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Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier if you know west coast schools.

As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

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

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

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. 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: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Indiana sports

• Green: Shoot around

• Blue: Canadian football

• Purple: Sounds like an MVP

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Indianapolis Teams

• Green: Basketball Games

• Blue: CFL Teams

• Purple: Homophones of Super Bowl MVPs

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

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections: Sports Edition #478 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Indianapolis Teams - BUTLER, COLTS, FEVER, PACERS

• Basketball Games - 21, AROUND THE WORLD, HORSE, KNOCKOUT

• CFL Teams - ALOUETTES, ELKS, ROUGHRIDERS, STAMPEDERS

• Homophones of Super Bowl MVPs - BREEZE, CUP, FOALS, SWAN

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

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

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

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

By now, everyone knows Netflix has a hit on its hands with KPop Demon Hunters. The animated Netflix film has broken streaming records and won awards for both the movie itself and its chart-topping soundtrack.

KPop Demon Hunters are everywhere right now. Well, almost everywhere. If one were looking for KPop Demon Hunters on the internet, many might be inclined to check out the URL KPopDemonHunters.com. Huntrix fans going to that web address, though, will not find anything there.

That's because up until now, Netflix didn't even own the domain name KPopDemonHunters.com. In fact, it was originally registered three whole days after the film was released on June 20, 2025 by an individual in Germany. Did Netflix really not have any idea how big this movie was going to be?

SEE ALSO: 'KPop Demon Hunters' wins best song at Golden Globes, Ejae gives moving speech How Netflix got the KPop Demon Hunters domain

Netflix recently won the KPopDemonHunters.com domain name from that individual in Germany named Sanchit Sood after filing a trademark dispute, as first reported by the domain news outlet Domain Name Wire.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, better known as ICANN, is the organization that maintains the global domain name space. Under ICANN's rules, individuals and companies can file disputes over domain names under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP). 

When a UDRP case is filed, the complainant must prove the domain name is confusingly similar to their trademark, there is no legitimate interest from the registrant, and the registration was made in bad faith. The registrant can then present their case before an arbitration panel, which makes the final decision.

Trademark owners don't always win these cases. There are legitimate reasons why a registrant can own a domain name, like if the trademark is generic enough. Even in this case where KPop Demon Hunters is extremely specific, a registrant could have bought the domain name for other fair use cases like a fan site or to criticize the film (panels can still decide in favor of the trademark holder even in these cases too).

However, in this specific case, the registrant did not even reply to the UDRP dispute, leaving the sole panelist on the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) panel for this case with just Netflix's argument. With all these considerations taken into account, including the fact that the domain name did not even redirect to a website, this appeared like a clear-cut case of cybersquatting a trademark domain name. The panelist ruled in Netflix's favor, and the registrar where KPopDemonHunters.com was registered has or will transfer the domain to Netflix.

And with that, the trademark dispute over KPopDemonHunters.com is done, done, done.

Google announced Monday that the company is reversing its longstanding practice of allowing minors supervised by their parents via Family Link to unilaterally opt-out of those settings upon turning 13.

Soon, if a teen wants to manage their own account, it require parental approval. A spokesperson for Google told Mashable that the policy goes into effect globally this week.

"These changes better ensure protections stay in place until both the parent and teen feel ready for the next step," Kate Charlet, Google's head of global privacy, safety, and security, wrote in a LinkedIn post about the change.

SEE ALSO: Character.AI settles lawsuits related to teen deaths

The Google spokesperson said the new policy had been planned for some time. Still, it was announced soon after an online child safety advocate drew viral attention to the company's previous policy in a viral Linkedin post. As of this story's publication, the post had elicited more than 600 comments and received 375,000 impressions.

Melissa McKay, president of the advocacy organization Digital Childhood Institute, wrote the post after receiving an email notification that her 12-year-old son would soon be able to adjust the parental controls she'd set for him through Google's Family Link product. Mashable reviewed the email, which McKay described as short and vague.

In her opinion, it failed to explain the changes being made to her son's account or include appropriately clarifying links.

