Technology

TL;DR: There’s no need to buy a new computer — just refresh an old PC with this Ultimate Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows lifetime license and Windows 11 Pro Bundle, now only $42.47 with code MARCH15 through March 29.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft The Ultimate Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows: Lifetime License + Windows 11 Pro Bundle $42.48
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If you’re in the market for a new PC, there may be a much more affordable option. The Ultimate Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows lifetime license and the Windows 11 Pro Bundle give your computer a fresh operating system and new tools, offering a complete upgrade without replacing it.

Right now, you can secure all of this newness for just $42.47 with code MARCH15 through March 29.

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A totally refreshed computer for under $50? It’s possible with the Ultimate Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows lifetime license and Windows 11 Pro Bundle. This Microsoft combo can make an old PC feel like new, with eight apps and a new operating system to boot.

First up? This Microsoft Office Professional 2021 lifetime license, which equips your PC with eight powerful apps. This suite includes classics like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, while also featuring newer favorites like OneNote, Publisher, Access, and Teams. Instead of paying monthly subscription costs, this Microsoft Office license gives you permanent access to these tools for a low one-time price.

Once you download the apps you can upgrade your OS, too. The Windows 11 Pro license gives your computer a fresh operating system that was built with the modern professional in mind. You’ll enjoy a seamless interface, snap layouts, improved voice typing, a more powerful search experience, and more. There’s also an emphasis on cybersecurity, so you can rest easy knowing your data is safe.

Get this Ultimate Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows lifetime license and Windows 11 Pro Bundle for $42.47 with code MARCH15 now through March 29.

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TL;DR: Get websites up and running with this three-year subscription to the IONOS Web Hosting Plus Plan, now for only $49.97 (reg. $288).

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If you’ve got a website you need to get off the ground, you know all too well how much work is required to get it up and running. Luckily, IONOS Web Hosting is in the business of making it a whole lot easier. This service makes building and running your website simple and cost-effective, and right now you can secure a three-year subscription for $49.97 (reg. $288).

Whether you’re getting your side hustle up and running or trying to take a well-established business online, IONOS Web Hosting is here to help. They’re currently Europe’s hosting leader, and now they’re available stateside to help US businesses get online as well.

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With a 99.9% uptime guarantee, your site will stay online around the clock thanks to geo-redundant infrastructure. You’ll also enjoy lightning-fast load times thanks to IONOS Web Hosting’s hybrid technology and HTTP/2, ensuring a smooth experience for your users.

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Looking for something great to watch at home? Streaming subscribers are spoiled for choice between Hulu, Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, Apple TV, Prime Video, Shudder, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. And that's before you even look at the vast libraries of movies and television programs within each streamer!

Don't be overwhelmed or waste an hour scrolling through your services to determine what to watch. We've got your back, whatever your mood. Mashable offers watch guides for all of the above, broken down by genre: comedy, thriller, horror, documentary, and animation, among others. But if you're seeking something brand new (or just new to streaming), we've got you covered there, too.

12. 1000 Women in Horror

"There's this crazy idea that horror is not for women, or that women are not fans of horror." So says actor Kate Siegel (Hush, The Haunting of Hill House) in the trailer for Shudder's 1000 Women of Horror, a documentary exploring the role women have had in shaping the horror genre. Taking Alexandra Heller-Nicholas' book 1000 Women in Horror 1895 – 2018 as a starting point, the film sees director Donna Davies speaking to a variety of women working in front of and behind the camera who have helped shape the horror genre into what it is today. — Sam Haysom, Deputy UK Editor

Starring: Roxanne Benjamin, Akela Cooper, Mattie Do, Brea Grant, Gigi Saul Guerrero, Mary Harron, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Cerise Howard, Kier-La Janisse, Natasha Kermani, Roseanne Liang, Annalise Lockhart, Toby Poser, Sara Risher, Lin Shaye, Kate Siegel, Chelsea Stardust, and April Wolfe

How to watch: 1000 Women in Horror debuts March 20 on Shudder.

11. The Lady

Mia McKenna-Bruce (How to Have Sex) leads this true crime miniseries as Jane Andrews, who spent the late '80s/early '90s as the royal dresser for Sarah Ferguson (Game of Thrones' Natalie Dormer), the former Duchess of York and then-wife of former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

In 2001, Andrews was convicted of the murder of her boyfriend Tommy Cressman (Outlander's Ed Speleers), a case that has seen more than a few documentaries made about it. Written by Debbie O’Malley (Harlots), The Lady is a four-part dramatisation of Andrews' life before and during her relationship with Cressman and through to her murder conviction, though as the Centre for Women’s Justice notes, Andrews was not involved in the series at all. — Shannon Connellan, UK Editor

Starring: Mia McKenna-Bruce, Natalie Dormer, and Ed Speleers

How to watch: The Lady is now streaming on BritBox.

10. STEEL BALL RUN JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure continues with STEEL BALL RUN, the anime adaptation of the seventh arc of Hirohiko Araki's manga series. The year? 1890. The place? The United States. The member of the Joestar family we'll be following? Johnny Joestar, a former jockey who's been paralyzed from the waist down. When he allies himself with outlaw Gyro Zeppeli, the pair will set off on the titular horse race across the U.S., all in the hopes of winning $50 million. Nail-biting races and unforgettable Stands are sure to follow. — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter

Starring: Daman Mills, Kaiji Tang, Damien Haas, Frankie Kevich, Jamieson Price, Alejandro Antonio Ruiz, and Cedric L. Williams

How to watch: STEEL BALL RUN JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is now streaming on Netflix.

9. The Nanny, Seasons 1-6

The flashy girl from Flushing, a queen in Moschino minis, the lady in red while everybody else is wearing tan, Fran Drescher's Fran Fine is a '90s icon like no other. And this week on Hulu, you can start or revisit all six sublime seasons of The Nanny.

You know the story: Fran was working in a bridal shop in Flushing, Queens, 'til her boyfriend kicked her out in one of those crushing scenes. Over the bridge from Flushing to Broadway producer and widower Maxwell Sheffield's (Charles Shaughnessy) door, Fran was there to sell make-up but he saw more: a carer for his three kids Maggie (Nicholle Tom), Brighton (Benjamin Salisbury), and Gracie (Madeline Zima). She had style, she had flair, she was there, that's how she became The Nanny. If you haven't lived through the fashion and comedic excellence of Fran Fine — and her exquisite mother, Sylvia (Renée Taylor) — you'd better cancel those plans. — S.C.

Starring: Fran Drescher, Charles Shaughnessy, Daniel Davis, Lauren Lane, Nicholle Tom, Benjamin Salisbury, and Madeline Zima

How to watch: All six seasons of The Nanny are now streaming on Hulu.

8. Imperfect Women

Elisabeth Moss, Kerry Washington, and Kate Mara star in Imperfect Women, based on the novel by Araminta Hall. The three play decades-long friends Mary, Eleanor, and Nancy, whose lives are shattered when Nancy is murdered. As the investigation into her death plays out, dark secrets and betrayals come to life, testing the bonds of Mary and Eleanor's friendship and other relationships. If you love Big Little Lies, this should be up your alley.* — B.E.

Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Kerry Washington, Kate Mara, Joel Kinnaman, Corey Stoll, Leslie Odom Jr., Audrey Zahn, Jill Wagner, Rome Flynn, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Violette Linnz, Indiana Elle, Jackson Kelly, Keith Carradine, Ana Ortiz, and Wilson Bethel

How to watch: The first two episodes of Imperfect Women are now streaming on Apple TV, with new episodes every Wednesday.

7. Wicked: For Good

Wicked fans, rejoicify! Wicked: For Good hits Peacock this week, along with a sing-along version and director Jon M. Chu's commentary version. The second half of this musical adaptation sees Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande) on separate sides of the fight for Oz. While Elphaba rebels against the tyrannical Wizard (Jeff Goldblum), Glinda stands firm by his side. Get ready for a witchy showdown between these two best friends, complete with forever bangers like "No Good Deed" and "For Good." (Let's be honest, we've already forgotten those two new originals, right?)

While Wicked: For Good didn't match the box office success or Oscars acclaim of the first film, Mashable Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko still found a lot to love in the movie. As she wrote in her review, "Wicked: For Good is sure to enthrall fans of the Broadway show, the first movie, and just about anyone who loves a splashy movie musical. Despite its faults, it's still good." — B.E.

Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Marissa Bode, and Ethan Slater

How to watch: Wicked: For Good launches March 20 on Peacock.

6. Last One Laughing UK, Season 2

There are many good comedies out there, but shows that actually make you laugh out loud are difficult to find. Last One Laughing UK is one of the rare few that manages this, a feat made all the more impressive because it's actually a show about not laughing. Season 1 saw Jimmy Carr assemble a team of UK comedians and place them all in a room together for six hours. The rules? While they could try as hard as possible to make each other laugh, they weren't allowed to laugh themselves. Anyone who laughed twice was eliminated until there was only one person left. Season 2 promises more of the same, with Philomena Cunk/Diane Morgan, Peep Show co-creator David Mitchell, and Celebrity Traitors UK winner Alan Carr all joining the cast. — S.H.

Starring: Jimmy Carr, David Mitchell, Mel Giedroyc, Alan Carr, Romesh Ranganathan, Amy Gledhill, Maisie Adam, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Sam Campbell, Diane Morgan, and Bob Mortimer

How to watch: Last One Laughing UK Season 2 begins streaming on Prime Video March 18.

5. Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man

Grab your flat caps and throw on your best attempt at a Brummie accent, because Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) is back.

He returns in new film Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, written by series creator Steven Knight and directed by Tom Harper. The Immortal Man picks up years after Peaky Blinders' series finale, in which Tommy faked his own death and exiled himself. However, when his estranged son Duke (Barry Keoghan) gets involved in a Nazi plot, he'll return to Birmingham for more destruction, more contemplation of his legacy, and yes, more fookin' fighting. Critical buzz around the film is solid, and Knight and Murphy say it's the ending they've always wanted for the story, so it's sure to be a treat for Peaky Blinders fans. — B.E.

Starring: Cillian Murphy, Rebecca Ferguson, Tim Roth, Barry Keoghan, Stephen Graham, Sophie Rundle, Packy Lee, Jay Lycurgo, Ned Dennehy, and Ian Peck

How to watch: Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man hits Netflix March 20.

4. Deadloch, Season 2

Kate McCartney and Kate McLennan's outstanding crime-comedy Deadloch earned every last skerrick of high praise for its debut season. Described by Caitlin Welsh for Mashable as "the feminist Australian buddy-comedy-murder-noir you didn't know you needed" and "Broadchurch crossed with Letterkenny, but with way more lesbians," Deadloch carved out its own glorious TV niche in 2023.

In Season 2, directed by Beck Cole and Gracie Otto, polar opposite detective duo Dulcie Collins (Kate Box) and Eddie Redcliffe (Madeleine Sami), trade in Lutruwita (Tasmania) for the crocodile-populated waters of Australia's Top End, with a second season that’s just as consistently hilarious, sharply constructed, and deeply Australian as its first. With more twists and turns than a Viennetta, McCartney and McLennan's series spins overused murder-mystery tropes into something new: a breath of fresh, hot, thick, mid-summer air, if you will.

Deadloch once again proves it's one of the best crime-comedies on TV, with new overlapping cases, suspicious locals, and impeccable insults you’ll scramble to write down. Ultimately, thank fuck for this show.* — S.C.

Starring: Kate Box, Madeleine Sami, Nina Oyama, and Alicia Gardiner

How to watch: The first two episodes of Deadloch Season 2 premiere March 19 on Prime Video, with new episodes every Friday.

3. Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat

How can you recapture the lightning in a bottle that was Season 1 of Jury Duty? By going even bigger.

Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat follows a hot sauce company about to go on their annual retreat. They've hired temp worker Anthony Norman to help them out, but there's one big catch: Neither the company nor the retreat are real. Everyone but Anthony is an actor. So begins a warm-hearted prank show that feels like what would happen if you threw a random bystander into an episode of The Office. The actors are pitch-perfect as Company Retreat's new cast of heightened characters, and Anthony is charismatic as can be as the show's unwitting hero. Props to Jury Duty's team for proving you can pull off the same magic trick twice. — B.E.

Starring: Anthony Norman, Alex Bonifer, Blair Beeken, Emily Pendergast, Erica Hernandez, Jerry Hauck, Jim A. Woods, LaNisa Renee Frederick, Marc-Sully Saint-Fleur, Rachel Kaly, Rob Lathan, Ryan Perez, Stephanie Hodge, Warren Burke, and Wendy Braun

How to watch: The first three episodes of Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat premiere March 20 on Prime Video, with new episodes every Friday.

2. Invincible, Season 4

Prime Video's critically acclaimed superhero show Invincible returns for its fourth season this week, which promises to get even darker than its predecessors. This time around, the fight comes to Viltrum, introducing the show's terrifying new antagonist Thragg (voiced by Lee Pace). Brace yourself for killer action with a side of emotional devastation. — B.E.

Starring: Steven Yeun, Sandra Oh, J.K. Simmons, Gillian Jacobs, Seth Rogen, Walton Goggins, Lee Pace, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Jason Mantzoukas, Zazie Beetz, Grey DeLisle, Zachary Quinto, Chris Diamantopoulos, Ross Marquand, Khary Payton, Andrew Rannells, Kevin Michael Richardson, Ben Schwartz, Clancy Brown, Jay Pharoah, Mark Hamill, Matthew Rhys, Danai Gurira, and Melise

How to watch: The first three episodes of Invincible are now streaming on Prime Video, with new episodes every Wednesday.

