Mashable

Apple Vision Pro users will be able to experience select NBA games in an immersive way for the 2025-26 season, Apple announced on Friday.

Some Los Angeles Lakers matches will be in Apple Immersive video, a format specifically for the headset. The company's release states, "Viewers will feel the intensity of each game as if they were courtside, with perspectives impossible to capture in traditional broadcasts. "

SEE ALSO: Apple shelves cheaper Vision Pro to focus on smart glasses, report says

A schedule of Lakers matchups that can be watched immersively will come later this fall, and the first game will stream in early 2026. They'll be filmed with a camera called the URSA Cine Immersive Live camera from Blackmagic Design, which launched earlier this year to capture Apple Immersive videos.

The immersive games will be available through the upcoming Spectrum SportsNet App for fans in the team's regional broadcast territory: Southern California, Hawaii, and parts of southern Nevada, including Las Vegas. Users must run visionOS 26 or later to experience Apple Immersive video, and a subscription to Spectrum broadband or SportsNet is required to use the SportsNet app, according to the fine print.

On both the SportsNet and NBA apps, full game replays and highlights will be available to Vision Pro users in select regions and countries. Spectrum subscribers can also watch live and replay traditional game broadcasts with the Spectrum TV app, and if you have an NBA League Pass, you can do the same on the NBA app.

Last year, Apple dropped several immersive videos for the Vision Pro, including the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend.

SAVE $30: As of Oct. 11, Amazon is offering a 3-month pass to XBox Game Pass Ultimate for $60 or $20 a month.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 3-month Pass $60 at Amazon
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The past couple of weeks have been an emotional roller coaster for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate holders and fans. On Oct. 1st, Microsoft announced that it would be increasing the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate by a startling 50%. This increase was not received well by users and fans, according to Mashable’s senior culture reporter Christiana Silva. Since this announcement arrived two days before Microsoft also announced increased Xbox console prices, fans have been… upset. 

Microsoft also sent out communications on October 8th stating that some users would not experience a price increase to their subscription. Unfortunately, the US and UK were not among the people catching a break. If you’re a big fan of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, there is good news this weekend, though. Right now on Amazon, you can get a 3-month pass for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for the current price.

If you’re curious what Xbox Game Pass Ultimate has to offer, it packs a lot into one pass. Game Pass Ultimate allows you to stream and play hundreds of games and join the heart of the Xbox gaming community with online console multiplayer. The pass includes console multiplayer, EA Play, and a sizable variety of game genres. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate also allows you to play games like Avowed, South of Midnight, and Doom: The Dark Ages the minute they are released. 

With this pass on Amazon, you can stave off the price increase to your subscription for a few months. Make sure to take note that Amazon explicitly states that this pass is non-returnable and non-refundable. The pass gives you a code for 3 free months, allowing you to decide when you begin to use it.

SAVE $250: As of Oct. 11, this 75-inch Hisense TV with 4K UHD is 35% off. Coming in at $448, which is down $250 from its list price of $698 on Walmart.com. 

Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense 75-inch Hisense TV with 4K UHD $448 at Walmart
$698 Save $250 Get Deal

"Cozymax" your fall by leveling up your living room with this 75-inch Hisense TV. Not only is this TV simply massive, it's also packed with bonus features. The metal, bevel-less edge design of this TV allows you to have such a large screen without bulky borders taking up further space. The sleek design primes the TV to fit comfortably into your existing aesthetic.

As for software, this 75-inch Hisense TV deal offers a long list of benefits. First, it comes resplendent with Hisense's proprietary 4K ULED picture. ULED refers to a collection of traits that include QLED's ability to render richer, brighter colors and a tactile, sharp image when dimmed. It also includes 600-Nit peak brightness, which allows the TV to deliver quality HDR content.

The TV also comes with Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos (which is said to deliver cinema-quality picture and sound straight to your home). Enjoy the TV's filmmaker mode, which allows you to watch movies in the exact aspect ratio and settings that the original filmmakers intended.

