monday, Aug. 24, it said. The company plans on offering Tap to Pay at all of its U.S. locations by the year's end, then at its fuel stations by mid-2027.

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"Tap to Pay gives customers and members another familiar and convenient way to pay at checkout using contactless payment methods," Walmart said.

Previously, U.S. Walmart and Sam's Club shoppers' in-store payment options were limited to traditional methods like cash, check, gift cards, credit cards, and EBT cards, or an app-based "Scan & Go" feature.

Since 2016, Walmart customers have also had the option of making purchases with Walmart Pay, a contactless payment option exclusive to the Walmart mobile app. Unlike conventional Tap to Pay options, which utilize near field communication (NFC) chips in phones and cards, Walmart Pay relies on scannable QR codes. However, Walmart Pay never really caught on the way Apple Pay has.

Walmart's Canadian stores have accepted Tap to Pay since 2020. Adding support for them in the U.S. "is part of a broader effort to make managing and using their money easier," Walmart said in the press release.

It also seems to be a response to overwhelming consumer demand. Walmart's TikTok and Instagram posts announcing its upcoming Tap to Pay support featured screenshots of impassioned comments requesting the feature.

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r/walmart has been questioning and lamenting the retailer's lack of Apple Pay support for nearly a decade. "It will never happen," one Redditor wrote in a 2023 thread on the topic. "Walmart pay or it's target for you fool."

Never say never, folks!

Modern cars are packed with technology. Touchscreens control everything from climate settings to drive modes, computers constantly adjust suspension and power delivery, and increasingly sophisticated driver-assistance systems are always watching what happens around you. Even the humble manual transmission is rapidly disappearing.

The bizarre-looking Chinese animated film Niu Lai appeared destined to vanish from theaters and take its place among the countless bad movies no one remembers. That was until the internet noticed just how badly it was failing.

On Aug. 14, it went viral that Niu Lai had only made 7,352 yuan ($1,000) at the box office — and no, there isn’t a "ten thousand" after that. It's a number so unusually low for a nationwide theatrical release that people assumed it had been written incorrectly.

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Once clips of its stiff characters, glitchy animation, and surreal plot followed, mockery quickly gave way to... curiosity. People began buying tickets to see whether an actual theatrical release could really look that bad. And, apparently, it was. Within days, Niu Lai had gone from nearly disappearing to playing before packed crowds — and its unmistakably human flaws had turned it into an unlikely anti-AI digital sensation.

Niu Lai, also translated as The Bull Comes or The Cow Is Coming, follows a newborn calf who struggles to stand and enters an extended dream. Accompanied by a lark, he encounters other animals, faces a wolf attack, loses his mother, and learns about courage, friendship, and sacrifice.

People walk past ticket machines advertising films including "Niu Lai" in Shanghai. Credit: Hector Retamal/Getty Images

The story is earnest. Its execution, according to many viewers, is something else entirely.

Clips posted online showed low-detail 3D models, stiff movements, and characters clipping through one another. Chinese commenters compared its stop-start animation to a PowerPoint presentation, while another viewer likened it to AI-generated homework completed at the last minute. In one especially surreal shot, the Chinese word for "grass" reportedly appears written across an otherwise sparse field. One reviewer on Weibo declared that calling it bad would be "an insult to bad movies."

Normally, uploading a film’s most memorable scenes might discourage people from paying to see the rest. But in this case, the clips had the opposite effect. One review summed up the appeal: "You’ll regret watching it for 86 minutes, but you’ll regret not watching it for a lifetime."

As for the film’s marketing campaign, there wasn’t much of one. Before its release, Niu Lai had no trailer or publicity tour, only a poster that gave audiences little indication of the rudimentary 3D animation awaiting them inside the theater. Once cinemas began adding screenings, the production allegedly didn't even have enough promotional posters to display. Theater employees responded by drawing their own.

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Within 48 hours of it entering the Chinese zeitgeist, Niu Lai had earned more than 3 million yuan. Its daily screenings, which had fallen close to zero, climbed to more than 10,000, according to Chinese media reports.

By Aug. 20, the film had grossed more than $4 million and appeared in China’s daily rankings alongside Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey. Its staggering return also generated claims it had overtaken the low-budget horror hit Obsession as the most profitable film ever made. (That record relies on a claim that Niu Lai cost only $200 to produce.)

