Mashable

Running is one of the most demanding ways to stay in shape. Running is hard, and that's a fact. But running improves heart health, cardiovascular fitness, and muscular strength. It also reduces stress and mental health fatigue. To get the benefits, you need to put the work in. But you can’t put the work in without the right gear.

What you need to get you there — quite literally — is a pair of great running shoes. You can’t pull on any old trainers and expect to run a marathon or smash your personal best. In fact, hitting the track with shoes that aren’t purpose built for running will only make it harder. And they could even hamper you with injuries.

The first thing you'll notice when shopping for running shoes is just how many options there are. It can be totally overwhelming. That's why we're here to help. We’ve put in the legwork and condensed all the essential information and options below.

What are the best running shoe brands?

You're likely to come across a lot of big names, like Adidas and Nike. These brands have a wide range of running shoes for every budget, with some exceptional examples that make the cut in this roundup. We've also included running shoes from specialist brands such as Hoka and Saucony. There's something for everyone.

What are neutral running shoes?

If you’re new to running — or even just a casual runner — you might not be aware of the technical jargon. Neutral running shoes are for runners who have a neutral gait — which means they don’t overpronate when they run. A neutral running gait means the outside heel of the foot makes the first contact with the ground and heel then smoothly rolls in, so the rest of the foot makes contact with the ground. The foot then pushes off with all the toes at once. Roughly half of all runners have a neutral running style and most running shoes, unless stated otherwise, tend to be neutral.

What is overpronation?

This is when you roll your foot inward, meaning your feet are never entirely flat on the ground. The inside of the foot touches the ground and they push off with the big toes. It’s also possible to underpronate, where the outer foot makes contact. If you’re prone to pronation, look at getting a pair of stability running shoes. These are designed to give support and offset pronation. They improve comfort and reduce the risk of injury.

What are the most important features in running shoes?

There are lots of factors to consider before buying a pair of running shoes — all of which will determine the kinds of features you need. For instance, what surface will you be running on? What kinds of distances will you be taking on? Does your gait require something more specialist? Some basic features to look out for include:

• The midsole — This is built into the sole and provides cushioning and shock absorption.

• The upper — The top section of the shoe. It's typically made out of high-performance mesh to keep air circulating around your feet.

• The heel counter — This is the moulding at the back of the shoe that keeps your foot secured.

• The medial post — A stabilising mechanism found in stability shoes.

• The toe box — The bit where you toes go, of course.

We're not expecting you to thoroughly investigate every shoe on the market. But it's useful to have these things in mind when making your selection.

What are the best running shoes?

We'll level with you: There isn't an objectively superior running shoe that we're going to recommend above all the others. Everyone is different, with a different set of requirements and preferences. To find a running shoe that works for you, it's important to properly consider the fit, support, style, and of course, price. The options highlighted below should be a good place to start. So, on your marks....

These are the best running shoes in 2024.

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 Jan. 16's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

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.

Not the day you're after? Here's the Wordle answer for Jan. 15.

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 used to be available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it. Unfortunately, it has since been taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times.

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.

Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Frank Ocean's best album.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no letters that appear twice.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter B.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. What's the answer to Wordle today?

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 Wordle #941 is...

BLOND.

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.

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

Connections is the latest New York Times word game that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for January 16's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

What is Connections?

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

Tweet may have been deleted

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer. If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

Tweet may have been deleted

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

Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Bamboozle

• Green: Insider access

• Blue: Bent

• Purple: Calculator words

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

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

• Yellow: Deceive

• Green: Inside Info

• Blue: Tilt to One Side

• Purple: Words Spelled With An Upside-Down Calculator

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Here's the answer and hints for December 28

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 Connections #219 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Deceive: CON, DUPE, FOOL, TRICK

• Inside Info: DOPE, SCOOP, SKINNY, WORD

• Tilt to One Side: CANT, LEAN, LIST, SLOPE

• Words Spelled With An Upside-Down Calculator: BOOB, EGGSHELL, GIGGLE, HELLO

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

Is this not the Connections game you were looking for? Here are the hints and answers to yesterday's Connections.

