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In the run-up to the new year, we’re resharing some of our favorite tips from 2025. 6 Steps to Identifying Your Core Values  As a leader, you’ll face numerous high-stakes situations. When there’s no clear playbook for how to handle them, your personal core values can guide your most difficult decisions. But to use them effectively, you need to define them first. Start with these […]

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It's the last Moon of the year, and it's putting on a show. It's so close to being full, so there's plenty you can see when you look up tonight.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Wednesday, Dec. 31, the moon phase is Waxing Gibbous. According to NASA's Daily Moon Observation, 88% of the moon will be lit up tonight.

With just your naked eye, you'll be able to see the Mares Fecunditatis and Serenitatis, and Vaporum. If you add binoculars, you'll also see the Endymion Crater, the Mare Nectaris, and the Clavius Crater. With a telescope, you'll also see the Apollo 14 and 15 landing spots and the Rima Hyginus.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Jan. 3. The last full moon was on Dec. 4.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, it takes roughly 29.5 days for the Moon to complete a full cycle, known as the lunar cycle. During this period, the Moon moves through a series of phases as it orbits the Earth. While the same side of the Moon always faces our planet, the amount of sunlight illuminating its surface changes over time. This is why the Moon appears fully lit, partially illuminated, or not visible at all at different stages of the cycle. The lunar cycle is divided into eight main phases:

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.

TL;DR: Live stream Mozambique vs. Cameroon in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations for free on Channel 4 Sport YouTube. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations sees out the year with a final day of group games. It's already been a thrilling tournament in Morocco, and the final games come from Group F, including Mozambique vs. Cameroon.

Mozambique entered this group as underdogs, but while Cameroon are one of the best known African teams in world soccer, they're not what they once were. Could the last day of group action include an upset?

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If you want to watch Mozambique vs. Cameroon in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Mozambique vs. Cameroon?

Mozambique vs. Cameroon in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations kicks off at 2 p.m. ET on Dec. 31. This fixture takes place at Le Grand Stade Agadir.

How to watch Mozambique vs. Cameroon for free

Mozambique vs. Cameroon in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is available to live stream for free on Channel 4 Sport YouTube.

Channel 4 Sport YouTube is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock Channel 4 Sport YouTube to stream AFCON for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Mozambique vs. Cameroon for free 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 the UK

4. Visit Channel 4 Sport YouTube

5. Watch Mozambique vs. Cameroon 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 most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of AFCON without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Mozambique vs. Cameroon (plus more 2025 Africa Cup of Nations fixtures) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Channel 4 Sport YouTube?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Channel 4 Sport YouTube, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% 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 $12.95 (with money-back guarantee).

Watch Mozambique vs. Cameroon in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Gabon vs. Ivory Coast in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations for free on Channel 4. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

It's the final day of group games in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and defending champions Ivory Coast are in action against Gabon. Ivory Coast are one of a handful of teams who could realistically win the whole tournament, along with the likes of Morocco and Senegal, and they have Manchester United's Amad Diallo in the squad.

Though Gabon aren't quite at that level there are a few players, such as Mario Lemina and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who can cause problems for any top team.

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If you want to watch Gabon vs. Ivory Coast in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Gabon vs. Ivory Coast?

Gabon vs. Ivory Coast in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations kicks off at 2 p.m. ET on Dec. 31. This fixture takes place at Stade de Marrakech.

How to watch Gabon vs. Ivory Coast for free

Gabon vs. Ivory Coast in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is available to live stream for free on Channel 4.

Channel 4 is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock Channel 4 to stream AFCON for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Gabon vs. Ivory Coast for free 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 the UK

4. Visit Channel 4

5. Watch Gabon vs. Ivory Coast 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 most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of AFCON without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Gabon vs. Ivory Coast (plus more 2025 Africa Cup of Nations fixtures) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Channel 4?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Channel 4, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% 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 $12.95 (with money-back guarantee).

