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Mashable is a leading source for news, information & resources for the Connected Generation. Mashable reports on the importance of digital innovation and how it empowers and inspires people around the world. Mashable's 25 million monthly unique visitors and 10 million social media followers have become one of the most engaged online news communities. Founded in 2005, Mashable is headquartered in New York City with an office in San Francisco.
Updated: 25 min 12 sec ago

Stephen Colbert teams up with Jon Stewart to auction off Late Show memorabilia

9 hours 41 min ago

Stephen Colbert's The Late Show is nearly over, and everything must go.

That's the key message of the video above, in which Jon Stewart joins the host to announce some items that you can now actually bid on from the show — from the mini red carpet (plus Stewart's Daily Show wig) to the actual Late Show sign — with proceeds going to World Central Kitchen.

"Buy this and, like me, you could have The Late Show hanging over your head for the rest of your life," says Colbert.

Even if you're not interested in the auction itself, the video is worth watching purely for the numerous spit-takes.

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AIs ability to find major software bugs is growing 490% year on year

9 hours 45 min ago

Tech companies and open-source teams are facing a deluge of AI-discovered software vulnerabilities. Now we're starting to get a sense of how big a deluge it is.

The Zero Day Initiative, the largest vendor-agnostic bug bounty program in the world, has already seen a 490 percent increase in submissions this month compared to April last year, according to data provided to Mashable. And the month isn't even over yet.

"Organizations that receive bug reports are struggling to keep up with the triage and response process,” Dustin Childs, Head of Threat Awareness at the Zero Day Initiative, told Mashable. “A couple of programs, most notably the Internet Bug Bounty program, completely shutter[ed] their doors rather than try to keep up.”

On March 27, the Internet Bug Bounty Program announced it was closing submissions entirely because of the bug submission crisis — which it said was changing the entire "landscape" of bug discovery. 

“AI-assisted research is expanding vulnerability discovery across the ecosystem, increasing both coverage and speed,” HackerOne, the group that administered the program, said in a statement. “Accordingly, we are pausing submissions while we consider the structure and incentives needed to further these goals.”

So as AI tools improve, they’re also finding much more severe vulnerabilities that require patching. And thanks to Anthropic, the deluge could be just beginning. 

Bug submissions received by the Zero Day Initiative. Credit: Zero Day Initiative / TrendMicro The Claude effect

Anthropic recently heralded the arrival of Claude Mythos, claiming it was too dangerous for public release. Claude Mythos “demonstrated a striking leap in cyber capabilities,” the company said, and was capable of autonomously discovering and exploiting so-called "zero-day vulnerabilities" (the most urgent kind of bug, likely to be exploited by hackers) in every major operating system. 

Anthropic released Claude Mythos to a closed group of organizations, claiming it wanted to give tech leaders a chance to "secure the world's most critical software."The company said it found too many bugs to report them all at once.

Critics have dismissed this as security theater and a publicity stunt; Anthropic pledged to disclose all the vulnerabilities Claude found after they’re patched.

Tucked inside its April 7 blog post about Claude Mythos, Anthropic included quite the flex. The company wrote that “fewer than 1% of the potential vulnerabilities we’ve discovered so far have been fully patched by their maintainers.”

That’s because when Anthropic finds new zero-day bugs, it triages them and discloses only the highest-severity bugs first. The company says it does this to avoid flooding other organizations with “an unmanageable amount of new work.” 

What’s more, Anthropic estimates this is just “a small fraction” of the bugs it will find in the months ahead. To cope with the volume, Anthropic says it had to hire security contractors just to help with the disclosure process.

The volume and severity of bugs are increasing

Pre-Claude Mythos, cybersecurity researchers warned that AI tools had led to a surge in bug reports, but that the reports were typically very low quality. But the severity of bug reports is once again increasing, not that that helps developers.

“Not every submission ends up being a real bug, but we still have to triage it as if it is,” Childs said.

Daniel Stenberg, a Swedish open-source coding expert and lead developer of cURL, paused the cURL bug bounty program in January because of AI. Stenberg recently said that cURL had received more bug reports in 2025 than in the previous two years combined, and that number is set to double again in 2026.

“The main goal with shutting down the bounty is to remove the incentive for people to submit crap and non-well-researched reports to us. AI-generated or not. The current torrent of submissions put a high load on the curl security team and this is an attempt to reduce the noise,” he wrote on his blog.

However, he told Mashable that the latest deluge of security reports does, in fact, represent genuine security concerns, a stark reversal from last year’s trend. Stenberg wrote this month that he had heard from more than 20 open-source projects “who all confirm this trend: a larger volume of decently highly-quality security reports.” 

He confirmed in the latest update on his blog that both the volume of new bug reports and the severity of those bugs are increasing in 2026. “The rate of confirmed vulnerabilities is back to and even surpassing the 2024 pre-AI level, meaning somewhere in the 15-16% range."

Stenberg also worries about the impact on developers. “I can only imagine that projects that are all volunteers, with a larger code base that perhaps has gotten less scrutiny, perhaps because they are younger, they can easily get drowned in quality reports," he says. “That has to be overloading and take a mental toll on many maintainers.”

SEE ALSO: Discord group says it accessed Claude Mythos by guessing location

So, is this zero-day deluge the Claude Mythos effect in action? 

Until Anthropic completes its reporting on the bugs Claude Mythos discovered, it’s hard to know for sure, and neither Childs nor Stenberg said they could attribute the increases to Mythos specifically. 

Indeed, there are also signs that private companies are seeing an increase in AI-discovered bugs. Microsoft announced 165 new bugs patched in its April security update. Childs noted this was "the second largest monthly release in Microsoft's history," citing AI as a likely cause for the increase in his Patch Tuesday blog

In a statement to The Register, Microsoft denied that AI was to blame for the unusually security update, while crediting Anthropic researchers for one of the bugs.

No matter the cause, the overall industry trend line is clear — a huge increase in both potential and real bugs that require urgent fixing.

AI and cybersecurity: What comes next

In the Claude Mythos system card, Anthropic said AI tools will provide more benefits to cybersecurity defenders in the long run. However, hackers may have the advantage in the short-term.

Existing AI tools "already provide ‘significant help’ to the relevant threat actors in the sense of increasing their general productivity," the company said.

AI is likely both the problem and the solution for developers, who are turning to AI to triage the bugs discovered by AI.

"We’ve begun using AI to aid in the triage process," Childs says. "It’s the only way we’ll be able keep up with this level of submissions." He allowed that "many entries are AI slop, but we’ve purchased a few of these bug [reports] just to teach our models what AI slop look like so we can avoid them in the future."

If the industry doesn’t adapt to the new reality, Childs added, consumers will suffer the consequences.

"We’ve got to figure out how to scale up our fixes as fast as researchers (and attackers) are scaling up their findings," he said, otherwise users will have “little chance to apply these [fixes] in a timely manner" if they don't want to get hacked.

Get piano lessons without the schedule with this AI-powered app, now for less than $24 a year

9 hours 45 min ago

TL;DR: Learn every level of piano from home with this three-year subscription to flowkey Piano Learning app, on sale now for $69.99 (reg. $579).

Opens in a new window Credit: Flowkey flowkey Piano Learning App: Classic Plan (3-Year Subscription) $69.99
$579 Save $509.01   Get Deal

Piano lessons aren’t cheap, and they usually require you to get out of your pajamas. flowkey Piano Learning changes that, letting you learn whenever you want, from the comfort of your home — no outside clothes required.

While you would usually spend more than $24 on a single class, you can get a full year for less than that with this three-year subscription, now on sale for $69.99 (reg. $579).

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

If you’d like to knock learning piano off your bucket list, there’s no better way than flowkey Piano Learning. This innovative AI-powered app works on your laptop, tablet, or smartphone, so all you need is a keyboard or a piano to get started.

Curious how it works? flowkey’s interactive learning listens as you play, so you receive feedback instantly as you go. You’ll learn faster with this technique, which also includes features like wait mode, which only lets you progress after you hit the right notes.

flowkey is packed with other helpful features ready to school you in the instrument. A loop function lets you repeat hard sections until you really get them, and a hand selection feature lets you practice your right and left hands separately.