Believe it or not, the list is still far from done. This TV is also a Google smart TV with built-in Google Assistant. This can fit into your existing smart home ecosystem (or maybe inspire you to start building one). Tell your TV to dim the lights as you sit down with a massive bowl of popcorn to match your massive new TV screen.

Billionaire Peter Thiel apparently thinks activist Greta Thunberg and AI "doomers" are "legionnaires of the antichrist," the PayPal and Palantir co-founder reportedly said in a recording reviewed by the Washington Post.

The recording is from a four-part lecture series on the Antichrist, aptly titled "The Antichrist: A Four-Part Lecture Series," according to the Post. In the lectures, which were told to be off the record according to the event listing, Thiel laid out his religious views.

SEE ALSO: Strange AI-generated clips of musicians with animals are going viral

Reuters reported that Thiel has become cautious that an ntichrist who promises to stop something like AI will emerge and forge a one-world government. That person would curtail individual freedoms and human innovation.

"In the 17th, 18th century, the Antichrist would have been a Dr. Strangelove, a scientist who did all this sort of evil crazy science," Thiel reportedly said. "In the 21st century, the Antichrist is a Luddite who wants to stop all science. It's someone like Greta or Eliezer."

The Luddites were former textile workers in the early 19th century who destroyed machines used to replace their labor; "Luddite" has become a term to refer to technology skeptics or opposer.

Thiel also referred to Thunberg, who rose to fame for her climate activism and was recently detained by Israel along with other activists on an aid flotilla to Gaza. (It is apparently not the first time he associated her with the Antichrist.)

He also named Eliezer Yudkowsky, a prominent AI researcher whose new book, If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies, poses AI as an existential threat. As Gizmodo pointed out, Thiel started funding Yudkowsky's "Singularity Institute" in 2005.

Reuters also recently reported that Thiel warned fellow billionaire Elon Musk against donating to charities.

Remember the metaverse? The virtual reality world from which Mark Zuckerberg's Meta gets its name may not be the trendy tech term it was a couple of years ago, but the company now wants workers building it to utilize the latest shiny tech trend: AI.

In an internal message obtained by 404 Media, Meta's VP of Metaverse, Vishal Shah, apparently told the Metaverse team to work five times faster with AI. "Think 5X, not 5 percent," a graphic in the note included.

SEE ALSO: Meta Ray-Ban Gen 2: Early reviews are in — what do they say?

"Our goal is simple yet audacious: make Al a habit, not a novelty. This means prioritizing training and adoption for everyone, so that using Al becomes second nature — just like any other tool we rely on," Shah reportedly wrote to employees.

"I want to see [project managers], designers, and [cross-functional] partners rolling up their sleeves and building prototypes, fixing bugs, and pushing the boundaries of what's possible," the note continued, according to 404 Media. "I want to see us go 5X faster by eliminating the frictions that slow us down. And 5X faster to get to how our products feel much more quickly."

A Meta spokesperson told Gizmodo that it's well-known that this is a priority and that Meta is focused on using AI to help employees with their day-to-day work. Mashable reported in April that Zuckerberg wants AI to do half of Meta's coding by 2026.

This note comes shortly after AI stole the spotlight at the developer conference Meta Connect last month, with the debuting (and failed demo) of Meta's "AI glasses." Meta also recently launched Vibes, an endless scroll of AI-generated videos, and continues to bake AI into Facebook and Instagram, like adding an "AI dating assistant" to Facebook Dating.

While AI is today's hyped product, it wasn't too long ago that Meta leaned heavily into the metaverse, despite users not being really into it. Meta's VR efforts continue to incur losses, with Meta's Reality Labs reporting a loss of over $4 billion in the second quarter of 2025.

If nothing else, generative AI has proven useful for people who want to make odd stuff for no real reason.

The latest thing? Musicians accompanied by animals. Accompanied in the official, musical sense, and also in an even more literal way — as in a kitty cat climbing all over a metal singer for reasons that are entirely unclear.

Here's this clip that's racked up 13 million likes (and about 113 million views) on TikTok.

Is this AI? Yes. Obviously so, I'd argue. Just look at the cat — the way it moves is uncanny, physics-defying in a way that's unmistakably a trademark of AI. But it is good enough to fool lots of folks.

