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The James Webb Space Telescope achieved a rarity — snapping an image of a planet beyond our solar system.
The exoplanet, Epsilon Indi Ab, is located 12 light-years away. That's trillions of miles, but right next door, cosmically speaking. The world is somewhat like the gas giant Jupiter, but twice as massive. (For reference, "If Earth were the size of a grape, Jupiter would be about as big as a basketball," NASA notes.)
"This discovery is exciting because the planet is quite similar to Jupiter — it is a little warmer and is more massive, but is more similar to Jupiter than any other planet that has been imaged so far," Elisabeth Matthews, a scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy who led the research, said in a statement. The research was published in the science journal Nature.
SEE ALSO: NASA scientist viewed first Voyager images. What he saw gave him chills.The Webb telescope, the most powerful space observatory ever built, used a coronagraph to capture the faint light from this far-off planet. A coronagraph blocks light from a specific star while capturing an image. This allows light from the nearby exoplanet to reach Webb.
"Directly detecting planets around other stars is no easy feat," NASA explains. "Even the nearest stars are still so far away that their planets appear to be separated by a fraction of the width of a human hair held at arm’s length. At these tiny angular scales, the planet’s faint light is lost in the glare of its host star when trying to observe it."
In the image below, you can see Webb's coronagraph in action. "A star symbol marks the location of the host star Epsilon Indi A, whose light has been blocked by the coronagraph, resulting in the dark circle marked with a dashed white line," the space agency said. The orange object is the gas giant Epsilon Indi Ab. Only a "few tens of exoplanets" have been directly imaged before.
Epsilon Indi Ab is the orange object in this James Webb Space Telescope image. Credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / STScI / E. Matthews (Max Planck Institute for Astronomy)Epsilon Indi Ab, harboring temperatures of some 35 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius), is one of the coldest planets ever directly imaged. As opposed to other gas giants found in the cosmos — which can be thousands of degrees — this world is just some 180 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius) warmer than our solar system's gas giants. This allows planetary scientists to research a large, gas exoplanet somewhat like ours. It could be quite cloudy, and it may contain familiar gases like methane, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide.
"It's exciting to actually see a planet there ourselves, and begin to measure its properties.""Astronomers have been imagining planets in this system for decades; fictional planets orbiting Epsilon Indi have been the sites of Star Trek episodes, novels, and video games like Halo," Caroline Morley, an exoplanet researcher at the University of Texas at Austin who worked on the new study, said. "It's exciting to actually see a planet there ourselves, and begin to measure its properties."
Tweet may have been deleted The Webb telescope's powerful abilitiesThe Webb telescope — a scientific collaboration between NASA, the ESA, and the Canadian Space Agency — is designed to peer into the deepest cosmos and reveal new insights about the early universe. But it's also peering at intriguing planets in our galaxy, along with the planets and moons in our solar system.
Here's how Webb is achieving unparalleled feats, and likely will for decades to come:
- Giant mirror: Webb's mirror, which captures light, is over 21 feet across. That's over two-and-a-half times larger than the Hubble Space Telescope's mirror. Capturing more light allows Webb to see more distant, ancient objects. As described above, the telescope is peering at stars and galaxies that formed over 13 billion years ago, just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang. "We're going to see the very first stars and galaxies that ever formed," Jean Creighton, an astronomer and the director of the Manfred Olson Planetarium at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, told Mashable in 2021.
- Infrared view: Unlike Hubble, which largely views light that's visible to us, Webb is primarily an infrared telescope, meaning it views light in the infrared spectrum. This allows us to see far more of the universe. Infrared has longer wavelengths than visible light, so the light waves more efficiently slip through cosmic clouds; the light doesn't as often collide with and get scattered by these densely packed particles. Ultimately, Webb's infrared eyesight can penetrate places Hubble can't.
"It lifts the veil," said Creighton.
