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Now that the full moon has passed, the moon will be getting less visible each night until the New Moon. This is called the lunar cycle.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Thursday, Nov. 6, the moon phase is Waning Gibbous. This means 98% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.

The moon is still big and bright in the sky tonight, so there's so much you'll be able to spot, if the clouds stay away. If you look up, without any visual aids, you can still see the Tycho Crater, Mare Vaporum, and the Mare Serenitatis. If you have a pair of binoculars you'll also see the Clavius Crater, Mare Humorum, and the Mare Frigoris. Finally, with a telescope you'll spot the Apollo 14 and 17 landing spots, as well as the Rima Ariadaeus, a fracture system caused by rising magma.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Dec. 4.

What are moon phases?

NASA notes that as the Moon orbits Earth over about 29.5 days, it goes through a series of phases. These phases occur because of the changing angles between the Sun, Moon, and Earth. Depending on its position, the Moon can appear fully illuminated, partly illuminated, or completely hidden, even though we always see the same side. What changes is how much sunlight reflects off its surface, creating a repeating sequence known as the lunar cycle.

The eight main moon phases are:

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.

Today's Connections: Sports Edition is easy if you have some knowledge on college basketball.

As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Throw this

• Green: Run this

• Blue: Bet on this

• Purple: Wildcats

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Throwing Events

• Green: Football Running Plays

• Blue: Fantasy Sports Apps

• Purple: Kentucky Basketball Alumni in NBA

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 #409 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Throwing Events - DISCUS, HAMMER, JAVELIN, SHOT PUT

• Football Running Plays - COUNTER, DRAW, SWEEP, TOSS

• Fantasy Sports Apps - ESPN, FANTRAX, SLEEPER, YAHOO

• Kentucky Basketball Alumni in NBA- FOX, MONK, QUICKLEY, TOWNS

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.

The best streaming deals to watch 'The Smashing Machine' at home: Watch now Rent or Buy on Prime Video $19.99 or $24.99 Shop Now Watch now Rent or buy on Apple TV $19.99 or $24.99 Shop Now Watch later HBO Max (With Ads) $109.99/year (save $21.89) Get Deal Watch later Max Standard $184.99/year (save $36.89) Get Deal Watch later HBO Max Student $5.49 per month for 12 months (save 50%) Get Deal Watch later HBO Max Basic With Ads Free for Cricket customers on the $60/month unlimited plan (save $10.99/month) Get Deal Watch later HBO Max Basic With Ads Free for DashPass annual plan subscribers (save $10.99 per month) Get Deal Watch later Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max $19.99 per month (with ads), $32.99 per month (no ads) (save up to 41%) Get Deal

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is ready for a change of pace. Known for his larger-than-life personality and smoldering action-comedy performances, The Smashing Machine sees him take on a heavier, more dramatic role as MMA fighter Mark Kerr.

It world premiered at the 2025 Venice International Film Festival, then played at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, where Mashable's film editor, Kristy Puchko, reviewed the film. It earned mostly positive reviews, with tons of praise for Johnson's performance. The movie also stars Emily Blunt as Kerr's partner Dawn, Ryan Bader as UFC champion Mark Coleman, and Oleksandr Usyk as MMA fighter Igor Vovchanchyn.

If you missed it in theaters, you can now watch The Smashing Machine at home. Here's what you need to know to tune in — including where to watch it and when.

What is The Smashing Machine about?

Written and directed by Benny Safdie (Uncut Gems), The Smashing Machine tells the true story of MMA fighter Mark Kerr (Johnson) during the early days of the UFC in the '90s. It's set across several years, ushering audiences to Japan for the Pride FC competition and back to the U.S. for training. It dives into his personal struggles and tumultuous romantic relationship with Dawn Staples (Blunt) as he strives to be the best in the ring.

Get a glimpse at Johnson's transformation in the official trailer:

Is The Smashing Machine worth watching?

The Smashing Machine may not have been a knockout at the box office, but Johnson's transformation into Mark Kerr and his performance alone make it worth watching. The film took home the Silver Lion during the Venice International Film Festival and has racked up a 70 percent critic rating and 75 percent audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Mashable's own reviewer writes, "In the end, Johnson gives a career-defining performance that should well prove he can handle meatier, even artier fare. Blunt gives her all in a thankless role, and Safdie, in his feature-length directorial debut without his brother/Uncut Gems co-helmer Josh Safdie, takes some big swings. It's a shame he didn't have a sharper eye on what was hitting, and what was leaving his audience needing more."

Check out Mashable's full review of The Smashing Machine.

