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TL;DR: Online safety for the whole family is easy with this lifetime AdGuard Family Plan, now just $15.97 (reg. $169) with code FAMPLAN through April 27.
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The internet isn’t just cluttered with ads; there are also trackers and other hidden threats. AdGuard keeps you safe online by blocking intrusive ads, stopping trackers, and safeguarding your privacy across all your devices.Right now, you can grab lifetime protection for the whole crew with the AdGuard Family Plan. Cover up to nine devices for only $15.97 (reg. $169.99) with code FAMPLAN now through June 1.Enjoy a safer and smoother browsing experienceThe internet should be fun, not frustrating. AdGuard tackles the most annoying parts of online life, like pop-ups, autoplay videos, and banner ads, so that you can enjoy your time browsing, streaming, and scrolling again.Aside from blocking ads, AdGuard also protects your privacy. Your information will stay safe from trackers and activity analyzers, and you'll be shielded from malware and phishing websites that you or your family members could fall victim to.
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How to watch Chelsea vs. Manchester United online for free
TL;DR: Live stream Chelsea vs. Manchester United in the Women's FA Cup final for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.The Women's FA Cup final will see Chelsea take on Manchester United at Wembley Stadium. Manchester United are seeking to retain the trophy after beating Tottenham Hotspur 4-0 in last year's final. That's not going to be an easy task, because Chelsea stand in their way. Sonia Bompastor's side are seeking a domestic treble after already winning the Premier League and League Cup this season. If you want to watch Chelsea vs. Manchester United in the Women's FA Cup final for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.When is the Women's FA Cup final?Chelsea vs. Manchester United in the Women's FA Cup final starts at 1:30 p.m. BST on May 18. This fixture takes place at Wembley Stadium.How to watch the Women's FA Cup final for freeChelsea vs. Manchester United in the Women's FA Cup final is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer.BBC iPlayer is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock BBC iPlayer from anywhere in the world.Live stream Chelsea vs. Manchester United for free by following these simple steps:Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)Open up the app and connect to a server in the UKVisit BBC iPlayerLive stream Chelsea vs. Manchester United for free from anywhere in the world
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The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Chelsea vs. Manchester United without committing with your cash. This isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream the Women's FA Cup final before recovering your investment.What is the best VPN for live sport?ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on BBC iPlayer, for a number of reasons:Servers in 105 countries including the UKEasy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and moreStrict no-logging policy so your data is secureFast connection speeds free from throttlingUp to eight simultaneous connections30-day money-back guaranteeA two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.Live stream Chelsea vs. Manchester United in the Women's FA Cup final for free with ExpressVPN.
NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 18, 2025
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.
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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.Here's a hint for today's Connections Sports Edition categoriesWant a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:Yellow: Successful gameGreen: Three strikesBlue: Video gamesPurple: NBA GOAT
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Connections: How to play and how to win
Here are today's Connections Sports Edition categoriesNeed a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:Yellow: WinGreen: Strike OutBlue: Classic Sports Video GamesPurple: Associated with Michael JordanLooking 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 #237 is...What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition todayWin - DUB, TRIUMPH, VICTORY, WStrike Out - FAN, K, RING UP, WHIFFClassic Sports Video Games - NBA JAM, NFL BLITZ, PUNCH-OUT, TECMO BOWLAssociated with Michael Jordan - 23, 6 RINGS, HIS AIRNESS, LAST DANCEDon'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 yesterday's Connections.
NYT Strands hints, answers for May 18
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.
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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 preferrined pace.
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Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 18
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NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 18
NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Riding the windThe words are water-related.Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explainedThese words are things used to travel on water.NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.NYT Strands spangram answer todayToday's spangram is Sailboat
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Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game
NYT Strands word list for May 18MastRiggingHelmSailboatKeelHullRudderSternTillerLooking 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 yesterday's Strands.
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 18, 2025
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.
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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.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
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.
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NYT's The Mini crossword answers for May 18
Here's a hint for today's Connections categoriesWant a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:Yellow: Completed in schoolGreen: Nearly thereBlue: Open-mindedPurple: The start of the alphabet
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Connections: How to play and how to win
Here are today's Connections categoriesNeed a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:Yellow: Tasks for a studentGreen: Encouraging responses in a guessing gameBlue: Up for anythingPurple: What "A" might meanLooking 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 #707 is...What is the answer to Connections todayTasks for a student: ASSIGNMENT, DRILL, EXERCISE, LESSONEncouraging responses in a guessing game: ALMOST, CLOSE, NOT QUITE, WARMUp for anything: EASY, FLEXIBLE, GAME, OPENWhat "A" might mean: AREA, ATHLETIC, EXCELLENT, ONEDon'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.
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NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 18
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 yesterday's Connections.
Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 18, 2025
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.
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NYT Connections today: Hints and answers for May 18
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.
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NYT's The Mini crossword answers for May 18, 2025
Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:Incredibly angry.Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?The letter I appears twice.Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...Today's Wordle starts with the letter L.
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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...LIVID.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.
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NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 18
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 yesterday's Wordle.
Hurdle hints and answers for May 18, 2025
If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine. There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle. If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.
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Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers
Hurdle Word 1 hintA popular short haircut.
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Hurdle Word 1 answerPIXIEHurdle Word 2 hintUninteresting.
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Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 18, 2025
Hurdle Word 2 AnswerVAPIDHurdle Word 3 hintWhat one might teach a dog.
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NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 18
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NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 18, 2025
Hurdle Word 3 answerTRICK Hurdle Word 4 hintTo aggressively push.
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NYT Strands hints, answers for May 18
Hurdle Word 4 answerBARGEFinal Hurdle hintWhat a tenant signs.
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Hurdle Word 5 answerLEASEIf you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Dangerous Animals review: Jai Courtney goes sublimely savage as a shark-centric serial killer
Dangerous Animals has a killer hook: Jai Courtney stars as a deranged serial killer who uses sharks as his weapon of choice. It sounds bonkers, like something you'd see in an old Batman comic, in an Austin Powers movie, or on late-night TV, back when the ads were all 1-900 numbers. But props to screenwriter Nick Lepard and director Sean Byrne. They bring blood and bite to this funky premise, delivering a movie that's deep in dread, sweat, thrills, and chills. Sure, when sharks swim into horror, things can get pretty gnarly. The all-time classic is Jaws, where the gore of chewed-up human remains is balanced with an engaging character-driven drama. Splashier slaughters came from that seminal film's more vicious offspring, ranging from the shark slasher Deep Blue Sea to more realistic thrillers like The Shallows and 47 Meters Down, with the over-the-top Jason Statham adventure The Meg and the proudly trashy Sharknado film series taking a more gonzo approach to the subgenre.
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Yet, Dangerous Animals isn't of this breed. Instead, sharks in this movie are sort of a bait and switch for something more surprising and far more sinister. Dangerous Animals is more serial killer horror than shark creature feature.
Hassie Harrison plays Zephyr in "Dangerous Animals."
