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SAVE $50: As of Oct. 25, the Apple iPad 11-inch (A16 chip, 128GB) is priced at just $399 at Amazon. That's an 11% discount from the list price of $449.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad 11-inch (A16 chip, 128GB) $399 at Amazon
$449 Save $50   Get Deal at Amazon

It's hard to say no to any significant discount on Apple devices. We all know that Apple prices can be steep and rarely budge outside of sale events such as Prime Day and Black Friday. But even with Black Friday still four weeks away, Amazon is offering a decent deal on the Apple iPad 11-inch with A16 chip and 128GB.

As of Oct. 25, the Apple iPad 11-inch is priced at $399, offering $50 in savings off the list price of $449. We've seen this iPad at a lower price, but not that much lower. In fact, $399 was the same price offered during Prime Day, so it's as good an iPad deal as you'll find on Amazon right now.

This Apple iPad 11-inch is effectively Apple's budget laptop option, but that doesn't make it any less impressive. We've named it the best budget iPad of 2026.

This is a great deal for everyone who needs an iPad for everyday tasks. This device has you covered for browsing, messaging, video calls, streaming, and playing on apps. It boasts vivid colors and sharp visuals via an 11-inch Liquid Retina display, and runs at speed thanks to the A16 chip.

You also get a sharp 12MP camera on both the front and rear, plus Apple mainstay features such as Touch ID, Siri, Apple Pay, and synchrony with Apple devices.

Get the Apple iPad 11-inch (A16 chip, 128GB) now for $399 and save $50.

TL;DR: Live stream Miami Dolphins vs. New York Jets for free on TVNZ. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The NFL has a selection of intriguing games today, including Miami Dolphins vs. New York Jets.

The Jets are 2-4 so far. They opened the season with a win, then took three consecutive losses before a win over the Cleveland Browns gave them a glimmer of hope. But a Week 6 loss to the New England Patriots brought them back down to earth.

It's been even worse for the Dolphins. They are winless this season after five straight losses. Both teams will see this as an opportunity to score a much-needed win in Week 7.

If you want to watch Dolphins vs. Jets in the NFL for free from anywhere in the world, here's all the information you need.

When is Dolphins vs. Jets?

Dolphins vs. Jets starts at 1 p.m. ET on Oct. 25. This fixture takes place at MetLife Stadium.

How to watch Dolphins vs. Jets for free

Dolphins vs. Jets in the NFL is available to live stream for free on TVNZ.

TVNZ is geo-restricted to New Zealand only, 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 New Zealand, meaning you can live stream Dolphins vs. Jets for free from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the NFL by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to 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 New Zealand

4. Visit TVNZ

5. Watch Dolphins vs. Jets for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) 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 Dolphins vs. Jets without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture (plus more NFL action) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the NFL?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream the NFL, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries, including New Zealand

• 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 connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

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 Miami Dolphins vs. New York Jets for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

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.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

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

Grasping.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

AHOLD

Hurdle Word 2 hint

A potato is an example.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for October 25, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

TUBER

Hurdle Word 3 hint

A small rodent.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Meanings for each word for Oct. 25, 2026 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Meanings for each word for Oct. 25, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

MOUSE

Hurdle Word 4 hint

A decorative fold in clothing.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

PLEAT

Final Hurdle hint

To project from within.

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

EXUDE

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

It's the Full Moon tomorrow (or tonight, depending on your timezone), which means the Moon looks big and bright in the tonight. Hoping to do some Moon gazing? Here's what you should be able to see.

What is today's Moon phase?

As of Sunday, Oct. 25, NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon is in the Waxing Gibbous phase, with 99% of its surface visible.

Tonight, without the use of visual aids you should be able to spot the Copernicus Crater, Tycho Crater, and the Mare Crisium. If you have binoculars you'll also see the Endymion Crater, the Alphonsus Crater, and the Mare Nectaris. Finally, if you have a telescope, you'll also see the Apollo 16 and 17 landing spots, and the Schiller Crater.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will take place on October 25 or 26, depending on your timezone.

What are Moon phases?

The Moon takes around 29.5 days to travel around Earth, and its appearance changes throughout the month. As it moves around our planet, we see different amounts of its sunlit side, from a slim crescent to the quarter phases and eventually a Full Moon. It then begins the cycle again. As NASA explains, these phases are caused by the Moon's changing position relative to Earth and the Sun.

The eight phases are:

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

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

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

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

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

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

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

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

Looking for spoiler-free NYT Connections hints or just wondering why Connections is trending today? We've got what you need to understand the clues for today's puzzle without spoiling any of the answers.

Of course, Mashable has also provided daily hints and answers for Connections, Wordle, and Strands for years, so we can help you if that's also what you need.

While we are focused more on meanings than hints in this story, sometimes learning that many of the words have completely unrelated meanings is a clue in and of itself. Connections frequently includes clues that involve words within words and other visual clues.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for October 25, 2026 Glow stick meaning

A light source.

Wagon wheel meaning

A vital component for traveling by wagon.

Pocket meaning

A space meant for holding or concealing.

Football meaning

A popular sport.

Thumb meaning

An extremity located on the hand.

Elbow meaning

A joint.

Swift meaning

Quickly.

Fingers meaning

Extremities located on the hand.

Shell meaning

A protective exterior.

Palm meaning

A part of the hand.

