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There are two periods of your life. There's before you see Ralph Fiennes absolutely devour an Iron Maiden musical number in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, and there is after. And oh, how I pity anyone who's still living in the "before."

The electrifying sequence comes in the third act of Nia DaCosta's zombie banger, when Sir Jimmy Crystal (Jack O'Connell) brings his "Fingers" to the Bone Temple for an audience with Satan, aka Old Nick. Except the devil they encounter isn't really Old Nick. It's actually Dr. Ian Kelson (Fiennes), the temple's contemplative architect.

SEE ALSO: '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple' review: Nia DaCosta delivers an exhilarating horror epic

However, Dr. Kelson is under strict orders from Jimmy to sell the illusion that he is Old Nick. If he doesn't comply, he can kiss his life goodbye. So what does Dr. Kelson do? Throws on a leather jacket; daubs charcoal all over his eyes, teeth, and bare chest; and performs the literal hell out of Iron Maiden's "The Number of the Beast."

We're talking singing while climbing a pyramid of bones. Pyrotechnics. Drugging your audience so they trip out while you blast your decades-old Iron Maiden vinyl across the post-apocalyptic landscape. My eyes? Peeled. My jaw? Dropped. My hands? Raised throughout the entire grand finale in preparation for the applause Kelson so richly deserved. Based on the loud whoops and cheers that followed his fiery grand finale, the audience in my screening felt the exact same way.

SEE ALSO: '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple': How does Cillian Murphy return as Jim?

Masterfully executed by DaCosta and Fiennes, the scene burns with high-stakes theatricality, the same kind that makes you ask "Can they really pull this off?" during an incredibly taxing Broadway number or a particularly rocking solo at a concert. But what I really associate Kelson's level of performance with is that holy grail of entertainment: a RuPaul's Drag Race Lip Sync for Your Life.

Ralph Fiennes in "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple." Credit: Miya Mizuno / Sony

A Lip Sync for Your Life is reality TV's best elimination challenge, one where two drag queens must perform a lip sync number on the spot — simultaneously! — in order to avoid being booted from the competition. Over the span of a single lip sync, you get everything: banger songs, dance moves to die for, all held together by the scorching tension of fighting to stay in the game.

And you know what fits the bill on all those criteria? Kelson's "The Number of the Beast" performance. Sure, he's not performing against an opponent, but he, like Drag Race's bottom two queens, is using a musical performance to avoid dire consequences. In the queens' case, that consequence is the horrible blow of being told to sashay away by RuPaul. In Kelson's case, that's the very real threat of Jimmy feeding him his own intestines. You be the judge of what's scarier.

Featured Video For You Nia DaCosta and Jack O'Connell dive into '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple'

On top of being a literal lip sync for his life, Kelson's showstopper really is proof he'd crush Drag Race. His drag name? Old Nick, of course. When he's not lip syncing to Iron Maiden, he's turning it out to Duran Duran.

We know Old Nick's got the lip syncs covered, but his gaunt makeup and leather number prove he'd nail a design challenge. He's also got the chops to crush acting challenges: Look no further than his phony sermon to Jimmy and his Fingers. And remember Drag Race's random interior design challenges where queens had to decorate a club or a bathroom? The man built a temple out of human bones; I think he'd be fine.

But what about the reading challenge? Could the kind Kelson really muster up that much shade? No worries if not. He could just call on another Fiennes character: Cardinal Lawrence from Conclave, a film that drew several Drag Race comparisons itself.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is now in theaters.

TL;DR: Live stream 49ers vs. Seahawks for free on TVNZ+. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Following an exciting Wild Card Weekend, the action promises to step up another gear in the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs. This is one of the hottest fixtures of the postseason so far, as the San Francisco 49ers travel to face the Seattle Seahawks.

The Seahawks are the NFC's No. 1 seed, with a record of 14-3. The 49ers have only lost two more games and they're coming off a tremendous win over defending Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles. They met just two weeks ago, when the Seahawks got the win — but it was narrow win, with only a field goal and touchdown separating the teams. Can the 49ers keep the Quest for Six dream alive? Or will the Seahawks advance towards the Super Bowl?

