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TL;DR: Battlefield 6 is free from March 17-24 through Battlefield REDSEC, giving players access to three playlists and four maps, including the new Season 2 battlegrounds Hagental Base and Contaminated.

The best 'Battlefield 6' deals at a glance: Best PS5 Deal Battlefield 6 $52.60 (save $17.39) Shop Now Best XBOX SERIES X Deal Battlefield 6 $46.48 (save $23.51) Shop Now Best PC Deal Battlefield 6 $69.99 Shop Now

If you’ve been curious about Battlefield 6 but haven’t yet made your move, EA is willing to give you a taste for free, right in time for its Season 2: Nightfall update. 

From March 17-24, Battlefield 6 will be free to try for everyone through Battlefield REDSEC on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, opening the door to a sizable slice of the game’s multiplayer offering for one week. Rather than tossing players a tiny demo and leaving it at that, this free trial will act more like a dress rehearsal of what Season 2 has lined up.

The big draw of this update is Nightfall, a playlist built around the new Hagental Base map. It includes Team Deathmatch, Squad Deathmatch, and Domination, with a twist — the lights are out. That means players will need to rely on Night Vision Goggles, weapon attachments, and anything else that can help cut through the darkness.

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Battlefield 6 is also making room for players who want the more traditional large-scale experience. The All-Out Warfare playlist includes Conquest, Breakthrough, and Escalation, the latter being the mode that gradually intensifies as map boundaries shift and extra vehicles enter the fight. That playlist spans four maps in total: Season 2’s Contaminated and Hagental Base, plus Eastwood from Season 1 and Mirak Valley from the game’s launch lineup.

For anyone who doesn’t want to be immediately thrown into the more intense gaming side of multiplayer, there’s also Casual Breakthrough. This mode is aimed at newer or less competitive players, with smaller squads of real players supported by bots on both sides. You’ll still be able to earn progression and work through challenges, but with a softer landing than a full PvP lobby. Casual Breakthrough will run across Hagental Base, Contaminated, and Eastwood.

TL;DR: Unblock Pornhub for free with a VPN. The best service for unblocking porn sites from Australia is ExpressVPN.

The world of porn continues to be impacted by age-verification laws. Early in 2025, more than a third of U.S. states introduced age verification laws for online adult content. Pornhub responded by blocking users from those locations. A similar situation hit France and the UK, and now Australians are facing the same set of challenges.

The porn blocks arrived just days before new online safety codes came into effect, requiring organisations to verify the ages of users. It's the same story, with the same straightforward workaround.

If you want to unblock porn sites like Pornhub for free from Australia, we have all the information you need.

How to unblock Pornhub for free in Australia

VPNs are useful tools that can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in other locations. This straightforward process bypasses geo-restrictions so you can access sites like Pornhub from anywhere in the world.

Unblock Pornhub from Australia by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a 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 that supports access to Pornhub

4. Visit Pornhub

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The best VPNs for unblocking porn sites are not free, but most do offer free-trial peiods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can unblock porn sites like Pornhub without spending anything. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you the opportunity to temporarily retain access to Pornhub before recovering your investment. There's a chance that the situation may have changed before the free trial comes to an end.

If you want to retain permanent access to sites like Pornhub, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for bypassing content restrictions is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for Pornhub?

ExpressVPN is the top choice for unblocking porn sites like Pornhub, 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 streaming speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% 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).

Unblock Pornhub for free in Australia with ExpressVPN.

The fact that there are people who can simply fall asleep when they're tired is mind-blowing to someone who's had serious trouble sleeping for over a decade. (Like, what do you mean you just go to bed at night?) After years of feeling like a zombie 24/7, relaying the same story to different doctors, and feeling resentful when someone in my life casually takes a nap, I've developed a serious "that won't work on me" attitude about most sleep products.

At the risk of sounding like I'm trying to win the insomnia competition, that's all just background on why I roll my eyes at trendy melatonin gummies or sleepy teas. So I'm kind of shocked that a Hatch alarm clock — perhaps the mother of all viral sleep products — is actually somewhat helping me wind down at night.

What does a Hatch alarm clock do?

The Hatch Restore 3 is a premium sunrise alarm clock that's also a sound machine and color-changing lamp. Sunrise alarm clocks use gradual brightening light to signal to our body that it's time to wake up, promoting a more natural transition out of sleep than being jolted awake by an annoying siren.

The Restore 3 is the newest Hatch. It has a knob on the top for easier controls. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable The Restore 3's clock can be always on, always off, or automatically off at night. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

But the Hatch Restore 3 acts like just as much of a sunset alarm clock. Our bodies respond similarly well to light cues to get sleepy at night, and the bulk of Hatch's features actually come into play the evening before. If you have the paid subscription, the Restore 3 provides a ton of calming wind-down entertainment content like bedtime stories and podcasts to keep you from craving phone stimulation before bed.

Sleep is second nature for some, but I have to hone it like a skill

OK, but what about the people who... don't really get sleepy at night?

I don't know what I did to so royally cook my circadian rhythm and nervous system, but it's not just that I don't necessarily get tired at night — it's that my mind is also wired at night. And scrolling too late is just a fraction of my issue. There are nights when I effortlessly don't look at my phone for an hour or two before bed, but only because I randomly got the motivation to scrub my bathtub at 11 p.m. To be fair, I only got in the habit of squeezing tasks in while I'm "up" because I spent years trying to stick to a "normal" bedtime, lying awake until the wee hours of the morning (often not sleeping at all), regardless of if I was physically exhausted.

The ~night owl~ thing was a silly little quirk in high school and college. But nowadays, my late-night brain activity is now spiked with adult worries that weren't on my radar back then: Health anxiety, productivity anxiety, and general state of humanity anxiety are the big ones, all floating alongside anxiety about not being able to sleep. I'm not sure how much of my insomnia stems from severe racing thoughts, but it's unsustainable now.

SEE ALSO: Shark CryoGlow mask review after 10 months: The only way I'll ever stop using this is if Shark releases a new one

I spent months using my insatiable late-night need to Google everything in the world to figure out how to get myself back on track. It became clear that making my room pitch dark and 68 degrees wasn't enough. I needed to start being just as strict with my sleep routine as I was with my skincare routine or cleaning routine. Part of that just requires the discipline to get my non-negotiables done earlier, but I was curious about whether a sunrise alarm clock could help my schedule (or lack thereof) feel less overwhelming.

