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DOGE damage is just getting started, IT experts warn

Mashable - Wed, 03/19/2025 - 04:20

Elon Musk loves wearing his TECH SUPPORT T-shirt in the White House. He wore it to his Oval Office interview; he wore it to his first Cabinet meeting. "I actually just call myself Humble Tech Support here," Musk told heads of departments whose computer systems he'd already accessed.

Acting like the IT guy: this wasn't really Musk trying to be cute, or somehow downplaying all the chaos his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) had unleashed in its first month of existence. It's a stark reminder of how he had secured, so fast, enough power to terrorize the federal government from within: literally, using nothing but the access provided by the White House's IT department.

Which, in all probability like your company's tech team, has a "god mode" level of access to many key computer systems. The kind of access that could do a lot of damage at any organization anywhere in our hyperconnected world, let alone inside the two million employee-strong U.S. government.

If we learn anything from what DOGE has done and what DOGE still has the power to do, experts say, it's this: If the IT department wants to unleash hell and the CEO doesn't want to stop them, the IT department unleashes hell — no matter how humble they claim to be.

"The best analogy might be Nick Burns the computer guy, but make him evil," says Kurtis Minder, founder of GroupSense, a threat intelligence business. Minder specializes in cyber espionage and ransom negotiations with corporate cybercriminals.

Burns, played by Jimmy Fallon on SNL, was an obnoxious tech support guy who bellowed at employees to move away from their computers — a character who may seem much less funny in the age of Musk.

The IT guy 'could sort of disappear them'

For example, "an IT person with any kind of administrative computer privileges would absolutely be able to mess with payroll in any number of ways," Minder says — such as going into payment system software and, uh, zeroing out your paycheck. It would be "trivial" for an IT guy to install keylogger software that literally let him spy on everything employees typed on a company machine.

And if an IT guy wanted to effectively "shadow fire" someone, perhaps forcing them out by cutting access to any internal software or system that let them their job? "Absolutely," Minder says. The IT guy could "sort of disappear them."

What is DOGE doing next?

As concerned as he is by DOGE flexing its IT muscle, Minder is — like all the experts we spoke to for this article — far more concerned with what could happen now because of its rampage through a patchwork of government computer systems.

"Going in and saying we're going to re-architect all these systems when we haven't bothered to to assess and secure the ones that exist ... is bad," Minder says, struggling for words. And that's about as far as he goes with speculation.

"What should be a priority: let's digitally secure the country. Then let's talk about how we can make things more efficient!" The mild-mannered Minder takes note of his own tone, but he means it: "This is the stuff I live every day, and it makes me angry."

So if the country is less digitally secure under DOGE — and to be clear, with foreign actors now able to hack the U.S. government via the insecure laptops of Musk's Humble Tech Support team such as the 19-year-old known as Big Balls, that's what experts agrees it is — what's the worst that can happen?

After all, as Minder says, he sees bad actors "on the dark web selling stolen U.S. government classified information every day, so we're already losing that battle."

But the "neutering" of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), where Musk has embedded another of his 19-year-old IT guys, who is also a graduate of a cybercriminal social network known as the Corn, according to this veteran reporter's expose — this, for Minder, accelerates the whole crisis.

"The most terrifying [outcome] is that we regress even further, that we don't pay attention to what I believe is a major national security issue," Minder says. Instead of working to plug existing leaks, in other words, the DOGE-riddled government becomes a sieve — a very lucrative one for the Rivages of the world.

Can anything be done to stop the work of a leaky IT guy? Minder is pessimistic. Musk has his team firmly in control of computer systems at the Office of Personnel and Management, which in corporate terms would mean that the IT department basically runs the HR department. "I don't know if any guardrails are left" inside the U.S. government, Minder says. Musk's DOGE "tested the fences, and they found out nobody cares about them."

How DOGE can wreck U.S. cybersecurity

Well, not nobody, exactly — but those that do care are demoralized and heading for the exits, says Dr. Richard Forno, Assistant Director of the UMBC Cybersecurity Institute. Forno is as much of a Washington D.C. veteran as you'll find in this area; his 20-year career includes building the first cybersecurity programs for the U.S. House of Representatives.

Among his friends and contractors in the government, "There is panic about the security of federal systems," Forno says. "People are basically saying, well, why am I even bothering with this any more? What's the point in fighting the good fight? They're starting to look for other jobs. They're fed up."

This is one sense in which DOGE is worse than the average company IT department — because your IT guys probably have more cybersecurity training than Musk's team. "They may be brilliant engineers and programmers, but they don't have a lot of experience in the workplace, let alone the government," Forno says.

