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ESP32 boards are incredibly versatile. They're small and relatively cheap, and I use them for a wide variety of purposes in my smart home. The problem is that a bare ESP32 board doesn't look great dangling off the back of a power cable. A Home Assistant user has found a neat and elegant way to hide them away.

Working with a sluggish computer is a grind. With automated functions, servers, self-hosting, Docker containers, and all the files I download on a daily basis, I often forget to keep my digital space tidy. I noticed something was chewing up my Linux box's performance in a way I never experienced when I used Windows. I wanted to find out why, so I did a deep dive into cleaning up my computer using a mix of system tools and third-party software, and a bit of help from Claude.

Not every award-winning movie demands a three-hour time commitment. Your watchlist grows longer than your leisure time. Short films are the fix nobody talks about. Netflix’s library is quietly stocked with Oscar-winning and Oscar-nominated titles. The Academy’s short categories—animated, live action, and documentary—routinely produce work that’s as sharp, well-crafted, and gut-punching as anything for Best Picture, minus the runtime.

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

Released in August 2025, Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move on to the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.

How to play Pips

If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity with how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for August 2, 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 August 2, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for August 2 Pips

Greater Than (1): Everything in this space must be greater than 1. The answer is 0-2, placed horizontally.

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

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

Greater Than (5): Everything in this space must be greater than 5. The answer is 3-6, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for August 2 Pips

Greater Than (0): Everything in this space must be greater than 0. The answer is 4-0, placed horizontally.

Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 4-0, placed horizontally; 0-3, placed vertically.

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

Not Equal Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 2-6, placed horizontally; 5-5, placed horizontally; 4-3, placed vertically.

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

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

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

Hard difficulty hints, answers for August 2 Pips

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 0-0, placed vertically; 1-6, placed horizontally.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Greater Than (5): Everything in this space must be greater than 5. The answer is 6-2, placed horizontally.

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 5-0, placed vertically.

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

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 5-2, placed vertically; 2-3, placed horizontally; 6-2, placed horizontally; 2-1, placed vertically.

Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 3-6, placed vertically; 6-4, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 6-4, placed horizontally.

Less Than (5): Everything in this space must be less than 5. The answer is 4-1, placed horizontally.

Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 4-1, placed horizontally; 2-1, placed vertically; 1-1, placed horizontally.

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

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

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

Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 0-1, placed horizontally; 3-1, 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.

Did you just get a UV printer? I did, and I've already been making and working on selling things that I've made. UV printers are insane machines, and they deliver the ability to make almost anything your mind can imagine. Here are some of the first projects that I designed and made with my UV printer, along with what I am selling them for, or what I plan to list them for.

Most PC upgrades feel like a big project because you're reading reviews, checking compatibility, maybe cracking open a case or watching a tutorial before anything actually changes. However, you don't need to spend very much to get what you need. I've bought most of the cheap accessories below more than once, which tells you something about how well they hold up.

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier if you've ever watched football.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Yellow: Drive this

• Green: Atlanta sports

• Blue: GEQBUS

• Purple: Makes a face

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Things with Wheels

• Green: Atlanta Teams

• Blue: Associated with Sam Darnold

• Purple: Ends in a Part of the Face

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 #678 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Things with Wheels: BICYCLE, RACE CAR, SKATEBOARD, ZAMBONI

• Atlanta Teams: ATLANTA UNITED, DREAM, FALCONS, HAWKS

• Associated with Sam Darnold: JETS, SEAHAWKS, SUPER BOWL LX, TROJANS

• Ends in a Part of the Face: BOURNEMOUTH, DIAGNOSE, HAWKEYES, KICKFLIP

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 the latest Connections.

Minnesota's new ban on AI "nudification" technology took effect on August 1, 2026, after a federal judge declined to pause it, even as a legal challenge by Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company, xAI, proceeds.

U.S. District Judge Donovan W. Frank denied xAI's emergency motion for a temporary restraining order in a two-page order issued July 31. The judge found that the company's own timeline undercut its claim of urgent harm, noting that xAI filed its motion "nearly three months after the law was signed, and only three days before the law is set to take effect."

