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The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you know about bells.

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 October 27, 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: Joshing around

• Green: Anatomy of an ear

• Blue: Things and places with bells

• Purple: Things shaped like a bell

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Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Mess (With)

• Green: Parts of the Ear

• Blue: ___Bell

• Purple: Bell___

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 #1234 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Mess (With): FIDDLE, MEDDLE, TINKER, TRIFLE

• Parts of the Ear: ANVIL, CANAL, DRUM, STIRRUP

• ___Bell: DIVING, JINGLE, LIBERTY, TACO

• Bell___: BOTTOMS, JAR, PEPPER, TOWER

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

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

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

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 will be easy if you have a bug problem.

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 October 27, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Who ya gonna call?

The words describe pests.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe rodents and bugs that you'd find in your home.

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 Exterminator.

NYT Strands word list for October 26

• Cockroaches

• Ants

• Rats

• Mice

• Ticks

• Termites

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

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

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

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

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're a like games of chance.

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 October 27, 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.

Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A game of matching numbers.

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 B.

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...

BINGO

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.

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

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.

TL;DR: New users can get iScanner lifetime access for $24.97 (reg. $199.90) through Nov. 1.

Opens in a new window Credit: iScanner iScanner App: Lifetime Subscription (iPhone, iPad & Android) $24.97
$199.90 Save $174.93   Get Deal

A photo of a contract is a start. A clean scan you can edit, sign, and export is a lot more useful. The iScanner App Lifetime Subscription is on sale for just $24.97 (reg. $199.90) through Nov. 1, giving you scanning and document tools on iPhone, iPad, and Android devices.

Start with receipts, contracts, tax forms, handwritten notes, or assignments. Scan multiple pages, then export your files as PDF, JPG, DOC, XLS, PPT, or TXT. It’s a practical setup for working remotely, studying, or handling business documents away from your desk.

The cleanup features help turn a quick scan into a more usable file. Document borders are detected and adjusted automatically, while page straightening corrects curves and skews. Color correction and noise removal offer additional ways to refine the result. Text recognition supports more than 20 languages.

Once scanned, documents don’t have to stay untouched. Add text, mark up pages, fill forms with custom templates, or sign manually or with a signature image. You can also merge several documents or split a file into separate pages.

Organization matters just as much as capture. Folders and drag-and-drop controls help keep files manageable, while PIN locks restrict access to confidential scans. Page numbers, footers, and watermarks provide finishing touches when needed.

There are specialized modes beyond paperwork, too. Scan ID cards and passports, read QR codes, count similar objects, measure areas, or solve math problems.

The app is ad-free, keeping the workspace focused on the task. For anyone regularly turning physical documents into usable digital files, it brings several useful steps together.

Get lifetime iScanner access for $24.97 through Nov. 1. This offer is for new users only.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Get 1TB of Koofr cloud storage for one $159.99 payment (reg. $810) for a limited time, with code KOOFR.

Opens in a new window Credit: Koofr Koofr Cloud Storage: Lifetime Subscription (1TB) $159.99
$810 Save $650.01   Get Deal

While cloud storage is now a necessity, keeping track of another recurring payment is most certainly not. Koofr’s 1TB lifetime subscription is a one-time $159.99 (reg. $810) for a limited time, giving you ongoing storage access with one upfront purchase.

That 1TB provides room for documents, photos, videos, and other digital files. You can reach them from your smartphone, computer, or through WebDAV, so your storage isn’t tied to a device.

Koofr also connects to existing cloud accounts, including Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive. That’s practical when work documents live in one service and personal files live in another. Centralized access gives you a more convenient starting point without requiring you to remember where every file ended up.

Then there’s the organization side. Koofr Duplicate Finder helps identify unnecessary copies — the digital equivalent of discovering you’ve kept the same receipt three times. Advanced renaming options help bring consistency to file names, while link appearance customization gives you control over how shared links look.

For privacy, Koofr states that it does not track users. Files are encrypted both at rest and during transfer, adding protection while they’re stored and moving between locations.