McKay, who researched and authored a 2025 complaint to the Federal Trade Commission against Google regarding its youth safety practices, added that she would've skipped over the email had she not already been looking into the company's policies.

The email noted that her son would receive a similar notification. McKay asked her son to read that message and discovered that it linked to information about how he could remove parental supervision once he turned 13, without his parent's consent. McKay said she did not receive the same information; the link in her email explained age requirements for Google accounts.

In the email sent to her son, which Mashable reviewed and Google did not dispute, the company acknowledges that he will turn 13 soon and can update his account to access more Google products and services. As of this story's publication, the resource explains that "[c]hildren decide when to update their Google Account."

This explanation from Google frames the decision to end parental supervision as a child's choice. Credit: Google

"In nearly ten years as an online safety advocate, this is among the most predatory corporate practices I have seen," McKay wrote in her LinkedIn post.

According to Google's own Family Link resource, when a child transitions into managing their own account, parents will no longer be able to set up downtime, allow or block apps, or find their child's transactions in Family Link. Teens with control over their own Google account will also have wide-ranging use of Google Wallet and Pay, including when using a card added to their profile prior to their 13th birthday.

McKay welcomed the company's new policy but believes far more reform is needed to protect children online from what she described as corporate exploitation.

TL;DR: Make working with AI even easier with this lifetime subscription to ChatPlayground AI’s Unlimited Plan, on sale now for $79 (reg. $619).

Opens in a new window Credit: ChatPlayground AI ChatPlayground AI: Lifetime Subscription (Unlimited Plan) $79
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Opens in a new window Credit: Sterling Stock Picker Sterling Stock Picker: Lifetime Subscription $68.99
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For those of us who aren’t super into taking risks, the stock market can be pretty intimidating. If investing is on your 2026 resolution list, Sterling Stock Picker is a handy app that can help you make more informed and confident decisions. Right now, you can secure a lifetime subscription to this informative tool for just $68.99 (reg. $486).

Whether you’re totally new to the world of investing or a seasoned stock market pro, everyone can take advantage of Sterling Stock Picker’s insights. This award-winning app is powered by OpenAI, the company that powers ChatGPT, and it’s designed to support confident investing.

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Long before it was even remotely possible, people have dreamed of a world where your house just takes care of you. Once it became clear that computers would be more than just a fad, the home automation fantasies really started to take hold. So I wondered how close some of the classic depictions came to our present day, or perhaps our very immediate future.

The Mazda Miata is a beloved driver’s car for a reason: lightweight balance, engaging handling, and pure fun behind the wheel. But as great as it is, its small cabin and limited cargo space can eventually feel too tight for drivers who want more comfort, power, or everyday usability. If you’ve reached the point where the Miata feels a bit too compact for daily life, long trips, or just added practicality, it might be time to consider an upgrade.

The last thing you'd ever expect a Game of Thrones show to be is comforting.

After all, comforts are few and far between in Game of Thrones and its prequel, House of the Dragon. In those series, you'd be lucky to get through an episode without witnessing some combination of graphic violence, rape, or torture.

SEE ALSO: 'Knight of the Seven Kingdoms': 5 things we learned at the New York Comic Con panel

Yet "comforting" is exactly the word that comes to mind when I think of HBO's latest Game of Thrones spin-off, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. A lighter, smaller-scale series based on George R.R. Martin's Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas, it's the best antidote for any fatigue you may feel at the thought of spending more time in the grimdark reaches of Westeros.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms isn't like any other Game of Thrones show. Peter Claffey in "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms." Credit: Steffan Hill / HBO

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms sets itself apart from its predecessors right away, literally taking a dump on the swelling notes of Ramin Djawadi's beloved Game of Thrones theme.

Don't view the poop gag as a slight on Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon, though. It's more a way of recalibrating expectations. Few of the hallmarks you associate with other Westeros-set shows are on display in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. There's no backstabbing politicking in the Red Keep's side rooms, no vast roster of fantasy locations to rotate between, and certainly no dragons.

