Mashable

Elon Musk's X appeared to suffer a major outage on Friday.

User-reported issues for X on Downdetector spiked shortly after 10 a.m. ET. (Disclosure: Downdetector is owned by Ziff Davis, the same parent company as Mashable.)

Upon trying to open the social media site, we received an error message that read: "Something went wrong, but don’t fret — let’s give it another shot." It was not immediately clear what caused the outage.

The error message on X. Credit: Screenshot: X

X also suffered a relatively brief outage earlier in the week. In fact, it's been quite the week for outages, with Verizon suffering a huge outage, with folks across the U.S. losing cell service for a long stretch.

Users on Bluesky, especially, reacted strongly to X being down, dunking on the site amid the ongoing issue of its AI tool, Grok, being used to create nonconsensual, sexual images. Some users have migrated away from X over time amid its rightwing shift.

X-Twitter is down Oontz oontz oontz oontz

— Ms . Penny Oaken, SkyWitch 🧙‍♀️ (@skywitches.net) January 16, 2026 at 10:47 AM

Brace position BlueSky - X is down

— Tom Jamieson (@tomjam.bsky.social) January 16, 2026 at 10:44 AM

X is completely down, now is BlueSky's chance to shine. So, we're replacing one letter in song titles today?

— Michael Kupperman (@mkupperman.bsky.social) January 16, 2026 at 10:52 AM

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

SAVE $100: As of Jan. 16, the DJI Neo 2 Motion Fly More Combo is on sale for $599. That saves you $100 off its $699 list price for 14% savings. That brings the device down to its lowest price ever.

Opens in a new window Credit: DJI DJI Neo 2 Motion Fly More Combo $599 at Amazon
$699 Save $100   Get Deal

There's been so much news about DJI drones being banned in the United States, but are they actually? Technically, yes, however, there's still plenty of ways around the ban. If you already own a foreign made drone you can still operate it. Plus, already imported drones can still be sold, like the DJI Neo 2 Motion Fly More Combo, which happens to be on sale.

As of Jan. 16, the DJI Neo 2 Motion Fly More Combo is down to $599. That saves you $100 off its $699 price tag. That's some pretty good savings and actually, the devices lowest price ever.

The DJI Neo 2 Motion Fly More Combo is a lightweight and easy to use drone. It features palm takeoff and landing, so it'll come right to you after it finishes flying. As we expect in DJI drones, it has stunning 4K image capturing. The Fly More combo includes the DJI RC Motion 3, DJI Goggles N3, DJI Neo 2 Digital Transceiver, three batteries, a charging hub, and propeller guards.

Get the DJI Neo 2 Motion Fly More Combo for $599 at Amazon and save $100.

SAVE $903: As of Jan. 16, the LG 86-inch 85A QNED Mini-LED 4K TV is on sale for just $1,396.99 at Amazon. That's a savings of over $900 or about 39% off — its lowest price on record.

Opens in a new window Credit: LG LG 86-inch 85A QNED Mini-LED 4K TV $1,396.99 at Amazon
$2,299.99 Save $903.00   Get Deal

TV deals tend to pop off at this time of year, but they also move pretty fast. So it’s worth jumping on those that catch your eye. One we're looking at heading into the weekend is an all-time low price on a massive 86-inch Mini-LED TV from LG, one of our favorite TV brands.

As of Jan. 16, the LG 86-inch 85A QNED Mini-LED 4K TV is on sale at Amazon for just $1,396.99. While Amazon's listing might make it look like a price drop of only a couple hundred dollars, it's actually a savings of over $900 (about 39% off). Its actual list price is between $2,299.99 and $2,499.99 — as seen as Best Buy and LG's own website — so Amazon cuts itself way short.

