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Death of a Unicorn's Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega, Téa Leoni, Will Poulter, and Richard E. Grant describe the moments in their life when their lives changed forever.

Death of a Unicorn is now in theaters.

Space is phantasmagorical.

Astronomers using the powerful James Webb Space Telescope to survey distant galaxies spotted an unusual, chance phenomenon called an "Einstein ring." It's not an actual object, but a warped, mind-bending optical illusion.

"The picture features a rare cosmic phenomenon — an Einstein ring. What appears to be a single, strangely shaped galaxy is actually two galaxies far apart," the European Space Agency explained online.

SEE ALSO: NASA dropped a new report. It's a wake-up call.

The effect, created by "gravitational lensing" and theorized to exist by Albert Einstein over a century ago, occurs when the mass of a foreground galaxy warps space and time, like a bowling ball sitting on a mattress, causing light emanating from the galaxy located in near-perfect alignment beyond it (from Webb's view in the cosmos) to become warped. The closer galaxy, in effect, creates a lens. In the image below, the foreground object is a massive, egg-shaped elliptical galaxy, and in the background is a spiral galaxy (like the Milky Way) that appears wrapped around the elliptical galaxy.

Amazingly, even though the spiral galaxy has been profoundly contorted, you can still see bright star clusters in the galaxy's stretched spiral arms.

An Einstein ring recently captured by the James Webb Space Telescope. Credit: ESA / Webb / NASA / CSA / G. Mahler // Acknowledgement: M. A. McDonald This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Einstein rings created by gravitational lensing are not just cosmic eye candy. This ring was captured during the Strong Lensing and Cluster Evolution (SLICE) survey, which seeks to identify such distant galaxies that have been naturally magnified by massive foreground galaxies, or clusters of galaxies.

"Objects like these are the ideal laboratory in which to research galaxies too faint and distant to otherwise see," ESA explained.

It's a clever way to combine the capability of the most powerful space telescope ever built with the natural magnifying power of the universe.

The Webb telescope's powerful abilities

The Webb telescope — a scientific collaboration between NASA, ESA, and the Canadian Space Agency — is designed to peer into the deepest cosmos and reveal new insights about the early universe. It's also examining intriguing planets in our galaxy, along with the planets and moons in our solar system.

Here's how Webb is achieving unparalleled feats, and may for years to come:

- Giant mirror: Webb's mirror, which captures light, is over 21 feet across. That's over two-and-a-half times larger than the Hubble Space Telescope's mirror, meaning Webb has six times the light-collecting area. Capturing more light allows Webb to see more distant, ancient objects. The telescope is peering at stars and galaxies that formed over 13 billion years ago, just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang. "We're going to see the very first stars and galaxies that ever formed," Jean Creighton, an astronomer and the director of the Manfred Olson Planetarium at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, told Mashable in 2021.

- Infrared view: Unlike Hubble, which largely views light that's visible to us, Webb is primarily an infrared space telescope, meaning it views light in the infrared spectrum. This allows us to see far more of the universe. Infrared has longer wavelengths than visible light, so the light waves more efficiently slip through cosmic clouds; the light doesn't as often collide with and get scattered by these densely packed particles. Ultimately, Webb's infrared eyesight can penetrate places Hubble can't.

"It lifts the veil," said Creighton.

- Peering into distant exoplanets: The Webb telescope carries specialized equipment called spectrographs that will revolutionize our understanding of these far-off worlds. The instruments can decipher what molecules (such as water, carbon dioxide, and methane) exist in the atmospheres of distant exoplanets — be they gas giants or smaller rocky worlds. Webb looks at exoplanets in the Milky Way galaxy. Who knows what we'll find?

"We might learn things we never thought about," Mercedes López-Morales, an exoplanet researcher and astrophysicist at the Center for Astrophysics-Harvard & Smithsonian, previously told Mashable.

Here's an experiment to try at home: Listen to a sports podcast, scroll social media, or use an app with native ads, and see how many times you encounter an ad for online gambling.

The double dare version of the experiment is to attempt it during March Madness, a weeks-long college basketball tournament in the U.S. during which people are expected to gamble a whopping $3.1 billion. That's up from $2.7 billion last year, according to the American Gaming Association.