Rubber band meaning

A tool used to hold or connect things together.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

Bow tie meaning

A clothing accessory.

Sawyer meaning

A common name.

Swipe meaning

To swing at.

Ripley meaning

A common name.

Boost meaning

To lift.

Have you learned the meanings and still want the things? Check out the hints and answers for today's NYT Connections puzzle.

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

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

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.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you're a math whiz.

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 October 25, 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: Abscond

• Green: Delicious geometry

• Blue: Same first name

• Purple: Action word with different meanings linked to these.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Steal

• Green: Pasta shapes

• Blue: Fictional Toms

• Purple: Things that can be snapped

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 #1232 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Steal: BOOST, PALM, POCKET, SWIPE

• Pasta shapes: BOW TIE, ELBOW, SHELL, WAGON WHEEL

• Fictional Toms: RIPLEY, SAWYER, SWIFT, THUMB

• Things that can be snapped: FINGERS, FOOTBALL, GLOW STICK, RUBBER BAND

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

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

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

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 will be easy if you're familiar with the concept of creation.

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 October 25, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Something to build on

The words are structural.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe the components needed to build something.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

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NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Foundations.

NYT Strands word list for October 25

• Skeleton

• Scaffolding

• Framework

• Foundations

• Structure

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

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 like clothes.

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 October 25, 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.

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

A clothing item.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter S is used twice.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter D.

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...

DRESS

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.

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

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 for people who watch hockey.

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: Monoymous teams

• Green: ZZ

• Blue: Team Canada

• Purple: LA teams, unfinished

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: NHL Teams with Singular Nicknames

• Green: Contains a Double Z

• Blue: Famous Canadian Athletes

• Purple: Starts of Los Angeles Team Names

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 #762 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• NHL Teams with Singular Nicknames: AVALANCHE, KRAKEN, MAMMOTH, WILD

• Contains a Double Z: GRIZZLIES, JAZZ, MIZZOU, RIZZUTO

• Famous Canadian Athletes: MCINTOSH, NASH, ORR, VOTTO

• Starts of Los Angeles Team Names: CHAR, CLIP, GALA, LAKE

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 catalog.

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 October 25, 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 October 25, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for October 25 Pips

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

Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 0-3, placed horizontally.

Less Than (1): Everything in this space must be less than 1. The answer is 0-3, placed horizontally; 0-1, placed vertically; 0-2, placed vertically.

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

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 0-2, placed vertically; 1-4, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for October 25 Pips

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

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 3-1, placed vertically.

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

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

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

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

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 5-6, placed horizontally.

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 5-6, placed horizontally.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for October 25 Pips

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Elon Musk doesn’t have a great track record of following through on his promises. According to MuskOmeter, a site that tracks the pledges Musk has made and whether he’s kept them, he’s at about a 24 percent hit rate.

So it’s almost impressive that one of his sillier promises from this year actually came true.

Late Friday afternoon, Musk shared the first of several planned episodes of an AI-generated version of Homer’s The Odyssey, made with Grok Imagine, the AI video generator from his company xAI. According to a post from the Grok Imagine account, the project is a collaboration between Wonder Studios and director Dev Walker. Both specialize in generative AI filmmaking.

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Musk first made the promise in July. As Mashable reported at the time, he posted on X that, before the year ended, Grok Imagine would make a full-length Odyssey movie that would be "historically accurate and true to the art of Homer."

SEE ALSO: 'The Odyssey' is exposing some unexpected dating dealbreakers

That was the culmination of months of Musk complaining about Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of The Odyssey. Much of the right-wing backlash to Nolan’s film was framed in terms of historical accuracy. The initial trailer sparked a little doubt about a faithful adaptation, as some took issue with the film’s armor, calling it bland and closer to Roman than Greek.

The bigger outrage came from the casting of Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy and Elliot Page as Sinon. In February, Musk declared on X that Nolan had "lost his integrity" over it, as Mashable reported. Musk and others argued that a Black woman couldn’t play a character described as the most beautiful woman in the ancient world.

Leave aside what that says about who gets to count as beautiful. Helen of Troy isn’t a real person. Troy was a real city, but historians still debate whether anything resembling the Trojan War ever happened. In Greek mythology, Helen herself is the daughter of Zeus and was hatched from an egg. "Historical accuracy" is doing a lot of heavy lifting here.

Musk also took issue with Page's casting. In May, Musk reshared posts criticizing the casting, including some that misgendered the trans actor. Because Nolan’s cast list didn’t say who was playing whom, online conspiracy theories claimed Page would play Achilles. Instead, Page played Sinon, a character who originally appears in Virgil’s Aeneid, which is essentially Roman fan fiction of the Trojan War.

With the casting details, Musk and right-leaning influencers predicted Nolan's adaptation would flop — "go woke, go broke." Instead, The Odyssey opened to $124.5 million in July, a huge number for an R-rated, nearly three-hour film. IMAX 70mm screenings sold out weeks in advance, as Mashable previously reported. As of this writing, Nolan's film has grossed over $1.7 billion worldwide.

Nolan, for his part, has been openly skeptical of generative AI. He told AFP earlier this year that the idea of it replacing human creativity is "a nonsense," according to The Guardian.

Is Elon Musk's The Odyssey good?

Musk's Grok-imagined version of Homer's tale is about what you'd expect. The first episode runs a little over seven minutes and covers the Greeks’ arrival at Troy. Every character is white.