Debuted at CES 2025, the LG Class 85A is a mid-range Mini-LED option that leans heavily into AI to improve your picture and audio. Thanks to its Alpha 8 AI Processor Gen2, AI can find the perfect HDR and brightness settings for whatever you're watching, while boosting dialogue over background noise and refining your sound to suit your preferences. The AI Magic Remote also provides content recommendations and viewing choices, picture and audio customizations, and even a generative AI gallery to turn your TV into art. Gamers will also appreciate its 120Hz native refresh rate and VRR 144Hz refresh rate, AMD FreeSync Premium, and LG Game Optimizer.

Ultimately, if you want a massive screen with stunning picture quality that won't put a major dent in your wallet, the LG 86-inch 85A Mini-LED is a great pick.

SAVE $998.01: As of Jan. 16, get the Anker Solix C2000 Gen 2 portable power station for $999.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $1,998. That's a discount of 50%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Anker Solix C2000 Gen 2 portable power station $999.99 at Amazon
$1,998 Save $998.01   Get Deal

Losing power is never fun. Whether you're dealing with an emergency or you prefer to go off-grid, you want to make sure you're always covered where electricity is concerned. A good way to do that is by having a portable power station to make sure you're covered at all times. Right now, you can grab a fantastic deal on an Anker portable power station, but this is your last chance to get it before it's no longer on sale.

As of Jan. 16, get the Anker Solix C2000 Gen 2 portable power station for $999.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $1,998. That's $998.01 off and a discount of 50%.

SEE ALSO: The Jackery HomePower 3000 power station is $1,400 off at Amazon — act fast to save huge

The C2000 Gen 2 has a 2,048Wh LiFePO4 battery that offers 1,056Wh of power. It's pretty massive at around 28 pounds, so this is a big power station you'll need to account for, but it'll keep you afloat for a long time, which is worth that tradeoff. It can handle a 30amp plug and has a sustained power output of 2,400W with a peak at 4,000W, so it's a great pick for powering your life until you get electricity back or for camping trips.

Plus, you can use the included 200W solar panel to charge it back up to 100% when a wall charger just isn't an option. It can be fully charged in just 58 hours when you need to top it up, which means you won't be left waiting long when you finally deplete it.

If you're looking for a solid portable power station without spending the kind of cash one demands, don't wait. Get yours before it's out of stock and back up to its normal price.

Forget Team Black versus Team Green. When it comes to House of the Dragon, the bigger conflict appears to be Team George R.R. Martin versus Team Ryan Condal.

In a Hollywood Reporter interview, the Song of Ice and Fire author revealed that his relationship with the House of the Dragon showrunner is "worse than rocky. It's abysmal."

SEE ALSO: George R.R. Martin hints at a 'tragic' end for Tyrion in 'A Song of Ice and Fire' books

The pair co-created the Game of Thrones prequel together, but during Season 2, cracks in their relationship began to surface. In an Aug. 30, 2024 post on his Not A Blog blog, Martin wrote, "I do not look forward to other posts I need to write, about everything that’s gone wrong with HOUSE OF THE DRAGON."

That post came just days later, on Sept. 4. In a now-deleted post titled, "Beware the Butterflies," Martin argued that, by removing Helaena (Phia Saban) and Aegon II Targaryen's (Tom Glynn-Carney) baby Maelor from the show's infamous Blood and Cheese sequence, House of the Dragon had unleashed a butterfly effect that would negatively impact its adaptation of plot points from the rest of Martin's Targaryen history Fire and Blood.

SEE ALSO: How 'House of the Dragon' Season 2 is different from George R.R. Martin's 'Fire and Blood'

According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Beware the Butterflies" was meant to be the first of six posts Martin would write about House of the Dragon. However, the other five never saw the light of day.

The post was a culmination of what appears to be a strained creative partnership.

"I thought Ryan and I were partners," Martin told The Hollywood Reporter. "And we were all through the first season. I would read early drafts of the scripts. I would give notes. He would change some things. It was working really well — I thought."

Then came Season 2.

