Mashable

TL;DR: Instead of paying for Microsoft 365 every month, get a Microsoft Office lifetime license while they’re on sale for $29.97. Sale ends July 19 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows: Lifetime License $29.97
$219.99 Save $190.02   Get Deal

You might not want to keep paying for Microsoft 365 anymore. At its absolute cheapest, Microsoft 365 is $99.99 per year, and that’s if you pay for the full year up front, but it’s also not your only option anymore. Instead of paying for the same software year after year, now you can get a lifetime license for Microsoft Office installed directly onto your PC, and it’s only $29.97 (reg. $219.99) on sale.

You don’t have to pay a monthly fee to get the core Microsoft apps anymore.

This version of Microsoft Office comes with

• Word

• Excel

• PowerPoint

• Outlook

• Publisher

• Access

• OneNote

• Teams (free version)

Just keep in mind that Microsoft is ending support for Publisher in October, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to use it. It just means it won’t be changing anymore, which may actually be a good thing if you like your apps to look the same tomorrow as they were yesterday.

This license is a little different from Microsoft 365. It doesn’t come with extras like cloud storage, or the new AI integrations, but for many users, that’s actually a good thing. The AI integrations are still being worked out, so sudden updates can totally change your workflow. If you want a simple, reliable set of tools to work with, this is an excellent option for a great price.

Through July 19 at 11:59 p.m. PT, it’s only $29.97 to get a Microsoft Office lifetime license.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you know your state capitals.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for July 10, 2026 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: Fruit insides

• Green: Fruit-flavored

• Blue: Fun at college

• Purple: Capitals

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Reproductive Part of Fruit

• Green: Bit of Fruit-Flavored Candy

• Blue: Verbs in a College Life Slogan

• Purple: Starts of U.S. Capitals

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 #1127 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Reproductive Part of Fruit: PIP, PIT, SEED, STONE

• Bit of Fruit-Flavored Candy: DOT, NERD, RUNT, SPREE

• Verbs in a College Life Slogan: PARTY, REPEAT, SLEEP, STUDY

• Starts of U.S. Capitals: DEN, MAD, PHO, SAC

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for July 10, 2026

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

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

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

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you live in New York.

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for July 10, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: "In the Big Apple"

The words are related to the big city.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe things found in New York City.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Empire State.

NYT Strands word list for July 12

• Bagel

• Deli

• Taxi

• Subway

• Stoop

• Bodega

• Borough

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

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

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

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're a chatter.

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

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for July 11, 2026 Where did Wordle come from?

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

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

What's the best Wordle starting word?

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

What happened to the Wordle archive?

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

Is Wordle getting harder?

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for July 11, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Short, abrupt noises.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter C appears twice.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter C.

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...

CLACK

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.

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.

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier if you watch baseball.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Yellow: For the collection

• Green: Baseball strategy

• Blue: Take a break

• Purple: Sounds like a Celtic

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Award

• Green: Baseball Tactics

• Blue: Used During a Timeout

• Purple: Homophones of Celtics All-Time Greats

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections: Sports Edition #657 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Award: CUP, MEDAL, PLAQUE, TROPHY

• Baseball Tactics: DELAYED STEAL, HIT AND RUN, SACRIFICE, SQUEEZE

• Used During a Timeout: CHAIR, DRY ERASE BOARD, TOWEL, WATER BOTTLE

• Homophones of Celtics All-Time Greats: ALAN, BURRED, KOOZIE, PERISH

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

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

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

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

Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.

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

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

How to play Pips

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for July 12, 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for July 11, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for July 12 Pips

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 3-5, placed horizontally.

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

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

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 0-2, placed vertically; 3-1, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for July 12 Pips

Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 5-3, placed vertically.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 0-0, placed vertically.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-5, placed vertically.

Number (7): Everything in this space must add up to 7. The answer is 2-5, placed vertically; 4-1, placed horizontally; 1-0, placed vertically.

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

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

Hard difficulty hints, answers for July 12 Pips

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-2, placed vertically.

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

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

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

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 3-2, placed vertically.

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

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-3, placed vertically.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-5, placed vertically.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 5-1, placed horizontally.

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 5-1, placed horizontally.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 0-3, placed vertically.

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

Number (18): Everything in this space must add up to 18. The answer is 4-3, placed vertically; 3-6, placed horizontally; 2-5, placed vertically; 4-1, placed vertically.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 0-3, placed vertically.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 0-1, placed vertically.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 0-5, placed vertically.

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 4-1, placed vertically.

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

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 0-1, placed vertically.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 0-5, placed vertically.

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

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

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 1-2, placed horizontally.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 1-2, placed horizontally.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Apple and OpenAI are heading to court.

On Friday, July 10, Apple sued OpenAI, the artificial intelligence company led by CEO Sam Altman, and two former Apple employees, accusing the ChatGPT maker of obtaining confidential Apple information to help build its own consumer hardware.

The lawsuit names OpenAI’s commercial and nonprofit entities, its hardware company io Products, OpenAI Chief Hardware Officer Tang Yew Tan, and former Apple engineer Chang Liu. It was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

“This case is about Apple’s former employees stealing Apple’s trade secrets for the benefit of OpenAI,” Apple said in the complaint.

The filing contains claims involving secret project names, confidential presentations, Apple-issued laptops, physical hardware components, supplier relationships, and even instructions for getting through an Apple exit interview. It also arrives as OpenAI prepares to release its first consumer device with former Apple design chief Jony Ive.

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

There is a lot going on. Here are the 8 most important things to understand about the lawsuit, what Apple is actually alleging, and what could happen next.

Our big Guessing Game is back! Enter now for a chance to win an Apple watch.

1. Apple is accusing OpenAI of more than simply hiring its employees

The first important distinction is that it is generally legal for one company to recruit employees from a competitor.

A former Apple engineer is allowed to accept a job at OpenAI. That engineer is also allowed to use general knowledge, professional experience, and skills developed over the course of a career. Apple does not own everything a person learned while working there.

A trade secret is different— it is valuable information that is not publicly known and that a company has taken reasonable steps to protect. That could include an unreleased product design, a private manufacturing process, a confidential list of suppliers, or technical specifications for a component that has not yet reached the market.

Apple alleges that OpenAI did not merely hire people with experience. It says OpenAI used those employees and its recruiting process to obtain protected documents, designs, physical parts, manufacturing knowledge, and information about unreleased products.

In plain language, Apple’s argument is essentially this: OpenAI was free to hire Apple engineers, but it was not free to ask them to bring Apple’s files and hardware along with them.

That remains Apple’s version of events. A complaint lays out what the plaintiff says happened; it is not a court ruling that those allegations are true. OpenAI's Director of Strategic Communications Drew Pusateri has denied wanting or using Apple’s confidential information with a statement on X:

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. 2. The lawsuit is really about OpenAI becoming a hardware competitor

Apple and OpenAI were publicly working together only two years ago.

