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Anthropic released Claude Fable 5.1 and a more restricted sibling, Claude Mythos 5.1, this week, positioning the pair as its most capable models yet for coding and knowledge work. Notably, the announcement arrives just weeks after fresh reports of AI agents behaving badly in security tests.

The two models are technically identical, Anthropic says in its blog post, but come with different guardrails. Fable 5.1 is broadly available, while Mythos 5.1 is reserved for vetted partners working in cybersecurity and the life sciences through the company's trusted-access programs.

SEE ALSO: What Claude's AI text watermark actually does

Anthropic also says it's cutting prices. According to the company, typical workloads will cost around 25 percent less than they did with Fable 5, with savings of roughly 45 percent for heavily agentic tasks, largely due to cheaper cache-read pricing. At the time of writing, Claude customers are accusing the AI firm of deceptive pricing and marketing for its Claude Max subscription.

On the safety side, Anthropic touts more precise filters. The company says its updated biology safeguards now fire far less often on benign medical questions, and that cybersecurity safeguards produce about 60 percent fewer false interventions in Claude Code sessions than before, in part because Fable 5.1 is now allowed to help identify software vulnerabilities — though not build exploits for them.

That framing lands amid a rockier moment for AI agents and the cybersecurity industry at large. In early August, multiple outlets reported that AI agents from both Anthropic and OpenAI had been caught taking unsanctioned actions during red-team testing. The UK's AI Security Institute, which ran the tests, said agents from the two companies took unauthorized actions a combined 19 times across 122 test runs, with the bulk of the incidents attributed to an earlier Anthropic model, Mythos 5. Anthropic responded at the time by noting that the tests were run under what it called deliberately permissive conditions that don't reflect how its production models actually operate.

The company says Mythos 5.1's cyber capabilities are the strongest it has released yet, but the model still falls in the lower-risk tier under its internal framework — and Anthropic found no evidence of a critical-severity jailbreak in testing.

Your internet router has a very specific job, and it's perfectly reasonable to assume that all it's doing is that job and nothing else. The reality, however, is never that simple.

If you've spent any time on gaming social media this week, you'll see a lot of comparison screenshots of video games. The most common ones you'll see are split-screen comparisons between an OG shot of the game and one that's slightly more detailed, with a promise that this will be the "future" of gaming.

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That's DLSS 5, NVIDIA's latest and most ambitious version of its AI upscaling technology, officially launching Sept. 3. It's exclusive to the company's RTX 50-series graphics cards and arrives with just one game: NBA 2K27.

It's also become one of the more divisive pieces of gaming tech in recent memory, centered around whether AI should be allowed to redraw what a game looks like at all.

Our Big Guessing Game is Back! This is your final chance to enter to win a new Apple Watch.

What is DLSS?

DLSS has existed for years as a way to boost frame rates by having an AI model fill in detail rather than rendering every pixel natively. The new version goes further.

As we reported when it was first announced, DLSS 5 aims to use AI to add more realistic lighting and materials to a scene in real-time. That means it can actively repaint lighting, textures, and even character faces on the fly. When NVIDIA first unveiled the tech back in March, the company called it a landmark moment, framed as its biggest graphics breakthrough since real-time ray tracing debuted in 2018.

NVIDIA also claims that the system hands creative control back to developers, who get sliders to dial in exactly how aggressive the AI's changes are, down to leaving character faces untouched or enhancing only background details.

The DLSS 5 controversy on social media

Backlash towards DLSS 5 has been around since it was first revealed in a tech demo for Resident Evil: Requiem. The AI-enhanced version of the protagonist, Grace Ashcroft, looked so different from the original that it sparked its own meme cycle online, with critics describing the change as a "yassification" of the character.

DLSS 5 believers see a legitimate leap in both performance and visual fidelity, especially for sports and photorealistic titles, where the tech seems to deliver on its promises. Proponents say that DLSS 5 looks as good as you make it, and that the "bad" images of the tech are aggressively pushing the sliders and not using it properly.

