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Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalog.

Released in August 2025, Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move on to the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.

How to play Pips

If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity with how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for September 29, 2026

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible — and common — for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

• Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.

• Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.

• Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.

• Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.

• Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for September 29, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for September 29 Pips

Less than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 0-5, placed vertically.

Less than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 0-2, placed vertically.

Less than (4): Everything in this space must be less than 4. The answer is 0-5, placed vertically.

Less than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 0-3, placed vertically.

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 0-2, placed vertically; 2-5, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 2-5, placed horizontally.

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 0-3, placed vertically; 3-4, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for September 29 Pips

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 4-5, placed horizontally; 4-4, placed horizontally.

Less than (7): Everything in this space must be less than 7. The answer is 4-5, placed horizontally; 0-5, placed vertically.

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 1-2, placed horizontally.

Not Equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically.

Less than (12): Everything in this space must be less than 12. The answer is 0-5, placed vertically; 3-3, placed vertically.

Greater Than (8): Everything in this space must be greater than 8. The answer is 6-6, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for September 29 Pips

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-3, placed vertically.

Less than (1): Everything in this space must be less than 1. The answer is 2-0, placed vertically.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 0-3, placed horizontally.

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 3-3, placed horizontally; 3-5, placed vertically; 4-3, placed vertically.

Greater Than (5): Everything in this space must be greater than 5. The answer is 6-3, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (1): Everything in this space must be greater than 1. The answer is 6-3, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 4-1, placed vertically.

Equal (5): Everything in this space must be equal to 5. The answer is 3-5, placed vertically; 5-5, placed vertically.

Less than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 4-1, placed vertically.

Number (7): Everything in this red space must add up to 7. The answer is 1-6, placed horizontally.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-2, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-2, placed horizontally.

Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 1-1, placed vertically; 4-2, placed horizontally; 5-2, placed vertically.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 5-2, placed vertically.

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 4-4, placed vertically.

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

Today's NYT Strands hints will be easy if you know anatomy.

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for September 29, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Have a heart

The words are related to matters of the heart.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe matters related to an actual human heart.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

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NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Cardiovascular.

NYT Strands word list for September 29

• Pulse

• Cardiovascular

• Vein

• Artery

• Atrium

• Blood

• Pressure

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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.

Looking for spoiler-free NYT Connections hints or just wondering why Connections is trending today? We've got what you need to understand the clues for today's puzzle without spoiling any of the answers.

Of course, Mashable has also provided daily hints and answers for Connections, Wordle, and Strands for years, so we can help you if that's also what you need.

While we are focused more on meanings than hints in this story, sometimes learning that many of the words have completely unrelated meanings is a clue in and of itself. Connections frequently includes clues that involve words within words and other visual clues.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for September 29, 2026 Delta meaning

A letter of the Greek alphabet.

Hidden meaning

Something not clearly visible

Inside meaning

Something not outside

Model tank meaning

A recreation of the military vehicle.

Monsters meaning

Creatures, frequently scary.

Finding meaning

The process of discovering.

Secret meaning

A fact unknown to others, perhaps by design.

Toy meaning

Something that is used for play.

Freeze tag meaning

A child's game.

Oral phase meaning

A term linked to Freudian psychoanalysis.

Mouth meaning

A body part that, for a person, includes lips, teeth, and a tongue. It can also mean where a river ends.

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Remote meaning

Isolated.

Stream bed meaning

The bottom of a waterway.

Tucked away meaning

Stashed.

Home game meaning

When a sports team competes at their stadium or arena.

Drainage basin meaning

Where water runs down and eventually collects.

Have you learned the meanings and still want the things? Check out the hints and answers for today's NYT Connections puzzle.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you know animated films.

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 Pips hints, answers for September 29, 2026 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: Not in a crowded space

• Green: Geographical

• Blue: Related to titles

• Purple: Words within words

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Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Secluded

• Green: River features

• Blue: First words of Pixar films

• Purple: Phrases hiding Greek letters

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 #1206 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Secluded: HIDDEN, REMOTE, SECRET, TUCKED AWAY

• River features: DELTA, DRAINAGE BASIN, MOUTH, STREAM BED

• First words of Pixar films: FINDING, INSIDE, MONSTERS, TOY

• Phrases hiding Greek letters: FREEZE TAG, HOME GAME, MODEL TANK, ORAL PHASE

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

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you like to swim.

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

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for September 29, 2026 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

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

Underwater swimming.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

No, there are no recurring letters.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter S.

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...

SCUBA

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.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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.

The retro aesthetic audio brand Nothing released its first pair of over-ear headphones just over a year ago, and already, they're back with improvements.

The brand announced its latest flagship product, the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro, on Sept. 28. This will be the second over-ear headphones release from Nothing this year, following March's budget-friendly Nothing Headphone (a), which I found to be a more well-rounded and better value pair of headphones than the initial launch.