Work on your skills by watching expert pianists play as you follow along to synced sheet music. And a slow-motion mode is available to reduce the playback speed so you can figure out the tough parts.

Get lessons on mastering chords, reading sheet music, and music theory. flowkey offers it all in 11 different languages.

This three-year subscription to the flowkey Classic Plan gives you access to 1000 classical and public domain songs, including works by Debussy, Beethoven, and Bach.

Learn piano for less than $24 a year with this three-year subscription to flowkey Piano Learning app, now $69.99 (reg. $579).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Go from concept to completed manuscript in a snap for just $35

9 hours 45 min ago

TL;DR: Youbooks AI helps you turn real-world knowledge into full-length, research-backed books, and lifetime access is on sale for $34.97 (reg. $540).

Opens in a new window Credit: Youbooks Youbooks AI Non-Fiction Book Generator: Lifetime Subscription $34.97
$540 Save $505.03   Get Deal

A lot of people have the knowledge to write a book, but they just don’t have the time to sit down and actually do it. However, Youbooks AI is designed to take real-world ideas — business insights, course material, research, even scattered notes — and turn them into structured, long-form content that’s actually usable.

Instead of starting from scratch, you feed Youbooks AI your topic, preferred tone, and any supporting materials. From there, it pulls in real-time research and uses multiple AI models to build out a cohesive manuscript.

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

The result feels less like a rough draft and more like something you can actually refine and publish.

What makes it especially practical is how it fits into everyday workflows. Content creators can turn blogs into full books. Entrepreneurs can package their expertise into lead-generating assets. Educators and coaches can build course materials without starting from zero.

There’s also flexibility built in. You can upload your own documents, guide the tone, and shape the final output so it reflects your voice, not just generic AI content. And with support for long-form writing up to 300,000 words, it’s built for serious projects, not just quick snippets.

Take what you already know and turn it into something publish-ready. Get lifetime access to Youbooks AI for just $34.97 (reg. $540) through April 26 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Whats new to streaming this week? (April 24, 2026)

9 hours 45 min ago

Looking for something great to watch at home? Streaming subscribers are spoiled for choice between Hulu, Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, Apple TV, Prime Video, Shudder, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. And that's before you even look at the vast libraries of movies and television programs within each streamer!

Don't be overwhelmed or waste an hour scrolling through your services to determine what to watch. We've got your back, whatever your mood. Mashable offers watch guides for all of the above, broken down by genre: comedy, thriller, horror, documentary, and animation, among others. But if you're seeking something brand new (or just new to streaming), we've got you covered there, too.

14. Dolly

If you're planning on hiking this week, think twice about watching Dolly. In writer/director Rod Blackhurst's slasher movie, a couple (Fabianne Therese and American Pie's Seann William Scott) find their wilderness wandering violently interrupted by a mask-wearing figure, played by pro wrestler Max the Impaler. The film, which premiered at Fantastic Fest last year, sees the doll-faced villain hell-bent on mothering one of these doomed adventurers. You heard me. Mothering. If you're still recovering from Barbarian, this won't help. — Shannon Connellan, Senior Editor

Starring: Fabianne Therese, Seann William Scott, and Max the Impaler

How to watch: Dolly premieres on Shudder April 24.

13. Cheech & Chong's Last Movie

"Is this a documentary or a movie?" asks Cheech Marin in Cheech & Chong's Last Movie, and it's a fair question — one Tommy Chong can't really answer. Tracking the illustrious, high-flying career of the comedy legends, director David Bushell's film was fittingly released on 4/20. Countercultural icons of the '70s, Cheech and Chong team up for a rambunctious road trip down memory lane, through the cannabis-fuelled creativity and stoner humor of their hit films, stand-up sets, and comedy records. Buckle up. — S.C.

Starring: Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong

How to watch: Cheech & Chong's Last Movie premieres on Paramount+ April 20.

12. Nikki Glaser: Good Girl

Nikki Glaser, the stand-up comedian whose fame rocketed after her brutal live roast of Tom Brady on Netflix, is back with a new Hulu special. Nikki Glaser: Good Girl sees Glaser discussing beauty, sex and fame, mixing her trademark insult comedy with dry observational humor.

"Thank you for being here," she tells the audience in the teaser above. "Every single person in here, you mean so much money to me." — Sam Haysom, General Assignment Editor, UK

Starring: Nikki Glaser

How to watch: Nikki Glaser: Good Girl begins streaming on Hulu April 24.

11. This Is a Gardening Show

In Zach Galifianakis' new Netflix show, the actor sits between more than two ferns. This Is a Gardening Show sees the Baskets star proudly presenting exactly that, a short-format series in which Galifianakis celebrate his love of growing plants in his garden in rural British Columbia. In his signature deadpan style, he interviews kids and gardeners about the importance of growing our own food, living off-grid, and questioning the food systems that run what's on our plates. — S.C.

Starring: Zach Galifianakis

How to watch: This Is a Gardening Show begins streaming on Netflix April 22.

10. Killing Grounds: The Gilgo Beach Murders

For years, the unsolved murders of the Long Island Serial Killer horrified both true crime fans and New York residents, who helplessly followed the trail of bodies left along Gilgo Beach. Now, just weeks after suspected LISK Rex Heuermann pled guilty to seven murders, including the Gilgo Four, Prime Video offers a new docuseries with Killing Grounds: The Gilgo Beach Murders.

Five-time Emmy Award–winning journalist Kristin Thorne serves as the guide through the grim details of the Gilgo Beach murders, digging not only into Heuermann's homicidal behavior but also the stigmatizing of sex workers that inhibited the victims' families from getting public support or police assistance. Through interviews with sisters, friends, and mothers, this docuseries explores who these women were before it gives any attention to the brute who murdered them.

It's a fascinating series that plays out over four episodes. But pace yourself. Now that Heuermann is convicted, horrid details are revealed here that are hard to process. — Kristy Puchko, Entertainment Editor

How to watch: Killing Grounds: The Gilgo Beach Murders begins streaming on Prime Video April 22.

9. Criminal Record, Season 2

British crime drama Criminal Record is back, with Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo's detectives likely set to clash again. This time around, June (Jumbo) witnesses a young man's death when far-right protestors accost a political rally. Racked by guilt, she seeks to bring the man's killer justice — but to do so, she'll have to take a dangerous bargain from Daniel (Capaldi).* — Belen Edwards, Writer

Starring: Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo

How to watch: Criminal Record Season 2 debuts on Apple TV April 22.

8. Stranger Things: Tales from '85

It's been four months since Stranger Things ended with a controversial finale, but Netflix is already taking fans back to Hawkins with Stranger Things: Tales from '85. This animated spin-off series takes place during the winter between Seasons 2 and 3, when the Hawkins party faces off against dangerous new creatures from the Upside Down. How did these creatures make it through the gate Eleven (voiced by Brooklyn Davey Norstedt) closed in Season 2? More importantly, how does this adventure fit into the live-action seasons?

SEE ALSO: 'Stranger Things: Tales from '85' review: This baffling prequel won't cure the Season 5 hatred

The answer to the latter question: not too well. Tales from '85 has little to no bearing on the main series. If its story feels like an afterthought, that's because it is — one that's been awkwardly smashed between two established seasons. As I wrote in my review, "For something that's meant to fit into Stranger Things, Tales From '85 winds up feeling woefully disjointed." — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter

Starring: Brooklyn Davey Norstedt, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, Luca Diaz, EJ Williams, Braxton Quinney, Benjamin Plessala, Brett Gipson, Odessa A’zion, Janeane Garofalo, and Lou Diamond Phillips

How to watch: Stranger Things: Tales from '85 begins streaming on Netflix April 23.

7. Kevin

Created by Aubrey Plaza and Joe Wengert, this animated series is for adults only.

Set in the hip neighborhood of Astoria in Queens, New York, Kevin centers on a coddled house cat (voiced by Jason Schwartzman), who is so livid when his people break up that he runs away. Soon, he ends up in a pet rescue named Furrever Friends, where a snippy Shih Tzu (Amy Sedaris) barks orders to a crusty crew of pets.

Much like Archer or South Park, the humor here is outrageous and crude, dealing in sex, drugs, violence, and gross-out gags. And it's added fun to listen for the many, many celebrities that Plaza and Wengert got to play in their turd-filled sandbox. —K.P.