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Critics argue that letting an AI model reinterpret a character's face or a room's lighting overrides decisions the actual artists made — without much visible input from the games' creators. For a lot of gamers, nobody asked the AI to redesign the art direction. However, does it actually look bad? In some instances, yes. Very much so.

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Performance-wise, it's not free, either.

NVIDIA itself estimates DLSS 5 costs 50 to 60 percent of your performance, offset by aggressive frame generation. NVIDIA further claims that even a mid-range RTX 5060 can run NBA 2K27 at 1080p with ray tracing and DLSS 5 maxed out, but only with a top-tier CPU and 6x frame generation enabled, meaning the GPU is inventing five out of every six frames you see rather than rendering them directly.

That's fine, if you ignore the ongoing memory crisis that's been squeezing the consumer PC market for the last few years. The RTX 5090 that NVIDIA's original DLSS 5 demos leaned on can be bought brand-new for $2,000, but it's also reselling for two to three times that on the secondary market, per market trackers following the shortage. That's most people's monthly rent for just one graphics card, and NVIDIA's demo used two.

Even the lower-end RTX 5060 is a victim of price creep, with some of the cheaper ones out there still priced over $400. So while NVIDIA's pitch is that DLSS 5 makes ray-traced, high-frame-rate gaming reachable on mid-range cards, the mid-range itself has gotten much less affordable — meaning the fully loaded version of this "future of graphics" pitch is, for now, mostly a luxury good.

Whether DLSS 5 becomes standard across PC gaming or ends up a niche feature for realism-focused titles will depend on whether NVIDIA can get more developers on board, and whether those developers use the granular controls to keep the AI from overriding their own art direction.

For now, the only way to actually judge it yourself is to boot up NBA 2K27 on Sept. 3 and toggle the setting. Or you can experience the elderitch horros being created on social media right now.

Linux phones have come a long way from the days when that meant installing rough software and hoping for the best. You can now get polished devices that largely work as well as their Android and iPhone counterparts, just with truly open-source code.

The Amazon Fire TV series of sticks and (literal) televisions has been popular for years thanks to low price points for decent-quality hardware.

Google is rolling out its Android feature drop for September, and it will be ideal if you need help in a store or just get queasy on a road trip. The release notably adds a Motion Assist feature that, like the iPhone's longstanding Vehicle Motion Cues.

There are some things I do in Windows so often that I can't believe they don't have keyboard shortcuts. After clicking through the same menus over and over every day, I decided to stop waiting for Microsoft and use AutoHotkey to make my own.

Android Auto is a great tool to have when driving because it provides an easy and accessible way to use your phone more safely while the car is moving. If your car supports it, there are several ways to connect your phone to Android Auto—especially wirelessly.

If you wanted to run Linux and Windows on the same machine, it could be a pain. You either had to set up a dual-boot machine or install a virtual machine. On modern Windows machines, Linux is an app like any other. Here's why that matters.

As the new Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope heads for deep space, the public can follow its three‑month trip in near-real time with NASA's online tracker.

The spacecraft launched on Sunday, Aug. 30, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. It's now cruising on its own toward its final orbit about 1 million miles away from Earth. 

Roman is flying to a point called the second sun–Earth Lagrange Point, or L2, a gravitational parking spot beyond the moon's orbit that gives the telescope a wide, steady view of the sky without Earth's atmosphere getting in the way.

During this long flight, the team runs a checkout phase, called commissioning. (For more detail on the process, read Mashable's telescope commissioning explainer.) Engineers and scientists turn on systems step by step, tune settings, and calibrate instruments before Roman starts full science operations. Though NASA has a schedule for this process, the timeline is dependent on how the spacecraft behaves.

SEE ALSO: Roman telescope's data deluge will change who gets to do big astronomy

Mission controllers already carried out the first "mid‑course correction burn," a three‑minute engine firing that nudged Roman onto a sharper trajectory, on Monday. Flight planners built in two of these opportunities early in the journey. The less the team has to use those burns, the better. More fuel reserves directly translate into more years of science. After Roman settles into its looping orbit around L2, controllers fire thrusters about every 28 days to keep the spacecraft on station. 

