SAVE $220: As of June 15, the Amazon Fire TV 55-inch Omni is on sale for $279.99 at Amazon. That's a 44% discount on the list price. Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire TV 55-Inch Omni $279.99 at Amazon $499.99 Save $220   Get Deal Looking for a new TV to watch the rest of the World Cup in high definition? Meet the Amazon Fire TV 55-inch Omni. As of June 15, it's currently on sale for $279.99. Normally priced at $499.99, that's more than $200 in savings and its best-ever price.This TV benefits from 4K Quantum Dot quality, so everything you watch has richer color, from movies to live sports. It's also supported by advanced HDR including Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive, with additional HDR10 and HLG compatibility. It even features Adaptive Brightness, which uses a built-in sensor to automatically adjust picture brightness based on the lighting in the room. Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up! This TV also has the Fire TV Ambient Experience. This means you can transform the screen to display artwork or personal photos when the TV is not in use. And with Fire TV, you'll get access to streaming content through apps such as Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and more.You can also connect other Amazon devices with the Alexa Home Theater function. Pair Echo speakers or other soundbars to create bigger, more surround sound.Head to Amazon to score this TV deal.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you follow astrology.Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you. SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common. 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. SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for June 15, 2026 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: EnergyGreen: GNOBlue: AstrologyPurple: FloraMeet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet todayHere are today's Connections categoriesNeed a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:Yellow: Staying powerGreen: Get ready for a night outBlue: Chinese Zodiac animalsPurple: FlowersLooking 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 #1100 is...What is the answer to Connections todayStaying power: LEGS, MOMENTUM, STAMINA, TRACTIONGet ready for a night out: ACCESSORIZE, CHANGE, PRIMP, SHOWERChinese Zodiac animals: DOG, DRAGON, HORSE, SNAKEFlowers: ANEMONE, LARKSPUR, MONKSHOOD, PHLOXDon't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints. SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for June 15, 2026 Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

SAVE OVER $300: As of June 15, the Anker Solix C1000 is on sale for $449.99 at Amazon. That's a 44% discount on the list price. Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Anker Solix C1000 $449.99 at Amazon $799 Save $349.01   Get Deal Looking for a portable power station at a great price? As of June 15, the Anker Solix C1000 is back on sale at Amazon. If you've been wanting to upgrade, now is a pretty good time to do it. Normally priced at $799, this unit is currently down to $449.99, saving you just shy of $350. This power station has a 1,024Wh capacity with a 2,000W output and 3,000W peak, and it's capable of powering up to 10 devices at once. It supports ultra-fast recharging in 49 minutes using 1,600W HyperFlash technology via the Anker app, and can also be solar charged in around 1.8 hours with up to 600W input (solar panels are sold separately). Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up! It's also designed to be compact and portable, with Anker stating that it is 14% smaller and 11% lighter than comparable models, so it's a lightweight option to carry around the home or to take with you on camping vacations. For longevity, it uses InfiniPower technology with the battery retaining at least 80% capacity after 4,000 cycles. This translates to around 10 years of use.Head to Amazon to score this portable power station deal now.

TL;DR: A deal that’s selling fast on Amazon, Magic: The Gathering’s Jumpstart Booster Box from the Avatar: The Last Airbender expansion is now only $73.70 on Amazon. Opens in a new window Credit: Magic: The Gathering Magic: The Gathering Avatar The Last Airbender Jumpstart Booster Box $73.70 at Amazon $91.99 Save $18.29 Get Deal In the steady build-up to Prime Day, Amazon is delivering some all-time trading card deals, including Magic: The Gathering expansions like the Avatar: The Last Airbender series.As of June 15, the Magic: The Gathering Avatar The Last Airbender Jumpstart Booster Box is on sale at Amazon for $73.70. That’s 20% off its typical $91.99 price, and the lowest price we’ve seen for the 24-pack display box — confirmed with price tracker camelcamelcamel. This also greatly undercuts the Avatar Jumpstart Booster Box’s market price of $81.72 on TCGplayer.Although this is being shipped and sold by Amazon (meaning no third-party sellers), there is no return option for this Jumpstart Box — unlike other products usually sold directly by the retailer. That said, the value you get with this price is still well worth pulling the trigger. Not only can you get free delivery as soon as June 16 if you’re a Prime member (at the time of writing, or June 20 if you’re not a Prime member), but you’ll also only be paying the equivalent of $3.07 per pack.  Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up! In each of those 24 MTG packs, these Avatar: The Last Airbender Boosters contain 20 cards. Compared to other types of boosters, Jumpstart Boosters are an amazing way to start playing the game as soon as possible: grab two boosters, shuffle them together, and you’ve got an instant deck with the land cards already included. There are 46 Avatar: The Last Airbender themes to find across these packs, built around the show’s characters, scenes, and elemental flavor. This makes the box especially useful if you’re buying for casual play, teaching someone Magic, or just want a fast way to mix Avatar decks without building from scratch.Among other MTG deals available right now, you can also buy the 30-pack Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Play Booster Box at over $10 off. You can also score the Magic: The Gathering Foundations Jumpstart Booster Display Box on sale for under $100 at Amazon. 