"He basically stopped listening to me," Martin said. "I would give notes, and nothing would happen. Sometimes he would explain why he wasn't doing it. Other times, he would tell me, 'Oh, OK, yeah, I'll think about that.' It got worse and worse, and I began to get more and more annoyed. Finally, it got to a point where I was told by HBO that I should submit all my notes to them and they would give Ryan our combined notes."

Sources told The Hollywood Reporter that Martin and Condal's falling-out escalated in a Zoom meeting with producers and HBO executives where Condal outlined his season plan. Following that, Martin allegedly told him, "This is not my story any longer."

Following the call, Martin reportedly stepped back from House of the Dragon at HBO's request. However, a few months later, he returned to the show for reasons he told The Hollywood Reporter he "can't talk about."

Featured Video For You Sorry to break it to you, the dragons in 'House of the Dragon' are actually wyverns

In a March 31, 2025 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Condal gave his side on Martin's critiques of Season 2, citing practical needs for the adaptation changes.

"I will simply say, I made every effort to include George in the adaptation process. I really did. Over years and years. And we really enjoyed a mutually fruitful, I thought, really strong collaboration for a long time," Condal told EW. "But at some point, as we got deeper down the road, he just became unwilling to acknowledge the practical issues at hand in a reasonable way. And I think as a showrunner, I have to keep my practical producer hat on and my creative writer, lover-of-the-material hat on at the same time.

"At the end of the day, I just have to keep marching not only the writing process forward, but also the practical parts of the process forward for the sake of the crew, the cast, and for HBO, because that's my job. So I can only hope that George and I can rediscover that harmony someday."

House of the Dragon Season 3 premieres this summer on HBO and HBO Max.

To the surprise of no one, Meta is shutting down its Horizon Workrooms virtual office software.

According to Meta's announcement, Meta Horizon Workrooms is being discontinued as a standalone app on Feb. 16, 2026.

The company spun it as a logical step given that Meta Horizon is now a "social platform that supports a wide range of productivity apps and tools."

SEE ALSO: Meta lays off more than 1,000 employees from metaverse division

But we believe the real reason has to do with the fact that people just don't want to sit in virtual reality meetings.

Launched in August 2021, the Horizon Workrooms is a virtual office that allows people to hold virtual meetings. The fact that it required users to wear an Oculus Quest headset made it impractical for many companies to have company-wide meetings this way, as well as made it more cumbersome for a lot of users.

Case in point: Meta itself gave a Quest to all of its employees for free in 2021, and they still didn't use it very much.

Featured Video For You Your AI soulmate is here! Her name is Ami

The evolution of Meta's virtual reality worlds also came with a number of challenges, at one point including the lack of lags on avatars, which made early Horizon Workrooms meetings a bit awkward.

Meta also announced it would end the sales of enterprise Quest headsets and accompanying services starting February 2026. It appears that the metaverse, from which Meta derives its name, isn't such a great place for work after all.

The shuttering of Horizon Workrooms comes days after Meta laid off more than 1,000 employees from its metaverse division. With AI being every tech company's main preoccupation these days, VR will have to go sit in the back of the class.

Admin night doesn't look like much at first glance. A few friends on a couch. Laptops open. Phones out. Someone lights a candle. Someone else orders takeout. And then, quietly, the work begins: canceling subscriptions, paying overdue bills, booking dentist appointments, opening long-avoided emails, and finally setting up that high-yield savings account you've been meaning to deal with "next week."

On TikTok, admin night is emerging as one of 2026's most relatable low-key hangout trends — a structured, communal way to tackle the invisible labor of adulthood together. Less party, more parallel productivity. And in a cultural moment defined by financial anxiety, burnout, and an appetite for quieter socializing, it makes a surprising amount of sense.

SEE ALSO: How to get help with small tasks when your mental health blocks your way

At its core, admin night reframes productivity as a social activity. Instead of carving out solo time to face overwhelming to-do lists, friends gather with the shared understanding that everyone has life tasks they've been avoiding. The hang isn’t about grinding through work; it's about making those tasks feel finite, survivable, and, crucially, less lonely.