Starring: Jason Schwartzman, Amy Sedaris, Aparna Nancherla, Gil Ozeri, Aubrey Plaza, John Waters, and Whoopi Goldberg

How to watch: Kevin debuts on Prime Video April 20.

6. Running Point, Season 2

Celebrate the NBA playoffs with the return of Running Point, Netflix's charming basketball comedy from Mindy Kaling, Ike Barinholtz, Elaine Ko, and David Stassen. Season 1 introduced viewers to Isla Gordon (Kate Hudson), the freshly appointed Los Angeles Waves president tasked with saving a sinking team. By Season 2, she's got her sea legs, but she's also got more opposition in the form of her brother Cam (Justin Theroux). He claims he's a reformed man, but will he try to take control from Isla? Who will prevail in this sibling showdown of who knows ball? — B.E.

Starring: Kate Hudson, Scott MacArthur, Drew Tarver, Max Greenfield, Brenda Song, Fabrizio Guido, Justin Theroux, Toby Sandeman, Jay Ellis, and Chet Hanks

How to watch: Running Point Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.

5. Marty Supreme

Polarizing comments about opera and ballet aside, Timothée Chalamet is on fire in Marty Supreme, which at first glance might look like a sports drama. But under its greasy and gritty surface, it's much, much more.

Co-written and directed by Josh Safdie, Marty Supreme takes the true story of a charismatic ping-pong player and makes it the stuff of New York legends. Chalamet stars as Marty Mauser, a skilled pro table tennis player whose mouth is regularly writing checks his ass can't cash. Though set in the 1950s, Safdie chooses an '80s soundtrack of synth pop that makes Marty feel like an anti-hero ahead of his time, with a hustle and frenetic energy better suited to an era of big egos and bigger ambitions. Chalamet and an incredible ensemble build on this energy to the point where at times, as in Safdie's Uncut Gems, Marty Supreme can feel like a masterfully orchestrated panic attack.

As I roared in my review, "This zinging dialogue, racing score, and electric cast collide to create cinema that celebrates New York, while recognizing its warts with a bleeding grin. All of this makes Marty Supreme an unusual crowdpleaser. Full of wild humor and shocking turns, it has its audience in a chokehold of tension and surprise, rarely letting up for us to breathe. And yet, what a thrill to be breathless."* — K.P.

Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A'zion, Kevin O'Leary, Tyler Okonma, Abel Ferrara, and Fran Drescher

How to watch: Marty Supreme begins streaming on HBO Max April 24.

4. Good Boy

Mashable's Entertainment team fell hard for Good Boy, a haunted house thriller that centers on a charismatic dog named Indy. When his owner takes him to a remote cabin, this good boy quickly realizes something is off. But, being a dog, he struggles to communicate the threat they face to his human. The traditional haunted house scares hit all the harder when audiences are watching a sweet dog in a fight for survival. And we only came to love the movie more as we learned how it was made.

Married collaborators Ben Leonberg and Kari Fischer created Good Boy by building a movie around their lovable pet, Indy. In an interview with Mashable, they detailed how they directed their dog. We even gave it a go on our own, creating a deeper appreciation for the patience and filmmaking prowess demanded of this concept. So, we wholeheartedly recommend Good Boy as a thrilling film. And hey, if you need to know before you hit play if the dog dies, we've got you covered there too. Then, we invite you down the rabbit hole of how a movie like this gets made, so you can appreciate how special Good Boy and Indy really are. — K.P.

How to watch: Good Boy begins streaming on Hulu April 25.

3. No Other Choice

Boasting a corporate jargon title long-deployed to evade responsibility, Park Chan-wook's anti-capitalist parable No Other Choice might feel a little too real to those burned by the job market. This wicked social commentary is one of the director's most comedic films to date, but that doesn't mean it's not dark as hell. 

Based on Donald E. Westlake's 1997 novel The Ax and written by Park, Lee Kyoung-mi, Jahye Lee, and Don McKellar, the film follows hardworking paper company employee Yoo Man-soo (an outstanding Lee Byung-hun), who gets the chop in a merciless company restructure. With his family to provide for, including his wife Mi-ri (Crash Landing on You's Son Ye-jin) and two kids, Man-soo scrambles to find a job — and when the perfect opportunity comes along, he takes drastic measures to ensure he'll land it.

Critics praised No Other Choice for its moral ambiguity and biting social satire. As I wrote in my own review, "As a viewer, we're simultaneously rooting for Man-soo and unnerved by his capacity for calculated manipulation and murder. No Other Choice poses the question: Would you kill for the life you want? In fact, the film doesn't even ask it, instead presenting a man believing himself forced into making such a decision due to cold, hard corporate strategy. It's out of his hands."* S.C.

Starring: Lee Byung-hun, Son Ye-jin, Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, Yeom Hye-ran, and Cha Seung-won

How to watch: No Other Choice begins streaming on Hulu April 24.

2. Half Man

The second series – and first fully fictional outing – from Baby Reindeer creator Richard Gadd, Half Man tells the story of the love/hate relationship between two step brothers, from their difficult teenage years in Glasgow to their changing fortunes as adults. It's dark, depressing, and often gripping TV.

"Is it as good as Baby Reindeer?" I asked in my review. "No. But that would have been close to impossible. Baby Reindeer, with its unique subject matter, incredible blend of awkward comedy and extremely dark themes, and true story tagline, felt like a groundbreaking show. The kind of series that doesn't come along every year. Half Man walks a more well-trodden path. But it does what it does well, cementing Gadd as a storyteller with a lot more to offer." — S.H.

Starring: Richard Gadd, Jamie Bell, Stuart Campbell, and Mitchell Robertson

How to watch: Half Man begins streaming on HBO Max and BBC iPlayer April 23.

Best of streaming this week: Apex

From Baltasar Kormákur comes a horror-thriller that should scare the adrenaline junkie right out of you.

Charlize Theron stars as a rock climber determined to take on the white water rapids in Australia solo. But out here in the wilderness, she soon realizes the forces of nature aren't what she should fear. It's a hunter who has his sights set on her.

A truly gnarly action movie, Apex pits a steely Theron against an unhinged Taron Egerton. And sure, the script by Jeremy Robbins sets up some early hints that this is going into sicko territory, but I'd wager you won't predict just how wild this cat-and-mouse game gets. Silence your cell phone. Turn the lights down, and give yourself over to this frightening, fucked-up ride. — K.P.

Starring: Charlize Theron, Taron Egerton, and Eric Bana

How to watch: Apex begins streaming on Netflix April 24.

(*) denotes a blurb came from a prior list.

5 hookup apps and sites deemed legit by users

9 hours 45 min ago

When it comes to hookup sites and apps, reputation matters. After all, a company can buy all the advertising it wants, but if it doesn't deliver the goods, word of mouth alone will cause it to sink. 

In the dating app world, lots of contenders have come and gone, but only a handful have stood the test of time, and those that have survived have done so because the word got out that they work. Here are five hookup sites and apps that are extremely popular among their own users, and what makes them so special:

Tinder

Tinder is obviously super popular. With some 75 million monthly users across 190 countries, Tinder is still the go-to app for finding fun connections.

It's also well worth a premium subscription, since that unlocks unlimited likes, profile boosting, and the ability to swipe through singles across the world, which makes planning your future vacation or spring break fling that much easier.

SEE ALSO: Adult Friend Finder vs. Tinder: How they compare as hookup apps

And if you're one of the many people complaining that Tinder isn't working for you, do us all a favor: spend some time and energy taking quality photos of yourself, in good lighting, rather than mirror selfies or grainy, low-res photos pulled from Facebook. For most of you out there, that will go a long way to making Tinder "work" again. 

Grindr

The largest gay dating app in the world continues to improve, having recently achieved the milestone of 15 million active users. If you're in the LGBTQ community and looking for some short-term fun, Grindr should be your first foray into the app-based hookup world.

Standout features for fun-seekers include a grid-based location system, showing you exactly how far or close your potential hookup is, as well as the ability to drop a geo-tagged pin in the chat, sharing your location with your would-be fling. We're also a big fan of the Taps feature, which enables some suggestive, non-verbal flirting and makes breaking the ice easier than ever.