The Hatch Restore 3 is helping me romanticize routine

Up until a few months ago, I would have died on the hill that a sound machine was no better than letting an eight-hour YouTube video of rain sounds play out of your phone. But after having the Hatch Restore 3 on my nightstand, I'll vouch for the Hatch experience being much different than simply using my phone.

First, I have to note that the Restore 3's speaker quality is divine. Sounds are velvety smooth without the faint crackle that you hear with an iPhone speaker, and there's never a harsh cutoff between sound loops. But the audio quality is hardly the most important difference — it's the whole pre-sleep routine that the Hatch inspires.

My favorite Hatch feature is the "cue to unwind." Every night at 10:30, my Hatch automatically starts glowing and playing dreamy music. I use "Lavender Sky," the average ambient tune that sounds like something you'd hear at the massage studio, plus a matching light that flickers between purple and blue. The human brain really likes repetition — repeated actions are how we form a habit that feels subconscious, not forced.

The purple Hatch light and red light bulb in my lamp create the most heavenly scene in this corner. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

I clearly struggled to start my bedtime process at a decent hour on my own, so the Restore 3's cue to unwind has been a helpful tangible reminder that it's time to start chilling out. The sound and light combo makes me want to be responsible and read instead of immediately opening TikTok when I get in bed. Any mental chatter that I need to remember (an idea for work, a chore, a text I need to send, even a new outfit brainstorm) gets written down by hand in a notebook instead of my Notes app. Then, it's up to my self-control to actually save those tasks until tomorrow.

Like unwind cues, Hatch sleep routines can involve whatever combination of sound and light that helps you doze off. (The sound options are different, though.) I opt for thunderstorm sounds or "shower in the next room." One press of the big top button shifts your Hatch from unwind to sleep mode.

There's a sunset gradient for any mood — not just typical sunset colors. Credit: Screenshot: Hatch I appreciate the variety of those cozy, familiar household options. Credit: Screenshot: Hatch

There are a ton of free sunset routines that gradually dim the clock's light to help lull you to sleep. Sleep routine duration can be set to last for a few minutes, a few hours, a full day, or just until you tap the clock. I feel like the whole sunset thing isn't that helpful if you use a sleep mask, so I've actually been utilizing the sunset sleep routines while I'm still awake and trying to get tired.

It's a bummer that the Hatch Restore 3 isn't waterproof. The cozy lighting would be much more valuable in my bathroom when I'm showering and self-caring. All of my steps take forever, and the harsh bathroom lighting certainly isn't conducive to mellowing out.

The Restore 3's sunrise is adjustable, from brightness to duration before your alarm goes off. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable The Restore 3 gradually shifts between shades of orange and peach, then to bright white. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

In the morning, the gradual sunset starts five minutes to an hour before your alarm goes off. It slowly brightens while shifting between orange and peach tones — it's kind of dull in my room that gets a lot of sun in the morning, but it probably hits so hard in a dark room. I appreciate that the alarm sound fades in instead of hitting at full volume immediately. The bird chirps are a cute touch.

Isn't this all just stuff you could do without a $170 alarm clock?

When all of the premium features come at an extra monthly cost, the Hatch Restore 3 feels a bit overpriced — especially considering many of its features can be replicated with less expensive devices. Smart lightbulbs could be set to turn a certain color at a certain time. It's not hard to find a dedicated sound machine for $40 or $50, or a cheaper sunrise alarm clock in general. If you're most concerned with staying off your phone before bed, you could just buy a Brick for $59.

SEE ALSO: I ran the Dyson HushJet 24/7 for a week. It's so quiet that I forgot it was on, but I did notice fresher air. Can you use the Hatch Restore 3 without a subscription?

Yep, you can technically get full use out of the Hatch Restore 3 without paying extra (that's what I do). Free audio options include 40+ sleep sounds and 20+ alarms spanning nature sounds, color noises, fans and other humming appliances, and soothing lo-fi beats. There are definitely enough options for my needs, mostly because I don't care enough to pay for anything more elaborate. But without the ability to filter out Hatch+ exclusive sounds in the app, it does get frustrating to see a lock on nearly every sound you swipe past.

The paid Hatch subscription costs $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year. Aside from the larger sound library, Hatch+ unlocks access to a ton of sleep content like sound baths, bedtime podcasts, guided meditations, and audiobook snippets. So, without paying for Hatch+, you're losing out on most of the entertainment options that were supposed to help build your phone-free nightly routine.

SEE ALSO: From Oura to Whoop, we tested the best sleep trackers of 2026

Hatch+ also gatekeeps many more alarms than sleep sounds. Most genres of music (grunge, '90s and "Hatchstreet Boys," elegant instrumentals, etc.), anything seasonal, and meditation shuffles are all locked. Maybe you've seen a Hatch ad involving a celebrity recording a funny or inspirational wakeup call — yep, locked. The celebrity ones might be mildly amusing the first few mornings, but hearing the same voice yapping about how it's going to be a great day feels like severely unserious long-term alarms.

The actual sunrise part needs a relatively dark room

You may not be able to take full advantage of the Hatch Restore 3's actual sunrise sequence if your room gets blindingly bright in the morning, or if you wear a sleep mask.

Since all of the blinds in my apartment are borderline worthless, I sleep with a black t-shirt over my eyes. (I can't stand a sleep mask strap.) Even though it's not attached to my head, I usually wake up with it repositioned to block out morning light. So am I really getting the full effect of the gradual rosy glow that comes on before my alarm goes off? Doubtful.

My coworker Samantha Mangino, who also has a Hatch Restore 3, made an interesting point: She wishes that it had a normal alarm sound. Hatch is so set on waking you up gently that it doesn't consider heavy sleepers who want to try the sunrise function, but need a noise less gentle than wind chimes.

Is a Hatch alarm clock worth it?

If you always feel chaotic at bedtime or upon waking up, the Hatch Restore 3 could be really helpful in getting your rest routine under control. You'd be surprised at how much stress is simply coming from being scared awake by a blaring phone ringtone.

The nightly unwind cues automatically create the relaxing environment that you may have been struggling to create for yourself. My decade-long inability to sleep at a normal time has hardly been cured by scheduled ambient sound and lighting, but the Restore 3 has made me take my bedtime routine more seriously — successfully leading to dozing off a tiny bit earlier on some nights. Is that worth $170? Maybe, if other sleep products haven't been effective.

