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Artificial intelligence software — some already free on your device — can quickly compose and edit documents. But be sure to check its work.

As I look for a spot to unfurl my yoga mat, I hear: "You're welcome to lie anywhere you want, including inside the cage."

It's not a typical sound bath greeting, but then again, this isn't a typical sound bath: it's taking place in Dungeon East, a BDSM space in downtown Los Angeles. I discovered the event on the app Plura, a hybrid events and dating app for kink-friendly and non-monogamous people. The sound bath at Dungeon East was just one of the events that caught my eye, including a rope tying workshop, non-monogamy speed dating, and an erotic ceramics class.

SEE ALSO: Is Feeld for normies now?

As daters have become increasingly fed up with the ghosting and endless swiping on dating apps, they've turned to in-person events like run clubs, flirt parties, and chess groups to meet people. I've been using dating apps since I was 19, and when I opened up my relationship with my partner, they became an integral part of my non-monogamy journey. But lately I'd been curious about the appeal of in-person events — was I missing something? And was Plura's emphasis on in-person events the answer for polyamorous people? Could this sound bath be the new way to find a potential lover? 

A kinky Eventbrite and polyamorous dating app in one

The failures of dating apps were a major inspiration for Plura's founder, Luna Ray, to create the app. After years of exclusively meeting people at events in the polyamorous scene in the Bay Area, she downloaded a dating app during COVID lockdown. "Within a couple of days, I got all of the [negative behaviors] that people say about dating apps: unsolicited dick pics, ghosting, people being assholes," she says. At community events, no one acted this way because there was accountability.  

She initially built Plura as a way for people to go on group dates during the pandemic. But when the world opened up, and Ray started going to events again, "I [was feeling] really socially anxious. I haven't seen people in like, two years. [And I thought] if only I could know who was going to this event. And then I realized, oh wait, I built an app for that." She partnered with local event organizers to list their events on Plura, and the app took off. 

Today, the app functions like both a kinky Eventbrite and a dating app for polyamorous people. It's available across the U.S., although in-person events are only in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, Portland, and Atlanta. (Plura's user numbers aren't public, but in 2024, there were nearly 16,000 events posted on the app.) Users can scroll through events and purchase tickets through the app. They can also see which other Plura members are attending, and a chat function opens up as well. You can "bud" (Plura's language for "liking" a user) any attendee. 

Then there's the dating portion, under a separate tab, where Plura provides five profiles a day with the option to add any of them as a bud. Similar to most dating apps, a chat only opens up if the like is mutual. But unlike Hinge, Plura doesn't show everyone who adds you as a bud first. If you want to see all of your likes, you have to pay $24.99 a month for Plura+. Whereas many of the dating features require payment, most of the event features are free. Looking at the app holistically, it feels like the dating app portion is a side dish — the main course is the array of events. 

That's how Plura user Nic Sornoso, 32, looks at it. The events have been a game changer for her. "Before Plura, it seemed literally impossible to meet non-monogamous people in person," she says. 

When Sornoso and her husband Vince Taesali first opened their marriage, she turned to dating apps to connect with other people. She was disappointed — none of them allowed her to filter by non-monogamy, except for Feeld. And she didn't like how glitchy Feeld was, and felt that "people are very forward on Feeld, which is fine, but that's not how I like to get to know someone." 

A friend told her about Plura, describing it as "Facebook for non-monogamous people," and she downloaded the app. She saw an ethical non-monogamy (ENM) meetup at a bar five minutes away from her and decided to go with her friend. She met friends and even a guy she's still dating today. Now she doesn't even use other dating apps anymore — she just meets people in person at Plura events.

"The dungeon is my Tinder"

Scrolling through the app, I was shocked by how many non-monogamy social events were happening around the city. My partner and I have been open for three years, yet we feel squarely outside the non-monogamy scene. We haven't been to any play parties (we tried to get into one and never heard back), and, as the only open couple in our friend group, we didn't know where to look. But scrolling through the events, seeing the ENM meetup at a bar less than a mile away from me, it felt like a whole new world was opening up.

