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Today's NYT Strands hints will be easy if you're indecisive.

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for October 6, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Changing course

The words are related to switching up.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe shifts.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

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NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is The Old Switcheroo.

NYT Strands word list for October 6

• Backpedal

• Reverse

• The Old Switcheroo

• Overturn

• Undo

• Flip

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

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

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

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

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you don't use the big light.

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

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for October 6, 2026 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

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

Lacking light.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter D.

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...

DIMLY

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

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

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

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

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

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

A week in a Los Angeles mansion, dating lessons, a wardrobe upgrade, and PowerPoint presentations about plastic surgery. Welcome to Camp Looksmax.

Hosted by streamer Braden Peters, AKA Clavicular (who was charged with rape in Massachusetts on Sept. 8; Peters’ attorneys have denied the allegations in a related civil lawsuit), and fellow creator Hexumlite, the seven-day residential program promises coaching on appearance, confidence, and dating skills.

You don’t need a spot in the mansion to follow along. The first session began Oct. 1 and is being broadcast around the clock on Clavicular’s Kick channel, where he has nearly 450,000 followers.

But joining the lessons comes at a considerable cost. According to the camp’s website, the first session sold out in 72 hours, and a second begins Oct. 8 at $7,500 per attendee. Here's what that gets you.

Credit: Screenshot/CampLooksmax.com

If "looksmaxxing" hasn’t made its way onto your feed, the term refers to attempts to improve physical attractiveness. Some advice covers familiar territory: grooming, exercise, skincare. Other parts of the subculture promote extreme interventions and rigid beliefs about how much appearance determines success.

Camp Looksmax turns that online pursuit into an in-person curriculum. Its website advertises mentorship with one of the trend’s best-known creators, Clavicular, alongside Hexumlite, plus classes, outings, and guided practice approaching unassuming women on the street.

SEE ALSO: Who is Clavicular, and why is he everywhere right now? What is happening at "camp?"

A lot. For starters, there are online dating lessons and practice dates. In one clip, the date, a local college girl, advises a campgoer to say "um" less frequently while Peters and the other attendees watched closely. "You're just not flowing," Clavicular added.

Then there’s the wardrobe. A day-three itinerary outlined a Zara shopping challenge, with a cash reward for the best outfit, followed by a visit to Tall Men Shoes for footwear that adds height, otherwise known as "lifts." In clips from the stream, Peters talked to his pupils all about "height frauding," and even said that he was "really off-put how few people were wearing lifts on the first day of camp."

The styling feedback can get quite specific, and focuses mainly on looking "high class." In one exchange, Clavicular approves a participant's H&M shirt but tells him to lose the shorts because they make his shoe lifts more noticeable. He also has a distaste for sagging pants.

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

Physical appearance is essential, beyond what you wear. During introductions, Clavicular gets in detail about his height, deltoid width, and "bone-pressed penile length." He encourages participants to share similar measurements, including their height. Clavicular suggests to do "spinal deadhangs" before going out in order to make yourself taller. He also encouraged participants to share their most "blackpilling" moment. (In the incel vocabulary, the "blackpill" refers to the belief that appearance determines a person’s prospects in life and with women.)

The dating lessons also take participants outside the mansion to practice "cold approaching," or starting conversations with unassuming women on the street. "Sorry, you caught me off guard," one girl replies to streamer Hexumlite, who approached her in the middle of a crowded street. Others simply walk past the group of men, who often approach one or two women in a large group (with a running start).

After one woman rejected Hexumlite, he told her, "I’m starting to get pissed the f-ck off not gonna lie to you, because at the end of the day if it was a 6’8” f-cking Chad."

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

After the day of attempting to pick up women, Clavicular praised the participants. "Only about 5 percent of people have the balls to actually go up to a girl in the middle of the day without being intoxicated," he said. "I really applaud you guys for cold approaching today." (There is no evidence that statistic is accurate.)

Camp Looksmax is $7,500, paid upfront after acceptance (according to the site). Applying is free, and prospective attendees speak with a camp counselor before securing a place. The package includes mansion accommodation, chef-prepared meals, mentorship, camp-organized activities, and custom-tailored clothing. Getting to and from Los Angeles is the attendee’s responsibility and costs extra.

There’s a competitive element, too. Organizers advertise a $25,000 prize for one participant, plus the possibility that selected attendees could return to teach future cohorts as "professors." As of Oct. 5, the website lists the second session as 65 percent sold.

SEE ALSO: Clavicular and the online culture that turns humiliating women into content

With another cohort scheduled to arrive Oct. 8, the camp offers a literal example of creators becoming teachers for a largerly Gen Z and Gen Alpha following, some of whom look up to Clavicular and his theology. For boys still developing and figuring out dating and relationships, these lessons may last far after the stream, or week, ends.

It's the beginning of a new month, and dedicated Lego fans know what that means: new sets are here.

Though there aren't a ton of October Lego releases, this is very much a quality over quantity situation. Yes, there are standard holiday rollouts ahead of December, but a few sets we've been eyeing since their announcement are finally available to the public. Hint: They include Star Wars, retro gaming, and a classic work of claymation.

SEE ALSO: Our 17 favorite Lego sets, sourced from actual Lego fans

All told, there are seven new Lego sets that stand out this month — check them out below:

Lego Up-Scaled Mrs. Claus Minifigure A Christmas queen. Credit: Lego

Santa got the new set love last month, and this month, it's Mrs. Claus's turn. This super-sized minifig can be a nice addition to your holiday decor that doesn't require hours of building, with the set topping out at 904 pieces.

