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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.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

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

Speeds.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

ZOOMS

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Diameter.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for September 15, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

GIRTH

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Stranger.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for September 15, 2026 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Meanings for each word for Sept. 15, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

ODDER

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Problem.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

ISSUE

Final Hurdle hint

Another sense.

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

SIXTH

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

SAVE $300: As of Sept. 15, the Shark AV2511AE AI robot vacuum is on sale for $299.99 at Amazon. That's a 50% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Shark Shark AV2511AE AI $299.99 at Amazon
$599.99 Save $300   Get Deal

A robot vacuum won't make your entire chore list go away, but it can keep vacuuming off it entirely. Instead of having to dig out the vacuum every time the floors need attention, you can let a robot handle the regular dirt and dust for you. And if you've been looking for a deal on a great model, Amazon currently has an impressive discount on the Shark AV2511AE AI.

As of Sept. 15, this model is half off at Amazon, down from $599.99 to just $299.99.

SEE ALSO: iRobot unveils its most powerful vacuums yet — everything to know about the Roomba Max 875 and Plus 678

This robot vacuum features powerful suction that picks up dirt and pet hair on both carpets and hard floors. It even has a self-cleaning brushroll that helps prevent hair wrap.

Its Matrix Clean technology uses a precision grid pattern to make multiple passes over messes, and the 360° LiDAR navigation maps your home and detects objects, even in the dark.

When the battery runs low during a clean, the vacuum will return to the dock to recharge before picking up where it left off. However, with up to 90 minutes of runtime, you'll get a good amount of cleaning done in one go. The bagless self-emptying base can also hold up to 60 days of dirt and debris, so there's no need for disposal bags.

Get this Shark robot vacuum deal at Amazon now.

SAVE $60: As of Sept. 15, the DJI Neo is on sale for $139 at Amazon. That's a 30% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: DJI DJI Neo $139 at Amazon
$199 Save $60   Get Deal

Drones can be intimidating when you're just getting started, but the DJI Neo is a great option if you want to keep things relatively simple. It's a small, lightweight drone designed for beginners, and it's currently on sale on Amazon.

Normally $199, this drone is now $139. Not only are you saving $60, but according to camelcamelcamel, that's the best-ever price for this drone.

There's been plenty of discussion around the new U.S. restrictions affecting DJI drones, but you can still buy (for now). The changes apply to future imports, while DJI drones already in stock with U.S. retailers can still be purchased and used. If you've been considering the DJI Neo, you've still got time.

This drone comes packed with a range of beginner-friendly features and tools. It has eight QuickShots modes for capturing different types of footage, which is handy if you don't want to manually control every shot. You can also fly it using voice commands, the DJI mobile app, an RC controller, or without a controller at all.

For video, the Neo captures 4K footage with DJI's stabilization technology and has level 4 wind resistance for flying in less-than-perfect conditions. Full-coverage propeller guards also add another layer of protection when you're navigating around obstacles.

Get this DJI drone deal at Amazon now.

I’m surprised it took me so long to realize that I could use my 3D printer to rectify one of my biggest problems with Nintendo’s last two generations of consoles: Joy-Con ergonomics.

Stratospheric infrastructure company Sceye has crossed the Pacific for the first time, taking its reflective, balloon-like High-Altitude Platform System from New Mexico to Japan. It's the latest milestone on the road to commercialization for a platform that can deliver phone service and observation.

Read more about alternative space and flight technology: New floating internet infrastructure takes flight
World's largest gun for shooting satellites into space

Timecode chapters
0:00 Intro
0:26 A fiber-optic cable from the stratosphere
0:35 Latest mission
1:27 Services offered
2:00 Quantum key distribution
2:20 ‘Landlords in the stratosphere’

Video credits
Host: Jesse Orrall
Scripted by: Jesse Orrall
Producer: Jesse Orrall, Jon Gomez
Camera: Sceye
Video editor: Jon Gomez
Thumbnail designer: Tharon Green

SAVE $1,502: As of Sept. 15, the TCL 85-inch Class QM8L Series TV is on sale for $2,497.99 at Amazon. That's a 38% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: TCL TCL 85-inch Class QM8L Series TV $2,497.99 at Amazon
$3,999.99 Save $1,502   Get Deal

If you want your living room to feel like a movie theater, a huge TV is about as close as you can get. Movies, games, whatever you're watching are all infinitely better on not just a big screen, but a huge screen.

If you've been waiting for a big-screen TV to come down in price, there's currently a great deal on the TCL 85-inch Class QM8L Series TV at Amazon.

Normally priced at $3,999.99, as of Sept. 15, you can save a huge $1,502 on this TV. That brings the cost down to $2,497.99. Not only is this a huge saving, but it's also the lowest this TV has ever been priced.

This TV uses the TCL Deep Color System and Halo Control System to ensure detailed picture quality for everything you watch. It also has an Ultra Color Filter that uses 5-nanometer particles for more precise color. Plus, audio is provided by Bang & Olufsen, so everything will sound clear and immersive. There's also support for an optional wireless subwoofer and satellite speakers, so you can personalize the audio to suit you.

It's a great option for gamers, too. The TCL Game Pack includes Game Accelerator 288 VRR, Game Bar, and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro for smoother motion.

