Technology

Riz Ahmed's Bait will hook you from its first scene, with the pop culture lure of all lures. You've probably had the conversation: Who'll play the next James Bond? And how many times has that conversation leaned toward white actors? 

It's this recognisable jumping-off point that Riz Ahmed, with co-writers Prashanth Venkataramanujam (Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj), Azam Mahmood (Ramy), and Karen Joseph Adcock (The Bear), and directors Bassam Tariq (Mogul Mowgli), and Tom George (This Country), use to explore representation in the entertainment industry, the press, and the court of public opinion, through one British Pakistani actor's experience.

SEE ALSO: The 15 best British TV shows of 2025 and where to stream them

In six, 30-minute episodes, the Oscar winner's new Prime Video series manages to craft a sharp, absurd, and moving satire that asks important questions about identity and ambition for actors of colour, with a sublime cast, impeccable soundtrack, and enough crash zooms for a lifetime.

What is Bait about? Riz Ahmed in "Bait." Credit: Prime Video

Struggling actor Shah Latif (Ahmed) auditions for one the most coveted (and betted on) roles out there: James Bond. However, when his audition doesn't go as well as he'd hoped, he seizes the opportunity to start rumours about his potential casting through the press — and the effects are chaotic.

Everyone has an opinion on Shah as the Bond rumour mill goes wild. Who should play James Bond, and could it be an actor who isn't white? A wave of online hate cascades into Shah's life, one that becomes dangerously real through an anti-Muslim hate crime directed at his family home. His family's Eid al-Fitr celebrations are disrupted with the need for amped-up security. However, he's still told to suck it up. "You've just got to stay grateful," says Shah's professional "rival" Raj Thakker (a brilliant Himesh Patel), a British Indian actor also rumored in the running to play Bond. "A bit of hate's a small price to pay."

But is this opportunity really one at all for Shah? In an opinion piece for an outlet within the show's universe, writer (and Shah's ex) Yasmin Khan (the ever-talented Ritu Arya) calls Bond "an icon of the white establishment" and accuses Shah of being "a long line of brown men who think that becoming our oppressor is somehow liberating all of us."

"The question is not if any Muslim man is fit to play James Bond. The question is, is James Bond worthy of a Muslim man representing him?" she writes. "The essence of Islam is built on community, family, charity, peace, and obedience. What does a vigilante double agent know of the unique social structure inherent to so many brown communities?"

Over four days, Shah finds himself under mounting pressure due to the 007 rumors. He's navigating the expectations of his family, his tempestuous relationship with his ex, people confusing him for Dev Patel, and the realities of becoming the respected A-lister he dreams of being. Here, Bait raises critical questions about identity, ambition, and portrayals of ethnic minorities onscreen. (Offscreen, Amhed has long written about challenging stereotypes in roles, even speaking about representation in British Parliament.) In a constant state of anxiety, Shah code-switches and reframes himself, insisting that "it's nice even just to have the opportunity, it's a big deal, a brown James Bond." Shah distances himself from protesters at a museum gala, demonstrating against its colonial legacy, after which he's told he's "sold out" — "It's not the image I'm going for right now," Shah tells Zulfi (Guz Khan).

Shah's fear of failure dominates his fractured sense of self. He believes himself a "nobody," and "a shame to your family," based on messing up one audition. (Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff writes about this pressure to perform in her essay for gal-dem's "I Will Not be Erased": Our Stories about Growing Up as People of Colour, writing of a dance audition, "Failing the audition meant that dance suddenly became associated with lots of negative emotions which ended up feeding into my insecurities about my race, my body, and the way I looked.") The thing is, Shah genuinely smashes his audition out of the park, despite the corny, laconic James Bond-style dialogue. However, the one line that trips him up, every single time? "When it's just you, by yourself, how do you live with yourself? Do you even know who you are?"

Bait's cast is pure fire, led by an impeccable Riz Ahmed. Sajid Hasan, Riz Ahmed, and Sheeba Chaddha in "Bait." Credit: Prime Video

As Shah, Ahmed really pushes himself to the brink in Bait, through deadpan comedic stylings to romantic yearning and wholehearted drama. As Shah loses his sense of control, of his identity, and of who exactly people demand him to be, Ahmed brings his characteristic intensity and finesse to each stage, almost staring at the audience with his Bond lines in mind: "I don’t live with myself; I live with whoever you need me to be."

