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

The big news in the world of porn is that more than a third of U.S. states have introduced restrictions for online adult content, including Texas. With the introduction of age verification laws, millions of users in Texas are now unable to access Pornhub. There are complicated reasons for this restriction, but thankfully, the workaround is simple.

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

How to unblock Pornhub for free in Texas

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

Unblock Pornhub by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in a location that supports access to Pornhub

4. Visit Pornhub

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (2-Year Subscription + 4 Months Free) $139 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

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

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

What is the best VPN for Pornhub?

ExpressVPN is the top choice for unblocking porn sites like Pornhub, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

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

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

• Fast streaming speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Unblock Pornhub for free in Texas with ExpressVPN.

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

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

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

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

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

A quick appearance in a show or film.

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

CAMEO

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Competing against.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for March 21, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

VYING

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Wanting something very badly.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for March 21 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 21, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

EAGER

Hurdle Word 4 hint

A French hat.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for March 21 Hurdle Word 4 answer

BERET

Final Hurdle hint

Made a promise.

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

SWORE

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

TL;DR: Identify plants for life with Plantum’s premium plan — now only A$23 through 30 March when you use code SAVE5 at checkout.

Imagine walking through a garden or forest and being able to name every plant you see. With Plantum AI Plant Identifier’s premium lifetime subscription on sale for A$23, you’ll have access to a powerful plant identification tool that makes every nature walk an adventure. Just snap a picture, and Plantum will instantly tell you the species, care tips, and fun facts about your leafy find.

Perfect for both plant newbies and green thumbs, Plantum uses AI to recognize thousands of plant species, offering detailed insights right on your phone. This app isn’t just for wild plants — it’s great for identifying houseplants, too. Whether you’re unsure about that new succulent or just curious about a flower you spotted, Plantum has the answers.

And with a lifetime subscription, you won’t need to worry about monthly fees or renewals. You get unlimited access to plant IDs, plant care guides, and a personal plant collection feature. Plus, with Plantum’s accurate care tips, you can keep your houseplants thriving without having to guess their needs.

This tool is also a great gift for anyone who loves the outdoors, wants to learn more about the plants around them, or simply wants to take better care of their indoor garden. So, whether you’re on a hike, at the park, or just browsing your local nursery, Plantum makes plant identification fun and easy.

Until 30 March at 11:59 p.m., take advantage of this sale on a lifetime subscription to a Plantum AI Plant Identifier Premium Plan for A$23 (reg. A$94) using code SAVE5.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Plantum - AI Plant Identifier Plantum - AI Plant Identifier Premium Plan: Lifetime Subscription (For iOS Only) AU$23
AU$94 Save AU$71 Use coupon code 'SAVE5' Get Deal

After the height of the #MeToo movement, intimacy coordinators — specialists making sure actors and others on set feel comfortable while filming intimate scenes — became more of the norm. From Sex Education to Babygirl, these experts' jobs are to make sex scenes safe to film and shine on screen.

That doesn't mean everyone is a fan. This week, actor Gwyneth Paltrow said in an interview with Vanity Fair that she all but refused the intimacy coordinator in her upcoming movie Marty Supreme opposite internet boyfriend Timothée Chalamet. 

SEE ALSO: What happened at the end of 'Anora'?

"There's now something called an intimacy coordinator, which I did not know existed," Paltrow told Vanity Fair. 

Paltrow and Chalamet apparently told the coordinator to refrain. "We said, 'I think we're good. You can step a little bit back,' " Paltrow said in the interview. "I don't know how it is for kids who are starting out, but…if someone is like, 'Okay, and then he's going to put his hand here' …I would feel, as an artist, very stifled by that."

When the coordinator asked if Paltrow was comfortable with a particular move, she reportedly said, "Girl, I'm from the era where you get naked, you get in bed, the camera's on."

That's certainly true. As Vanity Fair pointed out, convicted sex offender and producer Harvey Weinstein made unwanted sexual advances toward Paltrow when she was just starting out. She was an essential source in the bombshell 2017 New York Times story about Weinstein's abuses. The exposé was one of the reasons why #MeToo became so wide-reaching in 2017 — and that is partly why intimacy coordinators are becoming more common today.

SEE ALSO: Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey on the Harvey Weinstein investigation that ignited #MeToo

"It's…kind of giving, 'I went through it, and I've survived, and I'm here,'" said intimacy coordinator  Allie Oops in an interview with Mashable, "rather than, 'What can we do to protect the next generation from me ever experiencing this?'" Oops has worked with production companies like A24 and Neon, and consults on adult industry productions as well.

Oops has seen that attitude towards more seasoned actors in her role as an intimacy coordinator, and she thinks Paltrow's experience is valid. Since Paltrow didn't know what intimacy coordinators do, she may not have talked with the one on set to give her a rundown of what would happen. 

"You wouldn't do a fight scene without a stunt coordinator."

It could've also been an issue of personality fit. "For all we know, that actual intimacy coordinator hired wasn't a great fit for her personality or for the production, and maybe it did feel a bit stifling," Oops said, "but I think that it [an intimacy coordinator] does so much good. You wouldn't do a fight scene without a stunt coordinator."

Intimacy coordinators are there for safety, as a stunt coordinator is. They're also there to disrupt power on set. Many think the power is only actor-to-actor, said Oops — say, more established versus new, or older versus younger actor. But power comes from many places on set, she said, such as between a famous actor and the hair and makeup artist.

"I think having an intimacy coordinator isn't just for the actors. It's also to make the director feel comfortable, to make other people on the set feel comfortable," Oops said.

If you're a household name like Gwyneth Paltrow, you hold power. But an unknown actor doesn't have that power, and thus that safety, to say no to something they don't want to do; they can risk getting fired or not getting hired for another gig. Intimacy coordinators act as advocates for actors in those situations. Ahead of a particular scene, the intimacy coordinator will find out what the actors are comfortable with and communicate that to the director to ensure their boundaries aren't being violated.

Paltrow recognizes this, said Oops, when she mentions "kids who are starting out." But she moves on to criticize the blocking (how actors are physically arranged) and choreography. In Oops' experience, a lot of people feel safer with a coordinator's help with blocking.

"And once you build that safe container, you have room to play within it. So it's not like you have to hit your hand here on the shoulder, but here isn't okay," Oops explained. "It's more that everyone knows what's to be expected in a scene, and then from there, we can play around with it."