The interface is designed to be straightforward, whether you’re new to cloud storage or already managing a substantial collection.

For someone who needs ongoing file space and regularly works across devices, that combination makes a clear case for buying once.

Get Koofr’s 1TB lifetime cloud storage subscription for $159.99, with no recurring storage fees with code KOOFR.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Sick of web browsers tracking your every move and forcing intrusive, unnecessary AI features on you?

Apparently, you’re not alone. Some of your favorite internet personalities — and real-life memes from the late 2000s and early 2010s — are joining forces to promote Firefox, a browser that's pushing back against online tracking and unwanted AI features.

Mozilla, the non-profit organization behind the Firefox web browser, has just launched a new ad campaign to draw internet users away from AI-filled Google Chrome and back to Firefox's heyday in the late 2000s and early 2010s, when Firefox commanded up to 32 percent of the global browser market share.

To do that, Mozilla has brought together some of the biggest internet personalities of that era for a new ad campaign called "Come Back to Firefox."

"What happened to the internet?" asks the Numa Numa Guy in the opening of the new campaign video. "It used to be fun."

Overly Attached Girlfriend, Annoying Orange, Tay Zondaday of "Chocolate Rain" fame, and a slew of other internet memes appear in the ad longing for the internet days of old, before modern web browsers tracked your every move, sold user data for advertising purposes, and pushed AI features on its users.

Firefox offers an alternative to many other browsers that seem to be obsessed with AI and monitor users' online habits. Firefox includes a built-in free VPN to help keep users' browsing activity private, AI controls so users can decide just how much AI-related features they want accessible in their browser, and an ad blocker in the mobile version of the browser.

The full list of internet personality cameos includes:

• Numa Numa Guy

• Bad Luck Brian

• Overly Attached Girlfriend

• Where the Hell is Matt?

• Kelly's Shoes

• Annoying Orange

• Apparently Kid

• Tay Zonday 

• Chuck Testa

• Success Kid

The video isn't AI-generated. It actually features the real-life online personalities as they are today. For example, if you've been wondering what the Success Kid looks like all-grown up, you'll find out here.

“I kept going back to Firefox’s heyday, when the internet was really fun, weird, and interesting…That's the feeling we wanted to bring back with this campaign," Mozilla's Chief Marketing Officer John Solomon said in a statement provided to Mashable. 

"We wanted to remind people of what made the internet so wonderful in the first place," Solomon explained. "These are people who helped make it strange, creative, surprising, and fun. None of them were trying to go viral. They were normal, everyday people who were using the internet. That’s the way the internet should be and why we feel it’s a great moment for Firefox. Always independent and unlike big tech, not trying to extract more from everyday people.”

Firefox currently has an estimated 2.8 percent share of the global web browser market.

SAVE $60: As of Oct. 26, the Soundcore by Anker Space One Pro wireless headphones are on sale for $139.99 on Amazon, down from their regular $199.99 list price. That cuts 30% off and saves you $60 on a pair that folds down to half its size.

Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Anker Soundcore Space One Pro $139.99 at Amazon
$199.99 Save $60   Get Deal at Amazon

You can score the Soundcore by Anker Space One Pro headphones on Amazon for $139.99, down from their typical $199.99 list price. In our review of the Space One and Space One Pro, we found both pairs look sleek — resembling a mashup of Beats and Bose — with intuitive physical buttons instead of finicky touch controls.

The biggest difference comes down to fit and sound isolation. The Space One Pro has a more snug, clamping fit on your head. That tighter seal creates better passive noise isolation, which, combined with Anker's adaptive active noise cancellation, helped block out distracting coffee shop chatter better than the base model during our testing.

SEE ALSO: Anker Black Friday deals are live: Save on earbuds, headphones, power banks, and more

For travelers and commuters, packability is another major win. Anker designed the headband to curl and fold down to half its size, making it much easier to toss into a backpack pocket or carry-on than bulky, rigid competitors.

