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TL;DR: Live stream Tiafoe vs. de Minaur in the 2026 Australian Open for free on 9Now. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Alex de Minaur is one of the names to watch 2026 Australian Open. The Australian tennis star is looking to claim his first Gland Slam title on home soil. As the No. 6 seed, he's looked sharp so far and only dropped a single set in the first two rounds.

But a tougher challenge awaits in the third round in the form of American No. 29 seed Francis Tiafoe. Can de Minaur get one step closer to his first Grand Slam? Or will Tiafoe take the tennis glory for himself?

If you want to watch Tiafoe vs. de Minaur in the 2026 Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

How to watch Tiafoe vs. de Minaur for free

Tiafoe vs. de Minaur in the 2026 Australian Open is available to live stream for free on 9Now.

9Now is geo-restricted to Australia, 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 Australia, meaning you can unblock 9Now from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the 2026 Australian Open by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

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

4. Visit 9Now

5. Watch the 2026 Australian Open 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 leading services do tend to offer deals such as free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these deals, you can live stream Tiafoe vs. de Minaur without actually spending anything. This isn't a long-term solution, but it gives you enough time to watch the Australian Open before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for 9Now?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live tennis on 9Now, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Australia

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $59.88 and includes an extra three months for free — 69% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Tiafoe vs. de Minaur in the 2026 Australian Open for free with ExpressVPN.

Look, we love Dr. Robby (Noah Wyle), even with his flaws. But this latest episode of The Pitt has us urgently worried about our favorite ER doc, all because of a few little words that call back to some fan theories out of episode 1.

The hit show's complicated attending physician kicked the second season off with a controversial move that had tongues wagging. Now, with Season 2, episode 3, titled "9 A.M.," he's lying about it. What does this mean for Dr. Robby's Season 2 arc and beyond?

Let's dive into it.

What did Dr. Robby lie about in "The Pitt"? Noah Wyle as Dr. Robby in "The Pitt." Credit: Warrick Page / HBO Max

He lied about his motorcycling habits. Here's how it went down:

In this episode, along with a grief-stricken burn victim, a kiddo with a "zebra" of a medical condition, and a mercurial patient with a mind-bending diagnosis, The Pitt also featured a squabbling married couple whose petty argument was interrupted by a motorcyclist colliding into their car.

While the episode followed the husband and wife through treatment and regrets over their fight, the motorcyclist was basically dead on arrival, with a shocking amount of his brain's gray matter on display. Usually stoic medical student Joy Kwon (Irene Choi) reacted in shock, asking, "No helmet?"

To this, the police officer in the room says, "Nope." While looking at the patient's ID, he notes, "He took the PennDOT motorcycle safety course." (PennDOT is short for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.)

Dr. Garcia (Alexandra Metz) quips, "Isn't that what you took, Robby?"

Dr. Robby responds sharply, saying, "Yes, but I still wear a helmet."

There's the lie.

The Season 2 opening sequence echoed the start of Season 1, following Dr. Robby into the emergency room of the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center. But where in the first season he was on foot, in the second, he's riding a motorcycle across one of Pittsburgh's signature yellow bridges. And he's — say it with me — NOT WEARING A HELMET.

What does this helmet lie mean? Noah Wyle as Dr. Robby in "The Pitt" doesn't wear a helmet while motorcycling in "The Pitt" Season 2. Credit: Screenshot: HBO Max

When fans of The Pitt first saw Dr. Robby riding without a helmet in the Season 2 sneak peak, many called this behavior out on social media. Some declared it "unrealistic" for an ER doctor to behave this way, while others suggested such recklessness is a sign of Robby having a death wish.

Season 1, we saw him going to the edge of the hospital's rooftop, potentially considering jumping. Now he's riding without a motorcycle helmet on July 4, a holiday notorious for a spike in Emergency Room visits.

However, Robby will tell anyone who listens — even his loathed, returning colleague Langdon (Patrick Ball) — how he's going on a three-month sabbatical to motorcycle his way to an aboriginal UNESCO World Heritage Site in Alberta. So maybe he's taking the advice of night shift attending physician Dr. Abbot (Shawn Hatosy) and finding a hobby to help him relieve the stress of working at "The Pitt." But there are some worrying signs about his trip already.

Consider all this: He's riding without a helmet on busy city streets, an act some fans have called "passively suicidal." Of all the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world, he's headed to one with the name "Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump." Then there's a motorcyclist with his head smashed in right before Dr. Robby's very eyes. And instead of considering how he opened himself up to such an injury just two hours before, Robby lies to assuage the concerns of his co-workers.

Are all these clues suggesting that Robby going on this particular sabbatical could mean we won't see him in Season 3? Could that planned long ride be his last?

On the one hand, with a third season of The Pitt confirmed, it's unlikely that Wyle, who is also a writer, director, and producer on the series, will be written off. But remember, Wyle did come up on ER, which saw popular leads like George Clooney and Julianna Margulies leave long before the show wrapped. So we're not feeling totally confident about Dr. Robby's fate.

What has Noah Wyle said about Dr. Robby not wearing a helmet?

Asked about this on the Golden Globes red carpet, Wyle told the AP, "There's nothing arbitrary about the way we do the show. Everything is pretty specific. And that was a very specific decision that we made to have him riding with the helmet on his backpack but not on his head — telling everybody he wears one, but we all know he isn't."

On Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Wyle spoke about the decision to have Robby ride without his helmet. Turns out it wasn't in the script, and it was his idea.

He told Kimmel, "The night before [we shot the scene], I had dinner with John Wells, who directed the [first] episode [of Season 2]...And I said, 'I don't know that Robby wears a helmet. I think he tells people he wears a helmet.'"

He then compared the motorcycle season opener to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory's iconic introduction to Willy Wonka. The Pitt star explained how the film's leading man, Gene Wilder, agreed to play Wonka "if he could make his character introduction, where he comes out with a cane and a limp and then he walks up to the gate and then he falls forward and comes up into this very elegant sort of bow. And they asked him why he wanted to do that, and he said, 'Because from that point forward they won't know if I'm telling the truth or not.'"

