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SAVE 30% OFF: As of April 10, get the video game 'Exit 8' for just $2.79 on Steam. That takes 30% off its $3.99 list price, saving you $1.20. This deal comes just in time for the game's movie adaptation release.

Opens in a new window Credit: Kotake Create 'Exit 8' $2.79 at Steam
$3.99 Save $1.20   Get Deal

Even if you're not a gamer, you've probably consumed a video game one way or another. Video games adaptations like The Last of Us, Five Nights at Freddy's, and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie are all the rage, but even indie games are being adapted too. The latest is Exit 8, made by Kotake Create, now adapted into a feature film, and it's out today, April 10.

The single-player walking simulation traps players in an endless underground passageway as you try and make your way to the elusive Exit 8. Players are only given the instructions: "Don't overlook any anomalies. If you find anomalies, turn back immediately. If you don't find anomalies, do not turn back. To go out from Exit 8."

Mashable's Shannon Connellan reviewed Exit 8 calling it, "At once a masterpiece of game-to-film adaptation, an elegant, nail-biting horror-thriller, and a technical cinematic marvel." However, if you want to play the game before you see the movie (maybe it'll give you a leg up on the jump scares) there's a limited time deal to check out.

As of April 10, Exit 8 is just $2.79 on Steam. That saves you 30% off its already affordable $3.99 price tag — way cheaper than a movie ticket. The game itself is a quick play through with Steam estimating total playtime is between 15 and 60 minutes. That means in no time, you'll be ready to head to the theater to catch the film adaptation.

SpaceX's Starlink might get cheaper and faster thanks to a set of new rules, but not everyone is happy about them.

On Apr. 30, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is voting on an order (via PCMag) that will change how older, geostationary satellite systems share radio spectrum with low-Earth orbit constellations (such as Starlink).

SEE ALSO: SpaceX may be going public with a big fundraising target

Per current rules, the amount of energy satellite systems can transmit to and from ground equipment is pretty limited for low-Earth orbit systems, in order to protect the higher-orbiting systems. But the new proposal will loosen these rules and let the operators of various satellite systems reach private agreements on how they share radio spectrum.

This would enable Starlink and similar systems to use more satellites in a geographic area, resulting in faster internet speeds there. Conversely, an operator would be able to use a higher power level per satellite, thus delivering the same internet speeds with fewer satellites in a given area, which could reduce costs.

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SpaceX, whose Starlink is actually mentioned in a footnote of the text, lobbied for this change, which led the FCC to consider changing these rules. Both SpaceX's Starlink and Amazon's Leo systems have already received a temporary approval to exceed the current power limits, but the new proposal, if approved, would make this permanent.

Not everyone is happy about the proposal, though. For example, satellite TV company DirecTV previously said its service could face disruptions if SpaceX is allowed to increase Starlink radio emission levels.

The full text of the document is available on the FCC website.

They say don't meet your heroes, and the new-to-Broadway stage play starring Aya Cash (You're the Worst, The Boys) shows why.

Written by Mark Rosenblatt, Giant stars John Lithgow as Roald Dahl. The British children's book author is best known for such beloved stories as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, and Matilda. This play, however, addresses how the reception of that work shifts as Dahl expresses antisemitism in other published works and interviews in 1983. When his caustic comments cause public outcry, it's up to an American publisher named Jessie Stone (Cash) to manage this bullying "giant" so the scandal won't hurt the sales of his next book, The Witches. As big an admirer as Jessie is of his work, she is shocked by Dahl's viciousness and politics. And Cash proves a compelling, resilient scene partner to a rampaging Lithgow.

Cash came by the Say More studio to talk about Giant, which made the leap from the West End to Broadway this spring. The play deals not only with the specifics of Dahl but also with broader questions about art versus the artist, cancel culture, and more. With Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko, Cash spoke about how she struggles with such questions in her own life. In the full interview, on YouTube, she also talks about what drives her as an actor, her work on Giant and The Boys, and the silliest bit of playing a superhero on the upcoming prequel spinoff series Vought Rising, in which she'll reprise the role of Stormfront.

Giant is now on Broadway.

The Boys Season 5 is now on Prime Video, with a new episode every Wednesday.

Vought Rising's release is currently TBD.

If you've ever felt like a lab rat in a hellish maze when trying to exit a subway station, you need to watch Exit 8.

Based on (and almost identically replicating) Kotake Create's acclaimed 2023 game, director Genki Kawamura's adaptation is a staggeringly meticulous piece of cinema. Fans of the game will be shocked to see those signature hallways come to life; newcomers will get to experience the maddening escape room for the first time.

SEE ALSO: 'Exit 8' trailer is one of the freakiest trailers I've seen in an age

At once a masterpiece of game-to-film adaptation, an elegant, nail-biting horror-thriller, and a technical cinematic marvel, Exit 8 locks you in and leaves you to flail. You'll never see your commute the same way.

What is Exit 8 about? Kazunari Ninomiya and Naru Asanuma in "Exit 8." Credit: Neon

To call Kotake Create's game The Exit 8 a walking simulator is an understatement. This masterpiece of environmental storytelling is essentially a nightmarish spot-the-difference experience that ties players in knots when it's not leaving them terrified. Like a Möbius strip, Exit 8 sends you into a seemingly endless loop, walking the same mundane yet unsettling subway hallway beneath Tokyo again and again, with the only chance of escape a mysterious set of instructions: If you find anomalies, turn around immediately. If you don’t find anomalies, do not turn back.

