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SAVE OVER $170: As of Nov. 20, the MSI Claw 7-inch Gaming Handheld has dropped to $529 at Target. This is 24% off its $699.99 list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: MSI MSI Claw 7-inch 155Hz Touchscreen Gaming Handheld - Intel Core Ultra - 16GB RAM - 512GB SSD Storage - Windows 11 Home $529.00 at Target
$699.99 Save $170.99 Get Deal

Considering the number of sales that pop up, Black Friday is a great time of year to invest in more expensive pieces of tech that have caught your eye. Gaming consoles, in particular, usually get some very nice discounts during this time. If you've been hoping to pick up a handheld gaming device this year, Target's here to help with an excellent discount right now on the MSI Claw gaming handheld.

The 7-inch MSI Claw with an Intel Core Ultra 7-155H CPU, 512GB SSD, and 16GB RAM, has dropped from its list price of $699.99 to $529 at Target. This marks a 24% discount on the gaming handheld. Considering how costly these portable gaming PCs run, this is a deal that's well worth jumping on.

SEE ALSO: Score $70 off the Apple Magic Keyboard ahead of Black Friday

In our hands-on with the MSI Claw during CES 2024, Mashable's Alex Perry called it "a viable alternative for those who don't want to be locked into Steam." Perry continues on to say that this is where the device truly shines, as "MSI built a simple and clean custom UI that brings all your different libraries together under one roof."

If you've been looking to make the jump into the world of portable gaming PCs, now's a great time. Don't miss out on this early Black Friday deal on the MSI Claw at Target.

There's plenty more Black Friday deals still to come, too. Target's official Black Friday sale kicks off on Nov. 24, and there are sure to be plenty more exciting deals popping up. Walmart, Best Buy, and Amazon are all kicking off sale events towards the end of this week or early next week as well. Have a look at our breakdowns for each to learn more.

A year after launching its handheld gaming device, PlayStation has announced an update to PS Portal.

Announced in a blog post on Wednesday, the company announced a system software update to its remote player, released in Nov. 2023.

The update, which is now available to all users, includes a beta version of cloud streaming support for the Portal. This means if you pay for PlayStation Plus Premium you'll be able to access PS5 games in the catalogue on your Portal device — without having to own a PS5 or lug around your console. (Notably, PS4 and PS3 games are not supported.)

SEE ALSO: The Game Awards 2024 nominations: Which games are up for the gold?

Games on PS Portal stream at up to 1080p/60fps, and incorporate features like haptic feedback in the DualSense wireless controllers on either side of the LCD screen. Plus, with the cloud beta, you can save games using PlayStation Plus Cloud storage up to 100GB (which will sync with your PS5 if you have one).

Mashable reviewed the PS Portal when it released last year, with reporter Alex Perry writing of the device: "One thing that is inherently a hindrance with a game streaming device is latency. There’s just no way around the fact that there's a tiny, almost imperceptible gap between you pressing a button and something happening on-screen with PlayStation Portal. The good news is that, for a lot of games, this doesn’t matter at all."

Perry also noted, "While latency is not a huge problem on Portal, visual hiccups are more prevalent. If a game runs at 60 frames per second on a PS5, it’ll also run that way on Portal, but not all the time. I personally noticed lots of little dips here and there, seemingly having more to do with my WiFi connection than anything happening in the games themselves. Again, for a lot of titles, this isn’t a big deal, but shooters and racing games would be hampered by that."

In the blog post, Hiromi Wakai, Sony Interactive Entertainment's VP of product management, noted the company was "in the beginning stages of publicly testing cloud streaming on PS Portal" and specified that "some features will not be available, such as Game Trials, streaming games purchased on PS Store, system features such as Party voice chat and game invites for select games, Create button, 3D audio, and in-game commerce."

The PS Portal update also includes several audio improvements including a speaker audio output adjustment which lets you make the volume lower than the minimum setting. Plus, users will be able to use the settings on the Portal to adjust settings on PlayStation Link USB devices.

I watch TikTok on mute, and I'm not ashamed to say it.

Yes, I actively avoid a primary feature of TikTok, but you know what, I know I'm not alone. So for everyone else like me, you should proudly unmute your dark secret and be your authentic volume-less selves. 

Opening TikTok on full volume is a jarring plunge into the icy cold whims of the algorithm. One second, you're subject to a woman crying in her car to sad lo-fi music, the next you're watching a dog making a mess with the obnoxious chipmunk voiceover. Even TikToks without music or sound effects — like the wellness influencers listing the five toxic brands YOU MUST AVOID OR YOU'LL DIE — often seem to be yelling into the microphone as if screaming for my attention like a spoiled toddler. At least this is what my For You page is like. 

The short-form video format alone is overstimulating by nature. TikToks have a millisecond to capture your attention. So every time I swipe up, I'm inundated with sensory overload turned up to 11 in a video that's been frontloaded with action to compete with every other TikTok doing the same thing.

It turns out there's a neurochemical reason behind my instinct to make all the noises go away. "The way your brain works, it kind of figures out where it wants to spend its resources," said Dr. Michelle Quist Ryder, a social psychologist and CEO of the American Psychological Foundation. 