Accessibility was a major focus for Ray. "I wanted it to be easier if you were just starting out in your poly or queer journey to find your people. People [in] most other places, or even in the Bay Area, if you're outside of the communities, it can be hard to find your way in," she says. 

Scrolling through the events, seeing the ENM meetup at a bar less than a mile away from me, it felt like a whole new world was opening up.

Making it easier for users to discover events doesn't just benefit polyamory newcomers, but also event organizers. 

Justine Cross, the owner of Dungeon East, hosts a variety of gatherings at her space, ranging from sex education classes to play parties to the sound bath. She's struggled with posting them on the right website or app. Instagram will shadowban her (reduce her account's reach) if she posts the events, she says. Eventbrite has erroneously removed non-sexual events for violating its policy. Facebook worked for a while, but her audience doesn't use it anymore. Plura was a natural fit, an app that actively promotes her events to a target audience. 

These non-sexual events are crucial for bringing in a new audience. "I want people to have good experiences in the dungeon. I want people to see the space and see that it isn't scary. If they're not ready to rent out the dungeon or come to a party, they [could] come to a sound bath and feel more comfortable." But she also knows through her own experience that, "the dungeon is my Tinder, I meet everyone there." Meeting in person is way more fruitful than an app. 

"My dating advice for people is to go to the events that you want to go to and talk to people. And I know that's intimidating, but that's how you meet people." At the dungeon, it's not just sexual or kinky relationships that are forming, but friendships too. Cross told me about a group of friends who met at one of her workshops, and consistently come back together. 

"The need [Plura] is solving for is connection and loneliness," Ray tells me. "It's not just, 'I want to get laid, I want to date, I want to have a life partner.' It's the full spectrum of relationships that non monogamous people can have." This informs not just the emphasis on in-person events, but also the way the dating app portion is designed. 

Lengthy profiles are encouraged on Plura, with prompts like "Ask Me About" and a space to describe your relationship ecosystem. 

SEE ALSO: Tariffs are coming for your sex toys

"People are creating a digital representation of who they are. I want people to take the time and really consider [each profile] because it's not just, 'Is this person hot or not?' But, 'Is this person someone that I could connect with on a bunch of different dimensions?' Not just, 'I'm optimizing for the hottest person that I can have sex with tonight,' which is a totally valid use case, but also not the only one we want to be building for," Ray says.

"Literally everyone I've met from Plura has been really, really cool," says Sornoso, "and I think that goes back to [being able] to show more of your personality on the app." She can see way more information about someone before having to match and talk with them, and for Sornoso, it allows for more meaningful and better connections. 

Hearing Sornoso's experience and Ray's rationale for the limited matches per day, it feels like I've been approaching Plura the wrong way. I'm used to making snap judgments while swiping, looking at every profile as a potential sexual connection. That's served me for finding dates, but looking at the events on Plura, hearing about Sornoso's experience and new friendships, made me feel like I've been missing out on something. 

I've heard so many people describe non-monogamy as a "scene" or "community," but so far in my experience, it's felt more like making a personal choice than joining a new friend group. And I've realized I want some of that community — I want to make friends with other people who are open, who understand the thrills and pitfalls that come with this kind of relationship. 

"The need [Plura] is solving for is connection and loneliness." - Plura founder Luna Ray

So I'm at this sound bath to see if I can find that. There are about eight of us spread out on the floor. Several brought blankets and pillows, which, as I lie out on my rubber yoga mat, I'm envious of. Soon our instructor suggests we lie on our backs, and over the next hour, I listen to the sounds of bowls and a gong and hear vibrations radiating through my stomach. As I settle in, I think that maybe after the event, I can chat with some more people. But by the time the gong wakes us up,  I'm yawning and we're all appropriately blissed out and sleepy. 

As I leave with my partner, no new friendships formed, I think of something Cross told me. I'd asked her for her thoughts on people going to events to meet others, like how many people are joining run clubs to find someone to date. The problem with that, she said, is "some people who are going to run clubs are literally just going there to run." 