Pieces: 904 pieces Recommended age: 10+

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Up-Scaled Mrs. Claus Minifigure $59.99 at Lego
  Shop Now Lego Ideas Wallace & Gromit Have you ever seen a windowsill look so whimsical? Credit: Lego

The Mashable team has had its eyes on this Wallace & Gromit set since its announcement last month, and can you blame us? From the sidecar to Gromit's posable ears and the impressively brickified creation of the iconic duo, you can practically create your own stop motion adventure starring the pair.

Pieces: 1,038 Recommended age: 18+

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Ideas Wallace & Gromit $99.99 at Lego
  Shop Now Lego Icons Holiday House A guaranteed white Christmas. Credit: Lego

Ceramic winter village sets are classic, but this Lego Icons set allows for a fun (less fragile) twist. This holiday house set in particular draws some inspiration from a favorite carol of many (hint: note the horse and the sleigh), plus a light-up brick you can turn on to give the house an extra cozy atmosphere. All told, the set comes with four minifigures, interior and exterior decorations, and plenty of potential for getting into the holiday spirit.

Pieces: 1,354 pieces Recommended age: 18+

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Icons Holiday House $119.99 at Lego
  Shop Now Lego Icons Bookstore: Book Nook Bookception. Credit: Lego

Book nooks are kind of a must for any reader, and though this isn't Lego's first (we still clock every time the Balrog one is on sale), this one feels like an extra special homage to book lovers. Closed up, this nook provides a peek through the window storefront of the world's coziest-looking bookstore. Opened up, the bookstore expands, featuring a spiral staircase, a reading area, and a cat — in other words, bookworm essentials.

Pieces: 1,690 pieces Recommended age: 18+

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Icons Bookstore: Book Nook $149.99 at Lego
  Shop Now Lego PlayStation The nostalgia of the PlayStation: captured. Credit: Lego

I'm half convinced that if you didn't look at this set too hard, you could easily mistake it for a real PlayStation. From the console to the controller, Lego could've easily stopped at the faithful recreation and called it a day, but being the brand they are, they decided to add two mini dioramas of the games Gran Turismo and Ape Escape in the interior of the console. Though it was announced a month ago, this set hasn't been available to preorder, so we're thrilled to see it finally for sale in the Lego store.

Pieces: 1,911 pieces Recommended age: 18+

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego PlayStation $179.99 at Lego
  Shop Now Lego Ideas Downton Abbey Some staging ideas for your new build. Credit: Lego

Maybe you'll never get to live in Downton Abbey, but hey, a nearly 5,000-piece Lego recreation of the series' setting isn't a bad consolation. Alongside the impressive exterior, the back view shows all the rooms, including the kitchen, servants' hall, Mr. Carson's office, as well as the dining room, main hall, and library on the upper level. The set also features 13 minifigures from Season 6 of the show.

Pieces: 4,711 pieces Recommended age: 18+

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Downtown Abbey $349.99 at Lego
  Shop Now Lego Star Wars Executor Super Star Destroyer I mean yeah, it definitely gives longest Lego ever. Credit: Lego

This set is no joke. As Mashable reported in the announcement of this Star Destroyer, it's the longest Lego set ever made, at 53.5 inches. It required the brand's engineers to create a new Lego system core to properly anchor the exterior panels. In addition to the impressive model of Darth Vader's ship from The Empire Strikes Back, this set comes with the minifigures for Luke's father himself, Boba Fett, and the five other bounty hunters from the film. Though it's certainly priced accordingly, this set will be a hard one to miss for any Star Wars and Lego super fans.

Pieces: 6,130 pieces Recommended age: 18+

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Star Wars Executor Super Star Destroyer $799.99 at Lego
  Shop Now

Citing privacy and accuracy concerns, cities like Lynchburg, Virginia, and states like Florida have turned against Flock, the nation's main purveyor of automated license plate readers (ALPRs); conservative GOP politicians like Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri have too. 

Meanwhile, San Francisco — which has one of the most liberal voting records in the U.S. — is sticking with its more than 400 Flock cameras.

The city just adopted a new policy late last month that keeps the cameras rolling, but places new limits on them, including requiring police officers to obtain approval from their bosses, and a connection to an active criminal investigation, to search camera data more than 30 days old and demonstrate a connection to an active criminal investigation, San Francisco's NBC news affiliate reported.

Crime is dropping, but why?

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins recently defended the AI-powered cameras to NPR.

"What the license plate reader cameras have absolutely done — and we do have proof of this — is give the police the ability to catch people who have engaged in crime," she said.

SEE ALSO: An officer's use of Flock cameras was 'unconstitutional,' judge rules

There is no question that crime is down in San Francisco, which dropped almost 59 percent and more than 82 percent, respectively, in January through August 2026 compared with the same period in 2022, according to NPR's analysis of SFPD data. Whether that has anything to do with Flock is less clear, especially because other factors, like the AI boom gentrification wave and the dramatic nationwide post-COVID crime drop, could also be at play.

Then-Mayor London Breed threw a press conference in 2024 to proudly tout the deployment of Flock cameras in the city. "These license plate readers can play a critical role in disrupting retail theft, car break-ins, sideshows, and other criminal activity,” Breed said at the time.

That press conference came shortly after San Francisco voters approved Proposition E, a police-related initiative that granted the SFPD authority for the "use of drones along with or instead of vehicular pursuits" and "installation of surveillance and facial recognition cameras without approval from the police commission or board of supervisors."

A poll from July showed that San Franciscans remained supportive of surveillance as a tool against crime.

"The San Francisco Police Department sometimes uses drones and cameras after a 911 call to assist in an active investigation,” read one question from the GrowSF poll. "Do you support or oppose allowing the use of drones and cameras after a 911 call to assist in an active investigation?” 