AdultFriendFinder

AFF has been around forever, but there's power in longevity. It's also arguably the horniest hookup site with mainstream appeal — all you have to do is spend a few minutes browsing the homepage, replete with naked photos and live webcam shows, to understand what we mean. 

Sure, it isn't perfect. You will have to wade through a lot of inactive or fake profiles, for example, and some of the best features are locked behind a paywall, but if you spend some time exploring the site's free public areas, from the webcam shows to the discussion boards, you'll quickly see why it's endured for 30 years. 

SEE ALSO: 3 AdultFriendFinder features exclusive to paid users

As of 2026, it boasts about two million weekly active users, most of whom fall into the 30-38 age category, so if you're feeling a bit too old for Tinder but too young for SilverSingles, give AFF a try. 

Pure

If you haven't heard of Pure, you're not alone: the app is a darling of the younger crowd, having recently become the most-used app among Gen Z, and it's easily the most unconventional app on this list. 

Built from the ground up to be a hookup app, Pure features enhanced safety features, including both age and photo verification, as well as something they call Safety Signal, a feature that enables users to share the place and time of their meetup with a trusted third party, helping everyone involved feel more secure.  

When it comes to matchmaking, Pure users have three photos and a 350-word bio to go off, as well as a dedicated Turn-Ons section, where you can list your kinks, including everything from communication to wax play. And if you really want to gamble on a fun time, you can test your luck with their Devil's Bones feature, which randomly connects you with another Pure user in a voice chat. 

Feeld

Feeld is beloved by its users for offering a safe space for queer, polyamorous, and kink-forward dating and hookups. And though it's been around for more than a decade, having been founded in 2014, it's undergone explosive growth in the last few years, as more and more people discover its charms. 

If you're looking for a nonjudgmental space to explore your kinks, and perhaps especially if you and a significant other are testing out ethical non-monogamy and want to find partners with similar interests, Feeld should be at the top of your list. Its Constellation feature, for example, allows you to link your public-facing Feeld profile to up to five other member profiles, allowing people to see your profile when they search for couples or groups

Perhaps most refreshingly of all, while Feeld does employ a carousel-style swiping system, the left and right swipes don't automatically like or dislike a profile. In fact, unless you actively hit the like or dislike button, the same profiles will continue to show up in your search, encouraging you to spend more than a few seconds evaluating prospective matches. 

Over Your Dead Body review: Samara Weaving and Jason Segel face off in a comically bad romance

9 hours 45 min ago

The Lonely Island's Jorma Taccone has been carving out his reputation as a filmmaker with bonkers parodies like the mockumentary Pop Star: Never Stop Never Stopping and the action-packed Saturday Night Live spinoff MacGruber, itself a spoof of MacGyver. With his latest, Over Your Dead Body, he moves into a grimmer brand of humor, remaking The Trip, a Norwegian dark comedy, written and directed by Tommy Wirkola (Dead Snow, Hansel & Gretel Witch Hunters).

Samara Weaving and Jason Segel star as Lisa and Dan, a married couple who have grown absolutely sick of each other. Sure, to their friends or family, it seems like they're planning a weekend getaway to Dan's dad's cabin to romantically reconnect. But really, what Dan has planned is what true crime internet would call an "alpine divorce," meaning he's plotting to murder his wife and make it look like a climbing accident.

But fret not for Lisa. The twist that launches Over Your Dead Body into Act Two is Lisa's homicidal scheme of her own, intended for her husband. However, both their deadly plans will be thwarted when a trio of home invaders crash their perverse party.

Let the gruesome games begin.

Ready for some sick shit? Over Your Dead Body will deliver. Samara Weaving and Jason Segel in Jorma Taccone’s "Over Your Dead Body." Credit: Independent Film Company

Out of this remake's premiere at SXSW, Over Your Dead Body had audiences screaming with shock and laughter. Dan and Lisa are amateurs at deadly violence, making a comical mess of it. But the home invaders are experts, and Taccone relishes turning his pretty stars into grisly mulch.

See, Pete (a perfectly cast Timothy Olyphant) and Todd (Keith Jardine) are brutish convicts who've escaped prison with the help of Allegra (Juliette Lewis), a corrupt corrections officer desperately besotted with Pete. The three of them were happy to squat in this seemingly empty cabin until this miserable couple showed up with their bickering and reckless weaponry.

It won't be the invading trio who sheds first blood in this cabin. But the first bit of violence will lock in the audience's understanding of just how macabre and gory this comedy is going to get.

To survive this home invasion, husband and wife must (resentfully) team up to survive. But the battle getting there will be bone-snapping, blood-spraying carnage.

Don't watch The Trip before Over Your Dead Body. Timothy Olyphant, Juliette Lewis, and Keith Jardine in Jorma Taccone’s "Over Your Dead Body." Credit: Independent Film Company

This isn't a matter of one being better than the other, but more about the element of surprise. Screenwriting partners Nick Kocher and Brian McElhaney (also known as the sketch comedy duo BriTANicK) kept pretty close to the plotting of Wirkola's script, down to the damage done to certain characters' limbs. However, they made the clever change of turning a trio of three male escaped convicts into a pair of runaway criminals with one lovestruck guard.

Through Pete and Allegra, Over Your Dead Body offers a funny foil to the hero couple's toxic dynamic. At first, these natural born killers seem proof there's a lid for every pot, being almost sickeningly sweet and into each other. But as their escape plan gets messier, even this couple's chemistry begins to sour, with brutal results.

That deviation brings some truly new elements to this adaptation. But if you want to experience the thrills of the SXSW audience — who jumped, hooted, and screamed with each gruesome blow — best to not watch The Trip first. Having seen it, I could tell where Taccone had followed Wirkola's wicked lead, and where he'd leaned into goofiness to better suit the humor of American audiences.

Admittedly, I was surprised that a prolonged sequence involving the threat of rape made it into the American movie. Thankfully, it's not as long or as menacing as Wirkola's version, which goes harder and darker. So, consider your own mileage before choosing which trip you want to see (first).

Timothy Olyphant steals this movie. Juliette Lewis, Samara Weaving, and Timothy Olyphant in Jorma Taccone’s "Over Your Dead Body." Credit: Independent Film Company

Props to Weaving and Segel, who gamely take a beating as the movie demands. However, Weaving's had to face more devilish onscreen threats in Ready or Not and Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, which also premiered at SXSW. Her Lisa, who is more a griper than a fighter, feels a faint echo of the kind of kick-ass and darkly funny heroine we've seen her play before. (See also: Guns Akimbo.) So, she gets outshone by her co-stars here.

For his part, Segel is a terrific clown, whether fumbling a murder attempt or getting his ass beat by a merciless menace. Jardine plays a solid oaf in this chaotic ensemble, and it's wild fun to watch Lewis spit insults between cooing over Olyphant. But the Justified star manages to be truly terrifying while sexy and silly.

The dude just has range! From Deadwood to Santa Clarita Diet, you can see Olyphant go from steely machismo to daffy suburban dad. Here, he can sneer to rattle our nerves, but then delve into a beguiling conversation about cinema with unabashed charm or breezily deliver relationship advice about how to keep things "fresh."

Ever riveting, his eyes can flash to mercilessness or mirth with ease. Olyphant's volatility as Pete drives the tension of this hostage situation forward, because Lisa and Dan can never be quite sure where they stand with this mercurial man.

Simply put, if you're looking for a twisted good time, Over Your Dead Body will deliver. It's not radically different from its source material yet charts its own course in some compelling ways. And if your humor leans toward the dark side, you won't want to miss this.

Over Your Dead Body was reviewed out of SXSW. The film opens in theaters April 24.

The Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 power station is under $450 at Amazon — act fast to save $370

9 hours 50 min ago

SAVE OVER $300: As of April 23, the Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 is on sale for $428.99 at Amazon. That's a 46% discount off the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Jackery Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 $428.99 at Amazon
$799 Save $370.01   Get Deal

The Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 has dropped in price again at Amazon. As of April 23, it’s reduced by $370.01, bringing the price down to $428.99. There are also discounted add-ons available, including solar panels, extra charging cables, and carry cases, if you’re looking for a full setup.

This portable power station delivers 1,500W of AC power with a 3,000W surge and 1,070Wh capacity. It's capable of powering all kinds of devices, including phones and laptops as well as larger appliances like fridges.