Kawamura and co-writer Kentaro Hirase expand this puzzle into three acts, installing a compelling protagonist, exploring other characters (including an outstanding performance by Yamato Kōchi as The Walking Man), and adding a running theme of fatherhood. We meet an unnamed man (an exceptional Kazunari Ninomiya) on his way to his temp job in the Tokyo subway. He's crammed into a train carriage with thousands of other silent commuters, all glued to their phones in a deeply familiar image. When an upsetting confrontation occurs, he simply turns up the volume and zones out, the bystander effect in full force. He takes a rattling call from his ex (Nana Komatsu). When he tries to leave the station, he finds himself trapped in a mysterious looping hallway, tasked with facing (and identifying) chilling oddities — a door ajar, the sound of suddenly nearby footsteps, a disturbingly exaggerated smile.

While a seemingly simple concept, the themes running through this labyrinth are complex, from the drudgery of the nine-to-five to the weight of major life decisions to the concept of limbo. What is this place? An Escher experiment? A modern version of Dante's Nine Circles of Hell? Kawamura will leave you frantically searching for meaning as you search for aberrations on the screen.

Exit 8 is a masterpiece of filmmaking, from production design to cinematography It's perfect. Credit: Neon

The first time our "Lost Man" rounds the corner into Exit 8's all-important hallway, my jaw hit the floor. Production designer Ryo Sugimoto, set designer Yutaka Motegi, lighting designer Tatsuya Hirayama, and set decorator Yutaka Motegi have perfectly recreated Kotake Create's generic subway setting to down to the very last detail, from the graphic design to the stark lighting and those cruel white tiles. It's a magnificent feat, building this seemingly endless hallway for uninterrupted shots, captured with meticulous precision by cinematographer Keisuke Imamura. 

Long one-shots track Ninomiya's superb, overtly physical performance as he frantically attempts to escape the hallway and survive the disturbing jumpscares, many from visual effects supervisor Seiji Masamoto. The game itself wields first person perspective with every step, turn, or movement through space functioning as player-propelled cinematography, and Imamura expertly channels this into Exit 8, executing a hypnotic, unsettling march through these dreaded hallways.

However, none of this would hit quite so hard without Exit 8's supervising sound editor and foley artist Masaya Kitada. Sound becomes a bona fide weapon in Kitada's hands, building dread from the crisp clack of footsteps and the buzzing of fluorescence, or straight-up terrifying you from inside a locker. Make sure you see this film with a monster sound system.

Exit 8 will have you playing spot-the-difference too

The key game mechanic of The Exit 8, spotting the anomalies, also functions as the narrative driver of the film, as the protagonist studies the few consistent elements of the hallway in order to spot anything amiss. Some anomalies are obvious, while others are microscopic. With the latter, deciding whether an anomaly is in fact one becomes as risky a move as deciding it's not. It's maddening, this constant state of flux between ennui, frustration, drudgery, and pure terror.

Through Imamura's calculated cinematography, the audience is also able to play along in some instances in which we desperately roam the screen to identify an anomaly before the Lost Man does — there were more than a few moments when I pointed, pantomime-style, at the screen wanting to yell "IT'S BEHIND YOU!" Granted, fans of the game will be less freaked out by the startling nature of the anomalies, as experiencing them on a first-time play is as unsettling as watching the film.

While video game adaptations come in a range of sublime to mediocre, Exit 8 is a triumphant realisation and expansion of the original concept. Kawamura's punctilious direction and his incredibly talented cast and crew amplify this contained hallway in satisfying, chilling ways. You'll remain in this hallway long after you've left the cinema — we're all still staring blankly at that Exit 0 sign.

Exit 8 is now in cinemas.

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In a story about Hollywood, there's bound to be more than a few stars in the mix.

In Outcome, co-written, directed, and starring Jonah Hill, Keanu Reeves plays a fictionalised version of himself: a famous actor who's known for being the nice guy of the entertainment industry, something well-documented on the internet about Reeves himself.

SEE ALSO: Wait, that's Jonah Hill? The 'Outcome' makeover turns the actor unrecognizable

Beyond the main cast of Reeves, Hill, Cameron Diaz, and Matt Bomer, there's a flurry of cameos from famous faces you might catch or miss. We've rounded them all up so you can play spot-the-celeb.

Yes, that's Martin Scorsese. Credit: Apple Martin Scorsese

The legendary director, who also had a cameo on The Studio, appears as Richie "Red" Rodriguez, Reef's first manager in the business. He now runs his own bowling alley.

Cary Christopher

The pint-sized Weapons star upstages Martin Scorsese in his own scene in the bowling alley. It's gold.

Drew Barrymore

Essentially playing herself, the Hollywood icon interviews Reef on her show, bonding with him as a former child star herself.

Van Jones

The political commentator, former White House advisor, and CNN regular appears at the beginning of the film as a journalist interviewing Reef on his show.

Laverne Cox

One of the crack team of crisis lawyers Ira (Jonah Hill) pulls together to represent Reef, Cox appears as Virginia Allen-Green, "the most legendary advocate for women whose rights have been violated."

Roy Wood Jr.

Also on Ira's top lawyer team, the comedian plays "the sultan of social justice," Reverend Leondrus Carter.

Atsuko Okatsuka

The comedian plays another member of Ira's super team, lawyer and activist Unis Kim.

Roy Wood Jr. and Atsuko Okatsuka in "Outcome." Credit: Apple David Spade

The comedy actor plays "Malibu teen dad" Buddy Gomorrah, who is renting the house beside Reef's with his pregnant partner.

Kaia Gerber

It's a brief moment, but the model plays Oksana, Buddy's pregnant partner. Her grandmother apparently dated Reef.