Best of Streaming this week: The Comeback, Season 3

Well, she's still got it! Lisa Kudrow returns as sitcom star Valerie Cherish in the third and final season of The Comeback, which remains as sharp and prescient as ever about the state of Hollywood. (Seasons 1 and 2 aired in 2005 and 2014, respectively.) This time around, The Comeback is confronting one of the hottest topics in the entertainment industry: AI. 

In Season 3, Valerie lands the lead role in a promising new sitcom, only to learn that it's being written entirely with generative AI. What follows is a biting examination of how AI would be an "extinction event" for human artists all over Hollywood. As I wrote in my review, "That AI focus lends The Comeback Season 3 an urgency that sets it apart from its prior two outings. Yes, it's still hilarious, cynical, and a remarkable showcase for Kudrow in her best role. But on top of all that, it's also something else: a warning." — B.E.

Starring: Lisa Kudrow, Dan Bucatinsky, Laura Silverman, Damian Young, Tim Bagley, Matt Cook, Jack O’Brien, Ella Stiller, John Early, Barry Shabaka Henley, Abbi Jacobson, Tony Macht, Brittany O’Grady, Zane Phillips, Julian Stern, and Andrew Scott

How to watch: The Comeback Season 3 premieres March 22 at 10:30 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

(*) denotes a blurb came from a prior list.

No question: Ready or Not was a sensational movie. Full of outrageous action sequences and a twisted sense of humor, the 2019 horror comedy from filmmaking collective Radio Silence hit audiences like the gloppy, full-bodied explosions in its climax.

Now, directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett are reteaming with screenwriters Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy and leading lady Samara Weaving for Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, a sequel that's bigger, bloodier, and even more star-stuffed. This time around, Weaving's playing opposite Kathryn Newton, David Cronenberg, Elijah Wood, Kevin Durand, Shawn Hatosy, and Sarah Michelle Gellar. And the result is a gnarly winner-takes-all battle that will have audiences howling with shock and laughter. 

Ready or Not 2: Here I Come is a direct sequel to Ready or Not.  Nestor Carbonell, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Shawn Hatosy, Elijah Wood, and Nadeem Umar-Khitab in "Ready or Not 2: Here I Come." Credit: Searchlight Pictures / Pief Weyman

As in, this movie begins exactly where the last one ended, on the steps of the burning Le Domas mansion. Grace Le Domas (née MacCaullay) has survived a deadly game of hide-and-seek against her in-laws, a Satan-worshipping empire of board game scions. She's won her life, while they all got exploded to gruesome bits by a demon known as Mr. Le Bail. However, game time isn't over. 

Barely stitched up in a hospital bed, Grace must not only face her estranged younger sister Faith (Newton) and a smirking detective who is investigating the Le Domas deaths, but also a new batch of affluent cultists, ready to play for power. 

An unnamed lawyer (Wood in a bemused Dungeon Master role), explains that because "the bride" survived, the whole of Mr. Le Bail's High Council families are able to vie for the top seat. A new game of hide-and-seek will commence. If Grace survives the night again, she'll be the ruler of the cult — and, by extension, much of the world in an evil Illuminati way. But one member from each of the five remaining families can steal that seat by hunting her down and killing her. Naturally, Grace doesn't want to play. But forcing her sister onto the field assures she'll do her best to at least get Faith through the night alive. So, let the games begin. 

Double the hunted heroines, double the family drama.  Samara Weaving and Kathryn Newton in "Ready or Not 2: Here I Come." Credit: Searchlight Pictures / Pief Weyman

In Ready or Not, Grace's backstory was vague, beyond she was drawn to the Le Domas clan because they seemed like the kind of close-knit family she wished she had. A surly introduction of Faith unearths more backstory, but none of it beyond the bounds of cliche. This makes their various squabbles about Grace being a bad sister feel pretty toothless, and even frustrating as they frequently slow down the cat-and-mouse chase of the premise. 

Newton, who made her mark with wacky horror comedies like the slasher body-swap movie Freaky and the campy teen love story Lisa Frankenstein, flails through the first act, shackled by a sulking little sister part. But once Faith get acclimated to this wild Most Dangerous Game world, where the rich hunt humans as a depraved form of fun, Newton is more able to shine. Where Weaving digs into a Sigourney Weaver "Get away from her, you bitch" intensity, Newton snarls with the intensity of an irate Yorkie — peppy, great hair, surprisingly pugnacious. This makes the two a solid double act, whether they're battling armed heirs and heiresses or scouring an evacuated resort for tools of survival. 

Shawn Hatosy and Sarah Michelle Gellar are devilish fun together in Ready or Not 2: Here I Come.  Daniel Beirne, David Cronenberg (portrait) Shawn Hatosy, and Sarah Michelle Gellar in "Ready or Not 2: Here I Come." Credit: Searchlight Pictures / Pief Weyman

While Newton brings frenzied attitude, and Weaving goes gnarlier in this sequel, it's vintage hotties Shawn Hatosy and Sarah Michelle Gellar who make Ready or Not 2: Here I Come work, playing the Biggest Bads on the golf resort. Cast as twins Ursula (Gellar) and Titus (Hatosy), they must live up to the expectations of their Machiavellian patriarch (Cronenberg). Other ultra-rich baddies and buffoons will enter the fray as well, like the night-club-loving, London-based Rajans (Nadeem Umar-Khitab, Varun Saranga, and Masa Lizdek); the spoiled rotten, Milan-based El Caidos (Néstor Carbonell, Maia Jae, and Juan Pablo Romero); the lawyered-up, Shanghai-based Wan Chens (Olivia Cheng and Antony Hall); and the cocaine-fueled Atlantic City family run by Bill Wilkinson (Kevin Durand). 

Each of these supporting players brings new energy that creates a thrilling chaotic atmosphere. But no matter what weapons or killer fashion flourishes the others wield, Titus and Ursula are the scariest. Part of that is the dissonant breeziness with which they commit to the disruptive and even devilish business at hand to ready for the games. Watching the twins be so cavalier in moments of murder and mayhem is thrillingly chilling. But more than that, Gellar and Hatosy carry added weight for Gen Xers and elder millennials, who remember them from such beloved horror offerings as the Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series and The Faculty. 

There's an undeniable exhilaration in seeing Gellar bring back that toxic rich-girl energy from Cruel Intentions, curdled here into a devilish, poised opportunist. By contrast, Hatosy has had fans of The Pitt swooning over his Dr. Abbot, who altruistically bends the rules to do the best for his patients and casually flashes his pecs for some welcome eye-candy in the stressful ER setting. In Ready or Not 2, he begins as a cocky oaf who serves as a sort of attack dog for his brainy twin. But as the MacCaullay sisters scurry through the night, narrowly avoiding death again and again, Hatosy's beefy arms become more than a sexy spectacle as they're flexed as weapons in one truly shocking sequence after another. At its SXSW premiere, these scenes earned gasps and gulps from a jolted audience.