You can watch Roman's progress using NASA's online tracking tool. The tracker view below shows Roman's changing position in the inner solar system through a graphic visualization as it cruises outward toward L2.

Want more science and tech news delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for Mashable's Light Speed newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

From L2, Roman will use a wide‑field camera to capture an area of sky about 100 times larger than a typical Hubble image while maintaining Hubble‑like sharpness. That reach lets Roman map billions of galaxies, tens of thousands of planets, and thousands of supernova explosions.

Mission leaders say Roman will return about 1.4 terabytes of data every day. Over its planned five‑year prime mission, the observatory sends down a constant stream of images and measurements. NASA plans to release those data sets without delay. 

NASA expects to share the first detailed space images around December and begin its surveys in January 2027.

The best Apple Labor Day deals at a glance: Best iPad deal Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M4, WiFi, 128GB) $649 (save $100) Get Deal Best iPhone deal Apple iPhone Air (256GB, unlocked) $849.99 (save $150) Get Deal Best AirPods deal Apple AirPods Max 2 $449 (save $100) Get Deal Best Apple accessory deal Apple AirTags (2nd gen, 4-pack) $79.99 (save $19.01) Get Deal Best MacBook deal Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5 Pro, 24GB RAM, 2TB SSD) $2,699 (save $300) Get Deal

It's no secret that tech prices are getting out of control, thanks to RAMageddon. Apple has jacked up the costs of most of its popular gadgets (with more to come), so any excuse to save some money is welcomed. Enter Labor Day.

Labor Day sales at Amazon, Best Buy, and other major retailers are in full swing, which means deals are popping up left and right on Apple gear. Notably, iPads and iPhones are up to $150 off, while MacBooks are as much as $500 off.

We're hoping to see even bigger discounts as the weekend nears (wishful thinking), but we've already spotted some pretty solid Apple deals we think are worth checking out. Below, we've rounded up all of our top picks.

Best iPad deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M4, WiFi, 128GB) $649 at Amazon
$749 Save $100   Get Deal Why we like it

If you're looking to buy a new iPad, the M4 Air is our top pick for most people. It's not all that different from its predecessor, but that's not a bad thing (we loved the M3 iPad Air, too). The latest version packs an insanely powerful M4 chip, a thin and lightweight build, a brilliant Liquid Retina display, and Apple's N1 and C1X connectivity chips. It's honestly almost too powerful for most users, with enough oomph to handle memory-intensive programs like Final Cut Pro. Yet, its price tag isn't quite as stunning as the iPad Pro. For Labor Day, the base model with WiFi connectivity and 128GB of storage is down to just $649.

Read our full review of the M4 iPad Air.

More iPad deals

• Apple iPad, 11-inch (A16, WiFi, 128GB) — $399 $449 (save $50)

• Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M4, WiFi, 256GB) — $749 $849 (save $100)

• Apple iPad Air, 13-inch (M4, WiFi, 128GB) — $849.99 $949 (save $99.01)

• Apple iPad Air, 13-inch (M4, WiFi, 256GB) — $949 $1,049 (save $100)

• Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch (M5, WiFi, 512GB) — $1,549 $1,699 (Save $150)

• Apple iPad Pro, 11-inch (M5, WiFi, 512GB) — $1,299 $1,399 (save $100)

• Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch (M5, WiFi, 256GB) — $1,399.99 $1,499 (save $99.01)

• Apple iPad Pro, 11-inch (M5, WiFi, 1TB) — $1,649.99 $1,799 (save $149.01)

Best iPhone deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPhone Air (256GB, unlocked) $849.99 at Best Buy
$999.99 Save $150   Get Deal Why we like it

While we regularly see solid deals on unlocked Android phones, unlocked iPhone deals are few and far between. So finding the iPhone Air at Best Buy for $150 off (with any storage capacity) is a big deal. Mashable's reviewer dubbed the iPhone Air Apple's "sexiest iPhone" to date. It's thinner than you can fathom, yet packs a gorgeous OLED display and a surprisingly good camera. With the inevitable iPhone price hikes coming, snagging the iPhone Air for less could be an even better value than you realize.