The Headphone (1) Pro, though, show some serious potential. Though I've only spent a few days with the headphones so far, I have some initial thoughts, alongside everything else to know about Nothing's newest release.

Nothing Headphone (1) Pro: Price and specs

The Nothing Headphone (1) Pro cost $399, putting them $100 over the asking price of the Headphone (1) upon launch. The specs are as follows:

• Drivers: Bass dynamic driver, precision dynamic driver, and xMEMS driver

• Active noise cancellation: Adaptive, powered by 10 microphones

• Battery life: 30 hours with ANC on, 68 hours with ANC off

• Quick charge: Two hours of listening from a five-minute charge

• Spatial audio: Yes, five modes of dynamic spatial audio (standard, Studio B by Metropolis Studios, live house, club, concert hall)

• IP rating: IP52

• Multipoint: Yes

• Connection: Bluetooth 6.1, Google Fast Pair, Microsoft Swift Pair

• Colors: Black and white

Nothing Headphone (1) Pro vs. Nothing Headphone (1)

While the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro retain the same distinctive retro-rectangular look of the Headphone (1), the brand brought some updates that separate the newer model as the premium one. For instance, the transparent part of the ear cup is made of shatter- and scratch-resistant glass, while a combination of titanium and aluminum provides for a lighter overall product.

Last year's Nothing Headphone (1) are similar in appearances, but the brand made key changes for the update model. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable

Nothing also claims to have upped the noise cancellation power by 40 percent, thanks to the 10-microphone system with more optimally placed mics. Unlike the older headphones, all the microphones are placed inward on the ear cup, meaning less interference from wind and airflow.

SEE ALSO: The 10 best noise-cancelling headphones we use, love, and recommend

The headline with these headphones, however, likely lies with the broad listening experience. The triple driver architecture isn't one too common on headphones, but it's designed to provide the most robust listening experience. In the companion app, you have the option in the equalizer to tune the main drivers or the precision driver specifically.

In addition to the drivers, Nothing included five different modes of dynamic spatial audio, optimized for different genres of music.

If you're into audio editing, music mixing, or any aspect of audio production, Nothing also included a Flat EQ mode, which is designed to provide the most faithful reproduction of the original audio as possible. The headphones also feature an on-ear switch for this mode on the interior of the left ear cup.

Speaking of on-ear switches, it's worth noting that something that hasn't really changed between the two headphones is the excellent on-ear controls.

Nothing Headphone (1) Pro: First impressions The improved comfort on this design is a huge plus. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable

Though I haven't had much time with these headphones so far, immediately I could tell they were more comfortable than the Headphone (1), which I could not wear comfortably for more than an hour. Nothing claims the Pro headphones have 50 percent softer ear cushions and an overall lighter frame, both of which feel accurate and make the experience of using these headphones significantly more pleasant.

I've yet to put them through the wringer on the ANC front, but claims of improvements there also feel accurate so far — even the standard sounds of my apartment, like my own typing and the AC running, are basically impossible to hear when I'm streaming audio with the ANC on.

What I'm really looking forward to testing extensively is the robust sound profile. These headphones offer an impressive amount of customization, from the custom equalizer, presets, spatial audio options, and flat EQ mode. As a freelance podcast producer and editor, I'm particularly interested in trying out that last mode against my usual editing headphones.

Ultimately, I'm struggling to come up with critiques in my first days of testing, which I didn't experience with the Headphone (1) — we'll see how that develops over the rest of my testing period.

Nothing Headphone (1) Pro: Where to buy

The Nothing Headphone (1) will be available to purchase for $399 at Nothing's website, Amazon, and Best Buy on Sept. 29. We'll update this post as links go live.

The company’s researchers raised questions about the security of the model, known as GPT-6.1 Astra.

TL;DR: Join Costco as a new Gold Star Member for $65 per year and enroll in auto-renewal to receive a $20 Digital Costco Shop Card by email.

Opens in a new window Credit: Costco Costco 1-Year Gold Star Membership + $20 Digital Costco Shop Card $65
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A Gold Star Membership gets you into more than 500 Costco warehouses across the U.S., where you can stock up on bulk groceries, household basics, and Kirkland Signature products. Members can also fill up at the Costco Gas Station and have tires installed at the Costco Tire Center while they shop. If you want to stretch your grocery and gas budget further, that access may help reduce regular household costs. Each membership also includes one Household Card for an individual age 18 or older living at your address.

Here’s how to sign up:

1. Buy the one-year Costco Gold Star Membership voucher from StackSocial.

2. Follow the instructions in your confirmation email to activate your membership online. Use a valid email address and enroll in auto-renewal.

3. Pick up your membership card at your local Costco warehouse, and bring a valid photo identification.

Your Digital Costco Shop Card should arrive by email within two weeks of successful sign-up and auto-renewal enrollment. Use it at the warehouse on groceries and household items you already planned to buy. Just note that the Costco Food Court doesn’t accept it.