Ready or Not 2 goes harder than the original.  Elijah Wood in "Ready or Not 2: Here I Come." Credit: Searchlight Pictures / Pief Weyman

With the first film, Radio Silence delivered brutal blows onto Grace, which were all the more shocking because she was running around in a lace wedding dress and yellow Converse sneakers. Focusing on the infliction of specific injuries made the audience squeal and wince to sensational effect. But for the sequel, violence will come in forms more inventive and visually repulsive than the plentiful gunshot wounds of the original. Plus, with new rules in play that can get a family disqualified, there'll be fatal, fleshy explosions throughout the film, not just in the climax. 

Like in the first film, some of this violence is grisly fun, utilizing accidental slayings, unexpected means of violence, and a dueling bride fight for a bit of ghoulish levity amid the murders. But Gillett and Bettinelli-Olpin seem to channel their Scream/Scream VI energy in two particular sequences, where the violence goes from joking to genuinely shocking. This makes the stakes of the climax hit differently. The playfulness of the game, the thrill of the chase is mercilessly cut down for a big swing of an ending that's proved polarizing out of the film's SXSW world premiere. 

Without spoilers, I'll admit to being conflicted. Part of me admires Radio Silence going so far afield from the first film for a third act that delivers much more darkness than macabre laughs. And the other part of me pined for a final act that kept up the energy, rather than suffocating it for a bleaker tone. This shift puts the twins in the driver seat, rather than Grace. And while that is exciting, it means the ending feels a bit out of place, even as it delivers exactly what fans of the first film might crave most.

Still, I don't think many fans will find this sequel better than the first. However, the first one had the advantage of being so original that fans had no expectations going in. That's the curse and the inherent paradox of the sequel, which is expected to do more than the first film did, but still satisfy in the same ways.

To the credit of Radio Silence, they do deliver on star power, dizzying gore, a higher body count, and big swigs in terms of plot and major tonal shifts. Not all of these gambles pay off. Yet Ready or Not 2: Here I Come is a winner when it comes to being a totally batshit good time. 

Ready or Not 2: Here I Come was reviewed out of SXSW. The film opens in theaters March 20.

In the age of on-demand everything, it’s no surprise that we can get "dates" (and I use that term loosely) hot to go with the tap of a button. Thanks to classic hookup apps like Tinder and newcomers like Pure, finding a sexy new friend can be as straightforward as ordering a pizza. As for the quality, well, that’s about the same as your pizza — hit or miss, depending on the time of day, where you're located, and how hungry you are.

Fortunately, you’ve got me, your resident dating app expert (though I prefer modern-day Carrie Bradshaw), to guide you to the promised land, aka the best hookup apps.

I’ve spent the past three years (yes, years) researching, downloading, and testing dozens of the top dating apps to find the best ones for all kinds of daters, including the one-night-stand crowd. From discrete sexting apps to dating sites for serious relationships, I've swiped through them all. I also consulted a panel of sex and relationship experts to make sure my picks are solid.

How to get the most out of hookup apps

My number one rule is to be brutally honest about what you’re looking for. You’re here for a good time — so own it. That means staying in your lane; don't go looking for a one-night stand on an app like eharmony.

"Hookup apps help prevent situations where people are on mainstream dating sites with the intention of having a casual hookup but are unclear about these intentions," Suzannah Weiss, resident sexologist for Biird and author of Subjectified: Becoming a Sexual Subject, tells Mashable. "They also give women a space to be openly sexual creatures without judgment."

And here's a little insider secret I picked up from Alexander Liebisch, the CEO and founder of TinderProfile.ai: Timing is everything. He found that people messaging on Tinder's "free tonight" feature after 10 p.m. on a weekend had a 45 percent higher chance of hooking up.

So, whether you're looking for a one-night stand, a regular FWB situation, or just a space to explore your sexuality, I've got you covered. Based on all my hands-on testing and expert consultations, I’ve broken down the best hookup app for every type of person and mood.

Recent updates to this guide

• Hinge: Hinge just keeps getting better, so I’ve bumped it up higher on my list as of October 2025. Its user base is growing, and my own recent tests on the app have been surprisingly positive.

• Sniffies (added September 2025): I've added Sniffies, the map-based app for queer men, because it's been gaining a lot of traction. (It got a little too spicy for Apple and was pulled from the App Store, so it's now technically a dating site.) Don't say I didn't warn you about the NSFW content.

• FetLife (added September 2025): FetLife is my new favorite "Honorable Mention." It's not your typical hookup app; it's more of a social network for the kink community (and, oddly enough, the best hookup app for gamers). Just remember: it's a community, so don't treat it like Tinder.

Why some popular hookup apps didn't make the cut

You might notice a few apps that pop up in ads or other lists are missing here. That’s intentional. I swipe through the good, the bad, and the downright sketchy so you don’t have to. For an app to make my list, it has to be effective, safe, and worth your time.

Here's a shortlist of apps that didn't make the cut this year:

• Wild: You’ve probably seen ads for this one. On paper, Wild sounds like the perfect casual dating app. In practice, the paywalls are aggressive, the distance filter doesn't work, and you have to pay for anything that's even remotely useful. Unless you're willing to spend serious cash upfront (and hope for the best), the experience feels limited compared to more open apps like Tinder.

• DOWN: This app (formerly "Bang With Friends") is known for its simple "Get Down" vs. "Get Date" feature. It sounds clever, but in reality, the experience is messy at best. Many users report feeling scammed by subscriptions that don't deliver matches, or finding that the few real people on there are... let's say "odd." It’s hard to recommend an app when the main user complaint is "Is anyone real?" Hard pass.

• Facebook Dating: Yes, Facebook has a dating section, and it’s surprisingly massive (and completely free, which is huge). While it's a decent option for casual dating, the vibe tends to be a bit more "friends of friends" and "relationship-focused" than the anonymous, no-strings energy you get from apps like Pure or Feeld. (For Mashable's Chance Townsend, signing up was "the most uneventful dating experience" of his life.) It's worth a shot if you're already on Facebook, but it didn't quite crack my top tier for hookups specifically.

Apps I've cut from the list

• Plenty of Fish (removed January 2025): POF went through a rebrand recently, and honestly, I'm not impressed. My latest tests showed they got rid of key features like free messaging for non-matches, and I kept running into the same old profiles. At the end of the day, it just doesn't offer anything special that other apps aren't already doing better, so it's off the list.

• Match (removed August 2025): I know some people say they've found casual hookups on Match, but that's not what it's for. Match is where you go to find a serious, long-term relationship, and I still recommend it for that. But for a hookup? You're just fishing in the wrong pond, so I've removed it from this guide to avoid any confusion.

As one of the oldest and largest online dating sites, AdultFriendFinder has a massive community of singles and non-monogamous kinksters looking for fun, but that doesn’t mean using the site is easy. On the contrary, a lot of their web interface seems dated and counterintuitive, with key features or functions buried under multiple menus and sub-menus. 

Getting the most out of this site requires some trial and error, or at least an experienced guide, which is why we’ve got four essential tips to help you improve your AFF experience and connect with more people. That being said, it also helps to keep an open mind. If you enter your AFF experience with a narrow idea of exactly what you want, you’ll quickly find yourself disappointed. But if you start your search from a place of curiosity and allow yourself to be surprised, you may just discover new things about yourself in the process.