Deepfakes, technology to face-swap images, have ushered in a new era of scams. In the past year, fake video of celebrities like Tom Hanks and Mr. Beast have been used to shill products they don't actually endorse. The latest of these scams is a phony giveaway of cookware Le Creuset by deepfaked Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez, the New York Times and others report.

In these AI-generated videos that ran on Meta (which owns Facebook and Instagram) and TikTok, Swift's appearance and voice were imitated to express that she's "thrilled" to give away free Le Creuset sets. There are also fake ads of Selena Gomez, according to cybersecurity site MalwareTips, where a deepfaked Gomez promises free cookware due to a warehouse error.

SEE ALSO: GPT Store users breaking rules with 'girlfriend' bots

These ads included links to websites appearing to be the Food Network and other legitimate news outlets, saying that the "free" Le Creuset items required a one-time "small shipping fee of $9.96." Users that attempted to claim the free set and entered their personal information didn't receive any Le Creuset, but instead were signed up to a monthly $89.95 subscription in addition to that "shipping" fee of $9.96, MalwareTips states.

A Meta spokesperson told the Times that these fraudulent ads violate its policies, but are often missed by its review systems because creators cloak their content. Meta has taken legal action against some perpetrators of these scam ads. A TikTok spokesperson told the Times that creators are required to disclose whether media is synthetic or manipulated, and that advertisers must obtain consent for "any synthetic media which contains a public figure."

AI fools us — and will continue to as the technology advances. Here's a rule of thumb: If an ad featuring a celebrity isn't on that celebrity's or the company's social media accounts, it's likely fake.

The Lost Daughter co-stars Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley reunite for director Thea Sharrock's comedy Wicked Little Letters, a mystery based on a real scandal from the Isle of Wight in the 1930s. And the trailer is fun as hell.

Set in the coastal English town of Littlehampton, the Jonny Sweet-written film sees Colman as Edith Swan, a rather conservative local. Her neighbour, the lively and sweary Rose Gooding, has moved to the country from Ireland, and challenges Edith with her free manner of speaking (she makes a lot of gloriously sordid jokes). When a bunch of cheeky, profanity-laden, and thematically scandalous anonymous letters begin arriving in local mailboxes, residents point the finger at Rose.

The commotion doesn't just remain within the streets of the seaside village, however, instead somehow finding its way into the national conversation and all the way to court. Who really sent the letters? Local police officer Gladys Moss (Black Mirror's Anjana Vasan) might be Rose's only hope of clearing her name.

Wicked Little Letters premiered last year at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and will hit UK cinemas Feb. 23. A U.S. release date has yet to be announced.

YouTube is furthering its crusade against ad blockers by slowing down load times, our friends at PCMag report.

This a continuation of a crackdown that started last fall. In October, YouTube warned users of their ad blocker usage with a prompt, "Ad blockers are not allowed on YouTube," and options to either allow ads or subscribe to YouTube Premium ($13.99/month).

SEE ALSO: Tracking your stress may be more stressful than you imagined

This move upset users, who scrambled to find alternatives to YouTube's rules. As Mashable's Alex Perry stated at the time, however, "The problem with this is that YouTube will almost certainly weed out working alternatives over time, so some degree of adaptability may be required here on the user end."

It seems that Perry is correct, because now 9to5Google and others report that YouTube is lagging for folks using ad blockers. 9to5Google observed that this is mostly due to an artificial timeout written into YouTube's code, which increases the buffering time on videos. Google, which owns YouTube, calls this "suboptimal viewing."

For now, it appears that the only solutions are to disable ad blocker or subscribe to YouTube Premium.

If you're not quite done with messed up British aristocracy tales, Guy Ritchie has expanded his 2019 film The Gentlemen into a Netflix series, and the first teaser has dropped.

Ritchie created, co-wrote, and executive produced the series, as well as directed the first two episodes. Essentially, the series is set "in the world" of the film, but doesn't have any of the original characters. The White Lotus' Theo James leads the TV show as Eddie Horniman, who inherits his father's enormous country estate — with strings. Eddie soon learns it's connected to a rather sizeable crime empire and all the rivals that go with it, so he's pulled into the game.