"Some of [Musk's team] would not pass a government security clearance, and yet they've been given administrator access to both read data and update software."

Ideally, the IT guy has to understand and respect the software in the first place. The arrogant Silicon Valley mantra of "move fast and break things" — which was coined at Facebook, but which even founder Mark Zuckerberg abandoned in favor of the less destructive "move fast with stable infra[structure]" — is a recipe for disaster in a government setting.

"I mean, this isn't like a single server in your basement," Forno says. "These federal systems, whether it's Social Security or Medicare, they've been built over 30 and 40 years" — often using COBOL, a programming language from the 1950s that isn't even taught in schools any more.

"There are workflows, there are processes, there's patchwork stuff that DOGE doesn't know about. And if that breaks, there will be ramifications."

Experts like Forno don't even know what systems DOGE has accessed, and to what degree. The "god mode" of IT access has two levels: one where you can read and write data, another known as "read only." But even the latter isn't as safe as it sounds.

Reportedly, DOGE has read-only access to the government's HR department, the OPM. Those computers don't just contain payroll, salary and tax-withholding information for U.S. government employees, but their insurance plans, whether they've paid for counselling, and what their security clearance is.

"If I'm a Russian or Chinese hacker, I would want to target the people at DOGE inside OPM," says Forno. IT experts like him have literally spent a decade trying to shore up OPM computers that were hacked in 2015, exposing the social security numbers of nearly 20 million applicants for security clearances.

And then there's the payroll department, a.k.a. the U.S. Treasury, whose computers contain the bank details, social security numbers, and tax payment history for most Americans. Read-only access, which is what the Treasury secretary has assured us DOGE has, is bad enough.

"I don't think it's a conspiracy, I think it's stupidity," Forno concludes. "These people are shooting first, and they're not giving people fair warning about dramatic changes, and one false move could crash the economy."

How DOGE could hurt the U.S. economy

According to the January 20 executive order that renamed the U.S. Digital Service after Musk's favorite meme, DOGE's job was "modernizing Federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity." That hardly sounded like the most dangerous-sounding weapon in history.

But given that government in the 21st century relies entirely on software and technology, that mandate allowed DOGE to became in effect the most powerful U.S. agency overnight. And now experts are struggling to find metaphors to explain just how bad the reign of tech support could be.

"This is like Revenge of the Nerds meets Animal House meets War Games." That's the movie-based metaphor favored by Emerson Tan, Chief Innovation Officer at Financial Empowerment Partners, which builds payment technologies for emerging markets — and saw DOGE's destruction of USAID up close.

A decade ago, as the research head of a company that made cyberwarfare tools for the U.S. intelligence community, Tan's job was to figure out, as he puts it, "how to implode a government." His strategy papers are still secret, but their conclusion? "You do what DOGE is doing," Tan says. "You do it through the IT systems" — especially those of the country's payroll department.

"If a company's IT department doesn't function for a day, you can shrug that off," Tan says. "Government in general, especially financial functions like the Treasury, cannot do that ... if you interrupt the system, the system will have a heart attack."

Treasury is especially vulnerable because it services the U.S. government debt, a constant process where bonds are always maturing and investors must be paid precisely on time. If this move-fast-and-break-things IT department were to try to fix the ancient COBOL code at the Treasury — and so far as we know, there has been no oversight that would prevent Musk pushing out a fix — they can induce a technical default.

Should the U.S. default on its debt, that would have a knock-on effect throughout the financial world. "If the overnight interbank lending market blows up," Tan says, "you wake up in the morning and ATMs have stopped working."

This is one IT team that has opted "to basically smash stuff up," Tan adds," but at a rate where they don't understand what they're blowing up. So, the odds are pretty good that at some stage they're going to step on a landmine and blow something important. I mean, the consequences could be everything from milk prices going up to a coup."

Even DOGE's meddling so far constitutes "a system administrator's end-run around the Constitution," Tan believes. When USAID was folded into the State Department, its computer systems were put in the hands of tech teams who don't know how to run it.

The Supreme Court agreed with a lower court judge who ordered the government to restore $2 billion in USAID funding, but whether that is even possible is an open question.

"The systems have all been disintegrated," he says. "Even if the courts says they have to restart it, if you've turned the system off to actually administer it, you can't restart it. The end. the Constitution doesn't matter anymore."

Not to mention all the other potential knock-on effects. Tan predicts famine in South Sudan, at the very least, will result from the end of USAID — and worse, a general breakdown in the international order. Tan's company, Financial Empowerment Partners, is looking to abandon its Washington D.C. HQ for "somewhere more trustworthy," likely in Europe.

