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The “Oppenheimer” star makes his Broadway debut in Ayad Akhtar’s timely new play about a literary lion who gets assistance from A.I.

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 1'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 SEE ALSO: Hurdle hints and answers for October 1 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 1 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: In a state of agitated confusion

• Green: Getting in peak form

• Blue: Water but make it dangerous

• Purple: Machine wash

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: Flustered State

• Green: Fitness

• Blue: Fast-Moving Water

• Purple: Dishwasher Cycles

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 #478 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Flustered State: LATHER, STEW, SWEAT, TIZZY

• Fitness: CONDITION, FORM, HEALTH, SHAPE

• Fast-Moving Water: CASCADE, CURRENT, RAPID, WAVE

• Dishwasher Cycles: NORMAL, QUICK, RINSE, SANITIZE

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.

Check out our live blog coverage on the Verizon outage for more up-to-date details on the major cellular network issue.

The massive Verizon outage is apparently over, with the telecommunications giant finally announcing that services have been fully restored.

"Verizon engineers have fully restored today's network disruption that impacted some customers," Verizon wrote in a post on X. "Service has returned to normal levels. If you are still having issues, we recommend restarting your device."

It still isn't clear exactly what caused Monday's outage. Considering how secretive telecom companies are about such disruptions, we may never find out. Verizon's services were down across the country for hours, preventing people from making calls, sending texts, or using their mobile data for much of the day.

"We know how much people rely on Verizon and apologize for any inconvenience," wrote Verizon. "We appreciate your patience."

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The news of service restoration came approximately seven hours after Verizon first acknowledged the issue, which impacted customers across most of the U.S. According to crowdsourced tracker Down Detector, nobody in North Dakota, South Dakota, nor Wyoming reported being impacted by the Verizon outage. These states were unfortunately in the minority, with many more suffering disruption.

Despite Verizon's statement, some on social media claim that their service has still not been restored even though they restarted their phone as recommended. It seems some customers will have to continue being patient for a little longer.

The Silicon Valley company would be among the first A.I. companies to go public since the release of ChatGPT nearly two years ago.

Check out our live blog coverage on the Verizon outage for more up-to-date details on the major cellular network issue.

It sounds like Verizon's enormous service outage on Monday might be nearing its end.

The company took to X (formerly Twitter) to share an update late Monday afternoon. According to the post, cell service "has started to be restored" and the company apologizes for any inconvenience caused by the outage.

There were millions of outage reports submitted to DownDetector alone, so this affected a whole lot of people around the U.S.

SEE ALSO: Massive Verizon outage: Customers nationwide left without service, phones in 'SOS mode' Tweet may have been deleted

I can confirm that the outage was real, personally. My phone lost service around noon ET and didn't get it back until after 5 p.m.

Wi-Fi still worked that whole time, but if I wasn't near a router, I couldn't access data of any kind unless I used the iPhone's SOS feature. That requires a clear view of the sky and I live in a city full of very tall buildings, so that wasn't the best solution.

But according to Verizon, outage issues should be over soon.

No matter how big or small your business, building (or updating) your website and branding is one of the most important things you’ll do as an entrepreneur. Finding a platform that supports you is the key to making the process more fun than frightful — especially in the early stages.

Squarespace recently announced a suite of tools designed to do just that. They take the complexity out of creating and amplifying your website, helping you jumpstart your business. Here are just a few reasons to try it out. 

Credit: Squarespace Opens in a new window Credit: Squarespace Squarespace Refresh Explore Design Intelligence by Squarespace, plus other new releases Learn More Use AI to build and unify your brand 

One of the things AI is particularly good at is getting you past that dreaded blank-page moment. Squarespace Blueprint AI is the perfect example of that — it can transform basic information about you and your brand into a fully bespoke website you can easily edit or add to.

Consistency is key to building a brand, so Squarespace's new approach to web design — aptly titled Design Intelligence — uses your brand attributes to generate a cohesive, unified online presence in just a few steps. Plus, their AI writer can use your brand voice to generate on-brand copy across placements like SEO site descriptions, video descriptions, and even client documents.  

Market your brand like a pro

You’ll want to get that fresh website out there fast. 

Squarespace makes it easy with two tools. First up is the Marketing Automation Builder, which helps you create and trigger emails based on audience actions and the rules you set. This ensures your content and brand stay top of mind at the right moments, helping you scale more effectively.

