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TL;DR: You don't need to be a professional to make music — just get lifetime access to Supermusic AI for only $39.97 (reg. $319) through April 27 to make studio-quality tunes.

Have you ever wanted to create your own song? You don't necessarily need Hozier's lyric-writing skills or vocals like Billie Eilish. As long as you've got an idea for a song or even snippets of lyrics in your notes app, you could bring them to life without ever stepping foot in a studio or knowing how to play the piano.

Bring your musical ideas to life with Supermusic AI. Think of this tool as an AI music generator — it works similarly to AI article and image generators you've probably already fiddled with. Just enter your prompt and ideas and have a complete song created with a catchy melody and powerful vocals with lifetime access to Supermusic AI, now only $39.97 (reg. $319).

It's your chance to create the next summer anthem 

Supermusic AI might just turn you into the next Grammy-winning artist or producer, thanks to how its innovative “prompt-to-song” feature lets you craft unique songs in minutes. You have complete control over your music generation — choose the style, input your ideas, and watch as AI transforms them into studio-quality tracks.

Check out how easy it is to create a hit that rivals Sabrina Carpenter's "Espresso:"

• Input your song idea or paste your lyrics if you have them.

• Select the genre you'd like your tune to be, whether that's pop, rock, country, or R&B.

• Click the 'generate' button and voilá! You just created a song with AI.

Something that's tricky about AI is how sometimes, the results might feel not-so human. But, you might just be surprised at your end result and how realistic the vocals sound. Listen to some hits that've been created with Supermusic AI:

• Bootless Follies

• Dino Robbery Rhapsody

• Moira the Kitty Cat

Just keep in mind that your subscription only lets you generate about 100 songs every month.

Ready to give your favorite artists a run for their money?

Create songs with prompts by grabbing this Supermusic AI lifetime subscription, now just $39.97 (reg. $319) through April 27 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Supermusic Supermusic AI: Lifetime Subscription $39.97
$319 Save $279.03 Get Deal

TL;DR: Bring your note-taking into the 21st century with this lifetime subscription to My Notes AI Pro Plan for just $39.99 (reg. $299).

Still sharpening your pencil and taking copious notes in meetings like you did as a kid? It's 2025, and it's time to update how you log information. My Notes AI changes the note-taking game, and right now, you can score a lifetime subscription to their Pro Plan for just $39.99. 

My Notes AI is like your personal note-taking assistant

Put down that pen. My Notes AI not only takes notes for you, but it can summarize them so you catch all the important points... no hand cramping required.

Let it listen in on your lectures, meetings, or brainstorming sessions, or upload an audio file and have it transcribed and summarized after the fact. It also works for Zoom, Google Meet, or Teams meetings. 

My Notes AI takes the notes and then turns the transcriptions into helpful summaries, boiling down action items so you don't have to. And once it's done, it's easy to export the transcriptions or summaries and share them with friends, fellow students, or colleagues. 

Your notes are all organized in custom folders for topics, dates, or projects once transcribed and summarized for easy access. 

Though it uses advanced technology, My Notes AI has an easy-to-use, intuitive interface that works on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. 

After you get the hang of My Notes AI, you can unlock the premium features like unlimited transcription, meeting recordings, instant AI summaries, and advanced organization tools. 

Let My AI Notes handle all your note-taking from now on for just $39.99 (reg. $299) with this lifetime subscription.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: With Bytes My Notes AI Pro Plan: Lifetime Subscription - AI Note Transcriber & Summarizer $39.99
$299 Save $259.01 Get Deal

After conjuring up a nightmarish vision of a possible future conflict with last year's Civil War, director Alex Garland's latest film, Warfare, takes viewers back to the frontlines of a very real, not-so-distant fight — the Iraq War, circa 2006. It's both a tribute to the bravery shown in the face of battle by a group of young Navy SEALs and a brutal slog that immerses audiences into the gritty reality of war, viscera and all.

SEE ALSO: Watch Alex Garland, Joseph Quinn, and Charles Melton break down the tense experience of filming 'Warfare'

Co-written and co-directed by Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza, an Iraq War veteran, Warfare starts off as a normal day for a group of Navy SEALs, as they relax and watch music videos for fun before scouting out into enemy territory for a stake-out to ensure another troop's safety. Only it quickly becomes clear this isn't a typical day. Worrisome sightings of local men looking in their hidden direction quickly become a warning of things to come. Soon, unseen assailants throw grenades and shoot in their direction. After one of their own, Elliot (Cosmo Jarvis), is hurt, the group of Navy SEALs led by Erik (Will Poulter) attempt to evacuate him, only to be hit by an IED, leaving more severely wounded and the rest of them in shock. It looks like time is running out as more enemy combatants circle their position and backup is several long minutes away. 

Warfare reconstructs battleground reality from the memories of those who experienced it. Credit: Murray Close / A24

Warfare is based on Mendoza's own memories of a specific ordeal during his tour of duty in Iraq. Through interviews with other members of his troop, Mendoza and Garland pieced together a snapshot of war from different perspectives into one narrative timeline of events, as if the audience were shadowing this troop through their mission gone awry. Even with an ensemble who might look the same under their fatigues, helmets, and tactical gear, they each have a position to hold and a role to play. Eventually, a few main characters emerge, with personalities that shine through in a time of crisis. Cinematographer David J. Thompson's camera floats through the cramped and crowded space of the stake-out, alternating the view from different perspectives. 

