Technology

Donald Trump's transportation secretary Sean Duffy wants to improve airports, announcing $1 billion in funding for grant programs on Monday. In a press conference for his "Make Travel Family Friendly Again" initiative, Duffy suggested possible additions for airports, all of which The Daily Show's Ronny Chieng went through with a fine-toothed comb.

For starters, Duffy suggested, "Maybe you want to have a different lane for families to get through TSA."

"How are you the transportation secretary?" Chieng said. "Your big idea is the same one every annoyed dad has at the airport. 'Hey, just open another lane!'"

Next, Duffy proposed expanding play areas for kids at airports.

"Yeah, expand the airport play areas. Those things are basically pandemic laboratories," said Chieng. "Hey, I have an idea, how about every kid from around the world gets together and swaps viruses before they get on a new flight?"

Finally, Duffy recommended "a workout area where people might get some blood flow and doing some pull ups or some step ups in the airport."

"You think people want to work out in transit at the airport?" asked Chieng. "Everyone at the airport is already exhausted from traveling, alright? We can't even walk to the gate, you had to invent floors that walk for us. Also, this is the same guy who wants us to dress up when we fly. So what, now I'm doing pull ups in a tuxedo before I jump on a 12-hour flight to Hawaii? Why don't you just throw in a hot yoga room in the terminal so everyone really smells like shit when they board the plane?"

In Microsoft Excel, you can convert your data into many types of charts. However, frustratingly, there's no option for a standard timeline chart. To get over this hurdle, I use a basic line chart to create a dynamic, professional timeline in 10 minutes. Here's how you can too.

Python is one of the most popular languages for developing AI and computer vision projects. With the power of OpenCV and face detection libraries, you can build smart systems that can make decisions and accomplish tasks. Let's build a system that sends an alert upon detecting a face.

Donald Trump has been making negative comments about the various late night hosts for a long time now, but he seems to have a particular grudge against Jimmy Kimmel — something the late night host's guest David Letterman raised on Tuesday night's Jimmy Kimmel Live! show.

"People are aware of the fact that you are the leader of the resistance?" asks Letterman in the video above, before lending his support to Kimmel.

"Speaking of leaders, let me just say one thing here. I'm going to suck up to you, because I feel like if I kind of tag along with you I'll be glorified in retrospect. Now this is irrespective of party or political ideology. If the leader of the free world is a fool, the leader of the free world then should expect and examine every bit of ridicule he receives."

Elsewhere, Amber Ruffin also stuck up for Seth Meyers over the comments Trump has made about the Late Night host.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you have a sweet tooth.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

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

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for December 10, 2025 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: Golly

• Green: A replica

• Blue: Eaten on Halloween

• Purple: Penultimate letter

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: "My goodness!"

• Green: Imitation

• Blue: Confection

• Purple: What "Y" might mean

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 #913 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• "My goodness!": DEAR, GRACIOUS, HEAVENS, MERCY

• Imitation: COPY, DUMMY, DUPE, FAKE

• Confection: CANDY, LOLLY, SUCKER, SWEET

• What "Y" might mean: WHY, YEAR, YELLOW, YES

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for December 10, 2025

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 today's Connections.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you love to be recognized.

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 December 10, 2025 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for December 10, 2025 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: A Nobel effort

The words are related to awards.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe one of the highest recognitions.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Laureates.

NYT Strands word list for December 10

• Chemistry

• Literature

• Laureates

• Medicine

• Physics

• Peace

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 today's Strands.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're always making mistakes.

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 December 10, 2025 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 December 10, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

To delete.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter E appears twice.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter E.

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...

ERASE

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.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for December 10, 2025

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 today's Wordle.

The Lenovo Legion 9i Gen 10 has a stunning design and delivers immense power and sizable RAM alongside a beautiful 18-inch display. However, a few surprising flaws mean it isn’t quite the slam-dunk gaming laptop I expected.

TL;DR: A one-year Sam’s Club membership with auto-renewal is $25 (50% off)—a practical pre-holiday promotion that can help lower grocery, household, and lifestyle costs all year.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sam's Club 1-Year Sam's Club Membership with Auto-Renew $25
$50 Save $25   Get Deal

The holiday shopping season always puts a spotlight on where and how we spend, which makes this $25 Sam’s Club membership offer land at the perfect moment.