Get this TV deal at Amazon now.

With Law & Order SVU star Mariska Hargitay hosting the 2026 Emmys, rumours had been swirling about the possible appearance of Taylor Swift — a famous fan of the show, who even named her cat after Hargitay's character Olivia Benson and included Hargitay in her 2015 "Bad Blood" video.

Fortunately, the Emmys did not disappoint. In the sketch above, Hargitay stars in a Law & Order SVU-style parody in which she tries to "Think like a Swiftie" and put clues together on a crime board. The whole thing is basically one Swift pun after another, during which the artist herself appears to help them solve the case.

We also get the joy of seeing two Olivia Bensons on screen at the same time!

For a full list of the 2026 Emmys winners, we've got you covered.

Want more film and TV news and reviews delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for Mashable’s Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts.

Each year, the Emmys pays tribute to stars who've passed away within the last year, and this year's "In Memoriam" segment was especially moving.

Presented by Macaulay Culkin, Annie Murphy, and Dan Levy, the tribute began with the Home Alone and Schitt's Creek stars honouring the late Catherine O'Hara, who died in January.

"She always showed up when I asked her to, because that was Catherine," said Culkin. "That's what she did. She showed up, and this is the best that we can do for her tonight. We're showing up for her. So she may have forgotten me...twice, but we will always remember her. "

"The greatest lesson I learned from Catherine, both professionally and personally, was to always say yes," said Levy. "Say yes to her instincts, all of them, as radical as they may sometimes seem. She is miles ahead of you, and you will learn to catch up. Say yes to helping her build a TV character over the age of 60 that wears leather miniskirts and eight-inch heels and speaks in a strange, sometimes unintelligible transatlantic accent, and know that she will not scare an audience away. Say yes to that rewrite she emails you sometimes the night before, 'Dear Dan, some thoughts.' It will always improve the story. Say yes to the concept of a wig wall. Say yes to her asking to wear a wig as a hat. Say yes to her naming that wig. Say yes to giving her space to experiment and create. It will amaze you on a daily basis, and it will change your life."

SEE ALSO: The complete list of 2026 Emmy winners

With Noah Kahan performing Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water," a song covered by the late Dolly Parton, the Emmys paid tribute to the music icon and O'Hara, as well as James Van Der Beek, Tim Curry, Bob Mackie, Robert Duvall, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Anthony Head, Hayden Panetierre, Kiki Shepard, Eric Dane, Vincent Pastore, Maria Riva, Hal Williams, and sadly many more.

To conclude this year's segment, Jamie Lee Curtis also paid deeply moving tribute to directors James Burrows and Rob Reiner.

"He was generous and kind, and funny as hell, and a friend to all," she said of Reiner. "We all miss Rob and Michele, and all those we lost this year."

For everything that happened at the 2026 Emmys, we've got you covered.

Want more film and TV news and reviews delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for Mashable’s Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts.

Mariska Hargitay hosted the 2026 Emmys on Monday, and it's probably fair to say she crushed it.

Following an entertaining opening song, the host took to the stage to joke about everything from arresting most of the audience at one point or another on Law & Order SVU ("You guys have done some unspeakable things," says Hargitay. "I'm talking to you, Martin Short.") to not being able to pronounce the word "finale" ("I'm sorry guys, it's just that I never had one!").

The highlight? Hargitay finishing with a parody of Nicole Kidman's highly memed AMC Theatres ad, that gets interrupted by Kidman herself. "Zip it, movie lady!" grins Hargitay. "It's TV's turn tonight."

For a full list of the 2026 Emmys winners, we've got you covered.

Want more film and TV news and reviews delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for Mashable’s Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts.

Starbucks just announced a new collab: Starbucks x Peanuts, which, rationally, could only mean one thing — a Snoopy Glass Cold Cup.

The full 10-piece collection will be available to purchase from Sept. 15, just days before fall officially starts on Tuesday, Sept. 22. Normally, I'm not a fan of premature pumpkin-spicing, but I'm letting this slide. I WILL be standing in line at 4 a.m. for this one. (I have two beagles, and if this isn't the cutest damn thing.)

SEE ALSO: Get ready to fight for your life: Starbucks is dropping a new Pink Drink Bearista Cup

Inspired by the 60th anniversary of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, the limited-edition drop includes drinkware (obvs), a plush, and accessories. And because Starbucks knows exactly how this is going to go (as do we all), they're enforcing a strict two-item purchase limit per customer on the Snoopy Glass Cold Cup.

The Snoopy Glass Cold Cup Credit: Starbucks Everything in the Starbucks x Peanuts 'Great Pumpkin' collection

• Snoopy Glass Cold Cup ($39.95): The star of the collection is obviously the Snoopy Glass Cold Cup. He's wearing a pumpkin-colored beanie, a green scarf, and a Woodstock straw topper.

• Snoopy Plush ($34.95): If you can't get your hands on the Cold Cup, you can get a cute Snoopy plush. He's wearing Starbucks green and holding what I could only assume is a PSL.

• 16-ounce Stainless Steel Tumbler ($32.95): Need another tumbler? The 16-ounce Stainless Steel Tumbler is super cute and features a Woodstock charm and a dancing Snoopy.