Credit: IFC Films
Those familiar with Sean Byrne's previous films may not be surprised to discover the sharks aren't the scariest things in Dangerous Animals. No shade to these kings of the ocean. Cinematographer Shelley Farthing-Dawe and editor Kasra Rassoulzadegan masterfully capture and edit shots of sharks swimming with a delicious sense of menace. Some such scenes are so striking in the way they portray the power and size of these creatures that it literally took my breath away. But sharks are not the monsters in this movie. They're just being sharks! The monster here is Tucker (Courtney), a sun-cooked Aussie who makes a living on the Gold Coast by taking tourists out on his boat to go on shark dives. Sure, many come and go with nothing but a brush with nature and happy memories. But from the film's frightening opening sequence, audiences are made aware of Tucker's dark side. It's not just chum this rugged fellow tosses overboard to the sharks. He feeds them ritualistically, feeling a deep connection to the beasts and taking special pleasure in watching them feast — on young women specifically.
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This is in line with Byrne's brand of horror, which tends to center the terrible things mankind does to its own. The Aussie filmmaker made his debut with 2009's The Loved Ones, which centered on a teen girl taking out her most twisted desires on a kidnapped crush. Then in 2015 came The Devil's Candy, starring Ethan Embry as a family man (and metalhead) who strives to protect his teen daughter from the homicidal urges of a mentally ill (or arguably possessed) old man. Dangerous Animals feels a natural progression for Byrne, containing the heavy-metal energy of his sophomore film with the sadistic glee of his first. And Courtney proves his pitch-perfect collaborator in making a movie that's unrelentingly twisted and rousingly entertaining. Jai Courtney is a rip-roaring force of nature in Dangerous Animals.
Jai Courtney plays a serial killer who uses sharks as a weapon in "Dangerous Animals."
Credit: IFC Films
The Australian actor has had a fascinating career, having been floated as a possible predecessor for Bruce Willis in the universally panned A Good Day to Die Hard in 2013. He's appeared in several action franchise movies since then, from Divergent to Terminator: Genisys to 2016's Suicide Squad and its odd 2021 pseudo-sequel. But only the last of these — where he played the wild card DC supervillain Captain Boomerang — gave a sense of the unique dichotomy of Courtney's abilities.
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Broad-shouldered and handsome, he's a natural fit for the action hero mold. But his performance in David Ayer's Suicide Squad showed Courtney could be funny and get weird with it. It was an exhilarating rush to watch him do just that. In Dangerous Animals, he is unleashed. Forget the serious brooding or dashing swagger of bog-standard leading men. Courtney has something more rare and beguiling, a crooked smile that promises trouble and a wild eye that threatens carnage.In Dangerous Animals, Tucker's sheer brute force makes him scary. But Courtney, finding the fun in playing such a monster, makes the character instantly iconic. He is so undeniably charming in tourist-pleasing mode that it's easy to see how his prey is lured in. For the free-spirited surfer named Zephyr (Hassie Harrison), the heroine at the heart of Dangerous Animals, he disarms her by offering her a favor — no strings attached. But just as quickly as he can flash his teeth in a smile, he can bite. And this makes Byrne's movie more than just a torrid thriller. Dangerous Animals is a mesmerizing horror story about toxic masculinity.
Tucker loves the sound of his own voice. While keeping women locked away in an effectively sound-proofed cell on his boat, he delivers unwelcomed speeches about the nature of animals. Courtney captures the snarling bravado heard on countless macho podcasts, as he drops fun facts about sharks, snakes, and marlins, applying a philosophical varnish on his violence against women. But the visual details of Tucker's ritual, which involves vintage VHS tapes and DIY lures, suggest a more psychological motive rooted in misogyny. And this psychology is just as disturbing as the scenes of violence and slaughter by shark. In Dangerous Animals, Byrne and Courtney give us a mesmerizing portrait of toxic masculinity. Tucker compares himself to sharks, because as a man he feels insufficient, especially in the face of women like Zephyr. There's even an implication of impotence that evokes Luis Buñuel's The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz, where a man aspires to murder women but never does so by his own hand. Similarly, Tucker uses sharks to commit his crimes.Terrifying in a real-world sense, Tucker has mastered hiding his rage until he's out on the sea, where there's nowhere to run. The way he can switch from an affable bogan to a snarling beast is riveting, not only for Courtney's quickness but also because this terrible transformation reflects a common fear women have that any random smiling guy on the street might be a monster just beneath the surface. (See the man versus bear debate of 2024.) Remarkably, as thematically dark as Dangerous Animals is, watching it is electrifying and wickedly fun. Whether small-talking with a scruffy local, rigging up a victim for feeding time, or dancing around ritualistically to rock music in red underwear, Courtney is a live wire, sparking so intensely that his villain seems capable of anything. Cheers to Harrison who matches his energy with a solid disgust as Zephyr. Together, they build a cat-and-mouse tale that is jolting, in the way of Byrne's previous films. Just when you think you know where Dangerous Animals is going, it dives even deeper and darker, and we're left catching our breath.Simply put, Dangerous Animals is a satisfying, sick, and devilishly smart thriller that will excite you in theaters and stalk you on the way home. Dangerous Animals was reviewed out of its World Premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. The movie will open in theaters in the U.S. on June 12.
NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 17, 2025
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.
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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.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
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.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
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.Here's a hint for today's Connections Sports Edition categoriesWant a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:Yellow: Teams in an AFC divisionGreen: Horse racesBlue: Icons of MilwaukeePurple: Legendary coaching history
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Connections: How to play and how to win
Here are today's Connections Sports Edition categoriesNeed a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:Yellow: An AFC South PlayerGreen: First Words of Famous Horse RacesBlue: Milwaukee Sporting GreatsPurple: Teams Coached by Rick PitinoLooking 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 #236 is...What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition todayAn AFC South Player - COLT, JAGUAR, TEXAN, TITANFirst Words of Famous Horse Races - BELMONT, BREEDERS', KENTUCKY, PEAKNESSMilwaukee Sporting Greats - ABDUL-JABBAR, ANTETOKOUNMPO, MOLITOR, YOUNTTeams Coached by Rick Pitino - CELTICS, IONA, PANATHINAIKOS, ST. JOHN'SDon'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 yesterday's Connections.
As Trump enables crypto corruption, Meta wants back in the stablecoin space
President Donald Trump is making bank off of cryptocurrency, and Big Tech wants back in on the action.Meta is now looking to revisit its cryptocurrency plans as Mark Zuckerberg's company looks to launch a stablecoin to facilitate payouts on its social media platforms, according to a new report from Fortune.