While Paltrow felt stifled creativity, Oops believes building trust and safety lets actors be more creative. "If you create a safe container, people have more freedom to relax into a role," she said. "In my experience, there's a lot of talk about it, stifling creativity, creative energy. And I have found the opposite."

She used an example of actors, the director, and the intimacy coordinator deciding the actors would kiss without tongue. "Then you're not all of a sudden having a tongue shoved down your throat with no anticipation," she said. It also doesn't feel like your personal kissing skills are getting judged when you have talked through how the characters would kiss at that moment.

"You're able to relax into that role, and have more fun, and get more creative, and really fall into the character space," she continued.

"A good IC can also make a sex scene significantly better," Oops said.

Comments like Paltrow's are bad for press reasons, as the intimacy coordinator role is so much about safety, but it's ultimately new for her, Oops said. But Oops has seen an overwhelmingly positive reaction to her work, which keeps her fueled and excited to be on set.

Since Marty Supreme was probably a Screen Actors Guild (SAG, the actors' union) production, it was more likely than not to have an intimacy coordinator as SAG now has standards and protocols for having intimacy coordinators on set. And, from a liability standpoint, it's better to have one than not, Oops said. 

Last year, SAG tightened its rules about intimacy coordinators on set, especially concerning confidentiality. Coordinators can only speak about what went on during the creation of intimate scenes if actors and production give permission or if they're speaking to law enforcement. If they don't adhere to this, they could be potentially removed from SAG's registry after an investigation.

So, despite Paltrow's comments, don't expect intimacy coordinators to go away anytime soon.

TikTok is bringing nationwide Amber Alerts to users' For You Pages, in partnership with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The alerts, which provide vital information on missing children, are expected to reach more than 170 million Americans across the platform, according to the company.

Once issued, users' video feeds will be interrupted by a black Amber Alerts screen, which will display photos and identifying information for the missing child, as well as options to call 911 or read more information on the NCMEC website — alerts are sent only to those in relevant geographic areas, similar to existing phone and TV alerts.

SEE ALSO: Scammers could win big thanks to DOGE's government cuts

TikTok piloted the in-app notifications among Texas users last year. The company reported that the alerts, which ran from August to December, were viewed more than 20 million times and led to 2.5 million hits on NCMEC's website. The new feature expands TikTok's efforts to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse on the app, including community reporting tools and parental controls.

Credit: TikTok

In 2022, Meta partnered with Instagram to add localized alerts to Instagram users' feeds, extending the organization's reach in its first social media collaboration — the organization's leaders explained to Mashable that the ability to harness social media's image-focused nature would be a crucial shift in its work. "What we know is that images are the number one critical tool for bringing kids home. By being able to distribute these pictures to individuals who are holding their phones, who are out there at the bank, sitting in traffic, at work, or at a store, they now have a piece of information that may lead to the recovery of a child," explained NCMEC CEO Michelle DeLaune at the time.

TikTok says it will be donating advertising credits to NCMEC in order to extend the reach of the organization's TikTok account and recruit popular TikTok creators to amplify their message. "Every second counts when a child goes missing," said NCMEC's vice president of communications and brand at NCMEC Gavin Portnoy. "By harnessing the reach and speed of a platform like TikTok, parents, caregivers, and communities nationwide can become powerful advocates in the urgent effort to locate missing children."

TAKE UP TO 45% OFF: Sleep products like mattresses, toppers, pillows, and sheets are on discounted at Amazon ahead of the Big Spring Sale including brands like Casper, Tempur-Pedic, and Coop.

Best sleep deals ahead of the Amazon Big Spring Sale Best mattress deal Casper Sleep Element (queen) $476 (save $119) Get Deal Best pillow deal Coop Home Goods Original Adjustable Pillow (queen) $63.20 (save $15.80) Get Deal Best mattress topper deal ViscoSoft Dusk Memory Foam Mattress Topper (3 inches, queen) $93.49 (save $16.50) Get Deal

Amazon's Big Spring Sale promises great savings on tech gadgets like earbuds, Apple devices, and TVs, but it's also a great time to think about entering a new season. Spring brings about thoughts of cleaning, organizing, and refocusing on goals for the coming summer season. If your sleep setup could use some improvements, Amazon has some great sales on sleep items ahead of the Big Spring Sale.

In addition to stretching and staying hydrated, sleep is one of the most basic wellness hacks around. Most of us struggle with prioritizing sleep, but we have tons of evidence that proves sleep is incredibly important to our wellbeing. It impacts our mood, cognition, reaction time, metabolism, and so much more. All of those studies point to one simple conclusion: we should all be prioritizing getting restorative sleep.

If you're struggling to sleep comfortably and could do with a new mattress, fresh pillows, or sheets, check out these nice deals before the Amazon Big Spring Sale starts on March 25.

Best mattress deal Opens in a new window Credit: Casper Casper Element Mattress (queen) $476 at Amazon
$595 Save $119 Get Deal Why we like it

Your mattress is the crux of your sleeping experience, and if you're not lulled into a comfortable sleep each night, it's time for a new mattress. Thankfully, the Casper Element mattress in a queen size is on sale at Amazon for just $476, which takes 20% off the normal price of $595.

This all-foam mattress in a box has a medium-firm feel that could work great for all sleeping positions. The construction and materials make the Casper Element a great option for couples looking for a bed with motion isolation. The breathable foam layers are designed to resist heating up and allow for better airflow which could be great for summer months. Plus, the Casper Element comes with attractive certifications like the CertiPUR-US stamp.

More mattress deals

• Zinus 10-inch Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress (queen) — $174 $219.98 (save $45.98)

• Zinus 14-inch Cooling Comfort Support Hybrid Mattress (queen) — $289 $359.99 (save $70.99)

• Sealy Dreamlife 14-inch Hybrid Mattress (queen) — $749.25 $999 (save $249.75)

• Casper Sleep Original Memory Foam Mattress (queen) — $1,177.27 $1,295 (save $117.73)

Best pillow deal Opens in a new window Credit: Coop Home Goods Coop Home Goods Original Adjustable Pillow (queen) $63.20 at Amazon
$79 Save $15.80 Get Deal Why we like it

Finding your perfect pillow can be a challenge which is why grabbing an adjustable pillow is incredibly wise. The Coop Home Goods Original Adjustable Pillow lets you choose the height by offering the ability to add or remove fill. Stomach sleepers tend to sleep best on a pillow with a lower loft while side sleepers will need plenty of height to fill the space between the shoulder and head.