While the ad trackers and algorithms curating any individual digital experience might not expose them to gambling-related marketing, the level of ad spending across the industry has skyrocketed in recent years.

SEE ALSO: Legal gambling has kind of ruined sports

Sports betting effectively became legal in the U.S. following a 2018 Supreme Court decision. Online sports better advertising units jumped from just under 250,000 that year to around 2.5 million in 2023.

Meanwhile, there's evidence that problem gambling may be on the rise. A recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found there were 23 percent more Google searches in the U.S. for terms related to gambling addiction help-seeking between January 2016 and June 2024.

In an accompanying editorial, two experts wrote that "gambling must be recognized as a public health problem," and that sports betting is specifically more harmful than other types of gambling products, like lotteries. The house, as they say, always wins.

So how could someone who's exposed to gambling marketing, or is developing a gambling addiction, acknowledge the urge to make a bet but let it pass? Experts say mindfulness, the practice of observing your thoughts with curiosity but without judgement, can be a helpful tool.

"With mindfulness, you learn to disassociate yourself with those impulses and just appreciate that they're impulses and they're not something you have to do," says Dr. Nigel Turner, an addiction expert with the Institute for Mental Health Policy Research at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto. "You learn to let it go."

Can mindfulness help with gambling?

Turner, who co-authored a 2021 report on mindfulness-based prevention to problem gambling, describes this strategy as "urge surfing." You imagine an impulse as a wave that may seem strong, but will ultimately pass.

Turner says it's important to remember that people gamble for a variety of reasons that make sense to them. A mindfulness approach encourages curiosity and self-compassion — instead of feeling shame or frustration because you struggled with the urge.

Gambling urges may manifest in a variety of sensible-sounding ways. Someone may enjoy the mechanics of a certain game. They might view betting as a form of problem-solving: if they win enough, the proceeds could pay for their education or a down payment on a new home. And for some, gambling provides an escape from painful feelings and experiences.

But as the brain habituates to gambling, it can become a maladaptive routine. Mindfulness can address that, too, by helping someone challenge the "automatic thinking" that characterizes addiction. For problem gamblers, that might sound like, "If I keep losing, I'm due to win."

Turner says that often people experience such a thought, then place a bet without pausing to evaluate why or how it occurred to them in the first place. It's tricky, he adds, because the brain is "terrible" at understanding random chance, and gamblers typically have a "strong illusion of control."

"It's very easy to fool yourself into believing that you have figured out the odds, that you know somehow more than all the other people betting on it," Turner says.

Why 'mindful gambling' is a deception

Research on gambling and mindfulness is limited. Still, Turner points to a general consensus in the field of addiction that mindfulness practices have a positive effect on people's coping skills and recovery. He's even advocated for players to learn about mindfulness.

One major brand has given gamblers its own version of that education. In 2023, the online casino BetMGM created an explainer on how to mindfully gamble, including tips for staying in the present moment and remaining calm regardless of whether you win or lose.

It also suggested that mindful gambling can help players better focus and learn their games of choice by analyzing "patterns, trends, and probabilities more effectively." Turner, who reviewed the content when Mashable shared it with him, said this statement was a "misrepresentation of what mindfulness is about."

Turner said that the content seemed more like an "advertising gimmick" that could actually encourage people to gamble. While some of the suggestions were good, others felt deceptive, Turner added.

SEE ALSO: This is why mindfulness isn't working for you

In their problem gambling report, Turner and his co-authors included breathing and meditation practices, exercises to develop emotional awareness, and worksheets designed to help people identify triggers and high-risk situations.

There are, however, limits to relying on mindfulness to resist gambling advertising and combat urges. The gold standard for addiction treatment, including for problem gambling, is cognitive behavioral therapy, a type of intervention that helps patients better assess and manage their thoughts.

Turner also acknowledges that some people — particularly those with a history of trauma — don't find mindfulness to be an effective solution.

Turner says that people experiencing problem gambling should seek mental health care, and consider mindfulness as complementary to that treatment. Signs that indicate you need help include spending more money than you can afford and believing that you'll win and get rich.

Young adults, problem gambling, and mindfulness

Young adults may be particularly at risk of problem gambling, says Amaura Kemmerer, a licensed clinical social worker and director of clinical affairs for the college mental health and wellness company Uwill.