Here's a good breakdown of the inconsistencies in the video that make it clear it's AI-generated.

That metal singer with a cat isn't the only version of the strange, specific trend. Here's an AI-generated cat accompanying a choir. It's racked up nearly 3 million likes on Facebook.

If you look at the mouths of the singers or how the cat meows, nothing really lines up. But, again, it's good enough to get people to like it as they scroll by.

AI video trends have become remarkably common. There was a whole trend of faking surveillance footage of cute animals, or there was the one with uncanny valley babies, or an entire genre where humans clean whales with heavy machinery.

So just keep this in mind as you scroll: Anything that seems unbelievable, well, maybe you shouldn't believe it these days.

I don’t know when it started, because it definitely wasn’t always like this, but Grindr has a serious problem. You can’t do a single damn thing on the app without being smacked in the face with an ad, and it’s absolute hell.

Does it really cost a minimum of five long seconds (in some cases, many, many more) to get a little bit of action in 2025? Yes, it does. But, it doesn’t have to… if you’re willing to let the Grindr gods take a peek into your wallet. 

For $14.99 — a steep price for a weekly app subscription, I have to say — users can get rid of every unwanted Grindr ad for one whole week. On top of that, you’ll unlock access to 600 additional profiles in your area, enjoy unlimited album views without the hassle of them vanishing after a few hours, send as many expiring photos and albums as you like, and tons more.

But, for a little over $2 a day, is paying for Grindr XTRA for the week really worth the money, especially when there are so many other dating apps? Prior to testing the feature for myself, I was sure I’d say no. But the answer isn’t as black and white as you’d think.

Opens in a new window Credit: Mashable Grindr XTRA Check pricing Learn More What Is Grindr XTRA?

Grindr XTRA is basically Grindr’s way of saying, “We know you’re desperate, so how about you pay us to make this hellscape slightly less miserable?” What do you get in return for coughing up the cash? First, sweet, sweet freedom from those endless ads clogging every corner of the app, which is a major bonus. It makes the app actually, dare I say, usable. This is the most beneficial aspect of getting Grindr XTRA, full stop. 

You’ll also get the ability to create multiple albums, mark recently chatted people (so you don’t accidentally message the same guy twice), and the ability to send three expiring photos each day. 

Multiple albums are a nice perk, though their usefulness feels a little limited to me. Since Grindr only allows one video per album, the feature really only shines if you’re juggling lots of photos or sending different sets to different people.

As for recently marked profiles, this one’s pretty killer. It saves you from déjà vu (and from coming across as desperate), like when you think, “Oh, this torso pic looks really hot,” click over for a quick “Hello,” and then realize you definitely messaged the same guy at 3 a.m. a couple of weekends ago. And, personally, when it comes to expiring albums, I don’t have much of a use for ‘em. I’m an out gay man, and I don’t really care who sees my dick anymore. Every Chicago gay on Grindr already has. It’s whatever. But, if you’re the type that likes to keep your nudes sensitive, this is a massive step up for privacy. You’ll never have to worry again about whether or not some rando you chatted with once saved your nudes to a private album in their smartphone.

SEE ALSO: 10 free dating apps to try for cuffing season 2025

Like I mentioned, you’ll also have a bigger grid of guys to scroll through (an absolutely incredible perk), a golden ticket to the global Explore feature (useless unless you’re planning to go on a Dublin trip next month and/or prefer long-distance sexting), and a few shiny extras like read receipts (so you know exactly who’s ignoring you) and saved phrases (so you don’t have to type what you’re into 600 times over).

Another handy feature is the ability to filter profiles more effectively based on what you’re looking for. The free version of Grindr doesn’t let you use filters nearly as well as it once did. 

Back in the day (yes, I’ve been single long enough to remember), you could set an age range, pick a tribe (jocks, bears, twinks, etc.), select a “looking for” category (hookups, relationships, dates, and so on), add tags (bondage, anon, couples, whatever) to actually narrow in on your ideal person. The results would still show just as many profiles as you’d see without filters at all. 

