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Agentic AI is poised to take massive leaps in 2026. When agentic AI buzz grew in the wake of OpenAI's rise, many of the services required heavy input to deliver results to users. But with the advent of tools like OpenClaw and the continuing maturation of AI-powered services, AI that can act on your behalf is pushing agentic AI to new levels of functionality for users.
While OpenClaw's utility is unmatched by most AI agents, there are will plenty you can make use of right now. Here's a look at how they can help you with your daily life.
AI agents can help with your shoppingA major use-case for agentic AI is in researching and buying products. That makes sense — more involvement in e-commerce can only mean more money towards the builder of the agent. To be clear, we aren't quite at the fully human-free version of shopping that's likely to become more common soon. However, if you still want to keep an eye on the shopping process while cutting down on the steps you actually need to take, some of the currently available AI agents might be helpful.
Instead of forcing users to navigate individual retailer checkouts, companies are building agents that handle the purchasing logistics for you directly from the research phase. For example, Google has a "Buy for Me" feature that works on top of its existing price-tracking tools. Once you set your payment methods and shipping addresses, the agent will make the purchase directly on the retailer's website itself. Similarly, search-first platforms are integrating native checkouts. Perplexity features an "Instant Buy" tool that allows you to research and buy a product without ever leaving its interface. You simply fill out your details the first time, and the platform stores your information so the AI can manually make future purchases on your behalf.
How agentic AI can increase work productivityWorkspace agents are designed as autonomous administrators for daily tasks and scheduling. These systems can be configured to research, write, and organize projects entirely in the background. ClickUp, for example, offers workspace agents it calls Super Agents, that operate with little to no manual triggering from the user. Notion takes a similar approach by embedding AI directly into existing workflows, letting users select specific models for different tasks and set up multiple custom agents configured for distinct administrative functions — although Notion’s Custom Agents are still rolling out.
Specialized agents are also handling calendar management through dynamic automation. Platforms like Reclaim.ai analyze a user’s task list, recurring habits, and existing commitments to automatically block out focus time. As the week progresses, the agent enforces travel buffers and resolves meeting conflicts in real time, removing the need for manual schedule adjustments.
Agentic AI is here to help with more complex demandsAgentic AI is being applied to local hardware and dedicated code editors too. In fact, software development is an industry that has heavily adopted AI.
Some open-source agents operate directly on user machines rather than through cloud-based web interfaces. For example, OpenClaw is a local agent that plugs into standard messaging platforms like Telegram and Discord. It runs continuously, connects to external language models via API, and executes tasks using direct access to local files and system commands. Because it often requires root-level execution privileges to fully function, it has some pretty huge cybersecurity risks though. You’ll probably want to contain these tools on secondary machines with limited data access to avoid issues.
Other systems focus on orchestrating multiple specialized agents. Tools like Microsoft's AutoGen use event-driven architectures that allow distinct agent personas to communicate, share memory, and execute code in isolated environments. Setting these up requires programming knowledge though, so it’s not a completely code-free tool. Without proper configuration, interacting agents can fall into conversational loops, failing to complete their objectives while continuing to consume API credits.
In software development, agents are increasingly integrated directly into the development environment. Code editors like Windsurf feature embedded agents that analyze the codebase, manage dependencies, and run code directly in the terminal to fix errors in real time. While these platforms offer access to advanced reasoning models and competitive subscription tiers for professional use, they’re not pure "no-code" solutions. Operating them effectively requires a foundational understanding of programming and software architecture.
Personal finance agents can help you hold onto your cashThe personal finance software space has moved away from static budgeting dashboards into proactive systems that actively manage your money and fight for cost savings on your behalf.
Platforms like Cleo, for example, have pushed the AI financial assistant from passive analysis into active intervention. With its Autopilot feature, the system can detect unusual spending, shifts in income, or other changes. When it finds an issue, it can automatically move money into savings to protect it, issue cash advances to prevent overdraft fees, and dynamically adjust your long-term financial roadmap — all without requiring a manual prompt.
Other platforms take a strictly analytical approach. Monarch Money has an integrated AI assistant that lets you query deep, multi-year transaction histories using natural language. You can ask it to surface spending patterns, optimize tax strategies, explain ETFs, or project net worth trajectories. Unlike Cleo, Monarch operates entirely as an advisor — it will analyze the data, but it won't autonomously move money or make trades on your behalf.
It's important to note that many AI assistants require access to sensitive information as part of their functions. Please ensure you understand and are comfortable with the data access requirements and data protection efforts of any of these services before trying them.
Smart home agents can improve your comfortAI is playing a big role in the smart home too. Many smart home ecosystems are baking AI features in, allowing you to create automations and control devices using natural language.
At the high end, the focus is on dedicated hardware processors and localized microphones that serve as a central nervous system for complex setups. Systems like Josh.ai, for example, are installed exclusively by professional integrators and can support up to 500 controllable devices spanning AV, HVAC, and lighting. The main appeal here is privacy, since the processing all runs locally, but the downside is the cost. It definitely isn't a DIY solution.
At the opposite end of the spectrum are local smart home frameworks that require more technical knowledge but offer absolute control. Platforms like Home Assistant have improved their AI features immensely over the last year, letting users connect their homes to local large language models (like Ollama) or plug in API keys for cloud models. Paired with dedicated voice hardware, the AI can execute highly specific spatial commands, recognizing exactly which room you're in and adjusting only the relevant devices. While the initial setup is much more hands-on than mainstream alternatives, the ability to avoid corporate ecosystems altogether makes this approach a top choice for privacy-conscious users.
TL;DR: A wide range of AI courses are available to take for free on Udemy.
The world of AI is in a constant state of flux. It can feel disorientating, but there are steps you can take to feel more grounded in these shifting sands.
The good news is that there are a number of online courses you can take that dive into chatbots, AI agents, and machine learning. And better yet, a number of the best online AI courses are totally free to take on Udemy. We recommend taking some time to properly check out all the options, but to get you started, we've lined up a selection of standout courses on AI:
So where's the catch? These free online courses don't include certificates of completion or direct instructor messaging, but that's it. You still get unrestricted access to all the video content and you can learn at a pace that suits you. There's literally nothing stopping you from enrolling today.
