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Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.

Released in August 2025, the Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move onto the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.

How to play Pips

If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity for how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for November 8, 2025

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible – and common – for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

• Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.

• Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.

• Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.

• Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.

• Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for November 8, 2025 Easy difficulty hints, answers for Nov. 12 Pips

Number (3): Everything in this space must add to 3. The answer is 3-5, placed horizontally.

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 1-5, placed horizontally.

Number (30): Everything in this space must add to 30. The answer is 3-5, placed horizontally; 1-5, placed horizontally; 5-5, placed vertically; 5-0, placed horizontally; 5-2, placed horizontally.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add to 0. The answer is 5-0, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for Nov. 12 Pips

Number (6): Everything in this space must add to 6. The answer is 0-3, placed horizontally; 3-6, placed horizontally.

Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 6-4, placed horizontally; 3-6, placed horizontally.

Number (8): Everything in this space must add to 8. The answer is 6-4, placed horizontally; 4-0, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add to 4. The answer is 4-0, placed vertically; 2-2, placed horizontally.

Equal (5): Everything in this space must be equal to 5. The answer is 5-5, placed vertically; 0-5, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for Nov. 12 Pips

Equal (1): Everything in this purple space must be equal to 1. The answer is 1-1, placed horizontally; 1-0, placed horizontally; 1-2, placed horizontally.

Equal (0): Everything in this light blue space must be equal to 0. The answer is 1-0, placed horizontally; 0-2, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 4-2, placed horizontally.

Equal (2): Everything in this red space must be equal to 2. The answer is 1-2, placed horizontally; 0-2, placed horizontally; 4-2, placed horizontally; 3-2, placed horizontally.

Equal (3): Everything in this dark blue space must be equal to 3. The answer is 3-2, placed horizontally; 3-3, placed vertically; 3-1, placed horizontally.

Equal (6): Everything in this green space must be equal to 6. The answer is 6-6, placed vertically.

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

Today's Connections: Sports Edition is easy if you're familiar with mid-major conferences.

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: Canadian hockey

• Green: Iconic ballpark locations

• Blue: Mid-major basketball

• Purple: Sounds like a pro team

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Canadian NHL Teams, Minus the S

• Green: MLB Stadium Landmarks

• Blue: College Conferences

• Purple: Starts with an NBA Team

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 #415 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Canadian NHL Teams, Minus the S - CANUCK, JET, MAPLE LEAF, OILER

• MLB Stadium Landmarks - GREEN MONSTER, HOME RUN APPLE, MCCOVERY COVE, MONUMENT PARK

• College Conferences - IVY, MISSOURI VALLEY, PATRIOT, SUN BELT

• Starts with an NBA Team - BUCKSKIN, HEAT CHECK, MAGIC JOHNSON, SUNSCREEN

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 today's Connections.

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

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

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

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

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

A cooking method.

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

SAUTE

Hurdle Word 2 hint

A writing tool.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for November 12, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

CHALK

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Copy.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for November 12 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for November 12, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

ROGER

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Jazz music.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for November 12 Hurdle Word 4 answer

BEBOP

Final Hurdle hint

Twelve.

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

DOZEN

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

Amidst a host of period tracking apps out there like Flo and Natural Cycles, menstrual health startup Joii is promising something new: measuring period blood volume with AI to diagnose conditions like endometriosis, and it launches today in the UK.

One in three menstruators experience heavy bleeding during their periods, according to the UK's National Health Service (NHS), and it can be a symptom of painful conditions endometriosis, fibroids, and adenomyosis. It can take four to 11 years to be diagnosed with endometriosis, and as many as 60 percent of cases remain undiagnosed. The founder of Joii, Justyna Strzeszynska, developed the app after her own painful journey to a fibroids diagnosis.

The aim of the Joii Period Evaluation app is to use AI to track one's cycle and spot any potential issues to flag to your doctor.

SEE ALSO: Women's health app Flo launches perimenopause features

To do this, users will have to buy Joii Evaluation Pads — there are day and night variations — and download the app (available on Apple and Android devices). When you want to see how much you've bled and whether there are any clots, hold your phone over the pad and scan using the app. The app will check whether you're using a day or night pad, and whether there are any clots to detect, according to a video on Joii's website.

