Mashable

Cybersecurity firm Kaspersky has uninstalled its popular antivirus software from U.S. users' computers, automatically replacing it with a completely different program from completely different company UltraAV. Kaspersky customers are not happy.

Rolled out in an update on Sept. 19, Kaspersky's unilateral swapping of users to UltraAV quickly garnered many confused and upset reactions online. Numerous people took to social media to complain about UltraAV being automatically installed on their computer without their consent, as well as express dissatisfaction at how the transition was handled. Some even voiced suspicion regarding the unfamiliar antivirus software, speculating that it was malware and demanding to know how to uninstall it.

SEE ALSO: FCC flags Russian cybersecurity firm Kaspersky as risk to national security

Yet despite customers' complaints, Kaspersky's handoff to UltraAV didn't come entirely out of the blue. 

Kaspersky had already announced plans to pull out of the U.S. earlier this year after the Russian cybersecurity company was banned from continuing to operate in the country. As such, Kaspersky informed U.S. customers at the beginning of the month that while they would still receive cybersecurity protection under their paid subscription, these services would now be provided by its U.S.-based partner UltraAV. 

"In the coming days, you will be receiving communications from UltraAV with instructions on how to activate your new account," wrote Kaspersky in messages that began rolling out on Sept. 5. "We're confident that you'll enjoy the enhanced protection and features UltraAV offers."

Unfortunately, at least some customers claim they never received this notification or weren't provided with the promised follow-up instructions.  

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Responding to the uproar on Saturday, Kaspersky and UltraAV issued a joint statement explaining that their aim had been to make the transition "as seamless as possible."

"Kaspersky and UltraAV worked closely to ensure customers would maintain the standards of security and privacy users have come to expect from their service," read the statement. "This update ensured that users would not experience a gap in protection upon Kaspersky’s exit from the market."

Even so, UltraAV isn't a perfect one-to-one substitute for Kaspersky. UltraAV does have a few added features that Kaspersky didn't offer, such as notifying you when your social security number is used, monitoring "high-risk transactions" such as password resets, and up to $1 million in identity theft insurance. However, unlike Kaspersky, UltraAV does not provide webcam or online payment protection, features many customers will no doubt miss.

Credit: UltraAV Why is Kaspersky uninstalling antivirus software from U.S. computers?

Kaspersky is being forced to exit the U.S. market after the government banned it from providing its services to anyone within the country, citing national security concerns about the Russian cybersecurity giant. Though announced in June, the ban is set to take effect from Sept. 29 to allow customers time to find alternative antivirus solutions. 

In a press release at the time, the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) claimed that Kaspersky posed a risk to national security "due to the Russian Government’s offensive cyber capabilities and capacity to influence or direct Kaspersky’s operations."

"[This risk] could not be addressed through mitigation measures short of a total prohibition," the BIS wrote.

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission had previously labelled Kaspersky an "unacceptable risk to national security" in 2022, while federal agencies were banned from using its antivirus software in 2017.

Kaspersky has consistently argued that its U.S. ban is unconstitutional and politically motivated, claiming that there is no evidence it is a national security threat. Nonetheless, it began winding down its U.S. operations on July 20, including dismissing employees based in America.

"To respond to the U.S. authorities’ concerns, the company has proposed a comprehensive assessment framework providing for the verification of its solutions, database updates, [and] threat detection rules by an independent trusted reviewer," Kaspersky wrote in a July statement regarding the ban.

"Therefore, Kaspersky maintains that the U.S. Department of Commerce decision was based on the geopolitical climate rather than on the evaluation of the integrity of the company’s solutions and deprives U.S. users and companies of best in class protection."

Kaspersky's arguments are similar to those TikTok has mounted in the face of its own U.S. ban. The U.S. government has also accused TikTok of posing a threat to national security, claiming that the popular video sharing app is controlled by a "foreign adversary" due to its Chinese parent company ByteDance. TikTok is currently fighting its high-profile ban in the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, where it's no doubt hoping for a better outcome than Kaspersky.

Elon Musk's social media platform X is losing users in two of its most important markets: the U.S. and UK.

According to a new report from the Financial Times, Musk's X has lost nearly one-fifth of its daily active user base in the U.S. and a whopping one-third in the UK. 

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The data, collected by third-party analytics company SimilarWeb, compares X's daily active user numbers from May 2023 to September 2024.

It's important to note that as a third-party data firm, SimilarWeb does not have direct access to X's internal user stats. The company collects data based on web traffic stats. While SimilarWeb's data includes traffic from mobile devices to mobile websites, SimilarWeb cannot account for activity within X's official apps on platforms like iOS and Android.

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk reportedly surrenders to Brazil in battle over X ban

However, some of X's own internal user numbers are public information – at least as it pertains to the EU. Thanks to EU regulations known as the Digital Services Act (DSA), which requires social media platforms to make this information available, we know that the SimilarWeb data showing a decline in X's users is largely accurate across the board.

X itself has recently reported a decline in users in the EU.

X's downward usage trends

X most recently shared its latest usage data, as required by EU law, last month. 

As Social Media Today points out, Musk's company reported a decline in monthly active users over the last year.

In X's EU user base report consisting of data from February to July 2023, Musk's social media platform had 112.2 million monthly active users in the EU. In the following six month period from August 2023 to January 2024, that number dropped to 111.4 million users. 

X's most recent report, covering February to July 2024, showed that its user base in the EU fell once more to 105.9 million.

In addition to its woes in the U.S., UK, and EU, X has been banned in another major market, Brazil, over the past month. Musk has since acquiesced to Brazil's Supreme Court's orders and access to the social media site will likely soon be reinstated. However, as of publishing time, X is still unavailable in Brazil. 

Furthermore, as Mashable previously reported in September of last year, CEO Linda Yaccarino had also shared X's internal worldwide user numbers, seemingly inadvertently showcasing how the company had shed millions of users since Musk's takeover of the former Twitter just less than a year earlier.

While traffic stats and user numbers can ebb and flow due to many factors, it's clear that any real movement in X's user base is heading down and not upward. A previous report in July 2024 noted that while X hadn't declined in global users from a year ago, its growth was stagnant – registering just a 1.6 percent in users over the past 12 months.

