Technology

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier if you've ever watched hockey or baseball.

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.

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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: 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: Pitching staff

• Green: Midwest mascots

• Blue: Incomplete NHL team

• Purple: Black and Gold

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Baseball Pitching Roles

• Green: Big Ten Teams

• Blue: Second Words in NHL Team Names

• Purple: Pittsburgh Steelers

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 #680 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Baseball Pitching Roles: ACE, CLOSER, OPENER, SETUP

• Big Ten Teams: BADGERS, DUCKS, GOLDEN GOPHERS, HUSKIES

• Second Words in NHL Team Names: JACKETS, KNIGHTS, LEAFS, WINGS

• Pittsburgh Steelers: HIGHSMITH, METCALF, QUEEN, WATT

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.

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 4, 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 4, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for August 4 Pips

Less Than (5): Everything in this space must be less than 5. The answer is 0-1, placed vertically.

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

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

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 0-1, placed vertically; 3-1, placed horizontally; 1-1, placed horizontally.

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

Medium difficulty hints, answers for August 4 Pips

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

Number (7): Everything in this space must add up to 7. The answer is 6-5, placed horizontally; 2-3, placed vertically.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 0-4, placed vertically; 1-1, placed horizontally.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 2-3, placed vertically; 1-1, placed horizontally.

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

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

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

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

Hard difficulty hints, answers for August 4 Pips

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 1-1, placed vertically.

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

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 6-3, placed horizontally; 1-2, placed horizontally.

Number (7): Everything in this space must add up to 7. The answer is 1-1, placed vertically; 6-3, placed horizontally; 0-5, placed vertically.

Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 1-4, placed vertically; 1-2, placed horizontally; 3-5, placed vertically.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 0-5, placed vertically.

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

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

Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 3-1, placed vertically; 1-5, placed horizontally.

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

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

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you love the Concrete Jungle.

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.

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 4, 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: Same shape

• Green: The Big Apple

• Blue: "Step on it!"

• Purple: Same shape

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

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Long cylindrical things

• Green: Iconic NYC sights

• Blue: Things with pedals

• Purple: V-Shaped things

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 #1150 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Long cylindrical things: CIGARETTE, FOAM ROLLER, POOL NOODLE, PRETZEL ROD

• Iconic NYC sights: BODEGA, PIGEON, SUBWAY STATION, TAXI CAB

• Things with pedals: PIANO, SEWING MACHINE, SWAN BOAT, UNICYCLE

• V-Shaped things: ANGLE BRACKET, CHEVRON, GOOSE FORMATION, PEACE SIGN

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for August 4, 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 have a strong immune system.

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 4, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Staying healthy

The words are related to healthcare.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe medical remedies.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

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

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Pharmacy.

NYT Strands word list for August 4

• Medicine

• Immunization

• Pharmacy

• Counter

• Refill

• Consult

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 have a good eye.

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 4, 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 4, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A pattern.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter M.

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...

MOTIF

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.

Game Freak’s enduring legacy is being the developer of the Pokémon franchise alongside Nintendo. While that certainly has its perks like keeping the office lights on, it shouldn’t be surprising that Game Freak wants to branch out. It’s been done so over the years with smaller games like Giga Wrecker Alt, Little Town Hero, and Tembo the Badass Elephant.

Now, Game Freak is back with the action-adventure game Beast of Reincarnation. It’s the studio’s biggest game yet, but is it big enough to step out from Pokémon’s massive shadow?

The combat is sublime, along with its breathtaking art direction and intriguing open-world zones. However, Beast of Reincarnation is muzzled by its confusing story pacing and dull cast of characters.

Not Nier enough Credit: Game Freak / Screenshot by George Yang

Beast of Reincarnation follows a young girl named Emma as she travels through a post-apocalyptic Japan to stop the titular monster from rising again and spreading a corruption called Blight. Much like Stellar Blade, Beast of Reincarnation attempts to emulate the profound themes of existentialism, artificial intelligence, sentience, and humanity found in the excellent Nier: Automata. But they fail to understand what made Yoko Taro’s masterpiece so compelling: the characters.

