Mashable

EV manufacturer XPENG is targeting a 2027 global rollout for its next-generation VLA 2.0 autonomous driving system. Announcing its launch plans in March, XPENG stated that VLA 2.0 is the first AI driving model with L4 potential in China, marking a significant step toward the dream of the self-driving car.

XPENG's cars aren't completely driverless just yet. But speaking to Mashable, XPENG's General Intelligence Center head Dr. Xianming Liu explained that VLA 2.0 may be key to finally achieving that goal. 

SEE ALSO: Chinese EVs are spreading across the globe, but not in the U.S. What is L4 autonomous driving?

Autonomous driving systems are commonly categorised into one of six levels, as defined by global automotive standards organisation SAE International. These range from no driving automation at Level 0 (L0) to full driving automation at Level 5 (L5).

Most of the currently available cars with such systems operate at L2, offering partial driving automation. Despite its name, Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) system is a L2 system. The company changed up the system's branding earlier this year after the term "Full Self-Driving" was found to be misleading, adding the suffix "(Supervised)" as well as axing the name "Autopilot." (The feature was rebranded again to "Tesla Assisted Driving" to comply with regulations for its Chinese launch in May.)

Some other automakers have reached L3, with Mercedes-Benz becoming the first automaker to offer U.S. customers conditional driving automation in 2024. However, this L3 autonomous driving system only works in very narrow circumstances, such as on specific freeways during clear daytime weather, which limits its practicality.

L4 marks the next high watermark of driving automation, just one step away from not needing a driver at all. Now XPENG claims its AI-powered VLA 2.0 system — standing for Vision-Language-Action — is all but there. 

Mashable took a test ride in an XPENG P7 with VLA 2.0 enabled, and found it a difficult claim to dispute. The car was able to smoothly navigate Beijing's large city roads, rough rural streets, and busy pedestrian and scooter traffic with minimal driver intervention. It even could park by itself after everyone had exited the vehicle.

The driver did need to take over at a couple of points, demonstrating that VLA 2.0 isn't a completely autonomous system just yet. Self-driving robotaxi companies such as Tesla and Waymo have suffered concerning safety incidents after removing humans from behind the wheel, and XPENG doesn't claim it's ready to take that leap. But overall, VLA 2.0 felt safe, efficient, and even luxurious.

From autonomous driving to physical AI

According to Liu, VLA 2.0 is a fundamental change when compared to XPENG's previous L2 Navigation Guided Pilot (NGP) system. While NGP focused on developing autonomous driving, VLA 2.0 is focused on solving physical AI problems.

"Once you work on the AI problem, everything changes," said Liu.

Autonomous driving systems such as NGP typically operate on a framework of perception, prediction, planning, and control. In such a system, the vehicle uses onboard sensors to detect its environment and abstract it into data, such as using boxes to represent other cars. It then predicts what these obstacles will do, plans a course of action, and controls the car to execute that plan. 

"The NGP is a traditional autonomous driving system where we do the perception first and then do the planning secondly. This is a very old paradigm of autonomous driving, or even currently in robotics," said Liu. "There's a lot of limitations in these kinds of algorithms. Once you work on autonomous driving or AI for more than 10 years, you'll see the limitation. You can never scale up or generalise enough of the entire system to different kinds of scenarios."

To create an L4 autonomous driving system, and eventually a completely self-driving robotaxi, the car must be able to identify and respond to unexpected situations that haven't been specifically accounted for in its programming. The problem, Liu explained, is that developers don't necessarily know what these problems might be.

"We call it unknown unknown," said Liu. "There's so much unknown unknown problems. You can never solve them one by one. So you need to change the paradigm, and try to change the system to be generalised enough and scalable enough to solve all the problems."

XPENG's Dr. Xianming Liu has worked in AI and autonomous driving for almost a decade. Credit: XPENG

For XPENG, the solution was to shift its entire approach to autonomous driving, switching to instead focus on physical AI — the integration of AI software with tangible hardware such as cars or robotics. Unlike digital AI such as chatbots ChatGPT, DeepSeek, and Claude, physical AI is capable of directly interacting with the physical world. It's also able to ingest and adjust to a constant stream of information, breaking away from the sequential structure of previous autonomous driving systems.

"Physical AI is totally different from digital because the signal input is not structured, it's continuous," Liu said. "The information load is much higher than structured data like text or voice. And also the control signal requires high latency and high efficiency. That means your latency needs to be very small."

Turning to physical AI enabled XPENG to scale up, widening their model parameters and feeding it large amounts of data to learn from.

"We just take all the camera sensor input and directly train the model. We enlarge the model capacity, make it into billion parameters, and train the model using an even much larger data scale compared to large language models, and [then] ask the model to make a decision," said Liu.

"We changed the paradigm of auto driving, and luckily we see the result. The model is generalised enough to be ready for L4 autonomous driving."

How autonomous cars are linked to humanoid robots

Rather than focusing solely on autonomous driving, XPENG is developing the foundation AI model behind VLA 2.0 to be applied across a variety of use cases — including robotics. The company went viral when it debuted its uncannily lifelike humanoid IRON robot last November, even cutting it open to dispel speculation that it was a real person in a suit.

Though the connection between the two projects may not be immediately apparent, Liu told Mashable that many of the challenges facing autonomous car and humanoid robot development are very similar. As such, innovations are transferable.

"A lot of our R&D budget is spent on the AI or the training infrastructure, the data, the modeling itself," said Liu, noting that XPENG views itself as both an EV and physical AI company. 

A significant focus of XPENG's ongoing R&D is the AI model's ability to recognise and respond to increasingly complex verbal instructions. This is an important function for both humanoid robots and autonomous cars.

"Robots not only need to understand the environment, which is the world, [but] need to reconstruct the world," said Liu. "But also sometimes [they] need to understand how to communicate with humans or even with other agents in the world."

The XPENG X9 EV can seat up to seven people. Credit: XPENG

While VLA 2.0 navigates using vision input from the car's camera sensors, it's able to take verbal instructions as well. This functionality is currently limited to executing straightforward, immediate instructions, such as telling the car to turn left in 300 metres or change to the right lane. Eventually, XPENG aims for passengers to be able to simply climb in the car, verbally tell it where to go, and relax as they're ferried to their destination. 

