Blogroll

I recently spent 10 hours playing a pre-release build of Two Point Museum, exploring three different museum locations across the game's preview campaign. From what I've seen so far, the latest instalment in the Two Point video game universe may end up being just as much fun as its popular predecessor, Two Point Hospital.

Developed by Two Point Studios, Two Point Museum retains the same zany tone as both Two Point Campus and Hospital. This time the series has you build and manage a museum, including collecting artefacts, curating displays, and raking in sweet cash from impressed visitors.

SEE ALSO: 'Two Point Campus' gross sex bed has raised questions I never want answered

I am ruthlessly practical when playing such business simulators. Unless I've already reached Elon Musk levels of wealth, I tend to focus on optimising efficiency rather than interior design. However, Two Point Museum deftly merges these concerns, incorporating aesthetic considerations into its gameplay and providing practical incentives for players to thoughtfully plan and decorate their museum. I was hooked almost immediately.

Two Point Museum reveals two new exhibit themes Credit: Mashable screenshot: Two Point Studios

One of the most exciting revelations from Mashable's Two Point Museum preview was the confirmation of two new exhibit themes. The developer has previously announced the game will include Prehistory, Marine, Supernatural, and Botany exhibit themes, all of which I got to explore. However, upgrade paths in the preview also revealed two more themes: Science and Space. 

Though neither theme was available to play just yet, Prehistory artefacts such as the Time Portal and a fossilised time-traveller suggest that Two Point Museum could venture into some futuristic tech. Judging by the loading screens, aliens may make an appearance as well. Fans have been eagerly hoping Two Point Museum would add Science and Space themes, as their concepts seem perfectly suited to its wacky world. 

"There are so many types of museums in the real world, we wanted to reflect that, but also include some of the more eccentric aspects of life in Two Point County too." - Ben Huskins

Speaking to Mashable, Two Point Museum's design director Ben Huskins said that variety was key when choosing exhibit themes.

"There are so many types of museums in the real world, we wanted to reflect that, but also include some of the more eccentric aspects of life in Two Point County too," he said. "We've picked exhibits that are visually very different, but also those that provide new gameplay opportunities. With every theme we've tried to add new gameplay twists, things that make you play in a different way, exhibits with special requirements or interesting side effects."

Credit: Mashable screenshot: Two Point Studios

Such requirements and side effects quickly became apparent during my time with Two Point Museum. Cold artefacts such as the Frozen Cave-Person and Snowy Howl Skeleton must be placed near a freezer. Aquarium tanks may require heaters if you're exhibiting tropical Star Fish or Flambuoyant Fish. Even ghosts have demands — their Polterguest Rooms need adequate decoration so the ghouls don't grow restless and break out.

Meanwhile, plants like the man-eating Blooming Buffoon gobble up and transform guests into clowns who entertain others, while the Haunted Doll artefact always stares unblinkingly at the player regardless of how you orient the camera.

"We've managed to cram in lots of Easter eggs, subtle crossovers between exhibits from different themes, and secrets to discover," said Huskins. "We're hoping people will want to collect all of the exhibits (you can track your progress in the in-game sticker book), and experiment with different combinations in their museums."

Two Point Museum buries ancient artefacts in loot boxes Credit: Mashable screenshot: Two Point Studios

Obtaining artefacts to display in Two Point Museum isn't as simple as just purchasing them. Rather, they're acquired through Two Point Museum's new exploration feature, which is an element unique to this latest release in the Two Point franchise.

Players can choose a locale such as the Prehistory-focused Bone Belt, the fishy Two Point Sea, or the spooky Netherworld, then select staff members to form a party and head off in the museum's helicopter to explore. The expedition will encounter various events depending on their combined level and particular set of skills (though most resolve without the player's interference), before eventually returning with a brand new artefact for your museum.

Once found, artefacts are presented in a manner akin to a loot box, a glowing crate popping open to give you that familiar serotonin rush that comes from unboxings.

Credit: Mashable screenshot: Two Point Studios

Expedition map exploration is also shared across different museums, though artefact inventories remain separate. This means that if the experts in your marine-focused museum unlock a new location with a new specimen, you can jump over to your supernatural museum and send its staff there to find one for themselves. As such, Two Point Museum intends for players to bounce between their museums, continually returning to add exhibits rather than abandoning them in favour of the next location.

"There's a lot more depth to each museum in this game, there's always a reason to return to each one, so we're hoping that players want to invest the time designing and refining, and in doing so get attached to their creations," Huskins said.

We murdered ghosts for science in Two Point Museum Credit: Mashable screenshot

Each expedition location has different specimens available, with some requiring multiple trips to find their various fragments. Combined with the search for Pristine quality specimens, you'll likely end up with multiple copies of the same artefact. These duplicates may be sold, or kept in your inventory in case a wealthy collector wants to buy an exhibit.

However, the specimens can also be examined in the Analysis Room's aptly named Deconstructor. This device destroys the artefact to increase your Knowledge about it, which in turn boosts the Knowledge visitors gain from exhibit info stands — which all contributes to their review of your museum. Knowledge is quite literally power here.

Interestingly, specimens can be placed in the Deconstructor regardless of whether they're living, dead, or undead. I initially hesitated to place poltergeists in the machine, feeling like a villain in a dystopian YA novel. However when I eventually capitulated in the name of this preview, I was surprised to see my doomed ghosts smiling placidly as their atoms were disassembled.

Credit: Mashable screenshot: Two Point Studios

"Yeah, we had a few conversations about this," Huskins told Mashable when asked about Two Point Museum deconstructing seemingly sentient beings. "We like to think of the analysis process as the 'digitisation' of the exhibit. Sure, its physical presence is deconstructed, but it lives on as a stream of pure data. Hopefully people have watched enough episodes of Black Mirror to question what the metaphysical implications of this are for sentient entities, and how sinister or otherwise it might be."

Fortunately, the ghosts are apparently as unperturbed as they appear, so you can dissolve them in the name of science with only mild guilt.

"Spirits are generally fairly happy with this process as they don't have much of a physical presence anyway, and it's considered slightly more comfortable than being sucked up by a janitor's Ghost Duster device, as tends to happen elsewhere in Two Point County," said Huskins.

Two Point Museum focuses on interior design Credit: Mashable screenshot: Two Point Studios

As I've mentioned, creating aesthetically pleasing rooms in Two Point games has never been a top priority for me. My interior design aspirations in Two Point Hospital were largely restricted to dotting pot plants everywhere solely to prevent my staff from getting grumpy.

