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SAVE OVER $200: As of May 8, the Apple MacBook Pro (M4 Chip, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD Storage) is on sale for $1,573.34 at Amazon. This deal saves you 13% on list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Pro (M4 Chip, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD Storage) $1,573.34 at Amazon
$1,799 Save $225.66 Get Deal

The Apple M4 chip is coming down in price all over the place, with deals on the MacBook, Mac Mini, and MacBook Pro.

As of May 8, the Apple MacBook Pro (M4 Chip, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD Storage) is on sale for $1,573.34 at Amazon. This deal saves you 13% on list price. It's not quite the lowest-ever price we've seen on this model, but we're very close to that point. So if you've been waiting for the right moment to drop a significant amount of cash on one of these beasts, this could be it.

SEE ALSO: Best MacBooks of 2025: Which MacBook should you buy?

The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4 chip offers spectacular performance in a machine that's more than ready for Apple Intelligence. Users get all-day battery life and a stunning Liquid Retina XDR display with up to 1600 nits peak brightness. It's seriously impressive in almost every way.

In our review, Kimberly Gedeon said the "M4 MacBook Pro wows with endurance-defying battery life and stellar performance, allowing Apple to reclaim its throne." High prasie indeed.

Pick up the Apple MacBook Pro for under $1,600 at Amazon.

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 Thursday, May 8, 2025:

AcrossAdjective that rhymes with "sheesh" or "pitch," depending on who you ask

• The answer is Niche.

Colossal ___, marine animal filmed in its natural habitat for the first time in 2025

• The answer is Squid.

Like some caterpillars

• The answer is Furry.

Some spouses

• The answer is Wives.

Bill's time-traveling partner of film

• The answer is Ted.

DownLetters meaning "Don't click this in public!"

• The answer is NSFW.

"You can take this job and shove it!"

• The answer is IQuit.

Feature of a winding road

• The answer is Curve.

Added to the payroll

• The answer is Hired.

Dreyer's ice cream, on the East Coast

• The answer is Edys.

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.

Sam Altman, OpenAI’s chief executive, said he hired Instacart’s Fidji Simo to join in a new role as chief executive of applications.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

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

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

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

• Yellow: Watchers at sporting events

• Green: Midwestern players

• Blue: Dallas athletes

• Purple: TV/movie athletes

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

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

• Yellow: People in the stands

• Green: A Wisconsin athlete

• Blue: Cowboy QBs

• Purple: Fictional basketball players

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

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

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections Sports Edition #226 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today

• People in the stands - CROWD, FANS, SPECTATORS, SUPPORTERS

• A Wisconsin athlete - BADGER, BREWER, BUCK, PACKER

• Cowboy QBs - AIKMAN, PRESCOTT, ROMO, STAUBACH

• Fictional basketball players- AIRBUD, CHITWOOD, MOON, SHUTTLESWORTH

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.

TL;DR: Online safety for the whole family is easy with this lifetime AdGuard Family Plan, now just £11.98 (reg. £127.48) with code FAMPLAN through June 1.

Opens in a new window Credit: AdGuard AdGuard Family Plan: Lifetime Subscription £11.98
£127.48 Save £115.50 with code FAMPLAN Get Deal

The internet isn’t just cluttered with ads; there are also trackers and other hidden threats. AdGuard keeps you safe online by blocking intrusive ads, stopping trackers, and safeguarding your privacy across all your devices.

Right now, you can grab lifetime protection for the whole crew with the AdGuard Family Plan. Cover up to nine devices for only £11.98 (reg. £127.48) with code FAMPLAN now through June 1.

Enjoy a safer and smoother browsing experience

The internet should be fun, not frustrating. AdGuard tackles the most annoying parts of online life, like pop-ups, autoplay videos, and banner ads, so that you can enjoy your time browsing, streaming, and scrolling again.

Aside from blocking ads, AdGuard also protects your privacy. Your information will stay safe from trackers and activity analyzers, and you'll be shielded from malware and phishing websites that you or your family members could fall victim to. 

Moms and dads will love AdGuard's parental control feature, which keeps your kids safe from inappropriate content online.

This Family Plan lets you protect up to nine devices with AdGuard, so you can make sure everyone's devices stay safe. And it works with Android and iOS operating systems alike, so it can be used on tablets, smartphones, and laptops. 

Secure your own AdGuard Family Plan for life for just £11.98 with code FAMPLAN now through June 1. 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

FREE COLD FOAM: Cold Foam Days at Starbucks take place from May 7 through May 11. Rewards members in the U.S. or Canada can add cold foam to a cold beverage for free. 