Khan near steals the show as Shah's hilarious, no-filter cousin Zulfi, on a quest to build his fleet of Muba ("Muslim Uber") drivers when he's not keeping Shah real. Arya is magnetic as Shah's ex Yasmin (honestly, who could get over Yasmin?) as she brutally calls out Shah's performative ways.

Sheeba Chaddha hits every note as Shah's mother Tahira, whose competition with the glamorous Naila (a fantastic Soni Razdan) is a fun through-line, and Sajid Hasan enjoys one-liners from his recliner as Shah's father Parvez. Aasiya Shah (We Might Regret This) is deadpan brilliance as Shah's cousin Q, while Weruche Opia (I May Destroy You) is hilarious as Shah's long-suffering agent Felicia.

And they're all brilliantly framed by Bait's exquisite production design.

Bait leans into surrealism, '60s cinematography, and a banger soundtrack Riz Ahmed and Ritu Arya in "Bait." Credit: Prime Video

One particularly surreal narrative device is a recurring podcast-recording scenario where Shah unpacks his anxieties across from a frozen pig's head that speaks with the voice of Sir Patrick Stewart (and yes, it is really the voice of Sir Patrick Stewart). Shah's inner saboteur finds its way out of the freezer and into brutal conversations with himself in an example of self-flagellation of the most raw and unrelenting nature. However, this level of absurdity only matches that of Shah's daily experience, in the same way Adjani Salmon deploys magical realism in the superb Dreaming Whilst Black.

Featured Video For You 'Dreaming Whilst Black' creator Adjani Salmon on calling out the entertainment industry

Bait is also a technical marvel, with directors of photography Frank Lamm and Dan Atherton moving between shots that convey these states of realism or absurdity. Often, a handheld or mounted camera follows the actors up close, rendering their conversations fluid and intimate. Other times, the cinematography leans into crash zooms that amp up the drama and pay homage to '60s and '70s Indian and Pakistani cinema. A glorious sequence in episode 3 sees Shah's family "rival" Salim (a superb appearance from Kaos' Nabhaan Rizwan) releasing doves, performing a perfect gymnastics routine, and quite literally walking on water. And episode 4, a highlight of the series, is a Studio-style one-shot moment amid London's buzzing Brick Lane. It's a constant dance between reality, paranoia, and imaginative dread as Shah tries to keep his head above the waves.

However, there's nothing absurd about Bait's soundtrack, a veritable treasure trove of South Asian and British gems across the decades, from legendary Pakistani playback singer Naheed Akhtar, '70s hypnotic Qawwali from the Sabri Brothers, '80s disco from British Pakistani new wave duo Nermin Niazi and Feisal Mosleh, '90s English drum and bass by Origin Unknown, and recent tracks by British singer Jorja Smith, British producers Sevaqk and Troyboi and Indian singer Amrit Maan. And it's all embroidered with composer Shruti Kumar's booming score.

Bait is one of the most surreal, important, hilarious, and moving shows I've seen for a while, as Ahmed aims to leave audiences shaken and stirred.

Bait premieres March 25 on Prime Video, with all six episodes available at once.

The brilliance of Every Brilliant Thing begins the moment you set foot in the theater.

There is no set to take in, aside from rows of seating along three edges of the stage. Instead, the focus is on the play's star: Daniel Radcliffe, a Tony winner and the face of one of the biggest film franchises of all time, now mingling with the audience.

SEE ALSO: 'The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins' review: Tracy Morgan and Daniel Radcliffe are a match made in comedy heaven

Radcliffe will bound up to audience members and introduce himself with a chipper, "Hello, I'm Dan." He'll ask how they feel about audience participation, hand out cards to read, or cast them in a specific role in the show. Each enthusiastic greeting, paired with a handshake, proves a disarming collapse of the wall between spectator and megawatt star. In one beat, he goes from Daniel Radcliffe, Pop Culture Icon, to Daniel Radcliffe, fellow performer for the next 90 minutes.

With this shift, Radcliffe and co-directors Duncan Macmillan and Jeremy Herrin invite the audience in not as spectators, but as collaborators. (Macmillan is also the playwright, and co-created Every Brilliant Thing with its original performer Jonny Donahoe.) That collaboration turns Every Brilliant Thing into a singular, life-affirming theatrical experience, with Radcliffe serving as our gem of a guide.