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If you want to watch 49ers vs. Seahawks in the NFL playoffs for free from anywhere in the world, here's all the information you need.

When is 49ers vs. Seahawks?

San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks takes place at 8 p.m. ET on Jan. 17. This fixture will be played at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington.

How to watch 49ers vs. Seahawks for free

San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks in the NFL is available to live stream for free on TVNZ+.

TVNZ+ is geo-restricted to New Zealand, but you can access this free streaming platform from anywhere by using a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in New Zealand, allowing you to unblock TVNZ+ from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the NFL by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in a location with free coverage of the NFL

4. Register with TVNZ+

5. Watch the NFL for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming do require a subscription, but the leading VPN services also offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. You can leverage these deals to get access to live streams of the NFL without committing any cash in the long run. This is obviously a short-term fix, but it will give you time to watch 49ers vs. Seahawks and other NFL fixtures before you reclaim any upfront investment.

What is the best VPN for the NFL?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream the NFL, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 — a saving of 49% — which includes a bonus three months usage at no extra cost. This plan also includes a year of unlimited cloud backup and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.95 (also with a money-back guarantee).

Live stream the NFL for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Bills vs. Broncos for free on TVNZ+. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

With this year's Wild Card Weekend in the history books, it's time for the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs.

The Bills scored a narrow win over the Jaguars last weekend, which now put the Bills up against AFC's top seed, the Denver Broncos. As the No. 6 seed, Buffalo will have their work cut out against a well-rested, dominant Denver, who haven't played since annihilating the Chargers on Jan. 3. Most fans are expecting to see the Broncos, who went 14-3 in regular season, face the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl.

But it's been a season of unexpected twists — just ask the Chiefs, who didn't even make the playoffs, or Super Bowl champions the Eagles, who were eliminated in the last round — so anything is possible.

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If you want to watch Bills vs. Broncos in the NFL playoffs for free from anywhere in the world, here's all the information you need.

When is Bills vs. Broncos?

Buffalo Bills vs. Denver Broncos takes place at 4.30 p.m. ET on Jan. 17. This fixture will be played at Empower Field at Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colorado.

How to watch Bills vs. Broncos for free

Buffalo Bills vs. Denver Broncos in the NFL is available to live stream for free on TVNZ+.

TVNZ+ is geo-restricted to New Zealand, but you can access this free streaming platform from anywhere by using a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in New Zealand, allowing you to unblock TVNZ+ from anywhere in the world. Access free live streams of the NFL by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in a location with free coverage of the NFL

4. Register with TVNZ+

5. Watch the NFL for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming do require a subscription, but the leading VPN services also offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. You can leverage these deals to get access to live streams of the NFL without committing any cash in the long run. This is obviously a short-term fix, but it will give you time to watch Bills vs. Broncos and other NFL fixtures before you reclaim any upfront investment.

What is the best VPN for the NFL?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream the NFL, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 — a saving of 49% — which includes a bonus three months usage at no extra cost. This plan also includes a year of unlimited cloud backup and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.95 (also with a money-back guarantee).

Live stream the NFL for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: If you’re tired of juggling storage limits, Internxt’s 100TB lifetime cloud plan offers long-term peace of mind with privacy built in for $974.97 (reg. $9,900).

Opens in a new window Credit: Internxt Internxt Cloud Storage Lifetime Subscription: 100TB $974.97
$9,900 Save $8,925.03   Get Deal

Living in a digital world has its perks, but it also comes with a quiet, constant stress: running out of space. Photos pile up. Videos get larger. Work files multiply. And sooner or later, you’re deciding what to delete just to make room for what’s next.

Internxt Cloud Storage takes a very different approach. Instead of managing limits month after month, this lifetime plan gives you 100TB of cloud storage for $974.97 (reg. $9,900).

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That’s enough space to store years (or decades) of files without constant cleanup.