• Stainless Steel Cold Cup ($32.95): The Stainless Steel Cold Cup includes a straw and shows an illustration of Lucy and Snoopy sharing coffee.

• The Great Pumpkin Tumbler ($32.95): This cute coffee tumbler features Snoopy and Woodstock artwork inspired by the movie.

• 14-ounce Ceramic Mug ($29.95): If you want a collectible featuring the whole gang, get the 14-ounce Ceramic Mug. It also "reveals a surprise Snoopy with every sip," which maybe means that there's a Snoopy at the bottom of the mug?

• 24-ounce Cold Cup ($27.95): The 24-ounce Cold Cup is a clear plastic cup featuring Snoopy and The Great Pumpkin fall imagery.

• Accessories: The drop also includes a Mini Tote ($29.95), a Bag Charm ($16.95), and an Enamel Pin Set ($14.95).

Peanuts + Starbucks collection launches Sept. 15. Credit: Starbucks

In an Emmys speech simmering with Sir Ian McKellen in Extras energy, John Mulaney successfully showed the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards what it's all about: raising awareness for the historical lack of representation of men onscreen.

Presenting Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series — no disrespect to The Pitt's Noah Wyle, who won the award — the comedian used his couple of intro minutes to rally for the cause.

"This is the best part of the night: Lead actor in a drama. This award is for the guys. Just men being men. Finally, something for the fellas. And what a crop of prom kings we have. They're not soft like the dad on Bluey. Guy's a joke," Mulaney said onstage.

SEE ALSO: The complete list of 2026 Emmy winners

"Since the creation of television, men have been historically unrepresented. For the first three years TV existed, there were no men on it. It was just beauty contests and children talking to hand puppets until the early '60s, until a man walked out and said, 'Enough! My name is Fonzie, and the president's been shot.'

"But let's talk about these bros tonight. These sweathogs. Some of the men in this category do method acting, and some do regular, less annoying acting. But no matter what, when these fellas hit their mark, they know all their lines. Why? Because they started looking at their sides earlier that morning. These men give it all in every single take, unless the coverage is on the other actor, and then they might bounce early, but that's OK."

Watch the speech above, and if you need to catch up on the full list of Emmys 2026 winners, we've got you covered.

Want more film and TV news and reviews delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for Mashable’s Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts.

For music that sounds as complicated as YOASOBI's, the tech behind it is surprisingly simple.

The Japanese pop duo's songs are built to move. Ayase's productions pile bright piano melodies over electronic beats and unexpected sonic flourishes, often changing direction before you've had time to settle in. Then there's ikura's voice, gliding through even the most densely packed arrangements.

That relationship between music and technology predates YOASOBI. After spending his teenage years chasing rockstar dreams in a band, Ayase turned to Japan's thriving Vocaloid scene, where a laptop and voice-synthesizing software like Hatsune Miku could effectively turn one person into an entire production studio. He could compose, produce, and give voice to his songs largely on his own — a practice he continues today.

SEE ALSO: Le Sserafim on tech, style, and staying connected in a digital world

When he began working with ikura, the voice became human, but the ambition of his compositions didn't necessarily shrink with it. Ayase's intricate melodies can sometimes sound as though they were written without worrying about the limitations of human lungs. Luckily, ikura is more than capable of keeping up.

And yet, the bigger YOASOBI has become, the more compact Ayase's toolkit seems. When Mashable asked the duo during a Los Angeles press day to name the five pieces of technology essential to making their music, Ayase's list included just five items. In fact, after naming the first four, Ayase struggled to come up with a fifth.

"I don't really use anything other than these," he said.

It's a lean setup for the producer behind songs as maximalist as "Idol," the dizzying Oshi no Ko theme that's racked up over 688 million views on YouTube and ricochets between musical ideas with seemingly little interest in obeying the conventions of pop structure. But that's also what makes Ayase's list interesting. There isn't one mysterious piece of technology responsible for the YOASOBI sound. The tools themselves are mostly things available to anyone with a laptop and an internet connection. It's what Ayase does with them that makes the music unmistakably his.

Credit: Ian Moore/Mashable/Getty Images/Apple/Sony

Even the most specialized piece of equipment on the list — the high-end Sony microphone now used to record ikura's vocals — sits alongside technology considerably more ordinary. Splice gives Ayase access to a vast digital library of sounds. Logic Pro is where he puts everything together. And then there are the EarPods. Yes, EarPods. Not AirPods.

The wired Apple earbuds, which feel increasingly like a relic of the pre-AirPods era, remain one of Ayase's essential production tools. And he doesn't use them because he's stubbornly holding onto the headphone-jack days of yore. For Ayase, their relative simplicity makes them useful. Expensive studio speakers can tell him how good a YOASOBI song can sound. His EarPods help him understand how it might sound to everyone else.

That's ultimately the through-line of YOASOBI's straightforward setup. The duo may make some of the most meticulously constructed pop music around, but Ayase doesn't need an endless arsenal of technology to do it.

He just needs the right five tools.