What is Every Brilliant Thing about? Daniel Radcliffe in "Every Brilliant Thing." Credit: Matthew Murphy

After making his rounds of the audience, Radcliffe returns to the stage and starts Every Brilliant Thing with an absolute gut punch of a line: "The list began after her first attempt."

As we soon learn, when the play's nameless narrator was 7 years old, his mother attempted suicide. His father, when trying to give his young son an explanation, says it's "because she can't see anything worth living for."

So begins the narrator's quest to show his mother that she has so much to live for. He creates a list of "every brilliant thing" in life. Ice cream. Things with stripes. People falling over. Through the eyes of a 7-year-old, each entry is proof of the world's vast wonder.

The narrator keeps the list going throughout his youth and into his adulthood. As it does, the entries get more specific: gifts that you actually want and didn't ask for. Track seven on every great record. Old people holding hands.

SEE ALSO: Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff, and Lindsay Mendez dish on bringing 'Merrily We Roll Along' from stage to screen

After a while, the list isn't just a reminder for his mother, but a comforting exercise for the narrator and for people around him. Outsiders contribute to the list until it grows to hundreds of thousands of entries long. (In real life, there is also a Facebook group dedicated to adding to the list.)

As Radcliffe reads out entry numbers from the list, he'll point out into the theater seats, at which point an audience member will read the "brilliant thing" off a card he'd given them during the pre-show. He's the conductor of a chorus of all the wonderful elements of life, some of which we may take for granted. Hearing them shouted out in this space gives them new depth. "Yes," you'll think, "there is a brilliance in poring over vinyl liner notes, and watching someone squeeze through train doors with only seconds to spare, and beds."

Daniel Radcliffe casts a captivating spell with Every Brilliant Thing's audience participation. Daniel Radcliffe in "Every Brilliant Thing." Credit: Matthew Murphy

Having the audience read off the cards is the most frequent form of Every Brilliant Thing's audience participation, but it's far from the only one. The house lights stay on for most of the show, reminding viewers that the narrator is not speaking in a vacuum, but rather interacting directly with us. Radcliffe will also frequently lift audience members from the crowd to play his father, a friendly librarian, even his eventual spouse.

Watching Radcliffe direct his impromptu co-stars is like watching a high-wire act. On top of delivering a performance that swings from dazzling to vulnerable, giddy to crushing, Radcliffe is also tasked with being a reassuring facilitator. In that second role, he bursts with an infectious openness that spills over into every audience member, not just those who share the stage with him.

There's also a refreshing improvisational quality to his crowd work. At one point during the show, the narrator takes two books from audience members. During my performance, one of those books was A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas, a BookTok staple whose distinct cover and heft set the audience tittering in recognition. Radcliffe fed off that reaction, throwing in a casual shout out to the ACOTAR series (yes, nailing the abbreviation) and even joking about how the book could teach the narrator something new and "sexy." It's more than a funny throwaway line, it's meeting the audience where they're at.

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The relationship between audience and performer goes both ways, though, and whenever Radcliffe called upon an audience member, my initial reaction was one of tenseness. What if someone tried to undercut the moment in some way? Or what if the rest of the audience gave them the cold shoulder? Yet time and again, my anxieties were proven wrong. Every audience participant approached the stage with respectful enthusiasm, and the rest of us in the theater lent a swell of support, be the scene silly or deeply sad.

At one riotous moment, a sock puppet gets involved, and it's a small miracle of theater to watch someone commit to making the puppet themselves. In an early, sobering scene, another audience member acts as the vet who must euthanize the young narrator's dog, Indiana Bones. This scene, too, is a small miracle. We don't hesitate to believe that a coat Radcliffe has just borrowed from a spectator is his dog, that a pen the "vet" is holding is a needle, and that we are witnessing a life go out in real time. It's one of many moments where Every Brilliant Thing will shatter you, but Radcliffe is always there to pick us back up and guide us back towards the uplifting list of brilliant things. To that end, the experience of watching Every Brilliant Thing feels like it should belong on the narrator's list itself — in fittingly specific fashion, of course.

Number 1,000,021: Watching a play with an audience that is, visibly and in real time, embracing the transformative magic trick that is theater.

Every Brilliant Thing is now running on Broadway through May 24.

