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SAVE OVER $90: As of Oct. 19, Sennheiser Momentum 4 headphones are on sale for $206.61 at Amazon. That's $93.38 off their full price of $299.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sennheiser Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless Headphones $206.61 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $93.38   Get Deal at Amazon

With the holidays right around the corner, it can be a busy travel period for some. That's where a solid pair of headphones comes in handy for keeping busy with music, podcasts, and more while you're on a flight or a long road trip.

The Sennheiser Momentum 4s are among our favorite headphones for travelers for their battery life, and this is a great time to grab them, as Amazon's got the sleek white pair on sale right now.

As of Oct. 19, these white headphones have dropped from $299.99 to $206.61, saving you $93.38 overall. Unfortunately, only the white pair are down to this price right now, but if they're the ones that caught your eye, you're in luck. Your purchase even comes with a bonus 90-day free trial of an Amazon Music Unlimited Individual Plan, which is perfect for testing during long holiday travel periods.

SEE ALSO: Razer just dropped new Pokémon gaming headsets featuring Sylveon, Charizard, and Lucario — where to buy

The Sennheiser Momentum 4 will last a long flight, and then some, as they boast up to 60 hours of battery life. Mashable's Bethany Allard also adds in our roundup of the best noise-canceling headphones for flying that they "feel more thoughtfully designed for travel, with ear cups that have a slightly flatter profile than you'll find on the Sony XM5s, and an included airplane audio adapter in the case."

Allard also notes that while their "ANC doesn't quite match up to Sony's [...] on a plane, we doubt you'll notice a drastic difference, especially if you're listening to audio." And speaking of listening, they offer "incredibly balanced sound quality," so music, audiobooks, podcasts, and more will sound crisp and clear.

Sennheiser Momentum 4 headphones are currently tagged with "limited-time deal," so be quick to save at Amazon.

If your morning routine revolves around seasonal espresso shots and viral coffee tumblers, mark your calendar: Starbucks’ 2026 holiday menu officially launches on Nov. 5, bringing back fan favorites and fresh treats.

That's exciting news, but it's not the main draw for seasoned coffee lovers and cup collectors. The Peppermint Mocha is great and all, but it's not Red Cup Day. This is arguably the biggest day on the coffee lovers' calendar. Starbucks hands out a free, limited-edition red reusable cup with every qualifying handcrafted holiday beverage order on this special day. And you guessed it: fans and collectors go wild.

Starbucks has officially confirmed the date for the holiday menu launch (Nov. 5), but we're still waiting for an announcement on the exact date for Red Cup Day 2026. That's not to say that there aren't rumors.

Based on historical release patterns — which consistently land on the Thursday of the week following the menu rollout — industry insiders and deal trackers are predicting Red Cup Day 2026 to fall on Nov. 12. We're not making any promises, but that's the word on the grapevine.

How to score a free reusable cup

Getting your hands on the free collectible cup is pretty straightforward, but we should note that supplies run out notoriously fast.

To get your free cup, buy any handcrafted holiday or seasonal beverage (hot, iced, or blended) in any size. The promo applies across in-cafe purchases, drive-thru orders, mobile orders on the Starbucks app, and delivery via Uber Eats, DoorDash, or Grubhub. Once you have your reusable red cup, bringing it back on future visits saves you $0.10 per drink.

Just be prepared for heavy app delays and long drive-thru lines on launch morning — mobile ordering at least 20 minutes ahead is non-negotiable if you want to dodge the rush.

I've used Adobe applications for many years, since the good old days when you didn't have to pay every month to keep using your software. Premiere Pro has always been my go-to video editing tool, but it's expensive and often overkill for many video editing projects. On a whim, I decided to see what Codex could do using a few free and open-source tools, and the results were impressive enough that I said goodbye to Premiere Pro.

Linux history is full of projects that thrived for years before their stewards walked away. Some faded quietly, others ended abruptly, and all left devoted communities behind. Unfortunately, many maintainers barely get paid for their work, so it often becomes a passion project. And passions fade. Here are just some examples of that.

