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Today's Connections: Sports Edition will require some sports and pop culture knowledge.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Top executive

• Green: Southeast players

• Blue: Drew the QB

• Purple: Get up

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Heads of an Organization

• Green: An SEC Athlete

• Blue: QB Drews

• Purple: ____Up

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 #603 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Heads of an Organization: BRASS, LEADERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, TEAM OFFICIALS

• An SEC Athlete: AGGIE, GAMECOCK, SOONER, VOLUNTEER

• QB Drews: ALLAR, BLEDSOE, BREES, LOCK

• ____Up: CHANGE, TUNE, WARM, WIND

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.

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

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

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

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

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

Chaos.

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

BABEL

Hurdle Word 2 hint

To overwhelm.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 19, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

WHELM

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Hurdle Word 3 hint

Rules.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 19 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 19, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

BYLAW

Hurdle Word 4 hint

A religious hymn.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

PSALM

Final Hurdle hint

Sea cycles.

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

TIDAL

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

Game Changer kicked off Season 8 on May 18 with a "legally spicy" episode called "Don't Wake Standards and Practices," that dared to mock Disney, Star Wars, McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Bluey, and much, much more copyrighted intellectual property. But how did Dropout's producers decide what was too far? 

Mashable reached out to Game Changer host and Dropout CEO Sam Reich for answers to your burning "Don't Wake Standards and Practices" questions. 

In this Season 8 premiere, Reich welcomed Lou Wilson, Ally Beardsley, and Jeremy Culhane to a Game Changer set that resembled the board game Don't Wake Daddy — with a standards and practices lawyer who pops up in place of Daddy. 

Because, as Reich put it in the episode, "We're all grown up, and we're not afraid of Daddy anymore. We're afraid of the legal consequences of our actions." 

With each prompt, the players were trying to push the envelope for comedy, without going into a legal danger zone that would wake Standards and Practices, and send them back to start. To determine how dicy their comments are, Reich welcomed three "legal eagles" to take over the podium. In the episode, real-life lawyers Devin Stone, Alexis Noel, and Iya Baclagan served as judges, awarding points and penalties. But after much laughs and so much dunking on Disney properties, you might well be wondering how Dropout can get away with showing all this on Game Changer. 

We went to Reich for the answers. Over a video call, he shared the ins and outs of "Don't Wake Standards and Practices."

How can Game Changers' "Don't Wake Standards and Practices" air? Ally Beardsley laughs while Jeremy Culhane does up his pants on "Game Changer: Don't Wake Standards and Practices." Credit: Kate Elliott / Dropout

"In [making this episode], we were presented with this paradox," Reich said, "We're creating an episode where we're basically asking players to be legally spicy. What if they do something so spicy we can't show it? Haven't we shot ourselves in the foot? We kind of rolled the dice on that. Although we had a little bit of advice from our lawyers, obviously." 

Reich also acknowledged that Fair Use, a U.S. legal doctrine, is at play here, allowing copyrighted material to be used without permission for criticism, news reporting, educational purposes, or parody.

Was anything cut from Game Changer's Season 8 premiere for legality?  Ally Beardsley, Lou Wilson, and Jeremy Culhane compete on "Game Changer: Don't Wake Standards and Practices." Credit: Kate Elliott / Dropout

Nope. Reich told Mashable, "Coming out of [making the episode], our lawyers looked at it, and they allowed us to keep everything. And the reason is because in the world of entertainment legality, commentary and context are everything. And the context of this being about pushing legal limits serves us so well that they're not concerned that anyone would be confused about like the 'why' we're saying any of this."

Are those really Dropout's lawyers? Alexis Noel, Devin Stone, and Iya Baclagan are "Game Changer"s legal eagles for "Don't Wake Standards and Practices." Credit: Kate Elliott / Dropout

No. 

Reich shared, "Devin [Stone, known on YouTube as] Legal Eagle, I have known for a few years. He's obviously an online personality; he's a Dropout fan. We've been looking for an opportunity to work with him on something, and this was just like the perfect case of A and B coming together."

Reich continued, "Alexis [Noel], we found through casting. Iya [Baclagan], we found through casting. Alexis is a little bit more like traditional corporate law experience, as I understand it. Iya is a true Standards and Practices lawyer; that's what she does. So, the fun there was all three of them came from different backgrounds….It was fun to see when they aligned and when they diverged. But all of them are super camera-ready and down to clown lawyers."