Plura events are by and for people like me — and next time, I'll give the ethical non-monogamy social club a shot. 

Astronomers have spotted a pair of exotic features believed to be the aftermath of a colossal cosmic smackdown — not between two galaxies, but two groups of galaxies. 

These glowing arcs of radio energy are known as "radio relics," faint clouds resulting from powerful shockwaves surging through hot gas that fills the space amid a galaxy cluster.

The cluster, PSZ2 G181.06+48.47, is billions of light-years from Earth, but its image is less forgettable than its name. Using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope in India and the Very Large Array in New Mexico, a team of researchers spotted the arcs flanking the cluster like giant parentheses. The distance between the punctuation is an estimated 11 million light-years — about 100 times the span of the Milky Way.

That makes their separation a record holder — "the largest known to date," according to a paper published on the discovery in The Astrophysical Journal.

SEE ALSO: What cracked the Milky Way's giant cosmic bone? Scientists think they know. An annotated view of a galaxy cluster reveals a rare pair of radio relics. Credit: Kamlesh Rajpurohit et al / https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/adbbb9

Galaxies are often part of larger collections of galaxies, held together by gravity, according to NASA. These groups and clusters, containing hundreds to thousands of galactic neighborhoods, serve as building blocks for the larger structures of the universe. Clusters are also composed of scorching gas that reaches millions of degrees as well as dark matter, an invisible material that scientists don't yet fully understand.

The team, led by Kamlesh Rajpurohit, an astronomer at the Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, thinks the newfound radio relics formed when shock fronts sped through space following two clusters wrecking. These waves can force particles to shine in radio light.

Though these two come as a pair, they're not identical twins. The researchers describe the northernmost glow as brighter and polarized, meaning its light is moving in the same direction. Its companion to the south has a stranger ghostly shape and an energy pattern that may mean it was caused by a more powerful shockwave. 

Using an enormous telescope in India and the Very Large Array in New Mexico, pictured above, a team of researchers spotted the arcs flanking the cluster like giant parentheses. Credit: Bettymaya Foott / NRAO / AUI / NSF

The relics suggest the entire cluster is in the final throes of a merger set in motion a billion years before.

In the past, astronomers have dubbed clusters fun nicknames based on the shapes of their relics, such as the Toothbrush Cluster. Perhaps in the future this one will leave behind its numerical moniker for something a bit snazzier, like the Eyebrows Cluster or the Air Quotes Cluster. Until that time, you can call it Planck cluster G181+48 for short, Rajpurohit said.

Scientists discovered one other curiosity between the relics: a faint glow at the center of the cluster. This could be a so-called "radio halo," another kind of radio source that emerges when churning gas and particles create turbulence after a violent cosmic crash.

Astronomers have previously detected less than 30 such clusters with relic pairs. But the upcoming Square Kilometre Array being built in South Africa and Australia could be a "game changer," according to the paper's authors. 

"There could potentially be many more awaiting discovery in the era of large radio surveys," they said.

TL;DR: See the world from a whole new perspective with the Mini Digital Night Vision Binoculars, now $89.99 (reg. $159.99).

Opens in a new window Credit: Mesay Mini Digital Night Vision Binoculars with 1080p HD Recording $89.99
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Don’t let the adventures end when the sun goes down. Whether you’re hunting, fishing, or heading out on a camping trip, these Mini Digital Night Vision Binoculars let you see up to 1,000 feet away in the dark. And right now they’re on sale for only $89.99 (reg. $159.99).

Upgrade your outdoor gear with these night vision binoculars

Forget a bird’s eye view. If you’ve ever wanted to experience life after dark, these Mini Digital Night Vision Binoculars let you check out how nocturnal creatures see the world. Their 850nm infrared illuminator lets you see animals, plants, and nature clearly in total darkness or dim ambient light, making them ideal for any late-night adventures. And a 10x optical magnification lens lets you see everything in greater detail.

