Technology

When I started building a smart home, my Samsung Frame TV served as the hub that connected everything together. Now the brains of home is a tiny box that controls everything locally instead of relying on the cloud. It’s called Home Assistant Green, and it’s the single best investment I’ve made in my smart home.

I always felt uneasy when someone asked to see my phone, as all my private WhatsApp chats were there, wide open. Luckily, I explored a feature that allowed me to lock the entire WhatsApp app on my phone as well as on my desktop.

Everyone knows that PC airflow is important. If you don't keep your thermals low, your components might overheat. If that happens, your performance will drop. But the advice about airflow that gets repeated online often comes without any context. The truth is, a lot of airflow tips are baseless.

Have you heard people say that "all Linux is the same?" Are you unsure how two Linux distributions that share a software base can be different? Let me explain what's going on, and why developers have made so many distros.

The Porsche Taycan delivers jaw-dropping performance, blending EV speed with supercar handling and sleek sports-sedan practicality. Few cars, gas or electric, can match its combination of power, precision, and cutting-edge tech.

Replica consoles are a great way to enjoy retro gaming without dealing with aging consoles that are slowly breaking down. But of course, they're not the real thing, and there are some things to keep in mind when considering them.

If you’re in the market for a new smart TV, it can be overwhelming. There are numerous types of TVs, each with distinct features, operating systems, and specifications that make them different. But there may be a simple and better solution: buying a projector.

When I was in high school, only those in the know used Gmail instead of AOL or Yahoo, and I relished getting an invite to try out Google's approach to email. It’s a different world now, one where I feel like the odd one for not using Gmail. But it’s true—I haven’t used Gmail for years. I’ve found something better, at least for me.

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

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Sunday, July 27, 2025:

AcrossIn addition

• The answer is Also.

Psithurism, n. "The sound of ___ rustling through the trees"

• The answer is Wind.

Like scones and stoners

• The answer is Baked.

Retail chain with an average store size of 300,000 square feet (roughly three city blocks!)

• The answer is IKEA.

Work station

• The answer is Desk.

DownUp

• The answer is Awake.

Social media currency

• The answer is Likes.

Tiptoe around

• The answer is Sneak.

Like 2025, but not 2026

• The answer is Odd.

Contractor's offer

• The answer is Bid.

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

Featured Video For You The Wordle Strategy used by the New York Times' Head of Games

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.

Retro video games are always fun to return to, but what about movies with retro video games? I’m not talking about movies based on video games, though there are some campy exploits in films like Super Mario Bros. and Street Fighter. I’m talking about movies that made video games seem like far more than just a diversion after school.

Football is back! And while that's exciting, the NFL has cut deals with even more streaming services, and trying to watch games this year will be an absolute mess. Here's what you need to know about the 10 different channels or streaming services you'll need to watch the NFL this season.

What happens when you run a Linux command? This simple act can appear straightforward, but many different things can actually occur, depending on whether you’re running an executable program, a shell script, a shell builtin, a user-defined function, or an alias.

2025 is halfway over, and there are still plenty of movies to look forward to. There’s a spiffy new Fantastic Four film, the conclusion to Wicked, and another dose of James Cameron’s Avatar come Christmas. With so much to look forward to, it’s easy to forget the first crop of films from this year.

2025 has been a great year for foldable smartphones. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 shows just how far the technology has developed; Motorola is easing the devices into a more wallet-friendly position; and Huawei's amazing tri-fold Mate XT is pushing them in a whole new direction. Foldables are ready for prime time. All we need now is Apple to join in.

Do you remember being told to make sure you knew who you were really talking to on the internet? We’ve now entered an era where the question of what you’re talking to has become just as relevant.

Despite its clunky name, the Acer Predator XB273K V5 is an excellent monitor with a ton of convenient features. Easy to set up, intuitive to use, and an excellent addition to any gaming rig, and it's not outlandishly expensive either.

Rarely does a headphone release generate massive buzz off its design alone. The Nothing Headphone (1) did just that.

Combining old-school aesthetics with modern functionality, these wireless cans currently have the undivided attention of audiophiles and hypebeasts with an affinity for stylishly crafted audio products. Well, I strongly recommend tempering expectations.

The Headphone (1) reward you with strong active noise cancellation, battery life, and sound. Nothing’s see-through design isn’t for everyone, and those who find it intriguing will either be happy or disappointed when unboxed. These headphones are also rough around the edges in certain ways.

Come see what I’m talking about.

The author wearing the Nothing Headphone (1). Credit: Alex Bracetti / Mashable Nothing Headphone (1) wireless headphones specs and setup

The Headphone (1) have an impressive spec sheet. See for yourself.