Emma isn’t exactly a riveting character up until the last few moments of the story. At that point, there’s a giant exposition dump explaining about how the world came to be. Characters that you met halfway through the story suddenly come back towards the end, and they somehow have some crucial involvement. The jarring pacing doesn’t really allow for much personal development of the side characters, let alone Emma’s.

It also doesn’t help that the English voice acting isn’t the best. It’s understandable that Emma is supposed to be an emotionless individual, given that she was an outcast due to her sickness. But Emma, and the rest of the cast, for that matter, sound incredibly bored throughout the entire journey. How can I get immersed if the characters themselves sound like they don’t even want to be there?

The subtitles are also astronomically tiny, with no options to make them bigger. This made it harder to follow the story, especially if you chose the Japanese voice acting instead.

A beautiful apocalypse Credit: Game Freak

Despite the underwhelming story, I enjoyed my time traveling through post-apocalyptic Japan in between cutscenes. While Beast of Reincarnation isn’t a true open-world, there’s plenty of places to explore. There are 12 distinct zones that you can travel between, with different environments showing off rustic forests, giant craters, and flooded dilapidated city ruins.

But what impressed me more was Beast of Reincarnation’s verticality. Since Emma is immune to the Blight, she’s able to manifest her plant-like powers through her hair to reach towering heights. I had a lot of fun scaling tall structures and creating ledges over the top of enemies so I could take them out unaware, Assassin’s Creed-style.

Emma’s canine companion, Koo, can also sniff out items and collectibles as they pass by, marking them. While some players might see this as cheapening the exploration, I found it to be really convenient and respectful of my time. In particular, I appreciated Koo’s sleuthing when it came to finding Dragon Shrines all across the different maps. When you accumulate enough, Emma is rewarded with extra stims to heal herself during battle.

Credit: Game Freak / Screenshot by George Yang

The game’s visuals are gorgeous, too. The realistic art direction is a departure from the cartoony and cute creatures we’ve seen Game Freak create for Pokémon. Sure, humanity has died out, but the hostile golems and blight-inflicted malefacts consisting of giant bears, birds, and deer still make the world feel lively. The emphasis on plant life also makes the environments feel hopeful, like a Studio Ghibli movie, rather than the catastrophic dread of a game like The Last of Us.

However, I wish boss battles were more unique. Many of them are against giant creatures called Nushi, but they all have almost the same attack patterns and even designs. I got tired of fighting the nearly identical huge four-legged creatures after the third time.

More bite than bark Credit: Game Freak / Screenshot by George Yang

Thankfully, the combat gives Beast of Reincarnation the much-needed claws, sinking into you and keeping you entertained. Though it might initially feel like a Soulslike at first because of the sharp difficulty curve, the game eventually provides you with more skills, opening the combat up to feel more like a straightforward action game.

There’s a heavy emphasis on parrying, similar to Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Every time Emma successfully parries, her Entanglement meter fills up, which allows her to unleash devastating attacks with her hair. And when breaking an enemy’s stamina, she can perform flashy finishers. The flow of battle feels very satisfying, fast-paced, and fun.

Upon successfully parrying attacks, you activate the special abilities of Emma’s various katanas. There’s one where she recovers a portion of her health for a few seconds upon a successful parry, which was immensely helpful, especially during boss fights. My personal favorite katana was a late-game one that dealt additional poison and electric damage. I loved watching the crackling purple lightning strikes crash down whenever I swung my sword.

Credit: Game Freak / Screenshot by George Yang

While Koo fights autonomously, you can pull up a menu that slows down time and issue direct commands to him to use his own special attacks, such as summoning vines to immobilize enemies for Emma to unleash fury on, or conjuring a flowerbed that gradually restores her HP. It’s very similar to Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy’s “Classic” combat mode. It’s a beneficial feature that lets you have more control over Koo’s actions, and thematically strengthens the camaraderie between them.

At $60, Beast of Reincarnation is a good value for a 25-30 hour experience. By thoroughly exploring the world, you can get even more mileage out of it. It’s also available on Xbox Game Pass via the Ultimate tier.

You can play the game on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC.