Two Point Museum puts significant emphasis on customisation and design as crucial to the museum visitor experience, so you can't really approach these elements halfheartedly. The game encourages players not only to consider layout and how they position exhibits in proximity to each other, but also how they decorate the surrounding areas. Some decorations can even be altered via a colour picker, a first for the Two Point series.

Essentially, decorations are essential for what the game calls Buzz. The right decor can boost the Buzz generated by an exhibit, particularly if you fulfil the requirements for an artefact's Buzz Bonus. The more Buzz a guest has, the higher their donations and reviews of your museum will be. Like their real life counterparts, Two Point's museums tend to run primarily on donations.

Credit: Mashable screenshot: Two Point Studios

Such considerations make themselves even clearer when planning tours through your museum, selecting which exhibits your experts will stop at. Tours are more highly rated if they're brief and coherent, consisting of artefacts which all follow the same theme. As such, keeping exhibits appropriately grouped throughout your museum is rewarded, and the overall flow of the museum becomes more important as you build your collections. And that means considering how exhibits work with walls, corridors, and open spaces.

"Building is a lot more freeform now," explained Huskins. "We've moved away from room-centric gameplay (the treatment rooms and classrooms of Hospital and Campus), and the focus is much more on the corridor space and how you want to arrange all of the exhibits in your collection.

Credit: Mashable screenshot: Two Point Studios

During the preview, I was slightly frustrated that while Two Point Museum now allows players to build walls on an angle, you can't build rooms along them. You can't extend rooms to fill the awkward triangular space either. Unfortunately there are currently no plans to support angular rooms, though Huskins noted that they will monitor community feedback and continue to update the game post-release, just as they did with Hospital and Campus.

Two Point Museum drew inspiration from real museums Credit: Mashable screenshot: Two Point Studios

While Two Point Museum takes an undeniably playful and unserious approach to museum curation, Huskins stated that the development team did draw inspiration from real museums. 

"Ultimately we're aiming for fun over realism, but we like to have elements that are grounded in reality alongside the more extraordinary parts of the game," Huskins told Mashable.

"We were even invited to a couple of the big museums in London, which was an amazing experience, and gave us an opportunity to ask probing questions about museum finances, how to design an exhibition space, and even get a sneak peek at some of the backstage areas," he added. "In some cases this has inspired us to add features to the game (staff-only doors, guided tours, sponsorship opportunities, etc.), and it's also been a useful reference when coming up with lists of exhibits, obviously with a Two Point spin on a lot of them."

Credit: Mashable screenshot: Two Point Studios

Real museums have a controversial history, and British museums in particular. However, Two Point Museum deliberately steers away from such matters, opting to keep its tone light. Huskins told Mashable that Two Point Museum's development team had discussed this issue, and were mindful about how they depicted the acquisition of exhibits in the game. As such, Two Point Museum sticks closer to satire rather than replicate real-world cultural artefacts. 

"It helps that Two Point County is our own made-up world, where everything is lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek, and we can have those larger than life elements," said Huskins. "Every time we design a new type of exhibit or expedition map, we think about what feels appropriate to us, what makes sense to exist within Two Point County, and what allows us to apply our own brand of humour."

Credit: Mashable screenshot: Two Point Studios

That isn't to say that Two Point Museum is all fish and flowers. The game does still roam into human history, however it's a much more fantastical version than the one we're familiar with. It also might be more accurate to say that it delves into sentient humanoid history, as not all of Two Point County's characters appear strictly human.

"We do still have cultural artefacts in the game, but they're based within the fiction and lore of Two Point County, so we can frame them in a way that feels right to us," Huskins continued. "You'll have seen glimpses of this in what we've shown so far — remnants of an underwater civilisation in [marine-themed museum] Passwater Cove, for example, you'll learn more about that as you progress into the game."

More to come with Two Point Museum

Two Point Studios is continuing to keep some of the game's surprises close to its chest for now. Huskins did note he'd love to add a first-person to allow players to walk through their own museums, though that's a feature which is likely to come later if at all.

"We have a debug command that puts you into first-person view for a selected character," said Huskins. "It's quite entertaining, but the lack of a ceiling is somewhat disconcerting, and when they go to the bathroom it's the stuff of nightmares… Having said all that, if we ever get time we'd love to polish it up a bit and sneak it into the game somehow. Watch this space!"

Credit: Mashable screenshot: Two Point Studios

There are still several months until Two Point Museum's planned launch in March, with more exhibits, museums, and maps to be revealed as it draws closer. Even so, the game's current build is already enough to get excited about. Obtaining artefacts, arranging them in your museum, and decorating the space around them forms an enjoyable gameplay loop, encouraging players to collect them all to build the greatest museum they can.

"We are just very excited to watch people play Two Point Museum and hear what they think about the game," said Huskins. "We had (and still have) the most amazing time creating Two Point Museum and we just hope players will enjoy it as much as we are."

Two Point Museum will be released March 4 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.

Even though I stream most of my music on Spotify, I renew my YouTube Music subscription every month. It still has one feature that I can’t get anywhere else.

Jude Law and the young cast of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew share their excitement about working in the iconic galaxy, from encountering real Jawas to exploring massive, detailed sets. They discuss the unique perspective the series brings by focusing on children navigating adventures in the Star Wars universe.

Skeleton Crew is now streaming on Disney+.

Apple Replay 2024 has arrived, and we know what you're thinking: Isn't this thing available throughout the year?

Well, yes and no. It's true: You can access Replay all year over at replay.music.apple.com to see your personalized list of top artists, songs, albums, and genres, as well as milestones such as the number of minutes you've spent listening to music this year.

But now, Apple also has a special Replay experience, and it comes with several new features, too.

What is Apple Music Replay 2024?

Similar to Spotify Wrapped (which should be coming any day now as well), Apple Music Replay is a colorful look back at your year in Apple Music, displaying your top played songs and minutes listened, but also stuff like the top cities you used Apple Music in, and your top Shazam song if you use the Apple-owned music recognition service.

If you've got less than 100,000 minutes listened, are you even a real music fan? Credit: Apple

Other insights that are new to this year's Replay include Listening Streaks, which show the longest consecutive number of days you've used Apple Music, Top Artist Streak, which shows if you've had a certain artist as your number one artist for multiple consecutive months, as well as being able to see the date when you've first listened to your top song, artist, and album this year.

You can also listen to your most-played songs of the year with Replay 2024 mix, as well as check out your listening habits per month (including previous years) in your Replay insights archive.

How to view your Apple Music Replay 2024

So, how do you get the goods? There are several ways to do it.

On your iPhone, you can access the Replay 2024 experience in your Apple Music (you'll find it in the Home, New, and Search tabs). To do so, however, you'll need to have iOS 18.1 or later installed.

