Technology

These days, we're all yearning for an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090—but two decades ago, it was a whole different story. Some Nvidia GPUs impressed with their immense capabilities, while others turned into a laughing stock and crashed and burned.

Helpers can be very useful in Home Assistant. A Toggle helper is an easy way to turn on Guest Mode, mute notifications, track states, and more. There are plenty of other helpers beyond the Toggle helper, and they can be even more powerful.

With the holiday season comes well-deserved vacations and sometimes, highly anticipated—yet very long—flights. Jet lag is often a side effect of these trips, but with only your phone, you can help your body adjust quickly with a few simple tricks.

When you get a NAS (Network-Attached Storage), there are usually a ton of features at your disposal. In fact, I personally found it intimidating when I first opened the dashboard and started opening dialogs. Now, these are the ones that I make the most use of.

Some people assume that Linux is totally cold and utilitarian. But as a long-time user, I know that Linux can be a real looker. If you'd like to spice up your Linux machine or find a gorgeous replacement for Windows, here are the best-looking distros you can install today.

These days I have a couple Roku Sticks and a pair of Roku TVs, and they handle almost all of my daily streaming. But even after dialing in my setup, including tweaking Roku’s privacy settings to cut down on tracking, one thing still drives me up the wall: buffering. Nothing is more frustrating than sitting down to watch something and seeing that little circle spin again and again.

You've probably seen developers and power users running secondary displays vertically. To me, it always looked weird and unnecessary—we’re used to seeing monitors in landscape orientation. However, once I actually gave portrait mode a real try on my secondary monitor, it was surprisingly hard to look back.

Smartphones are an essential aspect of our lives, and that includes a slew of important apps we all use daily. But there's one app in particular we all probably use the most, and Google's slowly but surely ruining it. Of course, I'm talking about Google Messages, which I have a love-hate relationship with, and here's why.

In a world dominated by wireless accessories, it’s easy to get swept up in the trend—especially when listening to music.

Can't get enough Critical Role after finishing Season 1 of The Mighty Nein or getting all caught up on Campaign 4? Don't worry, we've got you covered.

SEE ALSO: Which Critical Role campaign is funniest? The cast weighs in.

In the latest episode of Mashable's Say More interview series, Mashable Entertainment Reporter Belen Edwards tasks Critical Role cast members Laura Bailey, Taliesin Jaffe, Ashley Johnson, Matthew Mercer, Liam O'Brien, Marisha Ray, Sam Riegel, and Travis Willingham with a daunting mission. They must draft teams of player characters from their first three Dungeons & Dragons campaigns to square off in the ultimate Critical Role battle royale. That means usual allies and even romantic pairings like Keyleth (Ray) and Vax (O'Brien) could be going up against each other in a no-holds-barred fight to the finish.

For this edition of Choose Your Squad, the rules are simple: Once you choose a character, they're off the board for good. Try not to choose your own characters unless you absolutely have to, and most importantly, try to have a good time. Just kidding — crush your opponents in any way you see fit!

Which PC will be the first pick in the Critical Role draft, and are they the same PC O'Brien believes to be the obvious choice? Most importantly, is there any world in which Bertrand Bell (Willingham) doesn't get picked last? (Sorry, Bertrand.)

Watch the video above to find out, and let us know which Critical Role squad you think would take the win.

The Mighty Nein Season 1 is now streaming on Prime Video.

Don’t miss out on our latest stories: Add Mashable as a trusted news source in Google.

Are you tired of monthly software subscriptions eating into your budget? Wondering whether free alternatives can actually match paid tools? Here are three underrated open-source apps that helped me cancel my subscriptions to TickTick, Trello, Google Drive, and Mailchimp.

If you don't have a lot of experience working with the terminal, it might seem like an obtuse or intimidating black box. What you might not know is that the terminal can be fun to use. So much so, that you're inclined to use the command-line over a GUI whenever possible. There is definitely a learning curve and the more you work with the terminal, the more fluent you become. However, there are some commands that everyone should know.