Beast of Reincarnation (PS5 and Xbox Series X) $59.99 at Amazon
  Shop Now at Amazon Shop Now at Best Buy

Paramount+ subscribers in the U.S. have a lot to look forward to right now. Zoe Saldaña is back running black ops in a new season of Taylor Sheridan's highly anticipated series Lioness, there are a handful of UFC bouts to tap out with, and 71 movies were added in its big August 1 dump alone.

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Ads aren’t just annoying; they slow down your browsing, eat up your data, and sometimes even carry malware. And if you’ve got kids online, you want to make sure they’re safe from inappropriate content. The AdGuard Family Plan does all that and more. With built-in parental controls, you can filter out harmful sites and ensure your family’s online experience is both secure and enjoyable.

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With up to nine devices covered, the AdGuard Family Plan is ideal for households where everyone’s connected. And because it’s a one-time payment for lifetime access, you’ll never have to worry about recurring fees or annoying subscription renewals.

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I recently got to spend a couple of hours of my workday playing with the new Lego Pokémon Smart Play Sets, and my inner 8-year-old is still screaming. So, I'll put this the way a child might: I love the new Lego Pokémon Smart Play Sets so much I want to marry them.

Seriously, though: These sets totally rule.

And as of Aug. 1, you can finally order these sets for your own personal Lego collection, and they're without a doubt some of the best new Legos we've seen in a while, and not just for Pokémon fans. Even if you've been skeptical of the Lego Smart Play system, I highly recommend giving these brickified monsters a chance.

The Lego Pokémon Smart Play collection All-In-One SET Lego Smart Play Pokémon Training House with Pikachu $69.99 at Amazon Shop Now Lego Pokémon Smart Play: Mewtwo's Lab Break set $69.99 at Amazon Shop Now All-In-One Set Lego Pokémon Smart Play: Charizard vs. Jolteon Ultimate Battle set $119.99 at Amazon Shop Now Lego Pokémon Smart Play Trainer's Buggy Adventure with Squirtle $29.99 at Lego Shop Now Lego Pokémon Smart Play Charmander and Geodude's Cavern Clash set $19.99 at Lego Shop Now Lego Pokémon Smart Play Eevee and Lapras's Treasure Hunt set $59.99 at Lego Shop Now Lego Pokémon Smart Play Berry Bash with Bulbasaur and Bidoof set $19.99 at Lego Shop Now Lego Pokémon Smart Play Cubone and Gengar's Spooky Showdown set $89.99 at Amazon Shop Now

I'll admit that I was underwhelmed by the Lego Smart Play Star Wars sets released earlier this year. So I was a bit skeptical when Mashable got the chance to demo the new Lego Pokémon sets ahead of their launch. However, my Pokémon-loving colleagues and I had an absolute blast playing and geeking out over these sets.

Lego Charizard and Mewtwo in Battle Mode. Credit: Joseph Maldonado / Mashable

I'm excited to break down how they work, which sets are coming, and whether they're worth adding to your Lego collection.

You can also hear some of the adorable noises they make for yourself:

What are the Lego Pokémon Smart Play sets? Charizard in all its glory. Credit: Joseph Maldonado / Mashable

Mashable has been following the Lego Smart Play rollout closely. We were there for the Smart Brick's big debut at CES 2026 and on hand for the London launch event for the Pokémon Smart Play Sets this summer.

Credit: Joseph Maldonado / Mashable The Smart Brick enables interacitivity with the Mewtwo's Lab Break set. Credit: Joseph Maldonado / Mashable

The Smart Play system is built around a new Smart Brick, a modified 2x4 Lego piece. Lego crammed a lot of hardware into this brick, which features an accelerometer, microphones and speakers, LED lights, magnetic field sensors, a gyroscope, and a color sensor. The Smart Brick responds to Smart Tags included with the Smart Play sets, as well as various Smart Minifigures. An included wireless charger provides extra juice when the battery runs out.