If, for some reason, you have a version of iOS earlier than 18.1, you'll still be able to access the experience on replay.music.apple.com, which works on both mobile and desktop.

And if you so desire, you can share all the insights with friends on social channels and messaging platforms (this is optional, and Apple says no one can access your insights unless you explicitly share them).

Apple Music has also dropped its 2024 Year-End Charts

Alongside the new Replay experience, Apple also shared its top charts for the year, which this year includes the biggest songs on Shazam.

Spoilers ahead: The number one song globally on Apple Music this year is Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us," and newcomer Benson Boone is on top of the Shazam chart with "Beautiful Things."

There are many charts to browse through this year, including Top Songs of 2024: Global, Top 100: Shazam, Most-Read Lyrics, Top 100: Sing, Shazam Global Radio Spins, and Top Fitness Songs, among others. You can check all of Apple's year-end chart over on Apple Music.

Cuffing season is in full swing and 2024 is nearing its end, which means it's time for Tinder's annual Year in Swipe. Each year, the ubiquitous dating app reveals year-long trends and what they could mean for dating in the future.

SEE ALSO: 2025 dating trends, including romance and evolving masculinity

Here's what defined dating in 2024, according to Tinder, and what may be in store in 2025:

Tinder's top 2024 dating trends

This year, "pickleball" was the fastest-growing mention in people's bios (+148 percent). This is followed by "freak" (+118 percent) — likely users asking for someone to match their freak. "Deserve" rounded out the top 3 with +95 percent mentions.

Tinder users stated their top communication style was "better in person," followed by being a "big-time texter," then "phone caller," then "bad texter." "Video chatter" ranked at the bottom.

In terms of love styles (similar to the love languages), the top 5 from highest to lowest were: time together, touch, thoughtful gestures, compliments, and presents.

Tinder also measured the fastest-growing emojis on the app: the pink bow, cloud, backpack, palm, and owl.

Fastest-growing emojis in Tinder bios. Credit: Tinder Tinder's 2025 dating predictionsSinges are "loud looking"

"Looking for..." was Tinder's top bio mention in 2024, according to global data from Tinder bios, descriptors, and interests from January 1 to October 1 this year. Despite Tinder's longtime reputation as a "hookup app," insights from the app's Green Flags study show that's not always the case: 53 percent of men want a romantic relationship, and 68 percent of women want the same.

Singles online and off are being more up-front about what they want, Tinder CMO Melissa Hobley told Mashable at the app's Year in Swipe event. And it's not hookups or penpals they're looking for, from what Hobley observed. "I'm seeing — I think a lot of people seeing this growing frequency of people say, 'Do not talk to me if you're not looking for something serious.'"

Manifesting "kiss-met" love

Manifest is the Cambridge Dictionary's word of the year — and young singles are proving that true. Nearly 20 percent of 4,000 18-30 year-old daters surveyed said they're creating vision boards to manifest their ideal relationship in 2025. Tinder introduced an interactive vision board tool so users can create one in-app and share it with friends and family.

Tinder predicts that daters will "embrace the magic of the unplanned" in 2025, moving away from strict "rules" (and, hopefully, icks).

"Micro-connecting" is in

Tinder also predicts the rise of "nano-ships" and "micro-connections" — such as good morning texts (textuationships, naturally) or stealing a glance at a cute stranger on the subway (eyecontactship). While it may seem silly, Bumble also discussed micro-mance behaviors in its 2025 dating trends forecast — so there might be something to this.

Both apps also discussed renewed optimism in their users, which they would need in the next year considering daters are getting sick of dating apps. Around a quarter of surveyed singles said they're focusing on joy and positivity, and bringing an optimistic outlook to their dating life, according to that same survey of 4,000 18-30 year-olds. Bumble found that 87 percent of users experienced positives of dating this year.

"There's a lot of benefit in getting pleasure out of those micro-moments," Hobley told Mashable.

Daters are streamlining their rosters

A quarter of surveyed singles are choosing fewer, more meaningful connections to keep their energy and excitement for dating alive, Tinder states. This may be the result of what apps predicted during the height of the pandemic: Daters will become more intentional and seek deeper connections.

Daters also aren't deciding their rosters alone: They're enlisting the help of friends and the stars. This year, 60 percent of singles turned to friends for dating advice, and almost 20 percent asked a friend to pre-screen their date by checking out their social media profiles. Nearly half of singles said they plan to rely on their friends to navigate the dating world next year (Bumble also found the same, in terms of guy friends helping women in their lives).

Astrology is also influencing how singles choose dates. Nearly 40 percent of singles said that "astrology love predictions" will shape who they date next year. (Virgos, Geminis, Leos, Scopios, and Sagittariuses received the most "likes" of all the Zodiac signs in 2024.)

Golden Retrievers wanted

Nearly 45 percent of singles want a "Golden Retriever" type in 2025: loyal, friendly, energetic, and optimistic. Here are some other qualities singles are prioritizing next year:

• Trustworthiness (40 percent)

• Physical attraction (35 percent)

• Shared values (31 percent)

• Emotional availability (30 percent)

• Shared interests (28 percent)

Here are the top deal-breakers:

• Bad hygiene (50 percent)

• Rudeness (44 percent)

• Talking too much about an ex (34 percent)

"Singles are embracing intentionality in their dating lives — being upfront about what they want and refusing to settle," Hobley said in the announcement. "These trends are all about empowering choice — whether it's confidently stating your needs while Loud Looking, savoring serendipitous moments through Kiss-mets, or finding meaning in micro-connections with Nano-ships."

Dating app predictions amid a dating app bust

Tinder released these predictions soon after UK comms regulator Ofcom reported that 600,000 users left Tinder in the last year. This isn't unique to the apps, as other major players Hinge, Bumble, and Grindr have all declining user bases.

Hobley told Mashable that the app plans to continue to address "perception challenges" on Tinder. The app has long been known as a hookup app, despite relationships of all kinds forming there. "Relationships are started every three seconds on Tinder," she said, referring to a survey of dating app behaviors in 2023. "If you're LGBTQ, you probably come out first on Tinder... So many relationships are starting here, whatever your relationship is that you want — short term, long term, meeting the parents, getting married, never getting married, exploring queerness, whatever, whatever those are" can be found on Tinder, and she wants Tinder to be loud about that in 2025.

But, also, Hobley is hesitant to say Tinder "isn't just for hookups." "I grew up in an era [where] slut shaming was the worst thing. Whatever you want, awesome. You want to get laid, great, I got you. You want forever, I got you. You want something in between, I got you."