TL;DR: Live stream Spain vs. Cape Verde in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free on ITVX. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.Spain are one of the favorites to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They will be expected to progress from Group H with ease. Sure, Uruguay are tough opposition, but Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde will need to do something special to get anything from the Euro 2024 winners.Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams are not likely to feature at this stage, with both returning from injuries recently. It's not like Spain are short of top-quality replacements. It's going to be an exceptionally tough matchup for Cape Verde, but anything is possible in the World Cup.If you want to watch Spain vs. Cape Verde in the 2026 FIFA World Cup from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.When is Spain vs. Cape Verde?Spain vs. Cape Verde in the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off at 12 p.m. ET on June 15. This fixture takes place at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.How to watch Spain vs. Cape Verde for freeSpain vs. Cape Verde in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is available to live stream for free on ITVX.ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock ITVX to live stream the 2026 World Cup for free from anywhere in the world.Live stream Spain vs. Cape Verde 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 ITVXWatch Spain vs. Cape Verde for free from anywhere in the world Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the 2026 World Cup without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Spain vs. Cape Verde (plus more World Cup fixtures) before recovering your investment.If you want to retain permanent access to the best free streaming services from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.What is the best VPN for ITVX?ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on ITVX, 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 10 simultaneous connections30-day money-back guaranteeA two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).Live stream Spain vs. Cape Verde in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free with ExpressVPN.

With Apple's WWDC behind us and the first iOS 27 developer beta out, you'd think that we now know about all of the major features that are coming to Apple's mobile platform when it properly launches this fall. However, there still may be several pretty major, yet-to-be officially announced features that are on the way. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, one of these is a simplified Modular Ultra watch face for Apple Watch. The Modular Ultra is a high-tech, snazzy watch face that's exclusive to the Apple Watch Ultra, so getting even some sort of simplified version on the other Apple Watch variants would be pretty cool. Apparently, the simplified variant will have one fewer row of customizable complications than the version on Apple Watch Ultra. Another feature that Apple hasn't announced at WWDC, despite rumors that it's coming, is a customizable Camera app. As is, the Camera app does come with a new Siri mode, but Gurman previously said Apple would include the option to customize the interface with widgets. Finally, Apple was rumored to add third-party chatbots to Siri, but only ChatGPT made the grade in the iOS 27 developer beta. Gurman claims that other models, including Gemini and Claude, might still make an appearance come fall. SEE ALSO: The latest iPhone Fold rumors, leaks, and renders: Everything we know so far We've checked the latest developer betas for iOS 27 and watchOS 27, and none of these features are available right now. Gurman isn't sure why Apple decided to leave them out, but he's pretty confident that the company will include them once the new iPhones and Apple Watch devices launch, likely in September.

Knicks fever remains sky high this week with the NBA Champions set to take over The Tonight Show.Following a historic win that essentially broke the internet, the New York Knicks will join Jimmy Fallon for a special episode on Monday night. In a press statement, Fallon called it "a booking 53 years in the making." SEE ALSO: Social media reacts to Knicks' storybook NBA Finals win After 53 years, the Knicks won their first NBA championship since 1973 on Saturday night, beating the San Antonio Spurs. Following alleged curses and one hell of a comeback, the Knicks sealed their Game 5 victory 94-90, prompting celebrations in the streets of New York City and across social media. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. On Monday night, the entire Knicks team will appear on The Tonight Show, with NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges set to be interviewed by Fallon. Knicks head coach Mike Brown and the Knicks City Dancers will also join the show.To seal the celebrations, New York icons Wu-Tang Clan will perform on the episode.Tickets to the Knicks Tonight Show special have already been allocated to "Knicks fans who were unable to attend the Finals in person," according to a press release. Guests previously locked in for the June 15 Tonight Show — Lin-Manuel Miranda, Britt Lower, Rhett and Link, and Zarna Garg, per Variety — will be moved to another date. The Tonight Show Knicks special will air Monday, June 15 at 11:35 p.m. ET on NBC, and will be streaming Tuesday on Peacock. Featured Video For You Why everyone online wants to live like Dua Lipa

SAVE $250: As of June 15, the Breville Barista Touch is on sale for $749.95 at Amazon. That's 25% off the list price. Opens in a new window Credit: Breville Breville Barista Touch $749.95 at Amazon $999.95 Save $250   Get Deal Prime Day is just over a week away, but early deals have already started trickling in. And if you take your coffee seriously, you'll love this deal on the Breville Barista Touch. As of June 15, it's dropped in price by $250, bringing the price down to $749.95. According to camelcamelcamel, this is its lowest price since the end of 2025.If coffee making is an art for you, this machine is your ideal model. It comes with dose control grinding with a precision conical burr grinder that automatically delivers the right amount of coffee. It uses a low pressure pre-infusion to gradually increase pressure at the start of extraction to help achieve balanced flavor, while the digital temperature control ensures water is delivered at the correct temperature for optimal espresso extraction. Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up! The ThermoJet heating system reaches the ideal extraction temperature in around three seconds (perfect for quick coffees before heading out the door in the morning), and an automatic steam wand lets you make all your favorite milky coffees, from lattes to cappuccinos. There's even a touchscreen display that makes the process nice and easy, simplifying it into three steps: grind, brew, and milk. It also lets you adjust the strength of coffee, the milk texture and the temperature, and you can save up to eight personalized drinks so that all you have to do is press a button for your drink of choice. Get this coffee machine deal from Amazon now.

