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TL;DR: Get lifetime access to GitMind for $49.99 and turn videos, PDFs, and ideas into AI-powered mind maps and summaries.

Opens in a new window Credit: GitMind GitMind Basic Plan: Lifetime Subscription $49.99
$169 Save $119.01   Get Deal

Ever finish reading something important and immediately forget half of it? Or sit through a long video or document and feel like the key points are buried somewhere inside a wall of text? That’s the problem GitMind is trying to solve — turning information overload into something you can actually see and understand.

Instead of forcing you to manually organize everything, GitMind automatically transforms content into structured visuals. Right now, you can get lifetime access to a GitMind Basic Plan for $49.99 (reg. $169), making it a simple one-time way to upgrade how you process information.

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You don’t need to change how you work — just what you feed into it. Paste a link, upload a file, or drop in text, and GitMind can generate:

• Mind maps that break down ideas instantly

• Summaries that highlight key points

• Diagrams that connect concepts visually

• Transcripts and structured notes from audio or video

It works with PDFs, YouTube videos, websites, images, audio files, and more, which makes it useful whether you’re studying, working, or just trying to keep your research organized. Instead of juggling multiple tools, everything gets processed in one place.

For students, it can turn lectures and readings into study-ready visuals. For professionals, it helps make sense of reports and meetings faster. And for creators, it’s a quick way to map out ideas before turning them into content.

There’s also a privacy-first approach built in, with user control over data and compliance with major security standards, which matters more than ever when you’re uploading real work materials.

GitMind doesn’t replace thinking — it just makes it easier to see what you’re already thinking about.

Get lifetime access to GitMind Basic Plan for $49.99 while the deal is available.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business is down to $89.97, giving Mac and PC users a modern Office upgrade with AI features, collaboration tools, and lifetime access for about $120 less than retail.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business for Mac or PC Lifetime License $129.97
$249.99 Save $120.02   Get Deal

There’s a point where monthly subscriptions stop feeling convenient and start feeling like a rip-off. If you’re still paying for Microsoft 365 just to use Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, this limited-time offer is worth a look.

Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business is down to $89.97 (reg. $249.99) — and it’s a lifetime license. No recurring fees, no renewal reminders, no oops, your subscription expired moments.

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You’re getting the essentials: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote. The difference this time around is how polished and modern everything feels. Performance is noticeably smoother (especially in Excel with large datasets), and the updated interface keeps things clean and consistent across apps.

There are also plenty of genuinely useful upgrades. PowerPoint now lets you record presentations with voice and video. Outlook has better accessibility tools, and Excel leans into smarter data insights.

You can still collaborate in real time, use AI-assisted suggestions, and work offline when needed — so you’re not giving up functionality, just the ongoing cost.

If you’re going to use Office anyway, you might as well own it. Get lifetime access to Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business for just $89.97 (reg. $249.99).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business for Mac or PC is on sale for $104.97 and includes lifetime access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business for Mac or PC Lifetime License $104.97
$249.99 Save $145.02   Get Deal

Office software isn’t exactly exciting tech, but it remains one of the few categories people genuinely rely on almost every day. If you already know you need Microsoft Office and don’t want another recurring subscription hanging over your head, this Office 2024 Home & Business deal is on sale for $104.97 (reg. $249.99) for a limited time.

Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote for both personal and commercial use. Unlike Microsoft 365, it’s a one-time purchase, so you won’t have to keep paying monthly just to maintain access to software you probably use constantly.

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The 2024 version also comes with some genuinely useful upgrades, especially in Excel, which now handles larger datasets and multiple workbooks more smoothly. PowerPoint adds upgraded recording tools with voice narration, video, and live camera integration for presentations, while Outlook introduces stronger accessibility checks to help make emails more inclusive and easier to read.

The overall interface feels cleaner and more modern, too, with improved touch and pen support for tablets and hybrid devices. Word now includes a distraction-free Focus Mode alongside AI-assisted writing tools, while Excel adds AI-driven trend analysis, smarter visualizations, and dynamic arrays for more advanced spreadsheet work.

AI features are integrated across the suite overall, including formatting suggestions, text summarization, translation tools, accessibility improvements, and content organization designed to save you from some of the smaller but surprisingly time-consuming parts of office work.