Writing in the Wall Street Journal, journalist Chris Colin framed admin night as a response to "the isolation fanned by our collective overwhelm," arguing that our drift from one another isn't just about screens, but "the endless micro-obligations that keep us tethered to them." In that sense, admin night offers a small but meaningful interruption to that cycle.

The timing isn't accidental. In 2026, low-key hangs have fully replaced nights out as the default social currency. Rising costs, post-burnout fatigue, and a collective reassessment of what "fun" should look like have led people toward gatherings that are more affordable, quieter, and more intentional. Admin night fits neatly into that shift: no reservations, no cover charges, no pressure to perform. Just snacks, companionship, and a shared goal of getting your life slightly more together.

But admin night isn't just about saving money. It's also about emotional relief. Modern adulthood is administratively overwhelming in ways previous generations didn't experience. Subscription creep, fragmented healthcare systems, digital bureaucracy, and financial tools that assume a baseline literacy most people were never taught — all of this creates a constant background hum of stress. Ignoring those tasks can spiral into shame. Facing them alone can feel paralyzing.

Doing them together changes the equation.

There's also a real psychological mechanism at play. Admin night taps into a concept known as "body doubling," a practice that involves completing tasks alongside others to enhance focus and follow-through. Often used by people with ADHD, body doubling reduces task avoidance by providing gentle accountability and lowering the emotional barrier to starting. You don’t need advice or supervision; you just need someone else there, doing their own thing, reminding your nervous system that you're not in this alone.

Friends check in on each other’s progress. Celebrate small wins. Normalize how behind everyone feels. Someone asks, "Did you cancel it yet?" and suddenly the task feels doable.

Admin night also fits into a longer lineage of peer support that challenges the notion that personal worth is tied to productivity. In a 2021 Mashable story by Chase DiBenedetto about mutual aid communities like Extra Spoons, executive skill coach Lisa Joy Tuttle explained how peer support helps de-stigmatize the so-called "inability to adult" — a cycle in which anxiety, depression, or burnout makes everyday tasks feel impossible, and unfinished tasks then amplify shame. The goal of these communities, Tuttle noted, isn't to become a "shinier machine," but to create more space for connection, ease, and a life that feels enjoyable rather than optimized.

On TikTok, the aesthetic reflects that softness. There's no hustle-coded urgency. Admin night videos favor candles over timers, cozy couches over desks, wine or tea over energy drinks. The tone isn't "optimize your life" — it's "let's survive it together." In that way, the trend quietly rejects grind culture's obsession with individual discipline and replaces it with something more humane: shared responsibility.

There’s something subtly radical about that shift. Admin night acknowledges that being "bad at adulthood" isn't a personal failing. In reality, it's a structural one. It treats bureaucratic competence as communal knowledge, not a moral virtue. And it redistributes invisible labor by making space for people to admit what they don’t know without embarrassment.

Admin night won't magically fix your finances or cure burnout. But it does something smaller and maybe more important: It turns the most isolating parts of adult life into a reason to gather. In 2026, when fun increasingly looks like sustainability — and TikTok's own trend forecasting suggests the era of fantasy escapism is giving way to a return to reality — that might be the point.

After all, if adulthood is mostly admin, then admin night is just friendship adapting to reality.

Last summer, Danny Boyle and Alex Garland brought fresh life to the zombie franchise 28 Days Later with 28 Years Later, a jaw-dropping marvel of a horror movie. So, Candyman director Nia DaCosta had a dizzyingly high bar to hit with this year's 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, a direct sequel that plunges deeper into the curious characters of the ossuary-building Dr. Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes), the infected Alpha Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry), and the dynamic cult leader, Jimmy (Jack O'Connell).

Critics have been universally blown away by DaCosta's frightening and fascinating film. In her review for Mashable, Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko cheered, "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is a phenomenal film. As a sequel, it builds the saga of Spike without retreading its predecessor's steps. As a zombie movie, it delivers scenes of gut-churning violence and haunting loss. As a horror film, it is sublime, gorgeous, rich in visual splendor, surging with feeling, and intoxicating in its unexpected twists. Simply put, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple fucking rules."