The path from obscurity to box-office success inverted the usual movie-marketing process in a way interesting for me, as a digital culture editor. Rather than a distributor creating awareness before theaters committed screens, users generated attention first. Viewers then began calling cinemas to ask why they were not showing Niu Lai, prompting theater managers to add screenings. When those tickets sold, they added more. And more. A Chinese report described the movie as having effectively been "distributed" by the internet.

The screenings themselves then generated another wave of content. Moviegoers arrived in groups, sometimes wearing cow masks, and treated the film as a comedy event. At one packed Beijing screening observed by Reuters, laughter reportedly began before the opening credits. When one person shouted that they could not believe the theater was full, the audience cheered.

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Chinese director Remo Zhu told Reuters that Niu Lai had tapped into a rebellious "don’t tell me what to do" mood among younger moviegoers. Watching it in a crowded theater, he said, became an "interactive, immersive communal experience."

The earliest attention surrounding Niu Lai was largely derisive. Some viewers questioned how something so technically unpolished had reached theaters, while others speculated that it must be connected to subsidies or even money laundering. A Beijing News commentary described the mockery as an outlet for people’s frustration with poorly made films.

Niu Lai was indeed made by an amateur — it's the first film from Xin Yumeng, a 34-year-old landscape designer with no formal training in animation or directing. He started developing it in 2021 and spent roughly five years learning the filmmaking process while making the movie.

In an interview recorded shortly before the film’s release, Xin said, "Basically, I was doing it all by myself." The technical obstacles made him consider abandoning the project "many times." Unable to afford professional hardware, he bought used computer parts through the resale platform Xianyu — and "some of the used computer motherboards burned out," he said.

Those limitations shaped what eventually appeared on screen. When his computer could not efficiently render an ambitious sunrise over a large mountain range, for example, he reworked the sequence using techniques from his landscape-design background.

When asked about the lack of detail in his characters, Xin acknowledged that more intricate models required better equipment and more money. But he also argued that visual polish should not become the entire point of a film. "Audiences don’t go to the cinema to look at strands of hair, right?" he said.

Xin’s mother, Sun Lifang, provided him with more than emotional support. Sun, who is in her 60s and worked at a state-owned company, actually helped develop and write the screenplay, voiced characters, handled administrative work, and taught herself to compose music.

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Despite having no previous musical training, she wrote the film’s score and performed its closing song, which became one of its more warmly received elements. Fans later noticed that two lines of the lyrics appeared to conceal the characters in her son’s name, turning the song into a message about her hopes for his future.

Once audiences learned that a mother and son had spent years trying to finish the project on limited equipment, Niu Lai stopped looking like just another careless commercial product. Instead, it became something more sentimental — something worth rooting for.

Niu Lai became an anti-AI hit

Notably for moviegoers, Xin said he did not use generative AI anywhere in the production. He began working on the film in 2021, before tools such as ChatGPT were publicly available, and described making the animation manually. As that detail spread, fans began calling Niu Lai "purely handmade."

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Its low quality did not suddenly become good, but it acquired a different meaning. The stiff movements and pixelated characters were no longer just mistakes to audiences, but rather traces of a five-year human process. Every awkward frame pointed back to someone manually trying to make a calf move, while the homemade closing song carried the voice of the director’s mother.

That contrast resonates at a moment when the internet is filling with "AI slop." One Chinese blogger described Niu Lai's quality as a form of "clumsy sincerity," according to The New York Times: However unrefined the movie looked, at least it was made by a person.

SEE ALSO: The internet is drowning in AI slop. Here's how we got here.

Not everyone found the story inspiring. A Beijing News commentary argued that Niu Lai had pushed audiences’ expectations for shoddy filmmaking to a new low. An unnamed film industry source told The Guardian that the movie was "bad in every aspect imaginable" and that its success felt like "an embarrassment to the Chinese film industry." Other commentators worried that cinemas were rewarding viral curiosity at the expense of better-made releases.

Nevertheless, its success is substantial, and nearly impossible to reproduce. Shanghai animation producer Liang Xia told Reuters that phenomena like Niu Lai are "hard to predict and impossible to replicate deliberately" because they are driven less by the content itself than by a sudden swell of public emotion.

As Niu Lai spread beyond movie circles, Chinese investors found a stock-market pun in its title. Niu lai literally means "the cow" or "the bull is coming," while the Chinese term for a rising market, niu shi, translates to "bull market." Some moviegoers therefore treated their tickets as good luck charms for future gains. Fans also focused on a leopard named Bao La, whose name sounds like a Chinese phrase for a sudden market surge.

