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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

A skin disease.

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

MANGE

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Disorder.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for August 4, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

CHAOS

Hurdle Word 3 hint

A large vehicle.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for August 4 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for August 4, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

TRUCK

Hurdle Word 4 hint

A leak.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for August 4 Hurdle Word 4 answer

SPILL

Final Hurdle hint

The beginning.

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

ONSET

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

Wondering why there's hardly any moon visible in the sky tonight? That's because of where we are in the lunar cycle, a series of eight unique phases of the moon's visibility. The whole cycle takes about 29.5 days, according to NASA, and these different phases happen as the Sun lights up different parts of the moon whilst it orbits Earth. 

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Saturday, Sept. 20, the moon phase is Waning Crescent, and it is only 2% lit up to us on Earth, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

Visibility is too low, so there's nothing to see on the moon's surface tonight.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Oct. 6. The last full moon was on Sept. 7.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, moon phases are caused by the 29.5-day cycle of the moon’s orbit, which changes the angles between the Sun, Moon, and Earth. Moon phases are how the moon looks from Earth as it goes around us. We always see the same side of the moon, but how much of it is lit up by the Sun changes depending on where it is in its orbit. This is how we get full moons, half moons, and moons that appear completely invisible. There are eight main moon phases, and they follow a repeating cycle:

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.

Last Quarter (or Third 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.

Today's Connections: Sports Edition requires a lot of regional sports knowledge.

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.

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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 Mini crossword answers, hints for September 20, 2025 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: Northern teams

• Green: Southern teams

• Blue: Types of collectables

• Purple: Same second word

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

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

• Yellow: Detroit teams

• Green: Louisiana teams

• Blue: Descriptors for trading cards

• Purple: ____ time

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 #362 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today

• Detroit teams - LIONS, PISTONS, RED WINGS, TIGERS

• Louisiana teams - GREEN WAVE, PELICANS, RAGIN' CAJUNS, SAINTS

• Descriptors for trading cards - AUTOGRAPH, BASE, INSERT, RELIC

• ____ time - FULL, HANG, STOPPAGE, TEE

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.

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.

Happy Saturday and 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 September 20, 2025

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 September 19, 2025 Easy difficulty hints, answers for Sept. 20 Pips

Number (10): Everything in this purple space must add to 10. The answer is 1-6, placed vertically; 3-5, placed horizontally.

Number (10): Everything in this red space must add to 10. The answer is 3-5, placed horizontally; 5-4, placed horizontally.

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

Medium difficulty hints, answers for Sept. 20 Pips

Number (4): Everything in this space must add to 4. The answer is 0-1, placed horizontally; 1-2, placed horizontally; 2-3, placed horizontally.

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

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

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

Number (7): Everything in this space must add to 7. The answer is 2-3, placed horizontally; 1-4, placed vertically.

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

Hard difficulty hints, answers for Sept. 20 Pips

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

Number (12): Everything in this space must add to 12. The answer is 6-3, placed horizontally; 6-0, placed horizontally.

Number (9): Everything in this space must add to 9. The answer is 6-3, placed horizontally; 2-6, placed vertically.

Not equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 6-0, placed horizontally; 3-0, placed vertically.

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

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

Equal (5): Everything in this space must be equal to 5. The answer is 5-5, placed horizontally; 6-5, placed vertically; 0-5, placed horizontally.

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

If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.

Strands 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 preferrined pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for September 2, 2025 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for September 2, 2025 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Dire straits

The words are problem-related.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words are ways to describe tough situations.

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 In A Fix.

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for September 20

• Pickle

• Muddle

• In a Fix

• Quandary

• Mess

• Predicament

• Dilemma

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.

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

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 September 2, 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 September 2, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

To postpone.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter E appears twice.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter D.

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...

DEFER

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 September 2, 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 today's Wordle.

SAVE $50: As of Sept. 19, get the Apple AirPods Pro 2 for $199 at Amazon, down from their usual price of $249. That's a discount of 20%.

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$249 Save $50 Get Deal

The new Apple AirPods Pro 3 are out now, following their official announcement during Apple's Sept. 9 "Awe Dropping" event. The new AirPods mark the first upgrade in three years for a new set from Apple, and a set of new features that you'll definitely want to take advantage of. But if you didn't preorder it might be a bit tough to get a pair, especially at Amazon, where delivery is listed anywhere from Oct. 13 through Nov. 4. Not to worry, because if you're in the market for a pair of AirPods Pro 2, you can scoop those up at a great discount.

As of Sept. 19, get the Apple AirPods Pro 2 for $199 at Amazon, down from their usual price of $249. That's $50 off and a discount of 20%.

SEE ALSO: Apple AirPods Pro 3 Live Translation meme bluntly deciphers snarky subtext

The AirPods Pro 2 are some of the best noise-cancelling earbuds you'll find, and a great option for anyone on the iOS ecosystem. They're great all-around earbuds, in fact, and even though they're missing some of the latest and greatest features of the AirPods Pro 3, they're hardly worth skipping because of it.