"The developing world has heard the message loud and clear, and that is America is our enemy," Tan says. "Not our friend, not a development partner, our enemy."

DOGE and Musks USAID shutdown probably violated the U.S. Constitution

Mashable - Wed, 03/19/2025 - 03:48

A U.S. federal judge has ruled that the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) shutdown of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) likely violated the Constitution "in multiple ways." While this doesn't mean USAID is back up and running, the order does put a temporary halt to DOGE head Elon Musk's plans to scrap the agency.

In an 68-page opinion filed in the Maryland District Court on Tuesday, judge Theodore Chuang granted a preliminary injunction preventing DOGE from further dismantling USAID. A vital foreign aid organisation, USAID offered humanitarian assistance to other countries on behalf of the U.S. government, including disaster and poverty relief. Unfortunately, billionaire Musk apparently considered such spending wasteful, shutting down USAID, reportedly reducing a workforce of over 10,000 to 611, and abruptly cutting off billions in foreign aid shortly after President Donald Trump's inauguration.

The temporary injunction doesn't restore USAID to what it was prior to DOGE's intervention. However, it does mean that DOGE cannot fire any more USAID employees, end its contracts or grants, or shut down its offices and IT systems. The court further ordered DOGE to reinstate all current USAID employees' access to their email, payments, security, and other electronic systems, as well as restore deleted emails.

Why was DOGE shutting down USAID potentially unconstitutional? Credit: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

The case was brought by 26 USAID employees and contractors, some of whom the court noted had been stranded overseas without vital security software or funds for basic living expenses when DOGE shut down USAID's systems. In his ruling, Chuang agreed with the plaintiffs' assessment that Musk and DOGE violated the U.S. Constitution on more than one occasion, finding that their case was likely to succeed.

Specifically, the plaintiffs alleged that the Constitution's Appointments Clause was breached because Musk operated as an Officer of the United States without being appointed as such. The defence refuted this, claiming that Musk was merely acting in an advisory capacity, and wasn't the one actually calling the shots. Chuang found this unconvincing.

"To deny [this claim] solely on the basis that, on paper, Musk has no formal legal authority relating to the decisions at issue, even if he is actually exercising significant authority on governmental matters, would open the door to an end-run about the Appointments Clause," wrote Chuang.

"Musk's public statements and posts on X, in which he has stated on multiple occasions that DOGE will take action, and such action occurred shortly thereafter, demonstrate that he has firm control over DOGE…. [T]he present record supports the conclusion that Musk, without having been duly appointed as an Officer of the United States, exercised significant authority reserved for an Officer…"

The plaintiffs further argued that Musk and DOGE breached the separation of powers because USAID is a federal agency that can only be created or abolished by Congress. As such, DOGE's shutdown of USAID allegedly exceeded the authority of the executive branch to encroach upon the legislative branch. Chuang also considered this argument strong.

"Congress has made clear through statute its express will that USAID be an independent agency, and that it not be abolished or substantially reorganized without congressional approval," said Chuang. "[Musk and DOGE's] present actions to dismantle USAID violate the Separation of Powers because they contravene congressional authority relating to the establishment of an agency."

Predictably, Musk quickly took to X to decry the ruling, questioning Chuang's integrity as well as sharing and agreeing with posts claiming a "judicial coup." He did not specifically address any of the legal and factual issues raised in the case.

The White House has also alleged a political motivation for the judgement, confirming that it will appeal the decision. Appearing to employ a "no you" approach to the situation, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly bizarrely accused Chuang of breaching the separation of powers himself, claiming that "rogue judges are subverting the will of the American people in their attempts to stop President Trump from carrying out his agenda." Under U.S. law, the judiciary has the power to assess the constitutional validity of federal laws as well as the actions of the executive branch.

How to watch the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix online for free

Mashable - Wed, 03/19/2025 - 01:00

TL;DR: Watch the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix for free on ServusTV. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Fans are expecting big things from the 2025 F1 season, and largely, they got what they wanted from the first race. Sure, Lando Norris winning wasn't a huge surprise, but we got competitive racing from an open field. And you get the feeling that there is a lot more to come. At least, that's what Lewis Hamilton will be hoping for.

If you're interested in watching the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix for free from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix?

The 2025 Chinese Grand Prix takes place over 56 laps of the 5,451-kilometre Shanghai International Circuit. The full schedule can be found here:

Practice — 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CST on March 21
Sprint Qualifying — 3:30 to 4:14 p.m. CST on March 21
Sprint — 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. CST on March 22
Qualifying — 3 to 4 p.m. CST on March 22
Race — 3 p.m. CST on March 23

The good news for fans is that it's possible to live stream the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix without spending anything.