Find the best free AI courses on Udemy.
If you've ever put a job listing up and watched your inbox explode with hundreds of applications before you've even finished your coffee, you're probably already looking for ways to use new tools to help automate the process.
AI tools are stepping into that gap. There's now a series of platforms designed to help with practically every phase of hiring, starting from that initial resume screen and going all the way through to documenting interviews after they happen. None of these tools are flawless, and you should not hand over your hiring decisions to an algorithm entirely, but when you use them thoughtfully, they can claw back a surprising amount of time. They might even help you find strong candidates who would have slipped through the cracks. Here's where they actually make a difference.
Screening resumes and applicationsThe most obvious place to bring AI into hiring is right at the start of hiring — going through applications. Resume parsing and ranking tools pull in applications, extract the relevant details, and score candidates against whatever job description you've defined. Recruiterflow, X0PA AI, and Eightfold.ai all have offerings in this space, and while they each take a somewhat different angle on how they surface top candidates, the general idea is the same.
What actually makes the good ones stand out from a basic keyword filter comes down to semantic matching. Traditional keyword matching looks for exact terms — so if your listing mentions "project management" but a candidate's resume talks about "led cross-functional initiatives," a straight keyword search might pass on them entirely. Semantic matching brings in contextual understanding, picking up on relevant qualifications even when the wording doesn't match up perfectly.
The benefit is speed and scale. When a tool can rank 500 applications in minutes, recruiters can redirect their energy toward candidates who genuinely deserve a deeper look instead of spending hours skimming through resumes.
It's worth noting that these tools can absolutely miss qualified people whose backgrounds don't fit the typical mold. The more a tool depends on specific terminology boundaries, even with semantic matching in the mix, the higher the risk of false negatives.
Analyze video interviewsAI-powered video interview platforms push things further by actually evaluating how candidates come across on camera. These tools analyze recorded or live video interviews, looking at things like facial expressions, vocal tone, what candidates actually say, and how well they communicate overall — then they output structured scores based on all of it.
HireVue is the biggest name here and has basically become the default for large employers running this kind of evaluation. It handles both recorded and live formats and generates AI-driven assessments that hiring teams can layer in alongside their own impressions. Insyder is another one, but it uses conversational AI to simulate a natural back-and-forth with candidates, essentially running 20-to-30-minute interviews at scale with behavioral science frameworks baked into the analysis.
This is also where the ethical concerns hit hardest, though. Facial recognition and microexpression analysis have drawn serious scrutiny for potential bias against certain demographics. Researchers have raised legitimate questions about whether AI can reliably read facial cues across different cultural backgrounds, skin tones, and physical conditions. HireVue actually stopped analyzing facial expressions back in 2021 after sustained pushback, but the broader landscape of video analysis tools still varies wildly in how they handle these signals. If you're looking at a video analysis platform, it's worth looking at what measurements have been validated across diverse populations.
Test job skillsInstead of trying to guess what a candidate can do based on what's on their resume, skills-based assessment platforms just measure it directly. There are a number of AI-based platforms that can help with this.
TestGorilla has a wide library of skill tests that cover everything from language proficiency to software knowledge, which makes it a pretty solid all-around option. CodeSignal zeroes in on technical and coding assessments, and it even includes evaluations of AI literacy — something that's becoming increasingly relevant no matter what role you're hiring for. Pymetrics takes a more unconventional path, using neuroscience-driven games to measure cognitive and emotional traits, then matching candidates to roles based on what the data shows.
When you focus on demonstrated ability rather than credentials, you can reduce hiring bias. A candidate without a degree gets the same opportunity as someone who has one, as long as they can actually do the work. These tools also give employers a much clearer sense of what someone will bring to the table from day one.
The trade-offs are mostly on the practical side. Building out meaningful, role-specific assessments requires more upfront effort than just turning on a resume screener. Implementation costs run higher too, especially when you're customizing tests across multiple roles. And there's always the lingering question of whether a timed, high-pressure testing environment actually reflects how someone will perform in the real job — plenty of excellent employees just don't test well under that kind of pressure.
Automate interview documentationThis one doesn't get the same attention, but it might honestly be one of the most immediately useful ways AI shows up in hiring. Tools like Read AI join live interviews (with proper permissions) and automatically capture, transcribe, and analyze the conversation. Once the interview wraps up, they produce structured feedback, summaries, and even shortlist recommendations drawn from what was actually discussed.
Automated documentation lets interviewers actually be present with the person sitting across from them, confident that the conversation is being captured accurately. Over time, you also build up consistent institutional knowledge — searchable records of questions asked, answers given, and how candidates were evaluated. That's valuable both for refining your process and staying on the right side of compliance requirements.
The limitations are pretty straightforward. These tools don't automate the interview itself — someone still has to show up and actually have the conversation. And because recording is involved, you'll need to deal with recording permissions, which vary by jurisdiction and can feel a little awkward to bring up at the start of an interview. Most candidates are totally fine with it, but being upfront about it matters.
Best practicesAI hiring tools are genuinely helpful, but they deliver the best results when you approach them as tools for helping you make the decision, not decision-makers themselves. A few things are worth keeping front of mind.
The strongest approach is using AI to manage volume and build shortlists, then putting humans in charge of the final calls. Algorithms are great at narrowing a field; they're not great at grasping the full context of someone's potential. Keeping a human in the loop for final decisions is a practical safeguard and, honestly, it's just the right thing to do when you're dealing with something that directly affects someone's livelihood.
Second, audit your tools on a regular basis. Even platforms that market themselves as bias-reducing need ongoing scrutiny. Training data can carry biases that aren't immediately apparent, and the only way you'll catch them is by actively looking.
And finally, be transparent about it. Candidates deserve to know how AI is being used in your evaluation process — which tools are involved, what they're measuring, and how those results factor into decisions. Beyond just being the ethical baseline, transparency actually tends to improve the candidate experience. People are generally a lot more comfortable with AI evaluation when they understand what's going on, rather than feeling like they're being judged by some invisible black box.