Musk's leadership has taken center stage on the platform and has likely contributed to the decline of users. In fact, the Financial Times mentioned in its report that X's user base decline in the UK picked up after Musk commented that "civil war is inevitable" in response to an X post about riots in the country.

X will likely enjoy a boost in user activity over these next few weeks thanks to the U.S. election season. But Musk is playing an active role in U.S. politics this year including endorsing former president Donald Trump. Assuming another politics-based user bump is ongoing, Musk's ongoing commentary and involvement in the U.S. election, like his earlier UK social unrest comments, could further affect X's user numbers if that bump subsides.

Mashable reached out to X for comment, and will update this if we hear back.

With tech industry players rolling out shiny new AI investments on the banks of the Hudson River, international leaders gathered across Manhattan on the East River, coalescing for September's annual UN General Assembly session — a global forum on big issues like sustainable development, ending armed conflict, and, amid it all, artificial intelligence. 

Neil Sahota, CEO of AI research firm ACSILabs, was present too, a longstanding UN AI advisor and early AI R&D specialist. Twenty years ago, Sahota found himself in the midst of a "business intelligence" investment boom, eventually brought on to IBM's secret team behind its Jeopardy!-playing AI, Watson. He's a founder of the UN's AI for Good initiative, observing the rise of global AI tools and accompanying concerns in real time, even shepherding them on. And for almost a decade, Sahota has been on call with the international body as it devised a "tactical" response to AI. 

"It was a bit of a brave new world," said Sahota. Since then, the UN has invested in hundreds of AI projects and programs, with different bodies taking a stab at AI guidance that reflects the needs of the global population. But with the acceleration of national AI investments, one unanswered question has loomed: How should it be regulated?

SEE ALSO: Parents have no idea how teens are using AI, survey finds

Despite its complexity, advocates like Sahota believe the international body is the world's best bet at guarding the impact of AI. "The UN is one, if not the only, globally-trusted organization that has the credibility to actually lead this effort," he explained. "It can become a leader, to help member nations — help the people, help the industry — understand and create a new mindset around AI." 

But it might be too late. "People are realizing that we're running out of time, or maybe we've already run out of time, to figure these things out," Sahota told Mashable. "We live in a time of hyper change, experiencing 100 years worth of change in the next 10 years. We don't have time to react to things anymore."

The UN steps into the AI arms race 

Globally, nation states are rushing into AI investment at an increasingly high pace, attempting to beat each other to the technological punch. It's what the AI Now Insitutite refers to as the "AI arms race." The race has fostered the rise of what experts have coined "AI nationalism," or the transformation of AI into a core industrial concern and national industrial resource, the institute explains. The claim for technological sovereignty among nation states leading the charge (mainly the U.S. and China) has grown alongside it. 

Other governments and international bodies have spent the last few years formulating responses to the increasingly political nature of AI development. The UN has discussed the impact of AI in regulatory conversations since at least 2017. In March, the General Assembly adopted a resolution on "steering AI use for global good" amid "existential" concerns. U.S. representatives introduced the landmark statement of intent, saying the international community must "govern this technology rather than have it govern us."

The UN's current working group, the high-level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence, was formed in 2023, after several years of suggestions from advisors like Sahota.

Birthed from this year's convening is a new "Governing AI for Humanity" report, which at times reads as a sobering list of risks and at others an optimistic guide to co-investment, amid AI's burgeoning "opportunity envelope." It recommends the creation of a new, independent scientific panel to survey AI "capabilities, opportunities, risks, and uncertainties"; it encourages "AI standards sharing" and sets out plans for a kind of AI governance network; and it pushes for a Global AI fund to foster more "equitable" investment.

"Fast, opaque and autonomous AI systems challenge traditional regulatory systems, while ever-more-powerful systems could upend the world of work. Autonomous weapons and public security uses of AI raise serious legal, security, and humanitarian questions," the report warns. "There is, today, a global governance deficit with respect to AI. Despite much discussion of ethics and principles, the patchwork of norms and institutions is still nascent and full of gaps. Accountability is often notable for its absence, including for deploying non-explainable AI systems that impact others. Compliance often rests on voluntarism; practice belies rhetoric."

Sahota provided input on the report, but didn't sit on the committee. He explained that the report was in development for years — at one point, the possible culmination of the body's AI for Good summit — but it needed unanimous input from all 192 member nations for it to have any credence. 

Having observed the political give and take of formalizing an AI report of this size, Sahota noted the expected "mellowing out" of certain regulatory suggestions and the "beefing up" of other suggestions. Sahota has championed a separate UN arm dedicated to AI and technological oversight for years, and the new report recommends the creation of an "independent international scientific panel" and an AI office in the UN Secretariat. But there's a long journey ahead before that body has any kind of formal influence. 

An office of that kind, Sahota argues, is crucial, acting as a focal point to coalesce working groups, committees, projects, and to provide visibility to international regulation efforts. 

The report notes a surfeit of "documents and dialogues" that have been adopted by governments, companies, consortiums, and international organizations that focus on AI governance. But, the UN argues, "none of them can be truly global in reach and comprehensive in coverage. This leads to problems of representation, coordination, and implementation." The less-than-ideal future of AI governance involves "disconnected and incompatible AI governance regimes," the UN says, prompting the need for coordination. 

The call seems urgent, but it's long overdue. 

"In the digital age, there are no boundaries," said Sahota. "Someone develops an AI technology, or any kind of technology, and there's really no way to stop its spread or use anywhere in the world." The omnipresence of AI has worried many, and its impact on the global majority, on formerly colonized nations, is an issue that will warrant international collaboration. In many ways, it bears the same complicated questions as the worsening climate crisis. And national policy is already making similar concessions. 

AI sneaks past the long arm of the law

A variety of regulatory and standards-building efforts have been proffered by nations and political blocs. In May, the European Union signed into law a first-of-its-kind AI Act, intended to protect its citizens from "high-risk" AI. Canada also has a legally enforceable regulatory standard, known as the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act. 

But for the most part, AI's regulatory oversight has been piecemeal, reliant on soft law principles. UNESCO has led a widespread international effort to create a human rights framework around AI, including its AI Ethics Recommendations, a Global AI Ethics and Governance Observatory, and an AI "RAM," designed to help member states assess readiness for implementation of AI. "In no other field is the ethical compass more relevant than in artificial intelligence," writes Gabriela Ramos, UNESCO assistant director-general for Social and Human Sciences. 