Internxt is designed around privacy first. All files are protected with end-to-end, zero-knowledge encryption, meaning only you can ever access your data. Files are encrypted, split into smaller pieces, and stored securely, with Internxt itself unable to read them. The entire platform is open-source, audited, GDPR-compliant, and transparent about how your data is handled.

The service works across Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, and web browsers, making it easy to sync and access files from virtually anywhere. Performance is optimized to match your connection speed, and the interface stays refreshingly simple—no steep learning curve required.

This plan includes Internxt Drive only, focusing purely on encrypted file storage and sharing. Extras like email, backups, or antivirus are available separately, which keeps this option streamlined for users who want massive, secure storage without bundled distractions.

Stop worrying about storage space and start living your life. New users can get lifetime access to 100TB of Internxt Cloud Storage for a one-time $974.97 (reg. $9,900) through Jan. 25.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

From the frigid forests of the North to the bustling streets of King's Landing, the world of Westeros is home to countless fantasy locations — so much so that Game of Thrones' opening credits provided a map to lay it all out for us!

SEE ALSO: 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' review: 'Game of Thrones' prequel is a surprising comfort watch

So where on that map does Game of Thrones' latest spin-off, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, land?

Unlike Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, there is no Westerosi globe-trotting in Season 1 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Instead, it spends most of its time in one place: Ashford Meadow, the site of a tournament where new hedge knight Ser Duncan "Dunk" the Tall (Peter Claffey) hopes to prove his mettle.

Where is Ashford Meadow in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms?

Ashford Meadow is a large field near the town of Ashford, in the Westerosi region known as the Reach. At the time of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, it's ruled by House Tyrell from their seat in Highgarden.

Ashford is east of Highgarden along the river Cockleswent. It's also just north of the Dornish Marches. Despite their name, the Dornish Marches are in the Stormlands instead of Dorne, placing them under the rule of House Baratheon. However, they also serve as the northern border to Dorne which, by the time A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms begins, has only been a part of the Seven Kingdoms for a little over a decade.

Given its position near Dorne and the Stormlands, Ashford Meadow serves as a perfect crossroads for Dunk to meet a variety of people from across the Seven Kingdoms. He'll meet nobles from the Reach, like Steffon and Raymun Fossoway (Edward Ashley and Shaun Thomas); puppeteers from Dorne, like Tanselle (Tanzyn Crawford); and even the Lord of Storm's End, Lyonel Baratheon (Daniel Ings).

The Reach also has a special significance to knighthood as it stands in Westeros. In a 1999 letter to a fan, as collected in A Song of Ice and Fire archive The Citadel, George R.R. Martin wrote, "The Reach is the heart of the chivalric tradition in the Seven Kingdoms, the place where knighthood is most universally esteemed."

That means Dunk will be proving himself and learning what it truly means to be a knight in the most chivalrous place in Westeros. What better testing ground could there be?

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres Jan. 18 at 10 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

If you're a Game of Thrones fan, you're going to hear a ton of familiar names in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

SEE ALSO: 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' review: 'Game of Thrones' prequel is a surprising comfort watch

HBO's latest Game of Thrones spin-off takes place roughly a century before the original series, when knight Ser Duncan "Dunk" the Tall (Peter Claffey) first takes his squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) under his wing. The pair make their way to a tournament at Ashford Meadow. And you know what a tournament means? Lots of Westerosi lords will be there — including members of the Great Houses whose descendants viewers have come to know and love in Game of Thrones. So who should you be keeping an eye out for in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, and how are they related to your Game of Thrones faves?

So, so, so many Targaryens Finn Bennett, Bertie Carvel, and Sam Spruell in "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms." Credit: Composite: Mashable / Images: Steffon Hill / HBO

It wouldn't be a Game of Thrones show without Targaryens, and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has Targs to spare. Major names to remember include Prince Baelor "Breakspear" Targaryen (Bertie Carvel), heir to the Iron Throne; his brother, Prince Maekar (Sam Spruell); and Maekar's son, Aerion (Finn Bennett). While Baelor is among the kindest, most just Targaryens you'll meet onscreen, Aerion is a total wild card with a bit of a sadistic streak.