Opens in a new window Credit: Starbucks Free Starbucks Cold Foam on Cold Foam Days Learn More

Starbucks has a legion of dedicated fans out there who probably love and hate their relationship with the store in equal measure. Sure, grabbing your favorite drink from Starbucks every single day is the treat you absolutely deserve, but those costs are surely adding up.

That's why it's so key to get everything you can out of Starbucks, including making the most out of free giveaways. On the rare occasion that Starbucks is actually giving away something for free, you should be first in line.

SEE ALSO: Testing the Ninja Slushi by making a frozen version of every drink I can think of

Cold Foam Days are back at Starbucks. From May 7 through May 11, Starbucks Rewards members in the U.S. or Canada can add cold foam to a cold beverage for free. You can redeem the offer by ordering your favorite cold beverage in the Starbucks app and applying the coupon or by letting your barista know you’d like to apply the offer when ordering in person.

If you’re not a Starbucks Rewards member but want to take part in Cold Foam Days, you'll need to sign up by downloading the Starbucks app and creating an account.

We should point out that there is a limit of 50 redemptions per member. That seems like a lot for even the most devoted Starbucks fan, but we're sure there are people out there that could test the limits.

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

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

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

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

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

Bread after it's heated.

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

TOAST

Hurdle Word 2 hint

A group of eight.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 8, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

OCTET

Hurdle Word 3 hint

An open box.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 8 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 8, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

CRATE

Hurdle Word 4 hint

A demand.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for May 8 Hurdle Word 4 answer

ORDER

Final Hurdle hint

Part of a feather.

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

QUILL

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

FREE LEGO: On May 17-18, build a Lego Ninjago Thunderfang model at participating stores and take it home with you for free.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego: Free Ninjago Thunderfang Learn More

The time has come for another Lego make and take event. Following in the footsteps of the Steering Wheel, Valentine's Day Heart, Mother's Day Bouquet, and Grogu events, fans can build a Lego Ninjago Thunderfang model at participating stores and take it home with them for free.

Visitors to select Lego Stores on May 17 (from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.) and May 18 (from 12-2 p.m.) can take part in this giveaway. The Lego Ninjago Thunderfang model will be available on a first-come-first-serve basis, at participating locations, while supplies last. There's a limit of one build per participant, but don't let that stop you from attending.

SEE ALSO: Lego builds life-size F1 cars for Miami GP — made of 400,000 Lego bricks

Something important to note about this Lego Ninjago Thunderfang model is that it's not available for purchase. So by getting involved in this free giveaway, you're getting your hands on an exclusive item that money cannot buy.

Build and take home an exclusive Lego Ninjago Thunderfang model for free on May 17-18.

TL;DR: Unblock Pornhub from Texas with a VPN. The best service for unblocking porn sites is ExpressVPN.

The big news in the world of porn is that more than a third of U.S. states have introduced restrictions for online adult content, including Texas. With the introduction of age verification laws, millions of users in Texas are now unable to access Pornhub. There are complicated reasons for this restriction, but thankfully, the workaround is simple.

If you want to unblock porn sites like Pornhub for free from Texas, we have all the information you need.

How to unblock Pornhub for free in Texas

VPNs are useful tools that can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in other locations. This straightforward process bypasses geo-restrictions so you can access sites like Pornhub from anywhere in the world.

Unblock Pornhub by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in a location that supports access to Pornhub

4. Visit Pornhub

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (2-Year Subscription + 4 Months Free) $139 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for unblocking porn sites are not free, but most do offer free-trial peiods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can unblock porn sites like Pornhub without actually spending anything. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you the opportunity to temporarily retain access to Pornhub before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to sites like Pornhub, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for bypassing content restrictions is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for Pornhub?

ExpressVPN is the top choice for unblocking porn sites like Pornhub, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

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

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

• Fast streaming speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

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

Unblock Pornhub for free in Texas with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Unblock Pornhub from Florida with a VPN. The best service for unblocking porn sites is ExpressVPN.

More than a third of U.S. states have introduced restrictions for online adult content, including Florida. With the introduction of age verification laws, millions of users in Florida are now unable to access Pornhub. The reasons for these restrictions are complicated, but the workaround is not.

If you want to unblock porn sites like Pornhub for free from Florida, we have all the information you need.

