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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.

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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

Ashy.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

SOOTY

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Reward.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for October 21, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

PRIZE

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Cold precipitation.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for October 21, 2026 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Meanings for each word for Oct. 21, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

SLEET

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Jacked.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

STOLE

Final Hurdle hint

Stocking material.

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

NYLON

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

Living in a dense neighborhood used to mean dealing with noise and parking. Now it means your neighbors can slow down devices in your own home without ever touching them. Your neighbors don't even need to do this on purpose, which is part of what makes it hard to fight against.

I'm generally pretty good at coming up with the right words to find what I need on Google. But every now and then, I run into a question where I don't quite know the right vocabulary to type into a search bar, or where it would take a paragraph to explain what I'm looking for. That's usually when I realize I've been staring at a problem for 20 minutes that I could solve in two if I just pointed my camera at it. Here are five times Google Lens came to my rescue.

Infrared (IR) remote controls have been commonplace since the early 1980s, and are still around today. Despite the development of Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Thread, and Matter, my TV still works using this old technology. Infrared has some important benefits that modern protocols still can't match.

Most tool buyers don't think much about where the electronics live inside their gear. You pick up a drill, it works, and you move on. Ryobi's ONE+ system makes a different choice than most of the industry, putting battery-management logic in the pack instead of the tool. That sounds like a big deal, but it doesn't seem to change much.

Netflix puts out a pretty wide array of original shows, ranging from massively popular icons like Stranger Things to questionable and poorly rated shows like Hype House. Sometimes, though, Netflix puts out some brilliant masterpieces that don't quite reach mainstream popularity, instead garnering cult followings or, more sadly, fading slowly into obscurity.

TL;DR: Get a lifetime Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2026 license for $27.97 (reg. $499.99) through Oct. 20.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2026 $27.97
$499.99 Save $472.02   Get Deal

Most professional IDEs are sold as subscriptions, so you keep paying for as long as you use them. That includes most versions of Visual Studio Pro, but there’s a way around it. Right now, you can actually get Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2026 for Windows as a lifetime license, and it’s on sale for $27.97 (reg. $499.99).

This version of Visual Studio adds AI to debugging and performance work. When you run the profiler or debugger, AI agents suggest fixes and can generate unit tests for the code in front of you. IntelliCode also looks at your own codebase, including your variable names, functions, and libraries, and finishes lines or whole blocks for you.

Large solutions load up to twice as fast, a change you’ll notice if your projects take a while to open. If you use Visual Studio 2022, there’s nothing to migrate. You can install 2026 next to it, and your current projects and extensions still work. Microsoft also split the IDE from the .NET and C++ build tools, so updating Visual Studio doesn’t change the tool versions your builds rely on.

Live Share lets coworkers code and debug in the same session without cloning your repo or installing your dependencies. You can use Visual Studio 2026 to build .NET MAUI mobile and desktop apps, Blazor web apps in C#, and .NET or C++ apps for Windows, Linux, and containers. You can install it on one PC running Windows 10, Windows 11, or Windows Server 2019 or 2022.

Pay for Visual Studio once instead of keeping up a subscription. Through Oct. 20 at 11:59 p.m. PT, you can get Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2026 for just $27.97.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

I had a dream. A dream where I had a stable Ethernet connection in every corner of the house. But wiring up the whole place was impractical (and borderline impossible), so I've almost resigned myself to using Wi-Fi, which is famously unreliable in my area.

My homelab runs a lot of my house. My smart home, media streaming, photo library, and dozens of smaller apps are spread across two computers running Proxmox. As far as I could tell, everything was healthy, but to make sure, I asked Claude to access both devices and look for problems without changing anything. It found some serious issues that I'd missed for months because none of them had broken anything that I could see.

TL;DR: Pay once and download videos from streaming sites for life with this Windows lifetime license for SameMovie All-In-One Video Downloader, on sale now for just $99.99 (reg. $149.90).

Opens in a new window Credit: SameMovie SameMovie All-In-One Video Downloader: Lifetime License (Windows) $99.99
$149.90 Save $49.91   Get Deal

If you’re paying for multiple streaming services month after month, wouldn’t it be nice to have something to show for it? SameMovie All-In-One Video Downloader gives them all an added benefit, making it possible to download and keep content from Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and more.

Right now, you can secure a Windows lifetime license for SameMovie All-In-One Video Downloader for just $99.99.

Whether you’ve got a big trip coming up that requires a lot of offline content or you’re simply sick of keeping tabs on which streamer is currently showing your favorite comfort show, SameMovie All-In-One Video Downloader is ready to make your streamers work for you.