You won't see him in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, but the current ruler of the Seven Kingdoms is Baelor and Maekar's father, Daeron II Targaryen. Known as "Daeron the Good," he's a respected ruler who managed to incorporate Dorne into the Seven Kingdoms without spilling a drop of blood — something even Aegon the Conqueror couldn't accomplish. He's also Daenerys Targaryen's great-great-great-grandfather.

SEE ALSO: The new 'House of the Dragon' Season 2 intro shows the history of House Targaryen

That's not the only connection this crop of Targaryens has to Game of Thrones. Maekar has sons besides Aerion, including Aemon, who's currently training to become a Maester at the Citadel. Down the line, he becomes becomes Maester at Castle Black in Game of Thrones. Like Daeron II, Aemon doesn't appear in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, but just know that he's around (and probably scrubbing chambers pots like Samwell Tarly did in Game of Thrones Season 7).

Lyonel Baratheon Daniel Ings in "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms." Credit: Steffon Hill / HBO

House Baratheon's words are "Ours is the fury," but you'd never know it from looking at Ser Lyonel Baratheon (Daniel Ings), current heir to Storm's End. Nicknamed "the Laughing Storm," he's a jovial partier who loves a good time — and a good fight, should the need arise. His heir, Ormund, goes on to be the grandfather of Game of Thrones characters like King Robert, Stannis, and Renly. George R.R. Martin doesn't specify whether Ormund is Lyonel's son, meaning he could be some other family relation. However, Lyonel remains an integral part of the Baratheon family tree.

Leo Tyrell

The current Lord of Highgarden is Leo "Longthorn" Tyrell (Steve Wall), whose descendants include Mace Tyrell and his children, Margaery and Loras. According to The World of Ice and Fire and A Storm of Swords, he's a formidable jouster and one of House Tyrell's most lauded knights.

Manfred Dondarrion Daniel Monks in "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms." Credit: Steffon Hill / HBO

House Dondarrion isn't one of the Great Houses, but it still deserves a shout-out. Ser Manfred Dondarrion (Daniel Monks) is the heir to House Dondarrion in the Stormlands. He's also one of the ancestors of Game of Thrones' much-resurrected Ser Beric Dondarrion, the Lightning Lord and leader of the Brotherhood Without Banners.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres Jan. 18 at 10 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

TL;DR: Live stream the 2026 Winter Olympics for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

This is shaping up to be an absolutely huge year for sport. Sure, the World Cup is probably the biggest event on the calendar. But there are so many other massive moments to get excited about. And there's really no need to wait, because the action starts early in 2026.

The 2026 Winter Olympics is kicking things off in February with a host of top events including alpine skiing, ice hockey, bobsleigh, snowboarding, and so much more. You can stay warm and dry whilst the best of the best compete for medals in the cold. And better yet, you can follow all the action from Lombardy without spending anything.

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If you want to watch the 2026 Winter Olympics for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

What is the Winter Olympics?

The Winter Olympics is a major international event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. Eight sports and 15 disciplines will feature on the programme for the 2026 Winter Olympics: Biathlon, Bobsleigh (Skeleton, Bobsleigh), Curling, Ice Hockey, Luge, Skating (Figure Skating, Speed Skating, Short Track Speed Skating), Ski Mountaineering, and Skiing (Alpine Skiing, Cross-Country Skiing, Ski Jumping, Nordic Combined, Freestyle Skiing, Snowboard).

Norway leads the all-time medal record for the Winter Olympics.

When is the 2026 Winter Olympics?

The 2026 Winter Olympics is the 25th edition of the famous event. This year's event will take place on Feb. 6-22 at sites across Lombardy and Northeast Italy.

How to watch the 2026 Winter Olympics for free

The 2026 Winter Olympics is available to live stream for free on a number of services:

• Australia — 9Now

• Austria — ORF

• Canada — CBC Gem

• France — France TV

• Germany — ZDF

• Ireland — RTÉ Player

• Italy — RAI

• Spain — RTVE

• UK — BBC iPlayer

These free live streams are geo-restricted, but anyone can bypass these restrictions with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in another location, meaning you can acvcess free live streams of the 2026 Winter Olympics from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the 2026 Winter Olympics by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in a location with free access

4. Watch the 2026 Winter Olympics for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to free live streams without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch the 2026 Winter Olympics before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the 2026 Winter Olympics?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $78.18 and includes an extra four months for free — 78% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream the 2026 Winter Olympics for free with ExpressVPN.