Internally, the drivers deliver clear, punchy sound, and you can switch on high-res streaming or tweak the equalizer in the free companion app to get the exact bass and treble balance you prefer. It also includes dual-device Bluetooth pairing, so you can keep streaming music from your laptop while staying ready to take calls on your phone.

Battery life is built for long stretches away from an outlet. You get up to 40 hours of listening time with ANC on, and up to 60 hours with ANC off. Even if you forget to charge them before heading out the door, plugging in for a quick five-minute top-up gives you eight hours of juice.

Grab the foldable Soundcore Space One Pro on Amazon and save $60 today.

SAVE $50: As of Oct. 26, the Amazon Fire HD 8 tablet is on sale for $79.99 at Amazon. That's a 38% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire HD 8 $79.99 at Amazon
$129.99 Save $50.00   Get Deal at Amazon

Whether you're catching up on your favorite shows, reading a book in bed, or getting work done on your commute, a tablet can be a handy bit of kit to have around. If you've been wanting to add a tablet to your tech but don't feel the need to spend a small fortune, meet the Amazon Fire HD 8.

This is an affordable tablet for everyday use, and as of Oct. 26, it's dropped to $79.99 on Amazon.

The Fire HD 8 has an 8-inch HD display for watching movies, scrolling social media, and gaming. It also features a 5MP rear camera for taking photos, making it a useful everyday tablet.

It even has Alexa built in, so you can play music, check the weather, manage your shopping list, and control compatible smart home devices, including robot vacuums and light bulbs.

Amazon claims it can last up to 13 hours on a single charge, so it should be a pretty reliable device for use throughout the day without constantly reaching for the charger. There are also three smart tools to help with tasks such as polishing emails, summarizing webpages, and creating custom wallpapers.

This tablet deal is available at Amazon right now.

Apparently, getting better at something now requires adding "maxxing" to its name. There's sleepmaxxing, proteinmaxxing, looksmaxxing, and even cozymaxxing, because a night on the couch can apparently be optimized, too.

As of Oct 26, "maxxing" is Dictionary.com’s 2026 Word of the Year. The publisher describes it as:

“the practice of pursuing an activity to the fullest or optimizing a certain aspect of your life.”

The shorthand for "maximizing" can describe a serious self-improvement effort or a joke about doing very little. Its versatility has helped it spread across beauty, wellness, work, and everyday internet conversation.

Dictionary.com traces the term’s roots through "min-maxing," a gaming strategy that involves developing a character’s strengths until their weaknesses matter less. Online communities eventually gave "maxxing" another "x" and an expanding list of things to work on.

One of its most recognizable forms is "looksmaxxing," which focuses on improving physical appearance. But the template has spread into workplace conversations about "tokenmaxxing," or using as much AI as possible, and lifestyle trends like "frictionmaxxing," which implores you to "rethink your relationship to your device — and your humanity." Increasingly, Dictionary.com says, people also use "maxxing" as a word on its own.

The dictionary recognition has been building, too. In September, Merriam-Webster added "looksmaxxing" among 1,400 new words and definitions, alongside "vibe-coding" and "cuffing season."

The word's history also goes beyond jokes about optimizing your bedtime. Looksmaxxing grew out of incel forums and sits within the broader manosphere, a network of online communities often associated with misogyny and rigid ideas about masculinity. Mashable has explored the subculture through its looksmaxxing glossary and coverage of its racist beauty standards and dehumanizing language about women.

SEE ALSO: The Looksmaxxing Glossary: Every term you need to understand the internet's most unhinged subculture

One of looksmaxxing's most recognizable figures is Braden Peters, better known as Clavicular, who shares appearance-focused (and often misogynistic) advice with millions of followers. While looksmaxxing can involve everyday grooming and skincare, its more extreme forms include crash dieting and "bone smashing" — striking facial bones in the unfounded belief that doing so will create a more defined face. There's also "pheromone-maxxing," which involves skipping showers, avoiding deodorant, or wearing unwashed clothes in the hope that a stronger natural scent will attract potential partners.

