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The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you're a pet owner.

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 October 31, 2026 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: That's great!

• Green: Alcoholic drink

• Blue: Very attached

• Purple: Get in line

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Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Words Meaning Good that Sound Bad

• Green: Martini Specifications

• Blue: Things with Springs

• Purple: Starting with Dog Commands

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 #1238 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Words Meaning Good that Sound Bad: GNARLY, KILLER, SICK, WICKED

• Martini Specifications: DIRTY, DRY, SHAKEN, UP

• Things with Springs: GUITAR, MARIONETTE, TASSEL, TENNIS RACKET

• Starting with Dog Commands: DOWNFALL, SHAKESPEARE, SITCOM, STAYCATION

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

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

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

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

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

Today's NYT Strands hints will be easy if you celebrate Halloween.

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for October 31, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: It's in the bag

The words are related to Halloween.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe a Halloween tradition.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

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NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Trick or Treat.

NYT Strands word list for October 31

• Candy

• Sticker

• Apple

• Trick or Treat

• Toothbrush

• Fangs

• Ring

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

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

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

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

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're always excited.

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

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for October 31, 2026 Where did Wordle come from?

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

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

What's the best Wordle starting word?

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

What happened to the Wordle archive?

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

Is Wordle getting harder?

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

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

Email provider.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter O appears twice.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter Y.

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...

YAHOO

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

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

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

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

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

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

I love desktop widgets. I’ve loved them since the early days of Windows 7, and I hate the fact that Microsoft decided to remove them. Sure, some of you will say the desktop looks cleaner without widgets, but to me, it just feels like wasted screen real estate. Widgets give you easy access to useful information without requiring you to open an app.

My brother’s phone stopped working one morning, so I offered to lend him my Samsung phone for the day. He just needed it to make important calls, so I didn’t mind handing it over. I wasn’t worried about him stumbling across my personal photos, WhatsApp conversations, or work files either.

By the time ballots are counted for this year's midterm elections, Americans will have received an estimated 60 billion political text messages. A single person would have read 170 messages on average. Candidates will have spent more than $11 billion on their campaigns. 

But it's not just campaign spending you need to pay attention to. The flurry of political calls, texts, and ads creates a perfect cover for scammers, said Ron Kerbs, CEO of AI fraud prevention company Kidas.

"A fraudulent call doesn't necessarily stand out when you're receiving legitimate political outreach at the same time," he warned. 

Americans should be on alert and play defense. Let unknown calls go to voicemail, verify calls and texts from people who claim to be candidates or affiliated with political campaigns, and take a moment to think things through before giving anyone money or personal information.  

Scammers can use elections to steal money

Unfortunately, being on a Do Not Call list won't keep you from getting fooled by an election scam. Most political communications are exempt from the official Do Not Call registry, the national opt-out database for telemarketing communications. 

Campaigns do have to be careful not to violate federal restrictions on automated and prerecorded calls, including texts and calls made without prior consent. But the exceptions can create general confusion for voters trying to figure out if a pollster or campaign volunteer is real. 

Scam texts versus scam calls

Scam texts are certainly a concern for voters, Kerbs said. A recent public service announcement from the FBI warns of midterm-related scams involving stolen "names, images, logos, and slogans of candidates to fraudulently solicit campaign contributions, sell merchandise that is never delivered, or steal personally identifiable information."

Voters should remember the age-old advice not to click any suspicious links sent to them, even from numbers that seem legit.

But election phone calls may pose an even greater challenge for many Americans. 

"When someone hears a familiar voice, particularly a candidate or public official they recognize, they may be more inclined to trust what they're hearing," Kerbs said. "With AI, scammers can now recreate those voices convincingly, making it much harder for the average person to recognize when a call is fake."  

Scammers, like everyone, have access to publicly available data on candidates that can be used to train or generate highly realistic AI voices, Kerb says. "Scammers can then combine that cloned voice with caller ID spoofing, making the call appear to come from a legitimate campaign or political organization."