Opens in a new window Credit: AdultFriendFinder AdultFriendFinder   Learn More

Here are four essential steps for getting the most out of your AdultFriendFinder experience:

Fill out your full AFF profile 

Sure, this is an obvious step with every online dating service, but it’s even more important on AFF, since the site doesn’t entirely rely on a carousel-style presentation of dating profiles. Everything from your age to your gender to your sexuality to your list of personal kinks can help make you more discoverable to other AFF members, so the less you fill out, the harder it is for the site to make your profile discoverable. 

This is true even if your personal kink list is short or leans towards the conventional, or if it’s exhaustive and leans towards the exotic; trust us when we say there are people out there looking for whatever combination of quirks and kinks makes up your sexuality, so taking your time to be precise here can pay serious dividends in the long run.

SEE ALSO: Is Hinge really 'designed to be deleted'? I tested it to find out.

Also, don’t sleep on videos. Unlike many dating sites that allow only photos, AFF allows its members to upload short videos to their profile. This can be a fantastic way of not only showing others that you’re a real person but also highlighting your personality in a different way. You can also speak on some aspect of your personality that isn’t covered by the generic profile options.

Verify your AFF account as soon as possible

AdultFriendFinder throws up very few barriers to account creation. That makes it very easy for anyone to make an account, but it also means there is a large amount of spam and bot accounts lingering on the site. To combat this, they’ve also created a profile verification system using the Confirm ID service. 

You will need to be comfortable sharing government ID with the site, but the benefits to your profile are massive: photo authentication, age confirmation, and location verification, all of which help others trust that your profile is authentic. When you complete the process, your profile will receive a blue checkmark underneath your profile photo, to the right of your username, which not only helps people identify your profile at a glance but also boosts your visibility in the search results, as preference is given to verified users.

Be selective with your search criteria

If you do opt to use the site’s search function, you’ll quickly realize that you can be extremely selective in who you do and don’t include. And if you know exactly who and what you want, by all means, narrow your search, but if you’re on AFF to be surprised, it’s also worth being less selective from time to time.

For example, if you know you want an in-person date for next week, it obviously makes sense to narrow your location search to people who live near you. But what if you don’t know exactly what you want, or if you’re open to a sultry chat with a stranger half a world away? In that case, distance is irrelevant and you should consider turning that filter off.

SEE ALSO: All your Tinder questions, answered

On the other hand, there are quite a few filters that are turned off by default that we actually recommend you turn on. For example, the default profile filter shows you all people who have bothered to upload photos, but while that’s a good start, it’s not enough to help you wade through the huge number of users. We strongly recommend searching by Verified/Confirmed users, since those people all proved their identity the same way you did (see previous step), by uploading government-issued identification. 

Another good filter to use is the Last Visit, which by default is set to "All." Because so many people create an account but rarely check it, or go inactive for weeks or months at a time for any number of reasons, it’s a good idea to hone in on accounts that have been active in the last month, as otherwise you risk never hearing back from the people you message. 

Explore the live-chat communities

AdultFriendFinder isn’t a traditional dating website, so you shouldn’t use it like one. The search-and-swipe dating app method is tried and true, but it’s also a bit played out, and one of AFF’s biggest strengths is its larger community offerings.

You can explore its many forums, organized around common interests, or you can venture into a user’s live stream and interact with them and others there. AFF even has a dedicated Stories section, where users can share their memories or try their hand at writing erotica. If this is a talent of yours, you can easily attract people to your profile through your writing, or if you’re a more visual person, you can always host your own webcam stream and see who tunes in. 

For all of the above, AFF tracks not only which stories/streams/group chats are new but also those that are trending, which makes it very easy to jump into a popular discussion or keep up with the latest site news.

Upgrade your AFF membership tier

Unfortunately, it has to be said: you really can’t get the most out of AFF without a paid membership. It is possible to use the site and interact with others without giving them your credit card information, but the site’s best features and functions are all restricted to paying customers, and the advantages in terms of profile visibility, communication options and site functionality are all too great to ignore.

Not only do Gold and VIP members receive special icons on their profiles, but these profiles are given priority in every search, based on any criteria, and because there are thousands of potential profile options for almost every search criteria that isn’t location-based, it’s very difficult to stand out from the crowd as a basic user of the site. 

Additionally, if you opt for the upgraded VIP membership, you’ll unlock an entire section dedicated exclusively to VIPs, which is a bit like entering the velvet-roped area of a night club; it’s where all the most glamorous people are hiding. VIP members even get additional points to spend on digital gifts or lavish on live streamers who catch your attention, which is another great way of standing out from the crowd. 

The learning curve on AdultFriendFinder is steeper than most other dating sites, and much steeper than most dating apps, but if you follow the above tips and are willing to experiment with its vast array of offerings, you’ll encounter more than a few fun surprises along the way. 

TL;DR: On March 19, fans can score a free vanilla soft-serve cone at participating Dairy Queen locations nationwide.

The birds are singing, the temperature is climbing, and yes, that is the sun you can see peeping through the clouds. Spring is just around the corner, and so is Free Cone Day.

Dairy Queen's Free Cone Day is making a triumphant return in 2026. On March 19, you can celebrate this special occasion by enjoying a free vanilla soft-serve cone at participating Dairy Queen locations. Simply stop by your local DQ restaurant to score this delicious treat — there's really no catch.

SEE ALSO: Lego is giving away an exclusive Steering Wheel for free. Here’s how to get yours on March 9.

We recommend visiting Dairy Queen or downloading the Dairy Queen App to find a local restaurant before March 19. When the day comes, you don't want to be messing around online. You want to be prepared. On Free Cone Day, the focus should be on free ice cream and nothing else.

The promotion runs all day while supplies last and there's a limit of one free cone per person. This free giveaway is not valid on delivery or mobile orders and it's worth noting that U.S. Mall locations require a purchase to qualify.

Celebrate Dairy Queen's Cone Day with a free vanilla soft-serve cone on March 19.

Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.

Released in August 2025, the 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 onto 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 for 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 March 19, 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 March 19, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for March 19 Pips

Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 1-6, placed vertically; 6-6, placed horizontally.

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

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

Medium difficulty hints, answers for March 19 Pips

Greater Than (9): Everything in this space must be greater than 9. The answer is 4-3, placed vertically; 6-5, placed vertically.

Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 4-2, placed horizontally.

Equal (3): Everything in this light blue space must be equal to 3. The answer is 4-3, placed vertically; 3-3, placed horizontally.

Equal (5): Everything in this orange space must be equal to 5. The answer is 6-5, placed vertically; 5-5, placed horizontally; 5-1, placed vertically.

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 2-0, placed vertically.

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 5-1, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for March 19 Pips

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

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 2-2, placed horizontally; 2-5, placed vertically.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Equal (3): Everything in this green space must be equal to 3. The answer is 4-3, placed horizontally; 3-3, placed horizontally.