How was Ally's video about Disney and McDonald's allowed?  Ally Beardsley sings on "Game Changer." Credit: Kate Elliott / Dropout

After Culhane and Wilson toyed with sexual innuendo, Beardsley was given a classic Game Changer prompt with "Propose a Visual Effect to Go Here." Beardsley becomes the first to awaken Standards and Practices by proposing an animation featuring a Mickey Mouse with pierced nipples and a "completely accurate Death Star" that reveals the McDonald's logo. 

Reich is surprised that they didn't have to cut any of Ally’s pitch. "I, in a million years, never thought we would be able to animate that for real. I was like, best-case scenario, a couple of sketches, maybe." However, he added, "It helps that our version of Mickey Mouse looks like absolute nightmare fuel," noting, "The fact that we aren't advertiser-supported means that we could be R-rated, which is super helpful."

Did the creator of Bluey sign off on her appearance here?  Sam Reich, Lou Wilson and Phil on "Game Changer." Credit: Kate Elliott / Dropout

Later in the episode, Wilson is challenged to "threaten Bluey." And as he does, a little animated dog that looks pretty much like Bluey frolics onscreen, along with some less accurate Bluey characters, reflecting Wilson's ignorance of that particular IP. 

Reich quoted back this reporter's description of the scene in his explanation, saying, "'Pretty much' is the operative word there. [Plus], it's like so clear that Lou doesn't really know what's going on with Bluey. He has Bluey as the dad. He says, 'Yellow Wife.' I think that helps us out a little bit here."

Did Dropout reach out to Bluey creator Joe Brumm, for permission? Reich laughed, "Good Lord, did we not ask. This is one of those cases where it's like, maybe better to ask for forgiveness than permission."

However, Reich has a past work relationship with Brumm, which made him pretty confident the Australian animator would be okay with this bit. He added, "All I can say is, Joe, please don't. Please don't come after us."

SEE ALSO: Bluey has an unexpected Dropout connection beyond the Game Changer shock What's the difference between broadcast and streaming in terms of what can be legally shown?  'Saturday Night Live's Jeremy Culhane shows his "game" on "Game Changer: Don't Wake Standards and Practices." Credit: Kate Elliott / Dropout

There are points in "Don't Wake Standards and Practices," where the legal eagles refer to Broadcast Standards, like the Safe Harbor rule, which basically says more provocative material is allowed to air on television after 10 p.m. However, as a streamer, Dropout doesn't have to follow those rules. 

Reich explained how Game Changer's producers determined what would work best for the episode, saying, "We asked our lawyers to think a little bit more in terms of network broadcast standards, or like cable broadcast standards, than in terms of streamers, because streamers can get away with so much. Therein kind of lay our resolution to the paradox, as if it were. Like our lawyers were going to judge it by cable broadcast standards, we were going to show it relative to streaming standards, and in the gap is where we saw the entertainment possibility."

Legally, does Jeremy have game?  Jeremy Culhane gets spanked by Phoenix Askani on "Game Changer: Don't Wake Standards and Practices." Credit: Kate Elliott / Dropout

Over the course of the episode, Jeremy Culhane takes a beating, being literally spanked by Phoenix Askani and dragged by Stone for his lack of "game." But in the end, he wins the episode and edit approval. Thus, the premiere ends with a comically clunky cut in which Stone declares, "Points added for Jeremy's well-documented and extraordinary game."

So, does Reich think Culhane has game? He told Mashable, "I think I have to say, legally, Jeremy has game, because I believe that's the truth. Is it incredibly fun to say he doesn't? Oh boy, yes. It's funny, Jeremy now being like a young star of Saturday Night Live, now that feels like punching up."

Game Changer Season 8, episode 1, "Don't Wake Standards and Practices," is now streaming on Dropout. 

Watching Bluey, the beloved Australian cartoon show for kids, you might not think of Dropout, a streaming platform that revels in adult humor. But thanks to Game Changer's provocative Season 8 premiere episode, "Don't Wake Standards and Practices," Dropout CEO and host Sam Reich has revealed an incredible connection between the comedy streamer and the hit cartoon. 

To answer burning questions we had about Game Changer's "Don't Wake Standards and Practices," Mashable Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko spoke with Reich about the ins and outs of the "legally spicy" episode. When asked about Lou Wilson's Bluey rant — during which a parody of the adorable pup appeared onscreen — Reich revealed that he'd previously worked with Bluey creator Joe Brumm. 