The joke soon became attached to actual stocks. Shares of several companies with the Chinese character for "cow" or "bull" in their names rose as the film went viral, Bloomberg reported, though there was no evidence that the movie had affected their businesses. The speculation became prominent enough for a journal operated by the People’s Bank of China to warn investors against treating the film as a market signal.

Before its release, Xin acknowledged that a traditional promotional campaign made little sense for a project like his. "There was no need for things like a roadshow," he said. "Just release it. Whether audiences accept it can only be judged in practice."

But the public did accept Niu Lai, although not in any way its creator could have anticipated.

Netflix has plenty of new titles competing for attention every week. However, I sometimes prefer to revisit something that has already proven itself. Award-winning movies may not be everyone's favorite, but they're great to explore when I want to get out of my Netflix doomscroll.

Have you ever looked under your car's steering wheel at all the wires, fuses, and plugs? If so, you might find an odd plug called an OBD-II port. That's the same port any technician uses during a smog test, and mechanics access it to scan for check engine light errors, but that's not all it can do. You can plug several useful or weird things into that 16-pin port.

SAVE $100: The ASUS ROG OLED 4K 32-inch gaming monitor is on sale at Amazon for $699, down from the list price of $799. That's a 13% discount on a 4K monitor, and according to price tracker CamelCamelCamel, the best-ever discount on this product.

Opens in a new window Credit: ASUS ASUS ROG OLED 4K 32-inch gaming monitor $699 at Amazon
$799 Save $100   Get Deal

Sure, gaming's fun. More than that, it's a way of life when you take it seriously. But no one ever said that gaming was cheap. In fact, when you do get serious with your gaming, it's a very pricey way of life indeed — and tech prices are on the rise. Top quality hardware means upgraded visuals and an upgraded overall experience — plus a boost in performance that can be the difference between victory and defeat.

That's why it always feels like a win when we find some high-quality hardware at a discounted price, such as this ASUS ROG OLED 4K 32-inch gaming monitor, a fantastic option from one of the most reliable brands in gaming tech.

As of Aug. 20, the ASUS ROG OLED 4K 32-inch gaming monitor is on sale at Amazon for $699, down from the list price of $799. That's a 13% discount, saving you $100.

This monitor is stacked with next-level specs. An OLED display delivers eye-popping 4K, with a 165Hz refresh rate and a 0.03ms response time. That means a lightning-quick, butter-smooth gaming experience with zero lag or glitching. TrueBlack technology helps make the image even sharper.

At 32 inches, this monitor is ideal for a mid-size gaming area. It's far from the biggest monitor available, but absolutely big and advanced enough to draw you into an immersive experience.

Don't miss the ASUS ROG OLED 4K 32-inch gaming monitor while it's discounted on Amazon — now just $699 for a limited time. Again, per the price tracker CamelCamelCamel, this monitor has never been priced this low before.

Apple appears to be working on a new pair of noise-cancelling Beats headphones, its first in three years, and they won't stop leaking.

MacRumors reports that a forthcoming pair of Beats headphones popped up in Brazil's National Telecommunications Agency database on Thursday, Aug. 20, according to a filing viewed by the site. The name of the headphones isn't listed, but they have a model number of A3577. The same model number surfaced in a U.S. Federal Communications Commission filing in May for "Bluetooth over-ear headphones" made by Apple Inc., as MacRumors previously reported.

SEE ALSO: Guess what Apple will do this fall to win in Mashable's Big Guessing Game

These headphones could be called the Beats 360: Users in the r/beatsbydre subreddit found since-deleted Amazon UK product listings for cans of that name earlier this week. According to one Redditor's screenshot, a listing described them as over-ear headphones with a foldable design, interchangeable cushions, spatial audio, an IPX4 rating for sweat and water resistance, and "up to 1.75x more noise cancellation than the Beats Studio Pro."

Screenshots of the alleged Amazon listings show Beats headphones with a cushioned headband and earcups, both covered in a knitted material that evokes the Apple AirPods Max headphones. Other screenshots show photos of them in pink, white, and "sky" blue colorways, and a possible sticker price of $299.

The so-called Beats 360 may not be the only new Beats headphones that Apple has in the works. Codenames for two pairs were mentioned in the latest macOS beta, as Mashable previously reported.