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collection Day (Espeon) and Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collection Night (Umbreon) are available to preorder now on Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokemon Company Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collection Day (Espeon) $694.88 at Amazon
  Shop Now at Amazon Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collection Night (Umbreon) $685.98 at Amazon
  Shop Now at Amazon

If you thought Pokémon TCG collectors were already losing their minds over 30th Celebration Booster Bundles and Elite Trainer Boxes, Amazon just opened preorders for the crown jewel of the anniversary expansion: the 30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collections.

Both high-end boxes are currently available for preorder at Amazon for under $700 ahead of their official Nov. 6 release date.

As the ultimate flagship products for the 30th Celebration set, both Ultra-Premium Collections come packed with 29 30th Celebration booster packs, one Classic Collection booster pack, custom metal coins, deck boxes, card sleeves, and damage-counter dice. Of course, the real driver behind the hype comes from the exclusive promo cards:

• Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collection Day (Espeon): Includes the exclusive Espeon ex promo card with a Daytime Pikachu ex promo card and an Espeon playmat.

• Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collection Night (Umbreon): Includes the exclusive Umbreon ex promo card with a Futuristic-rarity Pikachu ex promo card and an Umbreon playmat.

The big question when buying trading cards on Amazon is whether or not you're actually getting value for money. Amazon is a reliable pick for finding readily available stock, but you often pay above market price.

TCGplayer's market price for the Day Box is currently $560.87 so there's a decent markup from Amazon here. The market price for the Night Box is $659.98, so the convenience of Amazon actually makes sense in this case.

Trump (James Austin Johnson) crashes a meeting between Prime Minister Andy Burnham (George Fouracres) and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Freddie Meredith) in the SNL UK cold open above, and he makes a request to swap jobs.

"I take over the the UK, you take America," says Trump/Johnson. "I tell you that place is a real mess, you're gonna hate it. It's an awful, awful job. It's a terrible place full of disgusting people. I don't know what the hell happened."

After Burnham refuses, Trump turns his attention to Zelenskyy — but the answer is still no. "Trust me, you don't want my job, it's awful," says Zelenskyy/Meredith. "So much of it involves spending time with you."

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 today.

Faced with the prospect of having someone house-sit in a few weeks, I suddenly need to make my smart home a little more accessible to guests. Smart switches are something I’ve yet to install, so my smart home still doesn’t function like a dumb home with augmentations.

Starbucks is teaming up with Disney for a 20-piece Starbucks x Winnie the Pooh collection celebrating 100 years of the Hundred Acre Wood. The limited-edition lineup drops on Oct. 20, delivering honey-drip cold cups, ceramic beehive mugs, and plush Bearista keychains.

It's an incredibly cute collection that is bound to cause a stir, but there's a catch. We hate to break it to you like this, but the collection is exclusive to the Asia-Pacific region.

Credit: Starbucks / Disney What’s in the Starbucks x Winnie the Pooh collection?

The 20-piece range mixes aesthetic drinkware with lifestyle accessories:

• Hunny Pot Tumblers and Cold Cups: Cold cups with honey-drip lids, golden-yellow straw toppers, and Pooh illustrations.

• Ceramic Beehive Mug: A textured, beehive-shaped ceramic mug featuring Pooh stuck in a honey pot entry.

• Bearista Costume Keychains and Phone Straps: Collectible Starbucks Bearistas dressed in plush costumes of Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, and Tigger.

• Packable Tote Bag: A reusable Hundred Acre Wood tote that folds into its own matching pouch.

Credit: Starbucks / Disney

We want everything, but here's where it gets complicated.

How to buy this collection?

If you live in North America or Europe, you won't find these on local Starbucks shelves.

On launch day (Oct. 20), the collection will be available at participating Starbucks coffeehouses in Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Unfortunately for collectors elsewhere, the secondary market is going to be your best bet.

Exporters will begin listing inventory from Oct. 20, but you should expect a significant markup over retail prices on high-demand pieces like the ceramic beehive mug and plush Bearista straps. Head over to eBay and good luck.

If you desperately want official Disney x Starbucks drinkware without paying reseller markups, the Disney Store regularly stocks collaboration tumblers that ship directly to U.S. and UK addresses. In fact, we've spotted a cute Winnie the Pooh tumbler going for $27.99.