Credit: Joii

You can also use the app to track other symptoms, such as pelvic pain and fatigue.

"We already count our steps, monitor our sleep and track our heart rate," Strzeszynska commented in a press release shared with Mashable. "Measuring blood loss is simply the next step to better understanding our bodies and demanding the care we deserve. We want every woman to have proof, not just pain."

In a five-month-long study with 72 participants, 88 percent said Joii would improve how they communicate period volume with their doctor, and just over half (52 percent) said their period health literacy improved after using the app.

There's definitely something to be said for the crisp handheld control of a powerful cordless stick vacuum. But if you don't consider cleaning cathartic, the best robot vacuums can cross that chore off your to-do list for good.

And after testing more than 30 robot vacuums on my own personal floors (my apartment is very clean), I can confidently curate a handful of robot vacuum recommendations that'll make your life easier — and fit your budget.

SEE ALSO: iRobot could be facing bankruptcy. But as a vacuum tester, I saw the Roomba flop era coming from a mile away.

I test new robot vacuums on a regular basis and compare them to the top performers from previous months, with all my evaluations taking place in my own home on various rugs, tile, and hardwood floors. As I test each robot vacuum and tweak its settings for optimal performance, I keep notes on its overall suction power and scrubbing efficacy (if it's a robot vacuum and mop combo), pet hair pickup, the convenience of its automatic emptying and self-washing mopping pads, accuracy of smart mapping and small obstacle avoidance, and the overall user experience. But the final boss here is cost efficiency — I'll be the first one to point out when a cheap robot vacuum actually works well for the price, or when a high-end robot vacuum is actually worth the splurge or not.

November is one of the best months to buy a robot vacuum, BTW

Regardless of what you're aiming to spend, the pool of vacuums in your price range should widen substantially during the month of November. Black Friday is one of the absolute best times of year to score a robot vacuum on sale — I've already seen every robot vacuum in this guide go on sale earlier in 2025, and those sale prices are bound to drop even lower as Amazon and Best Buy's Black Friday deals start to trickle in.

Throughout my continuous at-home testing, I found the best robot vacuum to buy for every home and budget in the last quarter of 2025.

Other robot vacuums I've tested recently

I tested several other top robot vacuums in the past that didn't make the most recent cut for this list. Some, like the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra, Roborock Qrevo Master, Narwal Freo X Ultra, and various versions of the Roomba j7 were my top recommendations at one point, but have since been overshadowed by newer, more powerful models that are a better bang for your buck.

I've also tested some 2025 robot vacuum releases that were OK, but ultimately aren't a top pick for me. The Dreame X50 Ultra grabbed attention during its CES 2025 debut for its ability to "climb," though the fine print is that it can't scale thresholds taller than 6 millimeters (about 2.36 inches). A slew of new Dreame robot vacuums are slated to come out in fall 2025, among them a model with improved climbing abilities and a model whose self-empty dock can hold three sets of mopping pads. I'll be getting my hands on these as soon as possible and updating my top picks for this list accordingly.

Looks like AI is alright, alright, alright to actor Matthew McConaughey…and a slew of other celebrities too.

According to a new report from Variety, Matthew McConaughey has partnered with the AI audio company ElevenLabs for a new project, a Spanish-language audio version of his newsletter “Lyrics of Livin’,” and the actor doesn't even need to know Spanish to do it. McConaughey's voice will be cloned and the audio will be created using ElevenLabs technology.

In addition to the new collaboration, McConaughey, who reportedly has worked with ElevenLabs before, is now an investor in the company as well.

"Since our first conversation, I’ve been impressed by how the ElevenLabs team has taken the magic of the core technology and turned it into products that creators, enterprises and storytellers use daily," McConaughey said in a statement. "I launched my newsletter, ‘Lyrics of Livin’,’ as a way to share stories and ideas in my own voice with those who want to listen. Now, thanks to ElevenLabs, ‘Lyrics of Livin’’ is expanding with a Spanish language edition, allowing us to reach and connect with even more people."

ElevenLabs launches Iconic Voice Marketplace

McConaughey's not the only celebrity partnering with ElevenLabs either. ElevenLabs also announced the launch of its new Iconic Voice Marketplace, which will let third-parties request approval to use AI-cloned voices from a roster of famous actors, musical artists, and sports stars.