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, or OECD, is a huge player, too, establishing international frameworks for possible intergovernmental cooperation and creating methodologies for ethical evaluation. The OECD Recommendation on Artificial Intelligence, the first set of intergovernmental principles for trustworthy AI, emphasized "interoperability" AI policy. Notably, OECD's biggest players — the nations signing onto their work — are wealthier, "industrialized" countries: Japan's Hiroshima AI Process Friends Group, the US's Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI), the UK's Bletchley Declaration, and China's Interim Measures on generative AI, for example. 

The U.S. has introduced dozens of AI regulation bills, with states focusing on the regulation of synthetic digital forgeries, or deepfakes.  

But the slow legislative efforts of nation states has allowed for a proliferation of bad use cases for generative AI, and the growth of private interests in its development and implementation. 

The UN's report suggests that, if extreme risk arose with the development of AI, the tech could be treated along the lines of a biological weapon or even nuclear energy — science that has been limited and regulated by participating member nations for the greater good of humanity. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), for example, drew lines around nuclear science for the purposes of energy and medicine and bans on further weaponization. (The irony that nuclear energy may be the next path forward for AI's demands on the energy grid, is not lost.)  

But the analogy is limited. "Nuclear energy involves a well-defined set of processes related to specific materials that are unevenly distributed, and much of the materials and infrastructure needed to create nuclear capability are controlled by nation states," the report outlines. "AI is an amorphous term; its applications are extremely wide and its most powerful capabilities span industry and states." 

The UN's 'lead by example' strategy 

The diffuse nature of AI means collaboration and forethought is key. "One of my concerns is that we're working on things that we don't fully understand. As technologists, we build towards the outcome — we just need to measure the outcome we're looking for," Sahota explained. "We don't think about other uses or misuses. We're not thinking about these other ancillary impacts, these indirect impacts, the ripple effects." 

Even with the international body's history, and the ongoing issue of cooperation-avoidant nation states, Sahota doesn't believe there's a better international forum for regulating AI. "We have to define what right and ethical use means. There's just no way around that. And who is going to lead that? It's tailor made for a body like the UN."

Could it be, then, that AI's existence as a broad, cross-sector tech — one that countries are eagerly seeking and which isn't, on the surface, pegged to historically contentious issues — offers the first opportunity for unilateral agreement?

The UN, Sahota argues, can act as an international standards-setting body that nation states look to as a foundation for AI investment and regulation. Rather than just planning for the potential negative impacts, Sahota says, the UN should model the appropriate use cases of AI technology. "Policy and regulation shouldn't just be to clean up the guardrails and limit negative risk or legal liability, there's also a possibility to create good." 

That might be the only path forward too, as the UN's recent AI governance recommendations are less of a regulatory framework, and more of a plan for co-investment. They require buy-in from international powers at large, those who will agree to things like a shared data trust, a global AI investment fund, or a "development network" to convene experts and resources. While the UN's new report makes a similar ethical argument to Sahota, he says the lack of member state backing — proving there are many who are already on board with the "lead-by-example" plan — is a misstep. 

"This AI fund could be a way to create that nudge, to create incentives for people to think about the impact these [technologies] may have," he explained. "But it would have been nice to see the next steps laid out, to be able to see at least some of the buy-in, and for it to be a motivator or to lend credibility. It would show that this can be more than just talking heads. It's more than pieces of paper that collect dust." 

The publication of the UN's report, and the fact the high level meetings are devoting time to ethical AI discussions, is a monumental feat amid rising AI nationalism. But technology moves faster than people and processes, Sahota explained, and political bodies need to speed things up. "There are more and more people that see that this window is rapidly closing," said Sahota. "It is now a people challenge. Can you imagine if everyone became a proactive thinker? How profound of a change that would be? You can tell people that there's a couple years to figure this out, and they think that is a long time. Two weeks can feel like an eternity, but we only have as much time as we think we do."

On Mars, some 120 million miles away in space right now, anything that isn't another version of dusty red stands out like a sore thumb. 

That's how the Perseverance rover, a lab on wheels about the size of a Mini Cooper, spotted an unusual rock with black and white zebra stripes two weeks ago. Scientists back on Earth named the oddball "Freya Castle" after a landmark in the United States' Grand Canyon. 

Because it's a loose stone that is different from the bedrock underneath it, scientists suspect it rolled downhill at some point in the planet's history. 

"This possibility has us excited," wrote Athanasios Klidaras, a Purdue University doctoral student, for NASA. "We hope that as we continue to drive uphill, Perseverance will encounter an outcrop of this new rock type so that more detailed measurements can be acquired."

SEE ALSO: NASA's Mars rovers had a gangbusters summer of rocks Perseverance poses for a selfie with Cheyava Falls, a leopard-spotted rock it recently discovered on Mars that could have evidence of ancient microbial life. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS

The latest finding follows the highly productive summer the rover and its twin Curiosity enjoyed, discovering several rocks that reveal Mars as having been a more geologically diverse planet than once thought. In a span of seven weeks, Perseverance and Curiosity found pure sulfur, a likely anorthosite boulder that could be a part of the planet's original crust, and a spotted rock with the most compelling signs of ancient Martian life yet, though a sample would need to be shipped back to Earth for confirmation.

For about a month, Perseverance has been crawling up the steep slopes of Jezero Crater, a site where scientists believe a river once emptied into a body of water. The rover is attempting to reach the crater's rim, which rises about 1,000 feet above the basin floor, on a quest to find a larger variety of rocks. The journey has been slow, but the rover is making better progress now that it has reached a flatter stretch of land.

After seeing the unusual Freya Castle from afar on Sept. 13, scientists took higher-resolution photos to get a better look before the rover drove away. The closeups show that the rock, about eight inches wide, has a rather unusual texture — different from anything seen on Mars before. Though the team doesn't know much about its chemical makeup yet, scientists believe its zebra stripes could be the result of igneous or metamorphic processes. 

Igneous rocks form when magma from within the planet crystallizes and solidifies. Metamorphic rocks started out as something else but were significantly altered from their original state after exposure to high heat and pressure. 

