Mashable

We are just days away from Apple's big September iPhone event. That means that along with new iPhones, the official launch of iOS 27 is just around the corner.

Even if you're not planning to upgrade to the iPhone 18 Pro or Apple's first foldable device, the new iOS 27 is packed with new features that will make your current smartphone feel brand new, including the long-awaited debut of Siri AI.

If you've installed the iOS 27 beta, then you might already have these features on your iPhone. But, if you're waiting for the official release, here are some of the top iOS 27 features you should be looking forward to.

SEE ALSO: Apple's iOS 27 is coming soon: Everything we know so far Siri AI

This is the big one. Apple announced plans for a completely rebuilt Siri assistant years ago. Now, they're finally going to launch Siri AI, powered by Apple Intelligence, with iOS 27.

For the first time, Siri now has its own app where users can type or speak to interact with the AI assistant. Users can still interact with Siri AI from anywhere on the device by just saying "Hey Siri," holding the iPhone's side button, or swiping down on the Dynamic Island. However, Siri AI will now live within its app too, where users can pull up past interactions and conversations with Siri.

Once a user accesses Siri AI, they can ask well beyond just general questions like how the weather is outside. They can even dive deeper than asking for real-time updates from online sources. Siri can now pull contextual information from the user themself to answer questions. Siri can pull answers from a user's emails, calendars, documents, notes, photos, and more.

There are even new tools within Siri AI as well, such as Write with Siri, in which a user can speak to Siri AI, and the assistant will generate text based on what the user asked for.

SEE ALSO: These 29 iPhones support iOS 27 and the public beta: Is yours on the list? Visual Intelligence

Speaking of Siri AI tools, this one deserves a callout of its own.

Visual Intelligence is a new iOS 27 feature that gives Siri AI the ability to answer questions based on what's right in front of the user. Simply point your iPhone camera at a movie on TV or a meal on the table, and Siri AI will be able to answer whatever questions you may have about it.

Users can also use Visual Intelligence to ask questions about photos, videos, or whatever else is on their iPhone screen as well.

Three new major AI photo editing tools (finally)

Apple Photos is getting a big upgrade with three new editing tools that will honestly make it feel like you've just upgraded to a new camera.

The biggest of the new features is Spatial Reframing. Using AI and the spatial data captured when snapping a photo, you can now change the angle and perspective of a picture after you've already taken it.

Extend is another new photo editing feature that uses AI to basically zoom out on a photo and generate more of the surroundings than what was captured in the original picture.

Finally, Clean Up is an improvement on a similar functionality that was already available on iOS devices. Just circle an object in a photo with your finger and Clean Up will remove the object.

Image Playground

Image Playground is getting real. 

Previously, the AI photo generation tool was mostly seen as a toy where users could generate cartoonish images. Now, Image Playground will be able to generate much more realistic photos as well.

Users will also be able to combine multiple different image elements and make additional edits via prompts to generate images.

New customization options

iOS 27 will introduce a new Liquid Glass slider, making it easier to adapt the transparency settings to your liking. In addition, if you have a relatively new iPhone, you'll also be able to customize Siri's voice.

Credit: Apple / Mashable Photo Composite Shortcuts update

There are quite a few updates to existing apps and features in iOS 27. If you want to read more about those, you can check them out in Mashable's previous iOS 27 and Siri AI coverage (here and here).

However, one upgrade to an existing feature feels like a whole new experience, so we think it deserves a standalone mention.

Apple has reimagined Shortcuts, perhaps one of the iPhone's lesser-used features, to make it much more welcoming to the average iPhone user. Shortcuts allow the user to set up a chain of commands or automated actions. It's supposed to make complicated processes easier; however, the initial manual setup is fairly intimidating to non-technical people.

With iOS 27, users will now be able to describe exactly what automation they want to setup with Shortcuts, and then Shortcuts will handle the entire setup process.

Bonus: Multitasking on the iPhone Ultra

If you're planning to get the first-ever Apple foldable, then you'll be able to use your iPhone more like a tablet. The larger inner screen will allow you to run multiple apps side-by-side, enabling new ways to multitask on your phone. While we haven't been able to preview these features in the iOS 27 beta yet, we know they're coming thanks to hints in the code and other leaks.

Top Apple Deals we found this week:

• Apple AirTag 2 (4-Pack) — $79.99 $99 (save $20)

• Apple AirPods 4 — $99 $129 (save $30)

• Apple iPad Air 11-inch (M4) — $649 $749 (save $100)

• Apple iPhone Air (256GB, unlocked) — $849.99 $999.99 (save $150)

• Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,849 $1,999 (save $150)

• Shop all the best Apple Labor Day deals

Astronomers just spotted an enormous, 10-sided shape surrounding Saturn's southern skies.

They call it a decagon because it has 10 corners and 10 long sides. It rings the planet's southern mid-latitudes, where a powerful jet stream races around the globe. 

From Earth, we don't literally look up at Saturn's underbelly. Instead, Saturn tilts on its axis, so its poles lean toward or away from us in space over its long seasons. For more than a decade, the south stayed tipped away, and even our best telescopes could not see those latitudes clearly. 

But when Saturn's tilt swung the south pole back toward Earth, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and large ground‑based observatories finally gained a clear view from 2023 to 2025.

That timing explains why the decagon appears only now and why scientists are so interested. Researchers say it gives them a chance to watch how a giant planet can sculpt its winds into sharp, angular shapes in real time.