Acting legend Michael Caine has shared that he will be cloning his voice for the company's Iconic Voice Marketplace. ElevenLab's also shared a list of other voices (alive and dead) available in its Iconic Voice Marketplace, including Judy Garland, John Wayne, Liza Minnelli, Laurence Olivier, Maya Angelou, and Babe Ruth. The marketplace also includes historical figures such as Thomas Edison and Mark Twain. According to ElevenLabs, there are currently 28 celebrity voices available in the marketplace. (Note: Matthew McConaughey is not part of the Iconic Voice Marketplace.)

Hollywood, SAG, and other actors and artists' representatives have struggled with how to deal with the growing threat of AI over the past few years. Studios looking to cut costs continue to push for AI, whereas artists and their fans have criticized the use of AI in the arts. Recently, Zelda Williams, daughter of the late Robin Williams, denounced the use of AI to create depictions of her father online without any consent.

ElevenLabs has clearly been paying attention with its Iconic Voice Marketplace, highlighting how it requires artists or their families to fully consent to any AI usage of the celebrity's likeness.

However, the fact that legends like Michael Caine are taking part in this shows that some actors may feel like this is the way the industry is going, whether they like it or not, and adapting is the best way to maintain some control over their voice.

Correction: The original headline for this story stated: "Matthew McConaughey, Michael Caine sell their voices to AI podcast company." While Michael Caine's voice will be available on the ElevenLabs Iconic Voice Marketplace, Matthew McConaughey has invested in ElevenLabs, which will clone his voice for use in the actor's projects. This story has been updated with a new headline, which states: "Matthew McConaughey, Michael Caine clone their voices in partnership with AI audio company." Our original story remains unchanged.

SAVE $703: As of Nov. 11, the LG 34-inch UltraGear OLED curved gaming monitor is on sale for $696.99 at Amazon — that's 50% off its list price of $1,399.99.

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'Tis the season for upgrading your gaming setup. While it may still be a few weeks until Black Friday, you can already pick up a curved OLED gaming monitor for half price.

As of Nov. 11, the LG 34-inch UltraGear OLED curved gaming monitor is on sale at Amazon for only $696.99 instead of the usual $1,399.99. That's over $700 or 50% in savings and only $23 shy of its best price ever. There's a chance we could see the price drop even lower as we get deeper into the holiday season, but there's no guarantee — and to be honest, it's going to be hard to beat 50% off.

Making the switch to an OLED monitor on its own will completely transform your gaming experience. Add the ultra-wide curved display of the LG UltraGear and you'll go from just playing games to being submerged in them. The 34-inch WQHD display features a steep 800R curvature and a 21:9 aspect ratio, which means the screen will wrap the action around you. Just note that curved displays do take up a bit more desk real estate than a typical flat screen monitor and they take a bit of getting used to. They aren't everyone's cup of tea, though everyone from gamers to artists to multitaskers can truly benefit from the wrap-around display.

The LG 34GX90SA-W UltraGear also packs a 240Hz refresh rate, 0.03ms response time, and Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium compatibility. That's a pretty solid spec lineup for most gamers. Sure, they now make monitors with refresh rates of 500Hz. But honestly, that's overkill; most people likely won't notice a huge difference beyond the 240Hz mark, as our friends at PCMag (also owned by Ziff Davis) pointed out. Other features include plenty of ports and the ability to double as a smart TV with built-in webOS.

During the Nov. 6 Tesla shareholders' meeting, Elon Musk said that the electric vehicle company is almost ready to allow texting and driving. Musk said that this feature could be coming to full self-driving mode in just one or two months, according to Electrek.

The biggest news from the shareholders' event concerned Musk's pay package. At the meeting, shareholders voted to approve Musk's $1 trillion pay package, which is set to make the world's richest man even richer. However, the CEO's "texting and driving" comments also deserve a closer look.

In Tesla's Full Self-Driving mode (FSD), drivers can go hands-free, although they are required to pay attention and occasionally make contact with the wheel. If drivers attempt to use a mobile device while FSD is engaged, the Autopilot feature is designed to detect this activity and issue a warning to the driver.

A Tesla online driver's manual states: "Do not use handheld devices while using Autopilot features. If the cabin camera detects a handheld device while Autopilot is engaged, the touchscreen displays a message reminding you to pay attention."