If you're feeling suicidal or experiencing a mental health crisis, please talk to somebody. You can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. You can reach the Trans Lifeline by calling 877-565-8860 or the Trevor Project at 866-488-7386. Text "START" to Crisis Text Line at 741-741. Contact the NAMI HelpLine at 1-800-950-NAMI, Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. ET, or email info@nami.org. If you don't like the phone, consider using the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Chat. Here is a list of international resources.

TL;DR: Elevate your AI workflow with a lifetime subscription to 1min.AI’s Advanced Business Plan, on sale now for $85 with code MARCH15 through March 29.

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AI is only as helpful as your workflow makes it. If you’re hopping between tabs and trying to remember which model has which strength, it can slow you down and defeat the whole point of using the technology. That’s where 1min.AI comes in, serving up multiple AI model results in one window.

Right now, you can secure a lifetime subscription to 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan for just $85 with code MARCH15 through March 29.

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If you want to use AI as efficiently as possible, you need the right tools. 1min.AI makes it much easier to leverage the unique strengths of dozens of different models on the market, showing you the results in a single convenient window.

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For anyone experimenting with AI tools, your browser probably looks a little chaotic. One tab for ChatGPT. Another for Claude. Maybe Gemini in a third window. Add an image generator or coding assistant, and suddenly you’re juggling half a dozen AI dashboards at once.

There’s a simpler approach: put everything in one place. That’s essentially the idea behind ChatPlayground AI, which lets users run prompts across multiple AI models from a single interface. Instead of guessing which AI tool will give the best response, you can compare results side by side in real time.

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And the ChatPlayground AI Lifetime Unlimited Plan is available for $67.15 (reg. $619) through March 29 with the code MARCH15.

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When a new version of Microsoft Office comes out, most people expect one thing: a full price tag. That’s why it’s worth paying attention when the newest version shows up on sale.

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Office 2024 includes the apps so many people rely on: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote. Whether you’re writing documents, managing spreadsheets, building presentations, or organizing email, the core tools remain the same — just with some thoughtful upgrades.

For example, Excel has been optimized to handle larger datasets and multiple workbooks more smoothly. PowerPoint also adds improved recording tools, allowing users to record presentations with narration, video, and captions.

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If you were planning to upgrade eventually anyway, catching the newest Office suite while it’s on sale is a pretty convenient bonus. Get Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business for Mac or PC on sale for $99.97 (reg. $249.99).

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Fake dating accounts have always been the bane of online dating, but with ubiquitous and cheap generative AI now able to falsify photos, videos, and profile bios, and even plausibly mimic a human in a text-based chat, vigilance is more important than ever. 

Because it's one of the world's oldest and largest online dating sites, and because of its adult content, AdultFriendFinder has attracted a lot of scammers over the years, resulting in an abundance of fake profiles. And while the company likes to boast of having hundreds of millions of accounts across the world, the truth is that many of these accounts are now inactive.

While this doesn't have to ruin your AFF experience, it does mean you have to use your judgment when it comes to where you focus your time and attention. Here are the best tips for sorting legit profiles from fake.

Opens in a new window Credit: AdultFriendFinder AdultFriendFinder   Learn More Prioritize verified accounts

To help combat fake profiles and give users greater peace of mind, AdultFriendFinder offers a chance for you to verify your profile using the Confirm ID service. It's a two-step process that's just involved enough to be effective without being overly onerous. 

First, you need to provide the site with a piece of government-issued identification. Next, the site will ask to scan your face via webcam. Completing this process verifies not only your profile but also your age, location, and gender, which will confer a blue checkmark on your profile that shows up in search results. Best of all, just because you used your ID and face scan to get the blue checkmark does not mean that you have to show your face on your profile, so if you're trying to keep a low profile but still want to give people confidence that you are who you say you are, the profile verification process is a must.

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

Once you've verified your profile, it's a good idea to limit your on-site interactions to other verified profiles as well. If you do decide to chat with unverified people, be especially vigilant about not sharing personal information about yourself.

Finally, don't assume that because a profile is verified, it is also legitimate; accounts can be sold or stolen, for example, so treat profile verification as a positive sign rather than perfect confirmation of the profile's legitimacy. 

Scrutinize their photos

Because people curate their own profiles, the photos they choose to share speak volumes about them, so if you're at all suspicious that you may be viewing a fake account, take a closer look at the pics the person has shared. If they look AI-generated, if they're all of professional quality, or if they're incredibly generic, these are all red flags.