MacBook Pro Apple 2023 MacBook Pro Laptop M3 Pro chip with 11‑core CPU, 14‑core GPU: 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR Display, 18GB Unified Memory, 512GB SSD Storage. Works with iPhone/iPad; Space Black $1,774.95 at Amazon
$1,999 Save $224.05   See It at Amazon

Ayase didn't need much time to think about his first essential. "The first thing that's absolutely necessary is a MacBook," he said. More specifically, a MacBook Pro.

It's the center of his production setup, the place where the many moving parts of a YOASOBI song begin coming together. For a producer whose music can sound so densely constructed, there is something almost funny about how quickly the answer arrived. There are no secret weapons in Ayase's tech arsenal, just a laptop.

Of course, what's on that laptop matters just as much.

Logic Pro Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Logic Pro   Learn More

Inside Ayase's MacBook Pro is the second thing he considers indispensable: Logic Pro, Apple's music-production software. "The software I use to compose is Logic Pro," he said. "That's absolutely essential."

Logic is where Ayase builds the songs that eventually become YOASOBI tracks, layering together the melodies, rhythms, samples, and electronic elements that characterize the duo's sound.

It's also a setup that feels connected to how Ayase learned to make music in the first place. Long before YOASOBI, he was producing Vocaloid tracks on his computer, part of an internet-native music culture built around people composing, uploading, remixing, and discovering one another online.

Years later, the scale is considerably bigger. The basic relationship between producer and computer remains.

Apple EarPods Apple EarPods $15.99 at Amazon
$30 Save $14.01   See It at Amazon

Then came the most unexpected item. "I have a particular preference for wired earphones rather than headphones," Ayase said. Specifically, Apple's wired EarPods.

They're essential enough that Ayase said he makes music with them. And when Mashable asked why a producer with access to professional studio equipment would rely on one of Apple's most basic listening devices, his answer revealed a surprisingly practical philosophy.

"I think they have the most basic sound," Ayase explained.

Of course, he listens to YOASOBI's music on high-end speakers when he's making final adjustments. But that's not how most people are going to hear it. "There aren't actually that many people who can listen to music on really good speakers," he said.

So, Ayase tries his songs in different environments. He'll listen through a car stereo. He'll play them through good speakers. He'll listen directly from an iPhone. The EarPods function as his baseline.

"Of all the different environments people listen to music in, I think they're closest to the middle," he said. "They give me the most basic sound, so I use them as a reference."

And no, swapping them for AirPods wouldn't accomplish the same thing.

"AirPods are different," he said. "Whether noise cancellation is on or off changes the sound a lot."

The humble wired EarPods remove some of those variables. Ayase isn't using them because they provide the most pristine possible listening experience. He's using them precisely because they don't. For a producer making music that will eventually travel through everything from expensive headphones to phone speakers, that's useful information.

Splice Opens in a new window Credit: Splice Splice Music   Learn More

Ayase's fourth essential is less tangible but gives him access to considerably more sounds: Splice.

"There's a site and app called Splice that has tons of different sounds," he said. The subscription-based platform offers producers a massive library of samples, loops, and other sounds to incorporate into their music. "That's absolutely necessary, too," Ayase said.

For YOASOBI, it's easy to understand the appeal. Ayase's productions rarely sit still for long. Percussion, electronic flourishes, instrumental layers, and other sonic details constantly move in and out of the mix, giving even a single song the feeling of containing several different musical worlds.

Splice gives him a library to pull from while building them. The platform is subscription-based for full access, though a free account offers a limited selection of samples. And after naming it, Ayase again tried to think of what else he regularly relied on.

"What else?" he wondered. The answer, apparently, wasn't much. "I really don't use anything besides these."

Well, almost.

Sony C-800G microphone Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Sony C-800G Studio Tube Condenser Microphone with Power Supply   Learn More

There was one final essential: the microphone that captures ikura's crystal-clear vocals.

"When we're focusing specifically on making music, there's the Sony C-800G microphone," Ayase said. It's also, by far, the biggest investment on his list. The high-end studio microphone costs nearly $15,000 new — and, importantly, it wasn't always part of YOASOBI's setup.

"I didn't care that much about it before," he said. "But recently I've gotten more particular about it, so I bought one myself." Now, he said, "We've been using it to record YOASOBI songs."

In other words, don't take the C-800G as a prerequisite for making great music. Even Ayase made the investment later, after YOASOBI had already found enormous success. It's less a secret ingredient than an upgrade, one he could make once he knew exactly what he wanted from his recording setup. And if you're after a similar style of tube condenser mic without the five-figure price tag, there are cheaper alternatives.

Still, for all the software, samples, and digital production that go into a YOASOBI track, the C-800G plays an important role in capturing the voice that has to cut through everything Ayase has built.

And that is the entire toolkit. A MacBook Pro. Logic Pro. Splice. A pricey Sony microphone. And a pair of wired Apple EarPods. For music that can sound as though it requires an entire command center to assemble, YOASOBI's essentials are remarkably compact. The complexity isn't necessarily coming from the number of tools Ayase uses. It's coming from what he does with them.

Maybe that's the more useful lesson for creators: You don't need a room full of tech to make something sound enormous. You just need to know exactly what to do with what you have.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage and meet The Mashable 101 to discover the internet’s most exciting voices.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts.