The threat of voice clones and deepfake audio of political candidates isn't a hypothetical. In 2024, AI-generated robocalls impersonating then-President Joe Biden were sent to New Hampshire voters, urging them to skip the primary election. The calls led to a federal crackdown on "junk calls," including the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) expansion of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act to effectively ban unsolicited AI robocalls. 

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Common election-related phone scams 

Election scammers have different motivations for reaching out to voters. Kidas describes at least three ways scammers use the election season to fool you: 

1. Impersonating election officials: Callers pretending to be election workers may try to solicit personal information from voters or influence votes under the guise that something is wrong with your voter registration or ballot. 

2. Fake pollsters: Scammers impersonating official pollsters may also contact you to collect sensitive information. 

3. Donation scams: Bad actors may pose as official campaigns or as a political action committee (PAC) to solicit donations from unsuspecting voters.

There are also a few red flags that could signal to a voter that the person on the other end is not motivated by a sense of civic participation. 

A call can sound completely legitimate and still be fraudulent. - Ron Kerbs, Kidas

Urgency is the biggest red flag, scam experts warn. If someone calls saying your registration is expiring or a ballot needs to be verified ASAP, end the call, advises Kerbs. 

Additionally, election officials will never ask for money, Social Security numbers, verification codes, or other personal information over the phone. 

Other red flags include requests for Social Security numbers, banking information, verification codes or payment through gift cards, cryptocurrency or other unusual methods.

Voters should also be suspicious of anyone claiming they can update voter registration over the phone in exchange for sensitive information or a payment. Registering to vote is free, and voters should use their official state election resources to check their status or make changes.

"One of the most important things to understand is that a scam call may not have an obvious red flag at first," warns Kerbs. "A call can sound completely legitimate and still be fraudulent, so voters shouldn't rely solely on whether something sounds suspicious."

Bad actors may be trying to influence or tamper with elections, as was the case with the fake Biden robocalls. But they may also just be out to get your data or cash. Either way, it's important to keep yourself safe.

How to protect yourself from election scams 

"It's no longer enough to identify a suspicious phone number," warned Kerbs. "You also need to consider what's happening during the call, including whether the voice is artificially generated and whether the conversation shows signs of fraudulent activity."

1. Do not rely solely on the name, number, or voice you hear on the phone. 

2. Hang up and verify. Before providing information (or money), go to a second source. Check directly with your state or local election office. Make donations on official campaign websites, not over the phone or via links.  

3. Use your phone's screening tools, with discretion. Turn on features to silence unknown callers, screen calls, and filter out spam. But remember these are not foolproof, and scammers often bypass such detectors. 

4. Let calls go to voicemail first. Don't feel obligated to answer. Scammers rely on urgency, so a voicemail can give yourself the space you need to think and confirm. 

Most importantly, never provide sensitive information over the phone, including seemingly innocuous things like your driver's license number. Scammers may claim they need that information to verify your identity or confirm a donation. Don't believe them, says Kerbs.

"Even seemingly harmless details can be useful to scammers when combined with information they've already collected. You don't need to answer every question just because someone claims to represent a campaign or election office."

When you hear the name Ryobi, the first thing most people think about is power tools for DIY projects and homeowner repairs. And while that's certainly true, you don't have to be a DIYer to absolutely love several of Ryobi's most popular products. The company makes a little bit of everything, and there are several you'll probably want to own.

Welcome to Halloween weekend! There are plenty of horror movies and shows to stream this weekend. Only one of these shows fits the bill for spooky season, and it's our top pick of the weekend. It's the return of the serial killer who targets other criminals who have slipped through the cracks of the criminal justice system.

Spooky season is the perfect time to cozy up with Haunted Hotel. The Netflix animated series blends horror with an animated family sitcom format that makes for fresh fun, and an addictive rewatch binge. (And, really, we've been revisiting Season 1 over and over since last Halloween.)

Now, with Season 3 announced ahead of this Halloween, we're sharing a secret we've found hidden in the Undervale. Sure, each episode focuses on the misadventures of the Freeling family, be it ghost uncle Nathan (Will Forte), his sister Katherine (Eliza Coupe), her chipper son Ben (Skyler Gisondo) and mischievous daughter Esther (Natalie Palamides), or their resident demon trapped in a boy's body, Abaddon (Jimmi Simpson). But beneath the surface of Haunted Hotel, another drama lurks — specifically under its floorboards.