Many people write Excel formulas for the computer, but experts write them for people. If your logic looks like a wall of text, it's a liability. These five simple habit shifts will help you tidy your syntax, simplify your logic, and make your spreadsheets easier to audit.

You don't need to reinstall your whole operating system just because you forgot your Linux login. It's actually pretty easy to reset your Linux password. All you need to know is the username (which is usually visible on the login screen). I'll show you two ways you can reset the password.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you love a quick read.

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 January 1, 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 January 1, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A short story.

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 F.

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...

FABLE

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for January 1, 2026

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.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you love a good cup of joe.

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 January 1, 2026 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for January 1, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Not your average joe

The words are related to a popular drink.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe java.

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 Coffee.

NYT Strands word list for January 1

• Bold

• Nutty

• Bitter

• Strong

• Coffee

• Aromatic

• Smooth

• Velvety

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.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you're into witchcraft.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for January 1, 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: Sorcery

• Green: To strip a layer

• Blue: A nerd

• Purple: They have the same beginning

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Bit of magic

• Green: Remove the covering from

• Blue: "Enthusiast" equivalent

• Purple: Butter___

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 #935 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Bit of magic: CHARM, CURSE, HEX, SPELL

• Remove the covering from: PEEL, SHELL, SHUCK, SKIN

• "Enthusiast" equivalent: BUFF, HEAD, HOUND, RAT

• Butter___: FINGERS, FLY, NUT, SCOTCH

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 January 1, 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 Connections: Sports Edition will be easier if you know collegiate sports.

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: Defense

• Green: Homes

• Blue: Teammates

• Purple: Same second word

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Try to stop a basketball shot

• Green: Locations of college football playoff teams

• Blue: First names of Philadelphia Eagles

• Purple: ____ six

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 #465 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Try to stop a basketball shot - CHALLENGE, CLOSE OUT, CONTEST, DEFEND

• Locations of college football playoff teams - ATHENS, BLOOMINGTON, EUGENE, OXFORD

• First names of Philadelphia Eagles - COOPER, DALLAS, JALEN, SAQUON

• ____ six - KICK, NEW YEAR'S, ORIGINAL, PICK

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.

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 January 1, 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 January 1, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for Jan. 1 Pips

Equal (5): Everything in this space must be equal to 5. The answer is 5-2, placed horizontally; 5-1, placed horizontally.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 5-2, placed horizontally; 0-3, placed vertically; 0-1, placed vertically.

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

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

Medium difficulty hints, answers for Jan. 1 Pips

Number (10): Everything in this purple space must add up to 10. The answer is 6-3, placed horizontally; 4-2, placed horizontally.

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 0-2, placed vertically; 4-2, placed horizontally; 2-6, placed vertically.

Number (10): Everything in this light blue space must add up to 10. The answer is 5-5, placed horizontally.

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

Number (10): Everything in this green space must add up to 10. The answer is 2-6, placed vertically; 4-0, placed horizontally..

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 6-0, placed horizontally; 4-0, placed horizontally.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for Jan. 1 Pips

Equal (6): Everything in this purple space must be equal to 6. The answer is 1-6, placed horizontally; 6-4, placed vertically.

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

Equal (4): Everything in this light blue space must be equal to 4. The answer is 6-4, placed vertically; 4-0, placed vertically; 4-4, placed horizontally.

Equal (2): Everything in this orange space must be equal to 2. The answer is 2-5, placed vertically; 2-2, placed horizontally; 2-6, placed vertically.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026:

AcrossWord on either side of "___-eat-___"

• The answer is Dog.

Word on either side of "___, all ___!"

• The answer is Mine.

Word on either side of "___ say ___"

• The answer is Never.

First-string squad

• The answer is ATeam.

Causes injury to

• The answer is Harms.

DownSomeone who might be swimming with the fishes

• The answer is Diver.

An hour past midnight

• The answer is One AM.

Hand sanitizer targets

• The answer is Germs.

Like a crossword clue about crossword clues

• The answer is Meta.

"I'll pass, thanks"

• The answer is Nah.

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

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

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