"When you start introducing the brain to things that are higher stimulus, and you have to go through that kind of adjustment period where all of a sudden you have to process that, and your brain has to realize that it needs to allocate more resources in that direction, that's part of where overstimulation comes from."

And if you're already depleted since you're, say, a tech reporter who spends eight hours a day in front of a screen writing about technical artificial intelligence concepts, mentally sifting through AI hype on X, and scrutinizing the fine print of the latest Big Tech product release, you might exhaust those resources pretty quickly.  

"Watching it on mute is kind of a trade-off, where you're still engaging in the behavior that you're associating with dopamine or serotonin but you're reducing the amount of stimulus that you are feeding your brain, and so you're kind of staying away from that overstimulation," said Quist Ryder. 

The irony of all of this is that when I take a break, I still find myself reaching for my phone and opening up TikTok, when the obvious solution is to avoid any more brain throttling. Why don't I just quit TikTok?

But as Quist Ryder points out, this behavior makes sense. 

"TikTok is a little bit unique in that it makes you change your attention in really quick cuts," she said. "So you can be really excited about this video, and then 30 seconds later be scared about this video, and then 20 seconds after that, feel cuddly." 

That's the overwhelming part. But also, Quist Ryder added, "That can get your brain used to that level of stimuli, so when you are not engaging in that level of stimuli, then you kind of miss it." 

Tweet may have been deleted

To be clear, my home is not The Quiet Place. I live a sound-filled existence with music, podcasts, and a TV lovingly left on in the background. And when it comes to TikTok, it's not like I never unmute. Instead, I start my browsing on mute and turn on the sound if I come across a particularly appealing TikTok. This method functions as a litmus test to gauge whether something is really worth my full attention and protects my mental resources if it's not. 

Quist Ryder compares it to the reason why we love rewatching old shows, which proved especially true during the stressful times of the pandemic. 

"I can still have those emotions, but I don't have to worry that it's gonna be something that I can't take, or something that I don't want to, or even just extend those resources of processing a new thing…you can lessen the amount of of investment you have to put into it by turning off the sound," she said.

SEE ALSO: You should delete your drafts.

And I'm not the only one who browses TikTok in a blissfully volume-less manner. Anecdotally, several Mashable staffers came out of the woodwork to confess their muted habits, sharing how it's simply a good way to ease into the day or tune out unwanted noise. 

There are multiple Reddit posts devoted to how to open TikTok on mute. Amongst several similar posts, one Redditor asked: "Is it common for people to watch social media videos without the volume on, or am I the only one who does this?" They received 150 upvotes and enthusiastic agreement, with one commenting with the "there are dozens of us" Arrested Development GIF. 

Statistically speaking, there are more than dozens of us. A study by Verizon found that 92 percent of U.S. consumers watch videos on mobile with the sound off. Another study from ad tech firm Sharethrough said 75 percent of those surveyed "keep their phone on mute even when a video is playing."

Granted, many people watch videos on mute out of respect for the people they live with or because they don't want to blast the subway with the unpredictable choices of their For You page (although some lawless degenerates have no consideration for social norms). Others may also mute videos on other platforms like Instagram or Facebook, but watch TikTok with the sound on because it is an audio-focused app. But I suspect some of it has to do with keeping the auditory siege at bay for their own mental well-being. 

As I learned from talking to Quist Ryder, some people are simply more sensitive to sound. See: FoodTok and Misophonia. And she says there is definitely a generational component, where younger generations are natively "more used to high stimulus things like TikTok." But it's worth noting that 74 percent of the 16-24 age group in the Sharethrough study said they watch videos on mute, and half of that same age group watch TV with subtitles. So this isn't just curmudgeonly millennials or Gen Xers we're talking about here.  

Now that I've voiced my quiet preferences, it may be time for you to step into your silent power and mute TikTok for all the world to hear. You're not a freak for watching TikTok on mute. Sure, you might be sensitive to noise and mentally overextended, but that's actually pretty normal.

And if this sounds good to you, my parting words are actually a bit of advice: You can easily change your playback settings to automatically open TikTok on mute. Simply open Settings > Playback and toggle on "Open TikTok on mute."

Now take a deep breath and enjoy the sound of silence.

SAVE $70: As of Nov. 20, the Apple Magic Keyboard for the 13-inch iPad Air is on sale for $279.99 at Target. That's 20% off its list price of $349.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Magic Keyboard for iPad Air 13‑inch (M2) $279.99 at Target
$349.99 Save $70.00 Get Deal

Black Friday is right around the corner, but Target is already offering plenty of incredible early deals for shoppers to get a taste of seasonal savings ahead of the big shopping event. In particular, the retailer has had quite a few Apple discounts popping up over the past few weeks. If you've been itching to get an Apple Magic Keyboard to go with your iPad Air, Target's got a great deal for you.

The Apple Magic Keyboard for the 13-inch iPad Air (M2), in colors black and white, has dropped to $279.99 from its list price of $349.99. That saves you 20% overall, which is an excellent deal to upgrade your tablet into a nice little laptop setup.