To take things a step further, you can use a reverse image search on Google to see if the photos appear anywhere else (a strong indication that they're not original to the person or profile), or you can use a service like ZeroGPT or Sightengine to discover if they're AI-generated. 

SEE ALSO: All your Tinder questions, answered

Just as you look for red flags, you should also look for green flags, which would include photos with friends or groups of people, a mix of selfies and more staged shots, and photos that feature unique landmarks specific to your location, such as a well-known store, restaurant or public area.

Engage in conversation

If you're on the fence about whether or not a profile is fake, the next step is to actually talk to the person (or bot?) in question. This doesn't mean you should let your guard down, though — far from it. Pay very close attention to the things the other person says, the questions they ask, the replies they give. Here are some common red flags that indicate you're talking to a scammer or bot:

• They push for specific information about you early in the conversation

• They send links to outside websites or chat platforms like WhatsApp or Telegram

• They tell you a sad story to create a sense of urgency in you

• They ask for nude or compromising photos of you 

If you're still uncertain, you can request a video call or an in-person meet-up in a public place. Scammers will be reluctant to verify their identities over video calls and especially reluctant to — or even incapable of — offline meet-ups. 

SEE ALSO: What are romance scams and how can you avoid them?

Finally, remember that while all of the above are useful guidelines, they're not iron-clad or fool-proof, and a clever scammer, catfisher or bad actor can still find ways to circumvent these safeguards. Always be cautious with who you speak to and what you share, especially when it comes to personal or financial information, and under what circumstances.

Amazon's Big Spring Sale is just around the corner. It officially kicks off on Wednesday, March 25 and runs through Tuesday, March 31 in 2026. But like most Amazon shopping events, deals started pouring in days ahead of time on Apple products, Lego, outdoor gear, laptops, and much more.

Avid shoppers keeping their eyes on exclusive deals can enjoy a breezy shopping experience throughout the Big Spring Sale, thanks to Amazon's flexible payment options. Customers are no longer limited to debit and credit cards or Amazon gift cards. If you're an Apple loyalist, you can also use Apple Pay to make purchases on Amazon this spring.

SEE ALSO: Amazon's Big Spring Sale is here — here's how to use a Visa gift card to shop

Apple Pay is compatible with many — but not all — vendors on Amazon, making it even easier to secure deals in just a few taps. You can use it in place of a traditional card payment whenever possible by following the steps below.

How to use Apple Pay on Amazon

Step 1: Set up Apple Pay on iPhone. If you haven't already, add your debit or credit card to your iPhone's digital wallet to set up Apple Pay on your mobile device.

Step 2: Open the Amazon app.

Step 3: Add items to your cart and go to checkout. If your vendor accepts Apple Pay, you'll see it under payment options (you can use the method only if you have linked a card to your iPhone's Wallet app); select Apple Pay.

Step 4: Confirm your address and payment details.

Step 5: Once Apple Pay's payment authenticator pops up on your screen, use your Face ID or Touch ID to authenticate the purchase.

Step 6: Confirm payment to finish the process.

How to use an Apple Card to make payments on Amazon

If you choose to make a purchase from a third-party vendor that doesn't accept Apple Pay, you can work around it by using your Apple Card instead. The process is fairly straightforward.

Step 1: Make sure you add your Apple Card to the Wallet app on your iPhone by clicking on the + symbol.

Step 2: Now, go to the Amazon app.

Step 3: You'll find four clickable options at the bottom of the home screen. Start the process by clicking on the Account icon, which is right next to the homepage icon.

Step 4: A new app page will appear. Tap on Your Account to access account details.

Step 5: Scroll down on the page until you see the Payments section and click on Your Payments.

Step 6: Another page with all your linked cards and bank accounts will appear on the app. Go to the Wallet tab and press +Add.

Step 7: Click on Add a credit or debit card and input your Apple Card details.

Step 8: Finally, click on Add and continue to finish the process. Now, you can use your Apple Card to make purchases on Amazon.

Haven't you heard? BTS' long-awaited return is here. After spending close to four years fulfilling South Korea’s required military service and working on solo projects, all seven members of the K-pop megagroup will come together for their first all-in performance since 2022. This is big.

Here's everything you need to know about BTS The Comeback Live: Arirang.

When is BTS The Comeback Live | Arirang?

BTS will perform a live concert to be globally streamed on March 21, the day after BTS' fifth studio album, ARIRANG, is released.

