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Connections: Sports Edition is a new version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

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

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

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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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.

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

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

Here's a hint for today's Connections Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Heard during a baseball game

• Green: Football venues

• Blue: University sports tiers

  Purple: Tennessee footballers

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

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

• Yellow: Things an umpire says

• Green: NFL stadiums

• Blue: First words of college conferences

• Purple: QBs drafted by the Titans

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

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

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections Sports Edition #229 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today

• Things an umpire says - BALL, OUT, SAFE, STRIKE

• NFL stadiums - ALLEGIANT, GILLETTER, LAMBEAU, SOLDIER

• First words of college conferences - AMERICAN, ATLANTIC, BIG, SOUTHEASTERN

• QBs drafted by the Titans - LEVIS, LOCKER, MARIOTA, WARD

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

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

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

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

TL;DR: Scan anything, anywhere, with this lifetime subscription to iScanner, now £18.78 (reg. £149.56) with code SCAN through June 1.

Opens in a new window Credit: BP Mobile iScanner App: Lifetime Subscription £18.78
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Raise your hand if you've ever had to rush to the library to print something. If most of us don't have the space for clunky printers, chances are we also don't keep a scanner at home. That's what iScanner is for.

This iOS app transforms your iPhone or iPad into a handy little scanner that works for basically any document type. Scan anything, anywhere, with this lifetime subscription to iScanner, now £18.78 (reg. £149.56) with code SCAN through June 1.

No more wasted desk space

Even if you're one of the few with a physical scanner still in your presence, you can now clear some counter space thanks to iScanner. And while you're at it, you can throw away that dusty old filing cabinet, too. 

iScanner is the number one US-based scanning and document management tool, letting you knock items off your to-do list from anywhere. Need to save a receipt for taxes? Do you have a contract you need to digitise? You can scan any document using just the phone on your iOS device. 

Students, entrepreneurs, educators, and stay-at-home moms alike will all find endless uses for a scanner in your pocket. The AI-powered tools ensure your documents' borders are detected and automatically adjusted while also straightening scan pages and ditching curves and skews. 

Thanks to AI, you can also use iScanner to help you solve complicated math problems.  Or put its OCR technology to the test and let it help you decipher text in up to 20 languages.

Once things are scanned, the app becomes a full PDF editor and file manager. Edit your scans, including signing them, adding text, or auto-filling them with custom templates. Then, use the file manager's folder via drag and drop to keep them safe and organised. 

Scanning something confidential? You can also protect files and folders by locking them with a PIN. 

Get a lifetime subscription to iScanner, now £18.78 with code SCAN through June 1.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

To stop.

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

PAUSE

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Home furnishings.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 10, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

DECOR

Hurdle Word 3 hint

A backbone.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 10 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 10, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

SPINE

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Opposite of most.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for May 10 Hurdle Word 4 answer

LEAST

Final Hurdle hint

A holy cup.

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

GRAIL

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

TL;DR: Unblock Pornhub from Indiana with a VPN. The best service for unblocking porn sites is ExpressVPN.

More than a third of U.S. states still have restrictions in place for online adult content, leaving users searching for a solution.

Millions of users in Virginia are unable to access popular sites like Pornhub after the introduction of age verification laws. The reasons for this restriction are complicated, but the workaround is straightforward. In just a few simple steps, users in Indiana can secure access to Pornhub without spending anything.

If you want to unblock porn sites like Pornhub for free from Indiana, we have all the information you need.

How to unblock Pornhub for free in Indiana

VPNs are useful tools that can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in other locations. This straightforward process bypasses geo-restrictions so you can access sites like Pornhub from anywhere in the world.

Unblock Pornhub by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in a location that supports access to Pornhub

4. Visit Pornhub

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (2-Year Subscription + 4 Months Free) $139 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for unblocking porn sites are not free, but most do offer free-trial peiods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can unblock porn sites like Pornhub without actually spending anything. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you the opportunity to temporarily retain access to Pornhub before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to sites like Pornhub, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for bypassing content restrictions is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for Pornhub?

