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KDE developers are already gearing up for Plasma 6.7, and the upcoming update is bringing some great quality-of-life features like an instant dark mode toggle and system-wide push-to-talk. The team is quickly moving past the initial Plasma 6 launch and focusing on more improvements.

Many automotive tools can be quite expensive, but there are definitely some that are budget-friendly and vital to have in your vehicle. Portable, battery-powered tire inflators are one of those tools.

SAVE $200: As of Jan. 17, Amazon has the TCL 55-inch Class T7 Smart TV on sale for 33% off at $399, $200 off its list price of $599.

Opens in a new window Credit: TCL TCL 55 Inch Class T7 Series Smart TV $399 at Amazon
$599 Save $200   Get Deal

Winter is honestly one of the best times to consider snagging a brand-new TV for your living room or getting that second TV for your bedroom that you've always wished you had on cozy weekend mornings. This weekend, Amazon has a 55-inch TCL smart TV on sale for 33% off. The 2025 model has 4K QLED HDR picture quality and a 120Hz refresh rate. The smart TV also comes with Google TV, Dolby Atmos Audio, and Alexa gaming. The QLED feature delivers super-vivid colors, perfect for watching your favorite movies and shows in UHD. The 120Hz refresh rate is excellent for folks who want to catch their favorite sports teams' games in a crystal-clear picture or play their favorite video games without annoying lag or blurriness.

The built-in Google TV streaming software lets you gather all your favorite streaming services in a reliable, sleekly designed interface. The TV also features TCL's proprietary AIPQ Pro Processor, which optimizes picture, color, and image clarity for whatever media you're currently playing. The reviews for this model rave about its picture quality and overall performance, given its modest price point compared to other TVs of the same size. 

If you’re shopping for a new family sedan, you might be surprised to learn that the money set aside for a brand-new Toyota Camry can now buy something far more upscale on the used market. Thanks to rapid depreciation in the luxury segment, a refined midsize sedan with premium materials, sharp styling, and a far more exclusive badge has quietly slipped into mainstream pricing territory. For value-focused buyers, that shift changes the conversation entirely.

SAVE $1401: As of Jan. 17, Amazon has Jackery's HomePower 3000 portable power station on sale for 56% off at $1,098, which $1,401 off its list price of $2,499.

Opens in a new window Credit: Jackery Jackery HomePower 3000 Portable Power Station $1,098 at Amazon
$2,499 Save $1,401   Get Deal

This weekend, Amazon is running a massive discount on Jackery's HomePower 3000 portable power station. The power station is a battery-and-solar-generator combo (though the compatible, separately sold solar panels are totally optional).

This portable power station deal from Jackery packs quite the punch in terms of versatility and features. The power station has a 3600W output (7200W surge) and a 3072W capacity. This means that the Jackery HomePower 3000 can power a household's essentials for about 15 hours. It can also keep a fridge running for 1 to 2 days if you need it. When it comes to the essentials, it can power: lights, the fridge, the fan, your beloved WiFi router, and more.

The station also comes with AC, USB-C, USB-A, and DC ports to keep all your devices juiced up and ready to go. The ports are 100W PD, which means they can deliver extra-fast charging for phones, tablets, and any other devices you want to keep charged up.

This beast of a power station fully recharges in 1.7 hours with AC and DC power. With Jackery's compatible solar panels, the station can charge up to 80% in 9 hours. It can also be charged with a 12V car charger or a gas generator for extra versatility and preparedness. Weighing in at 59.5 pounds, the station has two easy-to-grip handlebars on either side.

SAVE $200: As of Saturday, January 17th, this Apple MacBook Air with an M4 chip is 17% off at $999, down from its list price of $1,199. 

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple 13-inch MacBook Air M4 Chip 2025 $999 at Amazon
$1,199 Save $200   Get Deal

Starting the year off with a new laptop could be just the thing to help you achieve that long list of New Year's goals you have drafted in your notebook. This weekend, Amazon has a 13-inch 2025 MacBook Air laptop with an M4 chip on sale for just under $1000. The portable computer comes replete with 16 GB unified memory, 512 GB SSD storage, a 12 MP center stage camera, and touch ID. To top it all off — it comes in a unique Sky Blue color. 

This model possesses up to 18 hours of battery life. The M4 chip was the fastest consumer computer chip until Apple's recent release of the M5 chip. The M4 chip offers many of the neural and CPU capabilities of the M5 (without the premium cost of the newest model). 

This MacBook Air features two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a MagSafe charging port, a headphone jack, and support for up to two external displays. This model could be the ideal next addition to your existing Apple ecosystem.

There's a ghost in your Excel spreadsheet. It's that invisible text box you keep accidentally clicking, or the chart that refuses to be selected. Instead of losing your mind, use the Selection Pane, the hidden sidebar that reveals every object on your sheet so you can manage them with ease.

Technically my first true smartphone in the modern sense was a really rather awful Samsung Galaxy Ace, but before that it was my wife's iPod Touch that showed me that the whole full touchscreen thing could work, and finally loosened my grip on my Blackberry.

Neovim is already quite powerful out of the box, but getting the most out of it is less about piling on plugins and more about choosing the right ones. The plugins below are not popular because they are fashionable, but because they solve specific annoyances that show up after you have spent enough time inside the editor (usually longer than you planned).

An iPad today is a thinner, more powerful version of the iPad of 10 years ago. In the Android world, you have the fun novelty of "what will they think of next?" That, more than any other reason, is why I continue buying them instead of iPads. Let's take a moment to appreciate the diversity among Android tablets out there.

