Blogroll

What if shutting down your Linux PC, launching apps, or locking your screen were as easy as tapping your phone? I did exactly that using a free, open-source app that turns any terminal command into a one-tap Android shortcut.

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

Released in August 2025, the 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 onto 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 for 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 February 15, 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 February 15, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for Feb. 15 Pips

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

Equal (3): Everything in this red space must be equal to 3. The answer is 2-3, placed horizontally; 3-1, placed vertically.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 1-4, placed vertically; 6-3, placed horizontally.

Number (5): Everything in this orange space must add up to 5. The answer is 6-3, placed horizontally; 2-0, placed horizontally.

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

Medium difficulty hints, answers for Feb. 15 Pips

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

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically.

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

Equal (2): Everything in this light blue space must be equal to 2. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically; 5-2, placed horizontally; 2-1, placed vertically.

Number (5): Everything in this dark blue space must add up to 5. The answer is 2-3, placed vertically.

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

Number (12): Everything in this space must add up to 12. The answer is 0-6, placed horizontally; 6-1, placed horizontally.

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 6-1, placed horizontally.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for Feb. 15 Pips

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

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

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

Equal (1): Everything in this orange space must be equal to 1. The answer is 2-1, placed horizontally; 1-3, placed horizontally.

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

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

Number (22): Everything in this space must add up to 22. The answer is 4-5, placed horizontally; 5-6, placed vertically; 6-0, placed vertically.

Equal (4): Everything in this red space must be equal to 4. The answer is 6-4, placed horizontally; 4-4, placed horizontally; 4-5, placed horizontally.

Number (6): Everything in this dark blue space must add up to 6. The answer is 5-1, placed vertically.

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 1-6, placed vertically.

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 1-6, 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.

The next time you book a rental on Airbnb, you might be getting some help from AI.

Airbnb is currently testing out a new AI-powered search feature. According to the company's Q4 shareholder letter, Airbnb is currently "integrating AI" into its app. One such integration, AI-powered search, is already in its testing phase and available to a "small percentage" of Airbnb's users.

SEE ALSO: Bitcoin biopic 'Killing Satoshi' leans into generative AI

Airbnb's AI-powered search currently lets users use natural language to describe the type of rental and amenities they're looking for. This means users no longer have to formulate the perfect search query to find exactly what they want; they can simply describe the type of rental they're looking to book in a conversational manner. Users can also use the AI-powered search to ask questions about specific listings and their locations.

The company says that the AI-powered search feature will eventually "evolve into a more comprehensive and intuitive search experience that extends through the trip."

During Airbnb's recent Q4 earnings call, company CEO Brian Chesky described how the property rental company is currently working on an  "AI-native experience" for its users.

Airbnb also shared that its AI-powered customer support assistant, which was released in the U.S. last year, now resolves a third of all customer support requests. The company says it's prepared to roll out the feature globally to all users later this year.

Investors have been hearing a lot about AI integrations lately from big tech companies, as AI has been frequently mentioned on recent quarterly earnings calls. Music streaming giant Spotify shared during its Q4 call that its developers now have AI handling the majority of the company's coding work.

Ubuntu is probably the Linux distro I keep coming back to most frequently. It's also many people's first distro. It's really good, and really customizable. But I'm not fully okay with some of its defaults.

Buying a new TV is an exciting time. You can’t wait to take it out of the box, get all the accessories out, mount it, and throw away the box. Except that last step is something you should seriously reconsider—the box is far more valuable than you might realize.

TL;DR: Live stream India vs. Pakistan in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 for free on ICC.TV. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

There are so many huge games in the 2026 T20 World Cup, but there really isn't anything bigger than India vs. Pakistan. For a long time it looked like this Group A contest wouldn't take place, but fans can now look forward to the biggest game in world cricket. That's if the hold rain holds off in Colombo.

Both sides have won their two opening games, so confidence is high. We're expecting an awesome spectacle from two star-studded squads. There isn't much on the line at this early stage of the tournament, but try telling that to the players. They'll give everything to gain an edge over their fiercest rivals before the latter stages of the competition.

If you want to watch India vs. Pakistan in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is India vs. Pakistan?

India vs. Pakistan in the 2026 T20 World Cup starts at 8:30 a.m. ET on Feb. 15. This game takes place at the R. Premadasa Cricket Stadium.

How to watch India vs. Pakistan for free

India vs. Pakistan in the 2026 T20 Cricket World Cup is available to live stream for free on ICC.TV.

This free live stream on ICC.TV is only available in select regions (see full list of territories here), but anyone can live stream the T20 Cricket World Cup for free with a VPN. These helpful tools can hide your IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in a location with free access. This simple process bypasses geo-restrictions so you can live stream on ICC.TV from anywhere in the world.

