Feed aggregator

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.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Here's the answer hints for September 22 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for September 22 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: I've got you under my skin

These words live within you.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

The answers are all related to organs.

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 InternalOrgans.

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for September 22

• Lungs

• Brain

• Kidneys

• Stomach

• Liver

• InternalOrgans

• Heart

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.

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 September 22'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 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 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.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for September 22 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

To share knowledge.

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 T.

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...

TEACH.

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.

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 September 22'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.

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.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for September 21 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: Color theory

• Green: Document options

• Blue: Grand prize

• Purple: Bronze

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: Color Types

• Green: File Menu Options

• Blue: Chance To Win A Prize

• Purple: What "Bronze" Might Mean

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 #469 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Color Types: GRAYSCALE, NEON, NEUTRAL, PASTEL

• File Menu Options: NEW, OPEN, PRINT, SAVE

• Chance To Win A Prize: DRAWING, LOTTERY, POOL, RAFFLE

• What "Bronze" Might Mean: ALLOY, SCULPTURE, SUNTAN, THIRD

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.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill on Friday that could entirely reshape how kids in the state use social media. Among the potential changes: A requirement that could effectively reshape the TikTok "For You Page" as minors now know it.

SEE ALSO: OpenAI supports California's AI-watermarking bill

The bill, SB976, is set to take effect in 2027 in the state home to many of tech's biggest companies. There are two major components. One: It would bar social media platforms from providing "addictive feeds" — defined as feeds based on info given by or collected on the user — to minors with parental consent. And two: It would bar social media platforms from sending notifications to minors (sans parental approval) between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m., and between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays during the school year.

In short: Minors' feeds would have to be chronological order feeds of people they followed. That would mean, effectively, no more "For You Page" on TikTok or other such algorithmic recommendation-based feeds.

"Every parent knows the harm social media addiction can inflict on their children — isolation from human contact, stress and anxiety, and endless hours wasted late into the night," Newsom said in a statement, via the Associated Press. "With this bill, California is helping protect children and teenagers from purposely designed features that feed these destructive habits."

It should be noted that the law makes the aforementioned actions towards minors illegal "unless the operator does not have actual knowledge that the user is a minor." Which seems to leave some space for minors who get around potential regulations. However, the bill's authors note that the state's attorney general will have to implement age verification and parental consent regulations by 2027, though it remains unclear what those would look like.

Now, of course, TikTok is already engulfed in a legal battle with the U.S. government, so there's a chance it's not even around in the U.S. in 2027. But no matter the social media landscape in a few years, this law would completely shift how the platforms operated.

The L.A. Times reported the bill has "an unusual collection of opponents," including the ACLU of California, Equality California, and associations representing tech giants like TikTok and Meta. While the law would have a massive effect on how kids use social media, it seems reasonable to assume there will be a legal battle between now and 2027.

The trailer for The Wild Robot has reduced me to tears every time I've seen it. What can I say? The idea of a robot finding community in the wilderness was just too much for my heart to handle, even in a three-minute package.

SEE ALSO: 42 movies you'll want to see this fall

It's great news, then, that The Wild Robot delivers on its trailer's promise a thousandfold. Director Chris Sanders, known for Lilo & Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon, has crafted a sweet (and yes, tear-jerking) tale of motherhood and connection, all backed up with some of DreamWorks' most stunning animation to date.

What's The Wild Robot about? Credit: DreamWorks

Based on the novel by Peter Brown, The Wild Robot strands us on a deserted island alongside ROZZUM unit 7134 (voiced by Lupita Nyong'o). Unable to complete tasks for her human owners as her programming demands, ROZZUM — or "Roz" for short — looks to the island's many wild animals to try to fulfill her function.

It quickly turns out that these animals don't love a robot barreling down on them with a cheerful cry of, "Do you need assistance?" No matter that Roz can mimic their movements or understand their language; to the inhabitants of this island, she's a frightening intruder, and is treated as such. Without any understanding of the island's ecosystem, Roz winds up in dust-ups with everyone from thieving raccoons to frightening bears, leaving her dinged up and all alone.

SEE ALSO: 'Flow' review: An animated animal adventure unlike anything you've seen before

Roz's initial isolation opens the floodgates on the first of The Wild Robot many sob-worthy moments. I dare you not to hear her confused plea, "Did anyone order me?" without your heart breaking. Someone help this robot find her purpose, please!

That purpose comes to Roz in the form of an unhatched goose egg, the last survivor of its nest. Once the gosling, named Brightbill (voiced by Heartstopper's Kit Connor), hatches and imprints on Roz, it's up to her to teach him how to swim, eat, and fly in time for migration. But the parenting process proves to be more than just any old menial task, and Roz soon finds herself experiencing thoughts and feelings beyond her programming.

The Wild Robot is a precious exploration of motherhood and community. Credit: DreamWorks

Sanders is no stranger to crafting films that meld the classic fish-out-of-water trope with unlikely friendships. Lilo & Stitch's eponymous human-alien pairing is one of the greats, along with the dragon-rider dynamic between How to Train Your Dragon's Hiccup and Toothless. With Roz and Brightbill inThe Wild Robot, Sanders hits the jackpot once again.

Brightbill and Roz may be a goose and a robot, but so many of their interactions feel true to those between human parents and children. Roz is constantly concerned about doing right by Brightbill — something a wry mother possum named Pinktail (voiced by Catherine O'Hara) tells her is par for the course of parenting. Meanwhile, Brightbill walks the line between wanting independence and worrying about what will happen if he migrates away from Roz. Sure, he and Roz fight in the way that only mothers and teenagers do, but it's clear that they know they're each other's whole world.

SEE ALSO: 'Agatha All Along' review: Kathryn Hahn conjures up pure, witchy fun

That sense of closeness is made all the stronger by the fact that both Roz and Brightbill are viewed as "defective" by members of their own kind. When Roz encounters the occasional other robot, they are confused by her ability to feel at all. For his part, Brightbill takes after his mother, developing a near-robotic voice and punctuating his every move with a whir or beep in order to mimic her, a habit that other geese find off-putting. Of course, in the end, these differences end up being Roz and Brightbill's greatest strengths, a message that, while nothing revolutionary, always bears repeating.