SEE ALSO: Home Depot is giving away free cordless tools for Black Friday

And it's an upgrade that's worth it, as the Apple Magic Keyboard sets up your iPad with a backlit keyboard and responsive keys, a trackpad, and a USB-C port to make charging simple and easy. This is all made better by its slim design that can be easily packed up to take on the go whenever you need it.

If you're looking to pick up the iPad to go with this as well, you're in luck. The iPad Air is currently discounted $100 at Target, making it one of our favorite iPad deals ahead of Black Friday. What better time to invest in some new Apple products?

Don't miss out on this Apple Magic Keyboard deal ahead of Black Friday at Target.

This is just the beginning of Target's big deals drop, though. The company's official Black Friday sale kicks off on Nov. 24 and runs until Nov. 30. Several more retailers are also starting up their sale events soon. Have a look at our breakdowns of Walmart, Best Buy, and Amazon's Black Friday sale events to learn more.

With the holidays right around the corner, Uber rolled out a new size option called "UberXXL," a new option to share Ubers from the airport, and new features for Uber Reserve — all features aimed at making traveling to and from the airport a little easier.

As you may have guessed, UberXXL accommodates riders with lots of baggage, which can come in handy for people traveling home for the holidays or going on vacation. UberXXL provides bigger cars with access to more trunk space and enough room left over for all of the travelers in your group, so you're not stuck holding your suitcase on your lap. To access UberXXL, riders must be Uber One subscribers, which costs $10 a month. Uber One also eliminates Uber Eats delivery fees and includes other perks. UberXXL is available in 60 airports worldwide, with 40 of those in the U.S.

For when you've got a big family and just as much luggage. Credit: Uber

The popular UberX Share now has expanded access to airports. So if you get to your destination late, you can worry less about whether to take public transport or an expensive ride. UberX Share works by matching you with a co-rider with a similar destination and costs less than a fully private ride. Riders can save up to 25 percent of the normal price of an Uber by taking UberX Share. Plus, even if they don't match with a co-rider, users who choose the option still get the savings. UberX Share for airports is launching in the U.S. in Austin, Denver, Newark, Dulles (Washington DC), Miami, New Orleans, Phoenix, San Francisco and internationally in Amsterdam and Madrid, with more airports to come.

Now you can share rides from the airport and share the cost. Credit: Uber

A critical feature for early morning flights is Uber Reserve, which lets you book rides ahead of time. As of today, riders can add their flight details when reserving a ride, which gives them a recommended best time to leave. Additionally, the feature can track flights and ask riders if they want to update their reservation if a flight is delayed.

Last but not least, you can now book multi-stop rides with Uber Reserve. This might come in handy if you're picking up family members or need to grab something on your way to the airport.

Connections is the latest New York Times word game 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 November 20'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.

Tweet may have been deleted

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.

Tweet may have been deleted

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's The Mini crossword answers for November 20 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Dog noises

• Green: Ways to view an event

• Blue: Mixology terms

• Purple: Corporate organization

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

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

• Yellow: Sound Like A Dog

• Green: Broadcast, As Online Media

• Blue: Cocktail-Making Verbs

• Purple: Organizational Structures, Metaphorically

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 #528 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Sound Like A Dog: BARK, BAY, HOWL, SNARL

• Broadcast, As Online Media: AIR, PLAY, RUN, STREAM

• Cocktail-Making Verbs: GARNISH, MUDDLE, STIR, STRAIN

• Organizational Structures, Metaphorically: CHAIN, LADDER, PYRAMID, TREE

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 November 20

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.

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 November 20'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 today: Hints and answers for November 20 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's The Mini crossword answers for November 20 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A specialized corner where one truly belongs.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no reoccurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter N.

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...

NICHE.

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 November 19

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.

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 preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for November 20 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for November 20 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: For our furry friends

These words are for a dog or cat.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

Words are things you'd buy for a pet.

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 PetSupplies.

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

• Ball

• Bone

• Collar

• Kibble

• Catnip

• Litter

• Laser

• PetSupplies

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.

The Daily Mini Crossword is one of the many popular daily word games available on Mashable. Powered by Arkadium, the mini crossword offers a speed round of puzzle fun with clues that are sure to challenge experienced crossword enthusiasts.

But there's no need to let the challenge get in the way of your enjoyment! If moments are turning to minutes after getting stuck on a clue, find the answers you need to progress right here.

And when you're done, check out the many other word games you can play on Mashable, including a full-size crossword.

Also, if you get stuck on any other daily word games, such as Wordle, Connections, or Strands — we have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle hints and answers for November 20 SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

Here are the clues and answers to Daily Mini Crossword for Wednesday, November 20, 2024:

AcrossOn your smartphone

• The answer is App.

Rat's place

• The answer is Lab.

Theft

• The answer is Larceny.

Apportion

• The answer is Prorate.

Family man

• The answer is Dad.

Related to rainfall

• The answer is Pluvial.

Permit

• The answer is License.