UPDATE: Dec. 4, 2024, 9:34 a.m. EST This article has been updated with quotes from an interview with Tinder CMO Melissa Hobley.

Sites that created Wordle archives have been pressured by the New York Times to shut down. That means there's no longer any way to access the full archive, but we’ve provided a list of the past two weeks' Wordle answers for you to see what words have just been used, and help plan your Wordle strategy going forward.

The free daily word game Wordle blew up in popularity at the start of 2022 despite not having an app and only allowing players to tackle one puzzle per day. Both were intentional choices, as Wordle founder Josh Wardle told the BBC, so fans couldn't spend too much time on it. As such, previous puzzles aren't available through the official website.

"Wordle is very simple and you can play it in three minutes — and that is all you get," Wardle said in his BBC interview. "There are also no ads and I am not doing anything with your data — and that is also quite deliberate."

SEE ALSO: 'Taylordle' is 'Wordle' for Swifties What is today's Wordle?

You can find clues and the answer for today's Wordle right here.

Why was the Wordle Archive shut down?

Since the acquisition last year, the NYT has moved to safeguard what is now its wholly owned intellectual property by placing pressure on Wordle affiliates to shut down their "unauthorized" recreations of the game's earlier daily puzzles, starting with the Wordle Archive in March. By the beginning of June 2022, all of the best-known ways to play Wordle outside of the NYT website were gone, including the game's original, pre-acquisition home.

While there's no guarantee that the game will remain freely available for non-NYT subscribers to access, it hasn't slipped behind the paywall yet. It's also unknown whether the NYT will one day build an archive of its own so that players can play through old Wordle puzzles.

• Here are the best starting words to step up your Wordle game today

• Hooked on 'Wordle'? You're really going to hate 'Absurdle'

• 12 of the best 'Wordle' clones, because one word a day isn't enough

Past Wordle answers (and their meanings)

Find a recent list at our sister site, Rock Paper Shotgun.

Other past answers:

Wordle #1247: TALLY - A count or record of items or numbers.

Wordle #1246: VISOR - A shield or brim to protect the eyes.

Wordle #1245: TACKY - Sticky or in poor taste.

Wordle #1244: UVULA - The fleshy projection at the back of the throat.

Wordle #1243: PRIMP - To groom or dress carefully.

Wordle #1242: FLOWN - Past participle of "fly."

Wordle #1241: STOIC - Showing no emotion in pain or hardship.

Wordle #1240: INNER - Located within or closer to the center.

Wordle #1239: SWELL - To increase in size or volume.

Wordle #1238: READY - Prepared to do something or in a suitable state for an action.

Wordle #1237: EVENT - An occurrence, especially one of significance.

Wordle #1236: TRULY - Honestly or sincerely, genuinely.

Wordle #1235: OCTET - A group of eight people or things.

Wordle #1234: VINYL - A synthetic plastic material often used for records and upholstery.

Wordle #1233: BLAZE - A very large or fiercely burning fire.

Wordle #1232: SNOOP - Investigate or look around furtively in an attempt to find out something.

Wordle #1231: SIXTH - Constituting number six in a sequence

Wordle #1230: WEIRD - Induce a sense of disbelief or alienation in someone.

Best Wordle starting words

We have some ideas to help you pick the perfect first move (or as close to perfect as you can get without just magically guessing the exact right word). Such tips include choosing a word with at least two different vowels in it, plus a few common consonants such as S, T, R, or N.

Wordle alternatives

Thousands of people around the globe now play Wordle each day, and fans have even created alternatives inspired by the original format. This includes music identification game Heardle, Hollywood nerd faves Actorle and Framed, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.

More Wordle

• Just 9 wild pitches for the inevitable 'Wordle' movie

• The NYT bought Wordle, but you can make it yours by simply downloading it

• One Wordle a day not enough? Dordle gives you two at once.

• You're not a true 'Wordle' connoisseur until you start with the scientifically proven worst word

• 'Wordle' memes are everywhere

• 'Lewdle' is the NSFW 'Wordle' clone your dirty mind deserves

• Google gets in on 'Wordle' fun with a delightful Easter egg

• 'Primel' is a tricky new 'Wordle' spin-off that'll make your head hurt

Featured Video For You Three words could save you, thanks to this app

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Wordle.

The waning days of 2021 introduced us to a new genre of tweet: Green, yellow, and grey boxes arranged in a 5-wide grid with as many as six rows. The tweets also include some indecipherable-to-outsiders numbers and a funny, little non-word: Wordle.

Maybe you've asked Google about this yourself already. It's easy enough to find out what Wordle is, and from there decipher the grids and numbers people have been tweeting. Maybe you've been playing obsessively for over a year already.

But you also want to understand why, right? It's one thing to read that Spider-Man: No Way Home is a giant love letter to fandom, but it's a whole other thing to see the movie's surprising and deeply fulfilling twists and turns for yourself.

So what is it about this thing called Wordle that's gotten so many people talking about it in shared public spaces?

Want more Wordle? Here's the Wordle answer and some subtle hints for December 3.

What is Wordle?

Yeah, I just said this is an easy question to answer. But for the sake of completeness, let's start with the basics.

Wordle is a daily word game created by Josh Wardle, a Brooklyn-based software engineer who has developed something of a reputation as a crafter of interesting social experiments. Every day, the people of the internet are greeted with a fresh word puzzle that can only be solved — or not! — using a series of process-of-elimination clues.

SEE ALSO: Best 'Wordle' starting word? Step up your game today. How does Wordle work? How do you do Wordle?

It works like this: When you visit the Wordle website, you're greeted by a 5-wide by 6-long grid of empty, white boxes. Each box can hold one letter, and so you guess at the answer by typing in a five-letter word and pressing 'Enter'.

There aren't any clues up front, so any five-letter word will do as an initial guess. That's where the game of Wordle really starts. When you send a guess along, the color of each letter's box changes.

• If it turns green, that letter is in the daily word and you've placed it in the right spot.

• If it turns yellow, the letter is in the word but you have it in the wrong position.

• If the box turns grey, it means the letter isn't in the word at all.

The website serves up a simple explainer graphic for first-time visitors that lays it all out clearly.

Credit: Screenshot by Mashable How do you start Wordle? Best starting words?

We have some ideas to help you select the perfect opening. Some of those tips include choosing a word with at least two different vowels in it, plus a few common consonants such as S, T, R, or N.

Why is Wordle such a big deal?

Wordle has been available since October 2021 as a daily word game that anyone online can play for free. It only exploded more recently, after Wardle announced the addition of a "Share" feature in mid-December that makes it easy to post your daily performance online.

