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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 Friday, August 30, 2024:

AcrossBicycle part that's also a past-tense verb

• The answer is spoke.

At no time

• The answer is never.

"It's just like riding a bike," for one

• The answer is adage.

They're typically 2 or 3 on mini golf courses

• The answer is pars.

Like a trickster

• The answer is sly.

DownLoses it

• The answer is snaps.

Bicycle part that sounds like a flower part

• The answer is pedal.

Egg-producing organ

• The answer is ovary.

What breweries might creatively repurpose as seats

• The answer is kegs.

Poetic "before"

• The answer is ere.

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: NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for August 30 SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Here's the answer hints for August 30 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Let's play

These words are fun to control.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

The answers all relate to classic games.

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 videogames.

NYT Strands word list for August 29

• Uncharted

• Videogames

• Fallout

• Halo

• Minecraft

• Overwatch

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.

I’m going to start this review with some brutal honesty: I’m very picky about rugs. With two large dogs, one of which is a husky, and concrete floors, rugs are a necessity in this household as much as a headache. Between constantly battling dog hair, scrubbing out stains, and yes — the occasional dog vomit — I’ve learned that some rugs are better than others, and sometimes “stain resistant” or “washable” rugs are anything but. 

When I was asked to try out Ruggable’s premium medium pile rugs, however, it felt like a godsend because it happened to be the exact same week that my husky took a lil poo on my all-time favorite rug. My all-time favorite shag rug, which absolutely could not be saved. 

This wasn’t my first time trying out Ruggable

Time for my second piece of honesty: I’ve tried Ruggable before, and I absolutely hated it. Soon after moving into our downtown condo, my partner and I embarked on a quest to cover our concrete floors with rugs. We’d found ones for our bedroom, living room, and office (RIP to my favorite), but our massive open kitchen/dining room was proving to be a challenge — especially in such a high-traffic, stain-prone area. Because we don’t live under a rock, we’d heard of Ruggable and decided to give it a try. Surely a washable rug would make the best option for our space? 

SEE ALSO: The 6 best robot vacuums for pet hair, tested and reviewed

Except we were very wrong. Right out of the box, our first Ruggable looked terrible. Instead of a rug, it looked like a cheap piece of fabric with a poorly printed design that barely matched the photo, and aligning the 9 x 12-foot rug on top of the pad was nigh impossible. Immediately after rolling it out and battling with the alignment, we both shook our heads, rolled it back up, and promptly returned it assuming that Ruggable kinda sucked. 

We were wrong.

My second experience with Ruggable blew the first out of the water

A year after that experience, we visited a friend’s new house for the first time. Sitting around her dining room table, my partner mentioned our long-term struggle to find decent rugs that were dog friendly and asked where she’d found so many incredible rugs. Her answer? Ruggable. 

We were shocked. They were so much better than our first Ruggable experience, enough so that — when the chance came to test Ruggable again a few weeks later — we decided to chalk it up as a blip. Our friend’s rugs were stunning, soft, and looked like “real” rugs, so we eagerly picked out the design we wanted to try and waited for it to arrive.

Straight away, I was impressed by how much Ruggable’s selection had improved in a year. They had so many more designs available — including more plush, shag, and outdoor options than before — as well as what we wanted to test: premium, medium pile rugs. 

We did struggle to find a style we both liked, mainly because Ruggable’s selection tended to steer toward minimal, muted colors and we were hoping for something a little bit brighter, but we landed on a 6 x 9-foot ​​Absida Teal Premium Rug that would be perfect for our shared home office. At $479, it was about $100 more than our last rug, but the washability factor alone made it worth it, so we placed our order and were pleased when it arrived eight days later.

What I loved about my new Ruggable rug

First things first, our second purchase from Ruggable was nothing like the first. The premium 7-millimeter rug cover was plush, well-designed, and actually looked like a high-quality, durable rug. The pattern was exactly what we wanted, and it was much easier to align with the cushioned rug pad than our first experience. It took us about 10 minutes to get the furniture out of the way, lay out the rug pad, and get everything lined up, and — other than a slight overlap where the rug was a few inches longer on one end than the pad — we were super pleased with the results. 