Visually, it has all the usual problems of generative AI video: unnaturally perfect teeth; the weightless, almost water-like hair texture; and the skin has an odd, smudgy quality that comes from the model not really understanding lighting or perspective. The backgrounds also suffer from something akin to texture pop-in, where video games load low-resolution textures before the detailed ones, so the screen isn't just black.

As just a film to watch, the writing isn't all that great, and it's hard to keep up with all the characters as they look similar or look way too similar to real people.

Is that not Kristofer Hivju? Credit: Grok Imagine / Wonder Studios / Mashable screenshot

On top of that, in the entire seven-minute runtime, Odysseus is the only named character. Unless you've read The Odyssey fairly recently, you'd be confused about who some of the characters are — how is one supposed to know that one of those two men in the photo above is Palamedes? I sure didn't.

As part of the promotion, Wonder Studios posted on X that "Homer didn’t have Grok… we do." True enough. Homer also told the story well enough that people are still adapting it nearly 3,000 years later, without any help from AI.

Although Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is winding down its theater run, the critically acclaimed film is set to release digitally on Nov. 17. To tide you over, Wolfgang Petersen's Troy, starring Brad Pitt and Eric Bana, got a cultural re-evaluation thanks to the success of Nolan's film. It's human-made and currently holds a 3.5 average rating on Letterboxd.

If interacting with Siri has been the extent of your experience "talking" to AI, you're in for a rude awakening. While Apple's voice assistant often fumbles basic commands and can take an unnaturally long time to process a request, the latest and greatest AI models are moving closer and closer to natural human speech.

Case in point: Dessa, the brainchild of Jack Dorsey's Block, is allegedly the world's first full-duplex speech model, meaning it can listen to you and speak simultaneously, much like a real human does in the flow of normal conversation. In fact, that's Dessa's draw: it was trained entirely on human speech to make it as natural-sounding as possible.

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But these claims have to be heard to be appreciated, and Block's press release announcing Dessa shows just how far AI models have come to approximating the rhythm of natural human conversation. 

SEE ALSO: Microsoft launches new MAI family of AI models for reasoning, voice, coding, and images

In the second sample audio clip, for example, a real-life human and Dessa have an extended conversation about the movies of Christopher Nolan, and though the model does flex its knowledge at certain points, supplying a movie title, for example, it does so in a natural rather than robotic way, mirroring the tone of his human interlocutor while keeping up what, to human ears, sounds like a perfectly ordinary back-and-forth about Nolan's cinematic world.  

In the third audio sample, Dessa spontaneously reacts to an unexpected prompt from the human ("Are you excited for our anniversary?") with genuine surprise and enthusiasm, complete with the conversation markers you would expect from a human being: audible gasps, a joyful enthusiasm that verges on tears, and even a difficulty finding the right words. 

The final clip nixes human involvement entirely, featuring a conversation between ChatGPT and Dessa, and the contrast between the robotic, unnatural speech patterns of the ChatGPT agent and Dessa's prompts, interruptions, and puzzled questions perfectly illustrates how far Block has pushed its AI speech models. 

Perhaps most impressive of all, Dessa seems to understand when a human speaking to it is being sarcastic, which requires a sophisticated understanding of both tone and its relationship to the content of speech that adult humans process effortlessly but that has historically stumped AI models (don't even think of speaking to Siri in a sarcastic tone). 

According to the same press release, Block's motivation for developing Dessa is simple:

"Speech is the most natural interface to any intelligence, super or otherwise, and today’s voice AI wastes it. It flattens what we say into text and can’t keep up with human timing. AI keeps gaining power and independence, and it’s still nearly deaf to the emotion in our voices. Imagine being in serious pain while a voice AI has no idea and just keeps going. That’s the safety problem. Dessa is a step toward fixing it."

Leave aside the question of whether recognizing a tone of urgency, fear, or pain in a voice pattern is the same as sympathizing with the emotions behind those markers. But one should take a second to appreciate the complexity of training agentic AI to pick up on them in the first place.

Wherever this leads us, Dessa is undoubtedly a major advancement in artificial intelligence and, more importantly, in bridging the gap between human communication and AI understanding.

Despite its critical praise, Alex Gibney's Musk documentary about the world's richest man is ending its theatrical run after just two weeks, according to entertainment news site Showbiz411.

Upon its release on Oct. 9th, Musk was shown in just four theatres in two cities nationwide, but that number rose to over 450 by the second (and ultimately final) week of its theatrical run, though the total take, according to Gizmodo, was a paltry $571,902, making it "an unmitigated flop."

But could there be something else at play here other than simple box office math? 

Musk director, Gibney, is no stranger to tackling the rich and powerful in film, with previous credits including 2005's Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room — about one of the largest corporate fraud cases in American history. Gibney then released Citizen K in 2019, exploring the alliance between Vladimir Putin and a Russian expat billionaire. 

And prior to the film's release, SpaceXAI CEO Elon Musk himself publicly attacked both Gibney and the film, calling the director a "horrible human" after dismissing the documentary as an assembly of people with "an axe to grind." In the meantime, Musk's attorney Alex Spiro sent the production team a threatening legal letter, putting them "on formal legal notice" before the film had even been released. 

Meanwhile, on Reddit, users are speculating about abrupt screening cancellations: "I hate to say it's a conspiracy, but what is it?" Inexplicably, TikTok also opted to disable the documentary's advertising account, allegedly for "political content" contrary to their use policies, but access was restored 48 hours later.   