If you're young and experimenting with newfound freedoms, then have direct access to gambling on your phone, or if you're exposed to the industry's wave of advertising, you may be more vulnerable for high-risk behaviors. Research also suggests that sports books in particular appeal to young audiences, who consider betting a leisure activity.

The issue has become pronounced on college campuses. Kemmerer says that some students experience consequences related to betting on major sports events like March Madness. Within that period, demand for mental health services often increases.

Typically, college students might feel anxious, depressed, or stressed, or they're experiencing related academic problems. Problem gambling can emerge as an issue in sessions with a counselor or therapist.

When a mindfulness practice positively affects other aspects of well-being, like improving sleep and decreasing anxiety and depression symptoms, Kemmerer believes it can also help reduce high-risk behaviors.

"You're getting to students before there's really any kind of identified problem, or when that problem is very early on and it's easier for a young person to make small adjustments so it doesn't become more problematic," Kemmerer says.

If you experience gambling problems, call the 24/7 National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700 for free, confidential support. You can also access the National Council on Problem Gambling's website for more help and information, as well as a list of international resources.

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TL;DR: Outfit your PC with a license for Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows for just $29.97 (reg. $229) through March 30. 

When something has serious staying power, you know it's good. And what's been around longer in the computer world than Microsoft Office? These go-to programs got us through school in the '90s and '00s, and they're still helping us tackle our 9-to-5s today. 

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These Microsoft Office apps have always been there for us

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The best ways to watch 'Queer' at a glance: BEST NON-STREAMING OPTION Rent or buy 'Queer on Prime Video $5.99 or $19.99 Get Deal BEST DEAL OVERALL Max (With Ads) annual subscription $99.99 per year (save $19.89) Get Deal BEST AD-FREE DEAL Max Ad-Free annual subscription $169.99/year (save $33.89) Get Deal BEST FOR STUDENTS Max Student $4.99 per month for 12 months (save $5 per month) Get Deal BEST BUNDLE DEAL Disney+, Hulu, and Max with ads $16.99 per month (save $8.98 per month) Get Deal GET MAX FOR FREE Max (With Ads) Free for Cricket customers on the $60/month unlimited plan (save $9.99 per month) Learn More GET MAX FOR FREE Max (With Ads) Free for DashPass annual plan subscribers (save $9.99 per month) Get Deal

Challengers' titillating sexual tension made for a major hit in early 2024, and Luca Guadagnino and Justin Kuritzkes teamed up once again for Queer. An adaptation of the 1985 novel by William S. Burroughs, the A24 film is yet another sexually explosive and emotionally infuriating tale from the duo.

"Queer is a languid journey that meanders through flirtations, fucking, dream sequences, and willfully anachronistic music to chart a passionate but also baffling tale of unrequited love," writes Mashable Film Editor Kristy Puchko in her review of the A24 period drama.

Starring Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey, Queer made its theatrical debut in November 2024 — just seven months after Challengers. Though it may have earned less hype from the internet, it still nabbed a handful of award nominations. For those who missed it in the theaters, it's now available to watch at home. Here's everything you need to know.

What is Queer about?

Based on William S. Burroughs’s semi-autobiographical novel of the same name, Queer is a scintillating and steamy tale set in 1950s Mexico City. It follows William Lee (Daniel Craig), an American expat in his late forties who fuels his sense of loneliness with booze, bravado, and loveable loser pal Joe (Jason Schwartzman). When he meets Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey), a young student visiting the city, it's a stirring and intoxicating connection that forces him to come to grips with his own sexuality.

Check out the official trailer:

Is Queer worth watching?

"Queer is both visually lush, sexually explosive, and emotionally infuriating. It is not a journey that leaves our hearts full, but open and aching," Puchko writes. However, it's certainly worth watching. The film holds a 77 percent critic rating and 65 percent audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Plus, it earned Daniel Craig Golden Globe, Critics Choice, and SAG Award nominations. Sadly, his performance was snubbed at the Oscars, which is a shame because Puchko says, "Craig is mesmerizing as Lee, swanning from catty gossip sessions to carnal encounters to body-rattling withdrawals and psychedelic splendors. It's easy to be beguiled by his charms, including a suave sex appeal made less intimidating by his tendency toward silliness."

Read our full review of Queer.

