Mashable

TL;DR: As of January 24, get Microsoft Visio 2021 Professional for only $29.99 — that's 88% off.

Whether you need to draft a flowchart or create a floor plan, creating a clean, legible visual representation of complex data can be tough, especially if you're using software that isn't designed for it. Microsoft Visio is the tool for the job if you need to craft a visual representation of data, whether it's a chart, diagram, seating chart, or even mapping the furniture layout of a room. 

Typically, access to Microsoft Visio 2021 Professional would cost $249, but you can get it for just $29.99. 

Ditch the MS Word graph insert and use an app that's actually designed to make your data look good. Use Visio for everything from crafting flowcharts, org charts, diagrams, and more. You can access premade templates or take advantage of starter diagrams and stencils to craft your own. 

Make sure to take a look at the huge library of shapes available in Visio's online content ecosystem. There are a quarter million of them, so there's plenty of room to insert visuals as needed, but you don't have to do everything manually. Visio supports automatic org chart generation using data from Excel, Exchange, or Microsoft Entra ID. 

This is a one-time purchase, but there are a few things to keep in mind with it. A Microsoft 365 subscription isn't included, but you do need one or a standalone subscription to SharePoint. Check out the other requirements for using this software, but they may already be covered if you're shopping for apps to use in the office. 

Use one app to create eye-catching visuals for all your data. 

Get Microsoft Visio 2021 Professional for Windows for just $29.99 (reg. $249). 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Through January 28, get this refurbished iPad Air with accessories for only $349.99 — you'll save 14% on the usual refurbished price.

When it comes to buying gadgets, it doesn't always stop at purchasing the device itself. There's usually an extra stretch on your wallet for accessories and peripherals, including a screen protector and a case. Before you know it, you've added a couple more dollars to your total, which isn't ideal, especially when trying to keep your finances in check.

This makes this deal on a refurbished iPad Air all the more enticing. Apart from a new-to-you device that's already a fraction of the price of a brand-new unit, it also comes with a bunch of accessories, saving you from the extra shopping hassle and added expense. Through January 28, you can grab the set for $349.99.

The refurbished iPad Air in this bundle may be a 3rd-gen 2019 model, but it boasts a litany of nifty features, including a 10.5-inch screen with a 2224 x 1668 touch-sensitive Retina display that makes surfing, streaming, and gaming sharper and an Apple A12 Bionic processor and 3GB of RAM that make even the most graphic-intensive games smooth to run. It also packs 64GB of internal storage for storing all your essential files, media, and favorite apps.

This iPad also has a dual camera for snapping high-quality photos, and its battery can last up to ten hours on a single charge. Rounding out the bundle are accessories, including a snap-on case, pre-installed tempered glass, and a charger.

It's worth noting that this iPad has a grade B refurbished rating, meaning it may have light scuffing or dents here and there. But despite the minute cosmetic marks, you'll be getting your hands on a 2019 iPad Air with high-tech features for less than what you'd pay if you opt to buy brand-new.

Formerly $409, you can grab this 2019 refurbished iPad Air bundle on sale for $349.99 until January 28 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Tesla is preparing to build a new electric car model in 2025, and it might be a banger.

According to Reuters, which cites four people familiar with the matter, Tesla has told suppliers it wants to start production of a new electric vehicle in June next yet.

UPDATE: Jan. 25, 2024, 11:58 a.m. EST Tesla CEO Elon Musk just confirmed most of this report during Tesla's earnings call on Wednesday. He called it a "next-generation, low-cost" car, and said that Tesla will achieve the lower price with a "revolutionary manufacturing system." His timeline is, however, a little less optimistic (and do note that Musk's timelines are almost always overly optimistic) than what Reuters' report suggested. "Our current schedule shows that we will start production towards the end of 2025, sometime in the second half," he said.

The new car, codenamed Redwood, will be a compact crossover, some of the sources told Reuters. If true, this would likely make this new model an affordable, popular option among buyers. Tesla's mid-sized SUV, the Model Y, is currently the company's best-selling car.