How to watch The Smashing Machine at home Credit: A24

While we wait for an official streaming date for The Smashing Machine, you can still tune in at home by purchasing or renting via digital video-on-demand as of Nov. 4. We've broken down the details below.

Buy or rent on digital

As of Nov. 4, The Smashing Machine is available to purchase or rent on digital video-on-demand platforms. You can buy the movie for your digital library or rent it for 30 days. If you choose to rent, just note that although you'll have 30 days to watch, you'll only have 48 hours to finish watching once you begin.

You can purchase and rent the film at the following retailers:

• Prime Video — buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99

• Apple TV — buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99

• Fandango at Home (Vudu) — buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99

• YouTube — buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99

• Google Play — buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99

Opens in a new window Credit: Prime Video Rent or Buy 'The Smashing Machine' at Prime Video $19.99 or $24.99 Get Deal Stream it on HBO Max (at a later date)

A24 has a multi-year output deal with Warner Bros. Discovery, so new A24 theatrical releases exclusively stream on HBO Max before anywhere else.

Based on the theater-to-streaming trajectory of other recently released A24 movies — like Sorry, Baby, Materialists, and Bring Her Back — we can estimate that The Smashing Machine will hit HBO Max sometime in February or March 2026.

HBO Max subscriptions start at $10.99 per month (thanks to a recent price hike), but there are some ways to save some money on your plan. Check out the best HBO Max streaming deals below.

The best HBO Max streaming dealsBest for most people: Save 16% on HBO Max Basic annual subscription Opens in a new window Credit: HBO Max HBO Max Basic with ads annual subscription $109.99 per year (save $21.89) Get Deal

The HBO Max Basic plan with ads typically costs $10.99 per month, but if you pay for an entire year upfront, that price drops down to just $9.17. With the annual plan, you'll pay $109.99, which saves you about 16% compared to paying each month.

Best Max deal with no ads: Save up to 16% on HBO Max Standard annual subscription Opens in a new window Credit: HBO Max HBO Max Standard annual subscription $184.99 per year (save $36.89) Get Deal

If you'd rather go ad-free, the annual HBO Max Standard or Premium plans will also save you about 16% over the monthly plans. The Standard tier costs either $18.49 per month or $184.99 per year (about $15.42 per month), while the Premium tier costs either $22.99 per month or $229.99 per year (about $19.17 per month). Both tiers offer ad-free viewing, but the Premium tier also features 4K Ultra HD video quality, Dolby Atmos immersive audio, and the ability to download more offline content.

Get HBO Max for free: Switch to Cricket's Supreme Unlimited plan Opens in a new window Credit: HBO Max / Cricket HBO Max (with ads) Free for Cricket customers on the Supreme Unlimited plan Get Deal

One way to get HBO Max for free in 2025 is to switch your phone plan to Cricket's $60 per month Supreme Unlimited plan. It includes HBO Max Basic with ads for free — a $10.99 per month value. When you open up the HBO Max app or website, you'll just select Cricket as your provider and use your credentials to log in.

Get HBO Max for free: Sign up for DashPass annual plan Opens in a new window Credit: Dashpass / HBO Max HBO Max (with ads) Free with DashPass annual plan ($8/month) Get Deal

Another way to get HBO Max for free in 2025 is to sign up for the DoorDash DashPass annual plan for $96 per year ($8 per month). DashPass memberships include $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees on eligible DoorDash orders all year long, plus a complimentary HBO Max subscription (with ads). That means you'll pay just $8 per month for both DashPass and HBO Max, which is cheaper than a typical HBO Max with ads monthly subscription on its own. Activate the subscription through your DoorDash account to get started. Rather watch ad-free? You can upgrade for a discounted rate.

Best HBO Max deal for students: Save 50% on HBO Max Basic with ads Opens in a new window Credit: HBO Max HBO Max Student $5.49 per month for 12 months Get Deal

College students can watch The Smashing Machine when it hits streaming by signing up for an entire year of HBO Max with ads for half price. Just verify your student status through UNiDAYS and retrieve the unique discount code to drop the price from $10.99 to $5.49 per month.

Best bundle deal: Get HBO Max, Disney+, and Hulu for up to 41% off Opens in a new window Credit: Disney / Hulu / HBO Max Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max $19.99 per month (with ads), $32.99 per month (no ads) Get Deal

For the most bang for your buck, check out the Disney+ bundle deal that includes Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max for just $19.99 per month with ads. That lineup of streamers would usually cost you $34.97 per month if you paid separately for each, so you'll keep an extra $15 in your pocket monthly. If you prefer an ad-free experience, the bundle will run you $32.99 per month as opposed to $56.47. That's up to 41% in savings for access to all three streaming libraries.