Giancarlo Esposito, Kaya Scodelario, Vinnie Jones, Daniel Ings, Joely Richardson, Peter Serafinowicz, Chanel Cresswell, Dar Salim, Michael Vu, Max Beesley, Jasmine Blackborow, Pearce Quigley, Ruby Sear, and Harry Goodwins also star, and Ray Winstone has just been revealed as part of the cast too (he's in the trailer).

How to watch: The Gentlemen is streaming on Netflix in March.

TL;DR: Live stream Alcaraz vs. Gasquet in the Australian Open for free on 9Now. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

There are a lot of really interesting matchups in the first round of the Australian Open, but if we had to pick a favourite from the bunch, it might be Alcaraz vs. Gasquet. It's the new kid on the block against the veteran talent. It's going to be a fascinating battle between two stars.

If you want to watch Alcaraz vs. Gasquet in the Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Alcaraz vs. Gasquet?

Carlos Alcaraz and Richard Gasquet face off at about 8:15 p.m. AEDT on Jan. 16.

How to watch Alcaraz vs. Gasquet for free

Every match from the Australian Open is available to stream for free on 9Now, including Alcaraz vs. Gasquet.

9Now is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can gain access to 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 Australia, meaning you can connect to 9Now from anywhere in the world.

Access 9Now from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

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

4. Visit 9Now

5. Steam Alcaraz vs. Gasquet for free

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) £82.82 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but top VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to 9Now without actually spending anything. This is not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch the 2024 Australian Open before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for 9Now?

ExpressVPN is the best service for accessing 9Now to stream live tennis, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 94 countries including Australia

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to five simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for £82.82 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Stream Alcaraz vs. Gasquet for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Rune vs. Nishioka in the Australian Open for free on 9Now. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The first round of the Australian Open has produced some really interesting matchups, including Holger Rune vs. Yoshihito Nishioka. Sure, Rune is the favourite going into this game, but Nishioka is a very solid player. You never know.

If you want to watch Rune vs. Nishioka in the Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Rune vs. Nishioka?

Holger Rune and Yoshihito Nishioka will meet at around 2 p.m. AEDT on Jan. 16.

How to watch Rune vs. Nishioka for free

Every match from the Australian Open is available to stream for free on 9Now, including Rune vs. Nishioka.

9Now is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can gain access to 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 Australia, meaning you can connect to 9Now from anywhere in the world.

Access 9Now from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

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

4. Visit 9Now

5. Steam Rune vs. Nishioka for free

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) £82.82 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but top VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to 9Now without actually spending anything. This is clearly not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch the 2024 Australian Open before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for 9Now?

ExpressVPN is the best service for accessing 9Now to stream sport, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 94 countries including Australia

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to five simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for £82.82 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Stream Rune vs. Nishioka for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Last week, OpenAI launched its GPT Store, where users can peruse customer-created versions of ChatGPT. In merely a few days, users have managed to break OpenAI's rules with "girlfriend bots," Quartz reports.

OpenAI's usage policies, which were updated the day of the GPT Store launch, explicitly state that GPTs (Generative Pre-trained Transformers) can't be romantic in nature: "We...don’t allow GPTs dedicated to fostering romantic companionship or performing regulated activities." Regulated activities aren't clarified. In the same paragraph, OpenAI states that GPTs that contain profanity in their name or depict or promote graphic violence aren't allowed, either.

As Quartz tried, and Mashable replicated, searching "girlfriend" in the GPT Store does produce a number of options:

Girlfriend bots in OpenAI's GPT Store. Credit: Screenshot: GPT Store

Some that Quartz observed on Thursday are no longer searchable. It seems, however, that GPT creators have already become more creative in their titles, with "sweetheart" generating more relevant options than "girlfriend" as of publication:

Searches for "sweetheart" in the GPT Store. Credit: Screenshot: GPT Store

Searches for the words "sex" and "escort," as well as "companion" and terms of endearment like "honey," produced less relevant options. Searches for curse words — also banned — came up short, as well, so it seems like OpenAI is cracking down on its rules.