If you missed the abbreviated theatrical run and want to watch Musk yourself, it's now available for streaming on both Prime Video and Fandango.

The NBA season has only just begun, but the New York Knicks are already embroiled in a PR nightmare after an email to staff to get a championship ring turned out to be an IT phishing test.

On Tuesday, the defending champion Knicks played their first home game at Madison Square Garden since beating the San Antonio Spurs for their first NBA Finals win since the 1970s. As is custom, the first home game after a championship is when the team and fans get to watch the banner raised to the rafters and the presentation of their brand-new championship rings.

According to reporting from The Athletic, based on conversations with seven league sources who spoke on condition of anonymity, many of the ring boxes handed out to coaching staff were empty. In fact, The Athletic could not even confirm whether head coach Mike Brown received his ring, receiving only this brief reply from a MSG Sports spokesperson: "We are not disclosing anything about the rings."

SEE ALSO: Social media reacts to Knicks' storybook NBA Finals win

It's possible, of course, that delays in the crafting of the rings or in the fitting of them necessitated the empty box move. Plus, there is precedent for coaching staff and front-office personnel having to wait longer for their rings.

However, "many longtime employees at Madison Square Garden, including some who work in the Knicks’ business operations, will not receive rings at all," according to the insider sources who agreed to speak with The Athletic. Which is unusual, as the majority of team employees typically receive some form of ring in commemoration of the team's winning season.

What's made the internet upset is a controversial IT trick played on the Madison Square Garden employees expecting a ring. According to The Athletic, in September, MSG staff received an email with the opening line "Congratulations, your Employee Championship Ring is here," followed by a prompt to choose their preferred style: Championship Gold or Garden Classic. Clicking through that link, however, did not bring employees to a jeweler's website.

"Those who did click the link at the bottom of the message did not get to choose any jewelry; instead, they were forced to attend a mandatory cybersecurity class to help satisfy some of Dolan’s growing cybersecurity concerns," reported The Athletic. 

Needless to say, when the internet caught wind of this, the roasting was severe and merciless.

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It seems like the backlash worked. In a statement to the New York Post, an MSG spokesperson acknowledged that using the promise of a ring for an IT test was "a mistake." In addition, the spokesperson revealed that the Knicks' top assistant coaches will get their rings shortly.

"The company is gifting more than 275 championship rings and jewelry to players, coaches, employees, and other members of the Knicks family, worth more than $3.7 million," the spokesperson told the Post.

Sony and Bose duke it out for the best mid-range headphone. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable Sony WH-1000XM4C vs. Bose QuietComfort (2nd gen): SpecsSony WH-1000XM4C specs

• Active noise cancellation: Yes

• Processor: QN1 for ANC

• Microphones: Four

• Equalizer: 10-band custom equalizer on companion app

• Spatial audio: Yes, but limited use

• Battery life: 27 hours

• Quick charge: Three-minute quick charge for one hour of playback

• Connection: Bluetooth 6.0

• Multipoint: Connect up to two devices at once

• Weight: 0.61 pounds

• Colors: Black, lavender, platinum silver

Bose QC (2nd gen) specs

• Active noise cancellation: Yes, with manual adjustment available

• Microphones: Six

• Lossless playback: Wired USB-C audio up to 24bit/48kHz

• Equalizer: Three-band custom equalizer

• Spatial audio: Bose TrueSpatial technology with Immersive Audio modes for Still, Motion, and Cinema

• Battery life: 24 hours per charge (18 hours with Immersive Audio)

• Quick charge: 15-minute charge for 2.5 hours of playback

• Connection: Bluetooth 5.4

• Multipoint: Yes

• Weight: 0.5 pounds

• Colors: Black, white smoke, eucalyptus green*, dewdrop mint*, rosewood mauve* (*limited edition colors)

Sony WH-1000XM4C vs. Bose QuietComfort (2nd gen): Sound quality The Bose QuietComfort (Gen 2) headphones come in black, white smoke, eucalyptus green, dewdrop mint, and rosewood mauve. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable The Sony WH-1000XM4Cs are available in black, lavender, and platinum silver. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable

Sony headphones are known for their superior quality, and that trend holds true between these two headphones. Without any adjustments to the sound, the XM4C headphones produced a more nuanced and detailed sound profile with noticeably more clarity. The piano and vocals in Fiona Apple's rendition of "Why Try to Change Me Now" put me in a cozy jazz bar, while I found myself bumping the volume up on the Bose headphones to try to capture the same immersion.

Speaking of immersion, Bose does have the advantage in offering spatial audio in the form of its proprietary Immersive Audio. While it's not the best spatial audio I've heard, it does help live performances and more soaring songs shine — Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind" was especially pleasing in this mode.

Sony's equalizer... Credit: Screenshot / Sony versus Bose's. Credit: Screenshot / Bose

Sony technically offers a spatial audio mode in the form of its 360 Reality Audio, but it's only functional with select apps (and none of the major music streaming ones). The lack of spatial audio, however, can be forgiven due to the excellent equalizer found on the companion app, which offers six presets, in addition to three custom settings. Users can also fine-tune their settings with a 10-band equalizer, compared to Bose's three-band equalizer and four presets. Ultimately, Sony provides a much more dynamic listening experience.