According to the report, Tesla is looking to produce 10,000 units of this new model per week.

Tesla recently started selling a new model, the Cybertruck, after several years of delays. But that car is an unusually designed, pricy, massive pick-up, which will certainly never reach the volume of Tesla's most popular models. The company also recently started selling a refreshed variant of its Model 3 compact sedan, and reports claim that a refreshed version of Model Y is due to arrive this year.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in May that the company is working on two new models, though details were absent, save for a silhouette of one of the new cars. He did say that “both the design of the products and the manufacturing techniques are head and shoulders above anything else that is present in the industry.”

Musk previously mentioned a new model with a starting price of about $25,000; the company also plans to build a robotaxi, which is a car specifically designed to haul passengers autonomously.

TL;DR: Microsoft Windows 11 Pro is on sale for £19.66, saving you 87% on list price.

Have a refurbished computer on your wish list? Whether you're hoping to receive a new-to-you device, or you are planning on placing a refurbished PC under the tree for a loved one, don't forget that it may need an upgrade in the Microsoft operating system department. That's where Microsoft Windows 11 Pro comes in.

You can save on a Microsoft Windows 11 Pro license with this amazing deal on the updated operating system. Windows 11 Pro makes an old device feel brand-new, and a lifetime license is currently available for just £19.66, no coupon code needed.

Refurbished devices are excellent for saving money, but you may not realise they likely won't come with the latest and greatest operating system. This deal on Microsoft Windows 11 Pro fixes that for a steal, offering the versatility of this revamped system. Not only is it packed with valuable features, it also offers enhanced security, improved performance, and plenty of customisable options to make your device your own.

Among the most helpful features available? Features that provide peace of mind like Microsoft Information Protection integration, which helps keep your most important info safe from data leaks, and BitLocker Encryption, which encrypts your data on your hard drive so it can't be read unless a correct decryption key is available. And with Windows 11 Pro, you'll get new updates and exclusive features, while enjoying all kinds of apps, features, and updates that aren't available to those with Windows 10. 

Save big on a lifetime license to Microsoft Windows 11 Pro, available for £19.66, with no coupon code required.

For Jay Duplass and his family, Tuesday nights are reserved for Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

Right when new episodes drop, you can find Duplass — who plays Hades in the show — sitting on the couch with his wife, their 15-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son, and their two dogs, dinner at the ready, eager to dive into the next installment of Percy's (Walker Scobell) mythic adventures. For Duplass, a filmmaker and actor known for his work on movies and TV shows like Transparent and Togetherness, Percy Jackson and the Olympians marked the first project of his that his children could watch him in.

"Not only is it the first thing that they can watch me in, but it's without a doubt their favorite book series of all time," Duplass told Mashable in a video interview. "They have read all of the books at least five times. They're rabid, rabid fans."

The idea of being part of an adaptation of this scale intrigued Duplass. "It's always interesting walking into a piece of art that you already know about. Mostly, it was a curiosity of wondering how they were going to do things," he said. "It was just cool to enter the universe. I honestly didn't go in with super strong ideas about what I wanted to do with Hades until I really got there and started working more and more with [the showrunners] to try and figure out exactly how it should be."

Now, with the release of Percy Jackson and the Olympians' seventh episode, "We Find Out the Truth, Sort Of," Duplass' children — and the rest of the world — finally get their first glimpse of his take on Hades. That's because after a series of deadly encounters with Greek gods and monsters, this episode sees Percy, Annabeth (Leah Sava Jeffries), and Grover (Aryan Simhadri) reach the Underworld at last, where they hope to confront Hades, the would-be lightning thief.

"I've been watching every episode as they release and coming to terms with the fact that Hades is the goal of the journey. Like, 'Boy, I hope I did a good job!'" Duplass said. "I'm mostly just nervous as to whether my kids are going to like my portrayal of this person. They have very, very strong ideas."