SAVE 30%: As of Nov. 5, the Fitbit Inspire 3 is on sale for $69.95 at both Amazon and Best Buy. That's a 30% discount and $30 savings.

Opens in a new window Credit: Fitbit Fitbit Inspire 3 $69.95 at Amazon
$99.95 Save $30   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Fitbit Fitbit Inspire 3 $69.95 at Best Buy
$99.95 Save $30   Get Deal

If you've been thinking about getting a fitness tracker but don't want to drop a ton of cash (or just don't need a super complicated smartwatch), the Fitbit Inspire 3 is probably on your radar. It's a great, straightforward tracker, and its price just dropped to a "Black Friday Deal" level. (It's also our "Best Budget" pick for 2025.)

As of Nov. 5, the Fitbit Inspire 3 is on sale for $69.95 at both Amazon and Best Buy. That's a 30% discount and $30 savings. It's also the best price we've seen on this model.

SEE ALSO: The Fitbit Versa 4 just got its biggest discount of 2025 — save $80 right now

This is a really solid price for what you get. The Inspire 3 tracks your steps, 24/7 heart rate, sleep (including sleep stages), stress, and workout intensity. Unlike an Apple Watch, its battery basically lasts forever — up to 10 days on a single charge.

It's also got a bright color touchscreen (a nice upgrade) and will give you a "Daily Readiness Score" (this part requires a Fitbit Premium membership, but you'll get a free six-month trial with your purchase) to let you know whether you should push it at the gym or take a rest day. For under $70, it's one of the best no-fuss trackers you can get, and this is a great price to snag it before the holiday rush officially starts.

TL;DR: Bring home a MacBook Air for the lowest price ever, only $189.97 (reg. $999), while supplies last.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air 13.3-Inch 2017 (Refurbished) $189.97
$999 Save $809.03   Get Deal

Spending a lot of time with the in-laws this holiday season? Whether you want to be productive and get some work done or just want to be able to keep up with your reality shows at your mother-in-law’s house, you’re going to want to bring a laptop. And when it comes to portable computers, you really can’t beat the MacBook Air for laptops you don’t mind taking everywhere.

Right now, you can score this 13.3-inch MacBook Air for the lowest price ever — just $189.97 (reg. $999) — while supplies last.

SEE ALSO: The M4 MacBook Air just dropped back to its lowest-ever price

This MacBook Air makes it easy to take your laptop anywhere. It weighs in at only 2.96 pounds, making it easy to toss in a tote and bring everywhere this holiday season and beyond. But don’t be deceived by its sleek and compact frame — it’s still packing an impressive 1.8GHz Intel Core i5 processor and 8GB of RAM, enough to handle your streaming and multitasking.

A 13.3-inch widescreen display and Intel HD Graphics 6000 provide an awesome viewing experience, no matter what you’re doing over the holiday break. And you have an impressive 128GB of storage to store your important files and save your favorite media locally.

This model has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities, making it easy to connect from anywhere. It also offers an impressive 12 hours of battery life on a single charge, so you won’t constantly be looking for an outlet.

Curious how you’re saving over $800? This model comes with a grade A/B refurbished rating, which means it may have light scuffing on the bevel or case, or light scratches or dents on the body, but you’ll still secure this deep discount.

Save big on a MacBook Air and grab one for just $189.97 (reg. $999), while supplies last.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Gen Z and Gen Alpha trendsetters have already brought back the iPod and wired headphones. Now, another piece of retrotech is making a comeback: CD players.

But the new generation of CD players isn't like the CD players Gen X once rocked in the '90s to listen to Radiohead, Wu-Tang Clan, Nirvana, or Alanis Morissette, depending on their subcultural allegiance, or lack thereof. The new wave of CD players offers modern features like Bluetooth connectivity, bringing a touch of the future to the retrotech world.

I first came across these devices while researching the best tech gifts of the year. And at the MoMA Design Store, I found the Retradisc Portable Bluetooth CD Player. While you can listen to The Life of a Showgirl with your favorite wired headphones, this music player will also connect to your favorite wireless headphones. The product description states, "Watch your CDs spin as you play them with this 21st-century version of the personal player that combines old-school cool and high-tech Bluetooth compatibility. Its see-through, anti-skip design gives you the freedom to listen anywhere to anything, including rediscovering the joy of experiencing a single album without notifications, recommendations, or distractions."