Now? The free version only spits out three to six profiles when you try to get specific. With Grindr XTRA, you’ll see the same full range of profiles whether you’re using filters or not. This is great if you’re interested in something super specific, like bottom non-binary bear trade who is into fisting (or ff, if you know, you know) and tentacles.

How Much Is Grindr XTRA?

Grindr XTRA is currently available under four price points, which may vary by location:

• One week: $14.99

• One month: $22.99 (savings of 64%)

• Three months: $49.99 (savings of 74%)

• Twelve months: $149.99 (savings of 80%)

What’s the Difference Between Grindr XTRA and Grindr Unlimited?

Because of course, Grindr XTRA isn’t the only paid Grindr subscription the app offers. Go figure. Grindr Unlimited is the cream of the crop when it comes to Grindr, offering every single aspect of what you’d get with Grindr XTRA, plus everything else in the kitchen sink. You’ll have the ability to see every single profile that has viewed you, unsend messages after post-nut clarity, browse the grid without being seen in incognito mode, see when someone is typing a message, and, of course, see unlimited profiles using unlimited filters. 

The catch? It starts at $9.99 for one day. For a full month, though, that would set you back $22.99, with savings of 64% total. Three months is $49.99 with a savings of 74%, and 12 months is $149.99 with a savings of 80%. We don’t know what kind of money you’re working with, but if you can afford to pay for your hookup apps and you’re that horny, you do you, baby.

Is paying for Grindr worth it?

Here’s where things get tough: I honestly do not know how to answer this question for you. My wallet and brain both tell me no, but, the user experience Grindr XTRA has to offer? It’s incomprehensibly good. And I can’t help but feel like there’s a little conspiracy behind why that is.

Unpaid-for-Grindr is a borderline unusable app in 2025, but it does technically work just fine for free users. It’s not that you need to pay for Grindr to use it effectively. The problems with using Grindr for free in 2025 are the following:

• Ads are overwhelming

• The app crashes constantly

• Messages slip through the cracks

• The search function is almost useless

I’ve noticed all of these issues popping up over the past few years at different points in time, and I’m hardly the only one. I fear Grindr did this on purpose — make the app a true piece of shit so we’re left with no other option but to purchase a week-long Grindr XTRA subscription in our horniest of moments, realize once again how incredible the app can be, and then, poof, the week is over. Your only choice? Re-up for another week of Grindr XTRA or suffer through all of the ads once again. It’s kind of like a drug for insufferably horny gay men like myself.

But, again, is Grindr XTRA worth it? While I don't usually say this, I could go both ways. Sometimes, yes, depending on the circumstances. Are you touring a new city alone for a week and want your whole cake and to eat it, too? Then, sure — pay for a week-long Grindr XTRA subscription for a little over $2 a day. Go buck wild on your Berlin trip. Are you home on your couch when Pornhub is just a few clicks away in your Safari app? Maybe don’t pay for Grindr XTRA this time. Let it be a little treat every once in a while. Everybody deserves a little treat every once in a while.

So, should I get Grindr XTRA?

I think that if you’re here and you read everything I had to say about Grindr XTRA, you’ll realize it absolutely has its perks, with my personal two favorites being absolutely zero ads and the ability to filter out the wazoo. But, once upon a time, these weren’t “perks”. This was just how gay dating apps were supposed to function. If Grindr would actually fix the unpaid user experience instead of squeezing every penny out of the gay community, we could go back to using Grindr the way the gay gods intended. No one should have to cough up cash just to make a hookup app function the way it’s supposed to. Just some food for thought.

But, here’s the hard truth we all have to swallow: I bought Grindr XTRA, and my experience was nothing less than perfect. 

In the future, I do hope the Grindr experience goes back to the way it used to be, but that seems unlikely. So, here’s my verdict: When you take that solo trip to Rome, New York City, or Ibiza, pay for Grindr XTRA for a week, and only a week. You’ll hate yourself for paying, but you’ll hate Grindr even more if you don’t.