How to watch the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix for free

The 2025 Chinese Grand Prix is available to live stream for free on ServusTV. This free streaming service is offering coverage of the entire weekend.

ServusTV is geo-restricted to Austria, 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 Austria, meaning you can access free live streams of F1 from anywhere in the world.

Unblock ServusTV from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:

Sign up for a 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 Austria
Connect to ServusTV
Watch the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix from anywhere in the world

Please be aware that Formula 1 take the view that the use of a VPN to watch content from another territory may be a breach of the relevant broadcasters’ terms of service and may constitute copyright infringement. It is your responsibility to ensure that your use of a VPN is legal and Mashable does not encourage any illegal use of a VPN.

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The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading services do tend to offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch F1 live streams without actually spending anything. This is clearly not a long-term solution, but it does mean you can stream the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming sites from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming F1 live is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for F1?

ExpressVPN is the top choice for live streaming F1 for free, for a number of reasons:

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A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Watch the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix for free with ExpressVPN.

How to watch Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Chicago Cubs online

Mashable - Wed, 03/19/2025 - 01:00

TL;DR: Live stream Chicago Cubs vs. Los Angeles Dodgers on Sling TV.

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs face off a couple of times this week in the MLB Tokyo Series, which marks the start of the 2025 regular season. All eyes are on Shohei Ohtani and Rōki Sasaki, with fans eager to see both Japanese natives play in their home country.

Even though the games take place in Tokyo, you can easily watch them in the US. We've also got you covered on how to watch from anywhere else in the world.

When is Chicago Cubs vs. Los Angeles Dodgers?

The second Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Chicago Cubs game of the series takes place at 6:10 a.m. ET on March 19.

The two teams will face off at the Tokyo Dome. The game will air on FS1.

How to watch Chicago Cubs vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

The second Chicago Cubs vs. Los Angeles Dodgers game of the MLB Tokyo Series can be streamed using Sling Blue and Sling Orange + Blue subscriptions on Sling TV.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sling Sling TV Sports Plan Shop Now

Sling TV offers its Orange & Blue package of 48 channels at $55 per month. Sign up to enjoy a first-month discounted rate of $27.50.

Sling TV’s sports channels feature ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNews, ESPNU, FOX, FS1, FS2, NBC, NFL Network, and SEC Network.

How to watch Cubs vs. Dodgers from anywhere in the world

If you're abroad for this fixture, you might need to use a VPN to unblock your favorite streaming service. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S., meaning you can unblock live streams of the MLB from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Cubs vs. Dodgers from anywhere in the world 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 U.S.
Sign in to your favorite streaming service
Watch Cubs vs. Dodgers from anywhere in the world

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport, for a number of reasons:

Servers in 105 countries including the U.S.
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to eight simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

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Unleash your inner plant geek and ID plants with this discount app

Mashable - Wed, 03/19/2025 - 00:00

TL;DR: Identify plants for life with Plantum — a plant identification AI app — now only £11.58 through 30 March. Just head to the Mashable Shop and use the code SAVE5 at checkout for unlimited access.

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Imagine walking through a garden or forest and being able to name every plant you see. With Plantum AI Plant Identifier’s premium lifetime subscription on sale for £11.58 (reg. £46.40), you’ll have access to a powerful plant identification tool that makes every nature walk an adventure. Just snap a picture, and Plantum will instantly tell you the species, care tips, and fun facts about your leafy find.

Perfect for both plant newbies and green thumbs, Plantum uses AI to recognise thousands of plant species, offering detailed insights right on your phone. This app isn’t just for wild plants — it’s great for identifying houseplants, too. Whether you’re unsure about that new succulent or just curious about a flower you spotted, Plantum has the answers.

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This tool is a great gift for anyone who loves the outdoors (including yourself!), wants to learn more about the plants around them, or simply wants to take better care of their indoor garden. So, whether you’re on a hike, at the park, or just browsing your local nursery, Plantum makes plant identification fun and easy.

Until 30 March at 11:59 p.m., take advantage of this sale on a lifetime subscription to a Plantum AI Plant Identifier Premium Plan for £11.58 (reg. £46.40) — just use code SAVE5 at checkout.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Get flight deals to your inbox with a year of Dollar Flight Club Premium for £8

Mashable - Wed, 03/19/2025 - 00:00

TL;DR: Save on flights with a 1-year Dollar Flight Club Premium membership for £7.73 (reg. £53.37). Get personalised deal alerts and book your dream trips for less.

