Technology

The Nintendo Switch 2 has been a huge sales success since its launch in June, and people are starting to buy games to go along with the new console.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A launched simultaneously on Switch and Switch 2 couple of weeks ago and is knocking it out of the park, sales-wise, according to a couple of different sources. The first is The Pokémon Company itself, which claimed in a press release (via GameSpot) that the game sold 5.8 million copies within a week of launch. That's not horribly surprising, but analyst Mat Piscatella of Circana also pointed out on Bluesky that the game had the biggest physical retail launch of any video game in the U.S. in at least two and a half years.

SEE ALSO: Nintendo is bringing back the reviled 'Virtual Boy' as a Switch accessory

For context, Piscatella said the last video game to do as well as Legends: Z-A is doing at brick-and-mortar stores was The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, another Nintendo exclusive, in May of 2023. Again, that doesn't even factor in digital sales, which make up a huge portion of all modern video game purchases. Piscatella didn't provide specific numbers, but as GameSpot pointed out, Tears of the Kingdom sold 10 million units (across physical and digital) in three days. Suffice it to say, Pokémon is doing quite well for itself if it's even remotely in that territory.

The Switch 2's lineup of exclusives is slowly rounding into form now, with Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, Kirby Air Riders, and Metroid Prime 4 all dropping before the end of the year, too. Those may not all do Pokémon numbers, but expect Nintendo to be sitting pretty by the time its next quarterly earnings report comes out.

SAVE $700: The Anker Solix C2000 Gen 2 is on sale at Amazon for $799, down from the normal price of $1,499. That's a 47% discount on the new model.

Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Anker Solix C2000 Gen 2 $799 at Amazon
$1,499 Save $700   Get Deal

Portable power stations come with year-round benefits. They're practically essential to take camping to keep phones charged and they're a lifeline when the power goes out at home. For those who have not yet made the investment in portable power, Anker has a new model that just launched today. Not only is packed with power, it's on a steep intro discount.

As of its launch on Oct. 28, the Anker Solix C2000 Gen 2 is on sale for $799 at Amazon, marked down from the list price of $1,499. That's a 47% discount on the new model that saves shoppers $700.

In testing, I've consistently found that Anker makes some top-tier portable power stations. Not only do they offer user-friendly features, the brand is always reaching for offering a smaller portable power station that charges quicker. That's exactly what they've come up with for the C2000 Gen 2.

In overall dimensions, the C2000 Gen 2 with its 2,048Wh LiFePO4 battery is hardly any larger in overall size compared to the Solix C1000 which offers 1,056Wh. When it comes to weight, however, the C2000 Gen 2 is a definitely chunkier. You're looking at 41 pounds compared to the C1000's weight of about 28 pounds. But that's to be expected since batteries are heavy.

SEE ALSO: Record-low price alert: The Anker Solix C800 Plus portable power station is under $350 at Amazon

The C2000 Gen 2 is also an ideal model if you're looking for portable power that can handle a 30amp plug. That could come in handy for those who are planning on winter RV or van adventures. The C2000 Gen 2 can handle sustained power output of 2,400W with a peak clocked in at 4,000W.

In terms of what 2,048Wh looks like IRL, Anker says this will keep your WiFi router online for 105 hours or keep the refrigerator cooling for 32 hours. Both of those are ideal in a power outage. The portable power station has five standard AC plugs, one 30amp, three USB-C ports (maximum 140W), and one USB-A.

Snag this brand new model while it's launching at a discount before the price shoots back to normal MSRP. You'll be saving $700 on the Solix C2000 Gen 2 right off the bat while ensuring the refrigerator can stay on during the next power outage.

Apple TV might’ve dropped the “+” from their brand just in time for November, but that doesn’t mean their quality of content has changed one bit.

SAVE $200: As of Oct. 28, the 15-inch Apple MacBook Air with the M4 chip and 256GB of storage is back down to its best price ever of $999. That's $200 or 17% off its list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $999 at Amazon
$1,199 Save $200   Get Deal

While we love the 13-inch M4 MacBook Air for students and bargain shoppers, we think the 15-inch model is really Apple's sweet spot for most people. Even at full cost, Mashable's Stan Schroeder labeled it "the best-buy Apple laptop, period." But we're certainly not going to argue with a $200 cheaper price tag.

As of Oct. 28, the 15-inch Apple MacBook Air with the M4 chip, 16GB RAM, and 256GB of storage is back on sale once again for just $999 in every color variety. That's 17% or $200 off its list price and aligns with its best price on record in most colors. The sky blue option very briefly dipped even lower to $969 once before, but it's the only color to ever see that extreme price drop.

The 15-inch Air isn't just our favorite MacBook for most people. It's also one of our favorite laptops of 2025, period. As Mashable's resident laptop expert Haley Henschel put it, "it's beautiful, long-lasting, unexpectedly peppy, and priced very fairly, making it super easy to recommend for basically anyone wanting a near-perfect ultraportable." Its power alone is seriously impressive. It notched a multi-core score of 14,992 in Geekbench 6's CPU test, our primary speed benchmark. That's less than two percent slower than the M4 MacBook Pro (and about 17 percent slower than the M5 Pro). For a non-Pro device, that's pretty wild. Our reviewer called it "almost overkill."