By the time our main trio confronts Hades, Percy Jackson and the Olympians has already built up its own set of ideas as to what to expect from the God of Death. An exiled Olympian with a grudge against his brothers Zeus (Lance Reddick) and Poseidon (Toby Stephens), Hades has all the makings of a super powerful boss battle for Percy. Yet when Percy reaches Hades' palace, he finds a very different kind of god: One who is sassy, exasperated by his brothers' drama, and just really wants his helm of darkness back.

Playing up the comedy of Hades' true nature starts right from his entrance, when he leisurely strolls across his massive entry hall to greet Percy and Grover. "I remember the director Anders Engström telling me, 'Don't even feel like you need to rush. This is the big moment, we've been waiting the entire show to get here, so let it unfold as it will unfold,'" Duplass said. "We wanted him to feel lived-in and like he had been around a goddamn long time."

Between sassing Percy and Grover and asking for his helm back, Hades delivers one of the most dramatic turns of the show. As soon as Percy brings up the potential for Kronos' return, he jolts into serious mode, angling to gain control of the Master Bolt in order to defend the Underworld. "There's all these hints that there's a lot more going on here, and obviously the end of this journey sets the stage for future books and a much bigger stage for war and battle and drama and conflict," Duplass said of playing this dramatic shift. "That was a pretty cool moment to be a part of."

Duplass was on set for one week filming his one scene this season. "That's wild for me because I originally come from the independent film world, where normally I'd shoot a six- or seven-page scene in half a day," Duplass said. "Obviously this is a very curated world, and there's lots of shots involved."

In another jump from independent film, the scene in Hades' palace was shot on a massive 360-degree stage surrounded by LED screens known as a "volume." The idea is to display environments on the screens in order to create a greater sense of immersion.

"It was truly a 360-degree view of the Underworld, so you really got to feel it," Duplass said. "It was just amazing to get that feeling of the loneliness where Hades is and the expanse of it."

Despite the grand scale of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Duplass described the shooting environment as fairly tight-knit. "As big as the show is and as big as the world is, it also felt like a family making a show at the same time," he said. "Rick [Riordan] being there all the time, he and I had lots of conversations both creatively but also just about life, and it felt like a very personally made piece of art. It's probably one of the larger things that I've ever been involved in, but it still felt like a homemade thing."

As for Duplass's Percy Jackson–loving children, did they ever ask him for spoilers and hints about the shooting process?

"They haven't asked me anything specific about it, but they've definitely been calling me Hades for like the last three months," Duplass said. "Literally dinner will be ready, and my daughter will be like, 'Hades!' Just holler it at me. It's so fun."

The finale of Percy Jackson and the Olympians premieres Jan. 30 at 9 p.m. ET on Disney+.

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. 24's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

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 solution to yesterday's Wordle.

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.

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.

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.

Artifact.

There are no letters that appear twice.

Today's Wordle starts with the letter R.

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 #949 is...

RELIC.

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.

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 20's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

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.

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.

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.

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

• Green - Optical necessities

• Yellow - Same letter apps

• Purple - Sounds different when fancy

• Blue - In the family

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

• Green - PARTS OF THE EYE

• Yellow - SMARTPHONE FEATURES BEGINNING WITH "C"

• Purple - WORDS PRONOUNCED DIFFERENTLY WITH ACCENT MARKS

• Blue - FAMILIAL NICKNAMES

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 Connections #227 is...

• Green - PARTS OF THE EYE - CONE, IRIS, LENS, PUPIL

• Yellow - SMARTPHONE FEATURES BEGINNING WITH "C" - CALCULATOR, CALENDAR, CAMERA, CLOCK

• Purple - WORDS PRONOUNCED DIFFERENTLY WITH ACCENT MARKS - EXPOSE, PATE, RESUME, ROSE

• Blue - FAMILIAL NICKNAMES - DADA, GRAMMY, MUM, POPPY

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.