Feed aggregator

Depending on who you ask, AdultFriendFinder is either the Wild West of hookup sites, an "anything goes" paradise for adult fun, or a total scam replete with bots, fake profiles, and inactive accounts. 

After months of personal testing, I can confidently say which AFF you experience ultimately boils down to how you use the site. If you approach it naively, without a strategy, you're probably going to have some frustrating experiences. On the other hand, if you exercise a modicum of caution and common sense, you'll discover a huge, fun, and kink-friendly community.

Here are three red flags to look out for as you use AFF, to help you spot potential scammers and separate the authentic users from the fake profiles.

Opens in a new window Credit: AdultFriendFinder AdultFriendFinder   Learn More Unverified accounts

AdultFriendFinder already offers a fantastic first step in combatting fake profiles that they call ConfirmID. Once you've created an account, you can, at any time, upload a clear scan of a government-issued ID card and then, using a webcam, undergo a quick face verification scan to confirm that you are indeed the person identified in the government document. 

This step strikes the perfect balance between not being onerous enough to annoy the average user but still requiring enough effort to deter scammers, who notoriously go after the low-hanging fruit. 

Once you've completed the ConfirmID sequence, you'll be rewarded with a verification badge on your profile, and we strongly recommend that you limit your one-on-one interactions on the site to other verified users. 

Perfect profile photos

Alright, admittedly this one requires some personal judgment, as everyone should strive to upload good, high-quality photos of themselves to dating websites. But if every photo looks like it belongs in a magazine, or if the person in the photo looks a little too good to be true, you should exercise caution.

In the age of generative AI and filters, it's trivially easy to create a fake photo or series of photos, so you should also be on the lookout for what isn't in the photos. Are there recognizable local landmarks (clubs, restaurants, well-known parks, or street corners) in the photos, or are they all equally generic?

Over-eager chatters

Ever since chat bots became a thing, dating sites have become plagued with them, and as AI improves more and more, it's not always easy to know, right away, if the "person" you're talking to is really human. One dead giveaway, though, is how much they chat and how quickly they reply. 

Real people go off on tangents, employ non sequiturs, and sometimes stumble with awkward questions or comments. Chat bots, on the other hand, are typically always chipper and extremely fast-talking, so much so that a paragraph-long answer can come back to you in seconds. 

They also almost always have an agenda, too, whether that's directing you to click on a link ("Follow my Instagram profile") or getting you to divulge some potentially compromising bit of personal information about yourself.

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.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

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

Poise.

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

GRACE

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Atmosphere.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 3, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

ETHER

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Upper body.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 3 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 3, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

TORSO

Hurdle Word 4 hint

To edit out.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

BLEEP

Final Hurdle hint

Used to eat.

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

MOUTH

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

The Moon is still pretty full in the sky, so there's lots of opportunity to catch a glimpse of some special features on its surface.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Sunday, May 3, the Moon phase is Waning Gibbous. Tonight, 98% of the moon will be be lit up, according to NASA's Daily Moon Guide.

Without any visual aids, tonight you should be able to see the Mare Serenitatus and Vaporum, and the Oceanus Procellarum. With binoculars, you'll see the Posidonus Crater, Endymion Crater, and the Mare Humorum. And, finally, with a telescope you'll see all this plus the Apollo 14 and 17 landing spots, as well as the Descartes Highlands.

When is the next Full Moon?

There are two Full Moons in May, with the next due to take place on May 31.

What are Moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon takes roughly 29.5 days to circle Earth once, going through eight distinct phases in the process. Even though we always see the same side of the Moon, the amount of sunlight hitting it changes as it moves in its orbit. The shifting light creates the changing shapes we know as full, half, and crescent Moons. Altogether, there are eight main lunar phases.

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you're rebellious.

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.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for May 3, 2026 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: Humble abode

• Green: Peace and love

• Blue: Uprisings

• Purple: Hand signs

Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Home structures

• Green: Associated with 1960s counterculture

• Blue: Famous revolutions in history

• Purple: Gestures made with the index and middle fingers

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 #1057 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Home structures: GARAGE, HOUSE, PORCH, SHED

• Associated with 1960s counterculture: ACID, COMMUNE, FREE LOVE, HIPPIE

• Famous revolutions in history: FRENCH, GREEN, INDUSTIRAL, SEXUAL

• Gestures made with the index and middle fingers: AIR QUOTES, BUNNY EARS, FINGERS CROSSED, PEACE

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 3, 2026

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

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.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're an oddball.

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 May 3, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Something's fishy

The words are related to weirdness.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe weird things.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is That's Odd.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

NYT Strands word list for May 3

• Strange

• Weird

• Peculiar

• Thats Odd

• Unusual

• Bizarre

• Quirky

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 have allergies.

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 May 3, 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.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for May 3, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Swollen.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter F appears twice.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter P.

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...

PUFFY

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.

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.

Ask.com, originally founded as the Y2K stalwart Ask Jeeves, is officially dead.

