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Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're a shopaholic.
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 MashableBy 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 April 25, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: On the shopping blockThe words are related to consumerism.
Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explainedThese words describe types of shops.
NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.
NYT Strands spangram answer todayToday's spangram is Storefront.
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NYT Strands word list for April 25Corner
Liquor
Grocery
Discount
Convenience
Storefront
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're a girl's girl.
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 April 25, 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 April 25, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:Not men.
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 W.
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...
WOMEN
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.
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.
Apex is a dizzying film with a tiny cast and a very creepy villain.
But while Baltasar Kormákur's survival thriller has plenty of dazzling action sequences and stunning cinematography, there's also a pretty dark origin story nestled in the cracks.
So what happens, and what does Jeremy Robbins' script suggest is the real motive of the film's serial killer? Let's unpack.
SEE ALSO: 'Apex' review: This is why women choose the bear What's Apex about?The film follows Sasha (Charlize Theron), a rock climber struggling to come to terms with an accident that killed her partner, Tommy (Eric Bana). Sasha pays a visit to a remote national park in Australia with the plan to go solo kayaking down a river, but her trip is upended by an encounter with Ben (Taron Egerton), a ranger hell-bent on hunting her to her death — seemingly, at first, just for his own twisted enjoyment.
Fortunately, Sasha is no stranger to surviving in extreme conditions. What follows is a cat-and-mouse chase across water, canyons, and cliff faces that's essentially a brutal hour-long fight for survival.
Credit: Kane Skennar / Netflix How does Sasha escape Ben?Just as Ben has Sasha cornered in his killing cave (more on that later), she makes a bid for freedom: biting half his ear off and jumping from a ledge into the nearby river. Sasha's hands are bound, and she's attached to a rope Ben was planning to hoist her into the air with; this enables him to attach himself to her while the pair are dragged along by the current. When they finally wash up, Sasha breaks Ben's leg with a rock before he fights her off.
The problem? The only way back to safety is via a large cliff face, which they have to climb in tandem in order to escape. Ben threatens to pull Sasha off the wall if she tries to unclip her harness and leave him behind, but halfway up she manages to do exactly that when she's partly hidden by an overhanging ledge. Ben is thrown to his death while Sasha free solos the remainder of the wall to safety.
A radio news broadcast at the end reveals that authorities have uncovered 20 bodies from Ben's cave, and that he's responsible for numerous disappearances in the area that were previously attributed to the harsh landscape.
Credit: Kane Skennar / Netflix What's Ben's real motive?Although the film doesn't tell us everything about Ben, we're given enough clues go on. The fact that he's a serial killer is indisputable, but while his initial motive appears to be a desire to hunt human prey, the scene in the cave reveals a darker secret: Ben is actually a cannibal who hoists his victims up like animals, eating parts of them and making other parts into a homemade jerky he sells at the nearby store.
"There are native tribes that say to capture the spirit of your prey, you have to consume its liver," Ben tells Sasha. "The trick is finding a spirit worth capturing, I suppose."
It's unclear what set Ben on this horrendous path, but his frequent mentions of his mother seem to be our best clue that he's been this way for a long time.
"She was special," Ben tells Sasha when she asks about the photo of him and his mom. "She was the first one. Do you understand? Now she's always with me. I'm gonna keep you with me too."
Ben, it seems, has become obsessed with the warped idea of hunting and consuming human prey as a means of growing more powerful.
Catch the top moments from the Google Cloud Next keynote presentation, featuring CEO Thomas Kurian on AI breakthroughs, along with key announcements and real-world applications.
Both the Sony WH-1000XM6 and AirPods Max 2 are great over-ear, noise-canceling headphones that cost a lot of money. So which should you get? CNET executive editor David Carnoy compares their designs, features, performance and sound quality to help you make a decision.
TL;DR: Stop taking notes for good with this My Notes AI Pro Plan lifetime subscription, now $29.97 (reg. $299) through April 26 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
Opens in a new window Credit: My Notes AI My Notes AI Pro Plan: Lifetime Subscription - AI Note Transcriber & Summarizer $29.97Wish you could permanently scratch something off your to-do list? Let AI help you take one thing off your plate — transcribing and summarizing your notes. My Notes AI makes it happen, and right now, you can let it take your notes forever with this lifetime subscription to the My Notes AI Pro Plan. It’s just $29.97 for two more days — now through April 26 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
If you’re looking for a great way to put AI to work, look no further than the My Notes AI app. This tool can be your personal note-taking assistant, and once it’s done taking notes, it summarizes them too.
Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!My Notes AI has a user-friendly interface that works on Apple devices, so you can use it on your iPhone, iPad, and MacBook. It captures, organizes, and even enhances your notes while you take a load off. From Zoom meetings to audio files to live lectures, it can transcribe and summarize all of them.
Once the app summarizes, it can also provide outlines and actionable next steps in seconds. All your notes stay organized by topic, date, or project, so you can refer back to them anytime. You can also share them with others by exporting transcriptions.
This lifetime subscription to My Notes AI Pro Plan gives you access to premium features like unlimited transcriptions, advanced organization tools, instant AI summaries, and meeting recordings.