It’s a full year of access — usually $50 — for half the price, and it opens the door to both everyday savings and some underrated perks that go well beyond bulk groceries.

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Sam’s Club is often talked about as a budget hack, and for good reason. Buying pantry staples, cleaning supplies, and household essentials in bulk can cut annual costs dramatically, especially for families, small businesses, or anyone who likes to keep their home stocked.

Gas prices, too, are consistently lower at member-exclusive fuel stations. When you add up weekly groceries, seasonal items, pet food, snacks for school, and all the little things that sneak into the cart, it’s a win across the board.

But it’s also an easy way to upgrade your lifestyle. Members get access to travel discounts, savings on prescriptions, optical services, tires, and even deals on hotel stays, car rentals, and live events. It’s the kind of membership that quietly supports the rest of your life — helping you stretch your budget while freeing up time spent running around between stores.

With the holidays approaching and budgets feeling tight, grabbing a 1-year membership for half off is a low-effort way to save more and stress less.

Get a one-year membership to Sam’s Club with auto-renewal while it’s just $25 (reg. $50) for a limited time.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Microsoft Visio 2021 Professional is now just $12.97 (reg. $249.99) for a lifetime license — ideal for anyone who needs clearer diagrams, smarter data visuals, or simplified collaboration.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Visio 2021 Professional: Lifetime License for Windows $12.97
$249.99 Save $237.02   Get Deal

If you’ve ever tried to explain a process, workflow, or system and realized halfway through that a visual would’ve made your life 10 times easier, you already understand why Microsoft Visio exists.

And you can currently grab a lifetime license to Microsoft Visio 2021 Professional for just $12.97 — a huge drop from its list price of $249.99. It’s one of those offers that’s hard not to call out, especially if you work in anything from project management to IT to HR or operations.

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Visio’s whole purpose is to turn complex information into something people can look at and immediately get. You’ll have access to dozens of templates, thousands of shapes, and Microsoft’s entire online shape ecosystem — more than 250,000 options in total.

Whether you’re making a flowchart, an org chart, a network map, or even a floor plan, Visio gives you a clean starting point so you’re not shaping everything from scratch.

One really handy perk: you can automatically generate org charts from an Excel file, a directory, or Microsoft Entra ID. You can also link visuals to live data, so your diagrams stay up to date as your information changes.

Visio Professional adds even more templates and collaboration tools, plus support for standards like BPMN 2.0 and UML 2.5, which is great if you work in technical or business-heavy fields.

It’s a one-time purchase that won’t be around forever at this price. Get lifetime access to Microsoft Visio 2021 Professional for just $12.97 (reg. $249.99) while you can.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: How to play Pips, the newest NYT game

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025:

AcrossBrief snooze

• The answer is Nap.

With 1-Down, not under any circumstances

• The answer is No way.

Busiest airport in the Midwest

• The answer is O'Hare.

Doesn't take vacation, say

• The answer is Works.

Anderson who directed "The Phoenician Scheme"

• The answer is Wes.

DownSee 4-Across

• The answer is No how

Cognizant (of)

• The answer is Aware.

"___ and Recreation" (2010s sitcom)

• The answer is Parks.

Right this moment

• The answer is Now.

"Amen to that!"

• The answer is Yes.

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

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

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

NEAR MARKET VALUE: Pokémon TCG's Mega Lucario ex Premium Figure Collection is $41.34 at TCGplayer, which is undercutting Amazon's $47.75 listing by just over $6.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Mega Kangaskhan ex Box $47.75 at Amazon
  Get Deal

There's no real reason why you should be paying over $6 more for the same product, even if you do get faster shipping, but if you really want to only wait a day with prime shipping, Mega Kangaskhan ex Box is near market value on Amazon right now. At the same time, this product is available for only $41.34 on TCGplayer, which is the deal I'd take every day of the week.

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Mega Khangaskhan ex is a great card to have for card farming early on in a battle by using its Run Errand ability, that allows trainers to draw two draws per turn. Unfortunately this ability can't be stacked, which would also be ridiculously overpowered and game breaking. It's also a basic Pokémon, so you can get this into play as soon as you draw it.