Susan Lucci

The All My Children icon turns up as Reef's mother Dinah, a reality star and one of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

Ivy Wolk

More of a supporting role than a cameo, the Anora star plays Reef's assistant, Sammy.

Nicolas Noblitt

Playing Ira's son Eli, the actor and wheelchair dancer bonds with Reef outside his dad's office.

Shola Adewusi

The British star of Bob Hearts Abishola shows up as a fan of Reef's who apprehends him in the supermarket.

Nikolai Nikolaeff

The Australian actor (The Last Voyage of the Demeter) appears as a fan who takes a snap of Reef in the supermarket.

Outcome premieres on Apple TV April 10.

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DISNEY+ BUNDLES: Disney+ is offering bundle deals so you can stream the best of its library at a lower price.

The best Disney+ deals and bundles in April 2026: Best Hulu Bundle Deal Disney+ and Hulu Bundle $12.99/month with ads Get Deal Best HBO Max Bundle Deal Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max Bundle $19.99/month with ads, $32.99/month ad-free Get Deal Best ESPN Bundle Deal Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Unlimited Bundle $35.99/month Get Deal

Whether you're looking to jump into the latest superhero saga or journey to a galaxy far, far away, Disney+ is the streaming service for you.

Home to Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and more, Disney+ offers a library that's stuffed full of shows and films to keep both adults and kids entertained. With Disney+, you can watch Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, Zootopia 2, the second season of Daredevil: Born Again, and much more.

If you've had this streaming service on your radar but you've been unsure which plan is the best fit for you, we've got you covered with a selection of Disney+ streaming deals. This includes the Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max package, which is a great investment for those who already own the other two streaming services and are looking to cut down on costs.

SEE ALSO: An 'Animorphs' series is on its way to Disney+ thanks to Ryan Coogler

We've detailed all of the available bundle deals below, alongside basic information on Disney+ plans if you just want the House of Mouse's service on its own.

Best Hulu bundle deal Opens in a new window Credit: Disney Disney+ and Hulu Bundle $12.99 per month with ads Get Deal Why we like it

For those interested in the ad-supported Disney+ and Hulu Bundle, which groups together Disney+ and Hulu, it starts at $12.99 per month. If you'd prefer to get rid of ads, the Premium ad-free version comes to $19.99 per month.

• Disney+ and Hulu Bundle — $12.99 per month

• Disney+ and Hulu Bundle Premium — $19.99 per month

Best HBO Max bundle deal Opens in a new window Credit: Disney Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max Bundle $19.99/month with ads, $32.99/month ad-free Get Deal Why we like it

The Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max bundle is one of the best available at the moment. Starting at $19.99 per month, you can have three excellent streaming services right in the palm of your hand. The $19.99 per month option is for the With Ads plan, but if you'd prefer to watch your favorite content without ads, the No Ads plan comes to $32.99 per month. Compared to what you'd pay for each of these on their own, you're saving 42% with the ad-supported plan and 41% with the ad-free plan.

• Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max Bundle (with ads) — $19.99 per month (save 42%)

• Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max Bundle (no ads) — $32.99 per month (save 41%)

Best ESPN bundle Opens in a new window Credit: Disney Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Unlimited Bundle $35.99/month Get Deal

If you're a sports fan looking to add ESPN to your bundles, you're in luck: Disney offers bundles with both ESPN Select and ESPN Unlimited. According to ESPN, "ESPN Select includes ESPN+ content only. Fans who want ESPN+ exclusively may subscribe to the ESPN Select plan. ESPN Unlimited includes all of the ESPN networks and services, including ESPN+."

The Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited Bundle, which has ads, is available for $35.99 per month. The Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited premium bundle without ads is available for $44.99 per month.

• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Select Bundle — $19.99 per month

• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Select Bundle Premium — $29.99 per month

• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited Bundle — $35.99 per month

• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited Bundle Premium — $44.99 per month

Best Disney+ monthly plans

Disney+ offers two standard plans if you just want the service on its own. The Disney+ ad-supported plan comes to $11.99 per month while the ad-free Disney+ Premium plan will set you back $18.99 per month or $189.99 per year if you'd rather pay annually.

• Disney+ (With Ads) — $11.99 per month

• Disney+ Premium (No Ads) — $18.99 per month, $189.99 per year

Disney+ has also created an "extra member" plan for people using your account that live outside of your household as they crack down on password sharing. If you're looking to add another person onto your account, you're only allowed one extra profile and can choose from the following add-on plans:

• Disney+ (With Ads) — $6.99 per month

• Disney+ Premium — $9.99 per month

• Disney+, Hulu Bundle — $7.99 per month

• Disney+, Hulu Bundle Premium — $10.99 per month

• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Select Bundle — $11.99 per month

• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Select Bundle Premium — $14.99 per month

There's a wealth of shows and films to check out on Disney+ after you sign up. If you want some help finding something to watch, check out our roundups of the 12 best TV shows for adults on Disney+ and the 20 best movies on Disney+ to start building out your watchlist.

TL;DR: Give your PC an affordable facelift with this Microsoft Windows 11 Pro license, $12.97 (reg. $199) through May 3.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Windows 11 Pro $12.97
$199 Save $186.03   Get Deal

A new operating system makes your computer feel totally new to you. If you want to trick yourself this spring and enjoy the perks of a fresh system without shelling out for a brand new computer, this Microsoft Windows 11 Pro license can help.

Usually $199, you can now snag this easy upgrade for just $12.97 until May 3.

