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SAVE $700: Roborock’s RockMow X120H LiDAR robot lawn mower launches with a limited-time discount on Amazon. From July 16 through Aug. 6, it's on sale for $2,499.99 from $3,199.99 — a 22% discount on the company’s premium wire-free mower.

Opens in a new window Credit: Roborock Roborock RockMow X120H $2,499.99 at Amazon
$3,199.99 Save $700   Get Deal

Roborock is launching its newest premium robot lawn mower in the U.S. with a limited-time $700 discount. Roborock's new RockMow X120H LiDAR officially goes on sale in the U.S. from July 16, and early shoppers can grab it on Amazon for $2,499.99 through Aug. 6 before it returns to its $3,199.99 list price.

Designed for lawns up to one acre, this premium robot mower skips perimeter wires by using LiDAR navigation, automatic mapping, AI obstacle avoidance, and four-wheel drive. The goal is simple: less setup, smarter navigation, and fewer weekends spent pushing a mower around the yard.

Unlike other robot mowers that require buried boundary wires, the RockMow X120H LiDAR can map your yard without the extra installation work. It can automatically create a lawn map using its sensors, or you can manually guide it through the Roborock app to set precise boundaries around gardens, pathways, and other tricky areas.

The RockMow X120H LiDAR uses a combination of LiDAR and camera-based navigation to stay on track, even in areas where signals can be tricky, like under trees or near tall fences. It can navigate narrow spaces as small as about 2.3 feet wide, helping it cover more of your yard without getting stuck or losing its way.

Uneven terrain is where many robot mowers struggle, but the RockMow X120H LiDAR is designed to handle slopes up to 45% and small obstacles up to 1.57 inches. Its floating cutting deck adjusts to changes in the ground, helping maintain a more consistent cut across bumpy areas. For cleaner edges along fences and borders, an optional cutting module can add closer trimming precision.

Ready to retire the push mower? Grab the RockMow X120H LiDAR on Amazon for $2,499.99 through Aug. 6.

House of the Dragon Season 3 is here, and you know what that means: It's time to take a climb into the very tangled branches of the Targaryen family tree.

Over the first two seasons of House of the Dragon, some of these branches have been pruned. (RIP to the many Targs who've perished in this bloody show.) However, Season 2 also added its fair share of new offshoots, further complicating the knotted web between Houses Targaryen, Velaryon, and Hightower. Season 3 has complicated it even further, with new deaths and the face reveal of one Daeron Targaryen. If you're looking for a refresher on that web as you head into the second half of Season 3, we've got you covered.

SEE ALSO: 'House of the Dragon' review: Season 3 atones for the sins of Season 2

Below, you'll find the Targaryen family tree as it stands as of House of the Dragon Season 3, episode 4, as well as a rundown of the characters and how they connect.

Credit: Ian Moore / Mashable Which Targaryens have died since Season 2?

There were two key deaths in the Targaryen family in Season 2: one on the Greens' side and one on the Blacks'.

Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen's (Emma D'Arcy) camp lost Princess Rhaenys (Eve Best), also known as the Queen Who Never Was. Meanwhile, King Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney) and Queen Helaena (Phia Saban) lost their young son Jaehaerys when gold cloak Blood (Sam C. Wilson) and rat catcher Cheese (Mark Stobbart) assassinated him on Prince Daemon's (Matt Smith) orders.

There are still plenty of Targaryens left standing, though. Here's who to watch out for in Season 3.

Featured Video For You 'House of the Dragon': Everything you need to know in 2 minutes The Targaryen family tree: Rhaenyra, Daemon, and their children Matt Smith, Phoebe Campbell, Emma D'Arcy, Harry Collett, and Bethany Antonia in "House of the Dragon." Credit: Composite: Mashable / Images: HBO

Rhaenyra heads up the Team Black branch of the Targaryen family tree, with her husband/uncle Daemon by her side. (It was touch and go for a minute in Season 2, but after a life-changing study abroad trip to Harrenhal, complete with witches and visions, Daemon is finally ready to accept Rhaenyra as his queen.)

Their two young sons, Aegon and Viserys, are on their way to Pentos for protection after a brief pit stop in the Vale. However, Rhaenyra and Daemon's children from their prior marriages are still in Westeros and locked in on Rhaenyra's fight for the throne.

SEE ALSO: 'House of the Dragon' cut a fan favorite book character. But is that a bad thing?

Rhaenyra's son Jacaerys (Harry Collett) and Daemon's daughter Baela (Bethany Antonia) are both dragonriders. Daemon's other daughter, Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell), doesn't have a dragon, which is why she was sent off as Aegon and Viserys' guardian. However, when they went to Pentos, she remained behind in the Vale, hoping to tame its wild dragon Sheepstealer. As of Season 3, she's successfully claimed Sheepstealer, but at a cost: He went rogue during the Battle of the Gullet, and his interference helped lead to Jace's tragic death. Now, Rhaenyra wants Sheepstealer's rider's head, and only Daemon and Lady Jeyne Arryn (Amanda Collin) know the truth of her identity.

The Targaryen family tree: Alicent Hightower and her children Tom Glynn-Carney, Olivia Cooke, Phia Saban, and Ewan Mitchell in "House of the Dragon." Credit: Composite: Mashable / Images: HBO

Dowager Queen Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) remains the matriarch of Team Green, although she's growing increasingly regretful about her role in the war for succession. (So regretful, in fact, that she's offered to surrender the Iron Throne to Rhaenyra.) She had four children with the late King Viserys (Paddy Considine).

The eldest, Aegon, remains King of Westeros. His younger brother Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) attempted to kill him in a dragon dogfight at the Battle of Rook's Rest, and once Aegon recovered from his worst injuries, he fled King's Landing with the help of Larys Strong (Matthew Needham). Now Aemond is Prince Regent, and Alicent is trying her best to get herself and her daughter Helaena out of harm's way.

Alicent's youngest son Daeron (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) makes his official House of the Dragon debut in Season 3, episode 4, although he's been hiding in plain sight since the Season 3 premiere. He's a ward of House Hightower and squire to Lord Ormund Hightower (James Norton), who's engineering his own plot — involving a fake Daeron — to place him on the throne.