The concerns extend beyond physical injury. New Zealand's Classification Office, for example, warns that some looksmaxxing content can encourage disordered eating, obsessive scrutiny of appearance, and feelings of hopelessness, while exposing viewers to misogynistic or extremist messaging. That history matters as the language becomes mainstream, even as people adopt "maxxing" for pursuits far removed from those communities.

What else made the shortlist?

Dictionary.com’s other finalists were "affordability" "data center," "odyssey," and "unc." Its explanations, respectively, pointed to the cost of living, debates over AI infrastructure, Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, and slang for someone considered older or out of touch.

Together, the choices offer a recognizable portrait of 2026: money worries, AI everywhere, a major movie event, and, yes, slang with roots in incel forums.

If that all sounds exhausting, there's always touching-grass-maxxing.

The Elon Musk-owned X has a new main character — or, this time, two entire countries.

While the platform is no stranger to users from different countries trading barbs with their neighbors (see: the FIFA World Cup), what's happening between France and Japan has gotten a little ugly. As protests in France continue over the rising cost of living and demands for better learning conditions in schools, X users in the country began to fight back against Japanese users who blamed the unrest on Black and Arab people.

At the end of the day, it's ugly internet beef. But to understand why it's these two countries in particular, here's some context.

France's "Act 3" protests

France is in the middle of a major protest movement. It started in mid-September at a high school in Créteil, southeast of Paris, where students and staff were frustrated by a shortage of teachers and resources. Since then, parents and union members have joined high school students, and some demonstrations have ended in clashes with police using tear gas. On Oct. 6 alone, about 56,000 people marched through Paris.

Frustration over rising living costs and struggling public services has fueled the unrest, too. Given that mass movements like these create unruly environments, there has also been rioting and looting in the streets of Paris.

Because the protests are about the state of education in France, the turnout skews toward students — and Gen Z loves anime. As Bloomberg reports, a Sony Group study of anime watchers across 10 countries found that "79 [percent] of anime fans between the ages of 13 and 17" had watched more anime than the year prior, with 68 percent of Gen Z respondents saying the same. At Oct. 17 demonstrations in Paris, Lyon, and Montpellier, students carried the Straw Hat Pirates' flag from One Piece, along with references to Naruto, Dragon Ball, and Jujutsu Kaisen. One slogan going around declared, "The world will be saved by Otakus."

The Straw Hat Jolly Roger is not an uncommon sight at protests these days. In the show itself, the main character, Monkey D. Luffy, and his pirate crew spend much of their adventures fighting corrupt governments and freeing oppressed peoples. The flag, as a symbol of rebellion, has appeared at demonstrations in Indonesia and Nepal.

Ironically, though, some Japanese users on X did not like this. On Oct. 19, the X account Anime Spotlight shared a roundup of Japanese users who were angry that the flag had become associated with violent unrest. It’s unclear how widely that view is shared.

Some Japanese X users then blamed France's unrest on Black and Arab immigrants, often with slurs and images of monkeys or the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Those posts echoed anti-immigration talking points that circulate among right-wing influencers and politicians in Europe and the U.S., even though the protests are about underfunded schools.

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French users hit back, and they weren’t any gentler. Their posts, translated from French, have gone viral — primarily going after Japanese men, playing on stereotypes about brutal work culture, loneliness, and the sexualization of young girls in some anime and manga.

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While the beef started with Japanese users attacking Black people, plenty of the French jokes are racist, too.

Why France and Japan?

What makes the feud strange is that these two countries usually get along famously. Japan has long held a romantic view of France, and France has been one of manga's biggest markets in Europe. Their leaders have even gotten in on the anime fandom: In April, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and French President Emmanuel Macron struck the Dragon Ball Kamehameha pose together at a joint news conference.

In fact, Japan has its own fantasy version of France, so well known that there’s a name for the shock some tourists feel when the real city doesn't match it, called Paris syndrome.