But a Hatch alarm clock can only build the phone-free routine it claims if you're making a conscious effort to stay off your phone — or if you're paying for Hatch+. The gradual dimming light won't magically knock you out if you're still on TikTok in bed, and most pre-sleep anti-phone entertainment is exclusive to the $4.99 per month subscription. If you don't want to pay for Hatch+, you'll need to be strict about sticking to screen-free entertainment when your unwind cue comes on. Otherwise, a $170 alarm clock won't be much more than a color-changing lamp on your nightstand.

Hatch Restore 3 $144.99 at Amazon
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The bump in the night is a horror staple for a reason. There's something uniquely unsettling about a sound you can't explain. Undertone, the latest horror movie from A24, delves into the eerie earworms that might echo through nightmares. 

Written and directed by Ian Tuason, Undertone centers on an isolated podcaster named Evy (Nina Kiri), who becomes fixated on a series of mysterious audio clips. As she goes down the metaphorical rabbit's hole on what they could mean, the world around her seems to shift, forcing her to face a horrid reality.

Undertone is a slow-burning, spooky thriller.  Nina Kiri stars as a haunted podcaster in "Undertone." Credit: A24

Tuason makes an impressive feature directorial debut with Undertone, as this film exudes a quiet confidence that rejects standard scare tropes. Forget a cold open that looks to titillate with terror out of the gate, and don't expect cheap jump scares. Tuason's version of horror is more akin to slow suffocation than to quick, brutal stabs. 

SEE ALSO: A24's 'undertone' trailer teases a podcast turning into a nightmare

We'll meet Evy in her mother's house, which is decorated in feminine but festering flourishes that reflect the woman's waning health even when she's offscreen. Evy is surrounded by her mother's things and the looming certainty of her mother's impending death. Tuason offers us no escape from Evy's cage, as all of Undertone is set in this one house, and most of it in one room. While characters exist beyond Evy and her mother, they will be the only people we see for the whole of the film, heightening the sense of Evy's isolation. 

The only friend Evy seems to have is her podcast partner Justin (Adam DiMarco, who is never shown onscreen), who lives in the UK, meaning that the best time for them to record is 3 a.m. for Evy. In the still of the night, she hunches over the dining room table that's she's transformed into a podcasting setup, complete with noise-cancelling headphones, a prominent microphone, her notes, and a glowing laptop. Visually, Evy's modern, cold electronics clash with her mother's floral wallpaper and the requisite Last Supper print hanging behind her. But stronger clashes will come in the audio as Undertone spins its slippery story. 

Undertone leans hard into audio terror. 

Justin and Evy's podcast dedicatedly explores creepy stories, with him playing the eager believer to her scathing skeptic. So, when he pulls up 10 audio clips from a mysterious source, she's already rolling her eyes. However, the story teased within them soon hooks her interest. A young heterosexual couple is recording their slumber, because the woman is talking in her sleep. What begins as an amusement for the pair turns perilous as it seems something sinister begins speaking through her in the night. 

While Justin is giddy over the progression of the tapes, Evy is uncharacteristically shaken. They'll need to pick up the next recording on another night. And in between, Evy has only the fading breath of her mother and her own footsteps for company, right? Not quite. Something seems to have entered her home through those tapes. Snatches of creepy children's songs, weird crayon scribblings, and a strange figure become Evy's new — and unwelcome companions. The elements themselves have been used plenty in horror. But Tuason makes the most out of them with a masterful soundscape that swells, throbs, and chitters in the theater, rattling the ears — and very bones — of the audience, just as they do Evy's. 

Don’t miss out on our latest stories: Add Mashable as a trusted news source in Google.

In all these aspects, I admire Tuason's technical approach to building terror, even if they didn't do much to scare me. The audio meant to be chilling often had me chilling. Not that scratchy records of children singing "Baa Baa Black Sheep" will make my meditation playlist anytime soon, but the should-be creepy sound effects had me drifting toward sleep, even as I was engaged in the mystery of the tapes. Then that mystery takes a subgenre twist that left me disappointed. To Tuason's credit, he earnestly builds lore that competently aligns to Evy's personal struggles, as if these tapes have found her — and not vice versa. However, after being enthralled by the film's first and second acts, I found my mind wandering in the third. By that point, the strong soundscape concept is overtaken by horror clichés, leading to an ending that is disturbing but also underwhelming. For me, the film's slow burn approach, and my patience for it, didn't pay off.

In the end, I was more impressed by Undertone's concept that I was entertained by its execution. I am intrigued to see what Tuason does next. But this one — I'm not on its wavelength.

Undertone opens in theaters on March 13.

At CES 2024 (and, again, at CES 2025), Honda showcased some of the coolest-looking electric vehicle concepts we've ever seen.

With a sleek retro aesthetic, the Honda 0 Series Saloon and 0 Series SUV seemed to be the company's ticket to make serious waves in the EV space, at a time when many other manufacturers were scaling down their EV plans.

The idea was to bring these cars to market in 2026, but that's not going to happen. On Thursday, Honda announced it would cancel the development and market launch of both the Honda 0 Series models, as well as the electric Acura RSX, writing off roughly $15.7 billion in restructuring costs.

"Honda determined that starting production and sales of these three models in current business environment where the demand for EVs is declining significantly would likely result in further losses over the long term," the company said in a statement.

The company lays down the blame for the move on Trump's tariffs, as well as its own inability to properly balance resources needed to develop EVs and remain competitive in Asia.

One paragraph from the statement is particularly notable as it clearly explains why Honda (but also many other, older manufacturers) cannot compete with the new wave of EVs from China.

"In China, what customers value more in automobiles is shifting from hardware features, such as fuel efficiency and cabin space, to software-based features that will continuously advance according to customer preferences. This has intensified the competition due to the rapid emergence of newer EV manufacturers that leverage their short product development cycles and strengths in the area of software-defined vehicle (SDV) technologies, including advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). In such a difficult competitive environment, Honda was unable to deliver products that offer value for money better than that of newer EV manufacturers."

European manufacturers, take note: This isn't only happening in China, and it goes for many of you, too.

SEE ALSO: CES 2025: Hands-on with Sony-Honda's AFEELA 1 Signature

While this isn't mentioned in the post, this likely means that the associated projects, such as this cool solar-powered camper, probably aren't happening either.