"You ask the car, 'hey, just pull over in front. I want to buy a coffee so you need to pull over in front of the Starbucks.' The car needs to understand your instruction, needs to translate your instruction into some actions," said Liu. "We want to make sure the model can understand not only the world, which is the sensor [data from its cameras], but also the instruction and human intent."

XPENG and Tesla are driving toward the same destination

XPENG's work with autonomous EVs and humanoid robots have prompted frequent comparisons to Elon Musk's company Tesla. Liu acknowledged such parallels, noting that Tesla is also building a similar AI model aimed at achieving L4 driving.

"I think there is only one way to solve the problem entirely: you need to rethink the problem from the very beginning," Liu told Mashable. "[XPENG and Tesla are] doing something on the same trajectory. We want to solve the problem following the first principles [i.e. breaking it down to its most basic elements]. Directly go to L4, try to solve the problem not using rules, only using AI models. I think this is a similarity."

Humourously, Liu noted that where XPENG distinguishes itself from Tesla is in the sheer volume of data it has on bad driving. Using this data, XPENG has been able to develop its model to respond to such scenarios, ensuring it's better prepared for any unexpected events that might occur on the road.

"For XPENG, we have a lot of data in China which is terrible driving. So you will meet a lot of corner cases, [i.e. rare, unexpected situations outside the norm]," said Liu. "So every day, the problem we are facing is not that we don't have enough data to solve the corner cases, but we have too many corner cases. So we need to solve it. And that's our advantage, and also difference, compared to Tesla."

Ditching the roadmap

Rather than ingesting and relying on road map data, VLA 2.0 has been trained on human driving behaviours. This is to ensure it's capable of appropriately responding to a limitless, non-prescriptive variety of situations. For example, it can look at a live scenario and determine the typical, safe speed limit for that type of environment and conditions. 

"Sometimes, even though the road is limited, it's like 80 [speed limit], but it's pretty crowded, you need to slow down and pay attention. Or during inclement weather, for example, raining or foggy, people will slow down because of the situation, because of the environment," said Liu.

"So in these cases, you cannot ask a car to follow instructions from the speed limit from the map, or from all the signs. You need to make sure the model is aware of the risk and understands how to drive safely and how to control the speed."

Importantly, drivers are able to manually adjust the car's maximum speed as well, so it won't travel at a pace that makes them uncomfortable.

"For safety and comfort, the key is to control speed," said Liu. "People can control the wheel, control the scroll to set the speed limit. But the model tries to learn what kind of typical speed people will drive in this kind of situation, because we need to make sure the car is safe enough and also not too slow."

XPENG has numerous car models available in China, but none have entered the U.S. Credit: XPENG

Though VLA 2.0 is trained on a large amount of general data, XPENG hopes to eventually offer a more customised experience. Liu confirmed that the company is developing the ability for individual cars to learn from and adjust to their specific owners, adjusting to suit their personal driving habits. (Significantly, VLA 2.0 does not transfer data to the cloud, with all necessary processing done locally on the car.)

"We're working on that," said Liu. "Definitely customised driving behaviours is one of the things we're working on, so hopefully sometime later you will see it."

Exactly what sort of timeline that feature might be on isn't clear. What is clear is that XPENG has grand ambitions —  and maybe even the technology to back it up. Liu acknowledged that VLA 2.0 isn't yet perfect, still requiring driver intervention at times. Even so, there's no denying that it's an important advancement toward the ultimate goal of creating safe, fully autonomous vehicles.

This interview has been lightly edited for grammar and clarity.

Disclosure: Mashable travelled to China as a guest of XPENG.

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.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

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

Cleans the teeth.

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

FLOSS

Hurdle Word 2 hint

A handbag.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for June 15, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

PURSE

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Annoyance.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for June 15 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for June 15, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

PEEVE

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Magnitude.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

SCALE

Final Hurdle hint

A spice.

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

CUMIN

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

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will require soccer 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. The sports 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 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 before 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: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Positional soccer

• Green: Emerald City sports

• Blue: Ballpark Tim

• Purple: Golf

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Soccer Positions

• Green: Seattle Teams

• Blue: Baseball Tims

• Purple: Golf___

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 #630 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Soccer Positions: FULLBACK, GOALKEEPER, MIDFIELDER, STRIKER

• Seattle Teams: KRAKEN, REIGN, SEAHAWKS, STORM

• Baseball Tims: LINCECUM, RAINES, SALMON, WAKEFIELD

• Golf___: COURSE, POLO, TEE, UMBRELLA

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

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

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

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

Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.

Released in August 2025, 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 on to 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 with 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 June 15, 2026

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible — and common — for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

• Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.

• Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.

• Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.

• Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.

• Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for June 15, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for June 15 Pips

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

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

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

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

Medium difficulty hints, answers for June 15 Pips

Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 4-4, placed vertically; 5-2, placed vertically.

Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 5-2, placed vertically; 6-0, placed vertically.

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

Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 6-5, placed vertically; 3-3, placed vertically.

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

Hard difficulty hints, answers for June 15 Pips

Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 2-4, placed horizontally.

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

Number (11): Everything in this space must add up to 11. The answer is 2-5, placed vertically; 6-0, placed horizontally.

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

Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 0-3, placed vertically.

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

Number (11): Everything in this space must add up to 11. The answer is 6-5, placed vertically; 6-3, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 6-3, placed horizontally.

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

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

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

TL;DR: Live stream Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has started with a number of really entertaining games. The tournament is still very much taking shape, with opening games giving fans their first impression of where everyone stands.

Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador is a particularly interesting opening round game from Group E. Germany and Curacao are the other sides in this group, so Ivory Coast and Ecuador will both fancy their chances of advancing (particularly as the eight best third-placed teams will progress to the knockouts rounds).

If you want to watch Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador in the 2026 FIFA World Cup from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador?

Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador in the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off at 7 p.m. ET on June 14. This fixture takes place at the Lincoln Financial Field.

How to watch Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador for free

Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer.

BBC iPlayer is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock BBC iPlayer to live stream the 2026 World Cup for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador for free by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Visit BBC iPlayer

5. Watch Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador for free from anywhere in the world

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the 2026 World Cup without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador (plus more World Cup fixtures) before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to the best free streaming services from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for BBC iPlayer?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on BBC iPlayer, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Netherlands vs. Japan in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free on ITVX. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The first round of 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage fixtures includes some fascinating matchups, but Netherlands vs. Japan might be the best of the bunch.