"As IAC continues to sharpen its focus, we have made the decision to discontinue our search business, which includes Ask.com. After 25 years of answering the world's questions, Ask.com officially closed on May 1, 2026," the homepage now reads.

SEE ALSO: Friendster has returned! But you can only connect with offline friends.

Ask Jeeves was launched in 1997 by the Berkeley-based duo Garrett Gruener and David Warthen, a year before Google's now-dominant search engine debuted to the masses. At the time, Ask Jeeves' natural language processing, combined with its personality-filled voice and branding, made it the go-to web search and answer engine for early internet adopters. The website's butler mascot, Jeeves, modeled after the P.G. Wodehouse character, made appearances at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, holding its own against other iconic corporate logos of the early 2000s.

"Can one man have all the answers?" If he has access to the entire internet, absolutely.

But while many still refer to the site by its 1990s name, Ask.com hasn't been "Ask Jeeves" for nearly 20 years, with the brand dropping the latter word and its valet logo in 2006. The shift came after a change in ownership, when the brand was transferred to American holding company IAC. In 2009, Ask.com was dubbed the official search engine of NASCAR.

"We are deeply grateful to the brilliant engineers, designers, and teams who built and supported Ask over the decades. And to you — the millions of users who turned to us for answers in a rapidly changing world — thank you for your endless curiosity, your loyalty, and your trust," Ask.com reads. "Jeeves’ spirit endures."

Amid an overwhelming shift toward generative AI-powered search engines and a repositioning of AI agents as the future of web browsing, the loss of Ask.com feels like a true end of the early dot-com era. So long Jeeves, hello AI.

Apple just axed its cheapest Mac Mini option, a compact 256GB desktop brain that previously cost Apple shoppers just $599.

First reported by MacRumors, the tech giant's new lineup starts with the Mac Mini at the company's $799, 512GB option. The more expensive model runs on Apple's M4 chip and offers 16GB of RAM, just like the $599 model, but with twice the storage.

SEE ALSO: OpenAI explains why ChatGPT suddenly loved goblins

Last week, Apple paused orders of the then sold-out 256GB Mac Mini, hinting at a lineup change. Apple CEO Tim Cook — who recently announced his departure from the company after 14 years — said on a recent earnings call that Mac Mini supply was currently constrained under global manufacturing squeezes and that meeting existing demand may be difficult. Tech companies and AI enthusiasts are weathering a global memory chip shortage, which is expected to worsen over the next year.

Cook himself attributed an increase in Mac Mini orders to the device's AI capabilities, with the Mac Mini now advertised for its Apple Intelligence processing power. Users have flocked to the portable computer amid a surge in interest in agentic AI after the launch of the open-source AI agent framework OpenClaw (previously known as both Moltbot and Clawdebot).

Serial Instagram reuploaders are about to be hit hard in the algorithm, as the platform announces new content ranking guidelines intended to boost original content creators.

Accounts that primarily aggregate content or repost others' content without meaningful alterations or additions won't be recommended to other users, Instagram explained in a recent Creators blog post. The platform announced the same algorithmic guidelines for Reels uploads in 2024. Now they'll apply to photos and carousel posts, too.

SEE ALSO: New rules for the Oscars: AI actors are out of the race

"Original content" is defined as "work that you wholly created or reflects your unique perspective," Instagram explains. That includes original photos and designs, as well as third-party content that is materially edited by the user. "Some examples include adding unique text on the content itself that provides more context than just describing what’s happening, adding creative graphics that offer new information, or using our remix feature to transform the original," the blog post reads.

The platform recommends that accounts that frequently reshare content share other users' posts to their stories, use the repost button, or enable collab posts to avoid being marked ineligible.

Aggregator accounts that are marked ineligible for recommendations under the new guidelines can regain their place in the feed by pivoting to original posts. Instagram says "most" of an account's posts, carousels, and reels need to feature original content over a 30-day period to have the decision reversed. Users can also remove unoriginal content and appeal the decision.

The Academy won't be handing over the golden statuette to robots anytime soon.

In new rules announced May 1, the Academy ​of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has ruled that AI performances are not eligible for an Oscar. Filmmakers can still utilize AI tools in their submitted works, but only human actors and human-authored screenplays will be considered for the body's highest honors.

SEE ALSO: Spotify now verifies artists that are human, not AI

The move aligns with AI agreements won during the 2023 Writers' Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA strikes and addresses growing tension over the presence of generative AI tools across artistic industries.

For example, a recent trailer for the upcoming historical adventure film As Deep as the Grave, featuring an entirely AI-generated recreation of the late Val Kilmer, caused widespread furor among fans who recoiled at the on-screen digital likeness. Prior to his death, Kilmer created an AI version of his speaking voice with UK tech company Sonantic. Other celebrities, like Matthew McConaughey and Michael Caine, have worked with AI company ElevenLabs to clone their voices, as well.