Opens in a new window Credit: Retradisc Retradisc Bluetooth CD Player   Shop Now

Instead of batteries, the Retradisc charges via USB-C, another modern touch. So, there's no need to overpay for refurbished '90s tech at retailers like Retrospekt or hunt down old Sony Walkmans in junk shops. You can listen to music like your Gen X ancestors without sacrificing modern technology.

The Retradisk isn't the only high-tech CD player making the rounds right now. See also: Shanling's EC Zero AKM portable CD player, which supports high-res audio. The EC Zero can even rip CDs (look it up, Gen Alpha readers). This device supports two 3.5mm audio lines, claims an 18-hour battery life for wireless listening, and has multiple USB-C ports.

Credit: Shanling

While the Retradisc favors a trendy transparent design, the Shanling evokes old-school HiFi record players, with a metal body, tempered glass lid, volume slider, and LCD display.

Over at Amazon, you can find plenty more high-tech CD Players for sale. The R300 CD Player looks particularly cool, but you can also invest in the FiiO DM13, the KLIM Nomad, and others.

Unfortunately, I don't have the CD collection to support an investment like this, but now I'm wishing I had held onto my old CDs and high school mix tapes. And if you're looking for Christmas gift ideas for a cool teen or anyone who bought The Life of a Showgirl on CD, you know what to get.

Opens in a new window Credit: Shanling Shanling EC Zero AKM portable CD player $319 at Amazon
  Shop Now Opens in a new window Credit: FiiO FiiO DM13 Portable Stereo CD Player $164.99 at Amazon
  Shop Now Opens in a new window Credit: Syitren R300 Portable CD Player $99.89 at Amazon
$119.99 Save $20.10   Shop Now

BUY THREE, SAVE $10: On Nov. 5, Target Circle members can get a free $10 gift card when they stock up on three or more household essentials. Eligible items include laundry supplies, trash bags and paper towels, and toilet paper.

Opens in a new window Credit: Target Household essentials at Target Buy 3, get a $10 gift card Get Deal

Deals on boring but essential items like household supplies are one of our favorite Black Friday savings hacks every year. But if you need to restock before the end of the month, buying three or more household essentials at Target will get you a free $10 gift card. It's like a little pregame for Target's early Black Friday sale, which is running Nov. 6 through 8.

That requires you to spend a little less money than the last home essentials sale we saw in September, where Target was offering $15 gift cards when you spent $50. The deal is for Target Circle members only, and the gift card will be sent via email after your purchase ships. Target Circle is free to join, and deals like this happen almost every week throughout the year. Target loves giving away free gift cards.

SEE ALSO: Google just revealed the 100 top-searched gifts of 2025. Here are our 10 favorite picks.

There are 11 pages of eligible household supplies to shop for this promo, spanning categories like laundry supplies, kitchen trash bags, paper towels, toilet paper, and tissues. Participating brands include Tide, Downy, Arm & Hammer, Seventh Generation, Molly's Suds, Dropps, Charmin, Hefty, Glad, Bounty, and Kleenex.

The Dutch ethical-electronics manufacturer Fairphone is expanding even further into the US market, bringing in its audio products. This is huge news for those who have been watching the company's progress in Europe for years and have watched it move stateside.

Kim Kardashian, reality TV star, billionaire entrepreneur, and actress in the zero-percent-on-Rotten-Tomatoes new show All’s Fair, is struggling to pass the bar exam. 

And in a recent video feature for Vanity Fair, Kardashian placed blame at the digital feet of ChatGPT, accusing the chatbot of tanking her study efforts and calling its behavior "insane."

“I use it for legal advice. So when I am needing to know the answer to a question, I'll take a picture and snap it and like put it in there," Kardashian told Teyana Taylor, who also appeared in the video.

SEE ALSO: 'All's Fair's most WTF lines of dialogue

"They're always wrong. It has made me fail tests. All the time. And then I'll get mad and I'll yell at it and be like, 'You made me fail. Why did you do this?' And it will talk back to me," Kardashian said in the video.

OpenAI has touted ChatGPT’s benefits as a study partner, particularly for college students. Yet AI tools like ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews have persistently struggled with hallucinations and inaccuracies. In addition, ChatGPT, in particular, has been criticized for "glazing" its users, acting as a sycophant and cheerleader regardless of what the user writes or says. And Kardashian seems to have experienced this phenomenon as well.

"But then I will talk to it and say, 'Hey, you're gonna make me fail. How does that make you feel? That you need to really know these answers, I'm coming to you.' And then it'll say back to me, 'This is just teaching you to trust your own instincts. So you knew the answer all along.'"