The fantasy of what Paris and France are is part of the reason this feud kicked off. Many Japanese fans love an idealized "Western" version of Paris, not one with tear gas in the streets. Plenty of Westerners hold an equally idealized picture of Japan, largely shaped by anime, in which the country is viewed as polite, safe, quirky, and seemingly problem-free.

The lens through which many in the Western world view Japan is now being shattered, as the feud sheds light on some very real issues in the country.

It's been an open topic for a while now that foreigners can face less-than-stellar treatment in Japan. Nationalist party Sanseito won 14 seats on a "Japanese First" platform. In February, Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party won a landslide while taking a tougher line on immigration. A Stanford survey found that opposition to bringing in foreign workers rose to about 53 percent in February, roughly 17 percentage points higher than in 2022.

Takaichi became Japan’s first female prime minister last October and is a staunch conservative. Before taking office, she regularly visited Yasukuni Shrine. The shrine honors Japan’s war dead, including 14 convicted World War II war criminals. Takaichi also considers the late nationalist Prime Minister Shinzo Abe a mentor. Japan’s neighbors, especially China and South Korea, see the shrine as a symbol of the country’s wartime aggression.

Another well-documented part of Japanese culture that's being poked at is its work culture. The problem of overwork is serious enough that the government is required by law to report on it to parliament every year, and its 2025 white paper was the 10th such report. The first report, published in 2016, found that 22.7 percent of surveyed companies had employees logging more than 80 hours of overtime a month, the official threshold at which the risk of death from overwork becomes serious.

Relatedly, there is great concern over mental health. Japan recorded 19,097 suicides in 2025, the first time the yearly total fell below 20,000 since records began in 1978. That brought the suicide rate down to 15.4 per 100,000 people. Men accounted for 13,117 of those deaths, compared with 5,980 women. The picture is more complicated than overwork alone, though. Health problems were the most commonly cited factor, followed by economic struggles and family issues. And while overall numbers fell, suicides among children hit a record high in 2025 for the second year in a row, reaching 532.

The bigger picture

As stated, online beef between citizens of two countries is not new. This particular moment in digital culture is a bit different, as it targets the West's mythical image of Japan, shaped by anime, games, and the Japanese government’s own "Cool Japan" soft-power push.

Japan may be propped up as safe, polite, and a bit quirky, but its image, like every country's, has blind spots too. The same Western audiences that idealize Japan can overlook its immigration fights, its overwork crisis, its abusive justice system, or the way its wartime history is still contested at home and across Asia.

Race plays a part in which stories stick, too. Asian American immigrants, particularly from East Asian countries, are often held up in the West as model minorities, a "flattering" stereotype often used to justify continued oppression of Black American and Asian communities.

None of that excuses the racism flying both ways. Many of the posts from French users attacking the Japanese are no better than the posts they’re answering, and stereotypes about either country don’t add up to a fair critique of it. But the feud illustrates why a country’s pop culture exports rarely tell its whole story.

That’s true of Japan seen through anime, and of Paris seen through postcards.

Los Angeles turned on approximately 20 cameras at dangerous intersections around the city on Monday (Oct. 26), intended to catch speeding drivers and, hopefully, save lives.

For the next 60 days, drivers exceeding the speed limit by at least 11 miles per hour will receive written warnings by mail. Following that, tickets will be issued to offenders, with fines ranging from $50 to $500, depending on the driver's speed. By the end of the year, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) plans to activate 125 cameras across the city.

SEE ALSO: This Flock Camera map shows more than 300,000 devices

LA is currently trying to get a handle on vehicular violence, with car crashes in the city claiming about 300 lives annually, a toll that exceeds the annual number of homicides in the city of 4 million, according to the Los Angeles Times. The city has placed cameras near high-injury/high-death intersections, near schools, and at spots known for street racing.

LA is years behind other large cities like New York, Oakland, and San Francisco, which have already installed speed cameras. In the latter city, the cameras brought about a dramatic 80 percent drop in speeding.

