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Many of us are trying to cut down on screentime. We’re Bricking our phones and re-learning how to be present, instead of mindlessly scrolling. But for most of us, streaming a classic movie, diving into a documentary, or rewatching a comfort show is not part of the digital detox. For that reason, we’re still (heavily) relying on a TV. But these days, you’re not tethered to a rectangular screen mounted to the wall. We have excellent projectors that offer awe-inducing displays. Most projectors also come with the benefit of being portable or at least easier to move with or pack along to a friend’s house. 

Hisense makes some of the best TVs for those who are looking for an ideal combination of quality at an affordable price. The brand’s lineup of projectors has grown in both numbers and impressive stats in the last handful of years. I’ll admit, after testing the Hisense M2 Pro 4K projector, I don’t think I can go back to a non-laser projector, let alone a TV. The display quality, portability, gigantic 200-inch display, and brightness in daylight have me smitten. Of course, it’s not perfect, but I’ll be hosting movie nights from now on because no one I know has the tech to replicate this experience.

SEE ALSO: Ending soon: Rate your favorite audio brands for a chance to win a $250 Amazon gift card Highlights on the Hisense M2 Pro 4K projector

When shopping for a projector, you’ll notice two options: laser and non-laser. The non-laser versions tend to be cheaper and modern models use LED technology. But if you’re seeking the sharpest display and the best color brightness, a laser projector is the way to go. The Hisense M2 Pro has a 4K display with a triple-laser RGB (red, green, blue) light source.

It's pretty cute for its power. Credit: Lauren Allain / Mashable

I tested the Hisense M2 Pro projector for months, in conjunction with a 100-inch Elite Screens manual pull-down projector screen. And yes, I did feel like a school teacher starting a lesson every time I unfurled it. However, if you don’t have a projector screen or a white sheet, Hisense says you’re still in good shape. The projector is designed to adapt to the projection surface, make color corrections, and still be able to produce accurate color reproductions. You might even be able to simply use your living room wall instead of messing around with a screen.

For those who like deeper details, here are some noteworthy specs of the Hisense M2 Pro 4K projector:

Specs:

• Size: 7.6 in.  x 8.6 in. x 9.1 in.

• Weight: 8.6 pounds

• Rated brightness: 1,300 ANSI lumens

• Light source: R+G+B triple laser

• Laser life: 25,000 hours

• Warranty: 1 year limited warranty

A gaming-worthy projector

Have you ever raced on Mario Kart’s Rainbow Road on a 200-inch display? I hadn’t either until testing the Hisense M2 Pro. Let me tell you about how much fun it is to have a Friday night four-person Mario party at 200 inches.

Reaching a 240Hz refresh rate and a low input lag of 12 milliseconds, gaming is awesome on the Hisense M2 Pro projector. For reference, you want at least a 120Hz refresh rate for a gaming-worthy TV, so the Hisense M2 Pro’s 240Hz is well above that threshold. 

The Hisense M2 Pro is not afraid of daylight

A common disadvantage of a projector over a TV is that projectors can struggle to produce a display that’s bright enough to view in daylight. Some projectors require you to draw the shades, pull blackout curtains over the windows, and turn off the lights. The Hisense M2 Pro is not one of those models. In testing, I was easily able to watch shows at 2 p.m. when I definitely should have been doing something more productive. 

The back-lit remote with quick access to focus is clutch. Credit: Lauren Allain / Mashable

The M2 Pro has a brightness rating of 1,300 ANSI lumens, and while there are brighter models on the market, I was never let down by the M2 Pro during daytime viewing. However, since my testing took place primarily in the winter months, it might not be the best picture for bright summer days, especially if watching something fast-paced like a soccer game.

You (and your projector) can get an invite to every movie night and binge session

The Hisense M2 Pro has a major focus on versatility that makes it suitable for tons of situations. It weighs a bit under nine pounds, so it’s no problem to carry it from room to room. It also comes packed into a cute little carrying case with a handle. Even when I was moving the projector from the basement up the stairs to the living room, I packed it into the carrying case, which not only adds to convenience but also adds protection. I’ve fallen walking up those stairs enough times to not find it wise to carry an unprotected projector in my hands. The lightweight nature paired with a case makes the Hisense M2 Pro an ideal model for taking over to a friend's house, packing along for the summer cottage trip, or taking outside for a movie night.

All packed up and ready to go. Credit: Lauren Allain The power brick, remote, and projector all nestle into their respective areas for safer transportation. Credit: Lauren Allain

The projector comes with Hisense’s Smart TV system, Vidaa OS, already installed, so your apps are nicely organized. If you don’t like that option, you could connect a Google Streamer or Fire TV Stick to the HDMI port. There’s also a USB-A port, should you have movies or shows on a thumb drive.

The only small non-travel-friendly element I found when testing the Hisense M2 Pro is its power supply. Instead of using a standard USB-C cable for charging, it uses a power brick with a 19V power supply. You’ll have to pack that along for powering up the projector since there’s no built-in battery on the Hisense M2 Pro.

Oboard sound is impressive for a portable projector

Like many TVs, sound quality has been an issue with portable projectors. It often leads to a mismatched viewing experience where the display is massive in size and impressive in quality, while the onboard sound is pretty terrible. In my testing experience, I’ve almost always connected a projector to a secondary sound source, mostly my beloved Fender x Teufel Rockster Cross. But that wasn’t totally necessary with the Hisense M2 Pro. Its built-in dual 10-watt speakers have support for Dolby Digital and DTS Virtual:X, and the overall sound is not bad at all.