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

Number (15): Everything in this space must add up to 15. The answer is 2-6, placed horizontally; 6-1, placed vertically; 5-3, placed vertically.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 2-5, placed vertically; 5-3, placed horizontally.

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

Today's Connections: Sports Edition is for people knowledgeable about the NFC East.

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. 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: 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: Formerly known as the NFL Capitol Division

• Green: GOAT WRs

• Blue: Shining NCAA stars

• Purple: Famously went dancing

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: NFC East

• Green: Hall of Fame Wide Receivers

• Blue: Stars in this Year's Men's NCAA Tournament

• Purple: Notable NCAA Tournament Cinderellas

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 #542 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• NFC East - COMMANDERS, COWBOYS, EAGLES, GIANTS

• Hall of Fame Wide Receivers - BRUCE, MONK, MOSS, RICE

• Stars in this Year's Men's NCAA Tournament - ACUFF, BOOZER, DYBANTSA, PEAT

• Notable NCAA Tournament Cinderellas - PATRIOTS, PEACOCKS, RAMBLERS, RAMS

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 today's Connections.

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

A beginner.

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

PLEBE

Hurdle Word 2 hint

To move.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for March 19, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

BUDGE

Hurdle Word 3 hint

A geek.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for March 19 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 19, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

DWEEB

Hurdle Word 4 hint

A marine animal.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

MANTA

Final Hurdle hint

A piece of clothing.

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

SHIRT

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

It's the New Moon tonight, which means the Moon is positioned between the Earth and the Sun. The side facing Earth isn’t illuminated at all, so it’s essentially invisible in the night sky.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Thursday, March 19, the Moon phase is New Moon. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 0% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.

When is the next Full Moon?

In North America, the next Full Moon is predicted to take place on April 1.

What are Moon phases?

NASA says the Moon takes about 29.5 days to orbit Earth, going through eight different phases. We always see the same side, but the Sun lights up different portions as it moves, which is why it can look full, half, or just a thin sliver. These changing shapes are called the lunar phases, and there are eight in total:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you love a good story.

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 March 19, 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: Children's stories

• Green: Lucky charms

• Blue: Ever-changing

• Purple: Music to my ears

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Folk tale characters

• Green: Good luck symbols

• Blue: Things that change color

• Purple: Ending in music genres

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 #1012 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Folk tale characters: CHICKEN LITTLE, FROG PRINCE, GINGERBREAD MAN, GOLDILOCKS

• Good luck symbols: EVIL EYE, FOUR-LEAF CLOVER, HORSEHOE

• Things that change color: CHAMELEON, MOOD RING, SUNSET, TRAFFIC LIGHT

• Ending in music genres: BABY BLUES, PET ROCK, SCRAP METAL, SODA POP

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 March 19, 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 today's Connections.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're good if you love a get together.

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 March 19, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Bring a plate

The words are related to food.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe food courses.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Potluck.

NYT Strands word list for March 19

• Veggies

• Casserole

• Dessert

• Potluck

• Beverage

• Appetizers

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 in recovery.

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 March 19, 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 March 19, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

An Amy Winehouse song.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter R.

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...

REHAB

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 today's Wordle.

If you've spent more than a day on LinkedIn in your life, you may have noticed that the networking service has developed a language all of its own. If you were a tad unkind, you might say LinkedIn users self-promote every tiny career moment in such a cliched way, it's a wonder that their words aren't written by AI.

Or, if you wanted to turn that last sentence into more, uh, proactively positive LinkedIn speak: "We’re seeing so many thought leaders lean into the hustle, celebrating every micro-win with such a growth-oriented narrative that you’d swear it was automated. It’s all about that personal branding and staying humble while scaling your impact! #GrowthMindset #PersonalBranding #HustleCulture."

SEE ALSO: Even your side hustle isn’t safe from AI

The English-to-LinkedIn translation service, in this case, was automated. Kagi, a premium search service where you pay for what is essentially an ad-free, pro-privacy Google that actually works (our sister website Lifehacker swears by it), also offers free AI-based language translation.

And in a smart marketing move worthy of a LinkedIn update, Kagi has introduced more humorous internet subculture "languages" among its translation options. LinkedIn, launched Wednesday, is only the latest: there's Reddit speak (lots of "weird-ass," "cringe" and "banana for scale"), Pirate Speak ("tis a wonder their words aren't written by some mechanical ghost"), and complete fictional languages like Klingon (you'll be glad to know Klingons hunt for work on "LinkedInDaq.")

But it's the LinkedIn lingo making waves on social media this week. I can see why, because this is more than a novelty — it's a hilarious and actually useful translation service. When it comes to human-style AI speak taking over our digital lives, the LinkedIn translator is touching the same nerve as Your AI Slop Bores Me — not to mention George Orwell's Newspeak.

There's a game-like aspect to the translations, and the game is: is there any human activity that couldn't be made to sound doubleplusgood in a LinkedIn post? If there is, I haven't found it yet.

Wasted the afternoon in bed? No, you "decided to prioritize a strategic recharge to optimize cognitive performance and long-term productivity." Started injecting heroin? Call it "a high-intensity, daily commitment to a specialized chemical routine" that taught you about "supply chain consistency" and "a relentless focus on personal objectives, no matter the cost." Murdered a co-worker? Nonsense, my friend, you "successfully offboarded a team member ... to optimize long-term headcount."

The translation works the other way around, too: LinkedIn speak into plain English. That's right — the next time your boss writes a 10,000-word LinkedIn epic that could have been a three-line email, there's no need to Google all the obscure marketing or management jargon. Just Kagi the whole thing.

And if you need to write a comment in response, know that "I hated this and I am dumber for reading it" can also be rendered as "’While I’m always looking for ways to challenge my current mindset, this particular content reminded me of the importance of being intentional with the information we consume. Grateful for the learning opportunity!"

Hey, maybe AI will save white collar workers' jobs after all.

A quick look at the best deals on self-emptying robot vacuums at Amazon Best budget robot vacuum deal Roborock Q10 S5+ $299.99 at Amazon (save $250) Get Deal Best roller mop robot vacuum deal Eufy C28 $549.99 at Amazon (save $250) Get Deal Best premium robot vacuum deal Dreame X60 Max Ultra Complete $1,499.99 at Amazon (save $200) Get Deal

The question isn't whether it's worthwhile to get a self-emptying robot vacuum. It's simply which self-emptying robot vacuum you should get. And the list of potential options in your budget is much longer around Amazon's Big Spring Sale, which will run between March 25 and 31. A ton are already severely discounted in the week before the sale, including a few of my favorites that I've tested so far this year.

SEE ALSO: The Shark vs. Roomba debate is stale in 2026, but at least Shark is trying to revive its robot vacuum line

Automatic emptying isn't at all reserved for the best of the best robot vacuums as was the case five years ago — I'd argue that it's the most normalized feature outside of the vacuuming itself, even in the realm of cheap robot vacuums under $300. The unspoken agreement is that if you're buying a robot vacuum to avoid vacuuming by hand, you're not going to feel like manually dumping a dust bin every day, either.