Thus far

• The answer is Yet.

Hit the slopes

• The answer is Ski.

DownYodeler's perch

• The answer is Alp.

Golfer's goal

• The answer is Par.

____s and services

• The answer is Product.

Starting segue

• The answer is Leadins.

Departure announcement

• The answer is Bye.

Hunger for

• The answer is Crave.

TP layers

• The answer is Ply.

Deception

• The answer is Lie.

Query

• The answer is Ask.

Floral necklace

• The answer is Lei.

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

Featured Video For You The Wordle Strategy used by the New York Times' Head of Games

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

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

BOOK BOGO DEAL: As of Nov. 20, Target's Deal of the Day features a buy one, get one 50% off deal for Target Circle members on books.

Opens in a new window Credit: Target Target Circle Members: Buy One Book, Get One 50% Off Shop Now

Target's been offering up some excellent deals in the lead-up to Black Friday. In particular, the retailer's been dropping discounts as part of its Deal of the Day program throughout this month, which features a selection of sales each day on different items for shoppers and exclusives for its Target Circle members. The latest is worth your time if you've been hoping to pick up some new books ahead of the holidays.

On Nov. 20, Target Circle members can take advantage of a Buy One, Get One 50% off deal on books. This offer applies to a fantastic selection of books as well, whether you're looking to invest in a massive box set like the fancy leather-cloth A Game of Thrones collection or want to pick up a beloved book like The Wild Robot, there are so many different options to choose from.

SEE ALSO: The best early Black Friday laptop deals: Score record lows on the M4 MacBook Pro and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7

It's also not the only Target Circle deal available to members right now. The retailer's offering a BOGO deal on board games that's well worth checking out ahead of the holidays, especially if you're planning some big gatherings. And if you've yet to sign up for Target's free Circle program, it's worth it for exclusive discounts like these.

Don't miss out on this one-day-only BOGO deal on books for Target Circle members.

Target's official big Black Friday sale kicks off on Nov. 24, and runs all the way through Nov. 30. If you're curious about what other retailers have planned, it's worth having a look at our breakdowns of Walmart, Best Buy, and Amazon's Black Friday events to learn more.

After a year of exploring a mysterious valley on Mars, NASA's intrepid Curiosity rover is headed to a new destination with its own intrigue. 

The Mini Cooper-sized robotic lab will study an unusual landscape, called a "boxwork," that likely necessitated warm groundwater to form eons ago on the Red Planet. And where there's water, there's potential for life — at least the kind scientists know about. Researchers wonder if the boxwork could have hosted ancient single-celled microorganisms.

"Early Earth microbes could have survived in a similar environment," said Kirsten Siebach, a rover scientist based in Houston, in a statement. "That makes this an exciting place to explore."

SEE ALSO: NASA's Mars rovers had a gangbusters summer of rocks

Since the mission launched in 2011, Curiosity has traveled about 352,000,020 miles: some 352 million whizzing through space and another 20 rumbling over the Martian terrain. 

At its most recent site, known as Gediz Vallis, the rover literally stumbled upon pure sulfur, its wheels crushing the material to expose a bed of yellow crystals. It turns out there was a whole beach-like field of these rocks. Curiosity is surrounded by plenty of rubble that contains sulfur combined with other materials, but unadulterated sulfur is something special.

When pure sulfur is made naturally on Earth, the element is usually associated with superheated volcanic gasses and hot springs. Another way it can form is through interactions with bacteria — a.k.a. life.

The Curiosity rover stumbled upon pure sulfur, its wheels crushing the material to expose a bed of yellow crystals. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS

"We don't think we're anywhere near a volcano where the rover is," Abigail Fraeman, deputy project scientist on the Curiosity mission, told Mashable in September, "so that is a puzzling feature to find in this particular location." 

The next leg of the rover's journey will take a few months to drive. But scientists are eager to investigate the boxwork region at the foot of Mount Sharp because of what clues it could hold about Mars' ancient history. 

From Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter images, the land feature looks like a spiderweb of ridges, spanning several miles. Dark sand fills the hollowed spaces among the lattice of ridges.

Before departing for the boxwork region, Curiosity takes a wide-view image of the field of sulfur stones, which appear white on the outside. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS

There are several kinds of landscapes on Mars that appear as interconnected ridges, though they're not all created in the same way. Near the Red Planet's south pole, for instance, is a labyrinthine feature nicknamed "Inca City," which may have formed after a meteor impact. The collision could have led to fault lines in the ground that were then backfilled with bubbling magma.

"Early Earth microbes could have survived in a similar environment."

Scientists believe this particular boxwork in Mount Sharp's foothills may have formed when minerals in the last trickles of water seeped into surface rock cracks and hardened. As the rocks weathered over the ages, minerals that had cemented into those fractures remained, leaving behind the boxwork. 

A boxwork has formed on the ceiling of the Elk's Room, part of Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota. Credit: National Park Service / Kim Acker

Boxwork formations occur on Earth, but they're usually made with groundwater on cliffsides and in caves. The peculiar thing about the example at Mount Sharp is that it must have formed when water was vanishing. Geologists also aren't sure why this Martian feature is so vast, covering an area of six to 12 miles. 

