Mashable

Wondering how to watch the NFL Playoffs? Here are your best options: Most affordable Sling TV Orange Plan $20 for the first month, then $40/month (save $20 ) Get Deal BEST FOR SINGLE GAME FuboTV Pro 7-day free trial, then $79.99/month Get Deal

The Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are scheduled to meet in the opening weekend of the 2024 NFL Playoffs at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, on Monday, Jan. 15. The game is scheduled to start at 8:15 p.m. ET. 

Philadelphia enters the matchup with an 11-6 record after finishing second in the NFC East Division. Most recently, the New York Giants beat the Eagles 27-10 on Jan. 7. Jalen Hurts is the Eagles starting quarterback, and this season, he has thrown for 3,858 yards and 23 touchdowns. 

The Tampa Bay Bucs come into the contest with a 9-8 record after finishing first in the NFC South Division. On Jan. 7, the Buccaneers defeated the Carolina Panthers 9-0. As the Buccaneers’ starting quarterback, Baker Mayfield has thrown for 4,044 yards and 28 touchdowns this season.

SEE ALSO: How to watch NFL games without cable

Nick Sirianni is the Philadelphia Eagles head coach. Todd Bowles is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach. 

NFL Playoffs: Eagles vs. Buccaneers kickoff time and network

The Philadelphia Eagles vs. Tampa Bay Bucs game is scheduled to be broadcast on ABC and ESPN at 8:15 p.m. ET on Monday, Jan. 15. The ABC/ESPN broadcasters are scheduled to be Joe Buck (play-by-play) and Troy Aikman (analyst). 

Catch the excitement of Monday’s game without cable or satellite TV by choosing an online live streaming option such as FuboTV or Sling. 

Best streaming services for the Buccaneers vs. Eagles game

Without cable or satellite TV, you can still enjoy the NFL Playoffs by opting for a streaming service. To dive into Monday’s game between the Tampa Bay Bucs and Philadelphia Eagles teams, consider these streaming options. 

Most affordable: Sling TV Opens in a new window Credit: Sling Sling Orange Plan $20 for the first month, then $40/month Get Deal

At $55 per month, Sling TV’s Orange & Blue Plan provides 46 channels, including ESPN3 that simulcasts ABC games such as Eagles vs. Buccaneers. You can get an introductory offer of $27.50 for the first month of the Orange & Blue Plan. 

If you’re primarily interested in Monday’s game then you can go for the Orange Plan, with an introductory offer of $20 for the first month and then a standard charge of $40/month.

Sling TV’s sports channel offerings include ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNews, ESPNU, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, NFL Network, Pac-12 Network and SEC Network.

Best for single game: FuboTV Opens in a new window Credit: FuboTV FuboTV Pro 7-day free trial, then $79.99/month Get Deal

FuboTV offers a complimentary seven-day trial that includes access to more than 250 live TV channels and 10-screen viewing. With the free trial, NFL fans can access channels like ABC and ESPN for Eagles vs. Buccaneers in the playoffs. If you want to keep FuboTV’s Pro plan, the rate is $79.99 per month. 

FuboTV’s sports channel offerings include ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, Golf Network, Marquee Sports Network, Monumental Sports, NBC, NBCSN, NFL Network, Pac-12 Network, and SEC Network. 

TL;DR: A three-year subscription to a Windscribe VPN Pro Plan is on sale for £69.88, saving you 57% on list price.

Just as you lock your front door and look both ways before crossing the street, it’s important to safeguard your digital presence. VPNs offer one solution for online privacy and security, and Windscribe allows you to connect unlimited devices with added perks like an ad blocker.

With this limited-time deal, a three-year subscription to Windscribe VPN Pro is down to £69.88. That’s a best-on-web price.

SEE ALSO: The best VPN deals in January 2024

How do VPNs bring enhanced privacy and security? Essentially, they create a secure tunnel between your device and your chosen network while encrypting your data, making it difficult for third parties to intercept your online activities and location. Plus, while connecting to networks in other countries, you may be able to access websites or content on your streaming services that are normally blocked.

When shopping for VPNs, you should consider: How many servers or locations they offer, device compatibility and limits, level of encryption, and other benefits. Here’s what you’ll get with Windscribe Pro:

• Server locations in 69 countries and 112 cities

• Compatibility with Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android devices

• Connect an unlimited number of devices

• AES-256 cipher encryption

Other perks include access to the desktop app or web browser extension with built-in ad blocking, double hop proxy for connecting two servers simultaneously, and split tunneling to choose which apps do and don’t use the VPN.

A three-year subscription to Windscribe VPN Pro is on sale for £69.88 — no coupon is needed.

Opens in a new window Credit: Windscribe VPN Windscribe VPN Pro Plan (3-Year Subscription) £69.88 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal

If you love to yarn-wall a show, True Detective: Night Country gives plenty of reason to dust off the pushpins. With the premiere episode, HBO/Max has resurrected the dormant crime anthology series, offering a fresh mystery deep in the icy Alaskan terrain. Jodie Foster and Kali Reis star as this season's titular detectives determined to crack the case(s) of Season 4. And similar to Season 1, there are spirals and other surreal imagery that hints at the supernatural. 

Fans still debate on how much (and how well) Nic Pizzolatto's first season of True Detective paid off in terms of its dabbling in cosmic horror. But Night Country isn't playing by Pizzolatto's rules; while he has an executive producer credit, this season has an entirely different showrunner, writer, and director in horror indie darling Issa López. For fans of this Mexican filmmaker's breakout 2017 film Tigers Are Not Afraid, her authorship could be a crucial clue in unraveling the mystery of the missing scientists and the murder of activist Annie K. 

What's Tigers Are Not Afraid about? 

Tigers Are Not Afraid is a modern fairy tale — but not the kind Disney would dare adapt. Set in a Mexican City plagued by a vicious human trafficking cartel known as the Huascas, its "princess" is a young girl named Estrella (Paola Lara), who is granted three wishes by a magical piece of chalk. But in this critically heralded horror film written and directed by López, kids have to be very careful what they wish for. 

Estrella's story begins bleakly. After surviving a drive-by shooting at school, Estrella comes home to find her mother missing. Like the Tsalal research facility in True Detective: Night Country, the TV blares, as if her mother left without warning. But a big difference here is that a seemingly sentient trail of blood invades this humble home and blooms on a dress her mother has neatly hung up, a morbid omen. 

On a quest to find her missing mother, Estrella instead discovers some churlish Lost Boys, a quartet of orphans living in a garbage dump. Reluctantly, they team up to seek vengeance for their family members who were murdered by the Huascas. This young gang is led by the scarred Shine (Juan Ramón López), who carries a grudge as heavy as the gun he lifted from a cartel member. But Estrella is led by the voices of the dead who appear to her, grisly, wrapped in plastic and hissing instructions. 

Childlike wonder creeps into the horror through graffiti that comes to life in animation, as well as a toy tiger that becomes a bittersweet beacon. López mixes fantasy elements like ghosts and magic with real-world mayhem to create a sensational thriller that's as emotionally riveting as it is horrifically unnerving. You can watch it now on Shudder, and you should. 