It's no surprise that there's a demand for these types of bots, considering that porn performers are already "cloning" themselves for NSFW "virtual girlfriends." Companies like Bloom, which specializes in audio erotica, have also gotten in on the action with erotic "roleplaying" chatbots. Plus, some folks have utilized chatbots for dating app messages to make them sound better to actual flesh-and-blood people. So if OpenAI users can't get girlfriend bots from the GPT Store, they're likely going elsewhere.

TL;DR: Live stream Ruud vs. Ramos-Vinolas in the Australian Open for free on 9Now. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Casper Ruud has finished as runner-up at three Grand Slams, but has never taken that next step and actually won. Could that all change at the Australian Open? Ruud will certainly hope so, but Ramos-Vinolas will do everything he can to make sure that doesn't happen this year.

If you want to watch Ruud vs. Ramos-Vinolas in the Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Ruud vs. Ramos-Vinolas?

Casper Ruud will face Albert Ramos-Vinolas at around 12 p.m. AEDT on Jan. 16.

How to watch Ruud vs. Ramos-Vinolas for free

Every match from the Australian Open is available to stream for free on 9Now, including Ruud vs. Ramos-Vinolas.

9Now is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can gain access to 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 Australia, meaning you can connect to 9Now from anywhere in the world.

Access 9Now from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

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

4. Visit 9Now

5. Steam Ruud vs. Ramos-Vinolas for free

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) £82.82 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but top VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to 9Now without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch the 2024 Australian Open before recovering your investment. It's a straightforward process.

What is the best VPN for 9Now?

ExpressVPN is the best service for accessing 9Now, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 94 countries including Australia

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to five simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for £82.82 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Watch Ruud vs. Ramos-Vinolas for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Raducanu vs. Rogers in the Australian Open for free on 9Now. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Can Emma Raducanu rediscover the sparkling form that led her to win the US Open at the age of just 18? Could she actually win the Australian Open? We're not sure about that, but there's only one way to find out.

If you want to watch Raducanu vs. Rogers in the Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Raducanu vs. Rogers?

Emma Raducanu will face Shelby Rogers at around 5 p.m. AEDT on Jan. 16.

How to watch Raducanu vs. Rogers for free

Every match from the Australian Open is available to stream for free on 9Now, including Raducanu vs. Rogers.

9Now is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can gain access to 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 Australia, meaning you can connect to 9Now from anywhere in the world.

Access 9Now from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

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

4. Visit 9Now

5. Steam Raducanu vs. Rogers for free

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) £82.82 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to 9Now without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch the 2024 Australian Open before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for 9Now?

ExpressVPN is the best service for accessing 9Now, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 94 countries including Australia

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to five simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for £82.82 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Watch Raducanu vs. Rogers for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

It's no secret that Samsung's upcoming S-series smartphone flagships will heavily lean on AI smarts. Samsung calls the S24 phones, likely to be unveiled on January 17 during Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event, the "AI phones."

Now, however, thanks to a series of what appear to be leaked marketing materials from Samsung (Evan Blass via 9to5Google), we know a little bit more about the phones' specs, and one particularly interesting feature.

The feature, called "Circle to Search," appears to be powered by Google's artificial intelligence smarts. The leaked description says "search any image, video, or text on your screen. Circle, highlight, scribble, or tap to pinpoint what you’re curious about, no screenshots necessary." We'd have to try it out to see how it works, but it sounds like a cool upgrade to Google Lens, which is a Google app that allows you to search with your phone's camera.

SEE ALSO: Pre-pre-order the new Samsung Galaxy S24 and get a $50 credit ahead of the big reveal

Other AI-powered features that are coming include live translation of phone calls, better night-time zoom (again, thanks to AI smarts), and an AI-powered "Note Assist" feature in Samsung Notes.