SEE ALSO: The 10 best noise-cancelling headphones we use, love, and recommend Sony WH-1000XM4C vs. Bose QuietComfort (2nd gen): Active noise cancellation

Where Sony generally takes the audio cake, Bose is known to be the master of ANC. While Sony's most recent flagship XM6 headphones have reversed that trend, Bose is back to taking the crown between these mid-range headphones.

Sony's headphones use adaptive sound control and a four microphone system, compared to Bose's manually adjustable ANC and six microphone system. The result is slightly better ANC on the Bose headphones, with more flexibility in how much sound actually comes through. That said, Sony does offer an ambient reduction sound. In either case, you probably wouldn't be too mad to have either pair with you on an airplane or commute.

Sony WH-1000XM4C vs. Bose QuietComfort (2nd gen): Design and comfort Bose has a fun party trick Sony can't quite match up to. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable

The Bose headphones boast comfort in the name, and they live up to the expectations they set. They have a slightly looser fit than the Sonys, which also helps, but ultimately have more plush ear cushions. The cushions are also replaceable, which is useful for future-proofing. Don't get me wrong, the Sony XM4Cs are still plenty comfortable, but if you're a chronic headphones wearer, the Bose headphones may suit your needs better.

The headphones fold up to roughly the same size. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable Bose relies on tactile controls, however. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable

Travel-wise, both these headphones fold up to a similar compact position that makes them easy to pop into a bag. The biggest difference in their design is down to preference: the Bose QC rely solely on tactile controls (buttons and a power switch), while the Sony headphones use touch controls predominantly for playback, with the addition of a power button and ANC button.

Sony WH-1000XM4C vs. Bose QuietComfort (2nd gen): Companion app

I'd never recommend buying one pair of headphones over another based on their companion app, but because these headphones are still an investment, it's worth knowing the ins and outs of the experience. Bose's app layout leans more elegant, showing all the customization options on one screen, while Sony requires a scroll.

The Sony companion app requires some scrolling to see all the options. Credit: Screenshot / Sony While Bose's has it all laid out. Credit: Screenshot / Bose

They're relatively equal in terms of customization — where Sony headphones offer much more audio customization, Bose headphones offer more noise cancellation customization.

Sony WH-1000XM4C vs. Bose QuietComfort (2nd gen): Battery life Both headphones have decent battery life. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable But Sony beats out Bose by three hours. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable

While I was somewhat disappointed Sony cut the 30-hour battery life from the original XM4s to the 27 hours on the XM4C headphones, the 24-hour battery life on the Bose QuietComfort headphones puts the extra few hours into perspective. It's a decent amount of battery life in both cases, but the three-hour edge from the Sony headphones could be the difference between struggling on the last stretch of a long flight.

Sony WH-1000XM4C vs. Bose QuietComfort (2nd gen): Value

This comparison would be much more difficult without a price difference between these two headphones. The Sony XM4C headphones retail for $299.99 and have already gone on sale a couple of times, dropping as low as $248. The Bose QC 2 headphones are more expensive at $359, with a price drop just below $290. Considering the relatively similar experience between the two headphones, the Sony headphones are undeniably the better value.

Sony WH-1000XM4C vs. Bose QuietComfort (2nd gen): Which is better?

If you struggle to find over-ear headphones that you can comfortably wear for long stretches of time, the Bose QuietComfort headphones are likely your best choice.

For everyone else, the trade-off in slightly worse ANC is worth the price difference, sound quality jump, and better battery life on the Sony XM4C headphones. Though I wish they also had replaceable ear cushions for stretching out more years of use, the immediate advantages of these headphones are too good to ignore.

Where to buy the Sony XM4C and Bose QC 2 headphones Amazon Sony WH-1000XM4C $299.99 Shop Now Amazon Bose QuietComfort (2nd gen) $359 Shop Now Sony Sony WH-1000XM4C $299.99 Shop Now Bose Bose QuietComfort (2nd gen) $359 Shop Now

In our world of rising tech prices, when a new device hits the scene, the ultimate question is: is it worth it? If you're going to spend your money, you want it to be the best of the best. But the so-called best really depends on your priorities — do you want something that's the best value, best performance, or has the best features?

As someone who spends nearly every day writing about e-readers, Boox devices have shaken things up. These E Ink tablets challenge what we previously thought an e-reader could be, with added features you won't find on a Kindle or Kobo. But are they worth it? Well, that depends on what you're looking for.

Boox pricing: Is it more expensive than a Kindle?

First things first, let's talk price. Boox e-readers are really E Ink tablets, which means they can do a lot more than Kindle or Kobo e-readers. But does that affect their price? Less so than you'd think. Especially with tech prices on the rise, e-reader prices have been evening out across the board. Generally, Boox e-readers are more expensive than both Kindle and Kobo devices, but not by much.

The best way to compare prices is to look at each brand's 6-inch e-reader prices. The Kindle is cheapest at $149.99, the Kobo Clara BW is $159.99, while the Boox Go 6 is $199.99.

Get a Boox if you want an e-reader that can do more

Typically, on an e-reader you can access your library and all the books in it, but that's about all you can do. Boox e-readers do more.

So while you might be paying a little more for a Boox than you would for a similar Kobo or Kindle e-reader, you're also getting far more features. All Boox e-readers besides the Picco are Android devices, meaning they have access to the Google Play Store. That allows you to download any app. Yes, that means Libby, Kindle, and Kobo, but it also means you can get virtually any other app on there.