The other tool is Bio Sites, which centralizes your content, store, and more within one link in bio, to easily share your world with your followers. To seamlessly match your website and brand, you can now customize header layouts, link layouts, colors, and fonts.

Make bank, any way you like

Creators can also now monetize content using Squarespace’s monetized blog and video paywall features. Consultants and coaches can use Acuity Scheduling to make bookings for customers, then create professional, on-brand invoices that can be scheduled to be sent at the right time, all without leaving Squarespace. 

Plus, with ACH direct debit, mobile wallets, and Klarna, Squarespace Payments can be used with the tools above or by setting up your e-commerce payment portal. You can track upcoming payments and payouts from the Squarespace App on iOS or Android. 

Squarespace Refresh is a new era for entrepreneurs. Start building your website today. 

What is Emergency SOS on iPhone? It's a feature that could save your life.

Apple's Emergency SOS via satellite feature for iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro works in partnership with Globalstar satellite communications company to use satellite connectivity to put people in touch with local emergency dispatch centers if there is no cellular or Wi-Fi coverage.

If you're in an emergency, your iPhone can ping one of Globalstar's 24 low-orbit satellites. The satellite will then send the information to one of its ground stations, which routes the call to a local dispatch center or relay center if the dispatch center is unable to receive 911 text messages. These relay centers consist of third-party and Apple-employed specialists who are trained in emergency protocol to communicate with dispatchers and relay the information back and forth.

SEE ALSO: The Apple Watch Series 8 is all about saving you from mortal peril

Testing this feature out is a bit of a catch-22. Apple hopes you're never in an emergency where you have to use it, and it really doesn't want you testing it out when you're not in an emergency. Did you know prank calling 911, which is essentially what you'd be doing, is a felony? (Yeah, Apple doesn't want you doing that.) That said, the best time to learn how to use Emergency SOS via satellite is when you're not in an actual emergency. When facing mortal peril, the last thing you need to deal with is scrolling through your settings to find the feature. So Apple has developed a demo mode for users to test it out in a non-emergency situation.

Mashable was able to demo the feature in a controlled environment. Here's how it works.

Emergency SOS on iPhone: How to use it

You'll find this feature when you call, text, or use Siri or Crash Detection to contact 911 in an area where there's no cellular service or Wi-Fi. It can also be activated via Fall Detection with Apple Watch if you have it set up to route emergency services through your iPhone.

Emergency SOS via satellite is prepared to activate when the SOS icon appears at the top right-hand corner of the screen, which indicates there's no cellular/Wi-Fi connectivity and satellite service is available. A combination of hardware and software components power the feature, which is why it's only available on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models.

You activate the feature by dialing 911. When the call doesn't go through because there's no connection, the green circular icon at the bottom right of the screen will read, "Emergency text via Satellite." Tap this icon to activate the feature. It's important to note that because the feature is messaging a satellite, there is going to be a latency. Apple says it takes about 15 seconds for a message to be sent and could take up to a minute if you're under some trees with foliage.

Access the feature when you try to dial 911 in an area without cellular connectivity. Credit: Apple A close-up of how to activate Emergency SOS via satellite. Credit: Apple Report emergency

The next screen gives you information about using the feature: You need to be outside to get satellite connectivity, messages will take longer to send, and you'll need to answer questions to get a faster response. At the bottom of the screen, tap "Report Emergency" to start communicating with emergency services. As of this moment, emergency services is notified.

Now it's time to describe your emergency. Credit: Apple Provide details about the emergency

Next, the feature will ask you a series of questions to gather information about the nature of the emergency. Remember: If you are unable to fill out the report, as long as you have made it to this step, emergency services will be notified regardless. For the purpose of the demo, it helped to come up with a specific emergency situation, so I imagined I had broken my leg while hiking in a remote mountain range. (For the record, I am not trying to manifest that energy.) The report asks you to specify from a list of common emergency scenarios which best applies.

Hopefully, I didn't manifest a broken leg. Credit: Apple

The next screen asked for more details about my imaginary accident, like "who needs help?" and "how are you breathing?" and "what best describes the emergency?" I specified that I was the one injured, didn't have any trouble breathing, and chose "traumatic injury" from the list of options.

Asking for me or a friend? Credit: Apple Just a little more detail needed. Credit: Apple

The final step in the emergency report was the option to notify emergency contacts. This uses a pre-existing feature called Medical ID that notifies designated people in the event of an emergency and emergency services if you have any medical conditions, allergies, or take medication. Theoretically, I would have filled this out before my doomed excursion, and my emergency contact would be alerted of my traumatic injury. Your emergency contacts will also have access to a text conversation between you and emergency services, so that they can follow the dialogue in real time (although they can't reply in the chat).