Save time with a My Notes AI Pro Plan lifetime subscription, on sale now for $29.97 (reg. $299) through April 26 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
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Anything you can do I can do better...
That may as well be the motto for the AI arms race, which is unfolding across multiple dimensions in 2026. There's the competition between Silicon Valley AI labs like Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google DeepMind, the race for chips and compute power, and, of course, the fierce competition between the U.S. and China.
In the latest salvo in the East vs. West battle for AI supremacy, Chinese artificial intelligence company DeepSeek has released a preview of its latest model, DeepSeek V4.
Here's what we know about the new model, and how it stacks up against other new models like OpenAI's GPT-5.5 and Anthropic's Claude Opus 4.7.
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SEE ALSO: OpenAI’s GPT-5.5 vs Claude Opus 4.7: Which is better? What is DeepSeek V4?DeepSeek V4 Preview is a new open-source AI model. And that's the biggest difference between DeepSeek and its rivals from U.S. companies — it's a true open-source model.
Anthropic, OpenAI, xAI, and other U.S. companies fiercely protect their frontier models, whereas DeepSeek is available for anyone to download and modify under an MIT license.
Two versions of the new open-source model are available for use. Users can also access the new models via chat.deepseek.com.
DeepSeek-V4-Pro: A 1.6-trillion parameter model
DeepSeek-V4-Flash: 284-billion parameter total
DeepSeek cements China's edge in open-source AI.
Just days before the launch of DeepSeek V4, another Chinese AI company, Moonshot AI, released the open-source model Kimi K2.6, though early testers say DeepSeek V4 is clearly the better model. The full system card is available via Hugging Face.
SEE ALSO: AI is causing a zero-day bug discovery crisis, and it's getting worse DeepSeek V4: Performance and benchmarksDeepSeek says its newest open model makes great strides in agentic tasks and coding. The company also says "DeepSeek-V4 is seamlessly integrated with leading AI agents like Claude Code, OpenClaw & OpenCode."
DeepSeek released benchmark results that indicate the new models achieve similar results as the latest frontier models from OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic.
DeepSeek V4 benchmark performance comparison. Credit: DeepSeekOn popular AI leaderboards such as Arena and Artificial Analysis, DeepSeek V4 currently lags behind the top frontier models, though that could change in the days and weeks ahead.
DeepSeek V4 is far more economical than the competitionYou may remember when DeepSeek burst onto the AI scene in Jan. 2025, when the company announced its R1 model. That model sent shockwaves through the U.S. AI industry by proving it was possible to build powerful models much more efficiently and cheaply.
DeepSeek V4 is also priced far lower than Gemini, ChatGPT, and Anthropic. That could give DeepSeek a huge edge in adoption.
Here's how the API pricing compares:
DeepSeek V4 costs $1.74 per 1 million input tokens and $3.48 per 1 million output tokens (1 million context window)
GPT-5.5 costs at $5 per 1 million input tokens and $30 per 1 million output tokens (1 million context window)
Claude Opus 4.7 costs at $5 per 1 million input tokens and $25 per 1 million output tokens (1 million context window)
Google Gemini 3.1 Pro costs $2 per 1 million input tokens and $12 per 1 million output tokens
As you can see, DeepSeek is about one-sixth the cost of the latest U.S. models, which is a huge edge. Even the more affordable Gemini 3.1 Pro is at a serious cost disadvantage.
So, a task that would cost you $5.22 with DeepSeek V4 would cost you $35 with GPT-5.5, or about 85 percent less.
Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.
If you were watching YouTube in the late 2000s, chances are you came across the sketch comedy stylings of The Lonely Island and BriTANick. The Lonely Island is made up of Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, and Jorma Taccone, who are now Saturday Night Live comedy legends in their own right. They brought us the iconic music videos "Lazy Sunday," "I'm on a Boat," and "Dick in a Box."
Around the same time, inspired by The Lonely Island, came another massively popular sketch group out of NYU made up of longtime friends Brian McElhaney and Nick Kocher. They called themselves BriTANick. Their fast-paced absurdist minds gave us legendary video sketches such as "Boys Night In," "Academy Award Winning Movie Trailer," and "Sexy Pool Party."
Mashable's Executive Producer Mark Stetson met up with BriTANick and The Lonely Island's Jorma Taccone to talk about their new film, Over Your Dead Body, a remake of Tommy Wirkola's Norwegian dark comedy The Trip. McElhaney and Kocher wrote the script, while Taccone directs; the result is a comedic remake that stays delightfully close to the original while adding their own unique spin.
Samara Weaving and Jason Segel star as Lisa and Dan, a married couple who have grown absolutely sick of each other. Sure, to their friends or family, it seems like they're planning a weekend getaway to Dan's dad's cabin to romantically reconnect. But really, what Dan has planned is what true crime fans would call an "alpine divorce," meaning he's plotting to murder his wife and make it look like a climbing accident.