How to watch Queer at home Credit: A24

Queer made its theatrical debut on Nov. 27, 2024, and just a month and a half later, it hit digital retailers. You can buy or rent the film from on-demand sites like Prime Video or Apple TV+ for $19.99 or $5.99. Note: rentals give you 30 days to watch the film and just 48 hours to finish once started.

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• Google Play — buy it for $19.99, rent it starting at $4.99

• YouTube — buy it for $19.99, rent it starting at $4.99

Opens in a new window Credit: Prime Video Buy or rent 'Queer' on digital $19.99 or $5.99 Get Deal Is Queer streaming?

Queer made its streaming debut on Max on March 28. Thanks to a multi-year output deal between A24 and Warner Bros. Discovery, all of A24's recent theatrical releases have landed on the streamer. There, you'll also find recent films like We Live in Time, Heretic, A Different Man, and soon enough, Y2K and The Brutalist.

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A Max with ads subscription costs $9.99 per month, but you can knock the price down to $8.33 per month by paying for a year in advance. If you're in it for the long haul, the annual subscription goes for $99.99, which ends up saving you about 16%. Of course, you can also just sign up for a single month at $9.99 and cancel once you've watched Queer.

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Hate dealing with ads? The same annual deal applies: save 16% by committing to a yearly plan of one of the Max ad-free tiers. You can choose either the Max Ad-Free or Max Ultimate Ad-Free plan. The basic ad-free tier costs either $16.99 per month or $169.99 per year (about $14.17 per month), while the Ultimate tier costs either $20.99 per month or $209.99 per year (about $17.50 per month). Both tiers offer an ad-free viewing experience, but the Ultimate tier comes with 4K Ultra HD video quality and Dolby Atmos immersive audio.

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The best way to score Max for free is by switching your phone plan to Cricket's $60 per month unlimited plan. Max with ads — a $9.99 per month value — is included for no extra charge on this plan. Once you sign up, just head over to the Max app, choose Cricket as your provider, then enter your Cricket credentials to log in. Boom — you're free to watch whatever you want, whenever you want, including Queer and any other A24 film on Max. Check out the terms and conditions on Cricket's website to learn more.

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With a DashPass annual plan for $96 per year ($8 per month), you'll unlock Max with ads for free — along with $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees on DoorDash orders. That's a $9.99 per month value for $0. Eligible Subscribers must activate their Max subscription in their DoorDash account. Don't want ads? You can upgrade for a discounted rate.

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College students can get an entire year of Max with ads for just $4.99 per month instead of $9.99. That's 50% in savings. Just verify your student status with UNiDAYS to retrieve the unique discount code that will drop the price. And don't share your code, as each unique code can only be used once.

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It's outrageous that in the same year that Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagnino gave audiences the high-tension love triangle of Challengers, he's also served up a Daniel Craig-fronted adaptation of William S. Burroughs' novella Queer. Both films were written by Justin Kuritzkes, and both offer bold explorations of love, lust, and longing, with steamy sex scenes that serve as punctuation. And yet, they are wildly unalike.

Challengers is a propulsive love story that zings back and forth its timeline, keeping the audience on their toes, just like its tennis-playing trio. Queer is a languid journey that meanders through flirtations, fucking, dream sequences, and willfully anachronistic music to chart a passionate but also baffling tale of unrequited love.

It's a marvel of a movie that feels as if it is precisely what it intends to be, and yet it's ultimately unsatisfying. Perhaps that's intended too?

Daniel Craig is a dynamic thrill-seeker in Queer.  Credit: Yannis Drakoulidis

Echoing elements of Burroughs' own life, Queer ushers audiences into 1950s Mexico City, where a band of American expats — many of whom are gay men — lounge about cafes, bars, and cheap motels looking for illicit thrills, be it booze, hard drugs, or casual sex. Wearing a white linen suit, a crisp fedora, and a crooked smile, William Lee (Craig) has a breezy American swagger with a hint of comic buffoonery that beckons to the English actor's acclaimed portrayals of Southern gentleman detective Benoit Blanc in Knives Out and roguish bomb-maker Joe Bang in Logan Lucky. Yet his Lee is distinctive, with an unapologetic sleaziness that's edged with gawping insecurity, which urges him toward playing the fool more often than not. 