Join Costco as a new Gold Star Member for $65 and receive a $20 Digital Costco Shop Card for a limited time.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

If you want to catch every Avengers: Doomsday teaser in Avengers: Endgame Encore, be warned. Not every theater is showing all four extra scenes.

SEE ALSO: 'Avengers: Endgame Encore' sets up 'Doomsday' with 4 new scenes. Here's what happens.

Instead, only IMAX screenings of Avengers: Endgame Encore are showing all of the extra scenes, along with Infinity Vision theaters. Infinity Vision is not a new film format, but rather a certification program created by Disney to tell audiences which Premium Large Format theaters have met their criteria for an "exceptional" moviegoing experience.

Audiences were disappointed by the fact that IMAX and Infinity Vision screenings of Avengers: Endgame Encore got exclusive content, especially since the missing scene amounts to a good chunk of the extra four minutes tacked on to Avengers: Endgame. In an Aug. 25 press release, Disney did make note of the difference between screenings, writing, "An additional sneak peek at [Avengers: Doomsday] will also be available to audiences who see Avengers: Endgame Encore on IMAX and Infinity Vision-certified screens."

What happens in the exclusive Avengers: Endgame Encore scene?

The exclusive Avengers: Endgame Encore scene takes place in the headquarters of the Time Variance Authority (TVA), first introduced in Season 1 of Loki. There, the TVA's Mobius (Owen Wilson), Ouroboros (Ke Huy Quan), and Casey (Eugene Cordero) observe a troubling incursion. Two alternate Earths are about to collide, and they're firing missiles at one another.

From there, the number of incursions multiples. It's not long before thousands of universes are colliding, and the TVA is out of its depth.

"The multiverse is collapsing," Ouroboros says.

It's a foreboding set up for Avengers: Doomsday, one that could explain how the main MCU crosses over with the Fantastic Four's universe and the universe containing Fox's X-Men.

Avengers: Endgame Encore is now in theaters. Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters Dec. 18.

After two years, it appears we're getting a new Kindle. The news comes from leaked photos posted by Roland Quandt on WinFuture, showcasing 25 new photos of a new Kindle. In the photos, there appears to be a redesigned 12th generation of Kindle, an update to its 2024 predecessor.

From the photos, it appears the new Kindle e-reader will come in three different shades: black, light blue, and purple. It also appears that the device received an overall redesign. The most exciting change is something I'd hoped would come to a new batch of Kindles — a redesigned power button.

Here's your first look at the 12th Gen #Amazon #Kindle (s?). New colors, new design, Power button is now on the side. I know there are visual differences in the pics re the display and it's rounded corners. So this might be more than one new device. Official pics: winfuture.de/news,161586....

[image or embed]

— Roland Quandt (@rquandt.bsky.social) September 28, 2026 at 8:24 AM

In the leaked photos, the power button appears to be on the right side of the device, moved from its former position at the bottom. In my review of the 11th generation Kindle, one of my biggest complaints was its power button design, so a change is greatly appreciated. The 12th generation of Kindle also seems to have a more recessed screen that's flush to the edge, now more closely resembling the Kindle Paperwhite.

In addition to the 12th generation Kindle, we also appear to be getting a new Kindle Kids. While it looks like a standard Kindle, it includes a case and an extended warranty.

All the information we have about the new Kindles is inferred from the leaked photos, as there's been no other information provided with them. We're still waiting to learn more about the device's size, front light, storage space, and waterproof rating, or if any other Kindle devices are getting an update. At this time, we also have no details on the timeline and release of this device.

We suspect the new Kindle will cost $149.99, the recently raised price of the 11th generation of Kindle, but are waiting for Amazon to confirm.

Shop current Kindle models Amazon Kindle $149.99 at Amazon Shop Now Kindle Paperwhite $199.99 at Amazon Shop Now Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition $199.99 at Amazon Shop Now Kindle Colorsoft $289.99 at Amazon Shop Now Kindle Scribe $549.99 at Amazon Shop Now

TL;DR: Encrypt and privately share Windows files with an EncryptPro Personal Plan lifetime subscription for $39.99 (reg. $139).

Opens in a new window Credit: EncyptPro EncryptPro Personal Plan for Windows: Lifetime Subscription $39.99
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Most file encryption tools make you build a locked vault, then wait while large files are decrypted before you can open them. EncryptPro encrypts files right on your PC and shares them through private PGP connections, and a lifetime subscription is on sale for $39.99 (reg. $139).

EncryptPro works fast and reliably to keep your files private. In testing on a standard machine, EncryptPro encrypted a 10.6GB file in just 35 seconds. Streaming decryption opens large files in seconds, so a 10GB video starts playing right away instead of waiting for the whole file to unlock. Every file and folder gets AES-256 encryption, and the app overwrites each original with zeros and then random data across multiple passes, so no readable copy gets left behind in the Recycle Bin.