These earbuds blend noise cancellation with Adaptive Audio and Transparency Mode to help you block out sound when you want to and let in the ones that you want to hear, so you can seamlessly swap between these options to fine-tune your sound. And with Spatial Audio support, you can feel like you're in the middle of your favorite music as it sounds like it's swirling all around you.

Plus, the H2 chip helps drive better sound and improved call quality with satisfying highs and deep bass, no matter what kind of music you enjoy. They're dust, sweat, and water resistant, and come with on-board touch controls that let you change tracks, volume, and answer calls with a swipe.

If you're in the market for some earbuds, these are a fantastic pick that'll save you some serious cash.

Iconic host Conan O'Brien and former Disney CEO Michael Eisner are the latest high-profile individuals to harshly criticize the decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

The benching of Kimmel's show by ABC and parent company Disney came after his Monday monologue, which referenced the murder of far-right influencer Charlie Kirk. "The MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it," Kimmel said during his Monday night episode.

SEE ALSO: Stephen King reacts to Jimmy Kimmel's suspension with a message for ABC

Following the comments, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair Brendan Carr threatened publicly to suspend Kimmel's show. Even though Carr did not follow through with any definitive action, Disney CEO Bob Iger pulled the program off the air, leaving its future in doubt. Free speech advocates were appalled, with some seeing Disney's actions as enabling autocracy. Even stars tied to Disney, like She-Hulk actress Tatiana Maslany, encouraged viewers to cancel their Disney+, ESPN, and Hulu memberships.

Kimmel's fellow late-night hosts, from John Stewart to Seth Meyers, came to his defense, blasting Disney's decision.

O'Brien, who hosted numerous eponymous talk shows since the early 1990s, also had words for Disney.

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Adding to Disney's complications was a public critique from Eisner, its iconic former CEO, who ran the Walt Disney Co. from 1984 to 2005.

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Eisner's insinuation of Disney's motives was bolstered by reports of a proposed merger that involves the Mouse House. Nexstar, a media company that owns 32 ABC affiliate stations is hoping to buy a rival company called Tegna — which owns 13 ABC affiliate stations — but would need FCC approval for the purchase, according to the New York Times.

SAVE 32%: As of Sept. 19, the Insta360 X4 Standard Bundle is on sale for $339.99 at Amazon, down from a list price of $499.99. That's a discount of 32%, or a savings of $160.

Insta360 X4 $339.99 at Amazon
$499.99 Save $160 Get Deal

If you’ve seen those mind-bending travel videos on TikTok where it looks like a drone is following someone, chances are it was actually shot on an Insta360 camera. The brand is famous for its "invisible selfie stick" effect, which magically erases the stick from your footage. And right now, their latest 8K model is on sale for its lowest price yet.

SEE ALSO: Apple admits the new iPhone cameras have a rare glitch, promises fix is coming

As of Sept. 19, the Insta360 X4 Standard Bundle is on sale for $339.99 at Amazon. That's a 32% discount off its $499.99 list price, saving you $160.

The X4 is basically built for creators. You can shoot stunning 8K 360-degree video, which gives you the freedom to reframe your shot after you've already filmed. Or if you prefer a more traditional look, you can also use it as a standard 4K wide-angle action camera. It's cold resistant and waterproof (according to the manufacturer, it can tolerate temperatures as low as -4ºF), and features built-in stabilization to keep your footage smooth.

Bonus: The Insta360 app has all kinds of AI editing tools and features. If you don't want to spend hours sifting through footage, it can automatically pull out the most interesting moments and edit them into a shareable clip. The camera also comes with removable lens guards for extra protection (because accidents happen) and a battery that lasts for up to 135 minutes.

SAVE $20: As of Sept. 19, the Fire TV Stick 4K is on sale for $29.99 at Amazon. This is 40% off its list price of $49.99.

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$49.99 Save $20.00 Get Deal

Prime Big Deal Days may be coming up at the start of October, but why wait to score a good deal? Amazon already has quite a few worth checking out, including offers on its streaming devices. In particular, the Fire TV Stick 4K has received a $20 discount ahead of the sale event, which is good news for those looking to upgrade their streaming setup for less.

This $20 discount has dropped the price of the Fire TV Stick 4K from $49.99 to $29.99. Considering it's marked as a limited-time deal, it likely won't stick to this low price for long. If it has been on your radar, now's a great time to grab it and save.

SEE ALSO: How to sign up for Amazon Prime ahead of Prime Big Deal Days

If you've been hoping to stream shows and films in a high-quality 4K format, the Fire TV Stick 4K supports 4K Ultra HD picture quality alongside Dolby Vision and HDR10+. It even supports Dolby Atmos audio so you can enjoy every sound on screen, and with support for WiFi 6, you'll experience smooth streaming quality as well.