At this point, iPads can do (almost) anything your laptop can do thanks to iPadOS 26. Whether you want to stream, browse the internet, illustrate, or edit videos, you can do it on the iPad. Recent developments in the Pro and Air models also set them up as gaming devices.

The rapid pace of Apple's update schedule makes shopping for a tablet all the more difficult. So, we tested every model to help you find the best iPad for you.

Which iPad model should I buy?

The right iPad for you depends purely on your needs. Do you want something that has enough storage and speed for streaming? Do you want to use it to read? Do you want to use a tablet as your primary workstation? Your answers should factor into your decision.

To get you started, we believe the best iPad for most people is the new M3 iPad Air (2025). It has exceptional performance but is also in the middle range for both price and capability.

TL;DR: Live stream Zverev vs. Diallo in the 2026 Australian Open for free on 9Now. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The tennis season starts right here, with the 2026 Australian Open serving up two weeks of elite tennis action.

Among the top stars in the opening round is German 28-year-old, Alexander Zverev, the No. 3 seed. This match against Gabriel Diallo, an unseeded Canadian, should be akin to warming up for Zverev. But expect the German to come out swinging. He's yet to win a Grand Slam and fell to Jannik Sinner in last year's Australian Open final. He'll want to make 2026 his year.

That said, don't count out Diallo. Anything can happen and Grand Slam tournaments often throw up surprises in the early stages.

If you want to watch Zverev vs. Diallo in the 2026 Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

How to watch Zverev vs. Diallo for free

Zverev vs. Diallo in the 2026 Australian Open is available to live stream for free on 9Now.

9Now is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Australia, meaning you can unblock 9Now from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the 2026 Australian Open by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Australia

4. Visit 9Now

5. Watch the 2026 Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading services do tend to offer incentive deals such as free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these deals, you can live stream Zverev vs. Diallo without actually spending anything. This isn't a long-term solution, but it gives you enough time to watch the Australian Open before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for 9Now?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live tennis on 9Now, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Australia

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $59.88 and includes an extra three months for free — 69% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Zverev vs. Diallo in the 2026 Australian Open for free with ExpressVPN.

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.

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

Burp.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answer

BELCH

Hurdle Word 2 hint

A monster.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for January 17, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

BEAST

Hurdle Word 3 hint

An outdoor deck.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for January 17 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for January 17, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

PATIO

Hurdle Word 4 hint

To dodge.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

AVOID

Final Hurdle hint

Tired.

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

WEARY

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

It's almost the New Moon, which means we're approaching a night where none of the Moon will be lit up. You might think that's tonight, but believe it or not, there is a small sliver of light coming from it. Read on to find out just how much Moon is on display tonight.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Saturday, Jan. 17, the Moon phase is Waning Crescent. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 2% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.

As we're so close to the New Moon (the night where the Moon appears completely dark from Earth), visibility is too low to see anything.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will be on Feb. 1. The last full moon was on Jan. 3.

What are Moon phases?

Moon phases make up the lunar cycle, which NASA says lasts about 29.5 days, the time it takes the Moon to complete one full orbit around Earth. As the Moon travels around our planet, it passes through eight distinct phases. While the same side of the Moon always faces Earth, the amount of sunlight illuminating it changes depending on its position in orbit. This is why the Moon can appear full, partially lit, or completely dark at different points in the cycle. The eight phases of the lunar cycle are:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you love fun group activities.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games 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.

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for January 17, 2026 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: To smother

• Green: To fling

• Blue: Rearranged letters

• Purple: Played during childhood

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Spread over

• Green: Throw

• Blue: Anagrams

• Purple: First words of kids' games

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

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #951 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Spread over: BLANKET, COAT, COVER, PLASTER

• Throw: CAST, HURL, PELT, SLING

• Anagrams: INKS, KINS, SINK, SKIN

• First words of kids' games: CAPTURE, HIDE, RED, SIMON

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 January 17, 2026

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

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

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you don't like foul language.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for January 17, 2026 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for January 17, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: That's putting it midly!