- Peering into distant exoplanets: The Webb telescope carries specialized equipment called spectrographs that will revolutionize our understanding of these far-off worlds. The instruments can decipher what molecules (such as water, carbon dioxide, and methane) exist in the atmospheres of distant exoplanets — be they gas giants or smaller rocky worlds. Webb looks at exoplanets in the Milky Way galaxy. Who knows what we'll find?
"We might learn things we never thought about," Mercedes López-Morales, an exoplanet researcher and astrophysicist at the Center for Astrophysics-Harvard & Smithsonian, told Mashable in 2021.
Already, astronomers have successfully found intriguing chemical reactions on a planet 700 light-years away, and have started looking at one of the most anticipated places in the cosmos: the rocky, Earth-sized planets of the TRAPPIST solar system.
Prequels are tough to get right, but George Miller's return to the Mad Max wasteland in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga nailed it. The trailer alone is a thrill ride, so you can only imagine the action packed into the two hour and 28 minute flick. We've already dubbed it one of the top five films of 2024 (so far).
Furiosa debuted in theaters in late May and made its way to digital on demand services just a month later. We're still waiting on an official streaming date, but here's how you can watch it at home in the mean time — as well as everything else you need to know.
What is Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga about?A prequel to 2015's Mad Max: Fury Road, Furiosa centers around Imperator Furiosa (played first by Charlize Theron, now by Anya Taylor-Joy). As a child, she grew up in the Green Place, an idyllic refuge where she was safe from the wasteland horrors of the desert. However, after she's kidnapped from this refuge and taken into the horde of the warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth), she spends her whole life trying to get back home.
"Much of the aforementioned plot can be gleaned from the trailers — that Furiosa is a prequel means she will inevitably end up the Immortan's right hand, his 'Imperator' — but the movie's bygone conclusions never rob it of its ferocity. Instead, Miller enters into a sadistic game of expectations by playing with narrative point of view," Mashable film critic Siddhant Adlakha writes in his review.
Take a sneak peek at the shiny and chrome trailer:
Is Furiosa worth watching?Furiosa earned a top five spot on our list of the best movies of 2024 (so far), and other critics agree. On Rotten Tomatoes, George Miller's epic prequel has a "certified fresh" 90 percent critic rating and 89 percent audience rating. It may not have done well at the box office, pulling in a measly $26 million domestically its opening weekend, but box office numbers aren't everything.
As Mashable's reviewer put it, "Furiosa is a magnificent, pulse-pounding achievement unlike anything you'll see this year."
Read our full review of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.
How to watch Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga at home Anya Taylor-Joy as Furiosa. Credit: Warner Bros. PicturesJust a month after Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga made its theatrical debut, it became available to watch at home via video-on-demand sites like Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home (Vudu). You can now purchase the film for your digital collection or rent it for 30 days. Just keep in mind that once you start watching a rental, you'll have just 48 hours to finish it before you lose access. If you'd rather stream Furiosa, keep reading to learn more.
As of June 25, you can purchase and rent the film at the following retailers:
Prime Video — buy for $18.49, rent for $8.49 for Prime members
Apple TV — buy for $19.99, rent for $9.99
Fandango at Home (Vudu) — buy for $19.99, rent for $9.99
YouTube — buy for $19.99, rent starting at $9.99
While there has been no official announcement regarding the streaming premiere of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, we know it will eventually make its debut on Max. Max is the streaming home of Warner Bros. Pictures, so Furiosa will join Mad Max: Fury Road on the service in the coming months. If you want to prepare, you can sign up for a Max subscription ahead of time. Monthly subscriptions start at $9.99 per month, but there are some ways you can save some money on your plan. Check out the best Max streaming deals below.