Tweet may have been deleted

The platform-agnostic feature doesn't connect to any specific social platform. Instead, it copies that grid we've been seeing so much of on Twitter to your device's clipboard, as emojis. You can then take that copied text and paste it into a post for your preferred social media feed.

(If you have the technical capability, I'd recommend pasting your results text somewhere neutral, screenshotting it, and posting that instead. Doing so allows you to add explanatory alt text for people who can't read a post directly off the screen.)

That explains why we suddenly started to see a lot more talk around Wordle in the waning weeks of 2021: Wardle made it easy for people to bring their brags to their favored internet watercooler. But there's still the more basic question of why people are flocking to this thing to begin with.

• Two Wordle answers today: Here's why NY Times changed May 9's word

• The best Wordle alternatives to keep you guessing

It's honestly best — and easiest — if you go try it for yourself. There's no cost to play Wordle; you just go to the website, make your guesses, and that's it for the day. Then you can decide for yourself if it's something you want to turn into a daily pastime.

Personally, I think Wordle's success lands somewhere between the New York Times crossword puzzle and Wheel of Fortune. The hidden word changes daily but, just like NYT crosswords, it's the same for everyone each day — so it's an experience every player shares, even if they take different routes to finding the same answer. And the puzzle itself is limited to just one, five-letter word, which makes it more like Wheel's mainstream "anyone can do this" appeal.

Then add in the brilliant sharing feature which uses non-specific colored box emoji to let people easily and clearly brag about their Wordle wins. When you post one of those indecipherable-to-outsiders grids on social media, you're implicitly telling every follower, "Hey, I play this too. We're in on this cool internet thing together. Let's talk about it."

Is there a Wordle app for Android or iOS? Is Wordle free?

My first instinct when I learned of Wordle's existence was to fire up an app store and search for it. Surely, I reasoned, this immensely popular thing on Twitter tied to an app of some kind.

You might find "Wordle" results in an iOS App Store or Google Play Store search, but don't mistake it for the real thing. Wordle, the original one Josh Wardle came up with and kindly delivered unto the internet in late 2021, currently only exists as a browser game that lives right here. If you're playing it anywhere else, it's — at best — a shameless knock-off that's trying to capitalize on someone else's success.

And, yes, it's still free.

Who made Wordle? Where did Wordle come from?

Wordle's sudden explosion at the end of 2021 led to a round of press focused on its creator. Wardle actually came up with the game in 2021 as a private exercise for him and his word game-loving partner. It eventually became a staple of their family WhatsApp messaging, and that's when Wardle started to suspect he might have something special enough to merit a wider release.

SEE ALSO: NYT's new ‘WordleBot’ will passive-aggressively insult your strategy

The very sweet origin story is thoroughly detailed in this great NYT profile of Wardle and his latest creation. You're better off reading that for the full scoop, but as far as basics go it's enough to know that Wordle was conceived by a caring person who wanted to keep his partner entertained during the quiet, trying times of our ongoing global pandemic.

Tips and tricks for Wordle

My first big tip is to not make the mistake I did: That pop-up window you see the first time you visit the site is a fixed tutorial, not a clue for the day's puzzle! It's clearer on a PC display than it was on the smartphone browser I was using at the time, so that's probably not a common mistake. But I made it, and that means you might, as well.

In the realm of more helpful tips: It's not clear until you've played a few times, but you can have words that use the same letter in multiple spots. So if the day's word was "APPLE" and your first guess was "PAPER," the first "P" would get a yellow box for being the right letter in the wrong spot and the second "P" would get a green box for being correctly picked AND placed.

• The 9 best Wordle clones for fans and gamers

• Yes, there are two different 'Wordle' answers today. Here's why.

You can also click the gear icon at the top of the Wordle website to tweak a few things. There's a Dark Theme option for those who prefer something other than the eye-searing intensity of a mostly-white screen. A "Hard Mode" switch requires all guesses after the first one to account for revealed hints. (So turning back to our previous "APPLE" example, every guess after "PAPER" would have to use "A," "E," and two letters "P," with one of the always plugged into the third box.) Finally, there's a "Color Blind Mode" which uses high contrast colors for those who need or prefer it.

Some people have gotten really into analyzing Wordle's inner mechanics and the way it gets us playing with (English) language. Others have take more of a lesson from Wardle's initially DIY vibe with the game and embraced that for their own lives.

Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted

Really though, there's no "wrong" way to play. The beauty of Wordle is its simplicity. It won't even let you get away with plugging a nonsense lineup of letters in lieu of an actual word; every guess you make is checked against Wordle's own dictionary. If your guess isn't a real word, the game doesn't allow you to push it through.

Just give it a shot and see for yourself. Once you've caught the bug, it's hard to keep yourself from coming back for more.

Reporting by Caitlin Welsh contributed to this article.

SEE ALSO: Why are so many people saying 'Wordle' is harder now?

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Wordle.

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

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

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

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

Tweet may have been deleted

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.

Tweet may have been deleted

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

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for December 3 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Iconic New Jersey mob family

• Green: Names you call a loved one

• Blue: Beloved puppets teaching ABCs

• Purple: Phonetic abbreviations for people

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Sopranos

• Green: Familial Nicknames

• Blue: Sesame Street characters

• Purple: Names That Sound Like Two Letters

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

The best Cyber Monday deals you can still shop now

• Meta Quest 3S 256GB VR Headset + $30 Digital Credit — $399 With Code "QUEST30"

• Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 64GB Wi-Fi 11" Tablet — $149.00 (List Price $219.99)

• Bose QuietComfort Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones — $199.00 (List Price $349.00)

• Apple Watch Series 10 (GPS, 42mm, Black, S/M, Sports Band) — $329.99 (List Price $399.00)

• iRobot Roomba Vac Essential Q0120 Robot Vacuum Cleaner — $149.00 (List Price $249.99)

• Samsung Odyssey G93SC 49" Dual QHD OLED Curved Monitor — $949.99 (List Price $1599.99)

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 #541 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Sopranos: CARMELA, JUNIOR, MEADOW, TONY

• Familial Nicknames: CUZ, GRAMMY, MUMMY, POP

• Sesame Street characters: COOKIE, COUNT, OSCAR, SNUFFY

• Names That Sound Like Two Letters: CECE, EDIE, EMMY, KATIE

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for December 3

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.

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. 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 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: Hints and answers for December 3 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for December 3 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Unsteady or trembling.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no reoccurring letters.