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According to sources knowledgeable of these preliminary crypto stages, Meta's new stablecoin plans are being spearheaded by the company's VP of product, Giner Baker, who previously worked in fintech and currently serves on the board of crypto organization Stellar Development Foundation. Meta reportedly held discussions with crypto infrastructure companies earlier this year. Meta's crypto-related plans seem to center on a stablecoin used to facilitate payouts to creators on its platforms, like Instagram.Meta's stablecoin historyBack in 2019, before the company changed its name to Meta, Facebook announced a sprawling cryptocurrency project that included a new blockchain and crypto wallet for the social media platform. The centerpiece of Facebook's crypto project, however, was the company's plans to create its own stablecoin called Libra.A stablecoin is a cryptocurrency token that's meant to maintain a stable price. In the crypto space, where the price of crypto tokens and meme coins is, well, unstable, stablecoins are meant to provide holders with a relatively safe place to store their money. (Although even that doesn't always work out.)Facebook's Libra project hit some early roadblocks. In fact, President Trump, who was serving his first term in office, even shared a scathing critique of cryptocurrency as a whole, specifically mentioning Facebook's Libra. Regardless, Libra continued on. In late 2020, as cryptocurrency was set to boom, Facebook announced a rebrand for the project.By early 2022, however, the company now known as Meta seemed ready to give up on the Libra project due to regulator scrutiny. Then, crypto came crashing down by mid-2022 as a slew of major cryptocurrency tokens and companies failed. By that summer, Meta shut down the final remnants of its crypto project.Things are different for crypto nowFast forward to 2025, and a lot has changed.President Trump, now serving his second term, feels very differently about cryptocurrency. Trump launched his own meme coin earlier this year. $TRUMP has already resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in profits for the president and his crypto companies from fees alone.One of Trump's crypto companies, World Liberty Financial, has also launched its own memecoin, USD1. An Abu Dhabi investment firm has already announced a $2 billion investment in Trump's stablecoin.Congress and financial regulators under Trump have been singing a different tune about crypto too as neither appear likely to take any action regarding these potentially corrupt dealings involving the sitting President of the United States.So, the moment is ripe for anyone looking to start a crypto scheme, and Meta is apparently poised to take advantage of it.
Unlike Elon Musks X, Metas Threads is prioritizing links
If a user publishes a post with a link to a website or article on Elon Musk's X, very often they'll find that the post receives minimal views, retweets, and likes. Musk has previously confirmed that his social media platform, formerly known as Twitter, deprioritizes links via its algorithm.X users have complained about this, but Musk wants people to spend the maximum amount of time on his platform. However, it appears one of X's competitors now views this as an opportunity.
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It's official: Meta's Threads is using 'Threads.com' domain name
Meta's Threads will now prioritize links on the platform in a few major ways.Share more links in your Threads bioIn an update this week, Meta announced that Threads will now allow users to place up to 5 links in their bio. For comparison, X only allows users to post a single link in the "website" section of a user's profile page.
Credit: Meta
By allowing multiple links, Threads allows users to share more of their personal websites and projects with people on the platform. This might also help users circumvent the need to use link-in-bio services like Linktree to share multiple links on their Threads profile page.Threads link analyticsFurthermore, Meta wants its users to know just how much traffic Threads sends from links posted on the platform.
Credit: Meta
The company announced that Threads will now profile users with link analytics that present data regarding the number of clicks that links receive via Threads. The platform will provide users with this information for links posted to both a user's bio and in their posts.Link recommendations in ThreadsWhile Instagram head Adam Mosseri previously claimed Threads didn't specifically downrank posts with links, Mosseri also said the platform didn't place much value on them either. That's about to change, too, according to Engadget. Threads will now start promoting posts that include links at a higher rate than before via its recommendation algorithm.Meta has started prioritizing content creators on all of its platforms in recent months. Prioritizing links seems like a big step in that direction as creators look to use social media platforms to promote their work, regardless of where it's posted.We'll soon find out if these changes help Threads win over creators over its competitors like Musk's X and Bluesky.
NYT Mini crossword answers, hints for May 17, 2025
The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.
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Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Saturday, May 17, 2025:Across"Link in ___" (promotional catchphrase on social media)The answer is Bio.They're ground in a coffee grinderThe answer is Beans.Bike riders' headwearThe answer is Helmets. Variety of tomato whose name is also a meatThe answer is Beefsteak. Shoe spec that describes this puzzle?The answer is Extra wide."Cha-ching, nothin' to it!"The answer is Easy money.DownChurch spot where bats hang outThe answer is Belfry.The first three words of "Green Eggs and Ham," straight from the narratorThe answer is I am Sam.Boxing punch comboThe answer is One two.Purple slices in a saladThe answer is Beets.Oktoberfest glassThe answer is Stein.Prefix with decimal, in codingThe answer is Hexa.One-named hit singer with 1985's "Smooth Operator"The answer is Sade.Spelling ___The answer is Bee.Paper with the answersThe answer is Key.If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
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The Wordle Strategy used by the New York Times' Head of Games
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Mini Crossword.
From TikTok to A24, Boman Martinez-Reid is living the creator-to-TV dream
Boman Martinez-Reid always wanted his own TV series. So the Canadian actor and creator made one himself, and another one, and another one, on YouTube, on Instagram, on TikTok, then signed a TV deal and was cast in an A24 show. Each project will leave you in no doubt of one thing: You'll be hard pressed to find someone who understands reality TV as well as Martinez-Reid.With a combined 3 million followers on social media under the Britney Spears-inspired handle @bomanizer, Martinez-Reid has gone consistently viral online for his hilarious, precise parodies of reality TV — namely 2020's "cough heard round the world" video. But you might have discovered Martinez-Reid's work through his outstandingly accurate, Kardashian-inspired TikTok series The Bodashians, made with his best friend Eden Graham, which has even people who don't watch The Kardashians locked in.
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Now guest-starring in A24's Overcompensating and the star of his own Crave TV show, quite literally titled Made For TV, Martinez-Reid embodies the new power players in entertainment, creators and actors blurring digital and traditional media and giving multiple formats a try. In Made For TV, he even plays an exaggerated version of himself, trying various reality television genres from dating to competitive drag, attempting to perfect them all.
Credit: Boman Martinez-Reid
Mashable sat down with Martinez-Reid to unpack how he finds comedy in appreciating format, his pop star dreams, how the entertainment industry is finally taking the internet seriously, and exactly how he keeps up with The Bodashians, his TikTok series that now exists within its own universe.This interview has been edited for clarity and length.There's so much to talk about, including your latest project, but I will start where you probably know I'm going to start. Many people will know you from your TikTok series, The Bodashians. It's how I came across your work, and honestly, I didn't watch The Kardashians until I saw your videos. I get that a lot, I get that a lot.Now you've got Ncuti Gatwa singing your praises for it on Fallon, doing impressions of your impressions. When did this all begin, the vocal fry of it all?I have been doing this now for years. When I was in high school, I wanted my own TV show; that was my dream. I was obsessed with The Real Housewives at the time, and my brother one day was like, 'Well, if you want your own TV show, why don't you just make it?' And I was like, oh my god, that is so genius. I didn't think of it like that. So I created a YouTube series called Reid It and Weep — Reid like my last name, so I was already a genius in marketing at a very young age. I was just making this TV show that was based on The Real Housewives, it was me and my friends, and we would cook up these dramatic storylines. They were 15-minute-long episodes that would span a season, and we made it for four seasons. Absolutely nobody saw it, but that's OK. It planted the seed for what was later to come. In 2019, I started making TikToks... I was like, OK, I'm making these videos, what is going to set me aside from everybody else? And I remembered, 'Oh my gosh, Reid It and Weep.' I have this talent for parodying reality TV. How do I take that concept and condense it into a minute and make it shareable for everybody? In 2020, I started making the "but it's reality TV" series. It wasn't quite The Bodashians yet, but it was these videos where I would take these mundane problems and turn them into these dramatic reality TV scenes so everybody could relate to it, and then also everybody understood the joke.