With SameMovie, you can download videos from over 1,000 free and paid streaming services for offline viewing, including Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, and more. Your downloads come in up to 1080p HD, 4K, or even 8K depending on the source video.

Play the files back on computers, phones, tablets, and TVs, making this a perfect pre-flight routine if you’re looking to load up on a full season of content. Keep multilingual audio tracks and 5.1 surround sound, with the subtitles embedded or saved as separate SRT or VTT files.

Supported devices offer ad-free downloads, and you can also extract MP3 or AAC audio. SameMovie includes a built-in browser if you’re looking to find titles by name or URL, too.

This lifetime license for Windows includes future updates and technical support if needed.

Stay entertained anytime with this Windows lifetime license for SameMovie All-In-One Video Downloader, on sale now for just $99.99.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

A Texas man sentenced to 60 years in prison for armed robbery is seeking to overturn his conviction based on the use of Flock cameras to track his movements.

The man, 37-year-old Charles Brownlee, was found guilty of five armed robberies in 2024. According to his legal team, authorities in the Dallas-Fort Worth area used Flock cameras to monitor his vehicle's movements and create a "pattern of life" to tie him to the crimes, reported the Texas Tribune.

SEE ALSO: Meta: We're sorry for banning No Kings Instagram account

Brownlee's legal team is arguing that this "pattern" was obtained through unconstitutional surveillance methods enabled by Flock camera networks. They contend police should have obtained a search warrant before accessing Flock databases, which surveil Texans via tens of thousands of Flock cameras across the state.

"Flock’s surveillance database indiscriminately collects a vast trove of locational data about Americans who drive or ride in cars. By capturing, storing, retrieving, and indexing this data, Flock gives police the power to find almost anyone and reconstruct their movements," wrote Brownlee’s legal team in a brief submitted to the 5th Circuit Court.

Brownlee previously sought to toss the Flock data before going to trial, but the judge denied the request.

In a case earlier this month, a federal judge ruled the use of Flock camera databases to track a drug trafficking suspect's movements across state lines was unconstitutional. The woman at the center of the case was found in possession of methamphetamine after a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) officer ran her plate number through Flock databases and deemed her recent travels suspicious.

"Freedom from persistent, dragnet-style surveillance while in public is not a foreign concept in our society, and it is a reasonable expectation that society already accepts," Judge Sara E. Hill wrote in her decision at the time.

I have an extra Android Auto Wireless adapter with a USB-C to USB adapter. Since I recently upgraded to a different one, I figured I could make some use of the adapter portion of it. What better way to do that than hook random stuff up to my phone and tablet and see what works? So I tested basically every USB device I had with my phone and tablet. My benchmark for most of these tests is how well a device works, whether it has any input lag, and how long I can use it before it drains my battery.

Fall is here, and if your yard is starting to become overgrown by leaves, having a proper leaf blower that can actually handle heavier debris, like dry clippings on your driveway, can make getting yard chores done a lot easier. Ryobi's 40V HP Cordless Leaf Blower Bundle delivers all the power you need, and then some, as it has enough power to blast through damp leaves and even compacted grass, all without the need of straining over a pull start—or the hassle of mixing fuel. Right now, you can grab this complete kit (which includes a battery and charger) from The Home Depot and save 20% off an already affordable price.

Your car will soon know more about you. Google is rolling out Personal Intelligence in Gemini to both Android Auto and cars with Google built-in, giving your ride details that can save you time.

With the arrival of the next-generation, AI-focused Googlebooks, it's natural to wonder how the Chromebooks that have been around for over a decade compare, and if it's still worth considering one over a new Googlebook. Optimized for artificial intelligence, with native Android integration and new cross-device services, Googlebooks promise to be the future of Google laptops, but that doesn't mean they're the best choice right now.

You Can See Everything has the internet in a chokehold. Since that teaser first dropped, people have been fascinated by the very idea that comedian Nathan Fielder made a documentary about infamous Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes. Then came a flood of praise from critics. Wild rumors about the movie's contents sprung up online. Finally, last weekend, the public had the chance to see if You Can See Everything lived up to the hype, and they came out in force.

Making $15 million its opening weekend, You Can See Everything broke a record for the best opening of a documentary in a decade, according to Deadline. That record was briefly held by Melania, which made $7.1 million earlier this year. Making this achievement all the more remarkable, You Can See Everything is playing in fewer than 1,000 theaters across the U.S. and is nearly three hours long.