ExpressVPN is the top choice for unblocking porn sites like Pornhub, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

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• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Unblock Pornhub for free in Indiana with ExpressVPN.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for May 10 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: How you might end an email

• Green: Lacking

• Blue: Drive

• Purple: They share a second word

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

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

• Yellow: Letter sign-offs

• Green: Without

• Blue: Vigor

• Purple: ___ Strip

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 #699 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Letter sign-offs: BEST, CHEERS, LOVE, SINCERELY

• Without: ABSENT, MINUS, SANS, WANTING

• Vigor: BEANS, ENERGY, PEP, ZIP

• ___ Strip: BACON, COMIC, LANDING, SUNSET

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 May 10

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 10 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 10 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Find the missing links

The words are meat-related.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words are types of cylindrical pork dishes.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Sausages

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for May 10

• Andouille

• Liverwurst

• Sausage

• Kielbasa

• Chorizo

• Salami

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.

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

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for 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 today: Hints and answers for May 10 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's The Mini crossword answers for May 10, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Used to make bread rise.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter Y.

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...

YEAST.

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.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 10

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.

The Texas attorney general brought the cases in 2022 under state laws.

In the tariff era, minor price fluctuations can be big news, and many people are quick to blame any price increase on tariffs. Just last night, Mashable fact-checked a false alarm about Microsoft raising some Surface laptop prices. Now, it's Walmart's turn.

On April 30, Reuters reported that Walmart had reinstated a $6.99 fee for online grocery delivery and pickup orders under $35 for shoppers in the Walmart+ Assist program. That program lets shoppers who use food stamps, EBT cards, or Medicaid sign up for Walmart+ — a membership that offers various benefits like free pharmacy delivery and discounted gasoline purchases — at a 50 percent reduced price ($49 annually compared to the regular $98). During the COVID crisis, Walmart took away the basket fee on small orders made by Walmart+ Assist members, but the charge was reinstated sometime in April.

Enter The Daily Mail, which reported that "new tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump" were to blame for the change. If Walmart was passing along tariff costs to low-income shoppers, that would certainly be an unusual public relations screwup. However, the company says that's absolutely not the case.

A company spokesperson told Mashable that the basket fee (which is standard practice for most retailers when it comes to online grocery orders) has nothing to do with tariffs and doesn't apply to in-store purchases.

Walmart currently operates 4,605 stores in the United States, and shoppers around the country rely on the retailer for low-cost groceries and everyday necessities. Numerator, a data and tech company, recently published statistics that show fully 94 percent of SNAP shoppers have bought groceries at Walmart in the past year, making it by far the most popular grocery store among food stamp recipients.

U.S. households consume a lot of produce and dry goods imported from around the world, which are affected by new global tariffs implemented by the Trump administration. However, giant companies like Walmart are better positioned to absorb price increases than smaller businesses. Walmart CEO Doug McMillon tried to reassure investors of this in a February earnings call, and the company has announced a new program to help bring more American-made products to its shelves, an initiative called Grow With Us.

How often do you get good news in the mail? As life moves online, the amount of bills and junk mail in our mailboxes is fast approaching 100 percent. However, on occasion, you can still get a random letter from Mom or an Amazon Prime delivery. And you can't ignore the bills forever, unfortunately.

That's why the U.S. Postal Service's Informed Delivery service is so popular. The service sends you a black-and-white photograph of all your incoming mail via email, while also alerting you to USPS package deliveries and status updates. It's an ingenious little program. After all, all your mail has to get scanned and sorted en route, so why not send people a quick email preview of what's on deck for delivery? By keeping an eye on your email, you always know when you actually need to check the mailbox.

Imagine this, but in an app. Credit: Screenshot courtesy of Timothy Beck Werth

Now, USPS is reportedly prepping an Informed Delivery app for Android and iOS devices. This week, DroidLife and 9to5 Google reported that a beta test of the app is already underway, with a full mobile app to follow.

Technically, USPS first announced this app in 2024, but since then, the federal government has undergone a bit of a regime change, and federal funding priorities have shifted accordingly. Previously, the postal service has been a target for the Trump administration. The original announcement also said the app would be released in late 2024, which means it's actually ahead of schedule by government program terms.

"The app will send notifications when the USPS Informed Delivery daily digest email is available and when there is an update on a package’s arrival. Customers will be able to use the app to scan tracking numbers or label barcodes to find out the status of inbound or outbound packages," according to the original announcement.

Per 9to5Google, the iOS beta has already been filled, but you can still try to join the Android beta.

Christine Martinez, who was a friend of two of Pinterest’s three co-founders, sued the company in 2021 for breach of implied contract and other claims.

This Sunday marks Mother's Day. For many, this holiday is a time to celebrate their moms. For some, it's a day to be honored for being a mom. For others, well, it might be complicated. Whatever your situation this Mother's Day, The Film Library: A Kanopy Podcast has some suggested viewing just for you with their third episode of Season 2.