Opens in a new window Credit: Mashable Grindr XTRA Check pricing Learn More

Watching sports used to be easy — after flipping a few channels, you'd likely stumble across the biggest games by pure chance. Now, between regional blackouts, exclusive streaming rights, and astronomical cable bills, tuning into live sports has become quite a headache.

Whether you've cut the cord or are still weighing your options, you can still catch all of the games, matches, and races you desire — it just may take a few different subscriptions. We've done some of the heavy lifting for you and dissected the top live sports streaming services to help you decide.

Which streaming service is best to watch live sports?

Streaming services give you the sports coverage you want, but on your terms. However, there are so many to choose from that it can be a little difficult deciding which ones are the best fit for you. When making your selection, here are some of the essential things to keep in mind:

• Which sports are most important to you? If you’re a die-hard college football fan and don’t really pay attention to any other sports, you may be solid with just ESPN and Fox One. Only care about hockey? You can just subscribe to your regional sports network and forget about the rest.

• Which channels do you need? Figure out which networks are non-negotiable for you to watch the sports you want. NFL games, for instance, air on CBS, FOX, NBC, and ESPN, while NBA, MLB, and NHL games mostly air on regional sports networks as well as TNT, TBS, ABC, and ESPN.

• Are you looking for a cable replacement? Some streaming services on this list are a cable replacement first and a sports service second. YouTube TV, for example, offers access to a bunch of live channels, on-demand movies and shows, as well as sports. These kinds of options are great if your whole family is going to be using them, or you just want a comprehensive TV plan for yourself. Otherwise, they can be pretty expensive.

• Is your team in-network? By far, the most annoying thing about streaming live sports is the prioritizing of in-network games. If you’re a fan of a local team, you shouldn’t have as much to worry about. But if you’re a fan of an out-of-market team, your life will be significantly harder — particularly for NFL games. You’ll probably have to splurge on NFL Sunday Ticket if you want access to all games, regardless of the network.

• How much are you willing to pay? Cable replacement services are extremely pricey — especially if you want access to regional sports networks. If you don't need all of the extra bells and whistles that come with services like Fubo and YouTube TV, you can save a lot of money by opting for several casual streamers like ESPN and Peacock instead.

How to watch league-specific sports

If you really only care about watching a specific team or league, you might not need to sign up for an entire cable replacement service. Individual leagues often offer dedicated streaming services. Of course, these services also have their own pros and cons, but we'll leave it to you to decide. Here's a brief breakdown of the league-specific streaming services you can choose from.

NFL

• NFL+ — mobile only, in-market games only for $6.99 per month or $49.99 per year

• NFL Sunday Ticket — out of market games only for $47.25 per month or $378 per year with YouTube TV, $60 per month or $480 per year without YouTube TV

MLB

• MLB.TV — out of market games only for $29.99 per month or $149.99 per year

NBA

• NBA League Pass — out of market games only for $16.99 per month or $109.99 per season

MLS

• MLS Season Pass — every regular and post-season game for $14.99 per month or $99 per season

How to watch live sports without cable

While there are at least a baker's dozen streaming platforms (and counting) to watch live and recorded sports, each has its perks and drawbacks. There's no point in canceling your cable plan if you can't watch your favorite teams live, right? We've done some of the grunt work and sorted out which streaming services can get you access to the live sports you crave. Check out our top picks to help you decide what to spend your money on.

Astronomers have captured a radio image showing two black holes orbiting each other for the first time, just six years after the release of the first-ever photo of a single black hole. 

The discovery confirms that pairs of supermassive black holes really do exist — something scientists have suspected for decades but never directly seen until now.

The system lies at the heart of a brilliant space object called quasar OJ 287, about 3.5 billion light-years from Earth. Quasars, a portmanteau for "quasi-stellar objects," are extremely bright galaxy cores powered by black holes feasting on surrounding gas and dust. OJ 287 has long stood out because its brightness rises and falls every 12 years. That pattern was a clue that two giant black holes might be circling one another like in a cosmic do-si-do.

The new observations are among the sharpest radio images ever made to explore what’s happening deep inside a quasar — and offers evidence that both black holes may be producing their own powerful jets of energy.