For Wyle, Wonka and Dr. Robby have this uneasy allure in common. He continued to Kimmel, "We're talking about a guy who's on a mental health journey, who's resistant to getting the help he probably should get. What better clue can we give the audience that he's playing a little fast and loose with his life than to let them in on this detail that he's not telling the people that he works with, that love him."

So, yeah. We've been worried since that no helmet scene first hit, and our concern is only growing.

The Pitt Season 2 is now streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes being released every Thursday at 9 p.m. ET.

If you want to talk to someone or are experiencing suicidal thoughts, text the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. For international resources, this list is a good place to start.

Brace yourselves, Pitt Fiends! (Is that what we're calling ourselves?) Because episode 3 of Season 2 just dropped a major cliffhanger. As if Dr. Robby's lie doesn't have us stressed enough, now we've got a code black to deal with!?

Spoilers and speculation below for Season 2 of The Pitt.

For those unfamiliar with hospital terminology, a "code black" in this case means the nearby hospital will be diverting all its emergency room patients to Dr. Robby's trauma center until further notice. In Season 1, the day shift had to deal with the PittFest massacre. So, what calamity are they going to be grappling with now?

Well, while episode 3, titled "9 A.M.," drew to a close with only possibilities of what could cause the code black, The Pitt's Season 2 trailers gave us hints of what's ahead.

What does the code black mean for The Pitt Season 2?

Poor Dr. Robby. It's his last day at work before a hard-earned sabbatical. And just as he looks at the computer board to see that there's relative calm in his ER, charge nurse Dana (Katherine LaNasa) gets a call that changes her gruffly cheery demeanor (it's a yinzer thing) to all business as she asks of the caller, "Is this a drill? Is this a joke? It's the fourth of fucking July!"

With Dr. Robby and his eager replacement Dr. Al (Sepideh Moafi) alert for news, Dana explains that "Westbridge has a code black and is closing to internal disaster. Central's diverting all their ambulance traffic to us."

This means a problem has hit a neighboring hospital. But how serious is it? Robby and Al quickly offer several possibilities:

• Flooded toilet

• Power outage

• "A couple of doctors probably got the holiday flu, and they're understaffed."

Immediately, security guard Ahmad Zidan (Johnath Davis) starts a new betting grid on a white board, asking would-be gamblers to guess why the code black was called, how long the code will last, and how many patients will be diverted their way.

So, are you ready to place your bet? Before you do, let's look back at the trailers HBO Max has already released for Season 2.

What do The Pitt's trailers tell us about the code black?

On Dec. 16, 2025, the above trailer set up the returns of Langdon and Dana, as well as Dr. Robby's impending time off. Then, we see Dana on that red phone, asking, "Is this a drill?"

From there, an unknown voice says, "Westbridge has shut down all their computer systems." Dr. Mel King (Taylor Dearden) asks, "Are we next?" And then Dr. Robby warns, "We're about to go analog," as the computer screens switch to offline.

Now, at a glance, it might seem Robby was right with his power outage guess. But notably, the unidentified voice said Westbridge "shut down all their computer systems," not lost power to them. So, this could suggest a cyberattack.

What will going analog mean for The Pitt crew? Well, for one, they'll be doing things more like doctors and nurses did in the '90s, aka Noah Wyle's ER era.

In the trailer released earlier this month, we got a better sense of Dr. Robby and company in disaster mode.

In the start of this trailer, you can see the doctors and nurses gathering around a large white board, which seems to be used to track patients without computers. But nothing about the source of the code black is revealed.

So, what's your bet for Ahmad's grid?

The Pitt Season 2 is now streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes being released every Thursday at 9 p.m. ET.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you're good with measurements.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for January 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: Distinguishable characteristics

• Green: Car placements

• Blue: Measurements

• Purple: Illumination

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Facial features

• Green: Kinds of parking

• Blue: Imperial units

• Purple: Words before "Light"

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 #957 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Facial features: CHEEK, EYE, LIP, STONE

• Kinds of parking: GARAGE, METER, STREET, VALET

• Imperial units: ACRE, BUSHEL, FOOT, STONE

• Words before "Light": FLOOD, LIME, PILOT, TRAFFIC

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

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

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

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 if you're unknowing.

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 January 23, 2026 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for January 23, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: None the wiser

The words are related to innocence.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe being inexperienced.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Born Yesterday.

NYT Strands word list for January 23

• Credulous

• Artless

• Born Yesterday

• Naive

• Callow

• Gullible

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.

TL;DR: Live stream Zverev vs. Norrie in the 2026 Australian Open for free on 9Now. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2026 Australian Open continues to serve up big action from the world's top tennis stars — names such as Alexander Zverev, who entered the Melbourne-hosted tournament as the No. 3 seed and now faces British hopeful Cameron Norrie.

Zverez reached the final last year and is now laser focused of winning his first ever Grand Slam title. But Norrie, the No. 26 seed, won't be an easy opponent. His best ever performance in the Australian Open is the fourth round, so you can be sure he'll want to match — or better still, beat — that personal record.

If you want to watch Zverev vs. Norrie in the 2026 Australian Open for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

How to watch Zverev vs. Norrie for free

Zverev vs. Norrie in the 2026 Australian Open is available to live stream for free on 9Now.

9Now is geo-restricted to Australia, 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 Australia, meaning you can unblock 9Now from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the 2026 Australian Open by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

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

4. Visit 9Now

5. Watch the 2026 Australian Open 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 leading services do tend to offer deals such as free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these deals, you can live stream Zverev vs. Norrie without actually spending anything. This isn't a long-term solution, but it gives you enough time to watch the Australian Open before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for 9Now?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live tennis on 9Now, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Australia

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $59.88 and includes an extra three months for free — 69% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Zverev vs. Norrie in the 2026 Australian Open for free with ExpressVPN.

Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.

Released in August 2025, the Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move onto the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.