• Speaker Driver Unit: 40mm

• Frequency Response: 20 Hz – 40,000 Hz

• Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation

• 4-mic AI-backed environmental noise cancellation

• KEF acoustic engineering

• Bluetooth 5.3 with Hi-Res Audio, LDAC, and USB-C lossless playback

• IP52 dust and water resistance

• 35 hours of battery with ANC on / 80 hours with ANC off

• 5-minute quick charging equals 5 hours of listening time (ANC off)

• Colors: Black and white

Pairing is both simple and unique. These headphones have something I’ve never seen before — a Bluetooth button discreetly hidden inside the bottom right of the right earcup. Powering on the headphones will enable pairing mode to connect to iOS/macOS or Android devices; the latter takes advantage of one-tap Google Fast Pair. 

The Nothing app (iOS/Android) grants access to a variety of personalized features, and it supports firmware updates.

SEE ALSO: Our first impression of the Nothing Headphone (1): Their price tag makes sense

Nothing developed a singular control scheme for seamless operation. All controls are placed on the right earcup. There’s an action button on the front to assign advanced functions (e.g., digital assistance, EQ preset, mic mute). The real attraction is the roller that adjusts volume by scrolling left or right. It even serves as a multifunctional button to activate listening modes and playback. Below the roller is a paddle for call management and fast forward/rewind. Everything works exceptionally well.

A meticulous, yet polarizing design

This design isn’t for everyone. On top of that, the headphones don’t look as cool as they do in press images. That doesn’t mean you can’t appreciate Nothing’s artful ingenuity.

The retro look might not be everyone's cup of tea. Credit: Alex Bracetti / Mashable

Details are everything, and the Headphone (1) don’t run short of them. The clean white box on the inside has an embossed imprint of the headphones that exudes minimalist art vibes. The oval cassette tape housings evoke Sony Walkman memories, while the rectangular earcups are a nice callback to vintage home audio headphones. Small touches like the angular arms and dot imprints showcase the brand’s chic craftsmanship. IP54 certification protects the headphones from dust, sweat, and water splashing.

Unfortunately, the Headphone (1) are clunky and heavy (11.6 ounces). They clank together when the earcups are swiveled, which chips the metallic paint job over time.

SEE ALSO: Dyson’s first stand-alone headphones look like a vacuum, but sound incredible Great sound and even greater noise cancellation

The Headphone (1) aren’t going to win any audiophile awards. Nonetheless, KEF tuned the soundstage to produce a satisfying mix of lows, mids, and highs. 

Sound was mostly pleasant right out of the box. Playing with the EQ improved it. There was the option to create a sound profile by manually adjusting frequencies or select from four presets: Balanced (default), More Bass, More Treble, and Voice. More Treble offered the most stable sound. 

You'll want to adjust the EQ. Credit: Alex Bracetti / Mashable

The electric guitar riff and striking drums on Green Day’s “Walking Contradiction” were impactful and put me in headbanger mode. Run the Jewels’ “ooh la la” had tremendous reverberation, highlighted by monstrous bass that extended and decayed smoothly with each sporadic snare strike. Mids and highs were decent. Ballads like Mariah Carey’s “We Belong Together” delivered bright and crisp vocals that were accentuated when the singer exercised her pitch range in the outro.

Android devices provided the best listening experience via LDAC. The audio codec streams music at a high bitrate and maintains the nuance from original recordings. Spotify songs sounded compressed on my MacBook Pro, but they received a hi-res boost on my OnePlus 11 and Nothing Phone (3) smartphones. The same went for all other content. Enabling the low lag mode reduces latency when watching videos. 

It’s also fantastic that the headphones support lossless playback through USB-C connection. I noticed a huge difference in clarity on Apple Music tracks when plugged into my MacBook Pro. Nothing’s spatial audio mode won’t wow you like Apple’s or Bose’s 3D audio format, but it’s acceptable if you want theater-like acoustics. 

Nothing’s real-time adaptive ANC performed better than I anticipated. The technology suppressed various sounds across the frequency spectrum. Common distractions like chatty pedestrians and household appliances went unnoticed. High-pitched sounds (e.g., crying babies, sirens, whistles) were minimized. I used Transparency mode religiously at home, specifically when cooking. The mics picked up vocals clearly and made it easy to communicate with the missus from across the room. This feature was most useful outdoors; I could hear people walking behind me and cars coming from a block away.

ANC playtime is reasonable (35 hours), though you can get more than double the battery life when turning it off (up to 80 hours). Fast charging maximizes usage: a five-minute charge generates five hours of listening time (ANC off).