In 2024, Apple announced that ChatGPT would be integrated into Siri, Apple’s systemwide Writing Tools, and other Apple Intelligence features. The arrangement allowed users to send certain questions to ChatGPT directly from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

The relationship became more complicated when OpenAI moved beyond software and began developing its own consumer device.

In 2025, OpenAI acquired io Products, the hardware startup created by Ive, Tan, and several other former Apple employees, in a deal valued at roughly $6.5 billion. Ive, who helped design products including the iPhone, iMac, and Apple Watch during his time at Apple, is working with OpenAI on the device but is not personally named as a defendant in Apple’s lawsuit.

OpenAI has offered few concrete details about what it is making. The company has described the project as a new kind of AI device that would move beyond the familiar structure of screens, apps, keyboards, and smartphones. Its first hardware product is expected as soon as the end of 2026.

That context matters because Apple is not suing over information used to improve ChatGPT; rather, it alleges that its secrets were taken to help build physical products that could compete with Apple’s hardware business.

Apple says the information at issue covers product architecture, battery systems, circuit boards, component selection, manufacturing equipment, metal-finishing methods, supply-chain relationships, and unreleased product plans.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. 3. Apple says OpenAI turned job interviews into information-gathering sessions

Some of the lawsuit’s most striking allegations involve how OpenAI interviewed Apple employees.

Tan spent more than 24 years at Apple and most recently served as vice president of product design for the iPhone and Apple Watch. He later helped found io and is now OpenAI’s chief hardware officer. Because he had worked on confidential Apple programs, Apple says he knew the company’s internal terminology, project names, suppliers, and development process.

According to the lawsuit, Tan used that knowledge while interviewing current Apple employees for jobs at OpenAI.

Apple alleges that he referred to at least one unreleased Apple project by its internal codename before asking a candidate about the company’s plans for it. To someone outside Apple, the name would have meant very little. To an employee working on the project, it would have signaled exactly what Tan wanted to discuss.

Candidates were also allegedly required to prepare “Technical Deep Dive” presentations about their work. Apple says the instructions asked for details including how components were selected, which vendors were used, what software supported system integration, and how engineers communicated with suppliers.

Those questions may sound like ordinary technical interview questions. Apple’s argument is that, when directed at current employees working on secret projects, they were asking candidates to disclose information that belonged to Apple.

The filing also alleges that Tan told candidates to bring “actual parts” from Apple to their interviews for “show and tell” sessions. Those parts allegedly included batteries, logic boards, systems-in-package, shields, and other physical components.

One candidate appeared surprised by the request, according to messages quoted in the filing, and said they “didn’t even know we could take those from the office.”

Apple says the interview process also generated evidence that now appears in the lawsuit. In one example, an employee allegedly began screenshotting and downloading files related to a highly confidential Apple project in the hours before an OpenAI interview. During the interview, Tan allegedly asked about that same project.

Apple says it found the activity by reviewing access records and server logs connected to its own systems. In other words, the candidate allegedly used an Apple computer to retrieve the files, leaving a record inside the systems from which the information was being taken.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. 4. Apple says one former engineer kept a laptop and continued accessing its files

The lawsuit’s other central figure is Liu, who spent more than eight years at Apple as a senior system electrical engineer working on the iPhone before joining OpenAI in January 2026.

Apple alleges that Liu failed to return an Apple-issued laptop when he left the company. It also says he later discovered an authentication vulnerability that continued to give him access to Apple’s cloud-based file storage after his employment had ended.

According to the complaint, Liu did not report the apparent security problem. Apple says he instead used it to continue accessing confidential engineering materials while already employed by OpenAI.

The lawsuit alleges that Liu downloaded dozens of files containing technical specifications, engineering presentations, circuit-board information, and details about unannounced products. One compilation allegedly contained more than 1,000 pages of technical materials.

Apple also points to messages Liu allegedly sent after discovering that his access still worked. In one, he reportedly wrote to an Apple employee: “LOL, I found out I can access the [server], so funny.”

That detail is important because it could help Apple argue that the access was not accidental. Accidentally discovering that an old login still functions is one thing. Continuing to use it to download files after acknowledging the unexpected access is another.

Apple also alleges that Liu helped another Apple employee prepare for an OpenAI interview. He allegedly directed her toward specific confidential folders, advised her about what information to review, and discussed how files could be copied without attracting the attention of Apple’s security team.

The complaint says Liu eventually encouraged the employee to stop communicating through Apple devices and move their conversation to LINE, a separate messaging app. The employee later joined OpenAI. Liu has not publicly responded to the allegations.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. 5. Apple says recruits were coached on how to avoid its exit-security procedures

When an employee leaves a company like Apple, the departure involves more than returning a badge and laptop.

The company may disable system access, examine recent downloads, recover devices, remind the employee of confidentiality agreements, and ask questions about where the person is going next. These procedures are designed to make sure confidential materials do not leave with the employee.

Apple alleges that OpenAI knew how those procedures worked and coached recruits on how to navigate or avoid them.

According to the filing, Tan circulated an internal Apple document marked “Need to Know” that explained Apple’s security process for departing employees. Apple says the document was intended only for certain Apple managers but was shared with recruits before they had even told Apple they were leaving.

That would mean the recruits allegedly knew in advance what Apple’s security team might inspect, what questions might be asked, and when their access could be cut off.

Apple also claims OpenAI advised departing employees not to disclose that they had accepted jobs with the company. Recruits were allegedly told not to sign documents during Apple exit interviews and to contact OpenAI immediately if Apple asked them to sign anything.

The lawsuit says Apple found a pattern among employees leaving for OpenAI: some skipped exit interviews, ignored messages from Apple’s security team, provided little or no notice, or otherwise avoided the usual departure process.

Apple is using those examples to argue that the alleged conduct was coordinated rather than the work of one person independently deciding to take files.

OpenAI now employs more than 400 former Apple employees, according to the complaint. That number is not evidence of wrongdoing by itself. The significant question is whether any of those workers brought protected Apple information with them and whether OpenAI knowingly requested, received, or used it.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. 6. Apple says OpenAI also went through its suppliers

Apple’s allegations extend beyond employees and interviews.

Modern hardware companies rely on complicated networks of suppliers that make batteries, chips, displays, enclosures, circuit boards, and manufacturing equipment. Apple also develops specialized processes with some of those partners that are not available to competitors.

The lawsuit alleges that OpenAI used information from former Apple employees to approach companies within that supply chain.

In one example, Apple says OpenAI asked a trusted manufacturing partner to demonstrate a proprietary metal-finishing technique. The technique allegedly involved a multi-step process developed by Apple to produce a particular appearance and physical finish on its devices.