SEE ALSO: 'House of the Dragon' pulls a Daeron Targaryen switcheroo that isn't in 'Fire and Blood' The Hightower family tree: Otto, Gwayne, and Ormund James Norton, Olivia Cooke, Rhys Ifans, and Freddie Fox in "House of the Dragon." Credit: Composite: Mashable / Images: HBO

In addition to Alicent, the rest of House Hightower continues to be a major player in House of the Dragon. Her father, Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), former hand of the King, was the first Green loyalist to be executed under Rhaenyra's reign. Elsewhere, Alicent's brother Gwayne (Freddie Fox) has been traipsing around the Seven Kingdoms with Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), a nightmare we wouldn't wish on even our worst enemies.

House of the Dragon Season 3 also introduces a new member of the Hightower family: Lord Ormund, head of House Hightower. His late father Hobert (Steffan Rhodri) was Otto's oldest brother, making Ormund Alicent and Gwayne's cousin.

SEE ALSO: 'House of the Dragon's Ormund Hightower cooks up a villainous plan that isn't in the book The Velaryon family tree: Corlys and his sons Alyn and Addam Steve Toussaint, Abubakar Salim, and Clinton Liberty in "House of the Dragon." Credit: Composite: Mashable / Images: HBO

Rhaenyra's Hand is Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint), also known as the Sea Snake due to his naval prowess. Over the course of House of the Dragon, he's lost his wife Rhaenys, as well as their children Laena (Nanna Blondell) and Laenor (John Macmillan).

However, Season 2 revealed that Laena and Laenor weren't Corlys' only descendants. He also has two bastard sons, Alyn of Hull (Abubakar Salim) and Addam of Hull (Clinton Liberty). Their mother Marilda, unseen in the show, was a shipwright. House of the Dragon primarily refers to Marilda in the past tense, implying she is dead, hence why she's greyed out in our family tree. However, by this point in Fire and Blood, she is still alive.

While Corlys didn't truly acknowledge Alyn and Addam prior to Season 2, the pair are now a much more prominent part of his life — and the show. Alyn is a notable sailor in Corlys' fleet, and Addam became a dragonrider. Thanks to his Valyrian blood, he now rides Seasmoke, Laenor's old dragon.

The dragonseeds: Addam, Ulf the White, and Hugh Hammer Kieran Bew, Tom Bennett, and Clinton Liberty in "House of the Dragon." Credit: Composite: Mashable / Images: HBO

Addam isn't the only new dragonrider to join Rhaenyra's ranks in Season 2. Smallfolk Ulf the White (Tom Bennett) and Hugh Hammer (Kieran Bew) also claimed dragons. Ulf rides Silverwing, the dragon of Rhaenyra's grandmother Alysanne, while Hugh rides Vermithor, the dragon of Rhaenyra's grandfather Jaehaerys. The pair, like Addam, are bastards of Valyrian blood, earning them the nickname of "dragonseeds." While they haven't been legitimized as Targaryens, they will certainly have a large role to play in the battles to come.

House of the Dragon Season 3 premieres June 21 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max, with a new episode every Sunday.

UPDATE: Jul. 12, 2026, 10:00 p.m. EDT This article has been updated to reflect the events of the first four episodes of Season 3.

UPDATE: Jun. 26, 2026, 4:02 p.m. EDT A previous version of the family tree did not show Rhaenys, Hobert, or Marilda as deceased the way they are in the show. It has since been updated.

SAVE $400: As of July 16, the ASUS ROG Swift 32-inch gaming monitor is down to $899 at Amazon. That's a 31% discount from its $1,299.99 list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Asus ASUS ROG Swift 32-Inch 4K OLED Gaming Monitor (PG32UCDMR) $899 at Amazon
$1,299.99 Save $400.99   Get Deal

The ASUS ROG Swift 32-inch 4K OLED gaming monitor is back at its record-low price at Amazon, dropping to $899 from $1,299.99. That’s a $400 discount, or 31% off one of ASUS’s premium gaming displays. This deal brings its QD-OLED panel, ultra-fast 240Hz refresh rate, and 0.03ms response time to a much more approachable price.

The ASUS ROG Swift 32-inch gaming monitor is built around a 4K QD-OLED panel that delivers sharper visuals, deeper blacks, and more vibrant colors than a typical LCD display. With a 240Hz refresh rate and ultra-fast 0.03ms response time, it’s designed for fast-paced games where smoother motion and quick reactions matter.

SEE ALSO: The gaming deals to level up this Prime Day: Switch 2 bundles, Asus gaming laptops, Samsung monitors on sale

This monitor isn’t just for gaming. ASUS says it covers 99% of the DCI-P3 color range and supports true 10-bit color, making it a solid option for photo editing, video work, and other creative tasks where accurate colors matter. It also supports HDR with deeper contrast and brighter highlights for more realistic-looking scenes.

ASUS has also built in features to help the OLED panel stay in top shape over time. A custom cooling system with improved airflow and graphene film helps manage heat, while OLED Care tools work in the background to reduce the risk of burn-in.

Your GPU deserves better. Give it an ASUS ROG Swift 32-inch 4K OLED gaming monitor for $899.

If you've grabbed drinks with any single friend lately or scrolled through TikTok, you know the general consensus: dating apps are exhausting. App fatigue is very real, and it makes finding a genuine connection online feel like a second full-time job. As someone who's been testing and reviewing dating apps for years, I get asked one question over and over: Which dating apps actually work?

My answer is always the same: The only real "hack" is choosing the right app for what you actually want. Someone on eharmony is looking for a ring, while users on hookup apps like Tinder are... well, you know what they're looking for. You can't bring casual energy to a serious platform and expect good results, and vice versa.

"Dating apps can feel overwhelming because there are so many of them, but the truth is the platform matters a lot less than the mindset you bring to it," Davide De Pierro, author of The Letters I Never Sent, tells Mashable. "You can download all of them if you want, but eventually you still have to show up as yourself, which is the scary part, but also the freeing part. Because once you do that, you don’t have to keep track of which version of yourself you’re pretending to be. If you’re honest about who you are and what you want, the right connection can happen anywhere."

So, before you delete your profiles and swear off romance forever, take a breath. Despite the burnout, dating apps are still one of the most reliable ways to meet a partner. A 2025 SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus found that 65 percent of people aged 18 to 29 have used a dating app, and a 2023 Pew Research Center report found that one in five young people met their significant other on one.

You just need the right tool. That's why I swiped, matched, and messaged my way through dozens of platforms to find the best dating apps of 2026. Whether you're looking for a serious commitment or just a casual weekend fling, these are the only apps worth downloading this year.