Craig is mesmerizing as Lee, swanning from catty gossip sessions to carnal encounters to body-rattling withdrawals and psychedelic splendors. It's easy to be beguiled by his charms, including a suave sex appeal made less intimidating by his tendency toward silliness. He smoothly seduces local trade and amuses scene queens like the chic John Dumé (Drew Droege, who became internet famous with his cheeky impersonations of Chloë Sevigny), and lovable loser/rousing raconteur Joe (Jason Schwartzman). And yet, Lee cannot firmly claim the love of his crush, a young discharged American Navy serviceman named Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey). 

The romantic interest of Queer proves its central mystery.  Credit: Yannis Drakoulidis

Lee throws himself at his could-be paramour ardently, plying him with affection, booze, and even a flashy getaway when all else fails. Maybe a journey into the jungle to try the mind-altering psychedelic ayahuasca will unlock the gate that seems to stand between them. 

The first act is an intoxicating portrait of Lee's Mexico City, rich in color, music, and romantic possibilities — or at least enthralling ones. In tender moments, Lee's dream of being intricately partnered with Eugene is expressed beautifully through simple dissolves. Footage of what is — the two sitting side by side in a movie theater — is overlaid faintly with what Lee wishes: to stroke Eugene's face, softly and publicly. More vivid dream sequences use jarringly bright red sets and stark female nudity to express Lee's doubts about Eugene's interest in the older man. But as his desperation to keep Eugene close intensifies, the audience might wonder what it is Lee is even fighting for. 

Defined chiefly by his wandering eye and an interest in playing chess with a red-headed female acquaintance, Eugene is not a fleshed-out character but a sketch, unknowable between the slight lines that are his only details. Is he into Lee? Is he even queer? These are questions that might seem answered by the torrid love scenes between the two. But for every moment approaching intimacy, Eugene offers a follow-up that is at best casual, and at worst cruel.

Tall, white, preppy, and neatly pressed even when wearing a T-shirt, Eugene is presented visually as a tidier, younger version of Lee. Perhaps this is meant to echo that what Lee is chasing is not this man but his past, or a version of himself that was less ravaged by drugs, trauma, and heartache. Or perhaps the supremely unrumpled persona is all Lee can understand of this mysterious man.

Queer's third act is its biggest risk.  Credit: Yannis Drakoulidis

In any case, as Lee drags a reluctant (and infuriatingly stoic) Eugene into the jungle to find a mythic medicine woman (Lesley Manville), Guadagnino's movie asks more patience of its audience than his most heralded offerings. In I Am Love, it's easy to see why Tilda Swinton could be seduced by such photogenic food. Call Me by Your Name captured the heat and sweetness of young love through a well-placed peach. Bones and All masterfully turned a tale of teenage cannibals into a sizzling subtextual queer romance, not despite of its gore but because of it. Then, Challengers sold the electrifying love triangle between its players through the breath-taking onscreen chemistry of Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O'Connor. Queer, on the other hand, asks us to follow Lee to fight for a love that feels like an illusion.

Since the film's world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, critics have jeered Queer's turn from its vivacious first act to its lumbering third. Yet there's something in the film's aesthetic that gently warns of this change.

In the beginning, production design by Stefano Baisi paints Lee's Mexico City as a quaint yet deliciously seedy paradise, where towering windows in cafes and warm street lights allow for layers of lives to unfurl all at once, without feeling cluttered or claustrophobic. The palette of yellows, reds, and sickly greens favored by cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom as tracking shots follow Lee in slow motion down lively streets evoke the faded colors of pulp novels, promising decadent delights around every corner. Queer's soundtrack boasts smooth, smokey songs like Nirvana's "Come as You Are," Sinead O'Connor's cover of Nirvana's "All Apologies," and Radiohead's haunting "Talk Show Host." Through the jarring anachronism of this collection of songs, Guadagnino knowingly blends the nostalgic sentimentality of the film's visuals with the sharper-edged sounds of '90s pop disillusionment. Essentially, the visual and audio are thematically at war, reflecting Lee's inner doubts about his life and his lover. 

