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

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 15, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Weaselly wascals

The words are related to animals.

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Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe an animal family.

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 Mustelids.

NYT Strands word list for May 15

• Polecat

• Marten

• Otter

• Mustelids

• Wolverine

• Badger

• Ferret

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're religious.

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 15, 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 15, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A belief.

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Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter E appears twice.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter C.

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...

CREED

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.

The A.I. company, which is in the middle of a court fight with Elon Musk, has been unhappy with how Apple has integrated ChatGPT into its devices.

Lawyers for Elon Musk and OpenAI made their closing arguments in the blockbuster federal trial on Thursday. Nine jurors are set to begin deliberations next week.

We hope you took advantage of that $499 MacBook Neo deal in the Apple Education Store, because if you're not actually a student or teacher, that discount is now closed off for you.

Apple's Education Store provides online discounts for students and educators. In the case of the already very competitively priced MacBook Neo, that discount was a whopping $100 off Apple's latest laptop. Previously, anyone could shop at the Apple Education Store, with Apple simply using an honor system with its users, allowing anyone to shop there with the assumption that they were a student or teacher.

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However, starting this week, Apple changed its Apple Education Store policy. Apple is now verifying that a consumer is actually connected to an educational institution before allowing them to make a purchase.

Many companies offer discounts for educators and students, first responders, and other groups, and these types of third-party verification tools are a common industry practice.

Apple is utilizing the services of a third-party company known as Unidays, which verifies that the user is eligible to buy from the Apple Education Store.

According to Apple, users who are allowed to make a purchase in the Education Store include "current and newly accepted college students and their parents, as well as faculty, staff, and homeschool teachers of all grade levels."

When making a purchase, Unidays will verify that the buyer is connected to a specific educational institution. For example, a student will have to provide documentation that they are enrolled in a school in order to get verified and make a purchase from the Education Store. 

Unidays verification process is instant for most; however, some users may have to wait up to 24 hours for the company to complete its verification process.

Apple previously worked with Unidays in 2022 when it instituted a similar verification process for the Education Store. However, user complaints led Apple to drop the verification step until now.

Along with the verification change, Apple also added Apple Watch discounts to the Education Store for the first time last week. But, without the Education Store discount, many Apple users may find cheaper deals on Apple products from third parties like Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H, and not directly from Apple.

Want to learn more about getting the best out of your tech? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories and Deals newsletters today.

The prestigious Cannes Film Festival is underway in France, with high-profile stars from The Fast and the Furious franchise dominating headlines so far. However, the Chinese tech company DJI also took advantage of the opportunity to make its own debut — the DJI Osmo Pocket 4P camera.

Cannes may seem like a strange place for a drone and camera company, but the company wants to pivot from the creator space into Hollywood productions. Pictures of the Osmo Pocket 4P show two lenses, which would set it apart from other cameras in the Osmo Pocket line.

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DJI Osmo Pocket gimbal cameras already have a cult following among creators, and the company recently launched the Osmo Pocket 4. However, the Osmo Pocket 4P is designed specifically for cinematic productions, DJI said in a press release sent to Mashable.

"Following the global success of its predecessor, the Osmo Pocket 4P builds on a growing movement in which compact cameras are reshaping how stories are created and shared," reads the release. "Its Cannes debut highlights its potential to influence the future of cinematic vlogging, inspire a new generation of mobile-first filmmakers, and lead global trends in portrait-driven visual storytelling."

Gimbal cameras have long been used in Hollywood productions, and the Osmo Pocket brought the technology to video bloggers, influencers, and creators of all kinds.

DJI says the Osmo Pocket 4P will offer cinematic-quality HDR video and 10-bit D-Log2 color performance for professional color grading.

DJI didn't provide any details on a possible release date or pricing, but a company spokesperson said the camera would be available through DJI's online store and retail partners. As with other recent DJI releases, it may come late to the United States due to DJI's ongoing problems with the FCC and the U.S. drone ban.