The stark linear pattern of light and dark minerals found makes Freya Castle unique, Katie Stack Morgan, deputy project scientist for the Perseverance's mission, told Mashable. A reasonable guess is that this rock is igneous and composed of feldspar, the lighter-colored minerals, and pyroxene or amphibole, the darker minerals.

"Since this block was sitting alone on the surface without any context, we don’t know where it came from or how it found its way into the crater," Stack Morgan wrote in an email. "Perseverance may find the source of a block like this during its upcoming crater rim exploration."

The reason scientists want the rover to explore the rim in the first place is for its potential to be littered with ancient Martian bedrock rubble. Jezero Crater formed when something substantial smacked into Mars billions of years ago. The impact could have churned up and tossed deep materials to the surface.  

A blue marker shows the location of the rover in mid-August, before it began its climb up Jezero Crater's slopes. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / University of Arizona / ESA

"Crater rims act as keepers of ancient Martian history, uplifting and exposing the stratigraphy of these impacted materials," NASA has previously explained. "Additionally, extreme heat from the impact can encourage the circulation of fluids through fractures similar to hydrothermal vents, which have implications for early habitability and may be preserved in the exposed rim bedrock."

The recent rock discoveries have only mounted pressure on NASA to solve the problems facing its proposed Mars Sample Return mission, an expensive and technologically complex plan to fly bits of rock, dust, and air collected by Perseverance back to Earth. 

The mission has been in limbo since a review found it would cost upward of $11 billion and take nearly two decades to achieve. NASA has since engaged the greater aerospace industry for input on how to wrangle in spending and development. Seven companies have suggested a variety of ideas, which Mashable has reported, including repurposing Artemis moon landers and rethinking the last leg of the journey. NASA hasn't yet announced its path forward. 

As its 50th anniversary nears, Saturday Night Live is unquestionably an institution, not only in comedy or in late-night TV but in American pop culture itself. It has launched countless comedians, cemented the arrival of up-and-coming musical acts, spawned iconic characters, and even influenced politics, through its much-covered casting and guest stars.

With his new movie Saturday Night, co-writer/director Jason Reitman — whose films range from the superb coming-of-age comedy Juno and the provocative mid-life dramedy Tully to the the horrid reboot Ghostbusters: Afterlife — wants you to remember back when SNL was a scrappy sketch show stocked with counterculture comedians, signifying a major risk for NBC and the show's creator, Lorne Michaels.  

SEE ALSO: 'Ghostbusters: Afterlife' is a soulless ode to nepotism

With Saturday Night (a nod to the the show's original title, NBC's Saturday Night), Reitman and screenwriter Gil Kenan (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire co-writer/director) dug through the Saturday Night Live archives for anecdotes, fun facts, and Easter eggs to reimagine that first landmark night. Set over the course of the 90 minutes leading up to showtime, this film aims to capture the manic mayhem, creative conflicts, soul-crushing obstacles, and larger-than-life personalities that contributed to Saturday Night Live's birth. And it fails. 

Concentrating the massiveness of SNL into one film about its premiere is a boldly ambitious project. At the film's premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, Reitman noted in his curtain speech that the movie contains over 80 speaking parts. One might admire the filmmaker's passion, but that's also the problem. Reitman, who spent a week as a guest writer on Saturday Night Live in 2008, is a devotee of the church of SNL. As such, Saturday Night is so stuffed with impressions and nostalgic callbacks that it's not much of a movie at all.

Saturday Night throws down a ticking clock that doesn't work.  Ella Hunt as Gllda Radner goof off on set of "Saturday Night." Credit: Hopper Stone / Sony Pictures Entertainment

Beginning on the sidewalk in front of NBC's Manhattan studios, Saturday Night shows Lorne Michaels (The Fabelmans' Gabriel LaBelle) fretting to an NBC page (Stranger Things' Finn Wolfhard), who is trying unsuccessfully to lure an audience into this free, live comedy show. From there, the film will follow Lorne almost constantly as he dips into the set still under construction, stressful meet-and-greets with network execs, literally explosive rehearsals, an intense control room, and a fateful dive bar, all before the metaphorical curtain rises on his show. 

To enhance the tension, Reitman injects title cards that announce the time, counting down until the live show kicks off — or fails to launch entirely. But there's a prequel-like problem here in that we all know how this ends. Occasionally, this works as a visual gag, like when the camera cuts to the time just after a particularly anxiety-ridden moment as a mocking reminder. But as the film drags on with less story and more and more SNL fluff, this device turns on the viewer, reminding us how much of this movie we still have to sit through.

Saturday Night delivers a cavalcade of impressions.  Nicholas Braun as Andy Kaufman in "Saturday Night." Credit: Hopper Stone / Sony Pictures Entertainment

As teased in the film's first trailer, Saturday Night throws a bunch of young Hollywood stars into the shoes of SNL's earliest icons, like Gilda Radner (Ella Hunt), Chevy Chase (May December standout Cory Michael Smith), Garrett Morris (Lamorne Morris), John Belushi (Matt Wood), Dan Aykroyd (Dylan O'Brien), and Jane Curtin (Kim Matula). Also in the mix are the likes of Billy Crystal (Nicholas Podany), George Carlin (Matthew Rhys), Jim Henson, and Andy Kaufman (the last two both played by Cat Person's Nicholas Braun). 

To Reitman's credit, his cast ably captures the dynamic energy of the Not Ready For Prime Time Players. Hunt has Radner's childlike verve. Wood captures Belushi's wounded ego and belligerent brand of physical comedy. O'Brien nails the macho arrogance of Aykroyd, along with his signature Canadian cadence. Recent Emmy–winner Lamorne Morris brings a sophisticated smoothness to Garrett Morris, who calls out anti-Black racism on set and lights a cigarette on a flaming piece of fallen lighting equipment with equal swagger.

Lamorne Morris as Garrett Morris in "Saturday Night." Credit: Hopper Stone / Sony Pictures Entertainment

Podany as Crystal is so dead-on in pitch that the comedian is recognizable from voice alone. Rhys harnesses Carlin's wrath; Matula nails Curtin's crisp comedic timing. In his dual role, Braun capably shifts from the soft-voiced pleading of Henson to the high-pitched buffoonery of Kaufman doing his "thank you very much" shtick. The standout in this group, however, is Cory Michael Smith as Chevy Chase, and that's probably because he's the one who gets the closest thing to a character arc. Cocky, caustic, yet undeniably charismatic, Chase acts like he owns 30 Rock as soon as he enters frame. Smith owns the stride, smirk, and silliness that was Chase's signature. But sparks fly when he comes face-to-face with a bigger star with an even bigger ego. 