The best chase cards you can pull from Destined Rivals and Mega Evolution Credit: Mashable Photo Composite / The Pokémon Company

Big box Pokémon TCG products aren't usually great for trying to pull chase cards considering you only get a handful of booster packs, but there's always a chase. It usually works out cheaper over time just buying the card you want straight up, which is where TCGplayer shines by offering a tracked marketplace with rated sellers.

Here's the top five chase cards you can pull or buy right now from Destined Rivals and Mega Evolution:

Destined Rivals

1. Team Rocket's Mewtwo ex - 231/182
   Near Mint Holofoil: $434.49
   Market price: $443.29
   Most recent sale: $420

2. Cynthia's Garchomp ex - 232/182
   Near Mint Holofoil: $215
   Market price: $232.09
   Most recent sale: $226.98

3. Ethan's Ho-Oh ex - 230/182
   Near Mint Holofoil: $174.90
   Market price: $175.27
   Most recent sale: $139.95

4. Team Rocket's Moltres ex - 229/182
   Near Mint Holofoil: $119.99
   Market price: $125.55
   Most recent sale: $129.99

5. Team Rocket's Crobat ex - 234/182
   Near Mint Holofoil: $70.01
   Market price: $70
   Most recent sale: $69.01

Mega Evolution

1. Mega Lucario ex - 188/132
   Near Mint Holofoil: $334.75
   Market price: $394.70
   Most recent sale: $325

2. Mega Gardevoir ex - 187/132
   Near Mint Holofoil: $286.72
   Market price: $307.92
   Most recent sale: $286.70

3. Mega Gardevoir ex - 178/132
   Near Mint Holofoil: $202
   Market price: $207.38
   Most recent sale: $230.88

4. Mega Lucario ex - 179/132
   Near Mint Holofoil: $193.01
   Market price: $197.50
   Most recent sale: $195

5. Mega Venusaur ex - 177/132
   Near Mint Holofoil: $151.36
   Market price: $150.99
   Most recent sale: $140.74

Donald Trump's Truth Social rants about late night hosts have seen Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, and Seth Meyers as targets, with each taking more than one moment on their shows to respond to the president's onslaught.

It's kind of hard to keep up with Trump's continuous tirades against the hosts, as Late Night with Seth Meyers regular Amber Ruffin pointed out during her "Amber Says What" segment on Tuesday night's show.

During her show-favourite news recap, the comedian noted that Trump had taken aim at Meyers yet again in November, posting on his own social media platform, "Aside from everything else, Meyers has no talent." Ruffin was having absolutely none of that, and stuck up for her colleague.

"Someone told me that Trump tweeted about Late Night and I was like, 'What? I already know that.' And they were like, 'No, he did it again.' And I was like, 'Whaaaat? This man is obsessed," she said.

"So this time, Trump said, '[Seth] Meyers has no talent,' and that’s simply not true. Show him Seth."

Throwing to a nonchalant Meyers, the late night host responded, "Show him what?"

"Show him you can sing!"

"Oh, I don’t sing."

"Well, show him you can dance!"

"I can't dance."

"Seth, you gotta help me out here buddy."

Meanwhile, David Letterman was over on Jimmy Kimmel Live! also sticking up for his friend.

SAVE $79.01: As of Dec. 10, the Apple AirPods 4 ANC are on sale for $99.99 at Amazon. That's a 44% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods 4 ANC $99.99 at Amazon
$179 Save $79.01   Get Deal

Whether it's a Christmas gift for a loved one or a treat for yourself, if AirPods have been on your shopping list for a while, now is your time to buy because Amazon has a great deal on the Apple AirPods 4. As of Dec. 10, they've dropped below $100, now just $99.99. That's a saving of nearly $80 ($79.01 to be exact), and only 99 cents off its best-ever price.

This deal is for the Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) model. So if you want to reduce outside noise, you'll be set with these. They also include a Transparency mode so you can still hear the world around you. For example, when using your AirPods outdoors and you still need to hear cars or cyclists passing.

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They’re powered by the H2 chip, which supports Adaptive Audio to balance Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode, while Conversation Awareness automatically lowers your music when someone nearby is talking. The Voice Isolation feature helps make your calls sound clearer, and the Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking creates an immersive listening experience.

For battery life, you'll get four hours of listening with ANC on. This increases to 20 hours using the case. With ANC disabled, you can get up to 30 hours of listening.