SEE ALSO: A battle-tested spacecraft now begins its approach to Mercury

So what is this thing, really? The decagon is not a ring of solid clouds in Saturn's sky. It's a giant atmospheric wave — a repeating bend in the winds that runs all the way around the planet.

Waves in air behave similar to waves in an ocean. Water doesn't pick up and slide across the sea in one big piece; instead, it rises and falls in place as the wave shape passes by. 

When Saturn's tilt swung the south pole back toward Earth, Hubble finally gained a clear view of the strange atmospheric wave pattern. Credit: NASA / ESA / Agustin Sánchez-Lavega / Amy Simon / Michael Wong / Alyssa Pagan

Details about the new phenomenon were published in Science Advances. 

If aliens on Saturn were to point the same telescopes at Earth, they would not see such geometric shapes in our clouds. Here, high‑altitude winds in the jet stream sometimes wobble north and south. Those bends help steer cold snaps, heat domes, and storm tracks. From space, they look messy and lumpy because continents, mountains, and coastlines keep chopping them up.

But Saturn has no continents or mountains — only deep layers of gas. That clean racetrack lets waves in the jet fall into regular patterns.

In the southern jet that hosts the decagon, the wind wiggles slightly toward the pole and slightly toward the equator as it flows. Where the wave bends one way, clouds pile up or brighten. Where it bends the other way, clouds thin out or darken. Up close, nothing actually has knife‑sharp edges, even on that alien world. But the repeated pattern tricks our eyes into seeing lines and corners.

"The most intriguing part to me is that this seems to have just formed recently," said Amy Simon, a co-author of the study based at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, in a statement. "The question is, why did it suddenly form now when we haven't seen one before?"

Each facet of the decagon stretches about 10,000 miles. Credit: NASA / ESA / Agustin Sánchez-Lavega / Amy Simon / Michael Wong / Alyssa Pagan

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The decagon is enormous. Each side spans on the order of 10,000 miles. A jet stream under it tears along at about 260 mph, while its corners slowly shift back and forth over roughly month‑long cycles.

The structure also seems to evolve. Hubble images from 2023 show only weak hints of corners. By 2024 and 2025, all 10 points appear, though some look brighter and sharper. 

A nearby storm adds another wrinkle. Just north of the decagon, astronomers track a red spot a few thousand miles wide — not to be confused with the solar system's most famous Great Read Spot on Jupiter. In some colors, it looks bright, which means its clouds reach higher than the surroundings. In ultraviolet light, it looks dark. 

The strongest corners of the decagon gather near this storm. That proximity hints that the storm and the wave share energy in the same jet, and the red spot may help trigger or influence the shape.

To test ideas, scientists built a computer simulation of Saturn's weather layer at those latitudes. They set the model's winds to match the jet, then poked and prodded it in different ways: with a line of small bumps, with a storm like the red spot, and with a neat 10-wave pattern to start.

NASA's Cassini spacecraft photographed Saturn's hexagonal atmospheric wave pattern ringing its north pole in July 2013. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech /Space Science Institute

Though the details didn't match the real decagon, the model showed that strong, curved jets can create polygon‑like waves when something nudges them.

Only after they pinned down the southern decagon did researchers compare it to Saturn's north‑pole hexagon (Yes, there's another geometric wave pattern up top). The hexagon, with its six sides, has held its shape since the Voyager flybys in the early 1980s. It stands almost fixed relative to Saturn's rotation and has fairly even sides and corners.

The southern decagon, on the other hand, looks far less stable and only showed up a few years ago. Its corners shift in strength and position, and parts of the pattern look much weaker than others. That difference tells scientists the southern wave may be more ephemeral.

"Images from NASA's Cassini spacecraft, which orbited Saturn between 2004 and 2017, showed no inkling of a long-lived formation, either," said Agustín Sánchez-Lavega, lead author of the study. 

The new decagon is especially valuable to scientists because it connects to a bigger puzzle across the solar system. On Jupiter, the poles host clusters of cyclones that arrange themselves into ring‑like, sometimes-polygonal patterns. By tracking Saturn's 10-sided wave through changing seasons and shifting sunlight, scientists hope to learn why some giant‑planet jets settle into tidy structures and others break into tangled storms instead.

I write about holiday sales for a living, and somehow, I still managed to forget that this Monday is a federal holiday until about an hour ago. If you also just realized that Labor Day 2026 is literally this Monday (where does the time go?), don't worry!

Here's a complete list of what stores are open and closed this Labor Day.

What stores will be open on Labor Day?

Banks, schools, and the DMV may shut down, but most businesses stay open on Labor Day so they can cash in on the sales. That said, it's always a good idea to double-check your local store hours, especially if you plan to shop later in the day.

SEE ALSO: 40+ Labor Day deals: We found limited-time deals on TVs, mattresses, Apple, and more to shop this weekend Groceries and big-box retailers

• Walmart: The big box retailer is open with regular hours; Walmart typically operates from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

• Target: The bullseye store will also be open, generally from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., though local times may vary (check out the Target 2026 Halloween collection)

• Warehouse clubs: BJ's Wholesale Club is open during regular hours from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m; Sam's Club is open, but locations will close early at 6 p.m. local time. Unfortunately, Costco will be closed, however.