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NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for March 19

Mashable - Tue, 03/18/2025 - 22:00

Connections: Sports Edition is a new version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here's a hint for today's Connections Sports Edition categories

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

Yellow: How good is the QB?
Green: Rounds of March Madness
Blue: Alternative baseball
Purple: Science-related

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

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

Yellow: Stats for a QB
Green: First words of NCAA tournament rounds
Blue: Baseball leagues
Purple: Periodic table meets sports

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections Sports Edition #177 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today

Stats for a QB - ATTEMPTS, RATING, TOUCHDOWNS, YARDS
First words of NCAA tournament rounds - ELITE, FINAL, FIRST, SWEET
Baseball "leagues" - CACTUS, GRAPEFRUIT, INTERNATIONAL, PACIFIC COAST
Periodic table meets sports - GOLD MEDAL, LEAD RUNNER, MERCURY, SILVER SLUGGER

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.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

NYT Strands hints, answers for March 19

Mashable - Tue, 03/18/2025 - 22:00

If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.

Strands requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

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 March 19 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 19 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Upright and grand

The words are parts of a whole.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words are put together to form one instrument.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is PianoParts.

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for March 19

Hammers
Frame
Strings
Cover
Pedals
Keyboard
PianoParts

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.

Hurdle hints and answers for March 19, 2025

Mashable - Tue, 03/18/2025 - 22:00

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

A long-necked flute.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answer

SITAR

Hurdle Word 2 hint

A military freshman.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for March 19, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

PLEBE

Hurdle Word 3 hint

To move slightly.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for March 19 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 19, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

BUDGE

Hurdle Word 4 hint

An uncool person.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for March 19 Hurdle Word 4 answer

DWEEB

Final Hurdle hint

A Spanish shawl.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

MANTA

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 19, 2025

Mashable - Tue, 03/18/2025 - 22:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for March 19 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

Yellow: To indicate
Green: Functions in Google Chrome
Blue: Street parts
Purple: The first word is the same

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: Signify
Green: Web browser buttons
Blue: Parts of a road
Purple: À/A la ___

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #645 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

Signify: CONVEY, EXPRESS, MEAN, SPELL
Web browser buttons: BACK, EXTENSIONS, FORWARD, REFRESH
Parts of a road: DIVIDER, LANE, MEDIAN, SHOULDER
À/A la: CARTE, KING, MODE, PLANCHA

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.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

Wordle today: Answer, hints for March 19, 2025

Mashable - Tue, 03/18/2025 - 22:00

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

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

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: Hints and answers for March 19 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's The Mini crossword answers for March 19, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A glimmer.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no reoccurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter S.

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...

SPARK.

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

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

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.

Oracle’s Role in TikTok’s Future Gets Capitol Hill Scrutiny

NYT Technology - Tue, 03/18/2025 - 20:47

Top congressional staffers met with Oracle on Tuesday to talk about TikTok, which faces a ban in the United States unless it is sold to a non-Chinese owner by early April.

Stranded NASA astronauts touch down, plucked from ocean

Mashable - Tue, 03/18/2025 - 19:35

The much-anticipated return of stranded NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore from the International Space Station went off without a hitch.

Williams and Wilmore flew home from the ISS along with astronaut Nick Hague and cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, splashing down off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida just before 6 p.m. ET today. The weather was crystal clear and the Atlantic Ocean described as "glass-like" by NASA's live feed on X.

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Speed boats raced to the capsule after the splashdown of the Dragon capsule that carried SpaceX's Crew-9. NASA officials then climbed aboard the Dragon to check on the four astronauts as dolphins swam nearby (visible at the 1:33 mark on NASA's live feed). After a quick check, the capsule was hoisted onto a larger boat, the Megan, and then hosed down to wash off corrosive sea water.

The hatch was quickly opened and Commander Nick Hague was the first to be extracted from the Dragon, followed by Gorbunov, Williams, and Wilmore. Less than an hour after splashdown, all astronauts were extracted and loaded onto stretchers as their muscles needed time to adjust to Earth's gravity.

The return of SpaceX's Crew-9 was notable for many reasons, but the most significant was the fact that Williams and Wilmore were returning to Earth after their initial ISS trip of eight days turned into 286 days, or over nine months, thanks to their Boeing Starliner ship experiencing propulsion problems during their arrival last June.

NASA will provide the media with more updates on Williams, Wilmore, Hague and Gorbunov at a press conference scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.

Trump Fires Democrats on Federal Trade Commission

NYT Technology - Tue, 03/18/2025 - 17:26

The decision to fire the two Democratic members of the traditionally independent regulatory body is likely to face a legal challenge.