Credit: Yannis Drakoulidis

At two hours and 15 minutes, Queer is a movie that indulges its protagonist more than its audience, following him through meandering mental exercises to an unfulfilling epiphany. Viewers may grow restless as Craig's charms are swallowed by Lee's raw need and his ruthless vices. Undeniably, the experience of living vicariously through Lee shifts from pleasurable to uneasy as the glamor is stripped away from this expat holiday, revealing crude realities like the decidedly unromantic subterfuge required to cop drugs in a new locale, or the subsequent toll of withdrawals on Lee's body — and Eugene's patience. That certainly seems to be Guadagnino's goal: not to tell a story of formative first love or world-altering romance, but the ugly truth of unrequited love. It's not easy to experience, but it is undeniably masterfully made. So, in the end, Queer is both visually lush, sexually explosive, and emotionally infuriating. It is not a journey that leaves our hearts full, but open and aching.

Queer is now streaming on Max.

UPDATE: Mar. 26, 2025, 9:46 a.m. Queer was reviewed for its theatrical release on November 27, 2024. This article has been updated to reflect its current streaming accessibility.

Data from several U.S. officials' Venmo accounts has been found exposed online, including their contacts and even transaction histories for some. This follows Signalgate earlier this week, and the subsequent revelation that involved officials' private contact information and passwords could be found online.

If I had a nickel for every time a breach of tech security by the Trump administration was revealed this week, I'd now have three nickels. 

SEE ALSO: U.S. security officials' passwords found online, including people in Signal chat

On Wednesday, WIRED reported that it had discovered a public Venmo account ostensibly belonging to national security advisor and Signal chat participant Michael Waltz, showing a list of over 300 of his associates. Now the publication is reporting the discovery of further Venmo data belonging to several more U.S. officials, at least three of whom were also members of the infamous Yemen bombing Signal group chat. 

Specifically, WIRED reporters found Venmo data belonging to Department of Treasury chief of staff Dan Katz, Counselor and Chief of Staff to the Secretary of State Mike Needham, and President Donald Trump's nominee for director of the National Counterterrorism Center Joe Kent. Venmo data was also located for National Security Council staffer Brian McCormack, who is suspected of being on the Signal chat, and Morgan Ortagus, deputy to Trump's special envoy for the Middle East and Signal chat participant Steve Witkoff.

All of these individuals' Venmo contact lists were viewable, while Katz, McCormack, and Ortagus had also left their transaction histories exposed.

U.S. officials' contact lists and transaction histories may not seem like something to worry about on the fact of it (though we do have questions about Katz' 2018 payment reportedly annotated solely with an eggplant emoji). However, such information could theoretically be used for nefarious purposes if individuals attempted to reach or influence officials via their associates or frequent haunts. It also revealed connections such as Kent's payments to a far-right 2020 election conspiracy theorist.

It's been a bad week in security scandals for the Trump administration, but this is one that could have easily been avoided. Last July, WIRED reported that Signal chat participant and then-vice presidential nominee JD Vance had also left his Venmo friends list public. Yet despite this cautionary tale, U.S. officials such as McCormack only recently set their Venmo accounts to private after WIRED reached out to them.

In a statement to WIRED, a Venmo spokesperson said, "We take our customers’ privacy seriously, which is why we let customers choose their privacy settings on Venmo for both their individual payments and friends lists — and we make it incredibly simple for customers to make these private if they choose to do so."

The revelation of exposed Venmo data is just the latest dancer in a conga line of U.S. officials' tech security breaches recently. On Monday, The Atlantic's editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg reported that Waltz had mistakenly added him to a Signal group chat in which officials shared seemingly classified information. Days later, German publication DER SPIEGEL reported that passwords for some of the officials involved were found online, stating that it was "conceivable that foreign agents were privy to the Signal chat group."

Now with WIRED's reports added to the growing list, it seems that the Trump administration is in dire need of a data security training course at minimum.

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: Good try at the plate

• Green: Bad moves on the ice

• Blue: Mascots in the City of Brotherly Love

• Purple: Characters in a 90s basketball movie

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: Attempt to hit a baseball

• Green: Hockey penalties

• Blue: Philadelphia mascots

• Purple: NBA players whose talents were stolen in "Space Jam"

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 #185 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today

• Attempt to hit a baseball - CUT, HACK, RIP, SWING

• Hockey penalties - BOARDING, KNEEING, SLASHING, TRIPPING

• Philadelphia mascots - FRANKLIN, GRITTY, PHILLIE PHANATIC, SWOOP

• NBA players whose talents were stolen in "Space Jam" - BARKLEY, BOGUES, BRADLEY, EWING

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.