But while some celebs are getting ahead of their AI counterparts, others are fighting back against nonconsensual deepfakes writ large. Pop star Taylor Swift recently filed for trademark of her voice and image — including the phrase "Hey, it's Taylor." — amid a surge of synthetic AI likenesses of her proliferating across the internet, including ones used in data phishing scams.

The Academy announced additional rule changes for international film and acting categories, generating buzz online after several contentious Oscar campaign races in recent years. For non-English films, a country can now have multiple nominated entries instead of the previous limit of one. Similarly, actors can receive multiple nominations in the same category if their performances rank in the top five.

Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.

Released in August 2025, Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move on to the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.

How to play Pips

If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity with how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 2, 2026

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible — and common — for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

• Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.

• Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.

• Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.

• Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.

• Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for May 2, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for May 2 Pips

Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 0-6, placed horizontally; 6-3, placed horizontally.

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 6-3, placed horizontally; 3-4, placed horizontally.

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 3-4, placed horizontally; 4-4, placed horizontally.

Less Than (6): Everything in this space must be less than 6. The answer is 1-1, placed vertically.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for May 2 Pips

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 0-3, placed vertically.

Equal (5): Everything in this space must be equal to 5. The answer is 5-5, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 5-4, placed horizontally

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 5-4, placed horizontally; 4-4, placed vertically.

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 2-2, placed horizontally; 2-6, placed vertically.

Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 2-6, placed vertically; 5-6, placed vertically.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 5-6, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for May 2 Pips

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 4-5, placed vertically; 2-5, placed vertically.

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 6-3, placed vertically.

Number (15): Everything in this space must add up to 15. The answer is 3-5, placed horizontally.

Number (7): Everything in this space must add up to 7. The answer is 3-4, placed horizontally; 6-3, placed vertically.

Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 6-6, placed horizontally.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-1, placed vertically.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-1, placed vertically; 1-3, placed horizontally.

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 3-5, placed horizontally; 3-3, placed horizontally; 3-4, placed horizontally; 1-3, placed horizontally; 0-3, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 0-6, placed horizontally.

Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 0-6, placed horizontally; 0-3, placed horizontally; 0-1, placed horizontally.

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 0-1, placed horizontally.

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

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will require some knowledge of popular U.S. sports and pop culture.

As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a 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. The sports 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 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 before 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: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. 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: Found in the Iron City

• Green: Keeping score

• Blue: PWHL's best

• Purple: Racing horse winners

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: A Pittsburgh Athlete

• Green: Seen on an MLB Scorebug

• Blue: Teams in the PWHL Playoffs

• Purple: Horse Racing Triple Crowns

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 #585 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• A Pittsburgh Athlete: PANTHER, PENGUIN, PIRATE, STEELER

• Seen on an MLB Scorebug: COUNT, INNING, OUTS, SCORE

• Teams in the PWHL Playoffs: CHARGE, FLEET, FROST, VICTORIE

• Horse Racing Triple Crowns: AFFIRMED, CITATION, JUSTIFY, WHIRLAWAY

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports 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.

I was 14 when I saw Les Misérables on Broadway, and it blew my mind. The production, with its spinning stage and massive ensemble, expanded my understanding of what live theater could be. And in a Broadway season arguably overstuffed with stage interpretations of beloved movies, like Beaches, Dog Day Afternoon, The Rocky Horror Show, and Titanique, it was The Lost Boys: A New Musical that took me back to that feeling of being a child in awe of the magic of live theater.

Based on the grubby cult horror film from Joel Schumacher, this musical offers the familiar story of a family of three looking to start a new life in the beachside town of Santa Carla, California. There's just one obstacle to a single mom and her teen sons having a happy ending: a roving pack of motorcycle-riding teen vampires. 

The movie is a messy blend of bloody horror, earnest drama, goofball comedy, and camp — including an inexplicably buff, shirtless, and greased-up saxophone player. So, my expectations for the stage show were that it would be self-mocking, like the irreverent fun of the Celine Dion jukebox musical parody Titanique. However, The Lost Boys: A New Musical has more in common with Little Shop of Horrors, which gets name-dropped in a cheeky moment of self-awareness. 

The book by Chris Hoch and David Hornsby (Mythic Quest) fleshes out the narratives for all three family members, and the sexy mullet-sporting vampire named David. From there, the tonal shifts of the movie remain, but original songs from the band The Rescues help smooth the transition from one emotion to the next, so that each can hit with a rousing intensity. 

Make no mistake: The Lost Boys: A New Musical rocks. 

The Lost Boys: A New Musical is an astounding production.  Maria Wirries and LJ Benet play Star and Michael in "The Lost Boys: A New Musical." Credit: Matthew Murphy

Cheers to director Michael Arden (Queen of Versailles), who masterfully unfolds the world of Santa Clara one flashlight swipe at a time. 