SAVE $22: As of June 15, the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select is on sale for $17.99 at Amazon. That's a 55% discount on the list price. Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire Stick 4K Select $17.99 at Amazon $39.99 Save $22.00   Get Deal Looking for an early Prime Day deal on streaming? Well as of June 15, the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select has dropped to its lowest-ever price, saving you over $20. With this Fire TV Stick, you'll get streaming in 4K Ultra HD with HDR10+, as well as access to a huge range of streaming services like Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+, and more. Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up! Setup is simple too, and you'll only need a connection to the TV and WiFi network. You plug the Fire Stick into your TV's HDMI port, then power this via a wall outlet. Connect the device to your internet network and that's it, your TV is now able to stream from the Fire TV platform. It also comes with an Alexa Voice Remote that allows you to search for and launch content using voice commands. Plus, this remote will become the single control for your TV, letting you power on and off and change the volume.For gamers, this Fire Stick also supports Xbox cloud gaming through Xbox Game Pass, allowing you to stream supported games directly to your TV when paired with a compatible controller and subscription.Get this Fire TV Stick deal from Amazon now.

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. SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: How to play Pips, the newest NYT game Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Monday, June 15, 2026:AcrossPostponed, with "off"The answer is Put.Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet todayMini-golf strokeThe answer is Putt.Silly ___ (classic toy)The answer is Putty.Syndicate of drug dealersThe answer is Cartel."Inside Out" emotion whose head bursts into flameThe answer is AngerCorona or CoorsThe answer is Beer.DownAimlessly spend time around the houseThe answer is Putter.SayThe answer is Utter.Texter's sign-offThe answer is TTYL.Completely get rid ofThe answer is Purge.Window sectionThe answer is Pane.Alternative to the subwayThe answer is Cab.If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.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.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you can get through anything.Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically. SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace. SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for June 15, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Moving mountainsThe words are related to trials and tribulations.Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explainedThese words describe getting through obstacles.NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet todayNYT Strands spangram answer todayToday's spangram is You've Got This.NYT Strands word list for June 15VanquishSurmountOvercomeYou've Got ThisQuashConquerLooking 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.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're a good cook.If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you. SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for June 15, 2026 Where did Wordle come from?Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.What's the best Wordle starting word?The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.What happened to the Wordle archive?The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers. Is Wordle getting harder?It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though. SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for June 15, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:An oven setting.Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?There are no recurring letters.Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet todayToday's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...Today's Wordle starts with the letter B. SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.Drumroll please!The solution to today's Wordle is...BROILDon't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints. Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.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.

An advertiser paid for editorial consideration of this deal. Our editorial experts vetted the deal using their independent expertise. Because we determined that the deal will save money for the consumer, we wrote the content.TL;DR: As of June 15, Proton Pass is offering the first month of its Pass Plus plan for just $1, before going back up to $4.99 per month. This exclusive deal only lasts until Aug. 31. Opens in a new window Credit: Proton Proton Pass Plus $1 at Proton $4.99 Save $3.99   Get Deal Online security is an important thing to keep in mind if you're someone who spends a lot of time on the internet. Passwords, in particular, are always worth your attention, as they can be an easy cracking point if you're not too careful. If keeping track of all of your different logins feels like it's taking up too much space in your brain, a password manager comes in handy. Proton even offers a premium version through its Pass Plus plan that includes some valuable extras, and you can sign up for your first month right now for just $1.Normally the Pass Plus plan is $4.99 per month, which it will go back to after this first month, but this is an excellent opportunity to test out the service for a month for just $1 and see if it works for you. The offer only lasts until Aug. 31, so be quick to jump on it. Alongside keeping your passwords sorted, it's stacked with additional security features to help keep some of your online activity protected. SEE ALSO: The best antivirus software for keeping your Mac or PC protected With Proton Pass Plus, you'll get to enjoy advanced privacy and security features like integrated 2FA authentication, dark web monitoring for keeping an eye out if your personal information has been leaked, secure password sharing, unlimited hide-my-email aliases, and more. Plus, all of your passwords and information are protected with end-to-end encryption under Swiss privacy laws.In general, we think very highly of Proton. They currently sit as our top VPN pick, with Mashable's Haley Henschel writing that it's "the most privacy-forward VPN I've tried, with open-source apps, a no-logs policy that's held up in court, and a history of supporting digital freedom efforts." So why not give their password manager a try?Enjoy your first month of the Proton Pass Plus plan for just $1.Want to learn more about getting the best out of your tech? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories and Deals newsletters today.

The UK has become the latest country to announce a social media ban for children under the age of 16.Last week it was Canada, six months earlier it was Australia, and on Monday the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology confirmed that social media companies will soon be blocked from allowing under-16s to use their services. SEE ALSO: Canada to ban social media for kids under 16 Platforms on the ban list include TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and X. The government is also planning to block livestreaming and "stranger communications" for under 16s. Messaging services like WhatsApp will not be included in the ban."This is a line in the sand," UK prime minister Keir Starmer said in a statement. "Tech giants had their chance and failed, but we’re stepping in to protect children, back parents and set a new normal for future generations."The government is planning to use the same age assurance criteria that it introduced in 2025 with its age verification law on pornography. This means that social media platforms will be required to use things like "open banking, photo ID matching, facial age estimation, mobile network operator age checks, credit card checks, digital identity services and email-based age estimation" to ensure a user meets the required age. The government is saying their plan has the backing of 9 in 10 parents, but its worth noting that online age verification is a complicated topic that draws its own criticisms.As for when this ban will come into effect, according to the announcement the first set of regulations could come into effect in spring 2027.