The best Cyber Monday deals you can still shop now

• Meta Quest 3S 256GB VR Headset + $30 Digital Credit — $399 With Code "QUEST30"

• Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 64GB Wi-Fi 11" Tablet — $149.00 (List Price $219.99)

• Bose QuietComfort Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones — $199.00 (List Price $349.00)

• Apple Watch Series 10 (GPS, 42mm, Black, S/M, Sports Band) — $329.99 (List Price $399.00)

• iRobot Roomba Vac Essential Q0120 Robot Vacuum Cleaner — $149.00 (List Price $249.99)

• Samsung Odyssey G93SC 49" Dual QHD OLED Curved Monitor — $949.99 (List Price $1599.99)

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter S.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

SHAKY.

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle 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.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for December 3

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

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 Wordle.

SAVE $50: As of Dec. 3, Bose's QuietComfort earbuds are on sale for $129 after Cyber Monday. This is 28% off their original price of $179.

Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose New QuietComfort Earbuds $129.00 at Amazon
$179.00 Save $50.00 Get Deal

Cyber Monday deals are starting to wind down after the big day, but Amazon still has a few discounts up its sleeve for shoppers. If you've had earbuds on your radar to get this year, whether to gift yourself or someone you know for the holidays, Bose QuietComfort earbuds are still enjoying a very nice discount after the big seasonal sale event.

Amazon has Bose's QuietComfort earbuds on sale for $129, $50 off their original price of $179. The retailer also has them listed as a limited time deal so this could be your last opportunity to pick up these earbuds at their lowest-ever price, according to price tracker camelcamelcamel. What's even better is all of the available colors are discounted, so you can choose between black, chilled lilac, or white smoke.

SEE ALSO: Top items bought by Mashable readers on Cyber Weekend — find some still on sale

Alongside high-quality sound, these earbuds are sure to make your listening experiences even better with the help of their noise-canceling features that allow you to tune in or out of your surroundings. In the review from Mashable's shopping reporter Bethany Allard, she said, "if you're trying to get earbuds that sound as good as they can under $200, with exceptional battery life added in, picking up the QuietComfort earbuds is an easy choice."

This limited time deal won't last long, so pick up the Bose QuietComfort earbuds for $129 at Amazon while they're still live.

There are a few more deals floating around after Cyber Monday that are worth checking out, too. In our roundup of Cyber Monday deals, you can see some discounts from the sale that are still live. Again, these won't last long, so if something catches your eye act fast to pick it up.

Stephen Colbert has some strong words for Donald Trump's new FBI director pick, Kash Patel, who clearly isn't a big fan of media types.

"We're gonna come after the people in the media," says Patel in an interview clip from Dec. 2023 that Colbert played on The Late Show on Monday night. "Whether it's criminally or civilly, we'll figure that out. But yeah, we're putting you all on notice."

Colbert, however, is clearly unfazed by this threat.

"Oh, really? You see me shake, Kash?" says the host in the clip above, advancing towards the camera. "Let me help you remember me, OK? I'm the middle-aged, brown-haired, white guy with an 11:30 network show. And I will never bow down to authoritarians, or my name isn't Jimmy something! Write it down! Write it down!"

SAVE $650: As of Dec. 3, Samsung Odyssey G9 OLED curved gaming monitor is still on sale for $949.99 at Amazon. That’s $650 off its original price of $1,599.99 (41% saving). This deal is live for Cyber Monday shoppers who want an unbeatable gaming setup.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Odyssey G9 OLED $949.99
$1,599.99 Save $650.00 Shop Now

Are you looking for a premium ultrawide gaming monitor that's easier on the pocket? The Samsung Odyssey G9 OLED is easy on the brand tax at $949.99, an incredible $650 off the usual price tag of $1,599.99 on Amazon.

This huge 49-inch ultrawide gaming monitor sports a dual QHD resolution at 5120 x 1440 with a buttery smooth 240hz refresh rate. Ghosting won't happen here, either, thanks to a 0.03ms response time. Every move on a keyboard, mouse, or controller will occur in near real-time. The screen's 1800R curvature is designed to align with the human eye, making it ideal for ultrawide HUDs in first-person shooters or power-user multi-tasking setups.

SEE ALSO: 2024 Black Friday ads: Best deals from Amazon, Target, Walmart, Best Buy, Home Depot, and more

Odyssey G also packs OLED tech, with vibrant colors and inky blacks backed up by a strong contrast. It has DisplayHDR True Black 400, which helps make gaming or watching movies in low-light settings almost lifelike with no pixel bleed. Got an AMD graphics card? It's locked and loaded with FreeSync Premium to keep games smooth and stutter-free, too.

There are enough connectivity options, such as HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort, and a USB hub, for linking up your operational battle station. They are all powered by Auto Source Switch+, too, which detects when new devices are powered on and switches inputs automatically.

SEE ALSO: Get both Hulu and Disney+ for $2.99 per month for Black Friday

The G9's metal finish is only 4.5mm thick at its thinnest point, which means it doesn't take up more space than it needs to. It's as sleek as it is functional, thanks to its adjustable stand, which helps avoid neck and shoulder pain. All in all, this monitor has it all, including the real estate. Think of it as a cheaper investment in ensuring your day-to-day and alone time is the best. Cyber Monday may be over, but this is a fantastic deal and a solid way to upgrade your gaming rig for less.

SAVE $160: As of Dec. 3, the 47mm Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra Bespoke Edition is on sale for $489.99 at Amazon. This is 25% off its list price of $649.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra Bespoke Edition (47mm) $489.99 at Amazon
$649.99 Save $160.00 Get Deal

Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales may be over and done with, but that doesn't stop the deals entirely. Amazon's still offering a few discounts ahead of the holidays that are worth checking out. If you've had your eye on a smartwatch, why not invest in a techy timepiece like the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra? Thankfully, it's on sale right now at Amazon for a limited time.

The 47mm Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra Bespoke Edition is currently on sale at Amazon for $489.99. This is 25% off its original price of $649.99, allowing your to pocket $160. As mentioned earlier, this is a limited-time deal so you'll want to act fast to pick it up if it has caught your eye.

SEE ALSO: Save $1,700 on a massive 77-inch Samsung OLED TV after Cyber Monday

This durable smartwatch is built for adventurous individuals, complete with a GPS, heart rate tracking, an energy score, and so much more. In our hands-on review of the smartwatch, Mashable's Kimberly Gedeon also mentions that, "Unlike the Apple rival, the Galaxy Watch Ultra offers a blood-oxygen sensor (the Apple Watch used to have one, but er, it's a long story) and a sleep apnea monitor (though some rumors claim the Watch X will have it)."