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

A freshwater fish.

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

TROUT

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Amnesia.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for March 28, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

FUGUE

Hurdle Word 3 hint

An overly modest person.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for March 28 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 28, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

PRUDE

Hurdle Word 4 hint

A conference.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for March 28 Hurdle Word 4 answer

PANEL

Final Hurdle hint

Husky.

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

BURLY

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: Ditch the AI clutter and get one tool that does it all — for life. At the Mashable Shop, the 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan with lifetime membership is now available for a one-time payment of £61.74 (reg. £416.90).

Opens in a new window Credit: 1min.AI 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan Lifetime Subscription £61.74 at the Mashable Shop
£416.90 Save £355.16 Get Deal

Managing multiple subscriptions for all your creative and professional needs? That’s more juggling than anyone needs — and it’s pricey, too. Now, instead of signing up for separate subscriptions for ChatGPT, Gemini AI, Anthropic, Midjourney, Claude, Llama, and other AI tools, you can access them all in a single platform.

Get a lifetime subscription to 1minAI on sale for a one-time purchase of £61.74 — it's a single platform packed with the tools you’d normally need a bunch of apps to accomplish. From content writing and image editing to data analysis, 1minAI has you covered — all in one convenient spot.

1minAI makes it easy to handle a variety of tasks with a user-friendly setup, so you’re not wasting time hopping between different tools. It includes everything from AI-driven writing assistance to design and photo editing options, letting you switch between projects without the constant app shuffle.

Plus, 1minAI gives you 4,000,000 credits each month, plus the chance to earn up to 450,000 extra credits monthly, giving you plenty of space to test, create, and explore without worrying about extra fees.

While AI tools are incredibly helpful, they aren’t perfect — and 1minAI is straightforward about that. You’ll get support with drafting, designing, and brainstorming, but human editing and oversight can still bring your projects to the next level. Think of it as an AI sidekick that keeps things running smoothly, while you remain the creative mastermind.

Simplify your creative process and boost efficiency with 1minAI’s Business Plan lifetime subscription — all for £61.74 (reg. £416.90), with no monthly fees.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

The company, which originally expected its shares to be priced between $47 and $55, will ask for $40 a share in a sign of stock market uncertainty.

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 preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for March 28 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 28 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Wise ones

The words are related to people.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words are people with valuable insight.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is GuidingLight.

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for March 28

• Philosopher

• GuidingLight

• Sage

• Elder

• Visionary

• Thinker

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.

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 March 28 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: Throw

• Green: To enclose

• Blue: Worn by the annual cookie sellers

• Purple: The second word is the same

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: Hurl

• Green: Be on both sides of

• Blue: Parts of a classic Girl Scout uniform

• Purple: ___ Hall

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 #648 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Hurl: CHUCK, PELT, PITCH, SLING

• Be on both sides of: BOOKEND, BRACKET, FLANK, SURROUND

• Parts of a classic Girl Scout uniform: BADGE, BERET, SASH, SKIRT

• ___ Hall: BINGO, CITY, MONTY STUDY

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 March 28

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.

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 March 28 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 March 28, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Part of a song or poem.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter E appears twice.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter V.

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...

VERSE.

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 March 28

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.

Best Dyson Airwrap dupe deals from Amazon's spring sale Best for people with wavy or curly hair Shark FlexStyle for curly and coily hair $219.99 (Save $80) Get Deal Best Airwrap dupe for curling hair (and storage) T3 Aire 360 254.99 (Save $45) Get Deal

I will be the first to admit I'm not the biggest fan of the Dyson Airwrap.

After testing it for the first time in 2022 (and several times since), I can't deny that it's a fun and luxurious way to style my hair — but I've never quite been able to wrap my head around its $600 price tag. After trying so many Airwrap dupes, I feel even more firmly that most people who want the Airwrap experience can get it for much cheaper.

So, if you're bummed out that the Big Spring Sale is one of the rare Amazon sales that hasn't brought the usual $100 markdowns the multi-styler gets, I have three pieces of good news for you: one, Prime Day usually happens in July, so another chance is coming up soon. Two, the Shark FlexStyle and T3 Aire 360, two of my favorite Airwrap dupes, are currently on sale. And three, I'm going to tell you where each of these dupes excels, all based on my own experience testing them directly in comparison to the Airwrap.