This contest is really difficult to predict, but it's vitally important for both sides to get a result. Sweden and Tunisia make up the rest of Group F, so there really isn't a weak link. Every team will be gunning for the knockout rounds, which is exactly what fans want from this tournament.

If you want to watch Netherlands vs. Japan in the 2026 FIFA World Cup from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Netherlands vs. Japan?

Netherlands vs. Japan in the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off at 4 p.m. ET on June 14. This fixture takes place at the AT&T Stadium.

How to watch Netherlands vs. Japan for free

Netherlands vs. Japan in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is available to live stream for free on ITVX.

ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock ITVX to live stream the 2026 World Cup for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Netherlands vs. Japan for free by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Visit ITVX

5. Watch Netherlands vs. Japan for free from anywhere in the world

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the 2026 World Cup without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Netherlands vs. Japan (plus more World Cup fixtures) before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to the best free streaming services from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for ITVX?

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

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Netherlands vs. Japan in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free with ExpressVPN.

The New York Knicks just won their first NBA championship since 1973, ending one of the longest title droughts in professional sports, and both New York City and the internet have erupted in response. But you don't need to be a basketball fan to appreciate what just happened. In fact, we would argue that last night represents one of the finest storybook endings in sports history, something so picture-perfect that you would think it was scripted. 

Skeptical? Hear us out first. 

The 'Nova Knicks win big

Last night, three college best friends came together to repeat their improbable 2016 NCAA March Madness run on an even bigger stage.

Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges were all teammates at Villanova University 10 years ago, where they helped to defeat a heavily-favored North Carolina team 77-74 in one of the most celebrated NCAA tournament games of all time. 

And the friendship they forged a decade ago is simultaneously a major reason for their incredible team chemistry today and the single reason the Knicks have the roster they currently have, because it required team captain and certified superstar Jalen Brunson to take a $113 million pay cut in the summer of 2024 to clear up the necessary cap space.

Two years ago, NBA analyst/savant Adrian Wojnarowski called that move "largely unprecedented," but last night it paid off in a big way, as Brunson has been crowned the King of New York, and he and his college buddies are now NBA champions.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. The redemption of Karl Anthony Towns

It's hard to think of an NBA superstar who has been more unfairly maligned than Karl Anthony Towns. Former Minnesota Timberwolves teammate Jimmy Butler famously called him "soft" all the way back in 2018, and the insult has stuck ever since — until last night. 

Not only did KAT put up fantastic numbers throughout this series, averaging over 15 points, 11 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, he did it while taking on the toughest defensive matchup, guarding Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama, a 7'4" center with a silky-smooth jump shot and superhuman agility (they don't call him "the Alien" for no reason).

But it's the behind-the-scenes drama, so often overlooked by casual fans, that makes KAT's victory so meaningful. In 2020, his mother and biggest supporter passed away from complications from COVID-19. Unlike many superstar athletes and celebrities, or famous men in general, Towns was extremely open about sharing his grief. In an emotional YouTube video entitled "The Toughest Year of My Life," he went into detail about his mother's difficult upbringing, her unwavering support for him, and their pre-game rituals, and in a post-game interview after game one of the Finals, he spoke about what she still meant to him: "I felt like I was seeing her in the stands. It felt like a certain presence that was very comforting and very loving and I felt like I could have fun out here in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, which is the weirdest thing because you would expect to have the pressure at the highest.

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From that great sadness, though, good things have emerged, including his engagement to long-time girlfriend Jordyn Woods.

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Instead of "soft," the internet will now refer to him as NBA Champion Karl Anthony Towns, and that's as it should be. 

Brunson burns his haters

If Jalen Brunson wasn't a household name before this NBA Finals, he certainly will be now. But before he balled out on the game's biggest stage, he had to put up with a lot of criticism. In fact, the 6'2" point guard has been overlooked and underestimated for his entire career. In 2023, former WNBA superstar-turned-analyst Becky Hammon famously dismissed him as too small to be a "1A" player on a winning team, and Stephen A. Smith, the NBA's most famous talking head, described his signing with the Knicks as "nothing," a disaster move destined not to pan out. 

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Not only did Brunson deliver the first NBA title to New York in more than half a century, but he also did it while averaging 32.6 points, 4.6 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game, and 45 points in the close-out Game 5 on the road, en route to his winning Finals MVP. And it gets better: his father, Rick Brunson, a former Knicks player and current assistant coach for the Knicks, got to share the moment with him.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing cast reunion

For decades, the Los Angeles Lakers had A-list actor Jack Nicholson sitting courtside, cheering on the Showtime Lakers, the Shaq-Kobe three-peat, and the Kobe-Pau era, an absolute fixture of Lakerdom. In the entire NBA, only one other celebrity matched that level of dedication: Spike Lee. 

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The celebrated director can be seen in Knicks highlights from decades past, harassing refs, taunting Reggie Miller (when he was a Pacer, not an analyst!), and generally showing support. But ironically, his biggest moment as a Knicks fan would occur not in Madison Square Garden, but in San Antonio, where he reunited with Giancarlo Esposito and John Turturro, major cast members of his breakout film Do the Right Thing, to cheer on the Knicks together. 

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In hindsight, it's pretty fitting that a film director would be the headline fan of this Knicks' run, because there were enough fantastic storylines here to make a movie about — maybe the next Spike Lee joint?  

If you're not a gamer, it's difficult to describe just how much anticipation has built up over the upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto 6, some 13 years after the release of GTA V. The prior entry in the series sold more than 230 million copies worldwide, generating over $6 billion in revenue, which makes it the most profitable entertainment product of all time, ahead of every single Star Wars movie or any individual Pokemon game. And while parent company Take-Two Interactive has been tight-lipped about the budget, credible estimates range from $1 billion to over $3 billion, which is comparable to what Marvel spent on the entire MCU.    