"The image of the two black holes was captured with a radio telescope system that included the RadioAstron satellite," said Mauri Valtonen of the University of Turku in Finland, in a statement. "In recent years, we have only been able to use Earth-based telescopes, where the image resolution is not as good."

SEE ALSO: NASA astronaut class appears to be first without Black recruits in 40 years

Black holes rank among the most mind-boggling objects in the cosmos. They are regions in space where gravity is so intense that nothing, not even light, can escape. About 50 years ago, astronomers weren't entirely convinced these invisible giants were even real. 

Today, black holes aren't just accepted, they're being photographed by a collection of enormous, synced-up radio dishes. In 2019, the Event Horizon Telescope produced the first-ever image of a black hole, located 53 million light-years away in the galaxy Messier 87. Three years later, the same group captured another historic image: the black hole at the center of our own Milky Way, called Sagittarius A*, or Sgr A* for short.

This new history-making radio image is part of a broader OJ 287 study led by Valtonen, which appears in The Astrophysical Journal. The host galaxy is thought to have one enormous black hole — about 18 billion times the weight of the sun — and a smaller companion roughly equal to 150 million suns in mass. As the smaller one orbits, it periodically crashes through the larger black hole’s disk of gas and dust, creating predictable bursts of light.

The first hints that something weird was happening in OJ 287 emerged in the late 1800s, according to the paper, when the quasar appeared unexpectedly in early sky photographs — long before scientists even knew black holes existed. 

In the 1980s, Finnish astronomer Aimo Sillanpää noticed its repeating light pattern and proposed the idea of two black holes. Since then, researchers around the world have tracked the system, trying to map out the pair’s motion. More recently, scientists have calculated how they think the pair ought to appear. 

The black hole at the center of the Milky Way, Sagittarius A*, was imaged with the Event Horizon Telescope, a virtual, Earth-size telescope. Credit: Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration

The confirmation of this duo came from a powerful radio telescope network that included the Russian RadioAstron satellite, which operated until 2019. Its antenna once orbited about 120,000 miles from Earth, about halfway to the moon. When combined with ground-based radio dishes, this setup achieved extremely high resolution. 

The approach differed from how the previous images of black holes were made, which used the Event Horizon Telescope, a virtual Earth-sized telescope that links radio dishes around the world. Instead, the new OJ 287 image used a space-based technique that "achieved a much longer observing baseline, and hence a higher-resolution image," said Daniel Reichart, a University of North Carolina professor and one of the study's co-authors. 

The method has its drawbacks: It uses longer radio wavelengths that blur as they travel through space, making it impossible to see a black hole's edge. The tradeoff, Reichart explained to Mashable, is that the Event Horizon Telescope "has a slightly lower resolution, but a higher fidelity," delivering clearer images. But with the space-based technique, the team was able to see enough detail to separate the two black holes within OJ 287. Without that resolution, the pair would otherwise appear as a single light.

"For the first time, we managed to get an image of two black holes circling each other," Valtonen said. "The black holes themselves are perfectly black, but they can be detected by these particle jets or by the glowing gas surrounding the hole." 

The team also saw something new: a twisting jet from the smaller black hole, which seems to whip back and forth as it moves through its orbit. Future studies may observe the jet changing direction over time.

TL;DR: Hurry and grab a lifetime subscription to Imagiyo’s AI image generator for just $39.97 through Oct. 19.

Not every business tool has to be spreadsheets and strategy docs. Sometimes the thing that gets your creative spark back is a weird AI-generated jellyfish cat in a spacesuit — and that is a perfectly legitimate productivity win. If you’re a designer, digital artist, social media manager, or just someone trying to make your project pop with eye-catching visuals, this tool might become your secret weapon. But don’t wait to check it out, this lifetime deal for just $39.97 ends Oct. 19.

Imagiyo is an AI image generator that lets you whip up creative, commercial-ready artwork in just a few clicks. It runs on powerful Stable Diffusion models — including FLUX Schnell and Modelslab — and gives you high-res, watermark-free images with zero ads in sight. You can generate up to 500 images a month, two at a time, and save them permanently in the size you chose at creation.