The rover team hopes to figure out whether microbes could have lived in that environment long ago. 

"These ridges will include minerals that crystallized underground, where it would have been warmer, with salty liquid water flowing through," Siebach said.

UPDATE: Nov. 20, 2024, 5:48 p.m. EST An earlier version of this story incorrectly calculated Curiosity's mileage since it launched. It's about 352,000,020 miles.

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

Another way to describe cash.

SEE ALSO: Mini crossword answers for November 20 Hurdle Word 1 answer

MONEY

Hurdle Word 2 hint

A way of describing someone as unreliable.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for November 20 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

FLAKE

Hurdle Word 3 hint

A sweetener.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for November 20 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for November 20 Hurdle Word 3 answer

SUGAR

Hurdle Word 4 hint

An alcohol frequently mixed with cranberry.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for November 20 Hurdle Word 4 answer

VODKA

Final Hurdle hint

A space object with a tail.

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

COMET

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

A formidable bomb cyclone is churning off the Western U.S.

The comma-shaped storm is a suped-up mid-latitude cyclone, which is quite different than the tropical cyclones (like hurricanes) that form near the equator and are fueled by extremely warm waters. Instead, mid-latitude cyclones are much larger (some 900 to over 3,000 miles in diameter) than tropical cyclones, and form near the boundaries of the frigid poles and the warmer air of the mid-latitudes. These converging air masses create counter-clockwise circulating motions that can induce whirlpool-like movement. Add in the energy from some typical atmospheric instability to the mix (like rising and sinking air), and you've got a robust, spinning storm.

In this case, the storm is experiencing a rapid drop in pressure at its center, which stokes a potent cyclonic flow as winds blow toward the low pressure.

"It's a rapidly intensifying low," Joe Wegman, a National Weather Service meteorologist, told Mashable.

SEE ALSO: Why it's impossible to forecast the weather too far into the future

Conditions for a "bomb cyclone," or "bombogenesis," occur when a storm's central pressure drops by at least 24 millibars in 24 hours. In this case, meteorologists are measuring pressure drops of seven millibars per hour, which if sustained over six hours, would be an all-time record for an extratropical storm (which is a storm created from the temperature contrast between warm and cold air masses).

"The system is deepening rapidly...possibly record setting!" Jeff Weber, a research meteorologist at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, emailed Mashable as he observed the storm's evolution.

"The system is deepening rapidly...possibly record setting!"

The cyclone will have major impacts. There will be high winds and heavy mountain snow in the Northwest. But, as the images below show, the cyclone is also dragging along an atmospheric river — a formidable band of moisture (sometimes dubbed a "river in the sky") tending to stream over the Pacific Ocean — that will douse Northern California by Wednesday. That means extreme rain. Some areas of Northern California and Oregon will receive in excess of 12 inches of rain, Weber said.

A view from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's GOES-West satellite on Nov. 19, 2024 shows the comma-shaped bomb cyclone on upper left, and the atmospheric river (horizontal band of clouds) below. Credit: NOAA Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted

Although atmospheric rivers are a crucial part of California's water supply, scientists have found that they're becoming more intense, meaning more billion-dollar flooding disasters. The key factor driving more intense atmospheric rivers is the physics of a warming globe. More heat on the planet means more water vapor in the air. The resulting deluges are especially amplified in the case of already strong atmospheric rivers, which deliver a colossal amount of water, many times the average flow of water through the vast mouth of the Mississippi River.

Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted

For those in California and the Northwest, heed warnings from local officials and the National Weather Service. This storm means business.

TL;DR: GoCable is an 8-in-1 charger that's on sale for just $24.99 (reg. $44) for a limited time.

Opens in a new window Credit: Mutant Design Lab GoCable: The Ultimate 8-in-1 EDC Charger $24.99
$44.99 Save $20.00 Get Deal

Finding the perfect holiday gift for the techie (or even an older teenager) who seems to have it all can feel impossible. But here’s something that might make you the holiday hero: the GoCable, an 8-in-1 EDC Charger.

For just $24.99 (originally $44), this all-in-one charging gadget is small enough to fit on a keyring but mighty enough to power everything from phones to laptops, thanks to its impressive 100W output.

The GoCable isn’t just a charger — it’s an everyday carry (EDC) gadget packed with hidden features that make life on the go a whole lot easier. Give the gift of a sleek keyring that not only charges any device but also comes equipped with a built-in bottle opener, a safe-proof cutter for opening packages, and a carabiner clip to secure it anywhere. Plus, you can say goodbye to tangled cords because of its magnetic cable wrap, which keeps everything neat and ready when you need it.

The universal compatibility makes it ideal for just about anyone — no more carrying around separate chargers for each device. GoCable has type-C and Apple Lightning-compatible connectors, along with an LED power display to keep you updated on the charging status. Whether it’s for a friend who’s constantly on their phone or a family member who’s always working on the go, GoCable makes charging simple, kind of cool, and surprisingly fun.