Knowing all that, startup founder Ziwen Xu is taking on the monumental challenge of vibe coding his own version of Grand Theft Auto 6 using Claude Max 20x, Anthropic's most powerful generative model available to the average person. He began just four days ago, announcing his intentions on X: 

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Since then, he's been posting updates about Claude's progress and even sharing the code on GitHub in case anyone else wants to pick up from where he leaves off. "The goal: beat the real GTA 6 to launch," he wrote on X. "Ambitious, probably stupid, doing it anyway."

Are GTA developers Rockstar Games likely to feel threatened by his efforts? Absolutely not. But from day two to day three, there has been undeniable progress made, with the nondescript oval character from day one gradually morphing into a recognizably human figure and the background gradually taking shape into something vaguely approximating Miami, the inspiration for Grand Theft Auto's fictional Vice City.

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Sure, there are some glaring omissions as well: the slick cars, massive arsenal of weapons, and iconic GTA soundtrack, for starters. But if the November release holds (and that's a big if, if you're at all familiar with the history of Grand Theft Auto history), he's still got months of vibe coding left, which makes Xu's experiment a fantastic showcase of Claude's abilities and a great litmus test for how relevant AI coding currently is in the world of game development.

TL;DR: Sign up for a 7-day free trial of Apple TV+ through Prime Video Channels to watch select F1 races for free. Watch the Barcelona-Catalunya GP for free with the Prime Video app.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Apple TV Prime Video Channel Watch the Japanese GP for free with a 7-day trial Shop Now

The Monaco GP is obviously a special race weekend, but the actual racing can be lame. I'm glad we're returning to a circuit that actually allows for the occasional overtake.

The big question is whether any team can bridge the gap to Mercedes this season. Could we start to see the tide change at the Barcelona-Catalunya GP? I'm hoping we get some competitive performances from McLaren and Ferrari.

If you want to watch F1 2026 for free from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is the Barcelona-Catalunya GP?

The Barcelona-Catalunya GP is the seventh race of the 2026 F1 season. Here's the full schedule from the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya:

• Practice 1 — 7:30-8:30 a.m. ET on June 12

• Practice 2 — 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET on June 12

• Practice 3 — 6:30-7:30 a.m. ET on June 13

• Qualifying — 10-11 a.m. ET on June 13

• Race — 9 a.m. ET on June 14

Fans can follow all the action from this race weekend without spending anything.

How to watch the Barcelona-Catalunya GP for free

I subscribe to Amazon Prime. I gladly hand over my cash for the fast shipping, exclusive Prime Day deals, and access to Prime Video. The access to Prime Video is not all that important to me. I occasionally watch the Champions League and NBA, but it's not a priority.

That was until I found out about F1 coming to Apple TV.

It is now possible to sign up for a seven-day free trial of Apple TV+ through Prime Video Channels. F1 is exclusive to Apple TV in the U.S., so by accessing this free trial, you can watch select races for free this season. The subscription costs £9.99 per month after the trial ends, but you can cancel this automatic renewal at any time.

By cancelling ahead of the renewal, you can watch the Barcelona-Catalunya GP this weekend without spending anything.

I already pay for Amazon Prime, so I understand the argument that I'm not really watching for free. I get that, but Amazon Prime does offer a 30-day free trial period if you're new to the service. By signing up for this free trial and then gaining access to Apple TV through Prime Video Channels, you can truly watch select races for free this season.

Already used this hack to watch a race this season? It's not your only option right now.

My recommendation is you go direct to Apple TV. This popular steaming service comes with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. Alternatively, Apple One bundles Apple TV with Apple Music, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness Plus, Apple News Plus, and 50GB of iCloud Storage for $19.95 per month after a one-month free trial.

The best Apple TV free-trial offer comes with purchases of new Apple devices. New subscribers can get three months of Apple TV for free after purchasing any eligible Apple product. If you're planning on upgrading to something from the Apple lineup in Memorial Day sales, you could gain access to Apple TV for a pretty large chunk of this season. You will obviously need to buy something, but if you were already in the market for an upgrade, this method makes a lot of sense.

How to live stream 2026 F1 for free in 2026 Best Apple TV Deal Apple TV 7-day free trial Shop Now Best Prime Video Deal Apple TV Prime Video Channel 7-day free trial Shop Now Best Apple One Deal Apple One 30-day free trial Shop Now

After the action kicked off on Thursday, June 11, Matchday 4 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup has arrived. Don't worry if you missed the first few days; there are plenty more to go, with 48 teams competing in the largest World Cup tournament in history. Groups A through D have already got the ball rolling, and today will see Groups E and F do the same.

Today, June 14, is another busy day with four matchups in the U.S. and Mexico. The action kicks off at 1 p.m. ET. There's a lot to keep up with, especially if you're new to the World Cup madness, so we've broken down the details for you below. Here's what you need to know to tune in live today.

FIFA World Cup schedule today: June 14

• Group E: Germany vs. Curaçao (Houston Stadium)— kickoff at 1 p.m. ET

• Group F: Netherlands vs. Japan (Dallas Stadium) — kickoff at 4 p.m. ET

• Group E: Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador (Philadelphia Stadium) — kickoff at 7 p.m. ET

• Group F: Tunisia vs. Sweden (Monterrey Stadium) — kickoff at 10 p.m. ET

How to livestream FIFA World Cup games todayWatch Germany vs. Curaçao

Group E kicks things off on Sunday, June 14, with a first-ever meeting between Germany and Curaçao at Houston Stadium. Kickoff is at 1:00 p.m. ET, and live coverage will be on Fox and Fox One. Peacock will carry the live Spanish-language coverage.

Watch Netherlands vs. Japan

Group F's first matchup will see the Netherlands take on Japan at Dallas Stadium on Sunday, June 14. The Netherlands has the edge in the all-time series between the two teams, but both teams bring strong tournament experience. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. ET, and coverage will be on Fox and Fox One, with Spanish-language coverage on Peacock.

Watch Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador

A fresh matchup on the global stage, dark horse Ecuador takes on the Ivory Coast at Philadelphia Stadium. The Group E matchup kicks off at 7 p.m. ET and live coverage will be on FS1 and Fox One. Spanish-language coverage will be streaming on Peacock.

Watch Tunisia vs. Sweden

Group F teams Sweden and Tunisia will go head-to-head on Sunday, June 14, at Monterrey Stadium. The two teams have never faced each other at the FIFA World Cup, making this a fresh matchup on the tournament stage. Kickoff is set for 10 p.m ET, and live coverage is on FS1 and Fox One, with Spanish-language coverage on Peacock.

