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Starting your programming journey is exciting, but it’s easy to fall into traps that slow down your progress. By understanding the common mistakes new programmers make, you’ll set yourself up for success right from the start. Here are five mistakes I made that you can learn from.

SAVE $38.03: As of Jan. 2, the Nothing CMF Watch 3 Pro is down to a new best-ever price at Amazon. Get it for just $60.97 in the light green colorway — a savings of 38%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Nothing Nothing CMF Watch 3 Pro $60.97 at Amazon
$99 Save $38.03   Get Deal

Nobody was as surprised as we were that a sub-$100 smartwatch dominated the competition in 2025. Nothing's CMF Watch 3 Pro, which earned a near-perfect rating in our testing, is easily one of the best smartwatches of last year. And as of Jan. 2, it's hit a new record-low price.

An excellent value at its full cost of only $99, you can pick up the CMF Watch 3 Pro to kick off the new year for a best-ever price of $60.97 at Amazon. That's 38% in savings and even cheaper than it was earlier this week. The only catch? You'll have to go with the light green colorway (which is arguably the best choice anyways).

When Mashable Contributor Lauren Allain tested the watch for herself, she said it "looks, feels, and functions like a smartwatch that costs hundreds more." Not only can it last over two weeks on a charge, blowing the Apple Watch out of the water, but it is also packed with features like blood oxygen monitoring, stress tracking, and precise heart-rate monitoring. Runners will love the included running coach feature, while athletes of all kinds will appreciate the dual-band GPS tracing, which is so precise it can tell which side of the road you're on. The Watch 3 Pro's only drawbacks are that it's a little bulky for smaller wrists and that the ChatGPT integration only works if you also have a Nothing phone.

If you're not a fan of the light green, you can also grab the watch in dark gray, orange, or ash gray. While none of those colorways are quite as discounted as the green, they're all still on sale as of Jan. 2. You'll pay less than $90 no matter which option you choose.

For years, Intel Optane seemed destined to reshape how we store data in computers. It promised to bridge the gap between blazing-fast RAM and practical storage, with latency and consistency that traditional SSDs simply couldn't match. Then, in 2022, Intel quietly announced it was killing the entire product line—writing off over half a billion dollars in inventory in the process.

GET $100 CREDIT: Sign up at Samsung for free to receive $100 in Samsung Credit toward select 2026 products.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Free $100 Credit Use toward select 2026 Samsung tech. Get Deal

It's finally 2026, and that means plenty of new tech is on the way. CES 2026 is around the corner, and as usual you'll be able to sample some of the latest and greatest from companies like Samsung. And because the newest gadgets are going to likely be pretty pricey, Samsung wants you prepped and ready to buy with a special deal of its own you can lock in now.

Right now, you can sign up at Samsung for free to receive $100 in Samsung Credit toward select 2026 products. All you need to do is provide your name, email, optional cell number, state, and zip code. In return you'll receive email updates from Samsung, and you'll be eligible to receive up to $100 off qualifying Samsung tech, all of which can be verified as eligible here.

SEE ALSO: What to expect from Samsung at CES 2026

Whether you're a regular Samsung die-hard or you just plan on picking up some new tech now that we're finally in 2026, a $100 credit is hard to beat, especially when you don't have to do much to get it.

Be sure to grab your qualifying signup as soon as possible, as CES 2026 is happening in just a few days, from Jan. 6 to Jan. 9. There, you'll get a look at some of the best Samsung will have to offer, and you'll be rest assured that at least some of it can be yours for up to $100 off. These days, as you're likely well aware, every little bit helps.

When people think “reliable car,” Japanese brands usually come to mind first—and for good reason. Honda, Toyota, and Nissan have spent decades building vehicles that just keep going, even on the luxury side with Acura and Lexus.

SAVE 35%: As of Jan. 2, you can get the Beats Solo 4 for $129.95, down from $199.95. That's a 35% discount or $70 in savings.

Beats Solo 4 $129.95 at Amazon
$199.95 Save $70   See It at Amazon See It at Best Buy See It at Walmart

Whether you’ve actually started going to the gym (on Jan 2?! Good on you!) or you just need a way to block out the world so you can focus on your first deadlines of the year, a solid pair of headphones is basically a self-care requirement at this point.

SEE ALSO: We tested the best headphones and earbuds for working out

As of Jan. 2, the Beats Solo 4 are on sale for $129.95, down from $199.95, at Amazon. That's a 35% discount or a $70 price cut. While this isn't an all-time low (we saw them priced at $99.99 during Black Friday), $70 is still a decent discount on a top-notch pair of headphones. Even without the discount, the Beats Solo 4 are our favorite budget Beats headphones for their balance of performance and value.