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If you’ve got an old PC, you can give it a refresh for less than the cost of lunch with this Microsoft Windows 11 Pro deal. Your device will feel totally refreshed with this new operating system, filled with new features and tools for you to try.

Windows 11 Pro was created with today’s professional in mind, so whether you’re a developer, an artist, or an entrepreneur, you’ll enjoy a smoother workflow. It offers a seamless, easy-to-use interface, complete with a powerful search experience, easy redocking, snap layouts, and more.

This operating system includes Copilot, the Windows 11 AI-powered assistant, available on the taskbar or when you press the Windows logo key + C. You can ask Copilot questions, create images, and generate code, or even let it change a setting, summarize a web page, or open an app. You’ll also get access to Teams, an app that allows you to stay connected to coworkers, friends, and family.

If you need help in the cybersecurity department, you’ll appreciate Windows 11 Pro’s biometric logins, encrypted authentication, and enhanced antivirus protection, all designed to keep your data safe.

Outfit your PC with this Microsoft Windows 11 Pro license for only $12.97 (reg. $199) now through May 3.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Give an old PC an affordable upgrade with this lifetime license to Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows, on sale now for just $32.97 (reg. $219.99) through April 19 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows: Lifetime License $32.97
$219.99 Save $187.02   Get Deal

You don’t need a bunch of new, cool apps — you actually just need dependable old ones from the ’90s. The elite Microsoft Office programs you know and love are actually still around, with some helpful new additions.

Right now, you can snag them all for a one-time low price with this $32.97 lifetime license to Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows — on sale through April 19.

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If you work on a dependable PC, why not show it some TLC with this Microsoft Office Professional 2021 license? If you act fast, you can pay just once and secure all eight of these essential Microsoft apps for life.

For less than $5 each, you can score Word for document creation, Excel for spreadsheet building, Outlook for email management, and PowerPoint for presentation design.

This license doesn’t just include old classics but also newer favorites. You’ll have Access to help you manage large databases, Publisher for designing professional documents, Teams to stay connected with others, and OneNote for your digital note-taking needs.

Don’t be deterred by the year of this edition. All these apps have been redesigned, and you’ll also enjoy a ribbon-based interface that makes it easy to access features, tools, and customizations. Just make sure your device is running Windows 10 or 11.

Give your PC an upgrade with this lifetime license to Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows, on sale now for just $32.97 through April 19.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Upgrade your go-to laptop with this Apple MacBook Air, regularly $1,099, on sale now for $229.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air 2017 (Refurbished) $199.97
$999 Save $799.03   Get Deal

Time is money, so if your current laptop is slowing you down, just think about how much you’re losing over time. The MacBook Air offers power, portability, and speed in a sleek frame, and while it usually sets you back over $1,000, right now you can keep even more money in your pocket and get one for just $229.99.

The MacBook Air is Apple's most portable laptop, but don’t be deceived by its lightweight status. It still packs power and the bells and whistles you’ve come to love from the brand.

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This particular model is equipped with a 1.8GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, which gives you blazing-fast performance for work, play, and everything in between. 8GB of RAM and 256GB of solid-state drive storage make it easy to run apps and programs simultaneously, and store your important files locally.

A 13.3-inch HD display delivers a widescreen resolution for clear viewing. And when you need to connect or transfer files, Bluetooth 4.0 and WiFi connectivity make it easy. A 720p FaceTime HD webcam allows you to hop on a Zoom or video chat with a loved one right from your MacBook Air anytime you need.

If you’re curious why you’re saving over $800 on this MacBook Air, it’s because of this model’s grade-A refurbished rating. That means it will arrive on your doorstep in near-mint condition, with minimal to no scuffing, while you secure a deep discount.

Secure your own Apple MacBook Air for $229.99 today.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

The limbo between having blood drawn and receiving the results can be stressful for patients. Then the jargon-filled blood test report arrives before a doctor can review it and translate the findings. They may never follow up if they see no cause for alarm. 

Enter the artificial intelligence-powered chatbot. Since major large language models like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini debuted a few years ago, an increasing number of patients have shared their lab results — or uploaded them to — the chatbot of their choice, seeking guidance. 

SEE ALSO: Using AI for health questions? Here are 4 tips for the most accurate answers.

Companies, including the wellness and lifestyle brands Whoop and Levels, see an opportunity in this information gap and have made a compelling pitch: Concierge-level attention to a consumer's lab work, courtesy of AI. 

Typically, their AI product is an explanatory report, written in accessible language, that provides a personalized plan with next steps, like dietary changes, lifestyle modifications, and consultation with a doctor. The service, which is typically available with a subscription, can cost a few hundred dollars or more per year.  

Dr. John Whyte, CEO of the American Medical Association, understands the appeal, especially when patients find their results confusing. 

"Physicians are [not always] the best communicators," Whyte says. "I wish we were, and [that we] had more time." 

Still, he says there's no rigorous research or evidence demonstrating that AI can effectively and accurately interpret blood results and make personalized lifestyle recommendations to improve or optimize one's health. In other words, the companies offering AI interpretation of blood tests don't yet know if their product is better than simply consulting a chatbot for free, or more accurate than a doctor's opinion.  

"I think you have to be skeptical about some of the claims," Whyte says. 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A new Mashable series, AI + Health, will examine how artificial intelligence is changing the medical and health landscape. We'll explore how to keep your health data safe, prompting chatbots effectively for health questions, and learn how two women are using AI to detect a dangerous form of heart disease, and much more.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

AI for blood test results still has a long way to go.

The AI models, including Gemini and ChatGPT, used by companies that do blood interpretation work aren't validated or benchmarked for this purpose, according to their makers, Google and OpenAI.