Opens in a new window Credit: Fox One Fox One (3-month subscription) $39.98
$59.97 Save $19.99 only for a limited time Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Peacock Peacock (Spanish language coverage only) Starting at $10.99/month Get Deal More live streaming optionsLive TV cable replacement

Rather than a standalone streaming service like Fox One or Peacock, you can sign up for a live TV cable replacement service, like YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV. These options have a cable-like format, with over 100 live channels, but run off a WiFi connection. You'll get live access to Fox and FS1, plus tons of other popular networks. They can get pretty expensive, but most offer a free trial and a discounted introductory rate. Here are a few options to consider:

• YouTube TV — 10-day trial, then $67.99/month for 3 months

• Fubo Sports — 1-day trial, then $45.99/month for 1 month

• Hulu + Live TV — 3-day trial, then $89.99/month

Watch for free on ITVX, BBC iPlayer, and more with a VPN

Don't want to sign up for yet another streaming service? Consider subscribing to a VPN and streaming the World Cup matches for free on international services like ITVX, BBC iPlayer, NOS, or RTÉ. We recommend ExpressVPN — a Mashable-tested service and an Official Tournament Supporter of the FIFA World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Europe — as our VPN of choice for the sporting event. It offers servers in 105 countries, a user-friendly app available on all major devices, a speedy connection, up to 10 simultaneous connections, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you're new to VPNs, our global World Cup watch guide will help you nail down the details.

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpresVPN ExpressVPN (1-month plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

On March 11, Apple dropped the MacBook Neo like a bomb on the laptop market. I was at a New York City launch event to see its big unveiling, and the colorful budget laptop made a strong first impression. As I wrote at the time: If I were a Windows laptop that cost under $1,000, I'd be shaking in my boots.

Well, after spending an extra three months with this laptop on my desk, I'm updating my initial review. After months of RAMageddon price increases in the Windows world, the MacBook Neo is doubly impressive.

The Neo brings premium MacBook features — Liquid Retina Display, the intuitive macOS, a sleek aluminum design — to an entirely new market segment: the budget laptop.

The laptop starts at $599 — a version with Touch ID and 512GB costs $699 — and if you qualify for the $499 education price, this is truly a laptop with no viable competition, full stop.

Who is the MacBook Neo for? The MacBook Neo in citrus and indigo at the Mashable office. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

The MacBook Neo is Apple's first MacBook without an M-series chip since 2020. For that reason, the Neo is not a laptop for professionals like myself. If you need to do heavy-duty photo or video editing, work with 3D modeling programs, or run open-source AI models on your device, you'll want that MacBook Air or Pro with the latest M5 chips.

The Neo has an all-aluminum design; Apple matches the color of the keys to the aluminum. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable SEE ALSO: MacBook Neo vs. MacBook Air (M5): How Apple's new laptops compare

Instead, the MacBook Neo is meant to be baby's first laptop, and I mean that as a compliment. It's a starter laptop you might buy for a high school or college student who will eventually graduate to the Air or Pro, depending on their needs. But I also foresee another popular use case for this device — the party laptop.

Lots of people, including myself, use two laptops on a daily basis. You have your work laptop — in my case, a MacBook Pro — and then you have what I call the party laptop. It could be a simple Chromebook, an old work laptop, a gaming laptop, or even a tablet. When your workday is done, you put away the work laptop with your email and calendar, and fire up your party laptop for streaming, music, casual browsing, and retail therapy.

The MacBook Neo would be a perfect party laptop or Chromebook alternative, and while it lacks storage and RAM, Apple definitely didn't skimp on the entertainment features.

MacBook Neo design: We gotta talk about the colors Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

No tech brand does design better than Apple, at least, not for the mass market. And in the under-$1,000 laptop category, the Neo stands out for its premium design. Lately, we've seen many Windows laptops imitating the MacBook's metal body and rounded edges, but those are typically Ultrabooks that cost quite a bit. The Neo offers a budget price without compromising on Apple's signature all-aluminum build quality.

Let's look at the competition: Our No. 1 budget Windows laptop in 2026 is the Acer Aspire 16 AI, which costs $699. It's a good laptop, but it also has a flimsy hinge and plastic components. With the Neo, you get an aluminum chassis, plus it's $100 cheaper, plus it comes in fun colors, plus it has Dolby Atmos speakers.

The MacBook Neo comes in four colors: silver, indigo, citrus, and blush. Now, I will say, the blush is a very subtle pink. I say, if you're going pink, go pink. But in person, the citrus and indigo really pop. Apple also color-matches the keys to the aluminum finish, and it's those little details that elevate the design. The Apple team has been having a lot of fun with this product launch, and I think shoppers will, too.

MacBook Neo: Performance and battery Be honest, did you notice the home screen artwork says "MAC"? Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

When Apple unveiled the Neo, two competing opinions spread in the tech world. The MacBook Neo, with its fun colors and killer price, would either disrupt the entire Windows laptop market, or it would be an underpowered waste of space with its old iPhone chip and a measly 8GB of RAM.

In this case, the optimists were proven right.

To be sure, you're not going to edit a professional music video, mix a song, or work on an animation project with 8GB of RAM and the A18 Pro chip, first introduced for the iPhone 16 Pro. But don't believe what the haters are saying online: You can still do a lot with 8GB of RAM.

Here's what people are forgetting: Over the past few years, Apple has quietly made its MacBook Air and Pro laptops way overpowered for the average user. (The same is true for the iPad Air and Pro, as I explain in my M4 iPad Air review.) The original M1 MacBook was a legendary laptop that truly changed the category for good. Six years later, I know professional film editors who are still working on M1-era MacBook Pros and have zero complaints about performance or speed.

Apple M-series silicon changed the laptop market for good. Credit: Mashable SEE ALSO: Apple's M series chips are too powerful for their own good

As you can see in this chart, ever since Apple launched the M1 chip in 2020, the company's M-series silicon has progressed by leaps and bounds. At one point, it seemed like Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite chip might finally offer some true competition for Apple silicon, but then Apple released a new M chip.