So it was with great excitement that Mashable welcomed DaCosta and O'Connell to the Say More couch to celebrate Bone Temple, while shouting out their 2025 work — three of which made our best films of the year list — 28 Years Later, Sinners, and Hedda.

Above is the first five minutes of the conversation between Puchko, O'Connell, and DaCosta, tapping into how they came to be a part of this franchise and the dream that is working with Boyle.

For more from the interview, including insights into Jimmy's perverse cult and that show-stopping Kelson dance number, check out the full episode on YouTube.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is now in theaters.

Don’t miss out on our latest stories: Add Mashable as a trusted news source in Google.

SAVE $1,400: As of Jan. 16, the Jackery HomePower 3000 is on sale for $1,599 at Amazon. That's a 47% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Jackery Jackery HomePower 3000 $1,599 at Amazon
$2,999 Save $1,400   Get Deal

For reliable power in a tricky situation, you can't go wrong with a portable power station. And for something that can power your whole house, the Jackery HomePower 3000 is the natural choice. And as of Jan. 16, this model (inclusive of solar panels and AC cable) is on sale at Amazon. Right now you can get $1,400 off the list price, bringing it down to $1,599. That's almost half off.

This is a seriously powerful unit, designed to keep all your home essentials running during outages. It has a 3,600W output, 7,200W surge, and a 3,072Wh capacity, so it can power big appliances like fridges. It also has a built-in UPS that switches in under 20ms to keep important devices running without interruption.

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It comes with multiple AC, USB-C, USB-A and DC ports, and you can charge several devices at once, including fast charging. You don't need days to prep it either, charging it up takes less than two hours with the AC or hybrid charging.

And like all Jackery devices, it's robust and built to last. It has LiFePO4 batteries that offer 4,000 cycles, all while maintaining 70% capacity, so you're guaranteed a long, reliable performance with this investment.

Get this power station deal from Amazon.

BEST LEGO DEAL: Lego is running make and take events on Jan. 18. A limited quantity of Burger Bike Carts will be available for free at participating stores.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Lego Group Lego Burger Bike Carts: Free Malke and Take Event   Learn More

Lego has been in the news a lot lately.

Preorders for the new Lego Star Wars Smart Play sets have landed alongside preorders for the first-ever Lego Pokémon sets. There's only one downside with these exciting new launches, and that's the wait. These new sets are available for preorder, but what are we all supposed to do until release dates? We can't just sit here reading early-access reviews and angry conversations on Reddit about how Pikachu looks weird. Instead, we should all make plans to attend our nearest Lego store this weekend.

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Visitors to select Lego Stores on Jan. 18 (from 12-2 p.m.) can participate in a Lego Burger Bike Cart make and take event. During this special event, participants can build and bring home this fun model for free. This event is intended for participants aged 6+ years, and the model is available on a first-come-first-serve basis, at participating locations, while supplies last.

It's important to note is that this Lego Burger Bike Cart is not available for purchase. So by taking part in this event, participants can take home something that money literally cannot buy. The only catch is that you're limited to one build per participant, but that seems fair to us.

Head to your nearest Lego store to get the Burger Bike Cart without spending anything.

SAVE OVER $10: As of Jan. 16, the Lego Art Love set has dropped to its lowest-ever price of $63.99 at Amazon. This is $16 off its list price of $79.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Art Love Collectible Building Set (31214) $63.99 at Amazon
$79.99 Save $16.00   Get Deal

Valentine's Day is a little under a month away, and if you're looking for fun gift ideas, Lego sets are always a great choice. Some sets are perfect for the occasion as well, like the brick-built Lego Art Love set that recreates Robert Indiana’s LOVE sculpture. As of Jan. 16, it has even hit its lowest-ever price at Amazon.