Taccone and BriTANick took us on their career journeys starting out as sketch comedians making what are now-famous comedy videos for "$15 and some Mini DV tapes." The Lonely Island had to borrow their camera from Bill Hader's then-wife, director Maggie Carey, to film "Lazy Sunday," while BriTANick had to do every bit of production themselves. According to McElhaney, "Now, everyone can do it. Back then, you had to know someone who had a FireWire cord and had a camera, and you had to know how to export from Final Cut Pro. Only the nerds knew how to do it."
Taccone added, "It's so nice that the barrier of entry has lowered so anyone can do it and be creative. But also because there is so much of it, the prices have all gone down. There is more you can do for not a lot of money. Which is why it's so nice when you have the stamp of IFC, who is going to give you this amount of money to do something. You can actually do a substantial thing."
The long-awaited foldable iPhone should arrive in 2026. So far, Apple has kept a very tight lid on its first-ever foldable phone, but all signs point to a fall or winter 2026 release.
Early adopters already love foldables — and they have plenty of options — but Apple's been notably absent from the genre. However, don't count Apple out. The company has a history of showing up late to the party and then absolutely cornering the market, as it did with AirPods and iPhones.
So, as we await official details, here's everything we know about the first foldable iPhone, including the latest rumors, possible specifications, release date, and pricing information.
When will the iPhone Fold be released?We think the iPhone Fold will arrive in fall 2026 alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. Numerous rumors pointed to this over the last year. However, while Apple traditionally releases all of its new iPhones in September, the Fold might not be ready by then.
A tech analyst named Tim Long recently claimed that shipments of the iPhone Fold will begin in December of this year, not September, though Bloomberg's Mark Gurman threw cold water on this rumor. And Gurman seems to have a crystal ball looking right into Apple headquarters these days.
Still, given the ongoing global memory shortage, last-minute delays are always possible, so we'll have to wait and see.
SEE ALSO: Apple's iPhone Fold is on track, but it might be pricier than we thought What will the iPhone Fold specs look like? What would you want to see in a foldable iPhone design? Let us know in the comments. Credit: Zain bin Awais / MashableThe iPhone Fold remains a mystery to some extent, of course, but we do have a very rough idea of what it could offer. Based on all the rumors and leaks, the iPhone Fold will have a wider design than the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, Galaxy Z Fold 7, and the upcoming Motorola Fold.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman predicts that the foldable iPhone will be a book-style foldable with four cameras — two on the back, one on the inside, and one front selfie camera. Gurman also predicted it would use Touch ID like the iPad Air and Pro, even though iPhones typically use Face ID. All the recent leaks back up Gurman's reporting.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.In fact, the smartphone market is already adapting to the expected size of the iPhone Fold, and a Samsung Z Fold 8 Wide model recently leaked. Huawei was the first to market with a wide foldable, though the new Pura X Max is only available overseas.
The iPhone Fold specs could look something like this:
Displays: 7.8-inch inner OLED display, 5.5-inch outer OLED display
Thickness: 9.5mm unfolded, 4.5mm when folded
Security: Touch ID
Processor: A20 processor
Cameras: Dual rear cameras (48MP), dual inner/outer front cameras
Price: $2,399
Battery: At least 5,088 mAh
We've seen several reports claiming that Apple is committed to making the iPhone Fold's display the best it can possibly be. It should be very durable, super thin, and without a visible crease. Samsung Display is reportedly producing the OLED displays for the iPhone Fold, as Samsung's got the best flexible display tech in the game. There's a reason Samsung released the Galaxy TriFold while the world is still waiting on the first foldable iPhone.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported earlier this year that the iPhone Fold would have a 7.8-inch inner display, a 5.5-inch outer display, and measure in at just 9 to 9.5mm of thickness. We heard another rumor in September 2025, which claimed the iPhone Fold would look like two iPhone Airs put together, with a similar thickness of 5.6mm. Why the discrepancy between the two reports? It could be the difference between the device's thickness when folded and unfolded.
There's also talk about Apple using innovative tech to make the iPhone Fold lighter and more durable than most foldables. These rumors include a report that the company is using liquid metal for the phone's hinge, which should improve durability.
What will the foldable iPhone be called?Up until now, most of the tech world has simply called the unannounced device the "iPhone Fold." However, since it's not a confirmed product yet, it's very possible that the phone will have a different name at launch. Some outlets, such as 9to5mac, have lately taken to calling it the "iPhone Ultra" or "iPhone Ultra Fold."
While that would be a cool name (and may actually be the name when it comes out), we're going to stick with "iPhone Fold" for now, just for the sake of simplicity.
How much will the iPhone Fold cost, and will people buy it? A hypothetical rendering of the rumored iPhone Fold. Credit: Zain bin Awais / MashableThe iPhone Fold is likely to be expensive. An early estimate from research analyst Arthur Liao suggested the price tag for the Fold — gulp — could come in around $2,399. That's in line with expectations in a new report from International Data Corporation (IDC). Last year, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the iPhone Fold is likely to retail between $2,000 and $2,500.
Despite the sizable cost (the flagship Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is priced at $1,999.99), sales expectations remain high. The IDC report estimated Apple would siphon one-third of the spending in the foldable market in 2026.