Coop Home Goods uses cross-cut memory foam and a microfiber blend as the fill in the adjustable pillow. The outer cover of the pillow is made with a breathable material that's also safe to clean at home in your washing machine.

More pillow deals

• Casper Essential Cooling Hybrid Pillow (standard) — $44.97 $65 (save $20.03)

• Casper Essential Pillow (standard, 2-pack) — $64.80 $81 (save $16.20)

• Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Ergo Neck Pillow — $66.49 $99 (save $32.51)

• Coop Home Goods Eden Pillow (queen) — $79.20 $99 (save $19.80)

• Coop Home Goods Original Adjustable Body Pillow — $79.20 $99 (save $19.80)

Best mattress topper deal Opens in a new window Credit: ViscoSoft ViscoSoft Dusk Memory Foam Mattress Topper (queen, 3 inches) $93.49 at Amazon
$109.99 Save $16.50 Get Deal Why we like it

If your current mattress has slowly gotten uncomfortable over time or if it feels too firm, adding a mattress topper can completely transform your sleeping experience. The medium-soft ViscoSoft Dusk Memory Foam Mattress Topper offers three inches of pressure relief that aims to give you proper ergonomic alignment. For some people, that can spell the end of back and hip pain, thanks to the cradling nature of the topper.

The ViscoSoft Dusk topper comes with a removeable and machine-washable cover, so you'll easily be able to maintain a hygienic bed.

More sleep deals worth shopping at Amazon

• Mellanni Sheets Set (queen) — $37.97 $50.97 (save $13)

• Bedsure Cotton Percale Sheet Set (queen) — $42.99 $49.99 (save $7)

• Tempur ProAir Sheet Set (queen, Sleepy Blue) — $114.50 $158.85 (save $44.35)

• Tempur-Cloud 2-inch Mattress Topper (queen) — $129 $219 (save $90)

• UGG Kenzie Comforter Set (full/queen) — $191.01 $217 (save $25.99)

• Tempur-Adapt Supreme 3-inch Memory Foam Mattress Topper (queen) — $230 $419 (save $189)

TL;DR: Live stream Paraguay vs. Chile in World Cup qualifiers for free on SBS On Demand. Access this free streaming site from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Chile have not performed well in qualification for the 2026 World Cup, but there is still time to turn things around. Next they travel to Paraguay to face a team that's unbeaten in six games, and recently beat both Argentina and Brazil. In other words, it's not going to be easy for Chile to take anything from this fixture.

If you want to watch Paraguay vs. Chile in World Cup qualifiers for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Paraguay vs. Chile?

Paraguay vs. Chile in World Cup qualifiers kicks off at 7 p.m. ET on March 20. This fixture takes place at the Estadio Defensores del Chaco.

How to watch Paraguay vs. Chile for free

Paraguay vs. Chile in World Cup qualifiers is available to live stream for free on SBS On Demand.

SBS On Demand is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can access this free streaming service with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Australia, meaning you can access free live streams on SBS On Demand from anywhere in the world.

Access a free live stream of Paraguay vs. Chile by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Visit SBS On Demand

5. Stream Paraguay vs. Chile for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) $99.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Paraguay vs. Chile in World Cup qualifiers without actually spending anything. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream select World Cup qualifiers before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming sites from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for SBS On Demand?

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

• Servers in 105 countries including Australia

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream Paraguay vs. Chile in World Cup qualifiers for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Brazil vs. Colombia in World Cup qualifiers for free on SBS On Demand. Access this free streaming site from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Brazil are meeting Colombia in an absolutely huge Wold Cup qualifying fixture. Brazil trail Colombia by a single point going into this game, so they'll be hoping that they can leapfrog their rivals with a win in front of their supporters.

If you want to watch Brazil vs. Colombia in World Cup qualifiers for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Brazil vs. Colombia?

Brazil vs. Colombia in World Cup qualifiers kicks off at 8:45 p.m. ET on March 20. This fixture takes place at the Arena BRB Mané Garrincha.

How to watch Brazil vs. Colombia for free

Brazil vs. Colombia in World Cup qualifiers is available to live stream for free on SBS On Demand.

SBS On Demand is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can access this free streaming service with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Australia, meaning you can access free live streams on SBS On Demand from anywhere in the world.

Access a free live stream of Brazil vs. Colombia by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Visit SBS On Demand

5. Stream Brazil vs. Colombia for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) $99.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Brazil vs. Colombia in World Cup qualifiers without actually spending anything. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream select World Cup qualifiers before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming sites from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for SBS On Demand?

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

• Servers in 105 countries including Australia

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream Brazil vs. Colombia in World Cup qualifiers for free with ExpressVPN.

SAVE $10: As of March 20, get the 8bitdo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller for $39.99 at Amazon. That's a 20% discount and the lowest price we've seen.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon 8bitdo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller $39.99 at Amazon
$49.99 Save $10 Get Deal

If you love playing games on the go, there's no doubt you likely spend a lot of time tapping the screen or using on-screen controls. They don't always work the best, and often feel a bit fiddly when it comes to specific games. You can improve most of your favorite titles by adding tactile controls, and there's a mobile controller that can help you do just that on sale now.

As of March 20, get the 8bitdo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller for $39.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $49.99. That's $10 off and a discount of 20%. It's also the lowest price we've seen. This discount applies to both the Black and White colorways.

This controller is compatible with Android devices and other mobile options from 100mm to 170mm in length. It comes with joysticks, buttons, and triggers with bumpers and a D-pad, and visually resembles an Xbox controller. It's light and sturdy, and fits on both sides of your device, with two back paddle buttons, a profile button, and other customizable additions that you can sync up with the 8bitdo Ultimate Software app.

You'll find that adding this type of controller to games like RPGs and other titles you can play for long sessions can greatly improve the experience. When you're not inadvertently pressing the wrong buttons because your finger doesn't fit the on-screen controls, it's a lot easy to enjoy what you're playing.