SEE ALSO: Teens sue xAI for Grok's reported sexual image generation issues

The order stated that such a delay "suggests that harm is not immediate," and cited a prior Minnesota case in which a similar delay weighed against granting emergency relief.

Minnesota's nudification law, explained

The statute, H.F. 1606, adds a new section to Minnesota law prohibiting any person who owns or controls a website, app, or software from allowing users to "nudify" images or generate such alterations on a user's behalf. It also bars advertising or promoting services that perform this function.

The bill defines "nudify" as altering or generating an image so that it depicts an intimate part not present in the original, in a way realistic enough that a reasonable viewer would believe it belonged to the person shown. The law carves out an exemption for tools that require "the technical skill of a user" to produce the alteration, and it preserves Section 230 liability protections under federal law.

Violations can draw a civil penalty of up to $500,000 per unlawful access, download, or use, enforceable by the attorney general, along with a private right of action allowing individuals to sue for compensatory and punitive damages, injunctive relief, and attorneys' fees. Penalty revenue collected under the law is directed toward grants for organizations serving survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and other crimes, per the bill's text.

According to NBC News, xAI's lawsuit argues the law violates the First Amendment and is broader than necessary, calling it "overinclusive" with "far less restrictive alternatives" available. Governor Tim Walz, who signed the bill in May, responded on social media: "See you in court, creep," per NBC News.

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The law follows scrutiny of xAI's Grok chatbot, whose Imagine tool reportedly began generating sexualized deepfakes at scale after a December update, prompting international backlash and an Apple app-store removal threat; NBC News reported the issue persisted as recently as April. SpaceX, xAI's parent, also faces class-action suits alleging Grok produced nude deepfakes of children and adults.

Free-speech groups are split, per NBC News. The ACLU of Minnesota, which backed an earlier bill version, said the final law didn't properly balance First Amendment interests against real harms. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression called the law overbroad; its legislative counsel, John Coleman, said it "sweeps in ordinary political speech and satire."

Minnesota's measure is described by NBC News as the first such law in the nation, part of a broader wave of state action on AI deepfakes, including cease-and-desist letters San Francisco's city attorney sent to Apple and Google in July.

There's a tiny box in the top-left corner of every Excel worksheet that many users overlook. Some have never clicked it, while others know it's there but don't do anything with it. Either way, they're missing one of Excel's quickest productivity tools.

Frustrated with Windows and considering switching to Linux? Struggling to make up your mind because of the good and bad things you hear about making the switch? Well, I’ve used both OSes for over a decade, and here are my five crucial truths about making the switch that rarely get mentioned.

It's an important weekend for Peter Parker fans with the release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day in theaters. With the popular superhero on the minds of many, this is the perfect time to watch your favorite Spider-Man movies on streaming.

Your 3D printer’s nozzle is the last thing that melted filament touches before it becomes a 3D-printed object. Different printers come with different nozzles, and you can replace or swap these out as you see fit.

There are certain choices we all have to make in this world. Android or iPhone, PlayStation or Xbox, Spotify or Apple Music, Guttenberg or Hanks. One of the most divisive choices is whether you use Waze or Google Maps. I decided to put both apps head-to-head over a series of matching journeys to see which navigation app came out on top.

Segmenting your network and setting aside a separate SSID for guests is sensible advice that can genuinely make your connection more secure.

Streaming 4K HDR content through a browser on your PC almost never delivers what you're paying for. Here's why moving playback to a dedicated streaming device fixes the problem entirely.

The Toyota Corolla turns 60 this year. It arrived in Japan in 1966 as a compact, affordable car for everyday driving, then crossed the Pacific two years later and went on to become one of the best-selling nameplates in automotive history (Toyota puts cumulative global sales past 57 million units).

For some celebrities, it was a nightmare that came true: having their photos stolen from their phones. I set up a Raspberry Pi to do exactly that: stealing the photos from my own phone, with my complete permission.