But you know what A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has that Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon don't? A very tall, very sweet man. And that turns out to be exactly what Westeros as a franchise needs.

SEE ALSO: Is 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' kid-friendly? Ser Duncan the Tall is Westeros' next great hero. Peter Claffey in "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms." Credit: Steffan Hill / HBO

That tall, sweet man is none other than Ser Duncan "Dunk" the Tall (Peter Claffey). He used to squire for the wandering hedge knight Ser Arlan of Pennytree (Danny Webb), but upon his master's death in the show's opening moments, Dunk takes up the mantle of knight and heads to a tournament at Ashford Meadow. There, he hopes to forge his own path as a knight and gain a little coin in the process.

Dunk isn't the kind of hero we've come to expect from the Game of Thrones universe. He doesn't come from a noble house, he's not the most formidable fighter, and he's not even particularly bright. ("Dunk the Lunk, thick as a castle wall" is a common refrain in Martin's novellas.) Yet what Dunk lacks in those departments, he more than makes up for in a key way: He's damn kind.

SEE ALSO: 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' trailer promises epic Westerosi jousting action

See, for Dunk, knighthood isn't about glory or battles. It's about protecting the defenseless and doing what's right — and after two seasons spent with House of the Dragon's Criston Cole, that integrity feels like a gale force blast of fresh air straight up the nostrils. Yet Dunk's sense of honor doesn't manifest in a stuffy do-gooder attitude. Rather, it radiates from his (very) tall frame in waves of warmth that Dunk doesn't quite know what to do with. Raised in the eat-or-be-eaten slums of Flea Bottom, and often belittled or even beaten by Ser Arlan, he can't fathom that he's actually good. Claffey plays this self-doubt with endearing bashfulness, often shrinking his considerable height as if he's ashamed to take up space in the world. Yet many of the people Dunk meets as Ashford Meadow recognize he's special, from the carousing Lyonel Baratheon (Daniel Ings) to a mysterious bald boy simply known as Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell).

Egg takes it upon himself to become Dunk's squire, much to Dunk's initial chagrin. He's just become a knight himself, and now he has to babysit an insolent child? Soon, though, the pair develops a lovely odd-couple partnership: Dunk, tall as can be, with barely a wise bone in his body, and Egg, scrawny and small, yet surprisingly worldly (and with a sharp tongue, to boot). Claffey and Ansell are a gift together, whether they're trading barbs in the middle of a rowdy tournament or enjoying a quiet moment under the stars. Not since Sandor Clegane and Arya Stark has Westeros seen such a memorable lone wolf and cub duo — although here, the pairing is immediately off to a sweeter start, as the cub doesn't want to murder the lone wolf. (He might sass him, though.)

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms finds greatness in the small things. Dexter Sol Ansell in "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms." Credit: Steffan Hill / HBO

The sweetness of Dunk and Egg's burgeoning friendship really shines thanks to A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' smaller scale. We rarely leave the tourney grounds at Ashford Meadow, which A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' production team renders in lived-in glory, all muddy tents and worn armor. These well-used elements create a grounded atmosphere where hard-working smallfolk find joy, either from watching the jousts on the sidelines or enjoying beautifully crafted puppet shows. Given that prior onscreen portrayals of Westeros have mostly focused on times of war, it's soothing to witness these smaller moments of everyday life and leisure.

This isn't to say A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is free of conflict and action. The show boasts some captivating jousting sequences, as well as some hand-to-hand combat that's among the most visceral in all of the franchise. Elsewhere, the Targaryens show up and cause drama, as they are wont to do.

But even then, the focus is primarily on Dunk and Egg's relationship, and the solidarity they find with the people they've crossed paths with. That's A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms in a nutshell: good people trying to help each other out the best they can. It's a welcome switch-up in HBO's Game of Thrones lineup, and proof that the world of Westeros can be more than just a brutal cage match between warring families. More than that, though, it's a balm for the soul.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres Jan. 18 at 10 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

Home Assistant just announced a significant shift in its partnership program, formally removing smart home brand HELTUN from the "Works with Home Assistant" certification. The popular open-source home automation platform published a full explanation of the decision.