Apple says the supplier was contractually prohibited from performing that work for other companies. OpenAI allegedly led the partner to believe that Apple had authorized the demonstration. According to Apple, it had not.

The complaint also says OpenAI approached a longtime Apple supplier involved in battery and power manufacturing. Former Apple employees allegedly used internal terminology to ask targeted questions about specific components and processes.

This part of the lawsuit could be particularly important because it moves the allegations beyond files sitting on an employee’s computer. Apple is claiming that confidential information was put to practical use while OpenAI was developing hardware.

OpenAI has not announced the design or component list for its device, so it is not publicly possible to determine whether any Apple technology appears in it. That is one reason Apple says it needs the lawsuit’s discovery process.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. 7. Apple wants access to the evidence behind OpenAI’s device

Apple says it contacted OpenAI in February and asked the company to investigate its concerns. According to the lawsuit, OpenAI did not respond. Apple filed its complaint roughly five months later.

Apple is asking for damages, but money is only part of what it wants.

The company is also seeking an injunction, which is a court order requiring someone to do or stop doing something. Apple wants OpenAI barred from possessing, using, or disclosing its alleged trade secrets. It also wants confidential materials returned and evidence connected to the case preserved.

“Preserved” means the defendants could be required to retain relevant emails, messages, files, designs, access logs, and internal documents rather than deleting or changing them while the lawsuit moves forward.

Apple also expects to use discovery. Discovery is the part of a lawsuit in which each side can demand relevant evidence from the other. Depending on what a judge allows, Apple could seek internal OpenAI communications, recruiting records, design documents, supplier correspondence, and information showing how the company developed its device.

That does not automatically mean OpenAI will have to prove every component was developed independently before its product can launch. Apple would have to persuade the court that its evidence supports such restrictions, and OpenAI will have opportunities to challenge the allegations and the scope of Apple’s requests.

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

Still, the timing is significant. OpenAI is moving toward its first hardware release, and Apple is asking a court to determine whether any part of that hardware operation depends on confidential Apple information.

Apple describes the conduct in sweeping terms, alleging that OpenAI’s hardware business is “rotten to its core” because of its supposed reliance on misappropriated trade secrets. OpenAI has denied that it wants another company’s secrets, and none of Apple’s claims has yet been proven in court.

Online, the immediate reaction treated the lawsuit like a particularly messy Silicon Valley breakup. Others focused on the employees at the center of Apple’s allegations, questioning how someone could spend decades helping build the company’s most important products and then (allegedly) carry confidential information into a rival operation.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. 8. OpenAI is already fighting lawsuits on several fronts

Apple’s complaint arrives while OpenAI is dealing with legal challenges involving trade secrets, copyright, its corporate structure, and the safety of ChatGPT.

The closest comparison is a lawsuit Elon Musk’s xAI filed against OpenAI in September 2025, accusing the company of stealing confidential information after recruiting employees from the rival AI company. The case also focused partly on information disclosed during the hiring process.

A federal judge dismissed the original complaint on in February, but allowed xAI to revise its claims. The judge eventually dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice on June 15, finding that xAI had not shown OpenAI encouraged a former engineer to reveal trade secrets or that OpenAI employees knew he might have done so.

Musk separately sued OpenAI, CEO Sam Altman, and President Greg Brockman over claims that they had abandoned the organization’s original nonprofit mission. A federal jury ruled against Musk in May after finding that he waited too long to file the case. The verdict turned on the statute of limitations and did not decide whether OpenAI had actually violated its founding commitments. Musk says he plans to appeal.

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

OpenAI is also facing a growing group of cases focused on the safety of ChatGPT.

Florida sued OpenAI and Altman on June 1, accusing the company of aggressively marketing ChatGPT to children while concealing serious risks and disregarding safety warnings. The state alleges that the chatbot facilitated harmful behavior, including self-harm and violence, and collected information from minors without meaningful parental consent. OpenAI has disputed the copyright allegations and has said it continues to strengthen safeguards involving minors, self-harm, and threats of violence.

The government of British Columbia also announced July 7 that it had retained lawyers in Canada and California to explore legal action against OpenAI following the February mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School (the province has not yet filed its own lawsuit). It says internal OpenAI reports showed that the company’s safety teams flagged violent prompts connected to the shooter months before the attack but did not notify law enforcement. Families affected by the shooting have already filed separate cases against OpenAI in California.

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

Meanwhile, The New York Times, the New York Daily News, authors, and other publishers are pursuing copyright cases that accuse OpenAI of improperly using protected material to train its AI models.

It's clear OpenAI is actively trying to build the future. But, increasingly, it is also being asked to defend how it built it.

TL;DR: Live stream Norway vs. England in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free on ITVX. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN, an Official Supporter of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is reaching its dramatic conclusion. One half of the semi-final stage has already been decided, and now Norway face off against England for a place in the final four.

England came through an epic clash with Mexico in the last round, relying on goals from Bellingham and Kane. Norway shocked the world by beating Brazil thanks to two goals from Erling Haaland. Can the Manchester City striker do the same against England? It's going to be a fascinating battle between two confident sides.

If you want to watch Norway vs. England in the 2026 FIFA World Cup from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Norway vs. England?

Norway vs. England in the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off at 5 p.m. ET on July 11. This fixture takes place at the Miami Stadium.

How to watch Norway vs. England for free

Norway vs. England in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is available to live stream for free on ITVX.

ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock ITVX to live stream the 2026 World Cup for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Norway vs. England for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK

4. Visit ITVX

5. Watch Norway vs. England for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the 2026 World Cup without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Norway vs. England (plus more World Cup fixtures) before recovering your investment.

ExpressVPN's regular 30-day money-back guarantee is not available for any subscriptions purchased during the FIFA World Cup between June 10 and July 11. ExpressVPN remains our top pick for sport, but you will need to pay the monthly rate. Alternatively, Proton VPN still offers that all-important money-back guarantee.

What is the best VPN for ITVX?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on ITVX, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99. That covers you for the duration of the World Cup.

Live stream Norway vs. England in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free.

Phia’s browser extension was supposed to help shoppers find better deals, but it may also have redirected affiliate commissions to itself. Let us explain.

A celebrity-backed shopping startup co-founded by Bill Gates's daughter Phoebe Gates and her former Stanford University roommate Sophia Kianni has been suspended from affiliate platform Impact.com. The suspension came after a July 9 Bloomberg investigation found that its browser extension claimed credit for purchases it did not actually generate.

Testing conducted separately by Bloomberg, Capital One Shopping, and independent researcher Ben Edelman found that Phia could silently open a new browser tab during checkout and load its own affiliate link to the retailer. In some cases, that replaced the tracking code belonging to the website, advertisement, or publisher that originally sent the shopper there.

The practice is known as “cookie stuffing” or attribution fraud. In plain terms, Phia could receive credit, and potentially a commission, for a purchase even when the shopper had not discovered the product through Phia or interacted with one of its recommendations.