You need to have already filled out your Medical ID for this feature to work. Credit: Apple Your emergency contacts can follow you in real time. Credit: Apple Texting with emergency services via satellite

Once all of the details of the emergency were sent, which included my medical information and location, a new conversation was created with the relay center responding to my request. A status bar at the top of the screen showed that the iPhone was still connected and reminded me to keep pointing the phone in the same direction to remain connected. After about 30 seconds, I received a text from the relay center asking me to describe my location and if I had any medication with me (because the Medical ID had been filled out to say I took medication).

SEE ALSO: Crash Detection on Apple's iPhone 14 can be triggered by rollercoasters Sending and receiving texts via satellite can take between 15 and 60 seconds. Credit: Apple

After answering these questions, I received a text saying local responders had been notified. This is when you wait and hope help is on the way. You can also stay connected to the relay center, but that's a personal preference.

The text will notify you when help is on the way. Credit: Apple Demo mode

If you want to be extra prepared, you can test the feature for yourself in demo mode. Access this by going to Settings, then Emergency SOS, and tapping Try Demo. The demo will temporarily disable your cellular connection and connect to a real satellite to walk you through the feature. This is so you can get a realistic sense of where to position your phone and understand the latency time to send and receive messages via satellite. It's also a good way to know what questions to expect if the unthinkable happens.

Demo mode allows you to test it out so you can know what to expect. Credit: Apple It's a useful way to understand the latency and emergency questionnaire. Credit: Apple Takeaways

Between Fall Detection, Crash Detection, and Emergency SOS via satellite, Apple is really concerned about its users' safety. Would I feel better knowing that I have this feature at my fingertips on a hike or even driving through a dead zone in a remote area? Absolutely. It increases the likelihood that I'll be able to get help.

That said, it's a lengthy process that requires me to complete a lot of steps in order to get the help I need. It follows a similar emergency protocol conversation that a 911 dispatcher is trained to follow, so it isn't much different than that, but something about tapping and texting in a crisis feels like more of an obstacle to overcome — especially if I'm physically incapacitated.

It's a lengthy process that requires me to complete a lot of steps in order to get the help I need.

There's also the privacy issue: Apple says your messages are sent to the satellite in an encrypted form and then decrypted by Apple to send to the emergency dispatcher. It also says your messages may be saved by emergency services and relay centers "to improve their services." It's not unlike the privacy risk of a typical 911 call, which is considered public record (access to such records depends by state). Still, before using this feature, you need to consider the fact that your information could be retained.

It's something to keep in mind, but even for a privacy advocate, it's an exception you might be willing to make in an emergency.

The one and only vice presidential debate of the 2024 election airs Tuesday evening, with a Midwest battle brewing. Democratic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz will contend with Republican Ohio Senator and Hillbilly Elegy author JD Vance at the CBS News-hosted debate.

What time is the presidential debate?

The 90-minute debate, taking place at New York City’s CBS Broadcast Center, begins at 9 p.m. ET, with two four-minute breaks. CBS Evening News anchor and managing editor Norah O'Donnell will moderate, along with Face the Nation host and chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Brennan.

Where can I stream the Walz-Vance debate?CBSNews.com & the CBS News app

Viewers can also stream anywhere CBS News 24/7 is available, including Paramount+ and YouTube. Debate coverage on CBS News 24/7 begins at 4 p.m. ET, yes, five hours before the debate begins. Additionally, CNN, MSNBC, PBS, Fox News, and ABC News will air the VP debate on their cable channels and streaming is available via their websites, apps, and sister networks like Peacock (NBC) and Hulu (ABC).

Like the presidential matchup three weeks ago, there will be no audience at the VP debate. Also similar to the Harris/Trump affair, Walz and Vance will be denied pre-written notes and will be standing at podiums — a marked change from the seats and tables featured in VP debates since 2008. 

What sets this debate apart from the Trump/Harris precursor is that there will be no live fact-checking of the candidates by O’Donnell or Brennan. CBS News recently informed the Associated Press that it “will be up to the politicians — not the moderators — to check the facts of their opponents.” During the ABC News-hosted presidential candidate debate on Sept. 10, journalists David Muir and Linsey Davis were able to rebut lies, mostly from Trump, including his false claim that Haitian immigrants were eating Americans’ pets. While not perfect, the ABC debate was given high marks for professionalism and a lack of chaos that usually surrounds Trump-related events. 