One of the first standout characters is Jarvis' character, Elliot, a cocky sniper who's injured early on before surviving an even deadlier explosion that nearly claims his life. A young Mendoza (D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Reservation Dogs), risks his life to bring Elliot out of harm's way in the hopes he might be saved. The movie version of Mendoza is a scrappy communication officer whose gear looks bigger than he is, but he emerges as one of the fearless warriors, caring for his fallen comrade as others try desperately to defend the post. Although Erik begins the movie as a steady leader for his team, the carnage left behind by the IED leaves him shaken and needing another's help. Once the first wave of relief arrives, Jake (Charles Melton) steps in as an officer in charge to start calling the shots and rally the wounded troops back to safety. The cast also includes Taylor John Smith, Joseph Quinn, Noah Centineo, Michael Gandolfini, Kit Connor, and Evan Holtzman.

Mendoza, who previously collaborated with Garland on developing the battle scenes for Civil War, meticulously recreates both the chaos and order these men lived through. Thompson captures the fear and pain on the faces of the young cast but also their resolute determination to survive; there are plenty of wide-eyed stares and clenched jaws as they endure rounds and rounds of bullets. The goal of Warfare is accuracy, not a romanticized or sanitized version of war but immersing audiences into the heart of the maelstrom — the details that don't always make it to the brief dispatches on a nightly news broadcast, the memories not all veterans feel comfortable discussing. 

The in-the-moment story leaves no room for the bigger picture.

War movies have always been a part of cinema history. The first-ever Oscar winner was the 1927 film Wings, which follows a romance through the trials of the first World War. The original 1930 version of All Quiet on the Western Front also tried to show the grim details and mental toll war takes on soldiers. During the Vietnam War and after the collapse of the Hays Production Code in the late 1960s, filmmakers like Francis Ford Coppola and Stanley Kubrick were able to examine the brutality of war with movies like Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket. While these films critiqued the loss of life and innocence, there were always movies that immortalized various real-life incidents throughout U.S. military history for rousing patriotic entertainment, such as Black Hawk Down and 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi.

SEE ALSO: Netflix's stunning 'All Quiet on the Western Front' trailer finds humanity amid the horrors of war

In these more nationalistic visions, it's a very clear case of "us versus them," rooting for the men under our flag and damn the rest. There's little to no context for why these young men ended up in such a precarious position that risked their life and limb; no attempt to explain the politics that led them to that fateful day. War is just a part of life, a product of its time.

At a rapid-fire 95 minutes, Warfare covers just that one moment in all its excruciating detail. While the no-holds-barred honesty of injury and danger can feel overwhelming, in a sense, the film still functions like a traditional war movie in its "us versus them" approach. There's little consideration given to the Iraqi residents whose home is taken over by the Navy SEALs and nearly leveled by the end, or the Iraqi interpreters working with the team who end up becoming gruesome cannon fodder when the IED drops. Far from a nuanced story, Warfare hits viewers square in the face with violence and little else. I didn't properly time it, but it felt like a third of the movie's runtime featured someone screaming for help or in pain. I winced at the sight of limbs dangling like broken dolls, soaked beet-red from blood. 

War is hell, and if you had any other such notions, Warfare should help set the record straight. But is that all there is? Maybe I missed some meaning behind the nerve-shattering brutality. Warfare might be so honest as to work as an anti-recruitment film, combatting the polished ads the armed forces like to run during sports broadcasts. While it's admirable Mendoza and Garland stitch together this agonizing portrait of the perils of war, its demands on young soldiers, and the merciless reality of combat, I was unsure how to feel about it. It doesn't deliver the rah-rah patriotic highs nor does it critique the Iraq War that led them to that day. After the film ends, there's behind-the-scenes footage of Mendoza and Garland with many of the veterans who survived the ordeal, revisiting their past in a recreated set hundreds of miles away from where they almost met their end. Maybe there can be healing in revisiting the not-too-distant past for these vets, but Warfare doesn't offer the same catharsis for civilian viewers. 

Warfare opens nationwide April 11.

Set over the course of one eventful party, The Uninvited functions much like a play — kind of like what its characters, A-list actors coming together for a garden party, used to perform together back when they were coming up. It's a three-act ticking time bomb in which everything could unravel at any minute.

Writer-director Nadia Conners' script is made for actors to sink their teeth into, and The Uninvited sees just that, with some of Hollywood's top talent playing some of Hollywood's top talent. With Walton Goggins (who is married to Conners), Pedro Pascal, Elizabeth Reaser, Rufus Sewell, and Lois Smith, you can't really go wrong.

SEE ALSO: 10 Sundance movies you should know about now

What eventuates is a night of home truths, revelations, and musings on our past selves, all set within the realm of a luxurious Hollywood home — and all the expectations that come with such a life.

What is The Uninvited about? Helen (Lois Smith) is the film's unexpected guest. Credit: Foton Pictures

Throwing an expensive, catered party at their lush Hollywood home, former actor Rose (Elizabeth Reaser) and A-list Hollywood agent Sammy (Walton Goggins) are a married couple who know they'll have to be on their game for the next few hours. Sammy has deals to close, pitches to deliver, and new clients to scoop up — including Rose's ex, movie star lothario Lucian (Pedro Pascal).

Then, just as the celebrities arrive — including Sammy's current number one client, Gerald (Rufus Sewell), and glamorous ingénue Delia (Eva De Dominici) — an unexpected guest turns up in the driveway. Helen (Lois Smith) is an elderly woman who says she used to live in Sammy and Rose's house; she shows signs of confusion and fragmented memory as she enters their home.

Between taking care of Helen, making sure their young son stays upstairs in bed, and pouring honey into the ears of their influential partygoers, Rose and Sammy have many spinning plates to attend, heated conversations to be furiously whispered in their home's alcoves, and secrets to suppress.