These Digital Night Vision Binoculars may feature impressive technology, but they pack it all into a tiny casing. They fit right in your pocket and tag along anywhere.

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Capture unforgettable moments and survey your surroundings after dark with these Mini Digital Night Vision Binoculars, now $89.99 (reg. $159.99).

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TL;DR: Become a drone photographer with this ideal model for newbies, the 4K Dual-Camera Drone for Beginners with Intelligent Obstacle Avoidance, now on sale for 50% off at just $59.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: RochasDivineMart 4K Dual-Camera Drone for Beginners with Intelligent Obstacle Avoidance $59.99
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Looking to spend more time outdoors this spring? If you’re looking for a hobby that helps you take advantage of the gorgeous weather, drone photography is a great option. And right now, this 4K Dual-Camera Drone for Beginners with Intelligent Obstacle Avoidance can be yours for only $59.99 (reg. $119.99).

This drone is ideal for beginners and kids alike

Drone photography can be a fun hobby that helps you spend more time in the great outdoors. And this 4K Dual-Camera Drone is a great introduction to the pastime. Just choose a safe flying area, make sure you’re aware of the local drone flying laws, and take to the friendly skies.

Never flown a drone before? This 4K Dual-Camera Drone makes it easy with a one-key start and stop button.

You’ll get a bird’s-eye view as it cruises up to 328 feet in the sky thanks to its HD 4K 90-degree front camera, and 120-degree wide-angle bottom camera. The gesture control feature allows you to simply make movements with your hand to take a photo or video. And optical flow positioning keeps the drone in a hovering state, allowing the bottom camera to capture your adventures.

If you’re worried about crashing your new gadget, don’t be. The three-way obstacle avoidance feature keeps your drone safe mid-flight by perceiving the distance of obstacles and avoiding them in the air. Once your flight is over, this drone is foldable and easy to pack away when you’re done using it.

Pick up a new hobby with the 4K Dual-Camera Drone for Beginners with Intelligent Obstacle Avoidance, now for just $59.99 (reg. $119.99).

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TL;DR: Skip monthly subscription fees when you get a lifetime subscription to the Qlango language learning app for just $34.97.

Think you can’t play your way to new language fluency? Think again. With Qlango, you can pass gamified levels while learning any of the 56 languages it offers to improve your target language. Have fun while challenging your brain and learning a useful new language with a single subscription fee to Qlango of $34.97 (regularly $119.99).

Science meets play for language learning

Level up through over 6,500 new vocabulary words with Qlango’s science-backed spaced repetition. This cycles you through new vocabulary, each time waiting a little longer before you encounter the word again. As the length between recognizing the word increases, your language-learning memory also improves.

And that improved memory is what makes it easier to speak the local lingo while traveling. Many users have already gotten a confidence boost by learning this way, and rated Qlango over four stars in both the App Store and Google Play, with millions of downloads. A scientifically-backed, affordable language learning app just works.

Win the game of learning a language

As you move up through six different levels of the Qlango app, you can adjust your learning preferences. Try some dictation to practice listening. Translation can help you learn with context clues. Brush up on vocab with matching or multiple-choice questions. The app allows you to adjust your learning preferences to find out what works for you.

Unlike some other language learning app competitors, you don’t face penalties for missing a day. Instead, you’re in control of setting your own goals in the apps and then meeting them within your own time frame.

Learning a new language is challenging, and it can take many attempts to make real progress. But when you pay once for Qlango’s lifetime subscription, you won’t feel as if you’re wasting money on monthly fees if you need to take a break. Instead, you’ll pay a single fee for the lifetime subscription and retain access to all 56 available languages for life. Bored with Spanish? Swap to Swedish. Think you can conquer some Latin after studying Italian for a while? Go for it, trilingualism is a thing, after all.

Say “sayonara” to overpriced language learning apps when you nab Qlango’s lifetime subscription for just $34.97.