You’ve probably seen the articles before about people who had tens of thousands of emails and magically took it down to zero in just a couple of days with the help of various tools, methods, or just being plain old fed up with having too many emails and sitting down to do the task manually. As someone who gets loads of emails for work, it’s an interesting concept that I wanted to try myself, and I was able to get some moderate success out of it.
Before anyone’s hopes get too high, the whole inbox zero concept doesn’t work the way you think it does. Email is a fact of life for many jobs, and keeping it at zero at all times is a Sisyphean effort. You can get your inbox to zero, but it’ll fill back up again. Even the original inventor of the inbox zero concept, Merlin Mann, says that most people get it wrong, having taken his advice from years ago way too literally, and that the point isn’t to have no emails in your inbox at all.
Instead, the point is to sift through fluff and bloat to get to what’s really important, and that’s not only much easier, but the various tools available today make it really easy to do. Below, I’ll describe the tool I used for it, and how I configured it to help me sift through the nonsense.
My AI-powered inbox zero methodThere are a variety of AI email assistants available on the web, but the one that seemed to work best for me was Zero Email. The primary reason for this is that individual accounts can use it for free, and while I do have multiple email addresses, I only have one for my job. I have gone nearly 30 years without paying for email, and I don’t intend to start anytime soon.
What I like about this tool is that it’s a nice mix of traditional email with just a touch of AI there to help you sort through things. The free version includes an AI bot that you can ask for help 20 times per day, and you can also edit the prompt to change how the bot acts around you. The UI shows your inbox, and you can manage your emails and talk to the AI bot from one interface.
The value in this approach is that the bot can perform tasks faster than I could through Gmail’s native interface while still giving me nearly full control. I did consider more automated approaches like Zapier, Inbox Zero, and a few others. However, Zapier has quite a learning curve for something that I only needed long enough to help me organize things, and solutions like Inbox Zero cost money out of the gate.
Trimming the fatThe first thing I needed to do was reduce the number of emails I received. This would prove to be a pretty simple task, although it did take me some time. In the old days, I would’ve used an unsubscribe service like Unroll.me, but the whole idea kind of went out of vogue when Unroll.me was found to be selling user data to Uber. Instead, I used two native Gmail features and a little creativity.
Credit: Google screenshotI started by creating a label within Gmail called “Junk E-mail.” The name is arbitrary, but the goal was to funnel emails into this label for me to manually sort later. Then, I created a filter in Gmail that would identify any email that had the word “unsubscribe” in it, mark them as read immediately, and ship them off to the Junk E-Mail label for me to sort through later.
This works because all mailing list emails are required by law to have a clearly listed link to unsubscribe from emails. So, with these two simple things, almost every mailing list email was sent to one folder where I could manually inspect and unsubscribe from email lists. The only ones that squeaked through are ones that used an unsubscribe graphic instead of a word, but they were easy enough to weed out manually.
I did this step first and let it percolate for a while before I did anything else. The results were immediate and effective. As a tech writer, I have signed up for hundreds of services over the years so that I could talk about them in articles, so the first few days of this was harrowing. Eventually, the emails slowed down and eventually became manageable, and then finally, a non-issue. Email lists I wanted to stick with were moved back to the Inbox for future processing.
Preparing the inboxThe next step was email preparation. Most of my emails fall into a handful of categories, and so preparing the inbox was an essential part of the plan. This part is doable manually, but AI can do it much faster.
So, my first task was getting rid of every label I didn’t want or use. This was easy enough. I asked the AI to delete them, and it did. I then came up with a list of labels I believed would help me get through my emails faster, like Press Emails, a label for each of my freelance clients, and generic ones like Shopping. Another prompt to the AI, and the labels were immediately created.
Credit: Zero Email screenshotAI handled this entire process and it only took a couple of minutes. The longest part was figuring out what labels I wanted to make and which ones I wanted to delete. From there, the AI handled the rest.
Putting the emails where they belongThe final step was by far the hardest, which made me eternally grateful that the AI could do it all for me. This took a few days because of Zero Email’s daily limits, but the process was pretty much cut and dry.
I started by asking the AI to create filters to put various contacts into various labels automatically. This process would’ve taken many hours to do myself as a function of having to bounce between browser tabs and Gmail’s filter’s UI. Instead, all I had to do was ask the bot to do it for me. This includes things like sorting Amazon emails into the Shopping label and non-work emails into a Personal label.
The only part that was difficult to figure out initially was press emails. I get these from random companies all the time, and not all of them are in my contacts list. For this problem, the solution I came up with was similar to the one I used for junk emails above. I had the AI create a filter to sort any email that includes common press email words and phrases like “announce,” “launch,” and “embargo.” This filter required manual tuning over the course of a couple of weeks as more phrases and words were identified, but it has mostly worked well.
Once this was done, the number of emails in my inbox without a label very nearly dropped to zero. The benefit here is that I could click through my labels to view the emails I wanted to deal with at the moment, and the rest could be largely ignored until I checked the label later.
The benefits are palpable, and clicking into a label to see a handful of emails all from the same senders or regarding the same general topics was immediately less stressful than sorting through a completely disorganized inbox.
Clean upAside from some fine tuning, which I was perfectly capable of doing manually, the process was completely done and I was satisfied with my results after a couple of days of testing with everything in place. The last step was cleanup.
To start, I had the AI go through every email in my entire Gmail account and label them with the above rules applied, just to make sure everything got sorted appropriately. The AI did struggle with this one a little bit but eventually did what I asked it to do. Everything was now where I needed it to be.
This concluded my business with Zero Email, and so the next step was removing it from my account. I get emails with non-disclosure agreements and embargoed information all the time, and while Zero Email’s privacy policy doesn’t raise any immediate red flags, this is information that people would be displeased to have leaked, and so, I try to keep the number of services connected to my Gmail at a minimum, even if the company promises it’s not reading my data.
In any case, once everything was disconnected and the emails were all cleaned up, my new system was in place and ready to go.