How to choose the best headphones

We won't beat around the bush: There's no definitive "best" product here. Sure, elite audio brands put out high-quality products across the board, but even within each of those brands, you'll find different tiers of products. Some will deliver better value, and some will deliver better hardware and active noise cancellation.

All this to say, the best pair of earbuds or headphones largely comes down to personal preference and how you plan to use them. Some listeners swear by over-ear headphones, while others prefer the minimalism of earbuds — one is not necessarily better than the other. Athletes who like to use headphones at the gym will appreciate waterproof materials and the best open earbuds, while frequent fliers will prefer devices with long battery life, comfort, and portability. Finally, music lovers and audiophiles will want to invest in premium features like a custom equalizer, spatial audio, or best-in-class active noise cancellation.

To help you pick your pair, we tested all of the headphones in this guide (and a lot that didn't make the cut). Here, you'll find the top headphones of 2026 for noise cancellation, music, price, and wired connections.

What about wired headphones?

We focused primarily on the best wireless headphones for this guide. While wired headphones have their fans, wireless headphones are just more convenient for most of us. If we had to pick, we'd recommend the Marshall Mode earbuds as our top wired pick. Some of us are also fans of Apple's EarPods.

Other headphones we've tested

Most recently, we tested the Marshall Monitor III, JBL Tour One M3 headphones and the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC, and though they had their merits, fell short of winning the best of the best spot on this guide.

We've also tested the Sonos Ace headphones and Dyson OnTrac headphones. And while we loved them both for sound quality and noise cancellation, they fare in the way of AirPods Max — left out of our recommendations for their high price points.

In the testing pipeline

For our future updates, we're testing out more budget noise-cancelling earbuds and headphones.

Recent updates to this guide

• March 2025: We've designated the Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2 earbuds as the most comfortable ANC earbuds and crowned the Sony XM6 earbuds as the new best noise cancelling earbuds.

• December 2025: We replaced the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 earbuds, which are no longer available, with the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 sports earbuds.

• December 2025: We removed the Marshall Mode wired earbuds, as they're frequently out of stock.

• December 2025: We added the Sony WH-CH720N Noise-Canceling Headphones as the best headphones under $100.

• December 2025: We added the Sony XM5 headphones, originally released in 2022, as our new honorable mention pick.

• August 2026: We replaced the Sennheiser Momentum 4 with the Nothing Headphone (a) as our best battery life pick.

Jacob Coxon, the 27-year-old researcher who split his time between OpenAI and Anthropic on pre-training research, announced his resignation from Anthropic last week on X with a lethal thread. "Neither company is acting responsibly," he wrote. "They are racing straight to self-improving superintelligence and gambling with our lives."

He said the people building this technology "earnestly believe it could kill us all by the end of the decade." Hundreds of thousands of likes later, Coxon’s post has shaken the world.

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

Coxon’s words were like a sudden, violent Mahjong collapse; breaching the fortress walls and upending the entire AI enterprise in a single clattering moment.

First came Congress’s whiplash reaction. Senator Bernie Sanders announced he's introducing legislation to ban superintelligence outright. Then, Senator Richard Blumenthal fired off a letter to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman demanding answers about his AI agents reportedly going rogue. 

Over the weekend came another shock when Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei published a massive 3,800-word essay on his website titled "We Must Pace the Frontier," effectively trying to pump the brakes on the entire AI arms race. Altman chimed in on Monday, admitting "we could lose control."

On Saturday at a private fundraiser, Barack Obama threw down a gauntlet for Democrats. The 44th president told his party to stop coasting on AI safety and make it a marquee campaign issue. He was answering House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries's question about Coxon’s stark warning.

SEE ALSO: Anthropic's CEO urges the industry to slow down, and Sam Altman agrees

And on Sunday, President Donald Trump misread the room from a golf course in Ireland. Trump said Coxon’s comments and Amodei’s letter were "very negative forces" and that they were hyping up "things that won't happen." To him, avoiding a civilization-wiping disaster isn't the priority. It’s "whoever wins AI, wins."

The data dump

That's a lot of attention, particularly from the political sphere, for one tech guy's message. However, before Coxon ever hit "post," communities across the country were already revolting against the AI industry's physical footprint. By early September, trackers had counted "more than 300 data center moratoriums, bans, and restrictions across 32 states," with New Jersey, Ohio, Michigan, and Georgia leading the pack, and New York becoming the first state to enact one statewide. 

A recent poll found only 14 percent of Americans would welcome a data center in their own backyard. They were angry long before Coxon came forward. They’re angrier now, and one party senses this anger, while the other ridicules it.

On the last day of August, Trump handed Democrats an opening, warning on Truth Social that towns that say no are choosing to be "backwards and poor," and that if they "kill the Golden Goose," they'll "only have yourselves to blame." This, coupled with his comments in Ireland, is raising the pulse, not checking it, of the average American voter.

I have to imagine that families whose utility bills are spiking didn’t react well to being called backwards and poor. In Georgia, data center backlash and rising electricity rates have already flipped two Public Service Commission seats, and the fight has spilled over to the governor's race and state legislative contests, with GOP-leaning voters reportedly telling one Democratic challenger that data centers "changed how they see every other issue," according to the Economist.

