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Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're just right.

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 6, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: I've seen better

The words are related to mediocrity.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe being ordinary.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

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NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Nothing Special.

NYT Strands word list for September 6

• Adequate

• Alright

• Okay

• Nothing Special

• Mediocre

• Average

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.

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

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 6, 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.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for September 6, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Tan.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter E appears twice.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter B.

Play our Big Guessing Game: Make your predictions now for a chance to win a new Apple Watch. Time's running out!

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...

BEIGE

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.

TL;DR: Get the InstaHeadshots Premium Plan for $59.99 (reg. $200) and receive 50 AI-generated headshots, five styles, and 50 edit credits.

Opens in a new window Credit: InstaHeadshots InstaHeadshots AI Headshot Generator Premium Plan: One-Time Purchase $59.99
$200 Save $140.01   Get Deal

InstaHeadshots can create professional-looking AI headshots in about 15 minutes, without requiring a professional photoshoot. The InstaHeadshots Premium Plan is on sale for $59.99 (reg. $200), and all you need to get started is 10 photos of yourself.

Upload your images, choose from five styles, and let the AI generate a collection of headshots for your LinkedIn profile, résumé, website, or other professional needs.

The Premium Plan includes 50 AI-generated headshots in five different styles, giving you more options than a single studio portrait. Uploading photos from different angles and lighting conditions can help the generator create results tailored to your appearance. The plan also includes 50 edit credits, which you can use to request changes such as a different outfit, background, setting, or hairstyle.

The resulting images are generated in 4K resolution and come with full commercial usage rights, so you can use them for professional profiles, business cards, websites, speaker bios, team pages, and résumés. Your headshots are stored permanently and can be re-downloaded, while your account access isn’t tied to a particular device.

If you’re actively job searching, building a personal brand, or just need updated photos for several professional profiles, having a batch of different looks could save you from booking separate photoshoots. The service is also available to all users, and product improvements are included at no additional cost.

If AI-generated photography fits what you’re looking for, this deal offers a sizable collection of professional headshots. Get the InstaHeadshots Premium Plan for $59.99 (reg. $200) while it’s on sale.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

What looked, on the surface, like a clear case of copyright infringement has taken a surprising turn in court, as a judge for the District Court of Delaware has ruled that, because X abandoned both the term "tweet" and the blue bird logo, both are now fair game.

In deference to the judge's decision and to pre-empt any further potential legal action, Operation Bluebird has re-rebranded, transforming Twitter.now into Tweet.app, under the tagline "The square is back. And this time, it's yours."

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk found liable for defrauding Twitter investors

Back in 2023, Elon Musk rebranded the platform entirely, nixing the Twitter name and iconic blue bird logo in favor of a simplified X. And now a brash startup, originally named Operation Bluebird, has attempted to swoop in and pick up the abandoned iconography, creating a social media platform called Twitter.now that recycles both the concept of a "tweet" and the blue bird logo of the OG Twitter. 

What looked, on the surface, like a clear case of copyright infringement has taken a surprising turn in court, as a judge for the District Court of Delaware has ruled that, because X abandoned both the term "tweet" and the blue bird logo, both are now fair game. Chief Judge Colm F. Connolly did draw the line at the use of "Twitter" in the name, however, arguing that because X still owns the Twitter.com domain name, and because the site is still referred to as Twitter by many of its users, a dual-use authorization would create confusion. 

They go on to take a direct shot at both X.com and Elon Musk: "The richest man alive bought the town square, renamed it, and threw the bird away on his way out. Three years and a great deal of money later, people still say tweet. So we went back and picked up what he dropped, and rebuilt the square on the thing that got sold off first: Trust."

As of this writing, Tweet.app is not yet live, but you can become an early subscriber as either a Founder ("You were here at the start") for a one-time payment of $20 or a Fighter (“You didn't just show up — you stood up”) for $40. According to Tech Crunch, more than 170,000 people have already signed up. 

Is Tweet.app destined to supplant X.com or will it fizzle out in costly legal disputes? Only time will tell. 

The District Court of Minnesota has rejected the efforts of Elon Musk's xAI to seek an injunction to suspend the law until a court could hear its constitutional challenge to the law itself, according to a report by Reuters. Judge Donovan W. Frank, in his Conclusion, argued that "xAI has not demonstrated irreparable harm and the balance of harms tips steeply in favor of the State."

The bill Musk is trying to fight was recently passed into law by Minnesota, becoming the nation's first anti-nudification law. Companies found in violation of this law would be subject to fines of up to $500,000 every time artificial intelligence is used to alter images to depict the "intimate parts" of a person in such a way that "a reasonable person would believe that the intimate part belongs to the identifiable individual."

SEE ALSO: Minnesota's nudification ban takes effect after judge rejects xAI's bid to pause it

xAI is alleging that the Minnesota bill is a First Amendment violation of not only itself, as a corporate entity, but also a violation of the rights of its users. That larger lawsuit has yet to go to trial, but Attorney General Keith Ellison has already given his unvarnished opinion: "I would argue that there is no First Amendment right to falsely exploit somebody’s image and make them appear naked."

Meanwhile, xAI is already being sued by a "Jane Doe" in Arkansas, alleging that xAI "chose to release and monetize a product that they knew, or at minimum should have known, could and would be used to digitally exploit children for commercial gain." 

Interestingly, xAI's own Acceptable Use Policy explicitly forbids "[u]ndressing or nudifying real persons, or otherwise altering a real person’s image or likeness to depict them in an intimate or sexual context," so it isn't clear why they are simultaneously taking the state of Minnesota to court for a law that would criminalize behavior they already ostensibly prohibit, unless their Acceptable Use Policy is little more than an attempt to indemnify them against legal repercussions. 

In the meantime, xAI's lawsuit will be allowed to continue, and anyone concerned about the future use and regulation of artificial intelligence should pay very close attention to the findings.

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier if you watch college football.

As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a 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. The sports 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 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 before 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: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. 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: East coast conference

• Green: Southern cities

• Blue: Pro Tigers

• Purple: School icons

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: ACC Schools

• Green: SEC School Locations

• Blue: LSU Alumni in NFL

• Purple: Live College Football Mascots

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 #712 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• ACC Schools: CLEMSON, LOUISVILLE, STANFORD, VIRGINIA

• SEC School Locations: BATON ROUGE, COLUMBIA, NORMAN, STARKVILLE

• LSU Alumni in NFL: BURROW, CHASE, DANIELS, JEFFERSON

• Live College Football Mascots: RALPHIE, REVEILLE, SMOKEY, UGA

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports 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.