As the audience files in, the view of the stage is blocked by an opaque black scrim. Then, "1987" is projected upon it in white light. The show begins with a stage so dark that we can see little of the set aside from a small, boxy television sitting downstage, playing footage of President Ronald Reagan bloviating on family values. A police officer enters from a doorway high up from the stage, indicating a second story to the setting. He is viewable only as a silhouette. He calls out into the dark, and his flashlight sweeps across the room, revealing details of a rusted factory's interior with each urgent movement. 

As our eyes adjust to the darkness, we see the cop is not alone. A stalking figure floats down from the rafters. This is David (Ali Louis Bourzgui), who appears with grace of an angel and the bloodlust of a demon. 

He descends on the cop and pulls him up into the sky, feeding on his neck high above the stage. Then the stage lights flash, and we are blinded. Just like that, the scene has changed. The scrim's projection light tells us we're in Phoenix, Arizona. Where there were moments before an abandoned factory and a fresh kill, there's now Michael Emerson (LJ Benet) revving his motorcycle. 

From here, we'll meet his nerdy younger brother, Sam (Benjamin Pajak), and his patient mom, Lucy (Shoshana Bean), as they hurriedly pack up to move away from an abusive father and husband. 

This is a smart change from the original film, which had the father as a non-entity. Here, he's the first monster this trio has faced, which they sing about in the show's first song, "No More Monsters." But this violent drunk also becomes a future possibility that Michael fears repeating. So as he gets pulled into David's blood-sucking gang, his fear is not just of becoming a vampire but of becoming a vicious brute like his dad. 

The book and music also beautifully build out Sam and Lucy. For the former, the musical leans into the queer undertones of the movie, making Sam's journey one of realizing a side of himself he'd been hesitant to recognize with "Superpower." For Lucy, she not only has a budding romance but also reflects on how her past as a hippie brought her back to her hometown in the rousing "Wild."

Shortly after the family arrives at Santa Clara, they each find their own pockets of its boardwalk life. Lucy meets Max (Paul Alexander Nolan) the friendly owner of the local video rental store. Sam tumbles into a comic book shop, where he meets the Frog brothers (Jennifer Duka and Miguel Gil), who warn him of the town's dark side as "Murder Capital of the World." 

Michael plunges into that dark side, led by a bohemian beauty named Star (Maria Wirries), who performs onstage with a leather-strapped rock band led by the seductive David. "Have to Have You," he croons with the thrilling sensuality of '80s hair bands, locking us to a time and mood that Kiefer Sutherland made intoxicating decades before. 

Ali Louis Bourzgui is spellbinding as The Lost Boys' David.  Ali Louis Bourzgui and Dean Maupin as David and Paul in "The Lost Boys: A New Musical." Credit: Matthew Murphy

Sporting black leather, a bleached blonde mullet, sharp fangs, and a sharper smile, Bourzgui oozes sex appeal and menace. There's a whiff of Kiefer in his approach, as he plays David as a vampire who clearly relishes his power. There's an edge of camp to his portrayal, as he endlessly poses, whether strutting on stage or flying high above it. 

This David is knowingly performative, projecting an image of killer cool and absolute freedom. But in private moments with Star — and later, Michael — an edge of his vulnerabilities creeps through the cracks, making him not softer but more volatile. (Echoes of The Vampire Lestat!) 

While Michael is undoubtedly the lead of The Lost Boys, Bourzgui is its star. Benet gives an earnest and angst-filled performance that brings rich depths to the tortured teen. But Bourzgui becomes more than an actor or a singer on that stage. He becomes a rock star, a magician, and a god.

The mesmerizing grace with which he flows from floor to ceiling, swimming through the air on wires as if he can truly fly, is breathtaking. I know there are wires there; sometimes I can even see them. But the effect is so sublime that I believe in David and his powers with utter abandon. 

When Bourzgui is on stage, it's hard to look away from him, his presence is so completely captivating. And his uncanny bravado helps ground the show's sillier scenes, pulled directly from the movie. 

You might assume the motorcycle race won't make it to the stage. And the scene where they drop from the train tracks? How do you do that in a theatrical production? The Lost Boys will show you how. 

The Lost Boys: A New Musical is better than Schumacher's movie.  Shoshana Bean is Lucy Emerson in "The Lost Boys: A New Musical." Credit: Matthew Murphy

A masterful employment of lights helps turn the stage into a bumpy, dark road, perfect for reckless racing. Fog machines and wires allow for a recreation of the train tracks scene that isn't remotely hokey, as it was in the movie. Instead, when Michael, who has fed on David's blood, dares to let go, his fall is transcendent, creating a live stunt that feels impossible even as you watch it. 

Arden's production marries light, sound, sets, and blocking to a miraculous effect, using not just the stage but the whole of that big box to tell this story to its fullest. The Lost Boys operates not only on the X and Z axis of the stage, but on Y as well, through the wire work and a three-story set design that constantly shifts with details and company. 

The supporting cast comes out as cheery surfers and roller skaters, seemingly plucked from Barbie. Then they resurface as studded punks, with sneers and safety pins. Next they're old-school vampires, comically draped in long capes, then superheroes in brightly colored unitards. Seamlessly, they switch roles in costume and physicality, building out the world of Santa Clara with every appearance. 