It’s super straightforward to use and responsive on both desktop and mobile. You just enter your prompt, select a few settings, and get back two wildly detailed, AI-generated results. There’s even support for NSFW content if you’re creating behind closed doors — just mark those private.

Give your next project a visual edge without burning hours (or a hole in your wallet).

This deal for lifetime access to Imagiyo AI Image Generator is only available for new users, and you’ve got until Oct. 19 to grab it on sale for $39.97.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Imagiyo Imagiyo AI Image Generator: Lifetime Subscription (Standard Plan) $39.97
$495 Save $455.03 Get Deal

TL;DR: Score permanent Office 2019 for one Windows PC for $19.97 through Oct. 19 — full suite, instant delivery, zero subscriptions.

• Lifetime license to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher, and Access

• One-time purchase for one Windows 10 or 11 PC — device-based activation

• Improved inking, new Excel analysis tools, upgraded PowerPoint features

• Outlook refinements for email and contact management

• Instant email with download link and license key — redeem within 7 days

• All languages supported, updates included for the 2019 version

If your to-do list needs serious tools without a serious bill, this is the easy win — install once, get to work, and keep moving. Grab a lifetime license to Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows for $19.97 (MSRP $229) until Oct. 19.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows $19.97
$229 Save $209.03 Get Deal

TL;DR: Pay once, get 2TB of secure cloud storage for life with FolderFort for just $119.99.

If you’ve ever rolled your eyes at yet another monthly bill from a cloud provider, this offer might feel like sweet relief. For a one-time payment of $119.99, FolderFort’s 2TB Cloud Storage Pro Plan gives you lifetime access to secure, fast, and easy-to-use storage — without ongoing fees.

FolderFort is built with 99.99% uptime and BackBlaze encryption, so your data is always accessible and secure. You can log in from any modern browser on Mac, PC, or mobile, no software needed. It’s designed to have lightning-fast uploads and sync large files in seconds with a stable connection.

For business leaders, FolderFort is especially handy. You can create unlimited workspaces and invite unlimited users, all at no extra cost. That means your team can collaborate on files, store shared projects, or manage documents without juggling multiple accounts or paying extra licenses. Families and freelancers will love it too: store thousands of photos, videos, and documents in one place, and share with a single link when needed.

And unlike traditional cloud services, scaling up is painless. If you somehow fill 2TB (which is a massive amount of data), you can expand your plan instantly — no downtime, no migration headaches.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur who needs a secure vault for contracts, a creative pro backing up projects, or a parent saving family archives, FolderFort gives you peace of mind with one payment and zero strings attached.

Get access to 2TB of FolderFort cloud storage for life while it’s on sale for just $119.99 for a limited time.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: FolderFort FolderFort 2TB Cloud Storage Pro Plan: Lifetime Subscription $119.99
$749 Save $629.01 Get Deal

TL;DR: A 1min.AI lifetime subscription is now $79.99 with code SAVE20 at checkout for a limited time only (MSRP $540).

Paying $20 here for ChatGPT and another $10 there for image generation? It adds up quickly, but 1min.AI brings together all the top AI models, including GPT, Midjourney, Claude, Gemini, and more, into one platform for a one-time payment. Usually $99.99, you can use code SAVE20 to lock in lifelong access for just $79.99 during this sale (MSRP $540).

Own the AI you use every day, don’t rent it

Instead of paying individually for different AI tools, 1min.AI puts them all under one roof. That includes:

• OpenAI models like GPT-4o, GPT-4 Turbo, and GPT-3.5

• Claude models from Anthropic

• Gemini Pro from Google

• Llama 2 and 3 from Meta

• Mistral and Cohere’s Command model

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

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

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

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

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

A fusion.

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

UNION

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Fragrant.

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

MUSKY

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Inside.

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

INNER

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Windy.

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

GUSTY

Final Hurdle hint

To blast.

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

BLARE

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

The moon is in its "waning" phase, with each night less and less visible. This will continue until the new moon, and the start of a new lunar cycle.