Usually, the Lego Art Love set comes with a price of $79.99, but for a limited time it's dropped to $63.99. This saves you $16 and, again, marks its lowest price yet. If you've had your eye on it, now is a great time to make a move on it.

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Recommended for adult Lego fans, the Lego Art Love set comes with 791 pieces that build up a small recreation of the sculpture with all of its red, blue, and green colors. It even comes with two building instructions so you can piece it together alongside someone else, if you want.

Limited-time deals like this don't tend to last very long. Don't miss out on the Lego Art Love set while it's down to its lowest-ever price at Amazon. Looking for more Lego sets to gift for Valentine's Day this year? Our roundup of the best Lego sets for Valentine’s Day features plenty of other options we think are worth picking up.

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG Masks of Ogerpon Premium Collection is on sale for under $70 at Amazon. That's down to market value vs. TCGplayer.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG Masks of Ogerpon Premium Collection $69.89 at Amazon
$74.99 Save $5.10 Get Deal

The world of Pokémon TCG is still going absolutely wild. Interest is continuing to climb, stock is often in short supply, and prices are usually inflated with leading retailers like Amazon. It's still possible to find value for money, but you've got to put in the work. Or alternatively, you could let us find the opportunities for you.

The Pokémon TCG Masks of Ogerpon Premium Collection is on sale for under $70 at Amazon. It's only a few dollars off its list price, but that brings it down to market value vs. TCGplayer. When you factor in shipping and convenience, shopping with Amazon in this case makes a lot of sense.

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The Pokémon TCG Masks of Ogerpon Premium Collection includes one foil card featuring Hearthflame Mask Ogerpon ex, one foil card featuring Wellspring Mask Ogerpon ex, one oversize foil card featuring Hearthflame Mask Ogerpon ex, 10 Pokémon TCG booster packs, and a code for Pokémon TCG Live.

You get a lot for your cash, which is often the case with these collections. If you're just starting out on your trading card journey, these collections are a great way to get going for less.

Get the Pokémon TCG Masks of Ogerpon Premium Collection for around market value at Amazon.

SAVE $70: As of Jan. 16, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 has dropped to $329.99 at Amazon. This is $70 off its list price of $399.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 (2025) $329.99 at Amazon
$399.99 Save $70   Get Deal

The start of a new year is a great opportunity to grab a smartwatch, especially if you're hoping to keep a better eye on your health or fitness goals for 2026. Some models are even on sale right now, so it's truly a great time to buy. Over at Amazon, our favorite Samsung smartwatch, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, is down to just $329.99.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is usually listed for $399.99, so this deal saves you $70 for a limited time. What's even better is both the silver and graphite models are on sale at this price, so you can choose your favorite between the two.

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This smartwatch boasts some great health and fitness features as well, including Advanced Sleep Coaching, Vascular Load monitoring, a Running Coach, and more. It certainly seems to have earned its place in our roundup of the best smartwatches, with Mashable's Timothy Beck Werth noting it "has a well-rounded feature set that offers everything you need in a smartwatch, fitness tracker, and sleep tracker." Plus, we find the squircle design to be quite fun.

Our review also found a lot to love, though it does note that the battery life is simply "fine". Writer Adam Doud still recommends the device, saying, "I really like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, despite the battery life. I love the classy look, the software is really tight, and the Google Gemini integration is a big perk." So if it's caught your eye, why wait? Don't miss out on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 on sale at Amazon.

Alternatively, if you're curious which other smartwatches we'd recommend, have a look at our full breakdown of the best smartwatches to see some more of our top picks.

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier if you know Italian soccer teams.

As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Injury prevention

• Green: Energized

• Blue: Cutting

• Purple: Same first word

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Protective gear

• Green: Hype

• Blue: Sharp things

• Purple: "Southern ____" Schools

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 #480 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Protective gear - GLOVES, HELMET, MOUTH GUARD, SHOULDER PADS

• Hype - ANTICIPATION, BALLYHOO, BUILDUP, BUZZ

• Sharp things - DART, HAIRPIN TURN, ICE SKATE, JAVELIN

• "Southern ____" Schools - CALIFORNIA, ILLINOIS, METHODIST, MISS

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports 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.