So I started doing that. It got really dramatic, and I started going very viral with it. Two years into it, my friend Eden, who's in many of my videos…The best! We love Eden!We love Eden. She was like, 'Why don't we do a Kardashian voice?' This was right when The Kardashians Hulu show had just come out. And I was like, 'Why? I don't watch The Kardashians. I don't care about The Kardashians.' But she was like, 'It could be funny if we just try it.' I was like, OK, because it's fun to try new things, of course! So we started doing that and we've never stopped. At this point, I think we've just posted episode 61, which is crazy.
"Yes, I parody 'The Kardashians,' but 'The Bodashians' now is its own universe. It has its own rules. It makes no sense, but it makes so much sense at the same time."
It's been a very, very interesting experience trying to constantly reinvent the exact same video, but I'm having a lot of fun. Still two, maybe three years later, now into The Bodashians, still having a lot of fun, still exploring what it is. Recently, I posted a video, I was getting a wax figure, and I was just so proud of that video and how it felt like its own thing. It's like, yes, I parody The Kardashians, but The Bodashians now is its own universe. It has its own rules. It makes no sense, but it makes so much sense at the same time. And much like you said, people don't watch The Kardashians, but they watch The Bodashians, and that is what matters to me.You've perfected this art of parodying formats that people don't actually know is a format yet, like your getting ready for the Met Gala video, your Architectural Digest videos, they're spot on but they're such niche formats. How do you recognize these elements? Is this back to your love of reality TV and format?Yes, I think it's a format thing for sure. The format is where I find the comedy. A lot of my comedy comes out in the edit. I still edit all of my own videos, and I feel like there's a reason for that, because I feel like that's the comedy. Me and my sister or my mom, or Eden, we will sit down to film a Bodashian video, and I'll explain to them what the video is, and they don't get it. They never get it. And oftentimes I'm just telling them what to say, because I'm the only person that will understand how to manipulate the phrase "there's something to be said" 80 times and make it make sense in a way that people will watch and be like, how do they still understand the narrative of this video? So for me, it is very much a format thing. I also really love celebrity culture. I think it's so ridiculous. It's so fun to make fun of the way that celebrities act in these videos. It's just not real. Like, Architectural Digest is really just a home tour. It's like when you go to your friend's house and they give you a tour of their home. But nobody acts like those celebrities act. What I love to point out is that we are all accepting these concepts as a fact. Like, we accept the way that these reality TV shows are edited with just blatant staring for three minutes in between lines as a fact. We don't think about these things, and I love to turn the mirror around and show people this is what you're actually watching.Yes, that blank pausing is in a lot of your work. It's even back in one of my favorite of your series, which is JayNeigh and Seighdruah and The Girls Room.Yes, JayNeigh and Seighdruah!"It's important to write. It's important to use language."Absolutely, you know what? There's comedy in silence. There's one JayNeigh and Seighdruah Girls Room video where we just stare at each other, and we try to cry. I think I say, 'Should we cry right now?' We try it, and it's one of my favorite moments that we've ever shared. Then she starts crying, and I start making fun of her. It's just so ridiculous.
And it's a style of comedy that you brought to your own TV series, Made For TV, where you dabble in every style of reality TV format. When you were making this show, which genres did you learn the most about that you didn't already know?Good question. Well, we did sports, and I am not an athletic person at all. Each genre, each episode, I just want to be the star of the genre, and we were trying to figure out if we do a sports episode, who's the star of sports? When I watch a sports game, all I can hear is the announcer, the caller, or the commentator. So that's what I was trying to get to: how do I do that perfectly? Turns out that it is really hard. And I was calling a children's game, which is an easy game to call, but you have to talk nonstop for, like, two hours. Who can do that? I don't know.
The news episode that we did was also very challenging…because I went to school for radio and television, and news was a big part of that. Growing up, I always thought that being a news anchor would be my fallback if I couldn't make it as an actor; it's like I had to be on camera somehow. My parents were always like, 'Just be a news anchor,' as if that was an easy thing to accomplish. Now looking back, there was no way I was ever gonna get there.You know, just fall into it!Just fall into it! But that was more challenging than I thought. However, the one that was the hardest to accomplish was the drag episode. That's the episode that when we were creating the show, I was like, 'Oh, I'm gonna ace this. This is gonna be the easiest thing I'll ever do.' I knew that I had that confidence within me for a reason. When you watch the episode, you can tell by the end, it's like, oh, I had that confidence all along. But what you don't see — I mean, I think you see some of it in the episode — is the panic that I was experiencing because what was really happening was I was going to do drag for the first time in front of my mom and dad, which was the scariest thing that I didn't realize I was scared of. But as it turns out, you know what? When drag queens are like, when you put on the makeup and you become a character, it's a real thing. That is a drug. I don't know what type of makeup they put on me, through osmosis, it sunk deep into my skin, and I became a fierce drag queen. Drag is hard. I will say that it's not a walk in the park.You're pivoting into movies; you're guest starring in A24's comedy drama series Overcompensating created by Benito Skinner. What can you tell me about your role in this, and how did this all come about?This all came about so fast. I want to act. I think I'm an actor first, and in this industry, it's been an interesting ride as a creator, trying to transition over because I feel like you have to work hard to maintain the image that you're not an influencer. No shade to the influencers, that's a very, very hard job to do every day, but I am a creator and actor first. So over these last few years, I've been hustling and auditioning and grinding, so I think that was part of it. The other part of it was Benny [Skinner]. Benny has such an eye for creators, and he wants to platform creators that he appreciates. I'm not going to speak for him and say that he appreciates my work, but we've worked together in the past, and I like to think that when he saw my tape, it felt like there was some sort of like, how do we put Boman in this show that's already done? It all happened very fast. Of course, it's not like a humongous role, but I will say, showing up on that day and filming was so fun. The cast and crew made me feel so at home. I was so, so excited to play the character that I played in that show, and I'm so excited for everybody to see it because I'm not playing a character that anybody would expect me to play. I had a lot of fun with it.This line is blurring between digital and traditional media. Mashable culture editor Crystal Bell published a feature about how creators are becoming the new power players in entertainment. Have you come across much conversation around this new era of Hollywood and the blurring of the lines between YouTube, Twitch, Netflix, A24?Much like yourself, I think it's so interesting. I think that, finally, the entertainment industry is meeting people where they are at and respecting what people are watching. Now seeing all of these actors and musicians promoting their music online and prioritizing that is so, so refreshing, because I think it gives validity to so many different mediums.
