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

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for October 26'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's The Mini crossword answers for October 26 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Disarrange hair

• Green: Long string of texts

• Blue: Relaxing places to sit

• Purple: Circular-shaped objects

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: Fluster

• Green: Series of Messages

• Blue: Places to Lie/Sit That Move

• Purple: Cylinder-Shaped Things

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 #503 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Fluster: FAZE, RATTLE, RUFFLE, THROW

• Series of Messages: CHAIN, CHAT, CONVERSATION, THREAD

• Places to Lie/Sit That Move: CRADLE, HAMMOCK, ROCKER, SWING

• Cylinder-Shaped Things: CAN, ROLLER, SILO, SPOOL

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 October 25

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.

"You're not ugly; you're just not doing your makeup according to your facial contrast," starts one of the over 52,000 videos of women using the "What's your contrast" filter on TikTok.

SEE ALSO: 'Beetlejuice lips' TikTok trend celebrates the natural creases of your lips

The latest trend in beauty filters plays on women's insecurities to sell products, encouraging users to classify their faces based on the contrast between their features. The filter turns your face black and white, providing a model that categorizes faces into high, medium, and low contrast types. However, the standard for comparison is rooted in Eurocentric beauty ideals, offering only three skin tone options: light, medium, and dark. It suggests that the darker your features appear against your skin, the higher contrast you should assign to yourself. Each contrast level is linked to a recommended makeup style — low contrast calls for subtler looks, while high contrast leans towards bolder, more striking makeup.

In a video that's been viewed over 5 million times, the creator of the filter, @alieenor, a French makeup artist, says, "As someone who had very low self-confidence, this is one of my missions on earth to help women be confident in themselves. Help them use makeup to their advantage and not work against them." She pitches contrast theory as a tool to liberate yourself from insecurity and finally feel beautiful.

Her logic, as with any TikTok beauty trend, harmfully conflates self-worth with appearance — and prizes White European beauty above all else. 

She argues, "It's an important factor to know about yourself." And explains, "If you're high contrast…in order to have a balanced face, you should add some kind of intensity. If you don't, it's okay. You understand why you look washed out." She talks about how discovering contrast theory helped her realize, "This makeup is not for me, it's not because I'm not beautiful."

While @alieenor might have created the filter in good faith to help women feel confident, it engages in a dangerous ideology that empowers "feeling beautiful" at whatever cost. In recent years, the beauty industry cleverly rebranded beauty as a form of self care, giving us all the excuse of "it makes me feel good!"

SEE ALSO: Slugging, gua sha, rice water, and more: How stolen cultural beauty practices feed viral videos

Positioning contrast theory as a quick fix for low self-confidence sends a particularly harmful message to teenage girls—especially in an environment where algorithms are known to exploit their insecurities. A 2021 CDC report found that one in five teen girls felt persistently sad and hopeless, a 21 percent increase since 2011.

Creator @alieenor's explanations of medium, low, and high contrast have garnered 11.7 million, 1.7 million, and 7.2 million views, respectively. Despite contrast theory’s popularity on the platform, it faces significant criticism.

"This is another bogus trend that only works for fair skin and I'm going to prove it to you guys by doing high contrast versus medium contrast makeup on brown skin," said Monika Ravinchandran, a beauty creator, in a video. She goes on to argue that sorting people with really dark skin as low contrast, invalidates "full glam Black girl makeup." 

"There's a reason Desi bridal makeup and the UK Black girls all eat up full glam," continued Ravinchandran. "Brown skin slays in high contrast makeup. Darker skin absorbs more light, so we actually need more dimension and we can take more color." By dictating what type of makeup suits different skin tones, critics argue that the theory also implicitly dictates what doesn't suit certain skin tones — essentially labeling those choices as unattractive or undesirable.

In the long history of TikTok beauty trends, contrast theory is nothing new. It follows in the footsteps of color analysis, the eyebrow filter, and the perfect face ratio filter. It's high time body neutrality gets its viral filter moment. But a filter like that would struggle to break into TikTok’s algorithm — especially since it wouldn't drive product sales or allow creators to earn commissions from promoting beauty products.

Bluesky is having a moment.