When Google recently partnered with Quest Diagnostics to bring an AI tool to customers of the nationwide lab work company, it focused on explaining medical terminology, identifying trends in their personal data, and suggesting questions to ask their doctor. It does not give medical guidance or lifestyle advice.

A spokesperson for the company said that while Google frequently publishes research on Gemini's medical benchmarks, the Quest partnership is designed to "solve real-world literacy and data-navigation challenges for patients."

OpenAI's HealthBench, which tests how well its models perform on realistic health scenarios, includes examples of understanding blood results, according to a company spokesperson. Still, OpenAI doesn't have a standalone benchmark for blood testing. 

Jonathan Kron, co-founder and CEO of the company BloodGPT, readily acknowledges that there are no widely accepted benchmarks for comprehensively interpreting blood tests at scale. 

During its early testing in 2024, BloodGPT found that uploading full lab reports directly to general-purpose chatbots like Claude and ChatGPT consistently yielded errors. Biomarkers were missed entirely or confused with each other. Sometimes the chatbot hallucinated recommendations. 

These experiences prompted BloodGPT to build what it calls a "structured pipeline" with multiple checks for validating its findings. While BloodGPT can swap out large language models based on their evolving strengths, the company currently uses enterprise Gemini, OpenAI, and Anthropic models for different tasks, including classification, reasoning, interpretation, and consistency checking. It also consults with specialists on specific biomarkers, like the reproductive hormones estrogen and testosterone, to check the accuracy and insight of its AI. 

Though BloodGPT considers its primary business selling software to other companies, including clinical laboratories, healthcare systems, and health diagnostic companies like LabCorp, it offers AI interpretation to individual consumers. Their consumer plans range from $9.99 to $17.99 per month.

The company says its algorithms are based on established clinical guidelines and validated medical reference data, and are tested iteratively by clinicians. BloodGPT hasn't published peer-reviewed research proving the success of its methods — yet. 

Kron says the company will embark on a massive research project using 100,000 de-identified patient records through a partnership with an Israeli health system. The goal is to benchmark BloodGPT's accuracy in multiple ways against the results contained in the patients' medical records. 

"We're not choosing the easy way here," Kron says. 

SEE ALSO: Read this before you use ChatGPT Health Why model accuracy is important

Dr. Girish N. Nadkarni, an internist and nephrologist at New York's Mt. Sinai Hospital, argues that companies selling an AI blood interpretation service need to demonstrate their success by comparing it retrospectively against de-identified patient data and by enrolling people in a prospective study that compares their AI findings to an expert's.

"I don't think that anything has to have 100 percent accuracy to succeed, because humans are not 100 percent accurate," says Nadkarni, an AI health researcher and director of Mt. Sinai's Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Health. "But the conversation becomes really hard because I don't know what the accuracy of this model is…how does it work, and where does it fail?" 

Nadkarni says current AI blood work products might be "OK" for a majority of patients, but problems may emerge at the extremes, such as missed diagnoses or false positives that cause anxiety and potentially harmful additional testing. 

Levels CEO Josh Clemente is an advocate of frequent blood testing. If cost weren't a concern, Clemente would recommend lab work far more often than the typical annual physical, for pro-active health monitoring.

Levels, which focuses on metabolic health, markets its subscription plans as a way to "live healthier, longer." Each tier offers access to the company's app and proprietary dashboards, along with glucose monitoring. But only two tiers, available for $499 and $1,499 annually, include lab work, clinician-reviewed reports, and AI health insights. 

Clemente currently favors Claude and Gemini for the Levels AI product, which is also trained on medical articles and biomarker research, plus Levels blog posts and podcasts featuring metabolic experts on topics like diet, weight loss, and hormones. 

The AI product derives its insight from these layers of information and guardrails, and a doctor reviews every lab work report that a consumer receives. An app-based AI chatbot also draws from Levels expert content to recommend lifestyle changes that could improve biomarkers like cholesterol and glucose. 

"We're using it again as a clinician support tool, which is, in my opinion, the right way to use these tools today," Clemente says. Levels is not currently conducting independent research on the accuracy of its AI product. 

Nadkarni supports human oversight, but cautions consumers against believing this is a failsafe. Instead, physicians can unwittingly fall victim to automation bias, or the tendency to rubber-stamp AI outputs. 

Can AI truly personalize blood test results?

Whoop, the wearable made famous by athletes like soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo and quarterback Patrick Mahomes, just began offering blood testing last fall. One annual test is $199, but members can test six times a year for $899. The company partners with Quest to perform the lab work and, like Levels, has a physician review the results. 

Alexi Coffey, vice president of product at Whoop, says the company's AI product is powered by OpenAI and individual member data. She declined to comment on whether the company is pursuing clinical research on the accuracy of its AI. 

"We never want to over claim or over suggest relationships between things," Coffey says, "but we do want to provide value to our members by helping them understand things that may be connected." 

Coffey says that Whoop's ability to integrate physiological data — including heart rate, sleep quality, and exercise patterns — into blood work reports gives customers unique health insights. 

If, for example, a customer ran a marathon the day before their blood was drawn, the AI might take the physical stress into account when interpreting inflammation biomarkers. (Whoop actually advises its members to avoid strenuous physical activity prior to a blood draw because it may influence the results.) 

As promising as this sounds, Whyte, of the AMA, says there's no evidence demonstrating that such AI applications are "truly personalized." 

"I think we really have to question what the data is," he says, noting that companies would need a massive dataset to make individual recommendations. If these companies have that information, they haven't published peer-reviewed research based on it yet.