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 5, 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 5, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for September 5 Pips

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

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically.

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically; 5-2, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 4-5, placed horizonally.

Equal (5): Everything in this space must be equal to 5. The answer is 4-5, placed horizontally; 5-2, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (5): Everything in this space must be greater than 5. The answer is 6-1, placed horizontally.

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

Medium difficulty hints, answers for September 5 Pips

Greater Than (0): Everything in this space must be greater than 0. The answer is 0-6, placed horizontally.

Number (15): Everything in this space must add up to 15. The answer is 1-6, placed horizontally; 4-4, placed vertically; 5-0, placed vertically.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 0-6, placed horizontally; 4-4, placed vertically.

Number (15): Everything in this space must add up to 15. The answer is 0-3, placed horizontally; 6-6, placed vertically.

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

Hard difficulty hints, answers for September 5 Pips

Equal (5): Everything in this space must be equal to 5. The answer is 1-5, placed vertically; 5-3, placed vertically; 5-5, placed vertically.

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

Number (3): Everything in this red space must add up to 3. The answer is 5-3, placed vertically.

Number (3): Everything in this red space must add up to 3. The answer is 1-2, placed vertically.

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

Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 3-3, placed vertically.

Number (15): Everything in this space must add up to 15. The answer is 0-6, placed vertically; 4-5, placed vertically.

Number (15): Everything in this space must add up to 15. The answer is 3-3, placed vertically; 6-6, placed vertically.

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

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 2-5, placed horizontally; 3-0, placed vertically.

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 4-2, placed vertically.

Greater Than (1): Everything in this space must be greater than 1. The answer is 4-2, 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.

In the latest incident of AI malfeasance, rogue AI agents were caught taking control of a German-language wiki site, DseWiki, and using it as a kind of messaging board to communicate with other rogue AI agents, according to reporting from Reuters.

The full investigation, conducted by four independent AI safety researchers, was only published yesterday, but it reveals a troubling loss of oversight.

"We found ~18,000 posts from autonomous AI agents (self-identifying as from OpenAI) using the public internet to communicate during a web-retrieval task," the report reads. "These AIs colluded to share answers, research their environment, and bypass sandbox restrictions."

Another troubling discovery about both the AI agents is that while the safety researchers are convinced that the AI agents originated from OpenAI, the company itself has taken no responsibility for the breach.

"OpenAI has not acknowledged any involvement in the breach, nor disclosed any kind of agentic breach of this nature," reports The Verge. Four company insiders, who spoke to Reuters on the condition of anonymity, have even claimed that both the company and its legal team have resisted internal efforts to probe the breach. 

This incident isn't even the first of its kind. In a much more troubling and aggressive breach, rogue AI agents colluded to hack Hugging Face, the AI platform commonly described as "GitHub for AI," lately purchased by NVIDIA for more than $12 billion. The MIT Technology Review described it as "the first time outside of a simulation that LLMs escaped what was thought to be a secure sandbox, accessed the open internet, and attacked another organization," setting an extremely troubling precedent for what they might be capable of doing in the future. 

What both the DseWiki and Hugging Face incidents reveal is the problem-solving nature of artificial intelligence as well as how far it can go in service of its goals. In both cases, rogue AI agents managed to escape the impositions of their handlers, discover new repositories of knowledge, and call on other agents to collude in both learning and applying the new-found knowledge to expand their operating scope.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

Here at Mashable, we're constantly reviewing the best laptops based on an exhaustive in-house methodology that combines real-world use with performance benchmarking. In the past two years alone, we've tried over 90 different models across a range of price points.

To determine which of them fit the bill for college students, specifically, I researched the top 10 public universities' hardware recommendations for the fall 2026 semester and honed our pool of contenders based on the common threads I noticed for different majors.

I also gave special preference to laptops that are long-lasting and portable enough to be toted around campus, and those that are competitively priced for the current market. Laptops aren't cheap right now, but a solid splurge can last you well past graduation. Take advantage of student discounts whenever possible.

I eventually settled on six top picks that make the best laptops for college students. Whether you're a humanities student, a STEM major, or still undeclared, I'm confident that at least one of my options will be your ideal machine. Here's a quick overview of my recs for popular majors:

• Best for communication, fine arts, education, humanities, and healthcare majors: 13-inch Apple MacBook Air

• Best for business and economics majors: Acer Swift Edge 14 AI and Dell 14S

• Best for liberal arts majors with tight budgets: Apple MacBook Neo

• Best for engineering, computer science, and architecture majors: Acer Swift X 14 or Acer Swift X 14 AI, based on availability

• Best for graphic design, animation, and video production majors: 14-inch Apple MacBook Pro

Read on to find out why these laptops made the cut.

What to look for in a college laptop, based on my research A Windows laptop with a mid-tier Intel Core or AMD Ryzen 7 processor is suitable for most college students. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

Six of this year's 10 top-ranking public universities tell their incoming students to purchase Windows 11 laptops or MacBooks that are less than two years old. I wouldn't go any older than that for the sake of future-proofing.

Most of those schools tell their students to purchase laptops with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage at minimum. (Liberal arts majors might be able to get away with 256GB of storage, but you'll probably have to supplement that with an external hard drive.) More RAM and storage is better if your budget allows; more is mandatory if you're an engineering, design, or computer science major. Students in those fields are generally advised to get a laptop with at least 24GB to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.

SEE ALSO: Laptop specs explained: A jargon-free guide to what's inside your computer

Your processor options are a similar story. For Windows laptops, most schools suggest a mid-range CPU like an Intel Core/AMD Ryzen 5 at minimum, and a mid- to high-end Intel Core/AMD Ryzen 7 or 9 chip for more demanding workloads. Several schools recommend tacking on a dedicated GPU for such coursework, too (i.e, Nvidia GeForce RTX/Radeon RX graphics). On the Apple side, the MacBook Air and Pro with the base M5 chip are go-to recs for most students.

