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TL;DR: Get help with your online business with this lifetime subscription to Sellful White Label Website Builder and Software’s ERP Agency Plan, now just $349.97 (reg. $1,497) through September 7.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sellful Sellful - White Label Website Builder & Software: ERP Agency Plan (Lifetime) $349.97
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Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Refurbished Apple MacBook Pro (3.1GHz i,5 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $324.97
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Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Windows 11 Pro $14.97
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If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

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

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

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

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

Manly.

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

MACHO

Hurdle Word 2 hint

A type of nut.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for August 3, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

ACORN

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Less frequent.

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

RARER

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Style.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for August 3 Hurdle Word 4 answer

ECLAT

Final Hurdle hint

To mature.

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

RIPEN

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

The moon is looking brighter every night, and we're inching closer to the next full moon. But let's take a look at where we are in the lunar cycle first.

The lunar cycle is a series of eight unique phases of the moon's visibility. The whole cycle takes about 29.5 days, according to NASA, and these different phases happen as the Sun lights up different parts of the moon whilst it orbits Earth. 

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Sunday, Aug. 3, the moon phase is Waxing Gibbous. According to NASA's Daily Moon Observation, the moon will be 69% lit up tonight.

It's day 10 of the lunar cycle, and there's a lot to see when we look up tonight. With just your naked eye (no visual aids required), you'll be able to spot the Copernicus Crater, the Mare Fecunditatis, and the Mare Crisium.

With binoculars, enjoy a glimpse of the Aphonsus Crater, Posidonius Crater, and the Mare Frigoris. With a telescope, you can also see the Rima Arladaeus, the Descartes Highlands, and Fra Mauro Highlands, a hilly region of the moon where the Apollo 14 landed.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on August 9. The last full moon was on July 10.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, moon phases are caused by the 29.5-day cycle of the moon’s orbit, which changes the angles between the Sun, Moon, and Earth. Moon phases are how the moon looks from Earth as it goes around us. We always see the same side of the moon, but how much of it is lit up by the Sun changes depending on where it is in its orbit. This is how we get full moons, half moons, and moons that appear completely invisible. There are eight main moon phases, and they follow a repeating cycle:

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

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

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

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

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

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side.

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

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

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

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

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Sunday, August 3, 2025:

AcrossWith 5-Down, road trip with frequent stops for reds

• The answer is Wine.

Printer supply

• The answer is Toner.

Use DoorDash or Grubhub

• The answer is Order.

Like thrift shop items

• The answer is Used.

Distortus ___, mutant dinosaur in "Jurassic World Rebirth"

• The answer is Rex.

DownNot as good

• The answer is Worse.

End-of-book reference

• The answer is Index.

Have to have

• The answer is Need.

Go wrong

• The answer is Err.

See 1-Across

• The answer is Tour.

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

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

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

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

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

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

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Saturday, August 2, 2025:

AcrossTikTok or Tinder

• The answer is App.

Lawyers' org.

• The answer is ABA.

Place with Bunsen burners and beakers, in brief

• The answer is Chem lab.

Product that can be sampled with a spray on the wrist

• The answer is Cologne.

Visibly muscular

• The answer is Toned.

Groceries carrier

• The answer is Tote bag.

Self-indulgent "journey"

• The answer is Ego trip.

AOL alternative

• The answer is MSN.

Things that phone users might accidentally tap on webpages

• The answer is ADS.

DownSports org. that now includes schools from Texas and California, strangely enough

• The answer is ACC.

Hobbyists with cameras, informally

• The answer is Photogs.

Big name in exercise bikes

• The answer is Peloton.

"Solve for x" subject

• The answer is Algebra.

Temporary fix, so to speak

• The answer is Band-Aid.

Pres. Lincoln

• The answer is Abe.

"Show me the ___" (punny request at an art museum)

• The answer is Monet.

President pro ___

• The answer is Tem.

Road trip assistance, for short

• The answer is GPS.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for August 3 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: To mimic

• Green: Basketball, baseball, soccer, etc.