"I don't think that most people know this," Reich said. "It's the tiniest little diatribe, but we did an animated series really early on for Dropout called What the Fuck 101, which was like a messed-up Magic School Bus."

"At the time," Reich explained, "The chief animator of that [show] was like, 'I'm gonna have to pull double duty on this and another project that's been green-lit, because it's really personal to me.' And so, simultaneously, this guy, Joe Brumm, was doing What the Fuck 101 and the first season of Bluey. And before that, he did a huge number of College Humor shorts. I mean, all over his resume, the biggest thing on his resume was College Humor before it was Bluey." 

Reich clearly relished his time working with Brumm, both at College Humor and its spinoff streamer Dropout. And of Bluey, he said, "I've watched a fair amount of it. It's fantastic. It's so heartfelt and distinct and original, and it's a work of art. And you would never guess the other things that Studio Joho was doing for us."

WTF 101 is now streaming on Dropout. 

Bluey is now streaming on Disney+. 

UPDATE: May. 19, 2026, 12:52 p.m. A previous version of this article said Dropbox aired "What the Fuck 101," instaed of Dropout.

Blink and you'll miss Nika King in Euphoria Season 3.

The actor and comedian plays Leslie Bennett, Rue's (Zendaya) mother. She's appeared in some of the show's most memorable scenes, including a visceral fight with Rue in the series-best Season 2, episode 5.

SEE ALSO: How Sydney Sweeney surprised Trisha Paytas during her 'Euphoria' cameo

By Season 3, though, Leslie has been relegated to a presence at the end of Rue's phone. In episode 2, Rue leaves her a devastating voicemail from a gas station. In episode 6, Leslie picks up the phone, and the pair have a heart to heart about Rue hoping to come home.

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Viewers solely hear Rue's side of the conversation, similar to her episode 3 phone call with Fezco (the late Angus Cloud) from prison. Euphoria only cuts to Leslie at the very end of the call, when she tells Rue she loves her and hangs up.

It's the one time viewers see Leslie this episode, and based on King's reaction on Instagram, the lack of screen time and audible dialogue came as a shock. Thankfully, it seems like she's able to laugh about having such a minuscule part in the episode.

Nika King in "Euphoria." Credit: HBO

In an Instagram video posted after episode 6 aired, King laughs into the camera, saying, "I just watched my episode that I've been promoting all week, and my mom over here clowning me. My mom is clowning me! She said the internet waited all this time for me to just say one line."

"Three years," her mother, chef Sharon Allen, chimes in from the background.

"I can't do nothing but laugh," King says.

Allen finishes with a killing blow: "What you want me to say? You ain't had nothing to say [in the episode]."

"You better be glad I have a sense of humor," King responds. "You better be glad I got thick skin."

King went viral in 2024 for a stand-up set about the long-delayed Euphoria Season 3.

"People are like, 'We need Season 3.' I'm like, 'Bitch, I need Season 3!' I haven't paid my rent in six months," King says in her set. "And Zendaya's over in Paris at fashion week. I'm like, 'Bitch, come home! I need you. Mama needs you.'"

After fans expressed concern over King's situation, she clarified that her comments were jokes in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter: "My reference about Euphoria during my stand-up tour was a lighthearted joke. Most people have seen me portray serious characters on-screen but my roots are in comedy."

However, King's time on Euphoria isn't over yet. In a reply to a comment on an April 26 Instagram post, King said she's in episodes 6 and 8. Of course, just how much of episode 8 remains to be seen, but surely anything will be more than her role in 6, right? Right?

New episodes of Euphoria Season 3 premiere Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

TL;DR: Build a website or online store without knowing how to code thanks to this 1-year subscription to Hostinger Website Builder, now just $19.99 (reg. $207.94).

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Wondering exactly how the AI works behind Hostinger? You can give it your brand name and have it design a logo, or provide an image of what you’re selling and have it whip up a product description.

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Once your website is up and running, it’s time to start selling your product. Hostinger allows you to list up to 1,000 products — from physical to digital or print-on-demand. There are over 100 payment methods you can accept, and you keep 100% of each sale because there are no transaction fees.

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UPDATE: May. 19, 2026, 2:40 p.m. EDT Google has officially announced its first Android XR smart glasses in partnership with Samsung at Google I/O 2026

Read our Google I/O coverage here. The original article is published below.