Credit: Jandra Sutton / Mashable photo

A few months later, I can honestly say the same. Not only is our Ruggable just as soft as the other medium pile rugs in our house but it’s been super easy to clean and maintain. Whenever dog hair starts to build up, we just give it a quick sweep and it’s back to looking crisp and clean as ever. 

I will admit that we (thankfully) haven’t needed to put our Ruggable in the washing machine yet, but spot-cleaning it with a damp cloth has been way easier than cleaning our other medium pile rugs — and worlds better than battling against a super plush shag rug. 

What I don’t love about Ruggable

Aside from the lack of super vibrant rugs, my only real complaint with the premium Ruggable is adjusting it. It’s not necessarily difficult to get it aligned, but the velcro backing does make it a lot harder than dragging a normal rug over a rug pad. Plus, because the rug cover is a bit bigger than the cushioned rug pad beneath it, getting it matched up can be a challenge — one we gave up on. Our rug sits a few inches over the rug pad on one end, and it’s at least one inch over on all other sides, and it’s definitely noticeable. Even though some of our other rugs have slightly smaller rug pads, something about Ruggable’s rug covers made the overlap a bit more visible than our other rugs. 

Is Ruggable worth the price? 

It depends. If you have pets or kids — or you need a rug that’s easy to keep clean in a high-traffic area — then absolutely. Ruggable has far exceeded my expectations when it comes to a versatile, durable rug, and it’s certainly been easier to clean than any of my “traditional” rugs. 

If you’re looking for something that is going to look and feel impeccably plush and soft, however, I’m on the fence. The premium medium pile rugs certainly feel better than I thought they would, but a lot of the thickness comes from the cushioned rug pad — which is an absolute must-buy. It’s not that our Ruggable looks bad by any means, it just…doesn’t quite look or feel quite as good as a stunning, high-quality rug can look. 

And considering the 6 x 9-foot premium rug we got from Ruggable clocks in at $479, that’s almost double the price we’ve paid for most of our other medium pile rugs of the same size. It is a little easier to clean than some, but the visible overlap is still an annoyance.

It’s also worth noting that while Ruggable touts its rugs as interchangeable — meaning you can swap out the rug cover for a new one whenever you want to change up the style — the rug cover we got would be $390 by itself. You can save quite a bit by switching to Ruggable’s classic 2-millimeter rug cover over the premium 7-millimeter rug, but the loss of thickness isn’t quite worth it in my opinion. 

Obviously, Ruggable’s premium medium pile rugs are still cheaper than many other rugs on the market, but whether or not it’s the right option for you depends on your situation. If you’re looking for something on thickness or appearance alone? It might not be the right option for you. But if you’re looking for an attractive, durable and washable rug that will see a lot of action? The price of a Ruggable might be worth it.

Opens in a new window Credit: Ruggable Ruggable 6 x 9-foot, medium pile rugs Starting at $479 Shop Now

TL;DR: As of Aug. 30, you can get a lifetime license for PDF Converter Pro for just £18.97 instead of its regular £75.96 — that's a total savings of 75%.

PDF Converter Pro takes the headache out of working with PDFs. Dare we say it — it might even make them your favourite file format. And for a limited time, a lifetime license to the software is on sale for 75% off, knocking the price down to just £18.97.

We've featured this PDF Converter Pro deal before, but it's never been priced this low before. This all-in-one software lets you go back and forth between file types, converting PDFs into other file formats and converting other file formats into PDFs. You can convert PDFs into Word documents, JPGs, and Excel files, and back again in just a few clicks. This makes sharing documents for work, legal purposes, and schoolwork more seamless. No more dealing with pixelated scans of documents.