Arden thoughtfully places his cast in every scene, like a master illusionist. With the towering canvas at the Palace Theatre, he strategically uses blocking to draw our eye to one corner, where David is lit to glisten, his bared abs looking chiseled by marble in the pale blue light. Meanwhile, Michael is upstage, preparing for flight. When he takes off, your eyes snap to him, and the next stunt or jump scare is already in the works in another spot. 

Where Sam's arc builds out some Goonies-style fun with brave kids getting in over their heads, Michael and David's story becomes an increasingly terrifying adventure. Arden manages surprises and scares by how he throws David's voice around the theater. He uses darkness to allow for horrid surprise entrances, and pyrotechnics to make some of the flashiest slays really pop. The audience (myself included) shouted and cheered at such displays, as if we were at a rock show. And indeed, we are! 

Much as Alan Menken and Howard Ashman did with Roger Corman's Little Shop of Horrors, Hornsby, Hoch, The Rescues, and Arden have taken an odd horror movie and expanded it into a wildly entertaining, rich stage musical. The production design alone is worth the cost of admission. But Arden's cast brings breathtaking spirit to the show. 

Wirries belts out love ballads and the rousing "War" with an unfettered passion. Bean is a Broadway diva in full as she lets loose with "Wild." The supporting cast of Frogs and vamps (Brian Flores, Sean Grandillo, and Dean Maupin) radiates attitude for comic relief and stinging suspense, respectively. Nolan neatly handles the creepy nuance of Max, while Benet and Pajak burst forth as bickering brothers.

But above all, you won't want to miss Bourzgui as David. In originating the musical role on Broadway, he had big leather boots to fill, thanks to Kiefer Sutherland. Yet, he makes David his own with every smirk, threat, and song. His performance, paired with the ambitious and excellent production design, has me not only in awe, but also desperate to go again. 

The Lost Boys: A New Musical is now on Broadway. 

SAVE $500: The DJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo is on sale for $1,099 at Amazon. That's $500 off the list price of $1,599.

Opens in a new window Credit: DJI DJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo $1,099 at Amazon
$1,599 Save $500   Get Deal

What's going to happen to the drone market in 2026? Due to legislative pressure on DJI imports in the U.S., there is so much uncertainty at the moment. We expected stock issues by now, but we're actually seeing strong discounts on some of the best drones in the DJI range.

The DJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo is on sale for $1,099 at Amazon. That's $500 off and close to the record-low price.

SEE ALSO: DJI launches the Mic Mini 2. But there's a catch.

The DJI Mini 5 Pro offers a huge 1-inch CMOS sensor, so whether you’re shooting 50MP stills or 4K/120fps slow-motion, the dynamic range more than delivers. The DJI Mini 5 Pro also makes use of forward-facing LiDAR that powers the new Nightscape Omnidirectional Sensing, meaning it can dodge branches, power lines, and buildings even when you don't have eyes on your drone.

This popular drone offers 42GB of internal storage, meaning you can actually capture a full session of 4K footage without needing an external card as backup. That can have a massive impact for content creators.

Save $500 on the DJI Mini 5 Pro this weekend.

TL;DR: Score the iPhone 17 for free when you switch to T-Mobile and bring your number on an Experience Beyond or Better Value plan.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple T-Mobile: Apple iPhone 17 for free   Shop Now

Earlier this year we got new iPhones, MacBooks, and iPads. That was quite a rush, but what are we all supposed to do until the next launch? We can't sit around and wait until the long-awaited foldable iPhone arrives in late 2026.

No, we should be using this time to scout the best deals on Apple's latest lineup.

And there's some good news for anyone looking to upgrade to the Apple iPhone 17: For a limited time, you can claim the iPhone 17 for free when you switch to T-Mobile and bring your number on an Experience Beyond or Better Value plan. You can also switch to almost any T-Mobile plan and get a free iPhone 17e. Neither of these offers requires a trade-in.

T-Mobile will charge taxes on these deals and a $35 device connection fee, but that's pretty much always the case with these "free" deals. It's a small price to pay for a brand-new mobile.

SEE ALSO: iOS 27 could finally bring AI photo-editing to your iPhone

The iPhone 17 is the first base model built to handle Apple’s most advanced AI features. In Mashable's review, Stan Schroeder said it's an "excellent phone that matches the iPhone Pro models in many ways that matter." Content creators will also be pleased to read that the camera is "almost as good as the one on the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max."

Score the Apple iPhone 17 for free with T-Mobile this weekend.

TL;DR: Upgrade your AI workflow with a lifetime subscription to 1min.AI’s Advanced Business Plan, now just $79.97 (reg. $540) until May 10.

Opens in a new window Credit: 1minAI 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan Lifetime Subscription $79.97
$540 Save $460.03   Get Deal

Most AI models spit out one answer. There’s one problem with this — you don’t know if it’s the best option unless you run it through multiple models, which takes a whole lot of time. That’s where 1min.AI shines, letting you put your prompt in one place and see answers from dozens of AI models.