Blood tests are crucial diagnostic tools, Whyte says, but they're also the focus of social media hype, which often positions them as a silver bullet for fixing health challenges like low energy or sleeplessness. He warns consumers that some companies measure elements and minerals that "are not that helpful for anything." Hormone level testing can be similarly futile, depending on how it's done.

Until scientific research establishes the accuracy and meaningfulness of AI blood test interpretation, Whyte recommends patients use AI to help plainly explain their results, rather than relying on the technology to generate personalized insights for them. 

"People think a lab test is black and white and it's the final ruler on whether you have disease or not," Whyte says. "And that's not always true."

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.

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

It's the Third Quarter tonight, which means we're exactly halfway in between the Full Moon and the New Moon. This is part of the Moon's roughly 29.5 day cycle that sees it move through eight different phases. Keep reading to see what that means for tonight's Moon.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Friday, April 10, the Moon phase is Third Quarter. Tonight, 49% of the moon will be lit up, according to NASA's Daily Moon Guide.

Tonight, without any visual aids, you should be able to see the Oceanus Procellarum, Tycho Crater, and the Copernicus Crater. With binoculars, you'll also be able to see the Grimaldi Basin, the Mare Humorum, and the Clavius Crater. Finally, if you have a telescope, expect to see features like the Schiller Crater and the Fra Mauro Highlands.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon is predicted to take place on May 1, the first of two in May.

What are Moon phases?

According to NASA, it takes the Moon roughly 29.5 days to orbit Earth, passing through eight distinct stages during that time. While the same side of the Moon always faces us, the amount of sunlight hitting it changes as it moves, which is why it can look full, partly lit, or just a slim crescent. These shifting appearances are known as the lunar phases, and there are eight in total:

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.

Like unsung Australian horror movie Bait, Netflix's Thrash knows that tsunamis are least of your worries after a Category 5 hurricane hits in a movie. Sharks (yes, sharks) wash in with the tide in the latest from writer/director Tommy Wirkola (Violent Night, Dead Snow), and it's a proper nail-biter.

With nightmare-inspiring cinematography, increasingly flooded and crumbling sets, impossibly risky scenarios, and solid performances from Djimon Hounsou, Whitney Peak, and Phoebe Dynevor, Thrash earns its place in the long, storied history of shark survival movies.

What is Thrash about? Djimon Hounsou and Whitney Peak in "Thrash." Credit: Ben King / Netflix

Climate disaster films come in all genres, and in Thrash (notably produced by Don't Look Up's Adam McKay), Wirkola leans into the extreme weather impact of a warming planet without addressing it directly. Climate change doesn't cause extreme weather events; climate change increases the intensity, frequency, and duration of extreme weather events. And nothing's more extreme than watching a Category 5 hurricane absolutely pummel the town of Annieville, South Carolina, with fierce winds, destructive flooding, and sharks swimming down Main Street. (I'm not here to evaluate the scientific accuracy of this film.)

SEE ALSO: 'All The Sharks' review: A deeply underrated reality competition binge

Here, we meet several citizens left behind: Whitney Peak as Dakota, who turns off weather reports to watch videos of her recently passed mother; Phoebe Dynevor as Lisa, a meatpacking factory executive who could give birth any moment now; and Stacy Clausen, Alyla Browne, and Dante Ubaldi as Hanson the Olsens, a trio of siblings whose crooked foster parents see the storm as "just a little bit of weather." Elsewhere, Djimon Hounsou's en route as oceanic researcher Dale, who spotted bull sharks coming in with the storm, seeking shelter in freshwater estuaries. He also happens to be Dakota's uncle.

We love the Olsens. Credit: Ben King / Netflix

You'll genuinely cheer for these characters as they find themselves suddenly huddled on their kitchen benches, perched on their roof, and on the brink of labor as the floodwaters rise. It's not an easy feat to craft characters you don't want to see as shark bait in a movie like this, and Thrash's cast manage it with finesse, despite Wirkola giving us very little information about them. Peak's physicality doesn't miss a beat, combining Ninja Warrior obstacle courses with convincing anxiety symptoms, Hounsou's overt authority grants the film legitimacy, and as for Dynevor, well, labor scenes don't happen like this every day. (And yes, I feel the soundtrack in Lisa's scenes is internet bait, but I'm not mad about it.)

Thrash is a brutal flood of visual effects and jaw-dropping cinematography. This scene had me pacing. Credit: Ben King / Netflix

Although Thrash is a high-budget Netflix film, the nail-biting scenarios Wirkola throws down are simple; often, it's getting from A to B across shark-infested waters. Like fellow contained shark horrors The Reef, Open Water, The Shallows, and more recently Under Paris, Thrash pushes its characters into survival situations where simply travelling across a tiny stretch of water seems unthinkable. Here, Wirkola stays far from the supershark territory of The Meg or Deep Blue Sea, keeping his marine predators life-size and emphasizing their more terrifying behaviours. However, he does stick to certain shark movie requirements, like characters being suddenly vertically dragged underwater and shark vision camera angles.

Production designer David Ingram builds an increasingly flooded and destroyed town, an impressive and sadly all-too-real vision of disaster — and one which makes for stressful action sequences. Director of photography Matthew Weston's shots consistently resemble horror movie posters, from a teen teetering over a kitchen doorway as a shark sails underneath to a rooftop SOS with sharks circling below. Each overhead moment plays with shadow, scale, and suspense to up the danger, before editor Martin Stoltz takes us back into the action. And as for action, Thrash throws every last visual effect at sequences like the shocking storm surge, which decimates the entire town of Annieville within minutes.