How does Tigers Are Not Afraid connect to True Detective: Night Country? Credit: Michele K. Short / HBO

Canonically, López's film and her TV season aren't linked. However, even within episode one, it's impossible to ignore thematic similarities. Both stories center on heroines pushed to solve a murder mystery that hits close to home. And episode 1 suggests that like in Tigers Are Not Afraid, Night Country will deal with ghosts who act as guides. 

In this first ep, both Navarro (Reis) and Danvers (Foster) hear disembodied voices proclaiming, "She is awake!" And like Estrella and the trail of blood, Danvers receives this message from a dearly departed loved one — a child's hand reaches over her as she sleeps. Meanwhile, local eccentric Rose (Fiona Shaw) is led to the remains of the Tsalal scientists by what appears to be a ghost named Travis, who walks through the unforgiving ice with no shoes. 

Both stories also involve a ferocious predator as an enigmatic element. In Tigers Are Not Afraid, the orphaned children tell stories of tigers, fearsome and brave, as a means of comforting themselves against the cruel world of kidnapping and murder. In Night Country, it's a polar bear with one eye that appears in two forms: a child's plush toy and a stalking beast in the night. 

Could Tigers Are Not Afraid be the key to True Detective: Night Country's case?  Credit: Michele K. Short / HBO

The first episode leaves us with burning questions, like who is the "she" that is awake? Is it possibly the vengeful spirit of murdered activist Annie K? Notably, in Tigers Are Not Afraid, the vicious kingpin is not brought down by the scrappy orphans but by the wrathful spirits of those he murdered. Could it be that Annie K's back and on the hunt for those who hurt her? Could it be justice won't be provided by this series' heroes, but by the dead?

Notably, the original Spanish title for Tigers Are Not Afraid is Vuelven, which loosely translates to They Come Back. And what is it that the Tsalal scientist says in terror before the lights go out at the research facility? "She's back." 

While it's too soon to be sure what happened to the scientists found in the snow at the end of episode 1, it seems Season 4 of True Detective will delve into the supernatural deeper than the wildly popular first season. Tigers Are Not Afraid proves that López can create captivating drama, gut-wrenching twists, and haunting conclusions in such a space. So, for anyone looking to get the most of Night Country, this horror gem should be essential viewing. 

How to watch: Tigers Are Not Afraid is streaming now on Shudder.

True Detective airs Sunday nights on HBO/Max at 9 p.m ET/PT.

True Detective has always been a dark show, but Night Country really ups the stakes.

Set in the fictional Alaskan town of Ennis, located "150 miles north of the Arctic Circle", the HBO show opens on Dec. 17 — an important date, we're informed, as it's "the last sunset of the year". The action itself kicks off a few days later, when police chief Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) arrives at the Tsalal Arctic Research Station to investigate some missing scientists. One of the first things fellow officer Hank Prior (John Hawkes) says to her after she arrives on the scene?

"Just the third day of darkness and it's already getting weird."

But what's the deal with this long night of darkness, anyway? Is it a fictional device, or something that actually exists in real life?

SEE ALSO: 'True Detective: Night Country' review: A can't-miss mystery with ghostly bite What is "the long night"?

That opening caption about "the last sunset of the year" pretty much says it all. The idea is that Ennis is a town so far north in Alaska that it experiences extreme seasonal versions of night and day. It's essentially a very brutal version of the nights getting longer in winter — only in Ennis, they get so long that residents experience them as one continuous nighttime. The sun doesn't properly rise or set. In the depths of winter, it's dark all the time.

It's a long, dark night in Ennis. Credit: Michele K. Short/HBO Is "the long night" a real thing?

The short answer is yes. There are a number of very northern and southern places in the world that experience what's commonly known as a Polar Night, which is a period of darkness lasting more than 24 hours. The closer to the Earth's poles you go, the more dramatic this effect is due to the tilt of its axis. There are a number of remote locations where the effect is so extreme that the sun isn't visible in winter for months on end. Svalbard, an archipelago north of Norway, is one of them. Northern Alaska is another.

"In Barrow, the northernmost village in the state, there is no daylight for 64 days in the heart of the winter," reads the official Alaska government site. "The sun does not rise above the horizon." Barrow, now called by its Iñupiaq name, Utqiagvik, is a little further north than good ol' Ennis is said to be in the show – it's a whopping 350 miles north of the Arctic Circle – but the effect is the same. For weeks at a time in winter, the only hint of the sun that's visible in Utqiagvik is a faint twilight.

True Detective airs Sunday nights on HBO/Max at 9 p.m ET/PT.

True Detective Season 4 is off to a chilling start. Detectives Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) and Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis) are investigating the curious case of the missing research team, who seem to have disappeared en masse from the nearby Tsalal Arctic Research Station. 

Episode 1 ended with the shocking revelation of three scientists' corpses in the snow, each mouth frozen in an eternal silent scream. However, what happened to them is still very much a mystery. As the trailer for episode 2 has teased, more clues will be revealed next Sunday. But the Mashable team has seen the whole season, so we want to issue you one warning about the next episode — albeit one without any spoilers. 

Do not watch episode 2 of True Detective Season 4 while eating. 

If you thought the end of episode 1 was unnerving, you ain't seen nothing yet. 

Sure, this crime-centered franchise is known for some pretty disturbing visuals. Maybe you've got an iron stomach and aren't faint-hearted. Cool. Still, trust us and saving the snacking for after. Plan dinner before watching the episode, or hours later. And maybe brew a calming cup of tea before bed, to chase away any would-be nightmares. 

Take the advice we wish we'd had. 

True Detective airs Sunday nights on HBO/Max at 9 p.m ET/PT. 

True Detective: Night Country is a terrifying tale of things gone awry at a research station in the icy wilderness. And in its very first episode, it pays tribute to an iconic horror story with a similar setting: John Carpenter's The Thing.

As Night Country opens, a group of eight scientists have gone missing from the Tsalal Arctic Research Station, located 150 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Police chief Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) heads up to Tsalal to investigate, along with two of her subordinates: Hank Prior (John Hawkes) and his son Peter (Finn Bennett).

SEE ALSO: 'True Detective: Night Country' review: A can't-miss mystery with ghostly bite

While the trio look around the station, we get glimpses of what the scientists' lives looked like, including the movies they may have watched in their spare time. The Tsalal common area is lined with shelves of board games and DVDs. The collection is eclectic, with Kangaroo Jack, License to Wed, American Beauty, and the Lord of the Rings trilogy all taking up prime real estate on the entertainment center's shelves. But the most prominent DVD case featured is The Thing, which appears on a shelf behind Danvers as she's talking to Peter.

In a small continuity error, The Thing actually moves up a shelf between shots, even turning outward so we can get a better look at the film's title and cover art: a man in a winter coat with light shining cryptically from his face. Basically, Night Country really wants us to see this small background detail.

SEE ALSO: Watching 'True Detective: Night Country'? Chase it with this 'X-Files' episode.

That's because the entire setup of the season feels like an homage to The Thing. Not only do we have the isolated research station (Night Country's is in the Arctic, while The Thing's is in Antarctica), but we also have hints that something supernatural may have played a part in the deaths of the scientists living there. Tsalal's scientists turn up frozen solid miles out on the ice. What could have gotten them all the way out there? And what did one of the scientists mean by, "she's back" in the moments before the station's power cut out?