Apple's M series chips have made such massive leaps in performance that you have to be a serious superuser to tax these devices to their limits. So, a simpler MacBook with less firepower makes sense for a ton of reasons. You don't need 16GB of RAM and an M5 chip to stream Netflix, make Word documents, and send emails.

But let's get specific. Let's talk benchmarks.

MacBook Neo review: Geekbench performance and stress tests Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

When testing a new laptop, Mashable runs a series of standardized tests, including the latest Geekbench 6 benchmark. The MacBook Neo received a multi-core score of 8,770, nearly identical to the 8,783 we recorded for the M1 MacBook Air. We also assessed its single-core performance, since that's a good measure of what we call snappiness, or how quickly it responds in everyday use. And this is where it gets interesting. The MacBook Neo achieved a single-core score of 3,484, significantly higher than most other laptops.

For reference, the Razer Blade 18 with an Intel Core i9-275HX processor scored 3,057 in single-core testing. So, it's no wonder I've been able to do a surprising amount with the A18 Pro Chip.

I was able to edit a simple, cheesy video in Final Cut Pro using the MacBook Neo without struggling against the spinning wheel of death. Even when I layered video clips on top of each other and added a series of totally unnecessary transitions, the Neo handled the tasks just fine, as you can see for yourself:

For my MacBook Neo review, I also set up multiple Apple Shortcuts to perform complex tasks. I set up one Shortcut to automatically convert raw image files into JPEGs, crop them into a 16:9 aspect ratio, auto-adjust the color balance, hue, and saturation, and then save them in a specific folder. Using this Shortcut, the Neo edited a dozen massive image files with ease in under 30 seconds.

I set up another Shortcut to automatically convert all my video files into GIFs, also without problems.

Featured Video For You Budget MacBook arrives, AI tutoring gets an upgrade, Uber launches women-only feature | Tech Today The MacBook Neo does have one big flaw The lack of Thunderbolt 4 ports is a big drawback. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

In stress-testing the Neo, I found its kryptonite, which won't be a surprise. Because the Neo lacks a Thunderbolt 4 port, it can only offer transfer speeds of up to 10Gb/s, compared to 40Gb/s with the latest MacBook Air. Likewise, the A18 Pro chip offers 60GB/s memory bandwidth, compared to 153GB/s memory bandwidth on the M5 Air.

The A18 Pro chip offers:

• 6-core CPU (2 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores)

• 5-core GPU

• 16-core Neural Engine

The only time I encountered the spinning wheel of death? When importing or exporting large files. M-series MacBooks can multitask while doing this, but as you can see in my screen recording, the Neo really struggled to multitask while transferring large video files.

MacBook Neo battery life

Apple promises "all-day" battery life with the Neo. Specifically, the company promises up to 16 hours of battery for video streaming (and 11 hours for wireless web browsing). In our battery rundown test, we got exactly 14 hours and 50 minutes of battery performance.

If you want the MacBook Neo to last for an entire day of classes or a long travel day, I think it will be up for the challenge. And once again, it compares very favorably to Windows laptops under $1,000. In Mashable's testing database, the media battery life for this category is only 10.5 hours. So, once more, the MacBook Neo can do more for less money.

MacBook Neo: Display and speakers The headphones jack and side-firing speakers. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

The MacBook Neo has the same Liquid Retina display tech that you'll find on the $1,099 M5 MacBook Air and other Apple laptops. (The Neo's Display is 0.9 inches smaller than the Air, however.) It can offer up to 500 nits of brightness on its 13-inch, 2,408 x 1,506 resolution display. The color, clarity, and sharpness are as impressive as ever, particularly when you compare them to the average Windows laptop in this price range. It's a premium display in a budget laptop.

The MacBook Neo isn't simply a MacBook Air with a bunch of performance sacrifices, however. Apple actually improved the speaker system for the Neo (further solidifying it in my mind as the party laptop). Apple added two side-firing speakers, which you might mistake for SD card readers at first. The result is a speaker system that's surprisingly loud, clear, and compatible with Dolby Atmos.

MacBook Neo: What's missing? The MacBook Neo has the MacBook's signature all-aluminum design. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

The MacBook Neo does make both performance and hardware sacrifices to keep its price low, of course. Before buying the Neo, you need to understand what you're not getting:

• No 12MP Center Stage Camera (the Neo has a 1080p FaceTime HD camera)

• No True Tone technology

• No fast-charging capabilities

• No Thunderbolt 4 ports (it has one USB-C 3 and one USB-C 2 port)

• Only supports one external display

• $599 version only has 256GB of memory and no Touch ID (the $699 version has 512GB and Touch ID)

The MacBook Neo has a Magic Keyboard, but it's not backlit like you're used to. It also features a different trackpad. While it's extra-clicky, it's not quite as nice as a standard MacBook. That's hardly a breaking point, though.

Will Siri AI work with the MacBook Neo?

At WWDC 2026, Apple finally introduced Siri AI, which will be coming with macOS 27 Golden Gate. Even though the Neo lacks M-series silicon, Apple says it will be ready to support the new OS, the updated Siri, and new Apple Intelligence features.

For now, these features are only accessible on the Neo via the macOS 27 developer beta, but they will be widely available starting in the fall.

Final thoughts: Is the MacBook Neo worth it? Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

My verdict: The MacBook Neo is 100 percent worth it for budget shoppers. Unless you need a Windows laptop, it will be hard to find a Windows PC under $1,000 than can go head-to-head with the Neo.

I will continue to update this review for as long as I'm using the Neo. But as someone who works with a lot of video, photography, and AI tools, the MacBook Neo can handle quite a bit of my daily workflow. First-time buyers will also appreciate how easily it works with the iPhone and iPad. As per usual, your files can instantly sync across devices, and AirDrop fills any gaps.

As I said, if you're comparing the $599 MacBook Neo with a similarly priced Windows laptop or Chromebook, it's going to be really hard to say no to the Neo, especially as Dell, Microsoft, Lenovo, and Acer raise prices. And if you qualify for the $499 education pricing (unfortunately, Apple has cracked down on the requirements), don't overthink this one.

Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $589.99 at Amazon
  Shop Now at Amazon Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $689.99 at Amazon
  Shop Now at Amazon

UPDATE: Mar. 11, 2026, 11:18 a.m. EDT We’ve replaced one of the images in this review to correct a photo-editing mistake.