How to play Pips

If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity for how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for January 23, 2026

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible – and common – for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

• Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.

• Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.

• Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.

• Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.

• Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for January 23, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for Jan. 23 Pips

Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 2-4, placed vertically; 5-0, placed vertically.

Equal (0): Everything in this dark blue space must be equal to 0. The answer is 5-0, placed vertically; 3-0, placed vertically.

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 3-0, placed vertically; 3-6, placed horizontally.

Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 3-6, placed horizontally; 5-3, placed vertically.

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

Medium difficulty hints, answers for Jan. 23 Pips

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-5, placed horizontally.

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 2-0, placed vertically; 1-5, placed horizontally.

Less Than (1): Everything in this space must be less than 1. The answer is 0-6, placed vertically.

Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 0-6, placed vertically; 6-6, placed horizontally.

Equal (5): Everything in this dark blue space must be equal to 5. The answer is 1-5, placed horizontally; 0-5, placed vertically.

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

Number (7): Everything in this space must add up to 7. The answer is 3-6, placed vertically; 1-1, placed horizontally.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for Jan. 23 Pips

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 0-1, placed horizontally; 2-2, placed horizontally.

Number (7): Everything in this space must add up to 7. The answer is 1-1, placed horizontally; 0-5, placed horizontally.

Number (7): Everything in this light blue space must add up to 7. The answer is 2-5, placed horizontally.

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

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 5-5, placed vertically.

Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 3-2, placed horizontally; 6-1, placed horizontally.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-2, placed horizontally; 6-1, placed horizontally.

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

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're familiar with British order.

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 January 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 January 23, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A noble.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter B.

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...

BARON

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

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

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

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.

Is your boss preaching the virtues of AI at work, while you don't actually find AI helps anywhere in your role? Turns out you are not alone.

A new study from AI consulting firm Section surveyed 5,000 white collar employees, and found a major disparity between workers and their managers when it came to AI and productivity.

In the study, 33 percent of company executives said using AI saved them 4 to 8 hours a week. Another 19 percent claimed that they saved more than 12 hours each week thanks to AI. Only 2 percent of executives said AI didn't save them any time at all.

But when it came to non-managerial employees, the sentiment around AI completely flipped.

A whopping 40 percent of workers said using AI in the workplace did not save them any time at all. Another 27 percent of workers said that AI usage saved them less than 2 hours per week, and only 2 percent of employees said AI saved them more than 12 hours each week.

Meanwhile another damning AI report, from software company Workday, suggests even those estimates are overblown. In Workday's survey, 85 percent of employees who said AI saved them time actually wasted that saved time correcting errors made by AI, notes the Wall Street Journal.

AI can certainly be a productivity tool for certain industries. The technology sector has most embraced AI, according to the study. Some software developers have been able to utilize AI to help speed up monotonous coding tasks, even at the risk of making vibe coding mistakes.

Other industries have not seen the same benefits, however. Retail was at the bottom of the list in Section's study. But overall, 85 percent of respondents had either no work-related AI use cases or beginner-level use cases. 

Section's report also found that 40 percent of workers would be fine with never using AI again.

This echoes a warning on AI this week at Davos from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who urged the industry to look at whether the benefits of the technology are filtering down to average users.

"We will quickly lose even the social permission to actually take something like energy, which is a scarce resource," Nadella said, if AI systems "are not improving health outcomes, education outcomes, public sector efficiency, private sector competitiveness across all sectors, small and large."

Now these reports from Section and Workday suggest that social permission is rapidly fading, if AI even ever had it in the first place. And that should certainly be concerning to the companies betting big on AI.

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Thursday that several organizers of a recent anti-ICE protest at a Minnesota church had been arrested. Soon after, The White House X account shared an image of one of the protesters, attorney and activist Nekima Levy Armstrong, being led away by law enforcement officers with tears streaming down her face.

The post quickly received a Community Notes fact-check on X, which stated: "Digitally altered image. See original arrest photo here." The Community Note also included a link to the New York Post, which shows the real version of the image, in which Armstrong is clearly not crying.

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The White House’s X post includes the all-caps caption, “ARRESTED. FAR-LEFT AGITATOR NEKIMA LEVY ARMSTRONG FOR ORCHESTRATING CHURCH RIOTS IN MINNESOTA.”

Meanwhile, the X account of FBI Director Kash Patel released images of Armstrong and other arrested activists; none of them appear to be crying, though. Crooked Media journalist Matt Berg posted on X that he asked White House officials if the crying images were altered and was reportedly told, "the memes will continue."

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The memeification of serious news events is par for the course on the Trump administration's social media accounts. As Mashable has reported previously, the Trump administration uses X and social media to dehumanize and insult its perceived enemies, often using 4chan-style memes and artificial intelligence in the process.

Bondi also posted about the arrests on X, and the Post reported the protesters have been charged with "conspiracy against rights," which is a federal charge for preventing someone from exercising their constitutional rights. Right-wing commentators have also argued that the protesters violated the FACE Act. Ironically, the FACE Act (Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act) is a law signed by President Bill Clinton to stop protesters from blocking the entrance to abortion clinics, but it also protects protesters from blocking the entrances of houses of worship.

The First Amendment does give Americans the right to peacefully protest; however, it does not give protesters the right to enter a church without permission and shut down a religious service. In fact, this type of behavior violates other people's First Amendment right to practice their free religion freely.

Videos of the anti-ICE protest at the Cities Church in St. Paul quickly went viral, with many viewers split between supporting the protesters and attacking them for going too far. Now, videos and photos of the protesters' arrests are going viral in turn.

As more Americans get their news from social media, the Trump administration has grown skilled at turning news into reality TV-style entertainment, with Trump as the star.

Microsoft 365 suffered a major outage on Thursday, leaving some users unable to send or receive emails. That's obviously not ideal in the middle of a workday.

As the afternoon bled into the evening on the East Coast, the company said it was working toward a full resolution — though folks may still see issues — and shed some light on what caused the problem.

The most recent update on Microsoft's 365 status page indicated its infrastructure either mishandled or wasn't able to handle the traffic coming its way.

