Technology

SAVE $70: As of Jan. 5, Beats Solo 4 are on sale for $129.95 at Amazon. That's a 35% discount on the list price.

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$199.95 Save $70   Get Deal

If you want to kick off the new year with great sound, check out this latest Amazon deal on the Beats Solo 4. Currently $70 off, you'll be getting a premium pair of headphones available in a wide range of colors, including black and gold, cloud pink, matte black, metallic pink, and slate blue.

The headphones use a custom acoustic design with updated drivers for a strong, balanced Beats sound. They also boast support for personalised Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking. They’re lightweight and designed to be worn all day, with a flex-grip headband, angled adjustable ear cups, and UltraPlush cushions, so they're comfortable as well as functional.

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The battery life promises to last up to 50 hours, and the Fast Fuel feature will give you around five hours of listening from a 10-minute charge. You can listen to high-resolution lossless audio via USB-C or a 3.5 mm cable, and they work easily with both iOS and Android thanks to one-touch pairing.

And as of Jan. 5, they are down to just $129.95. Get this headphones deal from Amazon now.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you're a social media addict.

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 5, 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: Done on Instagram

• Green: The edge

• Blue: Museum subjects

• Purple: A single letter

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Things you can do on social media

• Green: Furthest point

• Blue: Art movements with "-ism"

• Purple: What "V" might mean

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #939 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Things you can do on social media: COMMENT, LIKE, LURK, POST

• Furthest point: END, EXTREME, OPPOSITE, POLE

• Art movements with "-ism": BRUTAL, IMPRESSION, MANNER, REAL

• What "V" might mean: FIVE, VERSUS, VERY, VOLT

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 5, 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 don't waste time.

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 5, 2026 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for January 5, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Slapped together

The words are related to pace.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe fast-pased terms.

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 Quick and Dirty.

NYT Strands word list for January 5

• Brisk

• Swift

• Speedy

• Quick and Dirty

• Grubby

• Filthy

• Stained

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 an equestrian.

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 5, 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 5, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A young horse.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter L appears twice.

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...

FILLY

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 5, 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.

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 Monday, Jan. 5, 2026:

Across"Now I get it!"

• The answer is Aha.

Benoit ___, detective in the "Knives Out" films

• The answer is Blanc.

Give one's two cents

• The answer is Opine.

Time difference between the East and West Coast, in hours

• The answer is Three.

Pirate's assent

• The answer is Aye.

DownGeneration after Gen Z

• The answer is Alpha.

In need of a shave

• The answer is Hairy.

"Bonne ___!" ("Happy New Year!," in French)

• The answer is Annee.

Many a social media antagonist, sadly

• The answer is Bot.

First in "class"?

• The answer is Cee.

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

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

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

Jimmy Kimmel picked up the prize for best talk show at the Critics Choice Awards on Sunday, and he made sure to pay tribute to one of the many people that's made it all possible: Donald Trump.

"FIFA Peace Prize would have been better, but this is nice too," said Kimmel as he took to the stage, making reference to the controversial award given to the U.S. president by football's governing body.

SEE ALSO: Critics Choice Awards nominations 2026: 'Sinners' and 'One Battle After Another' take a commanding lead

"Thanks to all the writers and actors and producers and union members, many of who are in this room, who supported us, who really stepped forward for us, and reminded us that we do not take free speech for granted in this city or in this country. Your actions were important, and we appreciate them. And most of all I want to thank our president, Donald Jennifer Trump — without whom we would be going home empty-handed tonight," Kimmel continued.

"So thank you, Mr President, for all the many ridiculous things you do each and every day. It's been a banner couple of weeks and we can't wait to get back on the air tomorrow night to talk about them."

Kimmel's speech makes reference to the many people in the entertainment industry, including fellow late show hosts like Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver, who came to his defence after ABC's parent company Disney suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! in Sept. 2025. The decision was made following a threat from Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair Brendan Carr's to punish ABC over comments made by Kimmel during a monologue following the killing of far-right commentator Charlie Kirk.

Kimmel's show was reinstated less than a week later, with the host's return monologue becoming the most-watched on his YouTube channel.