Formerly $249.99, Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business is available for $104.97 for a single Mac or PC lifetime license.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

As a professional critic, one of my deepest, perhaps most deranged delights is to be wrong about a movie. Basically, I've seen so many that I have a pretty good feel for how a film will hit me, based on who's made it, who's in it, or even the logline. But I relish being surprised. And John Early's latest film is a wondrous surprise, not because it's good, but because of how it's good.

SEE ALSO: 'Maddie's Secret' trailer reveals John Early as you've never seen him before

Early is known for his offbeat comedic style, on display as a performer in the genre-bending comedy series Search Party, Dropout's improvised talk show parody Very Important People, and actual talk show appearances, where he and frequent collaborator Kate Berlant commit to bits that essentially satirize celebrity. There's a provocation in his approach that came to an angsty climax in Stress Positions, a COVID lockdown comedy where his lead performance acts like a mounting anxiety attack.

With all this in mind, I imagined Maddie's Secret, Early's feature directorial debut, would also embrace cringe comedy. Perhaps especially because he stars as the title character, a woman juggling a stressful job opportunity and a trauma-rich secret. However, Maddie’s Secret offers something defiantly sweeter, even as it sends up made-for-TV melodramas from the '90s. The film is silly and strange, but even amid campy bits, sincere. So, you'll laugh at its parody elements, but may well be genuinely moved by Early's commitment to this strange and splendid film.

Maddie's Secret is a campy throwback to '90s "movies of the week."  Credit: Magnolia Pictures

Making its world premiere out of the Discovery slate at the Toronto International Film Festival, Maddie's Secret may seem like a straight-up send-up of those earnest TV movies, where a teen star (think Tiffani Amber Thiessen) would face some contemporary evil or social issue. But like A Deadly Adoption, the underappreciated Lifetime movie parody starring Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig, there's a clear and ardent love for this admittedly trashy corner of cinema. Early is mocking elements of these movies, but crucially, his eponymous heroine is not the butt of the joke.

Maddie Ralph (Early) is an aspiring chef who begins Maddie's Secret as a dishwasher at a culinary content studio called Gourmaybe. There, she giggles happily with her bestie (Kate Berlant), a lesbian who hits on her almost as aggressively as she stares down anyone who'd dare mess with Maddie. Specifically, this means Gourmaybe's shining star (Claudia O'Doherty), who shares recipes while snarling at anyone who's not her handsy producer (Conner O'Malley). 

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At home, things are more peaceful for Maddie. Her husband is a teddy bear of a man (Eric Rahill), who absolutely adores her, insisting she's perfect. But the pressure to be perfect pushes Maddie into self-harm behaviors she developed as a girl. That pressure only amps up once her career at Gourmaybe takes off and she becomes an on-camera talent, with the vicious lens of the internet on her. 

John Early is brilliant and sly with Maddie's Secret. Credit: Magnolia Pictures

Remarkably, as a first time feature director and star, Early manages the balance of comedy, drama, and empathy with aplomb. 

The humor in this movie begins subtle. It's in the way Maddie strolls to work, getting lost in thought as she smells a flower, only to have the realization wash over her that she's running late. The performance styles in Maddie's Secret run the gamut from stiff to totally over the top. But that's by design, embracing the traditional range within these vintage treasures of '90s "movies of the week." Where Berlant goes in for goofy leering as a predatory butch, a self-aware gag that has a juicy payoff, Early leans into a much softer performance.

Some might say he's doing drag here, but that suggests a hyper-femininity that's outrageous and potentially even mocking. That's not what Early's doing. Wearing a robust set of boobs and a messy blonde wig, Early isn't being a caricature of womanhood. He's playing a woman. However, because Maddie is desperate to live up to the "good girl" expectations others have for her, the performance is smartly restrained. She is in a cage of her own making, not allowing herself to feel bad in front of anyone else. And so, a tension grows as that pain pulls Maddie into disordered eating, which makes the career that she loves a dangerous place to be. Early manages to play this arc, which veers into a rehab clinic that feels very Girl, Interrupted, with a moving sincerity and a soft silliness that keeps the movie from getting too dark. And his co-stars follow his lead with gusto.