Use Libby and Kindle? Access them on one device with ABoox e-reader. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

In perusing BookTok to see how Boox users maximize their e-readers, it's clear that Boox tablets are almost like distraction-free phones. You can download Goodreads and StoryGraph to update your reading progress or even your fitness tracker app, all the things you might want to check before bed. It just means not having to pull out your phone and instead staying on a more distraction-free tablet.

But keep in mind, Boox devices are about as distraction-free as you make them. Since you can download any app, that also means you could get social media on there too.

How does the Boox perform against Kindle and Kobo e-readers? The Boox Go 6 e-reader has solid performance but occasionally stalls out. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable Kindle and Kobo devices are quick, but they're not as advanced as Boox e-readers. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

While Boox devices are tablets, they're a little slower than other tablets. For example, the Boox Palma 2 has a Geekbench multi-core score of 1,872 compared to Apple's iPad, which scores 6,233. However, if you're comparing the processing power of a Boox to other e-readers, it'll seem on par.

It has plenty of power to do what you need it to, like load books and turn pages. The only time Boox e-readers stalled out while I was testing them was when I was trying to turn a lot of pages in quick succession.

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Skip it if you're a bath or beach reader

If you live luxuriously and look forward to hours in the bathtub reading or taking your e-reader poolside, Boox e-readers are not for you. None of Boox's e-readers are submersible or have IPX waterproof ratings. Boox states that its Palma e-readers are water-repellent.

Boox specifically notes on the Palma: "The water-repellent design protects against daily water exposure, including accidental spills, splashes, or light rain. It is not intended to be submerged in water, or exposed to high-pressure water, or other liquids. The water-repellent effect may decrease over time. Please note that it is not waterproof."

So if you're reading around water, Boox e-readers aren't going to be worth it since you're so limited in where you can bring them.

Is a Boox worth it? A Boox e-reader is worth the money, but is it right for you? Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Boox e-readers are definitely worth the time and money, but who are they right for?

Perhaps you're an e-reader user who is sick of being limited to one brand's ecosystem, or you want to buy a device that's more multi-purpose than a Kindle or Kobo. If you fall into either category, a Boox will be a great e-reader for you.

When is a Boox not worth it? If you want an e-reader to take to the beach, skip it.

But overall, Boox e-reader are solid, well-priced E Ink tablets that are definitely worth it for the right person.

Shop Boox e-readers and tablets Boox Go 6 (Gen II) $199.99 at Walmart Shop Now Boox Palma 2 Pro $399.99 at Amazon Shop Now Boox Tablet Go 10.3 Gen II $449.99 at Amazon Shop Now Boox Note Air6 C $579.99 at Amazon Shop Now

A faster, simpler plan can still put astronauts on the moon in 2028, despite a space rehearsal ahead of that landing running three months behind schedule, NASA leaders said Friday. 

Administrator Jared Isaacman made the case at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where crews have already started stacking the mega moon rocket for the expedited Artemis III mission. The two-week spaceflight around Earth would see four astronauts — Randy Bresnik, Andre Douglas, Frank Rubio, and Luca Parmitano — in the Orion spacecraft, connecting with two landers built by Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and Elon Musk's SpaceX in orbit. 

Their new plan for the moon-landing mission, Artemis IV, scraps a distant orbit around the moon where the landers were once expected to pick up the crew, and it also cuts the number of rocket launches each landing needs. But NASA's timeline leaves almost no margin for error. 

The stakes reach beyond science. Isaacman warned that NASA is in a new space race with China, which could land its own people on the moon within about three years. 

"This is a story as much about their discipline, focus, and urgency, [as] it is about the weight of [NASA's] institutional inertia and displaced priorities and decades of decisions — some imposed upon us, and others of our own making — that have held America's space program back," Isaacman told reporters at a news conference. 

SEE ALSO: Panel urges NASA to fetch Apollo 15 poop bags and hardware from moon

The new plan to return to the moon depends on unproven technology. SpaceX's Starship lander burns so much fuel climbing to orbit that it can't reach the moon unless it fills up again in space. Other Starships would fly up as tankers and pump fuel into it, much like a fighter jet refueling in midair. Nobody has moved rocket fuel between spaceships on that scale. 

SpaceX plans its first full attempt early next year, and that test should show how many tanker flights each moon trip takes. Once fueled, Starship would meet the astronauts near Earth and push their capsule to the moon. Starship only entered orbit for the first time last month.

Blue Origin, on the other hand, skips the refueling but takes on a first of its own. It plans to launch three smaller spacecraft that work like tugboats. They would link up with the lander in orbit around Earth, then take turns hauling it to an easier lunar orbit than the one NASA originally conceived. 

First, though, the company has to get flying again. Its New Glenn rocket hasn't launched since a catastrophic mishap in May that destroyed its launch pad. 

Previously, NASA had chosen SpaceX's lander for its first two moon landings. Now the agency will keep both companies in the running before picking which one carries astronauts down first. 

"Regardless of who goes first, both providers are planning for lunar landing missions in 2028," said Jeremy Parsons, NASA's Artemis program manager.

The Artemis III mission is running about three months behind schedule, but NASA officials expect it to launch next year. Credit: NASA / Bill Stafford

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NASA attributes most of the Artemis III delay to late electronics parts for Blue Origin's lander. To claw back time, NASA has planted its own engineers inside suppliers' factories and requires daily progress reports from its major contractors. When a huge piece of Blue Origin's lander needed to cross the country fast, the agency borrowed a military cargo jet to fly it there, officials said.