Besides the excellent price and processing power, the M4 Air also includes an improved 12MP FaceTime camera and open-lid support for two external displays, so you can still use its own screen when it's hooked up to monitors.

For creative professionals running intense editing apps and software regularly, we still recommend the MacBook Pro. For everyone else, we say go with the 15-inch M4 MacBook Air — especially while it's on sale for $200 off.

SAVE $84.99: As of Oct. 28, get the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro for $165, down from their usual price of $249.99. That's a discount of 34%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro $165 at Amazon
$249.99 Save $84.99   Get Deal

Ready to pick up a new pair of earbuds but don't know which ones to get? If you need help picking some out and don't want to spend all day comparing options, you can head to Amazon for an excellent deal on Samsung Galaxy Buds that you'll love using for the foreseeable future.

As of Oct. 28, get the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro for $165, down from their usual price of $249.99. That's $84.99 off and a discount of 34%.

SEE ALSO: The 8 best earbuds to buy in 2025, selected by Mashable audio experts

These impressive earbuds are, much like Apple's lineup, stem-based, with an attractive chrome finish that extends to their charging case. They're also some of Samsung's smartest and most capable pairs to date. They can adapt to the sound in your environment and automatically filter out noise if you need to focus and enhance audio when you need to pay attention. They can also adjust audio based on how the buds fit in your ears.

Beyond their fantastic baseline audio prowess, they also have a special interpreter mode that you can use to get real-time translations directly in your ear. That includes audio from calls, outside sources, and real-time conversations if you need it.

With crisp audio, lengthy battery life, and a comfortable, custom fit in your ears, these buds offer a premium experience that you'll love using. If that sounds like something you're looking for, grab them at this price and don't look back.

You can add one or more emergency contacts to your iPhone so that they can be easily contacted (or contact you) in urgent situations. This takes five minutes to set up, but it could be one of the most important settings on your device.

Fedora 43, after a week-long delay, is out of beta today. It includes several updates to the community fork of Red Hat Enterprise Linux and all of its derivative distributions. Namely, GNOME got a version boost, there's a new installer, and several packages have been upgraded.

The latest Mac Security Survey found that most Mac users no longer believe their Mac is safe from hackers. They want more support and believe security software has become necessary. 

The company behind the survey, MacPaw, listened to macOS users’ concerns and launched a new app, Moonlock. MacPaw has been developing macOS and iOS software for over 17 years.

Moonlock challenges the old ways of cybersecurity with an app designed to be more human. It empowers users with knowledge and control, replacing anxiety with clarity. Here's how it works.

Hackers often succeed by tricking users  

Whether it be SMS phishing campaigns like the new toll scam, malvertising lures, fake sites, malicious downloads, or social media scams, the majority of threats that can currently breach a Mac rely heavily on tricking users.

These evolving tactics, combined with daily breaking news on cybersecurity threats, are the reasons why a majority (68 percent) of Mac users want to talk to someone qualified on online safety, the security survey found. But 32 percent said they believe it’s difficult to find a reliable source.

The Moonlock app, through its System Protection and Security Advisor features, fills in this gap.

System Protection and Security Advisor are like having a macOS expert by your side Credit: Moonlock

Once Moonlock is installed, its real-time protection will automatically start looking for active malware on the machine. This is when the app will recommend that users open the System Protection and Security Advisor features.

System Protection takes a snapshot of the user's system settings and guides them on what can be improved, from privacy permissions to sharing settings to encryption. Using this feature, any user, no matter how tech-savvy they are, can turn risky settings off and enable built-in macOS settings that protect them but are not enabled by default.

Then there's Security Advisor, a culmination of years of trial and error in human cybersecurity. The feature is a collection of simple but powerful tips for good digital practices. Examples include "how to recognize a real encrypted messaging app" or "why old user accounts might increase exposure to cyber threats."

Credit: Moonlock

Both features add much-needed explanations and guidance for Mac users, leaving behind anxiety and gaining confidence by knowing exactly what your security software is doing. 

Software that keeps up in an evolving macOS threat landscape 

Mac stealer malware like AMOS, which saw a 300 percent jump in detections in August, can bypass Apple's built-in antivirus for Macs, steal user data, and empty their e-wallets. Despite this threat being on the rise, it is far from being Mac users’ primary concern.

Nearly half of Mac users (46 percent) feel the need for additional security software that can keep up with online threats. Their top concerns? Personal data breaches, account and password hacking, and identity theft.

Moonlock’s real-time protection will watch over every file users interact with, and can detect and move to Quarantine any malware that reaches a Mac through suspicious links, phishing sites, and fake Apple security alerts.

Credit: Moonlock

Using the Malware Scanner feature, users can perform deep, quick, or customized scans for threats. It also allows for automated scans on a schedule, which helps users maintain good security habits by regularly checking for malicious files.

The Moonlock app also comes with a built-in VPN and a Network Inspector coded to mitigate excessive data collection and data transferring. This extra layer of security provides enhanced privacy to users, whether they are browsing or on social media.