How to unblock Pornhub for free in Florida

VPNs can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure server in another location. This straightforward process bypasses geo-restrictions so you can access sites like Pornhub from anywhere in the world.

Unblock Pornhub by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in a location that supports access to Pornhub

4. Visit Pornhub

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (2-Year Subscription + 4 Months Free) $139 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for unblocking porn sites are not free, but most do offer free-trial peiods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can unblock porn sites like Pornhub without actually spending anything. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you the opportunity to temporarily retain access to Pornhub before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Pornhub?

ExpressVPN is the top choice for unblocking porn sites like Pornhub, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

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

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

• Fast streaming speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

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

Unblock Pornhub for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Manchester United vs. Athletic Club for free on RTBF Auvio. The best service for live streaming sport is ExpressVPN.

Manchester United surprised everyone by beating Athletic Club 3-0 in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final matchup. It has been a really tough season for Ruben Amorim's side, but they've looked great in this competition. They have one foot in the final already, but the job is not done yet. They still need to focus in front of their own fans to make sure their spot in the final is booked.

If you want to watch Manchester United vs. Athletic Club for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Manchester United vs. Athletic Club?

Manchester United vs. Athletic Club kicks off at 8 p.m. BST on May 8. This fixture takes place at Old Trafford.

How to watch Manchester United vs. Athletic Club for free

Manchester United vs. Athletic Club is available to live stream for free on RTBF Auvio in Belgium.

RTBF Auvio is geo-restricted to Belgium, so if you're away from Belgium for this fixture, you'll have to use a VPN to get access to your usual coverage. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Belgium, meaning you can bypass geo-restrictions to access RTBF Auvio from anywhere in the world.

Unblock RTBF Auvio by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Visit RTBF Auvio

5. Stream Manchester United vs. Athletic Club in the Europa League for free

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (2-Year Subscription + 4 Months Free) $139 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to provide free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to RTBF Auvio without committing with your cash. This is not a long-term solution, but it gives you plenty of time to stream Manchester United vs. Athletic Club before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for ServusTV?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for streaming live sport on ServusTV, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Austria

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

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

Live stream Manchester United vs. Athletic Club for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Bodo/Glimt vs. Tottenham Hotspur for free on ServusTV. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Spurs have almost confirmed their spot in the Europa League final, likely against Manchester United. They beat Bodo/Glimt 3-0 in the first leg, so barring an embarrassing collapse in the second leg, they will secure their place in the showpiece event taking place on May 21.

If you want to watch Bodo/Glimt vs. Tottenham Hotspur for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Bodo/Glimt vs. Tottenham Hotspur?

Bodo/Glimt vs. Tottenham Hotspur kicks off at 8 p.m. BST on May 8. This fixture takes place at the Aspmyra Stadion.

How to watch Bodo/Glimt vs. Tottenham Hotspur for free

Bodo/Glimt vs. Tottenham Hotspur is available to live stream for free on ServusTV.

ServusTV is geo-restricted to Austria, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Austria, meaning you can bypass geo-restrictions to access ServusTV from anywhere in the world.

Unblock ServusTV by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Visit ServusTV

5. Stream Bodo/Glimt vs. Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League for free

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (2-Year Subscription + 4 Months Free) $139 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to provide free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to ServusTV without committing with your cash. This is not a long-term solution, but it gives you plenty of time to stream Bodo/Glimt vs. Tottenham Hotspur before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for ServusTV?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for streaming live sport on ServusTV, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Austria

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

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

Stream Bodo/Glimt vs. Tottenham Hotspur for free with ExpressVPN.

The galaxy far, far away just watched a massacre on Andor. But did it understand what it saw — and will viewers in our galaxy?

Andor season 2, episode 8, 'Who Are You?' isn't just the darkest moment in the show; it may be the darkest moment the Star Wars franchise has ever seen. Stormtroopers on Ghorman, a prosperous planet with a mineral the Empire needs to build its Death Star, attack a square full of defenseless protestors. This draws rebels into a firefight where both sides are looking for a propaganda victory.

Before the slaughter comes an excruciating buildup. Courageous protesters gather in the square, already the site of a previous Imperial massacre, chanting "We are the Ghor! The galaxy is watching!" And they have good reason to think so. The events are apparently being covered live by a handful of galactic journalists — although as Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy confirms, those journalists are working for the Empire's Ministry of Enlightenment.