See Deal

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Opens in a new window Credit: Qlango Qlango Language Learning: Lifetime Subscription (All Languages) $34.97
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TL;DR: Create unique songs without special training when you get a lifetime subscription to Supermusic.ai for just $39.97.

Original music can be the cherry on top of a production, but who has the time or budget to commission a new song for every presentation or social media post? Add custom, unique music to your presentations and social media posts without any musical training background when you use Supermusic.ai, the ChatGPT of music composition. A lifetime subscription allows you to create over a thousand songs per year for just $39.97.

What kind of music can Supermusic.ai make?

A better question is, what kind of music can’t you make with Supermusic.ai? Use the platform to create everything from stadium pop to soulful rock ballads.

Want to write your own lyrics? Add them right in the platform. Or generate lyrics with the help of Supermusic.ai. Add vocals that fit your genre and even layer multiple voices.

Supermusic.ai is ideal for creators who want to go beyond presets for truly customized generation. Type your prompt, choose from genre settings, and tweak edits until it sounds like your unique song.

Whether you want to write an emotional dirge to back a social media post or a silly cat song — see “Chomsky the Winking Cat” below — Supermusic.ai provides the tools for you.

What does the Supermusic.ai lifetime subscription include?

With the Pro Plan lifetime subscription, you can create up to 100 songs each month. Each generation prompt creates two songs, using up two credits per prompt. The single payment for a lifetime subscription outdoes the paid monthly plans of AI music competitors like Suno AI or Udio, making it a more affordable paid product over time.

You’ll also get access to Supermusic.ai’s thriving AI music community. You can connect with other artists and share your generated content from your curated playlists or your profile. Climb the leaderboards as your music becomes popular for even more exposure.

Create something unique and affordable by using Supermusic.ai to generate music, now with a lifetime subscription for just $39.97 (regularly $319).

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Opens in a new window Credit: Supermusic Supermusic AI: Lifetime Subscription $39.97
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If you had Billy Wilder's 1954 rom-com Sabrina in your mind while watching The Surfer, turns out you got what Nicolas Cage was throwing down.

Mashable UK editor Shannon Connellan spoke to the Hollywood icon alongside director Lorcan Finnegan about the psychological thriller, which draws inspiration from '70s Ozploitation movies of the Australian New Wave like Wake in Fright. In particular, Cage spoke about managing the art of the unravel within his character, a man who endures a never-ending supply of misfortune in one Western Australian beach parking lot.

"I always believe that if you scratch the surface of any man or woman long enough, you will eventually reach the inner caveman."

"I wanted to make that distinction very clearly in the beginning that what appears to be a fairly well put together, normal man with a job and a son, a teenage son, and a nice Japanese luxury car, slowly unveils little holes in his personality and also his life," Cage told Mashable.

"For me, as an actor, I wanted to incorporate how much it would affect my voice. Like the sunlight, the dehydration. The scene where you really hear the change in the voice is outside the car with Julian [McMahon]'s character, Scally, when he's tormenting me with the burger and with the beer...Then he's just kind of a humiliated puddle of tears and weeping. I wanted it to be so far removed from the guy we met in the beginning.

"You know, I always believe that if you scratch the surface of any man or woman long enough, you will eventually reach the inner caveman."

But how does Sabrina come into all this? Cage told Mashable that he came up with his character's dramatic "eat the rat" moment in The Surfer — when his character literally demands that of another — after watching Humphrey Bogart's performance.

"So what happened there is interesting because I didn't really know what I was going to do in that scene with Pitbull in the ocean where the big transcendent moment occurs. I knew I had this prop rat, and the rat was a very good prop. It looked real. It was made of rubber. It looked good. And I thought, you know what? Let's not lose this. And I just tucked it in my pocket. One, because I liked the way the rubber tail looked dangling from the character's pocket, I thought it was amusing. But I also thought, 'Hey, I can use this somewhere'," Cage said.