Below, I'm tracking the best self-emptying robot vacuums on sale ahead of Amazon's 2026 spring sale. More good deals are likely to drop in the coming days, and I'll be updating this post accordingly.

Best self-emptying robot vacuum deal ahead of Amazon's Big Spring Sale Eufy C28 $549.99 at Amazon
$799.99 Save $250   Get Deal at Amazon Get Deal at Eufy Why we like it

I tested and loved the Eufy C28 when it came out in February 2026. And I have a feeling it'll remain one of my most recommended robot vacuum and mop combos for the next year or so.

On sale for less than $600, the Eufy C28 is probably the most affordable roller mop robot vacuum you'll find. The fluffy roller spans the entire bottom of the vacuum and rinses itself with fresh water as it's mopping, making it a far more reliable choice for soaking up large liquid spills (without smearing them around) than other cheap mopping robot vacuums. Its self-emptying dock also washes and dries the mop after each cleaning, so it's easier to forgive how painfully loud it is.

Its small obstacle avoidance was surprisingly accurate during my testing — it avoided slippers and hand towels, cat toys, and (most) phone chargers as well as many premium vacuums.

Robot vacuum mop combos with self-washing mopping pads

• Roborock Qrevo QV35A — $399.99 $649.99 (save $250)

• Dreame L40 Ultra (Gen 2) — $479.99 $649.99 (save $170)

• Eufy X10 Pro Omni — $499.99 $699.99 (save $200)

• Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni — $599 $1,099.99 (save $500.99)

• Eufy C28 — $599.99 $799.99 (save $200)

• Eufy E25 — $649.99 $999.99 (save $350)

• Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller — $999.99 $1,599.99 (save $600)

• Roborock Saros 10R — $1,099.99 $1,599.99 (save $500)

• Dreame X60 Max Ultra Complete — $1,299.99 $1,499.99 (save $200)

SEE ALSO: I tried the Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Flow: It's cracked the code to roller mopping along edges Robot vacuum and mop combos

• Dreame D20 Plus — $259.99 $359.99 (save $100)

• Roborock Q7 M5+ — $249.99 $329.99 (save $80)

• Narwal Freo S — $279.99 $349.99 (save $70)

• Roborock Q5 S10+ — $299.99 $549.99 (save $250)

• Mova P10 Pro Ultra — $399 $499 (save $100)

SAVE UP TO $9.01: The new Apple MacBook Neo is on sale on Amazon as of March 18. Save $4 on the 256GB base model (now $595) and about $9 on the 512GB version with Touch ID (now $689.99). Hey, it's something.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $595 at Amazon
$599 Save $4   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $689.99 at Amazon
$699 Save $9.01   Get Deal

It ain't much, but it's honest work: Amazon just put the brand-new Apple MacBook Neo on sale for the first time since its March 11 launch. The 256GB base configuration is marked down to $595, and the upgraded 512GB version with Touch ID is sitting at $689.99 in — a savings of $4 and $9.01, respectively.

Amazon will probably dish out much better discounts on the MacBook Neo this summer during its Prime Day sale. (I can't see it getting dramatically cheaper than this between now and next week's Big Spring Sale.) But to date, this is the best deal on new models with no strings attached.

Best Buy has some Neos that are around $20 off, but they're open-box, i.e. returned. The Apple Store will give you $100 off, but only if you're a college student, a parent of one, or school faculty.

We tested an indigo MacBook Neo. We loved it. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

The MacBook Neo is powered by a capable A18 Pro chip with 8GB of RAM. It's not as good for multitasking as a MacBook Air with more memory, but its perfect for folks who only have a couple tabs open at any given time. It can churn through basic tasks as fast as last year's M4 MacBook Air — think web browsing and sending emails.

In heavier workloads like video editing, it's just as zippy as an M1 MacBook Air from 2020. It offers around 15 hours of battery life per charge.

SEE ALSO: MacBook Neo review: I think Apple's going to sell millions of these

Features-wise, the Neo comes with a 13-inch Liquid Retina display, a 1080p webcam, a clicky mechanical touchpad, and Dolby Atmos speakers. Its all-aluminum chassis comes in four colors: indigo, silver, blush, and a punchy "citrus" yellow-green. (Amazon's deal only applied to the silver one at the time of writing, but that might change by the time you read this.)

"For students, young people, and casual users, there's nothing else like [the Neo] at this price," writes Mashable tech editor Timothy Beck Werth, who rated it a 4.8/5. (Check out his full review.)

If you're not sure whether the Neo is right for you, read our analysis of how it stacks up against the new M5 MacBook Air and older M-series models.

With desktop 3D printers becoming so common, what used to be a really specialized manufacturing tech is now available for everyone. However, don't think this easy access means that modern 3D printing is just a simple, plug-and-play device. Getting reliable, high-quality results isn't about how much your printer costs; it's more about what you put into it.

Damian McCarthy is the new king of horror. The Irish filmmaker has previously thrilled audiences with the mind-bending Caveat in 2020. Then, came Oddity, a smash-up of Irish folklore and horror that centered around a creepy wooden man. Now, he's returned with the Adam Scott-fronted Hokum, which is his best and most terrifying film yet. 

SEE ALSO: 17 SXSW movies you need to know about right now

Look, I don't say that lightly. I watch a lot of horror movies. Even outside of my job, I seek out the weird, the wonky, the scary-as-hell. And even though I loved Caveat for all its surreal spookiness and Oddity for its chilling imagery and gnarly twists, I was not prepared for Hokum. Sure, I called it one of my most anticipated films of 2026. But I could not predict from Hokum's curious first image of Scott, crouching in a wooden box, or even its trailer what was in store. As I teased in my headline, this movie scared me so intensely, so consistently, that I screamed myself hoarse by the end. 

And I can't wait to see it again. 

What's Hokum about? 

Written and directed by Damian McCarthy, Hokum centers on Ohm Bauman (Scott), an American author haunted by his past. Struggling to complete his popular book series, The Conquistador Trilogy, he takes a trip to Ireland, where his parents honeymooned long, long ago. There, he will sprinkle their ashes. But before he can find peace or leave the towering hotel with a dark history, he gets roped into the mystery of a missing woman and the lore of the witch said to haunt the honeymoon suite. 

Adam Scott is a real rat bastard in Hokum, and thank God. 

Scott is one of those American actors who do it all. On Parks and Recreation, he was a crush-worthy sweetheart. On Party Down, he was a comically cynical anti-hero. Step Brothers and The Good Place gave him hilariously malicious bros to play, while Krampus and The Monkey had him playing doomed dads. In the woefully underseen The Vicious Kind, he was a troubled and sexy lover. In the sci-fi series Severance, he thrills audiences as a tormented Lumon employee whose split consciousness leaves him torn between impossible choices. But in Hokum, he's a total jerk to just about all who come across his path. And it's thrilling to behold. 