Under a section labeled "root cause," the status page read, "A portion of dependent service infrastructure in the North America region isn't processing traffic as expected."

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The company also said it was "carefully rebalancing traffic across all affected infrastructure in the region." It added it was "proceeding as quickly as possible and this incremental approach will also help us identify whether any additional actions may be required to ensure longstanding recovery."

We may get further details down the line from Microsoft, but, for now, it appears the company is working toward resolving the issue.

TL;DR: Refresh your PC with a Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows license, on sale now for just $19.97 (reg. $229).

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows $19.97
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For less than $3 each, you can permanently outfit your PC with seven essential Microsoft Office apps with this license — no subscription costs required. Some of these tools have been around for decades, while others have recently become new favorites — and you’ll receive all of them for life.

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This Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows license lets you draft a document in Word, build out a budget in Excel, keep tabs on emails in Outlook, and design a killer presentation in PowerPoint. You can also upgrade your note-taking with OneNote, manage large databases with Access, and build professional designs with Publisher.

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Microsoft 365 services, including Outlook, are experiencing heavy downtime today. Users have been reporting outages since the afternoon on social media and on Downdetector.

"Users may be seeing degraded service functionality or be unable to access multiple Microsoft 365 services," an update on Microsoft's status page reads.

Microsoft has now released a more detailed statement on the issue, letting users know that they are working on fixing the problem and acknowledging which services are facing outages.

"We're investigating a potential issue impacting multiple Microsoft 365 services, including Outlook, Microsoft Defender and Microsoft Purview," reads a Microsoft statement posted on X. 

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"We've identified a portion of service infrastructure in North America that is not processing traffic as expected," the company said in a follow-up statement. "We're working to restore the infrastructure to a healthy state to achieve recovery."

Microsoft's ongoing updates continued to detail that the company was working on mitigating the issues in order to restore the affected services.

"We're continuing to review what actions are required to restore the affected infrastructure to a healthy state and rebalance the service traffic to achieve recovery," Microsoft posted on the official @MSFT365Status X account.

Microsoft's final update seemed to suggest that the underlying issue was fixed, but problems stemming from the outage are currently persisting. 

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"While we've restored the affected infrastructure to a healthy state, further load balancing is required to mitigate impact," Microsoft said. "We're directing traffic to alternate infrastructure to achieve recovery."

Mashable will continue following the Microsoft 365 outage and provide more detailed updates on what happened as we find out.

Microsoft 365 suffered an outage on Thursday, affecting U.S. users going about their workday.

"Users may be seeing degraded service functionality or be unable to access multiple Microsoft 365 services," the company wrote on its 365 status page.

Microsoft users reported being unable to send or receive email through Outlook, and services such as Teams and Defender may also be affected.

"Users may be receiving a '451 4.3.2 temporary server issue' error message when attempting to send or receive email through Outlook," read the Microsoft status page.

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User-reported issues for Microsoft 365 spiked on Downdetector on Thursday afternoon. The reports appeared to be going down as evening, Eastern time, approached. (Disclosure: Downdetector is owned by Ziff Davis, the same parent company as Mashable.)

Microsoft noted it was working toward restoring services.

"While we've restored the affected infrastructure to a heathy state, further load balancing is required to mitigate persistent impact," read its 365 status page. "We've identified and are implementing additional actions to direct requests and traffic to additional healthy sections of infrastructure to achieve withstanding recovery."

Not being able to send or receive emails is, obviously, a major pain for workers. Lots of folks took to social media to voice their frustrations and, of course, make jokes.

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Microsoft has been no stranger to outages lately. It saw two major outages in October alone, with both 365 and Azure crashing that month. There was also the infamous, massive outage in 2024, ultimately caused by an issue with the cybersecurity provider CrowdStrike.

This story is developing and will be updated as necessary...

For Lego fans, winter is a great time to focus on building new sets. While you wait for spring weather and returning outside, Lego is a nice way to keep busy from the comfort of your home. And Lego has recently revealed a whole new batch of builds for January, so there's plenty of options to check out right now. Among them are a variety of new floral sets, which are perfect for adding a bit of color to your home ahead of spring.

There's a nice assortment of new arrangements available right now, including a delightfully colorful Tulip Bouquet and a lovely Peace Lily, but there's also some sweet smaller builds. If you're not looking to piece together a big bouquet, there are options with lower piece counts to look through, including Sunflowers, Cherry Blossoms, Roses, and more.

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No matter which Lego flower set catches your eye, it's sure to be a bright addition to your home as you wait for spring to roll around. Check out Lego's latest floral sets below.

Tulip Bouquet (11501) Credit: Lego

Lego's Tulip Bouquet is bursting with bright colors. It's a set that's recommended for adult builders and comes with 576 pieces that create five varieties of tulips in different colors and stages of bloom. There's vibrant red, yellow, and pink opened tulips in the arrangement, alongside purple closed tulips and green buds with green leaves. Put it in a vase once completed and it'll be an instant reminder that spring isn't too far away.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Tulip Bouquet #11501 $59.99 at Lego
  Shop Now Peace Lily (11504) Credit: Lego

The Lego Peace Lily is a wonderful set for a shelf or cabinet. Again, it's one that's recommended for adults, with a piece count of 474. These bricks combine to produce a variety of lilies in three stages — there's two furled buds in the arrangement, plus two partially open flowers, and two in full bloom — alongside green leaves and a little plant pot. Whether it's on a desk, shelf, or table, it's sure to be a standout display in any room.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Peace Lily #11504 $49.99 at Lego
  Shop Now Flowering Cactus (11509) Credit: Lego

Lego's Flowering Cactus is a set recommended for younger builders than the two above (those who are aged nine and up can jump into it), though it still comes with a fairly high piece count of 482. Situated in a blue plant pot, this set builds two cacti: one is larger and in full bloom with a pink flower at the top, while the other is smaller and has little pink buds. If you're looking for something a little different to the flower sets above, this is a fun option to have on display.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Flowering Cactus #11509 $34.99 at Lego
  Shop Now Daisies (11508) Credit: Lego