AI goes nuclear

I've watched something like this play out before while working as a congressional press secretary. In the late 1980s and early '90s, when the federal government pushed states to build regional nuclear waste dumps under the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act, Pennsylvania's coal country became a target. 

Corporate scouts assumed struggling steel towns, like those that made up our congressional district in southwestern Pennsylvania, would quietly accept radioactive waste in exchange for economic bailouts. They assumed wrong. They weren’t "backwards," but they were poor, and no amount of radiation was going to make them want to be rich.

Grassroots groups like P.O.W.E.R. packed town halls with furious residents, and the congressman I worked for, Austin Murphy, rode that wave to reelection, even while fending off ethics troubles of his own. 

What’s going on now is identical because ordinary people don't have the bandwidth to parse high-tech language or even begin to fathom the complexities of AI. It was the same with nuclear energy. 

Ordinary people glaze over when tech bros argue about autonomous codebases waging invisible proxy wars. Huh? Come again? But when the headline flips to a visceral, "the end of civilization," everyone hits the panic button.

Prior to trying to bury people in nuclear waste was the disaster at Three Mile Island, coincidentally in Pennsylvania. That accident spoke volumes to the state’s residents. The word "nuclear" meant armageddon to anyone who was only reading the headlines.

What makes this moment different is timing. Data center fights are colliding with a live election cycle, and a viral extinction warning just expanded the potential lethality of those centers. 

All of these doomsday prophecies and the data center proliferation could be a genuine bellwether, and perhaps the first stage of how fear — and use — of AI shapes the midterms and the 2028 presidential election, and how those calling for a slowdown might be on the right side of history.

This article represents the opinions of the writer.

John Casey is a columnist at Raw Story, the Advocate, Daily Beast, and Outsports. He's also the author of Love: The Heroic Stories of Marriage Equality.

The best Disney+ deals and bundles in September 2026: Best Hulu Bundle Deal Disney+ and Hulu Bundle 6 months for $11.99/month Get Deal Best HBO Max Bundle Deal Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max Bundle $19.99/month with ads, $32.99/month ad-free Get Deal Best ESPN Bundle Deal Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Unlimited Bundle $35.99/month Get Deal

Whether you're looking to jump into the latest superhero saga or journey to a galaxy far, far away, Disney+ is the streaming service for you.

Home to Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and more, Disney+ offers a library that's stuffed with shows and films to keep both adults and kids entertained. With Disney+, you can watch movies like The Mandalorian and Grogu or Toy Story 5 (which is set to start streaming on Sept. 23), the upcoming third season of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and much more.

If you've had this streaming service on your radar but you're unsure which plan is the best fit for you, we've got you covered with a selection of Disney+ streaming deals. Right now, the streamer is offering six months of its ad-supported Disney+ and Hulu bundle for only $11.99 per month (which renews at $12.99 per month after six months), or six months of its ad-free plan at $17.99 per month (which will return to $19.99 per month after the six-month promotional period).

SEE ALSO: D23 2026: Every movie and series announced and shown at this year's fan event

There's also the Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max package, which is a great investment for those who already use the other two streaming services but want to cut costs. We've detailed all available bundle deals below, along with basic information on Disney+ plans if you just want the House of Mouse's service on its own.

Best Hulu bundle deal Opens in a new window Credit: Disney Disney+ and Hulu Bundle Get 6 months of Disney+ and Hulu (With Ads) for $11.99/month, then $12.99/month Get Deal Why we like it

For those interested in the Disney+ and Hulu bundle, the streamer is offering deals on both its ad-supported and ad-free plans. For the plan with ads, new and eligible returning subscribers can lock in at $11.99 per month for six months before it returns to $12.99 per month. And if you're interested in going ad-free, the Premium plan is down to $17.99 per month for six months, then returns to $19.99 per month.

• Disney+ and Hulu Bundle — $11.99 per month for six months, then $12.99 per month

• Disney+ and Hulu Bundle Premium — $17.99 per month for six months, then $19.99 per month

Best HBO Max bundle deal Opens in a new window Credit: Disney Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max Bundle $19.99/month with ads, $32.99/month ad-free Get Deal Why we like it

The Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max bundle is one of the best available at the moment. Starting at $19.99 per month, you can have three excellent streaming services right in the palm of your hand. The $19.99 per month option is for the With Ads plan, but if you'd prefer to watch your favorite content without ads, the No Ads plan costs $32.99 per month. Compared to what you'd pay for each of these on their own, you're saving 42% with the ad-supported plan and 41% with the ad-free plan.

• Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max Bundle (with ads) — $19.99 per month (save 42%)

• Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max Bundle (no ads) — $32.99 per month (save 41%)

Best ESPN bundle Opens in a new window Credit: Disney Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Unlimited Bundle $35.99/month Get Deal

If you're a sports fan looking to add ESPN to your bundles, you're in luck: Disney offers bundles with both ESPN Select and ESPN Unlimited. According to ESPN, "ESPN Select includes ESPN+ content only. Fans who want ESPN+ exclusively may subscribe to the ESPN Select plan. ESPN Unlimited includes all of the ESPN networks and services, including ESPN+."

The Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited Bundle, which has ads, is available for $35.99 per month. The Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Unlimited premium bundle without ads is available for $44.99 per month.

• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Select Bundle — $21.99 per month

• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Select Bundle Premium — $32.99 per month

• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited Bundle — $35.99 per month

• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited Bundle Premium — $44.99 per month

Best Disney+ monthly plans

Disney+ offers two standard plans if you just want the service on its own. The Disney+ ad-supported plan comes to $11.99 per month, while the ad-free Disney+ Premium plan will set you back $18.99 per month or $189.99 per year if you'd rather pay annually.

• Disney+ (With Ads) — $11.99 per month

• Disney+ Premium (No Ads) — $18.99 per month, $189.99 per year

Disney+ has also created an "extra member" plan for people who use your account but live outside your household, as they crack down on password sharing. If you're looking to add another person to your account, you're only allowed one extra profile and can choose from the following add-on plans:

• Disney+ (With Ads) — $6.99 per month

• Disney+ Premium — $9.99 per month

• Disney+, Hulu Bundle — $7.99 per month

• Disney+, Hulu Bundle Premium — $10.99 per month

• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Select Bundle — $11.99 per month

• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Select Bundle Premium — $14.99 per month

There's a wealth of shows and films to check out on Disney+ after you sign up. If you want some help finding something to watch, check out our roundups of the 12 best TV shows for adults on Disney+ and the 20 best movies on Disney+ to start building out your watchlist.

Over the past 31 years, video games have changed a lot, especially in the realm of big-budget console releases. Chasing high scores has fallen by the wayside to an extent, and there's sort of an expectation that everything adopts RPG elements, or chases the high of an open-world, or otherwise follows some other recent trendy design choice.

Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is not interested in most of that, judging from a short demo I got to play prior to the game's launch on Oct. 2 for PS5, Xbox Series consoles, and PC. Over the course of two of the game's single-player missions (online multiplayer is not available for testing yet), my main takeaway was: Yep, this is still Ace Combat. Not much has changed, and that's for the best.

'Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve' for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S $69 at Amazon
  Pre-order Here at Amazon Pre-order Here at Best Buy SEE ALSO: The Nintendo Switch 2 is getting a 'Legend of Zelda' makeover Ace Combat 8 is a potent injection of adrenaline

Since its 1995 debut, Bandai Namco's dogfighting franchise has accumulated a dedicated fanbase of flyers, but I still find that a lot of people around me have no idea what this series is all about. Let me briefly explain.

Nearly 100 percent of gameplay is focused on flying around real, licensed fighter jets, but most of these games add an extra layer of personality by taking place in a fictional world that has been affectionately dubbed "Strangereal" over the years. Strangereal is culturally and technologically very similar to our world, but all of the landmasses and the countries contained within them are fake.

Most importantly, wars are still primarily fought in the skies, and becoming a fighter pilot in this society is considered the most noble thing a person can do. These stories are often melodramatic and overwrought in a good way, with a bona fide radio drama usually playing out in your comms during missions. Ace Combat 8 changes the formula a bit by adding some first-person cutscenes, but I didn't get to see any of those in the demo. I did get to see one quick cutscene where a gruff video game man described the ocean as "a cradle of endless solitude," though, so the energy that's always permeated the series is still there.

The first mission I played was the game's tutorial, which quickly told me most of what I needed to know. The basic controls are exactly the same as Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, the only other title in the series I've finished. Though you control real jets, which can be customized and unlocked between missions, these are not flight simulators. The action here is decidedly arcade-like, with a score counter in the upper left and a turbo-fueled sense of danger as you speed past enemies in the air.

That is not a real aircraft, as far as I know. Credit: Bandai Namco/Steam

I should note that, like previous entries, Ace Combat 8 allows for two control schemes, Standard and Expert. With the former, pressing left on the analog stick will make your plane turn left, and so on. With the latter, you need to consider pitch and yaw, like flying a real plane. I played the demo in Expert mode because that is the true way to play Ace Combat.

After finishing the tutorial, I jumped into a later level that revolved around taking down six gigantic, fictional aircraft that each had several propellers, AA guns, and escorts equipped with radar jammers to deal with before they could be dispatched with. The jamming mechanic here was neat, as I had to follow the big planes' enormous contrails to find them among Ace Combat 8's frankly astounding-looking 3D clouds. Shooting down the escorts fixed this problem, naturally.

It was during all of this that I entered a sort of zen flow state and became a much more capable virtual pilot than I was aware I could be. I was pulling off reckless (but extremely cool) maneuvers, scoring sweet kills, and taking down the big fellas with stunning efficiency. That's the magic of Ace Combat; very few other video games are as adept at making you feel like the coolest person in the world.

Needless to say, it was incredibly fun, and I can't wait to play more.

That's nothing new, though This is all 'Ace Combat' has ever been, and all it ever needs to be. Credit: Bandai Namco/Steam

The thing is, all of the above could be said about basically any other entry in the Ace Combat series. This formula has been fun for almost as long as I've been alive, and there's no need to change it. Sure, different levels will have different objectives, and there's room for innovation there. But the basic act of flying around and taking down targets is as timelessly pure now as it was during the Clinton administration.