If you need even more personalized advice, check out our guides to the best dating apps for men, women, and the LGBTQ community.

The dating apps I'd skip (and why)

You'll probably notice a few popular apps are missing from my list. That’s intentional. Part of my job is to filter out the platforms that aren't worth your time, money, or sanity. An app doesn't get my recommendation just because it's well-known — it has to be effective and safe.

Here are a few popular dating apps I'd skip:

• Plenty of Fish (POF): I know this one shows up on a lot of lists, but in my opinion, it's a dating app ghost town. POF launched as a dating site back in 2003, and it shows. In my experience (and based on widespread user feedback), the platform is filled with bots and scams, and the odds of finding a quality connection are stacked against you. Unless you enjoy sifting through fake profiles, I think your time is better spent elsewhere.

• Raya: Raya is basically the Soho House of dating apps. It's exclusive, expensive, and not for the average person. You have to fill out an application to use it, and the vetting process can take anywhere from a few days to a few years. While it might be great for networking or bagging an influencer, it's just not a practical recommendation for most people who are simply looking for a date. (See also: The League.)

• Niche "hookup" sites (like BeNaughty, Fling, etc.): There's a chance you've seen ads for sites like these, which promise quick, no-strings-attached fun. Based on my research and countless user reviews, I'd advise you to steer clear. These platforms are notorious for being overrun with bots and having questionable billing practices, with users reporting unexpected and hard-to-cancel subscription charges.

SAVE $140: As of July 16, the Breville Barista Express is on sale for $549.95 at Amazon. That's a 20% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Breville Breville Barista Express $549.95 at Amazon
$689.99 Save $140.04   Get Deal

If your morning cup of coffee is more than just a shot of caffeine to get you through the day, investing in a quality coffee machine can make all the difference.

From perfectly pulled espressos to milky drinks that have been foamed to perfection, a good machine can help you recreate barista-quality drinks at home. And that's exactly what you get with the Breville Barista Express. It's an impressive machine with a built-in grinder and steam wand, and it's currently on sale for $549.95. There's even different colors to choose from, so it can blend in with your kitchen aesthetics. Pick from stainless steel, black sesame, or black truffle.

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We weren't kidding when we said this machine makes barista-quality drinks: from bean to pour it is meticulously planned. It has an integrated conical burr grinder that gives you freshly ground coffee directly into the portafilter, and the adjustable grind size dial lets you fine-tune each shot to suit your preferred beans. It also has a low-pressure pre-infusion and precise PID temperature control to help make sure each espresso is balanced and flavorful.

Plus, it comes with a range of barista accessories, including a stainless steel milk jug, tamper, filter baskets, and cleaning tools, so you can start brewing coffee as soon as it arrives.

Get this espresso machine deal at Amazon now.

UPDATE: Jul. 16, 2026, 5:00 a.m. EDT After a four-day delay, Tiny Vinyl's new record player and accessories are now available for purchase at Target (both in stores and online). A representative for the company attributed the wait to "typical site updating processes." Our original story follows.

Shop Tiny Vinyl's new accessories: Tiny Vinyl Player $49.99 at Target Shop Now Tiny Vinyl Crate $19.99 at Target Shop Now Tiny Vinyl 2x2 Frame $14.99 at Target Shop Now

The miniature record maker Tiny Vinyl has announced some tiny accessories for its pocket-sized singles, including a new Tiny Vinyl Player ($49.99), storage crate ($19.99), and display frame ($14.99). The lineup is available exclusively at Target starting today, July 12.

Tiny Vinyl debuted last August as a new way for music lovers to enjoy some of their favorite artists' singles in physical format. (For my fellow Millennials out there, they're basically a new take on HitClips.) Each four-inch, fully functional Tiny Vinyl record has one song per side and is numbered, making them highly collectible. The current Tiny Vinyl catalog features releases from several dozen artists, including BTS, Chappell Roan, Doechii, Kid Cudi, Noah Kahan, and Zara Larsson.

In a press release, Tiny Vinyl co-founder Neil Kohler said the company's new accessories are a direct response to fan requests. Co-founder Jesse Mann added: "These new products give music fans and collectors everything they need to build out their own little Tiny Vinyl universe, a setup as fun and personal as the music they love."

Hands-on with Tiny Vinyl's new player and accessories Tiny Viny's new accessories range in price from $15 to $50. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

Tiny Vinyl records are playable on many standard turntables at 33 1/3 RPM, making the Tiny Vinyl Player an inessential novelty purchase for most adults who are already into the vinyl-collecting hobby. I think it has much more appeal as a "baby's first record player" that parents buy for their kids. My younger self would've had her American Girl Dolls DJing with it. (American Girl actually sells a toy turntable for the same price already, but it's not functional.)

The player is a manual belt-drive turntable in a box with a faux leather exterior. It's about the size of a loaf of bread. Inside, there's a small storage pocket, a simple control panel, and built-in speakers. It has Bluetooth support if you'd prefer to pair it with a nicer wireless speaker or headphones instead. You can also plug in a wired speaker on the back.

The storage pocket can comfortably fit about six Tiny Vinyl records — preferably, ones you're not precious about. When the player's lid is shut, it hits the corners of their gatefolds unless they're pushed to the back of the pocket.

They are, indeed, tiny vinyl. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The player's control panel features a power button, an audio output selector with an LED indicator light, and a volume slider. When it's on, its silicon platter doesn't start spinning until you unlock its plastic tonearm, raise it with its cue lever, and move it over the platter. The tonearm and its lock are a little delicate; those are the only parts I'd be worried about a child accidentally breaking.

Tiny Vinyl sent me three different mini-records to test on the player. It offers the kind of audio quality you'd expect for $50: pretty tinny, muffled, and a little distorted. (I also played the records on my regular turntable for comparison's sake, and they sounded 10 times better.) On the upside, I couldn't hear the player's interior mechanisms at all when it was on — it runs really quietly.

The Tiny Vinyl Player supports Bluetooth and wired speakers. (That blue indicator light means it's paired with my JBL Charge 5.) Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The Tiny Vinyl Player comes with a USB cord and power adapter. A company representative told me that it should only be plugged into an outlet, as hooking it up to a laptop or another device with a USB port won't give it enough juice to work.