Credit: DJI

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Brick just updated its app to highlight a feature that makes me love this little gadget even more.

Imagine this nightmare: You've done your evening skincare, brushed your teeth, and tucked yourself into bed only to realize you left on a lamp across the room. That's the horror I feel when I forget to Brick my phone before bed and have to get up, walk to the kitchen, and tap it against my Brick in another room.

But when this happened last night, I noticed a change in the Brick app. Now, the button on the home page of the Brick app says "Tap or hold to Brick." So, I held the button and my phone was Bricked — I didn't even need to get out of bed.

Brick, the screen-time device that uses a physical NFC tag to block apps on your phone, cut my screen time in half. Plus, multiple people can use it, meaning my wife and I can share one. The Brick has become so popular that "Bricking" is now a verb.

Hold to lock: What's changed with the Brick? Now, you have the choice Brick your phone remotely. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Previously, you had to tap your phone against the Brick to lock it. Now, you have a second option. You can still tap to lock, or you can just hold the button down within the app, and it will lock. This means when you're on the go and need to focus, you can remotely Brick your phone.

I reached out to Brick, and a spokesperson said that while this feature has always been available, the company updated the app to make this functionality more obvious to users. The change was necessary, I think. Several Mashable staffers are devoted Brick users, and we weren't aware of this feature previously.

Now you can Brick your phone without physically tapping it against a Brick. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

However, this doesn't change how you unlock your phone when it's Bricked. To Unbrick your phone, you still have to physically tap it against your Brick. Not surprising because the alternative would make Brick no different from any other screen time app out there.

So with this update, the only thing to be careful of is locking your phone when you're away from it and getting locked out of an important app. Luckily, you can always use one of your five emergency unbricks.

Opens in a new window Credit: Brick Brick phone blocker $59 at Brick
Mashable readers save 10% Get Deal

Three years after the debut of ChatGPT, fooling A.I. systems into bad behavior is almost trivial.

Cerebras, a Silicon Valley maker of artificial intelligence chips, began trading on the stock market on Thursday, as SpaceX, OpenAI and Anthropic also take steps to go public.

SAVE $90: The DJI Mini 4K drone is on sale for $209 at Amazon with the on-page coupon, down from the list price of $299. That's a 30% discount and the lowest we've seen from Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: DJI DJI Mini 4K drone $209 at Amazon
$299 Save $90 with on-page coupon Get Deal

Airline prices are high, and if you're not planning to fly this summer, that's understandable. But there's a different option to take to the skies, and it probably costs much less than those domestic flights you were considering. Check out this drone deal at Amazon that'll be a fun summer hobby.

As of May 14, the DJI Mini 4K drone is on sale at Amazon for $209 with the on-page coupon, down from the list price of $299. That's a 30% discount and the lowest we've seen from Amazon.

The DJI Mini 4K drone is a great option for both beginners and expert drone pilots who are looking for something lightweight and exceptionally portable. The drone can easily fold up and fit into the palm of your hand and it weighs under 249 grams.

SEE ALSO: Take to the skies with the DJI Neo Three-Battery Combo Kit for the lowest price we've seen

Like the name indicates, this DJI model captures 4K UHD footage and it can fly for up to 31 minutes before needing to recharge. Video transmission is still possible from a distance of up to 10 kilometers away, or about six miles.

Since summer weather can be unpredictable, the DJI Mini 4K comes with a reassuring level 5 wind-resistance which measures out to winds up to about 24 miles per hour. DJI also mentions the brushless motors help with power and the drone can take off from altitudes as high as 4,000 meters which is over 13,000 feet.

For beginners, this DJI model has one-tap takeoff and landing, stable hovering, and a GPS-powered return-to-home command.

Before this on-page coupon at Amazon disappears, snag the DJI Mini 4K on sale for $209. Since this is the lowest we've seen, there's not much reason to wait.

Apple AirDrop enables users to quickly share photos, videos, and other files to nearby users. Android has Quick Share to provide similar functionality to its users.