• Trader Joe's and Whole Foods: Trader Joe's is operating normally from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Whole Foods locations are open but will have modified holiday hours, usually around 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

• Aldi: Open, but locations will operate on limited hours from 8:30 a.m. and close early at 6 p.m.

• National and regional supermarkets: Kroger and its family of stores are open, though their pharmacy hours might vary. Regional grocery chains, including Stop & Shop, ShopRite, ACME, Foodtown, Lidl, and Wegmans, will also operate on open schedules. Wegmans locations will be open from 6 a.m. to 12 a.m., while Stop & Shop is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

• Apple: The Apple store should be open if you need to grab a spare charger or fix your iPhone. However, if you're looking for the best Labor Day Apple deals, you'll need to shop online.

Hardware, department, and specialty stores

• Hardware stores: Home Depot and Lowe's are open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., though Home Depot hours can vary slightly by location. IKEA is also open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

• Department stores: Best Buy, Kohl's, Macy's, Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, TJ Maxx, JCPenney, Old Navy, Burlington, Boscov's, and Marshalls are open with regular hours.

• Discount and dollar stores: Five Below, Goodwill, Dollar General, Dollar Tree, and Family Dollar are all open and running normal hours.

• Specialty and hobby stores: Barnes and Noble, Bath & Body Works, Bass Pro Shops, Dick's Sporting Goods, Petco, PetSmart, REI, and Ulta Beauty will all be open with normal hours. Hobby Lobby is open, but operates on reduced hours from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

• Pharmacies: CVS and Walgreens storefronts are open. However, most Walgreens pharmacies and select CVS pharmacies will be closed, except 24-hour locations.

What restaurants are open on Labor Day?

If you're not the BBQ, cookout type (I get it) and you'd rather not spend the day cooking, most major restaurant chains and fast-food drive-thrus are open with regular hours nationwide.

• Fast food and coffee: Starbucks, Dunkin', McDonald's, Taco Bell, Chick-fil-A, and Burger King are generally open, though individual franchise hours can vary slightly on holidays.

• Sit-down dining: Chains like Applebee's, Chili's, Olive Garden, Texas Roadhouse, Outback Steakhouse, and Cracker Barrel keep their doors open to handle the holiday weekend crowds.

SEE ALSO: Labor Day 2026 deals: Score free food from Cheesecake Factory, Krispy Kreme, 7-Eleven, and more What's closed on Labor Day?

The general rule is that if it's a government building, a bank, or a membership warehouse that isn't Sam's Club or BJ's, it's closed.

• Costco: Costco is closed on Labor Day.

• Government offices: Federal, state, and local administrative offices, including courts, the DMV, and public libraries, are closed.

• Schools: Public schools and universities are closed.

• Banks: Branch locations are closed, but ATMs and online banking will still be available.

• Financial markets: The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq are closed.

• Mail services: The USPS will not pick up or deliver regular mail, though Priority Mail Express will still run. UPS and FedEx will not have standard ground pickup and delivery services on Labor Day, though their critical/express services and some FedEx Office locations might have modified operating hours.

Looking for Labor Day sales online?

• The best Labor Day deals already live: Shop mattresses, tools, and TVs

• The best pre-Labor Day deals on Apple products

• The best Labor Day sales on mattresses, bedding, and pillows

• The best Labor Day home improvement deals from The Home Depot

• Shop the Ruggable pre-Labor Day sale on washable rugs

TL;DR: Through Sept. 10, get a lifetime 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan for $69.97 (reg. $540), with tools for AI chat, writing, images, PDFs, documents, audio, video, and more.

Opens in a new window Credit: 1minAI 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan Lifetime Subscription $69.97
$540 Save $470.03   Get Deal

AI subscriptions aren’t cheap, but they’re manageable if you only use one model like ChatGPT. However, if you need tools for generating images, writing copy, analyzing documents, or translating between languages, a platform like 1min.AI is a more viable option. 

1min.AI gives you lifetime access to some of the most popular AI tools, including ChatGPT, Gemini, Mistral, and many others. It’s also only $69.97 for a lifetime subscription in honor of Labor Day (reg. $540).

1min.AI runs in your browser and pulls a ton of everyday work into one place. You can research keywords, draft blog posts, rewrite and shorten text, generate social posts, and keep a consistent brand voice across projects. There are tools to summarize or translate documents, chat with multiple PDFs at once, and spin up slide presentations. For visuals, you can generate images from prompts, upscale low-resolution pictures, remove backgrounds, extend edges, or turn rough sketches into cleaner artwork.

Here’s a small sample of the AI models you’ll get access to:

• GPT

• Claude 3 Opus and Claude 3 Sonnet

• Gemini Pro 1.5

• Llama 3

• Mistral models

The Advanced Business Plan includes 4,000,000 credits each month, plus the chance to earn up to 450,000 more through daily logins and other tasks. Credits are shared across writing, images, audio, and video, so you can lean harder on whichever tools you need that month. The plan supports up to 20 members, with shared workspaces, an unlimited prompt library, unlimited storage, and unlimited brand voices. If you don’t use all your credits, they just roll over, so you aren’t missing out if you have a lighter month.

It’s only $69.97 (reg. $540) to get a 1min.AI lifetime subscription during this Labor Day sale, through Sept. 10.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Swiftspeed AI App Builder helps you create iOS, Android, and web apps without coding, and three years of Pro access is on sale for $39.99 (reg. $432).