Jellyfin is a fantastic open-source media server, but the client applications can be rough around the edges, especially in comparison to Plex's apps. Thankfully, the Roku app for Jellyfin is now getting some helpful improvements.

Computer hardware is getting much more expensive, and I'm not just talking about the fancy stuff. Core components like RAM, storage, and power supplies are going up in price due to unprecedented market conditions. Which means even people who are just looking for a basic desktop PC, or who want to host simple services at home are facing big price tags.

With 28 Days Later, director Danny Boyle and Alex Garland rewrote the rules of the zombie genre. With 28 Years Later, they did it again by rejecting the tropes they themselves had forged. No longer were zombies (or to be more accurate, infected persons) merely running mindless, fueled by a ravenous rage. Some had grown smart and brawny, becoming Alphas, while others grew slow and wriggled on the ground. No longer were audiences to be fed on the grim carnage of a city decimated by a rampaging virus. Instead, the filmmakers offered a picturesque wilderness and a touching — while scary as hell — coming-of age tale. Now, Boyle has entrusted The Bone Temple, the second chapter of Garland's emerging 28 Years Later trilogy, with American filmmaker Nia DaCosta, who grows this saga with sensational daring and depth.

Much like "superhero movie" has become a nebulous concept as more filmmakers push the boundaries on the subgenres' expectations, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is a zombie movie, but also much, much more. Thanks to riveting performances from Ralph Fiennes, Jack O'Connell, Alfie Williams, Chi Lewis-Parry, and Erin Kellyman, this horror offering — like its prequel and also like 2025's other smash horror hit, Sinners — transcends the grimier aspects of the genre to unearth something gnarly and sublime. 

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple unfurls the mystery of Jimmy.  Credit: Miya Mizuno / Sony

After wowing audiences with a vampire jig in Sinners, O'Connell stunned us by popping up at the end of 28 Years Later as a dubious savior, modeled after the Teletubbies and Jimmy Savile. He's a self-proclaimed prince with a band of manic minions, all of whom dress in his uniform of Lancelot blonde hair and a velour tracksuit. They all call themselves Jimmy (or some variant thereof), and they've taken in runaway Spike (Williams). But despite their wide smiles and stellar skills at slaying the infected, this is not a safe community for Spike to join. 

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We first met Jimmy at the beginning of 28 Years Later, as a child who watches his pastor father willingly get eaten alive by a horde of zombies. Whether inspired by the scene or traumatized by it (or a little of both), adult Jimmy has since started his own religion — a perversion of his father's Christian father, a brand of Satanism that crowns him son of Satan.

With a twisted sense of humor and an iron fist, he rules over not only his Jimmy-named gang, but also any survivors who have the misfortune to cross his path. But what will happen when Jimmy and his crew run into Dr. Ian Kelson (Fiennes), a seeming madman with skin dyed red by iodine and a home surrounded by human remains built into a bone temple? As teased in the film's trailer, this becomes the central conflict of the 28 Years Later sequel, creating a fascinating collision of religion versus science in a post-apocalyptic landscape. But that's not all. 

Garland's script also plunges deeper into the minds of Kelson and his Samson (Lewis-Parry), the Alpha infected, who stalks like a lion through the fields and woods. And still beyond that, Spike — who is more a supporting character here — tries to understand his place in a kingdom run on madness and blood. His only ally seems to be Jimmy Ink (Eleanor the Great's Kellyman), a sharp-eyed girl who spies the holes in her devil prince's preaching. 

The Bone Temple is gory and glorious.  Credit: Miya Mizuno / Sony

I hesitate to tell you more about the plot of the movie, because the discovery of it was exhilarating. Typically, zombie movies have a pretty direct quest: Survive the night. Even 28 Years Later tapped into that, with a first act that presented Spike and his dad running for their lives as they are tirelessly chased by an Alpha — a magnificent sequence, gorgeous and harrowing. As in that scene, the cold, brilliant stars shine down on a landscape of human suffering, utterly indifferent. But this time, there are men looking back up at them, finding a moment amid the pain and fear and surviving to inhale wonder. 