In the opening title sequence, between when Esther defeats a vampire and Ben is chased out of the library by gremlins, there's a smaller story playing out between the floors of the hotel. You have to freeze-frame to see it. And even on a desktop watch, that can be tricky to do! So, we've done the hard bit for you.

SEE ALSO: 'KPop Demon Hunters' and 'Haunted Hotel' collide in 'Your Idol' music video

After Season 1, some fans posted screenshots online, allowing others to dig into the curious war waged deep in the Undervale hotel. Now, with Season 2 out, Mashable has pulled together screenshots from Seasons 1 and 2 in chronological order, so you can make out the stories for yourself.

Haunted Hotel, Season 1, episode 1: "Welcome to the Undervale"

Credit: Netflix/screenshot

Haunted Hotel, Season 1, episode 2: "Unfinished Business"

Credit: Netflix

Haunted Hotel, Season 1, episode 3: "Randy Slasher"

Credit: Netflix

Haunted Hotel, Season 1, episode 4: "How to Train Your Demon"

Credit: Netflix

Haunted Hotel, Season 1, episode 5: "Rollyfluffs"

Credit: Netflix

Haunted Hotel, Season 1, episode 6: "Ghost Hunters!"

Credit: Netflix

Haunted Hotel, Season 1, episode 7: "Seven Deadly Bens"

Credit: Netflix

Haunted Hotel, Season 1, episode 8: "Aunt Rose"

Credit: Netflix

Haunted Hotel, Season 1, episode 9: "The Esthercist"

Credit: Netflix

Haunted Hotel, Season 1, episode 10: "The Acolytes of Abaddon"

Credit: Netflix

Hey, bud. You okay? Sorry about that last one. I assure you, Season 2's has a happier ending. Here it is.

Haunted Hotel, Season 2, episode 1: "Ooze"

Credit: Netflix

Haunted Hotel, Season 2, episode 2: "Dinner Party"

Credit: Netflix

Haunted Hotel, Season 2, episode 3: "The Witch"

Credit: Netflix

Haunted Hotel, Season 2, episode 4: "Ghost Day Out"

Credit: Netflix

Haunted Hotel, Season 2, episode 5: "Astral Esther"

Credit: Netflix

Haunted Hotel, Season 2, episode 6: "Dante Crowe"

Credit: Netflix

Haunted Hotel, Season 2, episode 7: "The Concierge"

Credit: Netflix

Haunted Hotel, Season 2, episode 8: "The Visit"

Credit: Netflix

What will Haunted House creator Matt Roller have in store for season 3 (above and below the floorboards)? We can't wait to find out.

Haunted Hotel is now streaming on Netflix.

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Maine Senate candidate Troy Jackson, a Democrat, was the target of an outrageous video apparently fabricated by Russian operatives, according to the data analysis service NewsGuard.

In the video, which appears as a legitimate news report from Maine TV station WABI, an anchor alleges that Jackson threatened to kill "any insubordinate staffer" with an axe. Jackson is a fifth-generation logger challenging the Republican incumbent Susan Collins.

Several polls put Jackson ahead of Collins, and Republicans see her seat as crucial to maintaining control of the U.S. Senate.

SEE ALSO: OpenAI launching election 'war room'

Kim Petry, vice president of WABI, confirmed to NewsGuard that the video was fabricated and appears to use a synthetic voice. "It was not produced, aired, or authorized by WABI," Petry told NewsGuard.

The firm said Jackson's campaign didn't respond to two emails seeking comment on the video. Mashable also contacted Jackson's campaign via email but did not receive a reply as of publication.

NewsGuard said the video used dubbed audio combined with real footage that originally appeared on WABI's website in July 2026. In the original segment, Jackson was accused of having "angry outbursts" while serving as Maine Senate President between 2018 and 2024.

In July, CNN and the Washington Post reported that Jackson threw a water bottle during a 2021 meeting. One lawmaker said Jackson threw the bottle in her direction after she refused to vote for a bill he supported.