Credit: Google Gmail screenshot Asking AI for help when neededGmail and Outlook both have AI built-in already, Gmail with Gemini and Outlook with Copilot. These AIs aren’t great at managing emails (yet). However, they are adept at helping you write them. You may have noticed to this point that I haven’t talked much about constructing emails
If you asked someone 10 years ago if they liked their robot vacuum, most answers would fall somewhere on the "not really" to "hell no" scale. Many old robot vacuums seemed to have no logical cleaning path and no protective instincts to keep them from getting stuck, often becoming more trouble than they were worth. But brainpower of the best robot vacuums in 2026 is in a different league. Most of that competency can be attributed to AI features.
It can feel like some home appliances are being superfluously AI'd, without any real call from consumers for that level of automation from their fridge. But automated self-sufficiency has always been at the core of the robotic vacuum cleaner. Plus, current AI robot vacuum features are still pretty utilitarian, merely focusing on making navigation more nimble, obstacle avoidance more perceptive, and cleaning performance more thorough — all fundamental parts of the robot vacuum experience. Here are the three main ways robot vacuums are using AI in 2026:
AI-powered obstacle avoidanceProbably the most heavily advertised AI robot vacuum element, AI obstacle avoidance is a make-or-break feature in homes with floors that aren't 100 percent tidy 100 percent of the time. As someone who legitimately considers vacuuming by hand a form of catharsis, I take small obstacle avoidance very seriously. Outside of my official robot vacuum testing, I'll rarely choose a robot vacuum over my Dyson stick vacuum unless the robovac is smart enough to not require babysitting.
When a robot vacuum approaches a small or flat object, AI acts as a live set of eyes to detect the obstacle and clean around it in real time. These vacuums tell the difference between common items that would've tripped any older robot vacuum up, like charging cords or a slipper or pet waste. The most vigilant robot vacuums to come out of CES 2026 can recognize between 200 and 300 different pesky obstacles.
The Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Flow cleaned around a cord and a shoe. Credit: Screenshot / Roborock The Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Flow recognized the cat tree in the corner. Credit: Leah Stodart / MashableThese items aren't permanent fixtures on the floor like furniture is — a random sock or pet toy could be laying somewhere that the robot vacuum has never seen it before, so these vacuums really need to be on their toes. Small obstacle avoidance cameras rely on AI to react in real time, adapting the cleaning pattern on the spot to avoid a run in.
But pet recognition has to be the most fun development in robot vacuums' AI recognition capabilities. Many premium robot vacuums nowadays have some sort of "find my pet" function — you can even have the robot vacuum snap some photos of your pet throughout the day, or follow along via live video to see what the robot vacuum sees as it's checking under furniture. As extra as it sounds on its face, the livestream camera has become such a comforting tool for checking on my cats when I'm not at home.
SEE ALSO: Dreame doesn't just want to be a top vacuum brand. It wants to be a top everything brand.The ability to pick up obstacles in the way is the next evolution of AI obstacle avoidance. In spring 2025, Roborock was the first mainstream brand to throw a robot vacuum with a mechanical arm into the ring. But the Roborock Saros Z70's AI-powered obstacle removal tech was undercooked in one way or another — the arm's variety of grab-able items was already limited, and it took forever to pick anything up. (You know the AI is a flop when it's faster for you to just do the task yourself.) Dreame showcased its version of a robot vacuum with an arm at CES 2026. On paper, the Dreame Cyber 10 Ultra sounds much more competent than the Saros Z70. Only time will tell.
AI-powered mess detectionOlder robotic vacuum cleaners weren't very thorough cleaners, and not just because they couldn't muster the suction power that we're used to today. They also just had little awareness of the type of mess they were dealing with, leaving most cleaning overgeneralized.
Some level of human-esque discernment feels necessary for a truly precise clean. AI dirt detection uses a mix of sensors and cameras to assess the mess at hand in real time and customize settings like suction power and scrubbing intensity or water flow accordingly.
The Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Flow vacuums slower from multiple angles when heavy debris is detected. Credit: Leah Stodart / MashableThese AI cleaning features get more nitty gritty than iRobot's old, basic Dirt Detect feature that "works harder" on dirtier areas, and even an automatic suction boost feature when a robot vacuum senses carpet. Narwal's Intelligent Dirt Detection tech monitors the floor with infrared, acoustic, optical, and pressure sensors to scan the floor to distinguish between dry and liquid spills and different types of debris (down to the particle size). Dyson's newest robot vacuum, the Spot+Scrub Ai, takes before and after photos of detected spills to ensure that the stain has been sufficiently scrubbed away.
Many premium robot vacuums also use intel from past cleaning sessions to create AI-driven cleaning plans for a more efficient clean in specific rooms going forward. If one area of the home is consistently dirtier than the others (like in the kitchen or near the front door), AI modes like Roborock SmartPlan, Narwal Freo, and Dreame CleanGenius will remember that for next time.
AI-supported smart mappingThe introduction of LiDAR smart mapping in the 2010s transformed the way that robot vacuums get around our homes. Instead of playing bumper cars with furniture and hoping for the best, LiDAR robot vacuums bounce laser pulses off of walls and large objects to create a precise 3D map of your home. This was the breakthrough that brought us room-by-room cleaning, zone cleaning, and no-go zones without those ugly physical barrier strips.
LiDAR is the most common smart mapping tech, and its navigational efficiency gets even better with the help of AI. During the initial mapping run, AI fills in the furniture arrangements in each room for more agile cleaning. All AI robot vacuums that I've tested know that a toilet is a toilet and that a TV stand is a TV stand. Many models have even pinpointed my cat tree and automatic litter box with their own little icons, automatically triggering more detailed cleaning in areas with high pet traffic.
SEE ALSO: The Shark vs. Roomba debate is old news. Here's how both robot vacuum brands got dethroned.Robot vacuums with "climbing" capabilities also use AI to better determine which obstacles they can (and should) actually try to scale, and which they should stay away from. The Dreame X60 Max Ultra Complete and Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Flow both have retractable legs that can hoist the vacuum's chassis a few inches up and over various thresholds. Using AI to make a game-time decision, these smart vacs know which small barriers to smoothly drive over (thick floor type changes or door saddles, sliding door tracks into another room or closet, or chair legs that lay flat across the floor) and which small barriers to steer around (like shoes.) AI-powered robot vacuums have a better concept of where they can fit in general, making them much less likely to get stuck.