The popular VPN Surfshark is currently 84% off

Mashable - Tue, 03/18/2025 - 17:07

TL;DR: Get protection and speed with a three-year Surfshark VPN subscription for A$106 with code SURF20, an 84% savings as of today.

Opens in a new window Credit: Surfshark Surfshark VPN Starter Plan: 3-Yr Subscription AU$106
AU$679 Save AU$573 Use code 'SURF20' Get Deal

Whether you're a remote worker regularly using public WiFi networks, a gamer who stays connected 24/7, or just an average Netflix binger, your private data is vulnerable to trackers and hackers every time you sign online. How else would targeted ads match that bizarre product you and your friends were just talking about? It's all good, though. You can easily block those prying eyes and protect your data with a virtual private network (VPN).

If you haven't already armed yourself with a VPN or you're not happy with the one you have, today's your lucky day. This three-year subscription to Surfshark VPN is currently on sale for over 80% off and offers all you need to stay safe online, and then some. It's one of the highest-rated VPNs on the market, earning an impressive 4.5 out of 5 stars on TechGadgetCentral and TechRadar and 8 out of 10 on The VPN Lab.

Check it out:

Why do people seem to love it so much? Well, for one thing, it protects not only your data but everyone in your family's data, thanks to an unlimited number of connections — something most VPNs do not offer. You, your family, and your friends can all enjoy connecting to over 500 torrent-friendly servers with an unlimited amount of data, no matter where on Earth you are. Plus, you never have to sacrifice your surfing speed for your security. You can enjoy content faster than before with optimized online streaming and unlimited bandwidth.

Surfshark also uses military-grade AES-256-GCM encryption to keep you completely secure and a CleanWeb ad, tracker, and malware blocker to boost your browsing freedom. That means you'll never be creeped out by targeted ads while you browse, stream, work, or play ever again.

While it's usually A$679 for a three-year subscription, you can sign up here for just A$106 using code SURF20 through 31 March and save 84%.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

10+ self-emptying robot vacuums on sale ahead of Amazons spring sale

Mashable - Tue, 03/18/2025 - 16:51

A peek at the best early Amazon spring sale deals on self-emptying robot vacuums Budget pick Shark AI Ultra AV2511AE $299.99 at Amazon (save $300) Get Deal Best self-emptying deal with self-washing and drying mopping padsa Roborock Qrevo Master $1,299.99 at Amazon (save $600) Get Deal

Unless you're really trying to save space on the floor, there's little reason to not opt for a self-emptying robot vacuum these days. Automated vacuuming likely means more frequent vacuuming, and more frequent vacuuming means faster dustbin filling. And at this point, that shouldn't be your problem.

Automatic dustbin emptying has become such a mainstream robot vacuum feature that a ton of self-emptying robot vacs are solidly in the sub-$500 range — and even more models join that club when there's a big sale event. The latest one happens to line up perfectly with spring cleaning season: Amazon's second Big Spring Sale is happening between March 25 and March 31. And Amazon is extremely well-versed in robot vacuum deals.

With multiple new record-low prices already popping up in the week before the sale starts, your budget could wind up covering even more convenience-related features than you originally expected — further minimizing the amount of time you spend doing maintenance-related tasks for the vacuum. If you're set on a robot vacuum that mops, many self-empty docks in the list below also have water tanks and fans for self-washing and drying of the mopping pads after each use.

I'm tracking the best deals on self-emptying robot vacuum deals ahead of Amazon's sale below. Note: Deals with a 🔥 next to them have dropped to record-low prices.

Best self-emptying robot vacuum deal ahead of Amazon's Big Spring Sale Opens in a new window Credit: Roborock Roborock Qrevo Master $799.99 at Amazon
$1,399.99 Save $600 Get Deal Why we like it

When my favorite robot vacuum from 2024 drops to a new record-low price, of course that's the deal I'm going to recommend. But the deal looks even better when put in context with a 2025 Roborock that I'm testing right now. Compared to the 2025 Saros 10R, which goes for $1,599.99, you'd be getting a premium Roborock from 2024 with almost all of the same features for half the price.

The Qrevo Master obviously empties its own dustbin, but it extends that automated maintenance to automatic mopping pad washing and drying (plus automatic water tank refills) in that same dock. In my experience, this self-sustaining mopping pad situation makes me way more likely to actually use the robot mop — because otherwise, I end up forgoing a mopping cycle all together because I don't feel like washing the dirty pad by hand all the time.