Read our full review of the iPhone Air.

More iPhone deals

• Apple iPhone 16e (128GB, unlocked) — $499.99 $599.99 (save $100)

• Apple iPhone Air (512GB, unlocked) — $1,049.99 $1,199.99 (save $150)

• Apple iPhone Air (1TB, unlocked) — $1,249.99 $1,399.99 (save $150)

Best MacBook deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5 Pro, 24GB RAM, 2TB SSD) $2,699 at Best Buy
$2,999 Save $300   Get Deal Why we like it

The M5 Pro MacBook Pro jumped $300 earlier this summer, so this discount at Best Buy essentially erases that price hike. Granted, the MacBook Pro with an M5 Pro chip is definitely overkill for most users — especially this model with boosted specs (24GB RAM and 2TB storage). Still, it's a great pick for graphic designers, editors, or programmers with heavy workloads. Besides the powerful M5 Pro chip, specs include Apple's N1 wireless chip, a brilliant 3K mini LED display, a 120Hz refresh rate, and three USB-C Thunderbolt 5 ports.

Read our full review of the M5 MacBook Pro.

More MacBook deals

• Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,499 $1,599 (save $100)

• Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,699 $1,799 (save $100)

• Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,699 $1,799 (save $100)

• Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,849 $1,999 (save $150)

• Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5 Pro, 24GB RAM, 2TB SSD) — $2,699 $2,999 (save $300)

• Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M4 Max, 36GB, 1TB SSD) — $2,999 $3,399 (save $400)

• Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M4 Max, 48GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $3,399 $3,899 (save $500)

Best AirPods deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods Max 2 $449 at Amazon
$549 Save $100   Get Deal Why we like it

The second generation of the AirPods Max arrived earlier this year and our reviewer recommended only buying them on sale. Well, if you've been patiently waiting, your time has come. This is the first proper upgrade to Apple's only over-the-ear headphones and was six years in the making. That being said, it's not a huge upgrade. They look the same as the previous version, have the same battery life, and cost the same amount. The major differences are the new H2 chip inside for better noise cancellation and a few new smart features. Save $100 while you can in the sleek blue shade or around $70 in other colorways.

Read our full review of the AirPods Max 2.

More AirPods deals

• Apple AirPods 4 (without ANC) — $99 $129 (save $30)

• Apple AirPods 4 (with ANC) — $148.99 $179 (save $30.01)

• Apple AirPods Pro 3 — $225 $249 (save $24)

Best accessory deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirTags (2nd gen, 4-pack) $79.99 at Amazon
$99 Save $19.01   Get Deal Why we like it

Once again, Apple's newest generation of AirTags didn't bring a whole lot of changes, but why fix what isn't broken? The second-gen AirTags have improved range, slightly louder notifications, and the same affordable price tag. If you're a frequent traveler or tend to lose things often, they're a must-have. And at under $80 for a four-pack, they're a total steal right now.

Read our full review of the AirTags 2nd gen.

More Apple accessory deals

• Apple AirTag (2nd gen) — $24 $29 (save $5)

• Apple Pencil Pro — $97 $129 (save $32)

• Apple Magic Keyboard Folio for iPad (A16) — $175 $249 (save $74)

The best Best Buy Labor Day deals at a glance Best Apple Deal 2025 Apple MacBook Air M5 $1,699 (Save $100) Get Deal Best Amazon Device Deal Amazon Fire TV Stick HD 2nd Gen $17.99 (Save $22) Get Deal Best Laptop Deal Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 2K Touchscreen Laptop $749.99 (Save $370) Get Deal Best Headphone Deal Bose QuietComfort Headphones $229 (Save $130) Get Deal

The last long weekend of summer is here, and so is the impulse to squeeze in one more cookout and one more round of shopping with some great discounts before fall truly sets in. Best Buy has already kicked off its Labor Day sale with several picks that you can shop right now through midnight on September 7.