Last year, Google announced during the Pixel 10 series launch that its latest Android smartphones would be able to work with AirDrop through Quick Share. This basically allowed users to take advantage of these file-sharing features cross-platform. Android phones, for example, could now share photos and videos to iPhones in the same way iPhones were able to share between each other via AirDrop.

Since then, Google has been slowly rolling out AirDrop through Quick Share to even more Android devices — even Android smartphones by third parties such as Samsung. And, just this week, Google launched the feature on a slew of new devices.

Here's the current list of every device that currently has AirDrop enabled.

Current AirDrop-enabled Android devices

• Google Pixel 10 

• Pixel 10 Pro 

• Pixel 10 Pro XL 

• Pixel 10 Pro Fold 

• Pixel 10a 

• Pixel 9 

• Pixel 9 Pro 

• Pixel 9 Pro XL 

• Pixel 9 Pro Fold

• Pixel 8a

• Samsung Galaxy S26 

• Galaxy S26+ 

• Galaxy S26 Ultra

• Oppo Find X9 series 

• Oppo Find N6 

• Vivo X300 Ultra

AirDrop coming soon to these Android devices

• Samsung Galaxy S25 

• Galaxy S25+ 

• Galaxy S25 Ultra 

• Galaxy S24 

• Galaxy S24+ 

• Galaxy S24 Ultra 

• Galaxy Z TriFold 

• Galaxy Z Fold 7 

• Galaxy Z Flip 7 

• Galaxy Z Fold 6 

• Galaxy Z Flip 6 

• Oppo Find X8 

• Oppo Find X8 Pro 

• OnePlus 15 

• Honor Magic V6 

• Honor Magic 8 Pro

It appears Google will continue to roll out AirDrop to even more devices in the future, so stay tuned for updates.

SAVE $250: The Segway Navimow i110N robot lawn mower is on sale for $849 at Amazon, down from the list price of $1,099. That's a 23% discount and the lowest we've seen at Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: Segway Segway Navimow i110N Robot Lawn Mower $849 at Amazon
$1,099 Save $250   Get Deal

If you have a tech-forward household, you probably have a few items that make household chores much easier: A robot vacuum, a smart composter, and a smart litter box for the cat are all items that do the chores for you. But until fairly recently, we've been stuck with the task of manually mowing the lawn. This is changing, and we now have powerful robot lawn mowers that can take care of this chore.

If you're looking to offload the task, check out today's deal at Amazon.

As of May 14, the Segway Navimow i110N robot lawn mower is on sale for $849 at Amazon, down from the list price at Segway of $1,099. That's a 23% discount that takes $250 off the price. It's a new record-low price at Amazon, according to camelcamelcamel.

If the lawn gets out of control with spring and summer growth, there's an easy way to keep it under control. The Segway Navimow robot lawn mower is like a robot vacuum but for your lawn. It'll map the area and then set off on a mowing adventure according to your desired schedule. You can also select the length you'd like between 2 and 3.6 inches.

SEE ALSO: The Mammotion Luba 3 robot lawn mower is over $500 off at Amazon — act fast to score a free garage

There's no need to worry about the robot lawn mower bumping into the fence or running over the dog toys left in the yard. The Segway uses obstacle avoidance for over 150 common items it could encounter while mowing.

From the app, you can also set a multi-zone schedule. This will allow you to keep the area near the barbecue cut more frequently than the side yard which gets less use. It comes with an IP66 dust and waterproof rating protecting it from summer splashes. Segway recommends this model for lawns that measure about 0.25 acres.

If you're not in the mood to spend the summer mowing the lawn, get the help of the Segway Navimow i110N robot lawn mower. It's on sale at Amazon for under $850 for a limited time.

SAVE $40: As of May 14, the Garmin Vivofit Jr. 3 is on sale for only $49.99 at Amazon — just in time for summer break. That's a saving of $40 and its best price on record.