The Wild Robot also widens its scope beyond Roz and Brightbill, showing how Roz relates to the island's other critters. In another one of the film's most touching relationships, Roz relies on conniving fox Fink (voiced by Pedro Pascal) for help with Brightbill. His philosophy, like that of many other animals on the island, is that there's one rule to life: Eat, or be eaten. Roz sees things differently, proposing that kindness can be its own survival mechanism. Over the course of the film, Fink and the other animals' outlooks shift from the former to the latter, a testament to Roz's impact on those around her. She's changing the island as much as it is changing her.

Roz is the next great movie robot. Credit: DreamWorks

Roz's ability to bring misfits and entire communities together places her in conversation with other great animated robots in film, like Wall-E and the Iron Giant. So does her individual transformation, which The Wild Robot crafts with tremendous care.

Nyong'o's voice acting is impeccable here, and vital to Roz's journey. At the start of the film, she voices Roz as relentlessly chipper, with a hard robotic edge that mirrors how Roz stands out in an otherwise all-natural environment. As The Wild Robot continues, Nyong'o adds more emotions to Roz's vocal toolbox, letting her get mad, uncertain, and exasperated. The end result is a voice that's full of feeling yet still carries traces of the robotic; it's the culmination of a breathtaking tightrope of a vocal performance.

Nyong'o's work goes hand in hand with Roz's extraordinary design and animation. Her dynamism and versatility as a character — she can be a crab! A lighthouse! A builder! — is matched only by that of the artists who brought her to life. Every scene gives you something new to notice about Roz, whether it's the ever-flickering displays in her eyes or how the light strips along her body convey emotion. Like Nyong'o's performance, Roz's design also charts her arc on the island, with each mechanical injury or occasional plant growth acting as exquisite visual storytelling.

The Wild Robot is a visual marvel. Credit: DreamWorks

Speaking of exquisite, it's impossible to talk about The Wild Robot without highlighting its gorgeous animation. DreamWorks has shifted away from the 3D CGI look somewhat in past years, with a more illustrative style on display in films like The Bad Guys and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. For The Wild Robot, Sanders opts for a watercolor-inspired aesthetic, with the film looking like something out of a fairy-tale storybook.

Pristine forests and tidal pools bloom to life on screen, their blue and green hues a sharp contrast to Roz's metal-gray plating and blinking lights. Flocks of geese take flight in a dazzling airborne montage. Roz's bright lights slash through a driving snowstorm. Each image is a marvelous snapshot on its own. But together, they create something wholly incredible, making The Wild Robot an unforgettable viewing experience and a perfect capstone to celebrate DreamWorks' 30th anniversary.

The Wild Robot was reviewed out of its premiere at Fantastic Fest. It hits theaters Sept. 27.

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Friday, September 20, 2024:

AcrossCover, as a birthday present

• The answer is Wrap.

Laid-back

• The answer is Chill.

"Hawaii and Tennessee are the only two U.S. states whose names end in doubled letters," e.g.

• The answer is Trivia.

Quit one's job

• The answer is Resign.

"Oliver Twist" novelist

• The answer is Dickens.

"Do unto ___ …" (start of the Golden Rule)

• The answer is Others.

"Bye-bye!"

• The answer is Seeya.

DownWhat Maker's Mark made its mark in

• The answer is Whiskey

Coastal region of southeast France and northwest Italy

• The answer is Riviera.

Puts in a row

• The answer is Aligns.

Social engagements

• The answer is Plans.

Nativity scene

• The answer is Creche.

Lacking originality

• The answer is Trite.

Two, in Tijuana

• The answer is Dos.

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

Featured Video For You The Wordle Strategy used by the New York Times' Head of Games

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

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

Elon Musk blinked first in a high-profile game of chicken between the tech billionaire and Brazil's government.

SEE ALSO: Bluesky adds videos to the platform to take on Elon Musk's X

Musk's X quietly complied with demands from Brazil's Supreme Court in a court filing Friday night, the New York Times reported. The hope is Brazil will soon lift its nationwide ban of the social media platform.

Musk publicly feuded with Brazilian Supreme Court justice Alexandre de Moraes, who ordered that X take down content that spread fake news and misinformation, saying it was a threat to the country's democracy. Musk and X balked at the Court's demands and refused to pay fines, leading to the website being barred in the entire country.

Now, all of a sudden, Musk has given in, according to the Times. The company's lawyers reportedly noted that X had taken down the accounts in question, paid the required fines, and named a formal representative for the country.

Tweet may have been deleted

The switch marked quite the turnaround from Musk calling Moraes an "evil dictator cosplaying as a judge."

It wasn't yet clear why X and Musk had a change of heart — though, obviously, Brazil is a massive market — but whatever the reason, the social media site may soon be back for Brazilians. '

X did not immediately reply to Mashable's request for comment. We will update if we receive a response

In an abrupt reversal, the social network’s lawyers said it was complying with court orders that it had previously defied. Brazil’s Supreme Court could allow the site to return next week.

Cards Against Humanity — yes, the raunchy, word-based party game — has launched a legal battle against Elon Musk and SpaceX.

CAH, known for its well-meaning publicity stunt, has sued the space company over allegedly using a plot of land in Texas belonging to the game company. In 2017 it fundraised a bunch of money to purchase a plot of land on the Texas-Mexico border, making it impossible for then-President Donald Trump to complete his long-promised border wall.

"Donald Trump is a preposterous golem who is afraid of Mexicans. He is so afraid that he wants to build a $20 billion wall that everyone knows will accomplish nothing," the company wrote at the time. "So we’ve purchased a plot of vacant land on the border and retained a law firm specializing in eminent domain to make it as time-consuming and expensive as possible for the wall to get built."

Years later that same plot of land is at the center of the company's dispute with Musk and SpaceX. CAH alleged in a lawsuit that SpaceX, which has facilities nearby, has been using the land without permission and leaving materials strewn about.

Wrote the game company in a statement:

"We have terrible news. Seven years ago, 150,000 people paid us $15 to protect a pristine parcel of land on the US-Mexico border from racist billionaire Donald Trump's very stupid wall.