Find this impressive AirPods deal at Amazon now.

SAVE OVER $20: As of Dec. 10, Apple AirPods Pro 3 have returned to their lowest-ever price of $219.99 at Amazon. This is $29.01 off their list price of $249.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods Pro 3 $219.99 at Amazon
$249 Save $29.01   Get Deal

With the holidays coming up, now is the time to make sure your gifts are all in order. If you still have some shopping left to do, Amazon has some great deals available right now, including quite a few Apple products. Even the new Apple AirPods Pro 3, which we consider a top Christmas gift this year, have returned to their lowest-ever price of $219.99.

This is a nearly $30 discount off the AirPods Pro 3 list price of $249. Not to mention, Amazon has a notice on their sale page that states they'll arrive before Christmas, which is even better news for those who have been hoping to grab these earbuds as a gift this year.

SEE ALSO: From AirPods to espresso machines, everything the Mashable shopping team bought during Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2025

The Mashable team are very big fans of these earbuds, as they've earned places on our lists of the overall best earbuds and best headphones this year. Our review from writer Adam Doud said they're "a remarkable upgrade in functionality over their predecessors, with better battery life and ANC, as well as a new heart rate sensor."

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According to Apple, the AirPods Pro 3 remove twice as much unwanted noise than their predecessors, which is very good news if you have a long trip planned ahead for the holidays. The battery life is a big win in that regard as well, offering up to eight hours of listening with Active Noise Cancellation on a single charge or up to 10 hours in Transparency mode.

Now is a great time to save on the AirPods Pro 3 ahead of the holidays, so don't miss out on this deal at Amazon. If you're looking for even more of our favorite gift recommendations, have a look at our breakdown of the 60+ best Christmas gifts for 2025.

SAVE $27.64: Pokémon TCG's Mega Lucario ex Premium Figure Collection is currently $41.34 at TCGplayer, which is undercutting Amazon's $68.98 listing by a massive $27.64.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Mega Lucario ex Premium Figure Collection $68.98 at TCGPlayer
  Get Deal

I'm all for paying a couple of extra bucks to get my precious booster packs a bit earlier, but Amazon is really taken their eye off the Pokéball with their pricing of Mega Lucario ex Figure Collection. It's nearly $28 more compared to the going rate on TCGplayer right now and serves as a perfect example of how big box retailers are taking advantage of trainers who just want to battle and collect.

It's no surprise at all that TCGplayer has undercut Amazon, but please tell me how an independant seller on the U.S.'s most popular trading card game secondary market can offer a better price than the biggest online retailer of all time? Yes, there might be a higher price at distribution for Amazon, but given the amount of product they'll be taking in, I imagine they'll be getting the best prices from suppliers.

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Meanwhile we have sellers that are likely being forced to bulk order products that don't sell in order to get the good stuff and keep distributors happy, yet are still able to massively undercut Amazon. Something stinks and we shouldn't support it — vote with your wallet whilst supporting independant traders.

The best chase cards you can pull from Destined Rivals and Mega Evolution Credit: Mashable Photo Composite / The Pokémon Company

The biggest Boosters you'll get in the Mega Lucario ex Premium Figure Collection are Destined Rivals and a couple of Mega Evolutions, with Journey Together thrown in for good measure. If you're after pulling top tier chase cards, buying premium collections and big boxes ain't it chief. Save yourself some money and just buy the cards outright.

Here's the top five chase cards from Destined Rivals and Mega Evolution, with up-to-date market values and links to catch your own at TCGplayer:

Destined Rivals

1. Team Rocket's Mewtwo ex - 231/182
   Near Mint Holofoil: $434.49
   Market price: $443.29
   Most recent sale: $420

2. Cynthia's Garchomp ex - 232/182
   Near Mint Holofoil: $215
   Market price: $232.09
   Most recent sale: $226.98

3. Ethan's Ho-Oh ex - 230/182
   Near Mint Holofoil: $174.90
   Market price: $175.27
   Most recent sale: $139.95

4. Team Rocket's Moltres ex - 229/182
   Near Mint Holofoil: $119.99
   Market price: $125.55
   Most recent sale: $129.99