We've rounded up the full list of winners at the Critics Choice Awards on Mashable.

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier if you know baseball.

As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

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

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

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. 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: Striking options

• Green: Missing the same letter

• Blue: Same team

• 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: Golf shots

• Green: Basketball stats in singular form

• Blue: New York Mets retired numbers

• Purple: ____ block

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 #469 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Golf shots - APPROACH, CHIP, DRIVE, PUTT

• Basketball stats in singular form - BLOCK, FOUL, POINT, TURNOVER

• New York Mets retired numbers - PIAZZA, STENGEL, STRAWBERRY, WRIGHT

• ____ block - CHOP, PANCAKE, PASS, RUN

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 5, 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 5, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for Jan. 5 Pips

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

Equal (2): Everything in this red space must be equal to 2. The answer is 6-2, placed horizontally; 0-2, placed horizontally.

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

Number (12): Everything in this space must add up to 12. The answer is 4-6, placed vertically; 6-6, placed vertically.

Number (11): Everything in this space must add up to 11. The answer is 1-5, placed horizontally; 6-6, placed vertically.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for Jan. 5 Pips

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

Number (6): Everything in this red space must add up to 6. The answer is 4-0, placed horizontally; 1-6, placed vertically.

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

Equal (0): Everything in this yellow space must be equal to 0. The answer is 6-0, placed horizontally; 0-0, placed horizontally; 0-3, placed vertically.

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

Number (10): Everything in this green space must add up to 10. The answer is 1-2, placed horizontally; 4-4, placed horizontally.

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

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

Hard difficulty hints, answers for Jan. 5 Pips

Number (11): Everything in this purple space must add up to 11. The answer is 4-4, placed vertically; 3-1, placed vertically.

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

Number (11): Everything in this light blue space must add up to 11. The answer is 5-5, placed vertically; 6-1, placed horizontally.

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

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

Number (11): Everything in this space must add up to 11. The answer is 5-2, placed horizontally; 3-3, placed vertically.

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

Number (11): Everything in this lower light blue space must add up to 11. The answer is 0-6, placed horizontally; 5-1, placed horizontally.

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

Ring has long ruled the home security camera niche, and its newest release, the Outdoor Cam Pro, continues to prove why this is the case. New visual technology, AI-powered features, and excellent surveillance tools make it an amazing camera, though it all comes at the usual Ring price.

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) isn't a gaming showcase, but gamers should pay attention, anyway.

CES 2026 kicks off this week, running Jan. 6 to 9, meaning all the biggest tech brands in the world have converged on Las Vegas to show off their wares. For people who love video games, CES is less a chance to see up and coming titles from big publishers and more a way to find out about upcoming video game hardware, specifically in the PC space. In other words, don't expect to hear much from Nintendo, PlayStation, or Xbox directly, even taking into account that parent companies like Sony and Microsoft will have some presence at the show.

SEE ALSO: CES 2026 live updates: The latest news, surprises, strange tech, and more

Still, that doesn't mean gamers should tune out CES entirely. Here are some gaming trends you can expect to hear about at CES 2026.

Gaming laptops galore, but how much will they cost? Nvidia's GeForce RTX 50 Series announcement was one of the biggest moments of CES 2025. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

Gaming-focused laptops are always on display at CES, and this year shouldn't be an outlier in that regard. We know that manufacturers like Razer and Asus will be at the show in one way or another, so don't be surprised to see powerful new laptops from them at CES.

In terms of what has come out ahead of the event, we do know that Asus is reportedly working on a new dual-screen gaming laptop because the company all but announced it on X in December. This appears to be a rework of the ROG Zephyrus Duo laptop from a few years ago. Asus hasn't touched it since 2023, so maybe a redesign is in order. Don't be shocked to see that at CES.

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Beyond that, Lenovo is said to have a gaming laptop with a horizontal rollable display in the works, which could very well end up at CES this year. Lenovo has experimented with rollable displays in its non-gaming laptops before, but this one supposedly has Legion branding, which is what Lenovo uses for gaming devices. The display supposedly has a 21:9 aspect ratio when fully unrolled and an Intel core processor of some kind.

