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Astronomers peering past the crowded, dusty plane of the Milky Way have spotted a tangle of radio light, glowing inside a massive collision of lots of galaxies.

The space object loops and curls in thin strands, earning its nickname, the Treble Clef. It's what researchers refer to as a "radio phoenix," a cloud of faded particles brought back to life. It lurks inside a galaxy cluster — a huge group of galaxies bound together by gravity — and that cluster is in the throes of a merger with another cluster.

Long ago, a giant black hole in the cluster fired out jets of energetic particles. Over time, those particles lost energy and went dark. Then, the violent crash squeezed and stirred the leftover material, and it lit up again in radio light.

The discovery shows how far radio astronomy has come, according to the researchers, whose paper appears in the Astronomy & Astrophysics journal. A new generation of telescopes tuned to long radio waves, especially the European Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) network, now captures images sharp and sensitive enough to resolve blurry smudges into detailed filament tapestries. Radio telescopes also "see" through the gas and dust that block ordinary telescopes.

SEE ALSO: Artemis II crew witnessed meteor flashes on the moon with their own eyes

The Treble Clef first surfaced in radio surveys years ago, and some astronomers thought it might be a pulsar, a fast-spinning dead star. A 2004 study tied it to a possible galaxy cluster, but still couldn't make out its shape because the telescopes of the time couldn't pick out fine enough detail. 

After that, the object faded from view in the scientific literature too. It popped up once more, in a 2022 list of possible "X-shaped" radio sources.

But that changed when the team combed through new LOFAR survey data and saw its twisting structure clearly. They followed up with India's Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope to study the object across a wider range of wavelengths.

The Chandra X-ray Observatory, along with eROSITA, picked up the multi-million-degree hot gas that showed the treble clef sits in two merging galaxy clusters. Credit: NASA illustration

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To size up the cluster itself, the team turned to NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the German eROSITA space telescope, which detected X-rays pouring off super-hot gas that fills the cluster. That signal let the researchers pin down the cluster's distance — about 1.6 billion light-years away — temperature, and mass for the first time, and it confirmed the ongoing collision. The cluster weighs about 600 trillion times as much as our sun.

The researchers think churning gas from the smashup mangled the phoenix into its treble clef shape. The same event also may have sparked a broad, dim haze of radio light at the cluster's center, called a radio halo, but so far only the Indian telescope has detected it.

The object ranks among the most extreme faint, spread-out radio glows ever found in the hot gas that fills the space between a cluster's galaxies. These delicate threads could help crack a bigger puzzle about how cosmic rays — high-energy particles zipping through space — travel through clusters. Scientists still debate what keeps them shining. 

TL;DR: Get lifetime access to UPDF’s PDF editing, conversion, OCR, annotation, and document management tools for $69.99 (reg. $149.99).

Opens in a new window Credit: UPDF UPDF - Edit & Convert PDF: Lifetime Subscription $69.99
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StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Get a lifetime Windows 11 Pro license for one PC for $9.97 (reg. $199) during the Microsoft Flash Sale through Oct. 20.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Windows 11 Pro $9.97
$199 Save $189.03   Get Deal

If your PC has been running a little sluggish or you’ve been meaning to bring your system up to speed, Windows 11 Pro is just $9.97 (MSRP $199) through 11:59 p.m. PT on Oct.20 as part of this Microsoft Flash Sale — a rare, time-sensitive offer that rewards quick, savvy decisions.

This isn’t about chasing trends; it’s more about giving your computer the modern foundation it deserves. Windows 11 Pro brings a sleeker UI, better multitasking, and enhanced security — all in a one-time lifetime license.

Think of it as the difference between driving a reliable car and suddenly upgrading to one with a smarter dashboard, smoother handling, and built-in security features.

For professionals, creators, and power users, this upgrade also unlocks features like Hyper-V, Windows Sandbox, BitLocker encryption, and seamless Azure AD integration — tools that make a real difference when you’re working across projects or managing sensitive data.

And yes, Windows 11 comes with Copilot, Microsoft’s AI-powered assistant that can summarize pages, change settings, or even help you generate code on the fly. It’s like having a co-pilot (literally) inside your OS.

But you don’t need convincing — you already know a smart upgrade when you see one.

Get Windows 11 Pro for just $9.97 (reg. $199) through Oct. 20 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Check out the other products in the Microsoft Flash Sale.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Gay men are absolutely spoiled for choice in the world of hookup apps and sites, but that doesn't mean every option is worthy of your time. If you're looking for a fast connection, whether virtual or in person, some services clearly stand out. 

Today, we're pitting one of the internet's oldest hookup sites against one of the newest hookup sites in a head-to-head battle to see which option comes out on top. Will it be AdultFriendFinder, the 30-year-old online kink community with millions and millions of active members, or Sniffies, Grindr's less-famous relative that's only been around since 2018? 

Because both sites operate in very different ways, we're comparing them in five unique categories to help you figure out which one is worth your time and, potentially, money. 

Opens in a new window Credit: AdultFriendFinder AdultFriendFinder   Learn More Opens in a new window Credit: Sniffies Sniffies   Learn More Community size

While we may know size isn't everything, it stands to reason that having a larger pool of potential matches improves your hookup odds, and this is one area where AdultFriendFinder has a clear advantage. From their homepage, AFF boasts nearly 8 million active users across the United States, making it relatively easy to find matches in more rural communities. Sniffies, on the other hand, has just three million active monthly users, and because of its location-based matchmaking algorithm (more on that later), it's a lot more effective for people in or near metropolitan areas. 