Our big Guessing Game is back! Enter now for a chance to win an Apple watch.

Affiliate marketing normally works by assigning a unique link to a publisher, creator, or shopping platform. When a shopper follows that link and completes a purchase, the retailer can identify which affiliate generated the sale and pay it a commission.

According to Bloomberg, Phia’s extension sometimes inserted itself at the end of that process. A shopper could arrive at a retailer independently or through another publisher, only for Phia to replace the original referral code as the shopper approached checkout.

In one test described in the investigation, Bloomberg followed a Nordstrom link from a Wirecutter article about Fourth of July deals. Phia allegedly opened another tab in the background during checkout and replaced Wirecutter’s referral information with its own. The extension reportedly behaved similarly when Bloomberg reached a shopping site through a paid advertisement from another publisher.

Impact.com suspended the company after being alerted to the behavior, and the platform told Bloomberg that activity within the extension appeared to be inconsistent with its policies and that it was reviewing potentially affected transactions. Social media immediately was abuzz with conversation, with some people upset while some defend the 23-year-old co-founder.

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

Phia acknowledged that there had been a problem, although the company characterized it as a software issue rather than an intentional business practice.

“Within the last 24 hours, we were made aware that in a recent release our codebase was causing misattributions from a subset of users,” a Phia spokesperson told Bloomberg. The company said its team worked through the night to identify and correct the issue.

Bloomberg retested the extension after contacting Phia and found that it had stopped automatically claiming the referral click. Independent researchers also reportedly confirmed that the behavior was no longer occurring. It remains unclear whether the fix will be enough to satisfy Impact.com, retailers, and other affiliate partners reviewing the affected transactions.

Phia launched in April 2025 as an AI-powered shopping assistant available through a mobile app and browser extension. The product is often described as a version of Google Flights for shopping. While someone browses clothing or accessories online, Phia searches more than 40,000 retail and resale websites for the same item, similar products, lower prices, and discount codes. It can also compare a full-price product with secondhand listings, helping shoppers decide whether to buy it new or look for a cheaper resale option.

The company makes money in part through affiliate commissions. When Phia directs a user to a retailer and that person completes a purchase through its link, the retailer may pay the startup a percentage of the sale. That makes accurate referral tracking central to Phia’s business model: The code attached to the purchase determines which platform gets credit and potentially gets paid.

Phia grew quickly after its launch. Within its first week, the app reportedly reached No. 21 on Apple’s App Store and by September 2025, the company said it had crossed 500,000 downloads.

Its funding grew almost as quickly. Phia raised an $8 million seed round in September 2025, followed by roughly $35 million in additional funding in January 2026. The later round pushed its reported valuation to approximately $185 million less than a year after launch and brought its total funding to more than $43 million.

Phia has also attracted an investor roster that looks less like a cap table and more like a Coachella lineup. Backers include Khloé Kardashian, Hailey Bieber, Sydney Sweeney, Paris Hilton, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Jessica Alba, Mindy Kaling, Ice Spice, Alix Earle, Karlie Kloss, and The Chainsmokers, alongside a collection of tech executives and venture capital firms.

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

Some have compared the situation to Honey, the PayPal-owned coupon extension that has also been accused of replacing creators’ affiliate links with its own during checkout. Honey remains the subject of an ongoing class action lawsuit, and PayPal has disputed claims that the extension improperly took commissions from creators.

The Phia allegations also arrive after an earlier controversy involving the amount of information collected by its browser extension. In November 2025, cybersecurity researchers found that the extension was transmitting copies of webpages users visited back to the company’s servers, including pages unrelated to shopping.

Those pages could include sensitive websites such as email inboxes and bank accounts, according to the report. Phia said the data was anonymous, was used to determine which websites involved shopping, and was not stored. The company removed the feature after concerns were raised and said it would limit its collection to website URLs.

Phia says the affiliate issue has been fixed, but Impact.com is still reviewing what happened and whether any transactions require further action. The extension may have stopped opening tabs in the background, but Phia’s affiliate business is now getting a very public checkout.

EA Sports announced it will remove all paid progression options from College Football 27's Dynasty and Road to Glory modes, reversing a decision that drew significant backlash from fans and content creators following the game's launch.

View this post on Instagram

In a statement posted to social media during the game's launch week, the developer acknowledged that player feedback indicated the microtransactions "missed the mark."

SEE ALSO: 'EA College Football 27': Road to Glory review

The studio said the paid options had been "added independent of deeper mode progression with the aim to give players more choice," but conceded that "what you've said is that they're not adding the value we intended." EA said the changes would take effect the following morning, though it warned that players with existing College Point balances would lose the ability to apply them to Road to Glory or Dynasty once the features were removed, urging fans to spend their points beforehand.

Our big Guessing Game is back! Enter now for a chance to win an Apple Watch.

The reversal follows a wave of criticism after College Football 27's release, with fans organizing around the hashtag #CFBPlayDontPay to voice frustration over microtransactions appearing in the game's single-player offline modes. The system allowed players to spend real money to instantly boost their coach or player's development. For example, maxing out a coach in Dynasty from the start could cost as much as $100, more than the price of the game itself.

Compounding the frustration, EA also removed sliders that let players in College Football 25 and 26 manually adjust how much experience they earned, a feature that had let people level up faster without paying. With that option gone, spending money became the only way to speed up progression, which is what drove much of the backlash.

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

Notably, the statement stopped short of ruling out microtransactions from the franchise going forward. EA said its "goal for live service plans in CFB28 and beyond will be to deliver valuable features and content with greater transparency and communication" — language suggesting paid content will return in some form in next year's edition, even as the company walks back the current game's implementation.

Following a lighthearted week of quality time and family reunions, Love Island USA finally announced the four couples competing for the $100,000 first-place prize.

After Corbin and Parmida were dumped from the villa in Season 8, episode 29, there were six couples left standing: Aniya and Carl, Kayda and Zach, Kenzie and Dylan, Melanie and Sincere, Tierra and KC, and Trinity and Bryce. The next few days were full of fun challenges like The Girls pranking The Boys, The Girls enjoying a fun waterpark-themed getaway from the villa, and the Islanders meeting each other’s family members for the first time.

Season 8, Episode 33 kicked off with a "mouthwatering" couples’ challenge, in which each islander had to transfer food items in water (like sardines) or condiments (like ketchup) from their mouth into their partner’s mouth. After the challenge, the couples had a few more tough pills (or, in this case, fortune cookies) to swallow at dinner that night: they found out the results of a public vote that decided which four couples were heading to the finale, and which two couples were going home.

One by one, the couples cracked open their fortune cookies, revealing whether they were safe. The final four were revealed to be Aniya and Carl, Trinity and Bryce, Melanie and Sincere, and Kayda and Zach.