Enemies-to-lovers is a common and often hot romance trope. But what if what makes you enemies is your love? Being raised queer and religious can be a minefield, as all your worth and goodness might be cast aside by your community because of who you desire. In such homophobic settings, queer people are told we must deny our desires or risk being ostracized, attacked, and damned. The new Australian horror movie Leviticus explores the agony of this experience through a supernatural horror story that thunders over a tale of first love. Australian writer/director Adrian Chiarella makes his sensational feature directorial debut with Leviticus, a title that refers to a book of the Bible in which homosexuality is declared an "abomination." However, rather than being a film that condemns the queer boys at its center, Leviticus empathizes with their yearning and the terror caused by the parents who should love them. Brewed with equal parts desire and dread, this Australian horror thriller explores how homophobia can be the real monster in the closet. Leviticus is a possession tale with a unique twist.  Joe Bird and Stacy Clausen star as two boys in love and trauma in "Leviticus." Credit: NEON Talk to Me's Joe Bird stars as Naim, a high school boy who's new to a town that's quiet, conservative, and deeply Christian. He has no friends, and is intrigued when a beautiful, curly-haired blonde boy named Ryan (Stacy Clausen) invites him to hang out. And before the afternoon is over, they've flirted, wrestled, and made out on the floor of an abandoned mill. Heated Rivalry fans will note a similar dynamic to Ilya and Shane, minus the hockey rivalry. Like Ilya, Ryan is cocky, showing his interest through playful barbs, and even some physical aggression. Similar to Shane, brunette Naim is excited by this muscled blonde's attention, even if he's not ready to recognize what that excitement might mean. But where the wildly popular TV show has being outed as a storm cloud that resolves relatively brightly, Leviticus goes dark, pitting the boys against each other. It all begins with a "deliverance healer," called to exorcise the evil out of the queer members of the church. The conversion ceremony is first conducted on Ryan and another boy. But before long, Naim is also subjected to this strange ritual. From then on, he is followed by a mysterious creature that looks and sounds like Ryan. But if they give into their desire for each other with a kiss, this Ryan lashes out, violently assaulting Naim. And he soon learns Ryan is being stalked by a doppelganger of Naim. In both cases, no one else can see their seductive assailants. No one — not the cops nor Naim's recently widowed mother (producer Mia Wasikowska) — believes him as he seeks salvation from this seeming demon. Leviticus awes with its ambiguity, but is ruthlessly scary.   Tyallah Bullock plays Marnie in "Leviticus." Credit: NEON Surely, horror fans will point to It Follows as an inspiration point, as that film also dealt with a strange, stalking demon who is passed on by sexual contact. Both films certainly reflect the fear of sex and death common in horror. But where It Follows uses nude bodies to shock and repulse its audience, Leviticus only shows how Naim sees the demon — as Ryan, a handsome boy with lust in his eyes. This perspective urges audiences to understand what it is to look upon someone and both desire and fear them. This clever creature has no tells that suggest he is not Ryan, until he attacks. "This is what they wanted," the real Ryan seethes, "us to be scared of each other." And in this, Leviticus reveals its aching heart. Here are two boys falling in love. But their story becomes a nightmare, not because of wicked desires but because of a viciously conformative community that would rather see them dead than queer and happy. This revelation makes all the scenes that follow not just frightening but also stomach-churning. Naim desperately wants to reconnect to Ryan, the only person in this "shithole" who sees him for who he is and accepts him as he is. But because of this ritual, he can never be sure it's Ryan's eyes he's looking into or his kiss he's accepting, until the possibility of violence arises. By focusing on Naim's perspective exclusively, we too can't be certain of what's real. And one particular jump scare — which had me full-throated screaming — suggests that isolation is no answer either. But what to do when your community and your family reject you? This place is both home and not home. Chiarella reflects that through elegant choices in sight and sound. Cinematographer Tyson Perkins paints this small town in pale but warm hues of pinks, blues, and golds. This does not seem the kind of place where a teen boy would be ripped to pieces with a shrug from the community. But it is. Here, the score by Jed Kurzel bolsters this shudder-inducing truth, giving an eerie echo of percussion that sounds like a racing heart, running down a long, endless hallway. And yet…Leviticus is defiant in its queer joy, despite the bleak setup.  Joe Bird and Stacy Clausen star as two boys in love and trauma in "Leviticus." Credit: NEON While Chiarella's script does follow the supernatural horror trope of having his heroes try to chase down a solution to best their monster, Leviticus is not really about that quest. At its core, it's about Naim and Ryan and what they will choose. There is no ceremony that will magically convert their parents to compassion. If they can't fare better with a mysterious demon, what path is left? Some might be frustrated with Chiarella's answer. But I found it awesome. Leviticus won't give an easy answer, just as it won't lay out simple rules of how this vicious monster operates. The movie never even declares it a demon. But based on genre tropes and my own Catholic upbringing, I'm calling it a demon. Instead, Leviticus relies not so much on rules or rituals to build its world and message, but on the performances of Bird and Clausen. As in Talk to Me, Bird has a riveting vulnerability onscreen. Here, his eyes flicker with lust, fear, jealousy, and bliss. His slightness compared to Ryan makes him seem fragile, whether he's risking a kiss or running for his life. He is alive, and how could an audience not fall under the skin of his experience, getting goose bumps in arousal and horror right alongside him?  Joe Bird in "Leviticus." Credit: NEON As to Clausen, he has two roles, Ryan and the demon version of Ryan. The former is mercurial, code-switching at school to perform hetero masculinity, even as he steals a glance at his crush. When they are alone, mischief sparkles in his eyes, then joy. His self-assuredness is an invitation for Naim to join him, which makes the demon wearing his face and openness as a mask all the more harrowing. This version of Ryan switches seamlessly from provocative lover to dead-eyed terror. When idle, the demon Ryan evokes Michael Myers in his Halloween mask, standing on a once-quaint lawn. When he attacks, his smile vanishes into a ruthless sneer or an inhuman wail. And each time, I felt my breath catch in my throat, until I finally let loose a scream so loud it alarmed even me. All this is to say that Leviticus is a religious horror movie about being queer, but one that, despite its demon, does not demonize queerness. Nor does this thriller drown in the bleakness of religious trauma. Instead, Chiarella expertly coaches his cast to plunge into the depths of such pain, so that their characters can surface gasping for air. And because he does so with such immersive intensity, we're left gasping too. Supremely suspenseful, smartly done, and ultimately rebellious, Leviticus is an absolute stunner. Leviticus opens in theaters on June 19. 