The Beats Solo 4 are built for a more immersive listening experience; thanks to their re-engineered 40mm transducers and Personalized Spatial Audio, you should feel like your music is surrounding you rather than just blending into a single baseline. You'll get up to 50 hours of listening time on a single charge, which is literally double the battery life of the much more expensive AirPods Max. If you're heading out and realize you're low on power, a quick 10-minute charge will give you an additional five hours of playback. They're also ultra-lightweight and have plush ear cushions, so they won't feel like they're crushing your skull during a long work session.

2025 marked the return of one of the original modern indie tech brands, and Pebble is continuing its resurgence in the new year. One of the most stylish—and thinnest—smartwatches of the past decade is making a comeback: meet the Pebble Round 2.

When trying to save a website for offline use, your first instinct might be to hit the 'save webpage' button in your browser. That works great, but only for single web pages. If you try to save the entire website, you'll have to open every single webpage, save it manually, and then (when you need to access the website) look for individual HTML files and open them one by one. There's a better way to do this.

SAVE $196.39: The Garmin Instinct 2X Solar (Graphite) is on sale at Amazon for $253.60, down from the usual price of $449.99. That's a 44% discount and a record-low price at Amazon. But act quick, as this is a limited-time Lightning Deal.

Opens in a new window Credit: Garmin Garmin Instinct 2X Solar (Graphite) $253.60 at Amazon
$449.99 Save $196.39   Get Deal

Now that we're officially in 2026, some people are thinking about resolutions. Fitness goals are always some of the most popular, and if you fall into that category, you probably want a fitness tracker to keep better tabs on your progress. Garmin makes some of the most versatile models, and there's a massive discount today at Amazon.

As of Jan. 2, the Garmin Instinct 2X Solar (Graphite) is on sale for $253.60 at Amazon, marked down from the standard price of $449.99. That's a major 44% discount that takes $196.39 off the price. It's also a new record-low price at Amazon.

Some tech advancements make so much sense that it feels silly we went without them for so long. In this example, I'm talking about a watch face that serves as a way to recharge via solar. It just makes so much sense. Garmin claims that the Instinct 2X Solar produces 50 percent more energy through the Power Glass lens compared to its predecessor. When exposed to three hours of sunlight each day, you'll be in line for never-ending battery life.

SEE ALSO: 5 fitness apps to help with your 2026 New Year’s resolutions

The Garmin Instinct 2X Solar will help top up the battery while you're outside on a run, dog walk, or simply out running errands. But more than that, it's a tough and durable fitness tracker that's ready to accompany you on adventures.

Garmin packed the Instinct 2X Solar with features you'll want on the trail, like 24/7 health tracking, a three-axis compass, a barometric altimeter, a built-in flashlight, and even an SOS strobe mode. Of course, you also get more standard features like heart-rate monitoring, sleep tracking, and a pulse oximeter.

Keep in mind this is an Amazon Lightning Deal, and at the time of writing, it was 89 percent claimed. If the sale on the Graphite colorway sells out before you get to it, toggle over to the Whitestone colorway option, which is also on a nice 36% discount. It's not quite the 44% discount on the Graphite, but it's still well worth it.

Before your 2026 trail runs, swims, or off-grid hikes kick into full throttle, upgrade to the Garmin Instinct 2X Solar while it's on sale for a record-low price at Amazon.

Are you frustrated with the limitations of current MagSafe (Qi2) accessories? Tired of seeing the same boring magnetic charging stands and wallets? Me too—and here are five Qi2 accessories that desperately need to exist for people like us.

Dating Sunday is almost here. 

Landing in the sweet spot between the winter holiday season and Valentine's Day, Dating Sunday — typically the first Sunday of the year — is when eager singles emerge from hibernation to swipe on dating apps in droves. The term traces back to 2016, when apps took notice of the post-New Year's Day frenzy. In 2020, Match's chief dating expert Rachel DeAlto went so far as to call the day the "Super Bowl of dating apps."

When is Dating Sunday this year?

With this kind of marketing, it's easy to have high expectations for Dating Sunday, which falls on Jan. 4, 2026. As a seasoned veteran of both the day and dating apps in general, however, I'm here to tell you that those hopes may not be met. You may not find the love of your life on Dating Sunday — and that's OK.

SEE ALSO: Our 5 predictions for dating in 2026

To the apps' credit, there are stats behind the hoopla: OkCupid typically sees a 70 percent increase in user activity on Dating Sunday. Tinder estimates that 10 percent of all January swipes occur on that date as well.

The reasoning behind it also makes sense. People may take time off dating during the holidays to focus on family, yet the time can remind us of our singleness; December is "proposal season," after all. Plus, January is often seen as a "fresh start," and daters may have newfound optimism to go out and find a partner. Throw in the close proximity to Valentine's Day, and it's totally logical that our thumbs are a-swiping. 