Our big Guessing Game is back! Enter now for a chance to win an Apple Watch.

This left two couples dumped from the villa: Kenzie and Dylan, and Tierra and KC.

X users were sad to see them go, especially those who thought that Tierra and KC had a stronger connection than other couples in the villa. KC had just asked Tierra to be his girlfriend in Season 8, episode 31, which made the dumping even more shocking to viewers.

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

However, viewers were elated that Kenzie didn’t say goodbye without squatting down for one last iconic split.

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

While the islanders shared an emotional goodbye with Kenzie, Dylan, Tierra, and KC, they took the time to appreciate the genuine friendships they built in the villa – embodying what viewers called "Friendship Island" this season.

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

What makes the final four couples especially memorable this season is that the four girls are each part of the original group of islanders that we were introduced to in Season 8, episode 1, with X users saying that we have a "core four" finale in our midst. 

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

Now that the final four couples have been revealed, we’re only a few episodes away from finding out which couple will be crowned the winners of Love Island USA Season 8.

The season finale is scheduled to air on Sunday, July 12, 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT on Peacock.

The year is only halfway through, yet 2026 has already been filled with data breaches, hacks, and cybersecurity incidents.

So let's take a look back at the biggest cybersecurity breaches of 2026 so far. Mashable has picked the six most impactful incidents. There's likely lessons to be learned in order to protect yourself for the rest of the year.

Here they are, in no particular order.

Grand Theft Auto VI fans and Rockstar Games

GTA 6, the most anticipated video game for the past decade, will finally be released this year. And malicious actors are already targeting its fans and even the game's developer.

Fake GTA 6 pre-order websites, fake GTA 6 mobile apps, and even fake sites that copy legitimate game download platforms have been popping up since developer Rockstar Games confirmed a late 2026 launch for the game.

It's unclear just how many users have already been affected, but it's obviously growing, as hackers will continue to target Grand Theft Auto gamers up until the game's release and likely well beyond.

Not even Rockstar Games is safe. Earlier this year, the now-infamous hacker collective ShinyHunters announced that it had breached the game developer's networks. ShinyHackers sought out a ransom in exchange for not releasing the data it had stolen.

Rockstar downplayed the severity of the data breach, saying the breach occurred at a third-party provider. It also appeared that the data comprised corporate assets rather than private user information.

Instructure data breach

Edtech giant Instructure, the company behind the popular Learning Management System (LMS) Canvas, was a victim of what was easily one of the biggest breaches of the year so far.

The Instructure breach was also carried out by ShinyHunters, the hacking collective that is becoming quite notorious as the likely culprit behind so many data breaches. The stolen data in this breach included users' names, email addresses, student IDs, and private messages exchanged on the platform, which was used by a whopping 275 million users at nearly 9,000 schools around the world. These users included students, teachers, and school staff.

To make matters even worse, ShinyHunters breached Instructure's platforms again just one week after the company claimed it had fixed the security issues associated with the original data breach. This time, however, ShinyHunters defaced the login pages of specific schools.

The data breaches forced some schools to postpone final exams and assignments, as Instructure took its platforms offline to address the cybersecurity incidents.

ShinyHunters is well known for carrying out breaches and demanding a ransom in return for not releasing the data. It appears that Instructure struck a deal with ShinyHunters to prevent its users' data from being disseminated. It's certainly a worrying outcome that doesn't bode well for how future data breaches may pan out.

Conduent data breach

Conduent is a data management company whose clients include many major corporations, healthcare providers, and state agencies. So, when there's a data breach at an organization that handles sensitive data belonging to Humana and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, just to name a few, there is cause for concern.

Earlier this year, at least 25 million people in just two states were affected by a data breach at Conduent. A reported 15 million people were affected in Texas, which is just shy of half of the state's more than 31 million residents. Reports state that more than 10 million people were affected in Oregon.

According to Conduent, the unauthorized parties "obtained some files that contained individuals’ personal information, which came into our possession due to the services that we provide to your current and former health plan."

This data included users' names, Social Security numbers, medical information, and health insurance information.

That's a big cybersecurity incident involving some of the most sensitive user data that can be obtained.

Meta AI supports Instagram vulnerability

The most recent incident on this list perfectly encapsulates many of the unresolved cybersecurity issues with AI.

Meta rolled out an AI-powered support chatbot for Instagram. Hackers figured out they could simply request that the AI chatbot send a password reset link for any Instagram account to the hacker's email address. Meta AI support complied with the requests simply because the hacker told them they were the account owner and needed the chatbot to send the password reset link to a new email address.

Malicious actors were stealing highly followed Instagram accounts through this method and then selling them on online black markets.

Meta did eventually fix the issue, but affected users were still locked out of their accounts for a time.

This may not have been the biggest, most widespread hack on our list. But the method used to steal these Instagram accounts is certainly the fastest-growing tool in hackers' arsenal. We'll be seeing many more bad actors tricking easy-to-fool AI-powered systems in the very near future.

DarkSword spyware

What if a hacker could steal a smartphone's data with nothing more than their target visiting a website?

DarkSword spyware, which could do just that, had Google and numerous cybersecurity firms ringing the alarm bells earlier this year.

Google Threat Intelligence Group and cybersecurity companies Lookout and iVerify laid out their findings in March, showing how malicious actors were exploiting vulnerabilities in Apple's iPhone to siphon data from a device after the target visited an infected website.

Call logs, contacts, iMessage and WhatsApp data, email, calendars, notes, photos, screenshots, location history, web browser history, signed-in account identities, device keychains, SIM card info, Find My Phone settings, WiFi passwords, iCloud content, and more were all able to be pulled from a malicious actor using DarkSword.

Nearly 25 percent of all iPhones are still running some version of iOS 18, the iPhone operating system that was susceptible to the attack. This meant that there were potentially hundreds of millions of iOS devices on which DarkSword could be deployed.

According to the reports, Russian hacker groups were already deploying the spyware "to fully compromise devices."

To make matters worse, DarkSword was soon released into the wild shortly after the cybersecurity firms warned about it.

Apple did release updates and important information for users who were susceptible to the spyware. However, the existence of such an exploit shows just how easy it's becoming for bad actors to carry out an attack.

WeedHack

Speaking of how easy it is to get hacked, WeedHack may be the perfect example of how accessible it is to become an attacker, too.

A recent report from McAfee Labs detailed a new hacker tool being offered as a $5 per month service to aspiring attackers who may not have the technical know-how to carry out a campaign themselves. 

WeedHack is a malware that's deployed under the guise of a Minecraft client or mod. Once a device is infected, an attacker can collect system information, search for files on the infected device, take screenshots of the target's system, and steal cookies and passwords from the target's web browser. And that's just the free version.

For $5 per month, an attacker could also gain webcam access to the infected device, keylogging capabilities, screen sharing with keyboard and mouse access, file management features for uploading and downloading files, and more.