The Qrevo Master also brings home premium features like flexible corner and edge mopping, automatic mop lifting when carpet is sensed, and a livestream pet camera. Its 10,000 Pa of suction power isn't as juicy as the 20,000 Pa on the pricey Saros 10R, but it's still more powerful than most other vacuums in this list.

More self-emptying robot vacuums on saleRobot vacuums that mop

Dreame D10 Plus Gen 2— $289.99 $399.99 (save $110) 🔥
Eufy Omni C20 with mop washing station — $399.99 $699.99 (save $300)
Narwal Freo with mop washing station — $499.99 $899.99 (save $400 with on-page coupon) 🔥
Shark RV2820YE PowerDetect 2-in-1 with mop washing station — $499.99 $899.99 (save $400) 🔥
Roborock Qrevo S — $549.99 $799.99 (save $250)
iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max with mop washing station — $939 $1,399 (save $400)
Roborock Qrevo Curv with mop washing station — $1,299.99 $1,599.99 (save $300)

Robot vacuums that don't mop

Eufy L50 — $239 $299 (save $60 with on-page coupon)
Shark AI Ultra AV2511AE — $299.99 $599.99 (save $300)
Eufy L60 — $299.99 $449.99 (save $150)
iRobot Roomba j9+ — $499 $899 (save $300) 🔥

Headphones and speaker deals live ahead of Amazons Big Spring Sale: Save on Sony, Bose, Sonos, and more

Mashable - Tue, 03/18/2025 - 16:19

Best headphone and speaker deals ahead of Amazon's spring sale Best headphone deal Sennheiser Momentum 4 headphones $261.90 (Save $113.05) Get Deal Best earbuds deal Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds $219 (Save $80) Get Deal Best Bluetooth speaker deal JBL Charge 5 $119.95 (Save $60) Get Deal

It's confirmed: Amazon's Big Spring Sale is just around the corner, and we've already got our eyes on the best headphones deals ahead of the official kick-off on March 25.

Though the sale itself focuses on more seasonally-centric items like grilling equipment and gardening supplies, last year we saw plenty of headphones and speakers deals go live during the week-long event. While we don't expect as dramatic markdowns as Amazon tends to offer during Prime Day or Black Friday, most of this sale is open to all shoppers — not just Prime members — making it a decent time to double-check your shopping list, whether you're in the market for a new TV or some Tile trackers.

So far, we've seen price drops from most major brands, including Bose, Sony, Sennheiser, JBL, and Apple. We'll be updating this list as the sale draws nearer — we keep a close eye on the headphones and speaker markets year-round, so we'll only include deals that are legitimately harder to find.

Best headphones deals

Sony ULT Wear — $148 $199.99 (save $51.99)
Beats Studio Pro — $179.95 $349.99 (save $170.04)
Sony WH-1000XM4 — $248 $348 (save $100)
Bose QuietComfort headphones — $249 $349 (save $100)
Sennheiser Momentum 4 — $261.90 $374.95 ($113.05)
Sony WH-1000XM5 — $328 $399 (save $71)
Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones — $349 $429 (save $80)
Apple AirPods Max (USB-C) — $479.99 $549 (save $69.01)

Best earbuds deals

EarFun Air Pro 4 — $64.99 $89.99 (save $25 with on-page coupon)
Sony WF-C700N — $78 $119.99 (save $41.99)
Shokz OpenFit Air — $99.95 $119.95 (save $20)
JBL Live Pro 2 — $99.95 $149.95 (save $50)
Bose QuietComfort earbuds — $149 $179 (save $30)
JBL Live Buds 3 — $159.95 $199.95 (save $40)
Beats Fit Pro — $169 $199.95 (save $30.95)
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 — $179 $229 (save $50)
Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds — $219 $299 (save $80)

Best Bluetooth speaker deals

JBL Go 4 — $39.95 $49.95 (save $10)
JBL Clip 5 — $59.95 $79.95 (save $20)
Sony ULT Field 1 — $98 $129.99 (save $31.99)
Beats Pill — $99.95 $149.95 (save $50)
JBL Charge 5 — $119.95 $179.95 (save $60)
Bose SoundLink Flex — $129 $149 (save $20)
Marshall Emberton III — $138 $169.99 (save $31.99)
Sonos Roam 2 — $139 $179 (save $40)
Bose SoundLink Revolve+ (Series II) — $229 $299 (save $70)
Klipsch The Three Plus — $319 $399 (save $80)
Sonos Move 2 — $359 $449 (save $90)

GM is teaming with Nvidia to produce fleet of self-driving vehicles

Mashable - Tue, 03/18/2025 - 15:58

At Nvidia’s annual GTC conference, CEO Jensen Huang announced during his keynote session that the company would be partnering with GM to supercharge the latter's autonomous vehicle and manufacturing operations with AI and cutting-edge chips.