Google I/O 2026 is just around the corner, and all eyes are on what Google has in store for the year. One of our big expectation for the annual event: some major announcements involving the company's planned smart glasses.

Google has already confirmed it will release a pair of smart glasses, built for the Android XR platform, in 2026. Until we have another name for these unreleased specs,, we've been calling them the Android XR glasses. (Remember: Android XR is also the name of Google's previously launched augmented reality operating system, which powers products like the Galaxy XR headset.)

Just don't call them Google Glass.

What we know about Android XR smart glasses

Google debuted a concept of its upcoming smart glasses at last year's I/O. The AI-powered smart glasses featured a full augmented reality in-glass interface with cameras, microphones, and speakers built in. Google also said it would be working with well-known brands like Warby Parker and Gentle Monster to produce an array of styles. Unfortunately for Google, the live demo during I/O didn't exactly go as planned.

However, since Google first showed off that concept, there have been some new developments with what we're calling Android XR smart glasses — emphasis on glasses.

Google is, in fact, working on more than one Android XR smart glass model.

The first model of Google's Android XR smart glasses has been compared to Meta's Ray-Ban glasses. These smart glasses are equipped with a camera, speakers, and a microphone, and can interact with Google's AI assistant Gemini. There is no display with this model.

SEE ALSO: What to expect from Google I/O 2026: Gemini news, Android XR glasses

The second model notably does have an in-glasses display in order to show the user visual information, such as captions for translations and map directions. Google has generally referred to these glasses as AI glasses, and we got a better look at them in a December 2025 blog post.

Credit: Google

Both smart glass models run on Android XR, Google's smart glass operating system that debuted with the Samsung Galaxy XR headset.

Google previously confirmed that the no-dispay model of Android XR smart glasses will launch this year, so we should get a nice preview of what they will offer at Google I/O. 

The big question is how much more Google will unveil about the Android XR AI glasses with a built-in display. So far, the company has not yet shared a timeframe for the release of that model. Will we find out at Google I/O 2026? 

What else do we know? Not much, but not nothing.

Outside of a few demos, Google hasn't revealed too much about its smart glasses yet.

However, as Mashable's Chance Townsend reported, Google's developer design documentation for Android XR should offer a window into how the company is approaching all things AR, VR, and XR.

"Designing for AI Glasses with Android XR requires a thoughtful approach to user experience, prioritizing comfort and seamless integration with the user's daily life," reads the documentation. "Apps on glasses should feel like a natural extension of the user's perception, providing convenient access to information without being intrusive."

For more insight, our colleagues at CNET have tried on the unreleased Google smart glasses (again, definitely not Google Glass). In addition to Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, Samsung and eyewear brand Kering are also heavily rumored to be building smart glasses for Android XR. As CNET reports, Kering could even bring Gucci smart glasses to market in the near future.

Expect all of these glasses to feature heavy integration with Gemini.

To hopefully find out more, tune into Google I/O 2026 and follow Mashable's live coverage on May 19.

Elon Musk's $150 billion lawsuit against his fellow OpenAI founders died a quick and unceremonious death Monday.

After spending more than three weeks listening to witnesses, including Musk, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, the nine-member Oakland jury took just two hours to decide Musk's case had no merit — based entirely on its timing.

Musk was seeking damages over OpenAI's conversion from a nonprofit to a for-profit enterprise run by a nonprofit board. He claimed that a $10 billion Microsoft investment in 2023 was when he realized the ChatGPT maker was straying from the original terms of its charitable foundation.

But much of the courtroom drama turned on whether his lawsuit fell within the statute of limitations for such a case. Musk's team strained to prove that he wasn't worried about Microsoft "capturing" OpenAI before 2023 — despite a 2020 tweet from Musk that said exactly that, to take just one example.

Musk's lawyers at the courthouse Monday told reporters they will appeal the verdict.

SEE ALSO: 'Memes on his phone!' Sam Altman's trial testimony takes a turn

In theory, the jury's decision was advisory — meaning federal judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers could still have ruled in Musk's favor if she disagreed. But Rogers concurred, tossing the lawsuit.

Rogers showed herself to be no great friend to Musk during the trial, reminding the billionaire that he was "not a lawyer" despite him taking Law 101 in college.