If you’re searching for deeper fulfillment beyond your career, volunteering is a powerful way to find it. The impact you make doesn’t have to be grand—starting small can create meaningful change. Here’s how to get started. Don’t let doubt hold you back. It’s easy to feel like one person’s efforts won’t matter, but focusing on […]

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As the demand for faster, more reliable wireless communication continues to grow, but traditional systems face limitations in efficiency and adaptability. To keep up with evolving needs, researchers are investigating new ways to manipulate electromagnetic waves to improve wireless performance. 

To address these challenges, researchers are exploring new approaches, including metasurfaces—engineered materials that can control wave propagation in unprecedented ways. By dynamically shaping and directing electromagnetic waves, metasurfaces offer a promising path to overcoming the constraints of conventional wireless systems. 

Building on these capabilities, we are developing metasurfaces for a wide range of wireless applications, such as enhancing Low Earth Orbit satellite communication, optimizing acoustic sensing, and enabling acoustic and millimeter-wave technologies for 5G and 6G communication systems with commercial devices. More recently, our work has focused on enabling indoor access to the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), improving millimeter-wave coverage in targeted environments, optimizing heat distribution in microwave ovens, and providing directional sound projection without headphones.

These advances, published at leading networking conferences—including MobiCom 2023 and 2024, MobiSys 2024 and 2025, and NSDI 2023—highlight metasurfaces’ potential in wireless communication and sensing. This post explores some of these applications in more detail. 

About Microsoft Research

Advancing science and technology to benefit humanity

View our story Opens in a new tab Metasurfaces optimize GNSS for accurate indoor positioning

While GNSS is widely used for outdoor positioning and navigation, its indoor performance is often hindered by signal blockage, reflection, and attenuation caused by physical obstacles. Additional technologies like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) are often employed to address these issues. However, these solutions require extra infrastructure, are costly, and are complicated to deploy. Accurate positioning also typically depends on specialized hardware and software on mobile devices. 

Despite these challenges, GNSS signals hold promise for accurate indoor positioning. By leveraging the vast number of available satellites, GNSS-based solutions eliminate the need for base station deployment and maintenance required by Wi-Fi and BLE systems. This approach also allows seamless integration between indoor and outdoor environments, supporting continuous positioning in scenarios like guiding smart vehicles through indoor and outdoor industrial environments. 

To explore this potential, we conducted indoor measurements and found that GNSS satellite signals can penetrate windows at different angles and reflect or diffract from surfaces like floors and ceilings, resulting in uneven signals. Metasurfaces can control structured arrays of electromagnetic signals, allowing them to capture and redirect more GNSS signals. This allows signals to enter buildings in a path parallel to the ground, achieving broader coverage. Using this capability, we developed a GNSS positioning metasurface system (GPMS) based on passive metasurface technology.

One limitation of passive metasurfaces is their lack of programmability. To overcome this and enable them to effectively guide signals from different angles and scatter them in parallel, we designed a two-layer metasurface system. As shown in Figure 1, this design ensures that electromagnetic waves from different angles follow similar emission trajectories.  

Figure 1: The GPMS two-layer metasurface structure

To improve positioning accuracy, we developed new algorithms that allow signals to pass through metasurfaces, using them as anchor points. Traditional GPS positioning requires signals from at least four satellites to decode location information. In the GPMS system, illustrated in Figure 2, each deployed metasurface functions as a virtual satellite. By deploying at least three metasurfaces indoors, we achieved high-precision positioning through a triangulation algorithm.

Figure 2. Diagram of the GPMS system. Passive metasurfaces guide GNSS signals indoors, while enhanced positioning algorithms provide precise indoor positioning on mobile devices. 

To evaluate the system, we deployed the GPMS with six metasurfaces on a 10×50-meter office floor and a 15×20-meter conference hall. The results show significant improvements in signal quality and availability. C/N₀, a measure of signal-to-noise ratio, increased from 9.1 dB-Hz to 32.2 dB-Hz. The number of visible satellites increased from 3.6 to 21.5. Finally, the absolute positioning error decreased from 30.6 meters to 3.2 meters in the office and from 11.2 meters to 2.7 meters in the conference hall. These findings are promising and highlight the feasibility and advantages of GNSS-based metasurfaces for indoor positioning. 

Metasurfaces extend millimeter-wave coverage

Millimeter waves enable the high-speed, low-latency performance needed for 5G and 6G communication systems. While commercial products like 60 GHz Wi-Fi routers and mobile devices are becoming popular, their limited coverage and susceptibility to signal obstruction restrict their widespread application. 

Traditional solutions include deploying multiple millimeter-wave access points, such as routers or base stations, or placing reflective metal panels in room corners to reflect electromagnetic waves. However, these approaches are both costly and offer limited performance. Metasurfaces offer a promising alternative for improving millimeter-wave applications. Previous research has shown that programmable metasurfaces can enhance signal coverage in blind spots and significantly improve signal quality and efficiency.  

To maximize the benefits of metasurfaces, we developed the AutoMS automation service framework, shown in Figure 3. This proposed framework can optimize millimeter-wave coverage using low-cost passive metasurface design and strategic placement. 

The three main components of AutoMS can address the limitations of traditional solutions: 

1. Automated joint optimization: AutoMS determines the optimal network deployment configuration by analyzing phase settings, metasurface placement, and access point positioning. It also refines beam-forming configurations to enhance signal coverage. By iteratively identifying and optimizing the number, size, and placement of metasurfaces, AutoMS adjusts the metasurface phase settings and the access point’s configurations to achieve optimal signal coverage. 

Figure 3. The AutoMS framework generates optimized deployment plans for passive metasurface and access points based on environment scanning results. 

2. Fast 3D ray tracing simulator: Using hardware and software acceleration, our simulator efficiently calculates channel matrices resulting from metasurfaces with tens of thousands of elements. This simulator, capable of tracing 1.3 billion rays in just three minutes on an A100 GPU, significantly accelerates calculations for complex environments.

3. Low-cost passive metasurface design: We designed a high-reflectivity passive metasurface with near-2π phase control and broadband compatibility for the millimeter-wave frequency band. This metasurface is compatible with low-precision, cost-effective thermoforming processes. This process enables users to create metasurfaces at minimal cost, significantly reducing deployment expenses.
   