"But the real game-changer for the category comes at year-end when Apple enters the foldable space, projected to capture over 22% unit share and a staggering 34% of the foldables market value in its first year, thanks to an expected average price point of $2,400,” read the report.
In March, Mark Gurman claimed that Apple could classify the iPhone Fold as an "Ultra" product, putting it in a higher price tier than other devices in its portfolio alongside other high-end machines like the Apple Watch Ultra. If the phone ends up costing at least $2,000 as expected, this would make sense.
The latest iPhone Fold leaksIn December 2025, we saw lots of alleged iPhone Fold renders circulating on social media, which all share a similar design. We'd take these with a grain of salt, of course.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.In February, a leaker known as Instant Digital posted some alleged renders of the iPhone to the Chinese social media site Weibo. Like most leaks, especially the ones pertaining to Apple, we can't confirm their authenticity. However, they line up with earlier reports of the overall look of the phone.
More recently, Apple leaker Sonny Dickson shared another potential iPhone Fold render in March 2026.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Dickson shared more purported dummy units of the iPhone Fold in April, giving those renders a bit more physicality than they had before.
April has been fairly bounteous in terms of iPhone Fold leaks. Aside from Dickson's dummy units, YouTuber Vincent Zhong got his hands on the newly released (in Asia) Huawei Pura X Max Wide. This Chinese phone is one of the first real "wide foldables" that we've seen hit the market, and its screen dimensions are almost exactly the same as the alleged dimensions of the iPhone Fold.
While the iPhone Fold will almost certainly look different from Huawei's device, Zhong's hands-on video gives us a decent idea of what to expect from the iPhone Fold as a physical object in your hands.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.We've also gotten some interesting dummy photos from tech leaker Majin Bu on X in April. In these photos, the dummy units look very similar to what we've seen in other recent leaks. In other words, it looks like a shorter, more book-style foldable than previous foldables. It looks like it'll also support MagSafe cases.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. What about the cameras and battery?Instant Digital makes some interesting claims. Most notably, the report says the iPhone Fold will have the largest-ever iPhone battery. (For reference, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is estimated to have a roughly 5,088 mAh battery.)
"The volume buttons are not on the left side," reads a translation of the post. "Instead, they are placed directly on the top of the right-side frame (similar to the volume button layout on the top of the iPad mini). This may take some getting used to for users’ typical phone habits."
The post also stated, "The rear dual camera + right-side microphone + flash are arranged horizontally. The camera module appears to be fully black and does not match the body color. Currently, the only confirmed color is white, but it is expected that Apple will launch two color options."
What else do we know about the iPhone Fold?Beyond physical design, another recent report suggested you'll be able to run multiple apps side-by-side when the phone is unfolded, sort of like multitasking on iPadOS 26. However, by all accounts, this device will run iOS, not iPadOS, so you won't exactly get a full iPad experience from the iPhone Fold. (Apps that are designed to run natively in iPadOS, for example, would not be compatible.)
SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy Z Trifold vs Apple foldable iPhone: Specs and rumorsFinally, even though the iPhone Fold is still in the realm of fantasy, there are already rumors about a follow-up, clamshell-style foldable from Apple, potentially called the iPhone Flip. That one probably isn't coming until next year, though.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Want to learn more about getting the best out of your tech? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories and Deals newsletters today.
Back during CES in January, Amazon revealed its smart TVs were getting a rebrand soon. But if you don't follow CES news as we do, the April 15 switchover to "Ember" in all of Amazon's smart TV listings might have been jarring. It's been a relatively quiet rebrand for a major product line, so it's valid to feel a little confused.
So wait, is Fire TV just called Ember TV now?
Well, sometimes. The rebrand is a title change that will unify all Amazon-branded smart TVs under a single recognizable name — Ember. But the Fire TV operating system and streaming app platform, which is still known as Fire TV, isn't going anywhere.
Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Ember TVs Shop the Ember 2-Series, 4-Series, QLED, Mini-LED, and Artline Shop Now What's the difference between Amazon Fire TV and Amazon Ember TV?Amazon Ember only replaces Fire TV when we're talking about the physical televisions: What were formerly known as Amazon Fire TVs are now Amazon Ember TVs. Those Ember TVs still run the Fire TV OS, so the interface you're used to is still alive and well.
There's no more Amazon Omni line, but the actual TVs are still the same. Credit: AmazonFire TV is the name of Amazon's TV operating system and streaming app platform, so Amazon must think it will be less confusing for the TVs to be called something else. (Hey, at least Ember stays on theme with Fire and Kindle.)
The name change feels especially practical when you remember that Amazon isn't the only brand that uses Fire TV. Many models from Insignia, TCL, Toshiba, and Hisense are also marketed as Fire TVs, so the Ember title will quickly distinguish those from in-house Amazon smart TVs. The Ember name change doesn't affect non-Amazon TVs that use the Fire TV OS.
SEE ALSO: Looksmaxxing my bedroom TV with the Hisense Déco: The chic, small, budget QLED TV that blends in with my decorAfter the April 2026 rebrand, these are the new names of Amazon's main smart TV series:
Amazon Ember 2-Series (FHD)
The pre-existing TVs are the same as they were before the name change — even their reviews carried over.