Given the sheer size of its community and its dispersion, we give the edge to AFF. 

Winner: AdultFriendFinder

Culture

If you're looking for a hookup, it really helps if the site or app you're using isn't ambiguous about its purpose. Tinder is great and all, but every match produces the same dance: is this person looking for something serious or casual? Both AdultFriendFinder and Sniffies are unambiguously hookup apps, and one clear tell there is in their embrace of nudity.

On both AFF and Sniffies, you can and should expect to see some full-frontal nudity. In fact, it's not uncommon to only see full-frontal nudity, without an accompanying face photo. In contrast to these two raunchy sites, even Grindr, with its strict prohibition against nudity, looks tame by comparison. 

Winner: Tie

Ease of use

One area where AFF really shows its age is in its interface and site architecture. It's not that it's overly complicated, but it isn't nearly as straightforward as it could be, and certainly not as straightforward as Sniffies. 

On AFF, for example, you have to create a profile and then spend time searching through singles profiles or participating in the community section of the website (forums, stories, and live webcam shows) to find someone to match with. Sniffies dispenses with all that noise, getting straight to business: your profile is just an image on a map of your area, with other profiles of "cruisers" (people looking exclusively for a quick hookup) shown based on their proximity to you. 

If you're just looking for a quick hookup, this one is a no-brainer: Sniffies will help you meet someone new much faster. 

Winner: Sniffies

Value

The best thing to say about both sites is that they offer a good amount of features to free users. With a free AFF membership, you can participate in all community areas, including the discussion forums and live webcam feeds, but you can't message people one-on-one. On the other hand, with a free Sniffies membership, you can create a single cruising profile and are restricted to your actual location, while a premium Plus membership unlocks quality-of-life features like zero ads, unlimited profiles, and the ability to "cruise" in other places, like a city you'll be visiting in the near future. 

Because both offer generous free memberships, we're reluctant to give either site the advantage here. 

Winner: Tie

Success rate

When it comes to finding in-person connections, what we would traditionally call a "hookup," there's really no contest. Sniffies users know why they're using the site, and they love the convenience, speed, and ease of access that the location-based service enables. Does that mean you can't find a person on AdultFriendFinder? Of course not. And in fact, if you're happy to confine your pleasures to the digital world, you might want to go with AFF, especially because its user base is larger and more spread out.

Winner: Sniffies

Lastly, it's worth noting that Sniffies was removed from the Apple App Store, so you have to use your mobile or desktop browser. But no worries; it functions in the same way, helping you find the nearest hookup in no time at all.

The energy in the lobby of Alice Tully Hall was kinetic on the night of Sept. 30, as press, patrons, and the public eagerly awaited the New York Film Festival's New York premiere of You Can See Everything. The documentary's existence went from a well-kept secret to an internet sensation when A24 dropped a teaser on Sept. 6 showing notorious Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes having an intimate conversation with heralded comedian Nathan Fielder. 

The project seemed preposterous, like something born from MadLibs or a brain-rot meme. However, the world premiere at a secret screening at the Telluride Film Festival, which was timed to the teaser debut, not only proved this movie was real, but also launched much buzz and absolutely unhinged rumors about what it contains.  

SEE ALSO: NYFF 2026 preview: 14 films you'll want to see (and how)

The New York crowd was downright giddy to see for themselves if You Can See Everything, co-directed by Fielder and Lance Oppenheim (Primetime), could live up to the hype. Personally, I was dubious. Holmes had already been the subject of the heralded book Bad Blood, an Alex Gibney documentary called The Inventor, the podcast series The Dropout, and Hulu's dramatic adaptation of the same name, which starred Amanda Seyfried as Holmes. What could be left to say on this subject? 

Well, I was wrong. Because the answer there is plenty. And You Can See Everything is a masterwork of interrogation, not only of the whole Holmes situation but of documentary as a form itself. And if you're thinking that sounds dry, let me confirm some of the rumors. Yes, there's full-frontal nudity, outrageous statements, bonkers twists, and laughs big and uncomfortable. But there's something more cerebral and unnerving that makes this not exactly a crowdpleaser, but a real stunner.

You Can See Everything is ridiculous on its face. 

Why Nathan Fielder? It's a question he asks Holmes in the film's first half, as he's a comedian known for blurring the lines of reality and performance with shows like Nathan For You and The Rehearsal. Holmes responds with a warm smile and an answer that is intriguingly elusive, as much of her answers will be. Over and over, she insists she's being transparent and truthful. But as that much-talked-about teaser clip suggests, it's hard to trust her, and harder to tell if she's telling the truth. 

Making the movie more bizarre, You Can See Everything began shooting in the 36 days before Holmes turned herself over to authorities to begin her prison sentence for fraud. And during that time, not only did she allow Fielder and his crew of seven into her home with her children and her fiancé, Billy Evans, but she invited him to move into their cramped beach house in the San Diego neighborhood of Del Mar. And he did. 

This should make the audience question Fielder's perspective on Holmes, as he might be accused of getting too close with the subject he's meant to investigate. But this is precisely what You Can See Everything wants you to question — but not just this. 