Opens in a new window Credit: Swiftspeed AI Swiftspeed AI App Builder Pro Plan: 3-Year Subscription $39.99
$432 Save $392.01   Get Deal

Ever since the rise of smartphones, there has always been “an app for that,” which also usually means “a developer is required for that.” But thanks to AI, you can now get surprisingly far into app development without knowing what a curly brace does. Swiftspeed AI App Builder uses AI and visual editing tools to help you create iOS, Android, and web apps, with three years of Pro access currently on sale for $39.99 (reg. $432).

You can start by describing what you want to build, and Swiftspeed generates the foundation for you. From there, its drag-and-drop editor lets you customize layouts, forms, workflows, databases, and other elements without suddenly needing to become a software engineer.

If you already have an existing website, you don’t necessarily have to start over to turn it into an app. Swiftspeed can turn existing websites, WordPress sites, WooCommerce stores, and Shopify stores into apps, making this particularly useful for small businesses that already have an online presence but want somewhere to live on their customers’ home screens.

One Swiftspeed project can become an Android app, an iOS app, and a progressive web app (PWA), so you don’t have to build separate versions from scratch. The Pro Plan also includes the files and source code for your Android and iOS apps, with the iOS version ready for testing via Apple’s TestFlight.

There’s plenty to add once you’ve built the basics, too. Stripe and PayPal integrations can handle payments, while in-app purchases and AdMob support provide monetization options. You can also add push notifications, analytics, an app wallet, audio and video content, RSS feeds, quizzes, and custom pages.

AI doesn’t stop at generating the initial app, either. Swiftspeed supports chatbot functionality using providers including OpenAI, Gemini, Claude, and DeepSeek, so you can incorporate AI features depending on what you’re building.

The Pro Plan covers one app and three seats, with 5GB of storage, 300 monthly push notifications, AI agent credits, priority support, and no Swiftspeed branding.

While Swiftspeed can create the files needed to publish your app, it doesn’t eliminate Apple and Google’s requirements. You’ll still need your own Apple Developer or Google Play Developer account, pay any applicable developer fees, prepare your store listing materials, and submit the app for approval yourself.

Normally $432, you can grab a 3-year subscription to Swiftspeed AI for only $39.99.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Online communities tend to develop their own vocabularies and methods of communication, especially if they've been around for a very long time. If you're new to AdultFriendFinder, you'll quickly come across slang and short-hand terms you may never have encountered before, as well as more acronyms than you know what to do with. 

Some of these are obvious, or used across online dating cultures, but some of them are highly specific to niche communities like the worlds of BDSM and kink. 

Opens in a new window Credit: AdultFriendFinder AdultFriendFinder   Learn More

Here's a glossary of some of the most essential AFF lingo you'll want to know as you navigate the site:

Common AFF slang terms you need to know

• Aftercare: Term for cuddling and/or words of affirmation after the conclusion of a BDSM scenario 

• Bate buds: Two or more people who enjoy masturbating to the same content and who exchange recommendations 

• CD: Cross-dressing, usually referring to a person who enjoys wearing the clothing of another gender

• Cuckolding: The practice or scenario of consensual infidelity, widely enjoyed in non-monogamous relationships

• DD/LG: Acronym for "daddy dom, little girl," describing a male-dominant, female-submissive relationship

• Dom/Domme: Short-hand term for the dominant partner in a BDSM relationship. The terms master/mistress are often used interchangeably with dom/domme

• Edging: The practice of approaching sexual orgasm without ever reaching it.

• ENM: Ethical non-monogamy, also known as an open relationship

• Little: Short-hand term for the submissive partner in a BDSM relationship

• Limits/Hard Limits: The list of someone's non-negotiable boundaries. Respecting these limits is a central tenet of kink culture and should be practiced even in online encounters

• MD/LB: Acronym for "mommy domme, little boy," describing a female-dominant, male-submissive relationship

• Orgasm Control: A scenario in which one partner voluntarily relinquishes control of their sexual climax to another play partner

• Shibari: The Japanese art of decorative rope bondage, usually requiring a high degree of experience to execute properly

• Switch: Someone who occasionally enjoys being either dominant or submissive

• Vanilla: A non-pejorative term describing a preference for non-kinky sexual practices

For a handful of days each year, Berlin turns into the tech capital of the world. This year, IFA has close to 2,000 brands showcasing the latest technology from air fryers to robot lawn mowers to sleep earbuds and, of course, robots. Aside from CES in January, it's the best opportunity to check out what's on the horizon from top brands like Dreame, DJI, Anker, Dyson, and plenty more.

Some of the tech on display teeters on the useless side or focuses on grand ideas that are unlikely to become mainstream. Others, like a ceiling light that can mimic natural outdoor light and stick vacuums with more suction power than ever before, are well worth bringing home.

As expected, this year's event has a major emphasis on AI. Plenty of the AI advancements on display at IFA in 2026 are pretty great and streamline life where we need it most.

In an email, IFA CEO Leif Lindner explained, "What excites me most is seeing entire categories become more intuitive because AI is solving real problems, not simply being added for its own sake,' he said. "That’s what’s driving the innovations I’m most excited about this year, from robotics moving closer to practical everyday applications, to wearables that help you build better habits, to connected kitchen appliances that are genuinely helpful."