The words are related to disappointment.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe angry words.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Foiled Again.

NYT Strands word list for January 17

• Tarnation

• Phooey

• Curses

• Foiled Again

• Fiddlesticks

• Drat

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you can take the heat.

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 hints today: Clues, answers for January 17, 2026 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 Pips hints, answers for January 17, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

In flames.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter F.

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...

FIERY

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 January 17, 2026

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 yesterday's Wordle.

Critics are raving about Nia DaCosta's 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, and a big part of why is the absolutely sensational climax, in which Ralph Fiennes channels his inner metal god to perform Iron Maiden's "The Number of the Beast" before an awed Jimmy Crystal (Jack O'Connell) and his remaining Fingers. 

Last year, O'Connell himself stunned audiences with a dizzying collision of horror and dance with Sinners, in which he played the singing, Irish-jigging vampire Remmick. With The Bone Temple, O'Connell counted himself lucky to witness three-time Academy Award nominee Ralph Fiennes transforming from the mild-mannered Dr. Ian Kelson into a fire-twirling Satan, rocking out to an epic song.

In Mashable's Say More episode with DaCosta and O'Connell, the English actor described his reaction watching Fiennes perform this on set as "mindblown," saying, "Here's this legend of the game, fully going for it." 

For more from Mashable's Say More interview, check out the full episode on YouTube.

How did the Iron Maiden dance number in The Bone Temple come together?  Credit: Sony Pictures

DaCosta reveals this devilish lip sync was in the Alex Garland screenplay, which as a whole made her eager to come on as director. However, reading this particular scene on the page, she thought, "Well, this could end my career. It's like, how do you make this work?"

Across 28 Years Later and The Bone Temple, Dr. Ian Kelson is a bit of an odd duck in the post-apocalypse. He lives in a bunker under a towering ossuary he's made of the bones of the dead. Between that and staining his skin an orangey-red with iodine, he's an intimidating figure at a distance — mistaken for Satan himself by Jimmy Ink (Erin Kellyman) and her sir, Lord Jimmy Crystal. But up close, he's a soft-spoken, educated man, eager to offer comfort and compassion however his skills and dwindling supply of drugs will allow. 

However, under threat of torture and death, the good doctor must masquerade as Satan himself to con the Fingers, as Jimmy demands. Cue Iron Maiden. 

Using the hand-crank record player he's had squirreled away in his bunker and a flurry of remarkable DIY theatrics, Kelson not only awes Jimmy and the Fingers — who admittedly have never seen a rock show of any sort — but also excites the theater audience. 

Both times I've seen Bone Temple (so far), once Kelson's performance concluded, the audience broke into applause and cheers of elation. But staring at the script, DaCosta was aware of how big a swing such a scene is. 

"I think at this point in my career, I've learned to just, like, trust the process and the collaborators," she said. "And that was, like, absolutely that. So Shelley Maxwell, my choreographer; Gareth [Pugh] and Carson [McColl], our costume and production designers; the special effects team; stunts; hair; makeup — like, everyone just came together. And once we [could] see what we want[ed] to do… It was just amazing. And then Ralph having to do that [performance] for hours and be basically naked."

She then deferred to O'Connell, asking, "There was one day where you guys just came at night to see the full thing, right?"

"Yeah," O'Connell concurred, adding, "It was a bit of a crescendo moment. All departments, set design, costumes, a big, big ring of fire and things. They are amazing moments anyway, them crescendo times. But for me, it was very hallucinogenic." 

DaCosta shared his affection for this time on set, declaring, "It was just so insane. It was so fun." She cheered her production team for their detail-oriented work, saying that in the end, they had so much they could "only do the very best ideas." The director added, "I had the best collaborators. Then Ralph killed it. And then the way that Jack and the other Jimmies responded to it was just so — because [their] response is really what the scenes about — like, what he's doing is amazing, but it's really about how these Jimmies are seeing this person." 