The film begins with camera angles and conversations between Holmes and Evans (or Liz and Billy, as they call each other) as if we're a fly on the wall. Then, Fielder becomes visible, lurking from a corner or outside their home. He is the audience surrogate in these moments, curious but looking from the outside, trying to make sense of this infamous woman. However, as the film progresses, his getting closer to Holmes and her family puts Fielder in the position of those she's beguiled and impressed before. 

Through Fielder and Oppenheim's suffocatingly intimate approach to the cinematography, we're strapped to his hip on the experience. You Can See Everything is shot in a 4:3 aspect ratio, which is like that of an old-school television from the '90s. This concentrates the audience's attention on to a smaller area, more specifically to the claustrophobic close-ups of Fielder, Holmes, Evans, and others. A multi-camera setup in the home means that the speaker and the spoken-to are caught on tape, so that we can see every microexpression, every flinch or twitch. And in that way, we — like Fielder — are forced to look Holmes in her unblinking eyes and determine for ourselves what is truth and what is a lie. And it's not easy. 

You Can See Everything is a fabulous mindfuck.

Even after all the internet rumors, the most surprising bit — that's not a spoiler — is that Holmes goes to prison around the halfway point of the nearly three-hour-long movie. After that, Fielder and Oppenheim's access to her becomes extremely limited. So, they begin to use reenactments to continue telling their story. That's a standard documentary tool. But the way they use reenactments introduces a new wrinkle in parsing the reality of Holmes' story. As in The Rehearsal, Fielder brings in an actor to play opposite him to recreate moments the crew couldn't catch on camera. And, similar to The Rehearsal, he has conversations with the actor to get a deeper understanding of the interaction. However, because the original interactions are not recorded, it's only Fielder's memory that they can pull from. Even as they read through his scripts, he questions his own memory. His perspective is challenged repeatedly within the film, with the actor even accusing him of liking Holmes too much to be objective. 

This is the core of You Can See Everything that makes it about more than Holmes. Documentaries themselves can never be objective, because they are — as Holmes says — human stories. When the frame is chosen, what is kept in is just as crucial to what is cropped out. When the edit comes together, the moments that are deemed meaningful versus unimportant shape the message. So, while You Can See Everything challenges you to question Holmes and Fielder, it also challenges its audience to think more broadly about documentary and news media. Objectivity is an impossibility. We are creatures of blood and emotion, driven by impulse and a need to protect ourselves from the reality of how we are capable of hurting others. 

It's not just Holmes who is questioned on this point in the film. And so, You Can See Everything becomes an interrogation of how we decide what's true. As a movie, it's a hell of an experience. Personally, I gasped, shouted, laughed, and even gagged. But as a work of art, it's one that's sure to live on for its bold choices, interrogation of form, and for Fielder's brave vulnerability in exposing his own doubts and shortcomings. 

You Can See Everything was reviewed out of the New York Film Festival and will open in theaters on Oct. 16. 

The love stories of Jane Austen might be set in England's Regency era of stiff gender norms and even stiffer social hierarchies, but their appeal is timeless. Austen's novels have been adapted over and over for film and television. Sometimes they are set within their traditional setting, like Ang Lee's rapturous Sense and Sensibility, Joe Wright's Pride and Prejudice, and Autumn de Wilde's Emma. Other times, they get a modern overhaul, like Bridget Jones's Diary, Fire Island, or Clueless. Still other adapters might shift the focus to a character or a fan insert, leading to inventive reimaginings like Lost in Austen and The Other Bennet Sister. 

Each incarnation allows audiences a chance to see Austen's work in a new way — but only if the filmmaker embraces such an opportunity. And so, I am at a loss when regarding director Georgia Oakley's Sense and Sensibility. 

It dedicatedly captures the plot points of Austen's 1811 novel about the penniless Dashwood sisters' search for happiness in a society obsessed with status. But the film lacks a distinct identity, leaving me to wonder why Oakley wanted to bring Elinor and Marianne back to the big screen to begin with. Her passion for the project feels as thunderous as Colonel Brandon's (Herbert Nordrum) in the film's first act. But unlike him, Oakley's passion never ignites. 

What's Sense and Sensibility about? 

Austen's novel follows the misadventures of the Dashwood family, which includes mother Mrs. Dashwood (Caitríona Balfe), and her three daughters, Elinor (Daisy Edgar-Jones), Marianne (Esmé Creed-Miles), and the youngest, Margaret (Bodhi Rae Breathnach). The death of the girls' father has thrown their lives into spin, as he left his house and wealth to a half-brother they hardly know. 

With aggressive speed, this Mr. Dashwood (a dryly funny Tom Brooke) appears on their doorstep with his greedy wife Fanny (a hilarious vicious Stacy Martin), ready to seize all that is legally theirs. 

Poverty is an obvious obstacle for the Dashwood girls in finding a good match. But good fortune seems to fall on Elinor as she falls — in her quiet way — for Fanny's brother Edward Ferrars (George MacKay). Meanwhile, Marianne is being pursued by an elder gentleman of means, the aforementioned Colonel Brandon, but she only has eyes for the galavanting John Willoughby (Frank Dillane). 

Over the course of Sense and Sensibility, the Dashwoods will move to a new — and much humbler — home, find curious new acquaintances, and travel to London in search of love, or at the very least truth. But can they find happiness?