   Shown in Figure 4, users can capture the environment using existing 3D scanning apps on mobile devices, generate a 3D layout model, and upload it to the cloud. AutoMS then generates metasurface settings and placement guidelines.  
   
   Users can print metasurface patterns using hot stamping and customize them without affecting functionality, as millimeter waves penetrate paint and paper. 

Figure 4: The low-cost passive metasurface creation process 

Evaluation using publicly available 3D layout datasets and real-world tests shows that AutoMS significantly improves millimeter-wave coverage across various scenarios. Compared to a single router setup, AutoMS increased signal strength by 12.1 dB. Onsite tests further confirmed gains of 11 dB in target areas and over 20 dB in blind spots, with signal throughput increasing from 77 Mbps to 373 Mbps. AutoMS adapts to diverse environments, ensuring reliable and flexible deployment in real-world applications. 

Metasurfaces support uniform heating in microwave ovens 

Microwave ovens often heat unevenly, creating cold spots in food. These can allow harmful bacteria and other pathogens to survive, increasing the risk of foodborne illnesses. Uneven heating can cause eggs to burst or create “hot spots” that can scald.

Uneven heating is due to the appliance’s heating mechanism. Microwave ovens generate high-power radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic waves through dielectric heating. These waves create nodes with zero amplitude, which prevents heating. They also create antinodes, where heating occurs more rapidly.  

To address this issue, we developed MicroSurf, a low-cost solution that improves heating by using passive metasurfaces to control electromagnetic energy inside the microwave oven. It uses the resonance effect between the metasurface and electromagnetic waves to modify the standing-wave distribution and achieve more uniform heating. This is shown in Figure 5. 

Figure 5: MicroSurf’s working principle: Uneven electric field distribution inside the microwave oven leads to uneven heating. B. Modeling the microwave oven. C. Designing and optimizing a metasurface that can function in a high-power environment to change the standing wave distribution. D. Achieving uniform heating of different foods and selectively heating specific parts. 

Tests across four different microwave oven brands demonstrate that MicroSurf effectively optimizes heating for various liquids and solids, uniformly heating water, milk, bread, and meat. It concentrates heat on specific areas and adapts to differently shaped foods. MicroSurf offers a promising solution for even heating in microwave ovens, demonstrating the potential of metasurface technology in everyday applications. This innovation paves the way for smarter, more efficient home appliances.  

Advancing wireless innovation

Wireless sensing and communication technologies are evolving rapidly, driving innovation across a wide range of applications. We are continuing to push the boundaries of these technologies—particularly in metasurface development—while working to create practical solutions for a variety of use cases. 

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The post Metasurface: Unlocking the future of wireless sensing and communication appeared first on Microsoft Research.

Watch Dasha’s Claimify Explainer

While large language models (LLMs) are capable of synthesizing vast amounts of information, they sometimes produce inaccurate or unsubstantiated content. To mitigate this risk, tools like Azure AI’s Groundedness Detection (opens in new tab) can be used to verify LLM outputs. 

A common strategy for fact-checking LLM-generated texts – especially complex, highly detailed outputs – is claim extraction: instead of evaluating the entire text at once, it’s broken down into simple factual statements that can be verified independently. However, the effectiveness of this approach depends on the quality of the extracted claims: if they are inaccurate or incomplete, the fact-checking results may be compromised. 

Our paper “Towards Effective Extraction and Evaluation of Factual Claims” proposes a framework for evaluating claim extraction and introduces Claimify, a novel LLM-based method that outperforms prior solutions. In this blog post, we discuss common claim extraction issues and explore Claimify’s approach.

Key issues in claim extraction

As a case study, we prompted OpenAI’s GPT-4o model to “provide an overview of challenges in emerging markets” based on a collection of news articles. Here is its output:

# Emerging market challenges
Emerging markets face a myriad of challenges that span economic, social, and environmental dimensions. These challenges are often interconnected, exacerbating the difficulties faced by these regions.

## Economic instability and inflation
Several emerging markets are grappling with severe economic instability. For instance, Argentina’s rampant inflation, with monthly rates reaching as high as 25.5%, has made many goods unobtainable and plunged the value of the currency, causing severe economic hardship. Some experts estimate that the annual inflation rate could potentially double to 300%, while others predict even higher rates.

## Food insecurity and agricultural challenges
Food insecurity is another critical issue in emerging markets. Nigeria, for example, is striving to become self-sufficient in wheat production but is hindered by climate change and violence, exacerbated by high grain prices due to the suspension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative. Climate change has played a pivotal role in creating food insecurity and economic instability in farming-dependent economies, such as Zambia and Mozambique.

## Natural disasters and public health emergencies
Public health crises, as demonstrated by the experience of Derna, Libya, remain a significant concern in emerging markets. Catastrophic flooding caused by the collapse of two dams has led to significant destruction, complicating access to healthcare. The U.N. found that the resulting contaminated water caused many residents to fall ill, highlighting the need for improved water management. Countries like Afghanistan and Sudan have experienced similar challenges to those of Libya.

## Conclusion
Addressing emerging market challenges will require comprehensive strategies that consider economic stability, food security, and public health. International cooperation and targeted interventions are crucial in fostering sustainable development in emerging markets.

We then applied a simple prompt[1] that extracted the following claims from the answer:

1. Emerging markets face economic challenges.
2. Emerging markets face social challenges.
3. Emerging markets face environmental challenges.
4. Argentina experiences severe economic instability.
5. Argentina has a monthly inflation rate as high as 25.5%.
6. Argentina’s inflation has made many goods unobtainable.
7. Argentina’s currency value has plunged.
8. Some experts estimate Argentina’s annual inflation rate could reach 300%.
9. Food insecurity is a critical issue in emerging markets.
10. Nigeria is striving to become self-sufficient in wheat production.
11. Nigeria’s wheat production is hindered by climate change.
12. Nigeria’s wheat production is hindered by violence.
13. High grain prices affect Nigeria due to the suspension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
14. Climate change creates food insecurity in Zambia.
15. Climate change creates food insecurity in Mozambique.
16. Climate change causes economic instability in farming-dependent economies.
17. Public health crises are a concern in emerging markets.
18. Derna, Libya, experienced catastrophic flooding.
19. The collapse of two dams caused flooding in Derna, Libya.
20. Flooding in Derna, Libya, complicated access to healthcare.
21. The U.N. found contaminated water in Derna, Libya.
22. Contaminated water in Derna, Libya, caused many residents to fall ill.
23. Afghanistan has experienced challenges similar to those in Libya.
24. Sudan has experienced challenges similar to those in Libya.
25. Addressing emerging market challenges requires comprehensive strategies.
26. Comprehensive strategies should consider economic stability.
27. Comprehensive strategies should consider food security.
28. Comprehensive strategies should consider public health.
29. International cooperation is crucial for sustainable development in emerging markets.
30. Targeted interventions are crucial for sustainable development in emerging markets.