Is it dangerous for robot vacuums to use AI?Before buying a robot vacuum, you'll want to dig into the brand's policies about AI usage, camera usage, and personal data usage.
For instance, Roborock's policy is particularly transparent and easy to understand. It directly states that none of your data is collected or uploaded without your explicit permission. (The Dreame and Roborock apps check with you before sharing obstacle images to the company as feedback for misrecognition.) You can read an extended explanation of privacy protection for specific features like obstacle photos, video calls, and Pet Snaps, all of which are encrypted and processed in data centers located in your country.
SEE ALSO: ChatGPT caricature trend: What to do if OpenAI clearly knows too muchObstacle photos can be toggled off completely, and a passcode or pattern lock is required to activate the video camera on all robot vacuums I've tested with that feature. When a robot vacuum is in live video mode, they'll loudly announce that remote viewing is activated every 30 seconds or so, ensuring anyone at home is aware that someone on the other end is using the vacuum's camera.
I can't say that I wouldn't understand being sketched out by the idea of a WiFi-connected machine with AI-powered live stream cameras freely roving around your house. (Remember when Amazon almost bought iRobot and had access to data about the insides of millions of homes?) If an AI-powered robot vacuum has a dark aura to you, I have a handful of good cordless stick vacuum recommendations for you.
SAVE $20: As of March 2, the Fire Stick 4K Plus is on sale for $29.99 at Amazon. That's a 40% discount on the list price.
Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire Stick 4K Plus $29.99 at AmazonAmazon has a range of discounts across its Fire Stick range right now, including the Fire Stick 4K Plus. As of March 2, this model is down to just $29.99, a saving of $20 on list price. If you're familiar with Amazon's Fire Sticks, the Plus may sound new, but it's actually just a rebrand of the 4K model. Same high quality streaming device, different name.
This Fire Stick has improved performance optimized for 4K TVs, so you can expect high-quality movie nights and gaming. You'll also get 4K Ultra HD, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and Dolby Atmos audio, so everything looks and sounds great at all times.
Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!The setup is simple too (plug the Fire TV Stick into your TV's HDMI port and power it at an outlet), and it comes with an Alexa voice control remote. The remote is neat and easy to use, and it can also control your TV's volume as well as power, so this becomes the only remote you'll need.
Gamers are catered for with support for cloud gaming via Xbox Game Pass. This lets you stream a wide range of titles without a console or controller. And not to mention, for streaming you'll have access to all the big platforms, from Netflix to HBO Max.
This is a limited-time deal at Amazon, so don't miss out.
TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG: First Partner Illustration Collection — Series 1 is available for preorder at Target for $15.99 or Amazon for $69.99 — with a March 20, 2026 release date.
Pokémon TCG: First Partner Illustration Collection Series 1 Best Target Deal Pokémon TCG: First Partner Illustration Collection Series 1 $15.99 at Target Pre-Order Here Best Amazon Deal Pokémon TCG: First Partner Illustration Collection Series 1 $69.99 at Amazon Pre-Order HereIf you missed the first wave of Pokémon’s 30th-anniversary-style products, this could be your last chance to grab these special trading card collections before their market value goes up. As of March. 3, Target still has preorders of the Pokémon TCG: First Partner Illustration Collection available for $15.99, and for when those go out of stock, Amazon is selling units for $69.99 — still under its market price on TCGplayer.
The biggest hook of this collection is the chase for exclusive promo cards of starter Pokémon. Series 1 includes a special booster pack that gives you three of nine illustration rare-style promo cards, all centered on first partner starters from Kanto, Sinnoh, and Alola.
Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!That means you’re not getting a full set in one box — you’re pulling a subset, which is exactly the kind of market hype that’s seeing these sell out rather fast.
Beyond the promos, the collection also comes with two additional Pokémon TCG booster packs (Mega Evolution and Phantasmal Flames) and a sticker sheet featuring first partner Pokémon. At $15.99, we expect the Target preorders to sell out soon, with Amazon’s $69.99 listing looking like a consolation prize until more resellers pop up.
Amazon is still selling Pokémon TCG: Ascended Heroes Elite Trainer Boxes for under $120. You can also still grab the Pokémon TCG’s new Mega Charizard Y and X Tins for under $45 at Amazon.
The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.
With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.
So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: How to play Pips, the newest NYT gameHere are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Monday, March 2, 2026:
Across"Yeah, why not!"The answer is Sure.
The answer is Item.
The answer is Pilot.
The answer is Late.
The answer is Exed.
The answer is Sip.
The answer is U tile.
The answer is Relax.
The answer is Emote.
The answer is Ted.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Mini Crossword.
TL;DR: The Magic: The Gathering Bloomburrow Play Booster Box has dropped to $137.99 at Amazon, undercutting its $139.70 market value and taking $65.41 off its $203.40 list price.
Opens in a new window Credit: Magic: The Gathering Magic: The Gathering Bloomburrow Play Booster Box $137.99 at AmazonWe’ve seen plenty of Magic: The Gathering boxes slide down in price lately, but Bloomburrow just hit a sweet spot that’s hard to ignore: it’s 32% off and now below market value. As of March 2, the Bloomburrow Play Booster Box is available for $137.99 at Amazon, with a $65.41 cut from its original $203.40 list price — and is now the lowest we’ve seen this year, according to price tracker camelcamelcamel.
Bloomburrow is also one of MTG’s easiest recommendations for draft nights, thanks to its cozy woodland fantasy vibe — with mice, frogs, bats, birds, squirrels, and other critters stepping up as the Valley gets rocked by elemental chaos.
Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!You get 36 Play Boosters (504 trading cards total). Each pack includes 14 cards with 1-4 Rares or higher, plus the usual mix of uncommons and commons, and at least one Traditional Foil. There’s also the chance of foil lands, Borderless mythics (rarely), and Play Booster-only Art cards — making this box both a solid Limited pickup and a fun rip. At roughly $3.83 per pack, it’s an incredibly strong value offering.
As for more MTG deals, you can still grab six Magic: The Gathering Final Fantasy booster packs for only $49. Meanwhile, preorders on MTG Marvel Super Heroes Play Booster Boxes are $20 at Amazon.