Unfortunately, an even richer, more racist billionaire—Elon Musk—snuck up on us from behind and completely fucked that land with gravel, tractors, and space garbage."

The company promised it would "equally split the lawsuit's net proceeds among all 150,000 of our original subscribers, up to $100 each." It included images of the land, allegedly showing SpaceX materials everywhere.

Wrote CAH:

"How did this happen? Elon Musk’s SpaceX was building some space thing nearby, and he figured he could just dump his shit all over our gorgeous plot of land without asking. After we caught him, SpaceX gave us a 12-hour ultimatum to accept a lowball offer for less than half our land’s value. We said, 'Go fuck yourself, Elon Musk. We’ll see you in court.'"

You can find the company's state and more info, quite funnily, at www.ElonOwesYou100Dollars.com.

The James Webb Space Telescope will soon begin a massive study of rocky worlds outside the solar system, specifically to discover if planets orbiting closely to small cool stars could have air. 

Scientists plan to start with LTT 1445 Ac and GJ 3929 b, and though those exoplanets might not be household names, they are tantalizing subjects, relatively near Earth in space. Each was discovered two years ago using NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite while conducting a survey of thousands of stars.

LTT 1445 Ac is roughly the size of Earth and about 22 light-years away in the constellation Eridanus. The planet orbits the star LTT 1445 A, part of a trio of red dwarf stars. GJ 3929 b is slightly larger and heavier than Earth, located about 52 light-years away in the constellation Corona Borealis. 

These two worlds are just the initial targets of a campaign that will take a closer look at a dozen nearby-ish planets over the next two years. The program, first reported by Mashable, will budget about 500 hours for observation with the Webb telescope, along with about 250 orbits of ultraviolet observations with the Hubble Space Telescope to help characterize the host stars' activity. 

SEE ALSO: Scientists haven't found a rocky exoplanet with air. But now they have a plan. In addition to Webb, the new survey will include about 250 orbits of ultraviolet observations by the Hubble Space Telescope. Credit: Adrian Mann / Stocktrek Images / Getty Images illustration

Jennifer Lotz, who oversees Webb and Hubble's operations at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, initiated the survey using the director's discretionary time, the same way revolutionary science campaigns like the Hubble deep field images came to fruition. 

Most astronomers agree that detecting atmospheres is crucial in the search for habitable worlds. NASA has playfully called Earth's own atmosphere its "security blanket": Without it, the type of life flourishing here wouldn't exist. This cocoon holds oxygen in the air and filters out harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun, all while keeping our world warm. Furthermore, it creates pressure that allows liquid water to pool on the surface.

An artist imagines LTT 1445 Ac, an exoplanet about 22 light-years from Earth in a triple red dwarf star system. Credit: NASA / ESA / Leah Hustak illustration

Red dwarf stars, sometimes referred to as M-type stars, are the most common stars within the Milky Way, yet nobody knows whether planets orbiting them can hold onto atmospheres, said Néstor Espinoza, an astronomer heading the program's implementation.

There's a key difference between the first two survey targets and Earth: Both are so close to their stars, their years are only about three Earth-days long. That may not be a problem, given that their host stars aren't as hot as the sun, but could an atmosphere survive the constant barrage of this stellar radiation?

"This is one of those high-risk, high-reward programs," Espinoza told Mashable. "Imagine that for all of the targets, we detect atmospheres. Then you answer the question, 'Yes, atmospheres are very common around these stars. That means maybe life can emerge.' On the other hand, if you found out that none of them have atmospheres, that would be pretty sad, but also pretty interesting. It would mean that our planetary system is actually really, really special."

Apple Watch Series 10 come with new speakers that support music and podcasts for the first time. To dispel any confusion, its predecessor had speakers, too, but only for beeps, tones, and taking calls from loved ones and friends.

The new-generation Apple Watch Series 10, however, can actually play music. The recently dropped smartwatch comes with new sleep apnea monitoring, larger sizes, a thinner chassis, faster charging, brighter, more visible viewing angles, a new titanium casing that echoes the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro lines, and stunning new colors — but it's the new music-playing speakers that piqued my interest the most.

Why?

Because when I heard "music-playing Apple Watch," I immediately thought, "OMG, I can take it into the shower with me and blast my favorite tunes!"

Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable

Yes, I'm one of "those people" who brings their phone into the bathroom — and jams out to their favorite Apple Music playlists while standing under the cascading waters of their shower. Sue me! And I know I'm not the only one who does it.

The best solution for music-loving shower takers is waterproof bluetooth speakers — like these JBL speakers from Amazon. But the question is, could the Apple Watch Series 10 serve as an alternative? I put it to the test.

Apple Watch Series 10: How does it fare in the shower?

I set up the Apple Watch Series 10 and eagerly tapped on the Apple Music app.

Apple Watch Series 10 Credit: Rentalhunters/Shutterstock.com

I played a radio station curated just for me and it launched a classical music tune called "Piano Sonata No. 18 in D Major" by Yeol Eum Son. Since the Apple Watch Series 10 is so small and compact, I expected a tinny, metallic sound.

To my surprise, the song sounded richer, smoother, and more lush than I thought it'd be. I don't know how I could expect any different. If there's anything Apple gets right, it's nailing warm, full-bodied, balanced audio, whether it's on a MacBook, a pair of AirPods, the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Keep in mind, however, that I tested this in a quiet room, so my expectations were still high going into this quick experiment.

Before hopping the shower, I decided to switch gears and play some Frank Ocean. (Before using your Apple Watch Series 10, I suggest curating a shower playlist so that you can easily play your favorite song right from your wrist.)

I played "Thinking Bout You," swayed to the chill tune, and turned on the faucet to start the shower. I stepped in, but noticed one tiny little problem: the water droplets hitting the shower floor were overpowering Frank Ocean's crooning.

Even when I tried to turn the digital crown to increase the volume to the max, I could barely hear the song while showering. Bummer!

The Watch Series 10's speakers aren't tinny, but they are definitely quiet. So if you had plans of purchasing the Apple Watch Series 10 for shower parties (and yes, you can wet it because it's swimproof), you need to temper your expectations.