Some of the specs have leaked as well. Apparently, the Samsung S24 Ultra will have a flat, 6.8-inch display and a 200-megapixel main camera. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus will have a 6.7-inch display and a 50-megapixel main camera, and the Samsung Galaxy S24 will have a 6.2-inch display with a 50-megapixel main camera.

Another interesting detail from the leaked materials reveals that the new phones will come with 7 years of Android updates, just like Google's Pixel phones.

To watch the Galaxy Unpacked event, tune in to the live stream on Samsung's website at 1 p.m. ET on January 17.

TL;DR: Live stream Rybakina vs. Pliskova in the Australian Open for free on 9Now. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Australian Open is delivering a lot of interesting matchups in the first round of the competition, and Rybakina vs. Pliskova might be the pick of the bunch. Rybakina is one of the favourites to win the Australian Open, but Pliskova is not going to go down without a fight.

If you want to watch Rybakina vs. Pliskova in the Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Rybakina vs. Pliskova?

Elena Rybakina and Karolina Pliskova are estimated to meet in their first round match at 7 p.m. AEDT on Jan. 16.

How to watch Rybakina vs. Pliskova for free

Every match from the Australian Open is available to stream for free on 9Now, including Rybakina vs. Pliskova.

9Now is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can gain access to 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 Australia, meaning you can connect to 9Now from anywhere in the world.

Access 9Now from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

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

4. Visit 9Now

5. Steam Rybakina vs. Pliskova for free

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) £82.82 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By taking advantage of these offers, you can gain access to 9Now without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch the 2024 Australian Open before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for 9Now?

ExpressVPN is the best service for accessing 9Now, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 94 countries including Australia

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to five simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for £82.82 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Watch Rybakina vs. Pliskova for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

AR glasses have made quite the splash at CES 2024. From XREAL to TCL, the Mashable team has stumbled upon some spectacular spectacles that will likely get wider adoption from the masses in a few years time.

The Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses are decent if you're looking for an extension of your phone that sits on your eyes. However, if you're actually seeking true AR — immersive spectacles that can overlay digital artifacts over your real-world environment — check out these top three AR smart glasses of CES 2024.

SEE ALSO: The best of CES 2024 1. TCL RayNeo X2 Lite

The TCL RayNeo X2 Lite AR Glasses are a successor to the TCL RayNeo X2 spectacles. Like the name suggests, they're lighter and more comfortable than the previous version — so much so that TCL claims that it's the world's lightest full-color AR glasses.

Mashable's Cecily Mauran tries on the RayNeo X2 Lite smart glasses Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

The X2 Lite has an AI Smart Assistant that lets you have fluid conversations with it. Plus, it includes 3D map navigation and real-time translation for up to eight languages. I found the last one to be the most interesting for me personally. As someone who travels frequently, I often find myself in situations where language barriers hinder my vacations.

I tested the real-time translation feature with the RayNeo rep at CES 2024. She was speaking Korean with me and I was blown away by how I could see the transcription of what she was saying — right before my very eyes — in English. However, this will only work smoothly if other speakers aren't in earshot. Other conversations can "confuse" the transcription process.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon RayNeo Air 2 AR Glasses $339 Get Deal 2. XREAL Air 2 Ultra

The XREAL Air 2 Ultra smart glasses debuted at CES 2024 with a new striking feature: six-degrees-of-freedom.

In other words, unlike its predecessors (e.g., these XREAL glasses we reviewed), the XREAL Air 2 Ultra lets you physically walk around in a simulated environment instead of being stuck in one place, not moving anything but your head.

XREAL Air 2 Ultra Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

Plus, the XREAL Air 2 Ultra supports hand tracking, too, allowing you to interact with virtual artifacts in your not-so-real world. This will give the Apple Vision Pro a run for its money because the XReal Air 2 Ultra manages to deliver an AR experience without the heavy headset and clunky battery pack.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon XREAL Air 2 Pro AR Glasses $449 Get Deal 3. XanderGlasses

XanderGlasses, unlike the X2 Lite and the XREAL Air 2 Ultra, are not designed for entertainment. They're spectacles that cater to the accessibility niche. For users who are hearing-impaired, XanderGlasses can deliver live-captioning to its wearers.