Fact-checking will be available to debate viewers watching via CBSNews.com, where 20 journalists will correct lies and exaggerations in real time; those watching live on CBS will have the option of scanning a QR code directing them to the website. The passive fact-checking is not everyone’s favorite, as it could allow some misinformation to devolve into a he said/he said situation. Also, many viewers may be watching via cable and likely have no interest in running up to their TV screen and scanning a code on their smartphone.

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Wondering how to use Wi-Fi calling?

Wi-Fi Calling is a feature on the iPhone that enables users experiencing reception problems to have a stronger call connection over broadband via Wi-Fi. The connection is generally encrypted, which is reassuring for those relying on shared Wi-Fi.

Many users may not even realize they have the power to improve their call quality. Before we proceed, make sure that you’re connected to a Wi-Fi network as Wi-Fi calling isn't possible without one. 

Here’s a quick step-by-step to show you where the Wi-Fi calling tab is located and how to turn it on. 

How to turn on Wi-Fi calling on iPhone

You can turn on Wi-Fi calling on your iPhone in just a few steps.

1. Tap 'Settings' on your home screen  Credit: screenshot from an Apple iPhone

Very simple. Find the "Settings" icon on your home page and click it. 

2. Select 'Phone'  Credit: screenshot from an Apple iPhone

It should have a green icon next to it right under "Voice Memos." 

3. Tap 'Wi-Fi Calling' Credit: screenshot from an Apple iPhone

You can’t miss it. 

4. Toggle 'Wi-Fi Calling on This iPhone' on

The next screen will give you the option to toggle "Wi-Fi Calling on This iPhone" on. Once you do, you'll get a pop-up asking if you'd like to enable Wi-Fi calling. Tap "Enable."

Credit: screenshot from an Apple iPhone

Now, you’ve enabled Wi-Fi Calling. You also can toggle this feature off. 

How to turn on Wi-Fi calling on Android

Oh, don’t worry Android users. We got you, too. 

1. Tap your Settings tab on the home screen  Credit: Screenshot from a Samsung phone

Easy so far, right? 

2. Find 'Connections'  Credit: Screenshot from a Samsung phone

Not much scrolling will be needed because it should be the first title you see on the setting screen. Tap that.

3. Select 'Wi-Fi Calling' Credit: Screenshot from a Samsung phone

It should be located right under ‘WiFi’. From there, you can toggle the option on or off. 

Keep in mind that having Wi-Fi calling on can drain your battery, so use this feature at your own discretion. Maybe make sure you have a portable charger on hand in case you find your phone's battery percentage is decreasing. 

Also, if you’re concerned about Wi-Fi calling accounting to your current phone plan, check with your carrier to see if it will count towards your minutes. Wi-Fi calling does not use up your mobile data.

Enjoy better quality phone calls moving forward. 

What is SOS?

You try to make phone call or post on social media on your iPhone – but you can't. Do you have bad service? No – in fact, you have no service. The service bars on your iPhone aren't just low, they are completely missing. 

In place of the bars? "SOS."

What does 'SOS' mean?

SOS mode is a way for your iPhone to make emergency calls even when you are completely out of service. 

It's obviously good that this SOS feature exists. But seeing it often means that something is wrong with your cellular service and your iPhone can't make calls, receive calls, send messages, access the internet, nor do anything else that requires a cellular connection.

But even without any cellular service, SOS mode allows iPhone users to call 911 and share their location in the case of an emergency.

How does SOS mode work?

If you have no cellular connection, how do calls to emergency services still receive calls?

SOS mode has evolved a bit with newer iPhone models. Previously, if SOS mode was activated, your iPhone would be able to access any service provider's network – not just your service provider – in order to connect with 911.

Since iPhone 14 and later, Apple has been able to utilize satellites in order to connect with emergency services when needed.

Based on spiking trends on search engines, it appears many users are still unaware of the SOS mode features. Seeing "SOS" on your iPhone usually means doom at first sight. There are outages with your carrier and you won't be able to use your phone at the moment.

But the fact that iPhone users can still get help in an emergency should still be a welcome sign – even if the "SOS" message itself isn't.

Check out our live blog coverage on the Verizon outage for more up-to-date details on the major cellular network issue.