Watch Gabon vs. Ivory Coast in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Equatorial Guinea vs. Algeria in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations for free on Channel 4. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

As the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations wraps up the group stage, there are still a number of must-watch games to be played. Any game in the tournament with Algeria's Riyad Mahrez comes with a certain interest. The former AFCON winners came into the Morocco-hosted tournament as one of the favorites.

While Equatorial Guinea aren't a major name in world soccer, they reached the quarter finals and Round of 16 in previous tournaments and have a goal machine in captain Emilio Nsue.

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If you want to watch Equatorial Guinea vs. Algeria in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Equatorial Guinea vs. Algeria?

Equatorial Guinea vs. Algeria in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations kicks off at 11 a.m. ET on Dec. 31. This fixture takes place at Stade Prince Moulay Al Hassan.

How to watch Equatorial Guinea vs. Algeria for free

Equatorial Guinea vs. Algeria in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is available to live stream for free on Channel 4.

Channel 4 is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock Channel 4 to stream AFCON for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Equatorial Guinea vs. Algeria for free 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 the UK

4. Visit Channel 4

5. Watch Equatorial Guinea vs. Algeria 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 most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of AFCON without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Equatorial Guinea vs. Algeria (plus more 2025 Africa Cup of Nations fixtures) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Channel 4?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Channel 4, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% 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 $12.95 (with money-back guarantee).

Watch Equatorial Guinea vs. Algeria in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations 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

Intertwined.

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

WOVEN

Hurdle Word 2 hint

A unit of energy.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for December 31, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

JOULE

Hurdle Word 3 hint

To mock.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for December 31 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for December 31, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

SCOFF

Hurdle Word 4 hint

A wire.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for December 31 Hurdle Word 4 answer

CABLE

Final Hurdle hint

To stow away.

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

STASH

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

By now, everyone knows that Elon Musk is very much an optimist when it comes to making predictions. 

That's the nice way to put it. To be blunt, Musk is a "bullshit artist." He makes promises he can't keep. For example, everyone now is likely very familiar with his infamous 2011 interview with the Wall Street Journal where he said he'd put a man on Mars in 10 years. That was 14 years ago now and we're nowhere near putting anyone on Mars. Years ago, Musk also touted his proposed Hyperloop train system as a way to quickly transport people between cities; that never came to fruition and was likely a ruse to stop other transit projects.

With 2025 nearly over, Mashable decided to revisit his predictions related to this year. Time has run out. What did Musk promise for this year that didn't come to fruition?

People on Mars by 2025

Yes, I just mentioned that 2011 Wall Street Journal interview where Musk promised to put a man on Mars in 10 years. However, this one is a completely separate promise from Musk regarding a man on Mars.

Back in 2016 — roughly four years after his 10-year WSJ claim — Musk made an appearance during Recode's Code 2016 conference. During a conversation with Kara Swisher and Walt Mossberg, Musk pushed back his previous Mars arrival prediction that placed humans on the red planet by 2021. According to Musk, SpaceX would start sending rockets to Mars by 2018, followed by a new Mars mission every 26 months, and then they'd start sending people.

"If things go according to plan, we should be able to launch people probably in 2024 with arrival in 2025," Musk said, referring to colonists arriving on the planet.

Nope — 2025 has come and gone and we're still not on Mars.

SEE ALSO: NASA Mars rover captures crackling lightning. Hear the 'thunder' yourself. Tesla robotaxis would cover half of the U.S. population

Take a walk outside. How many Tesla robotaxis do you see? None, you say? And you say you live in Austin, Texas – the only place in the U.S. where robotaxis are currently operating?

That's odd. Because in July, during Tesla's Q2 quarterly financial report, Musk told investors that Tesla's robotaxis would be serving half of the nation.

“I believe half of the population of the US will be covered by Tesla’s robotaxi by the end of the year," Musk said.

Obviously, that's not true. And a new report from the New York Times last week found that even Austin locals rarely, if ever, came across Tesla's robotaxis.

As the EV outlet Electrek pointed out at the time of his claim, it was preposterous for Musk to make. Yet, he made the claim with a straight face and investors believed him.

Fully driverless Tesla robotaxis

Speaking of Tesla's robotaxis, if you do come across one, did you know you'll actually find a human safety monitor riding inside? You will, despite what Musk previously promised.