Kelson's plotline pushes that — to steal a line from Star Trek and Station Eleven — "survival is insufficient." Even a man who makes a temple of bones needs conversation, music, and dancing. Kelson pursues these things with an openness that is both heart-warming and terrifying, due to the risks he takes in their pursuit. 

Like Coogler did with Sinners, DaCosta unites horror and song and dance to a tremendous effect in The Bone Temple. Sure, there are scenes of zombie carnage and human depravity, in keeping with the franchise's toll of blood. And these are deeply unnerving. Yet the sequence that had the audience in my screening not only awestruck during, but then applauding and cheering afterwards, was one of dance. It was an extraordinary surprise, and the thrill of it still surges in my heart and stings my eyes with tears for the sheer excitement. Afterwards, my reaction on Letterboxd was, "My brain feels like pop rocks." 

Nia DaCosta makes her best movie yet with The Bone Temple.  Credit: Miya Mizuno / Sony

DaCosta started out strong with the indie thriller Little Woods. Then, she took on one bold follow-up after another, reviving Candyman with a daring sequel, then helming the superheroine ensemble adventure The Marvels. Admittedly, amid these studio projects, her thumbprint was muddied, and the reviews were mixed. But then came Hedda, a sexy and pulsating interpretation of Anton Chekhov's Hedda Gabler that reimagines the classic anti-heroine as gifted, Black, queer, and freshly furious about being thwarted. 

With Hedda, DaCosta reignited the fire that sparked in Little Woods, fueling it with her recurring leading lady, Tessa Thompson, who delivers a scorching performance bolstered by composer Hildur Guðnadóttir's seething score, made up of orchestrated human moans and gasps. Guðnadóttir reteams with DaCosta for The Bone Temple. Seamlessly, these artists pick up where Boyle left off, expanding his world without losing themselves to it. The heat of emotion that swelled and strategically overwhelms in Hedda burns on here. The music swarms to emphasize mounting fear, fury, or even bliss. Yet this is not the only music that will feed the fire of The Bone Temple. A precious record player warbles familiar tunes diegetically that take on a sharper meaning in a world gone mad. And so perhaps we can relate, listening to songs from seemingly simpler times with a nostalgia that is addictive. 

Jack O'Connell is menacing and marvelous in The Bone Temple.  Credit: Courtesy of Sony Pictures

All of this, and O'Connell too. That Sinners, 28 Years Later, and 28 Years: The Bone Temple should all be released within 12 months of each other feels like an embarrassment of riches for horror fans. That O'Connell sets the screen ablaze in all of them is just extraordinary. 

He delivers on the promise of Jimmy's mesmerizing intro in 28 Years Later with a portrait of a power-hungry fool whose ego is dangerously fragile. Far from flatly scary or simply deranged, O'Connell brews Jimmy with curiosity, charisma, and a terrifying spontaneity. At any moment, Jimmy seems capable of any mad demand. And so we shiver, but cannot look away. 

His tingling intensity makes for a bewildering chemistry opposite Fiennes' serene doctor. And then into this mix is young, sweet Spike and the enigmatic Jimmy Ink. Williams is once more moving as a little boy adrift in a big, bad world. Kellyman, however, is extraordinary as a smart girl who's learned the power of viciousness and strategic submission. Then. Lewis-Parry brings new depths to the Alpha Samson, making for scenes terrifying and tremendous.

Now, as you might expect from the second film of a trilogy, The Bone Temple won't tie up all these threads. Thankfully, what is left to dangle isn't frustrating. This film tells a satisfying story, then promises another chapter — with a reveal that's sure to make fans of 28 Days Later shriek with delight. 