Here's the breakdown of start time by timezone:

• PST — 4 a.m.

• EST — 7 a.m.

• GMT — 11 a.m. 

• IST — 4:30 p.m.

• KST — 8 p.m.

How to watch BTS The Comeback Live | Arirang

The great news for dedicated fans all over the globe is that you can watch this reunion live — Netflix is the exclusive streaming platform for this concert (included with all subscription plans). If you have a Netflix account, simply log in at showtime to watch the livestream with no additional purchase.

The hour-long performance will live stream from Gwanghwamun, the main gate of Seoul's Gyeongbokgung Palace. The concert celebrates the release of Arirang on March 20. Expect the first live performances of songs from the new album, plus all the hits that made BTS such a global phenomenon.

Opens in a new window Credit: Netflix / BTS Watch BTS The Comeback Live: Arirang   Learn More

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

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

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

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

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

Competing.

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

VYING

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Anxious.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for March 21, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

EAGER

Hurdle Word 3 hint

A French hat.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for March 21 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 21, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

BERET

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Promised.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

SWORE

Final Hurdle hint

Less.

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

FEWER

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

It's day two of the new lunar cycle which means the Moon will slowly be getting brighter in the nights ahead as more of its surface becomes illuminated. It'll keep increasing in visibility from now until the Full Moon, when it will start to fade again.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Saturday, March 21, the Moon phase is Waxing Crescent. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 7% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.

There's still too little of the Moon's surface illuminated tonight to be able to see any features on its surface, but check again tomorrow.

When is the next Full Moon?

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

What are Moon phases?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you don't beat around the bush.

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 March 21, 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: Honest

• Green: Intent

• Blue: A popular board game

• Purple: Distinguished writers

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Direct

• Green: Target

• Blue: Checkers terms

• Purple: 20th century American poets

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 #1014 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Direct: BLUNT, FRANK, PLAIN, STRAIGHT

• Target: GOAL, MARK, OBJECT, POINT

• Checkers terms: CAPTURE, CROWN, JUMP, KING

• 20th century American poets: BISHOP, FROST, POUND, RICH

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for March 21, 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 have a great sense of smell.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for March 21, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Sniff sniff

The words are related to the face.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe a facial feature.

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 On the Nose.

NYT Strands word list for March 21

• Schnozzle

• Muzzle

• Snout

• On the Nose

• Honker

• Beak

• Proboscis

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 a smooth talker.

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

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 21, 2026 Where did Wordle come from?

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

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

What's the best Wordle starting word?

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

What happened to the Wordle archive?

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

Is Wordle getting harder?

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for March 21, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Slippery.

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 O.

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...

SLICK

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints. Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

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

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

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

TL;DR: Make peace with PDFs thanks to this AcePDF Converter and Editor lifetime license, now just $25.50 with code MARCH15 through March 29.

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If you’re looking for an app that makes your life a little easier, it’s time to check out AcePDF Converter and Editor. It can help streamline your workflow, allowing you to manage PDFs and other documents efficiently.

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Not only does AcePDF make converting files a breeze, but it also leaves you with high-quality conversions that keep the original layouts, images, and hyperlinks. It simplifies the whole process — in just a few taps, you can convert a PDF into a Word, Excel, or JPG file. You can also convert an Excel or PPT file into a PDF just as simply.

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Sometimes you have to commit to doing something, regardless of whether you think it will work or not. If you don’t fail, you’ll never learn. If you don’t try, you’ll never start. This was the logic behind my very first design-to-print 3D printing project.

Following the Australian government's social media ban for kids under 16, governments around the world are looking into the possibility of similar style bans. 

These governments considering these social media bans now have at least one unlikely supporter: The CEO of Pinterest.

In a piece published for Time, Pinterest CEO Bill Ready has come out in full support for government bans on social media for users under the age of 16.

"Children today are living through the largest social experiment in history," Ready writes. "For years, kids around the world have been given unfiltered access to social media platforms. The companies building these platforms gave insufficient forethought about the consequences, the worst of which include exposing them to unknown strangers and fueling screen addictions."

Ready goes on to list additional effects that social media has had on children as "rising anxiety and depression, eroding concentration, and classrooms competing for attention."