NASA also has started building more of its own hardware instead of outsourcing it to the private sector. A connection that feeds super-cold hydrogen into the Space Launch System rocket has had leaking issues in the past. The original fix would have taken years and tens of millions of dollars, Parsons said. NASA engineers redesigned and built a new one themselves for a fraction of the price in less than five months, he said. At a NASA center in Alabama, engineers also designed and built a part for the Artemis III rocket without hiring a contractor at all.

That push comes from an unlikely source. The administrator is a tech billionaire, who made his fortune building a payments company. Business leaders usually argue that private companies beat the government on speed and cost. But when it comes to NASA, Isaacman argued nearly the opposite on Friday. He blamed bloated programs and a lobby of suppliers for slowing the agency down. The solution, he said, was more designing, welding, and machining performed in house.  

"It's not entrepreneurial thinking or tech industry pixie dust or some new management philosophy," Isaacman said. "It's a playbook this agency knows really well — the same playbook that went from Apollo 7 splashdown to Apollo 11 in just nine months."

NASA and Axiom Space are developing a pared-down Artemis IV spacesuit to speed up development. Credit: NASA / Bill Stafford

To save time, NASA also has trimmed its own ambitions. NASA and its contractor, Axiom Space, are developing a pared-down spacesuit for the first short moonwalks that would weigh about 250 pounds, roughly half as much as the original. The agency also scrapped an expensive, delayed new top section for its rocket, the part that gives the capsule its final shove toward the moon, and picked a stretched version of one that United Launch Alliance already builds for its own rockets.

Speed makes some people nervous, and with reason. In 1967, a fire during a launch pad test killed three Apollo astronauts. Isaacman and Amit Kshatriya, NASA's associate administrator, argued that moving fast doesn't mean cutting corners. 

"Speed and rigor are not the same dial. They're just not," Kshatriya said. "We can dial them separately. Just because we go fast doesn't mean we're not doing the right things."

All three rockets in NASA's plan head back to the launch pad within months. SpaceX could fly Starship again as soon as November, and Blue Origin hopes to return New Glenn to flight around the turn of the year. Before the close of 2026, NASA plans to load its own rocket with fuel at the launch pad. 

Save $50: The DJI Mini 3 drone is down to $369 at Amazon. That's a $50 savings off the regular list price of $419.

Opens in a new window Credit: DJI DJI Mini 3 $369 at Amazon
$419 Save $50   Get Deal at Amazon

While shoppers are buzzing for the big Black Friday discounts, Amazon has plenty of deals available right now — particularly if you know how to navigate the listings. Fortunately, we've always got our eye on the latest and best deals, and we've spotted a discount for drone fans this weekend.

As of Oct. 24, the DJI Mini 3 drone is down to $369 at Amazon, giving you total savings of $50.

It's worth grabbing this while it's marked down, as recent changes in U.S. law have effectively banned the future import of China-made DJI drones. Prices are likely to soar when existing stocks become increasingly scarce.

The DJI Mini 3 is super fun to fly, but it's also perfect for content creators thanks to a range of shooting features in 4K HDR, including QuickShots, True Vertical filming, and Helix and Boomerang shots. A 3-axis gimbal ensures your images are always stable, while one-tap editing lets you edit your footage on the spot.

As for actual flying, it takes off from the palm of your hand and boasts a return-to-home feature and robust wind resistance.

Don't miss your chance to save $50 on the DJI Mini 3 drone at Amazon.

TL;DR: Pokémon Center revealed a sneak peek at its upcoming holiday plush collection, featuring Pikachu as a Christmas tree, riding a Clodsire sleigh, and driving a Porygon-mobile. The new winter lineup drops ahead of the holiday season, with official release dates and pricing coming soon.

With winter right around the corner, it's almost time to transform your room into the ultimate cozy cave. And if your seasonal setup is currently missing a Pikachu dressed like a Christmas tree or an absolute unit of a Clodsire pulling a sleigh, the Pokémon Center is about to fix that.

The official store just dropped a preview of its upcoming holiday plush collection, giving us a first look at a fresh wave of insanely cute winter releases. We've already covered all the best highlights from the full holiday drop, from Mew tree toppers to Snom beanies, so consider these plushies the festive cherry on top.

We don't have exact prices or an official launch date yet, but the drop will feature Pikachu taking on all kinds of festive roles across both full-sized plushies and plush key chains.

Credit: Pokémon Center

Here's what's coming:

• Tree-kachu — Pikachu went all-out this year and straight-up dressed as a holiday tree. The floppy-eared fit features pastel ornaments, a glittery red bow, and a shiny golden Minior sitting on top instead of a regular star.

• Clodsire Sleigh — Stantler and Sawsbuck can take the year off because Pikachu has a very gallant Clodsire pulling its sleigh this time around. Both of them are rocking matching winter hats, and the back of the golden-trimmed sleigh even sports Pikachu's signature ears and lightning-bolt tail.

• Porygon-mobile — Pikachu apparently got its top wishlist item this year and is now flexing on everyone while cruising around in a toy car modeled after an upgraded Porygon.

• Tangela Cookie — Easily the most relatable one of the batch, this plush catches Pikachu in full holiday snack mode. It's blissfully munching on a cream-filled Tangela cookie with its eyes closed in pure happiness.