We aren't expecting any new Ember TVs to launch before Amazon's next Devices & Services event, which usually takes place in the fall.
No, Fire Sticks aren't called Ember Sticks nowFire TV Sticks and Fire TV Cubes are still called what they were called. In fact, along with the announcement of the Amazon Ember Artline TV, Amazon also announced a new Fire TV Stick coming on April 29.
What's the difference between Ember Artline and The Frame?So far, the only brand-new TV to come out of the Ember shift is the Ember Artline. Amazon's first lifestyle TV features a matte screen, interchangeable wood and metallic frames, an ultra-thin design, and a mount that lets the TV lie flat against the wall — all hallmark features of TVs that double as art when they're not being watched.
Choose from 10 different Ember Artline frames like teak, pale gold, and matte white. Credit: AmazonIt's hard to not immediately envision an Ember Artline vs. The Frame showdown.
There are advantages and disadvantages to both art TVs: The Ember Artline only comes in two sizes compared to five sizes of The Frame, but the Ember Artline's 55-inch and 65-inch models are $200 and $300 more affordable than Samsung's 55-inch and 65-inch counterparts. One could argue that The Frame's 120Hz refresh rate justifies the steeper cost compared to the Ember Artline's 60Hz. But if you prefer Dolby Vision over Samsung's HDR10+, the Ember Artline might be the obvious choice. (These numbers are based on the latest version of The Frame only.)
But perhaps the Ember Artline's biggest edge over The Frame? The entire Ember Artline art gallery is free. You'll get access to more than 2,000 free pieces of art, while the vast majority The Frame's artwork is behind a $4.99/month paywall. You can totally use The Frame without that subscription, but your artwork selection maxes out at 30 options each month.
After a short preorder window, you can now officially buy the Amazon Ember Artline: Get the 55-inch model for $899.99 or the 65-inch model for $1,099.99.
Amazon Ember Artline $899.99 at AmazonTL;DR: Live stream Manchester City vs. Southampton in the FA Cup for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
Manchester City are now leading the Premier League after a dramatic victory over Arsenal. That's been the focus for weeks, but the FA Cup is providing a distraction. Man City face Southampton this weekend for a place in the final, and you can watch without spending anything.
If you want to watch Manchester City vs. Southampton in the FA Cup for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Manchester City vs. Southampton?Manchester City vs. Southampton in the FA Cup kicks off at 12:15 p.m. ET on April 25. This fixture takes place at Wembley Stadium.
How to watch Manchester City vs. Southampton for freeManchester City vs. Southampton in the FA Cup is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer.
BBC iPlayer is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock BBC iPlayer from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Manchester City vs. Southampton for free by following these simple steps:
Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK
Visit BBC iPlayer
Live stream Manchester City vs. Southampton for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Manchester City vs. Southampton without committing with your cash. This isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to live stream select fixtures from the FA Cup before recovering your investment.
What is the best VPN for BBC iPlayer?ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on BBC iPlayer, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries including the UK
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If you've been using Sniffies to cruise your local area, but you're tired of using the web-based version (RIP to the Sniffies app), I have some news: Squirt just launched its very own iOS app.
SEE ALSO: What happened to Omegle? The rise and fall of the internet's favorite stranger dangerThis is coming at a pretty opportune time because I recently added Squirt (which has been around for more than two decades, making it literally older than Grindr) to our roundup of the best gay dating apps. One of my only qualms was that iPhone users were stuck using their mobile browsers. Given how notoriously strict Apple is about adult content, I basically assumed a native iOS app would never happen.
A much more streamlined way to browse the grid without getting banned by Apple. Credit: Squirt"One of the biggest challenges in getting here was modernizing a platform built over 26 years, with layers of infrastructure and evolving technologies," Andrew Nolan, Head of Dating Businesses at Squirt's parent company, Pink Triangle Press, tells Mashable. "At the same time, the landscape is shifting quickly, with new state-level regulations and increasing requirements around age and ID verification, so having a more flexible, up-to-date foundation means we can move faster and adapt as those changes continue."
The new app is officially called SQ Dating — Gay Chat & Meet. If you're familiar with Squirt, you already know it's a go-to, unapologetically "cruising-first" platform. It's a local directory built for gay, bi, and curious men looking for casual, no-strings-attached encounters. (And it definitely works: according to the brand's 2025 member survey, 80 percent of members have successfully hooked up through the platform.)
You can finally browse, chat, and set up casual meet-ups straight from your home screen. Credit: SquirtIf you're wondering how a platform that one Reddit user described as "very sleezy and slutty" made it onto the Apple App Store, it was through some very strategic planning.
"Getting SQ Dating into the iOS and Android stores is a big moment for us," says Nolan. "The app is a more streamlined (with more features on the way), PG way to connect, chat, and date, and it's still connected to the full Squirt experience on the web, where things are a lot more open and expressive."
Yet another blow has been struck against the chiseled jaw of viral looksmaxxer Braden Peters, otherwise known as Clavicular.