"Teslas will be in the wild with no one in them, in June in Austin," Musk said last year in a 2024 Q4 earnings call. "This is not some far-off mythical situation, it's five, six months away."

While Tesla's robotaxi service did arrive in Austin during that timeline, they weren't "with no one in them." The level of autonomy that Tesla's performs at requires a human safety monitor to ride inside the vehicle, according to Texas regulations.

But, Musk promised multiple times over the past few months that those human safety monitors would be removed by the end of 2025.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Musk said so in a post in September on X.

"The safety driver is just there for the first few months to be extra safe," Musk said. "Should be no safety driver by end of year.”

Musk reiterated that schedule during an earnings call in October.

“We are expecting to have no safety drivers in at least large parts of Austin by the end of this year, so within a few months," Musk said.

And then Musk repeated that claim in early December during an xAI hackathon.

“Unsupervised is pretty much solved at this point," stated Musk. "So there will be Tesla robotaxis operating in Austin with no one in them. Not even anyone in the passenger seat in about three weeks.”

Last week, Musk posted that he had taken a ride in a fully driverless Tesla robotaxi in Austin. A Tesla employee shared a video from inside a driverless ride as well. However, these appear to be test runs as regular customers still report human safety monitors are still part of the ride, as least as of very late December.

xAI would achieve AGI

Artificial general intelligence or AGI is basically the holy grail for the current AI-obsessed tech industry. AGI can be defined as the type of artificial intelligence that we were promised in sci-fi movies. It's not a large language model that can sound human, like existing AI, but AI that can actually perform intellectual tasks just like a human. It can think, learn, reason, and take action.

In 2024, in a reply on his social media platform X, Musk said his AI company xAI would achieve AGI in 2025.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

"How long until AGI?" posted Logan Kilpatrick of Google AI Studio.

"Next year," Musk replied.

"Big if true," Kilpatrick responded.

Well, surprise. It wasn't true.

According to a new report from Business Insider, Musk has since moved the goalposts and says xAI could achieve AGI in the next few years and potentially even by next year! We'll report back at the end of 2026 unless Musk's version of Skynet has taken over.

A flying car / demo of the long-awaited Tesla Roadster

This is a combo of two potential promises, as it's still unclear what the heck Musk was actually referring to on Joe Rogan's podcast back in November.

During an appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience, Musk claimed that Tesla would drop a demo of the long-awaited Roadster, a vehicle which the company announced and started taking preorders for in 2017. The Tesla Roadster has still yet to be released eight years later.

"We're getting close to demonstrating the prototype," Musk said to Rogan during the show. "I think this will be...one thing I can guarantee is that this product demo will be unforgettable."

When pressed for a timeline from Rogan, Musk replied "hopefully before the end of the year."

However, Musk went further, recalling how his "friend" Peter Thiel would say that the future was supposed to have flying cars, yet we don't have flying cars. Rogan questioned Musk further but Musk just hinted that Thief should be able to buy a flying car and we'd all just have to wait to see the demo.

So, was Musk saying that the Roadster can fly? Was Musk even being serious about the flying car? Who knows. But, 2025 is now over and we don't have a demo of a flying car or a Roadster so Musk didn't deliver on either.

DOGE would cut $2 trillion in 'waste, fraud and abuse'

Following Donald Trump's reelection, Musk was given the chance to head up a new quasi-government agency called DOGE in which he pledged to cut $2 trillion in what he described as "waste, fraud and abuse."

DOGE quickly became quite controversial as Musk and his very young team struggled to find any real "waste, fraud, and abuse" in the federal government. Many of DOGE's claims of fraud were debunked and the group had a penchant for posting inaccurate data which put the group in a more favorable light.

Musk's promise of $2 trillion in cuts quickly became a promise of $1 trillion in cuts. That $1 trillion promise? That soon was rounded down further to the hundreds of billions.

SEE ALSO: DOGE is dead

Now, new analysis from the New York Times as well as the right-wing CATO Institute, found that DOGE actually didn't save anything. Many of the government contacts that DOGE claimed to cancel are still active. In fact, government spending actually went up on DOGE's watch.