The Fire TV Stick 4K also comes with an Alexa Voice Remote, so you can use your voice to find your next movie or show. And with 8GB of storage you have plenty of space for your favorite streaming apps.

If you've been trying to find a streaming device that's worth the upgrade, the Fire TV Stick 4K is worth a look at this price. Or, if you'd rather check out a more affordable option, the Fire TV Stick HD is also discounted at Amazon right now.

TL;DR: Experience a mix of retro fun and modern convenience with the Kinhank Super Console X2 Pro Retro Gaming Emulator and Streaming Console, on sale now for $89.97 ($159.99) with free shipping through Oct. 5.

Opens in a new window Credit: Kinhank Kinhank Super Console X2 Pro Retro Gaming Emulator and Streaming Console $89.97
$159.99 Save $70.02 Get Deal

Two things can be true. You can miss the good old days of retro gaming long before the rise of smartphones, while also loving the modern-day convenience of pressing a couple of buttons and binge-watching your favorite comfort show. Fortunately, there’s now a console for that — the Kinhank Super Console X2.

The Kinhank Super Console X2 can transport you back to the time of Atari, Nintendo, and Sega Genesis, while also allowing you to stream Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ right on that same device. And right now you can do it all for just $89.97 (reg. $159.99) and get free shipping if you order before Oct. 5.

Relive retro gaming and stream your favorite shows with this petite console

If you’ve been itching to play a round of Pac-Man or miss the days of popping a chunky cartridge into your old Nintendo machine, the Kinhank Super Console brings it all back — no blowing in said cartridge required.

This petite console packs a major punch, bringing you a hefty dose of nostalgia with thousands of preloaded games from old favorites like Atari, Sega Genesis, Nintendo, PlayStation, and more. You can also download more current 3D games for free.

After you get your gaming fix, the Kinhank Super Console X2 also returns to the current decade and serves as a streaming device. Watch your favorite shows on your go-to services like Netflix, Disney+, and more. All you have to do is connect it to your TV, laptop, or projector. You’ll receive two controllers, and if you need more, you can add additional Bluetooth controllers.

Enjoy both retro gaming and real-time streaming with the Kinhank Super Console X2 Pro Retro Gaming Emulator and Streaming Console, on sale now for $89.97 ($159.99) with free shipping through Oct. 5.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Julia Fox sat down with Mashable reporter Ty Cole at the junket for the Jordan Peele-produced Him. Directed and co-written by Justin Tipping, Him centers on a professional football draft hopeful Cameron Cade (Tyriq Withers) whose dream is to be the GOAT (greatest of all time). Cam's father pushed him towards that goal since he was a child, telling him, "That's what real men do. They sacrifice. No guts, no glory." The aspiring sports star is aided toward this goal by former football great Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans), who puts Cameron through an unconventional yet intensely grueling training regiment that pushes him to the limits of sacrifice.

In this interview, Julia Fox, who plays Isaiah's wife and influencer Elsie White, broke down what she believes to be the relationship between sacrifice and success in high-level sports.

"It kind of calls for you to disconnect a little bit from your wants and desires," Fox said. "I know a lot of players won't eat the foods they love. They just stop everything in order to just be [disciplined]... Their sacrifices literally know no bounds. It's every single aspect, you know? It's a little dehumanizing. Even the way that they can be traded overnight... You're going to get attached to your players, the city, you brought your family there, and now your child needs to change school[s]. I feel like a lot of these players get so much identity from the teams they play with. And then overnight that can just be gone. Or overnight they could get an injury, then they're used goods."

Fox also discussed how having a child has changed what she, personally, would sacrifice for her career:

"I'm a mom. I have a young child. I can't really do all the things I wish I could do. So for me, I would say my biggest sacrifice comes from the time that I'm willing to sacrifice."

Him opens in theaters Sept. 19.

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

Happy New iPhone Day!

And what better way to celebrate the launch of the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 family than by smashing them to pieces?

That's right, just hours after the iPhone launched, users are already breaking their iPhones — sometimes on purpose.

Early users have discovered that the iPhone 17 Pro's new aluminum unibody (the iPhone 16 Pro used titanium) is prone to scratches, and users are sharing photos of scratched-up demo iPhones on display at Apple Stores around the world. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman even speculates this is why we didn't get the black iPhone 17 Pro — the anodized aluminum body is too prone to scratching, and black gives away the game, he says.

SEE ALSO: Marques Brownlee shows how good a black iPhone 17 Pro would have looked

However, some poor, unfortunate souls simply decided to tempt fate and left the Apple Store without slipping their new $1,199 smartphone into a matching case. You can spare yourself from this fate by picking out an iPhone 17 Pro case before buying your iPhone. (You can get a good one for as little as $15.99, folks.)

We should note that we can't verify the user photos showing broken iPhones. In the generative AI era, it's all too easy to falsify images. However, images like these are spreading on X, Instagram, and TikTok, so we're sharing them.