Featured Video For You How Bob the Drag Queen weaves hip hop and history in his new book

In this space of healing, hurt feels and firm facades abound. For Maddie's endearingly childlike roommate Julie (Vanessa Bayer), that means a cheerful exterior and an obsessive crush on a nurse (Pat Regan), who is unquestionably gay. Then, there's a trio of bad influences (Ruby McCollister, Emily Allan, and Leah Hennessey) who feel plucked from various bad girl movies to create a cool and intimidating coven. This section feels the richest in terms of representing community within girlhood. Well, at first Maddie is reluctant to consider herself anything like the people around her; it is only through sharing herself and her secret with these women that she can break out of the suffocating box she has put herself in.

I left this film in a spin, dizzy about its delicate accomplishments. Not long after, I saw Christy, the Sydney Sweeney-led melodrama, which made me only more impressed with Maddie's Secret. There, an established filmmaker and established dramatic actors fumbled the balance of social issues and accidentally fell into comedic absurdity. Here, Early and his company manage to be funny while never losing touch with the heart of this story.

Basically, John Early is a better ingénue than Sydney Sweeney, which might be the most surprising discovery of the Toronto International Film Festival.

Maddie's Secret was reviewed out of the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. It opens in theaters in New York on June 19, and in Los Angeles on June 26.

UPDATE: May. 6, 2026, 1:44 p.m. This review was first published on Sept. 9, 2025. It has been updated for its theatrical debut.

Mashable has been testing laptops for over 10 years, and I took the category's helm in 2023. Over the past year and a half alone, the team and I have researched dozens of models and tried more than 50 of the most promising configurations available. We use a meticulous testing procedure to score our contenders on the basis of performance, battery life, design/build quality, and value.

The following guide serves as our laptop trophy case, highlighting the best-in-class models across different subcategories. For even more recommendations, check out my dedicated guides to the best MacBooks, the best Windows laptops, the best cheap laptops, and the best Chromebooks.

What's new

I revamped this guide with a bunch of new picks in mid-2026 after a new round of testing. The 15-inch, M5-powered Apple MacBook Air is our new top MacBook, replacing its M4 predecessor. The Asus Zenbook A14 is our new favorite Windows laptop, succeeding the 13.8-inch Microsoft Surface Laptop 7, which got a price hike and a successor this spring. (I plan on testing the new version.) The MacBook Neo replaces the Acer Aspire 16 AI as the best budget laptop overall (but that's still the best cheap Windows laptop). The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 is now our top Chromebook for most people, booting out the too-expensive Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14. Lastly, the HP OmniBook 3 16 is our new battery life champ, having beat our older pick, the HP OmniBook 5 14, by over seven hours of usage.

I also removed some previous picks that were no longer available at the time of writing, including the 2026 MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x, the Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition, and the 16-inch MacBook Pro (M4 Pro).

A note about ARM-based Windows laptops

Many great Windows laptops we've tried run on Qualcomm's Snapdragon X and X2 series chips, which use ARM-based architecture instead of standard x86 architecture like Intel and AMD chips. (The Zenbook A14 and OmniBook 3 16 are both two outstanding Windows on ARM laptops.)

These Qualcomm chips are great because they offer amazing performance and battery life, but they're not compatible with some specialty software, PC games, and older PC accessories like scanners. Having said that, ARM support is getting better and should dramatically improve in the near future. Right now, I would only avoid ARM laptops if you're a college student, or if gaming is the main thing you do on your PC. You can read more about this in my best Windows laptops guide.

Morale at Meta is reportedly near the worst it's ever been. To help fix it, the tech giant will offer staff more snacks.

Business Insider reports that Meta's chief technology officer Andrew "Boz" Bosworth admitted the grim mood during an internal call earlier this month, stating that while employee morale has been worse before, the current situation is "probably up there" on the scale of severity. 

SEE ALSO: Meta faces employee backlash over tracking tool

"I can think Cambridge Analytica was probably the worst," Bosworth reportedly said in the June 2 meeting. The Cambridge Analytica scandal made international headlines in 2016 after it was discovered that the firm had acquired over 50 million Facebook users' data without informed consent and used it to target voters.