It can handle a wide variety of environments, but one that involves loud splashes of water simply isn't one of them.

Apple Watch Series 10: What can I use the music-playing speakers for?

We already established that the Apple Watch Series 10 isn't ideal for dance sessions in the shower, but the question is, what can you use it for? I've compiled a list here:

• A quiet, relaxing bath

• Walking on a treadmill

• Dancing in front of a mirror

• Listening to podcasts in a quiet room

• Sleeping with music that lulls you into a slumber

• Doing chores in a low-noise home

• Floor exercises

You get the picture here.

As long as there isn't any loud noise in your environment, the Watch Series 10 music-playing speakers are pretty good.

For anything else, jogging alongside a clamorous street, for example, or a boisterous room with kids, the smartwatch's quiet tunes won't stand a chance.

The Apple Watch Series 10 starts at $399 and it hit store shelves on Sept. 20.

Opens in a new window Credit: Rentalhunters/Shutterstock.com Apple Watch Series 10 $399.99 at Amazon
Get Deal

We're small.

The Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) spacecraft, barreling through our solar system, recently used Earth's gravity to slingshot to Venus. The spacecraft, now millions of miles away, has looked back home. We're floating in an unconscionably vast black ether.

"These two little marbles we call our cosmic home were photographed by Juice from over 5 million km [3.1 million miles], as the spacecraft waved us goodbye while heading towards Venus," the European Space Agency recently posted online.

SEE ALSO: NASA scientist viewed first Voyager images. What he saw gave him chills.

That's Earth on the right, and the moon, about four times smaller, on the left. Even from such a distance, you can make out our planet's dominant clouds.

Earth (on right) and the moon as seen from over 3.1 million miles (over 5 million kilometers) away. Credit: ESA Tweet may have been deleted

Mission planners recently sent the craft by Earth and the moon to exploit our gravity as it zips through space. It will fly by Venus and then Earth twice more, picking up speed as it escapes to the distant, icy solar system. Juice's destination is the Jupiter region, where it will make 35 flybys of three of the gas giant's icy moons.

"This ambitious mission will characterize these moons with a powerful suite of remote sensing, geophysical and in situ instruments to discover more about these compelling destinations as potential habitats for past or present life," ESA said.

One of the spacecraft's targets, Ganymede, is the largest moon in our solar system — it's even bigger than the planet Mercury. Crucially, Ganymede is stretched and compressed by the nearby massive Jupiter, a process that generates heat (This happens on the ocean moon Europa, too.) "This heat could drive some tectonic activity and provide one of the necessary conditions for life to emerge: a source of energy," ESA explained.

Juice will continue to slingshot by planets in its endeavor to reach deep space. It'll arrive at Jupiter in 2031, but expect more planetary views on the journey there.

This summer NASA's two car-sized labs exploring Mars each discovered rocks that neither mission had seen before, revealing a more diverse history for the planet than previously thought. 

Three major findings happened within the span of seven weeks. The Curiosity rover, which has been climbing a mountain of layered rock, literally stumbled upon pure sulfur, its wheels crushing the material to expose a bed of yellow crystals. It turns out there was a whole beach-like field of these rocks about 55 yards wide. 

In an entirely different region — a dried river channel — its twin, Perseverance, found a rock that scientists say has the most promising signs of ancient Martian life yet, though the sample would need to be shipped back to Earth for confirmation. This groundbreaking detection came shortly after Perseverance spotted a rare anorthosite boulder, which scientists believe could be a chunk of Mars' original crust.  

Despite the two rovers being more than 2,000 miles apart on the Red Planet, their human stewards work within the same building in California. The teams are now sharing a renewed frenzy, scientists told Mashable: After two decades of traversing Mars with various robots, this pair of rovers — controlled from millions of miles away in space — is still uncovering new things to blow their socks off. 

"We'd be running around the hallways all excited about the rocks we found, but then their operations team would say, 'Oh, but we found really cool rocks, too,'" Abigail Fraeman, deputy project scientist on the Curiosity mission, said. "It was just a really joyous summer for us all to be able to celebrate the successes of these missions and to continue to think forward to what we're going to see."

SEE ALSO: NASA's plan to return Martian rocks is in trouble. Could these 7 companies help?

The exceptional summer discoveries have only mounted pressure on the U.S. space agency to solve the problems facing its proposed Mars Sample Return mission, an expensive and technologically complex plan to fly bits of rock, dust, and even air collected by Perseverance back to Earth. 

The mission has been in limbo since a review found it would cost upward of $11 billion and take nearly two decades to achieve. NASA has since engaged the greater aerospace industry for input on how to wrangle in spending and development. Seven companies have suggested a variety of ideas, which Mashable has reported, including repurposing Artemis moon landers and rethinking the last leg of the journey. NASA hasn't yet announced its path forward. 

Casey Dreier, senior space policy adviser for The Planetary Society, said he hopes the recent accomplishments on Mars will galvanize the political support to bring samples home. 

"It's kind of a reminder that no one is going to care if it costs $6 billion or $11 billion if we discover evidence of life beyond Earth for the first time in human history," he told Mashable.

Curiosity and Perseverance, NASA's twin rovers on Mars, found rocks this summer that are revealing the Red Planet as more geologically complex than once thought. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech

In almost any imaginable case, a rock sample would have to be brought back to Earth to conclude whether they had evidence of ancient Martians, said Katie Stack Morgan, a deputy project scientist for Perseverance. Based on what scientists know about the planet's history, it's unlikely that life, if there were any, evolved into multicellular organisms. Therefore, the rovers probably won't ever see something as obvious as a fossilized body part. 

But life at the microbial scale does have the ability to leave a mark, albeit something more like a chemical residue than a literal footprint.

"If microbes were present on Mars, their signature left behind in the rock is probably more subtle," Stack Morgan said. 

The Curiosity rover stumbled upon pure sulfur, its wheels crushing the material to expose a bed of yellow crystals. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS Curiosity's discovery of elemental sulfur 

From the get-go, Curiosity has more limitations than Perseverance for finding evidence of life because it wasn't designed for that purpose. Instead, its instruments are tailored to detecting ingredients that life on Earth requires. 