Live stream India vs. Pakistan in the 2026 T20 Cricket World Cup for free 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 a location with access

4. Visit ICC.TV

5. Watch the 2026 T20 Cricket World Cup for free from anywhere in the world

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to free live streams without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch every game from the 2026 T20 Cricket World Cup (plus the Winter Olympics) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for ICC.TV?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on ICC.TV, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

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

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

• Fast connection speeds

• 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 a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Watch the 2026 T20 World Cup for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Stream the 2026 Six Nations for free on BBC iPlayer and ITVX. Access these free streaming services from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Six Nations is a special competition. Want to see incredible speed and skill from supremely talented athletes? Check out the Six Nations. Want to experience intense passion from heated rivalries? The Six Nations offers that in abundance. Enjoy the sight of absolutely huge men smashing into each other at speed? Yep, the Six Nations is for you.

We've already been treated to some huge performances from the 2026 edition of this competition. France overcame Ireland in the opener, Italy shocked Scotland in front of a passionate Stadio Olimpico, and England confidently dispatched Wales in the opening round.

It's a tournament like no other, and fans can follow all the action from the latest edition without spending anything. If you want to watch the 2026 Six Nations for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

What is the Six Nations?

The Six Nations Championship is an annual international men's rugby union competition between England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, and Wales. Each team plays every other team once, with home ground advantage alternating from one year to the next.

Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!

The current champions are France. England and Wales have won the competition most often (39 titles).

When is the 2026 Six Nations?

The 2026 Six Nations Championship is the 132nd edition of the competition. This year's competition will take place from Feb. 5 to March 14. Here's the full schedule of games:

• France vs. Ireland — 8:10 p.m. GMT on Feb. 5 (ITV)

• Italy vs. Scotland — 2:10 p.m. GMT on Feb. 7 (BBC)

• England vs. Wales — 4:40 p.m. GMT on Feb. 7 (ITV)

• Ireland vs. Italy — 2:10 p.m. GMT on Feb. 14 (ITV)

• Scotland vs. England — 4:40 p.m. GMT on Feb. 14 (ITV)

• Wales vs. France — 3:10 p.m. GMT on Feb. 15 (BBC)

• England vs. Ireland — 2:10 p.m. GMT on Feb. 21 (ITV)

• Wales vs. Scotland — 4:40 p.m. GMT on Feb. 21 (BBC)

• France vs. Italy — 3:10 p.m. GMT on Feb. 22 (ITV)

• Ireland vs. Wales — 8:10 p.m. GMT on March 6 (ITV)

• Scotland vs. France — 2:10 p.m. GMT on March 7 (BBC)

• Italy vs. England — 4:40 p.m. GMT on March 7 (ITV)

• Ireland vs. Scotland — 2:10 p.m. GMT on March 14 (ITV)

• Wales vs. Italy — 4:40 p.m. GMT on March 14 (BBC)

• France vs. England — 8:10 p.m. GMT on March 14 (ITV)

Fans can watch every game from the 2026 Six Nations without spending anything.

How to watch the 2026 Six Nations for free

The 2026 Six Nations is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer and ITVX.

BBC iPlayer and ITVX are both geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access these free streaming platforms with a VPN. These tools can hide your digital location and connect you to a secure server in the UK. This quick and easy action makes it look like you're connecting from the UK, so you can stream on BBC iPlayer and ITVX from anywhere in the world.

Unblock BBC iPlayer and ITVX 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 UK

4. Visit BBC iPlayer or ITVX

5. Stream the 2026 Six Nations for free from anywhere in the world

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to BBC iPlayer or ITVX without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to stream most of the 2026 Six Nations before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to all your favorite free streaming platforms, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for the Six Nations?

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

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

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

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

• Fast connection speeds

• 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 a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream the 2026 Six Nations for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Wales vs. France in the 2026 Six Nations for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Six Nations started with a number of huge performances from the usual candidates. The best performance from the opening round? It's difficult to look past France. They dismantled Ireland in front of a passionate Stade de France, making a big statement of intent as the tournament kicked off.

Next France face Wales at the Millennium Stadium. Wales suffered a defeat to England in the opening round, and will be hoping to see improvements over the next few weeks. Fans will expect France to win this one comfortably, but you can never truly count out Wales.

If you want to watch Wales vs. France in the 2026 Six Nations for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Wales vs. France?

Wales vs. France in the 2026 Six Nations starts at 3:10 p.m. GMT on Feb. 15. This fixture takes place at the Millennium Stadium.

How to watch Wales vs. France for free

Wales vs. France in the 2026 Six Nations is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer.

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

Live stream Wales vs. France 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 UK

4. Visit BBC iPlayer

5. Live stream Wales vs. France for free from anywhere in the world

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Wales vs. France without committing with your cash. This isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream most of the 2026 Six Nations before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming services to watch the Winter Olympics, the T20 World Cup, and more from anywhere in the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for the 2026 Six Nations?