Right now, you can streamline your AI workflow with a lifetime subscription to 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan for only $79.97 (reg. $540) through May 10.

Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!

Imagine seeing results from dozens of popular AI models in one window, with no tab-hopping or copying and pasting required. That’s what 1min.AI offers — a one-stop-shop for all your AI needs.

With 1min.AI, you can see responses from major AI models like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, Mistral, and more, all in one spot.

Compare them all and easily find the best answer. You can get help with coding, video editing, image generation, answering simple questions, and much more. Just always give things a human once-over, because edits might be required.

Not only does 1min.AI let you consolidate your AI workflow, but it also saves you money in the long run. This lifetime subscription allows you to pay once and avoid not only monthly subscription fees, but also the cost of accessing multiple models.

Your lifetime subscription to the 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan provides an unlimited prompt library, unlimited storage, unlimited brand voice options, and weekly updates. You’ll also receive 4 million credits a month.

Wondering what you can do with those credits? You can use them to write 1,112,500 words, research up to 5,933 SEO keywords, generate up to 1,186 images, or create up to 37 videos per month. If you need more, you can earn them for free by using the app, leaving a review, or referring your friends.

Lock in major savings with a lifetime subscription to 1min.AI’s Advanced Business Plan for only $79.97 through May 10.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Bring home this Apple MacBook Pro for only $429.97 (reg. $1,999) now through May 10, while supplies last.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Macbook Pro 2020 (Refurbished) $429.97
$1,999 Save $1,569.03   Get Deal

If you’re in the market for a premium laptop, but you don’t exactly have the budget to match, you may want to act fast on this next deal. Right now, a MacBook Pro, Apple’s most powerful and portable device, can be yours for just $429.97 (reg. $1,999) until May 10.

When your workload doesn’t slow down, the MacBook Pro is ready to keep up. This Apple device is known for its seamless performance and incredible power, and this model delivers all that and more for a fraction of the usual price.

Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!

Equipped with a 10th Gen Intel Core i5 processor and 2GHz base speed, this MacBook can handle all your multitasking needs. And if you require a little extra power, it also has Turbo Boost up to 3.8GHz.

If you do a lot of video editing or coding, you can take advantage of the 16GB of RAM. You’ll also have 1TB of SSD storage to work with, so you can save important files locally and download your favorite apps with plenty of space to spare.

This MacBook Pro has a 13.3-inch Retina Display that offers bright colors and stunning detail in 2560×1600 native resolution. You’ll also enjoy enhanced visuals thanks to Intel Iris Plus Graphics.

Your eyes will appreciate True Tone Technology, Apple’s signature feature that adjusts your screen to improve visibility and reduce eye strain. This MacBook Pro also has a Magic Keyboard with a Touch Bar, so you can type comfortably with quick access to shortcuts at the top.

This model also boasts a 10-hour battery life on a full charge, and there are four Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports for easy connectivity.

You’re saving over $1,500 on this device thanks to its Grade A refurbished rating. That means it will arrive in near-mint condition, with minimal to no scuffing, while you snag the deep discount.

Act fast to get your own Apple MacBook Pro for $429.97 while supplies last.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Microsoft Office 2024 Home and Business includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote with a one-time license, now $99.97 (reg. $249.99).

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business for Mac or PC Lifetime License $89.97
$249.99 Save $160.02   Get Deal

There’s a good chance you use Microsoft Office more often than you realize — possibly more than some of your go-to apps. There’s also a good chance you’ve been paying for it just as consistently. This Microsoft Office 2024 Home and Business lifetime license offers a one-time alternative, now on sale for $99.97 (reg. $249.99).

For a set of apps you open this frequently, paying month after month can start to feel a bit unnecessary — especially when a one-time license is an option. This version includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote, which covers most of what people actually use on a day-to-day basis. It doesn’t come with Teams, but it does integrate with it, so you can still jump into chats, share files, and sit through meetings as needed.

Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!

Office 2024 doesn’t offer drastic differences, but instead builds on what’s already familiar with some useful upgrades along the way. Performance has been improved, particularly in Excel, where handling large datasets and multiple workbooks feels smoother. PowerPoint now supports recording presentations with voice narration and video, including live camera input, which can be useful for remote work or presentations.

Word also gets a few AI-assisted features, like suggestions for completing sentences and generating content based on context. Across the suite, AI tools can help with formatting, summarizing text, translating content, and pulling out key information.

All in all, this bundle offers the same set of tools most people are familiar with, just with a few updates that make everyday tasks a bit easier.

Originally $249.99, you can get Microsoft Office 2024 Home and Business for Mac or PC for $99.97 for a limited time.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

So, you want to explore kink but you're not sure where to begin. Finding a dating app that's kink-friendly and full of likeminded kinksters is hugely important, and regular dating apps might not cut it on that front. So, how do you find your people?