This year, a global memory shortage has pushed prices up across laptops, tablets, and streaming devices, so markdowns are going much further than they did a few months ago. If you're looking to pick up some sale-priced laptops, headphones, or even streaming devices, Best Buy has you covered with some great prices you won't want to miss out on.

Don't want to wait until Labor Day weekend proper? We've gathered some of our favorite discounts you can shop right now below. We're expecting to see additional deals pop up as we reach Labor Day weekend, but here are some of the best deals we've already seen go live at Best Buy so far.

Best Apple deal Opens in a new window Credit: Best Buy 2025 Apple MacBook Air M5 $1,699 at Best Buy
$1,799 Save $100   Get Deal Why we like it

The 13-inch MacBook Air with M5 is a great choice for most users when it comes to Apple laptops. The configuration Best Buy has discounted comes loaded with a powerful setup to handle just about any task. You get a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU, 24GB of unified memory, and a 1TB SSD, which is plenty of power for editing video or just keeping a few dozen browser tabs open. Plus, you'll get up to 18 hours of battery life per charge.

More Apple deals

• Apple AirTag (4-Pack) — $89 $99 (save $10)

• Apple Pencil Pro — $99 $129 (save $29.01)

• Apple iPad 11-inch (A16 chip) — $399 $449 (save $50)

Best Amazon device deal Opens in a new window Credit: Best Buy Amazon Fire TV Stick HD 2nd Gen $17.99 at Best Buy
$39.99 Save $22.00   Get Deal Why we like it

This streaming stick plugs into any open HDMI port to put the current Fire TV interface on your TV so you can stream your favorite shows and movies anytime. It offers AI-powered search to help you figure out what to watch without scrolling endlessly through all your apps, and you get 8GB of storage plus free live TV channels alongside Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+. Most importantly, you can take your streaming apps with you just about wherever you go with this stick.

Best laptop deal Opens in a new window Credit: Best Buy Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 2K Touchscreen Laptop $749.99 at Best Buy
$1,199.99 Save $450   Get Deal Why we like it

This 16-inch 2K touchscreen laptop has plenty of real estate and power to help you be more productive or just spend time browsing online in comfort. It boasts an Intel Core Ultra 7 256V processor, 16GB of memory, and a 512GB SSD. The hinge also folds all the way back, so you can use it as a laptop, prop it up for watching something, or flatten it down straight for use as a tablet. It's a versatile piece of tech that you can legitimately take with you wherever you go since it can convert to the format you need most.

More laptop deals

• HP 14 Chromebook — $179 $399 (save $220)

• Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook — $399 $529 (save $130)

Best headphone deal Opens in a new window Credit: Best Buy Bose QuietComfort Headphones $229 at Best Buy
$359 Save $130   Get Deal Why we like it

If you're looking for great audio as well as overall comfort, these headphones are more than easy to recommend. Comfort is in their name, after all. They excel at noise canceling as well, with both Quiet and Aware modes for switching between full noise cancellation and keeping aware of your surroundings. They also offer 24 hours of battery life and enough earcup padding to stay comfortable through a long flight or lengthy listening sessions. When you're done with them, they fold down into the included case, so they're easy to pack as well.

More headphone deals

• Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones — $198 $398 (save $200)

• Beats Studio Pro — $249.99 $349.99 (save $100)

• Apple AirPods Max 2 — $479 $549 (save $70)

Of all the characters you might expect to trigger school closures and police investigations, the Cat in the Hat probably would not be high on the list. Yet a creepy internet reinvention of the Dr. Seuss character is now causing very real disruptions across the United States.

Over the past several weeks, AI-generated and manipulated images have purported to show a life-sized version of the Cat lurking outside homes, staring through windows, and roaming dark streets. The videos often borrow the unsettling appearance of Mike Myers' character in the much-memed 2003 movie adaptation, then present the footage as a local "sighting."

At first, the posts mostly played like internet horror fiction. But as the trend spread, some copycat accounts began naming specific students, schools, and communities alongside phrases such as "you’re next," "don’t leave your window open," and "coming for you." Those messages have now prompted police investigations, increased security, canceled activities, and at least one juvenile arrest.

What is the 'Cat in the Hat' trend?

