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I bought my first cordless power tool over 20 years ago, and it was a shiny new Milwaukee V28 with a lithium-ion battery. Who remembers the V28 line? It was a big, expensive purchase, and over the years I've bought Milwaukee tools here and there, but eventually I got rid of them all and switched to Ryobi. Here's why.

When you're navigating from A to B, the last thing you want to do is constantly switch back and forth between different apps. Any time you spend off the Google Maps navigation screen is time when you could miss that crucial turn. Thankfully, Google Maps has some useful integrations that mean you don't need to keep flipping from app to app.

Whenever the discussion about physical media and its inevitable demise comes up, the argument that "discs rot and degrade" will inevitably raise its head.

As great as 3D printing is, you can often tell when an object has come off a print bed and not out of an injection mold. This mostly comes down to layer lines, an inescapable symptom of the filament deposition modeling process.

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 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 August 15, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for August 15 Pips

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

Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 0-6, placed vertically; 6-6, placed horizontally; 6-5, placed vertically.

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

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

Medium difficulty hints, answers for August 15 Pips

Greater Than (8): Everything in this space must be greater than 8. The answer is 4-6, placed horizontally; 4-2, placed vertically.

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

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

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

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 6-1, placed vertically.

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 6-1, placed vertically; 3-1, placed vertically; 0-2, placed vertically.

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

Hard difficulty hints, answers for August 15 Pips

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 5-0, placed vertically.

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

Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 2-1, placed vertically; 1-1, placed vertically; 1-0, placed vertically.

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

Greater Than (16): Everything in this space must be greater than 16. The answer is 6-4, placed horizontally; 6-5, placed vertically.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically.

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

Learning Python from lectures and textbooks works for some, but I know firsthand how difficult it is to learn that way. When you can actually put your knowledge to use in a game, it's much easier to learn. Most CS courses get you comfortable with syntax and give you problems that have one clean answer and a grade attached. However, it's more fun to go to Python games that put you in situations where the code either works or it visibly doesn't, and the feedback arrives fast enough that you actually learn something from it.

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

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: No chips

• Green: Working at the country club

• Blue: Seen in KC

• Purple: Spelled like a W team

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Teams to Never Win a World Series

• Green: Jobs at a Golf Course

• Blue: Kansas City Teams

• Purple: Anagrams of WNBA Teams

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 #691 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Teams to Never Win a World Series: BREWERS, MARINERS, PADRES, ROCKIES

• Jobs at a Golf Course: CADDIE, GREENSKEEPER, STARTER, SUPERINTENDENT

• Kansas City Teams: CHIEFS, CURRENT, ROYALS, SPORTING KC

• Anagrams of WNBA Teams: CASE, MADRE, RIFE, SWING

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 yesterday's Connections.

Routers, while important, are not the most interesting bit of tech, and most people aren't interested in learning what all those toggles in the settings actually do.

When it comes to long-term value, few cars hold their resale power like this popular hatchback. Even after five years, it retains a surprising percentage of its original price, making it a standout in a market where depreciation often hits new vehicles hard.

Do you remember your younger years, talking to your friends over AOL Instant Messenger? Wouldn't you like to try it out again? Well, you can, and I did. I fired up this blast from the past to see if it's as fun as it once was.

In the age of streaming, it is not uncommon to have a television in nearly every room. If there is a wall or space on the dresser, it is a perfect spot to put one.

DeWALT is one of the most popular power tool brands on the market, frequently found on job sites, in specific trades, and loved by DIYers everywhere. The company makes hundreds of powerful and capable tools you'll love, but they're often more expensive than competitors like Ryobi. With that in mind, here are a few expensive but great DeWALT tools worth saving up for.

Going away to college is one of the most exciting times in anyone's life. You're not quite an independent adult yet, but you're almost off the leash, and about to learn a lot of new things both inside and outside the classroom.

Samsung phones are among the most ubiquitous cameras in the world, and most of them also happen to be good ones—but don't expect to capture a good shot just by shooting from the hip. I've taken many of the photos I've published for How-To Geek directly on Galaxy phones, and here's how I pull it off.

Car seats slide forward and back, and on most modern vehicles they remember where the driver programmed them. Those who own a swanky luxury SUV may even have a massage function they can enjoy. Acura's newest concept throws the traditional seating setup out the window.

I've been paying for a Google Drive (or, more accurately, "Google One") subscription for a long time, before Gemini even came into play. At some point, I stopped questioning whether I actually needed it. I paid the sub and used it without thinking twice.

My daughter has incredible handwriting. It genuinely amazes me how beautiful it is when my own scrawl is often barely legible. I'm sure her flowery style will become simpler as she gets older, so I wanted to try to preserve her current handwriting, and a free Claude Code skill was all it took.

Pretty much every home has a junk drawer or two, where things are thrown until they’re needed, and nothing can be found without a good rummage. Thankfully, you don’t need to go “full Gridfinity” to 3D print your way out of this mess.

Windows 11 is bloated, there are no two ways about it. The operating system eats up too much memory, Windows Search is slow and infested with Bing online results, and the amount of background tasks and services makes it feel sluggish on many PCs.

You wouldn’t know it from the headlines, but Samsung launched two (2) new Galaxy Z Fold phones last month. The wide Fold 8 stole the show, turning the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra into an unusual underdog. Regardless, this is the model that Samsung adorned with the “Ultra” tag, and it did so for good reason.