SAVE OVER $90: As of Jan. 16, the Eufy C10 robot vacuum is down to $206.99 at Amazon. This is $93 off its list price of $299.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Eufy Eufy C10 Robot Vacuum $206.99 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $93   Get Deal

Some robot vacuums come with very high price tags, but if you're not looking to drop a ton of cash on a model, there are still some great budget options available. In fact, one of our favorite cheap robot vacuums, the Eufy C10, has received a discount of over $90 at Amazon.

As of Jan. 16, the Eufy C10 robot vacuum is on sale for $206.99 at Amazon. Overall, this is $93 off its list price of $299.99, but it's also incredibly close to its lowest-ever price of $197.99. If you've been looking for extra cleaning assistance ahead of spring, but with a more affordable price tag, this robot vacuum deal is well worth checking out.

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Alongside its budget-friendly price tag, the Eufy C10 is a robot vacuum we consider to be a great pick for small spaces, noting in our roundup of the best cheap robot vacuums that "For folks who live in apartments and smaller homes, the self-emptying Eufy C10 is sized (and priced) just right."

It features a 4,000 Pa suction power to pick up crumbs, dirt, pet hair, and more on your floors alongside a self-empty station that only needs replacing every 60 days. On top of that, the Eufy C10 has a slim design that's just 2.85-inches high to allow it to slip underneath furniture, and comes with LiDAR navigation that helps it to map out your home for an effective clean.

This limited-time deal may not stick around for long, though. Act fast to save on the Eufy C10 robot vacuum at Amazon. Looking for more options worth checking out? Our overall roundup of the best robot vacuums can point you towards some of our top picks as well.

SAVE OVER $500: As of Jan. 16, the Sony 85-inch Bravia 3 TV is on sale for $1,098 at Amazon. That's a 31% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Sony 85-inch Bravia 3 TV $1,098 at Amazon
$1,599.99 Save $501.99   Get Deal

If you're on the hunt for a new TV, there's a new deal on the Sony 85-inch Bravia 3 at Amazon that you need to know about.

As of Jan. 16, this impressive TV is reduced by over $500 and is now down to $1,098. It comes with Google TV and even has features specifically for the PlayStation 5. This price is for the 85-inch model, but if that's too big for your space, the 55-inch, 65-inch, and 75-inch models are all reduced too.

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This TV truly has a lot going for it, from the built-in Google Assistant to easy access to major streaming services including Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, YouTube, and more. The Google Assistant is perfect for voice control searches, and the Google TV OS makes for a simple navigating experience, with all your favorite shows and movies in one place. It has unmatched picture quality too, which is highlighted by Triluminos Pro, giving you vivid color and detailed images, no matter what you're watching.

The TV also includes special features designed to optimize gaming on the PlayStation 5. These include Auto HDR Tone Mapping and Auto Genre Picture Mode, so if you're a gamer, this TV is designed for you.

Ready to upgrade your TV? Get this deal at Amazon.

Finn Wolfhard is hosting SNL this week, and the Stranger Things jokes have already begun.

In one of several rapidfire promos above, alongside musical guest A$AP Rocky and SNL staff member Sarah Sherman, Wolfhard asks the others to rate how excited they are from a scale of one to ten — but both keep answering "eleven".

"Are you guys doing a bit?" says an exasperated Wolfhard. "Like, from Stranger Things?"

"Er, I only know about normaler things," is Sherman's response.

As Americans continue to struggle with rising grocery prices in Donald Trump's economy, the White House is offering up some groundbreaking "tips" for saving money at meal times. In a widely derided interview, agriculture secretary Brooke Rollins suggested families could both adhere to the Trump administration's new dietary guidelines and only spend $3 on a meal consisting of "a piece of chicken, a piece of broccoli, you know, a corn tortilla, and one other thing."