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Yet, despite this performance, it comes in a completely portable design. It weighs just 23.8 pounds, and includes a foldable handle to make it easier for carrying with you when camping or on vacation.

You won't need lots of time to set it up as it supports fast charging. It can reach a full battery in around one hour using the app’s emergency mode, or 1.7 hours with the standard charging function. And the LFP battery is rated for around 4,000 charge cycles, so you'll be getting your money's worth.

Get this portable power station deal online at Amazon now.

The Pokémon TCG Perfect Order Elite Trainer Box is down to market price — now under $70 at Walmart

9 hours 57 min ago

TL;DR: Walmart has the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Perfect Order Elite Trainer Box listed for $68.95. TCGplayer’s lowest listing is $64 plus shipping.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Perfect Order Elite Trainer Box $68.95 at Walmart
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In the wake of high-value chase cards driving up Ascended Heroes prices and attention turning to Chaos Rising preorders, Perfect Order has gradually become the most affordable modern set in the Pokémon TCG — and you can now grab its ETB for under $70.  

As of April 23, Walmart has the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Perfect Order Elite Trainer Box listed for $68.95. Over on TCGplayer, the absolute lowest listing is $64 plus shipping, while multiple unopened shipped listings are sitting right around the $70 mark. Against TCGplayer’s current $68.79 market price, Walmart is only 16 cents over where this box is actually trading.. 

Amazon, by comparison, is still lagging behind, with the lowest listings for the ETB starting at $84.06, with third-party offers starting at $83.70 with free shipping. Unless you specifically want to shop there, Walmart is easily the better buy right now.

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Offering nine Perfect Order Booster packs (each with 10 trading cards), a full-art foil Tyrunt promo card, 65 card sleeves, 40 Energy cards, a player’s guide, damage-counter dice, a competition-legal coin-flip die, a plastic coin, a collector’s box, and a code card for Pokémon TCG Live — you’ll get the same no matter where you buy this Pokémon TCG Elite Trainer Box.  

If you're after some pricey pulls with this ETB, these are the Perfect Order expansion’s most valuable chase cards in the Pokémon TCG right now: 

If you want even more boosters at a low price, you can also grab the Pokémon TCG’s Perfect Order Booster Bundle for just under $40. As for the latest from other expansions, you can also find the Pokémon TCG Ascended Heroes ex boxes for as low as $70

Pokémon TCG Perfect Order Booster Bundles are now under $40 at Walmart and TCGplayer

10 hours 11 sec ago

TL;DR: Walmart has the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Perfect Order Booster Bundle listed for $38.95. TCGplayer has unopened listings starting at $39.14 with shipping included. That puts Walmart right at TCGplayer’s current $38.95 market price, with both retailers now coming in well below Amazon’s current third-party offers from $45.95.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Perfect Order Booster Bundle $38.95 at Walmart
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In the Pokémon TCG market, Perfect Order prices have been sliding down for a while, and the expansion’s Booster Bundle has quickly become one of the least expensive options in the modern market.

As of April 23, Walmart has the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Perfect Order Booster Bundle listed for $38.95. Over at TCGplayer, unopened shipped listings are starting at $39.14.

Amazon, by comparison, is still much higher, with third-party offers starting at $45.95 and the main product page showing $47.45. That makes Walmart the easiest, most straightforward buy. TCGplayer is still right there if you prefer shopping through the dedicated trading card marketplace.

At Walmart’s current price, the six-pack bundle works out to about $6.49 per booster pack. TCGplayer comes in only a touch higher at roughly $6.52 per pack, so there really isn’t much separating the two. More importantly, Walmart matches TCGplayer’s current $38.95 market price, while TCGplayer’s $39.14 shipped offer is only 19 cents above market and still comfortably below the site’s $41.99 listed median.

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The Mega Evolution Perfect Order Booster Bundle includes six booster packs from the Perfect Order expansion. Each pack contains 10 cards, one Basic Energy, and one Pokémon TCG Live code card, making this one of the more budget-friendly ways to jump into the set’s lineup of over 120 cards.

If you’re keen on this Pokémon Legends: Z-A-focused expansion featuring cards like Mega Zygarde ex, alongside Mega Clefable ex, Mega Starmie ex, and Meowth ex, this is the bundle for you.

For the newest expansion, you can still preorder the Pokémon TCG’s Chaos Rising Booster Bundle for just under $60. If you’re after packs from the rare Ascended Heroes, you can find the Ascended Heroes Elite Trainer Box available to buy at a market price at Amazon.

Stranger Things: Tales From 85: Ending explainer

11 hours 44 min ago

After several harrowing encounters with "snow sharks" and "Jerk-O-Lanterns," Stranger Things: Tales From '85 ended with a decisive victory over the monsters of the Upside Down — or so the Hawkins party thinks. That's because Tales From '85 leaves the door open for more tales, which would still take place before the start of Stranger Things Season 3.

SEE ALSO: 'Stranger Things: Tales from '85' review: This baffling prequel won't cure the Season 5 hatred

From a possible Season 2 to the truth about the monsters and the fate of Nikki (Odessa A'zion), here's what you need to know about the ending of Stranger Things: Tales From '85.

Who created the Queen in Stranger Things: Tales From '85? Credit: Netflix

Tales From '85's monstrous foes aren't like Stranger Things' Demogorgons or the Mind Flayer. They're constantly evolving, and it's all because of human experiments.

Dustin (voiced by Braxton Quinney) initially suspects substitute science teacher Anna Baxter (voiced by Janeane Garofalo) of creating the monsters, including the Queen who controls them. The evidence adds up: She's a science teacher obsessed with evolution, and she's working on cutting-edge research that can reanimate dead plant life. Plus, the view of the radio tower from her house matches up with the image that the monsters' human victims remembered seeing after being swallowed.

SEE ALSO: Gaten Matarazzo hoped 'Stranger Things' fans would be conflicted about Dustin in Season 5

However, Anna was just a red herring. The culprit is actually her partner Daniel Fischer (voiced by Lou Diamond Phillips). Before he was a store clerk beefing with Dustin over change, he was a scientist at Hawkins lab. While he didn't have high-level clearance, he did get his hands on a dead vine from the Upside Down. He brought it back to life using green goo similar to what Anna used in her experiments, and from there it evolved into the deadly monsters the Hawkins party faced off against. He thought he'd made a viable, controllable sample with the flower-like "Queen." But turns out, her roots were growing deep below Hawkins, extending her and her offspring's influence. When Dustin shows Dan the truth, the Queen transforms into a massive, almost unstoppable beast who tries to open a gate back to the Upside Down and return to her place of origin.

I say "almost" because Eleven (voiced by Brooklyn Davey Norstedt) manages to stop the Queen by telekinetically slamming the gate on her, chopping her in half. Not before the beast can eat Dan, though.

That's the end of that saga, right? Wrong.

Stranger Things: Tales From '85 sets up a Season 2. Credit: Netflix

The final scene of Tales From '85 reveals that we may not have seen the last of this new breed of Upside Down beastie. Right before the credits roll, we see the corpse of the Queen lying prone in the Upside Down. While she's dead, something within her isn't: A small blue flower bursts from her skin, letting out a screech from its Demogorgon-like petal mouth. Funnily enough, the entire scene is set to Vera Lynn's "We'll Meet Again," which also scores a haunting Stranger Things Season 3 sequence involving the Mind Flayer's growing army of human hosts.

SEE ALSO: 'Half Man' review: Is Richard Gadd's new series as good as 'Baby Reindeer'?

Could this new flower be linked to Dan's life source, since he was swallowed by the Queen and might still be in her corpse? Or is it just another stage in these creatures' evolution? Either way, it's clear that these monsters are sticking around a while longer. However, given that they're not a threat in Stranger Things Season 3, or any future seasons, for that matter, you can guess that they'll die out eventually. Tales From '85 leaves the "how" of that open for the future. (Maybe Vecna does some weed whacking?)

What happens to Nikki in Stranger Things: Tales From '85? Credit: Netflix

Speaking of characters who never come up in the rest of Stranger Things, let's talk about Nikki. She's the latest addition to the Hawkins party, which also comes to be known as the Hawkins Investigation Club in Tales From '85. (Again, not something that comes up in the flagship series.)