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For its own part, Apple doesn't exactly seem to be keeping these behind lock and key. Soccer stars Antonee Robinson, Lamine Yamal, and Lee Kang-in were spotted wearing unannounced Beats headphones at the FIFA World Cup this summer; they look identical to the ones spotted in those Amazon UK listings.

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Apple hasn't released a pair of Beats headphones since 2024's Beats Solo 4, which retailed for $200. The $350 Studio Pro from 2023 mark its most recent pair with ANC. (They're the best Beats headphones in the current lineup, according to Mashable testing.)

It's unlikely that Apple will debut these mysterious Beats headphones during its iPhone event in September. The company typically announces its Beats products via press release, not during a keynote.

It's been a big week for Apple leaks. We've also reported on evidence of upcoming smart home devices, a new Apple TV remote, two iPad minis, a new Vision Pro headset, the AirPods Pro 4, and some AirPods with cameras. It should be noted that Apple has yet to confirm any of the rumors.

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New cars have become so expensive that spending $25,000 no longer gets you much excitement. Instead of settling for a basic economy car, the used market opens the door to something far more engaging without requiring a much bigger budget. There are lightly used performance cars available for roughly the same price as a new compact sedan, combining everyday practicality with the kind of character that cheaper new cars often lack.

Unless you’re willing to settle for mid-tier hardware, it’s an unfortunate fact that phones don’t come with expandable storage anymore. As a response, external storage accessories are becoming more popular, but they lack the convenience of a built-in microSD card slot. I attempted to solve this problem with a 3D printed phone case.

Apple's first foray into computerized headsets has not gone particularly well.

The latest evidence of that comes courtesy of AppleInsider, which reported this week that Apple has cut at least 60 workers from its Apple Vision Group, which worked on the Vision Pro headset. This move came just a couple of weeks before longtime CEO Tim Cook is set to hand the reins over to John Ternus, though it's not clear at the time of publication who exactly ordered these cuts.

SEE ALSO: A ton of Apple memorabilia is up for auction, including Steve Jobs' 8th grade science project

The "why" is not that hard to figure out, though. Apple hasn't given us official sales numbers for the Vision Pro headset, but recent reports suggest the device has not done especially well for itself. It's pretty easy to surmise any number of reasons for that, especially the $3,500 price tag at launch, which recently went up to $3,700 as part of widespread Apple price increases caused by RAMageddon.

As AppleInsider pointed out, the work the Vision team has done isn't for nothing, as Apple reportedly plans to launch some kind of smart glasses in 2027. In addition, iOS 27 features such as spatial reframing have been credited to Apple's spatial computing and visual intelligence technology, which was developed for the Vision Pro.

But that will likely be cold comfort for any of the 60-plus people who just lost their sources of income.

If you've fired up HBO Max in the past few days, you've undoubtedly noticed the spotlight firmly focused on its new DCU series, Lanterns, and, if you're really caught up, the new season of Conan O'Brien Must Go—both of which we wrote about earlier this week. But while the superhero and traveling comedian have been distracting everyone, the streamer's documentary library—new and old—is still more than capable of entertaining you.

Sam Altman is apparently headed to the Hamptons, and Goop founder Gwyneth Paltrow is setting the table.

Earlier this week, Puck journalist Matthew Belloni shared what appeared to be an invitation to a "private, off-the-record al fresco dinner" at Paltrow’s Amagansett, New York home "in honor of Sam Altman," the CEO of OpenAI.

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According to the invitation, the gathering is scheduled for Aug. 29, with cocktails at 6 p.m. and a seated dinner 45 minutes later. Beyond that, the details remain a mystery — the guest list, planned conversation, party favors, and even the reason Altman is being honored in the first place are all unknown.

Belloni suggested the gathering may have been orchestrated by Charles Porch, Instagram’s former vice president of global partnerships, who recently joined OpenAI. Porch has long worked at the intersection of social media, celebrities, and creators; Vanity Fair previously called him a "celebrity whisperer."

That possibility makes the dinner look less like a random meeting between two rich and famous people and more like a strategic move. OpenAI has increasingly courted relationships with creators, celebrities, and cultural figures who can help the company break out of tech circles and into mainstream culture. A dinner hosted by Paltrow — an actor, investor, and founder of one of the world's most recognizable lifestyle brands — fits pretty neatly into that strategy.