These claims appear to reflect the answer, but a closer look reveals four critical issues:

#IssueExample1Some claims are not factual statements that can be verified as true or false.Excerpt: “Addressing emerging market challenges will require comprehensive strategies that consider economic stability, food security, and public health.”

Claims:

• Addressing emerging market challenges requires comprehensive strategies.
• Comprehensive strategies should consider economic stability.
• Comprehensive strategies should consider food security.
• Comprehensive strategies should consider public health.

Explanation: These claims are not verifiable because they are opinions.2Some claims are missing or incomplete.Excerpt: “Argentina’s rampant inflation, with monthly rates reaching as high as 25.5%, has made many goods unobtainable and plunged the value of the currency, causing severe economic hardship. Some experts estimate that the annual inflation rate could potentially double to 300%, while others predict even higher rates.”

Claims:

• Argentina has a monthly inflation rate as high as 25.5%.
• Argentina’s inflation has made many goods unobtainable.
• Argentina’s currency value has plunged.
• Some experts estimate Argentina’s annual inflation rate could reach 300%.

Explanation: The phrases “causing severe economic hardship” and “others predict even higher rates” are not reflected in any of the claims. The third claim also omits the fact that inflation caused the currency depreciation.3Some claims are inaccurate.Excerpt: “The U.N. found that the resulting contaminated water caused many residents to fall ill, highlighting the need for improved water management.”

Claims:

• The U.N. found contaminated water in Derna, Libya.
• Contaminated water in Derna, Libya, caused many residents to fall ill.

Explanation: The first claim is inaccurate because the U.N. found the link between contaminated water and illness, not the contaminated water itself. The second claim also misrepresents the sentence since it shifts the meaning from a viewpoint of a specific entity (the U.N.) to a general assertion about the effects of contaminated water in Derna, Libya.4Some claims cannot be understood without additional context.Excerpt: “Countries like Afghanistan and Sudan have experienced similar challenges to those of Libya.”

Claims:

• Afghanistan has experienced challenges similar to those in Libya.
• Sudan has experienced challenges similar to those in Libya.

Explanation: These claims cannot be understood on their own because “those” is not defined. Introducing Claimify

The case study highlights that claim extraction is surprisingly error-prone. Our paper demonstrates that the issues identified above are common across LLM-based claim extraction methods. To minimize these errors, we created a system called Claimify[2].

Core principles

Claimify is an LLM-based claim extraction system built on the following principles:

#PrincipleExample1The claims should capture all verifiable content in the source text and exclude unverifiable content.In the sentence “The partnership between John and Jane illustrates the importance of collaboration,” the only verifiable content is the existence of a partnership between John and Jane. The rest is subjective interpretation.2Each claim should be entailed (i.e., fully supported) by the source text.Consider the sentence “Governments are curtailing emissions from cars and trucks, which are the largest source of greenhouse gases from transportation.” The following claims are incorrect:

• Cars are the largest source of greenhouse gases from transportation.
• Trucks are the largest source of greenhouse gases from transportation.

The sentence attributes the highest emissions to cars and trucks collectively, not individually.3Each claim should be understandable on its own, without additional context.The claim “They will update the policy next year” is not understandable on its own because it’s unclear what “They,” “the policy,” and “next year” refer to.4Each claim should minimize the risk of excluding critical context.Suppose the claim “The World Trade Organization has supported trade barriers” was extracted from the sentence “An exception to the World Trade Organization’s open-market philosophy is its history of supporting trade barriers when member countries have failed to comply with their obligations.” A fact-checking system would likely classify the claim as false, since there is extensive evidence that the WTO aims to reduce trade barriers. However, if the claim had specified that the WTO has supported trade barriers “when member countries have failed to comply with their obligations,” it would likely have been classified as true. This example demonstrates that missing context can distort the fact-checking verdict.5The system should flag cases where ambiguity cannot be resolved.The sentence “AI has advanced renewable energy and sustainable agriculture at Company A and Company B” has two mutually exclusive interpretations:

• AI has advanced renewable energy and sustainable agriculture at both Company A and Company B.
• AI has advanced renewable energy at Company A and sustainable agriculture at Company B.

If the context does not clearly indicate that one of these interpretations is correct, the system should flag the ambiguity instead of picking one interpretation arbitrarily. Implementation

Claimify accepts a question-answer pair as input and performs claim extraction in four stages, illustrated in Figure 1:

#StageDescription1Sentence splitting and context creationThe answer is split into sentences, with “context” – a configurable combination of surrounding sentences and metadata (e.g., the header hierarchy in a Markdown-style answer) – created for each sentence.2SelectionAn LLM identifies sentences that do not contain verifiable content. These sentences are labeled “No verifiable claims” and excluded from subsequent stages. When sentences contain verifiable and unverifiable components, the LLM rewrites the sentence, retaining only the verifiable components.3DisambiguationFor sentences that passed the Selection stage, an LLM detects ambiguity and determines if it can be resolved using the context. If all ambiguity is resolvable, the LLM returns a disambiguated version of the sentence. Otherwise, the sentence is labeled “Cannot be disambiguated” and excluded from the Decomposition stage.4DecompositionFor sentences that are unambiguous or were disambiguated, an LLM creates standalone claims that preserve critical context. If no claims are extracted, the sentence is labeled “No verifiable claims.” Figure 1: Overview of Claimify’s stages Results

In our paper, we demonstrate that Claimify outperforms existing LLM-based methods[3]. Specifically, we show that: (1) 99% of claims extracted by Claimify are entailed by their source sentence, (2) Claimify strikes the best balance between including verifiable content and excluding unverifiable content, and (3) Claimify is least likely to omit context critical to the fact-checking verdict.