This deal won't last long, so pick up the 47mm Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra Bespoke Edition for $489.99 at Amazon.

While Cyber Monday deals have largely disappeared there are still a few smartwatch discounts holding on, like the Garmin Forerunner 955 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 6. If you're curious what other Cyber Monday deals might have carried on to today, it's worth having a look at our overall breakdown of Cyber Monday deals this year to check out which sales are still live.

You'd think Daniel Craig's name is pretty straightforward to pronounce, but then again, it depends whether you're from the UK or U.S. when attempting it.

The Queer star and English actor would very much like people to pronounce it the British way ("crayg" — it's Scottish Gaelic) rather than the American way ("cregg") and took this pitch to Stephen Colbert during his interview on The Late Show.

"I've a bone to pick with you. Six shows. Say my name," said Craig to Colbert, before demonstrating the diphthong difference many, many times.

"That is a subtle difference, and I apologise," responded Colbert. "I don't want you Daniel Craig-mad at me. Daniel Cregg? Fuck that guy. Daniel Craig, I'm so sorry."

You can watch Mashable's interview with Daniel CRAYG while you're mastering the difference too.

SAVE $1,700: As of Dec. 3, Samsung's 77-inch S84D 4K OLED TV is on sale for $1,599.99. That's $1,700 off the list price of $3,299.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung 77-inch Class S84D Series 4K OLED TV $1,599.99 at Best Buy
$3,299.99 Save $1,700.00 Get Deal

Black Friday and Cyber Monday may be officially over and done with, but a few retailers are still offering some great discounts in the lead-up to the holidays. Best Buy is one such location with its own selection of Holiday Deals available. If you missed out on some of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday TV deals this year, they're here to assist with a fantastic discount on a Samsung 4K OLED TV.

For those looking to create a mini movie theater in their home, this huge 77-inch Samsung S84D 4K OLED TV has had a whopping $1,700 discount at Best Buy. This has dropped its price from $3,299.99 to $1,599.99. You also get a nice little bonus with your purchase of one free month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

SEE ALSO: Last chance to save over $250 on the PlayStation VR2 'Horizon Call of The Mountain' bundle

Alongside its large size, this TV offers up high-quality 4K resolution and an OLED display to bring you crisp, vibrant colors for any movie nights, TV show marathons, or games you love to get lost in. It also comes with Dolby Atmos built it, which makes the sounds you hear just as immersive as the visuals. On top of that, it's also a smart TV that can hold all of your favorite streaming apps in one place.

There's still time to invest in a new TV. Don't miss out on this 77-inch Samsung S84D 4K OLED TV deal at Best Buy.

While the official seasonal sale event is over and most deals have disappeared, there are a few still lingering around at other retailers. If you want to check out more TV deals, it's worth having a look through our roundup of the best Cyber Monday TV deals live at Best Buy, Walmart, and Amazon to see which ones are still on sale.

SAVE OVER $250: As of Dec. 3, the PlayStation VR2 Horizon Call of The Mountain bundle is still down to $349 after Cyber Monday. This is 42% off its usual price of $599.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: PlayStation PlayStation VR2 'Horizon Call of The Mountain' Bundle $349.00 at Amazon
$599.99 Save $250.99 Get Deal

There were so many great video game deals available during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, including some excellent bundle deals. One of the best deals that popped up was a PlayStation VR2 bundle with Horizon Call of The Mountain, and thankfully, it's still available for a limited time.

The PlayStation VR2 Horizon Call of The Mountain bundle is still on sale right now for $349 post-Cyber Monday. This is 42% off its original price tag of $599.99, and a deal that likely won't stick around for much longer. If you were hoping to scoop up this bundle to jump into PlayStation's world of VR, this could be your last chance to get it with such a nice discount ahead of the holidays.

SEE ALSO: How is this deal still live? Save $150 on Bose QuietComfort headphones after Cyber Monday.

This bundle is really worth the investment, too. Alongside the PlayStation VR2 headset — which our review called "a huge improvement over the original" — and controllers, you're also getting a code for the game Horizon Call of The Mountain. With that, you'll be able to jump into the colorful world of Horizon as soon as you get set up.

Don't miss out on this excellent deal on the PlayStation VR2 Horizon Call of The Mountain bundle.

The official sale event may be over, but there are still some deals hanging on after Cyber Monday. If you're curious to see more gaming deals, it's worth having a look at our roundup of the best Cyber Monday gaming deals to see if some items are still on sale.

SAVE $150: As of Dec. 3, Bose QuietComfort Bluetooth headphones are still on sale for $199 at Amazon. That’s $150 off the original price of $349 (a 43% discount). Grab these premium noise-cancelling headphones before this last-minute Cyber Monday deal ends.

Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose QuietComfort Bluetooth Headphones $199.00 at Amazon
$349.00 Save $150.00 Shop Now

That's right. Cyber Monday deals are still live on a regular Tuesday, with Bose QuietComfort headphones for only $199. That's £150 off their usual price tag of $349, which is an absolute bargain for Bose's best-in-class noise cancellation technology.

Bose is known for delivering premium sound quality and unmatched noise cancellation, and the QuietComfort headphones are a brilliant example of what to expect from them. Do you want to drown out distractions or stay aware of your surroundings? These headphones feature Quiet and Aware Modes, which are great for almost any situation.

SEE ALSO: 2024 Black Friday ads: Best deals from Amazon, Target, Walmart, Best Buy, Home Depot, and more

They're comfortable, too, thanks to their plush ear cushions and padded headband design, which is great for anyone with platted or dreadlocked hairstyles. These headphones have hours of wear, and they sound good, too, thanks to the adjustable EQ. Audiophiles will love the bass, range, and treble settings, which let you get the sound you like best.

Bose Quietcomfort holds around 24 hours worth of juice on only one charge. We all need to remember to charge things overnight, but the 15-minute charge gives listeners 2.5 hours of playtime. You can hook up QuietComfort headphones to multiple devices via Bluetooth simultaneously, making switching from tablets to phones super convenient. There's an included audio cable for those who prefer a wired connection, too, so that's about every kind of user covered.

SEE ALSO: Get both Hulu and Disney+ for $2.99 per month for Black Friday

There's a colorway for every user, too. With choices like black, sandstone, and chilled lilac, you can have a set of Bose Quietcomfort headphones to match your personality. As we said, this deal should have ended yesterday, so act fast. Paying an extra $150 for your headphones isn't much fun, so snap up this last-minute Cyber Monday deal before it shoots back up in price.

Even robots die quickly on Venus.