Below, we've rounded up the best products Mashable has spotted at IFA so far. We'll keep this list updated as the show continues on through Sept. 8. Some of the items are already available for sale in the U.S. while a few others will be worth the wait.

A fancy new version of the Anker Sleep earbuds

The Soundcore Sleep A30 Special are Mashable's favorite sleep earbuds, and now we have two new iterations: Sleep Earbuds 4 and Sleep Earbuds 4 Pro. Coming in at 20% slimmer than the Sleep A30 model, the new Sleep Earbuds 4 are designed to be even more comfortable for side sleepers. If you share a bed with someone who snores, the AI-generated dynamic snore masking system in the Sleep Earbuds 4 could make a major difference in your sleep quality.

The Sleep Earbuds 4 Pro come with advanced features and this snazzy case with disaply. Credit: Lauren Allain / Mashable

The fancier Sleep Earbuds Pro 4 use the same earbud design as the standard Sleep Earbuds 4 but come with a more advanced case, among other features. Similar to the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro earbuds, the Sleep Earbuds Pro 4 have an on-case display that lets sleepers check sleep metrics upon waking.

The screen also allows users to adjust the volume, change sleep tracks, or set an alarm from the case itself, rather than reaching for a phone.

The Anker Sleep Earbuds 4 are priced at $229.99 with a launch set for the beginning of October. The Anker Sleep Earbuds Pro 4 will sell for $349.99 come November. Preorders at Anker are currently eligible for a $30-off coupon that comes from putting down a $1 deposit.

Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Anker Sleep Earbuds 4 $199.99 at Anker
$229.99 Save $30   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Anker Sleep Earbuds Pro 4 $319.99 at Anker
$349.99 Save $30   Get Deal A camping portable power station that fits into your backpack

The EcoFlow River 3 Plus is one of my favorite portable power stations for camping, so I'm thrilled we got introduced to the EcoFlow River Gen4 at IFA. Completely redesigned from the River 3, the River Gen4 features a compact design that's significantly smaller than its predecessor. The River 260 Gen4 comes with a capacity of 256Wh, 300W sustained output, and a peak of 600W. At about 6.5 pounds, it's highly portable for a weekend of camping.

EcoFlow brough two new camping-friendly models to IFA 2026. Credit: Lauren Allain / Mashable

Going bigger, the EcoFlow River 520 Gen4 has 512Wh of capacity, 500W of AC output, and a 1,000W peak. The larger of the River 520 doubles the power capacity but doesn't double the weight, coming in at just 10 pounds. Again, that's manageable enough to pack along on a camping trip for most people. Both models have a 10 millisecond UPS, fast-charging USB-C ports, and quick recharging.

We're still waiting on the U.S. launch date information and pricing. EcoFlow also showcased a compact 60W solar panel at IFA that seems like it'll be the perfect companion for these two new models.

An upgraded DJI 360-degree camera

It's a sad time to be a DJI fan in the U.S. The brand packed the new DJI Osmo 360 II for IFA this year, but as of now, it's not coming to the U.S. thanks to current regulations. The new model replaces last year's Osmo 360 and comes with improvements such as the ability to shoot 8K panoramic footage. It also doubles the brightness range, offering 14.5 stops of dynamic range compared to the previous 13.5.

The DJI Osmo 360 II has reduced power consumption and advances image quality. Credit: Lauren Allain / Mashable

We're keeping a close eye on availability in the United States. At the same time, we're still waiting for the U.S. to see the launch of the DJI Power 1000 Mini, too.

An 8K creator camera from Dreame

Dreame continues to make waves with its product expansion, and at IFA 2026, the brand revealed the Dreame Leaptic Cube 8K action camera. With a U.S. launch set for November and a competitive price of $449, Dreame is coming for the likes of DJI and Insta360.

The Dreame Leaptic Cube 8K action camera's hands-free gestures are impressive. Credit: Lauren Allain / Mashable Dreame packed all the accessories we'll have access to when the Leaptic Cube launches. Credit: Lauren Allain / Mashable

When hands-on with the Dreame Leaptic Cube, I found it remarkably lightweight, and the gesture options for taking still photos and starting and stopping recording are both easy and incredibly responsive. The modular design offers plenty of benefits, including the ability to add extra batteries.

Dreame's also ready with accessory packages for cycling, underwater exploration, and even mounting to the dog. We'll continue to monitor preorder opportunities before the launch in November 2026.

TL;DR: Hatch Baby, priced at $79.99, is a nightlight and sound machine that grows with your kid — plus three months of 1:1 chat with real sleep consultants. After that, it's $69.99 per year or $6.99 per month.

Opens in a new window Credit: Hatch Hatch Baby $79.99 at Hatch
  Shop Now

Hatch has spent years building sleep gadgets for adults — the Restore line of smart alarm clocks has quietly become a go-to for people trying to fix their bedtime scroll habit. Now the brand is turning that same playbook on the people who arguably need it more: babies who haven't figured out how to sleep yet.

Hatch Baby is available now for $79.99 in many colorways: beechwood, putty, mint, peach, and greige. The price includes three months of Hatch+, the brand's subscription tier that unlocks 1:1 chat with certified sleep consultants and Hatch's full library of sleep content.

