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Visiting China doesn't just mean exploring a foreign language and environment, but unfamiliar technology as well. While the U.S. runs on Google Maps, Venmo, and Amazon, China runs on Amap, Alipay, and Taobao.

China also has different requirements when it comes to taking your tech on flights — specifically relating to power banks. Like on U.S. flights, power banks must be carried in your hand luggage when on flights in China, and are subject to energy capacity limits. You should always check restrictions directly with your airline to avoid a headache at the airport. However, one requirement that's easy to overlook is the need for your power banks to have CCC-certification when flying in China.

Here's what you need to know to ensure your power banks aren't confiscated by China's airport security.

SEE ALSO: 7 overlooked and underrated essential travel gadgets What is CCC certification, and why does your power bank need it? Credit: VCG / VCG via Getty Images

The China Compulsory Certificate (CCC) is a safety mark similar to Europe's Conformité Européenne (CE), and has been around for over two decades. This certification is mandatory on a number of items sold and used in China, such as cars and household electronics, and is applicable to both locally manufactured and foreign products.

Since August 2024, CCC-certification has been required on all power banks sold in China. Even so, foreign travellers could still use and fly with batteries they'd brought in themselves. This changed in 2025, after several plane fires were attributed to power banks internationally. In response, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) announced that batteries without CCC-certification would be banned on domestic flights as of June 28, 2025.

Due to this, Chinese domestic airport security will now confiscate your power bank if it doesn't have CCC-certification clearly printed on it. This impacts many power banks purchased outside China, as well as Chinese power banks manufactured after 2024.

The restriction only applies to domestic Chinese flights, so you should still be fine to bring your usual power bank if you're only taking international flights directly in and out of the country. Even so, you may still want to invest in a CCC-certified power bank for peace of mind, in case you come across a particularly strict airport security agent. You'll definitely need a CCC-certified power bank if you plan to fly between multiple cities in China, including layovers in any Chinese airport. 

If you're travelling to China, you could wait to buy a power bank once you've landed. However if you prefer to plan ahead, there are a few power banks in the U.S. which do hold CCC-certification. Here are some CCC-certified power banks available in the U.S. that can be brought on domestic flights in China.

Belkin power banks that can fly in China

Though Belkin has a wide range of power banks, only its newer models are marked as having CCC-certification — as I discovered when I was relieved of my beloved Belkin BoostCharge Pro Magnetic Power Bank 5K + Stand at a layover in Haikou Meilan International Airport. In a statement to Mashable, Belkin stated that its older power banks are technically CCC-certified, but were not marked as such until China made it mandatory in 2024.

"​​​​Belkin products meet or exceed industry standards and undergo rigorous safety testing and quality control prior to being sold," said Belkin's spokesperson. "Since the 3C certification became mandatory in August 2024, we have both marked and certified our products accordingly. Power banks launched before August 2024 do not have the 3C marking as it was not mandatory."

The company further directed Mashable to China's State Administration for Market Regulation website, where you can enter your power bank's CCC certificate number to verify whether they're certified. Even so, you'll have to locate said number first, then try to convince China's airport security to bend the rules for you and accept it. As such, you're much better off simply getting a new power bank that has its CCC-certification clearly displayed.

You'll want to double check your Belkin power bank's packaging in person to ensure it's marked as CCC-certified before you buy, in case you're unknowingly looking at older stock. However, you're unlikely to have any problems with the Belkin BoostCharge Hybrid Wall Charger 25W + Power Bank 5K + Travel Adapter Kit, which Mashable can confirm does have its CCC-certification stamped on its side. This power bank also doubles as a travel adapter, with four interchangeable power plugs to match wherever you're headed, and weighs in at around 170g without any attached.