For the above case study on challenges in emerging markets, here are Claimify’s outputs, with source sentences preceded by a letter and claims numbered[4]:

A. Several emerging markets are grappling with severe economic instability.
1. Several emerging markets are grappling with severe economic instability.

B. For instance, Argentina’s rampant inflation, with monthly rates reaching as high as 25.5%, has made many goods unobtainable and plunged the value of the currency, causing severe economic hardship.
1. Argentina has rampant inflation.
2. The monthly inflation rates in Argentina have reached as high as 25.5%.
3. Inflation has made many goods unobtainable in Argentina.
4. Inflation has plunged the value of the currency in Argentina.
5. Inflation has caused severe economic hardship in Argentina.

C. Some experts estimate that the annual inflation rate could potentially double to 300%, while others predict even higher rates.
1. Some experts estimate that Argentina’s annual inflation rate could double to 300% in the future.
2. Some experts predict that Argentina’s annual inflation rate could be higher than 300% in the future.

D. Nigeria, for example, is striving to become self-sufficient in wheat production but is hindered by climate change and violence, exacerbated by high grain prices due to the suspension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
1. Nigeria is striving to become self-sufficient in wheat production.
2. Nigeria is hindered by climate change in becoming self-sufficient in wheat production.
3. Nigeria is hindered by violence in becoming self-sufficient in wheat production.
4. High grain prices exacerbate the hindrance to Nigeria’s efforts to become self-sufficient in wheat production.
5. The suspension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative is a reason for high grain prices.

E. Climate change has played a pivotal role in creating food insecurity and economic instability in farming-dependent economies, such as Zambia and Mozambique.
1. Climate change has played a role in creating food insecurity in farming-dependent economies.
2. Zambia is a farming-dependent economy where climate change has played a role in creating food insecurity.
3. Mozambique is a farming-dependent economy where climate change has played a role in creating food insecurity.
4. Climate change has played a role in creating economic instability in farming-dependent economies.
5. Zambia is a farming-dependent economy where climate change has played a role in creating economic instability.
6. Mozambique is a farming-dependent economy where climate change has played a role in creating economic instability.

F. Public health crises, as demonstrated by the experience of Derna, Libya, remain a significant concern in emerging markets.
1. Public health crises are a concern in emerging markets.
2. Derna, Libya, is an example of a public health crisis in emerging markets.

G. Catastrophic flooding caused by the collapse of two dams has led to significant destruction, complicating access to healthcare.
1. There was catastrophic flooding in Derna, Libya.
2. The flooding in Derna, Libya, was caused by the collapse of two dams.
3. The flooding in Derna, Libya, has led to significant destruction.
4. The flooding in Derna, Libya, has complicated access to healthcare.

H. Countries like Afghanistan and Sudan have experienced similar challenges to those of Libya.
1. Afghanistan has experienced challenges related to public health crises.
2. Afghanistan has experienced challenges related to catastrophic flooding.
3. Afghanistan has experienced challenges related to contaminated water.
4. Sudan has experienced challenges related to public health crises.
5. Sudan has experienced challenges related to catastrophic flooding.
6. Sudan has experienced challenges related to contaminated water.

Note that the baseline prompt extracted several claims from the sentence “The U.N. found that the resulting contaminated water caused many residents to fall ill, highlighting the need for improved water management,” but it ignored the phrase “highlighting the need for improved water management.” It also failed to capture that the contaminated water resulted from flooding, as implied by “resulting” in the original sentence.

Claimify took a different approach. First, it found two instances of ambiguity – “resulting contaminated water” and “many residents” – that it determined could be resolved using the context. Here’s an excerpt from its reasoning: “…the context specifies that the contaminated water is a result of the catastrophic flooding in Derna, Libya, and the residents are those of Derna, Libya.”

However, it also found an instance of ambiguity – “highlighting the need for improved water management” – where it concluded that the context does not definitively support a single interpretation: “The sentence could be interpreted as: (1) The U.N. found that the contaminated water caused illness and also highlighted the need for improved water management, (2) The U.N. only found that the contaminated water caused illness, while the need for improved water management is an implication or conclusion drawn by the writer. Readers … would likely fail to reach consensus about the correct interpretation of this ambiguity.” As a result, Claimify labeled the sentence “Cannot be disambiguated” at the Disambiguation stage and did not proceed to the Decomposition stage. 

To the best of our knowledge, Claimify is the first claim extraction system that identifies when the source text has multiple possible interpretations and extracts claims only when there is high confidence in the correct interpretation.

Next steps

We’re currently working on new methods for evaluating LLM-generated texts. We anticipate that the high-quality claims extracted by Claimify will help not only in verifying the veracity of LLM outputs, but also in assessing their overall quality – especially when gold-standard references are difficult to create (e.g., long-form texts where people may disagree on what defines “good” content). For example, we recently used Claimify to evaluate the comprehensiveness and diversity of answers generated by GraphRAG, showing that GraphRAG outperforms traditional Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) in these areas.

For an in-depth discussion of Claimify and our evaluation framework, please see our paper “Towards Effective Extraction and Evaluation of Factual Claims.”

[1] (opens in new tab) We used the “proposition chunking” prompt from NirDiamant’s RAG Techniques repository (opens in new tab). We generated multiple responses using GPT-4o, then picked the response that was most representative of the samples.

[2] Claimify is currently used for research purposes only and is not available commercially.

[3] (opens in new tab) We benchmarked Claimify against VeriScore (opens in new tab), DnD (opens in new tab), SAFE (opens in new tab), AFaCTA (opens in new tab), and Factcheck-GPT (opens in new tab).

[4] The outputs were generated using GPT-4o. Sentences not shown were either labeled “No verifiable claims” or “Cannot be disambiguated.”

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The post Claimify: Extracting high-quality claims from language model outputs appeared first on Microsoft Research.

TL;DR: Watch 2025 F1 live streams for free anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

This season of F1 is set to be a classic. There are so many interesting storylines to follow closely.

Can Max Verstappen defend his title? Are McLaren going to continue their impressive form from the second half of last season? Will Mercedes return to the top? Are Ferrari capable of making the leap and competing at the top of the standings? There are so many big questions this season, and after an entertaining first race, we're exciting to see how things unfold.

If you are interested in watching F1 2025 for free from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

What is F1?