You can self-host a lot of services on a Raspberry Pi, but the downside is that these services are often only reachable from your home network, making them less convenient than cloud-based alternatives. Tailscale creates a secure, encrypted mesh VPN that lets you access your Raspberry Pi from anywhere without exposing ports, and there are plenty of self-hosted services that can benefit from this access.

It's already been a very busy year for Apple. Tim Cook announced he'll be stepping aside for John Ternus. Siri AI finally made its big debut (in beta form) at WWDC 2026. Apple launched a new budget MacBook, and then raised prices just months later.

But don't forget: We're still expecting the launch of the iPhone 18, the first folding iPhone, and a ton more Apple devices in the months ahead.

So, Mashable and the rest of the CNET Group (ZDNET, PCMag, CNET, and Lifehacker) are hosting the Big Guessing Game: Apple Edition to give our readers a chance to predict the biggest Apple news. Every correct answer earns you one chance to win the new Apple Watch announced in September. (Read the full content rules.) Ahead of the September iPhone launch event, we have our readers' answers from round two of the game.

Don't forget to keep checking back, as round three of the Big Guessing Game: Apple Edition is coming soon.

Question 1: Will Apple announce that a foldable iPhone will be released in 2026?

The foldable iPhone — rumored to be called the iPhone Ultra, or some variation thereof — is the biggest open secret in Silicon Valley right now, but Apple still hasn't confirmed its existence. However, 68 percent of respondents in Mashable's Big Guessing Game said they expect the phone to arrive this year, while just 32 percent answered in the negative.

Question 2: Will the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max include a black color option this year?

The lack of a black color option was a major disappointment for many Apple fans after the launch of the iPhone 17 Pro last year. (Scratchgate may have been the reason why.) Rumor has it we won't get a black phone this year either, though leaks suggest we are getting a dark grey that looks pretty close. So, what do Mashable readers think?

The breakdown here was almost identical to question one, with 68 percent of you expecting that we will get a black iPhone after all.

Question 3: Will Apple announce a touchscreen MacBook in 2026?

Rumors of MacBook Pros with OLED screens and touchscreens have been spreading for awhile, and it's very possible these high-end laptops will finally arrive in 2026.

We asked Mashable readers whether they expect to see the first-ever touchscreen MacBook this year, and our readers are almost evenly split on this question. In the end, 55 percent said yes, and 45 percent said no.

Question 4: Will Apple release new AirPods in 2026?

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who seems to have a direct line right into Apple Park, has reported that Apple is working on AirPods with built-in cameras. The cameras wouldn't be for photography, but to support new Siri AI features. Regardless, we were curious what you think: Will we get any new AirPods this year?

On this question, only 26 percent of our respondents said no, with the majority (74 percent) answering in the affirmative.

Question 5: Will an M6 series chip be announced in 2026?

An M6 chip is expected to arrive this fall, based on Apple's previous silicon release schedule. When we posed this question to Mashable readers, 35 percent predicted we would not see an M6 chip, while 65 percent believed that we will.

Enter our Big Guessing Game for a chance to win a new Apple Watch

Don't forget to participate in the third and final round of the Mashable Big Guessing Game for another chance at winning a new Apple Watch. The last round will take place in the weeks leading up to the iPhone launch event, which we believe will be in mid-September.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY to enter or win the "CNET Group Big Guessing Game" Giveaway. Open to legal U.S. residents in the 50 U.S. & D.C., 18+ yrs of age. Other restrictions apply. Begins May 19, 2026 at 12:01 pm ET and ends Sept. 1, 2026 at 11:59 pm ET. Void where prohibited. Subject to Official Rules: https://www.mashable.com/article/mashable-big-guessing-game-apple-edition-official-contest-rules/. Sponsor: Ziff Davis, LLC.

Apple is not a sponsor of, affiliated with, or endorser of this sweepstakes. Apple Watch is a trademark of Apple Inc.

Which Windows laptops can beat Apple?