I'm not saying that the answer to True Detective: Night Country's biggest mystery is a shapeshifting alien organism like in The Thing. But in paying tribute to John Carpenter's horror classic, creator Issa López may be drawing a connection between whatever the scientists at Tsalal are researching and the work of the researchers at The Thing's Thule Station, which unearthed the Thing itself. As to what the Tsalal scientists were doing, Peter hypothesizes they were searching for "the origin of life." And then Danvers replies sardonically with, "Oh. That thing." Tell me that doesn't sound like it could have massive — maybe even supernatural — consequences.

Given that Night Country's very first episode hints at ghosts and spirits beyond our real-world comprehension, it's clear the season will be playing fast and loose with reality. Could that mean the Tsalal scientists uncovered some ancient, deadly being in their attempts to play God? Like the dwarves of Moria in The Lord of the Rings (also on the DVD shelf!), did they delve too greedily and too deep beneath the ice?

True Detective airs Sunday nights on HBO/Max at 9 p.m ET/PT.

Somewhere in northern Alaska, in the remote halls of a scientific research facility, on a bitter winter night, two TV shows spun similarly chilling mysteries two decades apart. And for both, it was bad, bad news for scientists.

In 2024, True Detective: Night Country sends you to a station on the snowy outskirts of the fictional town of Ennis, where an entire team of biologists and geologists suddenly vanishes. In 1993, The X-Files sent us to a similar outpost in Icy Cape, where a team of geophysicists met a grim end.

SEE ALSO: 'True Detective: Night Country' trailer teases Jodie Foster and Kali Reis hunting a serial killer

If you're watching the fourth season of the HBO series and want a thematic chaser between episodes, of course, hit up John Carpenter's The Thing, and then join Scully and Mulder for a cold, cold case.

The best. Credit: Merrick Morton / 20th Century Fox / Kobal / Shutterstock What happens in The X-Files episode "Ice"?

Here's the set-up in "Ice," Season 1, episode 8 of The X-Files.

Everyone's favourite hot FBI agents who regularly dabble in the unexplainable find themselves with a humdinger of case on their desk. This time, the truth is way out there, in Icy Cape, Alaska, at a research facility 250 miles north of the Arctic Circle. The members of the Arctic Ice Core Project, responsible for drilling into the ice sheets to extract cylinders of ice for climate analysis (kind of like the scientists in True Detective), have been found strewn about the halls, brutally killed.

A bloody lone survivor has left a message. "We're not who we are," he broadcasts. "It goes no further than this. It stops right here, right now." The ever-excellent Agent Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) and Agent Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) are called in to investigate with a small team of project consultants, and their time in the Icy Cape is about as relaxing as you'd expect. What exactly did the team extract in those ice cores? And what's affecting the members of the investigation team one by one?

Featured Video For You Who Are the UAP Whistleblowers and What Are They Telling Congress?

The episode shares a lot with True Detective's first episode, including the remoteness of the location, scientists scrambling to unpack the mystery of the outpost's fate, and the self-recorded videos of the team goofing around before their untimely demise. I'm not going to ruin the ending, but this is The X-Files, so while the answer to real-life space questions is never aliens, in this show, it's almost always aliens.

Ultimately, The X-Files is paying its real homage to The Thing, and all the shape-shifting extraterrestrial possibility that screenwriters love to imagine lurking beneath the ice — that's millions of years of life under there. But it's the perfect TV pairing for True Detective fans, if you're feeling comfortable out in all that sinister ice.

How to watch: True Detective: Night Country is now streaming on Max, and The X-Files is now streaming on Hulu.

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

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for Jan. 15's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

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.

Not the day you're after? Here's the Wordle answer for Jan. 14.

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 used to be available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it. Unfortunately, it has since been taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times.

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.

Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Food during a break.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no letters that appear twice.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter L.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. What's the answer to Wordle today?

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 Wordle #940 is...

LUNCH.

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.

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

True Detective is back, and there are some standards we have come to expect: A gnarly mystery, a pair of captivating detectives at odds, and twists that will leave us drop-jawed and hungry for more. 

Season 4 takes a major departure, as it's the first not written by creator Nic Pizzolatto. Instead, writer/director Issa López (Tigers Are Not Afraid) helms and co-writes this arc of the anthropology series, which is set in rural Alaska during the polar night — meaning daylight is weeks away. 

Episode 1 introduces us to Ennis Police Chief Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) and her former partner, disgraced trooper Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis). The pair are thrown together when a local scientific facility, Tsalal Arctic Research Station, is found abandoned, as if the men working there ran off into the endless night without warning. What's become of these men is just the beginning of this season's mystery, which Navarro believes is related to a cold case from her past: the unsolved murder of an Iñupiaq activist named Annie K.

SEE ALSO: Missing Black and Indigenous people don’t get the same attention as missing white women

All season long, Mashable will run down the clues. Here's our round of burning questions from episode 1. 

Where are the missing scientists?  Jodie Foster and John Hawkes play cops in in "True Detective" Season 4. Credit: Michele K. Short / HBO

The Ennis police are called when a deliveryman comes to Tsalal Arctic Research Station with provisions and finds the place abandoned. Ferris Bueller's Day Off plays loudly on the television in a loop. A beer and popcorn have been left behind, as have their phones and a sandwich that seems recently made. "It's like they went to take a leak and never came back," Danvers notes as she surveys the scene.  

Runny mayonnaise and smelly, wet laundry suggests they've been gone for at least two days. But where? By episode's end, some of the scientists are found in the ice, frozen solid. What brought them there? 

The research facility is investigating geology, biology, and the impacts of climate change, seeking the origin of life. (Or, as Danvers refers to it, "Oh. That thing.") Could it be some controversial or cursed discovery that led to their disappearance? Or could the tongue found in the kitchen be a clue that this mystery has something to do with the murder of Annie K? 

Who killed Annie K?  Finn Bennett and Jodie Foster go over evidence in "True Detective" Season 4. Credit: Michele K. Short / HBO

Six years ago, Annie Masu Kowtok (also known as Annie K) was found dead on the edge of the village. She was stabbed 32 times by an unidentified murder weapon that left star-shaped wounds. Her tongue was cut out but not found. After she was dumped, she was kicked until her ribs and teeth broke. Navarro was first on the scene. Working under then-Police Chief Hank Prior (John Hawkes), she became obsessed with the case but couldn't close it. 

Annie had been protesting against the Silver Sky mines and their possible environmental impact, but as the mines provided much-needed employment to Ennis, her activism was far from welcome.

Catching young Peter Prior (Finn Bennett) up on the cold case, Danvers suggests there are too many suspects to crack it. "This one was never going to be solved," she explains. "Ennis killed Annie. This fucking place. No killer was ever going to be found."

Whose tongue was found?  Isabella Star LaBlanc stars as Leah in "True Detective" Season 4. Credit: Michele K. Short / HBO

At the research facility, Danvers notes the tongue belongs to a Native woman, based on the scarring that would come from a traditional practice for prepping nets.