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While some iPhones are lost to acts of god, some pro users are also deliberately taking apart their new iPhones and showing off their innards for all the world to see. Popular YouTubers like Jerryrigeverything are known for these types of breakdown videos.

For instance, tech tester Marcus Cupello has been doggedly trying to break the new ultra-thin iPhone Air, which does have a titanium body.

You can see the iPhone Air bend (but not break) in Cupello's stress tests. He goes even further, attacking the iPhone Air with a hammer, a bowl of water, a screwdriver, and more tools.

Expect to see more of these types of videos post-iPhone day as intrepid tech bloggers rip apart their new Apple phones to see what's under the titanium or aluminum hood. (Please don't try this at home!) Unfortunately, Mashable's budget doesn't allow us to buy an iPhone Air simply to destroy it, but we are eager to see who successfully breaks the iPhone Air first.

The iPhone Air officially hit store shelves this Friday, but select early reviewers already had their hands on Apple’s thinnest iPhone yet. It’s the company’s boldest design shift since the iPhone X introduced FaceID and OLED displays. This time, though, Apple isn’t chasing new sensors or screen tech — it’s rethinking how the iPhone feels in your hand. And based on early iPhone Air reviews, people are into it.

That’s not to say it’s flawless. The Air compromises on camera quality and battery. Like the long-running MacBook Air vs. MacBook Pro debate, users are asking if the tradeoff in performance is worth the sleek form factor and lighter feel. For many reviewers, the answer is yes — especially if you value aesthetics, portability, and a bit of novelty in your daily device. So, while the thin Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge was a flop, we wouldn't be surprised if the iPhone Air takes off.

Mashable’s full review of the iPhone Air is still in the works. So, until we're ready to render a verdict, here's a guide to the early iPhone Air reviews, both positive and negative.

On the design

PCMag's Eric Zeman:

The Apple iPhone Air is an exciting phone that favors design and aesthetics over features and raw performance. It looks terrific and is a joy to use, but lacks some capabilities of other models.

WIRED's Julian Chokkata:

The iPhone Air is just 5.6 millimeters thick and 165 grams; contrast that with the iPhone 17 Pro, which has a smaller screen yet weighs 206 grams and is 8.75 mm thick. It's a palpable difference. Initially, you might feel like the lighter weight makes the Air seem “cheap,” but that notion quickly disappears. This phone feels strong, durable, and rigid.

CNET's Abrar Al-Heeti:

There's one design element that's a bit of a letdown, especially if you spend as much time binging YouTube and TikTok videos on your phone as I do. The iPhone Air doesn't have a speaker on the bottom, only one at the top of the phone. That means the listening experience isn't as immersive, and music doesn't sound as good as it would on an iPhone with multiple speakers. It's not a deal-breaker, but for a nearly $1,000 phone, I'd expect a little more without having to resort to AirPods Pro 3 or other headphones for better audio.

CNET's Abrar Al-Heeti holds the iPhone Air. Credit: CNET

Engadget's Sam Rutherford:

Apple is setting new highs for mobile design with the iPhone Air. Not only is it even skinnier at just 5.6mm (versus 5.8mm for the S25E), it's the best example yet of what I like to call “the sci-fi space pebble look” thanks to its rounded corners and beautifully polished edges. It's a proper marvel of engineering and while I generally don't like saying this, you really do have to hold one to fully appreciate Apple's craftsmanship.

On battery life

The Verge's Allison Johnson:

Now for the less-good news: battery life is just okay. And honestly, that’s a pretty good outcome for the Air; the situation could have been worse. If you’re a light user and you spend most of your time on Wi-Fi, you might never have a problem with the battery.

PCMag's Eric Zeman:

The iPhone Air ran for 19 hours and 15 minutes. That's less than the 16 Plus's 21 hours and 51 minutes, but better than the iPhone 16's result of 17 hours and 47 minutes. More importantly, it's the shortest battery life of the new iPhone 17 models by several hours. The iPhone 17 runs for five hours longer, the 17 Pro runs for eight hours longer, and the 17 Pro Max runs for an amazing 13 hours longer. If you have battery anxiety, the iPhone Air is not the iPhone for you; the other models offer far more battery life.

Gizmodo's Raymond Wong:

In my totally unscientific daily testing, I would say the iPhone Air has good battery life, but my iPhone 16 Pro still had more juice by the end of the day. Is it deal-breaking, poor battery life like many people have been fearing? Absolutely not.

On the camera:

ZDNet's Kerry Wan:

The iPhone Air's cameras are both its high and low points. I'm a fan of the 18MP Center Stage front camera, as it can adaptively stretch out the field of view and give selfies a level of depth and embrace that's long been missing on phones in general…On the other hand, the rear 48MP camera leaves a sensor or two to be desired. Color accuracy, contrast, and shadow detail are still the iPhone's forte (as depicted in the samples above), but there were several moments when I craved the more distant optical zooming of the Pro model, especially when recording live events and subjects far away.