With OCT technology built-in, you can also use PDF Converter Pro to extract text from an image-based PDF from a scan, all while keeping the original format. In addition, this software can merge multiple PDFs into a single file, let you delete pages you don't need, or just grab the images in a document and ditch the text entirely. Other convenient features include the ability to compress a PDF that’s too large, adding password protection to PDFs for safe sharing, and plenty of supported format options for flexibility. It even works the same for both PC and Mac users.

Here's a closer look:

This discounted deal is only available to new users. So, if you missed out on the last sale, now’s the time to jump on it. Get PDF Converter Pro for life for only £18.97 for a limited time, down 75% from its regular £75.96 price. Your lifetime license includes updates, so you'll be set even if new file formats appear in the future.

Stack Social prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Acethinker PDF Converter Pro: Lifetime License £18.97 at the Mashable Shop
£75.96 Save £56.99 Get Deal

TL;DR: Unblock Discord from anywhere in the world with a VPN. The best service for unblocking Discord is ExpressVPN.

Discord has, from time to time, been banned in certain countries. And it's almost definitely a restricted site in a number of schools, workplaces, and locations where visiting Discord is not tolerated.

There are often sensible arguments for these bans, but sometimes, you'll simply want to access your favorite site when the time is right, but you won't be able to because a restriction is in place. In this situation, using a VPN is your best option.

If you're looking for the best way to unblock Discord for free from anywhere in the world, we have the information you need.

How to unblock Discord for free

VPNs can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in other locations. This process bypasses geo-restrictions so that you can access Discord from anywhere in the world. This process might sound complicated, but it's really not.

Access Discord from anywhere in the world in just a few simple steps:

1. Sign up for a 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 a location that supports access to Discord

4. Access Discord from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-year subscription + 3 months free) $99.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for unblocking sites like Discord are not free, but most do offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can bypass geo-restrictions to retain access to your favorite sites without spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it works well if you're traveling or temporarily away from home.

What is the best VPN for Discord?

ExpressVPN is the top choice when it comes to unblocking sites like Discord, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

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

• Strict no-logging policy

• Fast streaming 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 also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Unblock Discord for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: A wide range of ChatGPT courses are available to take for free on Udemy.

Not a day goes by without mention of ChatGPT and all it can do. But do you truly know how to harness this technology? If you're in any doubt, you should consider enrolling in one of the many free ChatGPT courses offered by Udemy.

We've checked out everything on offer and lined up a selection of standout courses to get you started. These are the best online ChatGPT courses you can take for free this month:

• Become an AI Accelerated Engineer Using ChatGPT

• Become an AI-Powered Engineer: ChatGPT, Github Copilot

• ChatGPT 101: The Complete Beginner's Guide and Masterclass

• ChatGPT For Programmers In 2024

• ChatGPT in 30 Minutes: New Prompt Engineering and AI Skills

• ChatGPT, Midjourney, Firefly, Bard, DALL-E, AI Crash Course

• ChatGPT Security: Privacy Risks and Data Protection Basics

• Mastering ChatGPT 4.0: From Setup to Advanced Interactions

• Midjourney and ChatGPT: Unleash AI for Unique Image Generation

• Prompt Engineering Principles: ChatGPT and DALL-E

These free online courses do not offer certificates of completion or direct instructor messaging, but you still get unrestricted access to all the video content. So there's nothing stopping you from starting on your journey to understanding ChatGPT.

Find the best free ChatGPT courses on Udemy.

Opens in a new window Credit: Udemy AI and ChatGPT Courses Free at Udemy Get Deal

TL;DR: Live stream Shelton vs. Tiafoe in the 2024 US Open for free on 9Now or TVNZ+. Access these free streaming platforms from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Things are getting serious at the US Open, with some massive third-round matchups ready to go. It's difficult to pick a favorite match, but Shelton vs. Tiafoe is certainly going to be interesting. We can't call which way this game will go, but either way, it's going to be fun to watch.