Unlike a basic white noise machine your baby will outgrow, Hatch Baby works for four different stages of childhood:

• Expecting — soothing lights and sounds to prep the nursery before the baby even arrives

• Newborn — calming cues plus Smart Sleep Logging to start building healthy sleep habits from night one

• 6 months — lullabies and Pink Noise, which Hatch says is linked to higher-quality deep sleep and tends to feel gentler on little ears than standard white noise

• 2 years — Time-for-Bed and Time-to-Rise cues that teach toddlers when it's okay to get out of bed

The device is controlled through a "Big Button" you tap to start bedtime sounds, plus a twist dial for volume. There's also a soft nightlight built in for late-night feedings and diaper changes without flipping on the overheads.

The main feature is the support system layered on top of the hardware. Hatch+ includes 1:1 chat that blends AI and human expertise — Hatch AI Chat is available any time, while actual Certified Sleep Consultants are available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, for more in-depth questions.

Keep in mind, this is sleep coaching, not medical advice. For health-related questions, you'll need your pediatrician.

Credit: Hatch How Hatch Baby works

More than a gadget, Hatch Baby is a complete sleep support system — offering Smart Sleep Logging with Nap Nudges, adaptive schedules, and milestone guides to help answer any midnight questions and keep the baby’s routine on track.

The built-in Tuck-Ins feature also adds a deeply personal touch by letting parents or distant family members record custom lullabies, stories, and bedtime messages to play directly through the device.

Everything runs through the Hatch app, which requires a 2.4 GHz WiFi connection (with Bluetooth as a backup), so you can start a sound, check a sleep log, or adjust a routine from another room — or another city.

Hatch+ subscription

The three months of Hatch+ included with purchase is not an auto-renewing trial — Hatch says it simply ends unless you opt back in. After that, you can keep going for $69.99 per year or $6.99 per month.

If you decide not to renew, you still get to keep the basics: lights and sounds, the Time-for-Bed/Time-to-Rise cues, Tuck-Ins from family, and phone playback. What you lose is the full subscription layer — the 1:1 Sleep Consultant chat, the Sleep Guides, premium stories and songs, dynamic lighting, and predictive schedules.

Every Hatch Baby purchase ships with the device and a power cord, weighs about 1.1 pounds, and comes with a 30-night bedside trial and a one-year warranty. It's also HSA/FSA eligible — a small but very real perk for parents already feeling the sting of nursery expenses.

Whether you stick with the full subscription or keep it simple with the free features, if it gets you even one extra hour of sleep, it’s worth every penny. Get the Hatch Baby for $79.99.

TL;DR: This refurbished 2018 MacBook Air with a 13-inch Retina display and Intel Core i5 processor is on sale for $267.99 (reg. $1,399).

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air 2018 (Refurbished) $267.99
$1,399 Save $1,131.01   Get Deal

This refurbished MacBook Air brings a Retina display, Intel Core i5 processor, and lightweight design to a much more approachable price. The 2018 13-inch model is on sale for $267.99 (reg. $1,399), with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD for everyday computing.

The 1.6GHz Intel Core i5 processor is suited to common tasks such as browsing the web, editing documents, streaming, and basic photo editing. Its 13.3-inch Retina display has a 2560 x 1600 resolution, while True-to-life visuals make it useful for everything from working on presentations to watching movies. The laptop also has Touch ID for convenient device access and two Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports for charging, displays, and compatible accessories.

The portability of this MacBook Air is one of its main advantages. This model weighs just over 2.5 pounds and has a slim profile, making it easy to carry between home, work, or class. The built-in battery is rated for up to 12 hours of web browsing or movie playback, while the 720p FaceTime HD camera, stereo speakers, three microphones, and headphone jack cover the basics for video calls and entertainment.

This MacBook Air is a practical option for students, remote workers, or anyone who primarily needs a portable computer for productivity and general use. It supports updates up to macOS Sonoma 14, though shoppers should keep in mind that this is a 2018 Intel-based MacBook and won’t have the newer hardware found in current models.

The laptop has a Grade A refurbished rating, meaning it should arrive in near-mint condition with minimal to no visible scuffing on the case. For shoppers who don’t need the latest MacBook and want to keep their budget under $300, this model offers a combination of portability, a Retina display and everyday performance.

Get this refurbished MacBook Air for $267.99 (reg. $1,399) while it’s on sale today.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

SAVE $300: Ecovacs' new flagship, the Deebot X12S OmniCyclone, is certified to remove 97% of dust mite allergens from the carpet. It self-washes, self-empties, and mops with fresh water — and it's $999.99 right now, 23% off its $1,299.99 list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Ecovacs Ecovacs Deebot X12S OmniCyclone $999.99 at Amazon
$1,299.99 Save $300   Get Deal

If you've been circling a robot vacuum purchase and waiting for a "real" discount to pull the trigger, this is it. Ecovacs just dropped its brand-new flagship, the Deebot X12S OmniCyclone, available for $999.99, down from its $1,299.99 list price. That's obviously the lowest price this model has been since it debuted. 

If you've got carpet, pets, or a dust mite allergy you've made peace with, this is the moment to stop scrolling and finally buy the thing. Most robot vacuums glide over your carpet and grab whatever's sitting on top. The X12S actually digs in. It's built with a sealed chamber specifically for extracting dust mite allergens from carpet fibers, and it's been independently tested (SGS-certified) to remove an average of 97.44% of them. 

Credit: Ecovacs

And instead of dragging a damp pad around and smearing dirty water everywhere, it feeds itself fresh water through 32 tiny outlets while a built-in scraper wipes the dirty water away in real-time — so you're not redistributing grime across your kitchen floor. It also pre-treats sticky, dried-on messes before it even starts scrubbing.