Perhaps the most concerning revelation, however, was just how WeedHack was being used.

McAfee Labs uncovered a Telegram channel for WeedHack's customer base and found it was largely used by teenagers and young adults who were using the malware to cyberbully other young people, threatening, harassing, and spying on victims. 

Malware-as-a-service has existed before, but WeedHack seems to be ushering in something that goes well beyond just your typical cybersecurity issues.

It's so hot (it's the heat). I've already sweltered my way through two severe heatwaves so far this summer: first a record-breaking scorcher during a trip to London, then a good old-fashioned corn-sweater in my homeland of Chicago. What better time to be trying out the new Dyson HushJet Mini Cool?

Dyson launched its first-ever bladeless portable fan in April, positioning it as a more powerful and thoughtfully designed alternative to the trendy handheld fans sold for $10ish on Amazon, Shein, Temu, and TikTok Shop. It's not that cheap, as to be expected with a Dyson gadget, coming in at a crisp $99.99. Yet it's much less expensive than the $149.99 Shark ChillPill, another premium portable fan that beat it to the market by a month. (The Shark vs. Dyson rivalry abides.)

My colleague Samantha Mangino previously reviewed the ChillPill and really liked it, but ultimately decided it's not worth buying at full price. After months of testing, I've got a verdict for the HushJet Mini Cool.

It's super lightweight... and lampreian The HushJet Mini Cool comes in three colorways, including stone/blush (pictured here), ink/cobalt, and carnelian/sky. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The HushJet Mini Cool has a tubular body that hides a brushless DC motor. It funnels air from a cluster of small intake holes up through a starburst-shaped nozzle. There's a clear plastic shell around this nozzle and a honeycomb-shaped grill over the top. You can twist the plastic shell to point the nozzle upwards. Dyson throws in a lanyard so you can wear it around your neck, plus a stand and a velvet travel pouch.

On an aesthetic level, it's a little off-putting. A visit to London's Natural History Museum made me realize that the HushJet Mini Cool looks exactly like a beheaded sea lamprey. I've seen some folks accuse it of doing a Dune sandworm impression. Still others have deemed it "the Dyson butthole fan" and likened it to a sex toy. (The fleshy stone/blush colorway doesn't help its case there; I'd go for the ink/cobalt or carnelian/sky finishes instead.)

Look, if I had to see it, so did you. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable The resemblance is uncanny. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

But there's actually a lot of merit to the HushJet Mini Cool's strange design. Without the bulk of blades and a wired guard, it fits easily in small bags and doesn't get caught on things. Plus, it only weighs 0.46 pounds, or just five ounces more than my iPhone 15 Pro. One day, I put it in my purse before leaving for errands and forgot it was there until hours later, when I reached for my wallet at a coffee shop. (It fits perfectly inside a one-liter belt bag, FWIW.)

I can also attest to the HushJet Mini Cool's durability. I pulled an "Australian guy unboxing his new iPhone 6" with my review unit, and the only evidence is a barely visible scuff on its nozzle's shell.

Out, damned spots! Out, I say! Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

While its design is sleek and sturdy, it's not flawless. Holding the HushJet Mini Cool naturally means your palm inevitably covers a patch of its intake holes, blocking some airflow. Additionally, specks of dirt can get trapped between the nozzle and its shell, and they're very hard to clean out. A Q-tip is too big — you'll probably need an air compressor (or a second HushJet Mini Cool).

SEE ALSO: The Shark BlastBoss uses blasts of air to clean spots a vacuum can't. I keep finding new ways to use it. So anyway, I started blasting The HushJet Mini Cool comes with a strap so you can wear it around your neck. It's very lightweight, so you won't strain a muscle. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The best thing about the HushJet Mini Cool is how powerful it is. There are five standard airflow speed settings to choose from, plus a Boost mode that you can enable by holding the top of its speed control button. Its lowest setting is relatively tame but still produces a nice, concentrated breeze if you hold it close to your skin. (This is the only setting you can use while it's charging, FYI.) At settings two and up, it gusts.

Dyson says the HushJet Mini Cool can hit airflow speeds of up to 80 feet per second, or 55mph. I didn't have an anemometer on hand to verify that, but I believe it. The upper speed settings cooled me off in seconds, and the Boost mode turned it into a handheld jet engine — you can still feel its blowing from five feet away. Dyson's engineers crammed an astounding amount of wind into this little guy.

The HushJet Mini Cool includes a neck strap, a travel pouch, a stand, and a charging cable. Dyson will start selling a grip clip and universal mount later this summer. (They'll cost extra.) Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The trade-off is that it's loud and annoying. The lowest speed setting produces a conspicuous motorized whir, while the stronger ones make a vrooming sound with a high-pitched tone, almost like a dog whistle. It sounds just like a vacuum or hair dryer. (Hey, Dyson should make those!) My colleague Leah Stodart thought Dyson's HushJet air purifier lived up to the "Hush" part of its name, but I can't say the same for this fan.

There was one particularly blistering day in London when I walked several blocks with the HushJet Mini Cool on the fifth setting. I might as well have been holding a sign that said "TOURIST!!!" in big red letters. Though its cooling relief was welcome, I felt bad for subjecting passersby to its racket.

Battery life is decent for how powerful it is A red indicator light on the back of the HushJet Mini Cool tells you when its battery is getting low. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The HushJet Mini Cool has a 5,000 mAh battery capacity and charges via USB-C. In my testing, it lasted six hours and 29 minutes on the lowest speed setting — a hair longer than Dyson's advertised six hours — and at the highest (non-Boost) setting, it held out for 50 minutes. That's not bad when you consider how hard its motor works. It won't go all day, but it'll at least get you through the hottest part of an afternoon.

When the HushJet Mini Cool is running low on juice, you'll see a teeny-tiny red indicator light on the back of its base (right above the charging port). My review unit reached a full charge in about two and a half hours, which is slightly faster than Dyson's rated charging time of three hours.

Is the Dyson HushJet Mini Cool worth it? Holding the HushJet Mini Cool *without* blocking its intake holes means holding it kind of awkwardly. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The HushJet Mini Cool's compact design and super-strong airflow make a persuasive case for it, but I think most people will deem it overkill — both in terms of power and price. Much cheaper portable fans we've tried here at Mashable suit the average person's cooling-down needs just fine, and they don't sound as obnoxious.

I'd really only recommend buying a HushJet Mini Cool if you find it on sale, and you plan on using it mainly in outdoor settings (or a loud bar) where it won't be a nuisance. (I'm thinking golf, picnics, and music festivals — definitely not weddings.) Maybe pick up a pair of earplugs while you're at it.

Without having tried the Shark ChillPill myself, it seems like a better buy if you've decided to splurge on your next portable fan. While it's slightly heavier and even more expensive, it lasts almost twice as long and has a fun party trick with its swappable misting and cooling attachments. Mashable's Mangino told me that it's also loud, but not shrill.