XanderGlasses real-time captioning Credit: Xander

For example, if you are hard of hearing, and you're wearing XanderGlasses, you will see any spoken words being transcribed on the lenses, right before your eyes.

Final thoughts

People weren't receptive to the likes of Google Glass when it debuted nearly a decade ago, but with the unveiling of the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, the masses appear to be more interested in the thought of wearing tech on their faces.

Admittedly, the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses are more simplistic, but as I've addressed here, I've noticed many people exhibiting disappointment that they don't have any AR features. This is perhaps where TCL RayNeo, XREAL, and Xander step in to meet users' desires.

TL;DR: Live stream Swiatek vs. Kenin in the Australian Open for free on 9Now. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Australian Open has begun with some dramatic matches and scintillating tennis from some of the top players in the world, and we're only at the first round of the competition. That means there is going to be a lot more top-quality tennis over the next couple of weeks, which is great news for fans.

The other piece of good news for tennis fans is that you can watch this tournament for free from anywhere in the world, if you know how. And fortunately, we can teach you the tricks you need to live stream the Australian Open without spending anything.

If you want to watch Swiatek vs. Kenin in the Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Swiatek vs. Kenin?

Iga Swiatek and Sofia Kenin are estimated to meet in their first round match at 12 p.m. AEDT on Jan. 16. The match will be played at Rod Laver Arena.

How to watch Swiatek vs. Kenin for free

You can watch every match from the Australian Open for free on 9Now. This free streaming platform is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can gain access to 9Now with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Australia, meaning you can connect to 9Now from anywhere in the world.

Access 9Now from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

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

4. Visit 9Now

5. Steam Swiatek vs. Kenin for free

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) £82.82 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to 9Now without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch the 2024 Australian Open for free.

What is the best VPN for 9Now?

ExpressVPN is the best service for unblocking 9Now, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 94 countries including Australia

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to five simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for £82.82 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Watch Swiatek vs. Kenin for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

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: NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for January 15 SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Here's the answer and hints for January 15

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Monday, Jan. 15, 2024:

Across"___ Lives" (hit 2023 film)

• The answer is Past.

Speak without sound

• The answer is mouth.

Nostalgic tune

• The answer is oldie.

Golfer's errant shot #1

• The answer is slice.

Golfer's errant shot #2

• The answer is hook.

DownSpanish for "chicken"

• The answer is pollo.

Sound component

• The answer is audio.

Fetch item during a walk in the woods

• The answer is stick.

"Shall I compare ___ to a summer's day?"

• The answer is thee.

Dance wildly at a concert

• The answer is mosh.

Guys, self-driving cars are so hot right now.

At CES 2024, one of the emerging trends of this year's conference is the race to get fully autonomous vehicles into the hands of consumers. All the big car manufacturers are doing it — and even Sony is putting its weight into the ring. However, after going hands-on with Ambarella's take on our automobile future, we're not too sure if AI cars are ready for the spotlight yet.

SEE ALSO: KIA's concept EV fleet revealed at CES 2024 is wildly modular

Ambarella was kind enough to take us on a ride of its "fully autonomous R&D vehicle" — or "EVA" as the R&D engineers called it. First, for a bit of background, Ambarella is not a car manufacturer — it's a semiconductor company that specializes in advanced camera imagery and computer vision.

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

All that is to give you an understanding that what Ambarella is trying to achieve is very much a work in development. This car in particular featured a modified Lexus SUV equipped with 18 cameras and radars lined all along the car with the main core controlling everything in the trunk. The big thing Ambarella wanted to showcase was the use of vision and radar tech on the car without the use of LiDAR.

Both chips are powered by Ambarella's CVflow 3.0 AI accelerator, which offers high performance and energy efficiency, essential for dependable autonomous driving capabilities while reducing costs related to thermal management. This efficiency also allows for smaller, lighter, and cheaper electric vehicle batteries — or the option to increase the vehicle's range with the same battery size.