SEE ALSO: 15 early October Prime Day tech deals, hand-picked by our gadget experts

Unlike other security software, you don’t need to open a separate window to use EncryptPro. Right-click any file or folder in Windows Explorer to lock or unlock it. Then just double-click an encrypted file to open it in its usual app. Encrypted folders are still browsable, and custom icons show each file’s group and lock state even when EncryptPro isn’t running.

EncryptPro uses a zero-knowledge setup, so the company can’t access your files, and you can verify that yourself with tools like Wireshark and Glasswire. Nothing gets uploaded or synced to a cloud server. Your encrypted files work from USB drives and external drives, and you can open them offline on any PC.

The Personal Plan adds PGP file sharing with no passwords to email, 5 password-protected Security Groups, and up to 10 one-to-one connections with 2 members each. Upgrade Lock rotates a connection’s keys whenever you want, cutting off anyone who doesn’t get the new password. One master password opens any group, so a forgotten group password won’t lock you out.

Your license works on three devices at once running 64-bit Windows 10 or 11, and future updates are included.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Anthropic just released Claude Sonnet 5.5, the second model in its Claude 5.5 family. It arrives less than a week after the company launched Claude Opus 5.5.

According to Anthropic's announcement, Sonnet 5.5 runs more than 30 percent faster than Sonnet 5 and costs up to 30 percent less for most work. The company describes it as a lower-cost complement to Opus 5.5, and that Sonnet 5.5 is best suited to well-scoped everyday tasks, such as fixing bugs and producing documents, slides, and spreadsheets. Anthropic said Claude Haiku 5.5 will arrive in the coming weeks.

SEE ALSO: Judge allows most of Reddit's lawsuit against Anthropic to proceed Anthropic benchmarks show big gains over Sonnet 5

Anthropic reported that Sonnet 5.5's top score edges out Opus 5.5's, though Opus 5.5 scored higher at every other effort level the company charted. On GDPval-AA v2.1, which measures real-world work across 44 occupations, Sonnet 5.5 scored 1,844. That is two points behind Opus 5.5 and about 400 points ahead of Sonnet 5. The company also said it is the first Sonnet model to beat Pokémon Red, working only from screenshots.

Credit: Anthropic / Mashable screenshot

Anthropic cautioned that benchmarks capture only part of a model's abilities. The company said its own testing and outside testing both found Opus 5.5 still clearly stronger at complex, open-ended work.

Early testers cited efficiency gains. In the press release, Slack principal engineer Curtis Allen said Sonnet 5.5 beat Sonnet 5 on nearly all of Slack's offline Slackbot evaluations, finishing "in fewer steps and with about 14% fewer output tokens."

Pricing and availability

Pricing is the same as Sonnet 5:

• $2 per million input tokens

• $10 per million output tokens

• $0.20 per million tokens for cache reads

The input and output rates are half of Opus 5.5's. Anthropic says the lower per-task cost stems from the model requiring fewer tokens to complete the same work.

Sonnet 5.5 is available now on all of Anthropic's platforms, including Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. Developers can access it via the API as claude-sonnet-5-5, with zero data retention. Developers who run Sonnet with thinking off must switch to a new between_tools setting before migrating.

New safeguards

Anthropic said Sonnet 5.5's cybersecurity capabilities are comparable to Opus 5's. For that reason, it is the first Sonnet model to ship with cyber safeguards similar to those on Opus 5.5. Higher-risk cybersecurity requests will visibly fall back to Sonnet 5, while routine bug-fixing is unaffected. Biology safeguards are unchanged from Sonnet 5. Organizations can apply to the Life Sciences Verification Program for broader access. Sonnet 5.5 is also the first Sonnet model to launch with classifiers designed to block distillation attacks, in which bad actors extract a model's capabilities at scale.

On Anthropic's automated behavioral audit of roughly 1,850 scenarios, Sonnet 5.5 matched or improved on Sonnet 5 on most alignment measures. Opus 5.5 still performed slightly better overall. The company acknowledged that no set of evaluations catches every failure.

Flock CEO Garrett Langley is avoiding the public. Last week, as individuals testified to Flock's flaws in front of the U.S. Senate's Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, Langley stayed home. He sent a letter in his stead.

But a group of ignited internet users believes the CEO, who runs an $8 billion surveillance technology company advertised as a security solution, should be put on display — and perhaps given a metaphorical swirly.

Using a previously circulated address that reportedly belonged to Langley and was shared online in an effort to doxx the CEO, a new group of anti-Flock users allegedly labeled his home as a public toilet. The reported listing is still unverified.

Others called on each other to share Langley's personal information en masse, including the unconfirmed address, to show what "endless surveillance for no good reason feels like."