Give the gift of ultimate convenience this holiday season with GoCable. 

Get the GoCable 8-in-1 charger while it's on sale for just $24.99 (reg. $44) for a limited time.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Ahead of Black Friday, enjoy an extra 22% discount on this VPN travel router that protects your connection anytime, anywhere. Get it for just $169.

Opens in a new window Credit: Deeper Connect Deeper Connect Air Portable VPN Travel Router $169.00
$219.00 Save $50.00 Get Deal

Cybersecurity experts have all talked our ears off of the risks that can come with connecting to free WiFi networks in cafes, airports, hotels, and pretty much anywhere that isn't your house. Normally, a VPN does the trick — but those come with fees, and the best ones usually cost more than a Netflix subscription.

If you're looking to trim down those digital expenses without sacrificing top-notch protection, consider investing in the Deeper Connect Air instead. It's a physical portable VPN router offering encrypted browsing, ad blocking, parental controls, and more. The best part? It's a one-time purchase. No more monthly fees, and you don't need to wait for Black Friday to save — grab it for $169 (reg. $219) for one more day with free shipping.

See how it works:

This VPN router keeps your sensitive data secure, shields you on public WiFi, and even lets you dodge those pesky geo-restrictions to access content from around the globe. It uses military-grade encryption to protect your data anywhere you are in the world, and with its 80,000+ nodes scattered worldwide, it means you'll have high-speed access to any geographic region. Plus, it auto-switches nodes based on your internet usage for a seamless connection every single time.

While the device may not look like much (it clocks in at only 26 grams), you can connect up to five devices simultaneously for shared secure browsing, and you can trust that your connection speed will remain uncompromised. Stream away at up to 300 Mbps, no problem.

Tired of ads ruining your YouTube marathons? This device blocks them. And if you're using it at home, turn on the parental controls to keep your kids safe online, even when they're glued to Roblox.

Enjoy secure browsing anywhere you are in the world without the hefty fees with the Deeper Connect Air, now available for just $169 (reg. $219) with free shipping while supplies last. This early Black Friday deal ends tomorrow, November 21, at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Connect your devices to 8 ports with the 8-in-1 Laptop and Tablet Docking Stand, on sale now for just $49.97 (reg. $69). 

Opens in a new window Credit: UGR Tech 8-in-1 Laptop & Tablet Docking Stand $49.97
$69.99 Save $20.02 Get Deal

Finding a thoughtful gift for someone who works from home isn’t always easy. They likely have all the basics covered, but what about a tool that could transform their daily setup?

This 8-in-1 docking station doubles as an adjustable device stand that can completely streamline a WFH space. It’s practical, sleek, and ideal for remote workers who don't know there's a better way to organize their space. Plus, it's on sale for only $49.97 (reg. $69.99). 

A much-needed work from home upgrade

This docking station is a major upgrade to any workspace. Connect your laptop or tablet to equip it with eight ports that let you connect a range of peripherals from external hard drives to external displays or wired headphones. And with the 100W power delivery port, you won't have to worry about slow charging times. Plus, with 5Gbps transfer speed, working with large files or switching between devices won’t feel like a waiting game. 

What really makes this station stand out is the adjustable tablet stand. Working from home can be tough on the back. Leaning over a screen for 8 hours a day doesn't do wonders for your posture, but this little stand helps there too. The holder tilts up to 180 degrees while the stand adjusts up to 70 degrees, which means it can be tailored for any posture or angle.

 Best of all, it folds up when not in use, so it’s easy to stash away or bring along for remote work outside the home.

A great gift for any home office

It's tough to make working from home comfortable, but your gift can make it happen. Get the 8-in-1 Laptop and Tablet Docking Stand on sale for $49.97, plus free shipping.

StackSocial prices subject to change. 

TL;DR: Give your teen a 4K Dual-Camera Drone on sale for $74.99 (reg. $119). 

Opens in a new window Credit: RochasDivineMart 4K Dual-Camera Drone for Beginners with Intelligent Obstacle Avoidance $74.99
$119.99 Save $45.00 Get Deal

Teenagers are so hard to shop for, but sometimes, that just-right gift practically falls in your lap. And in the case of this 4K dual-camera drone, it could fall from pretty high in the sky. 

If you're on the hunt for a gift that lets your teen enjoy the outdoors or create something cool to post on social media, definitely give this 4K quadcopter a look. It's on sale for only $74.99 (reg. $119). 

Beginner-friendly fun

With its HD 4K front camera, this beginner-friendly drone allows teens to shoot sharp, high-quality images from unique angles. The camera can be adjusted remotely by 90 degrees, giving them flexibility to capture every angle of their surroundings. Plus, a second 120-degree wide-angle bottom camera lets them explore the full view below.

The optical flow positioning even keeps the drone stable in the air, so you don't have to be a master pilot just to snap clear photos.

What really makes this drone perfect for teens is how simple it is to control. Features like gesture control allow them to snap selfies or record video with just a wave of their hand, making it easy to capture moments with friends without needing to mess with settings. With obstacle avoidance, gravity control, and one-key start and stop functions, even a complete beginner can feel like a pro. 