A majority of respondents, 72 percent, strongly supported or somewhat supported that use of drones and cameras, while only 12 percent strongly opposed it. (The question did not ask specifically about Flock.)

City by the Bay Server

The poll of 662 voters was commissioned by GrowSF, a group founded in 2020 by tech workers that's "focused on winning local elections, holding leaders accountable, and giving voters clear, honest information." Many of GrowSF's board members work or have worked in the tech industry, and one of its billionaire funders, Chris Larsen, assisted the SFPD in the Flock purchase, according to SFGate.

And when she announced the Flock deal, Breed emphasized the use of technology to catch crooks. 

SEE ALSO: Bernie Sanders proposes The Ban Flock Act

"While we are relentless in staffing up our police force, we are also incorporating technology that supports the hard work our officers do every day to take care of our City and arrest those who think they can break the law in San Francisco,” she said.

Maybe it’s not a surprise that a city so connected to Silicon Valley (and employed by it) has a soft spot for AI-powered technology. 

The collective shrug about Flock and its privacy concerns extends beyond San Francisco to California's state government, which has a Democratic governor and a Democratic supermajority in the legislature. Last month, state lawmakers rejected regulations on Flock for the fifth time.

And even as Flock has become a major midterm issue throughout the country, the issue of ALPRs were not raised at the recent California gubernatorial debate between Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton. Flock also hasn't emerged as a major issue between Scott Wiener and Connie Chan in their effort to replace Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi as San Francisco’s representative in the U.S. House.

"The SF that would reject surveillance is gone and dead," James Lance Taylor, chair of the politics department at the University of San Francisco, told the San Francisco Standard.

Prime Members Save 33%: As of Oct. 5, the 24-ounce Owala FreeSip Twist is on sale at Amazon for $19.97 in select colorways. At full price, this water bottle will run you $29.99, meaning this deal saves you $10.02.

Opens in a new window Credit: Owala Owala FreeSip Twist (24 ounce) $19.97 at Amazon
$29.99 Save $10.02   Get Deal

It's the eve of Prime Big Deal Days, and I've officially added the first real temptation of the sale to my cart: an Owala water bottle.

Like a few other of my Mashable colleagues, I've owned an Owala FreeSip for years, and though I love her down, I can't deny that the 40 ounce behemoth, though wonderful on my desk, can be a little less convenient while traveling or when I'm out and about all day long. Enter: the Owala FreeSip Twist.

SEE ALSO: October Prime Day 2026: Live updates on Apple, Kindle, Lego, and Samsung deals

My colleague Sam Mangingo wrote about how the Twist is the perfect travel companion, easily fitting into backpack side pockets and cup holders. Don't get me wrong, I can make it work with the FreeSip Sway thanks to the tapered bottom, but traveling isn't my only use case. I'm someone who very much subscribes to the big purse lifestyle, so I'm often carrying at least one book, one notebook, several pouches full of various "just in case" items, and my water bottle (yes, I'm a Virgo). In other words, I wouldn't hate having a slightly smaller bottle for taking on the go.

I especially wouldn't mind it because this one is on sale for less than $20, instead of its usual $29.99. Plus, there are plenty of color options, including the gorgeous black cherry (and yes, it bears a striking resemblance to the burgundy iPhone colorway, for anyone looking to settle some FOMO). This deal could easily last through Wednesday (aka day two of October Prime Day), but it could just as easily go back up in price — early deals can be somewhat unpredictable. My advice? If you're in my boat, the price likely isn't dropping too much lower during the sale, so it's probably worth grabbing sooner rather than later.

SAVE $400: As of Oct. 5, the 27-inch LG UltraGear OLED Gaming Monitor (27GS93QE) is down to $499.99 at Amazon. That’s a 44% savings and matches one of the best prices we've ever seen on this 240Hz display.

Opens in a new window Credit: LG LG UltraGear OLED Gaming Monitor (27GS93QE) $499.99 at Amazon
$899.99 Save $400 Get Deal

Prime Big Deal Days is bringing early price cuts on high-end gaming gear, but OLED displays rarely drop this low. Amazon just slashed $400 off the 27-inch LG UltraGear OLED, bringing this 1440p, 240Hz display down to $499.99 — a 44% savings and one of its best prices to date.

The LG UltraGear packs a sharp 1440p OLED screen with a matte finish that cuts down room glare. You get a super-fast 240Hz refresh rate and a near-instant 0.03ms response time, meaning fast-moving games look buttery smooth with zero motion blur or ghosting.

SEE ALSO: 10 early Prime Day gaming monitor deals are live — beat the GPU bottleneck on a budget

Because it's an OLED, pixels turn completely off for true pitch-black contrast and rich colors that make games pop. It supports both NVIDIA G-Sync and AMD FreeSync to eliminate screen tearing, and packs two HDMI 2.1 ports with a DisplayPort connection — so you can hook up your gaming PC, PS5, or Xbox Series X to hit high frame rates without swapping cables.

The included stand lets you adjust height, tilt, and swivel, or even flip the monitor sideways into a vertical setup. It packs built-in quick-preset game modes — like dedicated FPS and RTS profiles — that automatically tweak contrast, brightness, and colors so you can spot enemies hiding in dark corners.

Snag the LG 27-inch UltraGear OLED Gaming Monitor (27GS93QE) with this $400 discount before the sale ends.

TL;DR: Glooin Pro is on sale for just $49.99 for life, combining browser-based screen recording with instant shareable links, automatic transcripts, and clickable CTAs.