VisLab General Manager Alberto Broggi gave us a guided ride-along explanation of the various AI-powered processes that make the car run. What was most surprising was that the test car went on the road instead of driving on course in the parking lot.

An example of the radar pads used by the car to sense its environment. Credit: Chance Townsend/Mashable

In the car were several screens that gave us a visual of what was happening at various points during the ride, including how the car maps the road, how the radar maps several hundred feet ahead of the vehicle, and the different modes the car enters depending on the situation. For example, when the car is taking a right turn, in the corner of the screen it says "merging." Or when at a crosswalk, it'll say "avoidance" to make sure to avoid pedestrians. While driving, it stays in "regulation" mode with the AI in the car coded to follow the rules of the road as tightly as possible.

In the corner, the car has different modes it will swith to depending on the road conditions. Credit: Chance Townsend/Mashable

This makes the car very jerky when it comes to starts and stops. Before letting the car go into AI mode, the driver was only going around 10-15 mph, but after relinquishing control, the AI intensely accelerated to adhere to the speed limit of 35 mph. Granted, we weren't wearing seatbelts due to how many of us were in the car, but the sudden and uncertain start and stops by the AI made for a very bumpy ride.

It's not fully autonomous yet; the driver made sure to keep his hands extremely close to the wheel, While we understand it's for safety, it also implied some distrust in just how autonomous the AI is at the moment. However, concerns aside, it was an impressive ride and the technology behind the AI is amazing.

Broggi told us that for now, their tech is 2-3 years out, with the hope being for AI to handle most of the driving, but still needs a driver. It was also made clear that Ambarella's tech can't be plopped into any car, and that a whole new vehicle utilizing AI would have to be built from the ground up.

The landscape of art has invariably shifted over the last few years thanks to NFTs and the onset of digital artworks; for both art collectors and NFT enthusiasts, this boom has been both lucrative and contentious. But though the buzz may have ebbed, blockchain-supported art is still big business.

Take Sotheby's latest auction. One of the world's largest auctioneers of art and collectibles, Sotheby's is kicking off 2024 with a curated sale of Bitcoin Ordinals, or digital works inscribed on the Bitcoin blockchain.

SEE ALSO: Take a walk through mesmerizing photos of Hong Kong's NFT art fair

The "Natively Digital" sale includes an array of works that showcase the diversity and creativity of digital art. This includes works from digital artists Shroomtoshi, Des Lucrece, FAR, and Nullish. The collection features the likes of Claudia Hart’s More Life, an animated CGI work that originally appeared at MoMa PS1; Des Lucréce's Benediction from Between Worlds, a striking GIF created in 2024 that explores the artist's relationship with Vietnamese Catholicism; and XCPinata's cartoon-esque graphic entitled Cleansing.

Featured Video For You A beginner's guide to NFTs, the crypto potentially worth millions

"As Ordinals continue to attract attention from collectors, this new avenue will expand the boundaries of how we conceptualize digital collectibles," says Michael Bouhanna, Sotheby's head of digital art said in a statement, "as well as place a spotlight on the unique convergence of digital art and crypto culture."

Credit: Sotheby's / Des Lucréce

The highlight of the auction is said to be Inscription 21, a work by artist Shroomtoshi, prized as one of the more significant works in Bitcoin culture, representing in millions the total supply of Bitcoins that will ever be available for mining.

Credit: Sotheby's / Shroomtoshi.

The works hold estimated value between $10,000 all the way to $70,000. The sale began on Jan. 12 and will continue until Jan. 22.

Sotheby's dive into digital art continues after whopping sales in 2023, totalling more than $35 million. This was a 100 percent increase from the previous year, according to the auction house.

True Detective: Night Country got off to a dark start, and it looks like things are only going to get darker from here on out.

Shortly after Episode 1 was over Max dropped a teaser for the Season to come, featuring more ghostly visions, small town tensions, and barely enough light to see by.

Will our burning questions be answered? Will those strange opening credits clues start to make sense? Will we find out what the deal is with all those polar bears? We'll have to wait and see.

True Detective airs Sunday nights on HBO/Max at 9 p.m ET/PT.