The suction is rated at 53AW, which means it's got enough pull to lift pet hair and debris rather than just push it around. And it's built to stop hair from wrapping around the brushes, which is the main reason robot vacuums die early.

The smartest part, though, might be how it handles carpet versus hard floor in the same run. When it senses a carpet, it lifts the wet mop roller and covers it, so it doesn't drag a damp pad across your rug and leave it soggy. It also charges itself every time it stops to wash its own roller, so a routine maintenance break doubles as a mini recharge.

Credit: Ecovacs

When it's done, it handles its own cleanup: no dust bags, no wringing out a mop — the base station empties the bin, washes the roller in hot water, dries it with hot air, and cleans itself. 

Grab the flagship Ecovacs robot vacuum while it’s $300 off at Amazon. 

TL;DR: The Apple iPhone 17 is free from T-Mobile when you trade in your eligible phone on an Experience More or Experience Beyond plan. The Apple iPhone 17 Pro is also free with T-Mobile — claim by bringing your number on an Experience Beyond plan (no trade-in needed).

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple T-Mobile: Free iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro   Get Deal

Apple is right on the edge of a very big week. We're expecting news of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, plus the possibility of the base iPhone 18 and iPhone Ultra getting announced.

That's a lot, but you can save yourself heaps of work next week by simply heading to T-Mobile this weekend. Sure, there will be deals on the new iPhone range, but who knows whether you'll actually find decent value in the wake of RAMageddon. It's a tough landscape out there, so T-Mobile's free deals on the iPhone 17 might be the best you're going to get.

T-Mobile is giving away the Apple iPhone 17 for free. All of these deals are live through the weekend:

• iPhone 17e — free when you switch to almost any qualifying T-Mobile plan (no trade-in required).

• iPhone 17 — free on an Experience More or Experience Beyond plan when you turn in an eligible trade-in device.

• iPhone 17 Pro — free when you bring your existing number over to an Experience Beyond plan (no trade-in required).

T-Mobile requires you to pay local sales tax on the phone's full retail value upfront, along with a standard $35 device connection fee per line at checkout. Are these really "free" deals when you need to pay something up front? It's a gray area, OK? Anyway, it's a small price to pay for the latest iPhone (for now).

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

TL;DR: Grab a lifetime subscription to the AdGuard Family Plan for $14.97 (reg. $169.99) through Sept. 10 at 11:59 p.m. PT and block ads, trackers, and malicious sites on up to nine devices.

Opens in a new window Credit: AdGuard AdGuard Family Plan: Lifetime Subscription $14.97
$169.99 Save $155.02   Get Deal

Labor Day weekend usually means more scrolling, more shopping, and more time staring at a screen. It also means more pop-ups, autoplay video ads, and trackers quietly logging what you click. A lifetime AdGuard Family Plan license clears all of that out for $14.97, a one-time payment instead of another subscription to keep track of.

AdGuard runs in the background across up to nine devices, covering phones, tablets, and computers for everyone in the house. It blocks display ads, video ads, and pop-ups in your browser and in most apps, and it strips out the trackers that follow your activity from site to site. It can also flag phishing and malicious sites before they load, and it includes parental controls for filtering content kids shouldn’t see.

The family plan price comes out to under $2 per covered device, with nothing to renew or cancel later. This deal is available to new AdGuard users, and codes must be redeemed within 30 days of purchase.

It’s a practical pickup for households splitting a handful of devices between parents and kids, or for anyone who’d rather stop paying a monthly fee to an ad blocker or privacy tool. The parental controls let parents filter what kids can access without installing a separate app.

Get a lifetime AdGuard Family Plan license for $14.97 before the Sept. 10 deadline and clear the ads and trackers off every device in the house.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Watch Schalke vs. Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga for free on CazéTV. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The new Bundesliga season began with a confident victory for defending champions Bayern Munich. They trounced Stuttgart 5-1 in their opening fixture, before beating VfL Osnabrück comfortably in the DFB-Pokal. Now they face Schalke, a team still seeking its first point of the season.

If you're interested in watching Schalke vs. Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Schalke vs. Bayern Munich?

Schalke vs. Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga kicks off at 8.30 a.m. ET on Sept. 5. This fixture takes place at the Veltins-Arena.

How to watch Schalke vs. Bayern Munich for free

Schalke vs. Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga is available to live stream for free on CazéTV.

CazéTV is geo-restricted to Brazil, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Brazil, meaning you can live stream Schalke vs. Bayern Munich for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Schalke vs. Bayern Munich for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice

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

4. Visit CazéTV

5. Watch Schalke vs. Bayern Munich for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Schalke vs. Bayern Munich without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture (plus Premier League action) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the Bundesliga?

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

• Servers in 105 countries, including Brazil

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream Schalke vs. Bayern Munich for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

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.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts 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

An ice cream measurement.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

SCOOP

Hurdle Word 2 hint

The place.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for September 5, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

WHERE

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Finely chop.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for September 5, 2026 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Meanings for each word for Sept. 5, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

MINCE

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Small path.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

BYWAY

Final Hurdle hint

Affordable.

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

CHEAP

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

TL;DR: Watch Fiorentina vs. Torino in Serie A for free on SportyNet. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Serie A has started without too many shocks, with the biggest clubs at the top of the table after two rounds.