TL;DR: Live stream Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free on ITVX. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.Group H in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is likely to be dominated by Spain and Uruguay, but don't count out Saudi Arabia. In this expanded tournament, the eight best third-placed teams will progress to the knockouts rounds. That very much opens the door to Saudi Arabia.Uruguay will be relying on star names likes Federico Valverde, Manuel Ugarte, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Darwin Nunez. That's the sort of talent that could take Marcelo Bielsa's side into the latter stages.If you want to watch Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay in the 2026 FIFA World Cup from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.When is Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay?Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay in the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off at 6 p.m. ET on June 15. This fixture takes place at the Hard Rock Stadium.How to watch Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay for freeSaudi Arabia vs. Uruguay in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is available to live stream for free on ITVX.ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock ITVX to live stream the 2026 World Cup for free from anywhere in the world.Live stream Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay 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 ITVXWatch Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay for free from anywhere in the world Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the 2026 World Cup without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay (plus more World Cup fixtures) before recovering your investment.If you want to retain permanent access to the best free streaming services from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.What is the best VPN for ITVX?ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on ITVX, 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 10 simultaneous connections30-day money-back guaranteeA two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).Live stream Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay in the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free with ExpressVPN.

The 2026 World Cup is very much up and running. The group stage has only just started, but it already feels like we've been treated to some epic clashes between star-studded teams. And the atmosphere in the stadiums has been great, despite the heat.Today, June 15, is another huge day with four matchups in the U.S.. The action starts at 12 p.m. ET. The schedule is hectic and it can feel overwhelming, so we've broken down the details for you below. Here's what you need to know to tune in live today.FIFA World Cup schedule today: June 15Group H: Spain vs. Cape Verde (Atlanta Stadium) — kickoff at 12 p.m. ETGroup G: Belgium vs. Egypt (Seattle Stadium) — kickoff at 3 p.m. ETGroup H: Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay (Miami Stadium) — kickoff at 6 p.m. ETGroup G: Iran vs. New Zealand (Los Angeles Stadium) — kickoff at 9 p.m. ETHow to livestream FIFA World Cup games todayWatch Spain vs. Cape VerdeSpain are one of the favorites to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They will be expected to progress from Group H with ease, but they'll be anxious to start well against a Cape Verde side. Kickoff is at 12 p.m. ET, and live coverage will be on Fox and Fox One. Peacock will carry the live Spanish-language coverage.Watch Belgium vs. EgyptThese sides are probably favorites to progress from Group G, but only one team can finish top. We're expecting a real battle. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. ET, and coverage will be on Fox and Fox One, with Spanish-language coverage on Peacock.Watch Saudi Arabia vs. UruguayUruguay will be favorites to win this one, but don't count out Saudi Arabia just yet. This matchup kicks off at 6 p.m. ET and live coverage will be on FS1 and Fox One. Spanish-language coverage will be streaming on Peacock.Watch Iran vs. New ZealandOK, this isn't the most exciting matchup on paper, but this game is vital. Belgium and Egypt are favorites in this group, so a defeat here would be disastrous for these teams. Kickoff is set for 9 p.m ET, and live coverage is on FS1 and Fox One, with Spanish-language coverage on Peacock. Opens in a new window Credit: Fox One Fox One (3-Month Subscription) $39.98 $59.97 Save $19.99   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Peacock Peacock (Spanish Language) Starting at $10.99/month Get Deal More live streaming optionsLive TV cable replacementNot interested in signing up for a standalone streaming service like Fox One or Peacock? You can sign up for a live TV cable replacement service, like YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV. These services carry over 100 live channels, but run off a WiFi connection. You'll get live access to Fox and FS1, plus a whole lot more. Here are some options to consider:YouTube TV — 10-day trial, then $67.99/month for 3 monthsFubo Sports — 1-day trial, then $45.99/month for 1 monthHulu + Live TV — 3-day trial, then $89.99/monthWatch the World Cup for free with a VPNIt's possible to watch the World Cup for free on international services like ITVX, BBC iPlayer, NOS, or RTÉ. You just need a VPN.We recommend ExpressVPN — a Mashable-tested service and an Official Tournament Supporter of the FIFA World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Europe — as our VPN of choice for sport. It offers servers in 105 countries, a user-friendly app available on all major devices, a speedy connection, up to 10 simultaneous connections, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Our global World Cup watch guide can walk you through the process. Opens in a new window Credit: ExpresVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