Dyson HushJet Mini Cool $99.99 at Best Buy
  Shop Now at Best Buy Shop Now at Dyson Shop Now at Amazon

TL;DR: Slurpee Day is back this summer, landing on Saturday, July 11. Customers can grab a free small Slurpee drink from participating 7-Eleven, Speedway, and Stripes stores nationwide.

Summer is quite literally heating up, but 7-Eleven is here to help you stay cool with the return of its mega-popular Slurpee Day. And better yet, the iconic drink is turning 60 this year, so 7-Eleven has a couple more surprises in store for customers.

Landing on Saturday, July 11 (that's 7/11, by the way), Slurpee Day will kick off at participating 7-Eleven, Speedway, and Stripes stores nationwide, with each handing out free small Slurpee drinks to celebrate. If you want to get in on the fun earlier, you can actually score a free large Slurpee drink on July 10 if you make a minimum $20 purchase through the 7NOW delivery app.

There's also a brand new flavor to enjoy this year: Mountain Dew Confetti Chill. If you're curious what that tastes like, 7-Eleven says it "blends bright citrus flavor with notes of sweet vanilla icing, giving fans a zesty lemon cake treat in frozen drink form." It's only available until Aug. 29, so summertime will be your big opportunity to taste this chilly new release. The fun certainly doesn't stop there, though.

Select 7-Eleven and Speedway stores will also be hosting a Slurpee Date experience on Slurpee Day. Whether you're planning to share a Slurpee with a partner or grab one with a friend, this experience will include a photo-op bench, commemorative keepsakes, and limited-edition, bedazzled Slurpee “S” double straws that are "inspired by the brand's diamond anniversary," per the press release.

Romantic, right? Credit: 7-Eleven

What better way to spend a summer day? Don't miss out on all the fun of Slurpee Day on July 11.

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

Apple TV is set to stream another month of baseball doubleheaders. The streaming service and Major League Baseball just unveiled the August schedule for Friday Night Baseball so you can start planning the rest of your summer viewing.

The August lineup is highlighted by two of baseball's most iconic rivalries, the New York Yankees vs. the Boston Red Sox on Aug. 28 and breakout star Jordan Walker and the St. Louis Cardinals vs. three-time All-Star Alex Bregman and the Chicago Cubs in a matinee game on Aug. 14. And there's more where that came from, including repeat appearances from some of the league's top contenders this season.

Here's a breakdown of the Friday Night Baseball schedule next month.

August 7

• Baltimore Orioles at Texas Rangers — 8 p.m. ET

• Tampa Bay Rays at Seattle Mariners — 9:30 p.m. ET

August 14

• St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs — 2 p.m. ET

• New York Yankees at Toronto Blue Jays — 7 p.m. ET

August 21

• Tampa Bay Rays at Baltimore Orioles — 7 p.m. ET

• Los Angeles Angels at Texas Rangers — 8 p.m. ET

August 28

• Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees — 7 p.m. ET

• Seattle Mariners at Toronto Blue Jays — 7 p.m. ET

Apple TV will continue its weekly Friday night doubleheaders throughout the regular season. These broadcasts include live pre- and postgame shows with expert commentary and are free of local broadcast restrictions. In other words, anyone with an Apple TV subscription can tune in live. They're also exclusive to Apple TV, meaning you can't watch these games elsewhere.

How to watch Friday Night Baseball live

To access Friday Night Baseball through Apple TV, you'll need an Apple TV subscription. And yes, that includes free trials. Subscriptions cost $12.99 per month after a free seven-day trial in most cases. There are also a few ways to save on a subscription, including a discounted rate through T-Mobile, bundling it with Peacock, or purchasing a new Apple device.

Sign up for Apple TV: Apple TV (Monthly Subscription) Free 7-day trial, then $12.99/month Get Deal Apple TV (Trial) Free 3-month subscription with purchase of new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, or Mac Get Deal Apple TV + Peacock Premium $14.99/month (save $8/month) Get Deal Apple TV + Peacock Premium Plus $19.99/month (save $9.99/month) Get Deal Apple TV $3/month with select T-Mobile plans (save $9.99/month) Get Deal

TL;DR: Live stream Muchová vs. Nosková in the 2026 Wimbledon final for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Wimbledon has delivered exactly what we all hoped: fast-paced tennis between top players, shock results, new stars, and so much more.

Now we've reached finals weekend, with Muchová facing off against Nosková for the women's singles trophy. This contest between two Czech players is really tough to call — they're the ninth and 10th seeds, after all. Neither player has ever won a Grand Slam title. In fact, this is Nosková's first time past the quarter-final stage.

Muchová beat Coco Gauff in the semi final, delivering a truly astounding performance to overcome the American in a final-set tie-break. Nosková overcame Kostyuk in straight sets, setting up what looks like an epic final on centre court.

If you want to watch Muchová vs. Nosková in the 2026 Wimbledon final for free from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

How to watch Muchová vs. Nosková for free

Muchová vs. Nosková in the 2026 Wimbledon final is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer.

BBC iPlayer is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock free live streams on sites like BBC iPlayer from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Wimbledon 2026 for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK

4. Visit BBC iPlayer

5. Live stream Wimbledon 2026 for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer money-back guarantees and free trials. By leveraging these offers, you can unblock BBC iPlayer without committing with your cash. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it gives you plenty of time to live stream Wimbledon 2026 before recovering your investment. It's a sneaky trick, but it works.

ExpressVPN's regular 30-day money back guarantee is not available for any subscriptions purchased during the FIFA World Cup between June 10 and July 11. ExpressVPN remains our top pick for Wimbledon, but you will need to pay the monthly rate. Alternatively, Proton VPN still offers that all-important money-back guarantee.

What is the best VPN for Wimbledon?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for streaming live sport on free platforms like BBC iPlayer, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast streaming speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

TL;DR: Watch Argentina vs. Wales in the 2026 Nations Championship for free on ITVX. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The second week of the 2026 Nations Championship wraps up with a big game as Argentina host Wales.

Argentina are looking for their first win, having dropped their opening game against Scotland. But Wales are buoyed by a big win over Fiji last week, which put them at the top of the northern hemisphere conference. Can Argentina stop them? Or will Wales make it two for two?

If you're interested in watching the 2026 Nations Championship from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Argentina vs. Wales?

Argentina vs. Wales in the 2026 Nations Championship kicks off at 8:10 p.m. BST on July 11. This fixture takes place at San Juan Del Bicentario Stadium, Argentina.

How to watch Argentina vs. Wales for free

Argentina vs. Wales in the 2026 Nations Championship is available to live stream for free on ITVX.

ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can livestream the 2026 Nations Championship for free from anywhere in the world.