"I love to sit down for dinner with my family and dig into a healthy plate that consists of one piece of chicken, one piece of broccoli, one corn tortilla, and because we're f***ing rolling in it, one other thing," responded Seth Meyers on Late Night on Thursday. "That list is so bad I'm guessing the 'one other thing' is a single French fry you have to wrestle away from a pigeon in a McDonald's parking lot.

"Seriously, 'one piece of chicken, one piece of broccoli, and one corn tortilla' is your recommendation to Americans for what they should eat. That sounds like a meal aliens would bring to your cell after they abduct you. 'Please enjoy some of your Earth foods. You will need your strength for the probing.'"

Meyers also pointed out that Rollins said her team ran "over 1,000 simulations" to come up with this novel $3 meal idea.

"I'm sorry, you had to run over 1,000 simulations to add up the cost of three grocery items? Don't use the computer for that! That's not what the computer is for!" he said. "Also, what do you mean 'it can cost $3' — in how many of the simulations did it cost more? 'In one simulation, there was a corn virus, and the chickens ate the corn, and all the chickens died, and it was like a million dollars.'"

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 16, 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 16, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for Jan. 16 Pips

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

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

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 3-2, placed horizontally; 2-2, placed vertically.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-4, placed vertically.

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 3-4, placed vertically; 4-6, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for Jan. 16 Pips

Not Equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 6-4, placed horizontally; 6-6, placed vertically; 5-6, placed horizontally; 3-3, placed vertically.

Less Than (11): Everything in this space must be less than 11. The answer is 5-5, placed horizontally.

Number (7): Everything in this space must add up to 7. The answer is 3-3, placed vertically; 2-4, placed horizontally; 2-6, placed vertically.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 2-6, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for Jan. 16 Pips

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 4-6, placed vertically; 3-3, placed horizontally.

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

Number (24): Everything in this space must add up to 24. The answer is 4-6, placed vertically; 6-6, placed horizontally; 1-6, placed vertically.

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 4-4, placed horiontally; 1-4, placed horizontally; 5-4, placed horizontally; 4-2, placed vertically.

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 1-4, placed horizontally.

Not Equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 2-5, placed horizontally; 3-1, placed vertically; 4-0, placed horizontally.

Number (20): Everything in this space must add up to 20. The answer is 5-4, placed horizontally; 5-5, placed vertically; 0-5, placed horizontally.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 0-5, placed horiontally; 0-3, placed horizontally.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 0-3, placed horizontally; 2-3, placed horizontally.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 2-3, placed horizontally; 4-2, placed vertically.

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

SAVE $150: As of Jan.16, the Breville Barista Express Impress is on sale for $649.95 at Amazon. That's a 19% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Breville Breville Barista Express Impress $649.95 at Amazon
$799.95 Save $150   Get Deal

If you're a true coffee connoisseur, chances are you turn your nose up at most instant offerings and instead go for a perfectly ground bean, brewed in a French press, Moka pot, or coffee machine. But if you really want to get the most out of your morning jolt, why not brew your beans in the Breville Barista Express Impress. It lives up to its name and truly does impress, but even better than that, as of Jan. 16, it's on sale at Amazon.

Right now, you'll save $150 on this model with a new price of $649.95. It comes with everything you'll need to make your perfect drink, including a portafilter, milk jug, one and two cup single and dual wall filter baskets, water filter holder, razor precision trimming tool, and cleaning tablets.

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This machine makes creating great espresso a piece of cake. It has a clever dosing system that automatically calculates and adjusts the amount of fresh coffee for each shot. Assisted tamping applies a consistent 10kg of pressure with a barista-style twist for a clean, polished puck, and the integrated conical burr grinder offers 25 grind settings to fine-tune the flavor of your beans. It also comes with a built-in steam wand so you can steam milk for drinks like lattes or cappuccinos.

This coffee machine deal is available at Amazon now.