We've added over 80 laptops to our testing database in the last two years, and a number of them can beat Apple in different ways. The HP OmniBook 3 16 with the Snapdragon X chip has a bonkers 40-hour battery life, far outpacing MacBooks. In the budget category, the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 likewise beats the MacBook Neo in battery life.

And in terms of performance, while the MacBook Air (M5) and MacBook Pro (M5) have impressive single-core scores on Geekbench 6, Windows Ultrabooks like the Asus Zenbook A14 beat both devices in multi-core performance.

SEE ALSO: The best MacBooks to buy in 2026: Air, Pro, or Neo? What I look for in the best MacBook alternatives

IMO, a Windows laptop or Chromebook is doing a good MacBook impression if it has above-average performance, long battery life, and a sleek, polished design. Basically, it's a very good Windows laptop or a top-tier Chromebook. I'll add some extra qualifiers depending on the exact Mac model:

• MacBook Air alternatives should be super lightweight and portable

• MacBook Neo alternatives should cost well under $1,000

• MacBook Pro alternatives should have a crisp, rich 120Hz display and enough power for intensive tasks like video editing

As of July 2026, I've found seven worthy alternatives from Asus, Acer, Dell, and HP, all of them rigorously tested. I believe these PCs are the top MacBook alternatives for buyers in 2026. I've also lined up a fallback option for those who want to stay within the Apple ecosystem.

What's new

I made several adjustments to this guide in July 2026 based on my latest round of testing, and after checking our current picks for price and availability changes.

• The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 is now the best MacBook Neo alternative, replacing the sold-out Acer Aspire 16 AI. That said, I'll be testing a couple new budget laptops in the near future that could be even better options (see below).

• The Dell XPS 14 is now the best MacBook Pro alternative. It's still a splurge compared to the MacBook Pro, but now a little less so after Apple's price changes. The Acer Swift X 14 is now the best MacBook Pro alternative for users who need a laptop with discrete graphics.

• I added the Asus ExpertBook Ultra as a new top pick. I had some build quality concerns with the pre-production unit I originally tested, but Asus remedied them in mass production. (I tried a second updated unit to verify this.)

• I added the HP OmniBook Ultra 14 as another new top pick. I can only recommend the Snapdragon X2 Elite configuration because it's the only model I've tested, but I plan on trying an Intel Panther Lake variant down the road.

Other contenders to consider Not giving the ProArt GoPro Edition a 120Hz display was an odd choice on Asus' part. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The special-edition Asus ProArt GoPro Edition bundles MacBook Pro-rivaling multi-core performance and 128GB of RAM in a rugged convertible design. It's expensive at $2,999.99, but fairly priced for how much memory it has. (An identically configured MacBook Pro costs $6,139.) Still, I can't recommend it as a MacBook Pro alternative because it has a blurrier 60Hz display. That feels like a glaring omission on a premium creator laptop.

The Acer Swift Edge 14 AI is a shockingly thin-and-light ultraportable with a 2.8K OLED touchscreen. It only costs $1,499.99 with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. It would make a very good MacBook Air alternative if it wasn't such a mediocre performer: It's 48 percent slower than the latest MacBook Air in single-core scenarios and 33 percent slower in multi-core tasks. It's a closer rival to the M2 MacBook Air from 2022 when it comes to processing power. I would only pick it over the Zenbook A14 if you can't use an ARM-based laptop (see below).

I haven't tested them yet, but the new Dell XPS 13 and Acer Swift Air 14 look like very promising MacBook Neo alternatives, and the Framework Laptop 13 Pro seems like a neat repairable MacBook Pro alternative. I'll update this story once I or one of my colleagues try them.

A note about ARM-based Windows laptops

The Asus Zenbook A14, Zenbook A16, and HP OmniBook Ultra 14 run on Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 series chips. These are ARM-based chips, which are built differently than traditional x86-based Intel and AMD chips. As such, they're not compatible with as many video games and certain specialty software. This isn't an issue for most users, but if you do a lot of PC gaming or you're a college student, you should avoid them. You can read more about this in my dedicated guide to the best Windows laptops.