SEE ALSO: The 10 best Lego sets of 2026 so far, from F1 to Monet and Pokémon The Lego Smart Brick looks like a regular 2x4 Lego brick. Credit: Joseph Maldonado / Mashable Recharge your Smart Bricks with the included charging pad. Credit: Joseph Maldonado / Mashable

The end result is a Lego set that responds to your play. Now, your Lego Mini Figures can talk to each other. They also light up or make noises based on your movements.

Here's the Lego Jolteon with a Smart Brick. Credit: Joseph Maldonado / Mashable

The Lego Pokémon Smart Play Sets take this even further. Once you add a Smart Brick to Pikachu, Jolteon, or Geodude, your favorite Pokémon will start to make adorable little noises and talk to each other. You can feed them, train them, and even enter them into a battle mode. Once you do, you can charge up special powers, level up your Pokémon, and pit them against each other.

The Smart Brick sits right in Charizard's tummy. Credit: Joseph Maldonado / Mashable The Lego Pokémon Smart Play Sets make incredibly cute noises

The real secret sauce behind the new smart Lego Pokémon sets? Pikachu, Squirtle, Bidoof, Geodude, Charmander, and Eevee make adorable little noises. They squeak and chatter back and forth when you place them near each other. When you push Squirtle's buggy around, it makes little choo-choo engine noises.

Lego Smart Play Training House with Pikachu Set. Credit: Joseph Maldonado / Mashable

And the pièce de résistance? The Pikachu Treehouse Set contains a hidden Murphy Bed. Place Pikachu or one of its smart friends on the bed, and they fall asleep and snore.

Lego Smart Play Pikachu takes a nap in the Training House. Credit: Joseph Maldonado / Mashable

It's enough to make you squeal at the cuteness overload, which is exactly what we did as we played with these little monsters at the Mashable office.

The aforementioned battle mode is also really cool. Some of the sets come with training stations, where you can level up Pokémon for a better chance at winning a match-up. You can power up your Pokémon's special power (shake too hard, and the move fizzles out), dodge attacks, and generally just have fun.

These are just some of the primary interactive elements, and a lot of the fun here will be trying out new things. You can add the Smart Tags and Smart Bricks to different creatures to explore new ways to play.

Squirtle comes with a buggy and barbecue set, obviously. Credit: Joseph Maldonado / Mashable

Again, I've never been a huge Pokémon guy (I'm an OG Harry Potter nerd), and even I had a blast playing with these cute little dudes.

Remember: You need at least one "All-In-One" set

There is one thing I don't love about the Lego Smart Play sets: they don't all come with a smart brick. That's not as big of a deal here as it was with the pricey Star Wars sets, but check the product details carefully. You'll need to buy at least one set with a smart brick and charger (look for "Smart Play All-In-One" on the upper-right corner of the box). From there, you can build your own collection. I appreciate that the add-on sets start at $19.99, and you can get all-in-one sets starting at $69.99. Lego's prices aren't always so friendly.

The Lego Pokémon Smart Play: Charizard vs. Jolteon Ultimate Battle set. Credit: Joseph Maldonado / Mashable

The adorable Training House with Pikachu and the Charizard vs. Jolteon Ultimate Battle sets are both all-in-one kits that include Smart Bricks.

Geodude rocks! Credit: Joseph Maldonado / Mashable

You can also buy interactive "Smart Play Compatible" sets, which include:

• Mewtwo's Lab Break

• Eevee and Lapras's Treasure Hunt

• Berry Bash with Bulbasaur and Bidoof

• Trainer's Buggy Adventure with Squirtle

• Charmander and Geodude's Cavern Clash

• Cubone and Gengar's Spooky Showdown

At least three of the sets are available on Amazon, and the rest are available at the Lego online store. Presumably, more smart Pokémon sets will be coming in the future.

Are the Lego Pokémon Smart Play Sets worth it?

Absolutely! We had a blast playing with these sets, and we appreciate that there are lots of sets available for under $75, and some for under $25. If you love Lego and Pokémon, we think this one will be fun for all ages.