Earlier this week, Anthropic released its most powerful public model yet: Claude Fable 5. This model is the "safe" version of an even more powerful model, Mythos, that Anthropic has yet to release to the public due to potential dangers.

Just days later, the Trump administration issued an export control directive barring the use of Fable 5 from foreign nationals. As a result, Anthropic was forced to disable Fable 5 for all its customers to comply with the order.

SEE ALSO: Anthropic pulls Claude Fable 5, Mythos 5 after Trump admin order

In a statement, Anthropic said it believed the order was issued by the U.S. government to use a method to "jailbreak" Fable 5 to identify vulnerabilities. Anthropic claimed in its statement that other AI models could do the same without a bypass. The company specifically named GPT 5.5, the latest AI model from its biggest competitor, OpenAI, as one such model.

There are currently too many unknown variables to determine if this is accurate. However, Mashable was preparing a piece comparing Anthropic's Claude Fable 4 and OpenAI's GPT 5.5 prior to the Trump administration's order.

It appears the U.S. government's concerns could be related to just how powerful Claude Fable 5 appears to be, even with its safeguards.

Here's how Fable 5 stacked up against GPT 5.5.

Claude Fable 5 vs GPT 5.5: Feature set

According to Anthropic, "Fable 5’s capabilities exceed those of any model we’ve ever made generally available." 

"It is state-of-the-art on nearly all tested benchmarks of AI capability, showing exceptional performance in software engineering, knowledge work, vision, scientific research, and many other areas," Anthropic says. "The longer and more complex the task, the larger Fable 5’s lead over our other models."

When GPT 5.5 rolled out in late April, OpenAI said that the model had improved on its "agentic coding, computer use, knowledge work, and early scientific research" capabilities.

Both are very similar when it comes to their feature set and stated purpose. These aren't images or videos. generation models. These are large language models used for document analysis, data interpretation, and advanced coding and development. Both are definitely competitors when it comes to use cases.

The difference between the two competing models will be how they perform.

Claude Fable 5 vs GPT 5.5: Leaderboards and benchmarks

On the popular Arena leaderboard, Fable 5 far and away leads all of the other AI models.

Claude Fable 5 currently sits at the top of the Arena leaderboard with Claude Opus 4.7 Thinking and Claude Opus 4.8 Thinking taking the second and third spots. The top three are all Anthropic's models, with OpenAI's GPT 5.5 coming in fourth. 

Fable 5 also leads in Artificial Analysis, Simple Bench, and practically every other leaderboard that has ranked the AI model.

Credit: Anthropic

According to Anthropic's own comparison chart, when it launched Fable 5, the AI model simply blows GPT 5.5 away across multiple benchmarks, from agentic coding and knowledge work to cybersecurity.

While it may be accurate that other models can also identify these alleged vulnerabilities, perhaps the U.S. government calculated that Claude Fable 5 was just too dangerously good at it based on the data.

Claude Fable 5 vs GPT 5.5: Availability and pricing

Before Anthropic pulled Fable 5 due to the U.S. government's order, Fable 5 was available to paid subscribers on Pro, Max, Team, and seat-based Enterprise plans at no additional cost until June 22. Anthropic planned to remove Fable 5 from these plans on June 23 and temporarily move to a usage-based paid add-on model until demand for Fable 5 dissipated. 

Fable 5 was priced on its Claude API and consumption-based Enterprise plans at $10 per million input tokens and $50 per million output tokens.

Fable 5 is no longer available for any of Anthropic's users.

OpenAI has made GPT 5.5 available to OpenAI Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise users in ChatGPT and Codex. Usage-based API pricing for GPT 5.5 starts at $5 per million input tokens and $30 per million output tokens.

GPT 5.5 is currently available for OpenAI's users.

TL;DR: Live stream Germany vs. Curaçao in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free on ITVX. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has kick-started with a number of really interesting matchups. Germany vs. Curaçao doesn't look like the most evenly-matched contest on the schedule, but anything can happen in tournament football. Germany must win to avoid embarrassment in front of the eyes of the world.

If you want to watch Germany vs. Curaçao in the 2026 FIFA World Cup from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Germany vs. Curaçao?

Germany vs. Curaçao in the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off at 1 p.m. ET on June 14. This fixture takes place at the NRG Stadium.

How to watch Germany vs. Curaçao for free

Germany vs. Curaçao in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is available to live stream for free on ITVX.

ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock ITVX to live stream the 2026 World Cup for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Germany vs. Curaçao for free by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Visit ITVX

5. Watch Germany vs. Curaçao for free from anywhere in the world

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the 2026 World Cup without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Germany vs. Curaçao (plus more World Cup fixtures) before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to the best free streaming services from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for ITVX?

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

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Germany vs. Curaçao in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free with ExpressVPN.

SAVE $35:97: Get three months of free access to Kindle Unlimited as part of Amazon's early Prime Day special offers. In total, that's a savings of $35.97 for the three-month duration. Current and past Kindle Unlimited members aren't eligible for this deal.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Kindle Unlimited $0 at Amazon
$35.97 Save $35.97 get 3 months for free Get Deal

Prime Day is officially on the calendar. Instead of July, Amazon is hosting Prime Day between June 23 and 26 this year, but the deals have already started. One of the best offerings applies to those who plan to spend the summer reading. Here are all the details.

For a limited time, Amazon is offering a free three-month subscription to Kindle Unlimited, which usually comes with a bill of $11.99 per month. In total, that works out to a savings of $35.97. You'll need to be new to Kindle Unlimited to be eligible for this deal, and it'll auto-renew at $11.99 per month until canceled.

You have the Kindle, but you've been waiting in a Libby line for your titles to become available. We've all been there. Instead of waiting, consider upgrading for the summer by snagging this free deal from Amazon that'll give you three months of access to nearly unlimited book titles.

SEE ALSO: Prime members can get a free e-book every month with Amazon First Reads: See the thrilling June 2026 picks

Kindle Unlimited has more than 5 million digital titles, audiobooks, and magazines. The Kindle Unlimited subscription is a bit like a library hosted by Amazon. Members can borrow up to 20 titles at a time, and magazines don't count in this title total.