TL;DR: Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Elite Trainer Boxes have dropped to $88.95 at Walmart, dipping under $90 and undercutting Amazon’s price of up to $103.86.
Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Elite Trainer Box (Mega Gardevoir or Mega Lucario) $88.95 at WalmartIf you’ve been trying to grab a Mega Evolution ETB without paying the usual $100+ markups, Walmart just helped out your trading card budget.
As of March 2, the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Elite Trainer Box is listed for $88.95 at Walmart (sold by Rares Market, fulfilled by Walmart), which is only $5 shy of the TCGplayer market value and up to $14.91 cheaper than Amazon. Mega Lucario and Mega Gardevoir editions are randomized at Walmart, but it’s still a fantastic deal if you simply want a Mega Evolution booster pack with an ETB’s usual extras.
Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!Mega Evolution Elite Trainer Boxes include:
9 Mega Evolution booster packs
1 full-art foil promo card (Riolu with the Mega Lucario version or Alakazam with Mega Gardevoir version)
65 card sleeves
40 Energy cards
Player’s guide
Dice, coin-flip die, plastic coin, dividers, storage box
Pokemon TCG Live code card
Comparatively, the Mega Gardevoir version only goes as low as $99.99 on Amazon and $199.99 on TCGplayer. Meanwhile, the Mega Lucario version at Amazon is priced even higher at $103.86, with no listings at TCGplayer currently available.
For more decent Pokémon TCG prices, you can still get the Ascended Heroes Elite Booster Boxes for under $120 at Amazon. Also, the 30th Anniversary Pokémon Day 2026 Collection is still available at Amazon for just under $40.
SAVE $20: As of March 2, the Amazon Fire Stick 4K Max is on sale for $29.99 with the code MAX4KFTV at Amazon. That's $30 off the list price.
Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Fire Stick 4K Max $29.99 at AmazonIf you want a high quality streaming device with plenty of storage, you need the Amazon Fire Stick 4K Max. It offers incredible 4K streaming and 16GB of storage for plenty of apps and games, and as of March 2 it's on sale at Amazon. Right now you can save $30 with the code MAX4KFTV. Get the Fire Stick 4K Max for $29.99 right now at Amazon.
Let's break down exactly what you're getting with this Fire Stick. Quality-wise, it's seriously impressive, with support for 4K Ultra HD with Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and Dolby Atmos for detailed picture quality and great sound. You'll also get cloud gaming, letting you stream titles through Xbox Game Pass or play via Amazon Luna without needing a console.
Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!As you'd expect, it has Alexa built-in, so you can do things like search for content using voice commands, speak to other smart home devices, or ask Amazon to search something online.
This model also features the Fire TV Ambient Experience, a feature that lets you display a wide range of artwork and photography on your screen when not in use. And when you are using it, you'll get access to over 1.8 million movies and TV episodes from streaming services like Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and more.
Pick up this streaming deal from Amazon while it's still live.
OpenAI has entered a deal with the U.S. Department of War (DOW), providing its AI tools for military use in "classified environments." Announcing the partnership on Saturday, the ChatGPT developer claims it includes guardrails prohibiting the use of its technology for mass domestic surveillance or autonomous weapons. However, contract excerpts shared by OpenAI appear to leave significant loopholes.
SEE ALSO: Anthropic's Claude overtakes ChatGPT in App StoreNews of OpenAI's deal with the DOW came just one day after President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. government will no longer use tech from OpenAI rival Anthropic, including its AI model Claude. Posting about the split on Truth Social, Trump had objected to Anthropic's insistence that the DOW abide by the company's terms of service.
Exactly which terms of services Trump took issue with were revealed in a statement from Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei on Thursday. In it, he claimed that the DOW demanded Anthropic remove safeguards against use of its tech for mass surveillance in the U.S. and fully AI-controlled weapons. Amodei stated that such use may technically be lawful, however "this is only because the law has not yet caught up with the rapidly growing capabilities of AI."
"[I]n a narrow set of cases, we believe AI can undermine, rather than defend, democratic values," wrote Amodei. "Some uses are also simply outside the bounds of what today’s technology can safely and reliably do."
OpenAI's terms are apparently more to the Trump administration's liking, with the company stepping in to supply the U.S. military with AI technology in Anthropic's place. Yet despite this, OpenAI claims that its agreement with DOW not only has similar guardrails which prohibit use of its technology for mass domestic surveillance or directing autonomous weapons, but even adds a third: "No use of OpenAI technology for high-stakes automated decisions (e.g. systems such as 'social credit')."
"We retain full discretion over our safety stack, we deploy via cloud, cleared OpenAI personnel are in the loop, and we have strong contractual protections," read OpenAI's announcement. "This is all in addition to the strong existing protections in U.S. law."
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.According to OpenAI, the limitations it has imposed are more enforceable than Anthropic's because it will only provide the DOW with its technology via the cloud, rather than installing it directly on hardware. OpenAI personnel will also be kept involved so that they can see how the DOW is using its technology. This will allegedly allow the company more oversight and control of its AI systems.
"We don’t know why Anthropic could not reach this deal, and we hope that they and more labs will consider it," wrote OpenAI.
However, an excerpt of the contract shared by OpenAI indicated that its technology will only be barred from use in autonomous weapons or to surveil U.S. citizens where such use is illegal. In fact, the agreement appears to lay out circumstances where OpenAI's tech would be allowed for these purposes, such as where human control over weapons isn't required by DOW policy or law.
"The Department of War may use the AI System for all lawful purposes, consistent with applicable law, operational requirements, and well-established safety and oversight protocols," the contract reads, per OpenAI. "[A]ny use of AI in autonomous and semi-autonomous systems must undergo rigorous verification, validation, and testing to ensure they perform as intended in realistic environments before deployment."
Responding to concerns in a post on LinkedIn, OpenAI head of national security partnerships Katrina Mulligan merely reiterated that its usage policies aren't the only safeguards in place, re-emphasising its cloud deployment and involvement of its personnel.
"[The DOW's] position was, build the model however you want, refuse whatever requests you want, just don't try to govern our operational decisions through usage policies," wrote Mulligan.