Opens in a new window Credit: Glooin Glooin Pro Plan: Lifetime Subscription $49.99
$249 Save $199.01   Get Deal

Some explanations need a screen recording. Nobody wants a six-paragraph Slack message explaining which button to click, and another meeting isn’t exactly an exciting or possible alternative. Glooin Pro is on sale for $49.99 (reg. $249) for a lifetime subscription, giving you a simpler way to show instead of tell.

Glooin records your screen, webcam, and audio from a Chrome extension on Windows, macOS, Linux, and ChromeOS. You can pause, resume, or restart without creating a pile of separate files.

SEE ALSO: 21 early October Prime Day tech deals, hand-picked by our gadget-obsessed experts

The extra useful part comes when you’re finished: Glooin generates a shareable link as soon as you stop recording. There’s no separate exporting or uploading step, and whoever receives it can watch from a desktop or mobile browser without creating an account, installing an extension, or downloading anything.

Pro includes 100GB of lifetime storage and recordings up to 25 minutes long. Every recording also gets an automatic transcript, making your video library searchable instead of forcing you to remember which five-minute walkthrough contained that one important detail.

Glooin goes beyond basic screen recording with clickable CTA buttons. Add a booking link, checkout page, or help document directly to a recording and use the included click analytics to see whether viewers actually used it.

There are editing tools, too. Trim videos or annotate screenshots with arrows, boxes, highlights, text, and blur for sensitive information.

For people already communicating with screen recordings, the smart move may be to make the workflow simpler rather than adding another tool you have to babysit.

Get a Glooin Pro Lifetime Subscription with 100GB of storage for $49.99 (reg. $249).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

With more than 5 million downloads in just 3 weeks, the Meta AI assistant known as Muse is officially a hit.

However, knowing Meta's track record with privacy and safety, there is naturally concern over Muse and how it handles user data and privacy.

A new report from Wired and independent AI safety and security researcher Karan Joshi finds that there are some good reasons to be cautious about Muse, too. Namely, the report claimed that Muse has been instructed to create "a page for every person in the user’s life."

Muse is reportedly compiling data on users' family, friends, partners, colleagues, "collaborators," and other people they follow online. Furthermore, a "Relationships" loop runs every hour in the background on a user's computer, which updates each person's page, according to researchers with FutureSociety.

Joshi told Wired that he was able to get Muse to reveal its system prompts, which are essentially rules for how an AI chatbot behaves. Mashable cannot independently verify these system instructions, but Joshi isn't the only researcher to share the alleged prompts online in recent days.

According to the alleged system prompts shared online, Muse compiles data from messages, photos, and memories of previous interactions to create the pages. Each page includes instructions on how to communicate with each individual in a user's life and even keeps tabs on what the user owes or has promised them previously.

Muse also keeps track of what type of relationship a user has with each individual, where that person lives, what that person likes, dates of importance such as birthdays, and other facts about the person. The page even keeps track of the backstory behind the user and the individual's relationship.

Using this information, Muse can even plot out how it could strengthen a relationship between the user and an individual.

In a statement provided to Wired, a Meta spokesperson said Muse compiles context about your relationships "based on public information and from what you've chosen to share" based on the permissions specifically granted to Muse by the user. (Interestingly, Apple recently put out a statement that it was going to change how it handles "Full Disk Access" as a result of AI agents and assistants like Muse, as Mac users may not realize exactly what permissions they're providing to these third-party tools — and the cybersecurity risks associated with that access.)

“For any agent to be useful and actually help you achieve your goals, it needs to have context about you and those you interact with,” Meta spokesperson Daniel Roberts told Wired. “Muse gathers that based on public information and from what you’ve chosen to share, which is how it remembers the person who sent you an invoice is in fact the plumber who you previously hired to complete work in your bathroom or which flowers your spouse said they liked best.”

You can read more from Wired's report and Joshi's findings.

SAVE $200: As of Oct. 5, the 15-inch MacBook Air M5 is available for $1,299 on Amazon. That's a $200 savings off the regular list price of $1,499.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple MacBook Air 15-Inch M5 $1,299 at Amazon
$1,499 Save $200   Get Deal

Apple deals are always a highlight of major sale events, such as October Prime Day, which officially launches tomorrow. After all, those big Apple discounts don't come around too often. Fortunately, the early deals continue to rack up ahead of the main event on Amazon, including a sweet saving on the 15-inch MacBook Air.

As of Oct. 5, the MacBook Air 15-inch is priced at a $1,299, down from the regular list price of $1,499 — a total saving of $200. There are some neat bonuses when you buy this MacBook, too — the deal includes up to three months free access to Apple Arcade, Fitness+, and News+.

This is the 2026 version of the MacBook Air, which means it's packed with all the latest features and specs. It's powered by Apple's lightning-fast M5 chip, with features that include Apple Intelligence, Touch ID, a stunning Liquid Retina display, WiFi 7 compatibility, and a hefty 1TB of storage.

The Air is built for working on the go — lighter and slimmer than regular MacBooks — but offers the same super-smooth user experience you expect from Apple.

We expect this deal to get snapped up as October Prime Day gets going, so don't miss the MacBook Air 15-inch with a full $200 off. Now available for $1,299.