"Finally the entertainment industry is meeting people where they are at and respecting what people are watching."
Of course, there are the big shows like Hot Ones that have paved the way for that importance in the industry. But then there are also so many people that I know, people that I'm friends with, who have podcasts that have gotten Chappell Roan or huge, huge celebrities to do their podcasts. It's just a testament to, as I said before, now we are finally ready to meet people where they are at, and also, it's a testament to where we are going. With respect to my career, it feels interesting. I've had this dream about being on TV and being an actor, and that is still my dream, but I live in this duality of, well, I'm already doing the thing that people want me to do.Whoops!I know! So I feel like I have to navigate both, but I think there's a joy in that. It's so exciting to be on this side of it and be creating in an environment where nine times out of 10 you'll be successful with whatever you're doing, because it's the internet. And that's where everybody wants to be right now.In my career, I really want to be able to do everything. I told my team the other day, I want to be a pop star. And I'm like, how do we figure it out? How do we get there? Anything feels possible at this point because of where we are on the internet. Last summer, I had a song, "I Have a Thing." Surrounding my song, I had this fake documentary, but now it's becoming like, OK, how do we make that a real thing? Because now with YouTube and longer format and longer videos, you have so much room to play in terms of character work and how you create a character. Like, what does that Bomanizer pop star character look like? How does it exist on Hot Ones? How does it exist in its own documentary or on a podcast? How do we have fun with that type of Andy Sandberg character? So I'm really excited by where we're going in terms of the internet and what's possible because I feel like the rules are slowly being peeled away. Congratulations on your song, by the way. I know you've created a character there, but that was all of us.It's relatable, for sure. You just feel like playing it out loud to leave a situation. Sometimes you've gotta go, and that's what the song's about.Well, I don't mean to play your song back to you right now, but I feel like I should let you go into your day.I think we all have a thing, don't worry.
Private lunar spacecraft sends home breathtaking moon snapshot
A Japanese commercial spacecraft is zeroing in on its second attempt at a lunar landing, now flying laps around the moon. The company ispace entered lunar orbit more than a week ago, sending its Resilience lander soaring about 62 miles above the surface at its closest approach. For days, fans have asked the company executives to release spacecraft images to show its latest achievement. They finally did on May 16. The new image not only captures the spacecraft swooping by the moon in space but showcases Tenacious, its accompanying micro rover, hidden under a cover in the lower right corner. A camera mounted to the top of the lander snapped the photo. "Hello from lunar orbit!" the company said in a post on X.
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If the Hakuto-R mission aces the landing, it will spend two weeks running experiments on the lunar surface before powering down for the brutally cold lunar night.
Credit: ispace infographic
Resilience was one of two spacecraft headed to the moon on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in mid-January. Its travel companion, Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lander, took a faster route and touched down on the surface March 2. Though Firefly wasn't the trailblazer — the first private robotic lander to make the journey to the surface occurred last year — it was the first to get its lander there upright and in one piece.But ispace's lander, a partnership with Japan's space agency JAXA, has taken a longer journey to save on fuel, flying solo through space for the past four months. The so-called Hakuto-R mission is gearing up for a landing near the center of Mare Frigoris at 3:24 p.m. ET on June 5. (It will be June 6 in Japan.) Livestream coverage will begin about one hour earlier, at 2:15 p.m. ET, with English translation. The event will mark the company's second try, following a failed landing in April 2023. The spacecraft ran out of fuel and crashed on the moon. "We have successfully completed maneuvers so far by leveraging the operational experience gained in Mission 1, and I am very proud of the crew for successfully completing the most critical maneuver and entering lunar orbit," said ispace CEO Takeshi Hakamada in a statement. "We will continue to proceed with careful operations and thorough preparations to ensure the success of the lunar landing." Landing on the moon remains onerous — demonstrated by numerous flopped landings. Though Firefly succeeded in March, another U.S. company, Intuitive Machines, didn't fare as well less than a week later, ending up on its side in a crater.
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The moon's exosphere provides virtually no drag to slow a spacecraft down as it approaches the ground, according to NASA. Furthermore, there are no GPS systems on the moon to help guide a craft to its landing spot. Engineers have to compensate for that from 239,000 miles away.If the Hakuto-R mission aces the landing, it will spend two weeks running experiments on the lunar surface before powering down for the brutally cold lunar night. Not much can survive the -270 degrees Fahrenheit brought on by darkness — not even robots. Right now, Resilience is whizzing between 2,000 and 4,200 mph. As it whips through space, company engineers are performing multiple flight correction maneuvers to reel the spacecraft in and lower its energy. That will allow the team to get the spacecraft oriented toward its landing target. After the botched landing attempt two years ago, Yuichi Tsuda, a professor of astronautical science at Tokyo University, gave the flight controllers words of encouragement. "History can be made only by those who (face) challenges, and challenges will not be possible without taking a risk," Tsuda said. "The risk can be taken only by those who dream. So ispace teams, you are all excellent dreamers."
After 3 months and visible results, the Shark LED mask is a staple in my skincare routine
I've had a Solawave red light therapy wand in one of my bathroom organizers for probably two years now. I really wanted to love it, but it just didn't provide noticeable enough results for me to remember to use it. So it should say something that I never forgot to use the Shark CryoGlow red light mask in the few months that I was testing it — and beyond. The Shark CryoGlow mask's $349.99 price tag isn't exactly cheap, but it isn't expensive compared to the other top red light masks on the market. The price feels much fairer when the CryoGlow has a few unique flexes that separate it from popular competitors like the $395 Omnilux mask and $349 Solawave mask.Shark hair tools like the FlexStyle have cemented themselves as formidable fixtures in the hair care world for years now. But the CryoGlow is Shark's first attempt at esthetics — one carefully designed over time after input from dermatologists, evidence from clinical trials, and customer feedback about other red light devices on the market. I learned all about its lore at SharkBeauty's launch event for the mask in January 2025, then brought one home to test for myself.What does the Shark CryoGlow mask do?The Shark face mask targets fine lines, acne, dark circles, and generally uneven skin texture. These are the main benefits of red light therapy (and blue light and infrared light), often yearned for when even the most devout skincare routines aren't doing enough.The CryoMask is lined with 160 interlocking tri-wick LED bulbs, spanning all corners of the face and even a little under the jaw. Everyone calls it an LED mask, but if you want to get fancy, it's technically iQLED.
The Shark CryoGlow mask weighs around 1.5 pounds.
Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable
The pink glow is achieved when blue and red light are shining simultaneously.
Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable
That 160 beats the 132 LEDs of the Omnilux mask or the 14 LEDs of the Solawave wand, so that's noteworthy on its own — but the "tri-wick" thing is crucial, too. Tri-wick means that every single one of those bulbs can emit each wavelength, so you're getting full-face light coverage regardless of the setting. Scientifically, this would be clocked in terms of irradiance: a measurement of power density at the source of the LED. The Shark CryoGlow hits a maximum radiance of 128mW/cm² compared to the 30mW/cm² of the Omnilux.(The bulbs in several competing masks can't all illuminate simultaneously because they're either single-wick or bi-wick, meaning half turn off when their designated color isn't being used.)The nanometer measurement of each wavelength plays a huge role in skin penetration. The Shark CryoGlow uses a 415nm blue light targeting the skin's surface layer and 630nm red light with 830nm infrared to travel to the deeper, cellular layer of skin.
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So, what's the difference between red light and blue light? All you really need to determine is the skincare concern you'd like to target, then scroll through the CryoGlow remote's settings to choose one. Shark designed the two main settings to be used for an initial eight-week session with daily use.Better Aging mode: This mode stimulates collagen production and promotes plumping under the skin, making it the best setting for targeting fine lines and wrinkles. Here, the mask administers a combination of red and infrared light simultaneously for six minutes. Blemish Repair mode: This is used to kill acne-causing bacteria and improve skin clarity and texture on the top layer of the skin. Here, the mask administers a consecutive concoction of blue light with infrared for a few minutes, then blue and red light together for a few minutes, then red light + infrared for a few minutes. It takes eight minutes total.Skin Sustain mode: This is used to maintain your results and get a daily boost of brightness after your initial eight-week cycle is over. Skin Sustain administers blue light, red light, and infrared light simultaneously for a total of four minutes.
After each session is completed, the Shark mask turns off by itself.
Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable
The remote keeps track of how many sessions you've completed.
Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable
Each cycle's timing was calculated based on the wavelength combination of that setting — it's a much more precise approach than Googling "how long you should use red light therapy for." During the science part of the discussion at the launch event, it clicked for me: The momentary swipe of a red light wand with a one-inch surface is a really small amount of true LED exposure. This cleared up a lot of my confusion about my lack of Solawave wand results when it worked well for other people.The Shark mask isn't super chill to wear, but it's quickI doubt there's anyone out there researching the best red light mask to buy and expecting to not look like Dwight in that episode of The Office where he cuts off the CPR dummy's face. It's just part of the game.Still, the Shark mask definitely isn't the chicest or slimmest mask I've seen. It's not foldable like some other models, and is also a little clunky when it comes to storage. The heavy packer in me could not take this thing in a suitcase, even though it comes with a carrying pouch.
I wish the remote were wireless, but it does have a pants clip.
Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable
My cat isn't scared of the mask. I kind of am.
Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable
There's definitely no answering the door like this, but you know what? The horror fanatic in me does not mind casually walking around the apartment looking like Jason Voorhees for a few minutes (though I am a proud Michael Myers girlie at heart — argue with yourself).The CryoGlow doesn't necessarily feel heavy if you're just scrolling on your phone while wearing it. But it does start to feel a little bulky if you're performing a real task that requires looking down. I kept trying to feed my cats during morning CryoGlow sessions and had to strain my neck to accurately scoop the wet food into the bowls on the counter. The mask itself is rechargeable and doesn't need to be plugged into the wall while being used; instead, it needs to be charged about every three days. Though the remote and its cord mostly stay out of the way, it would be sick if it were cordless.
The CryoGlow takes a few hours to fully recharge.
Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable
The thing is, no Shark CryoGlow session lasts longer than eight minutes. You're not really being inconvenienced for long. The fans are whooshing right in your ear, but it's not so loud that you can't hear a conversation or watch TV. Honestly, the hardest part of wearing it is sitting there with air-dried skin without something moisturizing on it — Shark recommends a clean, dry face for light to best penetrate, but the itchy feeling post-cleansing makes me want to tear my whole face off.Shark CryoGlow results after three monthsI kind of stopped giving a shit about how I look without makeup after my frontal lobe developed. But the CryoGlow marks a time in my life when I genuinely feel cute bare-faced. I truly feel like there's more of an inherent glow and evenness to my skin after my full CryoGlow session than I've ever had before.But I know everyone is most interested in the full transformation, so fine, I'll give you a "before" picture. But before I expose myself like that, I'm entitled to show the "after" picture first.
My skin after completing the full CryoGlow session. (Peep the sticker in the phone case — I TOLD YOU I was a Michael Myers girlie.)
Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable
I promise my skin is smooth in this photo — the only leftover "spots" are discoloration from previous giant pimples. I've accepted the fact that I need to pay for more microneedling to uproot those.Does the Shark mask work on acne?Every little kid dreams of growing up, having a mental breakdown about adult acne at age 30, and publishing a close-up photo of it in an online article for work. But I have to showcase the full transformation to show that yes, the Shark CryoGlow mask really does keep acne formation at bay.
Before: No concealer/foundation combo was hiding these.
Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable
After: No makeup, just morning skincare!
Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable
For context, I'm 30 years old and never really struggled with acne... up until about four years ago. It's been a battle to keep my chin, jawline, and cheeks clear since then. I was living in fear of waking up with a new pimple cooking after I had just gotten the last one to simmer down. Mine were in areas typically associated with fluctuating hormones.All of that was happening while never skipping my nighttime skincare routine and attending a few microneedling appointments, my last of which was three months before I started testing the Shark mask. While I do believe my religious Tretinoin use has improved the texture of my skin, it was outnumbered by hellbent acne. The only true slowdown of pimples I experienced started a month into using the CryoGlow. I went from a new painful crater popping up almost every day to maybe one or two every two weeks.
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(The only other changes I recently made were spritzes of hypochlorous acid after waking up or going outside, and taking a Zinc supplement after TikTok suggested that could help with acne.)The CryoGlow is excellent at fighting bacteria that causes acne and reducing redness of the ones that do exist, it doesn't really reduce acne scars or deep leftover red spots — and doesn't claim to. Those just seem to be stubborn little marks that probably require an in-office facial treatment.Does the Shark mask work on fine lines?Yes, the Shark mask made the fine lines in some areas of my face less noticeable.The needlelike presence of my forehead wrinkles had become increasingly prominent in the last few years of my 20s. Makeup was making the texture even more noticeable, especially when it began creasing after a few hours. I finally started getting occasional forehead Botox about two years ago, and let me tell you: Botox is that girl. But the baby wrinkles soon creep back in, and keeping up with it gets expensive.I'm fully convinced that the Shark CryoGlow mask was key in mellowing out my forehead lines enough to keep me out of the Botox chair for months longer than I'm "supposed" to. (For context: My last Botox appointment was five months before testing the Shark CryoGlow, and I did not get any Botox treatments while testing the mask.)