If you want to watch Shelton vs. Tiafoe in the 2024 US Open for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

How to watch Shelton vs. Tiafoe in the 2024 US Open for free

Fans can live stream the 2024 US Open for free on these platforms:

• Australia — 9Now

• New Zealand — TVNZ+

These streaming services are geo-blocked, but anyone from around the world can access these sites with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in other countries, meaning you can unblock 9Now and TVNZ+ from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the 2024 US Open by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Visit 9Now or TVNZ+

5. Watch Shelton vs. Tiafoe in the 2024 US Open for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) $99.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer deals such as free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. You can leverage these offers to access free live streams of Shelton vs. Tiafoe without actually spending anything. This isn't a long-term solution, but it gives you enough time to watch every US Open match before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the US Open?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream the US Open for free, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Australia and New Zealand

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

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

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to 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 also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream Shelton vs. Tiafoe in the 2024 US Open for free from anywhere in the world 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 August 30'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 August 30 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A dishonest man.

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 K.

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...

KNAVE.

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 August 30'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 August 30 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: Things that sparkle and shine

• Green: Olympic events in present tense

• Blue: Awe-inspiring landmarks

• Purple: Ice based items and phenomena

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: Sparkling Things

• Green: Participate in Summer Olympic Events

• Blue: Wonders of the World

• Purple: Ice__

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 #445 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Sparkling Things: DIAMOND, GLITTER, GOLD, SEQUIN

• Participate in Summer Olympic Events: BOX, DIVE, FENCE, ROW

• Wonders of the Worlds: GARDENS, LIGHTHOUSE, PYRAMID, TEMPLE

• Ice___: CREAM, CUBE, MACHINE, STORM

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.

Apple is reportedly in talks with OpenAI for investing in its latest fundraising round.

According a report from The Wall Street Journal, Apple is expected to invest in the ChatGPT maker. Venture capital firm Thrive Capital is leading the investment round, which would make OpenAI's valuation above $100 billion. Apple analyst Mark Gurman also reported the rumored investment and added that Nvidia and Microsoft would also be participating. So yes, the three most valuable tech companies in the world want to get in on what OpenAI is offering.

Tweet may have been deleted

Microsoft has been a major investor in OpenAI since 2019, pouring $13 billion into the AI company. The deal gave Microsoft exclusive access to OpenAI's LLMs, which has enabled Microsoft to boost up its own AI productivity tools and features. But Microsoft and OpenAI are no longer exclusive. At Apple's WWDC event in June, the tech giant announced a partnership with OpenAI, which will integrate ChatGPT features on the iOS 18 update. Apple Intelligence features are currently available in beta, but ChatGPT-related features have not yet been released.

Apple has been cagey about its AI plans, and has mostly sat on the sideline as other Big Tech companies duked it out for AI dominance. But Apple's partnership in June with OpenAI was its first major play in the AI arena.

Apple is reportedly exploring partnerships with Google, Meta, and Anthropic to provide users with their AI model of choice on its devices. But now, Apple's reported investment in OpenAI is a major move in strengthening their ties; especially since Apple rarely invests in startups.

The Apple event in September typically focuses on hardware. And the iPhone 16 lineup, Apple AirPods 4, and perhaps a new iPad mini are expected. But there's also a chance that Apple will make some announcements about Apple Intelligence and other AI features. The event is on September 9, so we won't have to wait long.

Meta is cracking the door back open for minors interested in the company's virtual offerings, with new parent-approved entry to the platform's Horizon Worlds.

Children (or "preteens," as Meta refers to them) between the ages of 10 to 12 on parent-managed Meta accounts will be able to request access to specific virtual experiences, most of which are social hangout rooms. The age-appropriate designed "worlds" include areas like "The Space Station," a futuristic space where users don astronaut gear, and "The Aquarium," an underwater marine life adventure.

SEE ALSO: Parents need to talk to their kids about this online danger right now

"Worlds can offer preteens access to a variety of fun, engaging and age-appropriate places to hang out with friends and family—no matter where they happen to be, both in-headset and on mobile," Meta wrote. "And as we open up preteen access to worlds (with parental permission, of course), we’ll encourage creators to build even more age-appropriate and enriching experiences."