• Blue: Madness

• Purple: Musical groups

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: Emulate

• Green: Sports

• Blue: Mania

• Purple: Single animal in a creatively spelled band name

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 #784 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Emulate: COPY, ECHO, MIRROR, PARROT

• Sports: CRICKET, GOLF, POLO, SQUASH

• Mania: BUG, CRAZE, FAD, FEVER

• Single animal in a creatively spelled band name: BEETLE, BIRD, GORILLA, MONKEY

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for August 3

Are you also playing NYT 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're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for August 3 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for August 3 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: "Sorry, didn't catch that"

The words are game-related.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words are types of mistakes.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Sports Goof.

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for August 3

• Fault

• Fumble

• Error

• Sports Goof

• Blooper

• Muff

• Bobble

• Whiff

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

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

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

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: Hints and answers for August 3 Where did Wordle come from?

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

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

What's the best Wordle starting word?

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

What happened to the Wordle archive?

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

Is Wordle getting harder?

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

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for August 3, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Bumpy.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter L.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

LUMPY.

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for August 3

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

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

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

When an Apple product reaches a certain age, Apple renders it either “vintage” or “obsolete.” For people still toting around a second-gen Apple Watch, your time has come. Apple put the Series 1 models on its obsolete list, which means the company has run out of parts and the watch is no longer serviceable. 

SEE ALSO: Apple Watch dealbreaker: Why I’m sticking with Garmin until they fix this frustrating issue

It joins the Series 2, the other half of the second generation of Apple Watches, which was added to the obsolete list last year. 

It can be a bit confusing. The Apple Watch Series 1 and the Apple Watch Series 2 are both considered the same generation. Back in the good old days, the original Apple Watch didn’t have an official Series designation. Thus, when the Series 1 launched in 2016, the original Apple Watch was retroactively referred to as Series 0. The Series 2 was also launched in 2016 alongside the Series 1, so both are considered second-generation products from Apple. 

Apple stopped selling the Series 2 when the Series 3 came out, but left the Apple Watch Series 1 on sale for another year as a low-cost option alongside the Series 3. Thus, the Series 2 went to the vintage and obsolete lists a year before the Series 1. The good news is that the whole second generation is now on the obsolete list, so the confusion ends today. Moving forward, each Series is its own generation, starting with Series 3. 

What does it mean when an Apple product is obsolete?

The way Apple’s product life works is fairly predictable. Apple releases a product, sells it for a while, and then stops when a newer product comes out. After five to seven years (depending on the product), Apple puts the product on the vintage list. This means Apple has ceased making new parts that the company can use to repair broken devices. However, Apple and Apple Authorized Service Providers (AASPs) can still repair the devices as long as they still have the parts to do it.

Once Apple runs out of parts, the product winds up on the obsolete list and can no longer be repaired through Apple. 

Since parts can come and go at varying intervals, that likely explains why the Apple Watch Series 4 is already on the obsolete list, despite being a couple of years younger than the Series 1 or Series 2. 

What does this mean for me?

If you own an Apple Watch Series 1, it simply means that you can no longer get the watch repaired through Apple. Third-party repair shops may be able to repair the watch, but they won’t have access to official Apple parts to do it. In short, it means that it’s probably finally time to upgrade your aging watch. We hear the Apple Watch Series 10 is pretty good. 

It’s hard enough getting into the content creator space without the platform you’re on putting up restrictions. However, Instagram is now the latest social media app to institute such a restriction — forcing people to have at least 1,000 followers before they go live on the site. Previously, Instagram let anyone go live, regardless of account status. 

SEE ALSO: Sam Altman open to ads on ChatGPT, calls Instagram ads ‘kinda cool’

The news first started circulating after smaller creators posted the notice on other social media channels. 

The notice reads, "Your account is no longer eligible for Live. We changed the requirements to use this feature. Only public accounts with 1,000 followers or more will be able to create live videos."

Credit: Chance Townsend / Instagram screenshot

TechCrunch followed up with Instagram and confirmed that the social network giant made this change intentionally. As expected, small creators aren’t fans of the change, and it’s been mostly maligned across all of social media. Creators with private accounts won’t be able to go live at all, even if the account has over 1,000 followers. Instagram says the change was made to “improve the overall Live consumption experience.”