Now, Musk says the company believes FSD is advanced enough that drivers could look away from the road and fire off text messages. This follows Tesla's introduction of a new "Mad Max" mode for FSD customers, which allows higher speeds and more aggressive lane changes. That feature, which debuted in October, almost instantly caught the attention of federal investigators.

Of course, most states (as well as many cities and counties) have laws against texting while driving. In fact, Montana is the only state without a total ban on the practice.

We should also point out that Musk has a long history of overestimating timelines for his products, particularly when it comes to self-driving.

In 2017, he predicted that drivers would be able to nap behind the wheel by 2019. Undeterred, he predicted in 2019 that robotaxis would soon be ready for the road. Tesla only launched its robotaxi service this year, and only in Austin, Texas.

Google just announced a new system called Private AI Compute, describing it as a way to run its most advanced Gemini models while keeping user data locked down.

Apple already offers a similar feature, introduced in 2024, called Private Cloud Compute.

In a blog post, Google said the feature is designed to balance performance and privacy. Private AI Compute would allow AI models to draw on cloud processing power without giving Google (or anyone else) access to the information being analyzed. According to Google, Private AI Compute operates within a hardware-sealed, verified environment that encrypts all data transfers between devices and its cloud infrastructure.

What's the point of services like Private AI Compute?

Customers who are wary of their personal conversations, personal emails, or sensitive company data being used for AI training often prefer to perform AI processes on device, which ensures privacy. That way, their data never leaves their computer or phone. However, that's not always possible, as many devices weren't built for complex AI processing.

"This approach delivers the benefits of powerful cloud models with the privacy protections of on-device processing," the company said in its announcement. It builds on Google’s Secure AI Framework and utilizes its custom TPUs, along with new Titanium Intelligence Enclaves, to enforce end-to-end encryption and security standards, Google said.

Private AI Compute will debut in select Google products, starting with Magic Cue on the Pixel 10 and updated Recorder app features that utilize cloud models to generate smarter summaries and suggestions, while maintaining conversation privacy.

The system’s goal, according to Google, is to support "helpful, personal and proactive" AI experiences without requiring users to trade away sensitive information.

As more of Google’s AI features move beyond simple commands toward proactive assistance, Private AI Compute represents what the company calls a "next step in responsible innovation."

The X-Files was how I learned what a "conspiracy theory" was, as I sat glued to the screen in the '90s as a child who probably shouldn't have been watching this show at all. Yet, even to my young and un-jaded eyes, it was clear that this was a much more premium bit of programming than the alternatives at the time.

SAVE $36: As of Nov. 11, get the Soundcore Sleep A30 earbuds for $193.99, down from their usual price of $229.99 at Amazon. That's $36 off and a discount of 16%. It's also the lowest price we've seen.

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If you're the type of person who absolutely has to be able to fall asleep using a sound machine, you've probably tried everything at least once, includIng apps that give you the comfy, looping sound to lull you to bed that you desire. You may be surprised to learn, however, that there are earbuds that serve this same purpose by using noise cancellation and binaural beats. You can try them out now thanks to a significant discount that cuts them down to their best price yet.

As of Nov. 11, get the Soundcore Sleep A30 earbuds for $193.99, down from their usual price of $229.99 at Amazon. That's $36 off and a discount of 16%. It's also the lowest price we've seen.

SEE ALSO: The 8 best earbuds to buy in 2025, selected by Mashable audio experts

These sleep-oriented earbuds are meant to help block out noise while you snooze with smart active noise cancellation and ear canal adaptation tech. They automatically adjust to your ears so you have better noise reduction at night. That means you'll be distracted less by outdoor sound, pets, and even your partner's snoring (or your own).

They can also help you stop snoring, in fact, with adaptive snore-masking audio that uses white noise to reduce fluctations in snoring so you can get some serious shut-eye. And if you still need some help, they use binaural beats to give you diferent frequencies in each ear to help calm your brain and get you to fall asleep while sleeping deeper each time.

If you're a side sleeper, they're especially helpful and comfortable as well, with silicone ear tips, short nozzles, and a slim profile build so you don't have as much pressure on your ear canals while trying to drift off. You can even customize the audio that plays at bedtime, set sleep reminders, create alarms, and more, all in the name of getting better shut-eye.