Verizon users are in the midst of a major disruption, as a massive nationwide outage has left millions disconnected. Whether you're working remotely, attending virtual classes, or just trying to get through Monday with a functioning phone, Verizon's widespread network failure has thrown a wrench in the day for many.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has already signaled its intention to investigate the outage, aiming to get to the bottom of the issue.

But as we all wait for that elusive signal to return (I’m on AT&T, so no complaints here), here's a look at the states hit hardest by the outage, according to DownDetector (which shares the same parent company as Mashable):

Outage map: States affected by Verizon's network issues Credit: DownDetector.com

• Alabama

• Alaska

• Arizona

• Arkansas

• California

• Colorado

• Connecticut

• Delaware

• Florida

• Georgia

• Hawaii

• Idaho

• Illinois

• Indiana

• Iowa

• Kansas

• Kentucky

• Louisiana

• Maine

• Maryland

• Massachusetts

• Michigan

• Minnesota

• Mississippi

• Missouri

• Montana

• Nebraska

• Nevada

• New Hampshire

• New Jersey

• New Mexico

• New York

• North Carolina

• Ohio

• Oklahoma

• Oregon

• Pennsylvania

• Rhode Island

• South Carolina

• Tennessee

• Texas

• Utah

• Vermont

• Virginia

• Washington

• West Virginia

• Wisconsin

Cities hardest hit by Verizon outage

According to DownDetector, the cities that have submitted the most reports regarding the Verizon outage are the following:

• Chicago

• Seattle

• Minneapolis

• Phoenix

• Los Angeles

• Omaha

• Denver

• Indianapolis

• Las Vegas

DownDetector did not arrange these cities in any particular order.

States NOT affected by Verizon outage

• North Dakota

• South Dakota

• Wyoming

Note: This doesn’t mean that these states aren’t feeling the impact, just that there's no one in these areas reporting an outage.

Keep checking back for more Verizon outage updates via our live blog as more news flow into Mashable.

Check out our live blog coverage on the Verizon outage for more up-to-date details on the downed cellular network.

Is your iPhone running on Verizon's network stuck in SOS mode? The government wants to do something about it.

Monday saw scores of U.S. Verizon customers report a complete inability to connect to Verizon's cellular network. As a result, the FCC is investigating the huge outage, per Reuters. The federal agency is "working to determine the cause and extent of these service disruptions."

That's not what you want to see. Credit: Downdetector

Since the outage is ongoing, and the investigation only just started, it's hard to say what will come of it, if anything. But at least someone is looking into it.

SEE ALSO: Massive Verizon outage: Customers nationwide left without service, phones in 'SOS mode'

Reports of service problems started rolling into Verizon's Downdetector page on Monday morning and, at the time of writing, the problem still hasn't been totally resolved. I have an iPhone 16 running on Verizon's network and have been unable to access a cellular network for about five hours. There is, unfortunately, no solid word on when the problem will be fixed yet.

The General Motors subsidiary reached a settlement with the main auto safety regulator after one of its self-driving taxis struck a pedestrian in San Francisco last year.

Check out our live blog coverage on the Verizon outage for more up-to-date details on the major cellular network issue.

UPDATE: Sep. 30, 2024, 5:29 p.m. EDT Verizon's customer support account on X posted around 5 p.m. ET that engineers were "making progress on our network issue and service has started to be restored." Though it would appear that some customers were still having issues, the company noting it would "continue to work around the clock to fully resolve this issue."

Verizon customers nationwide reported network outages on Sept. 30, with many iPhone users saying their phones have been stuck in SOS mode. This is a massive problem for many folks trying to work and get about their lives on a Monday, and it is unclear when the issue will be resolved.

Verizon has not made it clear how long this will last.

"We are aware of an issue impacting service for some customers," the company's customer support X account posted around noon Eastern time. "Our engineers are engaged, and we are working quickly to identify and solve the issue."

SEE ALSO: Massive Verizon outage: Customers nationwide left without service, phones in 'SOS mode'

Hours have passed, and folks are still reportedly experiencing the same problem. Down Detector still shows a high volume of user-reported issues. The replies from the Verizon account also seem to indicate that many folks are still having issues and that a fix has not yet been rolled out.

It's unclear when the problem will be fixed, but it could take a while. We will update you as developments occur.

This is a developing story … Check back at Mashable for updates.

Verizon customers across the country have reported a network outage that has left their phone stuck in SOS mode. There might not be an immediatet fix — that will likely require Verizon's network resolving its issue — but there are some steps you can take to try to get your phone working again.