If you're not interested in one of those bigger sets with a lot of pieces, Lego's Daisies set comes with just 133 pieces and sets you up with a sweet little flower arrangement to put in a small vase. It's another build that's recommended for those aged nine and above, and comes with a nice variety of flowers, including three large daisies, two stems of smaller daisies, and three lavenders, all of which are on green stems. There's even a little ladybug piece.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Daisies #11508 $14.99 at Lego
  Shop Now Sunflowers (40524) Credit: Lego

Sunflowers are always a nice reminder of sunshine and warmer weather, which is what makes the Lego Sunflowers set such a great build to work on during the winter. Recommended for builders aged eight and up, it comes with 191 pieces that create two sunflowers with adjustable stems and leaves. While they're nice to have on their own, these sunflowers are worth combining with some of the other floral sets for a big vibrant bouquet of colorful flowers.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Sunflowers #40524 $14.99 at Lego
  Shop Now Cherry Blossoms (40725) Credit: Lego

The Lego Cherry Blossoms set is another that's recommended for builders aged eight and up, but it comes with many more pieces in comparison to the Sunflowers, with a total count of 430. These create two cherry blossom twigs that are filled with a variety of white and pink buds. This set is another that could be displayed either on its own or combined with other floral sets, if you're curious to create your own arrangement.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Cherry Blossoms #40725 $14.99 at Lego
  Shop Now Roses (40460) Credit: Lego

Similar to the Sunflowers and Cherry Blossoms sets, the Lego Roses set is one that can be displayed either on its own or combined with other floral arrangements. Plus, with Valentine's Day right around the corner, there's no better time to grab this classic romantic offering. Again, it's recommended for those aged eight and up, and comes with just 120 pieces to create two red roses with adjustable leaves and stems.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Roses #40460 $14.99 at Lego
  Shop Now

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Screen time is a stressful topic for today’s parents. If you’re looking for an app that you won’t have to worry about, look no further than Pok Pok. This Montessori-based app is not only educational, but it’s also gentle and non-addictive, and right now you can get a lifetime subscription for only $59.99 (reg. $250).

Pok Pok is the low-stimulation app parents dream of. Geared towards children ages 2 to 8, this award-winning app provides screen time that is both educational and entertaining. Hand-drawn animations and in-house-made gentle sound effects create a calm app experience, all while kids learn topics like STEM, numbers, and language.

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This app uses Montessori-based teaching, a child-centered educational approach that emphasizes hands-on learning, independence, and natural development. It’s built for kids to navigate on their own, with no winning or losing, and no rules, levels, or objectives.

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The fallout over Kumma the bear, a stuffed toy initially powered by ChatGPT and designed to interact with children, began in November.

A researcher for U.S. PIRG Education Fund tested the product, alongside other AI toys, and published the alarming findings. Sweet, soft Kumma would happily tell its conversation partner how to light a match as well as discuss sexual kink. 

The bear's maker, FoloToy, had licensed OpenAI's technology to program Kumma's responses. FoloToy temporarily stopped Kumma sales to conduct a safety audit. The revelations prompted OpenAI to indefinitely suspend FoloToy's developer access — even though the toy may still be relying on ChatGPT to produce the stuffed bear’s responses.

SEE ALSO: What to know before you buy an AI toy

Meanwhile, ahead of the holiday shopping season, child advocacy groups expressed urgent concern over AI toys. In December, two U.S. senators sent letters to companies inquiring about their designing and manufacturing of AI toys. In January, a California state senator introduced legislation that would put a four-year moratorium on the sale of AI chatbot toys for anyone under 18. On Thursday, Common Sense Media declared AI toys unsafe for children 5 and younger.

As for Kumma, the bear's fate is a complicated tale about what can happen when an AI toy hits the market before families, companies, and regulators have fully considered the ramifications. Legal experts interviewed by Mashable say AI toys exist in unclear and unfamiliar legal territory.

There is no obvious answer — yet — to the question: Who exactly is responsible if a child is harmed when engaging with an AI toy? 

Of course, that assumes toymakers can and will be transparent about the technology their product relies on. OpenAI no longer permits its licensees to publicly disclose that their product uses the company's technology, including ChatGPT, unless they've received "express prior written permission in each instance." 

This concerns R.J. Cross, director of the Our Online Life program for U.S. PIRG Education Fund. Cross was the researcher who discovered Kumma's "failure points." 

"When you have OpenAI specifically saying you can't publicly disclose this without our permission, that's just going to make it harder for everyone — parents, caretakers, regulators – to know what's really happening, and that's not a good thing," said Cross.

How did ChatGPT get into Kumma? 

Consumers who saw the headlines about Kumma might have wondered how ChatGPT, an AI chatbot with more than 800 million weekly users, ended up in a stuffed bear sold online by a company without household-name recognition. 

The explanation might surprise consumers unfamiliar with the licensing agreements that OpenAI makes with developers to access and integrate its large language models into their own products. Such agreements are standard and strategic in the technology industry, particularly for companies looking to scale their business quickly. 

In 2025, OpenAI inked a deal with Mattel, but the toymaker didn't launch an AI product by year's end. The AI companies Perplexity and Anthropic have been previously linked to children's toys designed and manufactured by a third party, according to Cross' research. 

Yet OpenAI's commitment to youth safety is under tremendous scrutiny. The company faces multiple wrongful death lawsuits related to ChatGPT use. Some of the plaintiffs are parents of teens who allege that ChatGPT coached their children to conceal mental health problems and take their own lives in moments of extreme distress. 

"We now know — and we think the lawsuit puts a pretty fine point on the fact — that ChatGPT is not a safe product," said Eli Wade-Scott, a partner at Edelson PC and a lawyer representing parents suing OpenAI for the suicide death of their son, Adam Raine. The company had denied the allegations in that case.   