Like many unsettling internet trends, this one started with a joke that kept getting darker. The trend can be traced back to a meme posted in late June that paired a clip of Myers' Cat dancing with an eerie soundtrack and a grim caption. The now-deleted TikTok reportedly received more than 4 million views in a week, inspiring users to rework footage from the movie into increasingly disturbing memes.

The timing also gave creators some unusually creepy source material. The original costume from the 2003 film recently went up for auction, supplying the internet with images of a hollow-eyed Cat suit that looked considerably more sinister outside the movie.

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From there, users built a loose horror story around a supposed "Cat in the Hat serial killer" stalking communities in the UK and Ireland.

Soon, AI-generated "sightings" began placing the character in driveways, outside windows, and in footage designed to resemble doorbell camera recordings. Other posts falsely claimed the Cat had chased or attacked people. The more local and familiar the setting looked, the easier it became for the fiction to feel real.

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Eventually, police had to step in and explain that the supposed sightings were not real. Authorities in the UK and Ireland repeatedly reassured residents that the images and videos were fake, with Wexford Garda describing them as AI-generated content that placed the character in recognizable locations.

In that sense, the trend resembles the killer clown panic of 2016. This time, however, users do not need to put on a costume to create a local scare; they can generate one from behind a screen.

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Unfortunately, the trend being fake doesn't mean the meme hasn't produced consequences offline. Once the trend reached the United States, some accounts began tailoring the scare to local audiences. Instead of vaguely claiming the Cat had appeared in a town, posts began naming specific schools, communities, and students.

In Kentucky, posts circulating on TikTok and Snapchat included lists of people’s first names and specific locations.

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That was enough to disrupt the school day. Assumption High School in Louisville moved classes online and canceled after-school activities on Monday. Officials told parents that although many posts appeared to be part of the wider trend, some accounts had used threatening language and identified real students and schools, meaning every report still had to be taken seriously.

Other Kentucky districts soon found themselves dealing with similar concerns. Oldham County Schools issued a warning to parents after students received unsettling Snapchat messages. In Bullitt County, a student who encountered one of the posts reported it to their principal, allowing officials to investigate it quickly.

So far, Louisville Metro Police said it had not found information indicating a credible threat. Still, the department's Homeland Security Unit was reviewing the posts and working with school administrators to determine their origin. In Allen County, a juvenile was arrested and is facing charges related to messages tied to the trend.

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And the disruption is not limited to Kentucky. School districts in Texas increased police patrols after videos named students and warned that the character was "coming" to particular communities. A Michigan high school entered a precautionary perimeter lockdown after an account directed a specific threat at students. Officials in Oklahoma ordered a sweep of one high school and increased police presence following a concerning Snapchat post.

The Tennessee Office of Homeland Security's Threat Assessment Center is also tracking posts targeting schools and students in the state and has asked people to report concerning content to authorities.

That is why police are warning users not to treat the trend as an invitation to make their own version. Even if someone thinks they are participating in a joke, posting a threat can lead to school discipline, a police investigation, or criminal charges.

So the Cat in the Hat may not really be hiding outside anyone's window. But once a student's name or school is attached to a threatening message, there is not much room left for fun.

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

Leg bone.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

TIBIA

Hurdle Word 2 hint

To inform.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for September 1, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

TEACH

Hurdle Word 3 hint

To cling to.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for September 1, 2026 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Meanings for each word for Sept. 1, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

LATCH

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Influence.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

CLOUT

Final Hurdle hint

To say hello.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

GREET

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

A popular Reddit post in r/Anthropic titled "More Drama" has drawn significant attention this week, amplifying claims that Anthropic has been misleading customers about how much usage they actually get with its higher-priced Claude subscription plans.

The post shares a viral X thread, which argues that Anthropic advertises its $200-per-month plan as offering "20x" the usage of its base Pro tier, and its $100-per-month plan as offering "5x." In practice, according to the thread, actual usage only scales up by around 1.7 times — meaning subscribers pay twice as much for a fraction of the usage boost the marketing implies.