SEE ALSO: Three takeaways from the Senate hearing on Flock's camera network

"This internet backlash against the Flock CEO hiding his own house while selling surveillance to everyone else is honestly poetic justice. why do tech executives think privacy rules only apply to them," wrote one user on X.

People on social media also noticed images of the address on Google Maps' Street View had been blurred from public view. A privacy feature offered at a homeowner's request, many found the anonymity ironic and began circulating unverified images of the home in response.

"Shame if he gets egged and TP'd on halloween," wrote a different X prankster.

In response to the purported doxxing, a recent thread on the r/AskConservatives subreddit asked, "Does the Flock CEO deserve privacy?"

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Flock is now synonymous with a nationwide surveillance apparatus enabled by the proliferation of Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPRs), used by law enforcement to document, profile, and track drivers regardless of their participation in actual crimes. The anti-ALPR movement has grown exponentially in the last year, culminating in a new bipartisan effort to cancel Flock contracts, regulate their use, or even ban them outright.

Legislators are largely responding to an online movement that has united communities to force Flock out of their towns, often turning to public protest and guerilla tactics to physically remove Flock devices. Over the weekend, for example, the DeFlock America Facebook group — an online gathering place for surveillance opponents — reached a milestone of more than 820,000 members.

The allegations detailed in a former Cornell University student's lawsuit are horrifying. The student, identified in the suit as Jane Doe, alleges that seven fraternity members drugged and sexually assaulted her in 2024, ultimately prompting her to leave the university. Since she filed the lawsuit, students at Cornell and others beyond the campus have spoken out.

Among them is actress Florence Pugh, who had a message for men in particular:

"This is really the moment where we need our men to be as horrified and as sickened as us. You need to be leading conversations about how we change the allowance and complicity of this behavior as much as we are. How can you expect us to trust that it’s 'not all men' when in moments like this, many of you stay quiet?... Colleges/schools/universities repeatedly fail women around the world. You build men that get taught through time and time again that they can do extreme harm and that they won’t be harmed in return. I’m no longer tired — I'm enraged by schools protecting boys, in fear of their futures being wrecked..."

But after Pugh shared the message with her 10.7 million Instagram followers, some of her anger shifted toward the platform carrying it.

According to Pugh, Instagram placed a "sensitive-content" warning over the post, preventing some followers from swiping through the carousel to read it. In other words, Pugh says Instagram restricted access to the very post she was using to call attention to the allegations.

Screenshot of Florence Pugh's Instagram profile grid, where you can see the grey grid post flagged as sensitive content. Credit: Screenshot: Instagram/@florencepugh

"Am I being censored for talking about rape?" she asked. When she tried sharing her statement again, Pugh said Instagram was "blocking me from reaching people."

Meta confirmed to TMZ that Instagram initially placed a sensitive-content label on Pugh's post. "We removed this label upon further review after we determined that it qualified for a newsworthy allowance," a spokesperson said. The post is now visible to adults without restrictions. It is, however, considered "age-restricted content" on the platform.

Instagram does have recommendation rules that can limit how widely certain content is recommended to people who don't already follow an account, even when that content is allowed to remain on the platform. But Meta did not say whether those rules affected the reach of Pugh's post.

Pugh, for her part, had already drawn her own conclusion: "Instagram, at least we can see what side you're on."

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So why did the post receive a warning in the first place? Meta hasn't explained exactly what triggered it. The company's sexual exploitation policy allows victims to share their experiences, while prohibiting content that "depicts, threatens or promotes sexual violence, sexual assault or sexual exploitation." In Pugh's case, Instagram ultimately determined that the post could remain unrestricted under its newsworthy allowance.

SEE ALSO: How to filter sensitive content on Instagram

And while the Instagram warning has drawn attention of its own, Pugh's original post was about what happened at Cornell and how the university responded.

The lawsuit alleges that some of the accused students received disciplinary measures that included writing essays. Cornell has pushed back on the suggestion that essays were anyone's sole punishment, saying it expelled and suspended students and barred the fraternity from campus.

The allegations are now getting another look beyond the university. After the former student filed her lawsuit, Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten reopened the criminal investigation and said he intends to present the case to a grand jury. No criminal charges have been filed.

Pugh isn't the first person to question what happens when Meta's moderation rules get between users and conversations about safety and health, particularly those involving women and marginalized communities. Last year, The Guardian reported that more than 50 organizations focused on abortion access, reproductive health, and LGBTQ+ issues had experienced restrictions or account removals across Meta's platforms.

Fatma Ibrahim of Sex Talk Arabic, for example, said Instagram repeatedly told the organization that posts about sexual health violated its rules and that its page would no longer be recommended to other users. Meta denied targeting the groups because of their advocacy and said it had reinstated more than half of the accounts flagged by campaigners.

People who report sexual assault can already face significant barriers to being heard. As attention around the Cornell allegations continues to grow, Pugh's experience raises a broader question about how Instagram handles those conversations and what its moderation systems deem too sensitive to show.