Perhaps you have a foot fetish, or you're into spanking or BDSM. Maybe you have no idea what you might be into but want to find a safe, non-judgmental space to explore your options and go on a journey of sexual self-discovery. 

Well, we've got good news for you: thanks to the magic of the internet, there are at least two places purpose-built for you to let your freak flag fly: AdultFriendFinder and FetLife. Spend even a few minutes on either site and you'll see they have a lot in common, from the abundance of nudity to the kink-friendly design of the interface and search functions. 

Another major point of commonality between the two sites is the user demographics. Though both skew male, the major standout difference is age — the average user on FetLife in 25 and AdultFriendFinder users tend to be in their 30s. That having been said, both sites boast a very wide range of genders, sexual orientations, ages, and kink communities, so it's safe to say there's something for everyone here. 

But while both sites are designed to accommodate sex-positive communities, they don't operate in the same way, and you may find one suits your needs and goals better than the other. Here are the major differences in how AFF and FetLife cater to kinksters:

Opens in a new window Credit: AdultFriendFinder AdultFriendFinder   Learn More Opens in a new window Credit: FetLife FetLife   Learn More Where AdultFriendFinder excelsFaster connections

FetLife is great and very popular, but it also takes time to build a following, earn credibility, and be taken seriously on the site. In fact, while you can message strangers, the culture of the site discourages it, and it's common for unsolicited messages to go ignored. On AdultFriendFinder, on the other hand, the opposite rule reigns. In fact, it's much more like a traditional dating site, in the sense that connecting with strangers online is closer to the site's purpose, whereas FetLife is more of a social media website for building local kink communities. 

And in addition to the one-on-one aspect, AdultFriendFinder also hosts live webcam shows and community discussion forums, offering users multiple different ways to connect and connect quickly.  

Better site interface

This one might be controversial, since the AFF site is notoriously dated, but FetLife's interface is downright confusing, a mix between Facebook and Instagram, with much more limited search functionality. While both sites will allow you to search by specific kinks (and both sites offer exhaustive lists of kink options), the search functionality and filter options on AdultFriendFinder are more comprehensive and more user-friendly.

This isn't an accident, by the way. FetLife deliberately disables search by age, gender and sexual orientation because, in their words, they are "a social network and not a dating site."

Live shows

FetLife allows users to host videos, but it doesn't have a dedicated, live webcam service. Some users do offer that, of course, but they do so on third-party sites, and usually behind a paywall. AFF, on the other hand, makes live streaming a significant part of their community experience, and allows you to search through the webcam shows based on the location of the streamer or the interest/topic of the show, which often revolves around a specific kink. 

SEE ALSO: 4 tips for using hookup apps discretely — advice for Feeld, Tinder, AdultFriendFinder, and Grindr

In other words, if you're content to watch, AFF delivers some excellent, kink-centric live action, and much of it is accessible without upgrading to a paid subscription.

Where FetLife excelsFree accounts have more freedom

The most noticeable difference between FetLife and AFF is how much more freedom is afforded to non-paying accounts. On AdultFriendFinder, profiles are locked behind a paywall, so only paying members can read bios, scroll through photos, or see a comprehensive list of kinks. FetLife, on the other hand, operates more like Instagram for kinksters, delivering large photos, comprehensive bios, and even a web of connections comparable to what you might see on Facebook, from friends and romantic partners to subs, doms and mentors, if applicable. 

Even more important, free FetLife users can contact each other in one-on-one messages without having to give up their credit card information, which definitely makes it easier to establish a personal connection.

One major limitation of free accounts is that they're prevented from watching videos, and because raunchy videos are a mainstay of many profiles, this is definitely a hindrance, but not an especially annoying one. 

The site promotes in-person events

Perhaps the biggest benefit of FetLife over AdultFriendFinder is the former is much more focused on real-life connections, whereas AdultFriendFinder seems content to let people play in the virtual world. 

The Events tab at the top of the FetLife banner allows you to see, at a glance, all of the nearby, kink-friendly events, from informal meet-and-greets to full-on costume and masquerade balls. Best of all, you can filter by sub-type (Party, Educational, Social, Conference/Festival, Sex Party) or just look for events that your FetLife friends are attending.

SEE ALSO: Hinge's latest feature makes date planning a little easier

These in-person events are such an important part of the FetLife experience, even when they're not officially affiliated with the website, that they should be considered integral to the site itself. In fact, it's pretty common to see people indicate, in their profiles, that they won't message or "friend" anyone that they haven't already met at an IRL event. 

Kink discovery

Because of its community emphasis and dedication to exploring sexuality in a safe, consensual and informed way, FetLife offers users not only the means to connect with others but also to better connect with themselves. There's the community-sourced Kinktionary, for example, a Wiki-like resource covering topical aspects of human sexuality from the ins and outs of gay culture to a comprehensive list of sex toys and their uses, as well as dedicated groups to not only explore kinks but also introduce people to the BDSM lifestyle (we recommend you check out the Novices & Newbies section if you're a first-time visitor). 