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Concealer and powder were blending so much more seamlessly than they previously did when I was overdue. There's nothing like that post-Botox forehead plumpness, but the CryoGlow provided the next best thing for me — a smoothness that no serums in targeted Instagram ads are going to achieve.Unfortunately, the CryoGlow didn't have the same blurring effect around my crow's feet. God forbid you're someone who LAUGHS.Does the Shark mask work on under eyes?I definitely think I look less like a corpse on the days when I use the CryoGlow's under-eye chill pads. This is where the "Cryo" part of the title comes in: the mask is mimics cryotherapy, which can lower inflammation of the tissue using targeted low temperatures. The chill pads can cool at three different levels of chilly during an LED session, or can be used without lights.
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The CryoGlow's de-puffing effects don't feel super long-lasting — keep in mind that this is more of an elevated ice roller routine each morning than a heavy-duty under-eye treatment. You can't expect hollowness to permanently fill out, but I can vouch for the brightening effect. At any rate, the cool metal plates feel amazing when you're a zombie in the morning.Is the Shark CryoGlow Mask worth it?Shark's face mask visibly proved its worth in my skincare routine, and I'd recommend it to just about anyone.The way my acne cleared up during the eight-week period was easily the most palpable result. I'm not saying you'll never get a pimple while using the mask, but I do think the CryoGlow's red, blue, and infrared concoction is extremely effective at mitigating the amount of acne popping up. Similarly, because its wavelengths can dig further into the skin than topical skincare, it's a more powerful tool for dulling fine lines than any retinols or retinoids I've tried. With less-dead under eyes as the cherry on top, I am glowier and more comfortable bare-faced now than I was pre-mask.The Shark CryoGlow mask may or may not be able to accomplish these exact results for everyone from scratch. It probably depends on the skin you're working with to start, and the consistency of the rest of your skincare routine. The CryoGlow is definitely a slight financial investment up front, but most people deep in skincare mode know that no route to glass skin is cheap. Plus, regular CryoGlow use could end up saving you money over time.
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Google is readying its AI Mode search tool for primetime, whether you like it or not
It sure looks like Google is prepping its controversial AI mode for primetime.This week, some Google users noticed an AI Mode button showing up instead of Google's iconic "I'm feeling lucky" button on the homepage. And today, a Mashable reporter spotted "AI Mode" appearing as an option on search results pages, alongside stalwart Google tools like News, Shopping, Images, and Videos. Notably, this reporter did not proactively sign up to participate in AI Mode through Google Labs. That suggests Google is testing the feature for select users.
AI Mode appears for select users on search results pages.
Credit: Tim Marcin / Mashable
This is what AI Mode looks like in Google Search.
Credit: Tim Marcin / Mashable
This suggests a widespread release of its AI-powered search tool is coming soon. Maybe at Google I/O next Tuesday?Google has been testing AI search features ever since OpenAI and ChatGPT started siphoning away searchers, particularly younger searchers. And that's just one of many new developments from Gemini-land.Like pretty much every other week, a lot happened in AI news this week. So, we've rounded up the biggest stories and most important AI developments in products, business, politics, and... Catholicism. Here's our recap of AI news this week. Grok's "white genocide" problem, ChatGPT learns to code, and more Gemini newsxAI's Grok chatbot went off the rails this week, responding to X users with completely unprompted musings about "'white genocide' in South Africa." The company said it was due to an "unauthorized modification" and promised to do better next time. Coincidentally, xAI leader and Grok power user Elon Musk has been repeatedly tweeting about the subject. Even OpenAI CEO Sam Altman joined the ongoing pile-on on X:
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In OpenAI's world, the company brought GPT-4.1 to ChatGPT "by popular request." Initially, it was only available through the API. Now it's available to ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Team users with Enterprise and Edu access rolling out soon and GPT-4.1 mini for free users.
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On Friday, OpenAI also launched a preview version of Codex, a coding agent for engineers. That's rolling out to ChatGPT users Pro, Enterprise, and Team subscribers. Codex is "a version of OpenAI o3 optimized for software engineering."Google held a pre-I/O event for Android news. The main takeaway there is that Google is bringing Gemini to Android operating systems in smart watches, cars, and TVs. There's probably no better fit for image-to-video generation than TikTok, and it has released a new feature that does exactly that. It's called AI Alive, and Mashable's CJ Silva says it's pretty realistic.
Credit: TikTok
Last but not least, prepare to hear a lot more AI-generated narration with your Audible books. Its parent company Amazon announced this week that it's partnered with publishers to "expand [its] catalog with AI narration."OpenAI's foreign and domestic infrastructure plans, a 10-year moratorium on state AI regulation, and AI copyright controversyThis was also a big week for artificial intelligence in politics and foreign affairs.OpenAI is reportedly already making moves on its global AI infrastructure plans. Bloomberg reports that it is "considering building new data center capacity in the United Arab Emirates." Meanwhile, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and other tech billionaires joined President Donald Trump in Saudi Arabia for a visit with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who launched a new AI company called Humain.While business schmoozing went down in the Middle East, Bloomberg also reported that OpenAI's Stargate Project to build AI infrastructure in the U.S. has run into roadblocks. Plans have reportedly been held up by Japanese investor SoftBank over tariff-related concerns.On top of that, Microsoft and OpenAI are reportedly renegotiating the terms of their partnership as OpenAI tries to restructure its for-profit business into a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC) which would still be governed by its nonprofit board, according to the Financial Times. OpenAI needs to keep Microsoft, which has invested $13 billion, happy but the increasingly competing interest has reportedly created tension between the companies.In the public sector, House Republicans proposed a ten-year moratorium on states introducing their own AI regulations, 404 Media reports. This language was nestled in the Budget Reconciliation bill. Don't Republicans like states' rights? We're confused too. Speaking of AI regulation under the Trump Administration, the U.S. Copyright Office published a "pre-publication version" of part three of its highly anticipated AI copyright report last week, which generally favored copyright holders over AI companies claiming fair use. The very next day Trump, fired Copyright Office head Shira Perlmutter. That hasn't stopped plaintiffs in the Kadrey v. Meta from using it as a weapon against Meta, as Mashable first reported.What does the new pope have to say about AI?A lot, actually. Pope Leo XIV said AI posed "new challenges for humanity in his first address to the College of Cardinals. And his name choice pays tribute to Pope Leo XIII who presided over the Catholic Church during the Industrial Revolution and advocated for workers rights and social reform. Sensing myself called to continue in this same path, I chose to take the name Leo XIV. There are different reasons for this, but mainly because Pope Leo XIII in his historic Encyclical Rerum Novarum addressed the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution. In our own day, the Church offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defence of human dignity, justice and labour.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.