There are pros and cons to the decision, as TechCrunch notes. On the one hand, small creators will have an even harder time breaking out into the segment than they already do, as accumulating followers without buying them can be a long and painstaking process. By contrast, Instagram likely removed a lot of low-quality streams this way that only have a couple of viewers each, which makes it easier to find better live content while also saving Meta money. 

This change brings Instagram more in line with TikTok’s live streaming rules. However, the number of followers you need on TikTok can vary, with plenty of people getting access long before they reach 1,000 subscribers. As of this writing, Facebook’s Help Center says that going live on Facebook only requires a 60-day-old account and at least 100 followers. YouTube still allows users to go live after just 50 followers, while Twitch remains the easiest to get started with a 0 follower limit. 

Lovense is well-known for its selection of remote-controlled vibrators. It’s slightly less known for a massive security issue that exposed user emails and allowed accounts to be wholly taken over by a hacker without even needing a password. Fortunately, both issues have been fixed, but it didn’t happen without some drama. 

As the story goes, security researcher BobDaHacker (with some help) accidentally found out that you could uncover a user’s email address pretty easily by muting someone in the app. From there, they were able to figure out that you could do this with any user account, effectively exposing every Lovense user’s email without much effort. 

SEE ALSO: Discord user data leak resurfaces on hacker forum as third-party service disputes breach

With the email in hand, it was then possible to generate a valid gtoken without a password, giving a hacker total access to a person’s Lovense account with no password necessary. The researchers told Lovense of the issue in late March and were told that fixes were incoming. 

In June 2025, Lovense told the researchers that the fix would take 14 months to implement because it did not want to force legacy users to upgrade the app. Partial fixes were implemented over time, only partially fixing the problems. On July 28, the researchers posted an update showing that Lovense was still leaking emails and had exposed over 11 million user accounts. 

"We could have easily harvested emails from any public username list," BobDaHacker said in a blog post. "This is especially bad for cam models who share their usernames publicly but obviously don't want their personal emails exposed."

It was around then that the news started making its way around the news cycle. Other researchers began reaching out to show that the exploit had actually been known as far back as 2022, and Lovense had closed the issue without issuing a fix. After two more days in the news cycle, the sex toy company finally rolled out fixes for both exploits on July 30. 

It’s not Lovense’s first roll in the mud. In 2017, the company was caught with its proverbial pants down after its app was shown to be recording users while they were using the app and toy. Lovense fixed that issue as well, stating that the audio data was never sent to their servers.

Sony and Marvel have revealed a fresh look for Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, and it’s a return to basics. In a very short 22-second teaser, fans got a decent look at Spidey’s new suit, which leans heavily into the classic comic design.

SEE ALSO: Every MCU movie villain ranked, from the worst to the worst of the worst

Gone is the ultra-slick Stark Suit, the high-tech armor gifted by Tony Stark, which Holland’s Peter Parker wore in three solo films and multiple Avengers crossovers.

Spoilers for 2021’s No Way Home:

By the film’s end, Peter’s high-tech suit is wrecked — and so is everything else. It's a brutal reset that leaves Peter truly alone and stripped of all the Stark tech that powered his previous adventures. This mirrors the more grounded, scrappy origins many fans felt had been missing from the MCU’s version of the character.

The closing shot in No Way Home is of a homemade suit — vibrant, hand-sewn, and all Peter — and signaled a fresh start. Now, with Brand New Day on the horizon, we’re finally seeing that suit in action. And yeah — it looks great. Here’s hoping the movie lives up to it.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day swings into theaters July 31, 2026, with Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton at the helm.

Reddit, like nearly every major tech company right now, is going all-in on AI, and its next big bet is transforming itself into a full-blown search engine.