The Tiny Vinyl Crate can hold up to 30 Tiny Vinyl records. It has the same pebbled pleather finish as the player and is designed to sit beneath it. There are four indents on its surface where the player's feet are supposed to go.

The Tiny Vinyl Storage Crate can hold up to 30 mini-records. (I only had three on hand.) Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

Tiny Vinyl's new 2x2 Frame is meant to showcase your four favorite Tiny Vinyl covers. Its build quality is also on par for the price: It's made with MDF (medium-density fiberboard) and an acrylic pane. Right out of the box, my initial review unit was splitting in several spots and had dried adhesive on some of its corners. (Update: It was probably a pre-production fluke. Tiny Viny's rep sent over two replacements that were both in perfect condition.)

The display frame comes with four clear plastic sleeves bearing the Tiny Vinyl logo. The company rep confirmed that these are made from polypropylene, which won't damage your records with off-gassing over time like polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sleeves.

Vinyl is back in a not-tiny way Tiny Vinyl records work on many standard turntables. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The press release noted that Tiny Vinyl's inception was motivated by two recent trends: miniature collecting and vinyl collecting. The former gained popularity amid the COVID-19 pandemic, largely thanks to videos of miniature builds on social media. They tap into viewers' desire for control, fascination with craft, and penchant for the adorable, experts told NPR last spring.

The vinyl revival, meanwhile, has been brewing for nearly two decades now. According to a report from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), U.S. vinyl sales have seen 19 years of consecutive growth. Last year, they hit $1 billion in revenue for the first time. (That's not even counting pre-owned vinyl.) Call it the Taylor Swift effect: The singer-songwriter's 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, sold over 1.6 million copies on vinyl last year, per a report from Luminate, an entertainment industry analytics company. That's 5.5 times as many units as the second-bestselling vinyl release of 2025, Sabrina Carpenter's Man's Best Friend, which sold 292,000 copies.

There are several factors behind the vinyl resurgence, two being mere nostalgia and consumers' growing interest in owning physical media. Another is because popular artists like Swift (and their labels) are embracing the format alongside their fans.

In recent years, this has increasingly involved a strategy of releasing multiple vinyl variants of the same album as a means of driving sales, according to another Luminate report. These special, often limited-edition pressings boost the collectible factor and fuel fan FOMO. (For her part, Swift released 11 different vinyl variants of TLOAS, including nine webstore exclusives that were only available for a short time.) Tiny Vinyl records, which are chart-eligible with the RIAA and Billboard, are yet more variants to hunt down.

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked is right around the corner, with the event scheduled for July 22 in London. This means that we will soon have all of the official details surrounding Samsung's next generation of foldable smartphones, like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the Galaxy Z Flip 8.

One of the big questions remaining amid the steady stream of rumors and leaks: How much will the Z Fold 8 and Flip 8 cost? And will they arrive with price increases, like so many other recent product launches?

Unfortunately, it seems very likely that the global RAM shortages affecting the entire tech industry will also affect Samsung's pricing for its new mobile devices.

South Korean outlet SEDaily reports that the Galaxy Z Fold 8 256GB base model will likely go on sale at launch for $2,199, a $100 price increase over its predecessor, the Galaxy Z Fold 7. The outlet also reported that the new Galaxy Z Fold Ultra Wide model, which matches the rumored specs of the unreleased iPhone Ultra Fold, will start at $1,899.99, also with 256GB.

SEE ALSO: Leaked Google Pixel 11 Amazon listings reveal starting price increases and new colors

As for the Samsung Z Flip 8, consumers could also face a roughly $100 price increase for the base model when compared to its predecessor as well. According to leaker Lanzuk (as reported by Phone Arena), the Flip 8 may launch with a starting price of $1,199. The Flip 7 with 256GB of storage launched at $1,099 in July 2025.

Earlier this year, Samsung already set price hikes in motion when it raised the price on its new Galaxy S26 line of smartphones when compared to its predecessors. The Galaxy S25, for example, launched at $799, whereas the Galaxy S26 made its debut at $899, or a $100 increase. The company also effectively raised the starting prices on the S26 Plus and S26 Ultra by $100 by eliminating lower-storage configurations of the phone, a move we've also seen from Apple. Samsung also eliminated a long-standing promotion that let customers who pre-ordered new phones get double the storage at no extra cost.

The global RAM shortage spurred by the AI boom has left the wider tech industry scrambling to meet demand for products ranging from laptops to smartphones to gaming consoles. Dubbed RAMageddon, the memory crisis has led to widespread price increases across the tech industry, and as we've reported previously, the problem is likely to get worse before it gets better.

We'll find out next week. Mashable will be attending the Galaxy Unpacked event in London, so check back for our live coverage of all the announcements.

After a bruising attempt in May, SpaceX will push new engine fixes, a revised flip maneuver, and fresh heat-shield experiments on its 13th test flight of Starship.

This time, engineers want the rocket booster to separate cleanly from the ship in the air, swing around the right way, fire its engines again, and splash down gently in the Gulf of Mexico. They've changed how engines light and tweaked the landing sequence, which plops the ship into the Indian Ocean. The modifications follow the 12th flight's botched flip and several engine restarting failures.

Starship also has a new job: carrying 20 real satellites as opposed to dummies. The payload includes Starlink V3 internet satellites, some of which are wired with cameras and sensors to monitor the rocket's heat shield during its fall back to Earth. 

The launch, which could occur Thursday, July 16, is the latest step in SpaceX's long campaign to turn the most powerful rocket ever built from a spectacular one‑off into a reusable workhorse — one that can haul heavy cargo into space, survive the fiery plunge home, support NASA's moon landings, and eventually execute Elon Musk's Mars ambitions.

"The thing that separates us from a lot of other companies is that we test fast and we test often, and that includes launches," said Tim Southerton, director of Starship launch engineering, in SpaceX's latest mini documentary. "We want to make sure the vehicle's all ready to go. We want to make sure the ground's all ready to go, but we also don't want to be caught in analysis paralysis."

SEE ALSO: Astronomers find a needle in a haystack 18,000 light-years away

SpaceX says it will stream the South Texas launch on its website and X, the social media platform owned by Musk. The broadcast is expected to start about 30 minutes before liftoff, which could happen as early as 5:45 p.m. CT.

As always with Starship, the schedule is more of a moving target than a promise. Weather, high winds, boats drifting into the safety zone, or a finicky valve could pause the countdown. 