Sense and Sensibility (2026) is charming, but not enchanting.  Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features

Arguably, Sense and Sensibility is a trickier movie adaptation than Austen's other most-revisited works, because its heroine Elinor Dashwood is less spirited and impetuous than Emma's eponymous protagonist and Pride and Prejudice's Lizzie Bennet. More than the other Austen adaptations, this one requires a balancing of the double act that is Elinor and Marianne. 

Dedicated to be proper and good above even her own happiness, Elinor is a sharp foil to her impulsive younger sister Marianne. Where Elinor meticulously strives to say the civil thing, Marianne rarely has a thought that goes unspoken. To put it simply, where the former is ruled by her head, the latter is ruled by her heart. 

Through their intertwined tales of love and heartache, Austen exposes how in the pursuit of happiness both reason and feeling — or sense and sensibility — are essential. And so, the sisters must learn from each other, however reluctantly. 

In Lee's adaptation, a young Kate Winslet brought girlish verve to Marianne, while Emma Thompson, who also penned the adapted screenplay, brought a trembling vulnerability to Elinor. In Oakley's version, the performance style overall is more restrained, rejecting the romance of Lee's interpretation. But it's hard to say what she chooses to put in place of the romance. 

Edgar-Jones delivers a performance that is so restrained that it can feel vexingly wooden. Opposite her, MacKay becomes her mirror, his eyes shining but vacant as the two could-be lovers struggle to confess their true feelings. 

Meanwhile, Creed-Miles is engaging as Marianne. But Oakley's presentation of this Austen character is less playful and more proto-goth girl. Creed-Miles excitedly chatters about passion and a wish for a lover with a "dark past," while greasy locks of hair tumble across her face and shoulders, a constant reminder of Marianne's love of nature and untamed temperament. 

It is an interesting take on the character, but it becomes one-note as Marianne's pleas for the attentions of Willoughby get angsty. Making matters worse, despite so much talk of passion, neither of Marianne's would-be suitors are beguiling. Across the board, the chemistry of these leads is inert. No dashing gentleman will rise from a pond, his white shirt clinging to his broad shoulders. There's no flexing hand to make audiences swoon. And even Sense and Sensibility's ballroom dance scenes, which are traditionally a terrific place to exude sexual tension within the socially restrained setting, are lacking in allure. 

Fiona Shaw is the MVP of Sense and Sensibility.  Credit: Alex Bailey / Courtesy of Focus Features

I was overall underwhelmed by the leads of Oakley's adaptation. But her supporting players are terrifically alive, bringing a spark that was a reprieve to such sternness. Screenwriter Diana Reid makes the most out of dinner scenes, and that's where many characters get to shine. 

As mentioned, Martin is deliciously wicked as the Dashwood's scheming, gold-digging sister-in-law. Breathnach, to her credit, is impishly amusing as the youngest sister. Playing boisterous cousin Sir John Middleton, Turlough Convery is warmly amusing, while Chloe Pirrie is cringe-inducingly funny as his socially awkward wife, who treats the weather like a hobby. Plus, Eliot Sumner is bitingly funny as Mr. Palmer, a quiet gentleman who is ever-irked by his relentlessly chatty wife. 

But make no mistake, Fiona Shaw steals scenes she's not even in as Mrs. Jennings. A widow with wealth and way too much time on her hands, Jennings is treated within the plot as a busybody who unintentionally pokes at the emotional bruises of Elinor and Marianne's flailing romances. But Shaw plays more than the silliness or obliviousness of this merry widow. She also radiates with gaudy joy. Her snuffling laughter introduces her character as it echoes through the halls of the Dashwood house, even before she shows up onscreen. 

It's brilliant casting, but beyond that, little elements like how Mrs. Jennings holds her placid pug puppy or offers a heartbroken girl a fortified wine, paint a possibility of womanhood neither Dashwood can currently imagine. Youth is such a volatile element in Austen's stories, because to be deemed an old maid could ruthlessly limit a lady's options. But being old and rich, with unquestionable status, Mrs. Jennings is offered the most freedom in Sense and Sensibility to truly do as she likes. She flaunts etiquette when it doesn't suit her, takes penniless girls on as pets for her travels, and shares her opinions loudly and fearlessly. 

To the girls, she's a reckless and nosy bother. To me, she's a Golden Girl long before her time. Whenever the Dashwoods and their wooden suitors bored me, I waited (not so patiently) for Mrs. Jennings and her quirky family members to return and make me laugh again. 

In the end, Sense and Sensibility is not a bad adaptation of Austen's work as much as it is a boring one. Oakley looks to ground her version in costuming and make-up that feels natural and true to the Regency era. She shies away from theatrical performances in her leads, perhaps seeking to create a timelessness out of a naturalistic approach. But such a tone doesn't fit the poetry of Austen's prose or dialogue. And so, the central romances feel lifeless over lived-in. 

Thus, this Sense and Sensibility is sincere and at times amusing, but shrinks in comparison to other Austen adaptations. 

Sense and Sensibility opens in the UK on Sept. 25 and in the U.S. on Oct. 16.

It's now official: "Swipe fatigue" has made the transition from casual online buzzword to an actual IRL experience. It's now a statistically observable phenomenon, and it's affecting how people approach dating, not to mention their ability to find matches on popular apps.

Indeed, 78 percent of Gen Z dating app users report experiencing some level of "burnout" from dating apps. That research comes from a Forbes survey, while Match Group, Inc., the conglomerate that owns Tinder and Hinge, has seen its stock value plummet by two-thirds since its peak during the pandemic. 