Saturday Night finds a great villain in J.K. Simmons as Milton Berle.  J.K. Simmons as Milton Berle in "Saturday Night." Credit: Hopper Stone / Sony Pictures Entertainment

Reitman and Kenan's script hinges on the conflict between the Golden Age of comedy versus the new revolutionaries. As such, Lorne faces off against snarling NBC executive David Tebet (Willem Dafoe), and takes a call from a derisive Johnny Carson (an uncredited role that's also the worst impersonation in the film). But most menacing of all is Berle, a well-established comedian who has his own variety show on NBC, which the movie regards as flashy hackery.

Berle prowls Lorne's studio like a predator searching for easy prey, riling the talent and brazenly hitting on Chevy's fiancée, Jacqueline Carlin (Kaia Gerber). This leads to the film's most exciting exchange, where two equal forces of braggadocio face off with a battle of wits that is absolutely crass and cunning. Incredibly, it's Berle who gets the movie's best punchline, involving a bit of wordplay about a choice "comeback" and Chevy's mom. Perhaps that wasn't what Reitman intended, and Simmons just delivered the hell out of that line. Perhaps this moment — which leaves even Chevy Chase speechless — is meant to reflect the uphill battle SNL had ahead of them. Regardless, it's bizarre when a non-SNL figure gets the biggest laugh in your SNL movie.

Rachel Sennott shines, despite an underwritten role. Rachel Sennott, Kim Matula, and Emily Fairn treated as set dressing in "Saturday Night" scene with Gabriel LaBelle and Matt Wood. Credit: Hopper Stone / Sony Pictures Entertainment

Sennott, who has awed critics and audiences in such heralded comedies as Shiva Baby, Bodies Bodies Bodies, and Bottoms, unsurprisingly delivers one of the best performances in Saturday Night, despite her part being horrifically written. 

Sennott plays Rosie Shuster, an Emmy–winning comedy writer whose stint on Saturday Night Live ran from 1975 to 1988; she had a hand in bringing together the cast that would be in the show's first season, as well as many now-classic characters and sketches. She was also married to Lorne Michael from 1967 to 1980, and Saturday Night is much more focused on this latter bit. It's not just that Reitman and Kenan's script treats her like Lorne's sidekick, someone who can dole out advice or a pep talk with equal readiness. It's that the longest bit of dialogue she's given in this movie is doggedly explaining exactly who she is to Lorne, detailing their courtship, relationship, and sex life to Dan Aykroyd in a tedious walk-and-talk.

Reitman overloads the film with such cinematic devices. Far from bringing the excitement or tension of The West Wing to Saturday Night, repeated walk-and-talks reveal little new information visually and make overlong sequences impossible to cut down. A perfect example of Reitman's reliance on this technique is a drug trip experienced by a tertiary character who winds about in mounting panic; it's a detour that tries our patience with no escape. This is true of much of Saturday Night, which is overloaded with tidbits that are potentially fun or nostalgic, but with so little cohesion that this love letter feels more like a rant.  It's left to the talented ensemble cast to keep things together, narratively speaking. While Sennott is beguiling with her trademark crooked grin and skill for biting banter, the role of Rosie is regressive, existing chiefly to inform the audience about Lorne. 

This is especially dismaying when you look back at Reitman's filmography. Juno, Young Adult, and Tully all had complex female characters who were funny and fleshed out! Notably, Reitman directed but didn't write any of those movies; Diablo Cody wrote them. Without her, it seems Reitman loses track of women's autonomy. But here, he loses track of much, much more.

Saturday Night fails to thrill or be all that funny.  John Belushi (Matt Wood) gets violent on "Saturday Night," while Lorne (Gabriel LaBelle) looks on. Credit: Hopper Stone / Sony Pictures Entertainment

In writing the script, Reitman and Kenan made some liberal changes from the facts of the matter. They include sketches and behind-the-scenes anecdotes that weren't a part of that first episode, and even cut an entire cast member from the story because his presence would have put the lie to their generational conflict. (Sorry to George Coe!) Such changes could be excused as poetic license in pursuit of good storytelling — if it actually added up to good storytelling.

Like Saturday Night Live, this movie is a frenzied collection of scenes. Some work, but many don't, primarily because of how this script chips away at others in service of Lorne. While weaving around sets and silliness, Saturday Night above all else paints Lorne Michaels as a creative genius. His main flaw is that he can't communicate his vision to basically anyone, which creates a domino effect of fighting, screaming, and violence. But far from recognizing these as consequences of Lorne's mercurial leadership, Saturday Night is infuriatingly conventional, excusing the shitty behavior of a famous man because he makes something that is popular.

The film treats Lorne as an underdog, put upon by powerful forces that refuse to acknowledge his (yet to be remotely proven) greatness. It's a tiresome, thin argument as it ever was. And in holding him up, Saturday Night reduces the female characters around Lorne to hasty sketches of the women they represent. The well-documented, damaging sexism on that set is addressed only by a tongue-in-cheek rehearsal of a famous sketch, where the female players turn the male gaze on a womanizing Aykroyd, to the amusement of the crew. Essentially, the actual sexism of early SNL is laughed off. 

It's not that any movie could be expected to capture the complexity of early Saturday Night Live. But in capturing that first night, Reitman reduces Gilda Radner to a smile, Jane Curtin to a smirk, Laraine Newman (Emily Fairn) to a running gag about quick changes, and Rosie Shuster to a sidekick.

Further confounding, Reitman spends a gratuitous amount of time building the film's finale, literally brick by brick in a tedious metaphor. Then, he fumbles the turning point that brings this motley crew of chaotic individuals together into an ensemble. What saves the day is not a group scene. It's not a collaboration. It's the re-creation of a solo bit that's not even from an SNL cast member, and which didn't air until later in the season.