Keep reading to see what's happening with the moon tonight, Oct. 11

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Friday, Oct. 11, the moon phase is Waning Gibbous. Tonight, only 74% will be lit up, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

What can you see tonight? Well, if you look close enough, without any visual aids, you can spot the Oceanus Procellarum, the Mare Serenitatis, and the Mare Vaporum. Binoculars will increase your visibility, adding the Grimaldi Basin, the Posidonius Crater, and the Gassendi Crater to your lineup. And if you have a telescope, you'll also see the Apollo 12 and 17 landing spots and the Linne Crater.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Nov. 5.

What are moon phases?

We mention moon phases a lot, but what actually are they? NASA tells us that as the Moon completes its 29.5-day orbit around Earth, it passes through a series of eight phases. These changes happen because the positions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon relative to each other shift over time. From Earth, we see the Moon as fully bright, partially lit, or completely dark, but the same side always faces us. The differences in appearance come from how much sunlight hits its surface at each point in its orbit.

The eight main moon phases are:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy Friday and welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.

Released in August 2025, the Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move onto the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.

How to play Pips

If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity for how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for October 11, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for October 11, 2025 Easy difficulty hints, answers for Oct. 11 Pips

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

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

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 2-4, placed vertically; 4-4, placed horizontally.

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

Medium difficulty hints, answers for Oct. 11 Pips

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 6-0, placed horizontally.

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 3-3, placed vertically.

Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 6-0, placed horizontally; 0-4, placed horizontally; 2-0, placed horizontally; 0-3, placed vertically; 0-1, placed horizontally.

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

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 0-4, placed horizontally; 5-4, placed vertically.

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 0-1, placed horizontally.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for Oct. 11 Pips

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

Number (10): Everything in this space must add to 10. The answer is 5-4, placed horizontally; 5-6, placed vertically.

Number (7): Everything in this space must add to 7. The answer is 5-4, placed horizontally; 3-6, placed horizontally.

Number (9): Everything in this space must add to 9. The answer is 3-6, placed horizontally; 3-1, placed vertically.

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

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. 5-6, 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.

Today's Connections: Sports Edition requires some knowledge of cards.

As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

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

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections: Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake — players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

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: Other side

• Green: Gambling lingo

• Blue: Related to one player

• Purple: Same second word

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

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

• Yellow: Opponent

• Green: Texas Hold'Em terms

• Blue: Associated with Derek Jeter

• Purple: ____ Bulls

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 #383 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Opponent - ADVERSARY, FOE, NEMESIS, RIVAL

• Texas Hold'Em terms - BLIND, FLOP, RIVER, TURN

• Associated with Derek Jeter - 2, CAPTAIN, NEW YORK, SHORTSTOP

• ____ Bulls - BUFFALO, CHICAGO, RED, SOUTH FLORIDA

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.

The NYT Connections puzzle today requires you to think of multiple ways words can be used.

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.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

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.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for October 11, 2025 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Supplies

• Green: Adorn

• Blue: Popular on maps

• Purple: This and also that

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: Equipment

• Green: Dress in

• Blue: Street suffixes

• Purple: Nicknames that have other meanings

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 #853 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Equipment: GEAR, KIT, STUFF, TACKLE

• Dress in: DON, PUT ON, SPORT, WEAR

• Street suffixes: ALLEY, COURT, LANE, WAY

• Nicknames that have other meanings: BILL, BOB, PAT, TOM

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for October 11, 2025

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

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

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

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you don't skip the ads.

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for October 11, 2025 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for October 11, 2025 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: That's branding

The words are related to visuals.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe popular brands.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Iconic Logos.

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for October 11

• Peacock

• Shell

• Bullseye

• Swoosh

• Apple

• Iconic Logos

• Arches

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 is neater than a pile.

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

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for October 11, 2025 Where did Wordle come from?

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

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

What's the best Wordle starting word?

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

What happened to the Wordle archive?

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

Is Wordle getting harder?

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for October 11, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A row, but vertical.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter 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...

STACK

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for October 11, 2025

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

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

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