Mashable Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko and internet film critic Jeff Rauseo co-host this movie-recommendations video podcast series. Each episode has a theme, allowing these cinephiles to tout the hit movies, classic films, and hidden gems that are all streaming now on Kanopy.

Kanopy's catalog includes titles from BBC, Criterion, NEON, Samuel Goldwyn, HISTORY, A&E, The Great Courses, Kino Lorber, A24, and IFC Films. So for episode 3, "Mother's Day at the Movies: Tender, Terrifying, and Totally Worth Watching," Puchko and Rauseo had plenty of options when it came to the picking a theme-appropriate movie to watch for Mother's Day.

Whether you want something tear-jerking (Terms of Endearment), heartwarming (Mermaids), or totally twisted (The Babadook), Kanopy has a movie that's perfect for the occasion. Want something unexpected? They've got some lesser-known but excellent picks in the mix too. So check out The Film Library.

How to watch: The Film Library: A Kanopy Podcast is available on Kanopy, YouTube, and wherever you download podcasts.

Fortnite could be back on iOS in a matter of days.

Though that's not exactly certain right now, it's looking a lot more likely than it did a couple of weeks ago. The official X account for the game posted an update on Friday confirming that it's been submitted to the iOS App Store in the United States for review by Apple. And considering that the Epic Games v Apple case could cost Apple up to $1 billion in app store commissions, that's got to sting a little bit. Epic Games has already been forced to submit Fortnite for review through its European developer account, since Apple nuked Epic’s U.S. developer account.

According to Apple's developer website, most apps are reviewed by Apple within 24 hours. However, given the unique circumstances around Fortnite's return to iOS, it could theoretically take longer in this case.

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

In case you haven't been following along, Fortnite has been unavailable to play natively on iPhones since 2020 because of a still-ongoing legal dispute between Apple and developer Epic Games. The short version is that Apple likes to take a 30 percent commission on in-app purchases in iOS apps, and Epic didn't like that. One thing led to another, and now there's a bona fide antitrust case against Apple. That case recently resulted in the company being named in contempt of court, forcing the company to stop collecting fees from off-app purchases. (That's why you can suddenly buy books in the iOS Kindle app.)

As a result of that ruling, Epic now feels comfortable putting Fortnite back on iOS. When the app will get approved is anyone's guess, but we'll let Mashable readers know when it's available again.

Poker Face's case-cracking heroine Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne) is no stranger to rest stops, pausing at countless gas stations on her drifting journey across the United States. So what better place to set a Poker Face-themed pop-up than a gas station?

SEE ALSO: 'Poker Face' Season 2 review: Rian Johnson and Natasha Lyonne's murder mystery is a gift for TV lovers everywhere

In honor of Poker Face Season 2's premiere, New York City's Mobil Station & Smacking Burger, located at 51-63 Eighth Avenue, has been transformed into the "Charlie Cale's Back on Her BLSH*T Rest Stop." ("Bullshit," of course, being Charlie's catchphrase whenever she catches someone in a lie.) Fans can visit the activation on May 9 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET, and on May 10 from noon to 8 p.m. ET.

What's at the New York City Poker Face pop-up? Credit: Belen Edwards / Mashable

The Poker Face pop-up aims to put you in Charlie Cale's shoes. First, enter the gas station — as we've seen Charlie do many a time — and grab yourself a (free!) burger. There's both a vegetarian and non-vegetarian option, and each comes with a "side of lies." (Yes, fries are included.)

The gas station also plays clips from Season 2 of Poker Face, along with retro postcards themed around the season's many guest stars. Some we've already met in Season 2's three-episode premiere, like Cynthia Erivo's quintuplet DeDe or John Mulaney's FBI agent Daniel. Others, like characters played by Alia Shawkat and Kumail Nanjiani, remain a mystery... for now.

Credit: Belen Edwards / Mashable

Outside, attendees can also embrace their inner Charlie by posing with a classic 1968 Plymouth Barracuda just like the one she drives in the show. (Run-ins with crime lords not included.)

Finally, attendees can see whether they'd hold their own with Charlie in an investigation by testing their lie-detecting skills in a game. Event staff will ask a series of true or false questions, and all you have to do to win is catch which ones are fakes — or "bullshit," as Charlie would say. There are few times in life when you can enthusiastically yell "bullshit!" at a stranger and have them be okay with it, so take advantage of this opportunity. Or alternatively, keep your cool like Charlie, channel your inner Lyonne, and casually call them out. It's a win-win situation. Plus, if you triumph in the game, you get a prize, with swag including a themed trucker cap and keychain. I won't spoil any of the questions, but I would recommend brushing up on your Poker Face knowledge ahead of time.