Best Max streaming deal for most people: Save 16% on Max with ads annual subscription Opens in a new window Credit: Max Max (with ads) yearly subscription $99.99 per year (save 16%) Watch NowIf you don't mind ad interruptions in your content, Max subscriptions start at just $9.99 per month. You could easily sign up for a single month (once Furiosa is released) and cancel before you're charged for another. However, if you stick around for the long haul, you can save some money. An annual plan with ads goes for $99.99 per year, which breaks down to only $8.33 per month. That's 16% (or $1.66) cheaper than paying for a monthly subscription. The only real downside is that you have to splurge on a full year upfront.
Best Max deal with no ads: Save 16% on a Max Ad-Free annual subscription Opens in a new window Credit: Max Max (No Ads) annual subscription $169.99 per year (save 16%) Watch NowIf ads are the bane of your existence, there are two ad-free tiers to choose from: Max Ad-Free and Max Ultimate Ad-Free. The basic Max Ad-Free tier will run you $16.99 per month, while Max Ultimate goes for $20.99 per month. If you choose a yearly plan instead, it'll only cost you $169.99 per year (about $14.17 per month) or $209.99 per year (about $17.50 per month). That's a total savings of 16% on either plan.
Note: Both tiers offer an ad-free viewing experience, but the Ultimate tier takes things a step further with 4K Ultra HD video quality and Dolby Atmos immersive audio.
Best Max deal for Cricket customers: Free Max with ads for customers on the $60/month unlimited plan Opens in a new window Credit: Cricket / Max Max (with ads) Free for Cricket customers on the $60/month plan Watch NowCricket Wireless customers on the $60 per month unlimited plan can sign up for Max with ads for free — that's a $99.99 per year value. Just head over to the Max app or navigate to Max.com on a browser, choose Cricket as your provider, and enter your credentials to log in. Then you'll be able to watch whatever you want at whatever time — including Furiosa once it's released. Check out the terms and conditions on Cricket's website to learn more. If you're hoping to watch Furiosa for free, this is your only option.
Best Max deal for students: Save 50% on Max with ads monthly for one year Opens in a new window Credit: Max Max Student $4.99 per month for 12 months Get DealIf you're a college student, you're in luck. A new Max deal allows you to score 50% off an ad-supported monthly subscription for 12 months. That drops the price down to just $4.99 per month. You'll have to verify your student status with UNiDAYS, which will give you a unique discount code. Then head back over to Max and redeem your code to stream for half price.
Tony Hale is hot now. Yes, the beloved character actor has been adored for his gleefully goofy performances as the motherboy Buster Bluth in Arrested Development, the comically catering Gary Walsh in Veep, and the proudly trashy Forky in Toy Story 4. But it took playing a surly steward in Netflix's The Decameron for Hale to go from silly to sexy. Yet this isn't the only reason you should check out the Black Death–set period dramedy from creator Kathleen Jordan.
Admittedly, pestilence-plagued 14th-century Italy might not sound a likely setting for a sexy summer treat. But The Decameron proves an achingly relevant tale about yearning for pleasure in a time of ravenous disasters. Among those pleasures is a cast that boasts Girls' Zosia Mamet, Derry Girls' Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Sex Education's Tanya Reynolds, The Wheel of Time's Amar Chadha-Patel, and my latest all-consuming crush, Tony "Hey Brother" Hale. But that's not all. Based on 14th-century Italian author Giovanni Boccaccio's collection of short stories — also known as "The Human Comedy" — The Decameron is sure to titillate and thrill with its tales of lust, love, betrayal, and murder.
SEE ALSO: 'Inside Out 2's Tony Hale and Lewis Black play with all the feelsIf that's not enough to entice you, here are five reasons you must make the eight one-hour episodes of The Decameron your next binge-watch.
The Decameron is a soap opera, but silly. Credit: Giulia Parmigiani / NetflixWhen plague makes crowded cities unsafe (and reeking of corpse decay), a batch of conceited aristocrats flees to the country estate of a fun-loving viscount, who promises good times, great food, plenty of wine, and party games (which might be period accurate, but are definitely hilariously stupid). (Think the Kardashians. Or Glass Onion.) Among those invited are his bossy bride-to-be Pampinea (Zosia Mamet), his spoiled-rotten cousin Filomena (Jessica Plummer), a hypochondriac/historian named Tindaro (Douggie McMeekin), and the sexually frustrated married couple, Panfilo (Karan Gil) and Neifile (Lou Gala). But beneath all their finery and etiquette are plenty of secrets.
Whether dabbling in adultery, sacrilege, or murder, these ancient aristocrats give modern audiences plenty to drop jaw over. With secrets spilling forth in each episode, series showrunner Kathleen Jordan (Teenage Bounty Hunters) keeps the suspense of discovery madcap with a broadly comic tone and an anachronistically hip soundtrack that harkens back to the hilariously chaotic '70s soap opera parody Soap. But rather than aping current soaps, The Decameron plays more like a quirky commentary on unscripted shows in which absurdly wealthy socialites (or "housewives") reveal themselves to be blithely (or bitingly) selfish fools.
SEE ALSO: Inside Andy Cohen's Clubhouse: A behind-the-scenes look at 'Watch What Happens Live' Eat the rich vibes with schadenfreude delights. Credit: Giulia Parmigiani / NetflixNaturally, every country estate worth its garden maze must have servants. And far from the nobly obedient lot of Downton Abbey, The Decameron's service people are on the brink of burning this toxic power dynamic down. Among them is surly cook Stratilia (Leila Farzad); viciously devoted handmaiden Misia (Saoirse-Monica Jackson); suspiciously patient doctor Dioneo (Amar Chadha-Patel); big-hearted Licisca (Tanya Reynolds), who gets a dubious boost up the social ladder; and ever-harried steward Sirisco (Tony Hale).
The absurdity of the oblivious aristocrats is heightened by their interactions with these working men and women, who have had to be diligent, cunning, and even beguiling to survive. As the have-nots fight to have a bit more, there's a delicious pleasure in watching the haves get taken down a peg, or pitched down a well, or lightly poisoned. As some of the "help" manages to help themselves — beyond being a vicarious thrill — it's easy to root for them, even when their means are brutal.
The Decameron is unapologetically horny. Credit: Giulia Parmigiani / NetflixJust because the world is going to hell in a handbasket right outside your door doesn't mean you're not horny as hell. Long before COVID lockdowns had the lovelorn and lusty turning to online dating and hookup apps, The Decameron was weaving tales of sex amid survival. Sure, a time of pestilence that includes pustules doesn't sound hot, but in the "uninfected countryside" there are plenty of opportunities for dirty thoughts.
SEE ALSO: Find your match: The best dating apps of 2024The earliest longing comes from married Neifile, who is devoted to celibacy but can't keep from ogling every inch of bared male flesh cast before her hungry eyes. While several men will snag her attention, The Decameron revels most in leering at the doctor Dioneo, who is not only dashing but also frequently takes off his shirt to bear his beefy chest. If you swooned over Darcy coming out of that pond, The Decameron is coming for you with a wet scene of its own. And that's just foreplay.
Tony Hale is hot now. Credit: NetflixYes, Chadha-Patel is undoubtedly regarded as the show's biggest smoke show — literally declared "objectively alluring." He's not only baring his brawn but also rakishly wooing several of the lusty ladies at this country getaway. But Hale gets a romance arc of his own that may have you seeing the funnyman in a new light. Plus, his period look, which includes long, dark locks and a full beard with streaks of dignified silver, gives the actor a debonair glow-up.
At first, his Sirisco shows shades of Gary; he's an anxious but deeply devoted servant, dedicated to keeping his master happy and revered — no matter what personal pains that entails. But in episode 3, his clownish servitude fades in a moment of whispered vulnerability. And what might have been a brief peek behind the curtain of his people-pleasing facade becomes a husky-voiced seduction, first stuttering, then confident. While this tryst proves short-lived, it lights a fire in Sirisco (and us, his audience) that burns across the rest of the series. Sure, Hale is funny as expected. But in a breathy sincerity, he reveals an enticing new side that can't be ignored or forgotten.
Growth. Credit: NetflixWhile many among this merry crew of rich jerks start off as absolutely insufferable, The Decameron isn't one-note or cynical. Over the course of eight episodes, these characters will grow and change — some for the better, blossoming under the warm glow of newfound love, while others grow more and more rotten. It's thrilling to see who will recognize their own flaws and who will double down. But without giving away spoilers (for a 671-year-old short story collection), the greatest twists here might well be who is redeemed. And the greatest thrills come in a finale in which some of the most awful get exactly what they deserve.
How to watch: The Decameron is now streaming on Netflix.
More than a decade after it launched on phones, Apple Maps is now also available in your preferred computer's web browser window.
Touted as a beta release, this version of Apple Maps can be found at https://beta.maps.apple.com/ (removing the "beta" part will land you at Apple's landing page for the mobile version of Maps).
SEE ALSO: Apple Maps may soon customize directions based on your car typeFor Apple users, this isn't a huge deal as Maps is already available as a standalone desktop app on Macs, but now you can access it from any browser which is...nice, I guess?
Many of the features from the desktop app are missing in the browser version. The interface is pretty sparse, offering only Search, Guides, and Directions, while the data layers on offer are Standard, Hybrid, and Satellite (the desktop app version also has a 3D toggle, Apple's Look Around function, additional data layers, and more).
Not all of the features are there, but it's a start. Credit: AppleAccording to Apple, additional features, including Look Around, will be available "in the coming months."
Apple Maps on the web is compatible with Safari and Chrome on Mac and iPad, as well as Chrome and Edge on Windows PCs. It's only available in English right now, but Apple says support for additional languages, browsers, and platforms is coming "over time."
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: NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for July 25 SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Here's the answer hints for July 25Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Wednesday, July 25, 2024:
AcrossBook character who wears a red-and-white-striped shirtThe answer is whoa.
The answer is horn.
The answer is candy.
The answer is olde.
The answer is Bear.
The answer is whale.
The answer is Honda.
The answer is order.
The answer is any.
The answer is cob.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
Elon Musk is talking about physically fighting Mark Zuckerberg again. There still aren't any actual plans for a fight in motion though, making it look like X/Twitter's owner continues to remain all bark and no bite.
In a video posted to X by Fox News reporter Kelly Phares, Musk states that he's still game to get his ass handed to him by Meta's CEO. The two billionaires spent much of last year teasing the possibility of a cage fight, though nothing ever eventuated.
"I'll fight Zuckerberg any place, any time, any rules," Musk declared on Wednesday, displaying shockingly misplaced bravado.
Responding to the news on Threads, Zuckerberg merely said, "Are we really doing this again?"
SEE ALSO: Mark Zuckerberg tells Elon Musk to get 'serious' or the cage fight is off Tweet may have been deletedWhile Musk only began preparing for the proposed billionaire cage match last July, Zuckerberg has publicly been practising mixed martial arts (MMA) for years. He has won multiple medals in a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) tournament, and his passion for combat sports was even listed as a risk to Meta's business in its annual report filed in February.
Yet despite his comparative lack of training, Musk has previously expressed a belief that he could triumph over Zuck purely because he is heavier, claiming to weigh "at least 300 lbs" (136 kg). Zuckerberg medaled in a BJJ tournament's featherweight division last May, which has a weight limit of 154.5 lbs (70 kg).
But again, to reiterate, Zuckerberg medaled in a BJJ tournament. The very next month after this occurred, Musk stated that he "almost never" exercises "except for picking up my kids & throwing them in the air."
To be fair to Musk, he's far from the only average man harbouring a strange, baseless belief that he could beat a dedicated athlete at their chosen sport. This does not make it any less embarrassing.
A brief history of the Elon Musk vs. Mark Zuckerberg billionaire cage matchMusk's bold claim that he's ready to go "any place, any time, any rules" is clearly hyperbole. He likely wouldn't agree to pistols at dawn. Even so, his past behaviour throws serious doubt on whether Musk is actually willing to fight Zuck at all.
The SpaceX CEO was the first to raise the possibility of a fight himself, posting to X last June that he was "up for a cage match if [Zuckerberg] is." While many dismissed it as a joke, Zuckerberg responded with an Instagram Story screenshotting the post and telling Musk to "Send Me Location."
"Vegas Octogon," Musk wrote on X. "I have this great move that I call 'The Walrus', where I just lie on top of my opponent & do nothing."
This unserious reply seemed to suggest that Musk never truly intended to fistfight Zuckerberg. Indeed, the entire matter could easily have ended there. However, Musk subsequently announced in early August that his fight with Zuckerberg would be livestreamed on X for charity.
This was apparent news to Zuckerberg, who quickly made clear that any arrangements for a Musk vs. Zuck fight were far from settled. In addition to proposing a "more reliable platform that can actually raise money for charity," Facebook's co-founder revealed that he had suggested a date of Aug. 26 when Musk first proposed the fight in June. Unfortunately, Musk still had not confirmed the date over a month later.
"Not holding my breath," Zuckerberg wrote on Threads.
Responding in a post on X, Musk stated that the date of the fight was "in flux" because he might need to get surgery first. However, Zuckerberg shared that Musk had requested a private practice round before committing to a public fight, suggesting that it wasn't health issues that were keeping him out of the ring. Practice matches before a fight are not standard practice in MMA.
Musk confirmed that he had asked for a practice round to be held prior to Aug. 26, and even declared an intention to simply show up at Zuckerberg's Palo Alto house on Aug. 14 to fight. Zuckerberg was not in the city at the time.
"I offered a real date," Zuckerberg wrote. "[President of Ultimate Fighting Championship] Dana White offered to make this a legit competition for charity. Elon won't confirm a date, then says he needs surgery, and now asks to do a practice round in my backyard instead. If Elon ever gets serious about a real date and official event, he knows how to reach me. Otherwise, time to move on. I'm going to focus on competing with people who take the sport seriously."
Musk responded by calling Zuckerberg a "chicken," which seems pretty hypocritical coming from a guy apparently doing his best to dodge a fight that he proposed. Until we actually see the two physically square up, it seems as though all this talk of a billionaire brawl is simply hot air for inflating Musk's chest.
If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.
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.
SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Here's the answer hints for July 25 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for July 25If 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.
NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: All that jazzThe words cover every vibe.
Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explainedThe hint describes different types of jazz music.
NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.
NYT Strands spangram answer todayToday's spangram is Subgenre.
NYT Strands word list for July 25Funk
Fusion
Swing
Cool
Bebop
Acid
Subgenre
Modal
Ragtime
Looking for other daily online games? Find one you might like – or hints for another game you're already playing – on Mashable's Games page.
TL;DR: As of July 22, you can save on a lifetime subscription to Internxt cloud storage, with 2TB Storage Plans starting at just £100.69, an 86% discount for new users.
Bucking the trend of monthly subscription-based services, lifetime offers are a refreshing antidote. They take us back to the way things should be, where you only have to pay once to keep a product for life.
Internxt is a cloud storage provider, and for a limited time, you can sign up for a lifetime plan starting at just £100.69. While this offer lasts, there are three pricing tiers available:
Internxt: a whole new realm of privacyThe Internxt platform offers multiple unique layers of security. For one, each photo, video, or document is end-to-end encrypted, meaning only users with explicit permission (like yourself or colleagues) can access your files.
Additionally, Internxt’s code is completely open source, which means anyone can review, audit, and verify there are no hidden functions or vulnerabilities in place. They really show that they have nothing to hide, except for your privacy.
Which lifetime plan should you get?That depends entirely on your needs. Those who are just looking to back up their photos and videos may opt for the 2TB, while anyone who wants to upload their entire digital life might grab the 10TB plan. Here are some approximations of what each plan could store:
2TB: 400,000 pictures, 2,000 video hours, or 2 million MS files.
5TB: 1 million pictures, 5,000 hours of video, or 5 million MS files.
10TB: 2 million pictures, 10,000 hours of video, or 10 million MS files.
With desktop and mobile apps for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS, plus a browser-based app, you’ll be able to upload and access files from anywhere.
Grab these prices while they last. These newly discounted prices are only available through July 28 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Opens in a new window Credit: Internxt Internxt Cloud Storage (2TB) lifetime subscription £100.69Oh 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 July 25's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
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.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.
What's the best Wordle starting word?The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
What happened to the Wordle archive?The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles used to be available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it. Unfortunately, it has since been taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times.
Is Wordle getting harder?It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.
Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:A covered outdoor area of the house.
Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?There are no letters that appear twice.
Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...Today's Wordle starts with the letter P.
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...
PORCH.
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 Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
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Connections is the latest New York Times word game that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for July 25's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
What is Connections?The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
Tweet may have been deletedEach puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer. If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
Tweet may have been deletedPlayers 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 categoriesWant a hit about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: Paperless writing devices
Green: Prominently on TV
Blue: Forte
Purple: Things that are covered
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Ancient Writing Surfaces
Green: Lead, as a TV Program
Blue: Natural Ability
Purple: Wrapped Things
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 #410 is...
What is the answer to Connections todayAncient Writing Surfaces: CLAY, PAPYRUS, PARCHMENT, WAX
Lead, As A TV Program: ANCHOR, HOST, MODERATE, PRESENT
Natural Ability: FACULTY, FLAIR, INSTINCT, TALENT
Wrapped Things: BURRITO, GIFT, MUMMY, SPRAIN
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.
Is this not the Connections game you were looking for? Here are the hints and answers to yesterday's Connections.
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Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
At this rate, there may not be any secrets left when Google takes the stage on Aug. 13 to show off its latest Pixel phones.
The latest leak comes courtesy of the YouTube channel @pixophone, which posted a YouTube Short video purporting to show off the rumored Pixel 9 Pro XL next to last year's Pixel 8 Pro. In the video, neither device appears to be turned on, so all we see is the rumored bigger Pixel 9 Pro directly compared to the Pixel 8 Pro in terms of physical design.
SEE ALSO: Google Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro: Every single thing we know so farThe limited information from this video reveals that the 9 Pro XL features curved edges, rounded corners, and a horizontal camera bar on the back that is a free-floating oval rather than spanning the entire width of the phone. Most intriguing is that it doesn't appear to be much bigger than the Pixel 8 Pro, if it's bigger at all. Perhaps the Pixel 9 Pro will be smaller by comparison.
We will all find out together in just a few short weeks.
If your productivity ground to a halt on Friday because of the worldwide epidemic of Windows crashes caused by a glitched-out software update, the company that admitted fault for the problem, Crowdstrike, may have just offered to make it up to you with the modern equivalent of a gift shop teddy bear wearing a little t-shirt that says "I'm beary sorry": a $10 UberEats gift voucher.
It's such a small and, well, thoughtless token that it's arguably worse than nothing — especially since at least some of these vouchers appear to not actually work, according to TechCrunch.
SEE ALSO: It’s 4 days later and Delta is still affected by the CrowdStrike outage. Here’s why.On Friday, technicians and bystanders around the world watched as monitors displayed the "blue screen of death" (BSOD) on an estimated 8.5 million Windows machines, signifying catastrophic failure. The computerized paralysis led to widespread chaos at major airports including Amsterdam, Berlin, Dubai, London, and all over the U.S. Hospitals had to reschedule procedures, businesses were stopped in their tracks, and this author even faced delays while trying to check in at jury duty.
The email containing the vouchers appears to have gone out on Tuesday. CrowdStrike's attached message acknowledged that the glitch led to "additional work," and offered "heartfelt thanks and apologies for the inconvenience." To make it up to users, the email said, "your next cup of coffee or late night snack is on us!" Then it provided instructions for redeeming the gift card online.
However, Crowdstrike may soon have to apologize for a potentially botched apology, because some recipients are saying their apology gifts were cancelled before they ever got a chance to use them. When TechCrunch tested one of the vouchers, they received a message saying the card had been "canceled by the issuing party and is no longer valid."
Crowdstrike CEO George Kurtz has already pledged full transparency about what went wrong, and it looks like he'll be pressured to make good on that pledge, since the U.S. Congress is calling upon him to testify before a House committee.
As of Wednesday, the company had explained that the problem was triggered when an urgent "Rapid Response Content" update was in the works, and the content validator failed to notice the destructive code before the update was unleashed on the world. Exactly how, systemically speaking, Crowdstrike's quality control process contained such a massive hole remains to be explained.
The $10 voucher is a small token gesture obviously not meant to make amends for the full magnitude of the disruption. It appears instead to represent CrowdStrike's attempt to nonetheless remain liked by affected partners and clients. The canceled redemptions, however, suggest that even a minuscule act of contrition from Crowdstrike may include a glitch.
UPDATE: Jul. 24, 2024, 1:31 p.m. PDT Crowdstrike provided the following statement: "CrowdStrike did not send gift cards to customers or clients. We did send these to our teammates and partners who have been helping customers through this situation. Uber flagged it as fraud because of high usage rates."
Meta has introduced a new feature called "Imagine Me," which lets users create AI-generated images based on their photos and prompts. This tool, currently in beta in the US, lets users type prompts like "Imagine me as a superhero" or "Imagine me in a historical setting," and the AI generates a customized image accordingly.
SEE ALSO: Over 7,200 former Meta employees' confidentiality agreements found unlawfulWith "Imagine Me," US-based users can simply type the command in the chat to start creating their personalized images. According to Meta, the AI can seamlessly edit photos, add or remove objects, and make other modifications.
Powered by the new Llama 405B model, users can also generate silly images, such as "Me as a 3D sticker," and easily modify them by typing instructions like "Change to a royal image." This intuitive interaction aims to make AI-powered creativity accessible and fun.
This feature is part of a broader update to Meta AI, which now supports more languages and is available in 22 countries such as Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, and Cameroon.
As stated above, the feature is currently in beta, but the company plans on committing to bi-weekly updates of its AI. Next month, Meta plans to introduce an "Edit with AI" button, further simplifying photo editing.
Celine Dion is reportedly set to have a comeback performance at the opening ceremony for the 2024 Paris Olympics on Friday. Dion took a break from performing after being diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome two years ago.
Multiple outlets have reported that Dion will perform at the Olympics, though the details are murky. TMZ reported she would perform at the opening ceremony. Variety reported that Dion "looks set to make her return to the stage at the Olympic Games, and it’s rumored to be during the opening ceremony on Friday." Page Six, citing an unnamed source, confirmed Dion "is expected to perform" — but didn't specify whether it would be at the opening ceremony. Page Six also refuted a claim from an anonymous source in the TMZ article that she'd be paid millions for the performance.
As such, the exact details of the reported performance have been kept under wraps. But it seems safe to assume Dion will soon be back on the world's biggest stage, potentially as early as Friday for the opening ceremony. Dion herself posted on social media that she was in Paris. This all has left fans very excited.
Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deletedSo if you want to see Dion's reported comeback, make sure to tune into the opening ceremony scheduled for Friday 1:30 p.m. eastern time.
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