Try Moonlock for yourself today 

The Moonlock app takes a new approach to cybersecurity by combining malware scanning features with tools that help protect users against social engineering scams. Mac users say they are concerned about security; Moonlock gives users the technology they need to take control and ownership of their digital lives.

Ready to take control of your Mac’s security? Start your seven-day free trial of Moonlock today at macpaw.com. Several pricing options are available when you're ready to subscribe.

Google Maps is one of those apps that probably has more features than anyone could know about. One feature you might be missing out on is Lists. This is more than just a bookmarking system—it can make trip planning and exploration much easier.

Luxury and electrification rarely come cheap, but this American hybrid SUV challenges that idea with an unexpected mix of refinement and value. It proves you don’t need a European badge or a six-figure budget to enjoy premium comfort, cutting-edge tech, and impressive efficiency in one sleek package.

Want your kids to use Linux but can't decide which distro makes the best introduction? Should they use your daily driver or something different? Well, here are five distros I'm seriously considering for my own kids—and the reasoning behind each choice.

WiiM is finally jumping into the smart speaker game with the launch of the Sound, its first-ever smart speaker. It has a few impressive features compared to your average Google or Alexa speaker, including a 3.5mm audio jack and touchscreen controls.

Samsung's tri-folding phone may actually be real, folks.

The rumored device was shown in the flesh by Samsung at the K-Tech Showcase event ahead of the APEC Summit (via Chosun/Digitaltrends).

As expected, the phone unfolds vertically twice, extend from a fairly regular-sized smartphone into a decent-sized tablet.

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As is often the case with these early teasers, the audience that was fortunate enough to see the phone was not allowed to touch it or view it up close as it was placed in a glass display case.

It also appears that Samsung didn't share any additional details about the phone.

It's not even that thick when fully folded. Credit: Bloomberg/Getty Images

The Samsung TriFold phone (as it may or may not be called) has been the subject of rumor mills for a while, though it now certainly looks a little more real. Expected specs include a 6.5-inch cover display, a 10-inch interior display (when fully unfolded), a Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip, 16GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and a powerful, 200-megapixel camera with 100x digital zoom.

SEE ALSO: Samsung TriFold phone: Everything we know SEE ALSO: The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is back at its lowest-ever price — save almost $500

We might find out more about the phone during the APEC Summit, an event held in South Korea from October 31 to November 1, 2025.

As we mosey on into November and gear up for all the new, end-of-the-year content that’s in store for us, we can’t help but look back at the exciting releases we’ve seen on Paramount+ this year. From new series premieres and seasons of ongoing favorites to true-life documentaries and original films, most have been rather spectacular, but all have been quite memorable.

Hybrid demand in the U.S. is quietly climbing again, especially as enthusiasm for full EVs cools down. With tax perks fading, automakers are shifting attention back to gas-electric options that feel more practical for everyday drivers.

Days out from the 2025 New York City mayoral election, candidate Zohran Mamdani sat down with Jon Stewart on The Daily Show for an anticipated interview.

Stewart asked the 33-year-old New York State Assembly member and democratic socialist about his election campaign, as he, Andrew Cuomo, and Curtis Sliwa vie to replace Mayor Eric Adams. The Daily Show host brought up Mamdani's viral campaign walk of the length of Manhattan and the 90,000 volunteers helping him canvas and knock on doors across New York City.

SEE ALSO: How NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani won over the internet

Their discussion ranges from Mamdani's campaign promises and platforms including housing and affordability in New York, to how he views political endorsements and the strategies of engaging younger voters.

"After the presidential election, there were all these obituaries written about the Democratic Party’s ability to motivate young votes," Mamdani said. "There’s just this condescension in the language that we use about young people. I can just tell you that what we found in this campaign is that young people have been at the heart of believing that something could be more than this. "

I use YouTube almost daily, whether on my laptop, mobile, or phone. On the whole, the popular video-streaming platform has a user-friendly interface, but there's one default setting that, until I disabled it, frustrated me endlessly: autoplay previews.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you're a fan of pop culture.

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 October 24, 2025 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Played out

• Green: In the loop

• Blue: Used when watching TV

• Purple: Famous musicians

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Banality

• Green: In the know

• Blue: Remote control buttons

• Purple: One-named singer plus starting letter

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 #870 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Banality: CHESTNUT, CLICHÉ, PLATITUDE, TROPE

• In the know: AWARE, HIP, SAVVY, WISE

• Remote control buttons: BACK, HOME, MENU, SELECT

• One-named singer plus starting letter: GUSHER, KENYA, OCHER, PELVIS

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 October 24, 2025

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

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

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

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're a writer.

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 October 17, 2025 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for October 24, 2025 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: The write stuff

The words are related to writing.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe a writing utensil.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Pencil Me In.

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for October 28

• Graphite

• Cedarwood

• Eraser

• Pencil Me In

• Sharpener

• Refill

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 have a good nose.

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 October 24, 2025 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for October 17, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A plant associated with Christmas.

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 H.

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...

HOLLY

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 October 24, 2025

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

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

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