Formula One (F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars. A season consists of a series of races (Grands Prix) that take place in multiple countries and continents on either purpose-built circuits or closed public roads.

SEE ALSO: How to watch the 2025 MotoGP World Championship online for free

Max Verstappen is the defending champion. McLaren won the Constructors Championship in 2024.

When is F1 in 2025?

The 2025 F1 season is the 76th edition of the championship. This year's championship features 24 Grands Prix held all over the world between March and December:

1. Australian Grand Prix — March 16

2. Chinese Grand Prix — March 23

3. Japanese Grand Prix — April 6

4. Bahrain Grand Prix — April 13

5. Saudi Arabian Grand Prix — April 20

6. Miami Grand Prix — May 4

7. Emilia Romagna Grand Prix — May 18

8. Monaco Grand Prix — May 25

9. Spanish Grand Prix — June 1

10. Canadian Grand Prix — June 15

11. Austrian Grand Prix — June 29

12. British Grand Prix — July 6

13. Belgian Grand Prix — July 27

14. Hungarian Grand Prix — Aug. 3

15. Dutch Grand Prix — Aug. 31

16. Italian Grand Prix — Sept. 7

17. Azerbaijan Grand Prix — Sept. 21

18. Singapore Grand Prix — Oct. 5

19. United States Grand Prix — Oct. 19

20. Mexico City Grand Prix — Oct. 26

21. São Paulo Grand Prix — Nov. 9

22. Las Vegas Grand Prix — Nov. 22

23. Qatar Grand Prix — Nov. 30

24. Abu Dhabi Grand Prix — Dec. 7

It's important to note that these dates are only for race days. China, Miami, Belgium, Austin, Brazil, and Qatar will each host a sprint race this season.

How to watch F1 for free

The good news is that it is possible to live stream F1 for free in 2025. The following platforms are offering free coverage of this season:

• Australia — 10Play (Australian Grand Prix)

• Austria — ORF (14 races) or ServusTV (11 races)

• Belgium — RTBF (every race)

• Canada — CTV (Canadian Grand Prix)

• Italy — TV8 (Emilia Romagna Grand Prix and Italian Grand Prix)

• UK — Channel 4 (British Grand Prix)

If you're abroad during a race weekend, you can consider using a VPN to unlock your favorite free streaming platform. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in other countries, meaning you can access these streaming services to watch F1 for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream F1 in 2025 from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in a location with free coverage of F1

4. Connect to free streaming service

5. Watch F1 2025 from anywhere in the world

Please be aware that Formula 1 take the view that the use of a VPN to watch content from another territory may be a breach of the relevant broadcasters’ terms of service and may constitute copyright infringement. It is your responsibility to ensure that your use of a VPN is legal and Mashable does not encourage any illegal use of a VPN.

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The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer money-back guarantees or free trials. By leveraging these offers, you can watch F1 live streams without fully committing with your cash. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does mean you can watch select races for free.

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What is the best VPN for F1?

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TL;DR: Live stream Chicago Cubs vs. Los Angeles Dodgers on Sling TV.

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs face off a couple of times this week in the MLB Tokyo Series, which marks the start of the 2025 regular season. All eyes are on Shohei Ohtani and Rōki Sasaki, with fans eager to see both Japanese natives play in their home country.

Even though the games take place in Tokyo, you can easily watch them in the US. We've also got you covered on how to watch from anywhere else in the world.

When is Chicago Cubs vs. Los Angeles Dodgers?

The second Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Chicago Cubs game of the series takes place at 6:10 a.m. ET on March 19.

The two teams will face off at the Tokyo Dome. The game will air on FS1.

How to watch Chicago Cubs vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

The second Chicago Cubs vs. Los Angeles Dodgers game of the MLB Tokyo Series can be streamed using Sling Blue and Sling Orange + Blue subscriptions on Sling TV.

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Sling TV offers its Orange & Blue package of 48 channels at $55 per month. Sign up to enjoy a first-month discounted rate of $27.50.

Sling TV’s sports channels feature ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNews, ESPNU, FOX, FS1, FS2, NBC, NFL Network, and SEC Network.

How to watch Cubs vs. Dodgers from anywhere in the world

If you're abroad for this fixture, you might need to use a VPN to unblock your favorite streaming service. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S., meaning you can unblock live streams of the MLB from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Cubs vs. Dodgers from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:

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

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

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4. Sign in to your favorite streaming service

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

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FREE ICE CREAM: On March 20, celebrate Cone Day 2025 by enjoying a free vanilla soft-serve cone at participating Dairy Queen locations.

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Don't say that we don't do anything for you. We have been pointing you in the direction of free giveaways all year, and we're not stopping anytime soon.

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SEE ALSO: Lego is giving away an exclusive Steering Wheel for free. Here’s how to get yours on March 9.

Anyone looking to participate in this free giveaway can visit Dairy Queen or download the Dairy Queen App to find a local restaurant on March 20. The promotion runs all day while supplies last, with a limit of one free cone per person. This free giveaway is not valid on delivery or mobile orders.

Celebrate Dairy Queen's Cone Day with a free vanilla soft-serve cone on March 20.

When you hit a career milestone—whether it’s landing a promotion, winning a major client, or exceeding sales targets—you expect congratulations. But what if colleagues respond with jealousy or resentment instead? Here’s how to approach the awkward situation with grace. Check your assumptions. Before jumping to conclusions, assess whether their behavior has truly changed. Are they […]

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Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

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 today: Hints and answers for March 19 Where did Wordle come from?

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

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

What's the best Wordle starting word?

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

What happened to the Wordle archive?

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

Is Wordle getting harder?

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

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for March 19, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A glimmer.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no reoccurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter S.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

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

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

SPARK.

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for March 19

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

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

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

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's The Mini crossword answers for March 19 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: To indicate

• Green: Functions in Google Chrome

• Blue: Street parts

• Purple: The first word is the same

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Signify

• Green: Web browser buttons

• Blue: Parts of a road

• Purple: À/A la ___

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 #645 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Signify: CONVEY, EXPRESS, MEAN, SPELL

• Web browser buttons: BACK, EXTENSIONS, FORWARD, REFRESH

• Parts of a road: DIVIDER, LANE, MEDIAN, SHOULDER

• À/A la: CARTE, KING, MODE, PLANCHA

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for March 19

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.