Musk also didn't help his case by absconding to China last week, when the judge had required him to stay close in case he needed to testify again. Counsel for Altman and the other co-founders made hay out of this fact in their closing arguments, noting that their clients had actually shown up.

The jury seemed sympathetic to OpenAI's attorney then, and the speed of their verdict has confirmed their sympathies.

OpenAI emerges unscathed. The company will continue its march to a potential $1 trillion IPO — one of the most anticipated public offerings of the decade. Altman has cause to celebrate too, despite Musk's counsel painting him as fundamentally untrustworthy (echoing a recent New Yorker investigation) and causing him to confirm for the first time he does have an equity stake in OpenAI.

Musk hasn't tweeted since the trial verdict came in. Altman, meanwhile, merely congratulated the ChatGPT team on its latest build.

Apple fanatics won't have to wait long to hear more about the next iteration of iOS.

In a newsroom post on Monday afternoon, Apple officially set the schedule for this year's Worldwide Developers Conference, or WWDC 2026. This is Apple's annual showcase for all things software, usually including reveals for what's coming next in iOS, macOS, iPadOS, and more. However, we're also expecting a long-awaited update on Siri's AI transformation this year.

The big public-facing keynote livestream will happen on June 8 at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET), with some other more developer-focused events happening in the days to follow. You'll be able to watch the keynote live on the Apple TV app or on Apple's YouTube channel.

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Coming bright up, huh? Credit: Apple

As usual, this announcement was accompanied by an invite graphic sent to members of the media, including Mashable.

This year's invite has an intriguing dove-like logo with the text "Coming bright up" underneath it, which could honestly mean just about anything. However, the previous WWDC update from Apple was rumored to be a hint at Siri's new look and user interface, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

So, if we had to guess, we expect the new glowing dove symbol has something to do with the new Gemini-powered version of Siri. Could this be the logo for a new standalone Siri app, for example?

At any rate, don't be surprised if Apple spends a lot of time talking about AI and Apple Intelligence.

Reddit services are disrupted, and the company says it has identified the problem and is working on a fix.

According to Reddit's status page, the platform began investigating elevated site errors and issues accessing media around 1:39 p.m. ET Monday.

By 2:06 p.m. ET, Reddit confirmed it had identified the issue, warning users they may encounter errors and general loading issues across feeds, posts, and search in the meantime. Recently uploaded images and videos are also affected and may not appear as expected. Desktop web, mobile web, and native mobile apps are all showing degraded performance.

The most commonly reported issues are app-related, followed by website problems, and then feed and timeline issues, according to DownDetecto (formerly owned by Mashable's parent company, Ziff Davis).

No timetable has been given for a full resolution. We'll update this story as more information becomes available.

Google I/O 2026 kicks off tomorrow, May 19, and you won't need a ticket to catch any of it. The entire two-day event is livestreamed, and you can register to watch for free at io.google/2026.

How to watch Google I/O 2026

The main Google keynote starts at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m ET on May 19. The focus will be big-picture announcements, product reveals, and whatever CEO Sundar Pichai wants the world to walk away talking about (mostly Gemini, Google's AI product). You can find an embed to the YouTube stream of the keynote below:

In addition, our sister site CNET will be hosting a Google I/O live viewing party, also on YouTube, with live updates from reporters on the ground in Mountain View, California and a pre- and post-show. You can also ask questions and participate in the live chat.

A developer-focused keynote follows the same day at 1:30 p.m. PT / 4:30 p.m ET, which tends to get into the weeds on APIs, tools, and what's actually coming for builders. From there, breakout sessions run through May 20, covering Google AI, Android, Chrome, and cloud infrastructure, including one billed around agent-first workflows.

Based on everything that's leaked and quietly rolled out in the days leading up to the show — new Gemini Live models, a mysterious video generation tool called Gemini Omni, expanded thinking controls, and fresh third-party app integrations — Gemini is going to be at the center of almost everything. The smart glasses situation should get some stage time, too.

According to 9to5Google, the Gemini app is already rolling out a new "Thinking level" option for some users, letting them choose between Standard and Extended reasoning modes when using Gemini 3 Flash or Gemini 3.1 Pro.

The Extended setting, the outlet notes, is designed for more complex topics that benefit from additional processing time — a consumer-facing version of the thinking level controls Google AI Studio already offers developers. Gemini is also expanding its roster of third-party apps. GitHub, OpenStax, Spotify, and WhatsApp are already supported, but 9to5Google found support documentation pointing to the additions of Canva, Instacart, and OpenTable.