Mashable's Kimberly Gedeon has all the details on the outage, but the gist of it is that many iPhones are stuck in SOS mode. That's the feature from Apple that allows you to call or text emergency services — even without service. It's intended for users who are in poor coverage areas.

This suggests that significant portions of Verizon’s network are down. Verizon has said its working on the problem.

"We are aware of an issue impacting service for some customers," it said in a statement on X. "Our engineers are engaged and we are working quickly to identify and solve the issue."

Not every Verizon customer is experiencing this issue — both my Verizon phone and WiFi are currently in working order — but it does appear to be a big problem. Here's what you can do.

Tweet may have been deleted Tweet may have been deleted Phone stuck in SOS mode: What to do

To be honest, there is no real fix beyond Verizon's network coming back online. We will update this story when that is the case.

You could try putting your phone in airplane mode — or turning it off entirely — to try to reconnect to the network. Though if the network remains down, you will likely still be unable to connect.

You could also use Wi-Fi calling. This method will let you send text messages and make calls over Wi-Fi. You'll have the option to use popular communication apps such as FaceTime or WhatsApp.

Otherwise you can keep trying to restart your iPhone or, more likely, wait for Verizon to fix its problem.

For all the latest regarding the network issue, check out our live blog on the Verizon outage.

Generative artificial intelligence is reviving the terrifying legacy of bigots, including former German dictator Adolf Hitler, as TikTok users harness the app's AI tools to reanimate xenophobic speeches from long-dead leaders.

The phenomenon was recently documented in two different reports, one by nonprofit watchdog group Media Matters for America and another in an investigation by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue and the SITE Intelligence Group, published by the Washington Post. Both unveiled a small network of accounts creating and disseminating translated, AI-dubbed versions of Hitler's speeches.

SEE ALSO: Why teens are telling strangers their secrets online

According to Media Matters' research, AI-generated audios have accumulated millions of views, which include videos mocking the leader or those that have turned the audio into a meme. Other accounts appeared to be dedicated to creating and sharing these audios earnestly, sometimes with outrightly anti-Semitic messaging. Popular videos using said audio, often stylized with slowed down and "reverbed" audios, go as far back as April 2024, with several improperly translated. Following the publishing of the report, TikTok removed the account of one known uploader and began directing related searches to a "Facts About the Holocaust" page, which documents Hitler's slaughter of millions of civilian Jews, disabled people, political prisoners, LGBTQ+ people, and those of Romani origin.

The Washington Post reported that known fascist groups have praised the use of AI to spread bigoted propaganda, citing a growth in "red-pilled" young people engaging with hate speech and right-wing communities online. Experts told the publication that they worry platform moderation tools, including those on Meta sites and X, won't be able to keep up with the AI-assisted spread.

Both reports noted a slew of positive sentiments in the videos' comment sections, with some users outrightly praising the historical figure and his policies, and flagged that many of these videos don't flaunt obvious white supremacist dog whistles, prompting fear that users are unknowingly being radicalized by the content.

Similar attempts to rewrite historical figures' legacies have made their way onto TikTok over the last year, spurred by AI. In June, a mistakenly-leaked internal version of the app's new AI digital avatar tool — which allowed its users to generate advertisements using creators' likenesses — led to the circulation of several AI-generated videos featuring avatars reciting various white supremacist rhetoric, including excerpts of Mein Kampf and Osama Bin Laden's "Letter to America." In 2023, TikTok videos reciting the same Bin Laden statement, sometimes associated with white supremacist sentiment, stirred a cross-app panic, as users re-contextualized the speech as an anti-imperial treatise in light of Israel's besiege of Palestinians in Gaza and the nation's U.S. backing.

Generally, watchdog groups have documented repeated instances of both domestic and foreign actors spreading disinformation on the app through the use of generative AI tools, including synthetic digital forgeries (or "deepfakes") of political leaders. White supremacist, pro-Nazi accounts have also proliferated on the platform, operating in tandem with networks across sites like Telegram to boost their content within social media algorithms.

According to a July report from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, TikTok hosts "hundreds" of pro-Nazi accounts, which cumulatively garner millions of views. The company, the organization says, hasn't moved quickly enough to stop their spread.

A massive Verizon outage has caused widespread, nationwide connectivity issues for customers across the U.S.