Two of Peters' channels, @LiveWithClav and @ClavLooksmax, were removed from YouTube on April 23. The pages featured archived live streams and free "courses" on looksmaxxing for young men interested in what the community calls "ascending," or achieving a specific physical appearance some believe is tied to white supremacist beauty standards.
SEE ALSO: TikTok tests AI Remix option. What it is, how to opt out.The bone-smashing, mewing creator — who has garnered fame for his controversial livestreams and association with the virulent "manosphere" — flagged the ban on X, and included a screenshot showing that YouTube flagged his channels for "severe or repeated violations" of its Community Guidelines.
"Me and my team worked hard to ensure we followed YouTube’s TOS very strictly, blurring out all inappropriate language and sensitive topics. Could you please help in recovering my accounts?" wrote Peters.
In statements to the press, YouTube explained that the accounts were a violation of the platform's Terms of Service, which prohibits creators who have previously been banned from creating new channels. In November, Peters' original channel was removed from the platform for violating YouTube's policies pertaining to illegal or regulated goods, with the platform stating his channel provided access to prohibited websites.
Peters has previously stated that he takes illicit drugs, including crystal meth, to "stay thin." On April 14, the creator appeared to overdose on camera during a nightclub livestream with other manosphere creators. Peters was admitted to Miami's Jackson Memorial Hospital that evening and later returned to the nightclub. He later addressed the incident in a series of social media posts, stating he used "substances" as a means to cope and "feel neurotypical" while in public. The creator was then dropped by his publicist.
A few days prior to the incident, 60 Minutes Australia released a clip of Peters ending an interview when asked about his associations with accused human trafficker Andrew Tate, alt-right figure Nick Fuentes, and larger incel (involuntarily celibate) communities.
If you're feeling suicidal or experiencing a mental health crisis, please talk to somebody. You can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. You can reach the Trans Lifeline by calling 877-565-8860 or the Trevor Project at 866-488-7386. Text "START" to Crisis Text Line at 741-741. Contact the NAMI HelpLine at 1-800-950-NAMI, Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. ET, or email info@nami.org. If you don't like the phone, consider using the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Chat. Here is a list of international resources.
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.
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.
Here's a hint for today's Connections Sports Edition categoriesWant a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: To designate
Green: Where you'd see the Summer Games
Blue: Has hoted a popular basketball player
Purple: They share a second word
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Choose
Green: Last four Summer Olympics hosts
Blue: Teams Kevin Durant has played for
Purple: ___ Derby
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 #217 is...
What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition todayChoose - DRAFT, PICK, SELECT, TAKE
Last four Summer Olympics host - LONDON, PARIS, RIO DE JANEIRO, TOKYO
Teams Kevin Durant has played f - TEXAS, THUNDER, UNITED STATES, WARRIORS
___ Derby - HOME RUN, KENTUCKY, MANCHESTER, ROLLER
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.
OpenAI released its latest model, GPT-5.5, on April 23, just a week after Anthropic introduced Claude Opus 4.7.
As the two leading models from the two leading AI labs, we wanted to see how the new models compare.
Spoiler alert: We think Claude Opus 4.7 has an edge on advanced and agentic coding, but GPT-5.5 performs better on most benchmarks.
SEE ALSO: Anthropic says Claude Opus 4.7 has a 92% honesty rate, less sycophancyWant to learn more about getting the best out of your tech? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories and Deals newsletters today.
GPT-5.5 and Opus 4.7: LeaderboardsGPT-5.5 isn't yet ranked on all AI leaderboards yet, but it should be very competitive with Claude Opus 4.7. On the leaderboards of verified benchmark tests such as Arc Prize, GPT-5.5 beats Opus 4.7 (more on this below).
On the popular Arena leaderboard, which is based on user testing, Claude Opus 4.7 Thinking has the top overall spot. Interestingly, Opus 4.7 is currently ranked below Opus 4.6, though that will likely change in time. Currently, new Anthropic models hold the top four overall spots. What's more, Anthropic's unreleased Claude Mythos isn't ranked, and Anthropic says it performs even better than Opus 4.7.
On the Epoch Capabilities Index (ECI) leaderboard, GPT-5.4 Pro has the top score for now. (ECI combines several benchmarks into a single score.) You'll find Gemini 3.1 Pro and GPT-5.4 in the second and third positions.
SEE ALSO: AI's ability to find major software bugs is growing 490% year on year GPT-5.5 and Opus 4.7: BenchmarksHow do the new models perform on the most common benchmark tests? We have to rely primarily on OpenAI and Anthropic's self-reported scores for these tests. They both achieve high marks, as you'd expect, but GPT-5.5 definitely has the edge.