The most long-lived of the 10 Venusian landers, the Soviet Union's Venera 13 probe, lasted two hours before succumbing to pizza oven-like temperatures of some 870 degrees Fahrenheit (465 degrees Celsius) and the crushing surface pressure of 1,350 psi — which The Planetary Society describes as "like having a small car sitting on your thumbnail." Even so, there's an ongoing scientific debate as to whether this now-hellish world was once hospitable, perhaps harboring great oceans like Earth.

New research, published in the science journal Nature Astronomy, concludes the answer is no. And in the search for potential life in the cosmos, the findings suggest Venus-like planets orbiting on the edge of a solar system's zone of possible habitability may not be good places to sleuth for livable worlds.

"We would have loved to find that Venus was once a planet much closer to our own, so it’s kind of sad in a way to find out that it wasn’t, but ultimately it’s more useful to focus the search on planets that are mostly likely to be able to support life — at least life as we know it," Tereza Constantinou, an astronomer at the University of Cambridge, said in a statement.

SEE ALSO: NASA scientist viewed first Voyager images. What he saw gave him chills.

Today, planetary scientists suspect that scorching Venus is an active, erupting world, with lava pouring down some of its volcanic slopes. The surface is clearly inhospitable for life. But why don't these researchers think this planet — a rocky world about the same size of Earth — could have once hosted inviting environs, billions of years ago?

The answer lies in the world's atmosphere.

If Venus was once a watery, habitable world, the composition of water in the planet's erupting gases would reflect this past history. "To keep the Venusian atmosphere stable, then any chemicals being removed from the atmosphere should also be getting restored to it, since the planet’s interior and exterior are in constant chemical communication with one another," Constantinou explained.

On water-rich planets, like Earth, surface water is recycled into the planet's interior and outgassed from volcanoes. Nearly 80 percent of Earth's volcanic gases are steam. But the researchers' analysis — calculated from Venus' observable atmosphere and calculations of how gases break down on Venus — found that its volcanic gases contain at most six percent water. That's an extremely dehydrated interior, and points to a profoundly dry Venusian past.

NASA's Mariner 10 spacecraft snapped this image of cloud-shrouded Venus in 1974. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech

A looming NASA mission will confirm the findings — or possibly challenge them — in 2031. The space agency's DAVINCI spacecraft — short for Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging — will drop a three-foot-wide titanium sphere through Venus' thick clouds. Over the course of just an hour, the probe will ingest gases, run experiments, show us what Venusian mountains actually look like, and dramatically improve our understanding of Venus.

"Venus has always been this enigmatic sister planet," Jim Garvin, who leads NASA's DAVINCI mission, previously told Mashable. "Why doesn't Venus look like Earth?" he wondered.

It's possible — though just a hypothesis — that microbial life could sustain itself high up in Venus' temperate atmosphere where scientists have detected hints of phosphine, a potential indicator of biology. But until NASA's probe plummets through the Venusian atmosphere, the nearby planet will largely remain an enigmatic place.

TL;DR: This refurbished HP Chromebook with a 11.6-inch screen, 32GB of storage, and 4GB of RAM is now priced at $74.99 (reg. $239) — a 68% discount.

You probably know that Chromebooks — with basic processors and Chrome OS — are designed to be simple and affordable. But this Cyber Week price may still surprise you: A 2020 refurbished HP Chromebook is now only $74.99, normally $239. This limited-time price and low inventory won’t last long.

Simple processing and operating 

Chromebooks aren’t for those that expect high-level performance, running with an Intel Celeron N4000 processor with 1.1GHz speed and 4GB of RAM. If you don’t speak tech, that essentially means it’s built for basic programs and light multi-tasking, not for intense gaming or heavy-lift programs.

This laptop's Chrome OS allows you to use cloud-based Google apps — like Docs, Sheets, Slides, Gmail, and more — seamlessly. You’ll also have access to the Google Play store and 32GB of storage to add productivity apps or basic games.

Some other surprising specs of a Chromebook at this price point are an 11.6-inch HD display, reinforced corners, and an anchored, spill-resistant keyboard. All of these features make for a solid computing option for students, writers, or even hybrid workers.

Refurbished = a high-quality device at a low price

This HP Chromebook’s affordability is due to its refurbished status. It’s a 2020 model year, so it’s not the newest device. However, it has been fully inspected, tested, and cleaned to arrive in high-quality, usable condition with at least 70% of its battery health intact. 

Its Grade “B” refurbished rating simply means you may notice some cosmetic imperfections like faint scratches on the body or trackpad, but none on the screen. It seems a fair tradeoff for getting a basic laptop at this price.

But they won’t last long. Take advantage of this Cyber Week deal and get a refurbished 11.6-inch  HP Chromebook for $74.99 (reg. $239) for a limited time while supplies last.

HP 11.6" Chromebook 11 G8 EE (2020) Intel Celeron 4GB RAM 32GB SSD (Refurbished)

Only $74.99 at Mashable

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: HP HP 11.6" Chromebook 11 G8 EE (2020) Intel Celeron 4GB RAM 32GB SSD (Refurbished) $74.99
$239.00 Save $164.01 Get Deal

TL;DR: Grab lifetime access to SwiftScan VIP for $41.99 with code FESTIVE30 and turn your phone into a professional-grade document scanner.

Does your desk look like a paper tornado just passed through? Between receipts, contracts, and those notes you swore you’d file months ago, keeping documents in order feels impossible. That’s where SwiftScan VIP steps in to save your sanity. At the Mashable Shop, you can get lifetime access to this mobile scanner app with a one-time payment of $41.99 — just enter the code FESTIVE30 at checkout.

This app turns your phone into a top-tier scanner, letting you create crystal-clear scans in seconds. Whether it’s an important invoice or handwritten notes from a meeting, SwiftScan makes them look polished and professional. With intuitive editing tools, you can crop, adjust, or fine-tune your scans before saving them, so they’re always ready to impress.

SwiftScan also plays nicely with your favorite cloud services, so you can save and access your documents from anywhere. Need to send something fast? The app has built-in sharing options, so you can email, text, or upload with a tap.

Unlike subscription services that charge you forever, this lifetime deal means you pay once and get access to all premium features forever. No monthly fees, no surprises, just hassle-free scanning for life.

Say goodbye to paper chaos.

Whether you’re a student managing class notes, a professional on the go, or someone looking to tidy up their paper clutter, a lifetime subscription to SwiftScan VIP is the ultimate solution at just $41.99 with promo code FESTIVE30.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Maple Media SwiftScan VIP: Lifetime Subscription $59.99 at the Mashable Shop
$199.99 Save $140.00 Use coupon code 'FESTIVE30' Get Deal