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SEE ALSO: What to expect from Google I/O 2026: Gemini news, Android XR glasses

The Canva integration would let users generate and edit designs directly through Gemini prompts, while Instacart support would allow users to add ingredients to a shopping cart from a recipe link or a simple list. OpenTable would bring restaurant search, booking, and reservation management into the chat window — including the ability to hand off a confirmed reservation directly to Google Calendar.

None of the three new integrations has rolled out yet, per the report. However, the timing is notable given that Google's I/O developer conference is literally a day away.

Perhaps the rollout marks the start of Google transitioning Gemini AI toward an agentic AI rather than a simple chatbot.

It's Green Lantern but not as fans know it, with a new teaser dropped for Lanterns on Monday. Based on the DC Comics and created by Chris Mundy, Tom King, and Damon Lindelof, the HBO series is one of the TV shows to look forward to this summer.

Aaron Pierre leads as new Lantern Corps recruit John Stewart, who is tasked with solving a strange murder in Nebraska alongside veteran Lantern Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler). That's right, the Green Lanterns aren't cruising around the galaxy this time, instead brought right down to Earth. But all the same, they're equipped with those all important powerful rings, dubbed by Hal as "the greatest weapon in the universe," along with their signature verdant light sources.

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The cast is massive for this one, with Kelly Macdonald, Nathan Fillion, Garret Dillahunt, Poorna Jagannathan, Ulrich Thomsen, Nicole Ari Parker, Jason Ritter, Sherman Augustus, Chris Coy, Paul Ben-Victor, J. Alphonse Nicholson, Cary Christopher, and Jasmine Cephas Jones starring.

Lanterns premieres this August on HBO and HBO Max.

Hinge users may have noticed something subtle next to a potential date's profile: a tiny purple heart next to their name.

Hinge's new Signals feature. Credit: Hinge

Your eyes don't deceive you. This is a new feature called Signals, and it's currently in testing, according to a page on Hinge's Help Center. The badge indicates that the user demonstrates thoughtfulness and follow-through.

SEE ALSO: Hinge's latest feature makes date planning a little easier

Users can't buy a Signals badge. It's based on baseline requirements:

• A complete profile (with photos and prompt responses)

• The user's profile must be in good standing, meaning they follow Hinge's Community Guidelines

• The profile must be over a week old

• Completed selfie verification

If any of these aren't checked off, your profile won't have a Signals heart. Additionally, users must exhibit three of five behaviors Hinge calls "Thoughtful Participation," all of which involve actively engaging with other profiles.

These behaviors include sending comments when Liking, actually sending messages to matches, and confirming a date. Hinge also considers "looking before liking" a thoughtfulness factor: reading prompts, and scrolling past the first photo before sending a Like, suggesting that Hinge can detect all these behaviors. Reviewing one's Likes and matching or skipping (instead of leaving folks in limbo) is another point of thoughtfulness.

Credit: Hinge Credit: Hinge

"With Signals, we are testing a new feature that would make it easier for your small but meaningful actions to stand out to people viewing your profile," Hinge's chief product and technology officer, Ben Celebicic, said in an emailed statement to Mashable. "It's based on the behaviors daters have told us matter to them, like taking time to notice the small details on a profile or keeping the conversation going."

Signals is dynamic and based on activities over the last 30 days on the app. It refreshes daily, but doesn't reflect real-time activity. The Help Center page states that the heart reflects in-app patterns only; it's not a background check or ID verification (other than requiring selfie verification), and it also doesn't guarantee how someone will act with you.

Recent Hinge features typically nudge users towards better behavior, like Date Ideas for actually figuring out what to do on a first date, and Conversation Starters so singles aren't hit with the dreaded "hey" message.

Microsoft Teams is losing a feature that was launched back when many people were working remotely during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Microsoft, the company is saying "goodbye" to Together mode in Microsoft teams and "moving to a simpler layout experience."

For those unfamiliar with Microsoft Teams, it's a cloud-based communication and collaboration platform that many businesses use as its part of the Microsoft 365 suite. Along with messaging and file sharing features, Microsoft Teams also provides Zoom-like video conferencing. 