For DaCosta, whatever doubts she had looking at the script for the first time were allayed once she saw the first rough cut of Fiennes' dance footage. "On the [shoot] day, I was like, 'That's amazing," she recalled, adding, "When [editor Jake Roberts] sent me that [scene], while we were still shooting, I was like, 'All right, thank God. We're good."

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is now in theaters.

When 28 Years Later hit theaters last summer, audiences were awed not only by Danny Boyle's blistering new vision of zombie horror, but also by the curious introduction of Jimmy Crystal. 

Played by Sinners' Jack O'Connell, Jimmy instantly captivated audiences, who were ravenous to see more of him in the 28 Years Later direct sequel The Bone Temple. But can you handle what director Nia DaCosta has in store as she takes the reins for the second film in this emerging trilogy? 

SEE ALSO: '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple' review: Nia DaCosta delivers an exhilarating horror epic

Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko welcomed O'Connell and DaCosta to our Say More couch to dig into all things Bone Temple. When it came to Jimmy Crystal, the pair shared how they made sense of the madman whose biggest influences are The Teletubbies, Jimmy Savile, and his horrific childhood trauma. 

Bone Temple's Jimmy was shaped by tragedy and TV.  Credit: Sony Pictures

Jimmy bookends 28 Years Later, beginning as a boy fleeing his family's home — which is under attack by the infected — seeking sanctuary in the nearby church where his father is a vicar. But before you can say "Amen," Jimmy's father gives himself over the infected horde while preaching it’s what God wanted.

This harrowing intro leaves Jimmy alone and terrified, cradled around the cross necklace his father has just given him. Then Alex Garland's screenplay winds into the coming-of-age story of a young boy named Spike (Alfie Williams), who is on his own 28 years after we see Jimmy in the opener. The two cross paths in the film's bonkers finale, where Spike is being chased by the infected only to be rescued by Jimmy and his fighting "Fingers," a youth gang of seven who all dress like their "lord." 

SEE ALSO: Nia DaCosta and Jack O'Connell dive into '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple'

At the time of 28 Years Later's release, Mashable covered how the costumes and sound effects of this zombie-slaying sequence mirrored the Teletubbies show that played on the TV as young Jimmy's sisters were slain. We also noted how Jimmy's blond Lancelot haircut and favoring of tracksuits with gaudy gold chains echoed the look of British TV personality Jimmy Savile, who would later be outed as a serial child predator. 

Where audience members might have seen these Savile signatures as a warning that Jimmy might not be trustworthy, we speculated that Jimmy wouldn't know that's the signal he's dropping, because he wouldn't have known the horrible truth about Savile. 

DaCosta confirmed our suspicions. "He perverts a lot of things," she said of Jimmy, but noted that in the world of 28 Years Later and Bone Temple, "Culture ended in 2001." Notably, Savile wasn't publicly exposed as a sexual predator until after his death in 2011. So, to Jimmy, Savile was worth admiring, just as he admires the Teletubbies. And his fixation on these elements of 2001 culture extend to his Fingers, like Jimmima (Emma Laird), who dutifully performs the "Dipsy dance" from Teletubbies while wearing jelly sandals and carrying a long-dead Tamagotchi. 

O'Connell said he could relate to Jimmy on this level, saying, "I was finding myself quite enthusiastic, because I was nostalgic about that period anyway." 

Beyond that, O'Connell spoke of how Jimmy has "deep-seated trauma based on seeing his family get mauled to death in front of his very eyes." Yet O'Connell was pleased that Garland's script and DaCosta's vision didn't let Jimmy off the hook for the violence he enacts because of his trauma. Instead, it gave him a foil in Dr. Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes). "What I love — also — about the film is we see Jimmy's unfettered depravity," he said, "with Dr. Kelson, with his advancements in medicine and the inquisitive mind, wanting to know what it was about the infected — and if it is curable. You have these two plots unfolding simultaneously and then they meet… You've got ultimate darkness meeting hope." 