Since Nikki isn't involved in later seasons of Stranger Things, it's clear she's out of the picture by Season 3. However, Tales From '85 keeps her firmly in the picture in its finale. While Nikki and her mother Anna were originally going to move away from Hawkins, they end up staying and moving into a new house, one without any spooky secret laboratories. (That we know of, anyway.) Nikki joins in on the group Dungeons & Dragons game, and everything seems hunky-dory.

Of course, that's sure to come crashing down in any future seasons of Tales From '85, as Nikki has to exit eventually. Maybe she and Anna will end up moving away. Or maybe she'll join Barb, Bob, Alexei, and Eddie in the ranks of beloved Stranger Things characters who were killed off. For now, though, she's embracing her role in the group after years of being too afraid to make any long-lasting connections.

Will there be a Stranger Things: Tales From '85 Season 2?

As of now, Netflix has not yet renewed Stranger Things: Tales From '85 for a second season.

Stranger Things: Tales From '85 is now streaming on Netflix.

Stranger Things: Tales From 85 review: This baffling prequel wont cure the Season 5 hatred

11 hours 44 min ago

Stranger Things: Tales From '85 might be the most bizarre step Stranger Things could have taken.

Take the release date, for starters. Tales From '85 airs just four months after the Stranger Things series finale. That gives fans barely any breathing room between the end of the flagship series and the beginning of this animated spin-off, proof of Netflix's ambitious, nonstop designs to turn one of its most original shows into a massive franchise. (It's already got a stage play, books, and games to its name.)

SEE ALSO: 'Stranger Things' fans are furious about the finale. Here's why.

There's just one big wrinkle in that plan: Stranger Things' final season was so controversial, it left distraught fans theorizing about a secret surprise episode and accusing the Duffer Brothers of writing Season 5 with ChatGPT. The outrage is still too fresh for another TV trip to Hawkins, Indiana, to go the way Netflix hoped.

That trip back to Hawkins doesn't actually move the story of Stranger Things forward. Instead, Tales From '85 returns to the past, sandwiching itself between Seasons 2 and 3 and raising tons of questions about the series. Namely, why?

Stranger Things: Tales From '85 is a bewildering trip to the past. Credit: Netflix

Tales From '85 is set during the winter of 1985, many months before the Hawkins kids ever set foot in Starcourt Mall. It's winter break, and Mike (voiced by Luca Diaz), Eleven (voiced by Brooklyn Davey Norstedt), Dustin (voiced by Braxton Quinney), Lucas (voiced by Elisha Williams), Will (voiced by Ben Plessala), and Max (voiced by Jolie Hoang-Rappaport) are excited to enjoy the snow, the Hawkins winter festival, and of course, some Dungeons & Dragons.

But the Upside Down has other plans, as a strange new wave of creatures descends on Hawkins. A "snow shark" burrows through snowdrifts, its relentless motion reminiscent of the Graboids from Tremors. "Jerk-O-Lanterns" plague the pumpkin patch that proved pivotal to Season 2.

Encounters with these beasts range from frightening to full-on fun, thanks to dynamic, vivid animation from Flying Bark Productions. The painterly style is reminiscent of Netflix's smash hit Arcane, and while that series certainly isn't the first to pioneer that look, there is a sense that Netflix is trying to recreate that same magic in what could be a blockbuster new animated series.

SEE ALSO: Gaten Matarazzo hoped 'Stranger Things' fans would be conflicted about Dustin in Season 5

However, as inventive as each creature or fight gets, there's a larger issue hanging over Tales From '85. None of this has any bearing on future seasons of Stranger Things itself. In Season 3 and beyond, no one brings up the perilous winter of '85, or discusses how the strategies they used while solving this mystery could help them in their current investigations. Dustin even makes a full-on push to start a Hawkins Investigators' Club, something that would definitely come up in later seasons were Tales From '85 more than an afterthought.

Plus, not to be too much of a stickler for canon, but Eleven is pushing her psychic abilities here to almost Season 5 levels of superhero-dom, all without breaking a sweat. (Nosebleeds are still included, of course.) That comes down to the magic of animation, which allows Tales From '85 to go wild with its portrayal of Eleven's powers. As epic as it is, it's also divorced from the reality of the main series. For something that's meant to fit into Stranger Things, Tales From '85 winds up feeling woefully disjointed. Nowhere is that clearer than when it introduces a new key character whom we know has to disappear from Hawkins before Season 3.

Nikki is the heart of Stranger Things: Tales From '85... and its biggest problem. Credit: Netflix

That new character is Nikki Baxter (voiced by Odessa A'zion). A brawny punk accustomed to moving towns with her scientist mother Anna (Janeane Garofalo), Nikki's not used to putting down roots. But when she gets caught up in a snow shark attack and witnesses Eleven's powers firsthand, she's welcomed into the Hawkins party and quickly becomes fast friends with them.

Despite her intimidating appearance, Nikki proves to have a heart of gold (as well as a keen ability for tinkering that makes her indispensable to the party's investigation). While she often serves as the friend group therapist, mediating arguments with ease, she also bonds with Will over their outsider status, encouraging him to embrace what makes him different. Tales From '85 overtly ties Will's "difference" to his supernatural troubles in Seasons 1 and 2, although given his coming out as gay in Season 5, Nikki's advice takes on new meaning here. Does Tales From '85 act further on that subtext, or do anything in its power to reflect more meaningfully onto the show's next seasons? No.

In rewinding us to the time period between Seasons 2 and 3, Tales From '85 traps its characters in an odd arrested development. We know where their character arcs lead them, but here, we've taken several leaps back in their journeys. That none of the original actors lend their voices to the series doesn't help either. While the voice cast does a solid job, even nailing several of their live-action counterparts' mannerisms, there's no denying how important the original cast was in establishing these characters. Without them, the Tales From '85 versions of the Hawkins party wind up as uncanny simulacra of the real thing.

That's why Nikki is so important to Tales From '85. As an original character, she's a breath of fresh air in an ensemble we've spent a decade with. It's exciting to shake up the Hawkins party with a new face, even if her worries about moving away or not fitting in are fairly cliché.

Given that Nikki doesn't appear or even get mentioned in future Stranger Things seasons, audiences will know she eventually exits the narrative. Does she continue Stranger Things' proud tradition of introducing a beloved side character only to kill them off? (See: Barb, Bob, Alexei, and Eddie.) Does she move away as she's always feared? Does she get wiped from everyone's memories somehow?

I tried to banish these questions from my mind as I watched Tales From '85, hoping to meet the show more on its level. But when its level is awkwardly shoehorning itself into a broader show in order to keep a franchise chugging, how can I not be thinking of how it will all eventually connect, and why this exists in the first place?

Of course, we already know why it exists: franchising. More than that, though, it's an attempt to stir up easy nostalgia for earlier Stranger Things seasons, which fans might be more willing to digest following their reaction to Season 5. But a franchise needs more than nostalgia to survive, and it's clear from Tales From '85 that Stranger Things still needs to learn that lesson.

Stranger Things: Tales From '85 is now streaming on Netflix.

Stuff Your Kindle Day is live now — score 150+ free ebooks for 1 day only

14 hours 45 min ago

FREE BOOKS: The latest Stuff Your Kindle Day takes place on April 23. The Cozy Mystery Book Blast, hosted by Cozy Mystery Book Club, isoffering cozy mystery books for free.

This has been such a huge month for Stuff Your Kindle Day. We've already been blessed by a number of free giveaways, and we're not done yet.

The Cozy Mystery Book Blast, hosted by Cozy Mystery Book Club, is offering participants the chance to download 150+ ebooks without spending anything. Everything that you download is yours to keep forever, so take this as your sign up to stock up ahead of the summer reading season.

SEE ALSO: I tested the best Kindles to help you find the perfect e-reader

Looking to make the most of the latest Stuff Your Kindle Day? We've lined up everything you need to know about this popular event.

When is Stuff Your Kindle Day?

The Cozy Mystery Book Blast takes place on April 23. This free giveaway only lasts 24 hours, so you will need to act fast to download everything you want to read. Clear your schedule, make a list of priorities, and add to your TBR list with this limited-time promotion.

Which ebooks are free?