SEE ALSO: Google reveals Reddit Answers is powered by Gemini AI

That’s straight from Reddit CEO Steve Huffman. According to TechCrunch, Huffman told investors during the company’s latest earnings call on Thursday: "Reddit is one of the few platforms positioned to become a true search destination. We offer something special — a breadth of conversations and knowledge you can’t find anywhere else."

He’s not wrong. For years, internet users have added "reddit" to the end of their Google searches to filter past SEO sludge and find real human answers. The habit became so widespread that Google eventually baked Reddit content directly into its search results.

But Reddit doesn’t want to be drowned out by Google’s AI search push — it wants to be the answer. Like Meta, OpenAI, and Microsoft, the company is focusing on "its own" AI-driven search experience. That effort centers around the website's search function and Reddit Answers, an AI-assisted tool that is powered by Gemini AI, according to Google.

Reddit Answers, which now serves 6 million users and is being tested in a dozen countries, functions much like ChatGPT, offering conversational, in-depth responses to user queries by pulling from the platform’s massive archive of discussions. Instead of simply returning links or posts, it aims to synthesize answers in a more natural, AI-driven format.

The company plans to combine Reddit Answers with its core search function and redesign the app so the search bar takes center stage. According to Huffman, global expansion is on the way.

"We’re unifying those [Reddit Search and Reddit Answers] into a single search experience, and we’re gonna bring that front and center in the app," Huffman said in the call.

It’s all part of Reddit’s broader push to consolidate its user base and keep people on the platform, while also turning a solid profit. In Q2, the company reported a massive 78 percent revenue jump year-over-year, pulling in $500 million.

UPDATE: Aug. 3, 2025, 8:28 a.m. This article has been updated to correct inaccuracies about the total amount Tesla was ordered to pay in the court ruling.

A Florida jury has found Tesla partially liable in a fatal crash involving its Autopilot system, ordering the Elon Musk-owned company to pay over $240 million in damages. The verdict marks a major legal blow for Tesla and a significant moment in the broader debate over the safety of autonomous driving technology.

A federal judge in Miami has ordered Tesla to pay $42.5 million — roughly 33 percent of the $129 million in compensatory damages — along with an additional $200 million in punitive damages to the estate of Naibel Benavides Leon and her former partner, Dillon Angulo. In a statement emailed to Mashable, Tesla said it plans to appeal the ruling.

“Today’s verdict is wrong,” the company said. “It only serves to set back automotive safety and jeopardizes not just Tesla’s efforts, but the entire industry’s work to develop life-saving technology. We plan to appeal due to substantial legal errors and irregularities during the trial.”

Tesla also argued that, under Florida law governing product liability cases, punitive damages should be capped at three times the compensatory award (In this case, Tesla would pay 127.5 million instead of $200 million). That would reduce Tesla’s maximum payout to $170 million, not the $243 million currently on the table. The company said it’s confident “the punitive damage award at a minimum, and likely this whole verdict, will be overturned by the appellate court.”

According to the Associated Press, the plaintiffs argue that the punitive damages were calculated based on a multiple of the total compensatory damages, not just Tesla’s share. As a result, they maintain that the full amount awarded by the jury is valid and enforceable.

This is the first case in which Tesla has been held responsible for a wrongful death as a result of its Autopilot technology, according to a Reuters expert. That said, Tesla’s driver-assist software has been linked to hundreds of crashes, enough to warrant its own Wikipedia page.

The lawsuit stemmed from a 2019 incident in which a Tesla Model S driver, reportedly not paying attention while Autopilot was engaged, blew through a stop sign and red light before slamming into a parked Chevrolet Tahoe. Naibel Benavides Leon was standing next to the SUV at the time and was killed. Her former boyfriend, Dillon Angulo, survived with injuries.

"Today’s verdict represents justice for Naibel’s tragic death and Dillon’s lifelong injuries," Brett Schreiber, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said in a statement to the Wall Street Journal. "Tesla designed Autopilot only for controlled-access highways yet deliberately chose not to restrict drivers from using it elsewhere, alongside Elon Musk telling the world Autopilot drove better than humans."