This fatigue has seen an increase in "IRL singles events," forcing the likes of Tinder and Hinge to take note and switch up their game plan. For instance, Tinder launched an Events feature earlier this year to highlight IRL meetups, as well as a new Festival Mode to help strangers with mutual interests meet. Meanwhile, Hinge has reportedly pumped over a million dollars into promoting offline meetups. Things are changing, and it could be for the better — certainly better for your chances of meeting someone and hooking up.

Alternatively, you could look at retro dating directories that refused to jump on the swipe bandwagon and have stuck their guns with offering something different. The issue with swipe-based dating is that it's so binary — yes or no, like or don't like — but sites such as AdultFriendFinder have instead built online communities of people looking for fun (and the spicier the fun, the better). It's about giving users multiple avenues to interact or come together (quite literally in some cases) over shared interests. 

Here's why AdultFriendFinder is the perfect example of this approach:

Opens in a new window Credit: AdultFriendFinder AdultFriendFinder   Learn More Matchmaking beyond the swipe

As fun as mindlessly swiping through singles profiles can be, it should dawn on you at some point that your fellow eligible locals are putting exactly the same amount of effort into evaluating your profile as you are into evaluating theirs. And that's genuinely terrifying.

If you're looking to meet someone, you need more to go off than just photos and a 200-word biography. In the past, people met at work, in college, or at their place of worship, but in the decentralized, delocalized world of the internet, that kind of constant proximity to others is becoming a rare commodity. 

Sites poised to succeed in a post-swipe-fatigue landscape are aware of this fact and are actively trying to solve the problem.  

Yes, AdultFriendFinder has its own version of the singles search, where you put in your location and filters, and it generates a list of eligible people, but that's only a small fraction of what the site offers.

Digital communities are the future

The best way to cure swipe fatigue is to remove the mechanism entirely. Instead, allow people to meet organically through interest-based online communities.

AdultFriendFinder has an entire Community section built around blogs, group chats, and shared stories, where the purpose is more than just matching with someone you might have something in common with. You can read other people's stories, share your own (with or without pictures), or participate in group discussions. There's even a handy Trending filter, so you always know what stories and discussions are generating the most buzz.

And, if you have a way with words, it's surprisingly easy to build your own following, especially when you consider how many niche or esoteric interests AFF caters to. 

Centering live chats and webcam broadcasts

For all their self-promoting talk about being the future, dating apps are shockingly low-tech. After all, we've been able to send and receive texts for over two decades now, and the swipe mechanism itself dates to before the original iPhone. What, exactly, is so special about their design? And why have they been so reticent to adopt video messaging?

Look at two of the most popular and most downloaded apps of the last decade, Snapchat and TikTok, and it's easy to see that the age of the photo is on its way out, while text messaging is as archaic as the dinosaurs at this point.

Plus, let's be real here: people already use both Snapchat and TikTok as lowkey dating sites, flirting via video chat.

This is another place where AdultFriendFinder, despite its age, is obviously ahead of its time. It made live broadcasting and video chatting a major component of its site more than a decade ago. Click on the Live Action tab at the top of their banner, and you can gain access to their Member Webcams section, where singles regularly interact with their audiences (and not just in naked, NSFW ways!). 

If you're tired of always being the one chasing and want to experience people coming to you for a change, start your own broadcast and engage with the people who watch your stream — you may be surprised by who shows up!

The future of dating apps

To be clear, we're not arguing that AdultFriendFinder is about to replace Tinder or Hinge as the go-to dating app for young daters. But we are telling you that, by every evaluative metric we have, online daters are sick of swiping and looking for something more substantive. 

We fully expect the next big dating app to offer community-based interactions rather than one-on-one swiping, and to natively support video chatting or messaging, stealing a page from TikTok's playbook.

The best early Black Friday outdoor deals: Best portable power station deal Anker Solix C1000 $499.99 (save $100) Get Deal Best tent deal Kelty Timeout 6 Tent $134.73 (save $46.22) Get Deal Best cooler deal Yeti Roadie 48 Wheeled Cooler $340 (save $85) Get Deal

Whether you like to get outdoors yourself or your favorite people go camping often, shopping Black Friday deals for outdoor gear is always a great move. Just like pumpkin spice seeping further into sweaty summer months, Black Friday deals are landing earlier than ever this year.

That's good news for those of you who've realized the camping gear you used all summer needs replacing. It's also a great time to snag a bigger cooler for all the dishes you'll need to transport to holiday meals. Power stations are also on sale and work great for both camping and winter power outages.

Whatever you need, outdoor deals are already rolling in well ahead of Black Friday. Peep some of our favorite options below, and check back often as we keep this page updated ahead of the big holiday shopping event.

Best portable power station deal Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Solix Anker Solix C1000 $499.99 at Amazon
$599.99 Save $100   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

One of my favorite portable power stations is on sale well ahead of Black Friday, and it's a great model for taking outdoors. The Anker Solix C1000 comes with plenty of ports for recharging phones, tablets, earbuds, and powering up small appliances like the kettle or a fan.

Plus, the Anker Solix C1000's built-in lightbar is perfect for nights at the campground, keeping things well illuminated.