"They're there to sell the story" of a phony attack by rebels on an Imperial depot, Gilroy says. Later, we see them focus their reporting on "Imperial martyrs" — dead Stormtroopers and Imperial employees, basically. RIP Syril, who almost figured out what his bosses were up to, never getting to answer Cassian's question (the episode title). And RIP Ghorman itself, victim of what Senator Mon Mothma later calls a "genocide."

Where does 'the galaxy is watching' come from?

But what about that iconic (and ultimately ironic) phrase, "the galaxy is watching?" If you hear an echo of a phrase from protests closer to home, "the whole world is watching," that's exactly what Gilroy intended.

"It's universal enough that I can use it," Gilroy says, citing its usage by protestors during the Occupy Wall Street movement in 2011 — when NYPD officers conducted one of the largest mass arrests in U.S. history.

In fact, the chant goes further back than that and may originate with the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s. Bob Dylan did some of the popularizing, using it as a line in a song on his seminal 1964 protest album "The Times They Are a-Changing."

Historically, the most famous use of "the whole world is watching" was by anti-Vietnam War protesters outside the Democratic convention in Chicago in 1968. The protestors were correct; the event was being carried live by U.S. networks and picked up around the globe.

But as on Ghorman, it didn't end well. The world's observation didn't stop National Guardsmen and Chicago PD from attacking with clubs. And it didn't stop the nation's most famous journalist, Walter Cronkite, from having to apologize on national TV to the mayor of Chicago for calling his security forces what they clearly were: thugs.

SEE ALSO: How 'Andor' fulfills George Lucas' plan for 'Star Wars'

Connecting Andor to anti-Vietnam protests also puts Gilroy in line with the origins of Star Wars itself. Lucas, who was set to direct the hard-hitting Vietnam picture Apocalypse Now before choosing his space fantasy passion project instead, fully intended the Empire to represent the U.S. military in Vietnam — defeated by technologically inferior forces.

And as dark as 'Who Are You?' is, it's not the first genocide we've seen in what is often considered a franchise for children. As Tony Gilroy points out, there are two mind-bogglingly large genocides in the original Star Wars — the Death Star's annihilation of Princess Leia's home planet, and the destruction of the Death Star with millions of lives aboard.

"You know, there were no cameras on Alderaan," Gilroy notes wryly. "I guess it's in keeping with our show — if you keep the camera down on the ground instead of in space, you feel it more."

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

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

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

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

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

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

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

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

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

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for May 8 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: To inscribe

• Green: Used in a popular card game

• Blue: Leads in action-packed films

• Purple: The second half of each word is the same

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

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

• Yellow: Commit to paper

• Green: Needs for playing Yahtzee

• Blue: Heroes of action movie franchises

• Purple: ___Stick

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 #697 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Commit to paper: AUTHOR, COMPOSE, PEN, WRITER

• Needs for playing Yahtzee: CUP, DICE, PENCIL, SCOREBOARD

• Heroes of action movie franchises: BOND, JONES, OCEAN, WICK

• ___Stick: CANDLE, CHOP, JOY, YARD

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.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 8

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.

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 preferrined pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 8 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 8 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Well, fancy that!

The words are wealth-related.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words are used to describe luxurious things.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Ooh Shiny

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for May 8

• Lavish

• Deluxe

• Ornate

• Snazzy

• Ooh Shiny

• Extravagant

• Gaudy

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

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: Hints and answers for May 8 Where did Wordle come from?

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

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

What's the best Wordle starting word?

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

What happened to the Wordle archive?

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

Is Wordle getting harder?

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

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for May 8, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Warm weather.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter B.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. 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...

BALMY.

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.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 8

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.

Now operating in cities like L.A., San Francisco, Phoenix, Austin, and Atlanta, the robotaxis of Waymo have driven nearly 57 million miles, according to the autonomous vehicle company. With all those miles under its (timing) belt, the Alphabet-owned operation recently released a research paper highlighting some impressive data.

Waymo's report centered on incidents between its vehicles and "vulnerable road users." Compared to human drivers, Waymo's self-driving, electric Jaguars encountered 92 percent fewer crashes with pedestrians that resulted in injuries, 82 percent fewer crashes with cyclists involving injuries, and 82 percent fewer crashes with injuries that involved motorcyclists. There was also good news for car-to-car crashes, with 96 percent fewer injury-involving intersection crashes among Waymos, compared to human drivers, and 85 percent fewer crashes with suspected serious or worse injuries.

"It’s encouraging to see real-world data showing Waymo outperforming human drivers when it comes to safety," Jonathan Adkins, Chief Executive Officer at the nonprofit Governors Highway Safety Administration, said in Waymo's press release. "Fewer crashes and fewer injuries — especially for people walking and biking — is exactly the kind of progress we want to see from autonomous vehicles."