Unpolished areas and other concerns

The Headphone (1) demonstrated many flaws. Connectivity was wonky in multipoint mode (audio stuttered when several feet away from my primary device). The short 3.5mm and USB-C cables weren’t practical for desktop/laptop use. Wear detection barely worked, and when it did, there was always a three-second delay. 

Another issue that must be addressed is that the headphones aren’t foldable. This makes them less convenient to carry and exposes certain parts to damage.

Are the Nothing Headphone (1) worth it?

If you’re a brand enthusiast or a fan of retro-looking headphones who wants adequate ANC and sound at an attainable price, then the Nothing Headphone (1) will suffice. Everyone else will want to consider other premium options. 

KEF’s soundstage brings depth and richness to most tracks. Playing with the EQ gets you better results, and lossless playback boosts audio performance. I’m shocked by how effective ANC is on these headphones. The technology neutralizes unwanted noise at a high level and raises ambient awareness when in transparency mode. The extra-long playtimes also come in handy when traveling. 

My controversial take is that the Headphone (1) look better as a concept than an actual release. Their appearance is nostalgically appealing, and some elements are attractive, but they don’t have the same charm in person as they do in advertisements. Factor in their shortcomings and we’re talking about a questionable investment.

Nothing Headphone (1) $299 at Amazon
Shop Now

The reviews are in, and fans and critics alike are charmed by The Fantastic Four: First Steps. This MCU reboot of this repeatedly failed superhero family franchise has wowed audiences with its enchanting retro-futuristic aesthetic, truly massive Big Bad, a thought-provoking trolley problem, and plenty of star power, courtesy of Joseph Quinn, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Pedro Pascal. But you know what it's missing? A thirst-trap moment that would have been a wickedly smart re-interpretation of early-days MCU spectacle. 

Remember back when part of the MCU's standard iconography was a random thirst trap moment, usually involving its titular male hero brandishing his muscles, bare-chested? 

SEE ALSO: Does Pedro Pascal die in this? We'll tell you!

Iron Man did it in his MCU kick-off while repairing his arc reactor. Captain America showcased his supersoldier serum transformation, chiefly through his freshly plumped pecs. Thor paired no shirt with black denim when he fish-out-of-watered in his eponymous intro film. The Hulk showed off Mark Ruffalo's manly chest hair in Avengers: Age of Ultron (and its green and beefy CGI recreation over and over). Ant-Man displayed washboard abs while cleaning some slyly placed scratches. It was a thing… that abruptly went away as the sequels stacked up and the movies grew more stern. (I distinctly remember the collective disappointment when, in Captain America: Civil War, Cap tried to stop a helicopter takeoff with his bare hands, jarringly shirt-on.) 

Maybe such unabashed ogling of dangerously dehydrated, fastidiously worked-out bodies has fallen out of fashion. But there was a very simple way for the MCU to reboot its thirst traps in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. And Pedro Pascal didn't even need to go shirtless for it. He would have simply needed to unbutton a bit.

Pedro Pascal should have rolled up his sleeves in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Literally.  Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch and Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic. Credit: Jay Maidment / © 2025 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2025 MARVEL

Why? Because it's hot. And that's not just me saying that. 

In 2015, Buzzfeed recognized the effect that rolled-up shirt sleeves have on men-lovers with a listicle with only the subhead "Because he looks sexy with his ~sleeves~ pushed back" for context. There are Reddit posts on this topic, TikTok trends bursting with thirst. Men's Health covered the sexiness of rolled-up sleeves in 2021, saying, "It signifies strength, safety, and a metaphorical unbuttoning: Here, the forearms say, is a man who's willing to get his hands dirty and put in the work." 

It's just a biological fact that for those who lust after men, a man rolling up his shirt sleeves is sexy. The why might be debated. But there's something to the idea of it giving an otherwise academic-looking guy an illicit sense of ruggedness. Think Indiana Jones (who also tapped into the sexy trope of "slutty little glasses"). Sure. This professor/adventurer is dashing in his leather jacket. But when it came to the illustrated poster of Raiders of the Lost Arc, the marketing team knew what sells: rolled-up sleeves!  

The Fantastic Four: First Steps had the perfect (but missed opportunity) for a thirst trap.  Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic and Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman. Credit: Jay Maidment / © 2025 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2025 MARVEL.

Director Matt Shakman was so close to bringing this treasured trope into his Fantastic Four reboot. There's a scene where it would have totally made sense for the brilliant Mr. Fantastic to literally roll up his sleeves as he did so metaphorically. 