"I had seen a movie called Sabrina, directed by Billy Wilder. In that movie, Humphrey Bogart removes an olive from his martini glass and he shoves it in his uncle's mouth and goes, 'Eat it.' And I was watching that alone in my bed in Nevada and I was cracking up. I was like, 'I can't believe he just did that to his uncle in a movie.' And I couldn't stop laughing.

"That was in my head and I finally said to Lorcan, 'You know, I think I want to use this rat and I want to shove it in Pitbull's mouth and say, 'Eat the rat, eat the rat!' And it just happened because Lorcan is the kind of filmmaker, not unlike David Lynch, who isn't afraid to foster a feeling of creativity and openness on his set. Plus he has a wicked sense of humor. He's really funny. But he's also not afraid to take wild chances with things. So he let me go for it."

The Surfer is in theaters now.

Tesla's Model Y in the U.S. has just gotten cheaper — if you don't mind having one less motor, that is.

The company has launched a new variant of its recently redesigned Model Y electric SUV. Called the Model Y Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive, it starts at $44,990 before federal tax credit and local incentives.

For comparison, the Long Range All-Wheel Drive configuration starts at $48,990.

This one should give Tesla a sales boost. Credit: Tesla

For your money, you get just one motor driving the rear axle, with slightly slower acceleration — taking the car from 0-60 mph will take you 5.4 seconds, as opposed to 4.6 seconds on the All-Wheel Drive version. But you also get significantly more range: 357 vs. 327 miles, according to Tesla.

Featured Video For You The 4 coolest EVs and car tech we saw at CES 2025

Adding the $7,500 federal tax credit takes the car's price to $37,490. Deliveries start in three to five weeks, however, while the All-Wheel Drive variant is available immediately.

The cheaper version of Tesla's best-selling car should give sales a boost, and Tesla needs it, given it just had a pretty awful quarter. It's worth noting that Tesla sales have plummeted in Europe and that's despite the fact that the Rear-Wheel Drive Model Y has been available in many markets there for a few weeks now.

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

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

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Wednesday, May 7, 2025:

AcrossOvechkin who broke Wayne Gretzky's N.H.L. goals record

• The answer is Alex.

Stand-in

• The answer is Proxy.

Industry for marketing professionals, informally

• The answer is AdBiz.

Poe, Pope or Pound

• The answer is Ideal.

Org. that really ought to give you a break?

• The answer is IRS.

DownIntense passion

• The answer is Ardor.

Parts of ears and brains

• The answer is Lobes.

Glowing sign in a movie theater

• The answer is Exit.

End of the alphabet

• The answer is XYZ.

Spanish term of endearment

• The answer is Papi.

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

Featured Video For You The Wordle Strategy used by the New York Times' Head of Games

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

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

Recently the internet has been consumed with the question of whether 100 people could win in a bare knuckle brawl with a gorilla. Now Robert Irwin has offered his thoughts on the debate.

The Australian conservationist and Bonds underwear model weighed in on the hypothetical in a lighthearted post to TikTok on Tuesday, noting that the question has been coming up a lot recently.

"I have been asked this question so much in the last week, it's ridiculous," said Irwin. "Like, I'm getting asked on the street now."

SEE ALSO: The internet can’t stop arguing over 100 men fighting 1 gorilla

The 100 people vs. one gorilla debate has spread significantly across social media platforms, with people arguing over everything from science to strategy. Even primate experts have weighed in, telling Rolling Stone that humans might theoretically stand a chance — if they all commit wholeheartedly to a kamikaze mission with devastating casualties.

For his part, Irwin was reluctant to firmly back one side or the other, acknowledging the sheer volume of people in the hypothetical scenario.

"Gorillas are strong, mate," said Irwin. "Like, really strong. But it's 100 people — I'm not sure."

Instead, Irwin was more concerned with the implications of attempting to beat up an endangered animal. Native to equatorial Africa, gorilla populations have been adversely impacted by threats such as habitat destruction, hunting, and the Ebola virus. This hasn't been helped by their slow reproductive rate either, with the International Union for Conservation of Nature regarding gorillas as critically endangered.