The best deals this week, hand-picked by our shopping experts

• Fire Stick 4K Select — $17.99 $49.99 (save $32)

• AirPods Pro 3 — $179 $249 (save $70)

• Bose QuietComfort Gen 2 — $319 $359 (save $40)

• iPad mini — $499 $599 (save $100)

• MacBook Air M5 — $1,099 $1,299 (save $200)

The best handheld gaming consoles are getting too expensive

Thanks to the AI industry hogging all the memory components, gaming consoles are getting more expensive. In the past 12 months, Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony all raised prices on their gaming consoles, and Windows laptops are seeing the same increases. It's not a good time to be a gamer. Even before the wave of price increases, handheld gaming PCs were already expensive. The Lenovo Legion Go 2 launched last year for $1,099, but costs $1,999 today. The Legion Go S with SteamOS was originally available for $749.99, but you'll have to pay $999 today at Best Buy — and that's with a $580 discount.

The Steam Deck has also been beset by price increases and has periodically gone out of stock. The Switch 2 has also gotten more expensive, though it's by far the most affordable option in the category.

So far, only one handheld gaming console has held steady at its original price — the ROG Xbox Ally X. We don't know how long it will continue to be available for $999, but we're not complaining.

Nintendo, Windows, or SteamOS?

When purchasing a handheld gaming PC, you generally have three options: Nintendo, Windows, or SteamOS. The right answer comes down entirely to personal preference. If you're a PC gamer who primarily buys games through Steam, then go with a Steam Deck or Lenovo Legion running SteamOS. If you're an Xbox or cloud gamer, then the Windows 11-based MSI Claw 8 or ROG Xbox Ally X will be more your speed.

For the past few weeks, it's been nearly impossible to spend time online without hearing the phrase "GG fuckin' easy." Or, perhaps more accurately, "furkin' easy."

You've probably seen the clip, too. A woman sitting at her desk with wavy red hair, clipped to one side and tucked beneath a pair of gaming headphones, sings, "GG fuckin' easy." A guy cuts in: "Hey, don't say that!" She looks almost surprised. "Really?" Then she scrunches her cheeks, lines radiate from her face, and she offers a compromise: "Furkin' easy."

The whole thing lasts about seven seconds. The post on X has passed 72 million views, and the quote tweets have racked up millions more.

The song is "GG EZ," and in a matter of weeks, those seven seconds have been remixed, memed, and turned into a reason to "nuke all Valorant servers." People who had absolutely nothing to do with the song even started pretending they'd made it. Why? Well, that's internet humor.

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

What most of those viewers don't know is that the song started as an AI track, released under the name M.Sasuke. Someone made it, in the sense that someone used the tools. That version currently has over 18 million streams on Spotify. But the version everyone is singing along to now is a remake with human voices, and who counts as its author is less clear than it looks.

What is "GG EZ"?

"GG EZ" is a short, bouncy pop-rap track built around gaming slang. "GG EZ" is what players type after beating someone, usually in games like Valorant or League of Legends, and usually to be insufferable. The song plays that attitude for a cartoonish love-hate story between two gamers, set over light synths and mouse-click-style drums.

The video most people know isn't the original release. It's a remake, which is where the story gets interesting.

Where did the original come from?

The song first appeared in May under the name M.Sasuke, and it didn't take long to find an audience. "GG EZ" became a dance trend in K-pop circles, with idols including BTS's Jung Kook, TXT's Yeonjun, Stray Kids' Lee Know, NCT Wish's Sion and Riku, ITZY's Yeji, and dozens of others posting their own versions.

But as the song spread, fans began to notice something strange about the vocals. They had a tinny, almost robotic quality that sounded suspiciously like AI. As it turns out, they were.

After questions about the song's origins started circulating, M.Sasuke, an anonymous Japanese music producer, acknowledged using AI in their music. It's even in their Instagram bio: "I write music with AI." They also maintained that there was still a human behind "GG EZ," adding that they wrote the lyrics and determined the song's arrangement and style, while apologizing to listeners who object to the use of AI. Forbes described "GG EZ" and M.Sasuke's other music as AI-generated, including both the vocals and the music itself.

Which makes "GG EZ" a little more complicated than the usual AI-versus-human debate. A person claims the words and the creative direction; a machine produced the sound we actually hear. The more interesting question, then, isn't whether "GG EZ" is AI-generated. It's what, exactly, it means to have made it — and in this case, remade it.

Who remade it?

In late August, two creators decided to make the song a little more human. Kaien Nuen, a multilingual influencer and independent artist, teamed up with Angelina "Sugar" Zhang, a cover artist and cosplayer who recently graduated from the University of Toronto. According to Pitchfork, the pair got M.Sasuke's permission before rerecording the track with their own voices.

The resulting release credits M.Sasuke alongside Kaien and Sugar, though the human version was Kaien and Sugar's project. M.Sasuke's credit reflects the fact that "GG EZ" was their song to begin with, rather than necessarily suggesting they were involved in making the new version.

Their version stretches the song to two minutes and 31 seconds and adds a few new flourishes — a burst of Jersey club here, a bigger finish there, and, importantly, the opening exchange of "hey, don't say that!" — while keeping the basic structure intact.

For Kaien, the approach isn't exactly new. He's built a following by putting a human spin on algorithm-friendly genres, performing Brazilian phonk on instruments like the zither, erhu, and guzheng. With "GG EZ," he's essentially doing the same thing in reverse, taking a song that began as machine output and putting people back into it.

How did it go viral?

According to Know Your Meme, the human version of "GG EZ" really took off on X, where musicians started jokingly claiming they had produced it. From there, the song became increasingly difficult to escape, mainly due to Sugar's enunciation of "furkin' easy."

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Eventually, the games and the people associated with them got in on the joke. Valorant's official X account posted "gg ferkin ez" alongside an image of Sugar in a Valorant Champions jacket. Esports organization Sentinels joined in, too, while League of Legends veteran Doublelift suggested "GG EZ" should become Valorant's official theme song. In a September stream, popular Twitch streamer Hasan Piker said, "I've been watching it non-stop," before playing the video intro. A commenter replied, "This shit's Cocomelon for unc."