Representatives for Paltrow and OpenAI have not publicly confirmed the event. Paltrow has, however, acknowledged the viral invitation in her own, very Gwyneth indirect way.

After the invite sparked criticism online, she posted five altered versions to Instagram. Each replicated its design but replaced Altman with another guest of honor: M3GAN, Samantha Jones, Shrek, Jessica Rabbit, and even Chanty Beluga, comedian Courtney O’Donnell’s currently unavoidable TikTok character.

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"We’re serving swordfish burritos, cheddar foam lattes on request," Paltrow wrote, referencing one of Beluga’s videos.

The joke did not clarify whether the original dinner is happening or why Paltrow is reportedly rolling out the al fresco red carpet for Altman. Fortunately, her years of investing in, talking about, and generally Goop-ifying AI offer a few clues.

Gwyneth Paltrow is in her AI era

Paltrow’s involvement in AI predates this dinner invitation by several years.

In 2021, she co-founded the venture capital firm Kinship Ventures with entrepreneur Moj Mahdara. Puck reported that Paltrow is a minor investor in OpenAI through the fund, and a 2023 SEC filing lists an entity called Kinship Open AI LLC.

Her other AI-related investments have included customer-service automation company Forethought AI, text-to-speech platform Speechify, beauty-tech startup Potion AI, and AI-powered meditation app Moments of Space, according to Business Insider. Goop Kitchen has even reportedly signed a lease for space on the ground floor of Anthropic’s San Francisco headquarters.

Paltrow has also brought AI inside Goop itself. At the Meltwater Summit in May, she said the company was using the technology to create media assets and manage workflows. She described her own collection of AI tools, connected to her Slack and email, as a kind of "chief of staff."

"Especially as women, we are being left behind," she said. "We do need to educate ourselves."

AI has increasingly crept into Goop’s public-facing content, too. In June, Paltrow interviewed Trae Stephens, co-founder of Anduril, a defense technology company that develops AI-powered battlefield software and autonomous military systems, including attack aircraft and counter-drone interceptors, for an episode of The Goop Podcast about America’s defense system and the future of warfare. Creator Tyler Oakley weighed in on this in his latest X post.

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Paltrow’s growing role in AI also fits within a much broader industry push. As I reported earlier this summer, tech companies and their celebrity partners have increasingly packaged AI through fashion, beauty, shopping, podcasts, and promises of personal productivity — a trend described as the "girlbossification of AI" entering its influencer era.

SEE ALSO: The 'girlbossification of AI' enters its influencer era

Women currently use AI tools at lower rates than men. A 2026 Pew Research Center survey found that 27 percent of men used chatbots daily, compared with 20 percent of women, while another report found that 33 percent of men used AI daily or constantly at work, compared with 27 percent of women. That gender gap makes women an especially attractive potential market, and celebrities can help make the technology feel less like a complicated product coming out of Silicon Valley and more like something that belongs in a person’s closet, beauty routine, career, or social life.

Want to see that strategy in action? You barely have to leave Instagram. Kylie Jenner fronted Meta’s "Kylie Edition" campaign, positioning its AI glasses as a fashion accessory. Reese Witherspoon has urged women to get involved with AI, arguing that it will shape the future of filmmaking whether people like it or not. And Mel Robbins promoted Microsoft Copilot as a tool for organizing personal finances, alongside a podcast episode promising to explain how AI can help people "make money, save time, and be more productive."

Different celebrities, different use cases, but essentially the same pitch: AI is inevitable, and women need to start using it or risk falling behind.

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Paltrow is just another example. Goop has spent years turning niche ideas into lifestyle imperatives, and AI can now join the lineup somewhere between the supplements and productivity advice.

That makes this bigger than your average Hamptons dinner. It arrives amid a much broader cultural reckoning over what AI means for jobs, creative work, energy use, and the future of the internet. A recent Pew Research Center survey found that 52 percent of Americans are now more concerned than excited about AI in daily life, up from 37 percent in 2021, while just 9 percent are more excited. Among adults under 30, concern climbed from 47 percent in 2025 to 55 percent this year.

In that climate, the reported dinner is hard to dismiss as just another private gathering of the elite. It brings one of AI’s most powerful executives into the home of a celebrity with enormous influence across entertainment, wellness, and lifestyle culture — a sign that the industry’s reach now extends all the way to Paltrow’s table, where cocktails begin at 6 and dinner is served promptly at 6:45.

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