LADOT expects its cameras to reduce fatal crashes at their locations by 53 to 71 percent. Malibu, a nearby city in Los Angeles County, recently launched a speed camera pilot program on 21 miles of the Pacific Coast Highway. Over the course of nine days last month, the cameras recorded approximately 100,000 speeding violations.

Apple has a fresh new iOS update for everyone to check out.

Monday marked the official launch of iOS 27.2, which is now available as a software update on all compatible iPhones. To install it, simply open the Settings app, tap General, and then tap Software Update. No need to fiddle with beta software this time — this is the real deal.

As for what's new, iOS 27.2 isn't the most monumental update in the world, but there's plenty to mess around with. For starters, Siri AI is now available in several new languages: French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish. It's also been updated for English-language users so it will now be able to recall past conversations you've had with Apple's chatbot. Additionally, the Messages app will offer context-sensitive suggestions to take quick actions in Calendar or Reminders based on what's being said in the text conversation.

SEE ALSO: Apple breaks silence on iPhone Duo cracking reports

Dual Capture now works on FaceTime group calls, meaning you can have both your front and rear cameras active at the same time while talking to more than one other person. For new iPhone Duo owners, iOS 27.2 also adds Apple Pencil support. Meanwhile, the Edge Light feature uses the iPhone Duo's display to light up your face during video calls in low light.

There are plenty of other small changes to check out, too, such as individual profiles in the Apple TV app and a reimagined Up Next view in the Podcasts app. Multiview will also let sports fans watch up to four events simultaneously, though the feature appears to be limited to sporting events on Apple TV.

In total, iOS 27.2 might not be the most seismic update in the world, but there's still a good amount to play with.

We broke down the A.I. company’s key figures, which give insight into the health of its business, its future plans and who’s in charge.

About a quarter of the tech giant’s employees were eligible for the packages, although the company cautioned it did not expect many employees to sign on.

Last year, KPop Demon Hunters had us fixated on every HUNTR/X song. By the time Halloween came around, there was a flood of costumed fans dressed as Rumi, Mira, and Zoey.

Now, Netflix has treated fans to the gift that keeps on giving. Need a casual cosplay that requires only a wig and some workout gear? Need a new reason to revisit the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack? Need a new TikTok dance to level up your viewership? Need another reason to look forward to the eventual KPop Demon Hunters 2?

Netflix has released a HUNTR/X dance rehearsal set to "How It’s Done." The new clip shows the K-pop icons working out a new dance routine.

But that's not all. Netflix will be releasing complete official choreography for HUNTR/X's "Golden" and "Takedown" as well as the Saja Boys' "Soda Pop," and "Your Idol."

The race is on to see which fan can nail the choreo first. Be like HUNTR/X and show them how it's done, done, done.

KPop Demon Hunters is now streaming on Netflix.

After days of viral reports about the iPhone Duo's inner screen, Apple has publicly acknowledged the problem.

In a statement provided to Mashable, the company said it is aware of an issue affecting the inner display on a "small number" of units.

"The response to iPhone Duo from early users has been incredibly positive, and we are seeing exciting things from developers who are rapidly updating their apps to take advantage of its unique form factor,” Apple said. “We are aware of an issue impacting the inner display on a small number of iPhone Duo units. If users experience issues with their iPhone Duo display, they should contact AppleCare for a replacement."

The statement doesn’t say what’s causing the problem, how many units are affected, or whether Apple plans a broader fix. Apple appears to have sent the same statement to several other outlets covering the reports. Still, it’s the company’s first public acknowledgment of the problem.

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The Duo has drawn plenty of attention as Apple’s first foldable iPhone. It sold out almost immediately when pre-orders opened Oct. 16, with some delivery estimates stretching into January 2027. But early owners have found that it’s very much a first-generation device, and the display reports are just one of several complaints.