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But somewhere along the way, people also started taking the song seriously. Pitchfork references a remix by Digicore artists gunk, zayok, and edyn, who released their own take on "GG EZ," approaching it less as a meme to be laughed at and more as a song worth doing something interesting with.

Zayok told Pitchfork that he doesn't even like the original "GG EZ." What interested him was the possibility that putting real human effort into something, even something you think is bad, could turn it into something good. In a way, that's become part of the strange appeal of "GG EZ." The internet didn't just make an AI song go viral. It kept finding ways to make it more human.

Does human-made mean better?

This is the question at the center of the whole saga. The remake has been described as a more "ethical" version of an AI song, and it's easy to see why. Instead of synthetic voices, there are two actual people singing it.

But consider what really changed. Kaien and Sugar didn't write "GG EZ" from scratch. With M.Sasuke's permission, they stepped into an existing song, replacing its synthetic singers with their own voices and building a performance around it. The strange little world of "GG EZ" — its gamer slang, its melody, its "GG fuckin' easy" hook — had already been established before either of them appeared on screen.

What they gave the song was a human presence. Suddenly, "GG EZ" had recognizable voices and meme-able faces. It had performers who could make the joke land with a scrunched-up face and an exaggerated "furkin' easy." And when the internet decided it loved, hated, or simply could not escape the song, there were real people standing there to receive that attention.

That's a different kind of humanization than simply replacing an AI vocal track. Kaien and Sugar didn't erase the AI origins of "GG EZ." In reality, they gave an otherwise faceless song people to look at.

What happens next?

"GG EZ" may be a one-off. Or it may be an early glimpse at a stranger, creative future, one where AI spits out the raw material, and humans decide what's worth salvaging from it.

That's ultimately what happened here. An AI-generated song became a human performance, then a meme, then something other musicians wanted to remix, reinterpret, and make their own. At every step, "GG EZ" became a little less interesting for how it was made and a little more interesting for what people did with it.

Seven seconds was all it took to make "GG EZ" impossible to escape. Figuring out who or what deserves credit for that hasn't been so furkin' easy.

Amazon will host its annual Prime Big Deal Days sale on Oct. 6 and 7, and Mashable shopping experts will be bringing you live updates on all of the best October Prime Day deals. If you're looking to save on essentials or desperately need some relief from this year's tech price hikes, this is your chance to save some serious cash.

We know that shoppers are keeping an eye on the build-up to Black Friday, but we expect this event to drop deals in just about every category. We're already seeing price drops on Apple MacBooks, first-ever deals on new Bose headphones, and huge discounts on top TVs from brands like Samsung, LG, and TCL. Our shopping experts are ready to help you save, and we'll be cross-checking prices at Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart to make sure you know where to find the lowest prices.

Keep scrolling for the full schedule of events and the latest Prime Day deals, live updates, price drops, low-stock alerts, and news from the Mashable shopping team.

Fifteen years ago, on Oct. 5, 2011, the world lost Steve Jobs at the age of 56. Today, the people who worked alongside the Apple co-founder and those who built careers using the tools he helped create are remembering his influence.

Among them are Apple executive chairman Tim Cook and the company’s new CEO, John Ternus, who succeeded Cook in September.

"There are people who leave a mark on the world, and then there are people who change it entirely," Cook wrote on X. "Steve changed the world and so many lives in the process. He certainly changed my life forever. His spirit lives on in everything he created and everyone he inspired."

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Cook has regularly posted remembrances of Jobs on the anniversary. This year, Ternus joined him for the first time as Apple’s CEO, reflecting on the attention to detail Jobs instilled in his colleagues.

"The way Steve taught us to care about every detail, every experience, every person, still guides our work today," Ternus posted. "Forever grateful."

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The tributes come shortly after Apple’s latest leadership transition. Ternus succeeded Cook as CEO on Sept. 1, with Cook becoming executive chairman after 15 years leading the company.

Others online shared their own reflections, looking beyond Apple’s best-known products to the careers and experiences Jobs helped shape.

Author Andrew Mayne wrote, "He was an incredibly forward thinker pushing ideas years before they became mainstream." Filmmaker Crosby Tatum highlighted Apple’s creative software, including Final Cut Pro and Logic Studio, crediting Jobs with helping independent filmmakers and musicians. "Long live Steve Jobs," he added. User Matt Bieber remembered heading to Apple for a week of meetings when news of Jobs’ death broke.

"I’ll never forget being on campus as flowers and notes appeared and the entire Valley mourned," he wrote. "A surreal week, and one I still think about every October 5th."

For those looking to revisit Jobs’ life and work, Apple’s "Remembering Steve" page collects messages from friends, colleagues, and customers. The company says more than a million people have shared their memories and condolences. The Steve Jobs Archive also preserves photographs, emails, speeches, and videos documenting his ideas that have shaped the world as we know it today.

Kodiak is gearing up to deploy its fully driverless semi trucks on highways later this year, starting with Ikea. I took a ride to see the autonomous tech in action.

Read more about autonomous vehicles: California announces AV regulation, fines for robotaxis that impede emergency responders
Can Waymo and Waze fix cities' potholes?

Timecode chapters
0:00 Intro
0:33 Kodiak AI
1:22 Ride along
3:00 Interview with Kodiak COO
3:30 Sensor pod
3:45 GigaFusionNet
5:18 Conclusion

Video credits
Host: Abrar Al-Heeti
Scripted by: Abrar Al-Heeti
Producer: Celso Bulgatti
Camera: Celso Bulgatti
Video editor: Celso Bulgatti
Thumbnail designer: Zooey Liao

We visited UCSD's Center for the Future of Surgery to learn about the first ever live surgery using humanoid robots.