In this scene, Reed Richards, dressed in a blazer, slacks, dress shirt, and tie, strides before a blank chalkboard, ready to science up a solution for how to best Galactus. Then Reed removes his blazer, presumably to show he's getting down to business. It's an effective storytelling visual, sure. But Shakman could have added some sex appeal by simply directing Pascal to roll up those dress shirt sleeves! We'd take a long shot. We'd love an insert, just a flash of forearm as Reed scribbles on the chalkboard, Pascal's face in earnest profile. It could have been simple, sexy, and sublime. 

Now, there is a scene in which Reed and Sue are talking about their options regarding saving the life of their child, and in it, Reed's sleeves are rolled up. But First Steps' doesn't make a moment of it the way it did the bare-chest reveals. It's matter-of-fact, not thirst-trapping. And yeah, given the context of this dramatic scene, that's sensible. But as this movie overall proves, there's room for levity — and horniness! — in the MCU's new wave. So more of that, please.

With Fantastic Four: First Steps, there's a path to a new MCU. It need not offer the (arguably) cheap thrills of shirtless superheroes that the early waves gave us. But it could abandon the dourness and chasteness that's made the post-snap movies such a bummer. And maybe it could start with a thirst-trapping sleeve roll?

We'll next see Pascal as Reed in Avengers: Doomsday. Maybe then would be a good time to make up for this missed opportunity? Come on, Mr. Fantastic. Do it for the girls and the gays. 

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is now in theaters.

TL;DR: Get lifetime access to a safe and legal content aggregator for $14.99 with code BITMAR5 at checkout (reg. $150).

Want to know something embarrassing? I once had the craving to watch SpongeBob SquarePants as an adult, and decided to watch it on one of those free streaming websites…and I got a computer virus…and it wiped my whole hard drive. If only I had found BitMar sooner.

Instead of landing on questionably legal websites to find free movies, TV shows, or music, BitMar scrapes the web for actually free content and puts it all in one place. You know, so you don’t end up like me and lose your precious Metallica concert videos, only to still be bitter about it 10 years later. Be smart and get a BitMar lifetime subscription now for $14.99 with code BITMAR5 at checkout (reg. $150).

How does BitMar work?

BitMar runs on the same tech as the Bing search engine, but it’s fine-tuned to focus only on free streaming content. Instead of typing in random words into a search bar, you’ll use BitMar’s clean interface where you can search by title, actor, genre, or a specific channel.

Then, when the results come up, you aren’t rolling the dice with whatever sketchy results may pop up — you get clean results that are more than likely safe and completely free.

Plus, since a lot of the content is simply what different channels make available online, I find that there are different movies or shows available day to day. So, if there’s something that interests you one day, make sure to watch it before it disappears.

Find free movies and shows online with a BitMar lifetime subscription, now $14.99 with code BITMAR5 (reg. $150).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: BitMar BitMar Streaming Content-Finder: Lifetime Subscription $14.99
$150 Save $135.01 Get Deal

TL;DR: Curiosity Stream lifetime subscriptions are at an all-time low price through August 1: $149.97 (reg. $399.99). Then, the price will go back up to $199.99.

Streaming services are starting to feel like cable with better branding: rising prices, confusing tiers if you don’t want ads, and more filler than good content. But there’s one platform quietly winning over documentary lovers with thousands of films and shows, zero ads, and no monthly fees.

It’s called Curiosity Stream, and right now you can save 62% on a lifetime subscription. The price is jumping up after August 1, but you still have time to lock in lifelong access with zero fees, ads, or password-sharing restrictions.

Why you’ll love Curiosity Stream

Founded by the guy behind the Discovery Channel, Curiosity Stream is packed with high-quality nonfiction content. We’re talking beautifully produced, educational films and shows across science, tech, nature, history, and more — brain food, not brain rot. Think deep dives into space exploration, ancient civilizations, and wild animals that don’t end in a CGI battle.

The platform is also home to original and exclusive series you won’t find anywhere else, like Engineering the Future, Planet of Treasures, and Deep Time History. New content is added weekly, so your watchlist stays fresh without relying on filler shows that come and go just to keep you subscribed.

Plus, you don’t have to deal with account-sharing crackdowns like you do on Netflix. Watch from multiple devices, download episodes to go, and stream freely without being told you’re in the “wrong household.”

Don’t miss this Curiosity Stream lifetime deal: $149.97 until August 1 at 11:59 p.m. PT with no coupon needed. After that, the price will be $199.99.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Curiosity Stream Curiosity Stream Standard Plan: Lifetime Subscription $149.97
$399.99 Save $250.02 Get Deal