“The federal government spent $7.6 trillion in the first 11 months of calendar year 2025, approximately $248 billion higher by November of 2025 compared to the same month in 2024,” the CATO Institute's analysis said.

While Musk failed to deliver on his DOGE promises, the cuts it did actually make to USAID and foreign aid programs have reportedly led to hundreds of thousands of deaths. Happy new year?

This article reflects the opinions of the author.

Samsung usually launches its next wave of flagship devices over the winter, and all signs point to an early 2026 launch for the Samsung Galaxy S26 — and the Galaxy Z TriFold. The Galaxy S25 was released in early February, and the Galaxy S24 before it came in late January. Thus, it stands to reason that the Galaxy S26 will come around the same time in 2026.

While Samsung hasn't announced any upcoming Galaxy Unpacked events, we fully expect the new generation of Samsung phones to make their debut in the months ahead. And if the volume of S26 leaks is any indication, it's sooner rather than later.

SEE ALSO: The Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold is coming to America soon: Everything we know so far What will the Galaxy S26 phones look like?

Recently, leaker @onleaks posted a gallery and video on X that claims to show dummy units of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. We can't verify the authenticity of the video, but it looks plausible, at least.

Overall, it looks very similar to the S25 Ultra, as expected, with one notable change — it has a camera bump similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 7. As 9to5Google points out, because this bump is on the left side of the phone, it will make the phone wobble when placed down on a table or desk. In comparison, the latest iPhone 17 Pro Max has a more symmetrical shape and thus no wobble.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

However, we would be a little skeptical of this leak. Android Police recently posted its own alleged S26 Ultra leaks, only without the camera bump.

What models will be included in the S26 lineup?

Just a few months ago, rumors and leaks pointed to a significant shakeup in the Galaxy S26 line. It was said that Samsung would rename the base model to S26 Pro, drop the Plus model that sat in the middle of the annual lineup for years, and replace that with a new Edge phone modeled after last year's S25 Edge (which was something of a flop). However, that's apparently no longer happening, and you can thank Apple for that, per Korean outlet NewsPim (via 9to5google).

This is the S25 Ultra. Credit: James Martin / Mashable

Due to Apple's success in offering significant year-over-year upgrades to the base iPhone 17 (such as a 120Hz display) without raising the price, Samsung has reportedly dropped the Pro branding for the base model and reverted it back to just the Galaxy S26, which was corroborated by a separate report from SamMobile. According to that report, you can expect a retread of the usual S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra lineup in 2026. That may be disappointing to anyone who was expecting a big shakeup based on previous reporting, but if nothing else, it makes it easier to keep track of what's going on.

As for the previously rumored S26 Edge, it's unclear what's going to happen with that. It might be dead, or it might come out later in the year as a separate release like the S25 Edge did. Given that phone's relative lack of success, it might be smart to assume there won't be an S26 Edge at this point.

Galaxy S26 rumored specs

For specs, the rumors aren't particularly surprising. The Galaxy S26 series is currently rumored to have the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 chip, which Qualcomm rebranded to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. There is also a rumor that Samsung will equip some S26 models with an Exynos chip, which Samsung fans hope is the Exynos 2600, which has also been making some noise in the rumor mill lately.

In terms of the small stuff, like storage and RAM, there have been some small rumblings. One rumor says that the Galaxy S26 (all models) will feature 16GB of RAM, a 4GB increase from the last few years, and the most a Galaxy phone has had since the Galaxy S21 Ultra. In terms of storage capacity, there are no rumors that anything will change, so the 128GB base (256GB on the Ultra) is likely to remain in place for now, with upgraded storage available as an option. 

Galaxy S26: Is a price hike coming?

We're in the midst of a major global memory shortage, and this could be very bad news for smartphone and laptop shoppers (you can blame the AI industry for hogging all the RAM). And according to leaker @kro_roe, this could not only lead to an S26 price hike, but also the end of a popular launch offer.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Typically, when Samsung launches a new phone, customers who pre-order or purchase at launch can claim double the storage at no extra cost. But with RAM in short supply, that may no longer be the case. The most recent rumors suggest that Samsung hasn't landed on a final price for the S26 phones, however.