AdultFriendFinder isn't totally without these resources, but they're not as user-friendly or as accessible to total newcomers to the world of kink.

The bottom line

Both AFF and FetLife are premier destinations for internet kinksters, and you can't really go wrong with either. Both sites have large user bases, comprehensive kink-based spaces, and the kind of non-judgmental atmosphere that makes it easy to let loose.

That having been said, if you're looking for the fastest possible connection or are content to confine your kink to the digital world for the time being, AdultFriendFinder does a better job connecting people quickly. If, on the other hand, you want to integrate into your local kink community and maybe discover the underground nightclubs and VIP parties reserved only for the naughtiest of the naughty, FetLife will do right by you.

By trading wheels for helicopter blades, NASA is upping its game for the Dragonfly mission, a flying machine intended to explore Titan, an icy moon of Saturn. 

The team has started assembling the honeycomb panels for the aircraft's main body, completed a series of drop tests on the parachute system, and demonstrated that its compact chemistry lab can pick out tiny amounts of target molecules in test samples.

This NASA robot, expected to launch as early as 2028, is no space orbiter. Dragonfly will be an SUV-size, eight-rotor aircraft, designed specifically to navigate the hazy orange skies of Titan, a world larger than the planet Mercury. It will explore the alien landscape much like NASA's fleet of rovers, except Dragonfly will have a much faster way of getting from Point A to B. In the words of Back to the Future's Doc Brown: "Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads." 

Titan, about 886 million miles from Earth, is the only moon in the solar system with a substantial atmosphere. But Titan's air is thick — about 1.5 times the pressure at Earth's sea level and roughly three times as dense, said Charles Malespin, who leads the team that built the hardware for analyzing Titan's samples. Because it is so cold in this alien world, gases like methane become liquids, and the atmosphere turns into a heavy blanket. Meanwhile, the moon has just one-seventh Earth's gravity.  

"That's why an octocopter is primed for that, because you could fly very easily through it," Malespin said. "We could cover a huge amount of terrain and explore a much larger area."

SEE ALSO: Mars did have complex carbon. A NASA rover found its hiding place.

Scientists see Titan as a kind of time machine for understanding how life begins. Its methane‑rich atmosphere constantly produces complex organic molecules that dust the icy surface, creating dunes and deposits of carbon‑based material. On early Earth, similar chemistry may have helped make the building blocks of life, but our planet's surface has since changed dramatically because of life and geology. 

Titan, by contrast, stays frozen and preserves that chemistry. By flying from dune fields to an ancient crater where water and organics could have mixed, researchers hope Dragonfly will allow them to study how simple ingredients evolve into more complex molecules. 

"There was a melt pool that may have lasted up to about 1,000 years. That is a lot of time for chemistry to happen between the organics that are depositing in it and the water," said Melissa Trainer, a planetary scientist and the lead for Dragonfly's DraMS instrument, a quasi-acronym for its mass spectrometer. "Who knows what we could make in a 1,000-year chemistry experiment?"

For a handful of reporters at Goddard Space Flight Center in April, NASA walked through how the $3.35 billion mission will drill into Titan's rock-hard ice, analyze samples with its built‑in chemistry lab, and then lift off again to explore a new spot. The device will use a carousel of 40 sample cups, tiny ovens, and a laser to study the Saturn moon's plentiful organic material.

It's the opposite of what the tiny drone Ingenuity, which went kaput two years ago, faced on Mars. There, the air is about 100 times thinner than Earth's. To lift itself, Ingenuity needed very long blades and a featherweight body, leaving hardly any wiggle room to carry instruments.

But for Dragonfly, engineers can exploit its larger body to stuff it full of tools. 

"If you had cardboard wings, you could fly just by pushing because the atmosphere is pretty much so thick there," Malespin said. 

NASA Dragonfly team members begin integrating the sample carousel into the DraMS mass spectrometer instrument. Credit: NASA / Mike Guinto

Mobility is the other key reason NASA built Dragonfly as an aircraft. Rovers like Curiosity and Perseverance on Mars move slowly, perhaps half a football field in a day. Dragonfly, on the other hand, could traverse miles.

Researchers will use the mission's measurements collected over three years to study prebiotic chemistry, the steps that occur on the way to making life. They are looking for familiar building blocks, such as amino acids, nucleobases, and fatty acids.

But one limitation for the mission is that Dragonfly can't explore Titan's lakes or seas of liquid methane and ethane at the north pole. Instead, the robot is built to explore an equatorial region of dunes. That's fine with the team, said deputy project scientist Shannon MacKenzie, because some of the materials scientists are looking for on Titan don't dissolve well in liquids anyway. 

"We want to go to the sand," MacKenzie said. "Those organic sand particles are probably the end result of a lot more of that chemistry than what we would be able to slurp up out of the lakes."

Awaiting those detections will take a great deal of patience for the team. The journey alone to get to Titan in the outer solar system will take nearly seven years.