Meta's current cratering morale appears attributable to recent shake-ups by management. The company conducted a mass layoff of 8,000 workers last month — amounting to 10 percent of its workforce — while at least 6,500 others were involuntarily reassigned to work on its AI models in its new Applied AI division. Employees have reportedly found the work drudging, menial, and "soul-crushing," with the overwhelming majority deeply unhappy with the change. The tech giant is further facing backlash after announcing it would track U.S. employees' keystrokes and mouse movements to train AI.

Meta CTO Andrew "Boz" Bosworth promised more investment in employee perks in an attempt to boost morale. Credit: David Paul Morris / Bloomberg via Getty Images

Bosworth acknowledged widespread employee dissatisfaction in an internal post this Monday, as reported by WIRED. Though he reportedly stated that employees will need to make sacrifices and work on jobs they find "don't find as personally fulfilling," he pledged to fix Meta's culture and make it a "fun and enjoyable" workplace.

"We've undermined the trust you have that your specific expertise and contribution will be valued, that you will grow and advance your career, and that this will be a place where you can actually have an impact," Bosworth wrote in the post seen by WIRED. "We shook up the management structure that was providing you stability while rapid changes in strategy, including the boom/bust cycle of hiring, left entire teams in the lurch."

As such, Bosworth stated that Meta will give managers a maximum of 20 direct reports and provide employees with more personalised support. He also assured employees that Meta doesn't intend to fully replace AI workers with AI, however they do need to know how to use it, and will be given access to optional "AI coaching" tools.

"We obviously did an atrocious job explaining the vision, giving people a clear picture of how we would support them and their careers in the shift, and painting a picture of how it would change over time," wrote Bosworth.

Bosworth further attempted to raise employees' spirits by promising improved snack areas, increased travel budgets, and investments in office social events. Considering the dire state of morale, it seems as though the time-honoured tradition of the office pizza party has a formidable amount of heavy lifting to do.

WIRED sighted internal memos earlier this month in which Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg pledged there would be no further mass layoffs, and Applied AI vice president Maher Saba said that those who'd been reassigned to the team would now be allowed to apply for other roles within the company. Even so, assurances that their situation merely may not get worse is likely of little comfort to already disgruntled employees.

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.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

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

Bodily fluid.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answer

LYMPH

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Hush hush.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for June 19, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

TABOO

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Scratchy.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for June 19 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for June 19, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

ITCHY

Hurdle Word 4 hint

A string instrument.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

VIOLA

Final Hurdle hint

To hate.

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

ABHOR

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 lunar cycle is well underway, and the Moon is becoming more and more noticeable each night. Its bright crescent shape continues to grow as we head towards the First Quarter phase.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Friday, June 19, the Moon phase is Waxing Crescent. Tonight, 33% of the moon will be be lit up, according to NASA's Daily Moon Guide.

With just your naked eye, tonight you'll be able to see the Mares Fecunditatis and Crisium. And with binoculars, you'll also catch a glimpse of the Endymion Crater. If you have a telescope, this will help you see all this plus the Apollo 17 landing spot and the Mare Nectaris.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will take place on June 29.

What are Moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon completes one orbit around Earth in about 29.5 days, moving through eight recognised phases along the way. While the same side of the Moon always faces our planet, the amount of its surface lit by the Sun changes as it travels around Earth. As a result, we see the Moon appear in different shapes over the course of a month, from slender crescents and half moons to a bright Full Moon. This repeating sequence of phases is known as the lunar cycle.

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

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

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

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

How to play Pips

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for June 19, 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for June 18, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for June 19 Pips

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 0-5, placed vertically.

Equal (5): Everything in this space must be equal to 5. The answer is 0-5, placed vertically; 3-5, placed horizontally; 1-5, placed horizontally.

Equal (3): Everything in this red space must be equal to 3. The answer is 3-5, placed horizontally; 6-3, placed horizontally.

Less Than (1): Everything in this space must be less than 1. The answer is 0-2, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for June 19 Pips

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 1-6, placed vertically.

Number (12): Everything in this space must add up to 12. The answer is 1-6, placed vertically; 4-6, placed vertically.