Opens in a new window Credit: Garmin Garmin Vivofit Jr. 3 (Marvel Black Panter edition) $49.99 at Amazon
$89.99 Save $40.00   Get Deal

It's easy for kids to rack up those screen time hours once school lets out for the summer. But a fitness tracker can help balance those hours with some necessary movement and one of our favorites designed for kids is on sale for its best price ever.

As of May 14, the Garmin Vivofit Jr. 3 (Marvel Black Panter edition) is on sale for just $49.99 at Amazon. That's 44% or $40 off its list price of $89.99 and its lowest price on record by a long shot.

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The Garmin Vivofit Jr. 3 tracks steps, activities, sleep, and more in a swim-friendly, child-sized package. Better yet, its gamified design lets you child unlock app adventures, games, new watch faces, and more by completing daily activities and reaching their movement goals. And this is the Marvel edition, the Garmin Jr. app will let kids relive the Infinity Saga and be a hero alongside their favorite Marvel Avengers characters.

The parental control features are top-notch as well. You can easily track who your kids are talking to and block any unwanted contacts, schedule reminders for chores and other tasks, set timers for playtime and screen time, input emergency information, and much more. It even comes with a one-year battery life, so you won't need to constantly worry about plugging it in. Once the battery dies, it can simply be replaced.

Best for kids aged 4 to 7, the Vivofit Jr. 3 is a great companion for your little ones this summer. Keep them active, attentive, and engaged even when school lets out.

On Elon Musk's X, Bookmarks are a popular way for users to keep track of posts they want to refer back to at a later time.

However, the Bookmarks feature requires users to actively pick what posts they want to bookmark when they come across it. Then, those posts are saved to the Bookmarks tab.

In a new update that's slowly rolling out to users, X is renaming the Bookmarks tab to History. With that change, users will not only see what posts they've bookmarked, but they'll also see an archive of articles and videos that they've read and watched on the platform.

X head of product Nikita Bier announced the product change this week in a post. 

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"We're rolling out a new History tab on iOS to help you keep track of all your favorite content on X," Bier said. "Bookmarks, Long Videos, Articles and Likes will live here — so you can always come back and continue watching or reading. The Timeline moves fast, so we hope this creates a better place for catching up on long-form content."

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

The History feature is currently only available on X for iOS. History appears to work much like a web browser's history feature does. As Bier said, users will be able to see bookmarks, likes, and their article and video history within the History tab. 

With the closure of popular read-later apps like last year's sunsetting of Pocket, it does seem like such a move makes sense for specific platforms to implement. Facebook, for example, has long let users view their activity within the mobile app. This includes videos watched and links clicked through the platform and viewed within the Facebook app.

Some X users have reportedly seen their Bookmarks tab updated to History already. Others are still waiting for the update to roll out to their account.

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SAVE $300: As of May 14, get the Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 for just $2,399.99, the lowest-ever price on this gaming laptop. That saves you $300 off its $2,699.99 list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Acer Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 Gaming Laptop (Intel Core Ultra 9 Processor 275HX, 32GB, 2TB SSD) $2,399.99 at Amazon
$2,699.99 Save $300   Get Deal

What if you could get everything you love in a gaming desktop in the compact build of a laptop? That's the promise of the Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 gaming laptop.

This 18-inch laptop comes loaded with tons of power that you usually can't find in a laptop. That means 32GB of RAM and 2TB of SSD in a laptop — not a desktop. And best of all, the extremely powerful Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 is now down to its lowest-ever price.

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As of May 14, get the Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 gaming laptop for just $2,399.99. This deal saves you $300 off its list price of $2,699.99.

While we haven't had hands-on experience with the Acer Predator Helios Neo 18, we have taken the Acer Predator Helios 16 for a whirl. It's designed truly for gamers with a flashy design of light bars and backlit logos. It's powered with a Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 graphics card, for smooth, exceptional graphics but don't worry, the device doesn't get overheated with a thermal design.

The Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 has all of this and more since it comes in an 18-inch package.

Get the Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 gaming laptop for just $2,399.99 at Amazon, its record-low price.