If you have a Kindle, that'll be great for reading your Kindle Unlimited books, but it's not a requirement. You can use Kindle Unlimited on any device with the Kindle app. That includes your phone, tablet, computer, or any web browser. But if you're wondering, the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite is Mashable's favorite Kindle.

If you've never tried out Kindle Unlimited, but you're interested in reading more for the next three months, hop on this free deal.

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.

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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

Hotel option.

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

SUITE

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Grey.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for June 14, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

ASHEN

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Hurdle Word 3 hint

To sit upon.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for June 14 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for June 14, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

PERCH

Hurdle Word 4 hint

A stand.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

KIOSK

Final Hurdle hint

Part of a ship.

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

BILGE

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

TL;DR: Live stream Sweden vs. Tunisia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free on ITVX. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is finally here, and the start of this famous tournament has already delivered loads of huge moments. We're expecting more of the same from Sweden vs. Tunisia.

These sides will battle it out with Netherlands and Japan for places in the knockout rounds. On paper, it's a really difficult group to predict. We could see any of these four sides taking control of the group, so these opening games could prove pivotal.

If you want to watch Sweden vs. Tunisia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Sweden vs. Tunisia?

Sweden vs. Tunisia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off at 10 p.m. ET on June 14. This fixture takes place at the Estadio BBVA.

How to watch Sweden vs. Tunisia for free

Sweden vs. Tunisia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is available to live stream for free on ITVX.

ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock ITVX to live stream the 2026 World Cup for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Sweden vs. Tunisia for free by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Visit ITVX

5. Watch Sweden vs. Tunisia for free from anywhere in the world

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The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the 2026 World Cup without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Sweden vs. Tunisia (plus more World Cup fixtures) before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to the best free streaming services from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for ITVX?

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

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Sweden vs. Tunisia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free with ExpressVPN.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you're from Boston.

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 June 14, 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: Rotates

• Green: Comedic aids

• Blue: A popular children's story

• Purple: A US state

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Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Things that spin

• Green: Classic slapstick props

• Blue: Featured in "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland"

• Purple: What "MA" might refer to

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 #1098 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Things that spin: GLOBE, GRINDSTONE, GYROSCOPE, ROULETTE WHEEL

• Classic slapstick props: BANANA PEEL, CREAM PIE, RUBBER CHICKEN, SELTZER BOTTLE

• Featured in "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland": CATERPILLAR, POCKET WATCH, RABBIT HOLE, TEA PARTY

• What "MA" might refer to: MASSACHUSETTS, MASTER OF ARTS, MILLIAMPERE, MOTHER

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 June 14, 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're royalty.

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 June 14, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Peer group

The words are related to titles.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe high positions.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

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NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Nobility.

NYT Strands word list for June 14

• Duchess

• Marquess

• Baron

• Nobility

• Lady

• Viscount

• Lord

• Earl

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 like editing photos.

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 June 14, 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 June 14, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A brown filter.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter S.

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...

SEPIA

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.

It's shaping up to be quite a big summer for the big action camera brands.

GoPro recently released its new Mission 1 Pro cinema camera. Insta360 just dropped its new Luna Ultra gimbal camera. And DJI is preparing to launch its new Osmo Pocket 4 Pro gimbal camera.

However, it seems things are heating up beyond just new product launches for the latter two competitors, DJI and Insta360.

SEE ALSO: DJI Avata 360 review: How does this drone compare to the Antigravity A1? DJI sues Insta360

Earlier this week, as PetaPixel reports, DJI filed two patent lawsuits against Insta360 over the company's Luna series of cameras, such as the Insta360 Luna Pro and the new Insta360 Luna Ultra. DJI filed the suits the same day Insta350 released the new Luna Ultra for sale in the U.S.

“Insta360’s new Luna line of gimbal cameras, including but not limited to the Luna Ultra, supporting accessories, and the Insta360 mobile application (collectively, the “Accused Products”) blatantly copy DJI’s patented inventions wholesale,” says DJI

DJI is seeking a permanent injunction against Insta360, which would force the company to stop selling its Luna line of cameras, as well as monetary damages. 

The first lawsuit from DJI alleges two design patent violations from Insta360. DJI claims that Insta360 is clearly infringing on its patents by copying the design of its DJI Osmo Pocket 3 camera.  According to DJI, "the Accused Products are handheld gimbal cameras with integrated optics—the same product architecture pioneered by the DJI Osmo Pocket—and Insta360 markets them expressly as competitors to DJI’s Osmo Pocket line."

In the second lawsuit, DJI alleges that Insta360 committed four utility patent violations. The violations relate to patents covering the gimbal aspect of the camera, the tracking feature, and its operation. 

Insta360 strikes back

In response to DJI's lawsuits, Insta360 countersued, alleging five patent infringement claims against DJI.

"The company asserts that DJI infringed its patents relating to gimbal stabilization, gimbal directional control, camera smooth stabilization, telemetry overlay, and panoramic video stabilization," says Insta360.

According to Insta360, DJI is violating its patents with multiple products, such as the Osmo Pocket series, Ronin/RS series, Osmo Mobile series, and Osmo 360.

What's going on?

There's no doubt that the Insta360 Luna Ultra and the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 Pro are very similar. As DPReview points out, both cameras are marketed as handheld vlogging cameras with "two lenses and integrated gimbals, and a similar form-factor."

However, it's not the first time this year that DJI sued Insta360 over its patents. 

In March, DJI filed a lawsuit in China against Insta360, claiming that six drone-related Insta360 patents were developed by Insta360 employees who left DJI within one year. Under Chinese patent law, the timing of the employee's departure from the company and the development of the patents may mean the patents actually belong to DJI. (And it should be noted that Insta360 announced a new drone brand shortly before the Trump administration's ban on DJI drones went into effect.)

The timing of DJI's lawsuits is significant.

DJI is unable to sell its DJI Osmo Pocket 4 Pro, along with a number of its other products, such as drones, in the U.S. because the U.S government, under President Donald Trump, has classified it as a "Chinese military company."

With Insta360 launching the Luna Ultra this week, DJI is unable to actually compete with its biggest competitor in the niche gimbal camera industry that it essentially led over the years. Insta360's Luna Ultra is filling a void in the U.S. that DJI is unable to fill. In response, DJI appears to be hoping patent law could bail them out from falling behind in the U.S. market.