5. Team Rocket's Crobat ex - 234/182
   Near Mint Holofoil: $70.01
   Market price: $70
   Most recent sale: $69.01

Mega Evolution

1. Mega Lucario ex - 188/132
   Near Mint Holofoil: $334.75
   Market price: $394.70
   Most recent sale: $325

2. Mega Gardevoir ex - 187/132
   Near Mint Holofoil: $286.72
   Market price: $307.92
   Most recent sale: $286.70

3. Mega Gardevoir ex - 178/132
   Near Mint Holofoil: $202
   Market price: $207.38
   Most recent sale: $230.88

4. Mega Lucario ex - 179/132
   Near Mint Holofoil: $193.01
   Market price: $197.50
   Most recent sale: $195

5. Mega Venusaur ex - 177/132
   Near Mint Holofoil: $151.36
   Market price: $150.99
   Most recent sale: $140.74

MARKET VALUE: Pokémon TCG's Destined Rivals Booster Bundle is currently $63 on TCGplayer including shipping, but Amazon has it for $66.83 for a limited time.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Destined Rivals Booster Bundle $66.83 at Amazon
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Amazon's price for Destined Rivals is $3.83 more expensive than TCGplayer, but it's worth it for the prime delivery. If you fancy saving the money in exchange for waiting a little longer, go for TCGplayer. Whichever option you choose, the Destined Rivals Booster Bundle is at market value which means more stock is floating into trainers hands, so it's a step in the right direction.

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Destined Rivals is one of my favorite Scarlet and Violet sets thanks to the artwork alone. Ethan's Typhlosion - 190/182 is a masterclass in how Illustration Rares are done. There's so much action and emotion behind this cracking bit of artwork by GIDORA. It shows the pinnacle of Ethan's bond with his starter Pokémon syncing up to deliver the cards Buddy Blast attack.

The best chase cards you can pull from Destined Rivals Credit: Mashable Photo Composite / The Pokémon Company

It's no secret that Pokémon TCG can become a very expensive hobby if you're sat down ripping booster packs for the top chase cards. Whilst trainers can get lucky in a Booster Bundle, it's not guaranteed. You'll usually find spending hundreds of dollars on a single card can be cheaper than trying to pull it from sealed product.

Here's the top five Destined Rivals chase cards for you to drool over, including up-to-date market pricing and links to catch your very own on TCGplayer:

1. Team Rocket's Mewtwo ex - 231/182
   Near Mint Holofoil: $434.49
   Market price: $443.29
   Most recent sale: $420

2. Cynthia's Garchomp ex - 232/182
   Near Mint Holofoil: $215
   Market price: $232.09
   Most recent sale: $226.98

3. Ethan's Ho-Oh ex - 230/182
   Near Mint Holofoil: $174.90
   Market price: $175.27
   Most recent sale: $139.95

4. Team Rocket's Moltres ex - 229/182
   Near Mint Holofoil: $119.99
   Market price: $125.55
   Most recent sale: $129.99

5. Team Rocket's Crobat ex - 234/182
   Near Mint Holofoil: $70.01
   Market price: $70
   Most recent sale: $69.01

Apple CEO Tim Cook should be celebrating, and not just because he turned 65 in November. Instead, he's beset by questions about a retirement he hasn't announced yet — and stories about his executives heading for the exits.

We'll get to the who, but first of all: Why? Why would anyone with executive-level stock options want to leave Apple right now?

Cook's company may not be be the world's most valuable (after a remarkable run), but it has been growing steadily and is worth more than $4 trillion — within hailing distance of world leader NVIDIA, now that the latter's stock is sliding. By the time you read this, Apple might well be wearing the crown again.

And why is Apple so resilient, such a safe, steadily increasing bet for stock pickers? Three words: global iPhone sales.

The iPhone continued to massively outperform Android models in the third quarter of 2025, a report by analysts Counterpoint revealed. In fact, smartphone sales paint an picture of perpetual global popularity unlike any product before it — well, unless you count the Beatles as a product.

Like the Fab Four at their height, all four models of the iPhone 16 occupy the top four slots in the top 10. (Last year, for comparison, iPhone 15 models occupied the top 3 slots). Rounding out the top 10 are the Galaxy A16 5G, four other Galaxy models, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

That too is new. The just-released iPhone 16 models didn't penetrate the top 10 in last year's third quarter. But the just-released top-of-the-line iPhone 17 cracked the top 10 even though it had "limited availability" at the end of the period, Counterpoint notes.