TL;DR: The Magic: The Gathering Marvel Darkhold Destiny Arcanum Bundle is available to preorder for $99.99 at Amazon. That's over $100 below TCGplayer's current $200 market price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Magic:: The Gathering Magic: The Gathering Marvel Darkhold Destiny Arcanum Bundle $99.99 at Amazon
Get Deal at Amazon

Darkhold Destiny’s release date is still some time away, but we’re already seeing some major preorder price drops.

As of Oct. 19, the Magic: The Gathering Marvel Darkhold Destiny Arcanum Bundle is available to preorder for just $99.99 at Amazon. That's $100.01 cheaper than TCGplayer's $200 market price, where the cheapest unopened listing is also $200 with shipping included.

Admittedly, this market price almost definitely won’t hold for long, as there are currently only two sellers with just three recorded sellers — meaning it should taper off once more listings enter the market.

That said, the Amazon listing is not through a third party, which means this is very likely the best price we’ll get for the foreseeable future. While Amazon’s standard preorder price guarantee is included, bear in mind that any sales will be final, with no option for returns. 

SEE ALSO: Magic: The Gathering's Marvel Super Heroes Draft Night box is under market price — save $30 at Amazon

The Arcanum Bundle comes with eight Darkhold Destiny Booster Packs, one Collector Booster, and three Traditional Foil Mythic Rare promo cards. One of these is a mechanically unique card exclusive to this box. The other two feature special alternate artwork, selected from six possible cards.

There's also a collection of 30 Basic Lands, including 10 full-art versions, split evenly between foil and non-foil cards — with an oversized Spindown life counter and a matching storage box completing the package. What’s more, the included Collector Booster will grant you some added premium card treatments and a chance of finding an ultra-rare Headliner card, although the odds are less than 1%.

The Darkhold Destiny expansion comes out on April 9, 2027, and will bring a more supernatural story to Magic’s Marvel mythos, with heroes like Doctor Strange and Thor going up against Dormammu and Hela.

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Poster Collection is on sale for $50.98 at Amazon, down from its $64.98 list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Poster Collection $50.98 at Amazon
$64.98 Save $14.00   Get Deal at Amazon

The 30th Celebration expansion has been out in the Pokémon trading card market for a while now, but there’s still plenty of discounts worth grabbing as retailers race each other to drop record-low prices.

As of Oct. 19, the Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Poster Collection is available for just $50.98 at Amazon, saving you $14 on its $64.98 list price. This 22% discount comes from third-party seller Gem City Supplies, with free delivery estimated between Oct. 23-29. If you want yours as quickly as possible, you can spend $53.98 on BetterShopping4You's listing to get free delivery by Oct. 23 at the time of writing. 

The $50.98 price is officially the lowest price Amazon listings have ever offered (confirmed by the price tracker camelcamelcamel).

SEE ALSO: The Pokémon TCG Delta Reign Elite Trainer Box is close to market price at Amazon — buy for under $140

TCGplayer is the cheapest of all, offering a complete, unopened Poster Collection for $38.99, including shipping. That puts it only $2.21 above its estimated $36.78 market price.

The collection gives you three 30th Celebration booster packs, along with foil promo trading cards featuring the legendary Kanto birds Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres. There's also a double-sided poster measuring almost 27 by 39 inches, featuring artwork from over 160 Pokémon cards.

Each booster contains five foil Pokémon cards (including a guaranteed rare Pikachu card), a foil Basic Energy card, and a code card for Pokémon TCG Live.

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Chaos Rising Booster Bundle is on sale for $44.79 at Amazon, down from its $59.99 list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Chaos Rising Booster Bundle $44.99 at Amazon
$59.99 Save $15   Get Deal at Amazon

Despite all the buzz around the 30th Celebration and Delta Reign preorders, there are still deals on other Pokémon TCG expansions to be had. One of the very best right now is for Chaos Rising’s Booster Bundle. 

As of Oct. 19, the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Chaos Rising Booster Bundle is available for $44.79 at Amazon, shaving $15.20 off its $59.99 list price for a 25% discount. This particular listing comes from third-party seller Core TCG, with an additional 20-cent delivery charge bringing the total to $44.99. There are a couple of other third-party listings going for the same price, but Core TCG’s is the best — as it estimates the fastest delivery time (Oct. 26 at the time of writing).

SEE ALSO: The Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Booster Bundle is now on sale at Walmart — save $15

With this price drop, you’ll pay roughly $7.50 each for the Booster Bundle’s six included booster packs, saving you 47 cents per pack (currently $7.97 each on Amazon). 

Each of these six packs comes with 10 trading cards and one Basic Energy. The expansion’s biggest chase cards (available to buy individually on TCGplayer) include the SIR Mega Greninja ex worth $121, the MHR Mega Greninja ex worth $119, and the SIR Cinccino ex worth $41. 

SAVE OVER $20: As of Oct. 19, select colors of the Ninja Crispi glass air fryer are on sale for $152.95 at Amazon. That's $27.04 off their list price of $179.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Ninja Ninja Crispi Glass Air Fryer $152.95 at Amazon
$179.99 Save $27.04   Get Deal at Amazon

When it comes to kitchen appliances, we're big fans of Ninja. The Ninja Crispi is our favorite air fryer from the brand, earning a spot on our list of the best Ninja appliances for delivering "food that's crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside." If it's been on your radar, there's no need to wait for Black Friday. Amazon already has select colors marked down by 15%.

As of Oct. 19, both the navy and sage colors are discounted, dropping from $179.99 to $152.95. If you don't mind spending a tiny bit extra, the stone color variant is also on sale for a few cents more at $152.99. Keep in mind they all have a "limited time deal" tag right now, so the clock is ticking to grab them at this price.

SEE ALSO: The 65+ absolute best stocking stuffers for 2026

For those days when you want a quick and easy meal, the Ninja Crispi offers four modes — Max Crisp, Bake, Air Fry, and Recrisp — to help you out. Mashable's Samantha Mangino wrote in our roundup of the best Ninja appliances that it's also "made for meal preppers" as its design "allows you to meal prep and store food directly into glass baskets."

And since it uses glass containers for cooking, it doesn't have any PFAS, PTFE, or nonstick chemical coatings to worry about. Plus, the glass containers, crisper plates, adapter, and lids are dishwasher-safe, so cleanup afterward is quick and easy.

This deal may not be live for long, so now is the time to grab the Ninja Crispi while it's still on sale at Amazon.

TL;DR: Cadence launched The Pump ($30), a magnetic travel attachment for its refillable Capsules. Six years in the making, it features a flexible tube that fits Medium and Large sizes, an angled nozzle, and a lock-tight cap that prevents spills in your bag.

Opens in a new window Credit: Cadence Cadence The Pump $30 at Cadence
  Shop Now at Cadence

Refilling travel bottles with your favorite skincare or haircare products usually ends one of two ways: either you are stuck digging thick lotion out of a jar with your fingers, or a cheap squeeze bottle bursts inside your luggage. Design brand Cadence is smoothing out that middle ground with its newest release: The Pump.

View this post on Instagram

Designed to attach directly to Cadence’s signature refillable Capsules, the $30 accessory gives you a mess-free way to dispense liquids like sunscreen, lotions, shampoos, and body oils while on the go. Instead of sticking a basic off-the-shelf plastic straw onto a jar, Cadence spent six years testing 1,023 different iterations to get the mechanics right.

The main innovation is a flexible, coiled dip tube. The tube stretches and compresses automatically inside the container, so a single pump head works seamlessly whether you screw it onto a Medium Capsule or a Large Capsule.

Credit: Cadence

Operating it is simple: pull off the magnetic cap, give the fluted collar a quick half-turn to raise the pump head, and press. When you are done, twist the collar back down and drop the cap back on.

Seven heavy-duty neodymium magnets lock the cap in place, physically blocking the pump head from rising while packed away. That means no accidental squirts ruining the inside of your bag during transit. Cadence also angled the dispensing nozzle upward, directing product outward so liquids do not collect around the collar and make a mess.

Pricing and where to buy

Made from the same durable polypropylene as the original Capsules, The Pump comes in a sand colorway and works with Cadence’s interchangeable, magnetic Label Tiles so you always know what is inside.

As for what you'll pay:

• The Pump (Attachment Only) — $30

• The Pump Capsule (Medium) — $50

• The Pump Capsule (Large) — $64

You can also pair it with Cadence's Parcel organizers, which now feature customizable straps with embroidered icons for a completely personalized setup.

Your carry-on will thank you. Grab The Pump from Cadence for $30.

TL;DR: Netflix’s animated movie KPop Demon Hunters is officially joining Toca Boca World on Oct. 27 — bringing exclusive HUNTR/X and Saja Boys stage outfits, characters, and an in-game music player packed with hit tracks like "Golden."

Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters is officially bringing its style, characters, and music to Toca Boca World.

The movie has grown into a massive global phenomenon since its release in June 2025. It stands as Netflix's most popular film of all time, with over 670 million views, and spent 63 consecutive weeks in Netflix's Global Top 10. Starting Oct. 27, the app's nearly 60 million active players will get access to exclusive in-game content inspired by HUNTR/X, the Saja Boys, and other fan-favorite characters from the film.

Outfits and music

The collaboration blends everyday streetwear with high-energy K-pop stage looks, allowing players to mix and match fashion items to design their own outfits and characters. The update also adds a limited-time in-game music player featuring four chart-topping tracks directly from the movie's soundtrack:

• "Golden"

• "How It’s Done"

• "Soda Pop"

• "Your Idol"

Players can run the music player in the background to soundtrack their own stories and custom scenes inside Toca Boca World.

The partnership builds on Toca Boca’s recent pop-culture crossovers — which previously included collaborations with adidas, Conan Gray, KATSEYE, Wicked: For Good, and in-game music from artists like Olivia Rodrigo, Sienna Spiro, and TWICE. According to Spin Master, Toca Boca World players were already recreating scenes and outfits from the film before the official crossover was announced.

Mark your calendar, get your playlist ready, and prepare to give your avatar the ultimate K-pop star makeover when the event goes live.

What are the best noise-cancelling headphones of 2026?

Even the best value headphones will feel lacking if they don't come equipped with halfway decent noise cancellation. Besides, there are simply too many headphones on the market (our testing pool gets bigger by the month) for you to pay hundreds only to get subpar ANC. So, which brand comes out on top?

For most people, we think the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) offer the best overall value, with the ideal blend of comfort, sound quality, and ANC. However, if you're looking for the best active noise cancellation overall, we have to give it up to the Sony XM6 headphones. Fortunately, there are no bad choices here.

To help you wade through the top options from brands like Apple, Beats, Bose, Sony, and Sonos, Mashable editors and reviewers tested dozens of headphones and earbuds. From flagship models to budget buds, we picked out the best options at every price range.

SEE ALSO: How we test headphones and earbuds How do noise-cancelling headphones actually work?

Even cheap headphones can block some noise from the outside world. And you can always blast your music loud enough to drown out nearby conversations and street noise via passive noise cancellation. However, if you really want to turn the volume of the world down to the limit, then you need headphones with active noise cancellation.

Active noise-cancelling headphones electronically cover up the sounds coming from your surroundings. They use internal microphones to listen to the world around you, then invert the noise and send it to the speakers. The idea is that both the output and the input will cancel out, leaving you with near-silence. The best over-ear headphones also create a tight seal around your ears, providing an extra layer of passive sound blocking.

Testing the Apple AirPods Max headphones, which didn't make the final cut for this guide. Credit: Zlata Ivleva / Mashable Getting up close and personal with Sony WH-1000XM5 noise-cancelling headphones. Credit: Molly Flores / Mashable

If you've tried a pair of noise-cancelling headphones before and haven't been impressed, don't be discouraged, as not all ANC performs equally. For instance, cheaper ANC headphones may have a more noticeable hissing sound that you'll hear when the noise cancellation is turned on, which can be distracting for some folks.

Other headphones may be great at blocking low tones, but more prone to letting in high-pitched tones. Typically, premium headphones will yield better results all around, but we have budget picks below that still do a solid job.

In the past, not many wireless earbuds featured active noise cancellation that was comparable to over-ear headphones, but newer iterations like the AirPods Pro and Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds hold their own in the ANC space. However, even these earbuds can't quite get the same seal (or fit as many mics) that headphones can, so if you're looking for maximum silence, stick with over-ear headphones.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you have BO.

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

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for October 19, 2026 Where did Wordle come from?

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

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

What's the best Wordle starting word?

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

What happened to the Wordle archive?

