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Are you stuck in the coding tutorial loop? I used to be, but I realized that tutorials were actually holding me back when it came to my programming. Here’s how I realized coding tutorials were setting me up for failure, and how I fixed it.

SAVE $100: The iPad mini (128GB, WiFi, Space Grey) is on sale at Amazon for $399, down from the list price of $499. That's a $100 savings from a 20% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad mini (128GB, WiFi, Space Grey) $399 at Amazon
$499 Save $100   Get Deal

Sometimes smaller is better. That's true for those who travel with their devices or for students who commute to campus everyday. Smaller handheld devices can also be ideal for those with dexterity restrictions. For whatever reason, the smaller size of the iPad mini might be perfect for some folks. If that sounds ideal, check out this sale price.

As of Dec. 22, the iPad mini (128GB, WiFi, Space Grey) is on sale at Amazon for $399, marked down from the standard price of $499. That's a $100 savings from a 20% discount. Note there's no information about a delivery date from Amazon. Instead, it says you'll get a notification once they have an estimate. If you want the iPad mini as soon as possible, consider Best Buy which is also offering the same $399 sale price but with delivery on Dec. 24.

Christmas shopping brings on major discounts, but we often forget that it's a great time to consider goals for the New Year and if we should grab anything to help achieve those goals. If you want to read more in 2026, the iPad mini is Mashable's top choice for as the best iPad for reading.

Mashable Shopping Reporter Samantha Mangino explained the compact size and quick processing makes this model perfect for readers. "The other models, like the iPad Air, start at around 11 inches, which is a lot of screen when you just want to flip through your book," Mangino wrote. "But the iPad mini isn't just a glorified e-reader; it's still a versatile tablet. Like any iPad, you can read on it, but you can also stream your favorite shows — a level of flexibility that a Kindle simply can't match."

SEE ALSO: Score the Apple Watch Series 11 for its best-ever price at Amazon — save $100 right now

This 7th generation model of the iPad mini comes with 128GB storage in its compact 8.3-inch display. Apple claims it has "all-day battery life" which translates to up to 10 hours of web surfing on WiFi. In Mashable's full review of the iPad mini from Senior Editor Stan Schroeder, he wrote, "If you're new to the iPad, and you want the most compact one around (or any compact tablet), the new iPad mini 7 is the best choice."

If your 2026 plans could be improved by a lightweight and compact tablet that's also great to use as an e-reader, jump on this deal to get the iPad mini for $399.

SAVE 25%: As of Dec. 22, you can get the 13-inch Apple MacBook Air (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) for $749, down from $999, at Amazon. That's a 25% discount or a $250 price cut. It's also the lowest price we've tracked for this model.

13-inch Apple MacBook Air (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $749 at Amazon
$999 Save $250   Get Deal at Amazon Get Deal at Best Buy Get Deal at Walmart

If you’ve been spending the last few weeks scrambling to get everyone on your holiday shopping list the perfect gifts, it may be time to get a little something for yourself. Right now, Amazon has a ton of deals on Apple products, including the 2025 MacBook Air.

As of Dec. 22, you can get the 2025 13-inch Apple MacBook Air (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) for just $749, down from $999, at Amazon. That’s a 25% discount or a $250 price cut. It’s also the lowest price we’ve ever seen this model go for. The only downside is that it won’t arrive before Christmas, but it’s still a great deal if you’re willing to wait for a post-holiday delivery.

SEE ALSO: The best MacBooks to buy in 2025: The M5 is our new battery life champ

The MacBook Air M4 is Apple’s fastest and most portable laptop yet. It supports Apple Intelligence, offers up to 18 hours of battery life, and has a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display. It’s built for productivity and is considerably thinner and lighter than previous models. You’ll also get a 12MP Center Stage camera, three mics, and four speakers with Spatial Audio, so you can take video calls from wherever you are without compromising audio or video quality.

Even Mashable’s Senior Editor, Stan Schroeder, says the MacBook Air M4 is “absolutely” worth buying. In his review, he praised its affordability, speed, and portability, writing that the MacBook Air “put my 16-inch MacBook Pro to shame in so many ways that I'm wondering if I should just switch to the Air the next time around.”

If you've got a gaming PC and haven't overclocked your graphics card yet, you should seriously consider it. It's one of the easiest ways to boost gaming performance significantly without spending a single dime—and it's mostly risk-free.

The beta release for Linux Mint 22.3 "Zena" has arrived with several new features and improvements to the popular Linux distribution. It includes the new System Information app and several interface upgrades for the Cinnamon desktop.

Universal Pictures has released the first official trailer for Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, and Nolan-heads, we have never been so back.

In his follow-up to the Academy Award-winning Oppenheimer, Nolan adapts Homer's Greek epic with an all-star cast. Matt Damon plays Odysseus, the wily King of Ithaca. He's one of the tens of thousands of Greeks who fought in the Trojan War. It's his ruse of the Trojan Horse that finally breaches the walls of Troy and puts an end to the decade-long siege. After all that death and destruction, Odysseus is more than ready to return home to his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and his son Telemachus (Tom Holland).

Of course, Odysseus' journey quickly goes awry, otherwise we wouldn't have an epic poem — or Nolan's film, for that matter. On his voyage home, he'll encounter all matter of obstacles, from the enchantress Circe (Charlize Theron) to the Cyclops Polyphemus.