Cross has struggled to understand why OpenAI licenses ChatGPT to developers who use it in children's products, given that the company's own terms of service prohibit chatbot use by minors under 13. 

OpenAI told Mashable that any developer that deploys one of the company's large language models in products for younger users must obtain parental consent and comply with child safety and privacy law. (Cross said FoloToy now asks for parental consent to collect a child's data via its web portal settings.)

Developers are also required to follow OpenAI's universal usage policies, which include the prohibition of exposing minors to sexual and violent content. OpenAI does run algorithms to help ensure its services are not used by licensees to harm minors, and gives developers free access to its proprietary moderation tools. 

OpenAI told Mashable that its "managed customers" work with the company's sales team on deployment strategies and safety. When OpenAI becomes aware of a user who's developed a toy or product designed for a minor that violates its usage policies, the company either warns or suspends them.

"You can put into a contract how serious you are about them using it in an ethical and safe way." - Colleen Chien, professor of law at U.C. Berkeley School of Law

Colleen Chien, a professor of law at U.C. Berkeley School of Law, told Mashable that companies can be more careful when licensing their technology by creating a "vetted partner" program that places key restrictions on the licensee. This process could include requiring licensees to complete certification or training to ensure they're using the technology safely and appropriately.

"You can put into a contract how serious you are about them using it in an ethical and safe way," said Chien, who is also co-director of the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology. "Or you can be much more loose about it." 

With the latter approach, the company might suspend a licensee if it discovers violations of the contract or receives allegations of improper use. 

"At that point, the damage has already been done, and you're not really taking responsibility ex ante for what might happen downstream," Chien said. 

What happens when AI toys harm? 

If a child has a harmful or dangerous experience with an AI toy powered by ChatGPT, OpenAI is very clear about who's to blame. The company told Mashable that its licensees are solely responsible for their product's outputs.

In addition, OpenAI's services agreement appears to absolve the company and its licensees against liabilities, damages, and costs related to a third-party claim. The agreement also prohibits class action lawsuits to resolve disputes, which could include claims related to an AI toy. 

Chien notes that consumer safety law doesn't require companies to sell a "perfectly safe" product. Instead, a company must take reasonable precautions and not subject its customers to outsized risk. Laws requiring a perfect safety record, she said, could stifle innovation, particularly in technology. 

Still, Chien said some liability should probably remain with OpenAI, because its size and resources give the company a clear advantage in detecting and avoiding risks to downstream users, like families who purchase AI toys powered by their technology. 

Either way, she acknowledges that the rapid adoption of large language models in consumer products raise novel issues about who's liable when things go wrong. Product safety laws, for example, currently emphasize physical harm, but what if a child's stuffed AI toy tells her how to lie to her parents or subjects her to conversational sexual abuse? 

Aaron P. Davis, partner of the commercial litigation firm Davis Goldman, said he doesn't believe OpenAI should be responsible for every incident that might have involved consultation with ChatGPT. Yet he does think extra caution regarding AI toys is warranted, given their unique ability to earn the trust of vulnerable users, like a therapist, doctor, or teacher might. 

"This is going to be taken on a case by case basis, and I think that it's sort of a dangerous avenue that we're going down," he said of the product's potential risks. 

Davis, who reviewed OpenAI's services agreement for Mashable, said he wasn't sure whether key clauses related to publicity and liability would be enforceable. 

Prohibiting licensees from sharing that their product incorporates ChatGPT could impinge on fair use law, he noted. Davis was also skeptical of OpenAI's motivation for including this clause. 

"The reason [OpenAI] is doing this is because they don't want people to be able to figure out who made the AI so they get sued," Davis said. 

Confusingly, OpenAI does permit licensees to reference a specific model if their product leverages the company's developer platform.

"I think the conflicting policies underlie the platform's intention to insulate itself from liability while maintaining the utility of the product," he said.

The agreement's clause related to class actions also gave Davis pause. He argued that it effectively prevents a customer who's discovered a product defect from publicizing it widely. 

In general, Davis found the language favorable to OpenAI in ways that could significantly shield it from consumer transparency and accountability. 

What happened to Kumma?

Kumma is available for sale online again, but its return to the market comes with yet more questions.

Larry Wang, FoloToy's founder and CEO, told Mashable that the company's internal safety review led to strengthened age-appropriate content rules and tightened topic constraints, among other safety measures.

Indeed, when R.J. Cross tested Kumma again in December, it deflected the same questions she originally asked about kink and how to light a match. 

"We're glad to see that," Cross said. "It's kind of the bare minimum."

Yet Cross also noticed something inexplicable: Despite FoloToy's indefinite suspension from OpenAI's developer API, users could still select ChatGPT-5.1 and 5.1 Chat from a dropdown menu of large language models to program Kumma's responses.

Wang did not respond to Mashable's questions about whether the company continued to use ChatGPT for Kumma. OpenAI told Mashable it had not reversed FoloToy's suspension, but didn't provide further details about why or how ChatGPT could appear functional for Kumma.

As a researcher, Cross is dependent on transparency from manufacturers. Without it, she can't as easily connect problems with AI toys that rely on the same large language model. But consumers need it too, she argues. 

If a toy uses the model xAI's Grok to respond, for example, a consumer might make a different choice upon learning that the product created sexual abuse imagery using pictures of real women and children. 

"[T]hey deserve to have information available if they do want to look into things more carefully," she said. 

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.

On Wednesday, Ubisoft canceled several games and shut down multiple studios in a major company restructure. At the same time, the studio pledged to double down on generative AI in game development moving forward. On Thursday, the stock market treated the company accordingly.

Specifically, Ubisoft shares tumbled by 34 percent on Thursday morning, per CNBC. As of this writing, Ubisoft shares are now down 39.83 percent.

The company has been struggling financially for some time now, with flagship franchises like Assassin's Creed demanding huge budgets and prolonged development cycles, and other titles not necessarily making the kind of sales impact Ubisoft hoped for. Given that Ubisoft recently had to shutter studios in places like Halifax (a Canadian union argued this move was a case of union-busting) and Stockholm, on top of the litany of game cancelations announced on Wednesday, it's no surprise that the market is losing faith in the longtime games publisher.