More portable power deals

• DJI Power 1000 V2 — $399.98 $449.99 (save $50.01)

• Bluetti Elite 100 V2 — $499 $899 (save $400)

• Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 — $499 $559 (save $60)

Best tent deal Opens in a new window Credit: Kelty Kelty Timeout 6 Tent $134.73 at REI
$180.95 Save $46.22   Get Deal at REI Why we like it

With space to sleep six people, the Kelty Timeout tent uses sturdy, durable fiberglass poles. It's designed to come with an easy, intuitive setup that'll get the trip off on the right foot. The large D-door makes it easier to get in and out. The included duffle bag makes for simple transportation and storage.

More tent deals

• Coleman Skydome Camping Tent (6 person) — $129.99 $189.99 (save $60)

• REI Flash Air 2 Tent — $299.93 $429 (save $129.01)

• Snow Peak Amenity Dome 3 Tent — $575.95 $639.95 (save $64)

• White Duck Regatta Canvas Bell Tent Yurt — $820 $999 (save $179)

Best cooler deal Opens in a new window Credit: Yeti Yeti Roadie 48 Wheeled Cooler $340 at Amazon
$425 Save $85   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

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TL;DR: Dunkin’ is giving away free bat-winged drink koozies for one day only on Friday, Oct. 16. To grab one, just order the new Berry Battie Daydream Refresher at participating locations while supplies last.

Halloween has officially taken over Dunkin', and the chain has another surprise brewing for its Refresher fans. The spooky season already brought plenty of colorful drinks to the menu, but Dunkin' wasn't finished having fun with its holiday lineup.

Now, there’s a new reason to keep an eye on their Refreshers this month: Dunkin’ is giving away a free bat-themed koozie when you buy their newest drink, but the deal is only good for one day.

View this post on Instagram The Berry Battie Daydream gets a Halloween makeover

The new Berry Battie Daydream Refresher just hit the Dunkin' menu on Oct. 14. The drink starts with Dunkin’s Berry Clementine base, giving it a sweeter, creamier makeover with blueberry flavor and oat milk. It’s topped with bright purple Marshmallow Cold Foam and a pair of edible candy eyes for a full Halloween look.

Designed to fit around the cup, the koozie features purple bat wings that stick out from the sides, essentially giving your drink its very own costume. The bat koozie arrives right in the middle of a packed seasonal rollout at Dunkin', which first started hitting stores on Sept. 30.

SEE ALSO: Starbucks just dropped a Snoopy cup for fall, and yes, I'm taking the bait

The giveaway runs on Friday, Oct. 16, at select Dunkin’ locations while supplies last. Keep in mind that you must buy a Berry Battie Daydream Refresher to get one, as it isn't available as a standalone freebie.

If you want to make sure your iced drink gets its wings, plan to hit the drive-thru or order ahead in the Dunkin' app early on Friday morning before local stores run out.

The difference between Prime Day and Black Friday — their roots, anyway — probably isn't a mystery to anyone who has dabbled in online shopping before.

Most of us know that Black Friday is the big sale frenzy that happens around Thanksgiving as a precursor to the holidays, and that almost every store you can think of participates. Alternatively, the name "Prime Day" suggests that the event is indeed an Amazon-specific event made up by Amazon for members of its Prime subscription service.

The lines between these two shopping holidays also aren't quite as blurred as they are between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which have become pretty indistinguishable from each other due to 1. being just a few days apart on the calendar, and 2. Black Friday relying just as heavily on online shopping as Cyber Monday does.

But back to the question at hand. Most people aren't concerned with the semantics of these shopping holidays. The people just want to know: Does Prime Day or Black Friday have better deals? Let's dig in.

Does Amazon have better deals on Prime Day or Black Friday?

Amazon hypes Prime Day up so much that you can't help but assume those few days in the summer are its Olympics. The retail giant also hosts a 48-hour fall counterpart called "Prime Big Deal Days" in October, which really makes you wonder: It can't possibly have the bandwidth to turn around and do the same damn thing a month later for Black Friday, right?

Jeff Bezos is heard cackling in the distance.

Amazon's price history shows that, in many cases, it goes just as hard for Black Friday as it does for Prime Day. It's not uncommon to plug the Amazon URL for any popular item into the price-tracking site CamelCamelCamel and see a handful of very consistent dips to that item's all-time low pricing — those few instances being in June or July (Prime Day) and the end of November (Black Friday), plus a common third dip in October (Prime Big Deal Days).

SEE ALSO: Walmart vs. Amazon: Who actually has the best deals?

One thing to note: Amazon's Black Friday deals tend to be more accessible than its Prime Day deals, since you don't have to be a paying Prime member to unlock them. (It's the same story for Walmart's Prime Day-esque sale and Black Friday sales, though being a paid Walmart+ member still has its perks, like getting early access to deals.)

In terms of what's on sale, there's a ton of overlap between Prime Day (including Prime Big Deal Days) and Black Friday deals. Robot vacuums, headphones, Apple devices, and kitchen gadgets are likely to get similar treatment at both events, so if you find a stellar deal on one of those items, there's probably no need to hold out until the other event to see if the deal is better then.

Categories that are better to shop on Black Friday

A few categories do play favorites: TVs, laptops, toys, and streaming services.

While you no longer need to wait in line and get in fist fights at 4 a.m. to score doorbuster TV deals like back in the day, the TV discounts still remain epic on Black Friday. Amazon does offer some decent TV deals on Prime Day, particularly on Fire TVs, but Black Friday is the absolute best time to buy a TV.