Port options include an HDMI, USB-A, and DC in. Credit: Lauren Allain / Mashable

You can also use the M2 Pro in Music Sharing mode, which essentially turns the projector into a Bluetooth speaker, pairing with a device to pump out the tunes. It’s not the best Bluetooth speaker I’ve ever heard, but it gets the job done without complaints.

Is the Hisense M2 Pro projector worth it?

I’d recommend the Hisense M2 Pro projector for anyone looking to break it off with a standard TV and go with a projector. The 4K triple laser display is excellent, the built-in stand is convenient, and the onboard speaker is decent enough that you’re not forced to connect to an external sound system.

It takes a bit to get used to the auto-focus and keystoning process, but that’s a minor adjustment. The tradeoff of gaining the ability to have a 65-inch display in a bedroom or a 200-inch display in the backyard is well worth it. Plus, the $1,300 price tag is competitive for a laser 4K projector. However, this isn’t the right model if you don’t have space to project a display of at least 65 inches. Any smaller and you’ll end up with a blurred display.

Hisense M2 Pro 4K Triple Laser Smart Portable Projector $1,099.99 at Amazon
$1,299.99 Save $200   Shop Now at Amazon

OpenAI has launched Daybreak, a cyber defense suite of tools that uses the intelligence of the company's LLMs to find and remedy software vulnerabilities.

The company hasn't freely released the tools to everyone; instead, it'll be "working with (...) industry and government partners" as it prepares to deploy "increasingly more cyber-capable models" in the future.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Vote for your favorite creator today.

According to OpenAI, Daybreak combines the intelligence of OpenAI models (in particular, the new GPT-5.5) with the extensibility of Codex (OpenAI's coding tool). Partners can use Daybreak for "secure code review, threat modeling, patch validation, dependency risk analysis, detection, and remediation guidance."

Three models are offered at this time. The default GPT-5.5 model can be used for general purpose work. GPT-5.5 with Trusted Access For Cyber is for "most defensive security workflows," which includes secure code review, malware analysis, and patch validation. Finally, GPT-5.5-Cyber can be used for authorized red teaming, penetration testing, and controlled validation.

SEE ALSO: OpenAI rolls out ChatGPT 5.5 Instant as the new default model for everyone

If this sounds familiar, you're thinking of Anthropic's Project Glasswing initiative and Mythos, an AI that's so good at finding software vulnerabilities that Anthropic has only given access to selected partners.

OpenAI did not publicly disclose pricing for Daybreak; those interested can contact the company's sales team for a quote. Several companies are listed as partners, including Cloudflare, Cisco, Oracle, and Akamai.

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: How to play Pips, the newest NYT game

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Tuesday, May 12, 2026:

AcrossGerman for "Mrs."

• The answer is Frau.

Small stall at a mall

• The answer is Kiosk.

Bring to mind

• The answer is Evoke.

Surprised exclamations upon seeing mice

• The answer is Eeks.

Dramatic end to a World Cup game, for short

• The answer is PKs.

DownRace that equates to 3.1 miles ... or a hint to one letter's frequent appearance in this grid?

• The answer is Five K.

Chess "castles"

• The answer is Rooks.

Poses a question to

• The answer is Asks.

Hawaiian stringed instrument, informally

• The answer is Uke.

Not go bad

• The answer is Keep.

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

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

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

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 May 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 May 12, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for May 12 Pips

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

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

Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 6-1, placed horizontally; 1-1, placed horizontally.

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

Medium difficulty hints, answers for May 12 Pips

Number (12): Everything in this purple space must add up to 12. The answer is 3-3, placed vertically; 1-4, placed horizontally; 4-3, placed vertically.

Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 3-3, placed vertically; 6-2, placed vertically.

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 0-0, placed horizontally.

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 4-3, placed vertically; 3-5, placed vertically.

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically; 2-4, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (5): Everything in this space must be greater than 5. The answer is 2-4, placed horizontally; 3-5, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for May 12 Pips

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

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-4, placed horizontally; 3-0, placed horizontally.

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 3-4, placed horizontally; 2-0, placed vertically.

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

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

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

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 1-5, placed vertically.

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 3-0, placed horizontally; 3-3, placed vertically; 3-5, placed vertically.

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

Greater Than (4): Everything in this dark blue space must be greater than 4. 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.

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 5-2, placed vertically; 1-2, placed horizontally; 2-2, placed vertically.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Yellow: Not playing well

• Green: A racket

• Blue: OKC core

• Purple: Types of clocks

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Out of Practice

• Green: Parts of a Tennis Racket

• Blue: Members of the Oklahoma City Thunder

• Purple: ___Clock

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 #596 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Out of Practice: COLD, OFF, RUSTY, SLUGGISH

• Parts of a Tennis Racket: BUTT, GRIP, GROMMETS, STRINGS

• Members of the Oklahoma City Thunder: DORT, HOLMGREN, JOE, WALLACE

• ___Clock: GAME, PITCH, PLAY, SHOT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Escargot.

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

SNAIL

Hurdle Word 2 hint

A stamp.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 12, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

LABEL

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Need to.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 12 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 12, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

OUGHT

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Amiss.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

AFOOT

Final Hurdle hint

Proportion.

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

RATIO

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