Best Airwrap dupe for people with wavy or curly hair Opens in a new window Credit: Shark Shark FlexStyle for curly and coily hair $219.99 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $80 Get Deal Why we like it

Fun fact: the Shark FlexStyle was the first multi-styler to include a diffuser attachment. While Dyson now offers an Airwrap for folks with textured hair, I still prefer the FlexStyle — the twisting base mechanism makes it easier to get the best angles possible for both hover and pixie diffusing. While $219.99 isn't the FlexStyle's lowest sale price ever, both the Airwap and FlexStyle with diffusers can be harder to find on sale, making this a great opportunity to pick it up for cheaper.

Best Airwrap dupe for curling hair (and storage) Opens in a new window Credit: T3 T3 Aire 360 $254.99 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $45 Get Deal Why we like it

A lot of people think the Dyson Airwrap is a great tool for curling your hair, but the curling barrels that come with it actually give more of a loose wave, blowout-type look. I'm sure the tinier barrels you can purchase separately might help you achieve a tighter curl, but if you'd rather not spend even more, the T3 Aire 360's ceramic barrels gave me more defined curls that lasted longer.

Plus, the Aire 360 comes with a vegan leather pouch, making it the best storage option out of every multi-styler I've ever tested. Trust me, these tools are bigger than you think, and the case Dyson provides is massive, so if you're short on space, the Aire 360 and its pouch may be the way to go. While this $45 discount isn't huge, this hair tool doesn't go on sale often.

Save $10: Through April 7, Amazon Prime users with a Grubhub+ membership can save $5 on two orders of $20 or more with the code HOOP5.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Get $5 two orders of $20 or more with code HOOP5 For eligible Prime users with a Grubhub+ subscription Get Deal

It turns out one of the best deals during Amazon's spring sale isn't even technically part of the sale.

Through April 7 at 11:59 p.m. ET, Amazon Prime members signed up for Grubhub+ through their Amazon account are eligible to get $5 off two orders of $20 or more with the coupon code HOOP5 when using the Grubhub or Amazon app or website to place their order.

Whether or not you're following along with March Madness, it's a pretty solid deal. That said, there are a few restrictions: the discount code can't be applied to orders with alcohol, or any group or catering orders. And as mentioned above, you do need to be signed up for Grubhub+ through your Amazon Prime account, which became a permanent perk to all Prime users last year.

SEE ALSO: The best deals under $50 in Amazon's Big Spring Sale

If you haven't yet already, you can activate your Grubhub+ subscription through Amazon. Once you're connected, Amazon will cover the $9.99 a month cost for membership, granting you lower service fees and $0 delivery fees on every order.

Elon Musk is no fan of content moderation. When Musk acquired Twitter back in 2022, one of the driving forces behind his decision to buy the social media platform was content moderation, especially involving bans on right-wing accounts that he liked.

Now, Musk appears to be trying to exert control over content moderation on social media platforms he doesn't even own.

According to a new report in The Verge, Musk privately contacted Reddit CEO Steve Huffman regarding content on the social sharing platform. 

Shortly after the correspondence between Musk and Huffman, a thread about DOGE employees was deleted. The subreddit where the thread was started, r/WhitePeopleTwitter, was also banned for 72 hours.

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Before Musk reached out to the Reddit CEO, the owner of X went on a public tirade against Reddit. Among his complaints, Musk claimed that certain Reddit users had "broken the law" for posting unsavory comments about DOGE employees. The Reddit comments referenced Musk's post appear to belong to the Reddit thread that the company deleted after Musk reached out.

While Reddit previously made it known that it took action against "violent content," it wasn't known until now that Musk had personally filed a complaint with the company's CEO.

Musk has also called it "insane" that some subreddits had banned the ability to post links to X. It's unclear if Musk brought that complaint up in his messages with Huffman. As of publishing, no action has been taken against subreddits that don't allow X links.

While some of the comments in the thread could be perceived as threatening and taken down regardless, it's concerning that Musk can make private requests to CEOs of third-party companies regarding content decisions.

“We take any report of Reddit policy violations seriously, whether on Reddit directly or through other public or private means," Reddit said in a statement provided to The Verge. "We will evaluate content reported to us and take action if it violates.”