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After days of almost complete darkness, the moon is big and bright enough tonight to do some moon-gazing. There's plenty to see, so keep reading to find out what's on show.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Sunday, Nov. 23, the moon phase is Waxing Crescent. This means 10% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

If you don't have any visual aids, you'll be able to see the Fecunditatis and Crisium Mares. If you have binoculars or a telescope, you'll also be able to spot the Endymion Crater in the top right corner (bottom left, if you're in the Southern Hemisphere).

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Dec. 4, this will be the last of three consecutive supermoons. The last full moon was on Nov. 5.

What are moon phases?

NASA tells us that moon phases are all a part of a repeating lunar cycle of 29.5 days. These phases describe how the moon appears from Earth as it orbits our planet. While we always see the same side of the moon, the amount of sunlight illuminating it changes throughout its orbit. That’s why sometimes it looks full, sometimes half, and sometimes disappears entirely (the New Moon). There are eight main moon phases:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you love old music.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games 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.

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

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

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for November 23, 2025 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Easygoing

• Green: Where a furry friend lives

• Blue: Popular films

• Purple: '70s hits

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Lenient

• Green: Animal homes

• Blue: Oliver Stone movies

• Purple: Second words in titles of ABBA hits

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 #896 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Lenient: EASY, LAX, LOOSE, SLACK

• Animal homes: BURROW, DEN, LODGE, WARREN

• Oliver Stone movies: JFK, NIXON, PLATOON, WALL STREET

• Second words in titles of ABBA hits: GIMME, MIA, QUEEN, TROUPER

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 November 23, 2025

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

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.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're a snacker.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, 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 November 23, 2025 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for November 23, 2025 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Sweet tooth

The words are related to junk food.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe sweet snacks.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Candy Aisle.

NYT Strands word list for November 23

• Nerds

• Starburst

• Runts

• Candy Aisle

• Whatchamacallit

• Dots

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.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're an animal lover.

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 November 23, 2025 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 Pips hints, answers for November 23, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A rabbit.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter N appears twice.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter B.

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...

BUNNY

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 November 23, 2025

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.

With Windows 10 support at an end, and Window 11 still a bit of an AI-riddle mess, there has never been so much interest in trying out Linux as there is today. If you're looking for a Linux distro that will be easy to adjust to when coming from Windows, look no further than Kubuntu.

SAVE OVER $425: The Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 is on sale for $898 in the Amazon Black Friday sale. That's 32% off the list price for a total saving of $427.

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$1,325 Save $427   Get Deal

If you're on the look out for knockdown prices on high-end gaming hardware, now's the time. It's Black Friday season once again, which is the best time to buy tech and hardware of any kind, but especially gaming gear. Because, let’s be honest, gaming hardware ain’t exactly cheap for most of the year. And with all the numerous Black Friday deals on gaming tech currently on Amazon, it would be remiss of us not to point out the Samsung 49-inch Odyssey OLED G9 while it's discounted by 32%.

This curved screen monitor isn’t the biggest on the market, but it’s still a fully-immersive behemoth and packed with high-spec features, which is exactly why it usually costs more than $1,300. 

But thanks to Black Friday you can now pick up the Samsung 49-inch Odyssey OLED G9 for the excellent price of $898. That’s an impressive saving of $427.

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And you’ll absolutely get your money’s worth. It delivers a refresh rate of 240Hz, a response time of 0.3ms, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, and HDR support. All of which adds to the incredible looking OLED display, which is among the best screen tech available. 

The Samsung 49-inch Odyssey OLED G9 is now available for $898 for Black Friday — a saving of $427.

TL;DR: This Microsoft Office 2024 Home and Business license works on both Mac and PCs, and it’s now on sale for just $149.97 (reg. $249.99) for a limited time.

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$249.99 Save $100.02   Get Deal

Whether you grew up using Word to write essays for school or you remember whipping up presentations for work on PowerPoint, most of us have used Microsoft Office in our day-to-day lives at some point. If it’s been a while since you used these helpful tools or you converted to Mac and didn’t think they were an option for you, it’s time to meet Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business.

This lifetime license is compatible with both Mac and PC devices, has modern updates that keep up with how we work now, and for a limited time, you can get it for just $149.97 (reg. $249.99).

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Microsoft Office has come a long way since the days of chunky desktop computers. Now, these helpful tools are apps that you can install on a PC or Mac. This particular Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business license equips your device with four game-changing apps that you can use for life.

Draft a document with Word, figure out your budget with Excel, or tackle your emails with Outlook. You’ll also have PowerPoint on hand to help you craft presentations. This license allows you to own each app outright — so there are no subscription fees and you can work offline as needed.