The Cozy Mystery Book Blast has a helpful hub page with everything on offer organized by sub-genre:

You can find these free ebooks from the Kindle Store and other popular retailers. There really is something for everyone in this latest book blast.

Is Stuff Your Kindle Day the same as Amazon Kindle Unlimited?

Everything you download on Stuff Your Kindle Day is yours to keep, and there's no limit on the number of books you can download. Stuff Your Kindle Day downloads don't count towards the 20 books that Amazon Kindle Unlimited subscribers can borrow at the same time, so don't hold back.

The best Stuff Your Kindle Day deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Kindle (16GB) + Kindle Unlimited (3 Months) $109.99 at Amazon
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These popular e-readers let you take your entire library on the go. With weeks of battery life and an anti-glare display, you can read anywhere and anytime with the Kindle. Plus, you can get three months of Kindle Unlimited for free with your purchase for a limited time.

Moon phase today: What the Moon will look like on April 23

14 hours 45 min ago

We're almost at the First Quarter which means the Moon is almost half illuminated. Each night it gets a little brighter, and this will keep happening until the Full Moon when the reverse will then occur and each night it will appear less.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Thursday, April 23, the Moon phase is Waxing Crescent. Tonight, 41% of the moon will be lit up, according to NASA's Daily Moon Guide.

If you're looking at the Moon with just your naked eye, you should be able to catch a glimpse of the Mares Serenitatis, Tranquillitatis, and Fecunditatis. If you have binoculars, the Mare Nectaris and Endymion and Posidonius Craters should also come into view, appearing from halfway up the Moon to near the top. And, finally, with a telescope you'll see all this plus the Apollo 11 and 17 landing spots, and the Rupes Altai.

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?

NASA says that the Moon completes a full orbit around Earth in about 29.5 days, during which it passes through eight stages. Although the same face of the Moon is always turned toward us, the portion illuminated by the Sun shifts as it travels along its path, producing the familiar cycle of full, half, and crescent shapes. These variations are referred to as lunar phases, and there are eight altogether:

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.

Beaches: A New Musical review: Jessica Vosk gives her all to a disastrous Broadway adaptation

Wed, 04/22/2026 - 23:00

Be sure to read the fine print about Beaches: A New Musical, now on Broadway. This is not an adaptation of the beloved 1988 movie, in which Barbara Hershey played advocate and lawyer Hillary Whitney, and Bette Midler brought bawdy brilliance to singer C.C. Bloom. The Broadway stage musical Beaches is instead based on the movie's inspiration: Iris Rainer Dart's 1985 novel about the highs and lows of the friendship of outgoing actress Cee Cee Bloom and sheepish preppy Bertie White. 

The author has a heavy hand in this stage adaptation, writing both the book — with the help of playwright Thom Thomas — and the lyrics, while Mike Stoller, who once co-wrote songs for Elvis, composed the music. This makes for a stage show that is shockingly disconnected from Garry Marshall's cinematic tearjerker, as the plot is starkly different, especially for Bertie/Hillary. However, directors Lonny Price and Matt Cowart fight hard to bring the Beaches that movie-goers loved to the stage in some capacity. And leading lady Jessica Vosk does her damndest to bring a Midler-level moxie to every scene and song. 

It's just a shame that Dart's book and lyrics are less the wind beneath her wings and more an anchor sinking the whole production. 

Beaches on Broadway ditches most of the movie's songs.  Samantha Schwartz, Bailey Ryon, Jessica Vosk, Kelli Barrett, Emma Ogea, and Zeya Grace as Cee Cee and Bertie in "Beaches: A New Musical." Credit: Marc J. Franklin

Only "Wind Beneath My Wings," which won the Grammy for Record of the Year and Song of the Year, makes the playlist for the stage musical Beaches. In the movie, Midler also sang moving covers of "Under the Boardwalk," "The Glory of Love," and "Baby Mine." None of these makes the stage. And bad news for fans of Midler's playful performance of "Otto Titsling," the comical story of the uncredited inventor of the brassiere; that daffy track doesn't make it to Broadway either. Worse news: This last omission sharply reflects how Dart leaned hard away from the movie's most fun and campy bits. 

Beaches — in both versions — begins with a grown-up Cee Cee (Vosk) rehearsing a song for a big show, when a mysterious phone call causes her to race away. Then, the story flashes back to decades before, when Cee Cee was a fiery little girl (Samantha Schwartz) who befriended a shy, posh little Bertie (Zeya Grace) on a beach in New Jersey. The two became pen pals, supporting each other through fights with their overbearing mothers and frustrations with boys and then men. For a stint in their 20s, they'd live together in a cramped but beloved apartment as Cee Cee tried to make it as an actress, and Bertie helped out at the theater — mostly to avoid her mother and Michael, the boring man she was expected to marry. 

Both women will marry soon enough. But while Cee Cee's career takes off, Bertie (unlike her movie counterpart, Hillary) fails to realize her dream of becoming a lawyer. However, she does still have a daughter that she adores. A big misunderstanding will keep the two friends estranged for years, but they'll ultimately reconnect over Bertie's pregnancy, and then again when she gets fatally ill.

Despite all the highs and lows of their relationships, the songs that Dart and Stoller write all feel achingly one-note. "You Believe in Me," "Wish I Could Be Like You," and "My Best" all share the sentiment that these two are so different yet love each other more than anyone else. Even "God Bless Girlfriends" — sung by their annoyed husbands — echoes this. And none of these numbers has the emotional wallop or the visual language of "Wind Beneath My Wings." Instead, they all feel like mediocre AI-generated imitations of that great song. 

Beaches on Broadway presents confounding characters.  Brent Thiessen (left) and Ben Jacoby (right) as husbands John and Michael in "Beaches: A New Musical." Credit: Marc J. Franklin

Seeing Beaches the movie made me curious about Beaches the musical, but Beaches the musical does not make me curious about Beaches the book. The songs are frustratingly forgettable, but moreover, the story feels vexingly dated and thin. 

In Mary Agnes Donoghue's script for the movie, Hillary's ambitions as a lawyer made her equal to C.C. in ambition. In Dart's Broadway show, it's hard to understand who Bertie is, as the author/playwright leaves gaping holes in her story. Bertie has dreams of becoming an attorney, but when they go nowhere, it's unclear what she's done instead. Likewise confusing is, who is Aunt Neetie? Bertie's daughter Nina brings her up repeatedly, qualifying her as her "real" aunt as a means to show disdain for Cee Cee. And while both "aunts" seem in contention for raising Nina after Bertie dies, because Neetie isn't on stage, she's a distracting obstacle with no grounding. What we do know is Bertie says she has no sister. So maybe Neetie is her sister-in-law? But after their divorce, Michael has no relationship with his daughter Nina. So, what's the likelihood Aunt Neetie is Michael's sister? It's a perplexing plot hole that becomes more grievous in the show's final act.

Dart also ignores Bertie's privilege with a song called "Normal," where Bertie taunts Cee Cee that the brassy star could never have a "normal" life. But all her examples are about being wealthy, like having servants on hand. And these are all things the affluent Bertie has had access to since birth. Her husband, Michael (Ben Jacoby), gives no further insight into who she is, as he's a thinly sketched creep in a suit coat. By contrast, Cee Cee's husband John (Brent Thiessen) is a creep in an open denim shirt. They come off as the same guy in different fonts. 

Now, you might wonder if that's intentional to bolster the queer undertones that existed in the movie. Queer audiences have long speculated whether or not these women were actually in love with each other. Well, a lyric in "The Brand New Me" might have you think so, as Bertie sings about realizing she's in love with a girl. But it's a misdirect; she means the brand-new her. Then, the women share a double wedding on stage, where both are giddily dressed as brides. Here, the six actresses who play Bertie and Cee Cee as children, teens, and adults frolic together, while the grooms are a bland accessory. (Like an unconvincing beard?) 