Honda will instead focus on hybrids for the time being. As for EVs, Honda will monitor "the balance between profitability and market trends" before it decides to introduce new EV models.

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

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

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

How to play Pips

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for March 13, 2026

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible – and common – for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

• Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.

• Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.

• Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.

• Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.

• Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for March 13, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for March 13 Pips

Number (11): Everything in this space must add up to 11. The answer is 6-6, placed vertically; 5-5, placed horizontally.

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

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 2-2, placed horizontally; 4-4, placed horizontally.

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

Medium difficulty hints, answers for March 13 Pips

Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 1-4, placed horizontally; 5-3, placed vertically.

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 1-4, placed horizontally; 0-0, placed vertically.

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 5-3, placed vertically; 3-4, placed vertically.

Number (5): Everything in this orange space must add up to 5. The answer is 0-0, placed vertically; 2-6, placed horizontally; 3-1, placed horizontally.

Number (5): Everything in this green space must add up to 5. The answer is 3-1, placed horizontally; 4-5, placed horizontally.

Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 3-4, placed vertically; 4-5, placed horizontally.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for March 13 Pips

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 4-1, placed vertically.

Less Than (4): Everything in this space must be less than 4. The answer is 2-4, placed horizontally.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Number (2): Everything in this light blue space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-1, placed vertically.

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

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

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-2, placed horizontally.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 3-2, placed horizontally.

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

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

Today's Connections: Sports Edition is easy for fans of the Big East.

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

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

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

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

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. 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: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Hang the banner

• Green: Big East

• Blue: Food analogies

• Purple: Famous Tims

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Things Fans Hang on Their Walls

• Green: A Big East Athlete

• Blue: Food, But Make It Baseball

• Purple: Tims

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

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

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections: Sports Edition #536 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Things Fans Hang on Their Walls - BANNER, FLAG, PENNANT, POSTER

• A Big East Athlete - FRIAR, HOYA, HUSKY, PIRATE

• Food, But Make It Baseball - CAN OF CORN, MEATBALL, PICKLE, TATER

• Tims - DUNCAN, RAINES, SALMON, TEBOW

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

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

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

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

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

A juicy fruit.

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

PEACH

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Never gives.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for March 13, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

TAKER

Hurdle Word 3 hint

A glimmer.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for March 13 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 13, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

GLINT

Hurdle Word 4 hint

To sock.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

PUNCH

Final Hurdle hint

To empty out.

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

DRAIN

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

TL;DR: On April 14, visit your nearest Scoop Shop and grab a free cup or cone of your favorite Ben & Jerry's flavor.

It's that special time of year when free ice cream becomes the norm. Hot on the heels of Dairy Queen announcing the date of its Free Cone Day, Ben & Jerry's has done the same.

Ben & Jerry's celebrates Free Cone Day around the globe every year, sharing the love with free cups and cones of your favorite flavors. There's no catch. Simply visit your nearest Scoop Shop and grab a scoop for free.

When is Ben & Jerry's Free Cone Day?

Ben & Jerry's is giving away free ice cream at a host of locations between 12-8 p.m. on April 14. You can check participating locations here.

Ben & Jerry's is aiming to spread more joy than ever before. They served up 1 million scoops in 2023, but they're targeting more in 2026. And you can help out with that ambitious target, because unlike a lot of these free giveaways, there's no limit on the number of times you can score a free cone. Can't decide what flavor to order? Don't worry — try them all.

Mark your calendars. This is a date you don't want to forget.

When you’re a highly competent leader, your organization often relies on you to stabilize problems, clarify confusion, and keep work moving. Over time, that reliability can trap you in roles that drain your influence and limit your strategic impact. To keep your competence from becoming a liability, shift how you respond to problems around you.  Stop buffering your […]

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As we get closer to the New Moon phase of the lunar cycle, the Moon becomes more of a crescent shape. Its visible surface decreases each night as the Sun lights up less of the side facing Earth, making the Moon appear slimmer until it briefly disappears during the New Moon.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Friday, March 13, the Moon phase is Waning Crescent. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 32% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.

There's less visibility tonight, but still enough to spot some features. With just your naked eye, you can see the Aristarchus Plateau and the Kepler Crater. With binoculars, you'll also see the Grimaldi Basin, the Gassendi Crater and the Mare Humorum.

When is the next Full Moon?

In North America, the next Full Moon is predicted to take place on April 1.

What are Moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon takes roughly 29.5 days to orbit Earth, passing through eight distinct phases along the way. Although we always see the same side of the Moon, the amount illuminated by the Sun shifts as it moves, which is why it can appear full, half-lit, or just a thin sliver at different times in the cycle. These shifting appearances are known as the lunar phases, and there are eight altogether:

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.

If the story of the Cornbread Mafia weren't true, you might think it's something the Coen Bros. had dreamed up. The stranger-than-fiction tale of a motley band of "dirt-poor dirt farmers" from Kentucky growing into "the largest homegrown marijuana operation in the U.S." fits in nicely with the likes of Raising Arizona and O Brother, Where Art Thou? in terms of outlaw energy and Southern-fried comedy.

SEE ALSO: 17 SXSW movies you need to know about right now

From the jump, documentarians Evan Mascagni and Drew Morris introduce the eponymous criminal organization with a disarming sense of humor. Cornbread Mafia begins on lush green farmland, where brothers Joe Keith Bickett and Jimmy Bickett pull up in a pick-up truck with a bed piled high with marijuana. Joe introduces himself and his brother from a script, but fumbles his delivery. So, they'll do another take… in which someone's cell phone will blare, interrupting Joe's flow. 

It's an amusing beginning that gives the audience permission to laugh along with the Bickett brothers as their audacious story is unfurled. But more than that, by drawing attention to the artifice that exists within documentary filmmaking, Mascagni and Morris offer a subtle disclaimer that every story is shaped by its teller. What you see here might not be the whole truth — but it's the truth according to the Cornbread Mafia. And that truth is outrageously entertaining, while offering some solid food for thought. 

Cornbread Mafia is a gangster story with a comic air. 

In talking-head interviews, the documentarians sit down with the Bicketts, a wide array of their notorious associates, and even the occasional lawman to reconstruct the history of the Cornbread Mafia. Their stories are hilarious and bonkers, involving car chases, half-cocked heists, tiger cubs, and an elegant ally named Susie, who's introduced with the snarled non sequitur, "I think rats should die." 