"Just as an animal conservationist, fighting an endangered species just doesn't sit right with me," said Irwin. "How many people does it take to save gorillas? That's the question we should be asking. Because there's not many of them left."

Irwin also considered that the internet debate ignored the fact that gorillas are typically docile, and wouldn't be interested in instigating a fistfight with a crowd of humans. There also seems to be little reason for humans to start something either, particularly if they value the structural integrity of their skulls.

"Yes, gorillas are super powerful, all of that," Irwin said. "But also, they're pretty chill. Most of the time they kinda just keep to themselves. They'll defend themselves and protect each other and all of that, but if they don't really have a reason they kind of just do their thing.

"We don't… we don't need to fight gorillas. Maybe let's just let this one remain a mystery."

Viewers were quick to call Irwin's response "the most Robert Irwin answer," with many dubbing him a "true man" due to his concern for the gorillas.

"him gentle parenting us like school children is sending me," said esmecaastro070.

"he really said 'it’s never HOW is the gorilla,'" quipped rayne333333.

TL;DR: Keep a scanner at your fingertips forever with SwiftScan VIP, now just $41.99 (reg. $199) with code TAKE30. 

We may poke fun at the massive multitasking printers of yesteryear, but having a scanner really did come in handy. If you find yourself missing that addition in your family's old '00s computer room, let SwiftScan VIP fill the void. This versatile scanner app can preserve documents, images, and a lot of things your old desk scanner couldn't dream of.

A lifetime license is also only $41.99 (reg. $199). 

Scanning just got a whole lot easier

Scan anything right from your smartphone or iPad with a little help from SwiftScan. This genius app lets you create high-quality scans of anything from anywhere. It even enhances the scan quality, utilizing color filters, auto-optimization, and blur reduction. 

Save that receipt, record a whiteboard before it's erased, or safeguard a handwritten note with just one tap. SwiftScan can detect the edges of the page and can even scan multiple pages as a single document as needed. 

Once you have scanned the item, you can turn it into a PDF or JPG. From there, you can go old school and send it as a fax. Or if you'd prefer to stay in 2025, you can also send it via email or upload it to iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox, or your own preferred cloud service. 

Aside from serving as your personal scanning machine, SwiftScan also helps you edit PDF files. If you need to work with a PDF — from signing to annotating or redacting — just scan it and then draw, highlight, or erase text as needed. 

Once you scan an item, SwiftScan saves and organizes your scans in folders. And the OCR technology makes them easily searchable later, so you can type in a keyword and find it long after scanning. 

Use code TAKE30 by June 1 at 11:59 p.m. to get a SwiftScan VIP Lifetime Subscription on sale for $41.99. 

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Opens in a new window Credit: Maple Media SwiftScan VIP: Lifetime Subscription $41.99
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TL;DR: Live stream PSG vs. Arsenal in the Champions League for free on RTÉ Player. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Champions League semi finals were always going to be tough games to call, but the first legs were incredibly tense. PSG narrowly won the first leg of their semi final against Arsenal, but that 1-0 advantage could easily be overturned in Paris.

Arteta's side will be desperate to start strongly in the Parc des Princes. They beat Real Madrid away from home in the quarter finals, so why couldn't they do the same and advance to the final?

If you want to watch PSG vs. Arsenal in the Champions League from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is PSG vs. Arsenal ?

PSG vs. Arsenal in the Champions League kicks off at 8 p.m. BST on May 7. This fixture takes place at the Parc des Princes.

How to watch PSG vs. Arsenal for free

PSG vs. Arsenal is available to live stream for free on RTÉ Player.

RTÉ Player is geo-restricted to Ireland, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Ireland, meaning you can unblock RTÉ Player to stream the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream PSG vs. Arsenal for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Ireland

4. Visit RTÉ Player

5. Watch PSG vs. Arsenal for free from anywhere in the world

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The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Champions League without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream PSG vs. Arsenal (plus more Champions League fixtures) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for RTÉ Player?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on RTÉ Player, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Ireland

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

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

Live stream PSG vs. Arsenal in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.