Here's how they compare on some top AI benchmark tests:
SWE-Bench Pro: GPT-5.5 scored 58.6; Opus 4.7 scored 64.3 percent
Terminal-Bench 2.0: GPT-5.5 scored 82.7 percent; Opus 4.7 scored 69.4 percent
Humanity's Last Exam: GPT-5.5 scored 40.6 percent; Opus 4.7 scored 31.2 percent*
Humanity's Last Exam (with tools): GPT-5.5 scored 52.2 percent; Opus 4.7 scored 54.7 percent
BrowseComp: GPT-5.5 scored 84.4 percent; Opus 4.7 scored 79.3 percent
GPQA Diamond: GPT-5.5 scored 93.6 percent; Opus 4.7 scored 94.2 percent
ARC-AGI-1 (Verified): GPT-5.5 (High) scored 94.5 percent; Claude 4.7 (High) scored 92 percent**
ARC-AGI-2 (Verified): GPT-5.5 (High) scored 83.3 percent; Claude 4.7 (High) scored 68.3 percent**
*For Humanity's Last Exam, we're citing Artificial Analysis's verified HLE results. Notably, Anthropic reports that Opus 4.7 scored 46.9 percent on this test.
**See the full results at the Arc Prize website.
GPT 5.5 and Opus 4.7: Availability and pricingOpenAI says GPT 5.5 is "our smartest and most intuitive to use model yet." Claude Opus 4.7 is Anthropic's most advanced model available to Claude users, though Anthropic says the unreleased Claude Mythos Preview is the more capable model overall.
As such, only paid subscribers can access these frontier models.
GPT 5.5 is only available to OpenAI Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise users in ChatGPT and Codex (sorry, ChatGPT Go users). Pro, Business, and Enterprise users can also access GPT-5.5 Pro, while Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise customers can access GPT-5.5 Thinking.
OpenAI is raising prices for GPT-5.5 in its API, though the company says it's more token-efficient. API pricing starts at "$5 per 1M input tokens and $30 per 1M output tokens, with a 1M context window."
Opus 4.7 is available to Pro and Max customers; via the API, it's available for "$5 per million input tokens and $25 per million output tokens."
GPT-5.5 and Opus 4.7: Feature setOpenAI says that GPT-5.5 makes noticeable improvements in "agentic coding, computer use, knowledge work, and early scientific research." Anthropic says Claude Opus 4.7 improves in advanced coding, visual intelligence, and document analysis.
ChatGPT and Claude have similar overall feature sets, though there are some exceptions. Broadly speaking, you can use both of these AI chatbots for research, coding, creative projects, and everyday professional work. You can also use both of the new models in OpenAI and Anthropic's coding platforms, Codex and Claude Code.
It's easier to talk about the differences than the similarities. While GPT-5.5 is not an image model, within ChatGPT you can use the new ChatGPT Images 2.0 model. Anthropic recently rolled out Claude Design, but it only offers data visualizations, graphics, and slides, not full image generation. So, if you need to generate images or interactive graphics for a project, GPT-5.5 will have more tools available to call.
GPT-5.5 can be used to create complex and interactive data visualizations. Credit: OpenAIChatGPT has more app and shopping integrations, though thanks to its recent acquisition of OpenClaw, Anthropic has the edge on agentic capabilities.
TL;DR: If we had to pick one of these models for everyday professional work, GPT-5.5 would have the edge thanks to ChatGPT's broader overall feature set. However, for advanced and agentic coding, we'd go with Claude Opus 4.7.
Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.
SAVE 11%: As of April 24, you can get the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Bluetooth headphones (2nd gen) for $399, down from $449, at Amazon. That's an 11% discount, or $50 in savings.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Bluetooth headphones (2nd gen) $399 at AmazonOver-ear headphones are basically a fashion accessory at this point. And let me just say, the limited-edition Desert Gold colorway on the second-generation Bose QuietComfort Ultra is super sexy. Right now, you can grab a pair at Amazon for $399. That's an 11% discount or a $50 price cut. (It's also the lowest price we've seen them go for!)
SEE ALSO: Review: Bose QuietComfort Ultra are the most comfortable headphones I've ever wornMashable's Lead Shopping Reporter Bethany Allard reviewed the second-generation QC Ultras and crowned them "the most comfortable headphones on the market." She says that "there was simply not a scenario where the fit didn't feel excellent," whether she was working all day or going for a walk.
And, of course, she mentioned the impossible-to-ignore aesthetic details: "On a pure aesthetic note, the shiny metal accent is a strong design choice (in my humble opinion) that helps these headphones stand out even more from their cheaper counterparts in Bose's lineup."
Aside from being gorgeous, you'll get up to 30 hours of battery life, adjustable active noise cancellation, and a Cinema Mode for movie-like immersion. Plus, Bose finally added USB-C playback, so you can charge your headphones and listen to music at the exact same time.
Now that most 2026 TV releases have hit the shelves, models from 2025 are getting the deal treatment. This happens every year in the spring, making April one of the best times to buy a new TV. We're not mad about it. You can get a huge Mini LED TV for under $500 or snag an OLED model for under $1,000 if you waited until now to upgrade.
Not to mention, it's a great time to enhance your viewing experience in general now that the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs and NBA playoffs are underway. And we can't forget the slew of new movies and series hitting streaming this season.
Whether you're ready to pull the trigger or want to weigh your options, we've rounded up the best TV deals to shop this weekend from top brands Hisense, Samsung, and LG.