You can purchase these sets at the Lego online store and through Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Smart Play Pokémon Training House with Pikachu $69.99 at Amazon
  Shop Now Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Pokémon Smart Play: Charizard vs. Jolteon Ultimate Battle Set $119.99 at Amazon
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On October 14th, 1947, U.S. Air Force Captain Chuck Yeager pushed the Bell X-1 past the speed of sound over the California desert, becoming the first pilot in history to fly faster than Mach 1. Less than two decades later, Lockheed's Skunk Works division answered with the SR-71, a reconnaissance plane built to cruise at more than three times the speed of sound.

August on Netflix has arrived, and with it comes the anticipation for a handful of marquee new original movies the streamer will be trotting out in the coming weeks, including a sci-fi horror starring Greta Lee (The Last House) and, late in the month, a chilling-looking murder thriller (The Whisper Man) starring Adam Scott and Robert de Niro.

Your work laptop might be sharing a network with everything else you own (provided you work from home sometimes, that is). That's convenient, but it also gives a computer controlled by someone else's IT department far more local access than it needs.

It is no secret that Google is trying to incorporate Gemini into all of its products and services—if an app doesn’t have it yet, it's safe to say it will. However, the company recently turned the tables on this. Instead of incorporating the AI assistant into apps, it's putting the apps into Gemini.

I was on the brink of having to spend $100 more per month for AI because I was running out of tokens faster than they were replenishing. Little did I know a single change in how I used AI would make my tokens (and money) go further.

RAMageddon made the Apple MacBook Air more expensive. Now, it's making it harder to buy.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that the global memory chip shortage is affecting supplies of the MacBook Air, Apple's bestselling mid-range laptop. This comes roughly five weeks after Apple raised the MacBook Air's price by $200 because of the same circumstances.

SEE ALSO: Apple price increases arrive: How much MacBooks and iPads will cost you now

"Retail store sources say Apple is struggling to keep the laptop in stock and that shipments of new units are more constrained than they can ever recall," Gurman writes in the Aug. 2 edition of his Power On newsletter. He later adds: "From what I’ve heard, the MacBook Air shortage is indeed tied to the ongoing memory crunch."

Evidence of a possible MacBook Air shortage is emerging in Apple's online storefront. As Gurman points out, all configurations of the current 13- and 15-inch M5 MacBook Air are backordered there to as late as early September — more than a month out. The more RAM, the longer the wait.

Estimated shipping dates for various configurations of the 13-inch M5 MacBook Air as of Aug. 3, 2026. The 32GB variant of the 15-inch model was also delayed until mid-September. Credit: Apple / Mashable composite

At the time of writing, third-party retailers like Amazon and Best Buy were advertising one- to seven-day shipping for all of their in-stock MacBook Airs (depending on the size, color, storage, and memory options). However, that could change as their inventories dwindle.

Bloomberg's Gurman further reports that Apple is pushing the $1,999 base M5 MacBook Pro in favor of the Air as part of its back-to-school offer, which was delayed this year from June to July. Moreover, some of the company's ads for the promotion reportedly include a "MacBook Air subject to availability" disclaimer. Mashable could not independently verify this, though a screenshot of the ad was posted on X.

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As Mashable previously reported, Apple raised its MacBook and iPad prices in late June due to increased component costs related to the global memory shortage (aka "RAMageddon"). A surge in AI data center construction has made RAM and SSD storage chips scarcer, thus making other laptops and consumer tech devices more expensive. In the company's Q3 earnings call last week, outgoing CEO Tim Cook likened the phenomenon to "a 100-year flood."

In addition to implementing price increases, Apple has removed some configurations of its mac Mini and Mac Studio desktops from its online store amid RAMageddon. The company is reportedly lobbying the Trump administration for approval to buy memory components from a blacklisted Chinese chipmaker as a means of some relief, per the Financial Times.

Yet so far, at least, RAMageddon hasn't decimated Apple's bottom line. On the same earnings call, Cook said Macs had their "best June quarter yet," with revenue for the category jumping 29 percent year-over-year. The new budget MacBook Neo "has been especially popular," Cook noted, though the MacBook Air remains "the world's most popular laptop," he said.

OpenAI’s first brand trip came with private cabins, monogrammed pajamas, gourmet outdoor dinners, and jars of honey stamped with the company’s logo. Online, the luxury getaway became a much less relaxing conversation about AI.