Ultimately, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is a phenomenal film. As a sequel, it builds the saga of Spike without retreading its predecessor's steps. As a zombie movie, it delivers scenes of gut-churning violence and haunting loss. As a horror film, it is sublime, gorgeous, rich in visual splendor, surging with feeling, and intoxicating in its unexpected twists. Simply put, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple fucking rules. I left the theater rattled and elated. I can't wait to go again. 

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple opens in theaters Jan. 16.

Just weeks after appearing on Joe Rogan's podcast and making bizarre claims about the Tesla Roadster, Elon Musk is at it again. This time he's telling podcast listeners, and potential Tesla Roadster customers, not to buy the Roadster if they care about safety first.

"Safety is not the prime … is not the main goal," Musk said, speaking about the Roadster on an episode of the tech podcast Moonshots with Peter Diamandis.

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"If safety is your number one goal, don't buy the Roadster," Musk repeated, insisting that safety is not the goal of people who buy Ferraris and other sports cars.

Musk then clarified his comments, comparing it to the safety prioritization for consumers looking to buy a Ferrari or other sports car.

"We’ll aspire not to kill anyone in this car," Musk added. "It'll be the best of the last of the human-driven cars. The best of the last.”

Regardless of Musk's multiple failed predictions about self-driving cars, then, he still claims the Roadster will be "the best of the last cars" that are not fully autonomous.

Last November on The Joe Rogan Experience, Musk strongly hinted that the long-awaited Roadster – a vehicle that Tesla started taking preorders for back in 2017 and has still not been released – might be able to fly.

Musk also promised that a Roadster demo would drop before the end of 2025. Needless to say, that didn't happen.

As TechRadar points out, Musk's previous outlandish claims about the Roadster include that it would be equipped with a thruster that pushes that car from zero to 60mph in less than one second, 10,000Nm of torque, and a high speed of over 250mph. 

Musk now says that Tesla will officially unveil the Roadster on April 1, 2026 — which is, of course, April Fools Day. So does he mean it, or is this yet another attempt at a joke? Your guess is as good as ours.

If you're unhappy with iOS 26 and Liquid Glass on your iPhone, you're certainly not alone. It's a controversial upgrade, with many design-conscious users expressing distaste for the new Liquid Glass look (its designer left Apple in a hurry), not to mention the strange new placement of check marks. Others have reported that it drains their battery faster than the previous update, which was confusingly called iOS 18 (Apple has switched to a year-based numbering system).

But does that mean users are refusing to upgrade in large numbers? Despite some reports to the contrary, there's actually a bug in the reporting system, and it's Apple's fault.

An iOS 26 boycott would certainly seem to be what's happening if you take a look at the adoption numbers. The normally reliable Statcounter estimates that fewer than 5 percent of iPhone users are on the latest iOS version, 26.2, with another 10 percent rocking the iOS 26.1 upgrade.

The vast majority are still on some version of iOS 18, Statcounter says, with around 4 percent of users living dangerously on iOS 16 or iOS 15. (As a rule, the older your OS, the more bad actors are able to take advantage of known cybersecurity flaws in the software.)

But here's the thing: there's a tiny bug in Safari, the Apple browser. First spotted by developer Nick Heer, this bug makes iPhones report that they're on iOS 18.7 — the most popular version of iOS 18 by far, at least, according to Statcounter.

And if you're a Chrome user like me, you might be surprised to discover just how popular Safari is — more so than Chrome, at least when it comes to phones. The Apple browser shot past one billion users in 2022 and never looked back. Statcounter itself notes that 51 percent of all mobile browser users in the US, Android phone owners included, are on Safari.

In short, this is a case where two things may be true at once. There may, in fact, be an unusual amount of discontent among iOS 26 users (we've certainly seen a lot of Liquid Glass hate online), and people may be upgrading anyway. We'll have to wait for Apple to squash its Safari bug — in iOS 26.3, presumably — before we find out for sure.

More than 1,000 Meta employees — the ones who brought you the metaverse — are now looking for work.