The Uninvited is an actors' movie. The cast, including Rufus Sewell, eat up Nadia Conners' script. Credit: Foton Pictures

Conners' script allows the characters to slowly peel away truths about themselves and their connections with one another through mostly uncut scenes. Goggins and Sewell, as Sammy and Gerard, enjoy the most playfully scripted characters. For Sammy, his Hollywood career hangs in the balance, and Goggins brings his characteristic electricity to a desperate character clinging by his nails to the American dream. Seeing sharp-suited Sammy slowly unravel is truly a privilege; I would watch Goggins try and break into and out of his own bathroom, or watch Goggins and Sewell preach about creativity on a child's balcony over cocaine, every day of the week. Sewell's insufferable drug-fueled ascension into an actor's God complex is one of the funniest moments in the film.

As characters reveal themselves to one another, the stakes get higher, and Rose and Sammy draw begrudgingly closer to their most authentic selves — selves they've buried in Hollywood glitz and networking. But it's Sammy's total reliance on Rose for clout, for socialising energy, and for unconditional love (in that order) that sees their relationship strained.

Walton Goggins and Elizabeth Reaser have chemistry for days. Credit: Foton Pictures

For Rose, the sudden reappearance of Lucien brings up a significant identity crisis, sharpening her focus on the acting career she left behind, the heartbreak she endured, and her disconnection from motherhood. Conners' frank script gives her ample room to reflect. Reaser authentically builds a character mourning her past self while finding strength in maturity, creating a nuanced, grounded portrait of a complex woman the men in this film constantly put on a pedestal as a muse.

One such man? The truly perfectly cast Pascal as Lucien, Rose's all-consuming former lover. Here, the internet's boyfriend becomes the ultimate ex, the one Sammy needs to woo to represent, the one who broke Rose's heart, the one who turns up to the party newly sober and full of "unresolved feelings." Moving through the party in an outstandingly L.A. silk shirt as he delivers Conners' finely crafted construction of a Hollywood heartthrob out of rehab, Pascal convincingly plays the "one who got away" with flirtatious, romantic gumption. This understandably causes Rose sudden and not entirely unwelcome feelings of nostalgia every time their eyes meet — when he's not talking closely with young A-lister Delia.

Pedro Pascal as Lucien? 11/10 casting. Credit: Foton Pictures

One of Conners' through-lines of The Uninvited is Hollywood's obsession with youth. Rose perpetually compares herself physically and professionally to Delia (an understated performance by De Dominici), who initially rudely dismisses her host as a homemaker, though the two gradually find camaraderie. (Some of these moments feel somewhat shoehorned in.) In the first scenes of the film we see Rose standing in front of her bedroom mirror, focusing on her flaws — a sequence explained by her revelation that she retired from acting after being rejected for parts for being "too old."

And within this sense of generational difference and Hollywood artifice stands a character who sees it all plainly, despite appearing to experience the opposite. As Helen, Smith presents a woman whose memories may be fractured, but whose mind is sharp enough for her to act as a neutral commentator to the party drama. For the duration of the film, exactly what's going on with Helen becomes Rose's main priority, while Sammy sees their uninvited guest as a problem to be solved. Small fragments of Helen's life arise throughout the night, and her family's traumatic past begins to inform some of Rose and Sammy's issues. Meanwhile, Conners positions Helen as someone who manages to cut through the bullshit and deliver uncomfortable truths to complete strangers. It's a role Smith plays with complexity, nuance, and a deadpan humour that keeps the film afloat.

The Uninvited almost tries to do an It's a Wonderful Life. Walton Goggins quite literally asks if that's what happening. Credit: Foton Pictures

As the realities of Rose and Sammy's life come out over the course of the film, it's clear The Uninvited is taking cues from the master of the self-assessment genre, It's a Wonderful Life (inspired by the original master, the Charles Dickens novella A Christmas Carol). In fact, at one point, a very high Sammy exclaims to Helen that the amount of reality checks he's being delivered in one night is, in fact, an IRL version of Frank Capra's 1946 classic (in which James Stewart's character is shown by his guardian angel what life would be like for his loved ones if he never existed, giving him a new appreciation for his life).

The Uninvited doesn't push this concept quite as far as that, but the one-location nature of the film's life-changing revelations and unfinished business dabbles in the same realm. It's not a party I'd want to attend, given everything that happens, but it's one that's crucial to the characters in accepting that life doesn't always turn out the way you thought it might. Perhaps the most welcome non-guest of all, Helen, should be a must at all gatherings. 

The Uninvited premieres in New York City on April 11.

Each passing year of life is bound to bring new memories, some nuggets of wisdom, and the unsettling awareness of at least one more spot in your home that isn't being cleaned as often as it should be. Spring cleaning acts as our universal reminder to actually tackle the tasks we've been putting off.

What should be included in spring cleaning?

Most people can agree that a spring cleaning is a deeper, more exhaustive clean than what's covered in a weekly tidying routine, even if there are differences in approach on a more granular level. Spring cleaning goes beyond the quick once-over you give the kitchen and bathroom with your emotional support disinfecting wipes, hitting the spots that aren't as visible or easy to reach.

The list of corners in the home that hasn't been touched in a while gets long quickly, and getting overwhelmed by your cleaning to-do list is a recipe for giving up on all of them. To avoid checklist decision paralysis, the first order of business in a spring cleaning is to clean up the checklist itself.

SEE ALSO: The Roborock Saros 10R aces one thing that most other robot vacuums can't

The easiest way to do this is to pick a task or two in each room that you know you've been putting off. The crusty inside of the microwave? The cat puke stain on the couch? The space underneath any piece of furniture? It could be as simple as de-cluttering your chaotic cabinet of cleaning products so that getting out the Windex isn't a daunting task in itself.

Based on the spring cleaning we've conducted in our own homes, we have some ideas of where to start. Our checklist ranges from deep cleaning of larger appliances to automated floor care. We've also included several cleaning hacks for under $10. To tackle your annual deep clean, here are 10 of our favorite hands-on tested spring cleaning products to send you into the new season with a fresh start.

Ideally, these products will minimize your cleaning dread so much that you don't mind keeping up with the list throughout the year — ultimately setting you up for a less-daunting spring cleaning next year.

SAVE $300: As of April 11, IK Multimedia iLoud Precision MTM Linear Phase Studio Monitor is available for $599.99 at Amazon. That’s $300 off its usual price of $899.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: iLoud IK Multimedia iLoud Precision MTM Linear Phase Studio Monitor $599.99 at Amazon
$899.99 Save $300 Get Deal

Let me just say it: most "pro" studio monitors priced under $600 make promises they can't keep. They either sound like a wet sock in a tin can or they're allergic to bass. But IK Multimedia's iLoud Precision MTM? This one earns its stripes, and then some. At $599.99, down from $899.99, it's 33% off right now at Amazon, and I think that's a steal for something this powerful.

I want to be clear: this isn't just another nice-looking monitor with a fancy name. It's a 175-watt beast loaded with a 2.5-inch ultralight paper mid-woofer and a 1.5-inch dome tweeter that delivers crispy highs and tight, distortion-free lows. We're talking a frequency response that stretches from 45 Hz to 30 kHz, which means you’re hearing every detail your last mix completely ignored.

SEE ALSO: Live your Kawaii gamer dreams with this discounted Logitech POP ICON keyboard and mouse combo

What really sets it apart, though, is the brain inside. There's a 96 kHz DSP system and ARC room calibration built in, plus a calibrated mic included in the box. So yeah, I don’t need to stack up foam panels like I'm building a soundproof pillow fort anymore. The included X-MONITOR software even lets me fine-tune EQ profiles from my laptop, because twisting knobs is so last decade.

If you’re mixing, mastering, or pretending to do both for clout, this thing delivers. It peaks at 119 dB, stays crystal clear even when pushed, and manages to sound expensive without turning your wallet into a haunted void.

• Price: $599.99 $899.99

• Retailer: Amazon

• Processor: 96 kHz DSP

• Power: 175W RMS

• Frequency Response: 45 Hz to 30 kHz

• Tweeter/Woofer: 1.5-inch dome tweeter, 2.5-inch mid-woofer

• Connectivity: XLR

• Audio Output Mode: Stereo

• Extra Features: ARC room calibration, X-MONITOR software, USB and mic included

• SPL: 119 dB peak, 105.5 dB continuous

• Made in: Italy

I think $599.99 for this level of engineering is generous. If you’ve been teetering on the edge of a studio upgrade, this is one of those rare deals that’ll make your audio life better without asking you to sell a kidney.

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

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

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

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

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Friday, April 11, 2025:

AcrossBad things to see tumbling down a mountain on their own

• The answer is Skis.

When repeated, "If ya know what I mean ..."

• The answer is Wink.

When repeated, "If ya know what I mean ..."

• The answer is Nudge.

Provide funding for

• The answer is Endow.

Quartet of awards won by Whoopi Goldberg, for short

• The answer is EGOT.

DownSuccessfully pulled off, as a deal

• The answer is Swung.

Li'l tyke

• The answer is Kiddo.

Gold brick

• The answer is Ingot.

Distort, as data

• The answer is Skew.

French word before a maiden name

• The answer is Nee.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Spectrum.

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

GAMUT

Hurdle Word 2 hint

A solid building material.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 11, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

STONE

Hurdle Word 3 hint

To move sneakily.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for April 11 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 11, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

SLINK

Hurdle Word 4 hint

A kid.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for April 11 Hurdle Word 4 answer

CHILD

Final Hurdle hint

To bet.

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

WAGER

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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: Newbie athlete

• Green: Hockey teams north of America

• Blue: Share a college conference

• Purple: Ending of football teams

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

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

• Yellow: Terms for a young athlete

• Green: Canadian hockey teams

• Blue: ACC teams

• Purple: Last four letters of NFL team names

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 #200 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today

• Terms for a young athlete - FRESHMAN, PROSPECT, RECRUIT, ROOKIE

• Canadian hockey teams - CANUCKS, FLAMES, JETS, OILERS

• ACC teams - CARDINALS, HOKIES, HURRICANES, PANTHERS

• Last four letters of NFL team names - BOYS, CONS, IONS, OWNS

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

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

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

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

Yellowjackets fans and citizen detectives, you can finally put your yarn walls and elaborate theories away. After three seasons and several fake-outs, we finally know the identity of Pit Girl, the Yellowjacket whose death by literal pitfall ominously kicks off the entire show.

As revealed in the Season 3 finale, "Full Circle," our poor, unfortunate Pit Girl is none other than Mari (Alexa Barajas). The truth isn't that surprising. The writing's been on the wall for Mari since Season 1, given that her hair and build match that of Pit Girl. But Yellowjackets took its Mari foreshadowing to new heights in Season 3, which opened with Shauna (Sophie Nélisse) hunting Mari through the woods in a very intense game of Capture the Flag. Later, Mari fell in the pit Coach Ben (Steven Krueger) uncovered — the very same pit that would one day lead to her doom.

SEE ALSO: How 'Yellowjackets takes Shauna's rage to the next level in Season 3

Just as the finale's title emphasizes, Mari's death brings us full circle, not just to the beginning of Season 1 but to all the breadcrumbs planted at the start of Season 3. Plus, Shauna gets to enact the ultimate revenge fantasy as retribution for Mari's teen bitchiness towards her at the start of the season. (I'd say eating your bully is still way harsh.)

But the near-inevitable march to Mari's death isn't without its surprises. The same goes for the rest of "Full Circle," which exposes Lottie's (Simone Kessell) killer and takes a major leap forward towards the Yellowjackets' rescue. Let's break it down.

Mari is Yellowjackets' Pit Girl, but the hunt for her is more complicated than you might think. Alexa Barajas in "Yellowjackets." Credit: Kailey Schwerman / Paramount+ with Showtime

The Season 1 opening saw Mari running from the frenzied hoots and howls of her teammates, suggesting an all-encompassing fervor within the Yellowjackets. Yet "Full Circle" reveals that couldn't be farther from the truth. Instead, the team has splintered into factions. Shauna and Lottie (Courtney Eaton) embrace the hunt and the idea of sacrificing someone to the wilderness. Van (Liv Hewson) and Tai (Jasmin Savoy Brown) are reluctant yet ready to participate as long as their heads aren't on the chopping block.

Tai even convinces Van to rig the sacrificial card draw for researcher and outsider Hannah (Ashley Sutton), but Shauna shuts that down, seeing as Hannah seems to be one of her strongest allies. At least, Yellowjackets tells us she is, but we get so little time with Hannah post-joining the Yellowjackets that she may as well be a background character in the vein of Gen (Vanessa Prasad). Why introduce a full-grown adult (who's also a mother) into the mix if you're not going to explore her dynamic with the younger, more feral Yellowjackets? Opportunity, squandered.

SEE ALSO: 'Yellowjackets' Season 3: If you were disappointed by Season 2, just wait

Elsewhere on the hunt, other splinter factions undertake tricky maneuvers of their own. Natalie (Sophie Thatcher) takes the chaos of the hunt as an opportunity to abscond with the satellite phone, which Van has been working to fix. She switches clothes with Hannah (who, again, is basically a non-entity) to hide her absence from Shauna. Meanwhile, Akilah (Nia Sondaya), Melissa (Jenna Burgess), and Gen attempt to distract the hunters from going after Mari, even going so far as to attack them. Melissa tries to take down Shauna but doesn't follow through. (How boring of her!) Akilah follows Lottie to the hallucination cave and seems prepared to brain her with a rock. Yellowjackets doesn't show the outcome of that particular showdown, but Lottie does pop back up unscathed, whereas Akilah doesn't appear to be present in the later feasting scenes. Did Lottie just murder her offscreen, or will we get more answers in a later season?

The Akilah and Lottie discussion does lead to a pretty big revelation: Akilah wanted a hunt, and so did Gen, Mari, and Melissa. She poisoned their animals to plant the idea in Lottie's mind, but the reasoning is flimsy. They wouldn't have wanted a hunt for meat purposes, as there was plenty of livestock left in the pen. But then why endanger each other's lives? To create a distraction to take down Shauna? Was she was meant to fall in the pit trap instead of Mari? This may just be another set of questions the show will address farther down the line, but the entire hunting sequence feels off — and not in a particularly interesting way.

Yellowjackets reveals that Callie killed Lottie. Sarah Desjardins in "Yellowjackets." Credit: Kailey Schwerman / Paramount+ with Showtime

"Full Circle" resolves another big Yellowjackets mystery. Who killed adult Lottie?

Initially, Misty (Christina Ricci) thought Shauna (Melanie Lynskey) was responsible due to DNA evidence. However, it turns out that said genetic material actually belonged to Shauna's daughter Callie (Sarah Desjardins), since mothers and daughters share mitochondrial DNA.

When Misty confronts Callie, the truth spills out. She'd gone to visit Lottie in the city because Lottie had stolen the tape with Hannah's recording on it from Callie's drawer. But instead of giving Callie the tape back, Lottie invites her to the building's candle-filled basement. (Sidebar: How'd she set that up without getting caught?) There, she delivers a speech about the wilderness and how she sees it in Callie.

SEE ALSO: How 'Yellowjackets' Season 2 bucks the bratty teen trope with Callie's wild arc

"You are the child of that place," Lottie says. "It took our baby and gave us you."

That wildness certainly comes through when Callie straight-up shoves Lottie down the stairs to her death. While she seems remorseful afterwards, there's no denying the darkness in her eyes, just like the darkness she describes in Shauna's own gaze. Maybe she's even more like her mother than she thought.

(Another sidebar, but why does adult Lottie's post-death conversation with her younger self take place in a morgue instead of a plane like Natalie and Van's? Was the death plane overbooked? Is it just for people who were marked for death in the wilderness?)

So, who was messing with Shauna all season long? Melanie Lynskey in "Yellowjackets." Credit: Kailey Schwerman / Paramount+ with Showtime

Now we know who killed Lottie, but another Season 3 mystery remains standing: Who was screwing with Shauna all season long?

Yellowjackets offers explanations for the brakes incident (they were just old) and the fridge lock-in (that was Misty messing with her). It even tries to justify the phone playing "Queen of Hearts" in the bathroom by saying people lose their phones all the time. This particular phone just so happened to be playing a song tied to the Yellowjackets' trauma.

SEE ALSO: 'Yellowjackets' Season 3, episode 1: Who brought that *very* convenient architecture book?

None of these explanations feel particularly satisfying — especially not the phone one! Yes, they establish Shauna's paranoia, which we also saw at play during the hunt, but the result is a letdown. Maybe Shauna and Yellowjackets' feverishly theorizing fans are in the same boat, drawing connections that aren't there. I just wish the actual explanation was more interesting than "coincidences happen sometimes."

With this focus on coincidence, Yellowjackets has moved any suspicion off adult Melissa (a criminally underused Hilary Swank). Shauna even finds the conciliatory note that Melissa claimed came with the tape. (She then shoves it down the garbage disposal, of course.) That's all well and good, apart from one big thing: Melissa murdered Van, so there's way more going on with her. Too bad Yellowjackets isn't interested in showing it. Adult Melissa ends the season the way she started: a non-entity whose backward baseball cap is her sole character trait.

Yellowjackets plays with memory in its Season 3 finale. Samantha Hanratty in "Yellowjackets." Credit: Paul Sarkis / Showtime

Yellowjackets Season 3 closes out with some big developments. Natalie uses the satellite phone to make contact with the outside world, meaning rescue is on its way. In the present, it's everyone against Shauna. Jeff (Warren Kole) and Callie leave her, and Misty and Tai ally themselves so she won't be the last Yellowjacket standing. As Tai points out, and as we've seen this entire season, Shauna fully gave into the wilderness and thrived on it during some of the Yellowjackets' darkest times. She also led the ridiculous effort not to escape the woods (although Tai wasn't blameless there either).

Shauna, though, has a different view of what happened in the woods. In the season's final scene, she re-enters journal mode and muses on whether she and the other survivors repressed memories of the wilderness because they were traumatizing, or because they hid a darker secret about who the Yellowjackets truly were.

"I think we can't, or won't, remember it clearly because we recognize, deep down, that we were having so much fun. That's the terrible truth we left out there buried, along with the people we called our friends," Shauna writes. "Except it's all coming back to me now. The danger. The thrill. The person I was back then. Not a wife, or a mother. I was a warrior. I was a fucking queen. I let all of it slip away from me. It's time to start taking it back."

Looks like adult Shauna will be embracing the Antler Queen status she enjoyed so much during the feast of Mari. But not everyone in the past seems to be having as much fun as Shauna says. The feast sequence brings back the images of furious chomping from Yellowjackets' very first episode, but mixes it in with more complicated images, like a tearful Gen tucking into her good friend. In the light of the next day, some Yellowjackets look unhappy and resigned beneath their homemade masks. What is the "true" memory of the wilderness, then? The rose-colored idea that they were all having fun, or the brutal struggle for survival? Or is it some warped combination of both?

Yellowjackets Season 3 leaves us with one last callback to the Pit Girl sequence from Season 1, episode 1. That series of foreboding flashbacks ended with Misty removing her furry mask, putting her glasses on, and smiling directly into camera, a sign that she'd given herself totally over to the thrill of the feast. But Season 3 puts that moment in a different context. After Shauna discovers Natalie is missing, Misty pulls off her mask, puts her glasses on, and smiles that same smile into camera. This time, it's a sign that her satellite phone plot with Van and Natalie has worked.

Which of these smiles is the "true" smile, then? Or did Misty just pull the same enigmatic smile move twice in one day? (With her flair for the dramatic, I wouldn't put it past her.) Still, the re-use of the same smile (against different backdrops) represents the two different goals for the remaining Yellowjackets. Misty's Season 1 smile signals a love of the wilderness and the hunt. Her Season 3 smile gestures to hope for escape, as well as the thrill of one-upping Shauna. These polar opposite ideas signify the two Yellowjackets factions remaining at the end of Season 3. And while we know rescue is coming, how will Natalie's move shake things up with Shauna in Season 4?

Yellowjackets Season 3 is now streaming on Paramount+ with Showtime.

SAVE $500: As of April 10, the 65-inch Samsung LS03D The Frame QLED 4K TV is on sale at Best Buy for $1,499.99, 25% off its list price of $1,999.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung - 65” Class LS03D The Frame Series QLED 4K with Anti-Reflection and Slim Fit Wall Mount Included (2024) $1,499.99 at Best Buy
$1,999.99 Save $500 Get Deal

The weather may be getting warmer, but that doesn't mean you have to spend all of your time outside. If you've been on the hunt for a new TV to catch the brand new shows and films hitting streaming services soon, there are plenty of options on sale right now that are worth a look. In particular, if you want something that can double as a display for artwork when you're not using it for a movie night, Samsung's 65-inch The Frame TV is currently enjoying a nice discount at Best Buy.

The 65-inch Samsung LS03D The Frame QLED 4K TV has been marked down $500 at the retailer, dropping its price from $1,999.99 to $1,499.99. As a bonus, your purchase also comes with a one-month membership for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which is great news for gamers looking to test out the massive Game Pass library on a brand new TV.

SEE ALSO: TCL’s Dolby Atmos soundbar is just $99 right now, and it might sound better than your TV deserves

And the Samsung The Frame TV has the features to make it worth it, too. Boasting a QLED display with 4K resolution, images on the screen will look crisp and vibrant. It even has an anti-reflective matte display that won't let any annoying light block out what you're watching, which is especially helpful when the art takes over. This is what The Frame is best known for, allowing you to transform your TV into an art display. You can even show off pieces from New York's Museum of Modern Art on it, including work from Vincent van Gogh, Henri Rousseau, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Frida Kahlo.

If you've been eyeing up a TV upgrade, this deal on the 65-inch Samsung LS03D The Frame QLED 4K TV is worth adding to your virtual shopping cart before it's gone for good.

This TV just scratches the surface of what's available right now, though. At the moment you can also score a discount on the 43-inch Fire TV at Amazon and the new 2025 TCL QM6K Mini LED TV is on sale right now at Best Buy.

A set of popular apps helped China’s ByteDance develop a key component of advanced artificial intelligence: information on how a billion people use the internet.

TL;DR: This coding certification bundle packs everything you need to learn to code, from Python basics to AI development, all for just $39.97 through April 27.

Opens in a new window Credit: StackCommerce The 2024 Premium Learn to Code Certification Bundle £39.97
£1,500 Save £1,460.03 Get Deal

Looking to level up your tech skills or dive into the world of programming? This Premium Learn to Code certification bundle is your all-in-one resource for mastering some of the most in-demand languages and tools in the industry today — and it's on sale for $39.97.

Whether you're a beginner or an experienced developer, this bundle has something for everyone, from Python and C++ to AI, web development, and more.

With Python, you can jump right into one of the most beginner-friendly languages, perfect for writing your own programs. Move on to C++ if you're after a crash course in a language that powers everything from gaming engines to operating systems. If you're more into AI, the OpenAI Fundamentals course will teach you how to tap into the world of machine learning with ChatGPT.

For web developers, you'll find courses on JavaScript and Vuex, perfect for building dynamic websites and apps. Plus, the bundle covers Flutter and Ruby on Rails, helping you bring your mobile and web app ideas to life. And for younger learners (or the young at heart), there's even a course in game development for kids, so you can create playable characters and design your own games using Unity.

With this bundle, you can build apps, dive into AI, or create websites — all at your own pace with lifetime access to over 17 courses.

For just $39.97 through April 27, this Learn to Code course bundle can help you code your way into the future.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Watch the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix for free on ServusTV. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2025 F1 season continues to deliver entertaining racing with a number of drivers in the running to win each round. Sure, McLaren look very strong, but it's what we've been asking for over the last few seasons of predictable finishes. This season looks much more open, and we're expecting big things from Sakhir.

If you're interested in watching the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix for free from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix?

The 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix takes place over 57 laps of the 5,412-kilometer Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir. The full schedule can be found here:

• Practice — 2:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. AST on April 11

• Practice 2 — 6 to 7 p.m. AST on April 11

• Practice 3 — 3:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. AST on April 12

• Qualifying — 7 to 8 p.m. AST on April 12

• Race — 6 p.m. AST on April 13

The good news for fans is that it's possible to live stream the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix without spending anything.

How to watch the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix for free

The 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix is available to live stream for free on ServusTV.

ServusTV is geo-restricted to Austria, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Austria, meaning you can access free live streams of F1 from anywhere in the world.

Unblock ServusTV from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

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

4. Connect to ServusTV

5. Watch the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix from anywhere in the world

Please be aware that Formula 1 take the view that the use of a VPN to watch content from another territory may be a breach of the relevant broadcasters’ terms of service and may constitute copyright infringement. It is your responsibility to ensure that your use of a VPN is legal and Mashable does not encourage any illegal use of a VPN.

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading services do tend to offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch F1 live streams without actually spending anything. This is clearly not a long-term solution, but it does mean you can stream the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming sites from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming F1 live is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for F1?

ExpressVPN is the top choice for live streaming F1 for free, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Austria

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is protected

• Fast streaming speeds

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

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

Watch the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix for free with ExpressVPN.

If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 11 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 11 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Buzzing in

The words are games

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words are played on TV.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Gameshows.

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for April 11

• Jeopardy

• Pyramid

• Lingo

• Password

• Catchphrase

• Gameshows

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for April 11 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Ways to get nutrients

• Green: Seen in popular department stores

• Blue: The night sky

• Purple: They share the first word in common sayings

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

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

• Yellow: Sources of vitamins

• Green: Places used in retail suffixes

• Blue: Places to find stars

• Purple: Words after "Go"

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 #670 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Sources of vitamins: CITRUS, LEAFY GREENS, SUNSHINE, SUPPLEMENTS

• Places used in retail suffixes: CITY, LAND, TOWN, WORLD

• Places to find stars: AMERICAN FLAG, GALAXY, RED CARPET, UBER RATING

• Words after "Go": ALL OUT, BETWEEN, KART, STEADY

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for April 11

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.

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

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

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: Hints and answers for April 11 Where did Wordle come from?

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

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

What's the best Wordle starting word?

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

What happened to the Wordle archive?

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

Is Wordle getting harder?

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

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for April 11, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Shot from a bow.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter R appears twice.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter A.

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

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

ARROW.

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for April 11

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

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

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

This summer, The Sphere in Las Vegas is going to debut a new experience: The Wizard of Oz at Sphere. And it's doing so with the help of Google and AI.

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“The power of generative AI, combined with Google’s infrastructure and expertise, is helping us to achieve something extraordinary,” said Sphere Entertainment Executive Chairman and CEO Jim Dolan in a statement provided to Mashable. “We needed a partner who could push boundaries alongside our teams at Sphere Studios and Magnopus, and Google was the only company equipped to meet the challenge on the world’s highest resolution LED screen.”

Regardless of whether you've been to Vegas, you're likely familiar with The Sphere. It's constantly going viral with its 580,000 square feet of LED displays wrapped around the venue. The inside of the one-of-a-kind venue, which seats nearly 17,600 people, also features wrap-around LED screens with an eye-popping 16K resolution.

The Sphere has previously shown films made specifically for the venue. However, this year, it will show an existing movie for the first time, the classic 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. As the Wall Street Journal reports, doing so isn't such a simple task; it's actually quite the process.

“Very, very, very big and very, very difficult,” the Wall Street Journal reported Google's director for AI foundation research Steven Hickson as saying. “There are scenes where the scarecrow’s nose is like 10 pixels.”

Why is that a problem? The Sphere's indoor display has more than 170 million pixels. 

To reformat The Wizard of Oz for the world's biggest screen, The Sphere brought in the Google Deepmind team to help create an all-new experience with AI.

Generative AI remains controversial among cinephiles

The obvious use of AI here is to upscale the picture, which Google did. AI upscaling enhances an image's resolution by not just resizing the image to make it larger, but also by filling in any missing details from the original image. This helps with the resolution issue. While AI upscaling is probably the least controversial use of artificial intelligence in art or filmmaking, it can also produce some disastrous results. Take, for example, this AI upscaling screenshot taken from an episode of I Love Lucy on Blu-Ray (click the image below to see what we mean).

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With Google's AI team working on this big project, alongside input from The Wizard of Oz rights-holder Warner Bros. Discovery, it's unlikely that we will see any AI upscaling issues like this. However, the Wall Street Journal report also includes a small before-and-after sample of Google's AI work on The Wizard of Oz for The Sphere, and minor glitches such as AI artifacts can be clearly seen.

However, the Sphere experience also takes things much further than video upscaling.

As the Journal reports, Google used generative AI models from its Gemini family, including Veo 2 and Imagen 3, to reimagine entire shots with extended backgrounds and to include characters missing from view. That means audiences will see beyond what the cameras originally caught in frame. Google's AI technology will generate these extensions based on what it believes could be there, taking into account the entirety of the full-length film.

Again, this goes beyond enhancing an image to show an artist's work on a larger screen. Filmmakers shoot and frame shots in specific ways for artistic purposes, and generative AI could compromise the original vision.

Earlier this month, a similar generative AI recreation went viral on social media for all the wrong reasons. A user on X uploaded a video of AI recreations of shots from filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky. For example, in one scene, generative AI recreated a still shot so that the camera moved 360 degrees around the actor. The post received over 4,000 likes.

However, another X user criticized the use of AI to recreate Tarkovsky's vision.

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"If the camera was supposed to move, then Tarkovsky would have had the camera move," said user The Kino Corner. 

The critique received more than 305,000 likes.

Generative AI is still a very controversial subject in the film industry and the art community as a whole. Mashable has previously reported on the backlash against the use of AI in movies like The Brutalist and Late Night with the Devil.

However, it does seem like The Wizard of Oz at Sphere is unlikely to cause too much controversy, as it's being created for a very specific event that can only be experienced at one venue in Las Vegas.

With that said, the success of The Wizard of Oz at Sphere could help mainstream the use of AI in filmmaking and lead to wider adoption in the industry. Expect there to be a lot of eyes on Oz at The Sphere, even if they aren't physically there to experience it. 

The Wizard of Oz at Sphere opens on August 28, 2025.

After 17 years of delays, the Department of Homeland Security is set to finally require REAL IDs for Americans boarding domestic flights.

Starting on Wednesday, May 7, U.S. travelers must be REAL ID compliant to board domestic flights (and access military bases and certain federal facilities), according to DHS.

In other words, a standard driver's license or state ID without the REAL ID logo, typically on the top right of the license, will no longer be acceptable identification for Americans flying domestically.

Can I board a domestic flight without a REAL ID?

That remains to be seen. DHS and the Transportation Safety Administration, an agency of DHS, have suggested they may let some people without REAL IDs onto planes — after a significant wait.

A recent press release from DHS says "travelers who do not have a REAL ID-compliant state-issued credential or another acceptable form of ID can expect delays when they arrive at the TSA security checkpoint. The length of the delay will be determined by the number of other travelers who do not have a REAL ID-compliant credential, or another form of identification accepted by TSA for identity verification."

What other forms of ID will get me on a domestic flight?

If you can't get a REAL ID before May 7, bring any other acceptable identification for flying domestically, such as an active passport, passport card, or permanent resident card. The full list of the TSA's acceptable identification is here.

How do I get a REAL ID?

Every state has different rules on how you turn their state ID or driver's license a federally-compliant REAL ID. California, for example, asks travelers to fill out an online application, upload necessary documents (like passports and birth certificates for personal identification and utility bills to prove California residency), provide a social security number, then go to a Department of Motor Vehicles office — with the hard copies of the documents you uploaded — before the REAL ID is issued.

And yes, it's often kind of a pain.

What is the purpose of REAL IDs?

The REAL ID Act was passed in 2005 as a recommendation of the 9/11 commission; the legislation was one of many security responses enacted after the terrorist attacks of 2001. The REAL ID Act established tighter security standards for state-issued identification, and prohibited the TSA from accepting ID that did not meet those standards.

"REAL ID is intended to improve the reliability and accuracy of driver licenses and identification cards while inhibiting the ability of terrorists and others to evade detection by using fraudulent identification," according to the TSA.

The first deadline for REAL ID compliance from travelers was originally 2008, but extensions were repeatedly announced. Finally, May 2025 appears to be REAL ID's actual arrival on the airport scene.

TL;DR: On April 10, The Last of Us Complete hit the PlayStation 5, which includes PS5-enhanced versions of both games in the iconic series. You can buy the digital version starting today, or you can preorder the physical Collector's Edition, which will be released on July 10.

Shop 'The Last of Us Complete' 'The Last of Us Complete' for PlayStation 5 $99.99 at PlayStation Shop Now 'The Last of Us Complete' Collector's Edition $109.99 at PlayStation Pre-Order Here

The Last of Us Season 2 premieres on April 13, and what better way to get excited than a surprise release from the game's developer in The Last of Us Complete? It was only a matter of time before Naughty Dog dropped a PS5-enhanced bundle for both games in the series, and that's exactly what Complete is. From what we can tell, this bundle is the remake version of The Last of Us Part I packaged with The Last of Us Part II Remastered, so if you already own both, you can safely skip this one. If you're a TLOU newcomer, though, this is the best way to play both titles — snag the digital edition for $99.99.

Even if you own the games already, you may not want to skip the Last of Us Complete Collector's Edition that PlayStation also announced, which you can preorder now ahead of its July 10 release date. The physical Collector's Edition comes in a newly designed box with brand-new cover art, as well as a steelbook case for the disks. You'll also get a collection of lithographs from various artists featuring characters and moments from the games. It's not a lot of stuff for a Collector's Edition, but at only $10 more than the digital version, it's not a bad deal.

It may be hard to beat both games ahead of the new season's April 13 premiere date, but hey, why not try? Enjoy the journey, and we'll see you on the other side of Season 2.