Hearing about the recovered tongue, Navarro assumes it's Annie's. But Annie was murdered six years ago, while this one seems two days rotted by Danvers' estimation. So, is it the tongue of another ill-fated Iñupiaq woman? Or is it Annie's, because (as we learned in season one) "Time is a flat circle"? 

Who is "she"?  Jodie Foster and Kali Reis in "True Detective" Season 4. Credit: Michele K. Short / HBO

In the cold open, one scared scientist cries out, "She's back!" Then the lights shut off.

Later, Danvers is asleep when a child's voice calls, "Mommy, she's awake." Then in the very next scene, as Navarro comes upon a one-eyed polar bear, a voice hisses over her radio, "She's awake." 

Is this mysterious "she" Annie, perhaps resurrected as a vengeful spirit? That's our working theory. Sure, it'd be a change-up for True Detective to go so explicitly supernatural — but it'd be true to Lopez's work. (See her beautifully surreal horror film Tigers Are Not Afraid, now streaming on Shudder.)

Why was Hank hiding the Annie K files?  John Hawkes plays Hank in "True Detective" Season 4. Credit: Michele K. Short / HBO

Some time ago the Ennis police station was flooded, so Hank took some evidence boxes home for safekeeping. But within his crowded home office, Hank's son Prior finds the case files tucked away in a drawer. Prior steals the files so Hank won't know that they're missing. Why don't Prior and Danvers trust that Hank would hand the files over? Is he obstructing the Annie K case? What does he have to gain from denying justice?

What does the spiral mean?  Who you gonna call? Credit: Michele K. Short / HBO

In Season 1 of True Detective, spirals were a creepy recurring symbol tied to the Yellow King and his mystical murder spree. In Season 4, the first spiral appears when Danvers is sorting out Annie K evidence, arranging the files around her in a spiral. Is this purely an aesthetic throughline, or will this spiral serve as a bigger bind between Seasons 1 and 4? We'll be tracking that.

Who is Travis?  Fiona Shaw is haunted. Credit: Michele K. Short / HBO

Rose Aguineau (Fiona Shaw) is cleaning the catch of her hunt when, over a nearby radio, a man's voice squawks, "Is anybody there?" She turns to see a man standing nearby who's wearing nothing but a flannel shirt and long johns — he's not even wearing shoes. She calls him Travis and asks, "What do you want?" Silent but focused, he walks out into the icy landscape.

Dressed for the weather in a full parka, hat, gloves, and boots, and armed with a flashlight, Rose follows him. Eventually, he stops and does a dance, haunting and strange. He mimes screaming and rending his clothes. Then he points, and following his direction is how Rose finds the remains of the Tsalal scientists. 

When Navarro arrives on the scene, she's surprised when the old woman explains Travis led her here. "Travis is dead, Rose," the trooper says, to which Rose replies calmly, "I know." 

So, Travis may be a ghost. But who is he to Ennis? To Rose? And what does he know about the men in the snow? 

True Detective Season 4 debuts on HBO and Max Jan. 14.

Connections is the latest New York Times word game that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for January 15's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

Tweet may have been deleted

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer. If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

Tweet may have been deleted

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

Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Ways to submit a vote

• Green: Force fields

• Blue: Ways to take your medicine

• Purple: Types of peas

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: List of Candidates

• Green: Protective Barrier

• Blue: Medicine Formats

• Purple: Pea___

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Here's the answer and hints for December 28

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 Connections #218 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• List of Candidates: BALLOT, ROSTER, SLATE, TICKET

• Protective Barrier: BUFFER, CUSHION, PAD, SHIELD

• Medicine Formats: CAPSULE, CREAM, SYRUP, TABLET

• Pea___: COAT, GREEN, POD, SOUP

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.

Is this not the Connections game you were looking for? Here are the hints and answers to yesterday's Connections.

The 2024 Critics' Choice Awards ceremony is being held this Sunday, hot on the heels of the Golden Globes last week. Unfortunately for the nominees, this means the events are too close together for anyone to wear the same outfit and get away with it.

Hosted by comedian Chelsea Handler for the second year in a row, this year's ceremony is at the Barker Hanger in Santa Monica Airport, California. While the original plan had been to hold the Critics' Choice Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel, the ceremony was moved last December due to the ongoing hotel workers' strike. Hollywood's actors and writers likely weren't keen to cross a picket line, especially considering that they themselves were on strike for much of last year.

SEE ALSO: The complete list of winners at the 2024 Golden Globes

Many of the Golden Globe nominees are being recognised again tonight, with Barbie leading the pack once more at a whopping 18 nominations. Oppenheimer and Poor Things follow with 13 nominations each, while Killers of the Flower Moon is up for 12 awards. All four films have been nominated for Best Picture, alongside American Fiction, The Color Purple, The Holdovers, Maestro, Past Lives, and Saltburn.

Meanwhile, The Morning Show topped the television nominations with six nods, while Succession earned five and A Small Light, Abbott Elementary, Beef, Lessons in Chemistry, Loki, Reservation Dogs, and The Bear each received four.

Here is the full list of nominees and winners at the 29th annual Critics' Choice Awards. This article is being updated live, with winners bolded as they are announced. You can watch the Critics' Choice Awards live on The CW from 7:00 p.m. ET

Best Supporting Actor

• Sterling K. Brown (American Fiction)

• Robert De Niro (Killers of the Flower Moon)

• Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer)

• Ryan Gosling (Barbie)

• Charles Melton (May December)

• Mark Ruffalo (Poor Things)

Best Supporting Actress

• Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer)

• Danielle Brooks (The Color Purple)

• America Ferrera (Barbie)

• Jodie Foster (Nyad)

• Julianne Moore (May December)

• Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers)

Best Animated Feature

• The Boy and the Heron

• Elemental

• Nimona

• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

• Wish

Best Young Actor/Actress

• Abby Ryder Fortson (Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.)

• Ariana Greenblatt (Barbie)

• Calah Lane (Wonka)

• Milo Machado Graner (Anatomy of a Fall)

• Dominic Sessa (The Holdovers)

• Madeleine Yuna Voyles (The Creator)

Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television

• Maria Bello (Beef)

• Billie Boullet (A Small Light)

• Willa Fitzgerald (The Fall of the House of Usher)

• Aja Naomi King (Lessons in Chemistry)

• Mary McDonnell (The Fall of the House of Usher)

• Camila Morrone (Daisy Jones & the Six)

Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television

• Jonathan Bailey (Fellow Travelers)

• Taylor Kitsch (Painkiller)

• Jesse Plemons (Love & Death)

• Lewis Pullman (Lessons in Chemistry)

• Liev Schreiber (A Small Light)

• Justin Theroux (White House Plumbers)

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

• Nicole Beharie (The Morning Show)

• Elizabeth Debicki (The Crown)

• Sophia Di Martino (Loki)

• Celia Rose Gooding (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds)

• Karen Pittman (The Morning Show)

• Christina Ricci (Yellowjackets)

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

• Khalid Abdalla (The Crown)

• Billy Crudup (The Morning Show)

• Ron Cephas Jones (Truth Be Told)

• Matthew MacFadyen (Succession)

• Ke Huy Quan (Loki)

• Rufus Sewell (The Diplomat)

Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

• Paulina Alexis (Reservation Dogs)

• Alex Borstein (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)

• Janelle James (Abbott Elementary)

• Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary)

• Meryl Streep (Only Murders in the Building)

• Jessica Williams (Shrinking)

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

• Phil Dunster (Ted Lasso)

• Harrison Ford (Shrinking)

• Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows)

• James Marsden (Jury Duty)

• Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear)

• Henry Winkler (Barry)

Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television

• Kaitlyn Dever (No One Will Save You)

• Carla Gugino (The Fall of the House of Usher)

• Brie Larson (Lessons in Chemistry)

• Bel Powley (A Small Light)

• Sydney Sweeney (Reality)

• Juno Temple (Fargo)

• Ali Wong (Beef)

Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television

• Matt Bomer (Fellow Travelers)

• Tom Holland (The Crowded Room)

• David Oyelowo (Lawmen: Bass Reeves)

• Tony Shalhoub (Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie)

• Kiefer Sutherland (The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial)

• Steven Yeun (Beef)

Best Song

• "Dance the Night" – Barbie

• "I'm Just Ken" – Barbie

• "Peaches" – The Super Mario Bros. Movie

• "Road to Freedom" – Rustin

• "This Wish" – Wish

• "What Was I Made For" – Barbie

Best Foreign Language Film

• Anatomy of a Fall

• Godzilla Minus One

• Perfect Days

• Society of the Snow

• The Taste of Things

• The Zone of Interest

Best Production Design

• Suzie Davies, Charlotte Dirickx (Saltburn)

• Ruth De Jong, Claire Kaufman (Oppenheimer)

• Jack Fisk, Adam Willis (Killers of the Flower Moon)

• Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer (Barbie)

• James Price, Shona Heath, Zsuzsa Mihalek (Poor Things)

• Adam Stockhausen, Kris Moran (Asteroid City)

Best Cinematography

• Matthew Libatique (Maestro)

• Rodrigo Prieto (Barbie)

• Rodrigo Prieto (Killers of the Flower Moon)

• Robbie Ryan (Poor Things)

• Linus Sandgren (Saltburn)

• Hoyte van Hoytema (Oppenheimer)

Best Actress in a Comedy Series

• Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)

• Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary)

• Ayo Edebiri (The Bear)

• Bridget Everett (Somebody Somewhere)

• Devery Jacobs (Reservation Dogs)

• Natasha Lyonne (Poker Face)

Best Actor in a Comedy Series

• Bill Hader (Barry)

• Steve Martin (Only Murders in the Building)

• Kayvan Novak (What We Do in the Shadows)

• Drew Tarver (The Other Two)

• Jeremy Allen White (The Bear)

• D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai (Reservation Dogs)

Best Original Screenplay

• Samy Burch (May December)

• Alex Convery (Air)

• Bradley Cooper & Josh Singer (Maestro)

• Greta Gerwig & Noah Baumbach (Barbie)

• David Hemingson (The Holdovers)

• Celine Song (Past Lives)

Best Adapted Screenplay

• Kelly Fremon Craig (Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.)

• Andrew Haigh (All of Us Strangers)

• Cord Jefferson (American Fiction)

• Tony McNamara (Poor Things)

• Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer)

• Eric Roth & Martin Scorsese (Killers of the Flower Moon)

Best Score

• Jerskin Fendrix (Poor Things)

• Michael Giacchino (Society of the Snow)

• Ludwig Göransson (Oppenheimer)

• Daniel Pemberton (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse)

• Robbie Robertson (Killers of the Flower Moon)

• Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt (Barbie)

Best Costume Design

• Jacqueline Durran (Barbie)

• Lindy Hemming (Wonka)

• Francine Jamison-Tanchuck (The Color Purple)

• Holly Waddington (Poor Things)

• Jacqueline West (Killers of the Flower Moon)

• Janty Yates, David Crossman (Napoleon)

Best Comedy

• American Fiction

• Barbie

• Bottoms

• The Holdovers

• No Hard Feelings

• Poor Things

Best Acting Ensemble

• Air

• Barbie

• The Color Purple

• The Holdovers

• Killers of the Flower Moon

• Oppenheimer

Best Movie Made for Television

• The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial 

• Finestkind 

• Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie 

• No One Will Save You

• Quiz Lady 

• Reality 

Best Animated Series

• Bluey

• Bob’s Burgers 

• Harley Quinn 

• Scott Pilgrim Takes Off 

• Star Trek: Lower Decks

• Young Love 

Best Foreign Language Series

• Bargain 

• The Glory 

• The Good Mothers 

• The Interpreter of Silence

• Lupin 

• Mask Girl 

• Moving

Best Comedy Special

• Mike Birbiglia: The Old Man and the Pool 

• Alex Borstein: Corsets & Clown Suits 

• John Early: Now More Than Ever 

• John Mulaney: Baby J

• Trevor Noah: Where Was I 

• Wanda Sykes – I’m an Entertainer

Best Talk Show

• The Graham Norton Show 

• Jimmy Kimmel Live! 

• The Kelly Clarkson Show 

• Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

• Late Night with Seth Meyers

• The Late Show with Stephen Colbert 

Best Actress in a Drama Series

• Jennifer Aniston (The Morning Show)

• Aunjanue Ellis (Justified: City Primeval)

• Bella Ramsey (The Last of Us)

• Keri Russell (The Diplomat)

• Sarah Snook (Succession)

• Reese Witherspoon (The Morning Show)

Best Actor in a Drama Series

• Kieran Culkin (Succession)

• Tom Hiddleston (Loki)

• Timothy Olyphant (Justified: City Primeval)

• Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us)

• Ramón Rodríguez (Will Trent)

• Jeremy Strong (Succession)

Best Comedy Series

• Abbott Elementary 

• Barry 

• The Bear 

• The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel 

• Poker Face

• Reservation Dogs 

• Shrinking 

• What We Do in the Shadows 

Best Editing

• William Goldenberg (Air)

• Nick Houy (Barbie)

• Jennifer Lame (Oppenheimer)

• Yorgos Mavropsaridis (Poor Things)

• Thelma Schoonmaker (Killers of the Flower Moon)

• Michelle Tesoro (Maestro)

Best Visual Effects

• The Creator

• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

• Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One

• Oppenheimer

• Poor Things

• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Best Hair and Makeup

• Barbie

• The Color Purple

• Maestro

• Oppenheimer

• Poor Things

• Priscilla

Best Drama Series

• The Crown

• The Diplomat

• The Last of Us

• Loki

• The Morning Show

• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

• Succession

• Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty

Best Limited Series

• Beef 

• Daisy Jones & the Six

• Fargo 

• Fellow Travelers

• Lessons in Chemistry 

• Love & Death 

• A Murder at the End of the World 

• A Small Light 

Best Actress

• Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon)

• Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall)

• Greta Lee (Past Lives)

• Carey Mulligan (Maestro)

• Margot Robbie (Barbie)

• Emma Stone (Poor Things)

Best Actor

• Bradley Cooper (Maestro)

• Leonardo DiCaprio (Killers of the Flower Moon)

• Colman Domingo (Rustin)

• Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers)

• Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer)

• Jeffrey Wright (American Fiction)

Best Director

• Bradley Cooper (Maestro)

• Greta Gerwig (Barbie)

• Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things)

• Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer)

• Alexander Payne (The Holdovers)

• Martin Scorsese (Killers of the Flower Moon)

Best Picture

• American Fiction

• Barbie

• The Color Purple

• The Holdovers

• Killers of the Flower Moon

• Maestro

• Oppenheimer

• Past Lives

• Poor Things

• Saltburn

Artifact, a personalized news app curated by AI, is shuttering its windows and shutting off comments, just one year after it launched from the minds of Instagram's former founders.