See, the Cornbread Mafia isn't just a name. They pulled inspiration for how they operated from the Italian mob's concept of omertà — meaning a code of honor and silence that favored community over going to the cops. This mafia began in the 1970s as a band of farmers who'd been buying pathetic dime bags of pot from Mexico, until they did the math. A baggie of marijuana was going for $30, while a pound of tobacco was $1.50. So, picking the seeds from their purchased dime bags seemed an almost inevitable move to grow a fortune fairly easily.

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The next bit was figuring out how to develop a breed of weed that could give them the most bang for their growing buck. Enter Johnny Boone, whose sharp mind not only grew their operation across the country, hiding their crops in fields of corn, but also led to the creation of the marijuana strain Kentucky Bluegrass. 

Like any gangster story worth its grit, Cornbread Mafia charts the heady highs and rough lows of their journey, from fugitives to folk heroes. Then, it goes further, into contemporary politics, judicial hypocrisies, and life-changing activism. Yet the filmmakers never let the big topics dwarf the rollicking fun of being in (or near) the Cornbread Mafia. 

Cornbread Mafia uses animation and Boyd Holbrook for educational value and whimsy. 

Rather than hire actors for reenactments, Mascagni and Morris employ animation to illustrate these larger-than-life tales, as well as complicated explanations about the American justice system and the war on drugs. 

The animations for both have a vaguely '70s Schoolhouse Rock feel. Brightly colored pie charts illustrate a cheeky point about buyer demographics, while cartoon versions of the Bicketts and Boone skedaddle from the cops in a colorful pick-up truck. Then, to finesse  transitions between interviews or give context to graphs, the whiskey-smooth voice of Boyd Holbrook serves as narrator.  

Now, some might sneer at how this animated approach undercuts the criminality of the mafia's actions. As bobble-headed potheads, they seem more like the Scooby gang than Scarface. But that's precisely the point. Cornbread Mafia regards its subjects as outlaws, but it doesn't condemn them for their crimes. Instead, the doc gives space to these growers to express how they built an industry despite the poverty that threatened to choke their whole town. Like the bootleggers or moonshiners that were their ancestors (in some cases literally), they used their wits, their resources, and their friends to grow a fortune that could care for them all. And it did until the Feds rolled in with a reckoning in the form of mandatory minimums. 

From there, Cornbread Mafia explores the sentencing laws that regard non-violent drug offenses on the same level of punishment as double murder. (Sadly, this is not a hypothetical, but a tragic true story that ties into the Cornbread Mafia's saga.) However, because this movie reflects its subjects' lust for life and devil-may-care energy, Cornbread Mafia doesn't tread carefully into a formal march through history, politics, and opposing views. This is a raucous dance of a documentary. 

The cartoons, suave voice-over, and lively interviews challenge the narrative that drug dealers are bad guys, presenting these good ol' boys as rebels with a wild streak. Like the folk hero outlaws who came before them, they are beguiling rule-breakers who inspire awe, envy, and outrage. And Cornbread Mafia does right by them by welcoming its audience into the thrall of that outlaw American legacy. 

Simply put, Cornbread Mafia is a sensational true crime doc that gives fresh verve to the standard talking heads, rigorous reenactments, and voiceovers by leaning into the crooked-smiled charms of its subjects. They're not made to explain themselves, but invited to share their stories. And they do so with joyfulness and frankness that is intoxicating. Cornbread Mafia is not just eye-opening and provocative; it's also a hell of a lot of fun.

Cornbread Mafia was reviewed out of SXSW.

With no big stars, no flashy elevator pitch, and no provocative title, A Safe Distance might well get overlooked at its world premiere out of the 2026 SXSW film festival. And that would be the world's loss. Written by Aidan West, A Safe Distance is a lean and scintillating thriller that wears its influences — the works of Patricia Highsmith — on its sleeve without apology. The feature directorial debut of Gloria Mercer, this film is slippery, seductive, and smartly titillating. 

Like any psychological noir worth the price of salt, A Safe Distance begins in medias res, with a gunshot boom and a spatter of blood across a woman's face. In the woods, she and another woman, also marked with blood, walk quietly to a river and wash away the signs of violence. Who are they? And how did they get here? Where did the blood come from?

By hooking us with the promise of a shocking murder, A Safe Distance begins as a mystery before leaping back in time to a seemingly mundane camping trip. What follows, however, is the kind of fateful meeting that is the stuff of Highsmith novels like The Price of Salt, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and Strangers on a Train. When strangers meet, anything is possible, including love and murder. 

A Safe Distance dares to tread the path less traveled. 

The story begins with a thirtysomething couple, Alex (Bethany Brown) and Joey (Chris McNally), celebrating their eighth anniversary with a camping trip in a sprawling forest. It should be romantic, but beneath her pleasant exterior, Alex seems bored. When Joey turns a cliffside hike into a cringingly clichéd opportunity to propose, she's not enthusiastic; she's repulsed. Dejected, he abandons her in the woods, which is when she meets Kianna (Tandia Mercedes) and Matt (Cody Kearsley). 

This couple is everything Alex and Joey are not. They are young, unconventional, and uninhibited. Alex feels lighter and more free just being in their company. At first, it might seem they're part of the Gen Z van-life community. But before long, Alex realizes they're not just living off the grid, they're bank robbers on the run. And far from being fearful, she's fascinated. 

Abandoned by her banal boyfriend, not expected back at her HR job for days, and now in the hands of a pair of armed and dangerous criminals, a new world of possibilities falls before her. What could life look like if she just didn't go home? Turned on by their devil-may-care attitudes, she's in their thrall sexually and psychologically. Firing a gun for shooting practice becomes as thrilling as a ménage à trois. But how long can this criminal bliss last? 

A Safe Distance evolves into a sapphic romance with crackling chemistry. 

Unmistakably, both Matt and Kianna are into Alex. There's an electrifying excitement as their desire becomes a three-way flame for a steamy sex scene. But Matt soon becomes less intriguing and more tedious. Tossing his long, shiny hair and flexing his muscles, he monologues about feminism and society with a gnawing arrogance that feels like he's pitching a podcast. So it's little surprise when Alex brushes off his advances for a stolen kiss, and Kianna grows visibly irritated with his presumptions about his own prowess as a thief. 