The staff at the hotel is generally eager to please. Some even fawn over him when they realize he's the Ohm Bauman. The preening manager (Peter Coonan) gets a sneer for asking for an autograph. The kind bartender (Florence Ordesh) gets snark for daring to small-talk. The bellhop (Oddity fans, IYKYK) named Alby (Will O'Connell), who dreams of being a writer himself, is scorched by his idol's cruel attention. Ohm even has sharp words for the hotel's owner (Brendan Conroy), who — to be fair — is terrorizing young children with the tale of the local witch who snatches up tourists. 

The only person Ohm has any patience for is a weirdo in the woods called Jerry (David Wilmot), who looks after the wild goats, drinks their milk with magic mushrooms, and is on the run for a worrisome reason. Their connection is confounding but compelling, especially as Jerry presses Ohm into a series of deeply dangerous decisions in search of an impossible truth.

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It's a twisted pleasure to watch Scott snarl and jeer, in part because it's darkly funny to see this protagonist flaunt social niceties so blatantly. But moreover, his bad behavior gives horror fans a warning: Ohm will pay for being the ugly American, snorting at the locals and their lore, because as we all know from folk horror movies like The Wicker Man, such an attitude typically leads to disaster. Beyond that, however, Hokum carves out an unnerving story of healing, exploring not only why Ohm is such a prick, but also the terrifying path that will force him to reevaluate his vicious ways. Scott is uniquely perfect for such a role. For one thing, his ability to slide from one genre to another means that he just fits wherever he's set. So, whether he's facing down a furious brother, a spree-killing toy, or even a soul-splitting corporation, it just feels like of course, this thing would befall this guy. Scott is so skilled at locking into a tone from jump that he grounds whatever reality he's pitched into. Speaking of jumping….

The scares in Hokum had me howling, jumping, and desperate to cover my eyes.  Credit: NEON

Jump scares often get a bad wrap because they can be considered a cheap thrill. McCarthy, however, is a master of building tension and expectation, twisting his audience into a knot of fear, until we explode with a bellow or jump. Within the first five minutes of Hokum, he sets up a spirit that seems to be stalking Ohm. And its first jump scare had me screaming at the SXSW premiere of Hokum so hard that I could feel my ribcage vibrate. 

McCarthy offers this quick scare not just as a thrill to get audiences on board with his ghost-infested tale, but also as a misdirect about what's to come. After this point, Hokum veers away from the standard "surprise! There's something behind you" scare that releases tension, and more into the looming dread that you know something is there, you just can't see it… yet. 

McCarthy sets up the framework of a witch in a haunted honeymoon suite, then lets us linger at the bolted gate that should keep snoops out. But there's a crackling cackle in the darkness beyond the gate. So, naturally, someone will reach in an arm with a lighter, trying to make sense of what lurks in the shadows. Rather than a quick scare, McCarthy waits. The arm probes the dark, the hand so human and so exposed to whatever cannot be seen. The flame flickers, toying with our expectations of what it might reveal. And McCarthy waits. 

I could feel the scream tickling in my chest. My fingers pulled my notebook up to my nose. I grit my teeth and refused to cover my eyes, even though I desperately wanted to. And then comes the reveal. Brief, simple, and yet absolutely horrifying. The scream again escaped me, this time ripping through the fingers clutched around my mouth. 

Again and again, McCarthy builds on this tension with a production design of cryptic decay. The colors of the hotel are of wood, rot, and beaten flesh. Those who loved Caveat and Oddity will squeal in anticipation over familiar iconography, like a small service bell or a recurring rabbit motif. These three films, all chiefly set in a single spooky location, share a folk-horror framework, where a logical man is lost to a world of superstition and dark faith he can't comprehend, much less control. Yet McCarthy isn't building some concrete horror universe. Instead, these talismans suggest a slippery sisterhood of horror and lore. And it's deviously entertaining in its wild twists, gnarly monsters, and masterfully paced scares. 

In the film's climax, where Ohm must face not only his fears but also a ruthlessly wicked foe, I wrote only one note in my book: "I'm gonna hurl." Thankfully, I managed to keep the tension gurgling in my guts to myself. But this experience brought back a similar SXSW premiere, when I saw Ari Aster's Hereditary for the first time. I screamed, gasped, and even dry-heaved as the suspense of his cult tale grabbed me by the throat. I didn't sleep that night until the sun came up. For Hokum, I did manage to fall asleep, or at least collapse from the exhaustion of the rigors of the festival. But I did so with the haunting knowledge that if something came for me in the dark, I no longer had a voice — much less a scream — to call for help. And that is a new one, even for a horror fan who can't get enough of being scared out of my wits. 

Hokum is a seriously scary masterpiece. Like Caveat and Oddity, Hokum is twisted, horrifying, and darkly amusing. McCarthy has built on his skill for weaving together freaky folklore and compellingly quirky characters in a claustrophobic setting to deliver a supremely frightening thriller that swells in ambition as it does star power. It's a nerve-shredding, bone-rattling, scream-pulling good time, and an absolute blast to see in a theater. Don't miss it. 

Hokum was reviewed out of the SXSW film festival. Hokum opens in theaters on May 1.

TL;DR: Improve your memory with an app thanks to this lifetime subscription to the memoryOS Student Plan, now just $79.99 (reg. $198).

Opens in a new window Credit: memoryOS memoryOS Student Plan: Lifetime Subscription $79.99
$198 Save $118.01   Get Deal

You can get a personal trainer for your body, but what about your brain? Fortunately, there’s now an app for that — memoryOS. It gives users an average 70% increase in memory recall, and right now you can secure a lifetime subscription to the memoryOS Student Plan for just $79.99 (MSRP $198).

While there are many apps on the market promising they can give your memory a boost, memoryOS actually uses scientifically proven methods that truly work. With some help from memoryOS’s gamified microlessons, you can train your brain to remember important things.

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As the number one most-funded app on Kickstarter, memoryOS already has 500,000 users training their brains. It was co-founded by Jonas von Essen, a two-time World Memory Champion who won Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader, and uses proprietary virtual Mind Palace technology to help teach effective memorization.

memoryOS employs Mind Palace technology to serve as your mind’s storage space, and mnemonics and spaced repetition, both time-tested, scientifically proven ways to boost your memory.

The memoryOS Student Plan isn’t only available to students — it’s for anyone looking to boost their memory. You’ll get 140 Loci, which are structured mind storage spaces for organized recall, 52 interactive micro-lessons, 11 lifelong memory skills, and 40 unlockable Loci Rewards to expand your mental capacity.

This lifetime subscription also gives you exclusive access to the Early Adopters private group, zero ads, and unlimited practice attempts to work on your skills.

Get this lifetime subscription to the memoryOS Student Plan for only $79.99 (reg. $198).

Want to see more deals? Visit the shop and use code MARCH15 to save an extra 15% sitewide through March 29. Exclusions apply.

StackSocial prices subject to change.