SEE ALSO: Teens sue xAI for Grok's reported sexual image generation issues

The Pinterest CEO says that social media as it is today is not safe for children and blames tech companies for that. Ready says social media is designed to "maximize view time" of kids and pays little attention to their actual well-being. Ready likens the tech CEOs of today to the tobacco industry executives of decades ago.

Now, it might seem hypocritical of Ready to say this as Pinterest's own policies allow kids as young as 13 to sign up for the site. However, as Ready points out, Pinterest has made changes to its platform and removed all social features from Pinterest for users under the age of 16. Their profiles aren't discoverable, and these users can't receive messages, comments, or likes from strangers on Pinterest.

Interestingly, Ready says removing these features did not hurt Pinterest with that demographic.

"When Pinterest removed social features for teens and made every account under 16 private…people said we’d lose the next generation of users," Ready writes. "But Gen Z says the opposite. Today, they make up over 50 percent of our users. Our experience shows that prioritizing safety and well-being doesn’t push young people away; it builds trust."

Ready goes on to say that if tech companies don't want more governments instituting these bans, they need to step up and prioritize kids' safety on their platforms. The Pinterest CEO also expressed support for a proposed bill in the U.S., the App Store Accountability Act. Under this bill, app stores would be required to verify users' ages when downloading apps.

"The cost of inaction is a generation of young people overwhelmed by anxiety and depression," the Pinterest CEO writes. "It’s time to raise the bar on safety and well-being for kids. We need clearer rules, better tools for parents, and stronger accountability for platforms and social media apps."

Many people first saw it on X: A most unusual, and unsettling, job posting. Some assumed it was a joke. Others were reminded of Cyberdyne Systems, the tech company in the Terminator franchise that accidentally invents Skynet.

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But over on LinkedIn, where they speak a different language, Anthropic had merely posted a listing looking for a Policy Manager, Chemical Weapons and High Yield Explosives. The job description added more details.

"This role offers a unique opportunity to shape how AI systems handle sensitive chemical and explosives information," it read. "You'll work with leading AI safety researchers while tackling critical problems in preventing catastrophic misuse. If you're excited about using your expertise to ensure AI systems remain safe and beneficial, we want to hear from you."

Mashable reached out to Anthropic, and the company provided more context.

"Our usage policies prohibit the use of Anthropic products or services to develop or design weapons," a company spokesperson told us. "This role is for the Safeguards team which is responsible for preventing misuse of our models."

The spokesperson stressed that Anthropic explicitly prohibits its AI or any of its technology to be used for weapons creation. Instead, the New York-based manager will be tasked with building and enforcing safeguards to ensure weapons are not made from Anthropic’s tech.

The company seeks to hire experts in sensitive fields who can ensure Anthropic's AI is kept from nefarious hands, the spokesperson said.

SEE ALSO: Anthropic's Claude overtakes ChatGPT in App Store

Anthropic recently found itself in a very public battle with the Department of War (a.k.a. the Department of Defense). The company says it's not budging in its demands that its AI not be used to build fully autonomous weapons or to establish mass surveillance on people.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth responded to Anthropic’s conditions by declaring the company a supply chain risk to America’s national security, banning the Pentagon from using its tech after a six-month phase-out. The company then filed suit according to a March 5 note from Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei.

Meanwhile, some in the Pentagon are reportedly finding it hard to abandon Claude, Anthropic's AI model.

Back in February, Anthropic announced an update to its AI safety policy, also known as its Responsible Scaling Policy. The company stated it was forced to rethink its safety policies — considered by some to be the strongest in the industry — due to several factors, including the federal government’s emphasis on economic growth over safety regulations.

Whoever ends up in that policy manager role, then, will find themselves at the center of an explosive debate. Not to mention, potentially, the ability to help prevent a future Skynet threat.

There are many aspects of Windows 11 that are genuine improvements over previous versions, but there are also many more annoyances, especially if you are sick of seeing Copilot AI everywhere. Microsoft has now announced a bold new plan: actually listening to PC owners about what they want in Windows 11.

Fantasy-adventure shows are always fun to watch, especially when you’re in the mood for an exciting weekend binge that provides a real-world escape—heroic journeys, unique landscapes, fellowship, and epic battle action on top of mythical creatures, magical abilities, and ancient prophecies. I’m all in. Just show me where to sit.

While the 2026 Oscars ended with some surprises and snubs, the spirit of the show can still be celebrated. From classic watches and new movies, the iconic Oscar collection of winners in major and other categories is a gift that keeps giving.