She added, "But they need to do better 'cause I'm leaning to them to really help me, and she is teaching me a life lesson and then becoming my therapist to tell me why I need to believe in myself after they got the answer wrong. It's like a thing. I screenshot all the time and send it in my group chat. Like, can you believe this bitch is talking to me like this? This is insane."

Kardashian has been working toward becoming a lawyer for several years. After several failed attempts, Kardashian has passed the so-called baby bar exam in California, but is currently waiting for the results of the full bar exam, which is notoriously difficult.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

Discord launched new safety features aimed at helping parents stay informed about their teen's activity, the chat app announced Wednesday.

Discord's Family Center will now give parents or guardians the ability to view the top five users a teen messaged and called, the servers they more frequently messaged, their total call minutes in voice and video, and all the purchases they've made.

However, this history only extends to the past week. If a parent forgets to check their child's activity during a given week, the tracking starts over. To review past activity, a parent would have to find previous email summaries sent to their inbox.

SEE ALSO: Character.AI to shut down chats for teens

Additional new safety features include the ability for teens to alert their parents when they've reported objectionable or potentially rule-breaking content on Discord, as well as the option for guardians to enable certain settings, like sensitive-content filters and direct message controls. Parents will now be able to choose whether their teen can receive DMs from just friends or other server members.

Savannah Badalich, Discord's global head of product policy, told Mashable that the safety features reflect feedback from parents directly and through organizations the company partners with, including the National Parent Teacher Association and the Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Children's Hospital.

"They wanted more visibility and more control," Badalich said.

The new features will roll out over the next week. Badalich added that Discord will introduce more safety measures early next year. The company currently employs age assurance in the United Kingdom and is experimenting with it in Australia. Per Discord's policy, only users 13 and older are permitted to join, but teens frequently circumvent this rule by lying about their age.

Parents will now see this list of top users in the Family Center controls. Credit: Discord Top purchases will be viewable by parents via the Family Center. Credit: Discord

Discord is especially popular amongst gamers who use it to simultaneously chat and play with friends and strangers. The app has been under increased scrutiny as a platform where bad actors and sexual predators have targeted and communicated with young users.

Haley McNamara, executive director and chief strategy officer of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, told Mashable in a statement that Discord's newest safety features fall short.

"Once again, a tech platform with a history of harming children rolls out parental controls that puts the burden exclusively on overwhelmed parents, without taking any ownership for designing a safe platform," McNamara said. The advocacy organization has previously placed Discord on its annual "Dirty Dozen" list, describing it as a "mainstream contributor to sexual exploitation."

A lawsuit filed this year against Discord and the gaming platform Roblox alleged that together the platforms created a "breeding ground for predators." At the heart of the complaint is an anonymous 11-year-old girl who was allegedly groomed, sexually exploited, and raped by a perpetrator who used Roblox and Discord to communicate with her.

Dolman Law Group, which brought the suit against both companies, has named Discord as a co-defendant in multiple complaints, including one filed on Oct. 30. In that case, the firm is representing the parent of a child who died by suicide after allegedly being harassed and manipulated by a predator who made contact via Roblox and Discord.

"For years, Defendants have misrepresented and deliberately concealed information about the pervasive predatory conduct that their apps enable and facilitate," the lawsuit alleges.

In a statement shared with Mashable, Dolman Law Group founder Matt Dolman welcomed the new resources but said they are also "far too little and way too late for the countless sexual abuse survivors who were groomed, exploited or abused by sexual predators facilitated by Discord's lax safety measures."

Roblox recently launched age verification for teens, along with other tools meant to make it harder for predators to target children.

While Badalich did not address the lawsuits against Discord, she told Mashable that Discord takes a "holistic view" of teen safety, noting that the company proactively identifies and flags content and accounts that could put users at risk. Discord's policy also forbids drawn or synthetic media depicting child sexual abuse.

Badalich did acknowledge that because Discord is a communication platform that serves teens, it navigates tension between giving young users the privacy they crave and offering their parents useful oversight tools to help ensure their safety.

"Ultimately, what we want is to catalyze conversations between teens and parents," Badalich said. Both parents and teens can find guides in the Family Center to help with discussions about online safety.

UPDATE: Nov. 5, 2025, 1:00 p.m. PST This story has been updated to include independent expertise on youth online safety and comments from Dolman Law Group founder Matt Dolman .

When you buy a new car, resale value is rarely top of mind. But thinking ahead can pay off—getting more back when you sell your car means more money to put toward your next ride.

Plex's redesigned app finally appeared on Roku TVs and streaming boxes a few months ago, and it didn't go over well with many people. Thankfully, the app is getting a few more changes to accommodate feedback.

November may prove to be a difficult month for many households. 