What are you waiting for? Make like Charlie and hit the road.

The first three episodes of Poker Face Season 2 are now streaming on Peacock, with a new episode airing every Thursday.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has plans to take advantage of the "AI boom" to fill glaring workforce gaps, following the layoff of thousands of tax agents.

In a May 6 oversight hearing of the House Appropriations Committee, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent explained that the agency would be leaning into AI solutions in order to accommodate further reductions in the IRS' budget and staff and not fall behind on tax collection. The Treasury's budget proposal includes the removal of another 40,000 jobs.

SEE ALSO: Trump plans to kill Energy Star appliance program

According to Bessent, proposed cuts to the agency's IT budget could be an opportunity to modernize and restructure the agency's existing IT infrastructure, as the current administration hones in on "wasteful" spending. "I believe, through smarter IT, through this AI boom, that we can use that to enhance collections. And I would expect that collections would continue to be very robust, as they were this year,” he said.

"IRS already uses AI for business functions including operational efficiency, compliance and fraud detection, and taxpayer services," the agency told the Register.

The tax agency has lost about 11 percent of its workforce since Trump appointee Elon Musk set its sights on downsizing the federal government through the Department of Government Efficiency ("DOGE) — Musk has reportedly set a goal of trimming the IRS down by at least 40 percent, with internal memos alerting staff to biweekly Reduction in Force (RIF) notices. According to a recent report by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), an agency watchdog, the majority of those cuts have affected revenue agents. Between January and March, 31 percent of agents have been terminated or taken a deferred resignation plan. That's around 3,600 auditors now off the job.

Elsewhere in the federal government, agencies are implementing more AI solutions at the behest of the administration's Big Tech leaders. Supplementing President Trump's executive orders and updated policies on the federal government's AI use, generative AI has become new priority items for the Department of Defense, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

In February, Musk announced he was developing an AI chatbot to analyze government contracts and "increase productivity" among U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) employees. DOGE has also reportedly begun staffing a project to place AI agents in government offices. Musk was later accused of directing DOGE to use AI to surveil internal communications between federal workers, including employees at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

If you scroll through Threads and think the only thing that could make the experience more enjoyable is video ads, I have some excellent news for you.

Meta announced at IAB NewFronts, an industry event for social media companies and advertisers, that it will start testing video ads on Threads. Meta began testing other ads earlier this year.

"We’re testing video ads on Threads so businesses can expand their reach and engage with their audience in a familiar way across multiple platforms," Meta wrote in its blog post about the new changes. The company also announced it would be testing Reels trending ads and adding creator marketing solutions on Facebook and Instagram.

SEE ALSO: It's official: Meta's Threads is using 'Threads.com' domain name

The social media giant has been leaning into short-form video as a quick and effective way to catch users' attention, so it's not entirely surprising that they would add this kind of ad into Threads. After all, we have video ads on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and X.

"We recently expanded ads in Threads to all eligible advertisers globally," Meta wrote in its blog post. "Soon, a small number of advertisers will test 16:9 or 1:1 video ad creative delivered in between pieces of organic content in Threads feed to offer businesses a new way to engage with their audience."

This comes just a week after Meta announced at its earnings call that Threads now has 350 million monthly active users and that users on Threads have increased their time spent on the app by 35 percent. A Meta spokesperson told Social Media Today that Threads is "on track to be Meta’s next major social app."

A Virginia man was charged with second degree murder after the shooting. The teenager’s friends told authorities they had been filming a video of the prank for TikTok.

Tariffs have come for another tech product. This time, it's the company Wahoo, which makes bike computers and similar gadgets. The company's first cycling radar has gotten a tariff-related price increase, but you won't notice it until you hit the checkout page. That's where Wahoo seems to have tacked the cost onto the shipping fee, and it's a whopping $50.

According to cycling blog DC Rainmaker, Wahoo buried the tariff surcharge for the TRACKR Radar in the shipping options. The gadget costs $199.99, but when you go to the checkout page, the economy shipping fee now starts at $50 (it goes up to $75 for FedEx two-day shipping and $85 for next-day shipping). So for U.S. customers, the TRACKR Radar will cost you a minimum of $250, plus tax.