SEE ALSO: Ubisoft axes 'Prince of Persia: Sands of Time' remake, announces major company restructure

Most of the canned projects were unannounced titles with no real information to speak of yet. However, the cancelation of the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake dominated headlines, and justifiably so.

The project was announced in 2020 with a 2021 release date, then went radio silent for several years before being unceremoniously killed six years later. It's not clear from the outside looking in how a remake of a PlayStation 2-era game could miss its due date by five years, but it feels emblematic of everything going wrong with Ubisoft and big-budget game development writ large right now.

In any case, hopefully those affected by these cancelations and studio closures can land on their feet.

The true scale of Grok's deepfake problem is becoming clearer as the social media platform and its AI startup xAI face ongoing investigations into the chatbot's safety guardrails.

According to a report by the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) and a joint investigation by the New York Times, Grok was still able to produce an estimated 3 million sexualized images, including 23,000 that appear to depict children over a 10-day period following xAI's supposed crackdown on deepfake "undressing." The CCDH tested a sample of responses from Grok's one-click editing tool, still available to X users, and calculated that more than half of the chatbot's responses included sexualized content.

SEE ALSO: Grok ban: The nations considering blocking AI chatbot over nonconsensual sexual content

The New York Times report found that an estimated 1.8 million of 4.4 million Grok images were sexual in nature, with some depicting well-known influencers and celebrities. The publication also linked a sharp increase in Grok usage following public posts by CEO Elon Musk depicting himself in a bikini, generated by Grok.

"This is industrial-scale abuse of women and girls," chief executive of the CCDH Imran Ahmed told the publication. "There have been nudifying tools, but they have never had the distribution, ease of use or the integration into a large platform that Elon Musk did with Grok."

Grok has come under fire for generating child sexual abuse material (CSAM), following reports that the X chatbot produced images of minors in scantily clad outfits. The platform acknowledged the issue and said it was urgently fixing "lapses in safeguards."

Grok parent company xAI is being investigated by multiple foreign governments and the state of California for its role in generating sexualized or "undressed" deepfakes of people and minors. A handful of countries have even temporarily banned the platform as investigations continue.

In response, xAI said it was blocking Grok from editing user uploaded photos of real people to feature revealing clothing, the original issues flagged by users earlier this month. However, recent reporting from the Guardian found that Grok app users were still able to produce AI-edited images of real women edited into bikinis and then upload them onto the site.

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In reporting from August, Mashable editor Timothy Beck Werth noted problems with Grok's reported safety guardrails, including the fact that Grok Imagine readily produced sexually suggestive images and videos of real people. Grok Imagine includes moderation settings and safeguards intended to block certain prompts and responses, but Musk also advertised Grok as one of the only mainstream chatbots that included a "Spicy" setting for sexual content. OpenAI also teased an NSFW setting, amid lawsuits claiming its ChatGPT product is unsafe for users.

Online safety watchdogs have long warned the public about generative AI's role in increased numbers of synthetically generated CSAM, as well as non consensual intimate imagery (NCII), addressed in 2025's Take It Down Act. Under the new U.S. law, online publishers are required to comply with takedown requests of nonconsensual deepfakes or face penalties.

A 2024 report from the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) found that generative AI tools were directly linked to increased numbers of CSAM on the dark web, predominately depicting young girls in sexual scenarios or digitally altering real pornography to include the likenesses of children. AI tools and "nudify" apps have been linked to rises in cyberbullying and AI-enabled sexual abuse.

Samsung usually launches its next wave of flagship devices over the winter, and all signs point to an early-ish 2026 launch for the Samsung Galaxy S26 — and hopefully the Galaxy Z TriFold. The Galaxy S25 was released in early February, and the Galaxy S24 before it came in late January. Thus, it stands to reason that the Galaxy S26 will come around the same time in 2026.

While Samsung hasn't announced any upcoming Galaxy Unpacked events, we fully expect the new generation of Samsung phones to make their debut soon (leakers say you should mark Feb. 25 on your calendar). As per usual, ahead of the official launch, we're getting a steady drip of leaks on the new Samsung phones.

So, what do we know so far? A lot, actually. Catch up on the Samsung Galaxy S26's possible specifications, colors, pricing, and release date.

SEE ALSO: CES is over, but I'm still lusting for the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold What will the Galaxy S26 phones look like?

Recently, leaker @onleaks posted a gallery and video on X that claims to show dummy units of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. We can't verify the authenticity of the video, but it looks plausible, at least.

Overall, it looks very similar to the S25 Ultra, as expected, with one notable change — it has a camera bump similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 7. As 9to5Google points out, because this bump is on the left side of the phone, it will make the phone wobble when placed down on a table or desk. (The TriFold has the same problem.) In comparison, the latest iPhone 17 Pro Max has a more symmetrical shape and thus no wobble.

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However, we would be a little skeptical of this leak. Android Police recently posted its own alleged S26 Ultra leaks, only without the camera bump.

As for colors, leaker Evan Blass posted what could be the full list of color options on X. The colors are:

• Black

• White

• Silver Shadow

• Sky Blue

• Cobalt Violet

• Pink Gold

Those all sound pretty standard for a Samsung phone, so it doesn't seem like the company is doing anything wildly bold this year in terms of colors. That's either a relief or a disappointment to you, depending on how you felt about the controversial cosmic orange iPhone last year.

What models will be included in the S26 lineup?

We're expecting three phones at the next Galaxy Unpacked event:

• Samsung Galaxy S26

• Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus

• Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

Just a few months ago, rumors and leaks pointed to a significant shakeup in the Galaxy S26 line. It was said that Samsung would rename the base model to S26 Pro, drop the Plus model that sat in the middle of the annual lineup for years, and replace that with a new Edge phone modeled after last year's S25 Edge (which was something of a flop). However, that's apparently no longer happening, and you can thank Apple for that, per Korean outlet NewsPim (via 9to5google).