Who's out at Apple?

An unprecedented flurry of executive departure announcements roiled Apple in the last week, and each seemed to portend something bad for the company's direction — until you dug deeper into each one of them.

First came John Giannandrea, Apple Senior VP of Machine Learning and AI. At a time when Apple Intelligence is racing to catch up (and may soon be driven by Android nemesis Google and its Gemini model), and given that Meta has poached a lot of Apple AI talent this year, that didn't sound good!

But Giannandrea may not be any great loss, and not just because he's responsible for Siri in its current iteration. Check out his replacement, Amar Subramanya — one of the people responsible for releasing Google Gemini in 2023.

In other words, Cook is doing exactly what you'd expect if you were forced to use Gemini for now, but really wanted to nail your in-house AI model. The fact that Subramanya was hired to work on AI at Microsoft six months ago, but left for Apple regardless, is a pretty big vote of confidence in Cook's company (especially given Microsoft's partnership with OpenAI).

Then came Apple design chief Alan Dye, who gave the world Liquid Glass — the translucent icon thing in iOS 26 that has, to say the least, divided users. Dye is departing to become head of design at Meta, news which itself divided longtime Apple watchers. Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, who broke the story, called it "a big loss for Apple."

SEE ALSO: What is Liquid Glass? Apple debuts a beautiful new interface for iOS and iPadOS

But again, this is only half the story of an executive departure. Dye's replacement, Stephen Lemay, is wildly popular at Apple; "everyone I’ve spoken to is happy — if not downright giddy — at the news," John Gruber, another veteran Apple watcher, wrote.

Gurman also reported that Apple chip chief Johny Srouji was heading for the exit — but in what may be a rare miss for Gurman, Srouji shot down the rumors by telling staffers Monday he wasn't planning on leaving "anytime soon."

Who else has actually headed for the exits this fall? There's general counsel Kate Adams — but she's retiring, just a little ahead of Cook. Then there's Lisa Jackson, the former EPA head who's spent a decade fighting the good fight on recycling Apple product components and nudging its operations towards being 100 percent carbon free.

If anyone deserves a break, it's Jackson.

Who's replacing Tim Cook?

Underlying all this supposed uncertainty at Apple, of course, is Tim Cook — the man who took the company from a market cap of $450 billion in 2011 to $4 trillion now — turning 65 this year and reportedly stepping back from the company in some way in 2026.

Officially, Cook isn't retiring anytime soon; in interviews, he presents himself as the kind of CEO who'd like to work long into retirement. And that has left some uncertainty about his successor, who can't be officially announced if Cook isn't officially leaving.

SEE ALSO: 5 potential successors for Tim Cook at Apple

Except ... well, the fact that Cook's successor feels like the worst kept secret in Silicon Valley. Spoiler alert: It's almost certainly John Ternus, 50, Apple's senior VP of hardware engineering, and a 24-year veteran of the company who's worked on every iPhone and iPad model.

Evidence is legion. Gurman calls Ternus the heir apparent; so does Fortune. Ternus is featuring more frequently in Apple keynotes. He's understated and charismatic, very much a team player.

That's important for Cook, who can't abide ego-driven executives (unless they make fun of themselves, Craig Federighi style). The last sharp-elbowed kind of executive at Apple was Scott Forestall in 2012, and that didn't turn out well.

In other words, things are a lot more stable at the old reliable iPhone company than the surface-level executive departure stories make it appear. To get behind the news at Cook's highly secretive company, to borrow an old Apple slogan, it's necessary to think different.

A space explosion detected this summer burned for days on end, making it the longest and most unusual gamma-ray burst ever seen.

Gamma-ray bursts are the universe’s most powerful explosions. They usually flare for just seconds or minutes, triggered when massive stars collapse or when ultra-dense dead stars called neutron stars collide. But this particular event — known as GRB 250702B — defied all expectations.

Satellites, including NASA’s Fermi and Swift telescopes, along with instruments on other spacecraft, spotted the explosion on July 2. No single observatory could track the full event, so scientists stitched together data from multiple sources to capture the entire outburst.

Researchers think the long, record-breaking explosion may reveal a new way black holes destroy stars — something not covered by existing theories — putting this gamma-ray burst in a league of its own.