CNET's Abrar Al-Heeti:

It felt surprisingly limiting to not have an ultrawide camera, especially when I wanted to capture more sweeping landscapes. Not to turn this into a thin phone showdown, but I couldn't help but think of how the Galaxy S25 Edge does have a 12-megapixel ultrawide-angle camera, alongside a 200-megapixel wide-angle camera, which makes it feel like less of a compromise in that regard. 

TechRadar's Jacob Krol:

This is where the compromises necessitated by the iPhone Air’s unfeasibly thin design begin: the iPhone Air only features a single, 48-megapixel Fusion camera on the back. It can shoot at 1x, a sensor crop in 2x, or a maximum digital 10x, but the quality falls off noticeably with the latter.

The Verge's Allison Johnson:

On the subject of limitations: that camera. I mean, technically there are two of them — the 48-megapixel rear camera and a new 18-megapixel selfie camera that does some cool stuff. But there’s just one sensor and lens on that rear camera bump, even though the Galaxy S25 Edge managed to fit a second one. The single rear camera feels justifiable on the $599 iPhone 16E; on the Air it feels like a real concession.

Tom's Guide's Mark Spoonauer:

However, I don’t like that shoppers have to give up both an ultrawide lens and telephoto zoom with the iPhone Air. At least Samsung gives you an ultrawide camera that enables macro photography. But the iPhone Air’s main 48MP camera is very good overall.

It's iPhone 17 launch day. Consumers around the world are lining up at their local Apple stores in order to pick up the latest line of smartphones from Apple: the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 series.

However, within just a few hours of the new iPhone launching, Apple customers took to social media to share something a bit odd.

Some of the brand new iPhone 17 Pro devices on display in Apple Stores were already scratched.

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"Demo unit iPhone 17 Pro scratches on day 1…(it’s not even 24 hours yet)" posted one user on X alongside photos of the scratched devices. "Use a case immediately if you don’t wait to experience this kind of issue. I’m very disappointed with the quality here."

Photos and videos of the scratched-up in-store demo iPhone 17 Pro units quickly spread online, and some X users are already sharing photos of their own scratched phones, though we can't verify these posts.

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As Bloomberg's Apple insider Mark Gurman reports, the outlet experienced scratched-up iPhone 17 Pro devices in-person at various locations around the world, including Apple stores in New York, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and London.

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According to Gurman, it's not just the iPhone 17 Pro either. The iPhone 17 Pro Max and black iPhone Air were also "prone to scratching." The iPhone 17 Pro devices were also susceptible to a circular mark on the back of the device left by Apple’s MagSafe charger.

Of course, there's a simple solution to scratching: Start using an iPhone 17 Pro case immediately.

SEE ALSO: The best iPhone 17 Pro cases to protect (or hide) your new phone Is this why there's no black iPhone 17 Pro?

When Apple introduced its new iPhone 17 line, many Apple fans noticed that a black iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max was conspicuously absent from the lineup. A black iPhone offering has long been a standard iPhone color option, if not outright seen as the default iPhone option for many Apple customers. The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are only available in Silver, Cosmic Orange, and Deep Blue.

Gurman believes that the easily scratchable rear of the new iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max could explain the absence of the black iPhone 17 Pro.

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This year, Apple decided to replace the titanium body of the iPhone 16 Pro with an aluminum unibody for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models. Anodized aluminium is notoriously prone to scratches, and these scratches are much more visible on darker-colored devices. 

The fact that Bloomberg only noticed scratches on the back of the black iPhone Air, which unlike the Pro and Pro Max is made with a Ceramic Shield, further substantiates this theory.

Apple likely won't experience any sales troubles due to this issue. Apple has had issues with scratch-prone iPhone models before. However, this might finally explain why we didn't get an iPhone 17 Pro or Pro Max in black this year.

SEE ALSO: Marques Brownlee shows how good a black iPhone 17 Pro would have looked

As a writer and director, Jordan Peele has brought us the gnarly thrills of Get Out, Us, and Nope. As a producer, he's been busy expanding Black horror by uplifting other filmmakers, like Nia DaCosta (Candyman), J.D. Dillard (The Twilight Zone reboot), and now Justin Tipping, co-writer and director of Him. 

The upside of Peele's involvement is tying these rising filmmakers to an established brand of blockbuster horror and Black excellence. The downside, however, is that fans and critics may not be as welcoming to visions of horror that don't mimic Peele's signature scares. Critics were tough on Candyman and The Twilight Zone. So what will that mean for Him?

SEE ALSO: 'Him' trailer: Producer Jordan Peele turns football practice into a bloodbath

On Tipping's side are two incredible leading men. Marlon Wayans, in an off-brand dramatic turn, and Tyriq Withers are a sensational team, reflecting perhaps their own places in the movie industry. 