And, for an extra dose of fun, this drone can perform 360-degree flips, creating an impressive show for friends. LED lights even make it possible to fly at night. When it’s time to wrap up, the drone folds up easily, ready to slip into a backpack or drawer.

High altitude, low price

Play your cards right, and your gift this year could be the high point of the holidays, literally. Pick up a 4K Dual-Camera Drone while they're still on sale for $74.99. 

StackSocial prices subject to change. 

Superman may fly faster than a speeding bullet, but he'd easily lose in a race against a beam of light, the fastest thing we know about in the universe. 

Light travels at a rate of 186,000 miles (or 300,000 kilometers) per second in a straight line through the vacuum of space, according to NASA. That means it could zip around Earth about seven times by the time you finished saying "One Mississippi." 

The universe is too vast to track distances on the scale of miles, so astronomers use light-years to convey the great lengths between cosmic objects. A light-year is the distance light can travel in one Earth-year. One light-year is about 5.88 trillion miles (or 9.46 trillion kilometers). 

SEE ALSO: How a NASA nuclear rocket engine could unleash the solar system Light-years measure distance not time

A common misconception — likely because of the word "year" — is that this unit measures time. But light-years capture how far one object is relative to another. Earth is about eight light-minutes away from the sun, meaning humans always see it not as it is exactly at that moment but how it was eight minutes ago. The next-nearest star is Proxima Centauri, 4.25 light-years away. At that distance, humans see it as it was 4.25 years ago. 

In astronomy, looking farther into the cosmos with telescopes automatically translates into observing the past because light and other forms of radiation take time to reach us. The farther a celestial object is, the longer ago in history the observer sees it. When discussing how far things are, time and space are inextricably linked. 

Now for a thought exercise to boggle the mind: The farthest detected star is known as Earendel, located 28 billion light-years away. Converted into a road trip, that would put about 168 sextillion miles on the odometer from Earth. (A sextillion, if you were wondering, has 21 zeros.) When astronomers found this ancient star with the Hubble Space Telescope in 2022, they saw it as it was many billions of years ago. 

The farthest detected star is known as Earendel, located 28 billion light-years away. Credit: NASA / ESA / CSA Light-years exceeding the universe's age

But if the universe is estimated to be about 13.8 billion years old, how are astronomers seeing objects more than 13.8 billion light-years away? That can be a fairly complicated cosmology question to answer, but the key concept to remember is that, since the Big Bang, nothing in space has stood still. The universe is expanding, and the speed at which it's moving away from its starting point hasn't stayed constant. Right now, for reasons that aren't yet fully understood, that expansion is accelerating. 

The universe is actually estimated to be some 92 billion light-years wide, explains Don Lincoln, senior scientist at Fermilab in Illinois, in the video below.

"Our visible universe has a radius of about 46 billion light-years, even though it's only 13.7 billion years old. But we're not seeing that distant point as it is now, but as it was shortly after the universe began. And the ongoing expansion makes things even worse," he said. "The bottom line is that if we're ever going to try and explore other galaxies, we better get cracking."

Distances to interstellar destinations from Earth

• Next closest star: Proxima Centauri, 4.25 light-years away

• Other famous stars: Barnard's star, 6 light-years away; Vega, 25 light-years away; Betelgeuse, 650 light-years away; Polaris, aka the North Star, 430 light-years

• Closest supermassive black hole: Sagittarius A*, aka Sag A*, 26,000 light-years away 

• Next closest galaxy: Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy, 25,000 light-years away 

• Nearest large galaxy: Andromeda, 2.3 million light-years away

• Farthest detected star: Earendel, 28 billion light-years away

As the holiday season ramps up, so do the schemes of so-called "porch pirates" — and this time, they're alarmingly tech savvy.

The Wall Street Journal reported last month on a wave of thefts involving AT&T iPhones delivered via FedEx, largely attributed to both companies’ lax policies on requiring signatures for high-value deliveries. However, an incident in September has highlighted a disturbing escalation.

SEE ALSO: Apple's new iPhone update is locking law enforcement out of phones

KHOU 11, a station located in Houston, broke the story: Deer Park Police arrested two teenagers for allegedly stealing four iPhone 16 devices in a highly orchestrated operation involving stolen tracking data.

The alleged thieves, who reportedly flew to Texas from Detroit for a weeklong heist spree, were caught red-handed with tracking numbers for multiple deliveries. Armed with this data, they targeted FedEx trucks, tailing them for hours and even confronting a driver with a legitimate tracking number to demand the package.

The big mystery here is how these teens gained access to the tracking numbers for iPhones being shipped in Texas. Neither AT&T nor law enforcement has offered much clarity.

“These are crimes committed by sophisticated criminals that are being investigated by both federal and state law enforcement agencies,” AT&T said in an email statement to Mashable. “Parcel theft is a concern across many businesses, and it is something we take seriously. We work with law enforcement agencies and parcel carriers to protect our deliveries from these sophisticated criminals."