Speaking of Intel, the company has already confirmed that it will show off its new Panther Lake CPUs at CES. It's totally possible (though not certain) that we will see some powerful gaming laptops with these inside of them. The same goes for AMD, which is holding a keynote on Monday. We could see some devices with its powerful new Ryzen CPU built in, too.

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The only problem with all of this is that widespread memory shortages due to the proliferation of AI data centers has made computer components enormously expensive. This has implications for both console and PC gaming, and it will be worth watching at CES for which gaming laptops have prices attached to them and which ones do not. Will companies jack prices up, or stick with lower specs to keep prices down? We'll have to wait and see.

Updates to handheld gaming PCs, perhaps We went hands on with the Lenovo Legion Go 2 in Oct. 2025. Credit: Alex Perry / Mashable

All of these new chips could potentially find their way into handheld gaming PCs, as well. We know that Lenovo has a new Legion Go with SteamOS built in for anyone who doesn't want to use Windows anymore, so that could show up at CES.

This is still a growing and emerging market category, and it seems ripe for more devices beyond the Legion Go 2 to appear at CES. We'll keep our eyes peeled for these as we explore the show floor.

Flashy new gaming monitors They come in all sizes and shapes. Credit: Frederic J. Brown / AFP via Getty Images

Monitors are kind of the unsung heroes of any gaming PC build. Fortunately, they aren't forgotten at CES.

As usual, expect to see monitors with higher resolutions and refresh rates than you're used to seeing. Back in December, Philips announced a 1440p monitor with a blazing fast 500Hz refresh rate. That's wild in its own right, but it also reportedly has 1080p/1000Hz modes, too. Those are big numbers! It will definitely be worth checking those out if they appear at CES, which seems likely given the timing of the announcement.

Aside from that, Chinese monitor company HKC announced an RGB mini LED monitor recently, too. Rather than focusing on higher refresh rates, the idea here is to achieve better color accuracy through the use of RGB technology. Don't think they're skimping on the other specs, though, as this monitor evidently will run at 4K with a 165Hz refresh rate. That's no slouch.

Head to the Mashable CES 2026 hub for the latest news and live updates from the biggest show in tech, where Mashable journalists are reporting live.

Hummingbird feeders have become so popular that they've altered the evolution of these beloved backyard visitors. And soon, a new smart bird feeder from Birdfy will let backyard bird watchers capture hummingbirds in 120 frames per second slow-motion video, fast enough to capture their smallest movements. It's called the Birdfy Hum Bloom, and it features some unique characteristics that sets it apart from other smart bird feeders.

Mashable stopped by the Birdfy booth at CES Unveiled, a media preview event that takes place before CES 2026 to check out the new device.

SEE ALSO: What to expect at CES 2026

While the company couldn't share an exact release date for the product, it confirmed a 2026 launch. The Birdfy Hum Bloom is already an honoree in this year's CES Innovation Awards, along with several other Birdfy products, including a smart birdbath that can be used year-round.

The Birdfy Hum Bloom Credit: Timothy Beck Werth / Mashable The Birdfy Bath Pro Credit: Timothy Beck Werth / Mashable

Of course, you can already find a ton of smart bird feeders on the market, including the popular Bird Buddy, a crowdfunding success story, Mashable favorite, and 2025 CES highlight. However, the Birdfy Hum Bloom has some features that make it stand out. The device features a unique shape and design that more closely resembles an actual flower, and which Birdfy says will also make it easier to refill.

The smart bird feeder features an 8MP camera that can capture 4K video. However, we're most excited about its slow-motion video capabilities. Hum Bloom can record slow-motion video at 120 fps. Hummingbirds can flap their wings up to 70 times per second, so you should be able to film these beautiful birds like never before.