President Donald Trump recently threatened to defy a court order and continue withholding Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits this month — later walked back by White House representatives — amid an already tumultuous financial landscape for millions of Americans. 

SEE ALSO: Viral TikToks show neighbors setting up pop-up food pantries amid SNAP benefit turmoil

Anti-hunger organizations and food justice advocates have warned federal leaders that the continued funding lapse could lead to widespread food insecurity as the government shutdown crawls past the current 35-day record. SNAP recipients can expect to receive a fraction of their usual benefit payouts in the coming weeks, unless Congress acts quickly. 

Hunger relief organizations have been organizing against such a situation for months, with much experience under their belt — it's not the first time SNAP has been on the chopping block. 

In 2023, the federal government scaled back emergency SNAP allotments included in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, leading to a reduction in benefits that previously kept more than 4 million Americans out of poverty. This month's cuts are expected to impact more than 40 million Americans who receive SNAP payouts each month. 

There's extra help out there if you need it. 

How to find additional SNAP benefits in your area

Many state governments have stepped in to fill the gaps in SNAP funding while awaiting the decision of legislators. Eight states — Maryland, Delaware, Hawaii, Louisiana, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia — as well as the District of Columbia will be providing direct financial aid to SNAP recipients, Newsweek reported. 

New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency last week, allocating $65 million in emergency funds to the state's network of food pantries, soup kitchens, and other organizations, including the Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program and food surplus rescue organization Nourish NY. 

City governments are providing help, too. San Francisco is offering prepaid grocery cards to residents on the CalFresh program. 

Find out if your state is providing temporary assistance using this online map. 

To find state-specific SNAP program information, use the USDA's online directory. 

Utilize food banks, community fridges, and more assistance

Many may turn to the country's network of food banks, many of which have been hosting large food distribution events with prepackaged boxes of food. 

Nonprofit Feeding America has an online search tool to locate food banks in your area if you need to fill nutrition gaps and supplement grocery purchases. Hunger Free America has its own food directory that can connect individuals to local food banks and soup kitchens. It also operates the National Hunger Hotline. Call 866-3-HUNGRY (866-348-6479) for more help. 

It's worth noting that food banks were hit by recent Trump administration's funding cuts, as well, in what some have called a widespread "erosion of federal food support." A vital resource for many communities, food banks will face similar resource constraints this month. 

You can find additional food assistance through independent food helplines like Lemontree, which connects individuals with free food opportunities in their area. Lemontree operates in Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Columbus, Detroit, New Jersey, New York City, Philadelphia, Tampa, and Washington, D.C.

Many advocates have encouraged individuals to contact local mutual aid groups, food pantries, and community fridge networks to find meals, too. Check out this international map of community fridges. 

To supplement on-the-ground work, companies like Instacart and Doordash have hosted emergency food drives and funneled donations into food banks and rescue networks. Instacart and Doordash also announced their own SNAP emergency programs, including free and discounted grocery deliveries and national food drives. The grocery delivery apps started accepting SNAP and EBT payments in 2023. 

Meanwhile, industry-specific organizations have launched their own initiatives to support SNAP beneficiaries. For example, One Fair Wage, an advocacy organization for restaurant and service workers, announced a Service Workers' SNAP Emergency Fund. Service workers and their families can apply to receive direct cash assistance if they are eligible for the SNAP program. 

Don't get me wrong, if you need to get a lot of storage space for your PC, the simplest thing you can do is buy one SSD big enough to meet all your needs. But it's not the cheapest or most efficient option. If you really want to optimize your computer, there are some alternatives you should try.

Deciding which VPN service is best for you and your needs can be challenging. Whether you need to keep your connection private, improve your online gaming stability, or access Netflix from another country, we have the best VPN for you.

The official start to the holiday season is signified by two major things: Mariah Carey's annual video announcement and Oprah dropping her list of Favorite Things. With the former happening on Nov. 1 and the latter on Nov. 5, the time has come, ready or not.

If you want to get a jump on your holiday shopping list, but don't know where to start, Oprah's Favorite Things 2025 list is essentially the ultimate gift guide. "Each year, I search for gifts that feel just right — little luxuries, cozy comforts, and clever finds for friends, family, and everyone in between," she says to introduce this year's guide. With over 100 items on the list, there's certainly something for everyone. Besides spanning a variety of categories, the gifts also vary in price from under $50 to over $500.

We definitely recommend checking out the full list, but we've pulled some of our favorite picks for your convenience to help you get your shopping started. Several of Mashable's own favorite products even made the list. Check them out below.