In the end, Saturday Night is not an ode to Saturday Night Live. It's a fawning portrait of the men of Saturday Night Live, who are granted punchlines, complexity, and character arcs, while their female counterparts are left with scraps. Longtime lovers of the show may find reason enough to soldier through Reitman's aggravating fanboying over Lorne and the guys. But assembling such a promising cast, looking back on such a pivotal moment in American entertainment, and offering this? It's a punchline that doesn't land. 

Saturday Night was reviewed out of its Canadian Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. The movie has since shown at Fantastic Fest as a secret screening. Saturday Night opens in select theaters on Sept. 27 and expands nationwide on Oct. 11.

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TL;DR: Score the CASA HUB 360 on sale for $99.99 (reg. $129) and make multitasking a breeze with this sleek, 8-in-1 foldable laptop stand.

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Ever tried working from your kitchen counter or that cozy coffee shop, only to feel like you’re in a tech juggling act? Laptops crammed into odd angles, USB drives spilling from your bag, cables everywhere — it’s a nightmare we’ve all faced. What if one sleek tool could tidy up your space, connect all your gadgets, and even give your laptop a boost?

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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 hint

Anything that is this would fail the white-glove test.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for September 25 Hurdle Word 1 answer

DUSTY

Hurdle Word 2 hint

The rarest kind is common.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Here's the answer hints for September 25 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

SENSE

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Keeps the weather off you.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for September 25 Hurdle Word 3 answer

PARKA

Hurdle Word 4 hint

To initiate something.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for September 25 Hurdle Word 4 answer

ENACT

Final Hurdle hint

To have courage or to endure something.

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

BRAVE

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

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

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Wednesday, September 25, 2024:

AcrossToot one's own horn

• The answer is Brag.

"___ Is 1-Down," Netflix series whose contestants get engaged without ever seeing each other

• The answer is Love.

"Let's put our differences ___"

• The answer is Simon.

Instructors who might greet their classes with "Namaste"

• The answer is Knew.

Part of a baseball uniform but not a soccer uniform

• The answer is IDos.

DownSee 5-Across

• The answer is Blind

Lover boy

• The answer is Romeo.

Openly confesses

• The answer is Avows.

___ Z (Zoomers, by another name)

• The answer is Gen.

Compete in a Winter Olympics biathlon

• The answer is Ski.

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

Featured Video For You The Wordle Strategy used by the New York Times' Head of Games

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.

If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Here's the answer hints for September 25 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for September 25 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Claim your steak

These words are quite meaty.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

The answers are all related to types of meat cuts.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is BeefCuts.

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for September 25

• Round

• Chuck

• Shank

• Sirloin

• BeefCuts

• Flank

• Ribeye

• Brisket

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.

Meta is ready to roll out its latest hardware and software trinkets this week, with Facebook's parent company set to host Meta Connect 2024. Here's how to watch this year's event.

SEE ALSO: Meta Connect 2024: What to expect, including Quest 3S and new AR smart glasses What is Meta Connect?

Previously called Facebook Connect (and Oculus Connect before that), Meta Connect is an annual event where the company shows off all its shiny new tech and what developers can do with it. It's been the venue for some pretty big announcements as well, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg announcing Facebook's rebrand to Meta during 2021's Facebook Connect.

We aren't expecting any similarly large revelations from the tech giant at this week's event. What we are expecting, however, are new product announcements, information about Meta's metaverse plans, and a whole lot of talk about AI.

What to expect at Meta Connect 2024

While we don't know the exact details of what Meta plans to announce this Wednesday, Facebook's parent company is expected to continue last year's heavy focus on AI. According to rumours, Meta's announcements may include updates on the company's artificially intelligent assistant Meta AI, as well as a more budget-friendly Quest 3 and a new pair of augmented reality glasses.

If you want to know more about what to expect, Mashable's Kimberly Gedeon has provided a rundown of all the rumours circulating in the lead-up to Meta Connect 2024.

How to watch Meta Connect 2024

Meta Connect 2024 is scheduled to start Sept. 25 at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT, with a keynote speech by Zuckerberg kicking off the event. This will be followed by a developer keynote shared by several Meta executives at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT. The livestream will be available to watch on Facebook via the official Meta for Developers page. 

People with a Quest VR headset will also be able to jump into Meta Horizon to watch Meta Connect in virtual reality. According to Meta, the VR experience will be inspired by the company's Menlo Park campus in California, and offer attendees the chance to unlock "exclusive rewards." Whether the promise of such nebulous incentives is worth it is a question only you can answer.

Meta Connect 2024 will run for two days, featuring talks on how to use some of the tech giant's tools for developers. You won't have to stay glued to your computer for the entire event, as some of the sessions will be recorded and made available to stream once Meta Connect ends. Meta hasn't specified which parts of the program might be left out though, so you'd be best off catching it live if you're super keen on a specific session.

TL;DR: As of Sept. 25, you can get a lifetime license to Microsoft Windows 11 Pro for just £14.89 instead of £148.34 — that's a savings of 89%. Act fast, because this deal ends soon.

Got an old PC? Whether you snagged an amazing deal on a refurbished device or just have an older PC that's still running, you can give your computer a new lease on life with help from Microsoft's latest operating system, Microsoft Windows 11 Pro.

This updated operating system can make an old computer feel like new. And through Sept. 29 at the Mashable Shop, you can snag major savings on a lifetime license that can be used on three different devices. Right now, Microsoft Windows 11 Pro is only £14.89 — a massive £133 off the usual price — with no coupon code required. We've written about this deal before, but after the latest price drop, we had to highlight it again.

If you're ready to reinvigorate old devices, Microsoft Windows 11 Pro can help. Enhanced security features are included, including Microsoft Information Protection, BitLocker Encryption, advanced antivirus defenses, and support for biometrics login (depending on your computer).

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Enjoy a lifetime license to Microsoft Windows 11 Pro, available for a limited time at £14.89 (reg. £148.34) until Sept. 29 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

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Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Lifetime license to Microsoft Windows 11 Pro £14.89 at the Mashable Shop
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TL;DR: Live stream Galatasaray vs. PAOK in the Europa League for free on Tabii. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Galatasaray are kicking off their Europa League campaign with a tricky home game against PAOK. After a disappointing Champions League playoff exit against Young Boys, the Turkish side will be looking for a strong start in this competition. PAOK have started the season in great form, so it's going to be a real battle to take three points.