“We have built something that a core group of users love, but we have concluded that the market opportunity isn’t big enough to warrant continued investment in this way,” wrote co-founder Kevin Systrom in a Medium announcement. "It’s easy for startups to ignore this reality, but often making the tough call earlier is better for everyone involved... We live in an exciting time where artificial intelligence is changing just about everything we touch, and the opportunities for new ideas seem limitless."

SEE ALSO: In Memoriam: The tech that died in 2023

The app was created by Systrom and Mike Krieger, Instagram co-founders who left in 2018 to pursue to new ventures, including addressing what Sytrom called the "existential crises" facing the news industry and the habits of overwhelmed users.

"News and information remain critical areas for startup investment," Systrom wrote. "We are at an existential moment where many publications are shutting down or struggling, local news has all but vanished, and larger publishers have fraught relationships with leading technology companies. My hope is that technology can find ways to preserve, support and grow these institutions..."

Artifact launched in Jan. 2023, and was initially pegged as a purely consumable feed of "news, fact, and AI" intended to utilize machine learning to curate relevant news and posts from journalists, like a news-forward TikTok For Your Page.

By April, however, the app had expanded into content creation as well, allowing customizable profiles, comment threads, and a voting system that Mashable's Christianna Silva noted was strikingly similar to the user experience of Reddit. "While this might make Artifact more interesting for users, it's also opening a Pandora's box of moderation issues," Silva wrote of the newly unveiled Artifact "reputation scores" at the time. "It's tough to imagine an app all about reading the news that beats the mind-numbing joy (and pain, and fear, and anger...) that we get from Instagram and TikTok."

Despite early appreciation from news professionals and users alike, it appears Artifact couldn't beat the quick churn of popular social media sites — and the increasingly inevitable trailing off of AI buzz.

Commenting and posting abilities have officially been turned off, but Artifact users can continue scrolling through news posts until the end of February.

OpenAI may be paving the way toward finding out its AI's military potential.

First reported by the Intercept on Jan 12., a new company policy change has completely removed previous language that banned “activity that has high risk of physical harm," including specific examples of “weapons development” and “military and warfare.”

As of Jan. 10, OpenAI's usage guidelines no longer included a prohibition on "military and warfare" uses in existing language that obligates users to prevent harm. The policy now only notes a ban on utilizing OpenAI technology, like its Large Language Models (LLMs), to "develop or use weapons."

SEE ALSO: What is the Rabbit R1 AI Assistant and why is everyone going crazy for it?

Subsequent reporting on the policy edit pointed to the immediate possibility of lucrative partnerships between OpenAI and defense departments seeking to utilize generative AI in administrative or intelligence operations.

In Nov. 2023, the U.S. Department of Defense issued a statement on its mission to promote "the responsible military use of artificial intelligence and autonomous systems," citing the country's endorsement of the international Political Declaration on Responsible Military Use of Artificial Intelligence and Autonomy — an American-led "best practices" announced in Feb. 2023 that was developed to monitor and guide the development of AI military capabilities.

"Military AI capabilities includes not only weapons but also decision support systems that help defense leaders at all levels make better and more timely decisions, from the battlefield to the boardroom, and systems relating to everything from finance, payroll, and accounting, to the recruiting, retention, and promotion of personnel, to collection and fusion of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance data," the statement explains.

AI has already been utilized by the American military in the Russian-Ukrainian war and in the development of AI-powered autonomous military vehicles. Elsewhere, AI has been incorporated into military intelligence and targeting systems, including an AI system known as "The Gospel," being used by Israeli forces to pinpoint targets and reportedly "reduce human casualties" in its attacks on Gaza.

AI watchdogs and activists have consistently expressed concern over the increasing incorporation of AI technologies in both cyber conflict and combat, fearing an escalation of arms conflict in addition to long-noted AI system biases.

In a statement to the Intercept, OpenAI spokesperson Niko Felix explained the change was intended to streamline the company's guidelines: "We aimed to create a set of universal principles that are both easy to remember and apply, especially as our tools are now globally used by everyday users who can now also build GPTs. A principle like ‘Don’t harm others’ is broad yet easily grasped and relevant in numerous contexts. Additionally, we specifically cited weapons and injury to others as clear examples."

An OpenAI spokesperson further clarified the change in an email to Mashable: "Our policy does not allow our tools to be used to harm people, develop weapons, for communications surveillance, or to injure others or destroy property. There are, however, national security use cases that align with our mission. For example, we are already working with DARPA to spur the creation of new cybersecurity tools to secure open source software that critical infrastructure and industry depend on. It was not clear whether these beneficial use cases would have been allowed under “military” in our previous policies. So the goal with our policy update is to provide clarity and the ability to have these discussions."

OpenAI introduces its usage policies in a more simplistic refrain: "We aim for our tools to be used safely and responsibly, while maximizing your control over how you use them."

UPDATE: Jan. 16, 2024, 12:28 p.m. EST This article has been updated to include an additional statement from OpenAI.

Something traumatic must have happened to the Beta Pictoris star system within the 20th century.

That might not seem recent, but considering the universe is thought to be 13.8 billion years old, the notion that a major cosmic event happened within some living humans' lifespans — and can be studied — is fascinating to astronomers.

Beta Pictoris, a nearby star with at least two orbiting planets, is about 63 light-years from Earth in the southern constellation Pictor. It's visible to the naked eye in the southern sky. A team of scientists used the powerful James Webb Space Telescope, a collaboration of NASA and the European and Canadian space agencies, to make the discovery. The infrared space observatory again showed its prowess in finding details never before detected by other telescopes.

Webb revealed a new dusty feature at Beta Pictoris, curled like a cat's tail. Now, the team is trying to figure out what caused it.

"While there have been previous observations from the ground in this (light) wavelength range, they did not have the sensitivity and the spatial resolution that we now have with Webb, so they didn’t detect this feature," said Isabel Rebollido of the Astrobiology Center in Spain, in a statement.

Featured Video For You 10 mind-blowing discoveries from the James Webb Telescope SEE ALSO: The Webb telescope just probed a star's pulverized corpse Tweet may have been deleted

Rebollido is the lead author of a new study on these findings, set to be published in the Astronomical Journal.

Previous telescope observations of Beta Pictoris have revealed the system has two disks of debris caused by collisions between asteroids, comets, and other small planet-like bodies. Planets are thought to form in such disks.

With computer modeling, the Webb researchers hypothesized that a cosmic event within the past 100 years must have produced the dusty curl.

The James Webb Space Telescope took a new snapshot of the Beta Pictoris system. Credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / STScI / Christopher Stark / Kellen Lawson / Jens Kammerer / Marshall Perrin

"Something happens — like a collision — and a lot of dust is produced," said Marshall Perrin, a co-author of the study, in a statement. “At first, the dust goes in the same orbital direction as its source, but then it also starts to spread out."