Beyond durability, users have flagged a few other issues, as reported by Mashable Senior Editor Stan Schroeder. First, as JerryRigsEverything points out, the protective matte screen on the foldable dulls its color and vibrance, and it picks up heavy glare. The FaceTime camera, as Schroeder notes, is bad for photos, with Apple leaning heavily on AI processing that can leave selfies looking plasticky and smudged. Finally, many apps aren’t yet optimized for the Duo’s inner display, including Apple’s own App Store — though Schroeder reported that he expects app developers to catch up within the next month.

Durability concerns had been building before the display reports went viral. YouTuber Tim Pan ran the Duo through 10,000 folds in a folding machine, plus another 1,000 at -4 degrees Fahrenheit. Before-and-after images from the test spread online, appearing to show a much deeper crease.

Samsung seems to be enjoying this. While the Korean tech giant hasn’t taken any direct shots at the Duo, at least not officially, its Samsung Mobile US account has been playing reply guy under iPhone Duo posts on X. One reply simply read "mogged. respectfully."

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Cringe looks-maxxing speak aside, Samsung is getting plenty of free marketing out of the Duo’s rocky start. The company is now on its eighth-generation Galaxy Z Fold. Although its foldables went through their own early durability problems, Samsung has had years to refine the hinge, crease, and display that Apple is only attempting for the first time. Every viral post about a cracked Duo screen is, in effect, an ad for the competition.

If your Duo’s inner display is showing problems, Apple recommends contacting AppleCare for a replacement.

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The A.I. company took great pains to describe the many benefits that can come from using its Claude chatbot and technology, but also offered up a heavy dose of gloom.

Save $50: The Sony WH-1000XM4C are $50 off for the first time ever — and at a new record low price — thanks to an on-page coupon at Amazon as of Oct. 26. This brings their price down to $248 from the list price of $299.99, saving you 16% off their total list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Sony WH-1000XM4C $248
$299.99 Save $51.99 save $50 with on-page coupon Get Deal

As a professional headphones reviewer, I've watched as consumer audio prices increased over the years. These days, it's standard for flagship headphones to cost $450.

That's why it's been a breath of fresh air to see more mid-range headphone releases, with Sony's update on the viral WH-1000XM4 being one of the most interesting. The result — the Sony WH-1000XM4C headphones — are some of the best-sounding $300 headphones you can get, and as of Oct. 26, you can pick them up for $248 at Amazon, thanks to an on-page coupon that slashes $50 off the price.

The XM4C are a return to form. Where Sony's newer flagships, the XM5 and XM6, opt for a more varied design, the XM4C stick to the extremely popular look of the XM4 — an unassuming, yet classic pair of headphones. That's not where the similarities between the two generations stop. The XM4C feature the same four microphones and QN1 processor for noise cancellation, meaning you'll get a similar performance to the 2020 release. That said, it holds up enough to be solid in today's headphone landscape. Sound-wise, Sony upgraded the equalizer from a five-band custom EQ on the XM4 to the 10-band EQ on the XM4C. I was impressed by how clear, yet well-rounded and balanced the sound came through.

SEE ALSO: The 9 best budget headphones we've tested under $100

I also recently tested these headphones directly against the other big mid-range release of the year: the second gen Bose QuietComfort headphones. Much as I appreciate the comfort and replaceable ear cushions on the Bose headphones, the better battery life, sound quality, and value on the Sonys (the Boses go for $359 at full price) make them the better buy for most folks. Especially at this price point, these headphones are over $100 cheaper than Bose's mid-range option. I'd be surprised to see a much better deal over Black Friday, so if you're looking to get your headphones shopping done early, the XM4Cs are definitely worth your consideration.

Want to learn more about getting the best out of your tech? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories and Deals newsletters or get Mashable push alerts today. 

If you own a Samsung TV without a built-in microphone, it might still be listening to you, according to a researcher who shared his findings this week.

On the social media platform X, cybersecurity researcher @log4j shared that an investigation into Samsung smart TVs found that televisions without a mic will scan for connected devices that are equipped with a microphone. The smart TV will then utilize the audio data collected from the soundbar or other connected Bluetooth devices.

"This is pretty evil and clever," @log4j said about their discovery.