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Over the weekend, the company flew a group of creators to Wildflower Farms, a luxury resort in New York’s Hudson Valley that bills itself as a "meaningful encounter with nature." The creators posted luxurious room tours — rates run roughly $1,500 to $3,100 per night — exploring the picturesque grounds, chatted with fellow content creators and OpenAI execs, and shared awe-struck clips with their tens to hundreds of thousands of followers.

"I'm still processing how insanely EPIC the last 72 hours has been," AI creator Justyn Warner wrote on Instagram. Warner said OpenAI flew him to New York for its "first ever brand trip," where he was surrounded by "some of the best creators on the planet and some of the brightest minds in AI."

The guest list leaned heavily toward people whose content already overlaps with technology, work, and entrepreneurship. Attendees included tech and career creator Megan Lieu; career and business creators Grace McCarrick and Avni Barman; software and fashion creator Sreya Halder (who has partnered with OpenAI before), among many other recognizable faces in the tech sphere.

For some social media users, the combination of artificial intelligence and a luxury wilderness retreat landed strangely. As posts from the weekend spread, attendees’ comment sections filled with questions about the environmental cost of AI, its effect on creative work, and why creators had agreed to help promote it in the first place.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. AI summer camp meets AI's environmental footprint

OpenAI could hardly have chosen a more on-the-nose setting for the weekend. Wildflower Farms sits on 140 acres in Gardiner, New York, surrounded by meadows, woodlands, orchards, and views of the Shawangunk Ridge.

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The resort, as glamorous and serene as it is, is an awkward backdrop for a company facing mounting questions about the physical infrastructure supporting its products.

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AI may feel like something that lives entirely on a screen, but every ChatGPT request must be processed by servers in data centers, many of which are equipped with specialized computer chips. Those chips draw electricity and generate considerable heat. Keeping them from overheating requires additional electricity and, at many facilities, large amounts of water.

The International Energy Agency projects that global data-center electricity consumption will more than double between 2024 and 2030, with servers primarily used for AI driving nearly half of that growth. In the United States, data centers directly consumed an estimated 17 billion gallons of water in 2023.

"The concept of attending an AI brand trip surrounded by nature while it actively hurts the environment is an incredible bit," one X user wrote in response to a now-deleted post by tech influencer @meshtimes. In the r/NYCinfluencersnark Reddit thread about the brand trip, another commenter asked whether business influencer Nat Lucy was "gazing at where the new data center is gonna go," in her post. "Did they promise you fresh water when we run out?" another commenter wrote.

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Communities are increasingly pushing back. At least 75 proposed data centers worth approximately $130 billion were delayed or blocked during the first three months of 2026, while a June report identified 430 local Facebook groups with more than 525,000 combined members opposing the projects.

OpenAI's latest proposal appears designed to get ahead of those concerns. On July 22, it announced Project Camellia, a data-center campus planned for rural Georgia. OpenAI promised the facility would use "minimal" water and would not increase residents’ electricity bills.

"We believe showing up early is the right way to build trust," the company said, while acknowledging that significant details about the project remain unresolved.

That emphasis on trust helps explain the value of bringing creators into the room. As psychologist and researcher Dr. Anna Kallschmidt said in a video regarding OpenAI's latest "unsurprising" brand trip, "Without trust, you have nothing. That is why these companies...are bringing these people in because they know people don’t trust them, and they’re hoping by bringing in faces that you trust, that trust will build onto [OpenAI]."

Kallschmidt added she receives an email "every other day" from an AI company interested in a brand deal, suggesting that OpenAI is part of a larger effort to find recognizable people who can make AI products feel more accessible.

That was precisely what bothered some people online: they saw OpenAI borrowing credibility that creators had already established with their audiences.

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One Reddit commenter warned about "AI companies utilizing influencers who are more than willing to be talking heads for a company’s narrative that they probably know so little about." Another added, "Not all money is good money."