Still, doubts remain regarding the effectiveness of these ostensible safeguards, particularly considering OpenAI's reluctance to take an ethical stand.
Sam Altman speaks on OpenAI's deal with Department of War This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.OpenAI CEO Sam Altman conducted a Q&A on X in an attempt to assuage users' concerns about the DOW deal, to little apparent success. Conceding that the deal "was definitely rushed, and the optics don't look good," Altman claimed that they'd hoped it would de-escalate tensions between the DOW and the AI industry.
"I think a good relationship between the government and the companies developing this technology is critical over the next couple of years," wrote Altman.
The deal might have brought OpenAI and the U.S. government closer together, but it seems to have simultaneously alienated ChatGPT's civilian users.
Responding to a question about whether permitting all lawful use allows mass surveillance, Altman shared a post by U.S. Under Secretary of War Emil Michael in which he claimed that "The DoW does not spy on domestic communication of U.S. people (including via commercial collection) and to do so would be unlawful and profoundly un-American."
Unsurprisingly, few seem inclined to take the DOW's word for it. In 2013, whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed mass surveillance of U.S. citizens conducted by the DOW's (then called the Department of Defense) National Security Agency (NSA). This program was found to be illegal, and included people's telephone records. Human Rights Watch also accused the then-Department of Defense of surveilling U.S. citizens without warrants in 2017.
"The government already has broken the law and illegally surveiled [sic] US citizens," replied X user @bolts6629. "A milquetoast statement from an undersecretary in an administration famous for lying is good enough for you?"
Altman did state that he would refuse to use OpenAI's technology for mass domestic surveillance "because it violates the Constitution," and expressed discomfort with the idea of an amendment that would allow such use. However, some social media users cast doubt on this claim, noting that he has gone back on other promises before.
"Other things you've said you wouldn't do: overrule the OpenAI board, remove the nonprofit structure, put ads in ChatGPT," noted @Laneless_.
Further, OpenAI's CEO also indicated that the company is reluctant to draw ethical lines, preferring to abdicate responsibility and follow the government's directions rather than take any sort of stand itself.
"[W]e are not elected," wrote Altman. "We have a democratic process where we do elect our leaders. We have expertise with the technology and understand its limitations, but I think you should be terrified of a private company deciding on what is and isn't ethical in the most important areas."
"Following orders is not an excuse for unethical behavior," responded @MagisterLudiX. "Either you have strong red lines or you see it as purely transactional, depending on political context."
"AI is a tool. A hard limit on it, is a limit like any other tool has," wrote @genericrohan. "It's not deciding what the military can do, it is about setting a limit that the military can plan for."
In response to the news of OpenAI and the DOW's partnership, many ChatGPT users are reportedly cancelling their subscriptions to the AI chatbot. Several are instead turning to Anthropic's AI chatbot Claude, which has since dethroned ChatGPT as the most downloaded free app in the U.S. Apple App Store.
"OpenAI just made a deal with a devil and lost this customer of 2 years," Reddit user r/boomroom11 posted on subreddit r/ChatGPT. The post has over 26,000 upvotes at time of writing. "The company (originally non profit) that told us they existed to build AI safely for humanity is now taking Pentagon contracts. Sam Altman decided defense money was more important than every principle the company was founded on."
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.
The Full Moon is just a day away, so there's no surprise that it's big and bright in the sky tonight. There's a lot to see, without or without visual aids, so keep reading to find out what exactly you can spot.
What is today’s Moon phase?As of Monday, March 2, the Moon phase is Waxing Gibbous. According to NASA's Daily Moon Guide, 98% of the Moon will be lit up tonight.
With just your naked eye, tonight you'll be able to see the Mares Vaporum and Crisium, as well as the Aristarchus Plateau. If you have binoculars, you should also catch a glimpse of the Endymion Crater, Grimaldi Basin, and the Archimedes Crater. For those with a telescope, including the Apollo 16 landing spot, the Rima Hyginus, and the Caucasus Mountains.
When is the next Full Moon?The next Full Moon will be on March 3. The last Full Moon was on Feb. 1.
What are Moon phases?According to NASA, the Moon takes about 29.5 days to orbit the Earth. Over the course of this period, it moves through eight recognisable phases, what we call the lunar cycle. While the same side of the Moon always faces us, the amount of its surface lit by the Sun changes as it continues along its path. The shifts in sunlight create the different appearances we see from Earth, ranging from a fully illuminated Moon to a thin sliver or near darkness. The eight phases are:
New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).
Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).
First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.
Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.
Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.
Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)
Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.
Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.
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 PipsIf 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 March 2, 2026The 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 March 2, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for March 2 PipsNumber (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 6-4, placed horizontally.
Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 6-4, placed horizontally; 1-6, placed horizontally.
Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 1-6, placed horizontally; 3-5, placed vertically.
Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 3-5, placed vertically; 0-6, placed horizontally.
Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 0-6, placed horizontally.
Equal (3): Everything in this orange space must be equal to 3. The answer is 3-3, placed vertically.
Medium difficulty hints, answers for March 2 PipsNumber (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 5-4, placed vertically; 5-5, placed horizontally.
Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 5-5, placed horizontally; 5-6, placed vertically.
Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 4-0, placed vertically; 5-4, placed vertically; 2-3, placed horizontally.
Greater Than (0): Everything in this space must be greater than 0. The answer is 2-3, placed horizontally.
Greater Than (10): Everything in this space must be greater than 10. The answer is 5-6, placed vertically; 0-6, placed horizontally.
Hard difficulty hints, answers for March 2 PipsNumber (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 1-4, placed horizontally.
Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-4, placed horizontally.
Equal (4): Everything in this red space must be equal to 4. The answer is 1-4, placed horizontally; 2-4, placed horizontally; 4-3, placed vertically.
Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-3, placed vertically; 1-6, placed vertically.
Number (12): Everything in this space must add up to 12. The answer is 1-6, placed vertically; 6-4, placed horizontally.
Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 6-5, placed horizontally; 6-4, placed horizontally.
Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 5-1, placed horizontally.
Equal (4): Everything in this red space must be equal to 4. The answer is 5-4, placed horizontally; 4-4, placed horizontally.