This 2024 version includes new features like an updated accessibility checker in Outlook, presentation recording with voice narration and video in PowerPoint, AI-powered writing suggestions in Word, and enhanced data analysis and visualization tools in Excel.

Save big on this Microsoft Office 2024 Home and Business license for Mac and PC, on sale now for just $149.97 (reg. $249.99) for a limited time.

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TL;DR: Scan and save documents from anywhere with this lifetime subscription to SwiftScan VIP for just $39.97 (reg. $199.99) with code SCAN through Dec. 7.

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$199.99 Save $160.02   Get Deal

It’s 2025. We may not have flying cars quite yet, but at least you can keep a scanner in your back pocket thanks to SwiftScan VIP. This handy app transforms your smartphone or tablet into a scanner, making it easy to digitize documents anytime.

Right now, you can secure a lifetime subscription to SwiftScan VIP for only $39.97 (reg. $199.99) with code SCAN through Dec. 7.

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Since there seems to be an app for everything these days, it’s no surprise there’s one that can make scanning as easy as a few taps. SwiftScan VIP eliminates the need for those chunky scanners we all grew up with and instead turns your smartphone or tablet into a scanning device you can take on the go.

Whether you’re saving a handwritten note or submitting your signature on an important document, SwiftScan VIP makes it easy to digitize documents from anywhere. Just point the camera at the page you would like to scan, and SwiftScan detects the edges and crops the document for you.

The app features built-in tools, including color filters, blur reduction, and auto enhancements. If you need to scan multiple pages, it’s easy to combine them into a single document. When you’re done, you can save them as a JPG or PDF, or send them via email, fax, or upload them to a cloud storage service.

Koofr Cloud Storage can also organize your scans for you, saving them in folders and making them easily searchable thanks to OCR technology. And if you need to edit a PDF, it can do that too. You can easily sign, annotate, or redact information from the file using the app.

Snag a lifetime subscription to SwiftScan VIP for just $39.97 (reg. $199.99) with code SCAN through Dec. 7.

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It's easy to look at the finished product of something and think that it was the result of careful, planned designs and processes. But, as anyone who has every designed something will tell you, the reality is far more chaotic. We don't always think about where some design elements and features in our software come from, but in the case of these four examples the "genius" came from an accident.

The Apple iPad is an exceptionally long-lived device. There's no reason to upgrade them frequently and in my personal experience these tablets don't show much battery wear over the years either.

Sometimes you need to use someone else's computer. Maybe you're at a library, maybe you're at a friend's house helping them troubleshoot a new device on their network. Whatever the situation, sitting down to a computer that feels completely alien is never great.

I have had a hot and cold relationship with smartwatches, but I recently took a chance on an LTE smartwatch for the first time—and I had no idea how big a difference this one change would make. With how freeing the experience has been, I feel like I'm living in the future.

If you were perusing Elon Musk's X late Friday night, you might have seen a brand new, highly anticipated feature roll out.

X visitors were able to go to any users' profile page, click on their join date to view a new "About this account" page which revealed exactly which nation an account was based. This information differed from the usual "Location" detail on an X profile page, as it showed exactly where an account was posting from based on their IP address, not what the user input themselves.

SEE ALSO: Grok generates sycophantic praise for Elon Musk after new update

The country of origin disclosure was broadly lauded among X's user base. Then, suddenly, without notice, the country of origin was removed from the "About this account" page just hours after it made its late-night debut.

Mashable reported last month that the feature was on the way. X's head of product, Nikita Bier, originally teased the feature, rolling it out on his own account as a demo of how it would work before it was visible on any other X users' accounts.

It's unclear exactly why X quickly removed the feature shortly after rolling it out to the public. However, Bier replied to some X users who were reporting that their "About this account" was showing inaccurate information, which may be the reason why the feature was taken down.

One X user named "Canadian Beaver" shared that their country of origin was appearing as the United States despite residing in Canada.

"Fixing this now," Bier replied. "Looks like Starlink threw us off."

Along with the current country of origin, the "About this page" also displayed where a user resided when first creating the account. One X user reported that their join date location was inaccurately displayed as Korea.

"We identified the problem: it looks like you used a VPN to register your account in '22," Bier said to that user. "We are adding a indicator on that row on Monday for Android and iOS—and it will be live on web tomorrow."

Based on Bier's responses, it seems X may have removed the feature to fix location inaccuracies caused by VPNs, and the intention is to re-roll out the feature in the coming days.

X users mostly welcomed the country of origin feature, as many feel it would discourage foreign actors from spreading misinformation and propaganda related to political discussions on the platform. Facebook has a similar feature for Facebook Pages, where users can view the country of origin for the administrators of the page, although Facebook does not reveal the profiles behind the pages.