Stolen glances and conversations about the books of Patricia Highsmith point to where A Safe Distance is headed. I mean, two women sharing a picnic blanket, talking about the brilliance of The Price of Salt (which Todd Haynes adapted into the sumptuous queer romance Carol) is anything but subtle. But it's not meant to be. It's these women's version of passing a note in class that essentially says, "I like you, do you like me? Check yes or no." 

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Brown and Mercedes are superb in these scenes. While their characters each try to maintain a facade of aloof cool, their conversation oozes with vulnerability and hopefulness. Like Highsmith's heroes, villains, and antiheroes, they fall fast and unstoppably for a life path that society might reject as deranged, dangerous, or wicked. The dream of being not Bonnie and Clyde but Alex and Kianna is clear and glittering as they pull off an impromptu robbery at a random convenience store. Of course, Matt bristles at being left out. 

From there, the heat and tension builds, promising an eruption that we know will end in blood. But whose? That question pulls the final act into a place of dizzying anxiety and anticipation. It's a threesome turned love triangle turned deadly dance, and who will be left standing might seem obvious. But A Safe Distance has solid surprises in store. 

Cheers to West and Mercer, for this is a spectacular example of smart, sexy, and satisfying indie cinema. Their locations are modest. Their production design is mostly a forest. They have only a handful of characters, and no big names to boost the production's profile. So they lean into sharp storytelling, intoxicating chemistry, and a lean runtime of 85 minutes. A Safe Distance is terrifically paced, unapologetically alluring, and psychologically exciting, making this thriller a salty, twisted treat. The allusions to Highsmith could have hurt the film if it weren't such a solid homage to her storytelling style. Instead, it's easy to see Alex and Kianna among the ranks of Tom Ripley or Carol Aird, figures driven by their desires, for better or worse. And by damn, don't we love them for it? 

A Safe Distance was reviewed out of the 2026 SXSW Film Festival.

Apple TV and A24's Margo's Got Money Troubles begins with a bang, thanks to a fanciful, pinball-themed opening sequence that careens through a handmade world of books, overdue bills, and baby supplies.

Our guide through it all is a green alien woman rolling atop a small silver ball. She takes the punches of the pinball machine as they come, bouncing off platforms and falling down holes before emerging, triumphant, from her bedazzled spaceship. It's a sweet, richly textured sequence, and with the accompanying use of Robyn's "Blow My Mind," it promises the show to follow will blow our minds, too.

SEE ALSO: Everything we know about Apple TV's 'Margo's Got Money Troubles'

If only the rest of Margo's Got Money Troubles could live up to that promise.

The series itself, created by David E. Kelley (Ally McBeal) and led by Elle Fanning, is a heartwarming tale of an unconventional family unit coming together despite the odds. Yet it mostly lacks the imagination of both its title sequence and its central character, becoming a paint-by-numbers dramedy elevated by a great cast.

What's Margo's Got Money Troubles about? Elle Fanning and Michelle Pfeiffer in "Margo's Got Money Troubles." Credit: Apple TV

Based on the novel of the same name by Rufi Thorpe, Margo's Got Money Troubles introduces its titular character (Fanning) at a crossroads in her life. She's a college freshman with a promising writing talent. She's also pregnant, the result of an affair with her scummy, married literature professor, Mark (Michael Angarano). Against the wishes of both Mark and her mother Shyanne (Michelle Pfeiffer), she chooses to keep the baby, dropping out of school to raise him.

Raising baby Bodhi will take money that Margo does not have, and Margo's Got Money Troubles immediately sinks viewers into her stress spiral. To earn money for Bodhi, she needs a job. To work a full-time job, she needs to pay for childcare. To pay for childcare, she needs to earn money, and on and on it goes. It's a nightmarish cycle that the series renders in claustrophobic detail. When Margo shows up to a job interview with Bodhi in tow, you can feel the interviewer's cloying judgment shutting down any path forward. When Margo rings up her groceries, each beep of the scanner is a mini heart attack. And when two of Margo's roommates move out because they can't deal with living with a newborn, the added rent feels like a death sentence.

SEE ALSO: 'Margo's Got Money Troubles' trailer teases a single mother starting an OnlyFans

With her finances crumbling and no job opportunities in sight, Margo decides to make content on OnlyFans. What initially begins as a means to an end soon becomes a creative outlet, allowing her to flex her writing skills and earn enough money to take care of Bodhi.

Margo's Got Money Troubles' alien OnlyFans is bonkers fun, and I wish we had more of it. Elle Fanning in "Margo's Got Money Troubles." Credit: Apple TV

For her initial OnlyFans gimmick, Margo offers to tell her fans which Pokémon their penis resembles, and what their attacks would be. This results in several delightfully silly lines lifted straight from Thorpe's novel ("Your penis is a Tentacruel!"), delivered with gusto by Fanning. Later, as Margo tries to expand her empire, she draws on her father Jinx's (Nick Offerman) background as a pro wrestler and her roommate Susie's (Thaddea Graham) passion for cosplay. With their help, she builds an alien persona who regularly collaborates with fellow OnlyFans performers KC (Rico Nasty) and Rose (Lindsey Normington). The trio shoot elaborate wrestling matches, dance sequences, and even a mesmerizing short film involving alien Margo — resplendent in green body paint and a metallic silver dress — looming over a small model movie theater.

Just like the opening credits, these sequences are pure, imaginative fun, made all the more endearing by the characters' intense commitment. They're also proof of something Margo's Got Money Troubles told us from the start: that Margo, as an only child, needed to "develop a complex inner world." With each Pokémon penis comparison or alien short film, Margo's Got Money Troubles externalizes that inner world and gives her a clear point of view. I would have loved to see more of it — more of where her ideas come from, more of her creative process, more of why this alien storyline is what she wants to present to the world.

Instead, Margo's Got Money Troubles spends the bulk of its time on a plot that feels cobbled together from things we've seen before: teacher-student affairs, estranged parents reconnecting with their children, custody battles. When Margo tells her parents she's been doing sex work, you're all too aware of the judgment that will follow, just as you're all too aware that warm reconciliation will come next. It's pleasant to watch, but it rarely dives back into Margo's head in the way that her content creation scenes do.