It's an expansion of new parent permissions granted last month, which allow parents and caregivers to add individual approved contacts to their preteens' accounts. Previously, Meta Horizon's social interactions, like chat and calls, were only available to accounts marked 13 and older.

The new update also includes age ratings for each world, designated as "10+, ages 13+, and ages 18+" and additional customizable settings for parents. Meta says the virtual spaces were co-designed with third parties as part of a new Trust, Transparency & Control Labs (TTC) report on the reintroduction of minors into digital experiences.

Originally part of Meta's larger Metaverse and Meta Quest offerings in the emerging world of VR, Horizon Worlds was later released to mobile and desktop users in 2023. A year prior, Meta overhauled its parental controls for VR Quest users after parents and watchdog groups called attention to increasingly inappropriate interactions, hate speech, and harassment toward minors.

Beyond the world of VR, Meta has been criticized for "pursuing" users under 13 despite concerns about mental wellbeing and safety, and is still wading through a complicated sea of lawsuits and federal investigations.

New Horizon Worlds access is predicated on additional safeguards meant to assuage these fears, including disabled voice chat, personal boundary features for avatars, and non-discoverability for preteen accounts.

"Google is a monopolist." Those were the words written by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta earlier this month in his landmark ruling against the search giant in the antitrust case brought to the court by the U.S. Justice Department.

While that case against Google pertained to its $20 billion deal with Apple regarding Google Search maintaining its default dominance on the iPhone, it seems that the DOJ lawsuit may have just opened the floodgates.

On Wednesday, local business review platform Yelp filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google regarding the company's dominance over local search and local search advertising.

Yelp takes on Google's local search dominance

Yelp's case against Google is all about the search giant giving priority to its own local search product. 

"Our case is about Google, the largest information gatekeeper in existence, putting its heavy thumb on the scale to stifle competition and keep consumers within its own walled garden," writes Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman in a public post addressing the lawsuit. "Google has illegally abused its monopoly in general search to dominate the local search and local search advertising markets — engaging in anticompetitive conduct that has degraded the quality of search results and demoted rivals to grow its market power."

Type in any local business whether it be a nearby restaurant or plumbing service and Google local search information is unavoidable. Google reviews and star ratings for an establishment, left via Google Maps, as well as contact information, business hours, and more are all readily available right the on Google Search results page. On the web, this information is usually located on the sidebar and doesn't distract from Google's competitors on the search page as much. However, perform a local search on a mobile device and Google's local search information is oftentimes the first – and only – thing you see on the page until you scroll down.

SEE ALSO: Google Gemini now lets you create AI-generated images of people — but there's a catch

"When a consumer conducts a Google search with local intent, Google manipulates its results to promote its own local search offerings above those of its rivals, regardless of the comparative poorer quality of its own properties, exempting itself from the qualitative ranking system it uses for other sites," Stoppelman says. 

According to the Yelp CEO, Google's anticompetitive practices have impacted the company so much that Yelp has noticed that an increase in the number of Google searches for a term has often resulted in zero additional clicks to links recommended on the page. The reason, according to Yelp, is that Google's local search product just provides all the information on the search page which gives users no reason to click through to a competitor. 

Yelp's public push explaining its lawsuit against Google cites numerous cases against Google over the years as well as fines the company has received for anticompetitive practices. It also includes crucial quotes from Google executives over the years such as one from Google's former VP of search products Marissa Mayer where she claims Google would put their own products first in Google search results because it "seems only fair." Mayer's statement also acknowledges that search ranking results would only be ranked by popularity after Google's own product link at the top of the page.

Yelp, a regular Google critic, clearly sees an opening after the recent ruling from Judge Mehta. Yelp’s General Counsel Aaron Schur said so himself in a statement provided to Mashable.