Nia DaCosta digs into the twisted faith of Jimmy Crystal.  Credit: Miya Mizuno / Sony

Some of the most ghoulish moments in Bone Temple are not when the infected attack, but when Jimmy and his Fingers do. Invading a farmhouse, they take four people captive, and then give them "charity" — a term Jimmy has twisted to mean torture, like flaying the skin from their torsos. When he's not giggling over violence or recounting Teletubbies episodes to his amused apostles, he's twisting his own story into one where he is Satan's son, Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal, born to raise hell. 

"Jimmy corrupts everything," DaCosta said, "Even with, like, the Teletubbies, he calls them the 'Teletummies.' It's also about how he remembers a thing. His entire dogma is built around this misremembered death of his father. You know, like, 'Oh yeah, my dad is Satan, because he thinks that's what he saw [when his dad was mobbed by the infected in the church]." 

Speaking to when Jimmy preaches, the director said, "Those scenes in particular were so fun, because for me, that's when, when reading the script, I thought, 'OK, I know this character now.'" 

Nia DaCosta reveals what Jimmy and Samson have in common.  Credit: Miya Mizuno / Sony

When shooting scenes involving Jimmy's dark dogma and its violent rituals, DaCosta had a clear vision of how it would look. "It was really important to me to hold on to like, we're gonna sit on these actors and watch them," she explained, "Because this is when we as an audience get to see the person that he is, not just the monster. Because every monster has a person in there, which is also sort of like the infected." 

She added that Jimmy had a commonality with the infected Alpha, Samson, saying, "It's like they're infected — they're not actually monsters. They're sick. So, that was just super important to me." 

Tying this back to Jimmy and Kelson, the Satanist tyrant and the "atheist doctor," DaCosta said, "It is really beautiful to watch Kelson tease out — sort of like in a psych eval — 'So you talk to your dad in your head?' But also you realize, like, Jimmy actually did think he might see his dad [at the Bone Temple], and he's lonely, you know? You kind of feel that in the scene," she concluded, turning to O'Connell to add, "I thought you played that beautifully."

How's that.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple opens in theaters Jan. 16.

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With access to 14 languages and more than 10,000 hours of learning content, the platform is designed for long-term progress, not quick wins. Each language course is broken into 10- to 15-minute lessons built around situations people actually encounter — ordering food, navigating transportation, handling everyday conversations, or communicating in professional settings.

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Creating automations in Home Assistant can be a long and time-consuming process. You don't have to reinvent the wheel, however. There are some useful blueprints that you can use to create complex automations in next to no time.

The pressure is mounting on social media companies to enforce their rules and protect children on the platforms. Australia recently instituted a ban on children under the age of 16 from social media platforms. Gaming platforms like Roblox are now using facial recognition technology to prevent kids from interacting with adults in chats.

And now TikTok, the social media platform well known for its popularity with young people, will be rolling out its own age verification system in Europe to detect underage users on its site, according to a Reuters report.

TikTok's age-detection system analyzes a user's profile information, published videos, and behavioral signs to estimate if a user is under the age of 13. Per TikTok policy, users must be at least 13 to sign up for the platform. Once the age detect system flags an account, the user will be reviewed by specialist moderators. User accounts will not be banned automatically.

TikTok told Reuters the age-detection system will be rolled out across Europe in the coming weeks after testing the program in Britain for the past year. The system was specifically designed to comply with European regulatory requirements.

EU regulators have been pushing for social media platforms to act on child safety issues, including ensuring users are of the minimum age required for a platform. The European Parliament is looking into potentially instituting a social media ban similar to the one in Australia for children under the age of 15.

As Mashable covered earlier this week, some online platforms are discovering the difficulties with online age verification. Roblox users, for example, have been uncovering simple workarounds to the platform's age verification, which involved simply uploading animated avatars or even drawing facial hair on their image with a Sharpie.

TikTok's method is bound to pick up some false positives on users who are over 13 but mistakenly get flagged or even removed for being underage. We'll have to see just how accurate it is, and how many disgruntled users it leaves in its path once it rolls out more broadly.