The small upstart social media platform has been growing by leaps and bounds over the past few months. Despite stiff competition from much bigger competitors like Musk's X and Meta's Threads, Bluesky's profile rose in the period after Elon Musk acquired Twitter, and then it managed to maintain its momentum.

On Thursday, Bluesky announced some news: The decentralized platform has now grown to over 13 million users and it just raised $15 million in financing.

However, further buried in the announcement was another interesting tidbit: Bluesky is planning to launch a paid subscription service.

SEE ALSO: BlueSky is pitching itself as a Threads alternative now Bluesky's paid subscription 

For those who fled Musk's X due to the new paid model, let's address those concerns first and foremost. Bluesky says it will always remain free. And, unlike how Musk's X works, the paid subscription service will not provide paying subscribers with prioritization over free users.

So what will paying subscribers get? According to Bluesky, the company is currently developing a service that will allow paying subscribers to upload longer videos and further customize their profile page with different themes and avatar frames.

"Paid subscribers won’t get special treatment elsewhere in the app, like upranking premium accounts or blue checks next to their names," Bluesky chief operating officer Rose Wang wrote in a series of posts addressing likely concerns from users.

Of course, algorithm boosts, blue checkmarks, and prioritization in the replies are all bonuses that come with X's paid subscription service X Premium. Many users who left X cite Musk's paid subscription model as a major contributor to the degradation of that platform.

Bluesky has consistently capitalized on X's decisions, especially over the past few months. The platform has grown by millions of new users during that time frame as a result of X's ban in Brazil and X's decision to change how blocking works.

Bluesky has not yet announced any other features or potential pricing for the service at this time.

Creativity thrives when an artist can fully immerse themselves in their vision. And having the right tools is essential. For creators like Kapono “Pono” Asuncion, Lenovo’s Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition stands out as a powerful ally. With its AI-enhanced Intel chip and Windows 11 Copilot, this PC streamlines workflows, allowing artists to focus on what truly matters — creative expression. 

Designed for the modern creative 

With Copilot’s smart assistance, Pono can focus on their art without getting bogged down by stress. The Yoga Slim 7i automates time-consuming tasks like image rendering and color correction, freeing up valuable time for creative exploration.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition 15-inch Laptop $1,279.99 at Lenovo
Thin and light with epic battery life Shop Now

As a self-taught multimedia maker, storyteller, and culture bearer, Pono appreciates how this new device from Lenovo can elevate their craft. "Finally, I have a tool that moves at the pace I need it to," they share. 

Weighing in as a lightweight, ultra-slim device, the Yoga Slim 7i is designed for portability. It stays cool and quiet even under demanding workloads, with minimal fan noise — making it easy for Pono to take their work wherever inspiration strikes. 

Credit: Pono Asuncion Powering precision and clarity in every detail

Pono’s creative process demands tech that keeps up with their fast-paced ideas and multitasking. The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition is just the ticket, featuring an Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 Processor, 16GB of memory, and a 1TB SSD. This PC easily handles multitasking, whether Pono is running multiple Adobe programs or switching between ProCreate and Illustrator.

For many digital artists and designers, freezing and crashing are common headaches that can disrupt the creative flow and lead to lost work. Thankfully, those issues aren’t a concern for Pono. “This is the first computer I’ve had that doesn’t crash every time I open Adobe!” they say.

But it’s not just about power; the 15.3-inch 3K touchscreen offers vivid visuals that bring Pono’s artistic vision to life. Pono often switches between digital and analog, scanning things in and drawing over them, or printing out digital work to draw on. The screen’s PureSight Pro display delivers 100 percent DCI-P3 color accuracy, which is crucial for creating intricate layers and textures. 

“I’ve been enjoying the textures on the display — it’s crisp and perfect for zooming in on details,” Pono notes. For someone inspired by the imperfections and textures found in nature, the Yoga Slim 7i’s screen helps them capture those nuances in their digital art.

Credit: Pono Asuncion Advanced AI for more charged creative sessions

Beyond just power and display quality, the Yoga Slim 7i integrates smart features that streamline Pono’s workflow. Smart Share, exclusive to Lenovo Aura Edition PCs, connects your smartphone to your laptop instantly via an AI virtual sensor. Just tap your Android™ or iOS device to your laptop — then drag and drop, edit photos, and share easily.