In the summer of 2020, when remote work was at all-time highs amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Microsoft rolled out Together mode in order to help users "feel like you're sitting in the same room with everyone else in the meeting or class." The feature basically removed the background for every user on a video meeting and put them in a virtual room. Basically, the feature gave everyone a shared background so it looked like they were in the same space.

An example of Together mode that Microsoft provided when the feature was first introduced in July 2020 can be seen in the image at the top of the article.

Microsoft says it's removing Together mode for a few reasons. The company says it "increases cognitive load for users," "fragments the meeting experience across desktop, web, mobile, and Teams Rooms," and "adds implementation complexity across platforms."

"Today, the core need Together mode was designed to support, namely seeing the people who matter in a meeting, can now be fully met by the modern Gallery view, which can display up to 49 participants at once," Microsoft said in its announcement.

Microsoft Teams will now focus on Gallery mode as the view option in video conferencing. This is the traditional boxed view in video meetings, popularized by Zoom. Microsoft says doing so will "simplify the meeting interface," "deliver higher and more stable video quality across meetings," and "free up service capacity that can be reinvested into foundational video improvements."

Microsoft said it's also removing scenes and custom scenes, including seat assignments, along with Together mode in Microsoft Teams as well.

If you've been using a trusty Kindle device for the past 15 years, this week might be tough for some of you.

In case you hadn't heard, Amazon announced recently that it is ending support for many older Kindle models on May 20. This doesn't necessarily mean you have to stop using the device entirely, but it does mean you need to be prepared for what comes next. Here is all the info you need for the old Kindle shutdown this week, including what you can still do with the device once it happens.

SEE ALSO: Durobo's Krono e-reader is the perfect palm-sized e-reader — and a great Kindle and Kobo alternative Amazon Kindle shutdown: What you can still do

For starters, it would be good to know exactly which devices are being affected this week:

• Kindle (1st generation)

• Kindle (2nd generation)

• Kindle DX

• Kindle DX Graphite

• Kindle Keyboard

• Kindle 4

• Kindle Touch

• Kindle 5

• Kindle Paperwhite (1st generation)

• Kindle Fire (1st generation)

• Kindle Fire (2nd generation)

• Kindle Fire HD 7

• Kindle Fire HD 8.9

In other words, basically every Kindle released before 2013 is included in the list. As I said, this will mostly apply to people who have been hanging onto the same device for a decade and a half.

Anyway, let's talk about what "ending support" means in this context. According to Amazon, all of the Kindle models listed above "will no longer be able to purchase, borrow, or download new content via the Kindle Store." They'll still turn on, and you can still use them to read books already installed on the device, but you will no longer be able to purchase or download new ones directly from the Kindle Store.

As for what you can do from here, there are a few options. Your first option is to just download as many books as you possibly can on the device in advance of this coming Wednesday, and live with the fact that those are the only books you can have on that particular Kindle.

Some users are finding ways to sideload books or jailbreak their devices, according to PCMag, though it's important to note that doing so almost certainly violates Amazon's terms of service.

If none of those options sound particularly appealing, your last and best bet will be to check out our list of the best e-readers of 2026 so far and purchase a new one. Spending money on a new e-reader isn't especially fun, but Amazon has sorta backed old Kindle owners into a corner here.

SAVE $20: As of May 18, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is on sale for $39.99 at Amazon. This is $20 off its list price of $59.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max $39.99 at Amazon
$59.99 Save $20   Get Deal

Summer's streaming lineup is already looking very exciting. If you've been hoping to get a new streaming device to watch everything in crisp 4K Ultra HD picture quality this year, it's worth checking out the Fire TV Stick 4K Max. At the moment, it's even discounted at Amazon during its Memorial Day sale.

As of May 18, Amazon has dropped the price of the Fire TV Stick 4K Max to $39.99. Usually it's listed for $59.99, so this is a great opportunity to pick it up for $20 off. It's only on sale for a limited time, so don't wait too long to take advantage of this offer.

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With support for 4K Ultra HD picture quality, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max will help make shows like House of the Dragon or The Bear stand out with clear, colorful detail. That's not all, though. Picture gets a further boost with support for Dolby Vision and HDR10+, alongside support for Dolby Atmos that surrounds you in crisp sound quality. It also supports WiFi 6E, so what you're streaming will come through smoothly.

For those moments when you're not watching anything, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max also comes with a cool feature called the Fire TV Ambient Experience. With this, you can put up pieces of art or photography on your TV, turning it into a fun display piece.