SEE ALSO: Let's talk 'You Can See Everything' spoilers: An explainer for Nathan Fielder's Elizabeth Holmes documentary

And the hype is not dying down. Fans are not only taking to social media to talk spoilers but also urging others not just to see the movie, but to see it in theaters. But not for the reasons you might think.

Often, when critics say "see it in theaters," we mean that the cinematic spectacle a filmmaker has created deserves to be seen on the biggest screen possible with a top-notch immersive stereo system to match. When fandoms urge folks to go to theaters, they might also mean that a big box office could lead to more movies like this being made. But You Can See Everything fans have a different reason: This film demands to be experienced in a crowd.

This sentiment can be found on numerous posts on Threads, ranging from minor spoilers to major ones. Then there are brief, spoiler-free reviews, like this one:

Credit: Threads screenshot

Meanwhile, on X, similar sentiments of enthusiasm were echoed.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

On TikTok, some posted video of the lobby, following their screenings, where audience members stood around in groups to converse. While user Tyler Dema shared how watching You Can See Everything with a crowd was a terrific and unique experience. He explained, "Watching You Can See Everything in an theater packed with people is undoubtedly the way that god and Nathan Fielder intended it to be. We were all gooped and gasping and guffawing together. It...really gave you a sense of community at what a wild journey we all took together. It was beautiful."

This reflected my own experience at the film's New York Film Festival premiere, from which I wrote in my review, "As a movie, it's a hell of an experience. Personally, I gasped, shouted, laughed, and even gagged." What I left out is that I wasn't alone. The theater was booming with vocal explosions. And to be a part of that, all you have to do is go to the theater and experience it for yourself.

You Can See Everything Is Now playing in theaters.

Despite its age, the Wii Remote can still be a useful device. It includes Bluetooth connectivity, motion sensors, an infrared camera, and multiple physical buttons. These features make it a great option for interacting with your smart home, and there are a few ways that you may be able to get your Wii Remote to control Home Assistant.

Your carrier sees a lot more than you think it does, and it's all because everything you do is being logged. Before any of the encryption you're used to seeing kicks in, your phone has already sent your carrier a plain-text record of every site you're trying to reach. That happens constantly, in the background, for every app on your device, not just your browser.

You’ve just bought a new SSD and want to put it to the test, so you grab a large zip file and copy it between your two drives. Monitoring the transfer speed in real time seems like a straightforward way to see how fast your new SSD is.

On Monday, Mashable reported on the burglary of a FedEx truck carrying packages of valuable trading cards, which had recently left a Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) facility in Southern California. PSA is a leader in grading valuable trading cards.

New details have since emerged about the theft, which indicate that this was a more sophisticated, targeted heist. We also now know just how valuable some of the stolen Pokémon and sports cards were.

According to a new report from the New York Times and The Athletic, the FedEx truck was parked outside of PSA’s headquarters in Santa Ana, California on Oct. 13. The Santa Ana Police told The Athletic that the FedEx truck was left unattended for as long as 90 minutes. During that window of time, the truck's locks were broken, and three pallets of recently graded cards being sent back to their owners were stolen by the thieves, the police told the outlet. According to the report, two pallets held around 100 packages each, and a third contained roughly 50 packages.

PSA told police that two of the pallets were valued at around $963,000, The Athletic reported. The company is reportedly still assessing the value of the third pallet, but it seems likely the total value of the stolen cards will be more than $1 million.

The Santa Ana Police Department is currently investigating the crime.

"We are working closely with law enforcement and the carrier as the investigation continues," PSA told Mashable in a statement on Monday. "We have deactivated the certificates for the stolen items and notified marketplace partners so they can be on the lookout for rare and serialized items."

Online, affected PSA customers are sharing emails from PSA informing them of the theft, and some collectors are speculating about how the thieves knew to target that particular truck. The speculation isn't unwarranted. There have been previous cases where delivery workers have been found guilty of stealing trading cards and other sports memorabilia while the items were in transit.

Collectors send their trading cards to PSA, or Professional Sports Authenticator, in order to get them graded. During this process, a professional authenticates the card as legitimate and also assesses the item's condition, which could greatly boost its value to prospective buyers. 

According to PSA, the company will compensate customers for the stolen cards based on "fair market value up to the Maximum Insured Value."

However, there are potential issues with how compensation will be assessed. One PSA customer, YouTuber Sky-B Cards, shared yesterday in a social media post that he had 104 cards stolen, worth more than $100,000. In a subsequent YouTube video, Sky-B Cards went through the list of cards that he had sent to PSA to be graded. As the YouTuber pointed out, some of these cards will be hard to calculate a reimbursement value for, as they included error cards, which usually sell at a premium when compared to the card's estimated value.

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