One day — or even a month — of swiping won't determine what the rest of the year will be like. 

Liubomyr Pivtorak, chief product officer at Hily dating app, says Dating Sunday isn't just about an increase in traffic to the apps. "We see a sharp increase in matches and conversations, with people replying faster and sustaining longer exchanges than usual," says Pivtorak. "It's the moment when motivation is still high and everyone’s giving dating a real try, right before that drop-off kicks in.”

I understand why Dating Sunday falls when it does, but I believe starting out the year with it could be detrimental. If you fail to find a match on Dating Sunday, you may think it's somehow a sign of what's to come during this year, that 2026 is doomed to be like last year and the year before. 

This isn't true. One day — or even a month — of swiping won't determine what the rest of the year will be like. The most popular apps (like Tinder and Bumble) have millions of users, and they'll be active well beyond Dating Sunday. There will be more opportunities beyond the first two Sundays of the year. Perhaps the days in between may be lucrative too! Or the days, weeks, and months afterwards.

The danger is treating it like a sprint, when dating is really a marathon.

"If you’re not careful, you can burn out before you’ve even started," says Sylvia Linzalone, dating expert at UK-based dating app Wisp. "The danger is treating it like a sprint, when dating is really a marathon."

SEE ALSO: 5 ways dating changed in 2025

"Dating Sunday isn’t about finding ‘the one’ in 24 hours," Linzalone says. "It’s about starting the year with clarity. Use the energy of the day to set better habits – whether that’s messaging with more intention, meeting sooner, or being clearer about what you want." 

Remember: How Dating Sunday shakes out won't be a predictor for the rest of the year. Don't participate if you don't want to; you can find love another time. Those excited singles won't vanish when Monday rolls around.

You want a potential match that puts in the effort, so you should do so too.

If you do want to put your best foot forward, however, by all means do it. On Dating Sunday, experts recommend that you complete your bio and include at least three photos of yourself. You want a potential match that puts in the effort, so you should do so too.

I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir in terms of managing expectations. Just remember what Linzalone says: it's a marathon, not a sprint.

This article was first published in 2022 and republished in 2026.

After taking a break for the holidays, I'm back with another set of Linux applications I think are worth installing. This weekend, consider a way to concatenate desktops, a duplicate file cleaner, and a replacement for ls.

You likely use it every day for "boring" data, but Excel is hiding a fascinating history. From secret video games to a leap-year lie that Microsoft refuses to fix, here are seven weird facts that prove the popular spreadsheet software is stranger than you think.

Are you confident you're using your PC as efficiently as possible? Most people aren't. From typing techniques to shut down procedures, we've all picked up habits that waste time without us even noticing. Here are 10 common PC habits that are wasting your time—and how to fix them.

Happy new year, everyone! I hope your annual late-night celebration was fabulous enough to wear you out to the point that all you want to do this weekend is vegetate and binge-watch some good TV shows. If that's the case, I’m here to take the guesswork out of that equation with the first recommendations of 2026.

I spend a lot of time in the CLI, and when an exciting project captures my attention and gets me into a flow state, I tend to lose track of time; before I know it, hours have passed.

It's a new year and so much has changed. Okay, perhaps not a lot has changed really, including the fact that I'm here every weekend to offer up three fantastic shows that deserve your attention on Netflix.

Software used to be fun and full of little quirks and gimmicks. If you've experienced the Frutiger Aero era of design, you know exactly what I'm talking about. That was before flat, sterile, 'clean' designs without any trace of personality took over. Still, I miss when software used to be fun, and I'd like to bring it back where I can. If you're using the GNOME desktop environment, here are four extensions you can install right now to make your computer fun again.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you're a healthy eater.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for January 2, 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: To notate

• Green: A skit

• Blue: A guideline

• Purple: Greens

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Write

• Green: Shtick

• Blue: Benchmark

• Purple: Vegetable minus starting letter

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 #936 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Write: JOT, LOG, NOTE, RECORD

• Shtick: BIT, GAG, NUMBER, ROUTINE

• Benchmark: BAR, EXAMPLE, METRIC, STANDARD

• Vegetable minus starting letter: ALE, EEK, HIVE, QUASH

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for January 2, 2026

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

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

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

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you hate the cold.

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 January 2, 2026 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for January 2, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Home is where the hearth is

The words are related to coziness.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe ways to heat up.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Stay Warm.

NYT Strands word list for January 2

• Blanket

• Slippers

• Cocoa

• Stay Warm

• Robe

• Fireplace

• Cuddles

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 yesterday's Strands.