That's not to say the developers have changed nothing, though. Obviously, it's a visual feast, using modern hardware to make probably the best-looking planes, clouds, and ground targets the series has ever seen. You can also carry two special weapons into battle instead of just one, which adds an extra layer of strategy. If you voluntarily only bring in one special weapon, you'll have more ammo to play with, so there's a cool trade-off to consider.

Ace Combat 8 also brings back squad commands, something that existed in some of the prior entries but not the last one. Using the D-Pad, you can issue basic commands like "cover me" and "use special weapons" to your crew, whose planes you get to choose before each mission. It's not the deepest thing in the world, but it gives the player more to think about on a moment-to-moment basis than Ace Combat 7 did, so it's a welcome change.

Still, even with some little alterations here and there, Ace Combat 8 is still Ace Combat as hell. That's what I want, and it's what I imagine most hardcore fans of the series want, too. Sometimes video game franchises need to evolve to survive. Zelda became open-world to stave off staleness, while Grand Theft Auto is leaning into life simulator systems with its latest entry.

But sometimes, all you need is a fighter jet, some lock-on missiles, and enemy targets to have a good time.

'Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve' for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S $69 at Amazon
  Pre-order Here at Amazon Pre-order Here at Best Buy

TL;DR: Learn piano in your spare time with this five-year subscription to flowkey Piano Learning App Classic Plan, now just $79.99 (reg. $899).

Opens in a new window Credit: Flowkey flowkey Piano Learning App: Classic Plan (5-Year Subscription) $79.99
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Learning something new as an adult can be intimidating… and humbling. flowkey Piano Learning App solves for that — letting you master the piano from the privacy of your own home, with no teacher judging your mistakes.

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Want to learn piano without leaving your house? flowkey Piano Learning App makes it possible, offering lessons that fit into your spare time. All you need is a keyboard or piano, and a device to run the app.

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The app is packed with features that make learning easier. A loop function lets you repeat difficult sections until you master them, while hand selection lets you practice your left and right hands separately.

Slow-motion mode reduces playback so you can take your time learning. There’s also wait mode that only lets you progress after you play the right notes, and the option to watch expert pianists play as you follow along.

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StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: New U.S. users can get lifetime access to all 14 Babbel languages for $159 (reg. $299) with the exclusive StackSocial code LEARN.

Opens in a new window Credit: Babbel Babbel Language Learning: Lifetime Subscription (All Languages) $159
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Learning a new language isn’t easy, but it also might not be as hard as some apps make it seem. If memorizing vocab lists isn’t working for you, check out Babbel. They take a more practical approach to teaching, and there’s even an AI conversation partner who can help you practice your pronunciation.

Normally, a Babbel lifetime subscription would cost $299, but right now it’s on sale for $159 with the code LEARN. Check out what that gets you.

What can Babbel teach you?

Babbel gives you lifetime access to courses in 14 different languages, and the format is designed to fit into real life. Each lesson takes around 10 to 15 minutes, so you can actually stick with it whether you’re commuting, traveling, or just squeezing in some study time between meetings.

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Unlike other apps that focus heavily on word games or repetitive matching drills, Babbel centers its content around practical conversation topics. You’ll get lessons on travel, shopping, business, culture, and more, all developed by expert linguists and backed by academic research. Speech recognition helps fine-tune your pronunciation, while the new AI-powered conversation partner lets you practice speaking in real time.

Lessons sync across devices, so you can start on your computer and finish on your phone. There’s also an offline mode if you want to download lessons ahead of time. You can move at your own pace, revisit review sessions, and jump between beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels based on your comfort.

Use the StackSocial code LEARN to get a Babbel lifetime subscription for only $159.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Mariska Hargitay kicked off the 78th Emmys with style on Monday, performing an entertaining musical parody of Joan Jett & the Blackhearts' "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" — with cameos aplenty.

In the video above, the Law & Order SVU star sings "I Love TV Screens" with a little help from the likes of Hacks' Jean Smart, the New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson, and a particularly entertaining appearance from Jennifer Coolidge wielding a boba tea.

If you need to catch up on the full list of Emmys 2026 winners, we've got you covered.

Want more film and TV news and reviews delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for Mashable’s Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts.

We break down all of the new features of the new Apple Watch, including its most controversial: Live Rewind.

Read more about Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 features: Apple Watch Series 12 vs. 11: Every upgrade, including one Apple didn't mention
Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 first look: AI and major health upgrades!
Apple Watch Ultra 4 announced with no price increase, new features
Apple Watch Series 12 announced: What we know about release date, price, and features

Timecode chapters
0:00 Introduction & Apple event overview
0:18 S11 chip & Apple Intelligence
0:46 Sound recognition & accessibility
1:00 Live rewind privacy concerns
1:25 Siri recap & ambient listening
1:48 Apple’s privacy defense
2:08 Real-world privacy risks & unknowns
2:52 Redesigned heart rate sensor & HRV
3:26 AI workout insights & Vitals app
3:56 Series 12 colors & ceramic finish
4:19 Apple Watch Ultra 4 features & battery life
5:08 Pricing & final verdict

Video credits
Host: Owen Poole
Scripted by: Owen Poole
Producer: Owen Poole, Iyaz Akhtar
Camera: JD Christison
Video editor: Dillon Payne
Thumbnail designer: Tharon Green