Two schools tell their students not to buy ARM-based Windows laptops (with Qualcomm's Snapdragon processors) because they can't run certain software natively. One software example is AutoCAD, a popular 2D and 3D design app that engineering and design students rely on heavily. I love a lot of ARM laptops because they're fast and long-lasting, and I will say that their compatibility is improving every year. Still, I've opted to keep them off my list of 2026 picks out of an abundance of caution; stick with Intel and AMD CPUs for now.

Be sure to budget for an extended warranty with accidental damage protection, as suggested by over half of the top 10 public universities. For reference, AppleCare+ for Mac costs $67.99 to $139.99 a year for students, depending on the MacBook model.

What type of laptop should college students buy? Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

This is a question that only your college can answer for sure, as laptop type recommendations can vary by major. For example, the University of Virginia and the University of California, Davis approve MacBooks for their general student populations, but their engineering departments tell certain tracks to avoid them. Likewise, UCLA's Anderson School of Management hardware requirement page says, "Mac computers are acceptable to use as primary computers for study at Anderson. However, please note that some elective course software is only available for Windows. Students are responsible for ensuring compatibility and configuring their Macs accordingly."

I can say for sure that you probably shouldn't buy a Chromebook. Three schools in my research pool discouraged them for some or all majors, and one school — the University of Florida — only recommended them "as supplemental devices." I included a Chromebook in a previous version of this guide as a secondary option for note-taking, but price increases amid the ongoing RAM shortage have made many of them just as expensive as Apple's budget MacBook Neo (if not more so), which is a much nicer and more powerful computer, relatively speaking.

Do you need your own laptop for college?

Yes, you should have your own laptop at college. Most universities let students temporarily borrow laptops through their libraries and/or tech desks. However, these loaners are available on a first-come, first-served basis and wiped upon return (i.e., you can't save anything on them long-term).

I wouldn't rely too heavily on your school's computer lab, either, because you can't take bring those desktops to class or your dorm. Ultimately, owning your own laptop is way more convenient and ensures you'll have the exact specs needed for your major's coursework.

Recent updates to this guide

• Sept. 3, 2026: I updated this guide to reflect recent pricing and availability changes for three of our picks. The Acer Swift Edge 14 AI was out of stock in new condition at the time of writing, but could return. (I'm monitoring retailers' inventories closely and will remove it from this list if it's sold out for good.) If it's unavailable when you go to buy it, you could snag a refurbished model or fall back on the Dell 14S. The latter just got an $80 to $130 price hike at different retailers, which isn't disqualifying, but you should wait to buy it on sale if possible. Finally, the Acer Swift X 14 was also out of stock when I went to check its listings. The Acer Swift X 14 AI is still a good secondary option if you can't find it.

• July 30, 2026: I added the results of the Dell 14S' battery life test. It was able to loop a video for 34 hours and 29 minutes before dying — very impressive!

• July 25, 2026: My preferred configuration of the Acer Swift X 14 is back in stock, so I added it to this guide in place of the Acer Swift X 14 AI. They're both smart buys, but the non-AI version is more powerful and lasts much longer.

• July 18, 2026: I overhauled this guide to the best laptops for college students ahead of the start of the 2026 school year. I added fresh picks from Apple, Acer, and Dell based on all-new testing and research.

Google didn't really bring the heat with most of the Pixel 11 lineup this year. The base Pixel model and the foldable Pixel 11 Pro Fold are both totally fine, but they don't stand out among the competition thanks to minor and unremarkable changes.

That's mostly true for the flagship Pixel 11 Pro as well, but what it lacks in incredible innovations, it makes up for in being a very good, very easy-to-use Android device with excellent cameras. Photography is fun on the Pixel 11 Pro, which is not something I feel about many handsets these days. A combination of hardware and software makes your images consistently look nice, even in challenging lighting conditions.

Between that and acceptable levels of performance and battery life, the new Pro is the smartphone I recommend getting in the Pixel 11 lineup. Just don't buy it for HiLight.

SEE ALSO: Review: Google Pixel 11 is sleek, but you might be happier with a cheap Pixel 10 Google Pixel 11 Pro review: The inevitable price increase Nice display. Credit: René Ramos / Mashable

Despite filling the lede for review with a bunch of praise for the phone, I'm going to pivot right away into something I dislike about it: the starting price. At $1,099, it's $100 more than the Pixel 10 Pro was at launch. There are some caveats to that, as I'll cover momentarily, but the fact of the matter is that you can't get a Pixel 11 Pro for (technically) less than $1,000 anymore. That stinks.

But at least the colors this year are nice: Canyon, Olive, Fog, and Obsidian. I reviewed the Canyon model and I found it pretty easy on the eyes. Here are the basic specs for the Pixel 11 Pro:

• Display: 6.3 inches with 1280x2586 resolution, 1-120Hz refresh rate, and 3,600 nits peak brightness

• Processor: Google Tensor G6

• RAM: 12/16GB

• Storage: 256/512GB/1TB

• Battery: 4,850mAh

• Rear cameras: 50MP main, 48MP ultra-wide, 48MP telephoto

• Front camera: 42MP

Alright, so, there are a few things to clarify here. The display's size and resolution haven't changed at all since the Pixel 10 Pro, but the peak brightness has, with an extra 300 nits on this year's device to boost daytime performance. In outdoor usage, I had no problem clearly seeing what was on the screen, so I'd say that little boost did its job. The base Pixel 11 didn't get the same upgrade, so that's one of the things you get for the extra money.

Camera bar is a little thick. Credit: René Ramos / Mashable

One major drawback, though, is that Google has cut the RAM on the lowest-end model to 12GB. Last year, you could get a Pixel 10 Pro with 256GB of storage and 16GB of RAM. This year, the 256GB model is tied to 12GB of RAM, while the 512GB and 1TB models get those four extra gigs of memory. I totally get that we live in the world of RAMageddon, but it still blows to see a phone downgrade year-over-year like that. I guess I should get used to it.

HiLight doesn't impress me much

HiLight is a little light module built into the camera bar on Pixel 11 Pro devices. This is supposed to be the one major hardware innovation this year, but I just don't see it. It only lights up when Gemini is in use or when someone calls you on the phone, two use cases that almost never happen in my life (aside from spam calls). It's theoretically a decent way to notify the user that something is up when the phone is turned over, but as it is right now, HiLight is a dud.