The company behind Facebook and Instagram laid off more than 1,000 employees from its Virtual Reality (VR)-focused division, Reality Labs. As first reported by Bloomberg, this means the closure of VR game development studios like Sanzaru, Twisted Pixel, and Armature.

The news was delivered via an internal memo from Andrew Bosworth, Meta's CEO. Bosworth said Meta will refocus its metaverse efforts on other products in the future, such as wearables. That means you can expect more products like the Ray-Ban Display smart glasses, with AI and Augmented Reality (AR) — and fewer like the VR Meta Quest 3.

SEE ALSO: Meta delays Ray-Ban smart glasses international rollout, citing high demand

Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg unveiled the metaverse way back in the pandemic year of 2021. His big bet was that we would all use VR headsets to hang out and do work meetings remotely in virtual spaces. The perceived need for this was so strong, Zuckerberg made the company itself change its name from Facebook to Meta.

Since then, Meta's Quest headsets have found some success as recreational devices. But the metaverse itself, as an all-encompassing everyday destination, never really materialized. Reality Labs lost more than $70 billion since 2021, according to Engadget.

The end result is that more than 1,000 people have to figure out what's next, while the executives who made the decision to chase the metaverse in the first place will remain at their posts.

Homelabs are fun and I absolutely love mine. However, it was using way more electricity than it needed, and that was costing me more money every month than I was willing to pay. Here are three ways I lowered my homelab’s impact on my monthly power bill.

Google Gemini is rolling out an organizational update to its web interface, adding a dedicated Documents history section inside the My Stuff folder. This should help you keep track of the text-heavy outputs Gemini creates, particularly those generated by the Deep Research and Canvas.

German carmakers have long dominated the luxury SUV scene. The GLC, X3, and Q5 have set the standard, with the Macan adding sporty flair—until the Genesis GV70 showed up and shook things up.

Is Reddit down?

The website is operating normally as of this writing, but thousands of Reddit users were asking this question on Tuesday, Jan. 13, when the popular online discussion platform appeared to suffer a brief outage. According to Downdetector, the problems started around 11:33 a.m. ET, with tens of thousands of Downdetector users reporting problems accessing the Reddit website and app. (Disclosure: Mashable and Downdetector are both owned by Ziff Davis.)

Reddit's status had returned to normal at Downdetector by 12:18 p.m. ET. Credit: Downdetector This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

At the peak of the outage, Downdetector received 89,943 user error reports.

"Reddit is currently experiencing a significant internal outage causing widespread service disruptions," reads a Downdetector summary (emphasis in original). "The impact is categorized as Very High, primarily affecting mobile app access (55%) and website connectivity (39%)."

Again, as of this writing, Reddit's website and app appear to be fully operational.

Mashable reached out to Reddit for more information, and we'll update this story if we receive a response.

This is a developing story...

TL;DR: Live stream Newcastle United vs. Manchester City in the EFL Cup for free on ITVX. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

There are a lot of trophies up for grabs in the domestic football season. The EFL Cup doesn't have the same history or prestige as the FA Cup or Premier League, but at this late stage, you can expect all the remaining teams to give everything to win it. Newcastle United take on Manchester City in the first semi final matchup. You can watch the first leg of this contest without spending anything.

If you want to watch Newcastle United vs. Manchester City in the EFL Cup from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Newcastle United vs. Manchester City?

Newcastle United vs. Manchester City in the EFL Cup kicks off at 8 p.m. GMT on Jan. 13. This fixture takes place at St. James' Park.

How to watch Newcastle United vs. Manchester City for free

Newcastle United vs. Manchester City in the EFL Cup is available to live stream for free on ITVX.

ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock ITVX to stream the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Newcastle United vs. Manchester City in the EFL Cup for free 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 the UK

4. Visit ITVX

5. Watch Newcastle United vs. Manchester City for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 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 access free live streams of the EFL Cup without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Newcastle United vs. Manchester City in the EFL Cup before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for ITVX?

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

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

• 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 10 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 includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.95 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Newcastle United vs. Manchester City in the EFL Cup for free with ExpressVPN.