EV manufacturer XPENG will begin the global rollout of its VLA 2.0 autonomous driving system next year, the AI-powered model marking an important step in the company's efforts to develop driverless cars. Unfortunately, this tech won't be arriving in the U.S., with high tariffs continuing to keep the Chinese automakers out of the country. SEE ALSO: Chinese EVs are spreading across the globe, but not in the U.S. Yet despite this, XPENG continues to maintain its Silicon Valley R&D centre, as well as develop its tech to account for U.S. drivers. Speaking to Mashable, XPENG's General Intelligence Center head Dr. Xianming Liu explained that, while it isn't in the U.S. market and doesn't test its cars in the country, having an R&D centre there remains invaluable for ensuring it's familiar with driving habits and conditions across the world."We need to make sure we and our R&D team understand the regulations, the traffic rules, but also the customer needs or customer habits. Once you have people locally drive [their cars] every day in Europe, in the U.S., you will know what people will like," said Liu. "How people are using [their cars] and how the regulations are different. I mean, the traffic rules are different, the traffic signs, everything is different."XPENG has also established an R&D centre in Munich, Germany, Liu telling Mashable that each of these locations offer the company specific individual advantages. While Silicon Valley has a lot of talent and innovation, Germany excels at manufacturing and is home to several successful automotive companies. By conducting R&D in these areas, XPENG aims to both utilise and learn from these resources."Once you have an R&D centre in all the areas of the world, you can combine all the talent, all the thoughts together, and you can just make sure everyone is complementary to each other," said Liu.EVs: the future of the automotive industry XPENG showed off the technology in its cars at the Beijing Auto Show. Credit: XPENG This includes tapping into China's resources as well. Like the San Francisco Bay Area, Liu stated that there's an abundance of talent in China's Greater Bay Area, including in Guangzhou where XPENG is headquartered. The widespread acceptance of EVs in China certainly helps autonomous car development in the region as well."We have people, we have freedom, we have flexibility to build the innovations," said Liu, speaking on the advantages of their Chinese R&D centre. "But also in China, the application of the AI system is pretty fast… People accept the concept of AI, accept the concept of [autonomous] driving, and also are willing to use it. So this gives us big room to keep iterating on the product."Over half of all new cars sold in China are New Energy Vehicles (NEV), meaning that they are primarily or entirely powered by electricity. This April, that number rose above 60 percent. China isn't the only country embracing EVs either, with global electric car sales rising by over 25 percent in 2024. Almost all new cars sold in Norway during 2025 were EVs, while regions such as Latin America and Africa saw EV adoption double. In comparison, U.S. EV uptake has slowed significantly over the past two years, although they still account for approximately 10 percent of new car sales in the country."The new energy revolution is changing the world," said Liu. "It's not only happening in the U.S., not only in China, but also in other countries. South America, Central America, and even Europe, South Asia. So we will see the number keep increasing. And this can be very beneficial to the economy and also to the environment."These aren't the only advantages to widespread EV adoption. Liu also explained that NEVs have better compatibility with autonomous driving systems than traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) cars."The New Energy Vehicle is more suitable for intelligent car systems or smart driving because the control chain is shorter," Liu said. "The signal is an electric signal instead of the power train using the gas."As such, it is far simpler to develop a fully autonomous EV than an ICE vehicle. If fully self-driving cars are to not only become a reality, but tech that is commonplace, it will require people —  and governments — to embrace electric cars first.Creating a safe self-driving car Autonomous driving systems are better suited to EVs than traditional combustion engine cars. Credit: XPENG Liu previously worked at U.S. self-driving car company Cruise, a subsidiary of General Motors. When asked to compare development approaches in the U.S. and China's autonomous car industries, he said he found them to be the same: with safety as paramount. "One underlying principle or philosophy that is not changing across different areas is safety," said Liu. "That's the first principle. No matter where you're working at, no matter U.S., Europe, or China, or even Southeast Asia, the problem is the same."Secondary to this is to ensure the car feels safe as well, offering a smooth, comfortable experience that drivers can enjoy with peace of mind. "We have four axes to evaluate our system. We call it CCES: comfort, compliance, efficiency, and safety," said Liu. "So you can make sure the car is safe enough, but a lot of hard breaks [are] just not [comfortable]."For Liu, controlling the car's speed is key to ensuring both safety and comfort. To deliver this, XPENG trains its VLA 2.0 autonomous driving model to identify and adjust to real-time road conditions, as well as recognise road marks and signs, rather than rely on map data to determine the car's behaviour."We don't use any kind of rules or external information to say you have to drive this speed," said Liu. "Of course, people can control the wheel, control the scroll to set up the speed limit [of the car]. The model tries to learn what kind of typical speed people will drive in this kind of situation, because we need to make sure the car is safe enough and also [isn't] too slow." Autonomous cars for the world (except the U.S.) Though VLA 2.0 is expected to hit the global market in 2027, XPENG hasn't released any details about its international release schedule. At present, which country it will arrive in first will largely come down to whose regulations and standards XPENG can satisfy first."We're trying to work on different areas, different regions of the world, but we work with local governments to [ensure] we meet all the requirements," said Liu.The U.S. may not be one of these regions, but being shut out of that market hasn't slowed XPENG's ambitions. The company is continuing to invest in R&D to ensure it can meet the different needs of new markets wherever they are. "We are seeing the trend [of increasing EV adoption] is changing the entire industry. All the cars selling now in China, if you don't have the smart driving system, usually people will not consider it," said Liu. "That's why we keep pushing hard on the physical AI. Because we believe this is going to be the next big thing, and this is going to be invaluable in the next decade."The auto industry is evolving at a rapid pace, with EV acceptance and adoption accelerating across the globe. XPENG is working to ensure they're prepared for this future, and will be ready if the U.S. decides to join in.This interview has been lightly edited for grammar and clarity.Disclosure: Mashable travelled to China as a guest of XPENG.