"Judge Amit Mehta’s recent ruling in the government’s antitrust case against Google, finding Google illegally maintained its monopoly in general search, is a watershed moment in antitrust law, and provides a strong foundation for Yelp’s case against Google," Schur said. "In addition to injunctive relief, Yelp seeks a remedy that ensures Google can no longer self-preference in local search."

"The harms caused by Google’s self-preferencing are not unique to Yelp, and we look forward to telling our story in court," he continued.

Mashable has reached out to Google for comment and will update if we hear back.

Apple dropped the iOS 18.1 beta 3 for developers — and it added a new Apple Intelligence feature to the mix: the AI-powered Clean Up tool.

We've all been there. You take a photo, you're excited to share it with friends or post it on social media, but there's just one little obstruction that diminishes the photo's visual appeal.

Maybe it's an awkward photobomber — or perhaps there's an unsightly thingamajig that's stealing the spotlight. In these situations, Apple Intelligence is here to swoop in and save the day.

iOS 18 Clean Up: 3 things it can do

The iOS 18 Clean Up tool, similar to Google's Magic Eraser feature, is designed to help get rid of unwanted objects in your photo to enhance the overall quality of the image.

Credit: Den Photos / Shutterstock.com

Here are three things it can do:

1. It uses smart detection, relying on multiple machine-learning models, to identify and isolate objects in your photo. In other words, the technology that underpins Clean Up tool can precisely determine the edges of objects.

2. After identifying the edges, it removes the object and intelligently fills in the void. (Clean Up Tool is even designed to handle challenging elements of an object, including shadows and reflections.)

3. Clean Up "knows" whether other subjects, like yourself or friends, overlap the object. So in theory, Clean Up will not accidentally replace a person you want to be front-and-center of your photo.

Users can use the Clean Up tool in the Photos app. Once you spot an undesirable object in an image, you can tap or circle it, prompting the AI to detect it, so you can remove it. You can also zoom in on photos to finely retouch tiny blemishes.

One other Apple Intelligence feature the Cupertino-based tech giant added to the new iOS 18.1 update is notification summaries. Before, notification summaries only supported the Mail and Messages app. Now, it can summarize notifications from all of your apps.

Check out some of the other AI-powered features in our Apple Intelligence roundup. Just keep in mind that this is a beta, so it's expected to be a little rough-around-the-edges. Make sure that you have an iPhone backup before installing iOS 18.1 beta 3.

The official version of iOS 18 is expected to roll out later this year after Apple announces the iPhone 16 at its "Glowtime" Sept. 9 event.

Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Jenna Ortega, Catherine O'Hara, Monica Bellucci and Justin Theroux break down what it was like bringing the long-awaited sequel to life.

Google Meet knows it can be challenging to stay on a single tab during meetings, and it's here to help.

For all you habitual tab-shifters out there — I count myself among your ranks — Google Meet recently made a picture-in-picture feature an automatic part of its service. What does that mean? As I discovered this morning, when you leave the tab while in a Google Meet, the call will automatically shrink to a smaller size and appear in the bottom-right part of your screen.

SEE ALSO: Google Meet's new portrait touch-up feature will give you a virtual glow-up

This feature used to be an option you could turn on during a meeting, though some, like myself, likely didn't know it existed. It's quite helpful, especially if you want to look something up while discussing a work project. Now, you're not tied to the Google Meet tab.

The feature, at least for now, is available only to users on a computer using Google Chrome.

Wrote Google's Workspace team in a blog post: "This simple yet impactful update will help ensure your meeting stays visible and accessible if you need to switch tabs to take notes, view meeting-related documents, and more."

SEE ALSO: Google Meet can now detect your 'hand raises' in real life. Here’s how to activate the feature.

I've found the tool helpful thus far. It allows me to attend a meeting and to whatever else I might need to do.

The feature's gradual rollout started on Monday. It appeared for me on Thursday and could appear for others over the next week or so. For all you multi-taskers out there, welcome to a new world.

Mashable's Miller Kern spent a month testing Dyson's new Ontrac noise-canceling headphones to see if their quality stands out as much as their design.