Based on Google Trends, there's been an uptick of people searching for, "Why is my phone in SOS?" This captures the experience many Verizon users are reporting; many have claimed that their phones are now limited to SOS service.

Verizon Down: Widespread outage disrupts customers across U.S.

As of 12:00 p.m. ET, DownDetector (a site that shares the same parent company as Mashable) shows that there have been over 100,000 reports of Verizon outages. Fifty percent say that the issue involves their mobile phone, 35 percent say they're not getting any signals, and 14 percent say they're experiencing a total blackout.

DownDetector percentages regarding Verizon outage Credit: DownDetector

According to DownDetector's heat map, it appears that outages are concentrated in the states of New York, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, and North Carolina.

DownDetector map shows where the Verizon outage is concentrated Credit: DownDetector

A site that has been tracking the issue claims that outage reports began piling up at around 9:04 am ET.

On X, users have been flooding Verizon Support, the company's official help page, regarding the issue.

"We are aware of an issue impacting service for some customers. Our engineers are engaged and we are working quickly to identify and solve the issue," Verizon said on X.

Phones stuck in SOS mode

Your phone being in SOS mode is an indication that your device cannot connect to a network, but it can reach certain personnel via satellite connectivity.

SOS mode is Apple's "Emergency SOS via Satellite" feature that lets users connect to satellites to reach emergency services in poor coverage areas.

Verizon has not yet acknowledged that there is a widespread outage. The company, according to CNN, has 114 million subscribers in the United States.

Check out our live updates page on the massive Verizon outage to keep an eye on any new details from the company.

This story is developing ...

Robert Eggers's "Nosferatu" stars Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, and Willem Dafoe. The horror film hits theaters on December 25.

The best early October Prime Day MacBook deals at a glance: Best MacBook Pro deal Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M3, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $1,699 at Amazon (save $300) Get Deal Best MacBook Air deal Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M2, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $799 at Amazon (save $200) Get Deal

Amazon is home to good MacBooks deals year-round (more so than any other kind of laptop), but its selection sees especially deep discounts during certain sitewide savings events. Next up is Prime Big Deal Days, the retailer's members-only "October Prime Day" sale on Oct. 8 and 9, which will likely bring dramatic price drops across Apple's lineup ahead of a possible M4 refresh.

In the lead-up to the event, Amazon has discounted several models across the M2 and M3 generations — most notably, the 14-inch M3 Apple MacBook Pro from last fall. Three configurations were sitting at record-low prices at the time of writing.

SEE ALSO: Everything you need to know about Amazon's October Prime Day sale: Official dates, the competition, and more

Several variants of the MacBook Air are also on sale on Amazon before Prime Big Deal Days, though none of them have hit or surpassed their previous all-time lows just yet. As such, shoppers who aren't in dire need of an upgrade may want to hold off on buying them until Prime Big Deal Days formally begins, in case they get even cheaper then. (We also recommend keeping a close eye on Best Buy, Amazon's toughest competition when it comes to laptop markdowns.)

Read on for a closer look at the best early October Prime Day deals on MacBooks. Note: Deals marked with a 🔥 have dropped to an all-time low price.

Best MacBook Pro deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M3, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) 🔥 $1,699.00 at Amazon
$1,999.00 Save $300.00 Get Deal Why we like it

Read Mashable's full review of the 14-inch Apple MacBook Pro (M3).

The latest 14-inch MacBook Pro features an M3 chip that supports hardware-accelerated ray tracing for rendering lifelike lighting, plus a bright 120Hz mini-LED display, tons of ports (including an SDXC card slot), and a battery that lasted over 16 hours per charge in our testing. It's a Mashable Choice Award winner and our favorite laptop for video editing.

All configurations of the 14-inch M3 Pro are now on sale at all-time lows on Amazon (including the base model, which is now just $1,399). However, we're partial to the bumped-up version with 16GB of memory and 1TB of SSD storage: That extra RAM is necessary if you're going to be using it for multitasking and/or creative work. Normally $1,999, it's now just $1,699 — a 15% savings. Best Buy was matching that offer when we last checked.

Best MacBook Air deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M2, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $799.00 at Amazon
$999.00 Save $200.00 Get Deal Why we like it

Read Mashable's full review of the 13-inch Apple MacBook Air (M2).