We'll soon find out if Musk's social media platform reinstates the feature.

If you're just beginning programming, you've likely encountered the name "Git"—but what is it? And why do you need it? Git is the most important tool I use, next to my text editor, operating system, and laptop. I'm using it right now. It tracks every change I make to my articles and code. While basic Git skills are easily attainable for beginners, it possesses many features which make it seem complex. In this article, I'll reveal why Git is crucial and why you should start using it today.

SAVE $450: As of Nov. 22, Amazon has a Microsoft Surface laptop (2024) on sale for $749, down from its list price of $1,199. 

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$1,199.99 Save $450.99   Get Deal

Okay, if you’ve been living life sans a laptop, it can be so annoying. On the other hand, it can be hard to find the right laptop at the right price for your specific life. This weekend might hold just the deal you’ve been waiting for. In honor of Black Friday, Amazon is offering a 38% discount on a 2024 Microsoft Surface laptop. The model comes with Microsoft’s AI software “Copilot”. That’s on top of all the software that you get with a Microsoft Surface PC. This model features 16 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD. 

As for hardware, this Microsoft Surface laptop features a 13.8-inch touchscreen. The battery life can last up to 20 hours. The laptop is also extremely portable, weighing in at approximately 3 pounds. It’s made of durable aluminum that comes in four different colors: black, sapphire, dune, and silver. Copilot can support your work by keeping track of and recalling various documents and webpages you’ve been working on. It can also subtitle any videos in up to 44 languages and generate art from text or image prompts.

Choosing a laptop is a highly personal decision, and you should definitely take your own needs into account. This laptop is ideal for individuals who need to handle various life administrative tasks, school assignments, or light creative work.

In an age where your smartphone can do almost anything, it might come as a surprise to learn that the “dumbphone” movement is gaining momentum. Instead of the latest iPhone or Android smartphones, some people are embracing the simplicity of handsets that do less.

A new compact sedan may seem like the safe, predictable choice, but the used market tells a different story. For the same money, shoppers can step into a far larger, more capable vehicle, one designed to haul families, luggage, and weekend gear without breaking a sweat. It’s a reminder that depreciation can work heavily in your favor if you know where to look.

SAVE $900: The Acer Aspire 16 is on sale for $449.99 in the Amazon Black Friday sale. That's 36% off the list price of $699.99.

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$699.99 Save $250   Get Deal

One of the most sought after items during Black Friday is the laptop. And even with Black Friday itself just under a week away, Amazon and other retailers have already launched plenty of live deals. That includes a selection of laptop deals at Amazon, which features one of our favorite budget-priced models, the Acer Aspire 16 AI. 

The Acer Aspire 16 AI is currently priced at just $449.99, which means an overall saving of $250 — 36% off the list price of $699.99. According to camelcamelcamel, that's its lowest ever price.

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It’s a superb Windows laptop for anyone shopping on a budget and comes equipped with Copilot AI assistant and features. It also boasts a massive 17-hour battery life plus a touchscreen display and a lively user experience that performs above the price point. Especially now it’s discounted as part of Amazon’s Black Friday deals.

Grab the Acer Aspire 16 AI for just $449.99 at Amazon — a saving of $250.

SAVE $100: As of Nov. 22, this PlayStation 5 Slim is 18% off at $449.99, down from its list price of $549.99.

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$549.99 Save $100   Get Deal

The colder months are upon us, and what better way to celebrate than adding a new gaming console to your setup for nights of gaming, the dark at 4 pm, nights away. This weekend, Amazon is offering the PlayStation 5 Slim for $100 off. That’s an excellent, and not super common, deal. 

There are a few key features that the PlayStation 5 Slim has that might make it a perfect fit for you. First of all, it’s smaller than the PlayStation Pro and does not come with a disc drive. However, you can purchase an attachable disc drive if that is a crucial feature for you. It comes with a high-speed SSD for super-fast loading. It can also run a wide range of supported PS4 games. If loading speed and graphics are extremely important to you, the PlayStation 5 Pro is noticeably faster with higher image quality, making it a crucial factor to consider. However, if you’re looking for a more affordable and compact console, the PlayStation 5 Slim could be the perfect addition to your entertainment setup. 

Reviewers rave about the graphics quality, value for cost, physical appearance, and they also particularly appreciate the console’s compatibility with 4K TVs. 

Why walk all that way to the mailbox only to be disappointed when it’s empty? With this smart home automation, you’ll know exactly when you’ve got mail because Home Assistant will tell you.