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

Less Than (1): Everything in this space must be less than 1. The answer is 3-0, placed horizontally.

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

Equal (2): Everything in this orange space must be equal to 2. The answer is 2-5, placed horizontally; 6-2, placed horizontally.

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

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

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 4-1, placed horizontally.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for June 19 Pips

Greater Than (9): Everything in this space must be greater than 9. The answer is 5-5, placed horizontally.

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

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

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 0-4, placed horizontally; 4-1, placed vertically.

Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 1-3, placed vertically; 4-1, placed vertically; 1-2, placed horizontally.

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

Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 1-6, placed vertically; 1-5, placed horizontally.

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

Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 1-6, placed vertically; 6-4, placed vertically.

Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 1-3, placed vertically; 2-3, placed horizontally; 4-5, placed vertically.

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

Greater Than (9): Everything in this space must be greater than 9. The answer is 4-5, placed vertically; 2-6, placed horizontally.

Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 6-4, placed vertically; 0-5, placed horizontally.

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

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

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you're a musician.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for June 19, 2026 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Savory eats

• Green: Instrumentals

• Blue: Popular publications

• Purple: To bring together

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Umami-rich foods

• Green: Things a beginner might learn on the piano

• Blue: Starting with magazines

• Purple: Ending in synonyms for "Aggregate"

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 #1104 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Umami-rich foods: MISO PASTE, PARMESAN, SOY SAUCE, VEGEMITE

• Things a beginner might learn on the piano: CHOPSTICKS, FÜR ELISE, HEART AND SOUL, THE ENTERTAINER

• Starting with magazines: FORTUNE COOKIE, PEOPLE PERSON, SPINDERELLA, TIME MACHINE

• Ending in synonyms for "Aggregate": COINCIDENTALLY, DIM SUM, TEETOTAL, VISCOUNT

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for June 19, 2026

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

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

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

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you love cowboys.

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for June 19, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Look to the West

The words are related to cowboys.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe the Wild Wild West.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

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NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Cowpokes.

NYT Strands word list for June 19

• Saddle

• Cowpokes

• Jeans

• Spurs

• Stetson

• Bandana

• Chaps

• Boots

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

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

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you love to express yourself.

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

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for June 19, 2026 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for June 19, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Digital icon.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter E.

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...

EMOJI

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.

Disney's streaming service Disney+ is currently suffering a global outage, with users reporting that they're seeing an error message when attempting to log in.

Crowdsourced outage tracker Downdetector began receiving reports of issues with Disney+ just after 6:40 p.m. ET / 3:40 p.m., with over 20,000 submitted by users in the U.S. alone by 7:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. (Disclosure: Mashable and Downdetector share the same parent company, Ziff Davis.) 

Though the cause of the Disney+ outage is currently unknown, Disney has acknowledged the issue in a post on the official Disney+ support X account.

"We’re currently investigating issues affecting login for some users and hope to have this resolved soon," the official Disney+ support X account posted at 8:49 p.m. ET / 5:49 p.m. PT. "Thank you for your patience!"

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

The account has also been responding to X users' complaints by apologising and directing them to Disney+'s feedback form.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Getting Disney+ back up soon is of the essence for many users, as the streaming service is airing the 2026 FIFA World Cup in some South American regions. Fortunately, it shouldn't be too disruptive to these soccer fans. Though matches featuring Argentina, Columbia, Ecuador, and Uruguay will be aired on Disney+ Premium in their respective countries, none are scheduled for today. The match between Mexico and South Korea is currently scheduled to kick off at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT.

This is a developing story…

Thirty years after the original made us try to catch our toys in action, Toy Story 5 is here. And as a Pixar film, there's always one question on audience minds at the end of the film: Is there a secret scene during or after the credits?

Hidden credits scenes have become synonymous with the Disney studio, from the staged blooper reels of Monsters Inc. to the not-so-perfect dentist escape at the end of Finding Nemo. Elio has one. Inside Out 2 has one. While Toy Story's first film doesn't have an end-credits scene, Toy Story 2, 3 and 4 do.

And sure enough, there's fun in the credits of Toy Story 5.