Credit: Timothy Beck Werth / Mashable

Birdfy's official product description says the Hum Bloom is "not just a beautiful backyard decoration, but a revolutionary smart feeder for discovery," one that was engineered to make filming notoriously elusive hummingbirds easier but function as a less messy bird feeder. The company's bird identifying AI tech, Birdfy OrniSense AI, is also installed within the device and can recognise over 150 species in the Birdfy app, where you can also make clips of your footage. And if nectar is running low in the feeder, you'll get a notification to top it up.

Head to the Mashable CES 2026 hub for the latest news and live updates from the biggest show in tech, where Mashable journalists are reporting live.

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Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Project 2021 Professional: Lifetime License for Windows $9.97
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There was something undeniably weird about 2016. Not weird in the charming, "remember Vine?" sense, but weird in the way history feels right before it tips over.

It marked a slow descent into collective unease, beginning with the surreal recapture of El Chapo, winding through celebrity deaths and the mainstreaming of one particular cartoon frog, and finally cratering with the presidential election of reality TV star Donald Trump. At the time, many outlets openly wondered whether 2016 was the worst year ever.

And yet, for a certain slice of Gen Z, 2016 wasn't the beginning of the end. It was the last good summer of our lives. According to GWI, 42 percent of Gen Z respondents report feeling nostalgic for the 2010s — a sentiment especially visible on TikTok, where obsession with 2016 has become its own trend.

It's not surprising, as nostalgia is an inevitable part of life. People are already talking about how "good we had it" in 2020, even though, by some crucial metrics, that year was even worse. But for older Gen Z, 2016 — more specifically, the summer of 2016 — hits a particular part of the brain. For many of us, it was the last time we were allowed to be kids.

It was the year I graduated high school. Senior prom. My first election. The last time I saw my dad. And, inexplicably, the one brief week when I genuinely cared about Pokémon.

As Tess May writes for Rowdy, maybe it's a longing for a time before — when the internet meant Vine, Harambe memes, Snapchat dog ears, and rainbow filters. "It's Gen Z saying, 'We want the internet to feel human again,'" May writes.

Part of what makes 2016 nostalgia so sticky is how thoroughly it's been repackaged by platforms. On TikTok alone, "2016 vibes" has become its own aesthetic: filters that blur the present just enough to resemble memory, POV videos about being a teenager again, and rankings of songs that somehow sound better when they’re stripped of everything that came after.

As one breakdown of the trend notes, it’s not a coincidence that so many people are yearning for the internet before it became fully algorithmic, before every post felt like it was auditioning for engagement.

That yearning isn’t really about the year itself. It’s about what life felt like before everything became so performative and optimized; before being online meant building a brand; before politics consumed every feed; and before the future felt permanently foreclosed. In that sense, 2016 becomes a stand-in for a broader desire. A time when things still felt lighter, even if that lightness was more a product of youth than reality.

The danger, of course, is that nostalgia flattens history. As The New Republic points out, Gen Z’s longing often isn’t for a time they remember clearly, but for a version of the past they never truly experienced. That impulse can drift beyond culture and into politics, turning "things were better back then" into something more reactionary, even if it starts from a place of exhaustion rather than ideology.

Still, it’s hard to ignore why this impulse exists at all. Gen Z came of age through financial crises, mass shootings, climate anxiety, a pandemic, and now a political landscape that feels permanently stuck in reruns. Compared to that, 2016 feels like the last moment before the feed refreshed and never stopped loading. Maybe it really was the last good summer. Or maybe it was just the last time we didn’t yet know how bad things were going to get.

Either way, the nostalgia says more about now than it does about 2016. And until the present feels livable again, we’ll probably keep looking backward, scrolling through a year that felt human enough to miss. Maybe in 2036, Mashable's Gen Alpha reporter will write about how 2026 was the last good year.

TL;DR: Live stream the 2025-26 Ashes series for free on 7plus. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Cricket fans have been treated to some truly special events this year. We've been dazzled by the Asia Cup, gripped by India's tour of England, and the ICC Champions Trophy produced some thrilling moments that we'll remember for a long time. But for now, it's time to forget all about that and focus on arguably the biggest contest on the stacked schedule: the 2025-26 Ashes series.