Apple AirPods Pro 3 Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods Pro 3 $249 at Amazon
  Shop Now Why we like it

Just released in September, Apple's AirPods Pro 3 have already earned a spot on our list of the best headphones of 2025. Mashable's reviewer called them "without a doubt, one of the best products of the year" and "a remarkable upgrade in functionality over their predecessors." They cost $249 (just like their predecessor), but we're hoping to see them get their first price drop for Black Friday.

Samsung The Frame Pro Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung 65-Inch The Frame Pro 4K Neo QLED TV $1,797.99 at Amazon
$2,097.99 Save $300.00   Get Deal Why we like it

We're big fans of the whole family of Samsung The Frame TVs, but the latest Frame Pro is in a class of its own. It offers a nearly wireless design, an upgraded Neo QLED 4K display and NQ4 AI Gen3 processor, AI features (of course), and a 144Hz refresh rate. It's pretty pricey, even with the current $300 discount, so we're hoping to see a new record-low price on Black Friday.

Ninja Creami Swirl Opens in a new window Credit: Ninja Ninja Creami Swirl $349.99 at Amazon
$394.98 Save $44.99   Get Deal Why we like it

One of our favorite Ninja appliances, the Creami Swirl lets total beginners make impressively creamy ice cream, froyo, or fruit whip at home. The Swirl even includes a soft serve dispenser for serving up fluffy cones for you and your guests. As a Mashable Choice Award winner, our reviewer says it's "the most impressive Creami for the hosts with the most, but it's also just straight-up fun."

Apple Watch Series 11 Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 42mm) $389 at Amazon
$399 Save $10   Get Deal Why we like it

Released during Apple's September event, the Apple Watch Series 11 didn't fix what wasn't broken. It brings improvement to battery life, hardware, and connectivity, sports an S11 chip and tougher design, is now 5G-capable for quicker connectivity, and can last a full day per charge. The biggest standout is a hypertension tool designed to flag chronic high blood pressure (though it shouldn't replace a doctor). It starts at $399, like its predecessor, and already has a $10 price drop at Amazon. Be on the lookout for a better price in the coming weeks.

Dyson Airwrap Co-anda 2x Opens in a new window Credit: Dyson Dyson Airwrap Co-anda 2x $749.99 at Amazon
  Shop Now Why we like it

Dyson's newest hair multi-styler, the Airwrap Co-anda 2x, features a new motor for faster drying and styling and two new attachments that are RFID-enabled to auto-adjust the speed and heat settings on the tool. It's fancy and does what it says it does, but the price is a bit outrageous. We'll definitely be keeping our eyes peeled for a discount this holiday season.

Ooni Volt 2 electric pizza oven Opens in a new window Credit: Ooni Ooni Volt 2 electric pizza oven $699 at Amazon
  Shop Now Why we like it

While we haven't actually tested the Ooni Volt 2 indoor electric pizza oven, the brand's wood pellet Fyra oven is one of our favorites. The Volt 2 brings the pizza cooking indoors with a countertop design that can safely reach 850 degrees for restaurant-quality pizza in just 90 seconds. It has three built-in presets for Neapolitan, thin crust, and pan pizza. Plus, you can even proof your dough in it with a temperature range that starts at just 70 degrees. It is a bit of an investment at $699, so be on the lookout for price drops later this month.

ASUS Zenbook A14 Opens in a new window Credit: ASUS ASUS Zenbook A14 (Snapdragon X Plus, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $999.99 at Best Buy
  Shop Now Why we like it

Mashable's resident laptop expert, Haley Henschel, named the ASUS Zenbook A14 her favorite budget Windows laptop, the best ultraportable laptop of 2025, and "an amazing MacBook Air dupe." She credits its all-day battery life, gorgeous OLED display, and feather-light build, as does Oprah in her Favorite Things list. It scored a Geekbench 6 multi-core score of 11,256 in our CPU benchmark, which makes it the fastest Windows laptop in our database that costs under $1,000 (aside from gaming models). Henschel notes that she's seen the price drop to as low as $579.99 previously, so we're definitely expecting a wild Black Friday deal.

Google is rolling out new Gemini-powered features in Maps that aim to make navigation more conversational and intuitive, according to a blog post from the company on Wednesday.

The update introduces the first hands-free, voice-driven navigation experience in Maps, built with Gemini and Google’s "comprehensive information about the real world." Users can now ask complex, multi-step questions such as, "Is there a budget-friendly restaurant with vegan options along my route?" or "What’s parking like there?" Gemini can also handle personal tasks, like adding a calendar event for later in the day.