TL;DR: Not only could S26 phones cost more, but you may have to pay a premium for more storage as well.

Battery and charging

Based on early rumors, this may be one of the most interesting changes coming to the S26 lineup. Samsung has been working on a stacked battery design that would allow for more dense batteries in the same physical space. This could bring a long-awaited bump to battery size. According to early rumors, the S26 Ultra is slated to come with a 5,500 mAh stacked battery, a 10 percent increase from the S25 Ultra. Samsung reportedly experimented with removing a camera to add even more battery capacity, but that doesn't mean it's certain to happen in the mass-produced model. While the S26 Pro was rumored to have a bigger 4,900mAh battery compared to previous base model Galaxy phones, NewsPim's report claimed that the base S26 (now that it's no longer a Pro device) has been adjusted down to a more modest 4,300mAh cell.

For charging, it’s unlikely that the Galaxy S26 series will get a serious upgrade. Samsung is definitely working on 60W wired charging, but so far, it seems that Samsung will wait for the Galaxy S27 series (or later) to implement it. This could change as we get closer to launch for the S26 series, but for now, it seems that 45W will be around for at least one more year. There are also rumors that wireless charging may see a bump to the Qi2 standard

Galaxy S26: What about the cameras?

The camera system in the Galaxy S26 series may change quite a bit, and there are a few different rumors that say different things. Jumping right in, one older rumor says that the S26 series will have the same megapixel count but will feature a new, as-of-yet unannounced sensor from the same ISOCELL GN series as prior Samsung models. On the Galaxy S26 Ultra, a 200MP camera is rumored, as is a 324MP lens with a 50MP, 3x telephoto lens. It’s more likely that Samsung will do the 200MP with a new sensor, but all leaks are being considered right now. 

S25 Ultra with its five cameras. Credit: James Martin / Mashable

In addition, there are rumors that Samsung will bring back its variable aperture on the main shooter, which Samsung hasn’t included on its camera system since the Galaxy S10 series back in 2019. As previously mentioned, Samsung may be considering dropping the number of cameras to three instead of four, like on prior models, to make space for a larger battery. Other rumors about the camera include a dual periscope design that’ll magnify to 8x, but that is just speculation at this time.

However, many of these rumors come from the time when we thought Samsung was significantly altering the S26 lineup. Newer reports indicate that, at least for the base S26 and S26 Plus, things won't change that much from previous years. According to Korean outlet The Elec, those two phones will have the exact same megapixel count on the triple-lens rear array as previous Galaxy models: a 50MP wide lens, a 12MP ultrawide lens, and a 10MP 3x telephoto lens. Those have been the specs going all the way back to the Galaxy S22. If you were hoping for big changes in the cheaper S26 models this year, you have our condolences.

Other features and hardware

Much of the rest of the Galaxy S26 lineup is predictable. It’ll come with the latest One UI out of the gate with the latest version of Android. That is no surprise, and we don’t need rumors to predict that one. The S26 series will likely get One UI 8.5, which is slated for a rather large redesign along with a host of new features, including the aforementioned privacy screen feature. According to rumor, the redesign emulates Apple’s Liquid Glass in some ways with transparent UI elements. 

The only other piece of hardware we haven’t talked about is the S-Pen. Samsung appears to be set to do something big with the S-Pen. The rumors speculate that the S-Pen is sticking around and will come with some upgrades. The new functionality may have something to do with how magnetic accessories work, and this seems to be linked to the aforementioned Qi2 wireless charging upgrade. 

We'll find out how much (if any) of this is true in just a matter of weeks, going by previous Samsung announcement timelines.

I've always argued that we desperately need competition in the GPU space, which is why I was very happy when Intel broke into the GPU market—even as it only made mid-range and budget cards.

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Is your Outlook inbox so packed that important emails slip through the cracks, leaving you feeling overwhelmed? If so, you’re not taking advantage of features that help keep everything under control. Here’s how you can filter out the noise, surface what truly matters, and keep your inbox organized.