It really doesn't get much bigger than a five-Test showdown between bitter rivals England and Australia. England have not won a single Test in Australia since the 2010-11 series. They lost 5-0 in the 2013-14 series and then suffered back-to-back 4-0 defeats in 2017-18 and 2021-22. Can they turn things around and secure a rare win Down Under? It's not looking likely.

If you want to watch the 2025-26 Ashes series for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

What is The Ashes?

The Ashes is a Test cricket series contested biennially between England and Australia. There have been 73 Ashes series in total. Australia have won 34 and retained six times from draws. England have won 32 and retained once from a draw.

Australia are the holders of the Ashes after winning in 2021–22 and retaining after drawing in 2023.

When is the 2025-26 Ashes?

The 2025-26 Ashes series takes place in Australia between November 2025 and January 2026. The full schedule is as follows:

• Test 1 (Optus Stadium) — Nov. 21-25

• Test 2 (The Gabba) — Dec. 4-8

• Test 3 (Adelaide Oval) — Dec. 17-21

• Test 4 (MCG) — Dec. 26-30

• Test 5 (SCG) — Jan. 4-8

The good news for fans is that every Test match is available to live stream without spending anything.

How to watch the 2025-26 Ashes for free

The 2025-26 Ashes series is available to live stream for free on 7plus.

7plus is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Australia, meaning you can unblock 7plus from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the 2025-26 Ashes by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Australia

4. Visit 7plus

5. Watch the 2025-26 Ashes for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can live stream the 2025-26 Ashes series before recovering your investment. If you want to retain permanent access to the best free streaming sites from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for 7plus?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on 7plus, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Australia

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.95 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream the 2025-26 Ashes series for free with ExpressVPN.

The Galaxy Z TriFold is Samsung's futuristic new foldable phone, which is only available in Korea so far. This highly anticipated device doesn't even have a U.S. release date, but the hype for this phone is off the charts, and Mashable finally got the chance to go hands-on with the mobile device at CES 2026.

SEE ALSO: The Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold is coming to America soon: Everything we know so far

This phone is the closest we've ever gotten to the tri-folding tablets from Westworld, which are often held up as the ideal form factor for the foldables of the future. It's also a bit of a dunk on Apple, which has yet to bring its rumored iPhone Fold to market.

See the phone for yourself in our up-close preview from CES 2026.

Samsung held its CES First Look event at Wynn Las Vegas on Jan. 4 and outlined its vision for 2026 — the company wants "to be your companion for AI living." To that end, Samsung showed off a ton of new AI-powered TVs, appliances, and smart home products, but for many of the journalists and creators in attendance, it was all about the TriFold.

The phone had a limited release in South Korea on Dec. 12, and reviewers like Mrwhosetheboss have already given us a preview of the design and feature set. However, this was our first chance to actually go hands-on with the phone, if only for a few brief minutes.

When unfolded, the Galaxy Z TriFold is remarkably thin, and it has a vibrant AMOLED display. Because of the unique form factor, we think this phone will have a little bit of a learning curve, as it has to be folded in a particular way. It's also going to be thicker than most phones — at least, until it's unfolded.

When is the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold coming to America?

We don't have an official U.S. release date or price for the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold just yet, but we're hoping the phone will be launched alongside the new Galaxy S26 smartphones at an upcoming Unpacked event in January or February. If we're lucky, Samsung will drop some hints about the launch during CES. It will likely be priced at $2,500, which would make it Samsung's most expensive smartphone.

However, we expect this phone to sell out pretty much instantaneously. According to a recent report from Korean publication The Bell, Samsung is actually losing money on each TriFold it sells. So, think of it more as a proof of concept rather than a mass-produced, ready-for-market smartphone like the Galaxy Z Fold 7, which is probably more practical for the average user.

Every brand at CES wants to put some form of AI in your home, and at this point, it feels almost inevitable. The real question isn’t if you’ll get AI — it’s whether you want it minimal, wearable, living in your fridge, or packaged as a companion that’s just really, really cute.