Lenovo's AI-driven Smart Modes are crucial to preserving Pono’s workflow. Power Mode optimizes energy consumption, letting Pono create for longer without worrying about draining the battery. If the laptop is idle, power levels automatically adjust to conserve energy. By blocking certain apps for a set amount of time, Attention Mode helps Pono minimize distractions so they can focus. And to keep up with healthier habits, Wellness Mode encourages Pono to take breaks to protect their eyes or grab a drink of water.

Credit: Pono Asuncion

Beyond the Yoga Slim 7i’s personalized Smart Modes, the Ultra 7 Processor comes packed with advanced AI capabilities that enhance performance in real-time. Features like predictive power management and task prioritization allow for smooth transitions between demanding applications.

Conserving energy, empowering creativity 

For Pono, the standout feature of this PC is its impressive battery life. The 70 Whr battery delivers unmatched performance, allowing Pono to work without charging more than once a day. Plus, with quick charging, those hyper-focused sessions remain uninterrupted.

The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition goes beyond performance; it also prioritizes sustainability. With a design that reduces its carbon footprint, it combines high-end aesthetics with durability. The top cover is crafted from recycled aluminum, and both the battery and speaker enclosure use recycled plastic. Even the packaging is made from recycled and biodegradable materials.

Credit: Pono Ascuncion

For a creative like Pono, the Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition is the perfect companion, allowing them to create meaningful work while staying true to their values. The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition is a game changer for conscious creatives on the go.

The former chief of Gravity Payments rose to prominence with the introduction of his company’s $70,000 minimum salary and a splashy social media presence.

It is not always easy to cancel your subscriptions. The Federal Trade Commission is trying to change that, but it's not going over without a fight.

As Reuters reported, a group representing companies like Comcast and Charter, sued the FTC on Wednesday over a rule it recently made called the "click-to-cancel" rule. The rule, which was announced earlier this month and ratified on Oct. 16, would ensure that customers know what they're actually signing up for before paying and that they'll be able to cancel a subscription just as easily as they made it.

SEE ALSO: Canceling subscriptions with one click just got way easier

"Too often, businesses make people jump through endless hoops just to cancel a subscription. The FTC’s rule will end these tricks and traps, saving Americans time and money. Nobody should be stuck paying for a service they no longer want," commission chair Lina M. Khan wrote at the time of the rule's announcement.

It took the NCTA, formerly known as the National Cable and Telecommunications Association, less than a month to go to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans and file a suit against the FTC, saying the click-to-cancel rule oversteps the Commission's authority.

What happens next is up to the court, but for now, you might want to read the fine print.

Sean Hannity got more than he might've bargained for by inviting Stephen A. Smith onto his Fox News show. The internet loved it.

GET A $20 CREDIT: As of Oct. 25, spend $80 on qualifying P&G home goods at Amazon and get a $20 Amazon credit.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Spend $80 on P&G products, get $20 Amazon credit Get Deal

There are certain home goods that we all need to stock up on. Whether you need paper towels to clean up messes, detergent to wash your clothes, or dishwasher tablets to handle all those dirty dishes, you can do so right now at Amazon and save a little cash while you're at it thanks to a special promotion.

As of Oct. 25, spend $80 on qualifying P&G home products and get a $20 Amazon credit. That equals 25% back in credit on your $80 purchase. Shop the items on the promotional page first, and after your order ships, you'll get an email from Amazon letting you know that the promotional credit has automatically been added to your account. Check the status bar at the top of the deal page to see how close you are to getting the discount, and after you check out, you can go back and do it again — just in case you need more goodies.

SEE ALSO: Amazon deal of the day: Get 6 Blink Outdoor 4 security cameras for the price of 2

Some of the items on offer include Tide Pods, Bounty paper towels, and Cascade dishwasher pods. But there's more than that on offer, including everything from shampoo to Swiffer PowerMops and refill mop pads. Diapers, skincare, tissues, probiotics, and a number of additional categories are also available, so even if you need a few very specific items, you can save thanks to this deal.

Check out the sale and nab all the things you normally get at the store in real life and get some cash back on the things you need to buy anyway. If you can wait for everything to ship, it's a great time to shop.

She came up with a method of automation so that workers would not have to make the bags by hand. Then she fought for credit for her work.