If you’re shopping for a gaming laptop, don’t overlook storage. With games taking up more space than ever, it’s one of the most important specs to consider. NVMe drives are fast but pricey, and skimping here can quickly blow your budget. So, how much storage do you really need?

Instant messaging apps today just don’t have the same charm as the OGs. Some are a bloated mess of read receipts and stickers, while others are super minimal and boring. Inspired by AOL Instant Messenger, a 15-year-old UI designer wanted to change that. He built a throwback to early messaging apps, complete with a Windows 98-inspired theme.

There was a time — years ago, mind you — that "Rickrolling" someone was the peak of internet humor.

If you don't know what this is, bless your either young or old heart. The nearly 20-year-old prank was simple: You'd get someone to unknowingly click the link to the cheesy music video for Rick Astley's '80s classic "Never Gonna Give You Up." Boom, you've just been Rickrolled.

SEE ALSO: Rian Johnson on 'Wake Up Dead Man,' Josh O'Connor's neck tattoo, and AI slop

Well, in a neat bit of synergy, the latest installment of the beloved-by-the-internet series Knives Out actually shared a location with the filming of "Never Gonna Give You Up." Director Rian Johnson confirmed on Bluesky that the gym scene in Wake Up Dead Man was shot where Astley filmed his classic music video. Surprisingly, not that much of anyone cared on set.

"This is true, and I was the only one on set excited about it (and playing the song on my phone to blank stares)," he wrote in response to a post that pointed out the fun fact.

This is true and I was the only one on set excited about it (and playing the song on my phone to blank stares)

[image or embed]

— Rian Johnson (@rianjohnson.bsky.social) December 29, 2025 at 11:21 PM

For the curious, it appears that the shared location is the Harrow Club in London, which was once a church. So, yes, Wake Up Dead Man and "Never Gonna Give You Up" share some creative DNA. What a world.

The compact SUV segment has been dominated for years by recognizable names, but in 2026 the battle for supremacy may finally be tightening. Toyota’s latest RAV4 update brings a suite of refinements that could give it a real edge over the Honda CR-V, long considered the benchmark for practicality, reliability, and overall value in this crowded category. As both models evolve, buyers now have more to consider than ever before.

OpenAI has been swinging for the fences with recent updates like GPT-5.2 and ChatGPT Images. This week, the company rolled out an improvement to its ChatGPT Android app, and it's a change power users have been waiting for. ChatGPT’s official app now has a real Thinking mode, previously only available through a browser.

According to Bleeping Computer, the original Thinking toggle actually rerouted your responses through the Standard thinking time, which uses less compute power and doesn’t think for as long. The new toggle allows users to expressly choose between Auto, Instant, or Thinking modes to determine how long the AI will pontificate over a request before delivering an answer. 

This matches the functionality already available for desktop users who choose “Extended Thinking,” which gives the AI more time to work on complex queries to deliver better, more accurate answers. 

The rollout is happening now, so if you use ChatGPT on an Android device, make sure you’ve updated to the most recent version. Once done, the new Thinking mode will appear in your chat settings. From there, you’ll be able to choose between Standard and Extended thinking times, allowing you to get better answers on mobile. As of this writing, we have not been able to access the new thinking toggle in the ChatGPT iOS app.

This feature is only available for ChatGPT Plus users, so free users are still stuck with the old Thinking mode, which is really just Standard mode. 

Per Bleeping Computer, the feature rolled out alongside a new formatting block feature. Now, when you ask ChatGPT to type an email, it does so in a formatting block, and you can request changes or edit the document without having to regenerate the entire email. This feature started rolling out over Christmas and is available to all users. 

It’s a small but pleasant end to the year for ChatGPT users. OpenAI spent the latter half of 2025 allegedly in a “code red” state after losing a sizable number of users to Google’s Gemini 3 and Nano Banana, and has spent much of the rest of the year trying to recapture those people with GPT-5.2 and ChatGPT Images. It has mostly worked, as GPT-5.2 trades blows with Gemini 3 on most benchmark scores while soundly beating Grok 4 in most areas. 