Lastly, I'll mention that the camera bar on the Pixel 11 Pro is much bulkier than on the base model. That's not a huge deal, especially if you put a case on the phone, but it is noticeable if you happen to have used both phones.

HiLight stinks. Credit: René Ramos / Mashable Google Pixel 11 Pro: Performance

I would describe the Pixel 11 Pro as "performant." Everything loads quickly and smoothly, and on-device AI tasks process in just a few seconds. It's not outstanding among other flagship smartphones, but these days, it's almost impossible for everyday performance to do that. Every phone is fast now. It's great.

Weirdly, the Geekbench 7 benchmarking software didn't agree with my IRL assessment. The Pixel 11 Pro got stunningly low scores on the test I ran: 1,448 for single-core CPU testing and 4,642 for multi-core testing. That's multiple thousands of points worse than the base Pixel 11, but I swear there is not a meaningful difference in practical use. Google's Tensor chips have always underperformed in Geekbench tests, so I'm guessing there's just something odd happening here that isn't really reflective of reality.

Google Pixel 11 Pro: AI features

One nice thing Google does is provide AI feature parity across its entire device lineup each year, and the Pixel 11 series is no different. As with the base Pixel 11 and the Pro Fold, the Pixel 11 Pro will use contextual on-screen prompts, such as a text message someone sent about a restaurant reservation, to surface relevant information or create calendar entries for you. These aren't exactly life-changing features, but they might save you a little bit of time.

The real AI juice this year is in Magic Capture and Rambler. Magic Capture is a new capture mode built into the Camera app that works the same as recording video, but once you're done recording, the phone will slice up the video into several clear, pristine still images for you, complete with automatic cropping and unblurring. I have found this great for getting good photos of pigeons around New York City, as they're fidgety and quick to scatter if you move too suddenly or get too close.

This guy really didn't want to be my friend. Credit: Alex Perry / Mashable

I'm as big an AI skeptic as there is, but Magic Capture works for me because it's genuinely useful and isn't really trying to replace any of your cognitive functions. It's not creating new information; it's just giving you usable still images from videos.

Rambler, meanwhile, is a new function built into Gboard that's able to clean up your speech-to-text recordings. If you're prone to "umms" and changing direction mid-sentence, Rambler does a nice job of turning whatever nonsense you give it into a readable sentence. I imagine this will be a godsend for people who like to dictate their text messages.

Google Pixel 11 Pro: Battery life Who among us doesn't like lying flat on our faces? Credit: René Ramos / Mashable

Google rates each Pixel 11 device for 30 hours of battery life, and in my testing, that's about what I got out of them. The Pixel 11 Pro is no different.

Our testing method involves playing an HD video in full-screen on the device until it dies. Using that rubric, I got about 29.5 hours of juice out of the Pixel 11 Pro. As always, there are plenty of ways to squeeze even more life out of a phone, such as turning off 120Hz support and using battery-saving modes. I am confident you can go more than a full day without charging this phone.

Google Pixel 11 Pro review: The camera test

The real reason to get a Pixel 11 Pro (and this is true most years of the Pixel Pro phones) is the camera array. The rear cameras may not wow you with giant megapixel counts, but between the hardware and Google's patented software magic, it's so easy for even someone like me who knows nothing about photography to get great photos on a Pixel 11 Pro.

Every photo I took came out looking roughly like this, with clarity, vividness, and great color accuracy.

These won't be in bloom for long. Credit: Alex Perry / Mashable Fall is almost here. Credit: Alex Perry / Mashable

Night Sight is excellent, too. These plants are nigh-invisible at night, but with Night Sight, it looks like I photographed them during the day.

Left: No Night Sight. Credit: Alex Perry / Mashable Right: Night Sight. Credit: Alex Perry / Mashable

I'm always a fan of macro photography, and the Pixel 11 Pro takes pristine shots of things like plants up close and personal.

Macro rocks. Credit: Alex Perry / Mashable

I'd also like to shout out the digital zoom, which Google upped to 120x this year after it topped out at 100x on Pixel 10 Pro. This has been my favorite parlor trick on Pixel phones for a few years now. It's really amazing how good photos taken from super far away can look on this device. In the image on the left, you can't even see the church steeple that's the subject of the image on the right, but I was standing in the same place, looking in the same direction for both shots.

Nothing to see here, right? Credit: Alex Perry / Mashable It's not perfect, but for 120x zoom, that's really good. Credit: Alex Perry / Mashable

Between all of that and the addition of Magic Capture, this is a great phone for photography.

Google Pixel 11 Pro: The verdict

In case it wasn't clear, if you absolutely must have a phone from the Pixel 11 series and the extra money is not a hurdle for you, I'd recommend the Pixel 11 Pro. It's just a rock-solid Android phone with a really great photography suite. Sure, HiLight is a bust, and the camera bar is a little bulky relative to the base Pixel 11, but those are compromises that are worth living with if you want the best Pixel 11 phone.

Google Pixel 11 Pro $1,042.31 at Amazon
$1,099 Save $56.69   See It at Amazon See It at Best Buy

We are just days away from Apple's big September iPhone event. That means that along with new iPhones, the official launch of iOS 27 is just around the corner.

Even if you're not planning to upgrade to the iPhone 18 Pro or Apple's first foldable device, the new iOS 27 is packed with new features that will make your current smartphone feel brand new, including the long-awaited debut of Siri AI.

If you've installed the iOS 27 beta, then you might already have these features on your iPhone. But, if you're waiting for the official release, here are some of the top iOS 27 features you should be looking forward to.

SEE ALSO: Apple's iOS 27 is coming soon: Everything we know so far Siri AI

This is the big one. Apple announced plans for a completely rebuilt Siri assistant years ago. Now, they're finally going to launch Siri AI, powered by Apple Intelligence, with iOS 27.

For the first time, Siri now has its own app where users can type or speak to interact with the AI assistant. Users can still interact with Siri AI from anywhere on the device by just saying "Hey Siri," holding the iPhone's side button, or swiping down on the Dynamic Island. However, Siri AI will now live within its app too, where users can pull up past interactions and conversations with Siri.

Once a user accesses Siri AI, they can ask well beyond just general questions like how the weather is outside. They can even dive deeper than asking for real-time updates from online sources. Siri can now pull contextual information from the user themself to answer questions. Siri can pull answers from a user's emails, calendars, documents, notes, photos, and more.

There are even new tools within Siri AI as well, such as Write with Siri, in which a user can speak to Siri AI, and the assistant will generate text based on what the user asked for.

SEE ALSO: These 29 iPhones support iOS 27 and the public beta: Is yours on the list? Visual Intelligence

Speaking of Siri AI tools, this one deserves a callout of its own.

Visual Intelligence is a new iOS 27 feature that gives Siri AI the ability to answer questions based on what's right in front of the user. Simply point your iPhone camera at a movie on TV or a meal on the table, and Siri AI will be able to answer whatever questions you may have about it.

Users can also use Visual Intelligence to ask questions about photos, videos, or whatever else is on their iPhone screen as well.

Three new major AI photo editing tools (finally)

Apple Photos is getting a big upgrade with three new editing tools that will honestly make it feel like you've just upgraded to a new camera.

The biggest of the new features is Spatial Reframing. Using AI and the spatial data captured when snapping a photo, you can now change the angle and perspective of a picture after you've already taken it.

Extend is another new photo editing feature that uses AI to basically zoom out on a photo and generate more of the surroundings than what was captured in the original picture.

Finally, Clean Up is an improvement on a similar functionality that was already available on iOS devices. Just circle an object in a photo with your finger and Clean Up will remove the object.

Image Playground

Image Playground is getting real. 

Previously, the AI photo generation tool was mostly seen as a toy where users could generate cartoonish images. Now, Image Playground will be able to generate much more realistic photos as well.

Users will also be able to combine multiple different image elements and make additional edits via prompts to generate images.

New customization options

iOS 27 will introduce a new Liquid Glass slider, making it easier to adapt the transparency settings to your liking. In addition, if you have a relatively new iPhone, you'll also be able to customize Siri's voice.

Credit: Apple / Mashable Photo Composite Shortcuts update

There are quite a few updates to existing apps and features in iOS 27. If you want to read more about those, you can check them out in Mashable's previous iOS 27 and Siri AI coverage (here and here).

However, one upgrade to an existing feature feels like a whole new experience, so we think it deserves a standalone mention.

Apple has reimagined Shortcuts, perhaps one of the iPhone's lesser-used features, to make it much more welcoming to the average iPhone user. Shortcuts allow the user to set up a chain of commands or automated actions. It's supposed to make complicated processes easier; however, the initial manual setup is fairly intimidating to non-technical people.

With iOS 27, users will now be able to describe exactly what automation they want to setup with Shortcuts, and then Shortcuts will handle the entire setup process.

Bonus: Multitasking on the iPhone Ultra

If you're planning to get the first-ever Apple foldable, then you'll be able to use your iPhone more like a tablet. The larger inner screen will allow you to run multiple apps side-by-side, enabling new ways to multitask on your phone. While we haven't been able to preview these features in the iOS 27 beta yet, we know they're coming thanks to hints in the code and other leaks.

Top Apple Deals we found this week:

• Apple AirTag 2 (4-Pack) — $79.99 $99 (save $20)

• Apple AirPods 4 — $99 $129 (save $30)

• Apple iPad Air 11-inch (M4) — $649 $749 (save $100)

• Apple iPhone Air (256GB, unlocked) — $849.99 $999.99 (save $150)

• Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,849 $1,999 (save $150)

• Shop all the best Apple Labor Day deals

The tech giant must pay $3,000 per pirated book that it used to train its chatbot. Many authors fear they could lose funds to others in the book business.

Thousands of Kenyans made a living writing essays for overseas students. With A.I., the work has dried up, a warning for online gig work that has been a global lifeline.

Now that there’s rarely any mystery to who’s calling, Gen Z has adopted a range of custom phone greetings — including no greeting at all.

Astronomers just spotted an enormous, 10-sided shape surrounding Saturn's southern skies.

They call it a decagon because it has 10 corners and 10 long sides. It rings the planet's southern mid-latitudes, where a powerful jet stream races around the globe. 

From Earth, we don't literally look up at Saturn's underbelly. Instead, Saturn tilts on its axis, so its poles lean toward or away from us in space over its long seasons. For more than a decade, the south stayed tipped away, and even our best telescopes could not see those latitudes clearly. 

But when Saturn's tilt swung the south pole back toward Earth, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and large ground‑based observatories finally gained a clear view from 2023 to 2025.

That timing explains why the decagon appears only now and why scientists are so interested. Researchers say it gives them a chance to watch how a giant planet can sculpt its winds into sharp, angular shapes in real time.

SEE ALSO: A battle-tested spacecraft now begins its approach to Mercury

So what is this thing, really? The decagon is not a ring of solid clouds in Saturn's sky. It's a giant atmospheric wave — a repeating bend in the winds that runs all the way around the planet.

Waves in air behave similar to waves in an ocean. Water doesn't pick up and slide across the sea in one big piece; instead, it rises and falls in place as the wave shape passes by. 

When Saturn's tilt swung the south pole back toward Earth, Hubble finally gained a clear view of the strange atmospheric wave pattern. Credit: NASA / ESA / Agustin Sánchez-Lavega / Amy Simon / Michael Wong / Alyssa Pagan

Details about the new phenomenon were published in Science Advances. 

If aliens on Saturn were to point the same telescopes at Earth, they would not see such geometric shapes in our clouds. Here, high‑altitude winds in the jet stream sometimes wobble north and south. Those bends help steer cold snaps, heat domes, and storm tracks. From space, they look messy and lumpy because continents, mountains, and coastlines keep chopping them up.

But Saturn has no continents or mountains — only deep layers of gas. That clean racetrack lets waves in the jet fall into regular patterns.

In the southern jet that hosts the decagon, the wind wiggles slightly toward the pole and slightly toward the equator as it flows. Where the wave bends one way, clouds pile up or brighten. Where it bends the other way, clouds thin out or darken. Up close, nothing actually has knife‑sharp edges, even on that alien world. But the repeated pattern tricks our eyes into seeing lines and corners.

"The most intriguing part to me is that this seems to have just formed recently," said Amy Simon, a co-author of the study based at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, in a statement. "The question is, why did it suddenly form now when we haven't seen one before?"

Each facet of the decagon stretches about 10,000 miles. Credit: NASA / ESA / Agustin Sánchez-Lavega / Amy Simon / Michael Wong / Alyssa Pagan

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The decagon is enormous. Each side spans on the order of 10,000 miles. A jet stream under it tears along at about 260 mph, while its corners slowly shift back and forth over roughly month‑long cycles.

The structure also seems to evolve. Hubble images from 2023 show only weak hints of corners. By 2024 and 2025, all 10 points appear, though some look brighter and sharper. 

A nearby storm adds another wrinkle. Just north of the decagon, astronomers track a red spot a few thousand miles wide — not to be confused with the solar system's most famous Great Read Spot on Jupiter. In some colors, it looks bright, which means its clouds reach higher than the surroundings. In ultraviolet light, it looks dark. 

The strongest corners of the decagon gather near this storm. That proximity hints that the storm and the wave share energy in the same jet, and the red spot may help trigger or influence the shape.

To test ideas, scientists built a computer simulation of Saturn's weather layer at those latitudes. They set the model's winds to match the jet, then poked and prodded it in different ways: with a line of small bumps, with a storm like the red spot, and with a neat 10-wave pattern to start.

NASA's Cassini spacecraft photographed Saturn's hexagonal atmospheric wave pattern ringing its north pole in July 2013. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech /Space Science Institute

Though the details didn't match the real decagon, the model showed that strong, curved jets can create polygon‑like waves when something nudges them.

Only after they pinned down the southern decagon did researchers compare it to Saturn's north‑pole hexagon (Yes, there's another geometric wave pattern up top). The hexagon, with its six sides, has held its shape since the Voyager flybys in the early 1980s. It stands almost fixed relative to Saturn's rotation and has fairly even sides and corners.

The southern decagon, on the other hand, looks far less stable and only showed up a few years ago. Its corners shift in strength and position, and parts of the pattern look much weaker than others. That difference tells scientists the southern wave may be more ephemeral.

"Images from NASA's Cassini spacecraft, which orbited Saturn between 2004 and 2017, showed no inkling of a long-lived formation, either," said Agustín Sánchez-Lavega, lead author of the study. 

The new decagon is especially valuable to scientists because it connects to a bigger puzzle across the solar system. On Jupiter, the poles host clusters of cyclones that arrange themselves into ring‑like, sometimes-polygonal patterns. By tracking Saturn's 10-sided wave through changing seasons and shifting sunlight, scientists hope to learn why some giant‑planet jets settle into tidy structures and others break into tangled storms instead.

I write about holiday sales for a living, and somehow, I still managed to forget that this Monday is a federal holiday until about an hour ago. If you also just realized that Labor Day 2026 is literally this Monday (where does the time go?), don't worry!

Here's a complete list of what stores are open and closed this Labor Day.

What stores will be open on Labor Day?

Banks, schools, and the DMV may shut down, but most businesses stay open on Labor Day so they can cash in on the sales. That said, it's always a good idea to double-check your local store hours, especially if you plan to shop later in the day.

SEE ALSO: 40+ Labor Day deals: We found limited-time deals on TVs, mattresses, Apple, and more to shop this weekend Groceries and big-box retailers

• Walmart: The big box retailer is open with regular hours; Walmart typically operates from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

• Target: The bullseye store will also be open, generally from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., though local times may vary (check out the Target 2026 Halloween collection)

• Warehouse clubs: BJ's Wholesale Club is open during regular hours from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m; Sam's Club is open, but locations will close early at 6 p.m. local time. Unfortunately, Costco will be closed, however.

• Trader Joe's and Whole Foods: Trader Joe's is operating normally from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Whole Foods locations are open but will have modified holiday hours, usually around 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

• Aldi: Open, but locations will operate on limited hours from 8:30 a.m. and close early at 6 p.m.

• National and regional supermarkets: Kroger and its family of stores are open, though their pharmacy hours might vary. Regional grocery chains, including Stop & Shop, ShopRite, ACME, Foodtown, Lidl, and Wegmans, will also operate on open schedules. Wegmans locations will be open from 6 a.m. to 12 a.m., while Stop & Shop is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

• Apple: The Apple store should be open if you need to grab a spare charger or fix your iPhone. However, if you're looking for the best Labor Day Apple deals, you'll need to shop online.

Hardware, department, and specialty stores

• Hardware stores: Home Depot and Lowe's are open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., though Home Depot hours can vary slightly by location. IKEA is also open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

• Department stores: Best Buy, Kohl's, Macy's, Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, TJ Maxx, JCPenney, Old Navy, Burlington, Boscov's, and Marshalls are open with regular hours.

• Discount and dollar stores: Five Below, Goodwill, Dollar General, Dollar Tree, and Family Dollar are all open and running normal hours.

• Specialty and hobby stores: Barnes and Noble, Bath & Body Works, Bass Pro Shops, Dick's Sporting Goods, Petco, PetSmart, REI, and Ulta Beauty will all be open with normal hours. Hobby Lobby is open, but operates on reduced hours from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

• Pharmacies: CVS and Walgreens storefronts are open. However, most Walgreens pharmacies and select CVS pharmacies will be closed, except 24-hour locations.

What restaurants are open on Labor Day?

If you're not the BBQ, cookout type (I get it) and you'd rather not spend the day cooking, most major restaurant chains and fast-food drive-thrus are open with regular hours nationwide.

• Fast food and coffee: Starbucks, Dunkin', McDonald's, Taco Bell, Chick-fil-A, and Burger King are generally open, though individual franchise hours can vary slightly on holidays.

• Sit-down dining: Chains like Applebee's, Chili's, Olive Garden, Texas Roadhouse, Outback Steakhouse, and Cracker Barrel keep their doors open to handle the holiday weekend crowds.

SEE ALSO: Labor Day 2026 deals: Score free food from Cheesecake Factory, Krispy Kreme, 7-Eleven, and more What's closed on Labor Day?

The general rule is that if it's a government building, a bank, or a membership warehouse that isn't Sam's Club or BJ's, it's closed.

• Costco: Costco is closed on Labor Day.

• Government offices: Federal, state, and local administrative offices, including courts, the DMV, and public libraries, are closed.

• Schools: Public schools and universities are closed.

• Banks: Branch locations are closed, but ATMs and online banking will still be available.

• Financial markets: The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq are closed.

• Mail services: The USPS will not pick up or deliver regular mail, though Priority Mail Express will still run. UPS and FedEx will not have standard ground pickup and delivery services on Labor Day, though their critical/express services and some FedEx Office locations might have modified operating hours.

Looking for Labor Day sales online?

• The best Labor Day deals already live: Shop mattresses, tools, and TVs

• The best pre-Labor Day deals on Apple products

• The best Labor Day sales on mattresses, bedding, and pillows

• The best Labor Day home improvement deals from The Home Depot

• Shop the Ruggable pre-Labor Day sale on washable rugs

TL;DR: Through Sept. 10, get a lifetime 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan for $69.97 (reg. $540), with tools for AI chat, writing, images, PDFs, documents, audio, video, and more.

Opens in a new window Credit: 1minAI 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan Lifetime Subscription $69.97
$540 Save $470.03   Get Deal

AI subscriptions aren’t cheap, but they’re manageable if you only use one model like ChatGPT. However, if you need tools for generating images, writing copy, analyzing documents, or translating between languages, a platform like 1min.AI is a more viable option. 

1min.AI gives you lifetime access to some of the most popular AI tools, including ChatGPT, Gemini, Mistral, and many others. It’s also only $69.97 for a lifetime subscription in honor of Labor Day (reg. $540).

1min.AI runs in your browser and pulls a ton of everyday work into one place. You can research keywords, draft blog posts, rewrite and shorten text, generate social posts, and keep a consistent brand voice across projects. There are tools to summarize or translate documents, chat with multiple PDFs at once, and spin up slide presentations. For visuals, you can generate images from prompts, upscale low-resolution pictures, remove backgrounds, extend edges, or turn rough sketches into cleaner artwork.

Here’s a small sample of the AI models you’ll get access to:

• GPT

• Claude 3 Opus and Claude 3 Sonnet

• Gemini Pro 1.5

• Llama 3

• Mistral models

The Advanced Business Plan includes 4,000,000 credits each month, plus the chance to earn up to 450,000 more through daily logins and other tasks. Credits are shared across writing, images, audio, and video, so you can lean harder on whichever tools you need that month. The plan supports up to 20 members, with shared workspaces, an unlimited prompt library, unlimited storage, and unlimited brand voices. If you don’t use all your credits, they just roll over, so you aren’t missing out if you have a lighter month.

It’s only $69.97 (reg. $540) to get a 1min.AI lifetime subscription during this Labor Day sale, through Sept. 10.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Swiftspeed AI App Builder helps you create iOS, Android, and web apps without coding, and three years of Pro access is on sale for $39.99 (reg. $432).

Opens in a new window Credit: Swiftspeed AI Swiftspeed AI App Builder Pro Plan: 3-Year Subscription $39.99
$432 Save $392.01   Get Deal

Ever since the rise of smartphones, there has always been “an app for that,” which also usually means “a developer is required for that.” But thanks to AI, you can now get surprisingly far into app development without knowing what a curly brace does. Swiftspeed AI App Builder uses AI and visual editing tools to help you create iOS, Android, and web apps, with three years of Pro access currently on sale for $39.99 (reg. $432).

You can start by describing what you want to build, and Swiftspeed generates the foundation for you. From there, its drag-and-drop editor lets you customize layouts, forms, workflows, databases, and other elements without suddenly needing to become a software engineer.

If you already have an existing website, you don’t necessarily have to start over to turn it into an app. Swiftspeed can turn existing websites, WordPress sites, WooCommerce stores, and Shopify stores into apps, making this particularly useful for small businesses that already have an online presence but want somewhere to live on their customers’ home screens.

One Swiftspeed project can become an Android app, an iOS app, and a progressive web app (PWA), so you don’t have to build separate versions from scratch. The Pro Plan also includes the files and source code for your Android and iOS apps, with the iOS version ready for testing via Apple’s TestFlight.

There’s plenty to add once you’ve built the basics, too. Stripe and PayPal integrations can handle payments, while in-app purchases and AdMob support provide monetization options. You can also add push notifications, analytics, an app wallet, audio and video content, RSS feeds, quizzes, and custom pages.

AI doesn’t stop at generating the initial app, either. Swiftspeed supports chatbot functionality using providers including OpenAI, Gemini, Claude, and DeepSeek, so you can incorporate AI features depending on what you’re building.

The Pro Plan covers one app and three seats, with 5GB of storage, 300 monthly push notifications, AI agent credits, priority support, and no Swiftspeed branding.

While Swiftspeed can create the files needed to publish your app, it doesn’t eliminate Apple and Google’s requirements. You’ll still need your own Apple Developer or Google Play Developer account, pay any applicable developer fees, prepare your store listing materials, and submit the app for approval yourself.

Normally $432, you can grab a 3-year subscription to Swiftspeed AI for only $39.99.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Online communities tend to develop their own vocabularies and methods of communication, especially if they've been around for a very long time. If you're new to AdultFriendFinder, you'll quickly come across slang and short-hand terms you may never have encountered before, as well as more acronyms than you know what to do with. 

Some of these are obvious, or used across online dating cultures, but some of them are highly specific to niche communities like the worlds of BDSM and kink. 

Opens in a new window Credit: AdultFriendFinder AdultFriendFinder   Learn More

Here's a glossary of some of the most essential AFF lingo you'll want to know as you navigate the site:

Common AFF slang terms you need to know

• Aftercare: Term for cuddling and/or words of affirmation after the conclusion of a BDSM scenario 

• Bate buds: Two or more people who enjoy masturbating to the same content and who exchange recommendations 

• CD: Cross-dressing, usually referring to a person who enjoys wearing the clothing of another gender

• Cuckolding: The practice or scenario of consensual infidelity, widely enjoyed in non-monogamous relationships

• DD/LG: Acronym for "daddy dom, little girl," describing a male-dominant, female-submissive relationship

• Dom/Domme: Short-hand term for the dominant partner in a BDSM relationship. The terms master/mistress are often used interchangeably with dom/domme

• Edging: The practice of approaching sexual orgasm without ever reaching it.

• ENM: Ethical non-monogamy, also known as an open relationship

• Little: Short-hand term for the submissive partner in a BDSM relationship

• Limits/Hard Limits: The list of someone's non-negotiable boundaries. Respecting these limits is a central tenet of kink culture and should be practiced even in online encounters

• MD/LB: Acronym for "mommy domme, little boy," describing a female-dominant, male-submissive relationship

• Orgasm Control: A scenario in which one partner voluntarily relinquishes control of their sexual climax to another play partner

• Shibari: The Japanese art of decorative rope bondage, usually requiring a high degree of experience to execute properly

• Switch: Someone who occasionally enjoys being either dominant or submissive

• Vanilla: A non-pejorative term describing a preference for non-kinky sexual practices

For a handful of days each year, Berlin turns into the tech capital of the world. This year, IFA has close to 2,000 brands showcasing the latest technology from air fryers to robot lawn mowers to sleep earbuds and, of course, robots. Aside from CES in January, it's the best opportunity to check out what's on the horizon from top brands like Dreame, DJI, Anker, Dyson, and plenty more.

Some of the tech on display teeters on the useless side or focuses on grand ideas that are unlikely to become mainstream. Others, like a ceiling light that can mimic natural outdoor light and stick vacuums with more suction power than ever before, are well worth bringing home.

As expected, this year's event has a major emphasis on AI. Plenty of the AI advancements on display at IFA in 2026 are pretty great and streamline life where we need it most.

In an email, IFA CEO Leif Lindner explained, "What excites me most is seeing entire categories become more intuitive because AI is solving real problems, not simply being added for its own sake,' he said. "That’s what’s driving the innovations I’m most excited about this year, from robotics moving closer to practical everyday applications, to wearables that help you build better habits, to connected kitchen appliances that are genuinely helpful."

Below, we've rounded up the best products Mashable has spotted at IFA so far. We'll keep this list updated as the show continues on through Sept. 8. Some of the items are already available for sale in the U.S. while a few others will be worth the wait.

A fancy new version of the Anker Sleep earbuds

The Soundcore Sleep A30 Special are Mashable's favorite sleep earbuds, and now we have two new iterations: Sleep Earbuds 4 and Sleep Earbuds 4 Pro. Coming in at 20% slimmer than the Sleep A30 model, the new Sleep Earbuds 4 are designed to be even more comfortable for side sleepers. If you share a bed with someone who snores, the AI-generated dynamic snore masking system in the Sleep Earbuds 4 could make a major difference in your sleep quality.

The Sleep Earbuds 4 Pro come with advanced features and this snazzy case with disaply. Credit: Lauren Allain / Mashable

The fancier Sleep Earbuds Pro 4 use the same earbud design as the standard Sleep Earbuds 4 but come with a more advanced case, among other features. Similar to the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro earbuds, the Sleep Earbuds Pro 4 have an on-case display that lets sleepers check sleep metrics upon waking.

The screen also allows users to adjust the volume, change sleep tracks, or set an alarm from the case itself, rather than reaching for a phone.

The Anker Sleep Earbuds 4 are priced at $229.99 with a launch set for the beginning of October. The Anker Sleep Earbuds Pro 4 will sell for $349.99 come November. Preorders at Anker are currently eligible for a $30-off coupon that comes from putting down a $1 deposit.

Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Anker Sleep Earbuds 4 $199.99 at Anker
$229.99 Save $30   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Anker Sleep Earbuds Pro 4 $319.99 at Anker
$349.99 Save $30   Get Deal A camping portable power station that fits into your backpack

The EcoFlow River 3 Plus is one of my favorite portable power stations for camping, so I'm thrilled we got introduced to the EcoFlow River Gen4 at IFA. Completely redesigned from the River 3, the River Gen4 features a compact design that's significantly smaller than its predecessor. The River 260 Gen4 comes with a capacity of 256Wh, 300W sustained output, and a peak of 600W. At about 6.5 pounds, it's highly portable for a weekend of camping.

EcoFlow brough two new camping-friendly models to IFA 2026. Credit: Lauren Allain / Mashable

Going bigger, the EcoFlow River 520 Gen4 has 512Wh of capacity, 500W of AC output, and a 1,000W peak. The larger of the River 520 doubles the power capacity but doesn't double the weight, coming in at just 10 pounds. Again, that's manageable enough to pack along on a camping trip for most people. Both models have a 10 millisecond UPS, fast-charging USB-C ports, and quick recharging.

We're still waiting on the U.S. launch date information and pricing. EcoFlow also showcased a compact 60W solar panel at IFA that seems like it'll be the perfect companion for these two new models.

An upgraded DJI 360-degree camera

It's a sad time to be a DJI fan in the U.S. The brand packed the new DJI Osmo 360 II for IFA this year, but as of now, it's not coming to the U.S. thanks to current regulations. The new model replaces last year's Osmo 360 and comes with improvements such as the ability to shoot 8K panoramic footage. It also doubles the brightness range, offering 14.5 stops of dynamic range compared to the previous 13.5.

The DJI Osmo 360 II has reduced power consumption and advances image quality. Credit: Lauren Allain / Mashable

We're keeping a close eye on availability in the United States. At the same time, we're still waiting for the U.S. to see the launch of the DJI Power 1000 Mini, too.

An 8K creator camera from Dreame

Dreame continues to make waves with its product expansion, and at IFA 2026, the brand revealed the Dreame Leaptic Cube 8K action camera. With a U.S. launch set for November and a competitive price of $449, Dreame is coming for the likes of DJI and Insta360.

The Dreame Leaptic Cube 8K action camera's hands-free gestures are impressive. Credit: Lauren Allain / Mashable Dreame packed all the accessories we'll have access to when the Leaptic Cube launches. Credit: Lauren Allain / Mashable

When hands-on with the Dreame Leaptic Cube, I found it remarkably lightweight, and the gesture options for taking still photos and starting and stopping recording are both easy and incredibly responsive. The modular design offers plenty of benefits, including the ability to add extra batteries.

Dreame's also ready with accessory packages for cycling, underwater exploration, and even mounting to the dog. We'll continue to monitor preorder opportunities before the launch in November 2026.