By comparison, the cost for shipping in Europe starts at zero euros for economy and ten euros for express shipping. That points to one very likely explanation: the Trump Administration's 145 percent tariffs on exported goods from China has struck again. Mashable has previously reported on tariff-related tech price increases from Anker, Asus, Microsoft/Xbox, Wyze, and popular sex toy brands.

Ray Maker, the blogger and cyclist behind DC Rainmaker, shared these screenshots with Mashable:

The TRACKR Radar will cost at least $50 in shipping fees for U.S. customers. Credit: DC Rainmaker European customers don't have the same problem. Credit: DC Rainmaker SEE ALSO: No, those Chinese factory TikToks won't help you bypass Trump's tariffs

The Wahoo TRACKR Radar is made in China, unlike the Wahoo BOLT 3 and ROAM 3 GPS devices, which are made in Taiwan and also launched this week. As DC Rainmaker noted, the BOLT 3 has a more reasonable minimum shipping cost of $15.

Screenshots of the checkout page show a note saying, "a service charge has been applied to this product. This charge has been applied to the shipping total." Clicking on the hyperlink takes you to a page on the Wahoo site explaining, "due to recent changes to our global supply chain, we find it necessary to implement a service charge on orders shipping from our US Warehouses," noting how the rising costs have specifically impacted delivery costs.

From this standpoint, it makes sense to bake the added cost into the shipping fee. But it might come as jump-scare for U.S. customers towards the end of their purchase. Retailer REI, which also sells the Wahoo TRACKR Radar, has instead just added the cost increase to the overall price of the device, listing it for $250.

Mashable reached out to Wahoo for confirmation that the price increase is tied to tariffs, and we'll update this post if we hear back.

Keep checking Mashable for our latest tariff news and explainers, from delayed Nintendo Switch 2 preorders to reports of iPhone 16 panic buying.

Every now and then, the world blesses us with an opportunity to get money from a giant tech company. This is one of those times.

If you owned a Siri-enabled device and experienced an "unintended Siri activation during a confidential or private communication" between Sept. 17, 2014 and Dec. 31, 2024, you may be eligible for up to $100 in cash from Apple. There's a website where you can read all the specific rules of this class-action settlement and submit claims, with a deadline of July 2. You can submit claims for up to five devices, and there's a payout cap of up to $20 per device, so you could theoretically get as much as $100 from this settlement. Of course, submitting a claim doesn't guarantee you will receive money.

SEE ALSO: Apple is working on a chip for smart glasses, report claims

This is the conclusion of a lawsuit that started in 2019 and ended in January of this year, with Apple agreeing to pay out a $95 million settlement for Siri (and third-party contractors) listening in on private conversations. Apple claims it only gave Siri recordings to those contractors for quality-control testing and never sold anyone's conversations to advertisers.

"Apple has never used Siri data to build marketing profiles, never made it available for advertising, and never sold it to anyone for any purpose," the company said in a statement at the time.

Regardless, some Apple customers can at least get some cash out of it now.

SAVE $133: As of May 9, get the 65-inch LG UR9000 4K TV at Amazon for $496.99, down from its usual price of $629.99. That's a discount of 21%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon LG UR9000 4K TV $496.99 at Amazon
$629.99 Save $133 Get Deal

Looking for a new TV to check out all your favorite shows and movies this summer? If you're planning on gathering in your living room all season to be the place everyone gets their binge-watching on, a new screen will make it all the better. And you can get a fantastic deal on an LG TV right now if you head to Amazon.

As of May 9, get the 65-inch LG UR9000 4K TV at Amazon for $496.99, down from its usual price of $629.99. That's $133 off for a discount of 21%.

SEE ALSO: The 50-inch 4-Series Fire TV just hit its lowest price ever by a landslide

The LG UR9000 4K TV boasts upscaling features that can bring your favorite shows into 4K for a more crisp image and lifelike details, with HDR10 support and contrast that helps shows pop off the screen. That means brighter colors and darker shades that feel more realistic.

It's powered by an AI-centred Gen6 processor that handles the upscaling and adjusts the picture using the lighting in the room, so you don't have to worry about manually setting contrast and picture settings on your own. With a 3840 x 2160 resolution and 60Hz refresh rate, it looks great out of the box, but you can tweak the settings further if needed.

The TV also supports LG's webOS, with a swath of over 300 free channels you can surf when there's nothing on TV and Quick Cards that help you move all the apps you use regularly into special categories so you can find them faster.

If it's time to grab a new screen, this LG TV should get you what you're looking for in an affordable package, but be quick. It probably won't last long at this price.