EV manufacturer XPENG is targeting a 2027 global rollout for its next-generation VLA 2.0 autonomous driving system. Announcing its launch plans in March, XPENG stated that VLA 2.0 is the first AI driving model with L4 potential in China, marking a significant step toward the dream of the self-driving car.XPENG's cars aren't completely driverless just yet. But speaking to Mashable, XPENG's General Intelligence Center head Dr. Xianming Liu explained that VLA 2.0 may be key to finally achieving that goal.  SEE ALSO: Chinese EVs are spreading across the globe, but not in the U.S. What is L4 autonomous driving?Autonomous driving systems are commonly categorised into one of six levels, as defined by global automotive standards organisation SAE International. These range from no driving automation at Level 0 (L0) to full driving automation at Level 5 (L5).Most of the currently available cars with such systems operate at L2, offering partial driving automation. Despite its name, Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) system is a L2 system. The company changed up the system's branding earlier this year after the term "Full Self-Driving" was found to be misleading, adding the suffix "(Supervised)" as well as axing the name "Autopilot." (The feature was rebranded again to "Tesla Assisted Driving" to comply with regulations for its Chinese launch in May.)Some other automakers have reached L3, with Mercedes-Benz becoming the first automaker to offer U.S. customers conditional driving automation in 2024. However, this L3 autonomous driving system only works in very narrow circumstances, such as on specific freeways during clear daytime weather, which limits its practicality.L4 marks the next high watermark of driving automation, just one step away from not needing a driver at all. Now XPENG claims its AI-powered VLA 2.0 system — standing for Vision-Language-Action — is all but there. Mashable took a test ride in an XPENG P7 with VLA 2.0 enabled, and found it a difficult claim to dispute. The car was able to smoothly navigate Beijing's large city roads, rough rural streets, and busy pedestrian and scooter traffic with minimal driver intervention. It even could park by itself after everyone had exited the vehicle.The driver did need to take over at a couple of points, demonstrating that VLA 2.0 isn't a completely autonomous system just yet. Self-driving robotaxi companies such as Tesla and Waymo have suffered concerning safety incidents after removing humans from behind the wheel, and XPENG doesn't claim it's ready to take that leap. But overall, VLA 2.0 felt safe, efficient, and even luxurious. From autonomous driving to physical AIAccording to Liu, VLA 2.0 is a fundamental change when compared to XPENG's previous L2 Navigation Guided Pilot (NGP) system. While NGP focused on developing autonomous driving, VLA 2.0 is focused on solving physical AI problems."Once you work on the AI problem, everything changes," said Liu.Autonomous driving systems such as NGP typically operate on a framework of perception, prediction, planning, and control. In such a system, the vehicle uses onboard sensors to detect its environment and abstract it into data, such as using boxes to represent other cars. It then predicts what these obstacles will do, plans a course of action, and controls the car to execute that plan. "The NGP is a traditional autonomous driving system where we do the perception first and then do the planning secondly. This is a very old paradigm of autonomous driving, or even currently in robotics," said Liu. "There's a lot of limitations in these kinds of algorithms. Once you work on autonomous driving or AI for more than 10 years, you'll see the limitation. You can never scale up or generalise enough of the entire system to different kinds of scenarios."To create an L4 autonomous driving system, and eventually a completely self-driving robotaxi, the car must be able to identify and respond to unexpected situations that haven't been specifically accounted for in its programming. The problem, Liu explained, is that developers don't necessarily know what these problems might be."We call it unknown unknown," said Liu. "There's so much unknown unknown problems. You can never solve them one by one. So you need to change the paradigm, and try to change the system to be generalised enough and scalable enough to solve all the problems." XPENG's Dr. Xianming Liu has worked in AI and autonomous driving for almost a decade. Credit: XPENG For XPENG, the solution was to shift its entire approach to autonomous driving, switching to instead focus on physical AI — the integration of AI software with tangible hardware such as cars or robotics. Unlike digital AI such as chatbots ChatGPT, DeepSeek, and Claude, physical AI is capable of directly interacting with the physical world. It's also able to ingest and adjust to a constant stream of information, breaking away from the sequential structure of previous autonomous driving systems."Physical AI is totally different from digital because the signal input is not structured, it's continuous," Liu said. "The information load is much higher than structured data like text or voice. And also the control signal requires high latency and high efficiency. That means your latency needs to be very small."Turning to physical AI enabled XPENG to scale up, widening their model parameters and feeding it large amounts of data to learn from."We just take all the camera sensor input and directly train the model. We enlarge the model capacity, make it into billion parameters, and train the model using an even much larger data scale compared to large language models, and [then] ask the model to make a decision," said Liu."We changed the paradigm of auto driving, and luckily we see the result. The model is generalised enough to be ready for L4 autonomous driving."How autonomous cars are linked to humanoid robots Rather than focusing solely on autonomous driving, XPENG is developing the foundation AI model behind VLA 2.0 to be applied across a variety of use cases — including robotics. The company went viral when it debuted its uncannily lifelike humanoid IRON robot last November, even cutting it open to dispel speculation that it was a real person in a suit.Though the connection between the two projects may not be immediately apparent, Liu told Mashable that many of the challenges facing autonomous car and humanoid robot development are very similar. As such, innovations are