The light from the star pushes the smallest, fluffiest dust particles away from the star faster, Perrin added, while the bigger grains don't move as much, creating a long trail of dust. This one extends from the southwest portion of the secondary debris disk.

Webb also revealed differences in temperature between the two disks, likely indicating that they're composed of different substances. In visible light, the material that makes the secondary disk and dust tail is dark. But with Webb's infrared vision, it glows.

Taking into consideration the tail’s brightness, the team has estimated the amount of dust in it to be on par with a large main belt asteroid dispersed across 10 billion miles.

A recent collision within the system's debris disks could also explain a feature previously spotted by the Atacama Large Millimeter Array in 2014. The telescope observed a clump of carbon monoxide near the cat’s tail. Because a star’s radiation should destroy carbon monoxide within about a century, this still-existing gas concentration could be evidence of the same event.

If so, the Beta Pictoris system may be even more chaotic than researchers thought.

Scientists have discovered a world that is almost identical in size to Earth, with a star almost identical to our sun.

But that's pretty much where the similarities end. The exoplanet, a world outside our solar system, is 10 times younger, exponentially hotter, and likely half-soaked in molten lava seas.

Astronomers found the new planet, HD 63433 d, using NASA's TESS probe, short for Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite. The mission was designed to discover thousands of exoplanets in orbit around the brightest dwarf stars in space.

SEE ALSO: The curious new planets astronomers discovered in 2023 Tweet may have been deleted

The scorched world is the smallest and closest known young exoplanet, at only 73 light-years away. Scientists estimate it's about 400 million years old, a mere whippersnapper compared to our 4.5 billion-year-old home planet.

"Young terrestrial worlds are critical test beds to constrain prevailing theories of planetary formation and evolution," the discoverers said in a new paper published in The Astronomical Journal.

The number of confirmed exoplanets has risen to 5,569, with over 10,000 other candidates under review. Statistically speaking, the growing tally only scratches the surface of planets believed to be in space. With hundreds of billions of galaxies, the universe likely teems with many trillions of stars. And if most stars have one or more planets around them — well, that's an unfathomable number of hidden worlds.

Tweet may have been deleted

HD 63433 d is intriguing because one of its sides is always facing its star. Furthermore, it is much closer to its star than Earth is to the sun: In fact, it's eight times closer to its host star than Mercury is to the sun. That makes the exoplanet's orbit so snug that its year is only four days long. As any experienced sunbather knows, if you don't turn over, one side is going to get seriously burned.

Astronomers believe the side facing the star is subjected to temperatures of about 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit. But the backside of the planet that never receives starlight is a mystery, something the research team hopes to learn more about in the future. The James Webb Space Telescope, the most powerful infrared telescope in the cosmos, could reveal more details about this young world, as well as search for hints of an atmosphere.

"Young planets are exciting because we can study how planets change over time by measuring their properties at different ages," said Andrew Vanderburg, one of the co-authors, on X. "This is kind of like studying how humans age by observing a baby, a child, a teenager, and an adult, without waiting for the baby to grow up."

It’s hard to believe, but the new Fire HD 10 tablet is the 13th generation. Where has the time gone?

This latest model boasts some significant improvements while still providing excellent value compared to other well-known tablets. First, it’s 30 grams lighter than the previous-generation model. Doesn’t sound like much, but the difference is strikingly noticeable — this tablet is feather-light.

SEE ALSO: The best tablets: iPads are great, but have you tried literally anything else?

According to Amazon, it’s also 25 percent faster than the 2021 model. Throughout my testing, I can attest that it has been very fast and responsive. The front-facing camera also got an upgrade — from 2MP to 5MP.

In addition, the tablet has a 13-hour battery life, 3GB of RAM, and a 10.1-inch, high-def 1080p display. All that, and it still squeaks in at just under $140. I tested the tablet for about a week and I have some thoughts on how it performs and whether it’s a worthwhile buy. (Spoiler alert: it probably is a good purchase for most people on the market for an entertainment tablet.)

Made for streaming 'Parks and Recreation' played easily (for the most part) from the Peacock app. Credit: SaVanna Shoemaker / Mashable

According to Amazon this tablet is made for entertainment, so it really shines when it comes to streaming. The display is generous, crisp, and vivid — ideal for video on the go, curled up in the bed, or on the treadmill.

You’ll also have access to a full array of streaming apps from the jump. Prime Video and Freevee come preloaded, and nearly all other popular streaming apps are a quick download away.

I watched a few episodes of Parks & Rec on the Peacock app on the tablet, but unfortunately the app crashed a few times because the tablet kept disconnecting from my WiFi. It immediately reconnected after each disconnection, but it was a bit annoying. This is also something that I’ve experienced intermittently with other Fire tablets.

Sound quality, though, was surprisingly decent.

Decent for reading

One of my favorite things about the entire Amazon ecosystem is the Kindle app and Kindle Unlimited, so of course I had to see if this tablet was useful as an e-reader.

The tablet's size is not as friendly as a Kindle, but it still works as an e-reader with the Kindle app. Credit: SaVanna Shoemaker / Mashable

Honestly, it’s a little too big to use as a dedicated e-reader unless you put it on a stand or use a case with a built-in stand.

Still, the tablet alone works well enough for occasional reading. With such a large screen, I found reading in landscape mode much easier on the eyes.

SEE ALSO: Have a Kindle? Don't sleep on the free credits you could earn through Kindle Rewards. Browsing has improved

Amazon Fire tablets come preloaded with the Amazon Silk browser. (And no, you won’t be able to download another browser from the Amazon App Store — but more on that later.)

This browser used to be a pain point for me, but it has improved significantly over the last few years. It’s not as slow or clunky as it used to be, and it offers an experience much more in line with Google Chrome or Firefox than in the past.

I enjoyed some effortless browsing on the tablet. Although the YouTube app isn’t available on the Amazon App Store, browsing YouTube on the Silk browser was easy and fast.

Alexa integration

Like other Fire tablets, this one can also be used as an Alexa device in lieu of (or in addition to) an Echo device. The tablet can listen and respond to Alexa commands even if the display is off.

In my experience with enabling Alexa on tablets, it’s extremely helpful for my older or less tech-savvy relatives — especially since navigating a Fire tablet is a vastly different experience from navigating a smartphone or a laptop.

Otherwise, for tablets for myself or my children, I tend to keep Alexa disabled. When we want her around, she lives in our dedicated smart home devices.

In classic Amazon fashion, the Fire HD 10 tablet does have lockscreen ads. Credit: SaVanna Shoemaker / Mashable Apps and games are limited

One of the major limitations of Fire tablets — one that many people aren’t entirely aware of before they purchase — is that these tablets do not provide access to the Google Play Store. This means that app selection is severely limited. The Amazon App Store is pretty rinky-dink.

Naturally, you don’t have access to competitor apps — like anything Google (including YouTube) or most niche apps that you may have grown fond of using on your Apple or Android devices. I looked up several apps that I use regularly on my phone — specifically Monarch Money, Forest, Reddit, and Mercari — to find that none of them were available on the Amazon App Store.