This is the S25 Ultra. Credit: James Martin / Mashable

Due to Apple's success in offering significant year-over-year upgrades to the base iPhone 17 (such as a 120Hz display) without raising the price, Samsung has reportedly dropped the Pro branding for the base model and reverted it back to just the Galaxy S26, which was corroborated by a separate report from SamMobile. According to that report, you can expect a retread of the usual S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra lineup in 2026. That may be disappointing to anyone who was expecting a big shakeup based on previous reporting, but if nothing else, it makes it easier to keep track of what's going on.

As for the previously rumored S26 Edge, it's unclear what's going to happen with that. It might be dead, or it might come out later in the year as a separate release like the S25 Edge did. Given that phone's relative lack of success, it might be smart to assume there won't be an S26 Edge at this point.

Galaxy S26 rumored specs

For specs, the rumors aren't particularly surprising. The Galaxy S26 series is currently rumored to have the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 chip, which Qualcomm rebranded to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. There is also a rumor that Samsung will equip some S26 models with an Exynos chip, which Samsung fans hope is the Exynos 2600, which has also been making some noise in the rumor mill lately.

In terms of the small stuff, like storage and RAM, there have been some small rumblings. One rumor says that the Galaxy S26 (all models) will feature 16GB of RAM, a 4GB increase from the last few years, and the most a Galaxy phone has had since the Galaxy S21 Ultra. In terms of storage capacity, there are no rumors that anything will change, so the 128GB base (256GB on the Ultra) is likely to remain in place for now, with upgraded storage available as an option. 

Galaxy S26: Is a price hike coming?

We're in the midst of a major global memory shortage, and this has been very bad news for smartphone and laptop shoppers (you can blame the AI industry for hogging all the RAM). And according to leaker @kro_roe, this could not only lead to an S26 price hike, but also the end of a popular launch offer.

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Typically, when Samsung launches a new phone, customers who pre-order or purchase at launch can claim double the storage at no extra cost. But with RAM in short supply, that may no longer be the case. The most recent rumors suggest that Samsung hasn't landed on a final price for the S26 phones, however.

That last part is important because it's very possible that the prices won't change after all. At least one new report suggests Samsung is trying to make sure the prices don't increase from last year, even if that means the company has to eat some of the cost of each unit sold.

Battery and charging

Based on early rumors, this may be one of the most interesting changes coming to the S26 lineup. Samsung has been working on a stacked battery design that would allow for more dense batteries in the same physical space. This could bring a long-awaited bump to battery size. According to early rumors, the S26 Ultra is slated to come with a 5,500 mAh stacked battery, a 10 percent increase from the S25 Ultra.

Samsung reportedly experimented with removing a camera to add even more battery capacity, but that doesn't mean it's certain to happen in the mass-produced model. While the S26 Pro was rumored to have a bigger 4,900mAh battery compared to previous base model Galaxy phones, NewsPim's report claimed that the base S26 (now that it's no longer a Pro device) has been adjusted down to a more modest 4,300mAh cell.

For charging, it’s unlikely that the Galaxy S26 series will get a serious upgrade. Samsung is definitely working on 60W wired charging, but so far, it seems that Samsung will wait for the Galaxy S27 series (or later) to implement it. This could change as we get closer to launch for the S26 series, but for now, it seems that 45W will be around for at least one more year. There are also rumors that wireless charging may see a bump to the Qi2 standard

Galaxy S26: What about the cameras?

The camera system in the Galaxy S26 series may change quite a bit, and there are a few different rumors that say different things. Jumping right in, one older rumor says that the S26 series will have the same megapixel count but will feature a new, as-of-yet unannounced sensor from the same ISOCELL GN series as prior Samsung models. On the Galaxy S26 Ultra, a 200MP camera is rumored, as is a 324MP lens with a 50MP, 3x telephoto lens. It’s more likely that Samsung will do the 200MP with a new sensor, but all leaks are being considered right now. 

S25 Ultra with its five cameras. Credit: James Martin / Mashable

In addition, there are rumors that Samsung will bring back its variable aperture on the main shooter, which Samsung hasn’t included on its camera system since the Galaxy S10 series back in 2019. As previously mentioned, Samsung may be considering dropping the number of cameras to three instead of four, like on prior models, to make space for a larger battery. Other rumors about the camera include a dual periscope design that’ll magnify to 8x, but that is just speculation at this time.

However, many of these rumors come from the time when we thought Samsung was significantly altering the S26 lineup. Newer reports indicate that, at least for the base S26 and S26 Plus, things won't change that much from previous years. According to Korean outlet The Elec, those two phones will have the exact same megapixel count on the triple-lens rear array as previous Galaxy models: a 50MP wide lens, a 12MP ultrawide lens, and a 10MP 3x telephoto lens. Those have been the specs going all the way back to the Galaxy S22. If you were hoping for big changes in the cheaper S26 models this year, you have our condolences.

Other features and hardware

Android Police recently alerted us to a very interesting feature that could make its debut with the S26: A new mode called Privacy Display. This rumored feature would make the display resemble a frosted screen protector, except it would be built into the UI. This leak comes from Samsung itself, so it's all but confirmed.

Other details on the Galaxy S26 lineup are pretty predictable. It’ll come with the latest One UI out of the gate with the latest version of Android. That is no surprise, and we don’t need rumors to predict that one. The S26 series will likely get One UI 8.5, which is slated for a rather large redesign along with a host of new features, including the aforementioned privacy screen feature. According to rumor, the redesign emulates Apple’s Liquid Glass in some ways with transparent UI elements. 

The only other piece of hardware we haven’t talked about is the S-Pen. Samsung appears to be set to do something big with the S-Pen. The rumors speculate that the S-Pen is sticking around and will come with some upgrades. The new functionality may have something to do with how magnetic accessories work, and this seems to be linked to the aforementioned Qi2 wireless charging upgrade. 

We'll find out how much (if any) of this is true in just a matter of weeks, going by previous Samsung announcement timelines.