Finding a vehicle that blends luxury refinement with real-world efficiency can feel like a balancing act, but one used hybrid has quietly mastered both. For buyers who want the comfort and sophistication typically associated with premium sedans, and significant savings at the pump, this Toyota-based luxury hybrid delivers in a way few others do. With its smooth, composed ride and efficient powertrain, it proves that upscale comfort and fuel economy don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

In a world where everyone complains about everything that’s getting worse (often rightfully so) it can be easy to forget about the things that are getting better. These changes sneak up on you over time, but looking back at where we were five or ten years ago can make the benefits feel massive.

It's that most magical time of the year: The White Lotus casting season.

Season 4 of Mike White's hotel-set anthology series begins production in April of 2026, so casting announcements for the show's next set of ultra-rich guests and exasperated staffers have begun to roll in. Not only that, but the season's sure-to-be gorgeous setting has already been revealed.

SEE ALSO: 2026 TV preview: All the TV shows you need to know, and where to stream them

There's still quite a bit of time before the season's release, so we'll have to wait a while for the next batch of White Lotus memes and discourse to obsess over. But until then, here's everything we know about the upcoming season.

Who is in The White Lotus Season 4?

So far, four cast members have been announced for The White Lotus Season 4. In December 2024, AJ Michalka and Alexander Ludwig became the first actors to join the season.

Michalka is one half of the musical duo Aly & AJ, and she has also starred in movies such as Super 8 and The Lovely Bones, as well as TV shows including ABC's The Goldbergs and its spin-off, Schooled. Ludwig rose to fame as Cato in The Hunger Games and has since starred in series like the History Channel's Vikings and MGM+'s Earth Abides.

SEE ALSO: Carrie Coon gleefully reacts to 'White Lotus' memes of her running

On Jan. 16, Variety reported that Steve Coogan and Caleb Jonte Edwards had also checked into Season 4. Comedian Coogan is known for his work as Alan Partridge, as well as projects like The Trip films and Philomena, for which he was nominated for an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture (as a producer). A newcomer, Edwards has previously starred in one episode of the Australian crime drama Black Snow.

Prior seasons have featured returning characters such as Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge), Belinda (Natasha Rothwell), and Greg (Jon Gries). Will White bring back another character this season?

Where does The White Lotus Season 4 take place?

Get ready to brush up on your French, because The White Lotus is heading to the French Riviera. On Jan. 9, Variety reported that the season would shoot at the Château de La Messardière, a 19th-century palace-turned-hotel in Saint-Tropez. According to Variety, some scenes were also filmed at a Paris hotel.

Sources also told Variety that the Cannes Film Festival might figure into the storyline, setting up a more film-focused season. The plot of Season 4 is otherwise under wraps.

When is The White Lotus Season 4 coming out?

Variety reported that The White Lotus Season 4 will shoot from the end of April to the end of October, meaning a 2027 release date is likely.

For comparison, principal photography for Season 3 wrapped in Aug. 2024. The season premiered in Feb. 2025, making for a six-month turnaround. If Season 4 follows a similar pattern, we could be looking at a spring 2027 premiere.

The White Lotus is now streaming on HBO.

Rhea Seehorn has recently been awarded a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a TV Drama Series, as well as a Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series, for her portrayal of Carol Sturka in the Apple TV show Pluribus.

You may be familiar with the most common HTML tags like p, a, and img, but what about progress or details? HTML is a lot more expressive than you might have realized, and the following tags pack plenty of functionality.

Many smart home devices serve a clear purpose. If you want to measure humidity, for example, a humidity sensor fits the bill perfectly. There are some devices, however, that are so strange that it can be a challenge trying to figure out how to use them.

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 January 17, 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 January 16, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for Jan. 17 Pips

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

Number (7): Everything in this space must add up to 7. The answer is 2-1, placed horizontally; 6-4, placed horizontally.

Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 6-4, placed horizontally; 4-0, placed horizontally.

Number (8): Everything in this light blue space must add up to 8. The answer is 4-4, placed horizontally.

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

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

Medium difficulty hints, answers for Jan. 17 Pips

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

Greater Than (16): Everything in this space must be greater than 16. The answer is 6-6, placed horizontally; 4-6, placed horizontally.

Not Equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 4-1, placed horizontally; 4-6, placed horizontally; 2-3, placed horizontally.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for Jan. 17 Pips

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

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

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

Not Equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 6-3, placed vertically; 6-6, placed vertically.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 5-1, placed horizontally; 5-2, placed vertically.

Greater Than (1): Everything in this space must be greater than 1. The answer is 5-2, placed vertically.

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

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically; 2-2, placed vertically; 3-2, placed horizontally.

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 3-4, placed horizontally; 3-3, placed vertically; 3-2, placed horizontally.

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

Picture this: You just experienced Matt Damon and Ben Affleck reuniting in The Rip. The adrenaline is pumping, the heart is racing, and you’re ready to watch another movie. While there’s never a bad time to watch a classic like Good Will Hunting, you’re probably looking for some more action.

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier if you know Italian soccer teams.

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. 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: 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: Winning

• Green: East Coast football

• Blue: Just jeff-ing around

• Purple: We have a problem

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: In No. 1 Position

• Green: AFC East Teams

• Blue: Jeffs

• Purple: Rockets

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 #481 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• In No. 1 Position - FIRST, FRONT, LEAD, POLE

• AFC East Teams - BUFFALO, MIAMI, NEW ENGLAND, NEW YORK

• Jeffs - BAGWELL, KENT, SATURDAY, VAN GUNDY

• Rockets - CLEMENS, HOUSTON, RICHARD, TOLEDO

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.

The 3-2-1 backup rule is the gold standard for data backups. I often recommend it, and so do most experts. But it's hard to overlook the fact that some aspects of this backup approach are growing outdated, and it might be time to rethink them to bolster the security of your data.