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The researcher recently gained administrator root access to their own 2025 Samsung smart TV and has been sharing their findings in a series of posts on X.

Your smart TV is likely listening to you. At this point, that shouldn't be a surprise. Many televisions advertise this functionality, since your TV has to be listening to you to take voice commands and interact with other smart home devices.

However, other unadvertised and concerning privacy issues are arising from the device's ability to listen in.

For example, @log4j started looking into their TV after receiving oddly specific advertisements and found that their television was logging things like "dog barking" and "baby crying" under an event called EV201/SOUNDSENSOR_ON.

As NotebookCheck.net points out, while Samsung 2025 Vision AI TVs advertise that the devices detect barking dogs and crying babies and send alerts through the company's SmartThings app, Samsung does not advertise that this data is also sent back to the company.

Researcher @log4j also found that Samsung TVs track what happens inside specific apps. For example, the TV monitors what a user does in the YouTube app and even logs data such as the ads a user skips.

Mashable has reached out to Samsung for more information about the reports from @log4j and will update this piece when we hear back.

These privacy issues are not unique to Samsung TVs either. Last month, Mashable covered a report from YouTuber Gamers Nexus, which claimed to find that LG TVs were secretly recording users even when the televisions were turned off. LG later responded, denying some but not all the claims.

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Halloween is just around the corner this year, but frights have been going on all year thanks to raising tech prices.

Shopping Black Friday earbuds deals is a good way to mitigate the worst of the price raises, and though we're not quite in the depths of the sale season, you can already find some savings. It does take some digging, so I used my knowledge as a deals expert and one of Mashable's headphones and earbuds testers to find the best possible earbuds deals you can shop already.

SEE ALSO: 11 headphones and earbuds deals you can pick up ahead of Black Friday sales

The result: this list of 18 earbuds deals, live ahead of Black Friday. Check them out:

Best earbuds deal Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose QuietComfort earbuds $129 at Amazon
$179 Save $50   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

Bose's QuietComfort earbuds may not be the newest release from the brand, but they do give you great cancellation and sound quality without the $200 or $300 price tag. Once you find the right positioning, the ear and wing tip combo provides a great seal on these buds, and the battery life is hard to run down quickly. They're a great pair of all around earbuds, and at $129, they're also at an impressively low price for the brand.

Read our full review of the Bose QuietComfort earbuds.

More earbuds deals

• CMF by Nothing Buds 2 — $29 $49 (save $20)

• JBL Vibe Beam 2 — $29.95 $49.95 (save $20)

• Nothing Ear (a) — $59 $79 (save $20)

• Sony WF-C710N — $78.99 $129.99 (save $51)

• Nothing Ear (3a) — $79 $99 (save $20)

• Apple AirPods 4 —  $99 $129 (save $30)

• Beats Studio Buds + — $99.95 $169.95 (save $70)

• Bose QuietComfort earbuds — $129 $179 (save $50)

• Marshall Motif II — $129.99 $219.99 (save $90)

• Refurbished Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds — $149 $299 (save $150)

• Beats Powerbeats Fit — $169.95 $199.99 (save $30.04)

• Apple AirPods Pro 3 — $199 $249 (save $50)

• Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 — $199.95 $249.95

• Refurbished Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd gen) — $279 $299 (save $20)

Best open earbuds deal Opens in a new window Credit: CMF by Nothing CMF by Nothing Clip Pro $69 at Amazon
$99 Save $30   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

I was wowed by CMF's Clip Pro open earbuds back when they launched over the summer, and they remain one of my favorite releases of the year. They feature the same on-ear tactile controls as Bose's $300 open earbuds, great sound quality, and impressive battery life at 10 hours per charge. They're a bargain at full price — for $30 off, they're an absolute steal.

More open earbuds deals

• Shokz OpenFit 2 — $139.95 $179.95 (save $40)

• Refurbished Bose Open Ultra — $149 $299 (save $150)

• Bose x Kendra Scott Ultra Open earbuds — $199.99 $349.99 (save $150)