Thorpe's novel alternates between first and third person, so maybe those varying degrees of distance are intentional. Yet Thorpe's novel also has a wry, observational style throughout that's as cutting and funny as it is heartwarming. Often, it feels like Margo's Got Money Troubles sacrifices the former for the latter.

Elle Fanning leads a great cast in Margo's Got Money Troubles. Nick Offerman and Thaddea Graham in "Margo's Got Money Troubles." Credit: Apple TV

Even when Margo's Got Money Troubles skews towards the formulaic, its cast keeps you locked in on its messy, complicated family. Fanning shines as Margo. From embodying Margo's alien persona to fighting tooth and nail for Bodhi's future, Fanning is tender, fierce, and funny, continuing her banner run of projects including 2025's Sentimental Value and Predator: Badlands.

Within mere seconds of screen time together, Fanning and Pfeiffer establish a raw, lived-in mother-daughter dynamic full of unspoken judgment and unconditional support. In Pfeiffer's hands, Shyanne's nickname of "Noodle" for Margo can either make you laugh or break you at a moment's notice. Elsewhere, Offerman brings warm, protective Papa Bear energy to Jinx as he tries to connect with Margo and remain in recovery after a stint in rehab. His former wrestling persona adds an extra layer of fun to the show, whether we're watching him dance around in the ring or lay Bodhi down while stage-whispering, "Slo-mo bodyslam!"

There's no denying that Margo's Got Money Troubles and this stellar cast will melt your heart. Yet overall, I just wish that the series could have been just as fearless and imaginative as Margo herself.

Margo's Got Money Troubles had its world premiere at SXSW. It premieres April 15 on Apple TV.

Four years after the ChatGPT revolution began, it's fair to say the humans are getting a little restless. AI's infinite slop machine cannot go on unchallenged; it's time for creatives to fight back. That much is clear from anyone who's joined the cult known as Your AI Slop Bores Me, where users conspire to steal AI's job.

The viral hit of the week, YASBM — let's just call it that — is a website where humans go to pretend to be AI to other humans. Users LARP (that's live-action role-play to you non-nerds) by writing or drawing anything that other humans request, within a strict time limit. You earn tokens by LARPing successfully; you spend tokens asking questions yourself.

The result? Amateurish and charming, which is very much the whole YASBM aesthetic (the site was designed to mimic the lo-fi coding of the 1990s web) — and very much the opposite of AI slop.

For example, I spent a token asking "AI" for a picture of "a vampire drinking a cup of blood" — an image conjured up earlier in the day by a friend going through chemo who found herself oddly jealous of other patients getting transfusions. The resulting scribble from a stranger brightened my friend's day more than any polished-but-soulless image I could have asked for on ChatGPT. (What's more, it was better for the environment.)

YASBM reminded me of the 0.5 selfie, Gen Z's deliberately silly, surprisingly meaningful revolt against the too-perfect selfie world of Millennials. I was also reminded that humans creating freely for humans can hold a lot more interest to humans than machine content. Funny, that.

And it seems like a lot of other humans agree — because YASBM doesn't seem to be one of those viral hits that fades after a week. There are early signs that YASBM has what it takes to become something bigger.

'People enjoy being the AI'

"We’re now seeing a more loyal user base with people returning daily," YASBM creator Mihir Maroju tells Mashable. That is, roughly a million unique visitors (not to mention more than 25,000 hardcore fans on the YASBM Discord server) coming back for more "helpful" answers and charming sketches. "People still enjoy being the AI over the human, though."

Navigating a week's worth of viral exposure — from Reddit, to a Twitter/X trending topic, to TikTok — hasn't been easy. Earlier this week, YASBM practically melted down its hosting company's server farm, leaving the site barely useable. But in the spirit of YASBM, Maroju found human help.

In just a few days, "the project has grown into a small volunteer team," he enthuses — with four humans on website and support, and five more managing the Discord server. "We’ve also tightened moderation systems and queues to make sure spammers don’t ruin the fun for everyone else," Maroju adds. Appropriately enough, that means users must click to confirm they're human.

What's next? When I asked Maroju if there was a YASBM app in the works, here was his reply: "We have some very cool stuff cooking! Stay tuned."

There's something else humans do best: create mystery around what's next. Your move, ChatGPT.

TL;DR: Planning a big trip? Babbel’s lifetime subscription lets you learn 14 languages with bite-sized lessons, conversation practice, and offline access — for a one-time $159 payment.

Opens in a new window Credit: Babbel Babbel Language Learning: Lifetime Subscription (All Languages) $159
$646.20 Save $487.20   Get Deal

Travel gets a lot more interesting when you can speak the language — even just a little. Ordering dinner, asking for directions, or chatting with a shop owner suddenly feels less stressful and more like a real cultural exchange. This All-Language Lifetime Subscription to Babbel is currently available for $159 (reg. $646.20) with the StackSocial code LEARN.

Babbel offers courses in 14 languages, including Spanish, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Swedish, Turkish, and more. Lessons focus on practical conversation skills, so instead of memorizing random vocabulary, you’re learning phrases you’re more likely to use while traveling.

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Each lesson takes about 10 to 15 minutes, making it easy to practice during a commute, lunch break, or while waiting for a flight. Babbel also includes speech recognition technology to help you improve pronunciation, plus an AI conversation partner to practice realistic back-and-forth dialogue.

The platform adapts to your skill level — beginner through advanced — and reinforces what you’ve learned with personalized review sessions. You can even download lessons for offline learning, which comes in handy when Wi-Fi isn’t available.

If you’ve got a big trip on the horizon, learning some key phrases beforehand can go a long way — and Babbel makes that process surprisingly manageable.

Get lifetime access to Babbel for a one-time $159 payment (reg. $646.20) with the StackSocial code LEARN while you can.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

If you're interested in a career as a creator, you can go a long way with a tripod and a smartphone equipped with 4K video (which is most of them). Maybe you upgrade, at some point, to a gimbal.

But when you're ready to graduate from a webcam or smartphone to a more professional setup? That's when livestreaming suddenly gets a lot more complicated. And that's where multi-camera livestreaming products from a Chinese company called Obsbot can help.

At the International Innovations expo at SXSW 2026 in Austin, Texas, I got the chance to try out Osbot's setup. Using the company's touchscreen Video Switcher Monitor, you can combine up to seven streams at once — in theory, cutting between shots, angles, and cameras for your audience on Twitch or YouTube.