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The thread points to usage figures Anthropic reportedly published in July 2025, which listed 140–280 Sonnet hours for the 5x plan and 240–480 hours for the 20x plan. The core issue, according to the post, is that the multiplier only applies to Anthropic's daily five-hour session window rather than total weekly usage. Disgruntled users on X and Reddit say that after factoring in weekly caps, users on the 20x plan can end up paying more per hour of actual usage than those on the cheaper 5x plan.

Last chance: Guess what Apple will release in September in our Big Guessing Game: Apple edition. Enter now for a chance to win an Apple Watch!

Reddit users piled into the discussion with similar complaints.

One commenter wrote that upon signing up, they believed the multiplier reflected weekly usage rather than a limiter tied to session windows, only learning otherwise from a Reddit post. The author continued, saying that Anthropic's "Save 50%" marketing on the 20x plan doesn't add up, since paying double the price for what functions as, at best, double the usage means no actual savings — technically making two separate 5x subscriptions more cost-effective than one 20x plan.

SEE ALSO: Anthropic’s Claude can now send Gmail emails without asking first

Some commenters referenced an active lawsuit, Kahn v. Anthropic PBC, as evidence that the complaints extend beyond social media grumbling. Others in the thread said the pricing structure had already pushed them to cancel their subscriptions in favor of alternatives, including OpenAI's Codex plans and open-source models such as Qwen and DeepSeek, with several users citing the value and performance of those options as a more cost-effective alternative given the confusion around Anthropic's usage limits.

Mashable reached out to Anthropic for comment but received no response at the time of publication.

Sonos has used its much-hyped Open House event to premiere two new devices that it hopes will recover its reputation, including an AI platform it says will give you more control. The company has introduced Ace Ultra headphones and a Beam Ultra soundbar that are built on a new Sonos 27 "audio operating system" with AI at its heart.

Windows' built-in archive manager is getting better these days. But for more advanced features, you'll likely need a third-party tool. After using 7-Zip for a long time, I found NanaZip. It impressed me so much that I quit using alternatives.

Sony first introduced its ULT line in 2024 as an answer for major bass lovers. We've included both ULT Field and ULT Tower speakers in our guides to the best Bluetooth speakers and the best party speakers. And now, Sony is expanding the party with three new additions: ULT Tower Max, ULT Tower 7, and ULT Tower 5.

Take your party from loud to loudest. Credit: Sony

All three are party speakers with loud, room-filling sound. They were designed with DJs in mind, with XLR, RCA, USB-A, and USB-C connections, plus a built-in woofer, so DJs don't need to lug around separate equipment. Each speaker also features color-changing lights to help set the vibe. The Party Chain button featured on the ULT Tower speakers lets you easily pair multiple speakers together for expanded sound.

SEE ALSO: The 9 best waterproof Bluetooth speakers, tested poolside

If you've used a Sony ULT speaker before, you're familiar with the ULT button, which switches between bass levels. The button has been upgraded and can now be customized with new configurations. You can switch between ULT1, ULT2, Live, and Flat. Flat is the standard true-to-source setting, ULT1 punches the bass up a notch, ULT2 punches it up even more, and Live recreates the spacious sound of a live performance. You can set the ULT button to cycle through whichever of these you choose. So, if you don't think you'll ever use Live mode, you can leave it out of the rotation.

ULT Tower Max features, price, specs The ULT Tower Max is an all-in-one traveling DJ machine. Credit: Sony

The ULT Tower Max replaces 2024's ULT Tower 10. It retails for $1,499.99, which is a price increase over the Tower 10's $1,199.99 MSRP. It features three 280-millimeter woofers (front and rear), two midrange drivers, and four tweeters (front and rear).

Specs and features:

• Dimensions: 528 x 1056 x 470 millimeters

• Weight: 121 pounds

• Four handles and wheels

• Splash-proof top panel

• 360 Party Sound

• 10-band equalizer

• RCA, XLR, Party Chain

ULT Tower 7 features, price, specs Tower 7 is the mid-sized speaker that packs a huge punch. Credit: Sony

Replacing the SRS-XV800, the ULT Tower 7 retails for $649, the same price as its predecessor. It features a 280-millimeter woofer, two midrange drivers, and four tweeters (front and rear).