The ruling is a significant blow to Musk and Tesla, coming at a time when the billionaire is aggressively pushing to expand the company’s robotaxi initiative. As Musk works to convince investors and the public that Tesla can lead the future of autonomous driving, a $329 million verdict tied to its Autopilot system raises serious questions about the safety and legal risk of that vision and could open the company up to more Autopilot-related lawsuits in the future.

As a long-time iPad user, who's been covering Apple for several years, I've had a growing suspicion: iPads are basically just laptops now.

In 2024, when Apple launched the iPad Pro with M4 chip — before they'd even put that chip in a MacBook — alongside the iPad Air with M2 chip (and then the M3 version just a few months later), all signs showed my inclination was right. Apple wants its tablets to be as powerful as its laptops.

But the final piece of evidence to prove my hypothesis came at Apple's 2025 WWDC, when the brand announced the newest feature coming to iPads called "Windows." The feature allows users to resize the app windows within the screen to view multiple applications at once. While this feature is new to iPads, it's been a standard feature of laptops for most of their existence.

If the math is mathing the way I think it is, Apple's iPads are basically just laptops now. Here's how Apple is turning its tablets into laptops, and why they might be the more affordable option.

iPads and MacBooks have the same powerful processor

Apple's M series chips now power the brand's computers. It's one of the most powerful processors we've tested, expanding Apple products' speed and efficiency. The first time we saw the M4 chip wasn't in a laptop but Apple's iPad Pro, which scored 14,586 on Geekbench 6, better than most laptops we'd tested at the time.

Half of Apple's iPads now have the M series of chips. The iPad Pro includes the M4, while the iPad Air has the M3 chip. Meanwhile, the other half of the iPad lineup features Apple's A series chips, which are usually found in iPhones. Based on processors alone, it appears that half of Apple's iPad models are quite literally built to compute as laptops. However, that line could soon blur.

Rumors are swirling that Apple's next MacBook may be an affordable model that features an A series chip, which would truly mean you can't judge a laptop or tablet based on its processor alone.

The screen sizes are closing in on each other The 11-inch iPad screen is significantly smaller than the 13-inch MacBook Pro. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

And to be clear, not every iPad is basically a laptop. The iPad mini's screen is just way too small to compete — that being said, it is a great e-reader alternative. But the standard iPad, iPad Air, and iPad Pro all have 11-inch screens, two inches shy of the smallest 13-inch MacBook. However, the iPad Air and iPad Pro fully close that gap with their 13-inch models.

iPads can transform into work stations — especially for creatives Add a Magic Keyboard and, voilà, your iPad is laptop. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

OK, but even if they have the same size screen as a laptop, they're still only half a laptop, right? Sort of. While iPads are technically just a touchscreen, Magic Keyboards turn them into workstations. These keyboards, now available to purchase alongside an iPad, seamlessly connect to the tablets (à la AirPods and iPhones) and allow you to type on any actual keyboard rather than a screen. They even include a laptop-style trackpad.

The keyboards range from folios for the basic iPad to the more advanced keyboard stands for the iPad Air and Pro, which make the iPad look just like a laptop. In fact, an iPad and Magic Keyboard set-up more closely resembles a 2-in-1 laptop, like the Microsoft Surface.

With the addition of an Apple Pencil to the iPad and Magic Keyboard pairing, the iPad becomes the ideal Mac for artists too. While interviewing graphic designers about the best laptops for their line of work, many remarked that an iPad was actually their preferred device over a laptop.

However, where iPads and laptops veer from each other is their ports. iPads offer a single USB-C port while laptops typically have multiple ports, including USB-A, USB-C, and HDMI ports. That being said, Apple's port options are dwindling, with some MacBooks just offering three USB-C ports. However, both the iPad and MacBook can work around this with the assistance of a dongle that plugs in and offers port variety.

Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter $65 at Amazon
$69 Save $4 Shop Now The iPad and MacBook interfaces With 'Windows' on iPadOS, you can view multiple apps at once. Credit: Apple

Even though an iPad looks like a laptop, it doesn't mean that it can function like one. With a laptop you have the ability to organize file storage and navigate through multiple windows. And on an iPad you now... have the ability to organize file storage and navigate through multiple windows.