SEE ALSO: CES 2026: Solver adds configurable haptic buttons to your smartphone

I'd personally choose the last option, and more specifically, I'd choose Ludens AI's concept companions Cocomo and INU. At CES 2026, the Japanese startup is leaning hard into the idea that AI companions can exist for presence rather than productivity. Cocomo and INU aren’t trying to clean your house, manage your calendar, or replace your phone. Instead, they’re designed to live alongside you.

Engadget's Karissa Bell was able to get a glimpse of it on the show floor at CES Unveiled.

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Cocomo is the more ambitious of the two AI companions. Ludens AI describes it as an everyday robot companion with an evolving personality and memory, built to form a relationship through shared routines rather than explicit commands. It moves with 10 degrees of freedom, uses expressive digital eyes, and relies on multi-sensory interaction — movement, sound, touch, and presence — to communicate. The pitch is less about what Cocomo does and more about how it grows with you, learning behaviors and reactions over time, so no two experiences are exactly the same.

INU, by contrast, is intentionally smaller and more contained. Marketed as a "desktop alien dog," it’s meant to sit with you while you work, reacting to voice, motion, and proximity with expressive movements and playful sounds. The restraint is part of the appeal as INU doesn’t pretend to be anything more than a desk companion.

Could the novelty of an expressive desk robot wear off? Sure, but as far as concepts go at CES, Luden AI's companions are the most quietly interesting ones on the show floor.

Head to the Mashable CES 2026 hub for the latest news and live updates from the biggest show in tech, where Mashable journalists are reporting live.

CES 2026 has officially kicked off with the annual CES Unveiled event, where tech companies of all sizes showcase their unique new products. One of those more unique items this year is Solver, a small, rectangular object that brings a pair of programmable haptic buttons to your smartphone.

SEE ALSO: Switchbot claims to have the 'most accessible humanoid housebot' at CES 2026

That's right, Solver literally adds two physical buttons to your mobile device. The tiny add-on magnetically clips on to the back of your iPhone or Android so you can easily tap on the buttons to activate them without having to even turn on your smartphone.

Credit: Mashable

And what do those two buttons do? Whatever you want. Solver's buttons are programmable, meaning each individual user can affix any action to each button. This means a tap on the top of Solver could simply directly open an app like Notes, YouTube, or Spotify. Alternatively, a user could get more adventurous with their programming and have a button tap launch a series of actions or Shortcuts. 

For example, a user can program Solver so that a tap of a button could automatically start recording video in an emergency, then when the recording ends that video can be automatically sent to a specific user via Messages. During the demo, Solver's team showcased an even more advanced set of actions where a user can share their location with a specific contact, place a 911 phone call, record audio, and sound an alarm all with a single tap on Solver.

Even more interesting is how Solver works. There is no need to charge Solver. In fact, there's no battery or wire or even Bluetooth connection involved at all. Solver connects with your smartphone using Near Field Communication (NFC) technology.

If you miss having more physical buttons on your iPhone, or just like the idea of being able to launch actions without even having to unlock your mobile device, Solver may be for you.

Solver is officially launching at CES this year, with multiple different color options, at a price point of $140.

Head to the Mashable CES 2026 hub for the latest news and live updates from the biggest show in tech, where Mashable journalists are reporting live.

At CES 2026, SwitchBot is using the onero H1 concept robot to make a clear statement about where it thinks smart homes are headed. Specifically, it's focusing less on adding another gadget and more on introducing a system that can actually do things.

Switchbot is debuting the onero H1 as an "accessible" household robot, and in a broader sense, a transition point. Moving from single-purpose smart devices to a general-purpose home robot that can adapt as needed.

SEE ALSO: CES 2026: This knife has a secret party trick. It vibrates when you cut with it.

Rather than anchoring the onero H1 to one killer feature, SwitchBot is framing it as a flexible platform built around embodied AI. The robot integrates visual perception, depth sensing, and tactile feedback, complemented by 22 degrees of freedom and an on-device OmniSense VLA model. In practical terms, that’s meant to help it handle the kind of small, contact-heavy household tasks that still trip up most consumer robots. This includes activities such as grasping objects, opening doors, or organizing items without being meticulously pre-programmed.