The former plays a charismatic, established football star who has grown weary of the pressures of fame and the abuse perpetrated by the sport on his body, not to mention the even darker underbelly of sacrifices he cannot talk about. The latter plays the ambitious, talented, but naive rookie who's unaware of what football will truly demand from his body, mind, and soul. 

The resulting film, while uneven, is rich because of these two performances, colliding with Tipping's giallo-inspired vision of American football. But is this film overall a win? 

Him plays like Suspiria meets the NFL draft.  Credit: Universal Pictures

For legal reasons, the script by Tipping, Zack Akers, and Skip Bronkie won't use familiar team names or other NFL-affiliated brands, including the actual moniker of the annual "big game." But Him doesn't need that. 

Centered on a team called the Saviors, Him instead focuses on the training required to become the GOAT (greatest of all time). Former college footballer turned actor Tyriq Withers stars as draft hopeful Cameron Cade. Ever since his boyhood, Cam's father pointed him to Black excellence in the field of football, telling him, "That's what real men do. They sacrifice. No guts, no glory." 

Cam is a college quarterback hoping to follow in the footsteps of his idol, Saviors' MVP Isaiah White (Wayans). Fourteen years after what should have been a career-ending injury on the field, White is finally eying retirement. But first, he takes Cam under his wing to see if the young man is ready to be "Him," meaning the next big thing for the Saviors' brand. However, Isaiah's training is unconventional, demanding Cam surrender his phone and submit to a regimen held mostly in a bizarre underground bunker, deep in a scorching desert. 

Like the aspiring ballerinas of the horror classic Suspiria, who are also trapped in a sketchy training facility, he's initially so driven to do right by his teacher that he'll do anything he's asked. This begins with tests of his obedience that begin with humiliation, then quickly graduate to endurance and violence. As his body is pushed to its limits, his mind quakes with horrific visions. Are they hallucinations caused by a concussion? Or scarier yet, are they real? And either way, what do they mean for Cam?

Him brews solid suspense and surreal scares.  Credit: Parrish Lewis / Universal Pictures

Tipping reimagines the iconography of American football in some sensationally scary sequences. For instance, a mascot, tall, masked, and wielding a weapon emerges in a jump scare and acts like a slasher, assaulting an unwitting footballer. Throughout Cam's journey, mascots will emerge in costumes fluffy, glittery, and yet alien and disturbing. There's a sense that they're hiding something sinister beneath their too-broad grins and fluttering limbs.  

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Fans get a similarly transformation. Their excited cheers turn into echoing, haunting yowls. Their fervor for Isaiah turns against any who might threaten his going for another win. Specifically, as Cam reaches the gates of the desert compound, his conveyance is ambushed by Marjorie (a truly creepy Naomi Grossman), whose long blonde hair and make-up seem ruined by years of sweat, tears, and obsession. She spits threateningly at Cam's car and glares at him as if an animal rages inside her. At her sides are two figures covered in white body paint. But instead of resembling the beer-bellied bros of Sunday night football, they have more in common with the skinny, ash-covered acolytes of Mad Max: Fury Road's Immortan Joe, their faces covered in strange football-shaped masks, goons to a cult.

As hinted by the team name Saviors, football is their faith, the quarterback their God. Tipping will push this point with more Christian iconography, like the gold cross around Cam's neck, the recreation of The Last Supper at a pivotal point in his training, and the offering of a grail that might be filled with red wine or sacrificial blood. Isaiah ties the idea of football and its demanded sacrifices of blood and body to gladiators in ancient Rome, though considering the film's third act reveals, there are historical references closer to home that might have been more effective. 

SEE ALSO: How Bob the Drag Queen weaves hip hop and history in his new book

Tipping is at his best when using smothering swaths of blood red light, flashing effects, and X-ray filters to disorient the standard vision of football, its play, training, and medicines. While Wayans bellows in mercurial moments, Withers is the audience conduit, alternately charmed and alarmed by this icon. Their chemistry, a dizzying mix of mutual admiration and toxic jealousy, makes Him steadily compelling as it tackles sequences of psychological horror and violence. But frustratingly…

Him fumbles its climax.  Credit: Universal Pictures

For much of the movie, Tipping plays with what's real. The horrors playing out onscreen could be visions from Cam's brain trauma, acting out his anxieties of fame and fans, or they could reflect the horrid extremes football obsessives might reach in pursuit of that exultant win. Such a setup certainly demands a violent finale. And yet, the one that Him offers feels lifted from another film.

After so much stylish and nightmarish suspense, the big showdown between Cam and Isaiah is confoundingly simple in its staging and infuriatingly anti-climactic. From there, the film pitches into a totally different look, taking its hero outside of the oppressive interiors of the compound to a brightly lit day with a sloppily introduced array of antagonists.