transferable."A lot of our R&D budget is spent on the AI or the training infrastructure, the data, the modeling itself," said Liu, noting that XPENG views itself as both an EV and physical AI company. A significant focus of XPENG's ongoing R&D is the AI model's ability to recognise and respond to increasingly complex verbal instructions. This is an important function for both humanoid robots and autonomous cars."Robots not only need to understand the environment, which is the world, [but] need to reconstruct the world," said Liu. "But also sometimes [they] need to understand how to communicate with humans or even with other agents in the world." The XPENG X9 EV can seat up to seven people. Credit: XPENG While VLA 2.0 navigates using vision input from the car's camera sensors, it's able to take verbal instructions as well. This functionality is currently limited to executing straightforward, immediate instructions, such as telling the car to turn left in 300 metres or change to the right lane. Eventually, XPENG aims for passengers to be able to simply climb in the car, verbally tell it where to go, and relax as they're ferried to their destination. "You ask the car, 'hey, just pull over in front. I want to buy a coffee so you need to pull over in front of the Starbucks.' The car needs to understand your instruction, needs to translate your instruction into some actions," said Liu. "We want to make sure the model can understand not only the world, which is the sensor [data from its cameras], but also the instruction and human intent."XPENG and Tesla are driving toward the same destinationXPENG's work with autonomous EVs and humanoid robots have prompted frequent comparisons to Elon Musk's company Tesla. Liu acknowledged such parallels, noting that Tesla is also building a similar AI model aimed at achieving L4 driving."I think there is only one way to solve the problem entirely: you need to rethink the problem from the very beginning," Liu told Mashable. "[XPENG and Tesla are] doing something on the same trajectory. We want to solve the problem following the first principles [i.e. breaking it down to its most basic elements]. Directly go to L4, try to solve the problem not using rules, only using AI models. I think this is a similarity."Humourously, Liu noted that where XPENG distinguishes itself from Tesla is in the sheer volume of data it has on bad driving. Using this data, XPENG has been able to develop its model to respond to such scenarios, ensuring it's better prepared for any unexpected events that might occur on the road."For XPENG, we have a lot of data in China which is terrible driving. So you will meet a lot of corner cases, [i.e. rare, unexpected situations outside the norm]," said Liu. "So every day, the problem we are facing is not that we don't have enough data to solve the corner cases, but we have too many corner cases. So we need to solve it. And that's our advantage, and also difference, compared to Tesla."Ditching the roadmapRather than ingesting and relying on road map data, VLA 2.0 has been trained on human driving behaviours. This is to ensure it's capable of appropriately responding to a limitless, non-prescriptive variety of situations. For example, it can look at a live scenario and determine the typical, safe speed limit for that type of environment and conditions. "Sometimes, even though the road is limited, it's like 80 [speed limit], but it's pretty crowded, you need to slow down and pay attention. Or during inclement weather, for example, raining or foggy, people will slow down because of the situation, because of the environment," said Liu."So in these cases, you cannot ask a car to follow instructions from the speed limit from the map, or from all the signs. You need to make sure the model is aware of the risk and understands how to drive safely and how to control the speed."Importantly, drivers are able to manually adjust the car's maximum speed as well, so it won't travel at a pace that makes them uncomfortable."For safety and comfort, the key is to control speed," said Liu. "People can control the wheel, control the scroll to set the speed limit. But the model tries to learn what kind of typical speed people will drive in this kind of situation, because we need to make sure the car is safe enough and also not too slow." XPENG has numerous car models available in China, but none have entered the U.S. Credit: XPENG Though VLA 2.0 is trained on a large amount of general data, XPENG hopes to eventually offer a more customised experience. Liu confirmed that the company is developing the ability for individual cars to learn from and adjust to their specific owners, adjusting to suit their personal driving habits. (Significantly, VLA 2.0 does not transfer data to the cloud, with all necessary processing done locally on the car.)"We're working on that," said Liu. "Definitely customised driving behaviours is one of the things we're working on, so hopefully sometime later you will see it."Exactly what sort of timeline that feature might be on isn't clear. What is clear is that XPENG has grand ambitions —  and maybe even the technology to back it up. Liu acknowledged that VLA 2.0 isn't yet perfect, still requiring driver intervention at times. Even so, there's no denying that it's an important advancement toward the ultimate goal of creating safe, fully autonomous vehicles.This interview has been lightly edited for grammar and clarity.Disclosure: Mashable travelled to China as a guest of XPENG.

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. Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators todayIf you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered. SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hintCleans the teeth. SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answerFLOSSHurdle Word 2 hintA handbag. SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for June 15, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 AnswerPURSEMashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators todayHurdle Word 3 hintAnnoyance. SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for June 15 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for June 15, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answerPEEVEHurdle Word 4 hintMagnitude.Hurdle Word 4 answerSCALEFinal Hurdle hintA spice. SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answerCUMINIf you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.