This offer may not last for long, so act fast to grab this excellent deal on the Fire TV Stick 4K Max at Amazon.

Want to learn more about getting the best out of your tech? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories and Deals newsletters today.

Louis Theroux, legendary documentary-maker and the man behind that viral "Jiggle Jiggle" song, has such a long career in TV that he's created more than a few catch-phrases that beg to be parodied.

Fortunately he's clearly a very good sport about it, even popping up at the end of the SNL UK clip above in which cast members Larry Dean and Al Nash, and guest host Ncuti Gatwa, all play a version of Theroux.

Cue a lot of "Is that fair to say?" and "Shall we get started?"

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Samsung has won an injunction partially blocking a planned strike by its South Korean workers later this week. However, it may not completely prevent all industrial action, with up to 50,000 Samsung employees poised to walk off the job this Thursday. If it goes ahead, it will be the largest strike in the tech company's history.

The dispute fuelling the planned workers' action primarily concerns bonuses. As reported by Yonhap, South Korea's state news agency, the union has requested that Samsung set aside 15 percent of operating profits for performance-based bonuses, as well as remove the cap on such payouts and commit to a fixed formula for calculating them. Samsung has reportedly offered to allocate 10 percent of operating profits for bonuses instead, as well as issue a one-time special compensation package. 

Samsung Electronics Co. workers outside the company's semiconductor plant in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, on Apr. 23, 2026. Credit: SeongJoon Cho / Bloomberg via Getty Images

Initial talks collapsed last week after Samsung and the union were unable to reach an agreement, according to Reuters. Last-minute negotiations were resumed on Monday, which were facilitated by the South Korean government. Unless an agreement is reached, Samsung's unionised workers are set to go on an 18-day strike beginning on May 21.

However, a new injunction will restrict what the workers can do as part of the strike. As Yonhap reports, Suwon District Court ordered on Monday that Samsung's unionised workers cannot take over the company's facilities or disrupt other workers. Normal staffing levels must also be maintained where matters of safety and security are involved, the news agency reported, such as when maintenance work is required to prevent equipment damage.

It's currently unclear exactly how this will impact Samsung employees' strike plans. However, while the injunction may have tempered the threat of industrial action, it doesn't appear to have completely stopped it.

South Korean government works to prevent Samsung strike A Samsung union rally in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, on Apr. 23, 2026. Credit: SeongJoon Cho / Bloomberg via Getty Images

The Samsung strike is of significant concern to the South Korean government. Samsung accounted for over 13 percent of South Korea's GDP in 2024, according to the country's Edaily media group, and is its largest employer with over 125,000 employees. The planned industrial action is anticipated to involve over a third of this massive workforce, and could have a significant impact on South Korea's economy.

"Just one day of suspension at Samsung Electronics' semiconductor factory is expected ⁠to incur direct losses of as much as 1 trillion won [approximately $US667 million]," Prime Minister ‌Kim Min-seok said on Sunday, as reported by the South China Morning Post. "What is more concerning is that a temporary pause on semiconductor manufacturing ‌lines leads to months of inactivity."

Kim further stated that if Samsung and the union are unable to come to an agreement, the government will consider issuing an emergency arbitration order under South Korean law. Per The Korea Times, this enables the labor ministry to suspend any strike action for up to 30 days if it "it is deemed likely to seriously harm the national economy or disrupt the daily lives of citizens."

A Samsung union rally at the the Samsung Electronics Pyeongtaek Campus on Apr. 23, 2026. Credit: Chung Sung-Jun / Getty Images

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung also addressed the issue, taking to social media on Monday.

"Workers must be able to receive fair compensation for their labor in return for providing their services, and shareholders who bear risks and losses through their investments share in the company's profits," Lee wrote on X, translated by the platform. He later added, "Under the current Constitution, the fundamental rights of all citizens are guaranteed, but they may be restricted within the scope that does not infringe on their essential content for the sake of public welfare and other reasons."

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Samsung recently announced that its operating profit for Q1 this year was ₩57.2 trillion (approximately $US38.1 billion), an "all-time high" driven by the boom in demand for AI chips. This is a significant increase compared to the same quarter last year, when Samsung reported an operating profit of ₩6.7 trillion (approximately $US4.4 billion).

Googlebooks promise everything Android users have wanted for years: A laptop that seamlessly works with your phone. The problem? It's Google. And Google has a habit of killing the things you love.