If it's time to improve your sleep quality, don't (ahem) snooze on these earbuds. Fall has some of the best sleepytime weather, after all.

TL;DR: Through Nov. 20, the NanoPhone mini Android smartphone is on sale for $89.97 with free shipping (MSRP $199.99). It’s a great gift for techies.

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Looking for a fun, practical tech gift that isn’t another pair of headphones or a smart speaker? The NanoPhone might just steal the show. This credit card-sized smartphone packs all the essentials into a device so tiny it can fit in even the smallest pocket — and right now, you can save 55%.

Despite its small size, which is literally the size of a credit card, the NanoPhone doesn’t skimp on the essentials. It comes equipped with a clear, responsive touchscreen that makes navigation a breeze, whether you’re scrolling through your contacts, browsing the web, or using popular apps like Uber, Instagram, and Snapchat.

SEE ALSO: The 30+ best early Black Friday Apple deals: We found record lows on AirPods and MacBooks already

The intuitive interface is designed to keep things simple, so you can easily manage calls, texts, and apps without the bulk of a standard smartphone.

The NanoPhone also includes a built-in camera, perfect for capturing those on-the-go moments when you don’t have your full-sized device handy. Plus, it supports Bluetooth connectivity, so you can pair it with wireless headphones or a smartwatch for a seamless experience.

Battery life won’t be an issue either. The NanoPhone is designed to last throughout your day, whether you’re making calls, streaming music, or checking your emails. And with expandable storage, you can carry all your essential apps, photos, and files without compromise.

Whether you’re hitting the gym, going for a run, or just want to travel light, the NanoPhone is a practical solution that could fit your lifestyle.

Order the NanoPhone now for $89.97 with free shipping (MSRP $199.99). Sale ends Nov. 20 at 11:59 p.m. PT and no coupon is needed.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: 1ForAll AI is a platform that gives you lifetime access to multiple AI tools, and it’s only $90 for life.

Opens in a new window Credit: 1ForAll 1ForAll AI: Lifetime Subscription (Advance Plan) $89.99
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Managing multiple AI tools can turn into a subscription nightmare. One service for voiceovers, another for image generation, another for video, and suddenly you’re paying for four different platforms. 1ForAll AI solves that by putting everything in one place and letting you access it with a single lifetime license, a lifetime license that happens to also be on sale for $89.99 (reg. $792).

1ForAll combines voice generation, voice cloning, image creation, video creation, and even automated batch output. You open the browser, choose what you want to make, and the platform handles the heavy lifting. It uses AI models from OpenAI, Google, AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Luma, plus select open-source models. So you’re getting the same results you might get from your existing AI subscriptions, minus the monthly fees.

SEE ALSO: The 30+ best early Black Friday Apple deals: We found record lows on AirPods and MacBooks already

Text-to-Speech turns any script or document into natural-sounding narration. Voice cloning lets you create a custom voice from a short audio sample, giving you a consistent narrator for everything from product videos to courses. If you’re working on large projects, the Excel-to-Speech and Excel-to-Image tools let you upload a spreadsheet and generate hundreds of assets automatically. No repetitive manual work.

PDF-to-Speech turns documents and ebooks into audio. Load a file, choose a voice, and get an audiobook version without any editing. The platform handles long content too, even entire books.

For visuals and videos, type a prompt or upload an image, and the platform creates either stills or animated sequences. You don’t need editing skills or separate video software to end up with something polished.

The lifetime Advance Plan includes future updates, works on any modern browser, and allows commercial use, which means you can legally use anything you create in paid projects.

Right now, it’s only $89.99 to get a 1ForAll AI Lifetime Subscription. Sale ends soon.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

There are lots of gadgets that have the word "Pro" tacked onto the end of their name, especially phones and tablets, which is fine, I guess. However, when it comes to laptops "professional" used to mean something, and modern "pro" laptops don't live up to the spirit of that meaning.

The big concern with internet-connected smart home devices is that they could be turned off one day. That’s exactly what happened last month to the 1st and 2nd gen Nest Thermostat. Google pulled the plug, stripping these otherwise perfectly functional devices of their original functionality. Thankfully, the open source community has once again come through with a workaround.