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But once it gets off the ground, Starship will try to behave more like a future deep‑space ship. It will deploy its satellites, then attempt to restart a single engine while coasting, a skill SpaceX says it will need for future missions that change course or head to the moon. 

The satellites themselves are not meant to last. They will follow Starship's short arc through space and burn up in the atmosphere about 20 minutes after they separate.

While waiting for ignition, viewers can watch SpaceX's short documentary, called "Critical Path," below. The film follows engineers and pad crews through the final days before the previous flight, which included aborted countdowns, an arm that refused to retract, and even a massive tower chain that snapped and had to be replaced in roughly 1.5 days. 

During the film, Musk appears in the firing room, peering at consoles over shoulders, but speaks little. Justin Styer, the company's senior Starship launch director, says the founder is "actually" good at quickly absorbing information and understanding the stakes. 

"I personally have never felt any pressure from Elon of like, 'It doesn't matter, hell or high water, we're flying this rocket.' Like, absolutely not. That's not his style," Styer said. "And, like I said, the critical path to Mars is not blowing up rockets."

If you want to see Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey the way he intends it to be seen, you're going to want to see it in IMAX. But if you're looking at that price tag and the amount of sold-out sessions, there are a few things to know.

Based on Homer's epic poem, Nolan's new star-studded fantasy adventure is two hours and 52 minutes' worth of otherworldly oceanic struggle, strange mythical monsters, and brutal battles, as Odysseus (Matt Damon), king of Ithaca, tries to get his men home after the Trojan War.

SEE ALSO: 'The Odyssey' sails into rave reviews and online backlash

Here's what to know before forking out for big screen tickets.

The Odyssey is the first movie entirely filmed on IMAX 1570 cameras. Matt Damon and Zendaya filming "The Odyssey." Credit: Melinda Sue Gordon / Universal Pictures

It's a first. The Odyssey is the first feature film ever shot entirely on IMAX 1570 cameras, the highest resolution film in the game. Nolan has long loved this format, shooting sequences on these colossal cameras for Oppenheimer, Tenet, Dunkirk, Interstellar, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises. But The Odyssey is completely shot on 1570s, which means Nolan and director of photography Hoyte van Hoytema set sail through a laborious shoot.

IMAX 1570 cameras are behemoths, weighing up to 270 kilograms, needing at least five people to lift around the set onto dollies, and they constantly have to be changed — according to the Guardian, The Odyssey film reels had to be reloaded every three minutes on set. And with all that mechanical engineering, they're also loud, which means filming actors' dialogue up close can be tricky.

To fix this, The Odyssey production team tasked IMAX with developing a special 65-millimetre camera called the "Keighley," which is equipped with camera-muffling housing called a "blimp." You can see it in action below:

All this is to say that you should watch The Odyssey in IMAX to fully appreciate the sheer technological feat.

IMAX tickets to The Odyssey are expensive and hard to get. Anne Hathaway and Tom Holland in "The Odyssey." Credit: Melinda Sue Gordon / Universal Pictures

Now, getting tickets is another thing.

First things first, IMAX tickets are not cheap. Ranging between $18 and $33 in the U.S. depending on the cinema, they're obviously more expensive than a regular session.

Secondly, IMAX tickets have flown out of the U.S. box office for The Odyssey, with most opening sessions sold out or close to it. Cinemas are even adding 1 a.m. screenings in some cities to meet demand. The Odyssey is predicted to earn an opening $85 million to $100 million domestic at the box office, per Variety, with global numbers sending the figure to $200 million. So, good luck.

This is the image you'll see for many of "The Odyssey" first week IMAX sessions. Credit: Fandango / Mashable screenshot.

In London, the film broke the BFI IMAX record with $1 million in ticket sales in 24 hours, and the cinema's been sold out for weeks.

I was lucky to see The Odyssey at the press screening at BFI IMAX in London, and it was nothing short of immersive. In any IMAX venue, make sure you get a seat in the middle or higher in the auditorium for a better eye level, as the screen can feel warped and engulfing the further down you sit. As for the seats on the sides, they're not great.

The Odyssey is epic in every way in IMAX. Watching the Sack of Troy on a massive screen is brutal. Credit: Melinda Sue Gordon / Universal Pictures

But if you're looking for one major reason to justify the ticket price and perhaps a wait to see The Odyssey in IMAX, consider the scale of the whole thing. Chaotic battle scenes in Troy, furiously edited by Jennifer Lame and shot up close by van Hoytema, feel unrelenting and first-hand. The key moments in Odysseus' journey, such as his terrifying meeting with cyclops Polyphemus (Bill Irwin), feel extraordinary and all-encompassing, with the dark maw of the creature's cave overwhelming the audience as much as it does Odysseus' men.

Another reason is sound. The Odyssey re-recording mixers Gary A. Rizzo and Kevin O'Connell, supervising sound editor Craig Henighan, production sound mixer Willie D. Burton, the superb foley team, and composer Ludwig Göransson throw an armada of audio at you over the film's nearly three-hour runtime. You're going to want to hear every creak of the ship, every visceral sword attack, every slurp of stew, every booming drum and harmonious horn turned up to 11 in that IMAX theatre. If you have sensitive hearing, bring your earplugs.

In summary, it's worth it, if you can get a seat.

The Odyssey hits theaters July 17, including IMAX.

TL;DR: Microsoft Office Home & Business 2021 is on sale for $42.97 (reg. $219), a lifetime license with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and OneNote.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Office Home & Business for Mac 2021: Lifetime License $42.97
$219 Save $176.03   Get Deal

At some point, “buying” software turned into “renting” it, and most of us just went along with it. Every app wants a monthly cut now, even the ones you’ve had installed since college. Microsoft Office Home & Business 2021 is one of the holdouts. Its lifetime license is on sale for $42.97 (regularly $219), and it works on Mac or Windows.

Office doesn’t really need an introduction at this point. Most people were opening Word docs and building Excel spreadsheets long before “cloud-based” and “browser app” entered the vocabulary. This deal lets you install the full suite on one device and use it indefinitely, at home or at work, without a monthly charge, an annual price bump, or a renewal email showing up right when you forgot to cancel.

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The license covers the apps people actually open every day: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and OneNote. That’s the full desktop version of each, not a trimmed-down web app, which matters once you’re deep into a long document, a spreadsheet with more tabs than you’d like to admit, or a deck due in an hour.