Creators are defending themselves

Once the backlash reached attendees’ comment sections, some began explaining why they had accepted OpenAI’s invitation. Career and business creator Grace McCarrick responded directly to people questioning her decision to attend:

"If I have the opportunity to be in the room and hear from people who are at the helm of change, I can do that," McCarrick said in one TikTok response. "It's actually well within my moral system."

McCarrick also called the backlash "shocking AI psychosis" in a longer LinkedIn post, and said she had no idea so many people felt this strongly about the technology. "It didn’t for one second occur to me that it could be controversial," McCarrick wrote.

The backlash also caught the attention of tech journalist Taylor Lorenz. "Influencers are getting cancelled for going on the OpenAI brand summer camp weekend trip, which is very interesting bc I have not seen similar criticism towards influencers who have been attending Anthropic events," she wrote on X.

In a follow-up, Lorenz noted that McCarrick already publicizes consulting work for Amazon, Uber, and DoorDash. Why, she seemed to ask, had this OpenAI retreat suddenly become the partnership that crossed the line?

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. OpenAI is investing in influence

This brand trip did not appear out of nowhere.

In February, OpenAI hired Charles Porch, Instagram's longtime vice president of global partnerships, for the newly created position of vice president of global creative partnerships. Porch spent more than 15 years at Instagram, Facebook, and Meta cultivating relationships with the kinds of people who can introduce a new platform or product to a much larger audience.

His résumé includes helping Beyoncé release her self-titled album exclusively on Instagram in 2013, convincing Pope Francis to join the platform, organizing activations at the Met Gala and Vanity Fair's Oscar Party, and overseeing a program that offered bonuses to creators who began posting on Instagram Reels.

That experience matters to OpenAI. Porch spent years convincing influential people to join a new platform and then turning their participation into moments that attracted everyone else. Now, he is applying that playbook to ChatGPT.

"I’m going to be the person that’s talking to creative communities around the world to figure out how we build the best products to serve them," Porch told Vanity Fair when his hiring was announced.

Porch is only one piece of that effort. On April 2, OpenAI acquired TBPN, a daily technology talk show hosted by Jordi Hays and John Coogan, in a deal worth somewhere in the "low hundreds of millions of dollars."

Often described as "SportsCenter for Silicon Valley," TBPN streams for three hours every weekday, mixing friendly executive interviews, industry gossip, and enthusiastic celebrations of new products and funding rounds. Its audience is relatively small but influential, including founders, investors, and technology executives. Guests have included Mark Zuckerberg, Satya Nadella, Mark Cuban, and Altman, who has called it his "favorite tech show."

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University of Washington professor Margaret O'Mara told NPR that the purchase appeared partly intended to influence how people in the industry talk about OpenAI. In the same report, tech scholar Sara Watson described the company as facing a larger "narrative change problem" as the public grows more skeptical of the industry’s promises.

The Wildflower Farms retreat brought that effort outside the Silicon Valley bubble. OpenAI is clearly aiming to surround its products with people who already know how to attract attention, explain new technology, and build loyal audiences.

The trip definitely succeeded in getting people to talk about OpenAI, though the company may have preferred a different conversation.

Except for a few stragglers that are still getting updates, the world of smartphones has effectively transitioned to USB-C. This is a good thing, don't get me wrong! But it does highlight an issue with the USB-C connector itself and how it's implemented. Every time you plug a new USB-C cable into your phone, you don't actually know how well it will work. Why? Isn't it all the same? Sadly, I have the privilege of pulling back the curtain for you.

So, for some inexplicable reason, cassette tape collecting is now also a thing alongside vinyl. This time there aren't even any arguments about analog sound quality, it just seems to be a vibe but, hey, you do you!

It's the first full week of August, and Netflix has released its lineup of new shows and movies arriving in the coming weeks. As for TV, the Pogues will say goodbye in the fifth and final season of Outer Banks on August 20. One of the more exciting movies on the slate is The Whisper Man, a crime thriller starring Robert De Niro that premieres on August 28.

For anyone who wants to de-Google their phone, or at least limit how much data Google can collect on them, Google Maps is often the hardest app to replace. It's so slick and powerful that it's difficult for its rivals to match it. But I took the plunge with Magic Earth, a privacy-centric navigation app, and haven't looked back.