"This is certainly an outburst unlike any other we’ve seen in the past 50 years," said Eliza Neights, a NASA researcher based at George Washington University, in a statement.

SEE ALSO: Webb telescope found a Milky Way lookalike 12 billion light-years away

Follow-up observations traced the burst to a galaxy about 8 billion light-years away, meaning it erupted long before Earth even existed. Images from the James Webb Space Telescope and others revealed the radiation shining through thick bands of dust, providing a rare, detailed view of the hosting galaxy. 

And it definitely is a galaxy, albeit a strange one, said Andrew Levan, an astrophysics professor at Radboud University in the Netherlands who led the Hubble study. It's either two galaxies merging or one really massive one with a dark band of dust dissecting its core. 

The explosion released as much energy as 1,000 suns shining for 10 billion years, all within a few days, scientists say. The initial burst of energy lasted at least seven hours — more than double any previous gamma-ray burst.

“The resolution of Webb is unbelievable," said Huei Sears, a Rutgers University researcher who led some of the observations, in a statement. "We can see so clearly that the burst shined through this dust lane spilling across the galaxy."

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The Neights-led gamma-ray paper will appear in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society journal. Other findings have already appeared in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, with more to come. 

Most scientists agree the prolonged flash likely occurred when a black hole ate a star, but two other ideas can't be ruled out yet. One involves a medium-size black hole, thousands of times heavier than the sun, tearing a wandering star apart. Gravity would stretch and rip the star before swallowing it.

Scientists used ground and space telescopes to pinpoint the galaxy where the prolonged gamma-ray burst originated in the universe. Credit: NASA Goddard / A. Mellinger / CMU

The second scenario envisions a smaller black hole orbiting a nearby companion star. Over time, the black hole siphoned gas from its partner, then plunged into the star itself, consuming it quickly.

In both cases, gas stripped from the star swirled into a superheated disk around the black hole. As material fell inward, the system fired narrow jets of energy at nearly the speed of light — jets responsible for the gamma-ray glow detected from Earth.

The event broke other norms. X-rays appeared a full day before the main burst and continued flaring for two days after, behavior never seen in typical gamma-ray bursts. Astronomers also detected no clear supernova, the bright explosion usually left behind by collapsing stars.

Those peculiar details strengthen the idea that scientists may be witnessing a new type of blast. But catching more of these phenomenons will be essential to crack the case.

Over the course of 16 seasons and over 300 episodes, Bob's Burgers has developed a deeply devoted fandom, rich with cosplays, fan theories, and TikTok videos lip-syncing to their favorite scenes. This community also obsesses about the tiny details on the animated family sitcom that some might miss — including the show's creator Loren Bouchard.

SEE ALSO: 'Bob's Burgers' creator Loren Bouchard credits 'early fans' for the show's success

In Mashable's Say More interview with Bouchard, he and Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko talked about the show's growth, what drives him, how the character of Marshmallow has evolved, Bob being embraced by queer fans as a bicon, and of course how the Belcher kids eat tacos. Much to Puchko's surprise, even after 15 years of promoting Bob's Burgers on junkets and numerous conventions, Bouchard hadn't been asked about why the Belchers eat their tacos from the top down.

In case you missed it, here's the exchange from Say More:

While Puchko laid out the most popular fan theories, Bouchard admitted he didn't know the origin of this Belcher eccentricity, but promised he'd look into it. Well, he's gotten back to us.

Here is Bouchard's official follow-up to the taco question:

"This first happened in 'Work Hard or Die Trying, Girl' and was an accident we decided to keep. As many suspected, we boarded the scene with burgers, then changed the prop to tacos so we ended up with the odd-looking 'top down taco eating' animation."

This means the idiosyncratic taco-eating dates back to Season 5, episode 1, where Gene and Courtney had dueling musicals based on '80s hit movies, Die Hard and Working Girl. It's a sensational episode in many respects, including the clever practical effects for Die Hard's most iconic action scenes, and now, also the start of the Belchers eating tacos top-down.

Shout out to all those fans in our comments who speculated correctly, and a special cheers to those of you who insist top-down is the best way to eat a taco. You, Gene, Tina, and Louise clearly have a deep connection.

Bob's Burgers is now streaming on Hulu.