But it's still capable of making significant discoveries on the Red Planet. Finding pure sulfur on May 30, for instance, was a surprise that could have exciting implications. In Gale Crater, where the rover has been exploring, Curiosity is surrounded by plenty of sulfates — that is, rocks that contain sulfur combined with other materials. 

"It's kind of a reminder that no one is going to care if it costs $6 billion or $11 billion if we discover evidence of life beyond Earth for the first time in human history." After inadvertently crushing Convict Lake, a rock containing pure sulfur, Curiosity found others like it, such as this one dubbed Snow Lake. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS

But unadulterated sulfur is special. When it is made naturally on Earth, the element is usually associated with superheated volcanic gasses and hot springs. Another way it can form is through interactions with bacteria, though Fraeman emphasizes that what Curiosity found could have formed through a non-biological process.

Still, Fraeman, who got the honor of naming the crushed yellow crystals Convict Lake after a landmark in the Sierra Nevada mountains, said the discovery is a brainteaser for scientists because those rocks don't seem like they should be there.

"We don't think we're anywhere near a volcano where the rover is, so that is a puzzling feature to find in this particular location," she said. 

The Perseverance rover found an exceptional boulder on Mars, thought to be an anorthosite. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / ASU Perseverance's discovery of an anorthosite boulder

Just three days earlier on May 27, Perseverance found a light speckled boulder about 18 inches wide and 14 inches tall in Jezero Crater. The rover team named it Atoko Point after a landmark in the Grand Canyon. 

Though such anorthosite rocks are on the moon and in mountain ranges on Earth, they're generally considered rare in the solar system. True Martian examples have eluded researchers up until now, including within our inventory of Red Planet meteorites. 

Anorthosites are primarily made of feldspar, a mineral linked to lava flows. Some scientists think the rock may have formed in magma below ground and was later blasted to the surface by a giant impact. Others think it could have formed somewhere else on the planet and was carried to its location by a gushing ancient river. 

This discovery could bolster the idea that Mars' early crust was more complex than once thought — and perhaps similar to Earth's original crust. Understanding the ancient Martian surface also could help unlock secrets about the evolution of Earth and how life emerged here. 

NASA provides an annotated close-up look at the Cheyava Falls rock, which scientists say is the most compelling case study so far that ancient microbial life may have emerged on Mars. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech Perseverance's discovery of a potential biosignature

Regardless of the rovers' extraordinary finds in the early part of the summer, they were vastly eclipsed by a veiny, leopard-spotted rock found in mid-July. Though NASA stopped short of claiming Perseverance had found evidence of past Martian life, the rover's instruments detected organics within the rock that are, at the least, building blocks for life in this world. 

Dubbed Cheyava Falls, the arrowhead-shaped rock, measuring about three feet by two feet, also bears signs of water having run through it and a potential source of nutrients: The rock's spots were caused by a type of chemical reaction that can yield different minerals. On Earth, microbes can feed off those chemical reactions and sometimes even cause them to occur. 

Though Cheyava Falls' splotches could have formed in non-biological ways, they are usually linked to subsurface microbes from long ago when they are found on Earth. 

Perseverance scientists say they've exhausted what they can learn about the rock with the instruments on the rover. Back home, researchers could use advanced tools to search for complex organic molecules, DNA, cell structures, and beyond to determine whether it indeed contains evidence of past Martian life. 

But without a sample return mission, scientists say it's unlikely they'll get beyond where they are today in their understanding of the Red Planet's past habitability: At one point, it had conditions for life to emerge. So did it?

"It's like we know all the ingredients to make the cookies are out on the table," Fraeman said, "And the question is do we actually have the cookies baked?"

Robert Tymofichuk, a teacher in Alberta, Canada, spent nearly 2,000 hours building an operational hovercraft from salvaged car parts and with no blueprint.

A NASA probe, the length of a basketball court, is headed to the tantalizing world Europa.

Planetary scientists are confident this moon of Jupiter harbors a deep ocean. A looming question is whether it hosts the ingredients and conditions to support life. With around 50 close flybys of the planet, the sizable craft — the largest probe NASA has ever built for a planetary science mission — intends to find Europa's answer.

"It's perhaps one of the best places beyond Earth to look for life in our solar system," Cynthia Phillips, a NASA planetary geologist and project staff scientist for the space agency's Europa Clipper mission, told Mashable.

SEE ALSO: NASA scientist viewed first Voyager images. What he saw gave him chills.

The mission's launch opportunity window opens soon, on Oct. 10, where it will blast off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. If NASA finds that Europa is a habitable world, a second Europa mission will return, this time landing there to see if it's inhabited.

A graphic comparing the size of the Europa Clipper spacecraft to a basketball court. Credit: NASA Why the Europa Clipper spacecraft is so big

Europa Clipper, over 100 feet (30.5 meters) long, is big because it needs to generate solar power in deep space. And the Jupiter region only receives three to four percent of the sunlight that Earth receives. Hence the long wings, or arrays.

"You just need these giant solar arrays in order to power all your instruments," Phillips explained. "We're talking about a huge expanse of solar arrays."

Capturing loads of the distant sunlight will create some 700 watts of electricity, which is "about what a small microwave oven or a coffee maker needs to operate," NASA explains. But the craft also carries batteries to help power a host of moon-sleuthing instruments.

"I'm really excited about this payload that we're bringing to Europa," Phillips said.

"I'm really excited about this payload that we're bringing to Europa."

An ice-penetrating radar will look beneath the moon's icy, cracked crust. It will see how this icy subsurface is composed, and possibly, possibly, detect where the ice meets the ocean. (Europa's ice shell is likely some 10 to 15 miles, or 15 to 25 kilometers, thick.) This radar could detect about half a mile deep, or it could be much more — that depends on how fractured the ice is and the purity of the ice (a fractured subsurface, for example, means the radar signal will bounce around more, as opposed to penetrating down). There's potential, however, that the radar will infiltrate a whopping 19 miles (30 kilometers) down.

One of Europa Clipper's wings extended at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Credit: NASA The Europa Clipper's SUrface Dust Analyzer, or SUDA, which will scoop up particles blasted into space around the moon. Credit: NASA / CU Boulder / Glenn Asakawa

In addition to a suite of specialized cameras, Europa Clipper also carries an instrument called the SUrface Dust Analyzer, or SUDA, that will literally sample particles of Europa that have been ejected into space by tiny meteorites. "Micrometeorites constantly blast fragments of Europa’s surface into space," NASA explains. "The ejecta are individually small, but scientists estimate that half a ton (about 500 kilograms) of Europa’s surface material floats above the moon at all times."

One of the most exciting opportunities of the mission — though far from guaranteed — is the craft potentially flying through a water-ice plume blasted out from Europa's surface. This would allow the instruments exquisite insight into Europa's interior.

"We would love to fly through a plume," Curt Niebur, Europa Clipper's program scientist, said at a press conference leading up to the mission's launch.

"We would love to fly through a plume."

Plumes or not, mission scientists believe that some 50 close flybys of the surface will provide ample observations to prove whether or not Europa could harbor life. Sure, it almost certainly has water. But all life needs energy: Does this ocean world provide an energy source? And does it harbor the basic chemical ingredients, like carbon, to form the building blocks of life as we know it?

And, if all those conditions are satisfied, is there evidence the ocean has been around for billions of years, providing a stable environment for life to evolve and sustain itself in Europa's dark sea?

Why scientists think Europa has an ocean

The Europa Clipper mission is an expensive science endeavor, costing some $5 billion. But NASA is confident this Jovian moon harbors an intriguing sea perhaps twice the volume of all Earth's seas.

Why?

"It's a great detective story," Phillips said.

"It's a great detective story."

In 1979, the Voyager 2 spacecraft captured the first detailed views of Europa, showing a surface dominated by crisscrossing cracks. And many of these lines were reddish, suggesting that something below the surface welled up to fill them. Planetary scientists also knew that as Europa swings by the gravitationally powerful gas giant Jupiter, its interior gets stretched and pulled, a process that produces heat on a world. This tugging could have provided heat on Europa for billions of years.

"This made Europa really, really interesting," Phillips noted.

An artist's conception of the ocean, and geothermal energy sources, that could exist beneath Europa's thick ice crust. Credit: NASA Europa's surface as captured by NASA's Galileo spacecraft. Credit: NASA

Then, in the 1990s, NASA's Galileo mission captured legendary views of Europa's chaotic, ridged surface — suggesting there was water near the top. What's more, the spacecraft detected a strong magnetic signal from the moon. Saltwater, a really good magnetic conductor, could have provided this signal.

"Galileo showed Europa was even more interesting than suspected," Phillip said.

"It's a great detective story."

The evidence only mounted. On multiple occasions, the Hubble Space Telescope spotted evidence that plumes of water erupted 125 miles (200 kilometers) above Europa's surface. It all added up. "There is very likely a subsurface ocean on Europa," Phillips said.

And if it's remained somewhat stable for many eons, it could harbor conditions suitable for life to develop. We won't know, until we get there in 2030.

"This is a voyage into the unknown," said Nicola Fox, who heads NASA's Science Mission Directorate.

Social media companies may try to ban RT, the Russian state media broadcaster. But the network has proved in the past to be a wily adversary when confronted with efforts to silence it.

Five years after leaving Apple, the iPhone designer is forging a new life in San Francisco, one imaginative building at a time.

If you have strong preferences for your workout gear — and strong feelings on Hoka versus Brooks (I'm not getting in the middle of that debate) — then finding the right pair of workout headphones is extra challenging.

The best headphones for working out need to withstand movement, sweat, and the elements. Plus, you don't want something you're constantly fussing with; your headphones should help you stay focused during your exercises.

Mashable reviewers have tested many pairs of headphones and wireless earbuds, and we can tell you which products stay put during a workout, and which buds will go tumbling onto the sidewalk as soon as you break into a run. To make sure we're recommending the right products, I tested five pairs of audio products during my daily workouts, ultimately choosing four.

How to pick headphones for working out

The right headphones for you depend significantly on the kinds of workouts you like to do and where you like to do them. If you like to run outdoors, you need headphones that keep you safe in busy areas with reliable noise transparency. If you're pumping iron at the gym, you might prefer sports earbuds that block out the world with active noise cancellation so you can really lock in for your reps.

For this guide, I looked for two universal specs in all of the headphones I tested. First, workout headphones need to be wireless, giving you a full range of movement. You don't want to get tied up on the stairclimber.

Second, workout headphones need to be sweat- or water-resistant. This one is obvious. When you're working out, you're getting sweaty, and you want headphones that won't freak out at the first sign of moisture. Your gym earbuds don't have to be fully waterproof, but this will be helpful for outdoor athletes.

Why are there no over-the-ear headphones on this list?

When we review headphones at Mashable, we look at all types, from over-the-ear headphones to earbuds, but you won't find any over-the-ear products here. The reason for this is simple: these headphones aren't good for working out. While we usually love them for their comfort and audio quality, their heft gets in the way when you're moving.

Plus, over-the-ear headphones and sweat are a terrible combination. Sweat gets under the ear pads, trapping moisture and leading to the headphones' fabric or leather disintegrating over time. Not to mention, they'll get smelly fast. But don't worry; if you don't like earbuds, you still have options.

So, whether you're hitting the gym or the pavement, here are the best earbuds and headphones for working out.

One of our most anticipated movies out of the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival was Nightbitch. The reasons were many. For one, it's the latest from Marielle Heller, the helmer of such critically heralded adaptations as the coming-of-age dramedy The Diary of a Teenage Girl, the moving Mr. Rogers biopic A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, and the Academy Award–nominated and absolutely hilarious biographical comedy Can You Ever Forgive Me? Two, Nightbitch is led by Amy Adams, the six-time Oscar–nominated star of dramas like The Master and Doubt, as well as comedies like American Hustle and Vice. Three, based on the Rachel Yoder novel, this project promised to give Adams a role she could really sink her teeth into. 

As hinted by the title and the film's first trailer, Nightbitch is about a middle-aged woman who feels stifled by her identity as stay-at-home mom. The ruthless routine of caring for her young son and playing supporting partner to her bacon-bringing husband has her on the brink of breakdown. But then, she sniffs out a newfound freedom as she begins to transform into a dog once the baby's put to bed. There are shades of Jennifer Kent's The Babadook in the premise, so the potential of this maternal dramedy seemed extraordinary.

Heller's established blend of sharp humor and deep empathy combined with Adams' ability to play everything from heart-wrenching drama to gut-busting broad comedy seems a perfect pairing to this material. But unfortunately, the most shocking thing in Nightbitch is how unshocking it ultimately is. 

Nightbitch howls for the frustrated mothers. 

Heller's adapted screenplay gets off to a solid start with a grocery trip that introduces both the mundane and thankless duties of this unnamed mother (Adams, who is referred to as Mother in the credits) and the undercurrent of intellectual frustration boiling beneath her pleasant smile. When a former colleague in chic business attire asks how she likes "getting to be at home" with the baby all day, this pale and frazzled mother launches into a rant of her unrealized ambitions, her fear that mommy brain is killing her creativity as an artist, and her concern that there's no going back. But then the film leaps back a few moments, effectively creating a temporal record scratch that takes us back to the end of the question. This time, Mother answers with what she's supposed to say: "Yeah. I love it." 

That she loves her son (also unnamed, and played by twins Arleigh and Emmett Snowden) is a given. He's adorable, yes, even when he's drinking out of the toilet or throwing paint all over her kitchen walls. What plagues her is the endless cycle of breakfast, diapers, bedtime, and mommy-and-me storytime at the library. There, she might find community among the other mothers, but she resists the warm invitations from these cheerful moms (The Afterparty's Zoë Chao, Happiest Season's Mary Holland, and Archana Rajan). Perhaps because to accept their friendship would be to surrender to this confining mom space?

Her resentment builds against her husband (Speak No Evil's Scoot McNairy), who is the embodiment of weaponized incompetence and emotional idiocy. Then she begins to grow fur. Heller expertly weaves in elements of body horror grotesquely mimicking to comedic effect the physical transformation of a body throughout early motherhood. A particularly impactful scene involves Mother probing at a lump on her tailbone, which oozes a thick, milky pus, then long hair, and finally, an undeniable tail. The audience at the TIFF world premiere audibly gagged and groaned as Adams pulled fur and pus from her lower back! Both here and later — when Mother discovers she's grown four new nipples down her torso — Heller's heroine is not repulsed but empowered by her ability to transform. It's a thrilling beginning to a tale of finding your inner animal. But frustrating, Nighbitch fails to go fully feral. 

Nightbitch lacks bite. 

Mother finds fresh empowerment in her unusual behavior, like nighttime runs with runaway dogs, a carnal hunger for meat, outbursts at her stereotypically smug child-free friends, and an urge to strike back violently at her awful husband, who dares to chirp the deeply unhelpful advice, "Happiness is a choice!" There's an engaging build-up as she begins to move away from fantasizing about emotional outbursts and begins to act them out. But despite a bit of bloodlust in the form of small animal kills, there's no real sense of threat to the film. 

This brings me back to Jennifer Kent's brilliant maternal horror movie The Babadook, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. While the films are tonally different, they have a lot in common. Both follow a woman trying desperately to play by the rules of being a "good mother," but finding the sacrifice of self demanded for this role absolutely suffocating. 

Both have young sons, who they love but also resent. Both have murderous eyes toward the family pet, and both fear they are being taken over by some mysterious primal force. But Nightbitch won't embrace the darkness like The Babadook dared to. Heller's Mother might be bitchy, but she'll never go so far that she'll scare the audience. Admittedly, The Babadook is a nightmare of motherhood, where Nightbitch is meant to be a fantasy of liberation. So, there's understandable cause for Heller not to go as hard as Kent did. Still, without probing deeply to a point of true peril, which would require Mother destroying the things she loves, the low point in Nightbitch just doesn't hit as hard as it could. As the film turns to climb back to a happy ending, the change feels frustratingly mild instead of transgressive or revolutionary. 

There are moments where Nightbitch seems on the verge of tearing down the ideals of "good motherhood" from its damning pedestal and ripping the concept to pieces, freeing Adams' Mother for good. Most of these come through the narration, presumably much of it pulled directly from Yoder's prose. The story illustrates the constraints of the role of mother, where sacrifice is taken so much for granted that moms don't even have a socially sanctioned space to complain about the hardships they endure. While Adams' harried (and hairy) heroine begins to discover some of these constraints are self-imposed, the film refuses to explore what it would mean to dismantle the expectations of others. Without what that could look like, the critique feels incomplete, suggesting some solid me-time is all that's needed to achieve a balance, ignoring the greater societal pressures put upon mothers specifically. 

To Adams' credit, she's committed to playing Mother with an intense authenticity. Throughout the film, her character's hair is dull, her face unpolished by standard movie make-up, her body bigger than model-sizing would allow. She looks a lot like the mothers you might see any given day at the playground. And that makes her delight in her secret hidden tail and bonus nipples uniquely thrilling, punctuated by Adams' beguiling glee at these discoveries. There is much more to her than meets the eye. 

Yet Adams balances this absurdity with earnest monologues about the incredible power of a body that can create life. And at times, this is electrifying. But all of this peculiarity and growing power sets up a promise of something extraordinary that is not delivered on. This mother never gets truly angry, so despite her canine quirks, she feels contained to a chipper maternal narrative. In the end, Nightbitch feels unfinished. 

Nightbitch was reviewed out its World Premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. Searchlight Pictures is set to release the movie in theaters Dec. 6.

At this year's Made on YouTube event on Sept. 18, creators like Michelle Khare received exciting news: They will soon be able to organize their videos into seasons and episodes, much like traditional television shows.

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan invited Khare on stage for a Q&A to discuss the announcement. Khare is the creator of Challenge Accepted, a high-stakes digital series in which the 32-year-old takes on challenges ranging from working as a 911 dispatcher to training as a ballerina. Her videos, known for their premium quality, run between 15 and 24 minutes and consistently attract millions of views. With nearly 5 million subscribers, Khare has built a dedicated audience.

SEE ALSO: YouTube announces new AI tools for its creators: Veo, Communities, auto-dubbing, and more

This announcement comes as YouTube continues to dominate as the most popular streaming service on U.S. televisions, with 150 million people watching YouTube on TV screens monthly. The platform's success is driven by its hands-off approach, trusting creators like Khare to craft content that resonates with audiences. Earlier this year, Mohan urged Emmy voters to recognize YouTube creators, though popular shows like Hot Ones, Chicken Shop Date, and Good Mythical Morning were overlooked for nominations. This latest update solidifies YouTube's growing role in the television landscape.

Following the announcement, Khare spoke with Mashable about the new feature, what it means for Challenge Accepted, and how her creative process fuels YouTube's evolving TV strategy.

Mashable: Have you ever thought about Challenge Accepted in terms of episodes and seasons prior to this announcement?

Michelle Khare: Our team always tries our best to think about things in terms of seasons and episodes. We think about, "What's the tone of this show? What's the release cadence? What's our format?" Previously, we organized things by season in playlists. Now through the new structure of the television app, we can formally organize things in terms of genre, episode, season, series. It just elevates our content even further. 

What's your reaction to the update? 

As creators, we can only focus on the content we create and we put it on the platform. It's really cool that the platform is evolving so that it positions our content as premium. I imagine it has the same feeling as when someone's in a movie and they see the poster in Times Square. As someone who loves premium television content, seeing our stuff in that limelight was really cool. It affirms what we're already doing with Challenge Accepted and it makes me even more excited to lean into that episodic format. 

I imagine it gives you more control of how a viewer interacts with your content. 

When you watch your favorite premium show, sometimes you'll watch one episode and realize you have 12 more episodes you can finish right after. I hope that [the update] will encourage people to watch more of Challenge Accepted when they stumble upon a standalone episode. They may realize, "Oh my gosh, I can watch more of this show, and it's all organized here for me." It takes a lot of the thinking and digging work out of the equation for the viewer.

Do you think the new format will make it easier to attract new viewers?

Right now to discover new content, you open the home pages to tons of videos, or the sidebar, when you're watching one video, you see a bunch of suggested. Now, you're not only introduced to one episode or a new creator but the world of this creator.

When did you start making your videos for television? What was the process like of shifting over to that level of production?

I'm gonna be honest, it wasn't a conscious choice of wanting to be seen on television. Our team is a mixture of people from both traditional and digital backgrounds. We have people who have worked on feature films, Oscar-nominated stuff, and Saturday Night Live. Our output now feels premium, which is a wonderful thing to hear. But genuinely, it's just been about, "How can we make the best 30 minutes possible out of this story?"

Our team leans into [television] because they are from traditional television. But that said, creating for YouTube is a different animal because we're creating with the audience in mind. We're creating with the mindset of respecting the viewers' time, listening to their suggestions, and being aware that their time can be spent anywhere, and that it's on us to make a story that commands and interests their attention for long periods of time.

How do you choose a challenge?

Many of our initial episodes were born out of a whiteboard brainstorm of "What are Michelle's biggest fears?" and "What are the unique situations to put me in to confront them head-on?" We use that as a building block to use the challenges as a way to overcome fears, because it creates conflict and creates story. For example, I want to be a firefighter, but I'm not brave enough. Or I want to be a pageant queen, but I don't know if I'm graceful. We started using those one sentence formats to kind of inspire the different things we do. 

That's so interesting, I wondered how you created so many challenges with a similar level of intensity.

Conflict creates story. Story creates growth. Watching other people grow are the stories that we're most interested in, whether they're scripted or unscripted. That's really the angle we were coming back from.

Are there any jobs you tried where you thought, "Maybe I should have pursued this instead of being a creator?"

I love being a creator, and I'm not just saying that because we're at Made on YouTube 2024. I really, really love it. Being a professional jack of all trades is my ideal profession. Behind the scenes, I love running our studio, our production company, and our team and growing into [being a] CEO and leader. It's such a privilege to be an entrepreneur in this space. I hope to be doing it for a really, really long time.

Do you have a golden rule for for content creation?

Because our episodes are intense and in-depth, we have a pretty thorough vetting process before we greenlight an episode. We think about how we feel it will perform. Is it something our audience has been requesting? Are we, as a team, excited by it? That's often the question I find us asking the most. Analytics and getting feedback from the audience is wonderful, but we don't move forward unless our team's heart is in it. That comes from a practical perspective because if we greenlight a project we're going to be working on it for the next several weeks or months, sometimes even up to a year.

Challenge Accepted is a show about pursuing novel life experiences, and I once heard that people who have more novel life experiences feel like their lives are longer. I think about that a lot. It's such a privilege to be able to think critically about where our time is spent and how much joy is created in the day-to-day. Ironically, that has led to the passion that our audience sees in each individual episode.

Is there a challenge you wouldn't accept?

We're really fortunate that we're in this position where we're continuing to push the envelope. We're very inspired by a lot of other creators around us. I'm excited to play in new worlds. What I love is that if you asked me a year ago what the next 20 episodes of Challenge Accepted are going to look like, I probably could have told you the next five. But fast forward a year, and there are things that we've released this year that I would have never even conceptualized a year ago.

What I love about the internet is that you can create quickly versus the traditional Hollywood system, where we would have greenlit several episodes a year ago, shoot them whatever, they don't come out for another entire year. A person can grow a lot in a year. So I love being able to create and release as it is relevant, impactful, meaningful, and heartfelt to us in each moment.

What advice do you have for someone just starting and looking for financial stability as a creator?

There's a reason so many people want to be content creators. I'm not going to lie: It rocks. But it's a very slow process that begins with creating content and learning your voice while you have another job. You're doing it in your free time to the point where you can't wait for the weekend because you get to work on this other thing. From there, you develop your voice and consistency. You can fail in a safe environment. Then, you can grow to the point where that becomes your full-time thing. But you have to feel really solid about your content before it becomes your whole world.

How do you combat creative burnout? Obviously, you have a team that supports you. 

The people I look up to the most are very busy. I love moving at a fast pace. But the best parts of the job are also stepping away from the content and doing things that have nothing to do with making YouTube videos. You have to be a real person to tell real stories. You have to live life to have a story to tell. That time away from filming and producing and the office is so important to know what's really going on.