This is clearly a concept meant to signal direction, not a product ready for mass adoption. Still, in a CES increasingly crowded with AI talk and humanoid theatrics, the onero H1 stands out by focusing on something refreshingly basic: getting robots to reliably help around the house, instead of just looking impressive on a show floor.

Head to the Mashable CES 2026 hub for the latest news and live updates from the biggest show in tech, where Mashable journalists are reporting live.

I spent part of my Sunday night at CES 2026 chopping vegetables on the showroom floor of the Unveiled media event. But this wasn't your average cooking demo: My knife vibrated whenever I cut into a tomato.

SEE ALSO: What to expect at CES 2026

This might sound like some sort of twisted Cutthroat Kitchen challenge, but trust me — it's more practical than it sounds. Launching this month from the cutlery startup Seattle Ultrasonics, the C-200 UltraSonic Chef's Knife has an orange button on its handle that makes its eight-inch Japanese steel blade vibrate about 30,000 times per second. This allows it to slice through food more smoothly than a regular knife, as well as prevents crumbs from clinging to the blade. It also shouldn't need to be sharpened as frequently.

Slicing and dicing. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

Impressively, the C-200 only wiggles a distance of 10 to 20 microns when it vibrates — a quarter of the width of a grain of salt, per a PR rep — so you don't see or feel it move at all. It looks and handles like a standard chef's knife, albeit one on the heftier side. The only reason I'm confident that Seattle Ultrasonics wasn't punking me with a regular knife is because it occasionally made a sharp pinging noise if it was used while wet. It's the same high-pitched sound that a wine glass makes if you run a wet finger around its rim.

I wouldn't say the C-200 worked dramatically better than the nice new chef's knife I just got for Christmas, but it certainly sliced like a dream. I had no trouble getting it to cut paper-thin pieces of tomato with a light touch. Seattle Ultrasonics' rep likened it to riding a bike versus pedaling an e-bike in that it makes your experience more effortless.

Vibration aside, it's just a decent-looking knife. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The C-200 has been six years in the making, and the company claims it's the first ultrasonic knife on the market that's meant for home use. Commercial options are expensive and bulky; the smallest alternative is the size of a shoebox. To keep the C-200 small, its circuit board had to be folded on itself within the handle.

The C-200 can be bundled with a wireless mahogany charging tile (not pictured). Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The C-200 is IP65-rated for water resistance, meaning you can hand-wash it like any other chef's knife. Its removable battery is rechargeable via USB-C.

The C-200's first sold-out production run begins shipping later this month, and its second batch of reservations is now live on the Seattle Ultrasonics website ahead of a March release. It retails for $399 on its own and $499 with its wireless mahogany charging tile, so it's decidedly a splurge for serious home chefs. In its defense, other premium Japanese chef's knives cost that much and don't vibrate.

Opens in a new window Credit: Seattle Ultrasonics C-200 Ultrasonic 8-inch Chef's Knife $399 at Seattle Ultrasonics
  Shop Now Opens in a new window Credit: Seattle Ultrasonics C-200 Ultrasonic 8-inch Chef's Knife and Charger Bundle $499 at Seattle Ultrasonics
  Shop Now

Head to the Mashable CES 2026 hub for the latest news and live updates from the biggest show in tech, where Mashable journalists are reporting live.

Tonight the Moon is continuing to wane, meaning less of its sunlit side is visible from Earth than the night before. The lit up side will keep decreasing over the coming days until the New Moon.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Monday, Jan. 5, the moon phase is Waning Gibbous. According to The Sky Live, 95% of the moon will be lit up tonight.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Feb. 1.

What are moon phases?

NASA tells us that the Moon completes one full orbit of its phases in about 29.5 days, a period referred to as the lunar cycle. As the Moon travels around the Earth, it passes through a sequence of distinct phases. Although the same side of the Moon always faces Earth, the portion lit by the Sun changes depending on its position in orbit. This variation in sunlight is what causes the Moon to appear fully illuminated, partly lit, or completely dark at different points in the cycle. The lunar cycle is made up of eight phases:

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.