Professional wrestler Benjamin Satterley, who went by the ring name PAC, passed away at the age of 40 over the weekend, according to All Elite Wrestling.

News of Satterley's death was quite sudden, as he had previously wrestled the opening match of AEW's All Out pay-per-view on Sept. 26, and AEW announced his passing the following day. Satterley's passing also coincided with the celebration of life ceremony for fellow AEW wrestler "The Butcher" Andy Williams, who tragically passed on Sept. 5, 2026.

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Satterley, born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, started his wrestling career in 2004, traveling across the world and making his name in promotions such as Ring of Honor, CHIKARA, and Dragongate. Known for his high-flying style, raw athleticism, and technical in-ring ability, Satterley was often called "the man that gravity forgot." He was one of the best to ever do it.

Before signing with AEW in 2019, Satterley joined WWE's developmental program NXT in 2012 under the ring name Adrian Neville, where he would become one-half of the company's inaugural NXT Tag Team Champions and a one-time NXT Champion. In 2015, he was called up to WWE's main roster, shortening his name to Neville and becoming a two-time Cruiserweight Champion.

After leaving WWE, Satterley would join AEW under his original ring name, PAC. Nicknamed "The Bastard," Satterley became the company's inaugural International Champion (originally called the All-Atlantic Championship), a two-time World Trios Champion, and at one point held both titles to become AEW's first double champion.

Outside of his achievements in WWE, AEW, and beyond, Satterley was a beloved figure in pro wrestling, both by fans and his fellow wrestlers.

His Death Riders stablemate Marina Shafir shared an emotional, heartbreaking tribute to Satterley at an indie event. "Listen. He was our bastard. I was just holding this man yesterday," she said. "He was the best. He was the fucking best. You know why? Because he knew himself. He was just so modest about how fascinating he was."

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Wrestlers from various promotions, fans, and even his hometown team Newcastle United have mourned Satterley's passing on social media:

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Apple's plans for the Vision Pro are shifting again as Meta's lightweight VR glasses shape the expectations of future VR headsets.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is exploring a redesigned headset that follows the same core philosophy as Meta's, i.e., moving the compute components out of the headset and into an external puck. But the project, code-named N224, is reportedly on life support. It's facing pushback from some senior executives and is unlikely to ship before late 2028, if it ships at all. For now, Apple's attention has moved toward simpler smart glasses without displays.

SEE ALSO: Apple to fix iPhone 18 Pro Face ID bug

The shift comes days after Meta unveiled its VR Glasses at Meta Connect 2026. The $1,299 headset, due in spring 2027, weighs about 100 grams. That's roughly a fifth of Meta's own Quest 3 and a small fraction of the Vision Pro. Gurman, who has used the Vision Pro since launch, argued in his Power On newsletter that Meta's glasses are what Apple's headset should have been.

When the Vision Pro launched in February 2024, it drew attention for its impressive displays and eye-and-hand controls. It also drew complaints about its weight, its price, and a shortage of reasons to wear it beyond watching videos. It was a striking proof of concept, much like Samsung's Galaxy Z TriFold, but more a showcase for enthusiasts than a device for everyday people.

Meta's ability to make their VR headset lighter was simply to move the heavy parts off your face. The processor and battery live in a separate module that clips onto your clothing and connects to the glasses by cable. Gurman reports that the module is about the size and weight of the Vision Pro's external battery pack.

The Vision Pro started at $3,499 and can weigh up to about 800 grams, depending on the headband. Meta chose comfort and price over high-end quality, which is always a winner for consumer buy-in.

Apple saw the problem coming, according to Gurman. Early in development, there was consideration in moving processing to a separate home device, but the team rejected the idea. Since launch, Apple has shelved at least three projects meant to fix the Vision Pro's biggest flaws:

• N107: a headset that would have offloaded computing to a Mac or another device.

• N100: a "Vision Air" that would have moved more components into an external pack.

• N109: a lighter, cheaper model with a less powerful chip.

Gurman reports that some senior Apple leaders believe a separate puck leads to a poor experience and prefer an all-in-one design. However, as Gurman writes, new CEO John Ternus has long been privately skeptical of a headset this heavy and expensive, though he has spoken optimistically about it in public. The Vision hardware team has also been moved lower in Apple's org chart, its former hardware chief left for OpenAI, and the team recently went through layoffs.

Even if Apple does commit, a new headset likely wouldn't arrive before late 2028 or early 2029.

PREORDER NOW: As of Sept. 28, preorder the Boox Picco, a 3.97-inch e-reader. You can purchase the tiny e-reader for $109.99 and get it as soon as it's released in November.

Opens in a new window Credit: Boox Boox Picco E-reader $109.99 at Boox
  Pre-order Here

For months, Boox has been teasing its new tiny e-reader. The Boox Picco was first unveiled in July with an in-person debut at IFA 2026 in Berlin. Now, the device is officially available for preorder.