Still, it does offer nearly all of the streaming apps except YouTube, all major social media apps except LinkedIn, and a large selection of mobile games — including a highly-rated, tablet-friendly Minecraft that my son is itching to play. Oddly enough, I also find a tablet offers the absolute best experience for browsing Pinterest.

I’m not much of a mobile gamer, so I let my son test a few games and he experienced no issues with speed or performance.

Camera fit for video calls and selfies

With a vastly improved front-facing camera compared to the previous model, this tablet is great for video calls and even selfies. You can make video calls using Alexa or several different apps, such as Facebook Messenger.

Still, if you’re regularly video chatting, you’ll want to invest in a stand to keep it upright and hands-free, since it’s a little large and can be awkward to hold for long periods of time.

Is the Amazon Fire HD 10 worth it?

Amazon's Fire HD 10 is an affordable alternative to comparable Samsung or Apple tablets, but it’s important to understand exactly what you are — and aren’t — getting for the low price.

The Amazon App Store has an extremely limited selection of apps compared to the Google Play Store or the Apple Store.

However, I was impressed with this tablet otherwise. While it’s a little too big for comfortable reading, it’s great for streaming video and gaming, has a long battery life, and is fast and lightweight.

TL;DR: As of Jan. 14, sign up for a lifetime subscription to Rosetta Stone to learn Spanish for only $83.99. That's 75% in savings when you use the code SAVENOW at checkout.

Even with two weeks in the new year officially behind us, it’s not too late to add a resolution like learning a second (or third) language. Spanish is an excellent choice, whether you’re in a diverse community or are planning to travel to a Latin American country.

With Rosetta Stone, the experience is both non-intimidating and fun with bite-sized lessons, interactive activities, and tech that listens to your pronunciation. Normally, lifelong access to Latin American Spanish with Rosetta Stone is $299, but it’s on sale for $83.99 with code SAVENOW at checkout through January 14.

Rosetta Stone: The fun way to learn a new language

Learn the world’s second most spoken language in an immersive environment, where every word you see is in Spanish. On top of activities like word and image matching and practice conversations, this helps you learn through context by seeing, hearing, speaking, reading, and writing.

Rosetta Stone even caters the experience to your current skill level — total beginner or someone who took Spanish in high school — and goals, like travel, family, work, or complete fluency. Plus, learning can follow you wherever you go with options to access lessons from your phone, tablet, and computer.

Work on your pronunciation and accent

What really sets Rosetta Stone apart from other apps is TruAccent speech-recognition software that listens to and analyzes your pronunciation and accent. As you’re studying new words and phrases, you can gain confidence in your speaking skills before interacting with native speakers in your community or during your next international getaway.

Set a new goal for 2024 with lifetime access to learn Latin American Spanish with Rosetta Stone on sale for $83.99 (reg. $299) when you use code SAVENOW at checkout until January 14 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Rosetta Stone Rosetta Stone: Lifetime Subscription to Learn Spanish (Latin American) $83.99 at the Mashable Shop with code SAVENOW Get Deal

TL;DR: As of Jan. 14, you can get a Costway electric fireplace insert for only $164.97 instead of $398.99. That's a savings of 58% for a limited time.

No matter what the season, the ambiance a fireplace creates is always welcome. And if it doesn't require tending to or the act of getting a chimney cleaned, all the better. If you want more peace and relaxation in your space this year, this electric fireplace insert from Costway could be the icing on the proverbial cake. And, through January 14, it's on sale for just $164.97 (reg. $398.99).

This versatile fireplace insert can be used in a variety of ways in a bedroom or common room. Insert it into a wall or cabinet. Or, if you are handy around the house, build a customized encasement to house it.

Safety is always first, so it's good to know this insert has overheating protection with certification from ETL. And since it's electric, no yucky dust or harmful gasses are emitted.

Made to have a realistic-looking flame, this fireplace insert has a lot of features to make your fireplace experience more customizable. You can choose between three flame colors: orange, blue, or orange-blue mix. It also has three brightness levels to play around with. And since it's also a space heater, a high and low heating mode is available depending on how warm you want the room.

With a tempered glass front and an included remote control, you will be all set to elevate the mood while lounging at home this winter and beyond.

Pick up this Costway 28.5-inch electric fireplace insert with a remote control while it's on sale for just $164.97 (reg. $398.99) until January 14 at 11:59 p.m. PT, with no coupon code required.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Costway Costway Electric Fireplace Insert $164.97 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal

TL;DR: As of Jan. 14, you can grab a Costway portable electric space heater for only $42.99 instead of $69.99 — that's a savings of 38%.

Whether you're sitting at your desk or feeling the cold floor of the kitchen in the morning, cranking up the heat for your whole home may not be the answer, especially if you're trying to keep your heating budget low. Instead, you could carry the heat with you using a portable space heater. 

The Costway Portable Space Heater is compact, powerful, and super cozy, not to mention pretty affordable. Normally, this portable heater would cost $69, but the price has dropped even more to $42.99 through January 14.

A space heater that takes up so little space

This 1,500W heater may be small, but you could really feel the heat. Just switch to either of the heating settings (low or high) to pump up the heat from the PTC ceramic heating technology. 

The adjustable thermostat allows you to set a comfortable temperature, and the heater includes safety features like overheating protection and a tip-over safety switch to prevent accidents. The power indicator light informs you when the heater is in operation, and the removable heat dissipation mesh simplifies cleaning and maintenance.

This little heater could be ideal for personal use. Put it on your nightstand for a comfy night in bed or remote workers can stay warm through the workday without heating up the whole house. 

Cozy up with a portable heater

Stay warm through winter, whether you're working from home at your desk or lounging on the couch.

You have until February 14 at 11:59 p.m. PT to get the Costway 1,500W Portable Electric Space Heater on sale for $42.99. No coupon needed. 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Costway Costway 1,500W Portable Electric Space Heater $42.99 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal

TL;DR: As of Jan. 14, you can grab the Bento Stack Charge 8000 for just $79.99 instead of $99.95 — that's a savings of 19%.

If you're a busy professional, products that help you stay organized can be very welcome. And if those items can also charge up your iPhone, then that's a definite bonus. Many of us made a resolution to get more organized in the new year. And this Bento Stack Charge 8000 can help you make it happen. Plus, through January 14, you can get it for just $79.99 (reg. $99.95).

With a nod to the traditional Japanese bento box, the Bento Stack Charge offers a modular design that allows you to organize your tech essentials. Store your AirPods, Apple Watch, and chargers neatly, with a devoted space for everything.

The cover comes off to pull double duty as a MagSafe-compatible wireless fast charger. Simply put your iPhone on it, and charge it up quickly and without added messy wires. The cover also works as a power station, featuring both USB-C and USB-A ports. 

As seen at CES, this compact and durable plastic charging case is an ideal organizational case to take with you on the go. Easily fit it in your backpack to have all the essentials handy on a long flight and keep everything in order when going to and from the office.

Don't let the anxiety of having a low battery stress you out. Keep your desk orderly and your stuff charged with this handy little box that can help elevate the efficiency of your days.

Grab Bento Stack Charge 8000 for just $79.99 (reg. $99.95) when you order by January 14 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Function101 Bento Stack Charge 8000 $79.99 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal