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Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

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 today: Hints and answers for December 6 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.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for December 6 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

To push forcefully or roughly.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no reoccurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter S.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. 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...

SHOVE.

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.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for December 6

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

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.

Connections is the latest New York Times word game that's captured the public's attention. 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 today's 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?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

Tweet may have been deleted

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

Tweet may have been deleted

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: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for December 4 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: To confuse

• Green: A spell with harmful intent

• Blue: Iconic Pixar toys by nickname

• Purple: Informal endings that trend in slang

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Baffle

• Green: Curse

• Blue: Toy Story Characters, Familiarly

• Purple: Colloquial Suffixes

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 #544 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Baffle: PERPLEX, PUZZLE, STUMP, VEX

• Curse: HEX, JINX, POX, SPELL

• Toy Story Characters, Familiarly: BUZZ, HAMM, REX, SKINNY

• Colloquial Suffixes: CORE, GATE, MANIA, PILLED

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for December 5

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.

In today's age of digital everything, it seems hardly a day goes by without news of a new cybersecurity threat. Unfortunately, the ongoing Salt Typhoon hack is much larger and more serious than your average breach. Senate Intelligence Committee chairman Senator Mark R. Warner even labelled the Salt Typhoon attack the "worst telecom hack in [U.S.] history by far," the hackers gaining access to numerous Americans' data and monitoring political targets' communications for years.

Here's everything you need to know about the 2024 Salt Typhoon hack.

SEE ALSO: Hackers are now sending scam QR codes via physical mail — and they can steal your passwords What is Salt Typhoon?

Salt Typhoon is a hacking group which is reportedly sponsored by the Chinese government. Active since 2020, the group has carried out attacks against targets in the U.S. as well as globally.

The group typically uses advanced persistent threat (APT) attacks, covertly gaining access to targeted networks and remaining there undetected for a lengthy period of time. Such methods allow attackers to gather extensive information about their targeted organisation.

Though commonly referred to as Salt Typhoon, the group has also been dubbed GhostEmperor, FamousSparrow, Earth Estries, and UNC2286. The name "Salt Typhoon" was given to it by Microsoft, which uses "Typhoon" to label all nation-state threat actors from China.

What is the Salt Typhoon telecom hack?

On Wednesday, the U.S. government disclosed that at least eight telecommunications companies have been infiltrated by Salt Typhoon's hackers, following reports emerging earlier this year of a state-sponsored Chinese cyberattack on internet service providers.

The 2024 Salt Typhoon hack is believed to have actually been ongoing for one or two years, and remains active even now, with Salt Typhoon allegedly still able to access many telecommunication systems. While officials are working on ridding systems of the intruders, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has said it is "impossible" to tell when all the hackers will be completely evicted.

According to U.S. officials, the Salt Typhoon hack is an espionage campaign sponsored by Chinese authorities. The Chinese government has denied any involvement in the cyberattacks.

"The U.S. needs to stop its own cyberattacks against other countries and refrain from using cyber security to smear and slander China," a spokesperson from China's embassy in Washington said in a statement to the Associated Press.

Which U.S. telecoms are impacted by the Salt Typhoon hack?

A full list of organisations impacted by the Salt Typhoon hack has not been released, however we do know that the campaign targeted telecommunications companies across the globe. Anne Neuberger, U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Tech, stated on Wednesday that "dozens of countries" have been affected, with the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand all confirmed targets.

In the U.S., Salt Typhoon allegedly breached at least eight telecommunications companies. The Wall Street Journal reports that this list includes:

• Verizon

• AT&T

• T-Mobile

• Lumen Technologies

Am I impacted by the Salt Typhoon hack?

U.S. officials stated that while they believe the Salt Typhoon hack did not affect every American, it has impacted "a large number" of people, most of whom were located in the greater Washington area. The hackers reportedly accessed these individuals' metadata, such as records of numbers which had contacted each other, but not the content of such communications.

On its own merit, most of this compromised metadata appears to be of little interest to Salt Typhoon. Instead, the hackers are believed to have used such information to identify the communications of particular targeted individuals. Salt Typhoon is alleged to have been searching for corporate intellectual property as well as specific government and political targets, which reportedly included Donald Trump, Senator J.D. Vance, and people from within both Trump and Kamala Harris' presidential campaigns.

Upon identifying them, the hackers focused on accessing these individuals' communications, reading texts and listening in to audio calls. As of November, approximately 150 individual targets had been identified and notified, most of them within the Washington, D.C. area.

"The actors stole a large volume of records, including data on where, when, and with whom individuals were communicating," a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) official told the Washington Post.

Salt Typhoon's hackers reportedly also accessed the U.S. law enforcement's system for requesting wiretaps. Though officials told the Washington Post that there's no evidence the hackers were able to listen in on the network, they may have been able to identify individuals the U.S. government is investigating.

The full scope of the Salt Typhoon hack still isn't entirely clear. Fortunately, Neuberger has stated that no classified information is believed to have been compromised.

How is the U.S. government responding to the Salt Typhoon hack? Tweet may have been deleted

Following nows of the Salt Typhoon cyberattack, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has said it is "taking decisive steps to address vulnerabilities in U.S. telecommunications network." 

Specifically, the FCC has proposed clarifying laws which require telecommunications companies to secure their networks against hackers. This would make clear that such security measures not only include equipment, but also how the telecommunications carriers manage their networks.

The FCC has also proposed a new annual certification requirement for telecommunications companies, including certified compliance with new cybersecurity risk management plans.

"While the Commission’s counterparts in the intelligence community are determining the scope and impact of the Salt Typhoon attack, we need to put in place a modern framework to help companies secure their networks and better prevent and respond to cyberattacks in the future," said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.

A Senate Commerce subcommittee will hold a hearing on the Salt Typhoon hack on Dec. 11 to examine security threats and protective measures.

Speaking on a stage can feel daunting—the elevated platform, unfamiliar setting, and all eyes on you can make your mind go blank. If you’re a nervous public speaker, don’t overlook the power of good notes. They can make a big difference in your delivery, especially if it’s your first time on a stage. Before you […]

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TL;DR: Watch the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix for free on ORF or ServusTV. Access these free streaming platforms from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Max Verstappen has secured the F1 title, but there is still a lot to fight for in the last race of the season. The constructors' crown is still up for grabs in the season finale, so every team will be doing everything they can to influence the result. It's going to be a fascinating battle to end the season.

If you're interested in watching the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix for free from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix?

The 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix takes place over 58 laps of the 5.281-kilometre Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island. The full schedule can be found here:

• Practice 1 — 4:30 to 5:30 a.m. ET on Dec. 6

• Practice 2 — 8 to 9 a.m. ET on Dec. 6

• Practice 3 — 5:30 to 6:30 a.m. ET on Dec. 7

• Qualifying — 9 to 10 a.m. ET on Dec. 7

• Race — 8 a.m. ET on Dec. 8

The good news for fans is that it's possible to live stream the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix without spending anything.

How to watch the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix for free

You can find free live streams of F1 on these platforms:

• Austria — ORF or ServusTV (12 races each)

ORF and ServusTV are geo-restricted to Austria, so you might need to use a VPN to access these free live streams from abroad. VPNs are tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in other countries, meaning you can access free live streams of F1 from anywhere in the world.

Unblock free streaming services by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Austria

4. Connect to ORF or ServusTV

5. Watch the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from anywhere in the world

Please be aware that Formula 1 take the view that the use of a VPN to watch content from another territory may be a breach of the relevant broadcasters’ terms of service and may constitute copyright infringement. It is your responsibility to ensure that your use of a VPN is legal and Mashable does not encourage any illegal use of a VPN.

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) $99.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading services do tend to offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch F1 live streams without actually spending anything. This is clearly not a long-term solution, but it does mean you can stream the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming sites from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming F1 live is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for F1?

ExpressVPN is the top choice for live streaming F1 for free, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Austria

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is protected

• Fast streaming speeds

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Watch the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix for free with ExpressVPN.

Connections is a game from the New York Times that challenges you to find the association between words. It sounds easy, but it isn't—Connections categories can be almost anything, and they're usually quite specific. If you need a hand getting the answers, we've got you covered.

Connections: Sports Edition is a new version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

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

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

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

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

Tweet may have been deleted

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

Tweet may have been deleted

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: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for December 6 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: Ways to describe being good at sports

• Green: Singular talents

• Blue: Professional speeders

• Purple: You'd find these teams on the pitch

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Synonyms for athletic

• Green: MLB teams in singular form

• Blue: NASCAR Cup Series champions

• Purple: Last words of Premier League clubs

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 #74 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today

• Synonyms for athletic - ENERGETIC, MUSCULAR, POWERFUL, STRONG

• MLB teams in singular form - ATHLETIC, MARLIN, ROYAL, TWIN

• NASCAR Cup Series champions - EARNHARDT, GORDON, JOHNSON, PETTY

• Last words of Premier League clubs: ALBION, FOREST, HAM, PALACE

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

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

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

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

If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.

Strands requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for December 6 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for December 6 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Find your people

These words describe a group of people.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

Words are different types of social groups.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Fellowship.

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for December 6

• Club

• Clique

• Group

• Circle

• Bunch

• Society

• Crowd

• Fellowship

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and 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 Strands.

Bitcoin has just hit $100,000.

Buoyed by Donald Trump's reelection and the promise of a pro-cryptocurrency administration, crypto investors are going all in on the digital currency. With the price of Bitcoin rising high, cryptocurrency is seemingly seeping back into the public consciousness after the crypto crashes of 2022.

And, it appears the memecoin fad is having a resurgence right now too. On the same day Bitcoin hit its new six-figure record high, the viral "Hawk Tuah" girl Hailey Welch launched her own cryptocurrency token $HAWK.

SEE ALSO: Who is the 'Hawk Tuah' girl, and what does it mean?

Upon launch, $HAWK jumped to a market cap of $500 million. Within minutes, the token crashed. Its current market cap is around $36 million. Hawk Tuah fans quickly took to social media to share how they lost thousands of dollars.

Things are starting to look a lot like 2021 all over again. 

Celebrity crypto is a scam

During the last crypto rush of 2021, some celebrities and online influencers quickly saw that there was money to be made. Some musicians, reality TV stars, and e-sports names endorsed altcoins or even went ahead and made their own branded memecoins.

Cryptocurrency is a risky investment to begin with. Crypto tokens are a highly volatile speculative asset. There is currently very little governmental oversight or regulation when it comes to the crypto market. Even Bitcoin, seen as the most "safe" bet in the crypto world, has had major ebbs and flows. If you have to sell during one of the down periods, you might lose a chunk of change.

Furthermore, now anyone can create a crypto token. Over the past few years, there have been platforms that have helped make the process very easy. Dogecoin, easily the most popular memecoin, set a standard of success that no other memecoin has been able to replicate.

Yet, the allure of making easy money and getting rich quick through crypto tokens and memecoins have drawn in lots of money from people. 

Back in 2021, memecoins created by celebrities and influencers were all the rage. As Mashable reported then, many turned out to be a scam.

Rug pulls are quite common with memecoins, especially those created by influencers and celebrities. 

Here's what often happens: A famous or notable individual launches a memecoin. Their fans are encouraged to purchase to support their favorite creator while also making money for themselves. However, before the memecoin is officially launched, the memecoin creator puts aside a certain amount of tokens for themselves or their friends. They either give these out freely or provide an unadvertised pre-launch sale at well below the price that the token will go for at launch. When the token does go on sale, the public buys, pushing the value of the memecoin up. But, as soon as that happens, those who received coins at pre-launch dump their holdings for profit, plummeting its value and eventually crashing the memecoin. The celebrity or influencer's fans are often then left holding the bag, their money tied up in a now-worthless token that they will never be able to sell.

It may seem obvious that one should not accept financial advice from celebrities. Way back in 2018, the Securities and Exchange Commission issued a stark warning about the speculative machinations of public figures. "Investors should be skeptical of investment advice posted to social media platforms, and should not make decisions based on celebrity endorsements," Enforcement Division Co-Director Steven Peikin wrote in the same statement announcing Floyd Mayweather Jr. and DJ Khaled were charged with illegally touting initial coin offerings. "Social media influencers are often paid promoters, not investment professionals, and the securities they’re touting, regardless of whether they are issued using traditional certificates or on the blockchain, could be frauds."

However, in an age or parasocial relationships, many fans feel like they can trust their favorite influencers. There's a feeling that "they wouldn't scam me." But, time and time again, celebrity memecoins have failed, with insiders making money off of the influencer's fans.

Tweet may have been deleted

Take the aforementioned and recently launched $HAWK. In a X Spaces stream, YouTuber Coffeezilla who investigates cryptocurrency scams, confronts Welch and the developers behind her crypto token about how things played out after the launch. Its a tale we've heard before. The vast majority of the tokens were held by just a few crypto wallets before the public launch. After it launched, according to Coffeezilla, those insiders dumped the token. $HAWK's value plummeted and all of those buyers who got in at launch are left with a significant financial loss.

There is no recourse for those memecoin buyers. There are no refunds, no way for them to get their money back. Most memecoins have zero utility, so there's no use case for the tokens either. The only way they're getting back what they put in is if Welch and her team can somehow convince another group of suckers to put their money into this worthless token.

Hopefully, after reading this, you won't be one of those suckers.

Google Wallet is not only a payments app but has also slowly but steadily adding support for putting your ID in there, digitally. Now, one more US state is joining the list.

4K TVs are commonplace, 4K streaming is within reach for many broadband users, and 4K Blu-rays are still sought after by film geeks. The problem is most content is not in 4K, and many studios are turning to AI upscaling technology to convert content to 4K, with (to put it mildly) very mixed results.

We can understand paying for premium AI model tiers to an extent, as long as it's an actually useful expense and you're getting your money's worth of it. As far as this new, ultra-expensive ChatGPT Pro tier goes, though, there's no reason any normal person needs this.

Handheld PCs are awesome, because they combine the power of the PC platform with the form factor of handheld gaming. However, some games aren't going to work well with a controller, which is why I just connected a regular mouse and keyboard. Job done.

No matter the gifting occasion, you want to wow your mom. She sacrificed a lot for you, and now you're in a place where you can show her how grateful you are. Part of our larger series dedicated to the Best Gifts for Everyone, this list of gifts for mom attempts to dismantle the played-out tropes that have plagued moms at major holidays for dedicates. When gifting to your mom (or any mom, for that matter) consider hyper-specific things that speak to her unique hobbies or interests. Your mom (or mom figure) should revel in her own glory with gifts that make her feel smart, sophisticated, and valued. Consider what she does when she has no one putting demands on her time — then shop for those moments. And if you get stuck, visit our guide to the best gifts under $50 for even more winning ideas.

Google Home is finally gaining its first Gemini AI integrations, namely the "Help Me Create" automation generator and the "AI Camera Search" function. Plus, you can now control Google Home from the Gemini chatbot app.

OpenAI has entered into its first major defense partnership, a deal that could see the AI giant making its way into the Pentagon.

The joint venture was recently announced by billion-dollar Anduril Industries, a defense startup owned by Oculus VR co-founder Palmer Lucky that sells sentry towers, communications jammers, military drones, and autonomous submarines. The "strategic partnership" will incorporate OpenAI's AI models into Anduril systems to "rapidly synthesize time-sensitive data, reduce the burden on human operators, and improve situational awareness." Anduril already supplies anti-drone tech to the U.S. government. It was recently chosen to develop and test unmanned fighter jets and awarded a $100 million contract with the Pentagon’s Chief Digital and AI Office.

SEE ALSO: Sora reportedly shipping as part of '12 Days of OpenAI' livestream marathon

OpenAI clarified to the Washington Post that the partnership will only cover systems that "defend against pilotless aerial threats" (read: detect and shoot down drones), notably avoiding the explicit association of its technology with human-casualty military applications. Both OpenAI and Anduril say the partnership will keep the U.S. on par with China's AI advancements— a repeated goal that's echoed in the U.S. government's "Manhattan Project"-style investments in AI and "government efficiency."

"OpenAI builds AI to benefit as many people as possible, and supports U.S.-led efforts to ensure the technology upholds democratic values," wrote OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. "Our partnership with Anduril will help ensure OpenAI technology protects U.S. military personnel, and will help the national security community understand and responsibly use this technology to keep our citizens safe and free."

In January, OpenAI quietly removed policy language that banned applications of its technologies that pose high risk of physical harm, including "military and warfare." An OpenAI spokesperson told Mashable at the time: "Our policy does not allow our tools to be used to harm people, develop weapons, for communications surveillance, or to injure others or destroy property. There are, however, national security use cases that align with our mission. For example, we are already working with DARPA to spur the creation of new cybersecurity tools to secure open source software that critical infrastructure and industry depend on. It was not clear whether these beneficial use cases would have been allowed under 'military' in our previous policies."

Over the last year, the company has reportedly been pitching its services in various capacities to the U.S. military and national security offices, backed by a former security officer at software company and government contractor Palantir. And OpenAI isn't the only AI innovator pivoting to military applications. Tech companies Anthropic, makers of Claude, and Palantir recently announced a partnership with Amazon Web Services to sell Anthropic’s AI models to defense and intelligence agencies, advertised as "decision advantage" tools for "classified environments."

Recent rumors suggest President-elect Donald Trump is eyeing Palantir chief technology officer Shyam Shankir to take over the lead engineering and research spot in the Pentagon. Shankir has previously been critical of the Department of Defense's technology acquisition process, arguing that the government should rely less on major defense contractors and purchase more "commercially available technology."

Anker's quality control hasn't been great this year. Following a recall for batteries that turned into fire hazards, Anker is recalling several Soundcore Bluetooth speakers for similar issues.

There are some things that I don't need to know, like how much money I've spent on iced oat milk lattes or the sheer number of pens I’ve purchased this year — and how many of them are already lost. (Where do they all go?) And yet, apps keep finding new ways to quantify our lives, presenting us with data we never asked for.

Enter "Your Year in Asana," a feature that turns your 2024 work habits into a highlight reel — complete with task tallies, collaboration stats, and a subtle reminder that you're either crushing it or teetering on the edge of burnout.

SEE ALSO: Don't fall for the productivity aesthetic. It's a scam.

Imagine my surprise when I opened Asana today (Dec. 5), only to be greeted by this stark reminder of our capitalistic times.

Credit: Asana

"Congrats!" the app says, proudly informing me how many tasks I completed this year (1,914 and counting), how much time I saved (what does that even mean?), and my most frequent collaborators. It felt less like a celebration and more like the kind of progress report you didn’t ask for but can’t ignore—complete with the subtle pressure to do even more next year.

Because, really, do I need a virtual round of applause for checking things off a to-do list? Or a reminder that my "most active day" is Wednesday, as if I need another reason to dread that day of the week? This isn't the first time Asana has launched a year-in-review product, but this year's version looks more like Spotify Wrapped, with sleeker visuals, personalized stats, and a sprinkling of celebratory flair. And the end result feels more like a work report than a playlist of greatest hits.

Credit: Asana

Asana joins apps like Spotify and YouTube that quantify our lives into shareable summaries. But while Spotify Wrapped reminds you of your favorite songs and YouTube tracks your video binges, Your Year in Asana takes a different approach — it turns your work habits into a performance review you didn’t sign up for.

It’s less about what brought you joy and more about what kept you busy, complete with stats that feel maybe a little too revealing.

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I didn’t ask for a glowing pat on the back from an algorithm for simply doing my job, but here it is — turning my work life into something shareable, whether I want it to be or not.

On the first day of launches, OpenAI gave to thee: ChatGPT Pro for hefty fees.

The new ChatGPT Pro subscription tier, available now, costs $200 a month.

On Thursday, OpenAI announced the new subscription tier as part of its "12 Days of OpenAI" extravaganza. ChatGPT Pro comes with unlimited access to its models, GPT-4o, Advanced Voice Mode, and the full version of o1 which is out of preview as of today.

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OpenAI also unveiled o1 pro mode, which is an exclusive feature for ChatGPT Pro that can handle more compute for complex math, programming, and writing problems. OpenAI says o1 pro mode performs better on machine learning benchmarks for math, coding, and PhD-level science questions. ChatGPT Pro is built for "power users," said CEO Sam Altman. Given the level of complexity for tasks, o1 pro mode will take longer to respond, which is why it will show a progress bar.

The price hike is not entirely unexpected. According to a report from the New York Times, OpenAI is considering raising the cost of the ChatGPT Plus subscription to $44 a month over the next five years. OpenAI has ambitious (some may argue unrealistic) goals of tripling its revenue by next year and $100 billion by 2029. Users can expect to OpenAI to start milking more money out of its products. The ChatGPT maker is also considering an ad model.

As of today, o1 is fully released. The reasoning model which was previously available as a limited preview is now live for ChatGPT Plus and Teams users with Edu and Enterprise users getting access next week.

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OpenAI says the o1 model is 50 percent faster and outperforms o1 preview on "difficult real-world questions" by 34 percent. The o1 model now supports multimodal input, meaning it can understand uploaded images. The company added that they're working on tools for web browsing and file uploads.

Less than two hours before the livestream, the announcement was leaked on X by software engineer Tibor Blaho (per TechCrunch). Blaho discovered of a page of pricing plans with information about ChatGPT Pro including price and features.

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Blaho also leaked another page about the ChatGPT Team plan which included "limited preview of GPT-4.5" as part of its offerings. The reference has since been taken down, but it might be a hint of what's to come over the next few weeks.

Microsoft has introduced a preview version of Copilot Vision. It's a new AI tool for Microsoft Edge that can look at your current tab and provide answers.