Best Buy has a much wider selection on its (virtual) shelves at any given time, offering far more premium big-screen options than Amazon. Though Best Buy does hold competing sales during Prime Day, it tends to put on the bigger show during Black Friday. Not to mention, Amazon will often try to price-match Best Buy on the inventory it has.

We see better laptop deals on Black Friday for the same reason. Amazon's selection just isn't as widespread as its competitors, who typically reserve their best offers for the year-end holiday shopping season. It's not just because they know more shoppers are primed to shop at that point: According to Mashable's Haley Henschel, it's also because "manufacturers are trying to offload their inventories ahead of next-gen refreshes" at the start of the following year.

In true nostalgic holiday form, toy deals are much more dramatic during the Black Friday shopping season. Santa isn't made of money, after all. If you're looking to grab a Lego set, board game, Tonies, or other hot-ticket item, you'll likely find a better price on Black Friday. But you'll want to grab these deals quickly, as they often sell out.

Finally, if you're looking to sign up for a streaming service for less (aren't we all?), many of the big ones, like Hulu, Paramount+, and HBO Max, often have Black Friday sales. While many streamers have started to toss their hats in the ring on Prime Day in recent years (typically in the form of Prime Video add-ons), these deals still don't compare to the widespread, long-term discounts we see on streamers during Black Friday. In 2025, for instance, we saw HBO Max on sale for $2.99 per month for 12 months, and the Disney+ and Hulu bundle dropped to $4.99 per month for 12 months.

Swedish television channel TV4 has refuted reports that an AI agent deleted an entire season of a television show mere weeks before it was scheduled to air. Instead, the problem was allegedly caused by human error.

SEE ALSO: JPMorgan Chase blocks outside AI agents, limiting what Muse can do for users

As initially reported by Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet (translated via Google Translate), sources stated that production company Mastiff gave an AI agent access to its servers, enabling it to autonomously delete the entire edited second season of reality show The Challenge Sverige. Based on the U.S. show The Challenge, the Swedish reality series has contestants compete in various challenges in hopes of winning one million kr (around $100,600).

Sources speaking to Aftonbladet stated that the deleted files are unrecoverable, meaning that the season must now be reedited —  a task which reportedly originally took an entire year the first time around. A spokesperson for The Challenge confirmed to Aftonbladet that the files had disappeared, stating that the show's premiere has been delayed from Nov. 22 to some time next year due to the need to reedit.

However, said spokesperson did not confirm AI involvement, saying only that there was a technical breakdown. TV4's program director Mia Lindqvist subsequently denied that AI was responsible for the mishap, telling Aftonbladet in a later statement that the primary problem was that a backup had failed. An investigation by TV4 had found that The Challenge's edited second season had been deleted due to human error, with no AI involved.

Lindqvist did state that AI is now used by the majority of production companies. However, in this case, it apparently was not to blame for the deleted episodes.

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Dark Matter Season 2 is refusing to neglect the multiple versions of its characters.

We already had a very strong standalone episode that tracked the lives of several of the Jasons (Joel Edgerton) who leave their family behind at the end of Season 1, and episode 8 has just delivered more of the same.

This time, we have the backstory to new character Laurel (Margo Martindale), who we met back in episode 7, and an answer to the question of who Charlie saw come through the doorway at the episode's end.

SEE ALSO: The 41 best Apple TV shows, ranked What happens in Dark Matter Season 2, episode 8?

Episode 8 goes back in time, tracking the history of Laurel and her relationship to the box, starting with her saving the life of a version of Amanda (Alice Braga) after she's carried in by another Jason (Edgerton) with a tree branch sticking out of her chest. Laurel, who is something of a paranoid recluse due to the political climate in her world, nurses Amanda back to health, then sends Jason and Amanda on their way. But she's not done helping people.

Soon, she's visited by a version of Leighton (Dayo Okeniyi), who tells her he'd like to make her home a kind of way-station for travellers in need. Blair (Amanda Brugel) is next to visit, and then ultimately Amanda and Jason make another stop when they're running low on vials. First, Amanda decides to stay put in Laurel's world, and then Jason — having given up hope of finding his original family — decides to join her. Like the other Jason in episode 5, he finds his own version of happiness.

Who does Charlie see at Laurel's house?

All of which brings us up to the present day, and Charlie's visit. Episode 7 left us on something of a cliffhanger, with Charlie seeing someone in Laurel's house that made him stop in his tracks.

At the time, based on his reaction, we thought this was likely someone he knew well — and sure enough, it turns out to be the version of his dad that's now living with Amanda in Laurel's world.

In a bittersweet moment the two share a heart-to-heart, with Jason learning what became of his old family before offering his son some advice for his own future.

"Life, it'll take you this way and that way. It'll toss you round. It'll knock your teeth in," says Jason. "But if you choose the genuine real life that you want, you won't need to look back."

Dark Matter Season 2 is streaming on Apple TV, with new episodes dropping every Friday.

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier for those who've been to an NFL game.

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. The sports Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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

Each puzzle features 16 words, and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise 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 before the game ends.