If you want to watch Galatasaray vs. PAOK in the Europa League for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Galatasaray vs. PAOK?

Galatasaray vs. PAOK in the Europa League kicks off at 8 p.m. BST on Sept. 25. This fixture takes place at Rams Park.

How to watch Galatasaray vs. PAOK for free

Galatasaray vs. PAOK is available to live stream for free on Tabii.

Tabii is offering free live streams of the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League for the next three seasons. Tabii is geo-restricted to Turkey, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Turkey, meaning you can unblock free live streams of the Europa League from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Galatasaray vs. PAOK on Tabii by following these simple steps:

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4. Sign in to Tabii

5. Watch Galatasaray vs. PAOK for free from anywhere in the world

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The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Europa League without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Galatasaray vs. PAOK (plus more Europa League fixtures) before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming services from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for Tabii?

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

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A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream Galatasaray vs. PAOK in the Europa League for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Manchester United vs. Twente in the Europa League for free on ServusTV. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Manchester United did not qualify for this year's Champions League, but they will still be seeking a European trophy. Erik ten Hag's team will take on Twente in first round of Europa League fixtures, with fans expecting a confident win from the home side. Of course, Twente won't go down without a fight.

If you want to watch Manchester United vs. Twente in the Europa League from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Manchester United vs. Twente?

Manchester United vs. Twente in the Europa League kicks off at 8 p.m. BST on Sept. 25. This fixture takes place at Old Trafford.

How to watch Manchester United vs. Twente for free

Manchester United vs. Twente is available to live stream for free on ServusTV.

ServusTV is geo-restricted to Austria, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Austria, meaning you can unblock ServusTV to stream the Europa League for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Manchester United vs. Twente for free by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Sign in to ServusTV

5. Watch Manchester United vs. Twente for free from anywhere in the world

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The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Europa League without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Manchester United vs. Twente (plus more Europa League fixtures) before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming services from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for ServusTV?

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

• Servers in 105 countries including Austria

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream Manchester United vs. Twente in the Europa League for free with ExpressVPN.

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for September 25'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 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 used to be available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it. Unfortunately, it has since been taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times.

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's The Mini crossword answers for September 25 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A burning stick used for light.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no reoccurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter T.

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...

TORCH.

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.

Connections is the latest New York Times word game 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 September 25'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.

Tweet may have been deleted

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.

Tweet may have been deleted

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's The Mini crossword answers for September 25 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Hard to achieve sports stats

• Green: Room painting

• Blue: A city's iconic dish

• Purple: Types of derby's

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Trio of Sports Achievements

• Green: Needs for Painting a Room

• Blue: Food Named After Cities

• Purple: ___Derby

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #471 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Trio of Sports Achievements: HAT TRICK, THREEPEAT, TRIFECTA, TRIPLE CROWN

• Needs for Painting a Room: DROP CLOTH, PAINT, ROLLER, TAPE

• Food Named After Cities: BROIL, CHEESESTEAK, SPROUTS, WINGS

• ___Derby: DEMOLITION, HOME RUN, KENTUCKY, SOAP BOX

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

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

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

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

Sony is back in the spotlight with another State of Play showcase, dropping just days ahead of pre-orders for the notoriously pricey PS5 Pro.

Announced on short notice, the September 24 event promises a packed lineup, with Sony teasing “more than 20 upcoming PS5 and PS VR2 games from studios around the world.” Clocking in at just 30 minutes, this State of Play is set to move fast.

Don’t worry if you blink and miss something— we’ve rounded up all the key reveals to keep you in the loop.

Ghost of Yotei reveal

Sucker Punch returns with Ghost of Yōtei, the highly anticipated follow-up to their 2020 hit Ghost of Tsushima. This time, the story shifts to 1603, where a new Ghost, named Atsu, embarks on an epic journey through the lands surrounding Mount Yōtei. The game promises to deliver a breathtaking backdrop of sprawling grasslands and snowy tundras, setting the stage for another atmospheric, action-packed adventure.

Ghost of Yotei is set to release sometime in 2025.

Alan Wake 2: Lake House DLC

Our 2023 Game of the Year, Alan Wake 2, is finally getting its long-awaited DLC, Lake House. In this expansion, players step into the shoes of Federal Bureau of Control agent Kiran Estevez, returning from the base game, as she investigates a catastrophic event at an FBC research station near Cauldron Lake.

Lake House is set to drop sometime in October.

Fear the Spotlight coming to PlayStation

A nostalgic tribute to 90's PS1-era horror, Fear the Spotlight by Cozy Game Pals is getting a major boost with Blumhouse Studios stepping in as publisher.

In this eerie survival game, players follow Vivian and Amy as they sneak into their school after hours, only to face the terrifying consequences of a séance gone wrong. After its initial release in September 2023, Fear the Spotlight is set to haunt PS5 and PS4 on October 22, 2024.

Towers of Aghasba

Towers of Aghasba is an action-adventure builder set in a striking fantasy world where players are tasked with the challenge of rebuilding both their civilization and the surrounding ecosystem.

This one is scheduled to launch into early access in November 2024.

Dynasty Warriors: Origins release date

Koei Tecmo has officially revealed the release date for Dynasty Warriors Origins, set to launch on January 17, 2025, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Steam. Treated as a mainline entry rather than a spinoff, Origins shifts towards a tactical action RPG format, with a story that begins before the Yellow Turban Rebellion to explore the origins of Zhang Jiao and his role in the uprising.

Monster Hunter Wilds release date reveal

A new trailer for Monster Hunter Wilds has just dropped, confirming its release date for February 28, 2025.

The latest entry in the franchise promises an expansive new wilderness to explore, filled with massive, ferocious monsters and dynamic environments. With this fresh glimpse, fans can now start counting down to the highly anticipated release early next year.

Lego Horizon Adventures Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered

This one’s been floating around the rumor mill for a while, and it’s finally official. Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered is landing on the PS5 and PC on October 31.

The original, which dropped in 2017, already set a high bar with its stunning visuals, so it’s a bit of a head-scratcher that Sony is pushing for a remaster. Still, fans can expect some next-gen polish, even if the game didn’t exactly need it.