The Boox Picco is a 3.97-inch e-reader. It's part of the brand's new Tile collection. While Boox's other e-readers like the Palma and Go 6 are classified as tablets, the Picco is a Tile, likely to differentiate between operating systems.

Unlike Boox's tablets, the Picco Tile doesn't have an Android operating system, meaning you can't access any additional apps since there's no Google Play Store. Instead, you'll read from the Picco's native library. It does have some extra apps, including a Pomodoro timer and Todo (a to-do list app). We suspect it'll operate similarly to Xteink e-readers, which are best for DRM-free files. To get files on the Picco, upload them either with a USB-C cable or with the new Boox Tile app.

It's about the size of a deck of cards and can even attach to the back of an iPhone with MagSafe. It has a dual-tone front light so you can adjust both the warmth and brightness. It has a power button plus a page-turning button on the side. There's also a function switch on the side that swaps the device between front light and dark mode.

The Boox Picco retails for $109.99. It's now available for preorder on Boox's site. No exact ship date has been provided, but according to Boox's site, the device will ship in October. However, a Boox representative said it will ship by November.

If you're ready to extend your Boox e-reader collection, preorder the Boox Picco now for $109.99.

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  Pre-order Here

Does the camera on your smartphone matter more than anything else that the device can do?

If so, you might want to check out Honor's new Magic 9 Pro Max.

Seriously. Just take a look at it. Have you ever seen the lenses on any smartphone’s camera bump extend the entire width of the phone?

The Honor Magic 9 Pro Max launch. Credit: Honor

As Phone Arena points out, the release of the Honor Magic 9 Pro Max marks the 10th anniversary of the company, which is a subsidiary of Huawei, so it appears they’re going all out.

The phone's camera system was created in partnership with ARRI, the professional cinema camera company that has long been a staple in major motion pictures. ARRI provided image science and camera expertise, which helped Honor develop the camera for the device. 

Furthermore, the partnership brings ARRI’s touch to the camera software as well. The Honor Magic 9 Pro Max provides 14 ARRI filter presets along with support for 4K 60fps "Cinema Grade" recording, 10-bit color depth and ARRI Wide Gamut 3.

But, the Magic 9 Pro Max is more than just a partnership with a leading Hollywood camera-maker. The cameras themselves top any other smartphone in the market.

The Honor Magic 9 Pro Max sports a whopping 200 MP main camera with 1/1.28-inch sensor and a f/1.57 aperture, a 200 MP telephoto camera with 1/1.4-inch sensor and a f/2.6 aperture, and a 50 MP ultra-wide lens with f/2.0 aperture. In addition to that, the Magic 9 Pro Max boasts a 55 MP selfie camera as well.

To compare Honor’s latest smartphone with the newest iPhone 18 Pro Max, all three rear cameras on the Apple device top out at 48 MP. Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra probably comes the closest with its 200 MP main camera, but the phones’ camera specs differ beyond megapixel count.

SEE ALSO: iPhone 18 Pro hands-on: What's new with the cameras

The main camera on the Honor Magic 9 Pro Max has optical image stabilization rated to the Camera & Imaging Products Association’s CIPA 8.0 standard. In addition, it also boasts 3-degree gimbal-level stabilization, a feature in which the camera can actually move and tilt by up to 3 degrees.

It's not just cinema-grade cameras either. Honor claims that the Magic 9 Pro Max is the first smartphone with a "cinema-grade" directional microphone. The company says it can pick up sound from up to 20 meters away and has audio recording presets to help users capture the sounds that they want and reduce noise from its surroundings.

The phone’s full specs are as follows:

• 6.8-inch LTPO OLED display, 1–120Hz, 2,000 nits peak brightness 

• 200 MP main camera with 1/1.28-inch sensor and a f/1.57 aperture, 200 MP telephoto camera with 1/1.4-inch sensor and a f/2.6 aperture, 50 MP ultra-wide lens with f/2.0 aperture, 55 MP selfie camera 

• Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6

• Up to 16 GB RAM, up to 1 TB storage 

• 8,800 mAh silicon-carbon battery

• MagicOS 11 based on Android 17

The Honor Magic 9 Pro Max looks like a beast for smartphone camera aficionados. Unfortunately, however, Honor’s devices are not officially sold in the U.S. So, if you really want one, you’ll have to go through third parties and import it yourself.

The Honor Magic 9 Pro Max launches today in China and retails for approximately $970 USD.

If you've ever had a lingering curiosity wondering if PlayStation games can be played on an Xbox, well, they can. Technically.

A modder named Devran Cosmo Uenal has built an early version of a PS5 emulator for the Xbox Series X, according to Boy Genius Report. The project, called PS5X, can already run a small selection of PS5 games on Microsoft's console, though not especially smoothly.