Osbot cameras at SXSW 2026. Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

This could be particularly useful when hosting a livestream with multiple participants — but even for a simple setup where you're talking to the camera, having multiple angles and cameras will instantly make your show look more professional.

Obsbot has been on the livestreaming scene since 2016; it was the official webcam partner of the 2025 Esports World Cup. Still, the company cites a very broad range of potential use cases: pastors livestreaming church services, gamers livestreaming on Twitch, professors teaching digital classes, and video creators of all kinds (or as we used to call them, vloggers).

The company's app supports livestreaming on Twitch, YouTube, X, Vimeo, and other popular platforms. Obsbot has webcam-style cameras and tracking cameras that can follow your face using AI, or operated by remote control.

In the demo, there was something very satisfying about remote-controlling the cameras, and watching them track my face as I moved around. Most webcams now offer some type of face tracking, of course, but Osbot's gimbal cameras are rare in offering 360-degree facial tracking.

Osbot cameras at SXSW 2026. Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

Unfortunately, there is a downside to graduating from your camera and tripod era: the price tag.

The Osbot Video Mixer Monitor will set you back $1,099, and the Tail Air 4k Streaming Camera and remote is priced at $549. Still, you can supplement these pricier elements with more traditional webcams, like the Obsbot Tiny 2 Lite, a 4K webcam, for only $179.

When you start adding all the cameras and accessories you need to make the mixer monitor work, the price can rise quickly. For example, if you want to go all-in, B&H Photo & Video has an Obsbot Streaming bundle with the video mixer, three Tail 2 AI cameras, three NDI license keys, three tripods, filters, and more accessories. The cost? A cool $6,669.

But, hey, if you're a professional creator, you can always write it off come tax season.

Products featured in this story Tiny 2 Lite 4K Webcam $119 (save $60) Get Deal OBSBOT Tail Air NDI 4K Streaming Camera $499 Shop Now Obsbot Talent Video Switcher Monitor $1,099 Shop Now Obsbot Tail 2 Streaming Combo $6,669 Shop Now

NASA has cleared Artemis II for launch following a lengthy flight readiness review, mission managers said Thursday, as teams work toward a liftoff as early as April 1.

The new timeline follows the discovery of a helium-flow problem in the mega moon rocket's upper stage that required teams to roll the vehicle back to its enormous hangar for repairs. After swapping out seals and testing them, along with replacing some batteries, mission managers said they're ready to fly. 

So dead set is the space agency on launching next month that its managers have refused to provide launch windows beyond April 30. 

"I've said in the past that, yes, there are opportunities in other months," said Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator for exploration systems development, on Thursday, "but right now, we are solely focused on April." 

The flight readiness review serves as the final, agency-level check of hardware, teams, and plans before the Space Launch System and Orion spaceship move back to the launch pad. "Polling go" means the agency is comfortable sending astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen on a 10-day flight around the moon, the first crewed deep space mission in more than 50 years.

SEE ALSO: The interstellar comet gets stranger as scientists learn what's in it

Mission managers said they expect to roll the 322-foot stacked rocket back to its launchpad in Cape Canaveral, Florida, next week on March 19.

Engineers identified and fixed a blocked helium seal in a ground line. The problem caught teams by surprise after a near-perfect fueling test in late February. NASA tested a redesigned connector and installed the modified part on the upper stage. Teams also replaced flight-termination system batteries and tested abort system batteries for the crew module.

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NASA said it remains on track to attempt liftoff as early as April 1, with the launch window opening at 6:24 p.m. ET. Backup dates are available April 2 through 6. The crew will enter pre-launch quarantine on March 18 and travel to Kennedy Space Center in Florida about five days before the launch, as part of standard procedures to protect crew health and readiness.

During the news conference, NASA officials had a tense exchange with reporters regarding the probability of a mission failure or crew loss. When pressed for a single risk number, mission managers balked, offering rough historical comparisons. Test flights often face high uncertainty, said John Honeycutt, chairman of the Artemis II mission management team.

When asked about it again, NASA moderator Rachel Kraft declined to let the panel answer. 

"We've addressed the risk question several times," she said. "We have plenty more questions to get to."

From left, astronauts Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Jeremy Hansen will be the first crew to fly in deep space since Apollo 17 about half a century ago. Credit: NASA / Joel Kowsky

Work still remains in the Vehicle Assembly Building. Teams will complete checkouts, remove access platforms, and secure the hardware for moving back to the pad. 

NASA does not plan to have another wet dress rehearsal, a practice launch countdown with actual fuel, that would eat up time in the April launch window. Instead, the agency aims to fill the rocket on a day that could lead directly into a launch.

The flight readiness review, albeit a significant achievement for any mission, was just a "step along the way," Honeycutt said. 

"We're not going to celebrate 'til we get Reid and Victor and Christina and Jeremy safely home," he said.  

Nothing captures the hearts and attention of an American audience like a good old-fashioned romance. Love Story is the latest obsession sweeping the internet. From executive producer Ryan Murphy and creator Connor Hines comes Love Story, an FX limited series about the tragic relationship between John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette.

At a Wednesday rally in Kentucky, President Donald Trump heaped praise on YouTuber Jake Paul and insinuated the influencer would soon run for political office.

Trump was in the Bluegrass state to campaign for Congressional candidate Ed Gallrein, who is running against Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican and avowed enemy of Trump’s. After Gallrein spoke to the crowd, Trump heaped praise on Paul, calling him a powerful fighter, a "great guy," and "a very tough cookie."

Paul came out briefly, saying he and Trump "never back down from a fight." The influencer also stated that he hopes to see more factories thriving in the area and throughout the country, possibly hinting at future issues he’ll campaign on.

SEE ALSO: Jimmy Kimmel reacts to Jake Paul speaking at a Trump rally

After Paul left the stage, Trump said, "I predict, I’m gonna make a prediction, that [Paul] will be, in the not-too-distant future, running for political office. And you have my complete and total endorsement."

Trump’s embrace of Paul is quite a reversal for the creator, whose California home was raided by the FBI in 2020. The raid was connected to a looting at an Arizona mall; Paul was never charged with any crimes.

Paul was accused of sexual assault by TikTok star Justine Paradise in 2021, but denied the claims.

In the years since, Paul has become as well known for his MMA and boxing careers as his highly lucrative work as a YouTuber and influencer.