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

Can't wait for the release of the new PlayStation 6? Well, thanks to the computer memory shortages caused by the rise of AI, you may just be waiting even longer.

According to a new report from Insider Gaming, there is talk among the video gaming industries about delaying the release of the next generation of consoles, such as the PS6. Global RAM shortages have led companies like Sony to weigh the benefits of delaying the console instead of pushing for its currently planned release window.

According to previous leaks, Sony was targeting a November 2027 release for the PS6.

As Mashable has previously reported, laptop and smartphone manufacturers have been forced to institute price hikes on their products to make up for the shortages amid the demand. The AI boom has yet to lose steam within the tech industry and this means that global memory shortages will likely continue into the new year and for the foreseeable future. As a result, many computer manufacturers are warning their customers that additional price increases are on the way.

Next-gen video game console makers would be affected by these RAM price increases as well. Sony would likely have to wrestle with two choices if it wanted to maintain a 2027 release for the PS6: pass on the extra cost to customers, which could hurt sales numbers, or eat these costs themselves. 

The third option now being discussed, according to this new report, is to simply delay the release of the console in hopes that RAM supply increases over the next few years and prices drop.

By the time Quinn's newest audio erotica series starring Heated Rivalry fan favorites Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie finally dropped, the anticipation had already reached an actual breaking point. Within hours of the release of the first two episodes, the Quinn app went down, briefly buckling under the weight of fans who had been waiting mere days to hear the pair reunited.

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Ember & Ice marks Quinn's first-ever duet original, shifting the app's usual listener-centric intimacy into a fully dramatized MM romance. Dane (Storrie) and Finn (Williams) rival fae princes locked in a forbidden, years-long affair. A heart-pounding queer romantasy story narrated by a pairing that already carries deep emotional weight for fans was never going to arrive quietly.

The format change, combined with Williams and Storrie's established chemistry from Heated Rivalry, turned the release into a fandom event — one that spilled immediately onto social media as listeners reacted in real-time to every whimper and carefully placed inhale.

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What Ember & Ice ultimately highlights is the power of fandom continuity, how voices and chemistry can carry emotional meaning across projects and formats. Since premiering in late November, Heated Rivalry has rapidly evolved from a new release into an online obsession, effectively launching Williams and Storrie’s careers in real-time.

The appetite driving that momentum — especially among women eager for more erotic, chemistry-forward content — was strong enough to overwhelm Quinn's servers. With Ember & Ice's third and final episode set for Jan. 6, the question isn't whether fans will return, but whether the app is ready for them.

SAVE $40: Through Jan. 6, DirecTV's Signature Entertainment streaming package is only $49.99 for your first month (regularly $89.99/month). The package includes 90 channels plus Disney+ and Hulu (with ads), an extra savings of $19.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: DirecTV First month of DirecTV Signature Entertainment streaming package $49.99
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While the Sling TV day pass is a great hack for watching sports on ESPN, there's a major hole in coverage when it comes to the sports that are on broadcast channels like FOX and CBS — so, pretty much the entire NFL playoff schedule. In that case, the next hack up is DirecTV's rare holiday deal: Get your first month of DirecTV's Signature Entertainment Package with 90 channels for just $49.99 ($40 off its usual $89.99/month).

SEE ALSO: Best 65-inch+ TVs for watching in dark and bright rooms

The promo, which has been running since mid-December, is finally closing out on Jan. 6, so these are your last few days to lock down January NFL games without cable or committing to a live TV subscription.

Past the big broadcast networks that'll cover most of your football needs, other channels in the Entertainment streaming package include E!, FX, Disney Channel, Hallmark, Syfy, and Nickelodeon. With the included access to Hulu (as well as Disney+ and ESPN), you can catch the second season of A Thousand Blows when it drops on Jan. 9, see what all the Alien: Earth hype is about, or hate watch All's Fair.

So, you bought an Android phone that promised a rapid charging time up to some amount like 80%, but when you plug it into a charger you see a message like "slow charging" or "fully charged in two hours." That's not what you signed up for, so what gives?