Elon Musk's AI company has caught the attention of environmentalists in Memphis, Tennessee for reportedly operating gas turbines without a permit.

On Monday, environmentalist groups Memphis Community Against Pollution, Young, Gifted & Green, Sierra Club Chickasaw Group, and Sierra Club Tennessee Chapter sent a letter to the Shelby County Health Department calling for an investigation of the xAI data center, which powers the X chatbot Grok.

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk's Grok heeds misinformation concerns by sending users to Vote.gov The environmental cost of supercomputers like xAI

According to the letter, xAI has installed at least 18 gas combustion turbines, which "have the capacity to emit about 130 tons of the ozone-precursor nitrogen oxides (NOx) per year." The groups allege that the xAI data center, which may be contributing to Memphis' existing smog problem, "has not applied for any air permits for these turbines."

The vast amount of electricity and computing power required to run AI models is an emissions nightmare. According to a report from the International Energy Agency (IEA), electricity consumption of data centers is projected to double by 2026, which would roughly equate to the entire electricity consumption of Japan. And that's not counting the amount of water required to cool the servers and e-waste.

With supercomputers using up the same amount of energy as a small country, it's easy to see the global environmental impact, let alone the immediate vicinity of a data center like Memphis.

The letter, which says xAI's data centers violate Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) smog standards, calls for an investigation by the local county health department. Moreover, the letter requests that the data center cease operations until a permit is obtained.

UP TO 70% OFF: As of August 29, save up to 70% off sex toys and select items at Lovehoney during its Labor Day Sale. Plus, get a free gift when you spend $79, and get free shipping when you spend $49.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lovehoney Lovehoney Labor Day Sale Up to 70% off select sex toys, plus a free gift with order of $79 Get Deal

Labor Day Weekend is almost here. If you plan on celebrating the long weekend by taking some time for yourself (and perhaps a lover), you might want to stock up on some goodies from Lovehoney. This beacon in the sexual wellness sphere has a great deal on sex toys and other goodies, and you can save a significant amount of cash by shopping there for all your pleasure-related needs.

As of August 29, get up to 70% off select sex toys and other products during the Lovehoney Labor Day Sale. Plus, get free shipping when you spend $49, and a free gift when you spend $79 or more. No promo code is required, as your discounts will be automatically applied at checkout.

SEE ALSO: All of the best sex toy deals we could find this week

Choose from a wide variety of different toys, like the Lovehoney Heat Wave Warming Rechargeable G-Spot Rabbit Vibrator, the Magic Bullet Vibrator, prostate massagers, and much more. You'll find toys on sale for every preference and gender to add to your cart. If you've got something you've been eyeing at Lovehoney for a while, chances are it's on sale.

Pop everything in your cart and prepare to spice up your sex life. Just do it quickly, as it's likely this sale will end soon.

Check out the best Amazon deals of the day as of Aug. 29: OUR TOP PICK Apple iPad Mini 6 (64GB, WiFi) $379.99 at Amazon (save $119.01) Get Deal BEST SOUNDBAR DEAL Sonos Beam Gen 2 soundbar $399 at Amazon (save $100) Get Deal BEST TV DEAL Amazon 40-inch 2-Series Fire TV $159.99 at Amazon (save $90 with Prime-exclusive code 40PRIME) Get Deal BEST PHONE DEAL Samsung Galaxy S24+ (256GB, Unlocked) $799 at Amazon (save $200.99) Get Deal

With Labor Day weekend coming in hot, we're seeing some pretty sweet deals at Amazon. We've rounded up the best deals we could find at the mega retailer on Aug. 29, including record-low prices on gadgets from Apple, Samsung, and Sonos.

Here are our top picks for the best Amazon deals of the day. If none of these speak to you, be sure to check back at our deal picks from Aug. 27 and Aug. 28. Many of those are still live — including 20% off a NordicTrack treadmill and $100 off a fancy Garmin running smartwatch.