GM will integrate Nvidia’s AI-powered computing systems into its next-gen vehicles, using the chipmaker’s Drive AGX platform — essentially an “AI brain” designed to boost advanced driver assistance features and autonomy, according to The Verge. But it’s not just about cars — Nvidia’s Omniverse 3D graphics platform will also help GM streamline its manufacturing processes with digital twins and virtual simulations.

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"AI not only optimizes manufacturing processes and accelerates virtual testing but also helps us build smarter vehicles while empowering our workforce to focus on craftsmanship," GM CEO Mary Barra said in a statement.

The partnership comes at a critical time for GM. The automaker has poured billions into autonomous tech with mixed results—most notably, the costly setbacks of its Cruise robotaxi division, which faced safety concerns and a major funding pullback. Now, instead of betting on a separate AV fleet, GM is shifting its focus to bringing self-driving capabilities to consumer vehicles.

For Nvidia, the deal marks another milestone in its growing push into the auto industry, which Huang sees as a trillion-dollar opportunity by 2028. With partnerships spanning Jaguar, Volvo, and Mercedes-Benz, the AI giant is making it clear: the future of driving runs on its chips.

Heres how MLB captured that viral Dansby Swanson play

Mashable - Tue, 03/18/2025 - 15:11

Baseball social media lit up after a jaw-dropping first-inning grab by Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson during an international exhibition game against the Yomiuri Giants. But it wasn’t just the play — a routine yet athletic throw to first — that had fans talking. It was the surreal replay angle that followed.

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The broadcast showed an ultra-high-tech view of Swanson’s diving grab—so advanced that, for a moment, it seemed AI-generated. However, a Major League Baseball spokesperson offered a simpler explanation in an email to Mashable:

It’s a system called FreeViewpoint developed by Canon. It’s permanently installed in the Tokyo Dome with 160 cameras around the rim of the seating bowl. They essentially stitch video together to create these looks. It’s on the World Feed so every broadcaster will see these clips.

It's so good that fans are clamoring for more.

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200+ of the best Amazon deals live ahead of its Big Spring Sale, hand-picked by Mashables team of experts

Mashable - Tue, 03/18/2025 - 14:59

The best early Amazon Big Spring Sale deals at a glance: Best Kindle deal Amazon Kindle Scribe Essentials Bundle $449.97 (save $60) Get Deal Best Apple deal Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $949 (save $50 with on-page coupon) Get Deal Best TV deal TCL 65-inch Q65 QLED 4K TV $349.99 (save $100) Get Deal Best headphones/earbuds deal Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds $219 (save $70) Get Deal Best robot vacuum deal Roborock Qrevo Master $799.99 (save $600) Get Deal Best smart home deal TP-Link Tapo Smart Light Bulbs (2-pack) $14.98 (save $10.01) Get Deal Best kitchen deal Stanley Quencher H2.0 Tumbler (40 ounces) $33.75 (save $11.25) Get Deal Best outdoor deal Coleman Montana Camping Tent (8-person) $164.99 (save $105) Get Deal Best book deal "Sunrise on the Reaping" by Suzanne Collins $19.59 (save $8.49) Get Deal

Amazon is about to spring a bunch of seasonal deals on shoppers. The retail giant announced Tuesday that its second-ever Big Spring Sale will run from Tuesday, March 25, through Monday, March 31, ushering in discounts on "end-of-season winter items" and "springtime favorites" across more than 35 categories. Each day of the weeklong sale will feature "themed daily drops" on top of new limited-time offers.

The Big Spring Sale is Amazon's first major savings event of the year — and unlike its flagship summer Prime Day sale, the deals won't be exclusive to Prime members. Most of them, anyway: Amazon said Prime members will get access to a handful of special offers. They'll be identified with a "Prime Spring Deal" badge.

Need help sifting through the noise? Mashable's Shopping team is keeping track of the best deals available at Amazon ahead of the Big Spring Sale, and we'll continue to do so once the event is officially live. With eight years of experience covering Amazon's sales under our belts, we've developed a tried-and-true deal-hunting methodology to find hidden gems among the retailer's myriad listings. We cross-check prices with Amazon's competitors, track pricing trends, and vet products' value based on our hands-on testing, and we only recommend what's most worth buying. You can read more about our deals coverage here.

Below, we've got a running list of Amazon's best early Big Spring Sale deals on smart home devices, Apple gadgets, robot vacuums, outdoor gear, kitchen appliances, books, and much more. Check back daily to see what else we find.

Best Kindle deals