NASA just performed a miracle save for its farthest spacecraft
NASA engineers have brought a set of obsolete thrusters back from the dead on the Voyager 1 probe, just before losing their ability to talk to the aging spacecraft. Over a half-century, Voyager 1 has sprinted about 38,000 mph and become the farthest human-made object, crossing into interstellar space. For the past two decades of its journey, the spacecraft has come to rely on a special set of backup thrusters that are designed to control its roll motion. But those backups have begun to clog with gunk, and no one is sure how much longer they'll last — perhaps mere months. Meanwhile, a powerful antenna in Australia — the only one capable of sending instructions to Voyager 1 now 15.5 billion miles from Earth — was about to go offline for critical upgrades. NASA feared if those backups failed during the monthslong blackout, the team would forever lose their fragile link to the spacecraft. So engineers crafted a risky plan to attempt a resurrection of the primary roll thrusters that the team had all but given up on in 2004. Those small engines help spin the spacecraft just enough to keep it pointed at a guide star for orientation. Without them, Voyager 1 would be as good as gone. "At that time, the team was OK with accepting that the primary roll thrusters didn’t work, because they had a perfectly good backup," said Kareem Badaruddin, Voyager mission manager, in a statement. "And, frankly, they probably didn’t think the Voyagers were going to keep going for another 20 years."
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Voyager 1 launched from Earth in 1977 and is the farthest human-made object in space.
Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech
Both Voyager 1 and its twin, Voyager 2, have far outlived their original life expectancy. Launched in 1977, the pair was originally intended to study Jupiter and Saturn, their moons, and Saturn's rings. For the two-planet journey, they were built to operate for just five years.After their initial success, engineers doubled their objectives to include two more giant planets, Uranus and Neptune. Between the two spacecraft, they've explored four planets, 48 moons, and a host of planetary magnetic fields and rings. Now they're in the cold, uncharted abyss.In August 2012, Voyager 1 made history as it entered interstellar space, the region between stars, filled with material ejected by other stars that died millions of years ago. Voyager 1 and 2 are the only spacecraft ever to fly outside of the heliosphere, the region of space affected by the sun's constant flow of radiation and particles.But after 48 years hurtling through the unknown, their systems are wearing down. The primary roll thrusters stopped working 21 years ago, after losing power in two small internal heaters. Engineers at the time thought that meant they were inoperable. "That was a legitimate conclusion," said Todd Barber, the mission’s propulsion lead, in a statement. "It’s just that one of our engineers had this insight that maybe there was this other possible cause and it was fixable."
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The team pondered whether a disruption in the heaters' circuits had essentially flipped a switch to an off position. If they could turn it back, the heaters might work again. To try it, the team would have to turn on the broken thrusters, then try to restart the heaters. If, during that time, the spacecraft drifted too far off course, the broken thrusters would automatically fire, due to their programming. The danger there would be if the heaters were still not working, they could trigger a small explosion.But within 20 minutes of attempting the fix, the team saw the heaters' temperature rise dramatically, signaling success. "It was such a glorious moment. Team morale was very high that day," Barber said. "It was yet another miracle save for Voyager.”
A radio antenna at the Deep Space Network's Canberra facility in Australia is the only dish that can send commands to the Voyager spacecraft.
Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech
As of May 4, the Australian antenna — part of NASA’s Deep Space Network, a system of three enormous radio dish arrays on Earth — is offline. It'll remain dark until February 2026, with only brief periods of operation in August and December. The antenna upgrades are necessary for Artemis astronaut moon landings and will increase communication capacity for deep space robotic missions, said Suzanne Dodd, who oversees Voyager and the Deep Space Network.Voyager 1 is so far away, it takes 23 hours for a command to reach the spacecraft, and another 23 hours for mission control to hear back from it. NASA has previously said the Voyagers generate about 4 fewer watts of power annually, limiting the number of systems the spacecraft can use. The teams have occasionally turned off equipment to conserve power. NASA says the goal is to keep the two missions afloat beyond 2025.
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Investing feels less scary with this $55 AI-powered platform
TL;DR: Sterling Stock Picker gives you lifetime access to smart stock picks, portfolio tools, and your own AI financial coach—for just $55.19.I was watching the first of the month’s market crashes and wondered, ‘Does it make sense to invest right now?’ I’d always been curious about the stock market, at least in terms of how people actually got rich by practically gambling, but I didn’t have a single clue where to begin, let alone how to even buy a stock.Once I saw a TikTok calling this period a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (take that with a grain of salt), I decided to take my chance. But I needed help researching everything: what stocks to choose and how to track them. That’s when I found Sterling Stock Picker and made my first investment with their $55.19 lifetime subscription (reg. $486).How I invested my first dollarMy biggest concern wasn’t that the market wouldn’t eventually recover, but that I would choose ‘bad’ stocks due to my lack of experience. Sterling Stock Picker helped me feel calm with the 5-minute questionnaire covering my wants and ability to handle risk.Then, I started researching stocks with help from AI. I also learned about something called exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which are like groups of stocks. I didn’t know what these were at first, so I consulted the AI assistant, Finley AI, and it told me that it’s like putting a stake into a huge nest of companies at once rather than individually.Once I selected a few ETFs to invest in, I opened a free brokerage account (sadly, you can’t directly invest through Sterling Stock Picker). I purchased my shares and put the information into Sterling Stock Picker so I could view my portfolio with fun graphs and charts and get alerts when prices change—which may help me determine when to sell.How it’s goingWell, it’s only been a few days since I’ve made my investments and, if you’ve been keeping up with the news, things have been up and down. One day, my $1,000 portfolio was up $100, and the next, it was down $20. As a total beginner, I won’t offer any formal advice to you other than to do your research and be well-informed, and Sterling Stock Picker is a great tool to do just that.Get a Sterling Stock Picker lifetime subscription for $55.19 (reg. $486) with code SAVE20 through June 1.StackSocial prices subject to change.
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Stop taking notes — this $40 AI tool does it for you for life
TL;DR: Change the way you take notes forever with a lifetime subscription to My Notes AI Pro Plan, now just $39.99 (reg. $299).It’s 2025, and now there’s no need to take your own notes — there’s an app for that. AI can now do it for you with My Notes AI, your very own note-taking assistant. And right now you can employ it forever with a lifetime subscription to their Pro Plan for just $39.99 (reg. $299)Outsource your note-taking to AIWhether you’re in school and taking notes during lectures or you’re always jotting down action items from work meetings, My Notes AI can transcribe it all and then provide you with a summary without ever having to write a word. You don’t even have to be physically present — it also works with Zoom, Google Meet, or Teams meetings, or you can upload an audio file.You’ll never again waste time trying to decipher what you wrote. My Notes AI can take all your notes and turn transcriptions into helpful summaries. It even breaks it down into specific action items, so you know exactly what you’re responsible for afterward.Need to share your notes with someone? Exporting the transcriptions is easy, and you can use My Notes AI’s organizational tools to save them by topic, date, or project, for easy access later.My Notes AI has a user-friendly interface, and you can use it on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. This lifetime subscription provides everything mentioned above, but if you need more, you can also unlock premium features such as unlimited transcription, meeting recordings, instant AI summaries, and extra organizational tools.Let AI take your notes with a lifetime subscription to My Notes AI Pro Plan, now just $39.99 (reg. $299).StackSocial prices subject to change.
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