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

More than a third of U.S. states still have restrictions in place for online adult content, meaning millions of potential users are locked out of their favorite sites after the introduction of age verification laws. That's frustrating for users, but there's a simple workaround that everyone should know about.

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How to unblock Pornhub for free in Nebraska

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

Unblock Pornhub by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

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

What is the best VPN for Pornhub?

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

• Servers in 105 countries

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast streaming speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

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

Unblock Pornhub for free in Nebraska with ExpressVPN.

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: Deflecting the ball

• Green: Data in football

• Blue: Baseball team characters

• Purple: In charge of popular football teams

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: Prevent a goal

• Green: Stats for a running back

• Blue: MLB mascots

• Purple: Homophones of NFL head coaches

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 #226 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today

• Prevent a goal - BLOCK, PARRY, SAVE, STOP

• Stats for a running back - ATTEMPTS, FUMBLES, TOUCHDOWNS, YARDS

• MLB mascots - BLOOPER, MR. MET, ORBIT, WALLY

• Homophones of NFL head coaches - BOWLS, CAROL, READ, TAILOR

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 7 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 7 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: I'm in lobe

The words are transportation-related.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words are types of train cars.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is All Aboard

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for May 7

• Engine

• Gondola

• Boxcar

• Flatbed

• Hopper

• Caboose

• All Aboard

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.

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

Rugged.

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

ROCKY

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Friend of Snow White.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 7, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

DWARF

Hurdle Word 3 hint

To expand.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 7 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 7, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

SWELL

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Happens most frequently.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for May 7 Hurdle Word 4 answer

MODAL

Final Hurdle hint

A new gadget.

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

GIZMO

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for May 7 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: To recuperate

• Green: Excluding

• Blue: Used by an oracle

• Purple: Jewels

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: Get better, as a broken bone

• Green: Not including

• Blue: Tarot minor Arcana suits

• Purple: Homophones of gemstones

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 #696 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Get better, as a broken bone: HEAL, KNIT, MEND, RECOVER

• Not including: BESIDES, BUT, EXCEPT, SAVE

• Tarot minor Arcana suits: CUPS, PENTACLES, SWORDS, WANDS

• Homophones of gemstones": CHORAL, OPEL, PURL, QUARTS

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 7

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 May 7 Where did Wordle come from?

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

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

What's the best Wordle starting word?

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

What happened to the Wordle archive?

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

Is Wordle getting harder?

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

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for May 7, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Aggressively masculine.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter M.

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...

MACHO.

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 7

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

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

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

The REAL ID deadline begins Wednesday (May 7), though Department of Homeland Security officials say those without the new identification can still board planes but will need to get to the airport even earlier.

At a congressional hearing on Tuesday, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said travelers who are not REAL ID compliant will face additional security procedures at U.S. airports, including possibly being diverted to extra lines. The New York Times reports that TSA officials recently echoed that statement on Reddit, saying fliers without REAL IDs should get to the airport an hour earlier than they initially planned.

The REAL ID deadline arrives nearly 20 years to the day after the REAL ID law passed in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The requirement for having a REAL ID to fly domestically has been continually extended but was finally set in stone by President Biden, with the Trump administration keeping that May 2025 date.

SEE ALSO: Google Flights data reveals the cheapest day to book your travel

For decades, Americans have been able to fly domestically using only a state-issued driver’s license, but the star-emblazoned REAL ID requires more identity confirmation, including documents verifying addresses and social security numbers. Every state has different rules on how you turn their state ID or driver's license into a federally-compliant REAL ID. California, for example, asks travelers to fill out an online application, upload necessary documents (like passports and birth certificates for personal identification and utility bills to prove California residency), provide a social security number, then go to a Department of Motor Vehicles office — with the hard copies of the documents you uploaded — before the REAL ID is issued.

American travelers without REAL IDs can still fly domestically, and without extra security, with a U.S. passport, a permanent resident card, a Global Entry card, or a Department of Defense ID.