Our top pick Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad Mini 6 (64GB, WiFi) $379.99 at Amazon
$499.00 Save $119.01 Get Deal

As of Aug. 29, Apple's sixth generation iPad Mini is back down to its record-low Prime Day price of $379.99 — a savings of 24%. It comes as no surprise that we're seeing the price on the 2021 device drop with the rumored iPad mini 7 expected to launch soon. When it debuted, Mashable's Stan Schroeder called it "the best iPad if you want a small iPad" and "a better deal than the iPad Air," crediting the sleek new design, camera upgrade, speed, stereo speakers, and practical Touch ID. While it could certainly use a chip upgrade, it's still an excellent device in 2024 — especially at this price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sonos Sonos Beam Gen 2 soundbar $399.00 at Amazon
$499.00 Save $100.00 Get Deal

The second-generation Sonos Beam soundbar improves upon the already fantastic design of its first iteration, which Mashable tech reporter Raymond Wong said "hits the sweet spot on price, design, sound quality, and features." Upgrades include a new grill, better processor, and Dolby Atmos compatibility on top of is already excellent audio quality and convenient voice assistant support. It's our favorite soundbar to pair with your TV, although it's important to note that it does not support Bluetooth and is a little more limited for Android users. As of Aug. 29, the Beam Gen 2 is on sale for just $399 at Amazon — that's 20% in savings and matches its all-time low.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon 40-inch 2-Series Fire TV $159.99 at Amazon
$249.99 Save $90.00 with Prime-exclusive code 40PRIME Get Deal

While it's not the fanciest TV on the market by any means, Amazon's 2-Series Fire TV is a great choice for those seeking a no-frills smart TV on a tight budget. As of Aug. 29, the 40-inch version is down to just $159.99 for Prime members when you use the code 40PRIME at checkout. That's a savings of $90 and just $10 away from its lowest price on record. It doesn't support 4K resolution (check out the 4-Series or Omni Series for that feature), but it does offer all the smart capabilities from the Fire TV experience, hands-free control via on-board Alexa, and support for HDR 10, HLG, and Dolby Digital Audio.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy S24+ (256GB, Unlocked) $799.00 at Amazon
$999.99 Save $200.99 Get Deal

Announced at the Galaxy Unpacked event back in January, the Samsung Galaxy S24+ is the mid-range model in the S24 lineup. It features subtle improvements over the S23 series specs, including a newer Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, a brighter screen, and thinner bezels, plus support for a new suite of Galaxy AI features. The S24+, in particular, offers more screen real estate than the S24 with higher-resolution, as well as a beefier 4,900mAh battery. Regularly $999.99, an unlocked S24+ with 256GB of storage is down to just $799 as of Aug. 29 — that's its lowest price to date.

None of these deals catching your eye? Check out Amazon's daily deals for even more savings.

After a few quiet months, rumors about Sony's alleged upcoming "PS5 Pro" console are flooding the internet again. This time, we may have gotten a glimpse at what the console looks like.

Leaker billbil-kun, writing for the French website Dealabs, claims to have seen the final packaging for the not-yet-released console.

PS5 Pro design

According to the leaker, the PS5 Pro is slightly thicker than the current model, but otherwise retains the same basic size and shape.

Tweet may have been deleted

The biggest visual difference lies in three black stripes that run horizontally along the device's white exterior.

SEE ALSO: PS5 Pro: There are new whispers that the release date is fast approaching

Aside from some stripes, it doesn't seem much has changed visually. It's still white, and sports two USB-C ports and a power button on the front. The bulk of the changes will probably happen inside, where the console is expected to be more powerful than the PS5 – but not powerful enough to be a full-on PlayStation 6.

It wasn't clear when or even if a PS5 Pro would come out after Sony's summer gaming showcase came and went without an announcement, but new rumors are pointing to perhaps a September announcement. The PS4 Pro was announced in September of 2016 and released in November of that year, so maybe Sony will adhere to that schedule again.