One theory, circulating without confirmation, points to a possible rogue employee inside AT&T funneling tracking data into the black market. Regarding this, AT&T refused to comment on "rumors and speculation."

How to protect yourself

With the idea that porch pirates may be getting more sophisticated, here are some simple ways to safeguard your deliveries.

1. Require signatures for all packages

One of the easiest ways to deter package theft is to require a signature for delivery. By adding this extra step, you ensure that your package isn’t left unattended on your porch. Major carriers like FedEx, UPS, and USPS allow you to select this option during checkout or shipping setup.

2. Use an alternate locked delivery box

Consider setting up a secure delivery box outside your home. These locked containers provide a safe spot for couriers to drop off packages and are designed to prevent unauthorized access. Some models even include smart locks that sync with delivery notifications, giving you full control over access. You can also explore delivery services like Amazon Key, which allows packages to be placed inside your garage or another secure area.

3. Invest in a Ring Camera

Most porch pirates are looking for quick, easy targets, and the sight of a camera can be enough to make them think twice. Many models, like the popular Ring or Google Nest cameras, offer motion detection, two-way communication, and real-time alerts to your phone, so you can keep an eye on your packages from anywhere.

The standalone sequel to Searching is here, and like its predecessor, Missing weighs in on some hefty topics using social media and technology. Starring Nia Long and Storm Reid as mother-daughter duo Grace and June Allen, Missing follows the twists and turns of Grace's mysterious disappearance as June pieces it all together at home using her laptop and some social media hacking. But while the film will lure you in as a suspenseful thriller with astounding editing and novel visual storytelling, its real appeal stands on the thematic undertones grounding its whirlwind plot. 

At a first glance, Missing may seem to be a crime story about the internet's many rabbit holes that undermine our privacy. But the film is actually more concerned with the public's obsession with finding the perfect victim and villain for a news story. It's a fixation that's created and nourished by a seemingly endless wave of true-crime content that sensationalizes real-life tragedies, frequently at the expense of people of color. Missing's real story is about how quick people (and the internet) are to villainize and neglect people of color if it means they get another TikTok hit or Netflix true-crime special. 

What happens in Missing? Credit: Sony Pictures "A lot of this film is playing with your biases, and the ways you might misinterpret something."

When Grace Allen fails to return from her vacation with her new boyfriend Kevin (Ken Leung) in Colombia, time is of the essence. As the feds drag their heels on investigating her disappearance, June takes things into her own social media-savvy hands to find out what actually happened to her mom. While Missing strings you along for many plot twists, spoiler alert — its big reveal is that Grace never actually left for Colombia; she was kidnapped on her way to the airport by June's father, James (Tim Griffin). 

James was dangerously abusive to Grace when June was young. So, Grace fled with June to California years before, changing their names and leaving young June to believe her father was dead. As it turned out, James met Kevin while they were both in prison. It was Kevin who helped him orchestrate this entire heist by hiring actors to play out their Colombia vacation gone wrong. While all eyes and fingers were pointing to Kevin in Colombia, Grace was trapped in a shack in James' ranch the entire time. After a series of trials and tribulations, June manages to save the day and get her mom back home. 

SEE ALSO: 'Missing' review: a twisty whodunnit where Gen Z's internet habits save the day What does Missing's ending actually mean? Credit: Sony Pictures

Mashable hopped on a quick Zoom with the co-directors of Missing, Nick Johnson and Will Merrick, to discuss the subtext of their movie.

"There was one [high-profile] case in particular where it felt like people on TikTok were profiting off of the commentary and theories of this case, that we didn't really love," shared Johnson. "And so we injected that into the movie itself because we saw that happening [in real life]."

When Grace's disappearance makes it to the news, everything about her case quickly becomes internet clickbait, with TikTokkers and Gen Z true-crime aficionados digging into Grace's past and finding out that she has something to hide. The viewer knows Grace changed her name to escape her abuser, but the internet doesn't and is adamant about making her a villain. 

The wave of true-crime TikToks pouring in and pointing to Grace as the true puppet master behind everything illuminates how quick society is to point fingers at single Black women (or men) instead of looking at the bigger picture. "We definitely thought about the missing white girl syndrome while making this" added Merrick. "A lot of this film is playing with your biases and the ways you might misinterpret something, even you as the audience and not the true-crime people we're criticizing."

In Missing, true-crime content creators don't operate with empathy, never stopping to wonder what might have compelled Grace to change her name in the first place. Instead, they hop on a dangerous media bandwagon for the rush of it all, leaping to scandalizing conclusions. It's a phenomenon Cat Cardenas at Slate Magazine refers to as "true-crime brain," and we can see it every day, onscreen and off.

While Missing is a wild roller coaster with a series of events that may seem out of the ordinary, a lot of the film is grounded in real-life inspirations that guide its characters' actions. The real joy of the film is watching your TikTok FYP page being fed to you on the big screen — a dish out on all things true crime and what it can create. 

Missing is now streaming on Hulu.

UPDATE: Nov. 18, 2024, 4:48 p.m. EST This article was originally published on Jan. 22, 2023. It has been updated to include the latest viewing options.