SEE ALSO: 'Toy Story 5' review: AI toys are the hook, not the heart of this comedy

We won't spoil what happens in the scenes, but just know you should definitely stay for the credits for three reasons:

1. There's a mid-credits scene that's high drama.

2. There's a post-credits scene that's a sweet time.

3. Thousands of people worked on this film. It's nice to stay for the credits.

It's not the only Easter egg you'll find in Toy Story 5 either.

Toy Story 5 opens in cinemas on June 19.

Toy Story 5 is careening into cinemas with its foot to the floor, like a Pizza Planet employee behind on their deliveries. And if you're concentrating, you'll spy a very fast Easter egg that's become a staple in Pixar movies.

With Buzz, Woody, Jessie, and the gang back for the fifth adventure in the franchise, I had my eyes peeled for any throwback moments. And while there aren't many, one is clear as day — though it's blink-and-you'll-miss-it-fast.

SEE ALSO: 'Toy Story 5' review: AI toys are the hook, not the heart of this comedy

Without spoiling the storyline, you can spot the reference in the third act of the film. A group of characters is travelling along a rural road when a vehicle approaches, causing them all to freeze in their signature Toy Story way. It absolutely fangs it past them.

That vehicle? It's a Pizza Planet truck. Unmistakeable in its yellow-and-white body and characteristic urgency, this is the vehicle of choice for the forever flustered delivery worker from the franchise's space-themed restaurant and arcade. Pizza Planet appeared all the way back in Toy Story, when Woody tried to trick Buzz into flying home to Star Command.

The Pizza Planet truck has become a bit of a cameo classic in most Pixar films from Turning Red to Onward — of course, there are Reddit threads — and appearing in every Toy Story film (even as a tattoo in Toy Story 4). Those pizzas have got to be ice cold by now.

Toy Story 5 opens in cinemas on June 19.

Best early Prime Day deals under $25 at a glance Best earbuds deal Soundcore P30i $24.99 at Amazon (save $25) Get Deal Best Lego deal Lego Botanicals Mini Orchid $23.95 at Amazon (save $6.04) Get Deal Best streaming stick deal Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus $24.99 at Amazon (save $25) Get Deal Best smart home deal Govee LED Smart Light Bulbs (2 pack) $19.99 at Amazon (save $6) Get Deal Best water bottle deal Owala FreeSip (24 ounces, off road) $23.99 at Amazon (save $6) Get Deal

Attention shoppers: Amazon Prime Day starts on June 23. In theory, you could wait to shop until Tuesday, but if you're in the mood to score some deals before the sale begins, you're in luck. Amazon tends to drop prices before the sale starts, and as long as you check on price history with camelcamelcamel to make sure you're actually getting a good deal, you might not have to wait.

For those sticking to a budget this Prime Day, consider that some of our favorite items are sitting at under $25. A great pair of budget earbuds, fancy smart bulbs, and an emotional-support water bottle are all on sale before Prime Day. Shop now, and you'll avoid potential shipping delays.

These are the top early Prime Day deals under $25, should you want to get a head start on shopping.

Best deal under $25 Opens in a new window Credit: Soundcore Soundcore P30i $24.99 at Amazon
$49.99 Save $25.00   Get Deal Why we like it

The Soundcore P30i earbuds fall well within a budget price but don't skimp out on features. As an early Prime Day treat, Amazon has them on sale for only $24.99 in select colorways, down from the list price of $49.99 at Soundcore.

According to Mashable's list of the best budget earbuds, the Soundcore P30i have the most impressive sound for an option under $50 (now under $25). "The active noise cancellation on them is impressive for their price, able to block out the bustle of busy streets or the noisy gym," wrote Mashable Shopping Reporters Bethany Allard and Samantha Mangino.

More deals under $25

• Govee LED Smart Light Bulbs (2 pack) — $19.99 $25.99 (save $6)

• Lego Botanicals Mini Orchid — $23.95 $29.99 (save $6.04)

• Owala FreeSip (24 ounces, off road) — $23.99 $29.99 (save $6)

• Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus — $24.99 $49.99 (save $25)

SAVE $5: The Shashibo sensory fidget toy is down to $19.99 at Amazon. That's a 20% discount off its $24.99 typical price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Shashibo Shashibo Sensory Fidget Toy $19.99 at Amazon
$24.99 Save $5   Shop Now

The Shashibo sensory fidget toy is down to $19.99 at Amazon, which is its lowest price this year. That’s a small drop from its usual $24.99 price, but it’s still nice to see it sitting closer to the lower end of its range as early Prime Day deals start to roll in.