Fiorentina are really struggling. They've lost both their opening games without scoring a goal. They've conceded seven. They'll be desperate to turn things around against Torino, a team that has also lost its opening games.

If you're interested in watching Fiorentina vs. Torino in Serie A from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Fiorentina vs. Torino?

Fiorentina vs. Torino in Serie A kicks off at 9 a.m. ET on Sept. 5. This fixture takes place at the Artemio Franchi Stadium.

How to watch Fiorentina vs. Torino for free

Fiorentina vs. Torino in Serie A is available to live stream for free on SportyNet.

SportyNet is geo-restricted to Brazil, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Brazil, meaning you can live stream Fiorentina vs. Torino for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Fiorentina vs. Torino for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice

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

4. Visit SportyNet

5. Watch Fiorentina vs. Torino for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Fiorentina vs. Torino without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture (plus additional Premier League action) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Serie A?

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

• Servers in 105 countries, including Brazil

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream Fiorentina vs. Torino for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Looking for spoiler-free NYT Connections hints or just wondering why Connections is trending today? We've got what you need to understand the clues for today's puzzle without spoiling any of the answers.

Of course, Mashable has also provided daily hints and answers for Connections, Wordle, and Strands for years, so we can help you if that's also what you need.

While we are focused more on meanings than hints in this story, sometimes learning that many of the words have completely unrelated meanings is a clue in and of itself. Connections frequently includes clues that involve words within words and other visual clues.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for September 5, 2026 Sway meaning

To swing from side to side.

Toddle meaning

To walk in short, unsteady steps.

Totter meaning

To walk unsteadily.

Wobble meaning

To move unsteadily from side to side.

Coo meaning

To make a soft bird-like sound.

Cobble meaning

A triangular orange and yellow treat, often associated with Halloween.

Honk meaning

A loud sound made by a car horn.

Warble meaning

To sing with rising and falling notes.

Bobble meaning

A repeated bouncing motion.

Hammer meaning

A tool used to bang nails.

Jug meaning

A large container for water.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

Sleepy meaning

Feeling drowsy.

Cobble meaning

A round stone.

Pi meaning

The mathematical name for the ratio of a circle's circumference.

Tar meaning

Earth's natural satellite

Tort meaning

A civil wrong.

Have you learned the meanings and still want the things? Check out the hints and answers for today's NYT Connections puzzle.

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

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for September 5, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Informally known as

The words are related to animals.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe animal nicknames

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Critter.

NYT Strands word list for September 5

• Peke

• Gator

• Chimp

• Critter

• Budgie

• Rhino

• Hippo

• Rattler

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you have a sweet tooth.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for September 5, 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: Shaky

• Green: Animal sounds

• Blue: You hit the nail

• Purple: Sweet treats

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Move unsteadily

• Green: Bird onomatopoeia

• Blue: ___ head

• Purple: Desserts minus last letter

Play our Big Guessing Game: Make your predictions now for a chance to win a new Apple Watch. Time's running out!

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 #1178 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Move unsteadily: SWAY, TODDLE, TOTTER, WOBBLE

• Bird onomatopoeia: COO, GOBBLE, HONK, WARBLE

• ___ head: BOBBLE, HAMMER, JUG, SLEEPY

• Desserts minus last letter: COBBLE, PI, TAR, TORT

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

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

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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 Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're a bad cook.

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 September 5, 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 September 5, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Watery.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter S.

Play our Big Guessing Game: Make your predictions now for a chance to win a new Apple Watch. Time's running out!

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...

SOUPY

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.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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.

Tesla threw a flashy party on Thursday to announce the start of its autonomous Cybercab service in Austin, but some of the wind was taken out of the company's sails when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced an investigation into the Cybercabs almost immediately after the launch.

Tesla’s Cybercabs are gold-covered robotaxis that seat two riders; the Cabs offer a luxe, roomy experience thanks to butterfly doors, a large Grok-enabled video screen, and the absence of a steering wheel and gas and brake pedals. The omission of the pedals and wheel is exactly why the NHTSA is looking into the Cybercabs, as the agency requires autonomous vehicles to have those back-up controls. 

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The Department of Transportation is considering dropping that requirement, and recently allowed Amazon-owned Zoox vehicles to operate without a wheel and pedals — but only after years of review and requests for information. Before they began offering rides, both Zoox and Cybercabs self-certified that their driverless cars complied with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.

SEE ALSO: Waymo is launching its robotaxi in Denver, San Diego, and Tampa

"In the U.S., NHTSA establishes clear vehicle performance requirements," the agency stated in its investigation announcement. "In order for automakers to access the U.S. market, they must certify that their vehicles meet these standards – subject to oversight from the agency to confirm compliance. When certified vehicles appear to not adhere to these requirements, NHTSA conducts an investigation."

It’s unclear whether the NHTSA’s investigation, which it calls an audit query, will severely slow Cybercabs' expansion into markets beyond Austin. The Trump administration indicated that it is trying to balance a push for more autonomous technology with regular safety concerns. 

"NHTSA fully supports the safe development and deployment of automated vehicles. But as the federal regulator, we need to ensure that all of our laws are followed," NHTSA administrator Jonathan Morrison said in a statement. "Our approach of balancing innovation with safety oversight will allow the United States to maintain its global leadership in AV innovation."