Jessica Vosk and Beaches directors try to bring the camp and Midler flare.  Jessica Vosk stars as Cee Cee Bloom in "Beaches: A New Musical." Credit: Marc J. Franklin

This is a thankless show for the cast. The songs are awful. And all of the adult actors, aside from leads Jessica Vosk and Kelli Barrett, are tasked to play multiple thin roles, including teen Cee Cee (Bailey Ryon), teen Bertie (Emma Ogea), Cee Cee's mom (Sarah Bockel), and nuns, TV studio techs, nurses, and people waiting for a plane. It can actually be confusing when all of a sudden the actor who plays Cee Cee's husband is in a scene as a different character, with no attempt at disguise beyond a suit jacket. But props to Zurin Villanueva, who is given a smattering of bit parts, and manages to be dazzling and funny in every one. Here's hoping she'll get a role worth of her charisma soon.

As for Barrett, she commits completely to Bertie's agonies and ecstasies as Dart's script has her character turn on the head of a pin, from furious to benevolent. It's not her fault that it doesn't work. It's the unconvincing lyrics, made-up cliches possibly snatched from Hallmark cards. Barrett is at her best in the dialogue scenes, where she can play with Vosk, whose vivacity lifts everyone around her. 

Vosk gives her all to every underwhelming song. And while I can't remember a single lyric from the new Broadway numbers, I can remember the way my heart soared as she hit a high note with a broad smile. She's a stunner who understands why the audience has come. She's working hard to give us Midler-like oomph. And that is echoed by her teeny counterpart, Samantha Schwartz, who is a dynamic pint-sized showgirl with charisma and chutzpah to spare. 

Zeya Grace (left) and Samantha Schwartz (right) as Little Bertie and Little Cee Cee in "Beaches: A New Musical." Credit: Marc J. Franklin

Vosk sinks her teeth into Cee Cee's zeal, jealousy, and earnestness. Directors Price and Cowart support her by bringing in Midler allusions, like a scene where the staging suggests Cee Cee is performing at a bathhouse, as Midler used to, or a double-bunned red wig that recalls Midler's look in Hocus Pocus. Likewise, some costume choices — including the little girls' outfits — recall the movie directly, gladly playing on the audience's nostalgia. You can feel in these choices the attempt to please an audience of women who connected to Hillary and C.C.'s tumultuous story and to the queer audiences who love Midler's brassy bravura. But these flourishes,  while charming, cannot wrestle Beaches from the banality of Dart's writing. 

Plus, the rest of the staging is a mess. Rather than physical set pieces, a collection of columns affixed with projectors blares suggestions of a setting, like street signs or graphics, which do not evoke mood or location effectively. The front of the stage is a sandy beach dune, with fronds poking up for the girls to play on. Then, in the final act, when they are on a beach, the backdrop is painted. After so much projection, in this final moment, where the beauty of the beach itself could help anchor the heavy emotions about to flow, they went with a backdrop that looks like a motel room painting.

More thoughtless, though, was the blocking. A platform on the stage creates a second stage, which is used as a beach house veranda, a TV studio set, and a variety of other theater stages for Cee Cee to strut upon. This was multipurposeful and smart. However, the blocking often has the actresses sitting or lying down on this stage. In my orchestra seats, there were times I could not see who was singing without moving my head to crane around the person in front of me. I'm short, admittedly. But at the intermission, I switched seats with my guest, and he, who is not short, still had issues, despite the person in front of us not being exceptionally tall! Maybe this is a show better suited for the cheap seats?

All in all, Beaches is a profound disappointment. Vosk gives her all to racy jokes, high notes, and an iconically bold heroine. The supporting cast is asked to sing, dance, and play a bevy of small parts and thinly written characters. The directors try to weave in elements from the movie and Midler's broader impact to appeal to fans of her and the film. But in the end, this show is doomed by Dart's underwhelming writing.

Beaches is now on Broadway, and will begin national tours this fall.

NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for April 23, 2026

Wed, 04/22/2026 - 22:00

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be a lot easier if you're a football fan. And if you're not, then good luck!

As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

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

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

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. The sports Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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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: Draft day

  • Green: First half

  • Blue: A player in very high demand

  • Purple: Famous firsts

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

  • Yellow: Draft Pick Information

  • Green: Can Precede "Draft"

  • Blue: Associated with Fernando Mendoza

  • Purple: Non-QBs Picked First in NFL Draft

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 #577 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?
  • Draft Pick Information — ALMA MATER, PICK, POSITION, ROUND

  • Can Precede "Draft" — FANTASY, MOCK, NFL, SUPPLEMENTAL

  • Associated With Fernando Mendoza — CAL, HEISMAN, INDIANA, QB

  • Non-QBs Picked First in NFL Draft — FISHER, LONG, MARYLAND, PACE

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.

NYT Pips hints, answers for April 23, 2026

Wed, 04/22/2026 - 22:00

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 23, 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 23, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for April 23 Pips

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

Less Than (5): The domino half in this red space must have less than 5 pips. The answer is 3-4, placed vertically.

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

Greater Than (3): The domino half in this yellow space must have more than 3 pips. The answer is 5-1, placed vertically.

Number (2): Everything in this yellow space must add up to 2. The answer is 5-1, placed vertically; 1-0, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for April 23 Pips

Number (10): Everything in this purple space must add up to 10. The answer is 6-4, placed vertically; 4-3, placed horizontally.

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

Greater Than (3): The domino half in this light blue space must have more than 3 pips. The answer is 6-4, placed vertically.

Greater Than (4): The domino half in this yellow space must have more than 4 pips. The answer is 5-3, placed horizontally.

Equal (4): Every domino half in this dark blue space must have 4 pips. The answer is 2-4, placed horizontally; 4-4, placed vertically.

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

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

Hard difficulty hints, answers for April 23 Pips

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

Less Than (5): The domino half in this red space must have less than 5 pips. The answer is 3-5, placed horizontally.

Number (10): Everything in this light blue space must add up to 10. The answer is 3-5, placed horizontally; 5-4, placed vertically.

Equal (1): Every domino half in this yellow space must have 1 pip. The answer is 5-1, placed horizontally; 1-1, placed horizontally.

Number (4): The domino half in this dark blue space must have 4 pips. The answer is 5-4, placed vertically.

Greater Than (2): The domino half in this green space must have more than 2 pips. The answer is 0-5, placed vertically.

Greater Than (3): The domino half in this purple space must have more than 3 pips. The answer is 6-4, placed horizontally.

Does Not Equal: Every domino half in this red space must have a different number of pips. The answer is 6-4, placed horizontally; 6-6, placed horizontally.

Number (5): The domino half in this light blue space must have 5 pips. The answer is 5-6, placed vertically.

Less Than (4): The domino half in this yellow space must have less than 4 pips. The answer is 3-6, placed vertically.

Greater Than (3): The domino half in this ark blue space must have more than 3 pips. The answer is 6-6, placed horizontally.

Number (17): Everything in this green space must add up to 17. The answer is 5-6, placed vertically; 5-2, placed vertically; and 3-6, placed vertically.

Less Than (3): The domino half in this purple space must have less than 3 pips. The answer is 2-3, placed horizontally.

Less Than (3): The domino half in this red space must have less than 3 pips. The answer is 5-2, placed vertically.

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

NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 23, 2026

Wed, 04/22/2026 - 22:00

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

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.

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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.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for April 23, 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: The edge

  • Green: Make-believe

  • Blue: Solar system

  • Purple: Rock groups

Here are today's Connections categories

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

  • Yellow: Border

  • Green: Kinds of fiction

  • Blue: Words in a planetary mnemonic

  • Purple: Starting with four-letter '80s bands

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 #1047 is...

What is the answer to Connections today
  • Border: FLANK, NEIGHBOR, SKIRT, TOUCH

  • Kinds of fiction: HISTORICAL, LITERARY, PULP, SCIENCE

  • Words in a planetary mnemonic: EDUCATED, MOTHER, MY, VERY

  • Starting with four-letter '80s bands: ASIAGO, DEVOTE, TOTORO, WHAMMY

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 23, 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.

NYT Strands hints, answers for April 23, 2026

Wed, 04/22/2026 - 22:00

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're a history buff.

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 23, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Provinces of the pantheon

The words are related to history.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe ancient Roman values.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Domain.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

NYT Strands word list for April 23
  • Thunder

  • Harvest

  • Wisdom

  • Domain

  • Love

  • Marriage

  • Underworld

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.

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 23, 2026

Wed, 04/22/2026 - 22:00

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're on Twitter.

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 23, 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 23, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A bird's sound.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter E appears twice.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter T.

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...

TWEET

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.

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