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Make no mistake, Thrash is brutal. The bull sharks, in particular, make for vicious villains, with the species' signature aggressive tendencies displayed with gruesome work from visual effects supervisor Bryan Jones and his team. (At the risk of sounding like bull sharks' publicist, bull shark attacks are extremely rare).

If you like shark movies, Thrash is a solid survival thriller with a talented cast and visuals that had me locked in. Wirkola's ability to balance horror, action, and comedy remains a praise-worthy feat. Dive into it.

Thrash premieres on Netflix April 10.

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easy if you love golf and its history.

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. 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 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.

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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: Oh, the places you'll go!

• Green: The bare necessities

• Blue: All-time greats

• Purple: Amen corner

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Areas on a golf course

• Green: Found in a golf bag

• Blue: Masters winners

• Purple: Augusta National Hole Names

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 #564 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Areas on a golf course — BUNKER, FAIRWAY, GREEN, ROUGH

• Found in a golf bag — BALLS, CLUBS, TEES, TOWELS

• Masters winners — COUPLES, FALDO, PLAYER, RAHM

• August National hole names — AZALEA, GOLDEN BELL, HOLLY, REDBUD

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.

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 April 10, 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 April 10, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for April 10 Pips

Greater Than (5): Everything in this purple space must be greater than 5. The answer is 6-0, placed vertically.

Equal (0): Every domino half in this red space must have 0 pips. The answer is 6-0, placed vertically; 0-5, placed horizontally.

Number (5): Everything in this light blue space must add up to 5. The answer is 0-5, placed horizontally; 0-2, placed vertically.

Number (6): Everything in this yellow space must add up to 6. The answer is 3-2, placed horizontally; 0-2, placed vertically; and 2-6, placed vertically.

Greater than (5): The domino half in this dark blue space must be greater than 5. The answer is 2-6, placed vertically.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for April 10 Pips

Equal (3): Every domino half in this purple space must have 3 pips. The answer is 3-4, placed horizontally; 3-6, placed vertically.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this red space must add up to be greater than 4. The answer is 5-6, placed vertically.

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

Equal (6): Every domino half in this space must have 6 pips. The answer is 5-6, placed vertically; 3-6, placed vertically; and 6-4, placed vertically.

Less Than (2): Everything in this dark blue space must add up to less than 2. The answer is 0-2, placed vertically.

Equal (4): Every domino half in this green space must have 4 pips. The answer is 6-4, placed vertically; 4-4, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for April 10 Pips

Equal (5): Every domino half in this purple space must have 5 pips. The answer is 5-5, placed vertically; 5-1, placed horizontally; and 5-3, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this red space must add up to 4. The answer is 5-1, placed horizontally; 3-4, placed horizontally.

Equal (4): Every domino half in this light blue space must have 4 pips. The answer is 3-4, placed horizontally; 4-0, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this yellow space must add up to 4. The answer is 1-3, placed horizontally.

Equal (0): Every domino half in this dark blue space must have 0 pips. The answer is 4-0, placed vertically; 0-0, placed vertically.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this green space must add up to be greater than 4. The answer is 5-3, placed vertically; 2-6, placed vertically.

Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips. The answer is 3-2, placed horizontally; 0-0, placed vertically; 1-1, placed vertically; 4-6, placed horizontally; and 6-6, placed horizontally.

Equal (6): Every domino half in this red space must have 6 pips. The answer is 2-6, placed vertically; 6-3, placed horizontally.

Number (4): Everything in this light blue space must add up to 4. The answer is 6-3, placed horizontally; 1-1, placed vertically.

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

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you're full of surprises.

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.

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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.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for April 10, 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: Spices

• Green: "Surprise!"

• Blue: Holed dairy

• Purple: They're the same color

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Peppers

• Green: Things that pop up

• Blue: Descriptors for Swiss cheese

• Purple: Blue characters

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 #1034 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Peppers: BELL PEPPER, CAROLINA REAPER, CHIPOTLE, PEPPERONCINO

• Things that pop up: EJECTOR SEAT, JACK-IN-THE-BOX, POP-UP BOOK, TOASTER

• Descriptors for Swiss cheese: FIRM, HOLEY, NUTTY, SWISS

• Blue characters: BLUE, GENIE, GONZO, SONIC

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 April 10, 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 a mischievous.

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 April 10, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: On the sly

The words are related to sneakiness.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe being mischievous.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is diagonal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Like a Fox.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

NYT Strands word list for April 10

• Canny

• Shrewd

• Slick

• Like a Fox

• Crafty

• Devious

• Wily

• Cunning

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 always bounce back.

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 April 10, 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 April 10, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A rebound.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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 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...

CAROM

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.

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

A bike part.

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

PEDAL

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Animal part.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 10, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

OFFAL

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

Hurdle Word 3 hint

To mix.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for April 10 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 10, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

BLEND

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Baloney.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

CROCK

Final Hurdle hint

An area.

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

SPACE

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

Orion will slam into Earth's atmosphere at more than 30 times the speed of sound, in what NASA expects to be the most demanding part of the Artemis II moon mission. 

On landing day, Artemis II entry flight director Rick Henfling and his team in mission control will run the final leg home of the 10-day spaceflight. After wake‑up, controllers will brief the four astronauts — Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen — on weather at the splashdown zone, then clear them to secure loose gear and climb into their pressure suits. 