The violence that follows is splashy in a mainstream horror way, but cut together so slapdash it feels like an afterthought. It left me curious if Universal panicked and demanded a new ending with too little notice, because as it is, Him's climax feels jarringly disjointed from too much of what came before. Unanswered questions, curious characters, and even a seeming murder are left not only dangling, but utterly forgotten in place of a conclusion that only raises new queries, offering no satisfaction.

Julia Fox is utterly bizarre and diabolical.  Credit: Universal Pictures

Where Wayans and Withers ground Him in a world of challenging masculinity, Fox represents something else entirely. Her hair bleached pale blonde — eyebrows and all — she plays Isaiah's ostentatious wife Elsie White, a lifestyle influencer. In a whirlwind of an entrance, she welcomes Cam, declares the value of jade yoni eggs for "pussy" health, then hands him the male equivalent. "Put it up your butthole," she declares, before disappearing down a dark corridor, all while screaming at her assistant Taylor (a spunky Kiara Gomez Glad Bak). 

In the austere masculinity of this training compound, Elsie is a vision of femininity, sex, fashion, fame, and white privilege. She parrots the talk of sacrifice while dressed like a sultry disco ball and prattling on about the privacy required for the ultra-rich. Within this, she is outrageous comic relief, but also underscoring the film's message about race, its barriers and advantages within the media and sports. In Him, she is a siren and a spectacular scene-stealer. Even in a third act that's steadily falling apart with a barrage of shocks and assaults, Fox is mesmerizing.

In the end, Him is a mixed bag, offering rich performances, unnerving scares — especially one involving a sauna — and food for thought in terms of sport, race, religion, and masculinity. But perhaps with Him, Tipping, who's helmed episodes of sensational TV shows like The Chi and Dear White People as well as the calamitous true crime comedy series Joe vs. Carole, bit off more than he could chew.

Something ambiguous in the conclusion could have paid off, perhaps if Him stayed with the play of surreal suspense it had been running. But in its final minutes, Tipping's tale pivots to something more concrete, gorier, and less daring. That ending, though twisted and thrilling, doesn't feel earned. So, in the end, Him falls short of astounding. 

Him opens in theaters Sept. 19.

Is your favorite AI chatbot scheming against you?

If "AI scheming" sounds ominous, you should know that OpenAI is actively studying this phenomenon. This week, OpenAI published a study conducted alongside Apollo Research on "Detecting and reducing scheming in AI models." The researchers “found behaviors consistent with scheming in controlled tests,” the result of AI models with multiple, and at times competing, objectives.

So, what is AI scheming, and does it mean that ChatGPT is lying to you?

In a blog post about the study, the creators of ChatGPT define AI scheming as a chatbot "pretending to be aligned while secretly pursuing some other agenda." OpenAI wants to know why AI is deliberately lying to users and what to do about it.

OpenAI introduces the study with an interesting "human analogy" to better understand what AI scheming is:

Imagine a stock trader whose goal is to maximize earnings. In a highly regulated field such as stock trading, it’s often possible to earn more by breaking the law than by following it. If the trader lacks integrity, they might try to earn more by breaking the law and covering their tracks to avoid detection rather than earning less while following the law. From the outside, a stock trader who is very good at covering their tracks appears as lawful as — and more effective than — one who is genuinely following the law.

This sounds like a real problem; however, OpenAI claims that most AI models have "little opportunity to scheme in ways that could cause significant harm." According to OpenAI, the real harm could come in the future as AI is given "more complex tasks with real-world consequences." In addition, OpenAI warns that AI models will only get better at scheming in the future if the issue isn't dealt with now.

There are other ways AI can be at odds with its own users. For instance, if a user requests information on making controlled substances, an AI chatbot might face two competing objectives: Answer a user's query and keep them engaged, but also abide by system prompts that prohibit sharing this type of potentially harmful information.

In order to guard against AI scheming, OpenAI says its researchers "trained versions of OpenAI o3 and OpenAI o4-mini" by "teaching them to read and reason about a general anti-scheming spec before acting." OpenAI refers to this as "deliberative alignment⁠."

OpenAI says that utilizing this method reduced AI scheming; however, researchers have yet to discover how to eliminate AI scheming altogether. 

An even more concerning discovery from OpenAI's research is that AI models can't simply be taught not to scheme. Doing so would actually just make them better at scheming in the future.

"A major failure mode of attempting to 'train out' scheming is simply teaching the model to scheme more carefully and covertly," the study found.

SEE ALSO: 'The illusion of thinking': Apple research finds AI models collapse and give up with hard puzzles

In fact, OpenAI says, training with the intent to eliminate scheming actually makes the AI model aware that they are being tested for scheming, and as a result, the AI model will simply lie in order to pass the test.

"Anti-scheming training does appear to reduce scheming, but our analysis is complicated by another factor: models often become more aware that they are being evaluated. This situational awareness can itself reduce scheming, independent of genuine alignment," the study says.