The shape-shifting cube is built around simple hands-on play that keeps your mind lightly engaged. It transforms into over 100 different shapes, so it never really stays in one form for long. Each movement leads into the next, making it easy to keep going without really thinking about it.

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Beyond just something to pass time, it keeps your hands busy in a way that naturally gets you figuring out different shapes. Repeating patterns and snapping pieces into place uses memory and spatial thinking without feeling like a big effort.

It also fits easily into everyday use, whether on a desk, in a classroom, or at home between tasks. The built-in magnets let multiple cubes connect if you add more, opening up bigger structures to build.

Snag the Shashibo sensory fidget toy on Amazon and let your hands figure out the rest.

SAVE $270: As of June 18, the EF EcoFlow Delta 2 portable power station is on sale for $429 at Amazon. That’s 39% off its $699 list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: EcoFlow EF EcoFlow Delta 2 Portable Power Station $429 at Amazon
$699 Save $270   Get Deal

The EF EcoFlow Delta 2 portable power station is on sale for $429 at Amazon just ahead of Prime Day, a 39% discount off its $699 list price. It’s a solid drop for a 1,024Wh backup battery built to keep essentials running when the power goes out, or you’re off-grid. Portable power stations like this usually feel more relevant once you actually need it, not before.

The portable power station charges fast when plugged into a wall outlet, going from empty to 80% in about 50 minutes. That makes it easy to top up at home before a trip or keep it charged in case of a power outage.

SEE ALSO: These 9 early Prime Day outdoor deals will get you prepped for summer

The EF EcoFlow Delta 2 has a flexible setup depending on how much power you need. You can start with the main unit for everyday use and add extra batteries later if you want more capacity for longer trips or heavier use like RVs or off-grid stays. It’s built to last for years, with a long-life battery designed to handle repeated use without wearing out quickly.

You can recharge it in a few different ways, including a wall outlet or solar panels if you’re outdoors or off-grid. It also comes with basic accessories in the box, so you can get started without needing extra add-ons right away.

Catch the price dip on the EF EcoFlow Delta 2 portable power station at Amazon while it’s still live.

TL;DR: Get 5 years of flowkey Piano Learning for just $67.97 — the lowest price ever — and learn piano with interactive lessons, real-time feedback, and over 1,000 songs, with code SAVE15.

Opens in a new window Credit: Flowkey flowkey Piano Learning App: Classic Plan (5-Year Subscription) $67.99
$899 Save $831.01   Get Deal

Five years of piano lessons for $67.97 sounds like a typo. It isn’t.

The flowkey Piano-Learning App Classic Plan is available for just $67.97 (reg. $899), making this the lowest price we’ve ever seen for the app. The math is hard to ignore: that’s $831.03 off the regular price for five full years of access.

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Flowkey is designed to take someone from first notes to full songs using step-by-step lessons and real-time feedback. The app listens as you play, so you get instant corrections instead of guessing what went wrong.

It includes features like Wait Mode, which pauses progress until you hit the correct notes, as well as slow-motion playback, looping sections, and split-hand practice. You can also follow synced video performances alongside sheet music, which helps connect theory to actual playing.

The Classic Plan includes access to over 1,000 classical and public-domain pieces by composers such as Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, and Mozart, along with arrangements tailored to different skill levels.

There are also foundational courses covering music theory, chords, reading sheet music, and proper hand positioning. It’s structured to support both absolute beginners and returning players who want a refresher.

This fits beginners who want structured guidance without committing to in-person lessons, as well as intermediate players looking to rebuild or strengthen fundamentals. It also works across devices — including laptops, tablets, and phones — as long as you’re using a compatible keyboard or digital piano setup.

This learning app provides a low-risk way to build piano skills over time without recurring monthly costs or high lesson fees.

To learn a new skill and keep things simple, you’ll want structured lessons, interactive feedback, and long-term access with flowkey.