Purchase it and your license key and download link show up right away, so there’s no waiting around before you can start using it. Microsoft also backs it with lifetime customer support if installation or setup gives you trouble.

Rather than adding one more line item to your monthly subscriptions, this is a single purchase for software you’ll likely still be using years from now.

Right now, you can pick up Microsoft Office Home & Business 2021 for Mac or Windows for $42.97 (reg. $219) before the offer ends July 19.

TL;DR: A Costco Gold Star Membership costs $65 a year. New members who enroll in auto-renewal can receive a $50 Digital Costco Shop Card* after sign-up.

Opens in a new window Credit: Costco Costco 1-Year Gold Star Membership + a $50 Digital Costco Shop Card $65
  Get Deal

A Costco Gold Star Membership can help households manage everyday costs, particularly on groceries and gasoline. Members shop at more than 500 warehouses across the U.S., along with Costco.com, and gain access to Kirkland Signature™ products alongside brand-name products across grocery, home, and technology categories.

Credit: Costco 1-Year Gold Star Membership + a $50 Digital Costco Shop Card

New Gold Star Members who enroll in auto renewal can receive a $50 Digital Costco Shop Card* after sign-up. A Costco Gold Star Membership costs $65 a year.

A Costco Gold Star Membership includes:

• Shopping at Costco warehouses and Costco.com

• Kirkland Signature™ products across grocery, home, and other categories

• Member pricing at the Costco Gas Station

• Access to Costco Optical and Costco Pharmacy

• One free Affiliate Card for an individual age 18 or older living at your address

This promotion may be available to new members, or to members whose accounts (Primary and Affiliate) have been expired for at least 18 months. It is not valid for renewal or upgrade of an existing membership. Members must provide a valid email address at sign-up and enroll in auto renewal to receive the Digital Costco Shop Card*, which is emailed within two weeks after enrollment.

Join as a new Gold Star Member and enroll in auto renewal to receive a $50 Digital Costco Shop Card.

Looking for something great to watch at home? Streaming subscribers are spoiled for choice between Hulu, Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, Apple TV, Prime Video, Shudder, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. And that's before you even look at the vast libraries of movies and television programs within each streamer!

Don't be overwhelmed or waste an hour scrolling through your services to determine what to watch. We've got your back, whatever your mood. Mashable offers watch guides for all of the above, broken down by genre: comedy, thriller, horror, documentary, and animation, among others. But if you're seeking something brand new (or just new to streaming), we've got you covered there, too.

13. The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On, Season 4

A staple of Netflix's vast dating show catalogue, The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On returns this week to wreak more havoc on couples who are definitely ready to make lifelong commitments to one another. Each couple has one person who wants to get married and another who has cold feet. Instead of encouraging healthy communication to get to the bottom of this conflict, the show has another idea: Get the couples to explore potential "married" lives with other members of the cast. As always, brace yourself for maximum drama, minimum confidence in the current dating scene. — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter

Starring: Nick Lachey and Vanessa Lachey

How to watch: The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On Season 4 is now on Netflix.

12. The Real Wolf of Wall Street

In 2013, Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio turned the 2007 memoir of stockbroker turned convicted fraud Jordan Belfort into the hilarious The Wolf of Wall Street. Now, this new documentary on Paramount+ explores what Scorsese got right, and where the real story was stranger than fiction.

Through archival interviews, never-before-seen footage, thousands of internal FBI documents, and new interviews with Belfort's circle — including his ex-wife, Nadine Caridi — The Real Wolf of Wall Street explores the bizarre story of great fortune, great misfortune, fucking around, and finding out. — Kristy Puchko, Entertainment Editor

How to watch: The Real Wolf of Wall Street is now streaming on Paramount+.

11. Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro

Any Dancing with the Stars fan will tell you that the show is as much about its professional dancers as the stars they're paired with. Now, the pros take the solo spotlight in new spin-off Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro, an elimination series about finding the next pro to add to the main show's troupe. Hosted by Dancing with the Stars Season 34 winner Robert Irwin and judged by Mark Ballas and Shirley Ballas, The Next Pro is sure to satisfy Dancing with the Stars fans' desire for glitzy ballroom in the wait for Season 35. — B.E.

Starring: Robert Irwin, Mark Ballas, and Shirley Ballas

How to watch: Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro began airing on Disney+ on July 14.

10. Scott Peterson: The New Evidence

When Laci Peterson went missing in December of 2002, national news locked onto the story. She was young, pregnant, and gone. Her husband, Scott Peterson, was soon a person of interest, especially once his extramarital affair was revealed. In 2004, he was convicted of first-degree murder for Laci's death, and second-degree murder for the death of their unborn child. So, what's left to understand about this story? Well, what if Scott Peterson is innocent?

In 2024, the L.A. Innocence Project, a nonprofit legal advocacy group, began petitioning for DNA testing in the Peterson case. Could this change our understanding of what happened to Laci? Could it change Scott's fate? A&E is airing this four-hour, two-part documentary, Scott Peterson: The New Evidence, to explore these questions. — K.P.

How to watch: Scott Peterson: The New Evidence premieres July 16 at 9 p.m. ET/PT and July 17 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on A&E.

9. The East Palace

If you're looking for something that's a little bit Alchemy of Souls, a little bit The Witcher, and a lot historical K-drama with a potential enemies-to-lovers situation, The East Palace is for you. Directed by Choi Jung-kyu, this South Korean fantasy horror series sees Twenty-Five Twenty-One's Nam Joo-hyuk as Gu-cheon, a reluctant spirit hunter who is dragged to the royal palace to sort out its ghosts, becoming a feng shui master. Here, he's helped by court lady Saeng-gang (Our Blues' Roh Yoon-seo), who has a few secrets of her own. There's plenty of ghost-busting, ritual, and flirty banter afoot, with some genuinely scary sequences. — Shannon Connellan, Senior Editor

Starring: Nam Joo-hyuk, Roh Yoon-seo, and Cho Seung-woo

How to watch: The East Palace debuts on July 17 on Netflix.

8. They Fight

Want some hard-hitting drama? Hulu's got you, thanks to the sports drama They Fight.

Moonlight's André Holland stars as a formerly incarcerated man named Walt Manigan, who seeks his second chance by coaching a motley crew of boys in boxing. Their goal is the National Championship. But along the way, Manigan will try to find other victories, like reconnecting to his family and rediscovering himself. — K.P.