In conclusion, OpenAI finds that "scheming is a complex failure mode that we do not expect to diminish with scale." OpenAI continues, saying "our findings show that scheming is not merely a theoretical concern—we are seeing signs that this issue is beginning to emerge across all frontier models today."

To summarize: AI models can intentionally lie to their users. Again, that sounds like a big problem, but OpenAI says it isn't yet.

Per OpenAI, most AI models aren't responsible for tasks with "real-world consequences" yet, limiting the potential for harm — for now.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

The 2025 Emmys may be over, but you can continue to celebrate your favorite TV shows' wins thanks to Google's post-Emmys Easter egg.

If you type in the name of one of last night's winning shows into Google search, like Outstanding Comedy Series winner The Studio or Outstanding Drama Series winner The Pitt, you'll see a trophy icon float up on screen. Clicking on the widget will let you know how many awards the show won at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards.

SEE ALSO: All the winners from the 2025 Emmys

Replacing the trophy, the icon will then resemble a flower. Clicking it throws a virtual bouquet across the screen to celebrate that show's awards, giving the series and everyone who worked on it their flowers. Google has previously featured this celebratory mechanic for other high-profile events like the Olympics, where users could throw bouquets at countries and athletes.

Get to celebrating! Credit: Screenshot: Belen Edwards

The flower icon also reveals how many total bouquets have been thrown for each show. At the time of writing, The Pitt has received approximately 336,700 bouquets, and The Studio has received approximately 405,600. The big bouquet winner so far, though, is Adolescence, which took home six Primetime Emmys, including Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series and acting awards for Stephen Graham, Owen Cooper, and Erin Doherty. At the time of writing, Adolescence has received approximately 741,600 virtual bouquets.

The bouquets aren't just for entire shows, though. You can also send virtual kudos to individual actors, writers, and directors who won Emmy awards, from Severance's Tramell Tillman to Hacks' Hannah Einbinder.

SAVE $40: As of Sept. 19, get the Asus ZenScreen portable monitor for $169 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $209. That's a discount of 19%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Asus ZenScreen portable monitor $169 at Amazon
$209 Save $40 Get Deal

Love to work on the go but run out of room with your phone or tablet? Or maybe you want a dual-screen setup with your laptop at home? A portable monitor is the way to go. And you may be surprised to learn that you won't have to pony up an ungodly amount of cash to add one to your setup, especially with this Amazon deal.

As of Sept. 19, get the Asus ZenScreen portable monitor for $169 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $209. That's $40 off and a discount of 19%.

SEE ALSO: The best monitors in 2025

This 16-inch full HD IPS display is an ultraslim, thin, and perfectly portable option that you can connect with any laptop with a USB Type-C or Type-A port. It features a kickstand so it can stand on its own, and it's small enough to fit in your laptop case, backpack, and on smaller surfaces.

It features flicker-free and low blue light technology to help protect your eyes when you use it for a long stretch of time, and is compatible with mounts if you want to have it out for a more permanent solution.

Whether you work from your iPad on your daily commute or you want a setup that can go with you and you're still tweaking the specifics, you can't really go wrong with this affordable option from Asus. It might not be the most efficient solution for gaming, but it can handle just about everything else very nicely.

SAVE $350: As of Sept. 19, the Mashable Choice Anker Solix C1000 portable power station is down to just $449 (reg. $799) at Amazon as a Lightning Deal. That's a savings of 44% — but you'll have to act fast.

Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Anker Solix C1000 portable power station $449 at Amazon
$799 Save $350 Get Deal

Anker is known for offering quality products at budget-friendly prices — and the Solix C1000 portable power station is no exception. Already coming in at a relatively low (compared to competitors) $799, Amazon dropped its price as a Lightning Deal today. If you're in the market for portable power, whether for camping or power outages, act fast to score this Mashable Choice Award-winning device for less.

As of Sept. 19, the Anker Solix C1000 is on sale for only $449. That's a savings of 44% from its $799 list price and just $20 shy of its best-ever price. Since it's a Lightning Deal, you'll have to grab it today before the timer runs out or before all units have been claimed — whichever comes first.

Credit: Lauren Allain / Mashable

"The Anker Solix C1000 portable power station nails performance, design, and versatility. It’s a must-pack for weekend camping trips and comes in handy during power outages," Mashable contributor Lauren Allain writes in her review.

It weighs less than 30 pounds, which is like carrying a stocked cooler — not lightweight, but maneuverable. I wouldn't bring it along on a hike, but for powering a campsite or a tailgate, it's a dream. Of course, it helps that it has ergonomic handles on both sides for transport. With a massive 2,400W output and 11 versatile ports (two USB-C, two USB-A, and six AC), you can deliver power to everything from your phone and laptop to your coffee maker and refrigerator. It recharges in less than an hour via wall power, but you can also connect it to solar panels if you're off the grid.

Even at full price, our reviewer thinks the Solix C1000 is worth it for most people. And at 44% off, it's a helluva deal if you're in the market for a power station. Just remember you'll have to act fast.