Fantasian Neo Dimension release date

This is a turn-based JRPG from the father of Final Fantasy Hironobu Sakaguchi. Teaming up with Nobuo Uematsu, the duo is teaming up for an original story that features some beautifully hand-crafted environments as you embark on a "multi-dimensional journey to reclaim your lost memories and save the world from the mechteria infection."

Fantasian Neo Dimension releases on December 5.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard gameplay

We got an extensive look at the next entry in BioWare's Dragon Age series. Safe to say, this looks amazing. Just see for yourself.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard releases on October 31.

Astro Bot DLC

We couldn't get enough of Astro Bot, and now there's even more to love! The hit platformer just dropped some FREE DLC, adding 50 brand-new worlds for players to explore. Best of all, it’s available right now, so you can jump in and enjoy the fresh content immediately.

The Midnight Walk

A dark fantasy adventure with hand-made claymation visuals? We’re all in for The Midnight Walk, the latest project from Moon Hand Studios, the creators of Lost in Random. I

n this eerie journey, you’ll play as The Burnt One, accompanied by a lost lantern creature named Potboy. Together, you’ll navigate a haunting yet wondrous world, using Potboy's flame to light your path through the dangers ahead.

This one is set to release on PS5 and PS VR2 in Spring 2025

Hell is Us gameplay reveal

We just got our first look at Hell is Us, a new game from Rogue Factor that blends elements of Remnant, Dark Souls, and Control into a mysterious and atmospheric third-person action experience. It's a significant departure for the studio, which is best known for its tactical RPGs set in the Warhammer universe.

Hell is Us takes place in a war-torn country where something eerie and unexplained is happening. While the setup might not be the most original, the game’s intriguing mix of genres and gameplay styles certainly makes it stand out. Expect this one to land sometime in 2025.

Metro Awakening VR

We can never say no to more Metro, even if this time it's a PSVR2 exclusive.

Revealed in its first trailer, Metro Awakening dives deep into the origin story of one of the series' most beloved characters, Khan, back when he was known as Serdar. The game promises an intense VR experience, with players reloading manually, charging gear, and scavenging to survive in the unforgiving world of Metro.

Metro Awakening launches on November 7.

ArcheAge Chronicles Palworld is out on PS5

A pesky patent lawsuit from Nintendo was never going to stop this quirky, "Pokémon meets guns" survival game from finally making its way to the PS5.

While its popularity has dipped slightly since its record-breaking launch earlier this year, PlayStation gamers can now experience the hype firsthand. The game is officially available now, ready to bring its unique blend of survival and creature-collecting to a new audience.

Hitman: World of Assassination VR reveal

It's Hitman. In VR. Nothing else needs to be said, to be honest.

No official release date but you can experience intuitive controls, room-scale implementation, and active reload when it drops sometime in December.

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered

Not much needs to be said about this one—Soul Reaver was a childhood classic for many who grew up with the PlayStation 1. Now, the remaster of this beloved cult series is finally getting its moment in the spotlight, featuring high-definition visuals and 60 FPS.

Mark your calendars, as Soul Reaver returns on December 10.

Steller Blade x NieR: Automata DLC

In our initial review, we noted how Stellar Blade seemed inspired by NieR: Automata, and now, the two franchises are officially crossing paths with a new DLC for Stellar Blade. The upcoming content promises to bring elements from NieR: Automata into the world of Stellar Blade, making for an exciting collaboration.

Along with the DLC, players can also look forward to a new photo mode, all set to arrive later this year.

Lunar Remastered Collection Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge DLC

As of Tuesday morning, reliable predictors were saying a roiling tropical storm called Helene just south of Cuba was on track to intensify over the coming days, and almost certainly hit Florida as a hurricane on Thursday.

Now is the time when we all love to stare at cones and "spaghetti models" showing potential paths as the storm makes its approach, but right from the jump: Please be careful about how you consume this notoriously misunderstood information.

Tweet may have been deleted SEE ALSO: Why it's impossible to forecast the weather too far into the future NOAA's cone graphic of storm Helene

According to NOAA, as of 11 a.m. ET, a Hurricane Watch is in effect for much of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, the Cuban province of Pinar del Rio, a swath of Florida spanning "Englewood to Indian Pass," and the densely populated Tampa Bay. In graphic form, that looks like this:

NOAA's cone graphic of Tropical Storm Helene showing threats to parts of Mexico, Cuba, and Florida. Credit: NOAA

As a reminder, NOAA's cone graphic is a fairly reliable prediction of the range of paths the center of the storm may take. The cone is not — as it may appear at first glance — a prediction of an ever-widening storm exploding into the inland United States. Severe wind and storm surge can, and probably will, occur outside the cone, and some areas inside the cone will emerge from the storm totally unscathed.

SEE ALSO: U.S. government plane snaps intense footage inside mighty Hurricane Beryl

If you're reading this, and it turns out you end up directly in the path of a hurricane, an evacuation order will be hard to miss. At this phase, rather than speculating about whether your specific neighborhood will face the high winds and storm surge that come from a direct hit from a hurricane, in most areas it would be wiser to just heed NOAA's broader warning:

Heavy rainfall will likely result in locally considerable flash flooding across portions of Florida, with isolated flash and urban flooding possible across the Southeast, Southern Appalachians, and the Tennessee Valley Wednesday through Friday.

Spaghetti model for Helene

Spaghetti models, like the NOAA cone model, visualize mathematical possibilities.

Unlike the cone, they present the actual paths predicted by a collection of computer models, all spilling out like spaghetti from Strega Nona's magical pasta pot. And like the cone, the spaghetti model can be deceptive. All the paths in the spaghetti model are both speculative and contradictions of one another. The actual storm will only follow one path, and it's almost certain that none of the predicted paths in this splatter of noodles will be perfectly predictive.

Tweet may have been deleted

The above model, posted online by Baton Rouge meteorologist Malcolm Byron appears to show about 20 potential paths, with one particularly ominous spaghetti strand in the far east clobbering Tampa Bay directly. Such outliers should be absorbed with caution by the public.

Predicted outlier events most often do not come true. But events also don't conform to averages of predictions. Though top weather models can be astonishingly accurate, the weather simply occurs, and its precise schema is, and will always be, totally alien thanks to the incalculable number of tiny natural and man-made factors that contribute to outcomes.