Get it today at its lowest price yet: $67.97 through June 28 at 11:59 p.m.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

When it comes to Amazon Prime Day, many gadgets go on sale well ahead of time. Select smart home devices, big-screen TVs, and even flagship headphones get deep price cuts in the days or weeks leading up to the event. (This year, it runs from June 23 to 26.) Shoppers can scoop up early-bird discounts on these products to avoid day-of chaos, including potential inventory issues.

Not laptops, though. This year's early Prime Day laptop deals are... not good.

I'm Mashable's resident expert on all things PCs, and having covered Prime Day for seven years now, I can tell you that Amazon doesn't release many laptop deals until the sale actually starts. I'm talking legitimately excellent laptop deals on popular models, not sketchy listings that come from third-party sellers or unfamiliar brands, which are annoyingly common on Amazon.

The good news is that your patience usually pays off. Lots of Apple MacBooks and Windows laptops will fall to their lowest prices of the year at some point during Prime Day. The bad news is that, well, waiting sucks. (Then again, so does paying too much for a big-ticket item that goes on sale mere days later. But I digress.)

Fortunately, I will be personally updating this page with the best Prime Day laptop deals once they go live, so keep following Mashable's coverage and check back on June 23.

SEE ALSO: Everything to know about Amazon Prime Day: Dates, competition, and the best early deals to shop already What laptops will go on sale during Prime Day 2026?

While Amazon doesn't share the specifics of its Prime Day deals ahead of time, it has revealed some category-wide discounts that shoppers can expect to see during next week's sale. In the tech department, that includes savings of up to 35% on select laptops (and smartphones and tablets) from brands like HP, Lenovo, and Samsung. Keep that in mind, Team Windows.

On the MacBook side, I'd bet on seeing discounts of at least $200 on the M5 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, which would match their previous all-time lows. The budget MacBook Neo has yet to get a proper discount on Amazon since launching in March, but Prime Day would be a good excuse as any for Amazon to drop it by $50 or so. My fingers are criss-crossed.

For what it's worth, I wouldn't be too loyal to Amazon during Prime Day if stellar laptop steals and deals are your priority. Other major retailers will be hosting competing sales, including Best Buy, which is promising up to 50% off devices, including laptops, during its upcoming Tech Fest. Notably, Best Buy has a much better selection of Windows laptops and older MacBooks than Amazon. (This week, it's offering $400 off high-end configurations of the M4 MacBook Air.)

If you are planning to check out Amazon's Prime Day laptop deals, bookmark this page. Below, I've collected a list of the laptop discounts that would get me to click the "Buy Now" button if they appeared on Prime Day. All of the models I've included are ones that we've tested ourselves and recommend, so you can be sure the laptop you're getting isn't just a cheap one, but a great one.

MacBook deals I want to see during Prime Day

• Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — now $589.99 $599 (save $9.01); new record low of $549?

• Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — now $949.99 $1,099 (save $149.01); previous all-time low was $899

• Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — now $1,149.99 $1,299 (save $149.01); previous all-time low was $1,099

• Apple MacBook Air, 14-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — now $1,549 $1,699 (save $150); previous all-time low was $1,499

Windows laptop deals I want to see during Prime Day

• Acer Aspire 16 AI (Snapdragon X, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — now $699.99; previous all-time low was $429.99

• HP OmniBook 5 14 (Snapdragon X Plus, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — now $859.99; previous all-time low was $449.99

• HP OmniBook 3 16 (Snapdragon X, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — now $991.30 $1,099.99 (save $108.69); new record low of $949.99?

• Microsoft Surface Laptop 7, 15-inch (Snapdragon X Elite, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — now $1,499.99 $2,099.99 (save $700); previous all-time low was $1,049.99

• Acer Swift X 14 (Intel Core Ultra 9 Processor 285H, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — now $1,999.99; new record low of $1,799.99?

• MSI Stealth 16 AI+ (Intel Core Ultra 9 386H, Nvidia Geforce RTX 5070Ti, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — now $3,099.99; new record low of $2,799.99?

We will be regularly updating this guide with the best laptop deals, so keep checking back. You can also visit our Prime Day 2026 hub for all the latest updates and price drops.