Starring: André Holland, Wendell Pierce, Samira Wiley, Anthony B. Jenkins, Toussaint Francois Battiste, and Mykelti Williamson

How to watch: They Fight premieres on Hulu on July 17.

7. Ride or Die

Octavia Spencer and Hannah Waddingham team up for action-comedy Ride or Die, in which they play longtime BFFs Debbie (Spencer) and Judith (Waddingham). After spending so many years as friends, you'd think they'd know everything about one another, right? Wrong. To Debbie's surprise, Judith is an international assassin. And after a hit goes wrong, she's on the run, with Debbie in tow. Can their bond survive this massive reveal, not to mention the trained killers hunting them down? Either way, get ready to watch Waddingham's Judith kick butt and see Spencer's Debbie learn to embrace her inner badass. — B.E.

Starring: Octavia Spencer, Hannah Waddingham, and Bill Nighy

How to watch: Ride or Die is now streaming on Prime Video.

6. The Hawk

If I had a nickel every time a streaming service put out a comedy about a washed-up golfer trying to regain his former glory, I'd have two nickels. The first example of these golf-coms is Apple TV's 2025 Owen Wilson-led Stick, and the latest is Netflix's Will Ferrell-fronted The Hawk. Ferrell plays Lonnie "The Hawk" Hawkins, a former top-ranked golfer whose career has since gone down the drain. But as his son Lance (Jimmy Tatro) rises in the PGA rankings, Lonnie takes one last swing at the tour and at winning a career grand slam.

The Hawk goes big and broad, with its ensemble cast — which also includes Molly Shannon and Fortune Feimster — making the most of its gross-out, slapstick comedy. But the show tends to be too mean for its own good, and its attempts at redemption, when they come, mostly fall flat. — B.E.

Starring: Will Ferrell, Molly Shannon, Jimmy Tatro, Fortune Feimster, Chris Parnell, Katelyn Tarver, Gabriel Hogan, Luke Wilson, and Aida Osman

How to watch: The Hawk is now streaming on Netflix.

5. Lucky

Anya Taylor-Joy embraces her inner con woman in Apple TV's new limited series Lucky. Based on the novel by Marissa Stapley, the show introduces Lucky Armstrong (Taylor-Joy), a young woman who's just pulled off a $10 million heist with her husband, Cary (Drew Starkey). But when the heist goes awry and Lucky is left holding the (very empty) bag, she'll have to scramble to outrun the FBI and the dangerous mob bosses on her tail.

Lucky's many escape plans and cons are thrilling to take in, but the rest of the show's broader criminal conspiracy lacks the same spark. As I wrote in my review, "[Lucky's] conclusions and twists along the way are fairly predictable, but it offers up some slick summer fun in the meantime. When you're done, though, Lucky's impact is like that of a good con man: gone before you even know it." — B.E.

Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Annette Bening, Timothy Olyphant, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Drew Starkey, Clifton Collins Jr., and William Fichtner

How to watch: The first two episodes of Lucky are now streaming on Apple TV.

4. Obsession

Audiences went feral for writer/director Curry Barker's ultra-creepy Obsession. The film turns rom-com expectations on its head by presenting a lovelorn protagonist named Bear (Michael Johnston), who might seem like a nice guy but is actually the movie's villain.

Obsessed with his friend Nikki (a riveting Inde Navarrette), he makes a wish that she'll not only notice him, but will love him more than anyone else. In the way of the mythic monkey's paw, this wish goes horribly wrong, transforming Bear's dream girl into a nightmare. Obsession is thoroughly chilling, especially thanks to Navarrette's harrowing performance. But Barker's exploration of sexual politics ultimately feels juvenile because of a flubbed final act. As I explained more in-depth in my review, "This makes the finale of Obsession unnerving — not so much for what it shows, but for the empathy it ultimately lacks."* — K.P.

Starring: Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, and Andy Richter

How to watch: Obsession streams exclusively on Peacock starting July 17.

3. Marc by Sofia

American director Sofia Coppola (Lost in Translation, Priscilla, The Bling Ring) offers her first non-fiction film with Marc by Sofia. Here, she employs her close personal relationship with American fashion designer Marc Jacobs to explore his work in the lead up to his 2024 runway show.

The film becomes about fashion, Jacobs' life, and the friendship of two artists who inspire each other. — K.P.

How to watch: Marc by Sofia is now streaming on HBO Max.

2. Normal

English filmmaker Ben Wheatley has previously thrilled action fans with the shoot-'em-up Free Fire. And now, he's bringing that energy into a satire about a "normal" American town, where everyone has guns — and has them aimed at the interim sheriff, played by Bob Odenkirk.

Sure, the folks of Normal, Minnesota, seem friendly. But beneath their smiles lies a dark conspiracy. And while they welcome newcomer Ulysses as the face of law in their town, they won't stand for him sticking his nose where it's not wanted.*

In my review out of SXSW, I cheered, "Wheatley delivers an action comedy that is wildly entertaining, hilariously twisted, and ultimately shockingly feel-good." —K.P.

Starring: Bob Odenkirk, Henry Winkler, Lena Headey, Ryan Allen, Billy MacLellan, Brendan Fletcher, Peter Shinkoda, and Jess McLeod

How to watch: Normal is now available to rent or purchase on Prime Video.

Best of streaming this week: Heartstopper Forever

Prepare to happy-cry, friends. Three years since Season 1 hit Netflix, followed by two sublime seasons, Heartstopper ends with a movie to send the Paris Crew into the future. A joyous exploration of queer identity and teen romance, Alice Oseman's graphic novels have provided wondrous material for Netflix's sweet LGBTQ+ series, and now, it's time for high school to make way for whatever comes next.

In the most grown-up chapter of Heartstopper yet, Charlie Spring (Joe Locke) and Nick Nelson (Kit Connor) prepare to go long distance as university looms. They've been through so much together; surely this can work? But they're not the only ones making big decisions, with their friends all figuring out how to move into adulthood too. Prepare for Oseman's signature animated leaves to swirl into frame and too many recognisable moments from your own adolescence rendered onscreen. Here's to Heartstopper, your week's must-watch and a triumph of a teen series for years. — S.C.

Starring: Joe Locke, Kit Connor, William Gao, Yasmin Finney, Tobie Donovan, Corinna Brown, Kizzy Edgell, Rhea Norwood, and Jenny Walser

How to watch: Heartstopper Forever debuts on Netflix on July 17.