The latter's appearance is one of the many show-stopping moments in the trailer, with Nolan reportedly using animatronics to bring the famed one-eyed giant to life. But that's not all The Odyssey's trailer has in store. Between sweeping shots of the ocean, teases of the Trojan Horse sequence, and riveting storm sequences that leave Damon in bedraggled wet cat mode, the trailer is a visual feast. (And don't even get me started on the stirring score. My ears can only get so pumped.)

If the trailer already has you foaming at the mouth to see more of Nolan's next film, you're in luck. The Odyssey's six-minute prologue is now playing in theaters ahead of IMAX screenings of Avatar: Fire and Ash.

The Odyssey also stars Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, and Zendaya.

The Odyssey hits theaters July 18.

Some products can only be appreciated after you've tried them for yourself. I've known about laptop docking stations for years, but it wasn't until I got my first MacBook that I finally understood how awesome (and freeing) they are.

I've been running a fairly simple homelab for about five years, give or take. And while my current setup does most of the things I want it to do, I've effectively backed myself into a corner by cheaping out on hardware and making some other ill-advised choices that I wish I could go back on. Woe is me, and all that, but I don't think I'm alone here. So, maybe my story will help steer people toward the path that's right for them.

VLC, arguably the best media player around, dons a festive Santa hat every holiday season. The hat appears automatically, but you can remove it or prevent it from even appearing in the first place in just a few seconds. Here's how.

You might've heard the argument that many years of updates don't matter because “you’ll replace your phone in 2 years anyway.” In the age of e-waste, though, there’s a reason why you should want your phone to last years on end—even if you aren't the one using it.

Capture the flag is one of the most iconic traditions at Camp Half-Blood, along with chariot racing and, you know, trying not to get killed by monsters. If given the opportunity to join in on a game, which Percy Jackson and the Olympians characters would the cast choose to be their teammates?

SEE ALSO: How is 'Percy Jackson and the Olympians' Season 2 different from the books?

That's the challenge Mashable laid out for six of Percy Jackson and the Olympian Season 2's stars in our latest edition of Choose Your Squad. The rules: You can't choose your own character, and once you've drafted a pick, that character is permanently off the board.

To make things extra competitive, we added some Greek gods to the draft pool. Will the cast go for the ultimate power players in the Percy Jackson universe, or will they be wary of the gods' tendencies for pettiness and infighting?

The answer is decidedly the former. Stars Walker Scobell, Leah Sava Jeffries, Aryan Simhadri, Daniel Diemer, Dior Goodjohn, and Charlie Bushnell each decide to beef up their teams with some godly powers, and the result is delightful chaos. Come for the cast, stay for some of their wild strategizing.

Who will be the first pick in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians capture-the-flag draft? Which demigod actors will draft their fictional parents to their side? Watch the full video above to find out.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2 is now streaming on Disney+, with new episodes every Wednesday.

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Whether you're off for the holidays or working through, if you're looking for some great movies to entertain you or even get you in the holiday spirit, I've got you covered with four excellent Paramount+ picks—expertly chosen and all Certified Fresh by the movie nerds at Rotten Tomatoes.

The affordable sports compact segment is more competitive than ever, and 2025 has brought three standout contenders from Honda, Volkswagen, and Hyundai into a surprisingly tight race. Each delivers its own blend of performance, practicality, and value, making this comparison especially important for buyers who want thrills without breaking the bank.

Finally, it’s here—the most anticipated week of the year. It’s also the most stressful and chaotic, so to help with that, I bring you a healthy mix of lighthearted, mostly holiday-spirited flicks to shift your mood and put it right where it needs to be.

Practically every useful online service requires a subscription now. Even though each individual one may seem small, together, over time they add up. There's probably no way to completely cut subscriptions out of a digital life these days, but you can cut back if you use these 5 self-hosting apps.

Many of you will be celebrating Christmas this week, so it's a perfect time to watch some movies. But even if the holiday isn't for you, you never really need an excuse to enjoy some cinematic treats. That's why I dish up some Netflix recommendations every week.

Excel's grid feels like an endless canvas until you hit the boundaries of row 1,048,576 or column XFD. These limits aren't random—they're digital walls shaped by history, hardware, and binary logic. Here's why the "Big Grid" is the size it is, and why it hasn't moved since 2007.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you're always looking for what's next.

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 December 22, 2025 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: A gush

• Green: Next

• Blue: Given on birthdays, holidays, etc.

• Purple: Hues

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Influx

• Green: Subsequent

• Blue: Kinds of cards

• Purple: Colors minus last letter

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 #925 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Influx: RASH, RUSH, SURGE, WAVE

• Subsequent: COMING, FOLLOWING, FUTURE, LATER

• Kinds of cards: BUSINESS, GREETING, MEMBERSHIP, PLAYING

• Colors minus last letter: BROW, CYA, PIN, WHIT

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 December 22, 2025

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 like buying gifts.

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 December 22, 2025 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for December 22, 2025 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme:Pass it along

The words are related to the holidays.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe giving presents.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Regifting.

NYT Strands word list for December 22

• Book

• Candle

• Gadget

• Wine

• Scarf

• Regifting

• Lotion

• Earrings

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.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're a beachgoer.

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

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for December 22, 2025 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 Pips hints, answers for December 22, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

It has a spiral shell.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter C appears twice.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter C.

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...

CONCH

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 December 22, 2025

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 today's Wordle.