Livestream Argentina vs. Wales in the 2026 Nations Championship for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK

4. Visit ITVX

5. Watch Argentina vs. Wales for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch the 2026 Nations Championship without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream multiple weekends before recovering your investment.

ExpressVPN's regular 30-day money-back guarantee is not available for any subscriptions purchased during the FIFA World Cup between June 10 and July 11. ExpressVPN remains our top pick for sport, but you will need to pay the monthly rate until that offer comes back into play. Alternatively, Proton VPN still offers that all-important money-back guarantee.

What is the best VPN for ITVX?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on ITVX, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee (after FIFA World Cup)

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream the 2026 Nations Championship for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Watch South Africa vs. Scotland in the 2026 Nations Championship for free on ITVX. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2026 Nations Championship stages six games today, with nations from the northern and southern hemispheres battling for dominance.

One especially exciting game today is South Africa vs. Scotland. South Africa are world champions and won their opening Nations Championship game with a dominant performance over England. Scotland are no pushovers. They defeated Argentina last week and they'll be up for the fight against the world champs.

If you're interested in watching the 2026 Nations Championship from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is South Africa vs. Scotland?

South Africa vs. Scotland in the 2026 Nations Championship kicks off at 4:40 p.m. BST on July 11. This fixture takes place at Loftus Versfeld, South Africa.

How to watch South Africa vs. Scotland for free

South Africa vs. Scotland in the 2026 Nations Championship is available to live stream for free on ITVX.

ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can livestream the 2026 Nations Championship for free from anywhere in the world.

Livestream South Africa vs. Scotland in the 2026 Nations Championship for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK

4. Visit ITVX

5. Watch South Africa vs. Scotland for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch the 2026 Nations Championship without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream multiple weekends before recovering your investment.

ExpressVPN's regular 30-day money-back guarantee is not available for any subscriptions purchased during the FIFA World Cup between June 10 and July 11. ExpressVPN remains our top pick for sport, but you will need to pay the monthly rate until that offer comes back into play. Alternatively, Proton VPN still offers that all-important money-back guarantee.

What is the best VPN for ITVX?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on ITVX, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee (after FIFA World Cup)

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream the 2026 Nations Championship for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Argentina vs. Switzerland in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free on ITVX. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN, an Official Supporter of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is approaching the semi-final stage. Argentina were always expected to be battling it out in the latter stages of the tournament, but for a while it looked like they would lose to Egypt in the Round of 16. Somehow they recovered from 2-0 down to move into the quarter finals.

Now Lionel Messi and co face off against Switzerland, a team that just knockout out Colombia. It's going to be a really interesting contest between two disciplined teams. Will Messi be the difference is what is likely to be his last international tournament?

If you want to watch Argentina vs. Switzerland in the 2026 FIFA World Cup from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Argentina vs. Switzerland?

Argentina vs. Switzerland in the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off at 9 p.m. ET on July 11. This fixture takes place at the Kansas City Stadium.

How to watch Argentina vs. Switzerland for free

Argentina vs. Switzerland in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is available to live stream for free on ITVX.

ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock ITVX to live stream the 2026 World Cup for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Argentina vs. Switzerland for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK

4. Visit ITVX

5. Watch Argentina vs. Switzerland for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the 2026 World Cup without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Argentina vs. Switzerland (plus more World Cup fixtures) before recovering your investment.

ExpressVPN's regular 30-day money-back guarantee is not available for any subscriptions purchased during the FIFA World Cup between June 10 and July 11. ExpressVPN remains our top pick for sport, but you will need to pay the monthly rate. Alternatively, Proton VPN still offers that all-important money-back guarantee.

What is the best VPN for ITVX?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on ITVX, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99. That covers you for the duration of the World Cup.

Live stream Argentina vs. Switzerland in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free.

The 2026 World Cup quarter-final stage comes to a close with two major clashes today. First up is England vs. Norway, a match that sees familiar opponents and teammates from the Premir League do their duty for their respective countries — all with an eye on the spot in the semi finals.

Then it's Argentina vs. Switzerland. Argentina are defending champions and have a certain Lionel Messi, a player many fans consider the GOAT. Switzerland are playing in this stage of the competition for the first time in 70 years.

It all kicks off at 5 p.m. ET today. Here's all the information you need to watch these quarter-final showdowns.

FIFA World Cup schedule today: July 11

• England vs. Norway (Miami Stadium) — kickoff at 5 p.m. ET

• Argentina vs. Switzerland (Kansas City Stadium) — kickoff at 9 p.m. ET

How to watch FIFA World Cup games todayWatch England vs. Norway

The England players are no stranger to Norway goal-machine Erling Haaland. He's near unstoppable in the Premier League, where he plays for Manchester City alongside England players Marc Guéhi, John Stones, and Nico O'Reilly. His Manchester City teammates know full well what he's capable of — but they might also know how to stop him.

There's a similar battle of teammates-turned-opponents in the midfield. Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard won the Premier League title this year with Arsenal — now they go head-to-head. And don't forget that England have their own star striker in Harry Kane. They're both nipping at the heels of Mbappé and Messi for the Golden Boot.

Live coverage will be on Fox and Fox One. Peacock will carry the live Spanish-language coverage.

Watch Argentina vs. Switzerland

Argentina enter the quarter-final stage following a dramatic win over Egypt. The defending champs were losing 2-0 but scored three goals in the last 15 minutes to clinch the victory. Switzerland, on the other hand, had to slug it out with Colombia in a match that came down to nail-biting penalties.

You can never count Argentina out — particularly with Messi on the pitch — but they've looked vulnerable at times during this tournament. Can Switzerland cause a major upset and punch their ticket to the semi finals for the first time in World Cup history?

Live coverage will be on Fox and Fox One. Peacock will carry the live Spanish-language coverage.

More live streaming optionsLive TV cable replacement

Not interested in signing up for a standalone streaming service like Fox One or Peacock? You can sign up for a live TV cable replacement service, like YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV.

These services carry over 100 live channels, but run off a WiFi connection. You'll get live access to Fox and FS1, plus a whole lot more. Here are some options to consider:

• YouTube TV — 10-day trial, then $67.99/month for 3 months

• Fubo Sports — 1-day trial, then $45.99/month for 1 month

• Hulu + Live TV — 3-day trial, then $89.99/month

Watch the World Cup for free with a VPN

It's possible to watch the World Cup for free on international services like ITVX, BBC iPlayer, NOS, or RTÉ. Our global World Cup watch guide can walk you through the process.

You will need a VPN to live stream the World Cup on these free streaming services. We recommend ExpressVPN — a Mashable-tested service and an Official Tournament Supporter of the FIFA World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Europe — as our VPN of choice for sport. It offers servers in 105 countries, a user-friendly app available on all major devices, a speedy connection, and up to 10 simultaneous connections.

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpresVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN Get Deal