Apple announced its M5 processor and the products it features with a whimper rather than a bang, which would lead the casual observer to think this is just another iterative improvement.

It's the end of a major Web 2.0 era.

Meta announced on Monday that it would be sunsetting two once-major features on Facebook: The external "Like" and Comment" social plugins.

In a post on its developer site, Meta shared that the FB Like and FB Comment buttons will officially be discontinued on February 10, 2026.

According to Meta, developers won't have to do anything. The plugins will simply render as an invisible 0x0 pixel at the end date. Meta says none of these changes should impact any website's functionality.

In the early days of social media, social plugins were everywhere. Facebook's social plugins first launched in 2016. Websites and blog posts across the web proudly displayed these social media buttons from the major social platforms like Facebook, allowing users to log into their social media account of choice and like, share, and comment using that social profile. These social media buttons would often update, displaying stats that showed just how much that piece of content was shared or liked on a platform.

Facebook, being the biggest and most popular social network of its time, usually had its social plugin buttons featured prominently on websites big and small. This was, of course, quite advantageous for Facebook. Not just because it reflected its prominence in the social media space, but also because the company was able to collect user data even from content on third-party platforms.

"This change reflects our commitment to maintaining a modern, efficient platform that serves developers' current needs while enabling us to invest in future innovations," Meta wrote in its post announcing the end of the external FB Like and Comment buttons feature. "The plugins that will be discontinued reflect an earlier era of web development, and their usage has naturally declined as the digital landscape has evolved."

Meta isn't wrong. It's clear that the use of these social plugins has greatly waned. However, the reason these social plugins no longer seem so relevant is due to the varying ways people use the internet in 2025.

Content is being discovered on apps more than ever before, and the likes and comments that do happen now occur on Facebook directly. Social media itself has basically rendered external social plugins obsolete.

One of the things PC users enjoy most about their platform is the ability to upgrade components to keep up with the demands of the latest software titles, or to improve work-related computing jobs.

Toy Story's valiant crew of toys has faced formidable villains in their first four films. Sid and his penchant for mutilating toys got Toy Story antagonists off to a strong start, while Toy Story 3's Lots-o'-Huggin' Bear cemented himself as one of Pixar's most evil characters thanks to his daycare reign of terror.

SEE ALSO: 'Hoppers' teaser: Pixar puts a human brain in a beaver body

But in the upcoming Toy Story 5, directed by Andrew Stanton and co-directed by Kenna Harris, the toys may just face their biggest threat yet: technology.

The Toy Story 5 teaser reveals that a new gift has arrived for young Bonnie Anderson. It's a Lilypad, a frog-themed smart tablet that strikes fear into the hearts of Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen), and every other toy who lays eyes on it. And who can blame them? Their beloved child is about to become an iPad kid, and where will that leave the non-high-tech toys?

Lilypad is voiced by Past Lives actor Greta Lee, while Joan Cusack and Tony Hale return to voice Jessie and Forky, respectively. At this year's Destination D23, Pixar also revealed that Conan O'Brien would be voicing Smarty Pants, a potty training toy.

Attendees of Destination D23 got to see the film's opening scene, in which an army of Buzz Lightyears stuck in a malfunctioning play mode wash up on a deserted island. Apparently, they will also be antagonists in the film alongside Lilypad. How will it all tie together? We'll have to wait until next summer to find out.

Toy Story 5 hits theaters June 19, 2026.

I didn't cry when I ended it with the last guy I was dating. I tossed him the Apple Watch that revealed his infidelity, walked away, and never looked back. But when I powered down my iPhone for the last time, my hands were practically shaking. It wasn't just a phone — it was the portal. The gateway to every app I'd already deleted months earlier, every algorithm I thought I'd escaped. I quit social media in January, but the device still had me. Powering it down felt like ending the most manipulative relationship I've ever had.

Even without the apps, the phone lingered — buzzing, glowing, whispering promises of connection. I started to realize: the addiction wasn't just to the platforms. It was to the phone itself.

SEE ALSO: A mass exit from social media

Since 7th grade, my iPhone was my constant companion — the one that promised connection with fast access but delivered anxiety. When I deleted social media, I thought I'd cut the cord. But the phone itself kept whispering. It love-bombed me with its sleek design. It gaslit me with every update: This will make your life easier, Apple whispered, while tightening its grip on my daily life. Notifications became manipulation. The absence of apps didn't mean the absence of control. None of the boys I've dated have come close to the psychological grip my iPhone pulled off.