Read more about AI in health care: ChatGPT Health is now available to all users
AI is changing health: Here's what you should know

Timecode chapters
0:00 Introduction: Humanoid robots in surgery
0:35 The need for remote and robotic surgery
0:59 Challenges of adapting humanoid robots
1:21 Testing the teleoperation setup
2:18 Why live animal surgeries are necessary
3:00 Performance and thermal management issues
3:32 Potential for AI autonomy in surgery
3:59 Key challenges and future outlook

Video credits
Host: Jesse Orrall
Scripted by: Jesse Orrall
Producer: Jesse Orrall, Jon Gomez, Owen Poole
Camera: Owen Poole
Video editor: Jon Gomez, Owen Poole
Thumbnail designer: Zooey Liao

Google's next Fitbit device hasn't been officially announced, but as of Monday, we've possibly already seen it multiple times.

The latest leak comes courtesy of Android Headlines, which posted exclusive photos of a new device purportedly called "Fitbit Edge." It looks a lot like a Fitbit Air, but with an oval smartwatch display. According to Android Headlines, the new watch will launch in October for $149 to $199, with limited app support, Android and iOS compatibility, notifications, a seven-day battery life, and GPS. It'll also reportedly come in the same colors as the Pixel 11 Pro phone: Canyon, Olive, Fog, and Obsidian.

SEE ALSO: Google Gemini access is changing. Free users, take note.

Other odds and ends include sensors on the back (presumably for tracking health metrics) and a long button along the side of the display. But this may not be the device's first appearance. Google actually included what appears to be the same watch in some photos of its upcoming product lineup around Made by Google in August. Reddit users noticed the mystery device pretty quickly at the time. Those earlier images came directly from Google, though the company hasn't confirmed the details in this latest leak.

Oh, OK! Credit: Google/Reddit Come on, guys. Credit: Google/Reddit

If all of this is to be believed, the Fitbit Edge could offer a nice middle ground between the Fitbit Air and a more expensive smartwatch like the Google Pixel Watch 5. If that October launch holds, we should find out more soon.

TL;DR: Blvck Paris and Warner Bros. have teamed up for a second all-black Harry Potter collection featuring hoodies, a Slytherin baseball jacket, interchangeable wanted-poster sweatshirts, and home goods. Priced from $60 to $275, the drop lands Sept. 28 at 12 p.m. ET exclusively on Blvck.

Blvck Paris and the Wizarding World are teaming up for a second all-black Harry Potter collection that strips away bright house scarves and primary colors in favor of something darker.

Most Harry Potter apparel leans into bold yellow ties or crimson sweaters. Pairing the iconic fantasy franchise with Blvck’s signature all-black luxury aesthetic gives fans a way to rep their favorite Hogwarts house without looking like they are heading to a costume party.

Arriving right as hype builds for HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter television series, the new line reinterprets Hogwarts emblems, house crests, and classic characters through dark, tonal embroidery and shadowy textures.

"With this second drop, we wanted to go deeper into the details fans recognize and love while staying true to Blvck’s monochrome identity," said Julian O’Hayon, founder of Blvck Paris. The second limited-edition collection launches Sept. 28 at 12 p.m. ET exclusively at Blvck Paris, with prices ranging from $60 to $275 in sizes XS through 3XL.

Credit: Blvck Paris / Warner Bros. Discovery What's dropping in the Blvck Paris x Harry Potter collection

• Teddy Draco Malfoy Hoodie and Tee — Reworks Blvck’s signature teddy bear mascot in Slytherin-inspired styling and dark wizard accents.

• Slytherin Baseball Jacket — Statement outerwear finished with detailed tonal serpent embroidery stretching across the shoulders and sleeves.

• Zipped Wanted Hooded Sweatshirt — Built for custom styling with four interchangeable wanted-poster graphics featuring iconic characters like Sirius Black.

• Tonal House Hoodies and Sweaters — Muted, dark-grey, and black designs covering Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff, layered with curated arrangements of story-inspired icons.

• Slytherin and Gryffindor Jerseys — Sporty streetwear staples that pair Blvck’s all-black foundation with subtle house accent colors and crests.

• Hogwarts Home Goods and Accessories — Expands beyond apparel with a Chamber of Secrets notebook, Slytherin jeans and beanie, Nagini and Wanted-Poster phone cases, hooded blankets, and plush Gryffindor and Slytherin teddy slippers.

Head over to Blvck on Sept. 28 to grab your favorite piece before the best sizes sell out for good.

You could spend yet another evening deciding what to watch...or you could let Ina Garten make you a drink. This month's podcast lineup includes an invitation to her New York apartment, a few awkward dates with Amelia Dimoldenberg, and ghost stories from Spooked for anyone ready to get into the Halloween spirit.

Whether you want a mystery to follow, strangers’ gossip to get invested in, or a conversation to keep you company while making dinner, there’s plenty to queue up. Here are eight podcasts and internet shows to watch and listen to this month.

SEE ALSO: Press play: 5 celeb-creator interviews the internet loved this week (Sept. 25) The Woman in the Woods

For morning walks when you want a reported mystery to dig your teeth into, The Woman in the Woods offers a six-part investigation from 48 Hours correspondent Erin Moriarty into the death of Mindi Kassotis. Here's the story: Kassotis’s friends were told she had died in a hospital. Later, they were told her husband had died, too. But the discovery of a woman’s remains outside Savannah, Georgia, raised questions about those accounts. The series follows investigators’ efforts to uncover what happened, combining reporting with interviews.