• Snowman Pikachu — Channeling classic Santa vibes with a floppy cap and a fluffy white beard, Pikachu gets rolled up into a perfect little snowball with its bright red cheeks poking out.

Keep your eyes peeled on the Pokémon Center site over the next few weeks so you can scoop these up before the holiday rush sells them out.

Credit: Pokémon Center

Want to watch college football this season? Here are your best options: BEST FOR ESPN ESPN Unlimited $31.99/month for 1 year Shop Now Best for Fox and Big Ten Fox One 3-day free trial, then $199.99/year (save $39.89) Shop Now BEST FOR SINGLE GAME FuboTV 5-day free trial, then $63.99/month for 1 month (save $25) Get Deal Best for channels Hulu + Live TV 3-day free trial, then $99.99/month Shop Now Best for affordability Sling Orange & Blue $60.99/month Shop Now BEST for INTRODUCTORY OFFER YouTube TV 5-day free trial, then $49.99/month for 5 months (save $110) Shop Now

The Alabama Crimson Tide were riding high in the rankings at the start of this season but have dropped down after two straight losses and poor scorelines. They're now 5-2 overall and ranked at No. 13, while their Week 8 opponents remain unranked with a record of 3-2.

Alabama will likely see this as an opportunity to score a win and get back on track, particularly given the Aggies' 1-3 SEC record. But nothing's for certain, and Texas A&M are sure to put up a fight in an effort to turn their own fortunes around.

If you want to watch Texas A&M vs. Alabama for free from anywhere in the world, here's all the information you need.

When is Texas A&M vs. Alabama?

Texas A&M vs. Alabama takes place at 3.30 p.m. ET on Oct. 24. This game takes place at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Texas A&M vs. Alabama is broadcast on ABC.

How to watch college football in 2026

Fans can live stream college football on a wide range of recommended services, some of which include free trials so you can follow the action without actually spending anything.

ESPN Unlimited (no free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: ESPN ESPN Unlimited $31.99/month for 1 year Shop Now

Channels: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPN on ABC, ESPN+, ESPN3, SECN+, and ACCNX

ESPN Unlimited provides access to everything that ESPN has to offer. For college football, you get live access to games on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+, SEC Network, SECN+, ACC Network, and ABC. The Unlimited plan will set you back $31.99 per month, but for an extra $4 per month you can secure a plan that also includes Disney+ and Hulu.

Fox One (free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: Fox One Fox One 7-day free trial, then $199.99/year Shop Now

Channels: Fox, FS1, FS2, Big Ten Network

Fox One provides access to live broadcasts on Fox, Fox Sports, FS1, FS2, and Big Ten Network. It costs $19.99 per month, but you can save $38.89 by opting for the annual plan at $199.99. You can also start with a three-day free trial, so you've got the chance to watch select games without spending anything.

FuboTV (free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: FuboTV FuboTV 7-day free trial, then $54.99/month for 1 month Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, Marquee Sports Network, Monumental Sports, NBC, NBCSN, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network, and The CW

FuboTV offers more than 250 live TV channels and lets you watch on 10 screens at once, if that's your thing. You can try FuboTV with a five-day free trial period. 

Fubo takes sports seriously, and that's something we appreciate. With the Pro subscription, you get access to most college football broadcasts. But hardcore fans may want to consider upgrading to the Elite plan, which unlocks access to ESPNU, SEC Network, Pac-12 Network, and ACC Network. Either way, we suggest you test the waters with a trial before you make any commitment.

Hulu + Live TV (free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: Hulu Hulu + Live TV 3-day free trial, then $99.99/month Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, and The CW

Hulu + Live TV is not exactly cheap, but it does offer good bang for your buck. You need to cough up $99.99 per month (after a three-day trial), but you get access to over 95 live TV channels, plus Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ (all with ads). Plus, the first month will only cost $49.99.

The included ESPN+ access provides bonus coverage of even more college football games, on top of live TV networks like ABC, FOX, ESPN, The CW, ACC Network, and more. Now that's value.

Sling (no free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: Sling Sling Season Pass $60.99/month Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN 3, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network

Sling is a comprehensive sports streaming service that offers a wide range of benefits, but you do need to be careful when selecting a plan. The Orange and Blue package gives you access to FOX, NBC, ABC, ESPN, plus ACC Network, SEC Network, Big Ten Network, and more. We recommend checking your local market to ensure you get access to the channels you actually need.

YouTube TV (free trial) Opens in a new window Credit: YouTube TV YouTube TV 7-day free trial, then $49.99/month for your first 3 months Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, NBCSN, SEC Network, and The CW

YouTube TV provides access to over 100 live channels. Newsflash: that's a lot. This huge list includes most of the channels you actually need to watch live college football, including NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, and ESPN, plus networks like FS1 and SEC Network. YouTube TV also offers that all-important free trial so you can watch select games without spending anything.

How to watch Texas A&M vs. Alabama from anywhere in the world

If you're abroad for this fixture, you might need to use a VPN to unblock your favorite streaming service. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S., meaning you can unblock live streams of college football from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Texas A&M vs. Alabama from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like 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 U.S.

4. Sign in to your favorite streaming service

5. Watch Texas A&M vs. Alabama from anywhere in the world

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

• Servers in 105 countries, including the U.S.

• 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

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.

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal