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Folks across North and South America, as well as parts of Europe and Africa, will have a front-row seat to a partial lunar eclipse on Aug. 27, painting the moon the color of a hot fireplace poker. 

Unlike solar eclipses, you don't need specially darkened glasses to protect your eyes. In this case, you can safely stare with the naked eye. And since the next true total lunar eclipse won't happen for most of the Americas until 2029, this is your best chance to catch a major lunar light show for a few years.

But if you're like this reporter and live in an area with perpetual city light pollution — or cloudy weather just happens to crash your viewing party plans — several telescope observatories will be hosting free livestreams to bring the magic to your screen. 

SEE ALSO: NASA reluctantly abandons a space telescope rescue mission

During a lunar eclipse, the Earth slides between the sun and the moon, casting a giant shadow over the lunar surface. This upcoming event is especially thrilling because it is a "deep" partial eclipse. 

At its peak, Earth's dark shadow will swallow almost all of it — over 96 percent of the lunar face. Instead of going completely dark, the moon will catch filtered sunlight from Earth's atmosphere, glowing in coppery orange and red.

A lunar eclipse is sometimes called a blood moon because it reflects light filtered through Earth's atmosphere. Credit: Ernie Wright / NASA's Scientific VIsualization Studio infographic

"It's as if all the world’s sunrises and sunsets are projected onto the Moon," according to NASA. 

If you decide to step outside, grab a pair of binoculars to watch Earth's curved shadow sweep across lunar craters. You might also notice more stars popping out in the night sky as the bright moonlight dims. A regular smartphone can easily snap a souvenir photo.

But if you want a closer look through professional equipment, or you happen to live somewhere outside the eclipse viewing zone, multiple astronomy groups have you covered. Here is a roundup of a few free live broadcasts you can tune into on the night of Aug. 27 and into the early morning of Aug. 28, depending on where in the world you live.

• Griffith Observatory: Broadcasting live from L.A., this observatory kicks off its livestream at 10:25 p.m. ET / 7:25 p.m. PT Aug. 27.

• The Virtual Telescope Project: Watch the moon glow over Tuscany. This feed features high-resolution telescope views starting at 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT Aug. 27.

• Timeanddate.com: Catch a real-time telescope feed with expert tracking animations and commentary, starting at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT Aug. 27.

The main event lasts well over an hour, giving you plenty of time to hop between streams and enjoy different telescope angles.

With opposition to the centers mounting, many Democrats and a growing number of Republicans are campaigning against them.

Companies like Google and Microsoft have used their money, their might and their massive reach to influence nearly every step of the education supply chain.

For Florida-based Powerus, becoming a global supplier of counterdrone technology has meant involving the Trumps, a golf course and a new way of doing business.

TL;DR: Watch PSG vs. Rennes in Ligue 1 for free on CazéTV. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Ligue 1 is all about whether any team can truly challenge PSG. The champions have just won their second consecutive Champions League title, and they're looking to win their sixth consecutive Ligue 1 title. That's total domination.

PSG's opening game against Rennes was supposed to be at the Parc des Princes, but it has been moved to Roazhon Park due to poor playing conditions. PSG will be looking to bounce back after losing to RC Lens in the Trophee des Champions last weekend.

If you're interested in watching PSG vs. Rennes in Ligue 1 from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is PSG vs. Rennes?

PSG vs. Rennes in Ligue 1 kicks off at 2:45 p.m. ET on Aug. 23. This fixture takes place at the Roazhon Park.

How to watch PSG vs. Rennes for free

PSG vs. Rennes in Ligue 1 is available to live stream for free on CazéTV.

CazéTV is geo-restricted to Brazil, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Brazil, meaning you can live stream PSG vs. Rennes for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream PSG vs. Rennes for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice

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

4. Visit CazéTV

5. Watch PSG vs. Rennes for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch PSG vs. Rennes without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture (plus Premier League action) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Ligue 1?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on CazéTV, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries, including Brazil

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream PSG vs. Rennes for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Watch Elche vs. Barcelona in La Liga for free on CazéTV. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

La Liga is showcasing some thrilling fixtures this weekend, including the return of champions Barcelona. They begin their title defense against Elche at the Manuel Martínez Valero. Fans will be expecting a strong performance and a confident win against a side that finished 15th last season.

If you're interested in watching Elche vs. Barcelona in La Liga from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Elche vs. Barcelona?

Elche vs. Barcelona in La Liga kicks off at 3:30 p.m. ET on Aug. 23. This fixture takes place at the Manuel Martínez Valero.

How to watch Elche vs. Barcelona for free

Elche vs. Barcelona in La Liga is available to live stream for free on CazéTV.

CazéTV is geo-restricted to Brazil, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Brazil, meaning you can live stream Elche vs. Barcelona for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Elche vs. Barcelona for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice

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

4. Visit CazéTV

5. Watch Elche vs. Barcelona for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Elche vs. Barcelona without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture (plus Premier League action) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for La Liga?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on CazéTV, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries, including Brazil

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream Elche vs. Barcelona for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Here's a not-so-novel theory of cultural development that you should be aware of, especially if you're an older person wondering about the behaviors of younger people: When TV and the internet first emerged on the cultural scene, they had a unifying effect on people. After all, there were only a handful of television channels you could watch, so everyone watched The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, M*A*S*H, and All in the Family. Just take a look at IMDB's list of the Most Watched Series Finales Ever, and you'll see it's dominated by shows that first aired in the '70s, '80s, and '90s. 

Fast forward to the early 2000s, when social media first emerged, and you have a similar effect: everyone had a MySpace or Facebook account because there wasn't really any other game in town. But that unity rapidly gave way to fragmentation. Just as cable TV fragmented into Netflix, Hulu, Apple TV, Amazon TV, etc, so too did social media fragment into smaller, more niche spaces, from Tumblr blogs and subreddits to Discord servers and Twitch chat rooms. 

SEE ALSO: The best hookup apps for 2026: I swiped until my thumb hurt

Driven by the all-powerful algorithm, feeding different people different interests, the younger generations disappeared into siloed parts of the internet, many of which earned nicknames of their own. TikTok is the best example: there's BookTok for users who love to read, FinTok for users who want to learn about investing and compound interest, and of course, FitTok for people who want to learn about compound lifts or receive dieting advice. Crucially, you can spend hundreds of hours in any one of these niche communities without ever learning about the existence of the others. 

Gen Z's entire online experience has been heavily curated by algorithms, so it's no wonder their dating app behavior is different as well. 

Gen Z's retreat from online dating

The numbers started to tell the tale long before the commentators caught on. In 2023, a major Statista survey of online dating behavior found something odd, even trend-breaking: the vast majority (61 percent) of dating app users were between the ages of 30 and 34, while the much larger age group of 18-29 year olds represented just 26 percent of total dating app users. It's even odder when you consider that, since people tend to partner up over time, Gen Z should have many more single people than millennials. 

That realization led to a bevy of headlines ("Gen Z Is Leaving Dating Apps Behind" comes to mind) predicting the death of dating apps, not to mention a 38 percent average decline in the stock price of dating apps, but it doesn't mean Gen Z isn't interested in romance or connection.

In fact, it just means they're taking an entirely different approach to finding love, especially compared to millennials. Whereas single millennials can still be found on the apps, by and large, Gen Z singles are reverting to "hyper-niche" spaces to filter out people before they even reach the swiping stage.

What is a "hyper-niche" space?

Think of hyper-niche spaces as small, value-based communities. If you're a part of FitTok, for example, it's reasonable to assume that everyone else you meet in that space will value working out, eating healthy foods, and self-improvement (aka the grindset mindset). Because these things are such a big part of your life, it's helpful to meet people who already share these values.  

And if this approach is true of fitness communities, it also applies to online communities built around hobbies (reading, playing video games, knitting) or politics or religion. It has even started to apply to the specific app or software people use: X vs BlueSky

This, too, has shown up in the data. A major study of eharmony users found, for example, that 28 percent of Gen Z daters would cancel a date if their prospective partner didn't share their politics, nearly a 10-point increase from millennials and Gen X respondents, with a similar gap showing up for differences in religious belief. 

What does this mean for Gen Z?

On the one hand, these trends are arguably positive. Dating app fatigue is a well-documented phenomenon, and even millennials are suffering burnout. Hyper-niche communities take a lot of the pressure off of finding one compatible person in a sea of incompatible people, pre-selecting for others who share your values and interests. This is a major reason people are returning to IRL dating, where their friends, family, and social circles might introduce them to people, rather than an anonymous algorithm. 

But there's a dark side to this, too, and it comes from becoming too invested in any given silo, too intolerant of people who don't share your values or interests. Another striking finding emerged in the data: 60 percent of Gen Z have gone "no-contact" with a friend or family member in the past year, and 25 percent of those who went no-contact listed a difference in values as the reason. 

Add this to the fact that Gen Z spends an average of five hours a day online, by far the most of any generation, and it's easy to see how their digital existence can overtake their online one, with hyper-niche spaces looking more like bunkers to shelter them from a hostile world rather than real communities that take them out of the digital world and into the real one.

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for August 23, 2026 Antifreeze meaning

Coolant that stays liquid even in frigid temperatures.

Vacuum meaning

A tool used for cleaning.

Baking soda meaning

A substance used in baking or to combat odor.

Volcano meaning

A geologic feature from which magma is pushed to the surface of the earth as lava.

Vinegar meaning

An acidic fermented liquid used as an ingredient or flavoring

Vodka meaning

A form of alcohol often distilled from potatoes.

Tinderbox meaning

A container for materials used to start fires.

Potato battery meaning

An experiment which uses potatoes to generate and conduct small amounts of electricity.

Skiing meaning

Navigating down a snow-covered hill or across a body of water using skis.

Home fries meaning

A fried potato dish.

Club soda meaning

A carbonated, mineral-infused water.

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

Powder keg meaning

A container filled with black powder and a phrase used to describe volatile situations.

Hydrogen peroxide meaning

A bleaching substance that has a variety of household uses (always read the safety label).

Bazaar meaning

A type of market where various goods can be purchased.

Vischyssoise

A soup that includes pureed leaks and potatoes.

Time bomb meaning

An explosive with a timed detonator.

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

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

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

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

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

The mysterious collapse of a European cryptocurrency exchange helps to explain why the industry hasn’t shaken off its reputation as a magnet for criminals.

TL;DR: Watch Manchester City vs. Bournemouth in the Premier League for free on CazéTV. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Premier League is back on our screens, and the opening weekend showcases some really interesting fixtures.

Manchester City vs. Bournemouth is probably not top of most fans' lists, but it's going to be really interesting to see how Enzo Maresca navigates things this season with a team in transition. The pressure is on after a poor performance against Arsenal last weekend. Fans will expect a dominant victory over Bournemouth at the Etihad.

If you're interested in watching Manchester City vs. Bournemouth in the Premier League from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Manchester City vs. Bournemouth?

Manchester City vs. Bournemouth in the Premier League kicks off at 9 a.m. ET on Aug. 23. This fixture takes place at the Etihad Stadium.

How to watch Manchester City vs. Bournemouth for free

Manchester City vs. Bournemouth in the Premier League is available to live stream for free on CazéTV.

CazéTV is geo-restricted to Brazil, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Brazil, meaning you can live stream Manchester City vs. Bournemouth for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Manchester City vs. Bournemouth for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice

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

4. Visit CazéTV

5. Watch Manchester City vs. Bournemouth for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Manchester City vs. Bournemouth without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture (plus additional Premier League action) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the Premier League?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on CazéTV, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries, including Brazil

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream Manchester City vs. Bournemouth for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Watch Frosinone vs. Juventus in Serie A for free on SportyNet. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Serie A is back this weekend, and as usual, Juventus will get a lot of attention. Last season, they finished in sixth place. That's obviously not good enough for a club with the history of Juventus, and they'll be desperate to start with a confident victory over new boys Frosinone.

If you're interested in watching Frosinone vs. Juventus in Serie A from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Frosinone vs. Juventus?

Frosinone vs. Juventus in Serie A kicks off at 12:30 p.m. ET on Aug. 23. This fixture takes place at the Stadio Benito Stirpe.

How to watch Frosinone vs. Juventus for free

Frosinone vs. Juventus in Serie A is available to live stream for free on SportyNet.

SportyNet is geo-restricted to Brazil, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Brazil, meaning you can live stream Frosinone vs. Juventus for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Frosinone vs. Juventus for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice

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

4. Visit SportyNet

5. Watch Frosinone vs. Juventus for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Frosinone vs. Juventus without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture (plus additional Premier League action) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Serie A?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on SportyNet, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries, including Brazil

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream Frosinone vs. Juventus for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Moon is getting closer to the Full Moon, with more than half of its surface illuminated tonight. It's still in its Waxing Gibbous phase, so there's plenty to see as the Moon continues to get brighter each night.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Sunday, Aug. 23, NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon is in its Waxing Gibbous phase, with 79% of its surface visible.

Without any visual aids, tonight you can see the Mares Crisium and Imbrium, and the Tycho Crater. If you want to see even more, use binoculars to bring the Clavius and Endymion Craters into view, as well as the Apennine Mountains. Plus, if you have a telescope, you'll also be able to see the Apollo 15 landing spot, the Rupes Altai, and the Descartes Highlands.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will take place on August 28.

What are Moon phases?

The Moon goes through a series of phases that cause its appearance to change as seen from Earth. As the Moon orbits Earth, it goes through a lunar cycle that takes about 29.5 days to complete, according to NASA. The positions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon determine how much of the Moon’s illuminated side is visible from Earth, creating its different phases. Throughout the cycle, the Moon changes from a thin crescent to a half Moon, then a Full Moon, before repeating the cycle once more.

The eight phases are:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you love your vegetables.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for August 23, 2026 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: They erupt

• Green: Long sounds

• Blue: Full of starch

• Purple: Quick cleanup

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

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Potentially explosive things

• Green: Double vowels

• Blue: Made with potatoes

• Purple: Household stain removers

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 #1169 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Potentially explosive things: POWDER KEG, TIME BOMB, TINDERBOX, VOLCANO

• Double vowels: ANTIFREEZE, BAZAAR, SKIIING, VACUUM

• Made with potatoes: HOME FRIES, POTATO BATTERY, VISCHYSSOISE, VODKA

• Household stain removers: BAKING SODA, CLUB SODA, HYDROGEN PEROXIDE, VINEGAR

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for August 23, 2026

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

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

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

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

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy for avid readers.

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for August 23, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: An epic journey

The words are adjectives related to ancient Greece.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe a classic novel.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

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

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is The Odyssey.

NYT Strands word list for August 23

• Sirens

• Cyclops

• Ship

• King

• The Odyssey

• Suitors

• Underworld

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

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

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

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you miss the good ole days.

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

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for August 23, 2026 Where did Wordle come from?

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

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

What's the best Wordle starting word?

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

What happened to the Wordle archive?

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

Is Wordle getting harder?

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for August 23, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Ancient.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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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 is...

OLDEN

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

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

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

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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.

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.

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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

Quick.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

BRIEF

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Unwarranted.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for August 23, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

UNDUE

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Russian prison.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for August 23, 2026 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Meanings for each word for Aug. 23, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

GULAG

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Mush.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

SLUSH

Final Hurdle hint

Smelly drain.

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

SEWER

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

Grand Theft Auto VI is being plagued by more leaks than a sinking ship, beginning with the trailer three years ago, and continuing into this week with a gameplay release that sees the protagonist, Jason Duval, robbing a gas station convenience store, escaping in a car, suffering a slow-motion car crash, and then escaping into a strip club.

SEE ALSO: 'GTA 6' file size: How large will the game be?

Some of these gameplay elements will definitely be familiar to long-time fans of the series, but the slow-motion camera interrupting the regular game speed is definitely a novelty, and probably something Rockstar Games wanted to keep secret, given that Rockstar still hasn't revealed actual gameplay.

In fact, they've been saving the biggest reveal for a Netflix launch on Thursday, Aug. 27th at 3 p.m. ET, which is itself an unprecedented move for a game release.

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Behind the scenes, Rockstar Games and parent company Take-Two are working hard to discover the source of the leaks, reportedly even having been granted subpoenas for GitHub, Microsoft, and Discord server records by a federal court, which they allege will help them uncover the culprits. 

Even Xbox CTO Scott Van Vliet has weighed in on the issue, promising to support efforts to stop the theft, saying in a post on X that "[Xbox] are working closely with Take-Two and Rockstar Games to support efforts to protect creative works and intellectual property."

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The main leaker, using the alias Cyberleeks, is so confident in his IP theft that he's now charging up to $165,000 (in cryptocurrency) to anyone wanting to advertise in his leaked footage, according to Yahoo Tech. 

While these leaks are definitely sucks for the developers at Rockstar Games, they're also probably doing even more to hype up what promises to be the biggest game launch of all time.

Earlier this month, we reported on the disturbing trend of AI companies using and then destroying physical copies of books to train their agentic AI, in a practice so eerily reminiscent of book burning that it's spooking even devotees of artificial intelligence.

Well, according to Axios, the FTC is now being urged to investigate the practice, not, as we might like, for crimes against humanity, but for violations of antitrust law, since every book destroyed is one less book available for competing AI agents to use. 

SEE ALSO: AI companies keep destroying old books. Here's why.

Axios reports that "[m]ore than a dozen civil society groups," including Demand Progress Education Fund, the Consumer Federation of America, and the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, are urging the FTC to investigate these practices, particularly those involving rare books. In their letter, they "urge the FTC to view this practice not in isolation but rather as the latest escalation in a documented pattern of anticompetitive conduct designed to create an insurmountable systemic moat around AI incumbents." 

The problem is all the more acute because these companies are allegedly targeting older books — especially those published before 2022 — since those books are guaranteed not to have been written by AI and are far more likely to have been well edited.

The letter continues:

"Unlike a standard data acquisition strategy, this hoard-and-destroy practice could serve as yet another structural mechanism to raise rival companies' costs and deny start-ups and fledgling competitors a key source material essential to competing in the AI marketplace."

Recall OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's description of knowledge as a utility that could be sold to you "like electricity and water"? That business proposition looks a lot less wholesome when it involves the wholesale destruction of books, our first and still-unsurpassed repository for human knowledge, most of which can still be acquired cheaply or freely loaned from a local library.

Sadder still is the fact that our best practical defense against this modern book burning isn't an ethical one but a legal one: that it would be bad for other businesses.

Yesterday, the Department of Justice announced that its legal actions against TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, over alleged violations of children's online privacy laws had concluded with a $400 million settlement. The settlement now ranks among the "largest recoveries ever obtained" under the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

SEE ALSO: 'Quiet on the creek' TikTok trend, explained

The initial lawsuit was brought against TikTok under the Biden administration, with allegations including "massive-scale invasions of children's privacy" and repeated failure to "comply with parents' requests to delete their children's accounts and information," according to the initial complaint. 

Though the dollar amount of the settlement is certainly steep, the terms of the deal allow TikTok to vacate all charges, avoid further litigation arising from the initial complaint, and admit no wrongdoing.

In fact, the Department of Justice's own press release acknowledges that "TikTok has undergone significant changes to its ownership, management, compliance functions, and privacy practices," giving the company a much-needed PR win going forward. The DOJ, on the other hand, is portraying this as a victory for online privacy.

"This settlement is a major victory for American children and parents," according to Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. "The Department's priority is ensuring that children are protected online and that companies entrusted with their personal information meet their legal obligations. This resolution secures a substantial recovery while reinforcing the protections that families expect and deserve."

Considering that prior litigation targeting TikTok put it under constant threat of being banned under the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, passed by Congress in 2024, and eventually forced its corporate restructuring, the $400 million settlement will likely look, in hindsight, like a small price to pay for a company generating billions of dollars in advertising revenue each year. 

It's frustrating to sit down at your laptop for an afternoon of work, only to realize that it's hovering at two percent battery. Oh, and you forgot your charger at home. Perfect.

That's why battery life is one of the most important factors shoppers consider when searching for the best laptops, according to a 2025 CNET survey. (FYI: Mashable and CNET are both owned by the same parent company, Ziff Davis.) That makes total sense. While not everyone needs a marathon runner — PC gamers and creative professionals will probably prioritize performance — a laptop that constantly leaves you stranded without juice is an inconvenience. It's not truly portable, which is basically the whole point of buying a laptop instead of a desktop PC. This is why Mashable tests every laptop we review for battery life using a standardized video rundown exercise.

Modern laptops should provide an all-day charge

The battery lives of laptops have improved dramatically as of late — Windows laptops, in particular. In 2024, only one PC we tested lasted over 20 hours. In the last two years, three models have surpassed the 30-hour mark, two have lasted over 24 hours, and 10 more have lasted at least 20 hours. Our median battery life for 2024-model-year PCs was 12.5 hours; for this year's models, it's at 18.5 — a 48 percent increase. This boost was fueled by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X series chips and Intel's Panther Lake chips.

In the MacBook realm, Apple's switch to custom M-series silicon in 2020 was a game-changer. With a rated battery life of up to 18 hours, the original M1 MacBook Air had 50 percent more stamina than its Intel-powered predecessor. Subsequent M2, M3, M4, and M5 Pro and Air models we've tested have lasted for up to 21 hours per charge. And the new budget MacBook Neo, while short-lived for a modern MacBook, outlasts the average cheap PC or Chromebook with roughly 15 hours of battery life.

SEE ALSO: The best MacBook to buy in 2026: Comparing the Air, Neo, and Pro

These massive battery life bumps aren't the result of laptop batteries getting bigger. They've happened because laptop chips are getting smaller and more efficient, according to another CNET analysis. Tinier processors don't need as much juice to work.

Qualcomm's Snapdragon X series chips and Apple's M-series chips are further aided by the fact that they're both based on ARM instruction set architecture, or ISA. Put simply, ISA determines how a laptop's chip talks to its software. ARM ISA is less complicated than the traditional x86 ISA used in Intel and AMD chips, so ARM-based laptops tend to be more power-efficient. (The only catch is that you might run into compatibility issues with some specialty software and PC games.)

Which laptop has the highest battery life in 2026?

The best battery life laptop we've ever tested is the HP OmniBook 3 16, which held out for 40 hours and 14 minutes in our video rundown test. No other laptop we've tested has surpassed the 35-hour mark, though one comes close.