Best Hisense TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense Hisense 75-inch QD7 Mini LED QLED 4K TV $499.99 at AmazonMashable's sister site CNET (also owned by Ziff Davis) dubbed the Hisense QD7 the "best budget TV of 2026," thanks to its deep contrast, superior brightness levels, solid 144Hz refresh rate for gaming and sports, and full array local dimming (which is typicalyl only found in more expensive models). The picture quality can go head to head with TVs with much larger price tags, making this deal even more impressive. Both Amazon and Best Buy have dropped the cost of the 75-inch model down to only $499.99 for a savings of $300. That's its cheapest price ever.
Best Samsung TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung 55-inch QN70F Neo QLED 4K TV $597.99 at AmazonIf you're married to the Samsung brand, but don't want to spend a ton of money on its higher-end models, the QN70F Neo QLED is a great value. As a "Neo QLED" TV, it pairs QLED with a Mini LED panel, which basically just translates to a deeply detailed display that looks stunning and can hold its own in all sorts of lighting situations. Its AI processor can upscale content and enhance the quality of just about anything if you prefer it, while the 144Hz variable refresh rate ensures transitions are smooth and less laggy than your old TV. As of April 24, the 55-inch QN70F is down to only $597.99 at Amazon, marking its biggest discount to date.
Best LG TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: LG LG 65-inch 85A QNED 4K TV $599.99 at AmazonWe find that 65 inches is the sweet spot for most people and the LG 65-inch 85A QNED 4K TV is a solid mid-range Mini LED option. Now down to only $599.99, it's not only cheaper than the 55-inch version, but also its best price on record. And don't let Amazon's listing fool you; the original cost of this TV is over $1,000, so you'll save 50%. The 85A uses an AI processor to enhance both picture and audio in real time, while the AI Magic Remote also gives you options for content recommendations, picture and audio customizations, and generative AI gallery images to transform your TV into artwork. It also features a 120Hz native refresh rate, 144Hz variable refresh rate, AMD FreeSync Premium, and LG Game Optimizer for smooth gaming experiences.
More TV deals worth grabbingHisense
Hisense 75-inch U6 Mini LED QLED 4K TV — $499.99 $1,299.99 (save $800)
Hisense 55-inch S7N Canvas QLED 4K TV — $697.99 $999.99 (save $302)
Hisense 65-inch U8 Mini LED ULED 4K TV — $999.99 $2,199.99 (save $1,200)
Hisense 75-inch U8 Mini LED ULED 4K TV — $1,249.99 $2,499.99 (save $1,250)
LG
LG 55-inch B5 OLED 4K TV — $799.99 $1,499.99 (save $700)
Samsung
Samsung 43-inch Q8F QLED 4K TV — $397.99 $549.99 (save $152)
Samsung 65-inch Q7F QLED 4K TV — $427.99 $629.99 (save $202)
Samsung 55-Inch S85F OLED 4K TV — $897.99 $1,499.99 (save $602)
Anthropic just made Claude a lot more useful for a bunch of users.
The company's flagship AI chatbot just got upgraded to be compatible with several major apps, meaning it can now handle things like ordering food, hiring people for odd-jobs, and other random tasks that you might otherwise have to manually open an app to perform. Combine these new integrations with Claude's increasingly agentic capabilities, and you can offload a lot of work to Anthropic's chatbot.
Claude already had an extensive list of possible app connections, but there are some real heavy-hitters in the list of new additions:
AllTrails
Audible
Booking.com
Instacart
Intuit Credit Karma
Intuit TurboTax
Resy
Spotify
StubHub
TaskRabbit
Thumbtack
TripAdvisor
Uber
UberEats
Viator
Anthropic's press release also noted that more are on the way. With these new connections, you can book a trip, order food, arrange a ride-share, or hire someone to mount your TV, all from one chatbot window. On top of these apps becoming compatible with Claude, Anthropic has also adjusted the chatbot so it will automatically suggest certain apps for certain actions, based on the context of your conversation with it.
Anthropic also clarified that there won't be sponsored answers or suggestions in the chat, maintaining that Claude is and will be ad-free going forward. Connected apps are also not used to train Claude, and they can't see other conversations you've had with the chatbot.
Want to learn more about getting the best out of your tech? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories and Deals newsletters today.
SAVE 13%: As of April 24, you can get the 27-inch Asus ROG Swift OLED gaming monitor for $699, down from $799, at Amazon. That's a 13% discount or $100 savings.
27-inch Asus ROG Swift OLED gaming monitor $699 at AmazonI'm a big believer that your gaming setup is only as good as your monitor. You can have the most expensive, tricked-out PC in the world, but if your screen is lagging or blurring every time you move your mouse, it's basically useless. (Plus, playing on a slow display is super annoying.)
SEE ALSO: The best gaming laptops of 2026: Check out our top picksRight now, you can upgrade your battlestation for less at Amazon. As of April 24, the Asus ROG Swift OLED 27-inch gaming monitor is down to $699, from $799. That’s a 13% discount or $100 savings.
According to Asus, this is the world's first 1440p 480Hz OLED gaming monitor. (Translation: it's, like, really fast.) You'll get a 480Hz refresh rate paired with a 0.03ms response time. It also features a built-in AI assistant (because, of course, it does), a matte screen, and anti-flicker tech to save your eyes during marathon gaming sessions.