For context, an emulator is software that imitates another device's hardware. Consoles are essentially specialized computers, and their games are built to run on that specific hardware. An emulator tricks a game into thinking it's running on the machine it was made for, even when it's actually on a PC, a phone, or, in this case, a rival console.

Emulation sits in murky legal territory. In the U.S., emulators themselves are generally legal because building software that emulates a console's hardware isn't illegal in itself. However, downloading copies of a video game you don't own is copyright infringement.

PS5X is a port of KytyPS5, an open-source PS5 emulator for PC. Uenal adapted it to run on the Xbox Series X. BGR reports that the Xbox version lags behind the PC original but already produces impressive results for such an early project.

SEE ALSO: Xbox lays off more than 250 employees amid studio restructurings

Early is the keyword here, as the list of games PS5X can play is very short. Uenal's YouTube channel shows a PS5X game library that includes Gex Trilogy, Hellboy: Web of Wyrd, Marvel Cosmic Invasion, and Quake 2. These are smaller titles, which are usually the first to work on a new emulator. BGR says they're playable but not polished, with minor glitches and performance problems. In Uenal's footage, Quake 2 swings between roughly 20 and 40 frames per second, well short of the steady frame rate players expect.

BGR notes that bigger games may follow soon. A recent interface update from Uenal shows Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, Grand Theft Auto 5, and Gran Turismo 7 in his library, which BGR reads as evidence that the games are being tested. The biggest hurdle is graphics. KytyPS5 draws its visuals using Vulkan, a graphics system widely used on PCs. The Xbox doesn't support Vulkan. It uses Microsoft's own system, DirectX.

PS5X should improve as the PC version does, since it's built on KytyPS5. The PC emulator has advanced quickly in recent months. According to BGR, it can now run Astro Bot and Demon's Souls without crashing, though often at single-digit frame rates, and GTA 5 is fairly playable on high-end PCs.

PS5X hasn't been released to the public. When it is, BGR reports that Xbox owners will be able to install it by switching their console into developer mode, a setting Microsoft offers for testing homemade software.

Selling a keyboard on Facebook Marketplace can involve a lot of messages. That sounds like a reasonable job to hand to an AI assistant — until it reportedly agrees to a price, gives out your address, and tells the buyer you’re home, all without checking with you first.

That's what Matt J. Robb says happened after he let Meta's AI agent Muse handle a Marketplace listing. In a post on Threads, Robb said the agent accepted a low offer and shared his address without telling him. By the time he learned what had happened, the prospective buyer had already come to his building and left.

So muse handled my Facebook marketplace today. Just found out it told people my address and agreed a lowball price and then they showed up without it even telling me until late tonight that it messed up.

Absolutely wild.

A screenshot Robb shared shows Muse telling him the buyer arrived around 9:15 p.m. and waited for more than 20 minutes. According to the assistant’s own account, it sent an automatic reply saying "Yep, I’m here!" while Robb was unavailable. Muse said it had since apologized to the buyer from Robb's account and offered to try again another day. Robb responded by telling Muse never to arrange a pickup without checking with him first.

Credit: Screenshot/Threads: @matt.j.robb

David Singleton of the Muse team said he had contacted Robb to investigate. "In the past, when we’ve worked with users to investigate similar reports, we’ve consistently learned that Muse was following direct instructions and correctly asked for permission," he wrote on X. "Would love to help and figure out what’s going on here!"

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Robb disputes the suggestion that Muse asked for permission in his case. In an update on X, he said Muse didn’t ask him about the sale until the buyer showed up. He added that he lives in a security-gated apartment building and warned others to be careful about giving an AI agent control over in-person transactions. The screenshots he shared show the buyer messaging to confirm Robb was available, then complaining that he had driven for half an hour and nobody had come down.

The account has made at least one other user reconsider trusting Muse. Gizmodo senior editor Ray Wong wrote on X that he deleted the app after seeing Robb's post, calling the situation "dangerous and creepy." Wong also raised the concern of what an unexpected visit to someone’s home could mean for a woman.

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And this isn't the first time someone has alleged Muse crossed a boundary they thought they’d set. Inc. columnist Jason Aten reported that Muse brought up a private conversation after he believed he had declined access to his messages. When he asked how Muse knew about the exchange, Aten said the agent’s explanation didn’t match what he found on his Mac. "Snooping through the private database of messages on my Mac doesn’t feel safe or private to me," he wrote. "Lying about it isn’t great either."

Meta introduced Muse earlier this month as a personal AI agent that can work across connected apps, negotiate on a user’s behalf, and continue working after the app is closed. The company says Muse checks with users before sensitive actions and gives them control over which services it can access.

SEE ALSO: 10 ways to use Meta's Muse AI app, from flight credits to outfit ideas

That promise is precisely why accounts like these are unsettling. Whatever an investigation finds about Muse’s permissions, an assistant arranging an in-person meeting surely needs to make sure the person it represents knows it’s happening, don't you think?