Another Mashable Choice Award winner, the 13-inch MacBook Air from mid-2022 combines "[rock]-solid battery life" with "a keyboard that’s to die for, and enough horsepower to handle everyday tasks with ease," wrote Mashable tech and games reporter Alex Perry. It's our current favorite "budget" MacBook, and it's even cheaper than usual on Amazon (though not cheaper than ever before):

You can snag the base configuration with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage for $799, or $200 off. That's $50 away from its all-time low of $749, which briefly appeared at Best Buy over Labor Day weekend and required a paid My Best Buy membership. Let's see if Amazon matches that for Team Prime next week.

More MacBook Airs on sale

• Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M3, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $1,006.99 $1,099 (save $92.01)

• Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M3, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $1,149 $1,299 (save $150)

Best early self-emptying robot vacuum deals ahead of October Prime Day Best non-mopping self-emptying robot vacuum deal Shark AV2501AAE AI $299.99 at Amazon (save $119.01) Get Deal Best self-emptying robot vacuum and mop deal Ecovacs Deebot T30S with handheld vacuum All-in-One Station $949.99 at Amazon (save $250) Get Deal

Robot vacuums have been a backbone of Prime Day for years now, but the type of robot vacuums on sale for Prime Day looks a little different now than it did five years ago.

While self-emptying robot vacuums on sale at all were few and far between back then, almost every single robot vacuum on sale during Prime Days present can empty themselves. That includes Prime events not officially called Prime Day, like Prime Big Deal Days coming up on Oct. 8 and 9. (Though for all intents and purposes, it's October Prime Day.)

SEE ALSO: I've tested over 20 robot vacuums and these are the best for every budget in 2024

The universalization of the self-emptying dock has also made it a much more affordable feature in general, even when no discount is present — so Prime Day deals on these robovacs means you may not have to pay more than $300 or $400 to be off dustbin duty for a few weeks.

If you do have a more flexible budget, though, the automatic maintenance feature to look for this Prime Day would be self-washing and drying mopping pads. iRobot, Shark, Roborock, Eufy, Ecovacs, and more all have at least one robot vacuum and mop combo that deals with its own dust and dirty mopping pads all in the same dock. These are obviously pricier than hybrids that make you do this manually, so to have a few hundred dollars knocked off the price during (or before) Prime Day is game-changing.

We've pulled all of the best early deals on self-emptying robot vacuums live at Amazon ahead of the official Prime Big Deal Days kickoff on Oct. 8. This list will be updated daily as more options go on sale, so be sure to check back throughout the next week.

Best early Prime Day self-emptying vacuum and mop deal Opens in a new window Credit: Ecovacs Ecovacs Deebot T30S with handheld vacuum All-in-One Station $949.99 at Amazon
$1,199.99 Save $250.00 Get Deal Why we like it

Ecovacs wasn't lying when it came up with the term "all-in-one cleaning hub" here, considering that this robot vacuum not only empties itself and washes and dries its own mopping pads, but also has another sweet feature tacked onto the dock: a handheld cordless vacuum. If your main hesitation with robot vacuums was that they can't scale a staircase, sweep under couch cushions, or detail corners up to your standards, this is the one robot vacuum purchase that can — now for less than $1,000.

More early deals on self-emptying robot vacuums

Robot vacuums that don't mop

• Eufy L60 — $299.99 $398.99 (save $99 with Prime)

• Shark AV2501AAE AI — $299.99 $419 (save $119.01)

• Roborock Q5 DuoRoller+ — $359.99 $599.99 (save $240 with Prime)

Robot vacuums that do mop

• Eufy G30 Hybrid — $239.99 $429.99 (save $190)

• Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 — $349.99 $450 (save $100.01)

• iRobot Roomba Combo j5+ — $444.99 $729.99 (save $285)

• Dreame L10s Ultra with self-cleaning station — $499.99 $899.99 (save $400 with on-page coupon)

• Roborock Q8 Max+ — $519.99 $819.99 (save $300 with on-page coupon)

• Roborock Qrevo S — $599.99 $799.99 (save $200 with Prime)

• Narwal Freo — $649.99 $1,399.99 (save $750 with on-page coupon)

• Ecovacs Deebot N30 Omni with self-cleaning station — $649.99 $799.99 (save $150)

• Shark PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro with self-cleaning station — $299.99 $419 (save $119.01)

• Roborock Qrevo Pro — $799.99 $999.99 (save $200 with on-page coupon)

• Ecovacs Deebot T30S with handheld vacuum All-in-One Station — $949.99 $1,199.99 (save $250)

• Dreame X40 Ultra with self-cleaning station — $1,599.99 $1,899.99 (save $300 with Prime)