Launched Sept. 16, it also has a video edition featuring previously unseen footage and photographs. Start at the beginning and make room for the full investigation.

How to watch/listen: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and other listening platforms.

Chicken Shop Date

Cuffing season is approaching, but Amelia Dimoldenberg is preparing to leave the dating scene. Her celebrity interview series Chicken Shop Date begins its final run on Oct. 2, bringing its famously awkward flirtations and chicken-shop encounters toward a close after 12 years. Dimoldenberg’s deadpan questions have a way of making even practiced interview subjects lose their footing, which is half the pleasure of watching. If you’ve somehow avoided her date with Andrew Garfield, start there before joining the farewell tour. Autumn already makes us a little sentimental; this won't help.

How to watch: YouTube

Happy Hour with Ina Garten

Sweater weather practically demands an invitation to Ina Garten’s apartment. Her new weekly interview show, which launched Sept. 16, brings guests from food, entertainment, sports, and the arts to her New York City home for drinks and conversation. The appeal is familiar to anyone who has watched Barefoot Contessa: Garten knows how to make having people over feel both special and entirely manageable. Kate McKinnon joins her in the first episode, making it an easy place to start. Put this on while preparing for your own fall dinner party, even if the guest list is just you.

How to watch/listen: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Ominous Thrill

If your Halloween viewing plans already include slashers, ghosts, and body horror, Ominous Thrill can extend the program to your headphones. The fiction anthology uses full casts and immersive sound to bring its dark stories to life. Its newest season, "Her Horrorween," launched Oct. 1 with a collection of 15 stories celebrating horror written by women, spanning psychological, folk, supernatural, and other forms of terror. Start with the season’s introduction and choose a story that suits your appetite for scares. Those increasingly dark evenings should provide plenty of atmosphere.

How to listen: Apple Podcasts and Ominous Thrill’s website.

Normal Gossip

A long drive through the foliage is way better with gossip, even when you don’t know anyone involved. Normal Gossip turns listener-submitted stories about everyday people into funny, winding conversations, with host Rachelle Hampton and a guest unpacking strangers' questionable decisions. The show has been running since 2022, so there’s a substantial archive to explore. For an October starting point, try "Paranormal Activity" with Amber Singletary, featuring a blended family, a spectral presence, and a late-night witch hotline. Come for the seasonal intrigue; stay because you suddenly need to know how someone else’s business ends.

How to listen: Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

ICYMI

Your screen time may creep up as the evenings get darker, but keeping up with the internet shouldn’t require spending all night scrolling. Slate’s ICYMI, hosted by Kate Lindsay, unpacks online trends, controversies, and the ways technology shapes everyday life twice a week. Recent discussions have covered vertical microdramas, AI doomsday predictions, and what happens when someone actually swaps their smartphone for a dumbphone. That last conversation, "No Phones? No Problem," is a good starting point if your fall reset includes putting your phone down more often. You can still be informed while taking a long walk with your hands in your coat pockets.

How to listen: Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Spooked

The leaves are changing, the Halloween decorations are going up, and Spooked is returning with more reasons to keep a light on. Hosted by Glynn Washington, the series features people recounting experiences they believe were supernatural, putting the person who lived through each encounter at the center of the story. Its 11th season, "The Spooked Field Guide to the Shadow," begins Oct. 2, with new episodes scheduled weekly throughout the month. If you want to get acquainted before then, the archive has plenty of haunted homes, strange encounters, and unsettling journeys to choose from. Perhaps save the solitary evening walk for another show.

How to listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and iHeart.

Gerbil

October is urban-legend season, and Gerbil examines one that has followed a Hollywood star for decades. The new series from The Hollywood Reporter follows investigative journalist Allen Salkin as he traces the notorious, unsubstantiated Richard Gere rumor through documents and interviews, asking how it spread and why it endured. Launched Sept. 17, it offers an internet-culture angle on the stories people repeat because someone, somewhere, insists they know someone who was there. Queue it up for a rainy autumn afternoon when you have time to follow a rabbit hole — or, in this case, a different rodent entirely.

How to listen: Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

OpenAI is bringing visual ads to ChatGPT.

In a blog post published Monday, the company announced a new image-based ad format. It also announced expanded measurement partnerships for advertisers and pilots meant to show brands how its placement safeguards work. OpenAI said ChatGPT now reaches 1.2 billion people each week, and described advertising as a way to fund broader access to AI beyond what subscriptions alone can support.

The mockups in OpenAI's announcement show two layouts, both featuring a fictional brand called Heirloom Grocery. In the first, a single banner with a headline sits above a short product description and a "Learn more" button. In the second, a row of scrollable photos replaces the banner. In both versions, the ad carries an "Ad" label and appears beneath a progress indicator for an image ChatGPT is still generating.

That placement reflects how OpenAI plans to roll out the format. The company said it will first test the ads during image generation. It said the ads will be clearly labeled and kept separate from the image being created. OpenAI also repeated its position that advertising does not influence ChatGPT's answers.

Credit: OpenAI / Mashable screenshot

OpenAI said its placement guardrails are designed to keep ads out of emotionally vulnerable or sensitive conversations. Qualifying advertisers can now use a feature called Negative Phrases to set their own placement exclusions.

The company is also running brand suitability pilots with DoubleVerify and Integral Ad Science. OpenAI said the pilots let these outside firms evaluate its safeguards in a controlled test environment without accessing real user conversations. IAS CEO Lidiane Jones said in the announcement that marketers need brand safety protections that are "durable, consistent, and built to operate at scale."

Testing begins later this month in the US with an initial group of advertisers.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.