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

Is Wordle getting harder?

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

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

Bad smell.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter S.

The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

STINK

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pro-Russian accounts targeting Ukrainians on Facebook and Telegram sharply declined after Ukrainian drone strikes on Yandex data centers, according to a new report from a Ukrainian government agency. It’s the most direct evidence so far behind a claim that went viral last week, but it falls well short of proving it.

The report comes from Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD), which operates under the country’s National Security and Defense Council. It was published Oct. 15, and United24 Media covered it on Oct. 17. The CCD used software from the Ukrainian security firm Osavul to track accounts it flagged as showing "signs of inauthentic behavior." According to Osavul's website, the firm "builds AI-powered risk intelligence for hybrid threats."

SEE ALSO: Did Ukraine’s strikes on data centers really silence Russian bots?

According to United24, the CCD analyzed 22,664 messages from 5,201 accounts posted between Oct. 6 and 12, across 26 topics in Ukraine’s information space. The report found two sharp drops in activity, each following a strike that fully shut down a Yandex facility. On Oct. 8, the day a fire took Yandex’s data center in Sasovo, in Russia’s Ryazan region, offline, messages fell 83.6 percent, from 4,032 to 660.

Ukraine's first data center strike saw a 84% decline in Russian-linked accounts on FB and Telegram. Credit: Center for Countering Disinformation / Mashable screenshot

The number of active accounts fell by a similar share. Activity rebounded past pre-strike levels by Oct. 10, but on Oct. 12, a day after a strike fully halted operations at a Yandex data center in Vladimir, messages fell by 42.6 percent and active accounts dropped by 41 percent.

A smaller group of 98 accounts that posted pro-war propaganda, conspiracy theories, or calls for violence followed the same pattern. The CCD concluded that strikes on data centers can significantly disrupt Russian influence networks, but the effect appears to be short-lived.

Mashable was unable to verify the CCD’s findings independently. Before publication, we emailed Osavul to request the underlying dataset, the criteria it uses to flag inauthentic behavior, and any information about where the accounts were hosted. Osavul did not respond by publication time.

The report never defines "inauthentic behavior." While the term is quite broad, some general signals that researchers typically attribute to bot accounts include newly created profiles, unusually high posting volume, blank or AI-generated profile photos, and activity across many unrelated political narratives. Without Osavul’s criteria, it’s unclear whether these accounts are automated, run by coordinated humans, or a mix of both.

Still, if the numbers hold up, they point to something real. The CCD argues that the drops show strikes on data centers can significantly constrain Russia’s information operations by disrupting the automated networks behind them. However, the agency also acknowledges how quickly the accounts came back, suggesting the disruptions were "substantial but short-lived."

Why it matters

The findings arrive after a week of overheated claims.

Last week, Mashable looked at viral claims that Ukrainian drone strikes on Yandex data centers had knocked Russia’s bot army offline. The conclusion we and other outlets reached was that the data behind those claims couldn’t support them.

That claim spread like wildfire on social media, amplified by European officials and even backed up by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Speaking at the Warsaw Security Forum, President Zelenskyy said "everyone noticed" a drop in Russian bot activity. Social media users echoed similar observations about the seemingly stark decline in pro-GOP and pro-AfD posts after the strikes.

It was an easy idea to believe, given how platforms like Facebook and X incentivize and reward polarizing political ragebait, and Russia’s online influence operations are well-documented. The claim also seemed to have supporting data. United24 Media, the Ukrainian government-run outlet whose reporting drove much of the conversation, cited an analysis by The Deep Dive of Cloudflare Radar data. That data showed automated traffic from Yandex’s network had nearly vanished by Oct. 11.

As Mashable reported at the time, that data couldn’t support the claim. "Automated traffic" means any request that software, rather than a person, sends to a website, and most of it is mundane. Yandex, often called "Russia's Google," runs the Federation's biggest search engine, so its network constantly sends out crawlers to index the web. Knocking its data centers offline would stop that traffic, whether or not a single troll account went quiet. We found no published evidence tying influence campaigns on social media to Yandex servers, and United24 acknowledged the same limitation.

Cloudflare has since published its own analysis. It said its data doesn’t appear to support claims that the strikes crippled social media manipulation, though it couldn’t rule out a connection. Zelenskyy’s office has also narrowed his remarks. According to BBC Verify, his office said the president was "talking about the atmosphere on social media" rather than a fall in bot activity.

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier for people who like golf

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. The sports 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 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 before 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: Philly players

• Green: Rank performance

• Blue: Major golf champions

• Purple: Genericized trademarks

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: A Philadelphia Athlete

• Green: Ways to Show Standings in Different Sports

• Blue: U.S Open Golf Winners

• Purple: Brand Names Often Used as Generic Terms

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 #756 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• A Philadelphia Athlete: 76ER, EAGLE, FLYER, PHILLIE

• Ways to Show Standings in Different Sports: LEADERBOARD, RANKINGS, STANDINGS, TABLE

• U.S Open Golf Winners: ELS, KITE, STRANGE, WOODLAND

• Brand Names Often Used as Generic Terms: FRISBEE, JET SKI, JUMBOTRON, SPEEDO

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.

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

Released in August 2025, 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 on to 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 with 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 October 19, 2026

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 October 19, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for October 19 Pips

Equal (5): Everything in this space must be equal to 5. The answer is 5-4, placed vertically; 5-5, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (1): Everything in this space must be greater than 1. The answer is 5-4, placed vertically.

Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 1-2, placed vertically; 6-2, placed vertically.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically; 1-5, placed vertically.

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 1-5, placed vertically.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for October 19 Pips

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 4-2, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 4-2, placed horizontally; 3-6, placed horizontally.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-4, placed vertically.

Not Equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 6-1, placed horizontally; 0-4, placed horizontally.

Less Than (5): Everything in this space must be less than 5. The answer is 3-4, placed vertically.

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

Number (12): Everything in this space must add up to 12. The answer is 3-6, placed horizontally; 5-1, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for October 19 Pips

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

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

Greater Than (11): Everything in this space must be greater than 11. The answer is 3-3, placed vertically; 6-2, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (1): Everything in this space must be greater than 1. The answer is 6-2, placed horizontally.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 5-5, placed vertically.

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 5-3, placed horizontally; 1-6, placed vertically.

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 1-6, placed vertically.

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

Less Than (6): Everything in this space must be less than 6. The answer is 4-0, placed vertically.

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

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 6-4, placed horizontally.

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

Looking for spoiler-free NYT Connections hints or just wondering why Connections is trending today? We've got what you need to understand the clues for today's puzzle without spoiling any of the answers.

Of course, Mashable has also provided daily hints and answers for Connections, Wordle, and Strands for years, so we can help you if that's also what you need.

While we are focused more on meanings than hints in this story, sometimes learning that many of the words have completely unrelated meanings is a clue in and of itself. Connections frequently includes clues that involve words within words and other visual clues.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for October 19, 2026 Alibis meaning

A legal defense or piece of evidence showing that a person was in a different place when a crime or event occurred.

Balloon meaning

A flexible, nonporous bag that can be inflated with air or lighter-than-air gas.

Escrow meaning

A safe arrangement where a neutral third party temporarily holds money, documents or property until two other people finish a deal.

Mohawk meaning

A distinct hairstyle with shaved sides and a center strip of hair.

Flurry meaning

A brief, light snowfall that causes little to no ground accumulation.

Muffin meaning

A quick bread made of batter containing egg and baked in a pan having cuplike molds.

Nuggets meaning

Bite-sized pieces of battered and fried chicken or fish.

Rib meaning

The curved bones in the human or animal chest that protect internal organs

Boil meaning

The physical process of a liquid turning into vapor through heat,

Fume meaning

Strong or toxic air pollution, exhaust, or chemical vapor.

Rave meaning

An enthusiastic review or statement of praise.

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Steam meaning

Water in its gaseous, invisible vapor or condensed mist form.

Blather meaning

To speak idly, ramble or run on.

Gas meaning

A fundamental state of matter in which particles move freely and have no fixed shape or fixed volume

Hot air meaning

Air whose temperature has been raised, causing its molecules to gain energy, move faster and spread further apart.

Wind meaning

The natural horizontal movement of air across the Earth's surface.

Have you learned the meanings and still want the things? Check out the hints and answers for today's NYT Connections puzzle.

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

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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.