Greater Than (0): Everything in this space must be greater than 0. The answer is 0-3, placed horizontally.
Equal (5): Everything in this dark blue space must be equal to 5. The answer is 5-1, placed horizontally; 6-5, placed horizontally; 5-4, placed horizontally; 5-5, placed vertically.
Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 1-3, placed vertically.
Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 1-3, placed vertically; 3-2, placed horizontally.
Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 3-2, 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 Connections: Sports Edition is for people who love March.
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.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake — players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categoriesWant a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: AFC teams
Green: College basketball tournament
Blue: The sound of sports
Purple: Types of doubles
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: AN AFC West Player
Green: March Madness Lingo
Blue: Sports Onomatopoeias
Purple: Double____
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 #525 is...
What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?AN AFC West Player - BRONCO, CHARGER, CHIEF, RAIDER
March Madness Lingo - BRACKET, BUBBLE, CINDERELLA, SEED
Sports Onomatopoeias - CLANK, CRUNCH, PING, VROOM
Double____ - A, BOGEY, DOUBLE, FAULT
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.
The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you're an MLB fan.
Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for March 2, 2026 Here's a hint for today's Connections categoriesWant a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: Simone Biles
Green: Level
Blue: What an umpire might say
Purple: Bawk Bawk
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Gymnastics apparatus
Green: Status
Blue: Baseball calls
Purple: ___ Chicken
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 #995 is...
What is the answer to Connections todayGymnastics apparatus: BEAM, HORSE, RINGS, VAULT
Status: POSITION, RANK, STANDING, STATION
Baseball calls: BALL, FOUL, SAFE, STRIKE
___ Chicken: FUNKY, POPCORN, RUBBER, SPRING
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 March 2, 2026Are 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 a remote worker.
Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on MashableBy providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.
If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.
SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for March 2, 2026 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 2, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Home office alternativeThe words are related to office work.
Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explainedThese words describe working out of office.
NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.
NYT Strands spangram answer todayToday's spangram is Coworking Space.
NYT Strands word list for March 2Booths
Pantry
Wifi
Coworking Space
Desks
Printer
Lounge
Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!
Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.
Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're a Nickelodeon fan.
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 March 2, 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 March 2, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:Goo.
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 S.
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...
SLIME
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints. Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.
If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.
There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.
An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.
If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.
SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hintTo rescind.
SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answerANNUL
Hurdle Word 2 hintA breaded donut.
SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for March 2, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 AnswerBAGEL
Hurdle Word 3 hintButt.
SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for March 2 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 2, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answerBOOTY
Hurdle Word 4 hintTo put out.
Hurdle Word 4 answerEVICT
Final Hurdle hintAudio.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answerSOUND
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
For one blissful episode of Industry, Harper Stern (Myha'la) and Yasmin Kara-Hanani (Marisa Abela) were at peace. In the aftermath of Tender's collapse in Season 4, episode 7, they went clubbing, shared a kiss, and dreamed that they would be in this state of bliss "forever."
Turns out their "forever" doesn't even last until the end of Season 4.
SEE ALSO: 'Industry's Myha'la and Marisa Abela break down Harper and Yasmin's heart to heart (and that kiss)That's because Industry's Season 4 finale, titled "Both, And," swings into Harper and Yasmin's reinforced relationship like a wrecking ball, tearing the show's central pair apart as definitively as it possibly can.
As the Tender fallout continues, Yasmin sets out on a new venture: supporting right-wing Reform candidate Sebastian Stefanowicz (Edward Holcroft). She hosts an elaborate dinner party for donors in Paris, and invites Harper.
Harper's date Kwabena Bannerman (Toheeb Jimoh) sees the red flags immediately, noting that he heard stories from a friend about Yasmin being a "sadist" at school. Harper shrugs them away, emphasizing that Yasmin is a "survivor," and all but confirming that the context of their relationship has made them inseparable.
SEE ALSO: 'Industry's Ken Leung on Eric's episode 6 sacrifice: 'It's his ultimate show of love'But even Harper and Yasmin's long-fraught connection has limits, and Harper comes up against them during the dinner party itself. Yasmin seating Harper next to full-on Nazis is already enough to break apart the friendship, but then Harper realizes that Yasmin is plying her male guests with young women, many of whom are likely underage, and that she'll be filming them as blackmail for down the line. It's a page right out of the Whitney Halberstram (Max Minghella) playbook, which in turn feels very tied to the real-world tactics of Jeffrey Epstein. (Yasmin's character was also "loosely inspired" by Ghislaine Maxwell, furthering the sordid connection to current events.)
The party marks the sickening realization for Harper that her friend has gone beyond the pale, but she continues to offer her lifelines, telling her, "This is not who you are."
Her last one? Standing up, reaching out her hand, and relying on her and Yasmin's shared history, saying, "If you have cared at all about me, ever, you will take my fucking hand."
Yasmin does, but she chooses to stay anyway. It's her acting out her own philosophy of "both, and": She can care about Harper, but she can also care about herself. For Myha'la, that moment cements the "heartbreak" of the episode.
"She knows that Yasmin is going to take care of Yasmin by any means necessary, just like Harper's going to take care of Harper by any means necessary," Myha'la told Mashable in a joint video interview with Abela. "The heartbreak is that they won't be doing it together. Like in the club scene in [episode] 7, they're taking care of each other. Harper's really hoping to extend that and say, 'Let's deal with whatever this is together.' And it feels like Yasmin takes her hand and says, 'I love you, but I'm going to take care of myself on my own this time.'"
For Abela, Yasmin's act of inviting Harper was also a lifeline, albeit for herself.
"Yasmin has invited Harper into this space to confront herself with the reality of what she's doing," Abela said. "I think there is probably a part of her that hopes that Harper will be able to see it, call it for what it is, and break some kind of spell. And I think in that moment, Yasmin realizes that she is in too deep."
With Yasmin fully morphing into her father, and Harper losing the people she was closest to, Industry has widened the gap between these two as far as it can possibly go. I won't count out a reunion in a potential Season 5 out yet, as the pair have reunited after hardships before, including Season 3's blowout "Nikki Beach" fight. But Yasmin's actions here seem insurmountable.
At least they'll always have that small slice of forever.
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