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

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: Rule enforcement

• Green: Announcer sounds

• Blue: NFL fields

• Purple: Cross

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Soccer Referee Decisions After a Foul

• Green: Onomatopoeias

• Blue: First Words in NFL Stadium Names

• Purple: Can Be Preceded by "Cross"

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 #753 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Soccer Referee Decisions After a Foul: ADVANTAGE, CARD, FREE KICK, PENALTY

• Onomatopoeias: BLOOP, CLANK, DOINK, SWISH

• First Words in NFL Stadium Names: BANK, LINCOLN, LUCAS, RAYMOND

• Can Be Preceded by "Cross": BAR, CHECKING, COUNTRY, OVER

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.

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

Released in August 2025, 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 on to 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 with 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 October 15, 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 October 16, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for October 16 Pips

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

Equal (5): Everything in this space must be equal to 5. The answer is 3-5, placed vertically; 5-4, placed vertically.

Equal (4): Everything in this light blue space must be equal to 4. The answer is 5-4, placed vertically; 4-4, placed vertically; 4-6, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (1): Everything in this space must be greater than 1. The answer is 4-6, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for October 16 Pips

Less Than (1): Everything in this space must be less than 1. The answer is 0-1, placed vertically.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 4-2, placed horizontally; 0-1, placed vertically.

Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 4-5, placed vertically.

Greater Than (9): Everything in this space must be greater than 9. The answer is 1-5, placed horizontally; 5-5, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (9): Everything in this space must be greater than 9. The answer is 5-5, placed horizontally; 4-5, placed vertically.

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 1-5, placed horizontally; 0-4, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 0-4, placed horizontally.

Less Than (1): Everything in this space must be less than 1. The answer is 3-0, placed horizontally.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for October 16 Pips

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

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

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

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

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

Not Equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically; 1-4, placed horizontally.

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

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

Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 0-0, placed vertically; 0-3, placed vertically.

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

Greater Than (9): Everything in this space must be greater than 9. The answer is 0-3, placed vertically; 4-3, placed vertically.

Greater Than (8): Everything in this space must be greater than 8. The answer is 3-2, placed vertically; 4-5, placed vertically.

Equal (5): Everything in this space must be equal to 5. The answer is 3-5, placed vertically; 4-5, placed vertically; 5-5, 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vital organ.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

HEART

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Breezy.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for October 16, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

WINDY

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Verdict decider.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for October 16, 2026 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Meanings for each word for Oct. 16, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

JUROR

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Elevated toilet.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

BIDET

Final Hurdle hint

A sheep's call.

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

BLEAT

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

Looking for spoiler-free NYT Connections hints or just wondering why Connections is trending today? We've got what you need to understand the clues for today's puzzle without spoiling any of the answers.

Of course, Mashable has also provided daily hints and answers for Connections, Wordle, and Strands for years, so we can help you if that's also what you need.

While we are focused more on meanings than hints in this story, sometimes learning that many of the words have completely unrelated meanings is a clue in and of itself. Connections frequently includes clues that involve words within words and other visual clues.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for October 16, 2026 Bulgari meaning

A luxurious jewelry retailer.

Cyrus meaning

An Old Persian name meaning sun or throne.

Hungry meaning

Feeling a natural urge or an uncomfortable feeling in the stomach from lack of food.

Span meaning

The physical distance between two points, supports or limits.

Chip meaning

A tiny fragment or flake broken off from a larger object like glass, wood or stone

Mark meaning

A stain, scratch, scar or smudge on a surface.

Nick meaning

A small cut, notch or groove on a surface.

Scratch meaning

To cut, scrape or mark a surface or skin lightly with something sharp, jagged or pointed.

Chicken meaning

A feathered bird, often kept on farms for eggs and meat.

Coolidge meaning

The 30th president of the United States.

Hippo meaning

A large, semi-aquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa.

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

Smarties meaning

Compressed sugar tablet rolls, typically in shades of pink.

Chad meaning

A landlocked country in central Africa.

Hungary meaning

A landlocked country in central Europe, with the capital city of Budapest.

Laos meaning

The only landlocked country in mainland Southeast Asia.

Paraguay meaning

A landlocked South American country.

Have you learned the meanings and still want the things? Check out the hints and answers for today's NYT Connections puzzle.

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

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you're well-traveled.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for October 16, 2026 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Minor flaws

• Green: Inland

• Blue: Across the Atlantic

• Purple: Fashionable

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

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Surface imperfections

• Green: Landlocked countries

• Blue: European countries minus a letter

• Purple: Starting with words for "Stylish"

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 #1223 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Surface imperfections: CHIP, MARK, NICK, SCRATCH

• Landlocked countries: CHAD, HUNGARY, LAOS, PARAGUAY

• European countries minus a letter: BULGARI, CYRUS, HUNGRY, SPAN

• Starting with words for "Stylish": CHICKEN, COOLIDGE, HIPPO, SMARTIES

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

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

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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

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

Today's NYT Strands hints will be easy if you come in a small package.

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for October 16, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Just a little bit

The words are related to size.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe exactly as the hint implies: Really tiny things.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

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

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Lighthouse.

NYT Strands word list for October 16

• Pinpoint

• Molecule

• Small World

• Atom

• Follicle

• Mite

• Amoeba

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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

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

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

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're always up to no good.

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

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for October 16, 2026 Where did Wordle come from?

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

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

What's the best Wordle starting word?

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

What happened to the Wordle archive?

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

Is Wordle getting harder?

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

Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Suspicious.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter S.

The Wordle answer today is...

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

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

SHADY

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

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

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

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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

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