And I'm not alone. iPhones — and smartphones in general — stopped being tools a long time ago. They became environments we are engrossed in. The average American spends over five hours a day on their phone and checks it nearly a hundred times daily. Globally, people spend almost seven hours on screens every day, and for my generation, Gen Z, it's closer to nine. That's not convenience; that's dependency.

Apple started as a company obsessed with liberation. Steve Jobs famously promised tools that would "put a dent in the universe" and free us from the tyranny of desks. The early vision was mobility, creativity, and empowerment — a computer in your pocket so you could live untethered. Instead, they delivered features designed to keep us engaged, like push notifications, then entire ecosystems, like the App Store, were built to keep us roped in. Services became the priority, and the goal became keeping users on the device.

I knew this for years before I acted. But knowing and leaving are different things. 

It wasn't until last month that I knew it was time. Over a two week time span, I did two things that fundamentally changed me. First, I tied myself to a 70-foot banner at Apple's iPhone launch in Cupertino pointing to the fact that Tim Cook does not do enough to stop rape videos of children from being stored and shared in iCloud. Second, I marched with more than 150 people to Apple's flagship store in New York City to demand accountability: Choose people over profit. 

Standing there, shouting for change, I realized the hypocrisy — I was tethered to the very product I was protesting. That was the breaking point. It wasn't just about ethics. It was about identity. I had spent years curating my life through a device that curated me back — shaping my habits, my attention span, even my sense of self-worth. And suddenly, in front of that glass cube on Fifth Avenue, I saw it clearly: I wasn't just holding a phone. I was holding the most toxic relationship of my life.

So I broke up with my iPhone and switched to a Motorola Razr.

SEE ALSO: This Gen Z-er quit social media and hasn't looked back since

I wasn't bold enough to ditch the smartphone entirely. Instead, I hoped this shock to the system would help me build a healthier relationship with the device. Tech as a tool. The first few weeks felt like withdrawal — and they still do. I reach for features that aren't there, panic over missing iMessage blue bubbles, and even feel disoriented. That's how deep the dependency runs. Research backs it up: 58 percent of teens feel anxious without their phones, and 73 percent of adults experience phantom vibrations — false alerts that mimic withdrawal.

I hate to admit it, but I fell in line with the 90 percent of U.S. college students who say green bubbles make Android users look less cool — and even link them to "fewer friends" and "lower social class." I worried people would assume I was suddenly unreachable — that switching to green meant I wasn't reliable anymore. My friends reinforced it. The first group chat I joined with my new Razr, someone immediately dropped: "Ew, who made this group chat green?"

The Razr isn't perfect either. It's still a smartphone, and I'm sure I'll find some of the same issues that existed on my iPhone. But this switch isn't just about the tech for me — it's also about values. It's about refusing to support a brand whose CEO will share a meal with a president actively trying to erase people like me. It's about the heartbreak of watching a Fortune 500 company led by an openly gay man, someone I saw myself in, turn his back on vulnerable young people who are a lot like who he used to be.

That's the failure of capitalism — even when you climb to the top, even when you hold unimaginable power, profit still wins over principle. Tim Cook could have been a beacon for inclusion. Instead, he became another executive who forgot the weight of his influence.

So yes, I left my iPhone. But more than that, I left the illusion that Apple was on my side. Breaking up with my phone was a personal revolution — and a rejection of a system that asks us to trade our dignity for convenience.

I didn't just leave a device. I walked away from the most toxic relationship of my life. And honestly? I've never felt lighter.

This article reflects the opinion of the writer.

Lennon Torres is a Public Voices Fellow on Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse with The OpEd Project. She is an LGBTQ+ advocate who grew up in the public eye, gaining national recognition as a young dancer on television shows. With a deep passion for storytelling, advocacy, and politics, Lennon now works to center the lived experience of herself and others as she crafts her professional career in online child safety at Heat Initiative. The opinions reflected in this piece are those of Lennon Torres as an individual and not of the entities she is part of. Lennon’s substack: https://substack.com/@lennontorres