SEE ALSO: Google Maps will soon tell you when you need to switch lanes

Another addition is landmark-based navigation. Instead of generic cues like "turn right in 500 feet," Gemini will reference real-world markers, offering directions such as "turn right after the Thai Siam Restaurant." Google says it analyzed information from over 250 million locations and cross-referenced Street View imagery to identify the most prominent landmarks.

Other updates include proactive traffic alerts that notify drivers of road disruptions, even when they are not actively navigating, and a new Lens mode that allows users to identify and ask questions about nearby places using their camera and voice.

The Gemini-powered features begin rolling out this month on Android and iOS in the U.S., with broader expansion planned soon.

One of the most common uses for Linux is to breathe life back into old hardware. Yet certain desktop environments like KDE Plasma can still feel sluggish on aging hardware. The old laptop I pulled out of storage is a prime example, but here's what I did to speed it up.

Have you ever heard of Anna's Archive? No? Well, then, that's good news for copyright holders. They don't want you to know about Anna's Archive, and they're making sure Google helps keep it that way.

Google has taken down a whopping 749 million links to Anna's Archive from its search engine, according to the company's own transparency report, and as first reported by copyright and digital rights outlet TorrentFreak.

SEE ALSO: How to get free books on your Kindle

The 749 million confirmed URL removals is actually slightly lower than the 784 million link removal requests that Google received. According to TorrentFreak, those denied requests were mostly due to Google not actually indexing the requested URL in its search engine in the first place.

What is Anna's Archive?

Anna's Archive is an open-source search engine for "shadow libraries," or online libraries made up of usually paid or paywalled content that's been pirated and uploaded for free. It's basically a Pirate Bay, but for books and other literary material.

The takedown requests are mostly from copyright holders, like book publisher Penguin Random House. However, more than 1,000 different publishers and even authors themselves have submitted takedown requests to Google for Anna's Archive links.

The Anna's Archive platform itself is just a search engine. It does not host any of the pirated material. It simply helps users find material elsewhere on the internet.

In fact, Anna's Archive and the three domain names the platform lives on — annas-archive.se, annas-archive.org, and annas-archive.li — are the top three most-targeted URLs for Google takedown requests from copyright holders, Torrent Freak reported.

SEE ALSO: Libby just made a major change to its hold system, and some users aren't happy

As TorrentFreak points out, Anna's Archive makes up a whopping 5 percent of all 15.1 billion takedown requests to Google since the search giant first started publishing its transparency report in May 2012. 

The sheer number of takedown requests targeting Anna's Archive is even more incredible when you consider that the platform only launched in the fall of 2022.

While copyright holders would like to keep Anna's Archive out of Google search, its likely that internet users will soon become much more familiar with the platform. Mark Zuckerberg's Meta, for example, was recently found to be using pirated content discovered through platforms like Anna's Archive to train the company's AI models.

As a legal battle plays out over AI training, fair use, and copyright law, Anna's Archive will no doubt find itself in a much brighter spotlight.

SAVE $249.01: Amazon has the 13-inch Apple MacBook Air (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) on sale for just $749.99 as of Nov. 5. That's 25% off its $999 MSRP and its lowest price ever.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $749.99 at Amazon
$999 Save $249.01   Get Deal

Confession: I wasn't expecting Apple's M4 MacBook Air to dip any lower than $799 this holiday season. Amazon and Best Buy have been regularly selling the 13-inch model at that price since August, and at $200 off, it's a huge discount on a newish laptop that's already a great value at its full MSRP. If that MacBook deal was the one we got on Black Friday, I was going to be totally fine with that.

Lo and behold, it somehow got even cheaper. As of Nov. 5, Amazon has the base configuration of the 13-inch M4 MacBook Air marked down to just $749.99 in all four colors (sky blue, midnight, silver, and starlight). That's a new all-time low that isn't matched at any other retailer, including Best Buy. I'm not mad, just shocked.

SEE ALSO: The best MacBooks to buy in 2025: The M5 has arrived

The 13-inch M4 Air is the MacBook I recommend for students and other users who need a great, affordable, portable laptop. If you have a little more wiggle room in your budget, the 15-inch model adds two extra speakers and a slightly better GPU. (It's currently $249.01 off, too.) Both start with 16GB of memory and 256GB of storage.

If you need better specs, four other upgraded variants of the M4 MacBook Air have fallen to all-time lows on Amazon ahead of Black Friday. They weren't price-matched anywhere else at the time of writing (I checked):

• Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $949.99 $1,199 (save $249.01)

• Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M4, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,149.99 $1,399 (save $249.01)

• Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,149.99 $1,399 (save $249.01)

• Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M4, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,349.99 $1,599 (save $249.01)