With Waymo planning additional service in Washington, D.C., Miami, and Tokyo, can we expect further progress in road safety in the cities Waymo operates in? Possibly, says David Kidd, the Senior Research Scientist at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. While Waymo has demonstrated its individual cars are often safer than human drivers, the company's service is not ubiquitous enough to show that it makes a city's entire road network safer, Kidd tells Mashable. Waymo's effective technology and positive safety record are good signs that we may get there one day, Kidd adds.

SEE ALSO: Smooth, silent, strange: What it's really like to hail a robotaxi What are your takeaways from Waymo's recent safety report?

Kidd: Waymo has done several of these reports, and they have been diligent about being very transparent about the methods they used to get the data they have. They’ve built on and expanded on previous [reports]. This is ... the most comprehensive look of the safety of their AVs to date, and the results are really encouraging.

Compared to other AV efforts from Tesla and General Motors' Cruise, Waymo seems to be finding the most success. Why?

I can’t speak to Waymo's strategy and philosophy and the differences between Waymo and Cruise and other AV companies, but certainly what stands out is Waymo is making a concerted effort to do research demonstrating the safety of the vehicles on real roads and being public about it. So they publish the research, and they also are now putting information about crashes and exposure, or millions driven in different deployment areas, on their website so anyone can go and replicate what they’ve done or do their own analyses. No other company is doing that right now, and it’s something we would hope other companies would follow Waymo’s lead in and be transparent.

The number of pedestrians and cyclists killed by cars has been steadily climbing for years. Can Waymo make the argument that they can help reduce those numbers?

Crashes with pedestrians have been increasing since 2009; I think there's been an 83 percent increase in fatal pedestrian crashes since that year (Kidd is referencing a report from 2022, showing a 40-year high for pedestrians killed by cars). And it certainly is the case that these automated vehicles are really good at keeping themselves from getting into conflicts with pedestrians, as this study provides evidence for; it’s going to help with the issue. The caveat is that AVs are not deployed everywhere, they’re certainly not in everyone’s driveway and not accessible to everyone so if we’re really going to tackle that pedestrian crash problem, it’s going to take multiple types of counter measures and solutions ranging from the technology in cars we can buy today like pedestrian automatic braking, changes in infrastructure that reduces conflicts between pedestrians and vehicles, as well as changing things that can make drivers more aware, as well as pedestrians aware, of their surroundings and pay more attention to distracted driving and distracted walking.

SEE ALSO: Robot, take the wheel: What you need to know about autonomous vehicles rolling out across the U.S. Since consumers cannot buy their own AVs yet, will we see significant decreases in crash deaths when automated cars are only available on a rideshare basis?

The natural extension of what Waymo has done is to better understand how the deploying of their vehicles inside of a city or inside a transportation network affects the overall safety of that network. They’ve done a good job of showing several times that their vehicles crash less often and are involved in fewer crashes than humans in that same deployment area. What they need to show is, if they have 100 Waymo vehicles or 1,000 Waymo vehicles, then is the transportation system in that area safer for everyone? That’s kind of the next piece — do we get shared safety benefits?

Waymo really demonstrated they can develop a technology and algorithms that take sensor information and make the vehicle operate safely. Can we take some of those learnings and improvements and apply them to the technology in vehicles you and I can buy? There’s a rumor they are potentially collaborating with Toyota; hopefully that’s one thing that comes out of it — Waymo takes their gains and algorithms and software and what they’ve done in the self-driving arena and apply it and translate it into the safety technology that Toyota and other automakers put into the vehicles that are sold to consumers today. That’s where I think you’ll see more rapid advances where the AVs advance conventional vehicles.

Tell us more about how AV technology can help all cars be safer.

Some of the more proactive things are when you’re approaching an intersection and the vehicle is able to see that there are other cars coming and make a prediction that some other vehicles are going to cross your path and not going to stop — it’ll slow you down to avoid the conflict.

AVs can illustrate the potential and some reasons why human drivers slip in terms of behavior and the way they operate vehicles and why they get in crashes. It’s not anything that’s unknown to us right now. The biggest contributor to crash deaths, and have been perpetual really, is speeding, impairment, like alcohol impairment, distractions is another component, but really speeding and impairment are huge and automated vehicles follow laws; they don’t speed and they’re not impaired. That alone is going to eliminate a lot of deaths.

The U.S. Justice Department is suing Google (or Alphabet Inc., if you prefer), and in testimony today, Apple Senior Vice President of Services Eddy Cue dropped a bombshell in the courtroom: Apple is now "actively looking" at focusing its Safari web browser on AI search instead of Google Search.

As Bloomberg reported, the revelation marks a "seismic shift for the industry."

The default search tool used by a web browser with only 18% market share might not seem like a seismic announcement, but it's further proof that a massive shift is underway. And that shift threatens one of the foundations of the internet as we know it: Google Search.

As of this writing, Alphabet stock is down 7.5 percent for the day, a sharp drop.

Why AI search matters

Increasingly, some users are relying on AI chatbots like ChatGPT for their web searches. Just today, the AI company Anthropic announced a new API that would expand the search capabilities of its Claude AI models. ChatGPT-maker OpenAI has also been encroaching on Google Search's territory, first with the introduction of ChatGPT Search in October 2024 and more recently with new shopping features.

Now, even Apple is signaling a shift toward AI search — and away from Google. Due to the dominance of Apple iPhones, Apple's approach to search will have much wider impacts across the web.

Apple also stands to lose significant revenue as a result of the Justice Department's lawsuit, which highlighted the payments Google makes to Apple to use Google as the default search engine on Safari.

In his testimony, Cue seemed to defend the relationship, which nets Apple $20 billion a year. By highlighting the inevitable shift toward AI search, Cue suggested that Google's search monopoly is naturally coming to an end.

The news isn't all bleak for Google, however.

The company's Gemini AI model has surged to the top of some AI leaderboards, largely due to the truly mind-boggling amount of data Google has at its disposal. And Google itself is diving headfirst into AI search, first with the introduction of AI overviews, and then with the beta for AI Mode, a new chatbot-style search tool.

If the trend wasn't clear before, it is now: the era of Google Search is ending, and the era of AI search is nigh.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

We're just a handful of days away from the next big Samsung announcement.

The Korean tech giant sent an invite to members of the media for a new Unpacked event, set to take place on Monday, May 12 at 8 p.m. ET. You can watch it live on Samsung's website or its YouTube channel, too.

SEE ALSO: Our favorite expert-tested TV brands include LG, TCL, Hisense, and Samsung Beyond slim, huh? Credit: Samsung

The two-tone graphic is very simple, in that the only thing on it besides the date of the stream is the phrase "Beyond slim." That sorta gives the game away. While we expect Samsung to launch new foldable phones this year, most rumors and leaks point to an imminent announcement of the ultra-thin Galaxy S25 Edge in all its glory. Barring a huge surprise, we expect to learn more at the upcoming Unpacked stream.

The new thin Galaxy phone has been leaked to death at this point, with all available information pointing to it being Samsung's thinnest non-foldable phone ever.

We'll all find out together on Monday.

Is this really what ChatGPT thinks of me?

An angry, beardless man with nothing in his life but a roommate and a fake pumpkin on a shelf?

The original... Credit: Timothy Beck Werth / Mashable ...and the final result. (AI-generated image) Credit: ChatGPT

You may have seen the latest viral ChatGPT image trend: "Create an exact replica of this image, don't change a thing." Users then redo that process 99 more times, with the image shifting slightly in each iteration. People have been plugging in their own photos to test out the results, and a mutating image of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has also gone viral on Reddit and X. When you make a copy of a copy of a copy, the results naturally degrade over time. And after 100 iterations through ChatGPT, the results can get truly strange.

To quote a famous Rick & Morty episode, "And far enough down the line...there be monsters."

To AI critics, this trend is proof that when AI models train on their own output, the end result is infinite slop — an artificial intelligence ouroboros. But is that really what's going on here?

I decided to try the trend myself, and in doing so, realized this trend isn't all it's cracked up to be. I tried plugging this prompt into ChatGPT using the 4o model, and it repeatedly refused to replicate my photo without changes. "I can’t make an exact copy of the image, but I can generate a new, highly similar version using AI based on its content," the AI chatbot said. And when I pressed, it still refused, saying, "I understand your request, but I can’t create an exact replica of a photo."

I was finally able to get the chatbot to do my bidding by using the OpenAI API and the prompt I mentioned earlier. And the results are typical of similar experiments.

I asked OpenAI about this trend, and I'll update this post if I hear back. But based on my attempts to replicate the replication trend outside of the API, it seems clear to me that ChatGPT isn't actually trying to create an exact replica of users' photos in the first place.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.