Both iPads and iPhones now feature file storage apps that essentially work like Finder on the portable devices. And with the introduction of "Windows" coming to the next iteration of iPadOS, users can view multiple apps at once for a better workflow.

So, in terms of functionality, the iPad and laptop Venn diagram is basically a circle.

iPads are just competitively priced MacBooks

iPads don't overlap with laptops, specifically MacBooks, on one particular front: price. And that actually works in the tablets' favor. The basic iPad and iPad Air are priced hundreds of dollars less than Apple's most affordable laptop, the MacBook Air.

I liken the price differences between iPads and MacBooks to that of Chromebooks and standard Windows computers; they're a more affordable option, with some decreased functionality. But in the case of iPads, which are typically more expensive than Chromebooks anyway, they also have far more functionality than Chromebooks.

The most affordable iPad starts at $349, while the most affordable MacBook is the 13-inch MacBook Air, which starts at $999. Even if you upgrade to the iPad Air, which has the M3 chip just like that starter MacBook Air, it starts at just $599. And if you were to add on the $269 Magic Keyboard, that comes out to $868, still saving you over $100 compared to the MacBook Air.

However, the more advanced the iPad model you shop, the more it starts to be priced like a laptop. But, even the 13-inch iPad Pro is $300 cheaper than the 14-inch MacBook Pro — and both come with the M4 chip.

Is this all to say that you should be buying an iPad over a MacBook these days? Not at all. But it is to offer up a more affordable alternative in the iPad, which can go head-to-head with many laptops, especially MacBooks.

Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M3 chip, 128 GB, WiFi) $499 at Amazon
$599 Save $100 Shop Now Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch (M4 chip, 256 GB, WiFi) $1,179 at Amazon
$1,299 Save $120 Shop Now

These days, every new TV on the market is a smart TV. This means they come with a built-in interface to access all your favorite streaming services. But I have a hot take: most smart TVs make for terrible streaming devices. Sure, you can technically access most of your favorite streamers, but so often these built-in smart TV platforms are clunky, slow, and not very user-friendly. Plus, some older smart TVs can't handle new streaming apps like Peacock or Apple TV+, which means you'll never know what happens on Severance. Even if you do invest in a new TV, the best streaming devices can give it an instant upgrade.

The streaming device market is pretty crowded; there are various boxes and sticks that promise 4K picture and easy navigation. Unfortunately, tech brands are really good at making claims they can't live up to. (We're looking at you, Google Home.) And having spent months testing streaming devices, I can say with certainty that not all streamers are created equal. While some bring swift, theater-quality picture, others get bogged down by slow, ad-laden UX.

So, I tested the best contenders — including Apple TV, Roku, and Google TV — to find the best streaming device for your TV.

Roku vs. Apple TV — which is better?

The two most popular names in streaming are Apple and Roku. So it begs the question of is a Roku or Apple TV better? The answer isn't so straightforward and depends on what you're looking for. Apple only makes one streaming device, the Apple TV, while Roku makes dozens of devices and TVs.

An Apple TV is an extremely straightforward device that is fast, easy to navigate, delivers stunning picture, and best of all, a totally ad-free home page. The remote features built in voice controls and all of the apps can sync with your TV so all the shows you're currently watching, across streamers, consolidate in one place on the home page. For a long time, it was the priciest streamer on this list, but now the Amazon Fire TV Cube has dethroned it.

While we do prefer the Apple TV to Roku devices, they aren't without their merits. Roku matches Apple's processing speed and delivers, clear, crisp visuals that don't require any buffering time. Roku has a slightly more cluttered landing page than the Apple TV, but it's easily customizable, if you're particular about how it's organized.

And where Roku has the leg up on the Apple TV is in its affordability. A Roku 4K streaming stick costs $49.99, less than half of an Apple TV and even their high end Roku Ultra is just $99.99, $30 less than an Apple TV. If price is your priority, a Roku will serve you well. But if you want the best streaming experience possible, go for an Apple TV.