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

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 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 a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Wales vs. France in the 2026 Six Nations for free with ExpressVPN.

We've all built a rainbow spreadsheet in Excel, but in reality, your data shouldn't look like a bag of Skittles. While color-coding feels productive, it's hard to audit, impossible to automate, and invisible to formulas. Here's why you need to stop painting and start automating.

I didn't have my heart set on a book-style foldable phone right away. Like many, I wrote them off as too expensive. But after taking a chance on one this year, it has turned out to be quite the cost-saving investment.

Back before we could check the weather forecast with our phones or computers, we used to be able to check it by turning on the TV. The Weather Channel's automated local weather info would tell you what you needed to know while playing a smooth jazz musical number. I was able to bring that back in my homelab.

IKEA has gone all-in on Matter, ushering in a new era of affordable smart home devices that use low-power Thread mesh networking. This is great news for anyone who has been holding out for Matter devices, and it’s hard to deny the value proposition when these devices cost less than the Zigbee accessories they’re replacing.

You're playing a video game and notice it has microstutters, or occasional hitches, or your computer isn't quite so snappy as it was before when you open the Start Menu, or click an app icon to open it.

Your Kindle can do way more than just read e-books. Modern Kindles come with a web browser, which can load basic websites and web apps. Today I'll show you how I play chess on my Kindle, and why it rocks.

Hybrid SUVs increasingly promise efficiency and refinement, but few manage to blend long-term dependability with premium comfort as effectively as one new contender in 2025. It delivers the proven reliability many buyers associate with Toyota, while offering interior quality and refinement that rival entry-level luxury models, creating a rare combination of trustworthiness and upscale feel in a single package.

When it comes to Linux, have you only ever used Ubuntu? Have you noticed that your “Linux skills” break the moment you try another distro? Here are four reasons why Ubuntu-only users are missing the real Linux experience.

If you're a skier or snowboarder, you know that you just can't beat the thrills and awe-inspiring views that come with ripping groomers or backcountry powder on the mountain. It's my happy place. But when you're gone from dawn to the last gondola home, traversing miles of mountain ranges, there are a lot of things to contend with that can make or break your day.

You might have noticed that some new games are starting to recommend, and in some cases even require 32GB of RAM, and yet the console version of that game will run using nothing more than 16GB RAM total, including VRAM.

The dream for anyone dealing with office work is to press a button, have a device record everything in a meeting, and then transcribe it and distill it into actionable tasks. The Comulytic Note Pro is a device trying to do just that, and keep track of your customers.

Why do you need a VPN?

Even the best VPNs can't make you 100 percent anonymous on the web. Cookies and other trackers can still follow you around, and your ISP can see that you're using a VPN. But a good VPN will secure your traffic and hide your true IP address so that prying eyes on the outside can't see which sites you're visiting, what you're downloading, or your general location. The most trustworthy VPN providers operate transparently and abide by independently verified no-logs policies to prove that they don't collect or store any user data in the process.

For casual users, VPN services are useful tools for staying safe on public WiFi networks. For journalists, activists, and those in critical situations where digital privacy is paramount, the best VPN can be a legitimate lifesaver.

SEE ALSO: Google issues security alert about malicious VPNs stealing user data

Beyond these scenarios, the top VPN services also have a popular secondary use case as location-spoofing tools. By connecting to a VPN server across a border or ocean, you can bypass geo-restrictions on content that isn't available in your own country or region. This is pertinent intel for folks in France, the UK, and 23 U.S. states where sites with explicit content are restricted by age verification laws.

The best VPN for 2026? Proton VPN.

I believe Proton VPN is the top VPN for most people. It's the most privacy-forward VPN I've tried, with open-source apps, a no-logs policy that's held up in court, and a history of supporting digital freedom efforts. It's also a stellar value: Paid Proton VPN users get full access to its huge fleet of reliable servers and useful features like multi-hop and split tunneling, with up to 10 simultaneous VPN connections per account. Their subscriptions also include bonus security tools like a password manager, encrypted cloud storage, and ad, tracker, and malware blockers.

The free version of Proton VPN is extremely limited in comparison, but it's the only free VPN I've encountered with unlimited data and zero ads. For all these reasons, Proton VPN is the first (and only) VPN to win a Mashable Choice Award.

SEE ALSO: There are only 2 free VPNs I actually recommend. Ignore all the rest.

FYI: Prices for most VPN providers' long-term plans change frequently. The rates listed here were accurate at the time of publication.

What's new

I didn't love ExpressVPN the first time I tried it in 2023. But after re-testing and re-evaluating it in early 2026, I've decided to make it a new top pick. The company has expanded its server network, redone its desktop apps, added a new ShuffleIP feature that makes users harder to track, and fleshed out some new subscription tiers with more non-VPN privacy tools. It's a much better value than before.