Jackson's campaign said he threw the bottle but wasn't targeting anyone. Though Jackson's temper was well-known in Maine political circles, he did not threaten to attack staffers with an axe.

Based on its format and how it spread on X, NewsGuard said the manipulated video appears to be the product of a Russian influence operation known as Storm-1516. The group "routinely fabricates articles and videos that impersonate legitimate media outlets," according to NewsGuard.

The firm said Storm-1516 is also apparently behind similar videos targeting James Talarico and Sherrod Brown, Democratic Senate candidates from Texas and Ohio, respectively. Both men were accused of sexual assault in the AI-altered videos and vehemently denied the allegations.

The Xbox Ally X may be a fantastic handheld, but its improvements weren't enough to convince me to upgrade from the ASUS ROG Ally X, my PC gaming handheld of choice for over two years. What about an Xbox Ally X Plus, though, delivering a handful of fresh upgrades on top of everything that makes the original great? In a nutshell, that's the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X20, a special edition handheld that does a lot more than celebrate 20 years of Republic of Gamers and 25 years of Xbox.

Our friends and coworkers at XDA just debuted XDB Builder, a super-streamlined tool for designing, optimizing, and buying the components for your next PC.

These three Bash features turn the terminal into something closer to a file browser, with saved locations, a quick way back, and a full history of where you’ve been. None of them need a plugin, an alias framework, or a new shell.

Google's latest earnings call has caused quite a kerfuffle on the stock market.

It turns out that Google's AI Mode, the AI summaries that help answer user search queries right on the search page instead of directing them to the most authoritative links, is eating into the company's ad revenue — an extremely predictable problem. There's even a term for the phenomenon — zero-click searches.

This is an obvious problem for Google Ads, a pay-per-click advertising service that generates billions of dollars in revenue each quarter. Google isn't going to backtrack on AI; the company has too much invested into the technology now. So, what's Google's fix?

More ads.

As Ars Technica points out, in Google's financial disclosure, the company shared plans to bring even more search ads into AI Mode.

Google currently shows contextual ads within AI Mode alongside the AI-generated responses to user queries. However, Google is planning to include even more ads by swapping out sponsored links throughout a user's session as they interact with the AI Mode chatbot. In addition, Google will soon be rolling out AI Mode ads in international markets as well.

The search giant did warn investors that this won't be a quick fix. Google currently earns less via AI Mode ads than from traditional search ads as there are fewer advertisers running ads in AI Mode. In addition, it will take some time, Google says, for advertisers to understand the benefits of running ads in AI Mode too.

Regardless, Google will go forward with its AI plans, even at the expense of a major revenue driver, Google Search ads. In the meantime, users will be seeing more ads.

For a long time, the way to access your notifications and quick settings on a Galaxy device was the same. You swipe down once for notifications and a second time for settings. It was intuitive and simple, and that was the way that just about everybody liked things to be. Then Samsung decided to change things.

Netflix has always had a strong documentary section. One of the more recent documentaries making headway is Instadocs: AI Gone Wild, a wild hacking story about a breach caused by autonomous agents created by OpenAI researchers. If you're fearful of AI, this documentary will amplify that anxiety.

While Linux’s app ecosystem isn’t as rich as that of Windows, especially when it comes to commercial and professional software, the open-source community has filled a lot of that gap with a bunch of well-made apps.

If you live in an area with limited high-speed internet options and use SpaceX's Starlink, then it's time to check your emails in case you get a notice about recent changes to your monthly bill. Starlink users have taken to Reddit to discuss upcoming increases to the cost of their service. The catch? Changes appear to be regional, and a lucky few have reported decreases. Here's what we know so far and what to look out for if Starlink is your current ISP. This is yet another blow to customers, as the company got rid of its cheapest plan earlier this year.

All-in-one desktop computers beat laptops for users who don't need mobility, offering higher performance and larger displays at lower prices. High-end desktops aren't cheap, but you don't have to pay full retail price when you can get a huge $1,000 discount on this powerful Dell All-in-One Desktop.