A small final steering burn in space will aim the Orion spacecraft at a targeted patch of the Pacific Ocean, west of San Diego, California, where a Navy ship will be waiting Friday evening. On the ground, engineers will also arm backup flight software so the capsule can still guide itself through the atmosphere if its main computers fail.

This home stretch carries extra tension following Artemis I, when pieces of Orion's heat shield unexpectedly broke off during the uncrewed test flight’s descent. Engineers later attributed the problem to hot gas building up faster than it could escape during that mission's so-called "skip" entry. But rather than redesign the shield, NASA chose to change the capsule's path through the atmosphere to avoid the hottest temperatures. 

SEE ALSO: After splashdown, brutal obstacle course awaits the Artemis II crew

Long before launch, the heat shield was Wiseman's top concern for Jim Free, who led NASA's Artemis rocket and spacecraft programs in 2023. 

"Every time you see me come in, you take a step back," Wiseman told Free at a news conference, "because I'm coming about the heat shield." 

After NASA recovered the Orion spacecraft following Artemis I, engineers stripped the heat shield off the crew module to inspect the charring damage. Credit: NASA

Instead of repeating the same deep bounce from the inaugural flight, Artemis II will use a gentler "lofted" approach, Henfling said. Orion will still dip in and out of the atmosphere before the final plunge, but with a less dramatic climb and fall. That change shortens the distance to splashdown and keeps the gas‑pressure spikes seen on the first flight in a tolerable range. NASA brought in an independent review team before approving the revised plan. 

Glover said he's been thinking about re-entry since April 3, 2023: the day he was assigned to the Artemis II crew. 

"At one of the first press conferences, we were asked what are we looking forward to, and I said, 'Splashdown,'" he said during a very long-distance call with reporters from the capsule Wednesday night. "Riding a fireball through the atmosphere is profound."

Artemis II pilot Victor Glover, third from left, looks pleased with himself after positioning the microphone in front of Rise, the moon mission's zero-gravity indicator, during a call with reporters on Wednesday, April 8, 2026. Credit: NASA / Youtube screenshot

Though alarming, NASA officials said in 2024 that the damage to Artemis I's heat shield would not have harmed a crew.

"They would have not sensed any disturbance inside the vehicle, there would not have been any excessive heating on the structure, and the guidance would have put them exactly where the Navy needed to recover them," said Amit Kshatriya, a senior NASA official.

As Orion nears Earth, communications will switch from the giant moon‑tracking antennas of the Deep Space Network to near‑Earth relay satellites. About 20 minutes before entry, the service module — the section with solar arrays and the main engine — will separate and burn up over the ocean, leaving only the crew capsule to face the punishing heat.

Following Artemis I, engineers redesigned the reentry and descent path for the Orion spacecraft during Artemis II. Credit: NASA infographic

Entry begins roughly 75 miles up, with Orion moving at 25,000 mph. Air piling up in front of the capsule will heat to about 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit, engulfing it in plasma that may briefly cut off radio contact. Inside, the crew will feel about 3.9Gs — a crushing pressure of four times his or her own weight.

Though the astronauts have often described potential records as mere distractions, Wiseman admitted there is one he has mentally clocked during their training — potentially beating previous reentry speeds by perhaps 200-or-so miles per hour. Apollo 10's velocity translated to about Mach 37, according to its 1969 press kit. 

"We still giggle a little bit when we see a click over Mach 39 on entry," he said months before the April 1 launch. 

Once Orion is slow enough, a tight parachute sequence will take over. A cover over the nose will blow off, two small drogues will pop out to steady the capsule, then three large orange parachutes will open in stages to cut its speed to a survivable splashdown. Small thrusters will tip the capsule so it hits the waves at the safest angle near the California coast.

After splashdown, NASA will keep Orion powered for roughly two hours to monitor how temperatures inside the capsule change as it cools in the Pacific, even after the astronauts are on the recovery ship.

Dan Flores, who is on the recovery team, may be biased but calls this his favorite part of the mission.

"We have our friends flying around the moon," he said. "This is when we get to bring our friends back home to their families."

TL;DR: The 2026 MS Visual Studio version is a powerful, AI-enhanced IDE for just $42.97 (reg. $499.99).

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2026 $42.97
$499.99 Save $457.02   Get Deal

For a lot of developers, the IDE isn’t just a tool — it’s the workspace where everything happens. And when that workspace slows down, everything else follows. Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2026 is built to keep that from happening, and it’s on sale.

As a fully 64-bit IDE, it’s designed to handle larger solutions and heavier workloads without the slowdowns that used to come with complex projects. Whether you’re working across multiple repositories, building cloud-connected apps, or managing enterprise-level codebases, performance stays consistent.

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Where things get more interesting is the deeper AI integration. Instead of just basic autocomplete, Visual Studio 2026 uses AI-assisted suggestions to help you write, refactor, and optimize code with fewer issues. It understands context — your variables, functions, and structure — and offers smarter next-step recommendations that can actually speed up development without getting in the way.

It’s also built for how development works now, not five years ago. You can build cross-platform apps with .NET MAUI, create web interfaces with Blazor, and deploy across Windows, Linux, and containers, all from the same environment. Integration with GitHub and Azure keeps everything connected to your existing workflows.

Collaboration is another strong point. Live Share allows teams to jump into shared coding sessions without complicated setup, making it easier to debug, review, and iterate together in real time. The overall experience feels streamlined: fewer context switches, fewer slowdowns, and more time actually writing code.

If your current setup feels like it’s lagging behind your workload, this is one way to bring it back up to speed. Get MS Visual Studio Pro 2026 for just $42.97 (reg. $499.99) through April 19.

StackSocial prices subject to change.