(*) denotes a blurb came from a prior list.

SAVE $25: As of July 16, Shokz OpenRun Pro headphones are on sale for $99.95 at Amazon. That's a 20% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: SHOKZ Shokz OpenRun Pro $99.95 at Amazon
$124.95 Save $25   Get Deal

If it's time to upgrade your running headphones, the Shokz OpenRun Pro headphones have just dropped to their best-ever price at Amazon. They've dipped below $100 for the first time. This deal is for all color options, so you can choose from black, beige, blue, or pink.

These headphones use something called bone conduction technology. This means the headphones deliver vibrations through your cheekbones straight to the inner ear, opposed to directly through your ear. Your ears stay open, and you can listen to music or podcasts and still hear what’s happening around you.

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And it's not just this technology that makes them a great choice for runners; their design also means they stay in place even during tough workouts. This is thanks to the lightweight titanium wraparound frame that provides a secure, comfortable fit that just won't budge.

Plus, the battery life will keep you going for hours on your longest runs. You can expect up to 10 hours of battery life on one charge, and when you're short on time, a quick five-minute charge gives you an extra 1.5 hours of listening time.

Get this headphones deal at Amazon now.

Senator Lindsey Graham's death felt sudden, so it's not surprising that a lot of people had questions about it — and President Donald Trump provided some confusing answers.

In the Late Night clip above, Seth Meyers reacts to Trump telling Newsmax anchor Greg Kelly, "We've had great doctors, and they talked about, you know, a certain part of his body literally blew up."

"I'd argue they weren't great doctors if they were using language like 'literally blew up,'" says Meyers. "If a surgeon came out to the waiting room and said, 'There's no easy way to say this, your father exploded,' you would ask to speak to someone else. 'Literally blew up.' Was the doctor Wile E. Coyote? He graduated from the American College of Medical Examiners, you probably know it as ACME. Why can't the president just be normal and have some decorum in a situation like this?"

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It's been 10 years since Stranger Things premiered on July 15, 2016, immersing viewers in '80s nostalgia and encouraging a resurgence of interest in both Dungeons & Dragons and Kate Bush. To mark the occasion, Netflix has released a 26-minute video of the cast looking back at their experience making the series — and for many of them, growing up across its five seasons.

Taking turns sitting under the iconic alphabet wall from Stranger Things' first season, the YouTube video features a slew of cast members going through behind-the-scenes Polaroid photos and reminiscing. These include Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Joe Keery, Sadie Sink, Cara Buono, Noah Schnapp, Maya Hawke, Priah Ferguson, Brett Gelman, and Jamie Campbell Bower.

The actors share a few stories and a lot of praise for their castmates (as well as Stranger Things creators the Duffer Brothers), generally just spreading good vibes all around.

The Moon is starting to reappear on its right side (this will be the left side if you're in the Southern Hemisphere). This means we're in the Waxing Crescent portion of the lunar cycle.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Thursday, July 16, NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon phase is in Waxing Crescent phase, with just 5% of its surface visible.

Even with visual aids, this is too small a surface area illuminated for us to be able to make out any surface features on the Moon.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will take place on July 29.

What are Moon phases?

The Moon completes one full cycle around Earth in about 29.5 days, moving through eight different phases along the way, NASA explains. Although the same side of the Moon always faces our planet, the amount of sunlight reflecting off its surface changes as it travels around Earth. This changing angle of illumination is what makes the Moon appear to transform throughout the month, from a thin crescent to a half-lit Moon and eventually a fully illuminated Full Moon, before starting the cycle again.

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.

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier if you watch Indiana sports.

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.

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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.

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Indiana

• Green: Big dogs

• Blue: Horse riding

• Purple: Famous domes

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Indiana Teams

• Green: Bulldogs

• Blue: Equestrian Equipment

• Purple: ___Dome

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 #661 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Indiana Teams: COLTS, FEVER, HOOSIERS, PACERS

• Bulldogs: BUTLER, GONZAGA, MISSISSIPPI STATE, YALE

• Equestrian Equipment: BIT, REINS, SADDLE, STIRRUPS

• ___Dome: ASTRO, FARGO, GEORGIA, SUPER

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 today's Connections.

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

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 July 16, 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 July 16, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for July 16 Pips

Greater Than (5): Everything in this space must be greater than 5. The answer is 6-6, placed vertically.

Number (16): Everything in this space must add up to 16. The answer is 6-6, placed vertically; 5-5, placed horizontally.

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

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

Medium difficulty hints, answers for July 16 Pips

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 5-5, placed horizontally.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 1-5, placed vertically; 5-4, placed vertically.

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 3-3, placed horizontally; 3-6, placed horizontally.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 5-4, placed vertically; 6-0, placed vertically.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 3-6, placed horizontally; 4-1, placed horizontally.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for July 16 Pips

Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 1-1, placed vertically; 1-4, placed vertically.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 5-0, placed vertically.

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 5-0, placed vertically; 2-0, placed vertically.

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 1-4, placed vertically; 4-4, placed vertically; 2-4, placed vertically.

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 2-4, placed vertically.

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 3-3, placed vertically; 3-2, placed vertically.

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

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

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

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 3-5, placed horizontally.

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 3-1, placed horizontally; 3-5, placed horizontally; 3-0, placed horizontally.

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 6-0, placed horizontally.

Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 3-0, placed horizontally; 6-0, placed horizontally; 4-0, placed vertically; 0-0, 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.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you're precise.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for July 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: Beauty regimen

• Green: Dark colors

• Blue: Exact

• Purple: A speck

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Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Skincare products

• Green: Shades of black

• Blue: Associated with precision

• Purple: Starting with tiny marks

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 #1131 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Skincare products: CLAY MASK, EYE CREAM, PEEL, TONER

• Shades of black: CHARCOAL, INK, JET, PITCH

• Associated with precision: BULLSEYE, CLOCKWORK, LASER, NEEDLE

• Starting with tiny marks: DOT MATRIX, PERIOD PIECE, POINT BREAK, SPOT REMOVER

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for July 16, 2026

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

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

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

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you don't have a good sense of direction.

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 July 16, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: "Rerouting..."

The words are related to directions.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe a detour.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

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NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Change Course.

NYT Strands word list for July 16

• Zigzag

• Deviate

• Change Course

• Veer

• Pivot

• Tack

• Swerve

• Turn

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 today's Strands.