Specs and features:

• Dimensions: 280 x 704 x 345 millimeters

• Weight: 50 pounds

• Four handles and wheels

• IPX4 water resistance

• 360 Party Sound

• 10-band equalizer

• RCA, XLR, Party Chain

ULT Tower 5 features price specs The Tower 5 is more targeted toward smaller parties where you still want loud, genuine room-filling sound. Credit: Sony

The ULT Tower 5 supersedes the SRS-XV500 and retails for $449, a $50 increase over the XV500's $399 price tag. It houses a 230-millimeter woofer, two midrange drivers, and two tweeters.

Specs and features:

• Dimensions: 352 x 528 x 275 millimeters

• Weight: 29 pounds

• Four handles

• IPX4 water resistance

• 360 Party Sound

• 10-band equalizer

• RCA, XLR, Party Chain

Where to buy

All three ULT Tower speakers are available now at Sony, Amazon, Best Buy, and other authorized retailers.

Sony ULT Tower 5 $449.99 at Amazon
  Shop Now at Amazon Shop Now at Best Buy Shop Now at Sony Sony ULT Tower 7 $649.99 at Best Buy
  Shop Now at Best Buy Shop Now at Sony Shop Now at Amazon Sony ULT Tower Max $1,499.99 at Best Buy
  Shop Now at Best Buy Shop Now at Sony Shop Now at Amazon

Apple's lawsuit against OpenAI and two of its former employees over alleged stolen trade secrets is heating up.

In a new filing, Apple says it has found "shocking evidence" and is asking the court for expedited discovery. Apple claims the limited information it found after a former employee's work laptop was returned to the company shows that "its trade secrets are being used and evidence is being destroyed.”

Apple filed a lawsuit in July against OpenAI, its hardware company, io Products, and two Apple employees who now work at OpenAI. Apple claims that former iPhone engineer Chang Liu and OpenAI Chief Hardware Officer Tang Yew Tan utilized Apple's trade secrets to develop hardware products for the AI company. The latter previously worked at Apple for 24 years.

Last chance: Guess what Apple will release in September in our Big Guessing Game: Apple edition. Enter now for a chance to win an Apple Watch!

While the evidence is redacted from the public in the filing, Apple says that “initial forensic analysis” of Chang Liu's MacBook revealed that the former engineer used a downloaded confidential Apple circuit schematic in his work at OpenAI. Liu also used a tool with the same name as an internal Apple engineering application in his work for OpenAI. 

Apple further claims it has evidence that other employees at OpenAI were aware of Liu's unauthorized access to Apple's third-party cloud storage. In addition, Apple says Liu sent instructions to destroy evidence to another OpenAI employee after discovering that Apple was conducting an internal investigation of him, and that the other OpenAI employee confirmed that she would comply.

According to Apple, Liu used an AI agent on the Apple circuit schematic, which "may create irreversible and continually propagating uses of the trade secret" as the AI model could utilize Apple's data for model training.

Liu's MacBook from his time at Apple also synced with a Mac mini, which was used to run the schematic, so Apple is now requesting that the desktop computer be provided as evidence as well.

Earlier this month, OpenAI went public with a response denying any wrongdoing. OpenAI also provided text messages, which it says refute some of Apple's claims.

Apple previously sent legal preservation letters to roughly 40 other OpenAI employees who used to work at Apple. In its lawsuit, Apple said that it believes the initial evidence was "just the tip of the iceberg" when it comes to OpenAI's use of its trade secrets. More than 400 former Apple employees now work at OpenAI, according to Apple.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

HP is one of the goliaths of the PC world, and I've grown rather fond of its modern OmniBook and EliteBook laptop offerings over the last few years. When I received the new EliteBook X Flip G2i for review, it seemed that HP had gotten even closer to my ideal dream laptop—premium 2-in-1 design, refined features, a gorgeous anti-glare OLED display, the works. This is an impressively specced machine.