Belkin Boostcharge Hybrid Wall Charger 25W + Power Bank 5K + Travel Adapter Kit $59.95 at Amazon
  Shop Now at Amazon SHARGE power banks that can fly in China

If you prefer a power bank that's a little more lightweight, SHARGE has several options for when your phone needs a topup on the go. SHARGE advised Mashable that its Flow Mini 2, ICEMAG 2, Shargeek 140, and Shargeek 170 power banks are all CCC-certified and marked as such, offering you a variety of choices depending upon your needs. 

The Flow Mini 2 and ICEMAG 2 both attach directly to your phone, providing 5K and 10K of power each. In contrast, the Shargeek 140 and Shargeek 170 require cables to recharge your devices, but can store 20K and 24K of power respectively.

If you just want to keep your phone charged as you explore China's cities, SHARGE's 100g Flow Mini 2 and 200g ICEMAG 2 may suit you. However if you need more power, you may prefer to lug around the 470g Shargeek 140 or 680g Shargeek 170.

SHARGE Flow Mini 2 Power Bank $22.90 at Amazon
$29.90 Save $7   Shop Now at Amazon Opens in a new window Credit: SHARGE SHARGE ICEMAG 2 Power Bank $98.89 at SHARGE
  Shop Now SHARGEEK 140 Power Bank $84.90 at Amazon
$109 Save $24.10   Shop Now at Amazon SHARGE Shargeek 170 Power Bank $119 at Amazon
$169 Save $50   Shop Now at Amazon Power bank brands you can't bring on Chinese flights

None of INIU's power banks are CCC-certified, with a spokesperson telling Mashable that the Chinese-owned brand currently doesn't sell any products in the Chinese market. INIU is planning to seek CCC certification so that customers can bring their power banks on Chinese flights, however there is currently no timeline for when this might occur.

Meanwhile, Australian brand Cygnett told Mashable that they do have some CCC-certified power banks on the way to Australia, which are otherwise identical to products currently in their range. However, it is unclear if or when these options might be available in the U.S.

Mashable also reached out to Anker, Ugreen, Nitecore, and Spigen to ask which of their power banks are marked as CCC-certified.

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

An authorized person.

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

PROXY

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Grooming product.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 13, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

BRUSH

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

Hurdle Word 3 hint

A small dish.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for April 13 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 13, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

PETRI

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Quick.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

RAPID

Final Hurdle hint

Baby dog.

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

PUPPY

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

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easy if you love America's pastime.

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: Action words

• Green: Hardly working

• Blue: Where legends used to play

• Purple: Words ending with twenty-four hours

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Field a Baseball

• Green: Work Hard

• Blue: Former MLB Stadiums

• Purple: ____ Day

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 #566 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Field a Baseball — CATCH, FIELD, PICK, SCOOP

• Work Hard — GRIND, LABOR, STRAIN, TOIL

• Former MLB Stadiums — POLO, SHEA, TURNER, VETERANS

• ____ Day — DRAFT, GAME, OPENING, RYAN

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.

What have Rue Bennett (Zendaya) and her Euphoria crew been up to in the five-year time jump between Euphoria Seasons 2 and 3? In the words of Rue herself, "Nothing good."

SEE ALSO: 'Euphoria' Season 3 review: It should be great. Instead, it's gross.

From drug smuggling to making moves in Hollywood, here's what happened to each of the Euphoria characters during the time jump. Keep in mind that several Season 1 and 2 characters, like Kat (Barbie Ferreira), Gia (Storm Reid), Ethan (Austin Abrams), and McKay (Algee Smith), are no longer in the show. We'll just be focusing on the fates of the characters who are still in Season 3.

Rue Bennett Zendaya in "Euphoria." Credit: Patrick Wymore / HBO

Rue has been through it since the Season 2 finale. A few years out of high school, she was working at a smoke stand, only to get tracked down by drug dealer Laurie (Martha Kelly). Turns out the $10,000 Rue owed in Season 2 is still very much on Laurie's mind, so much so that she's calculated that, with outrageous interest and inflation, Rue's total has ballooned to $43 million.

Don't worry, Laurie is a generous drug lord and will gladly settle for $100,000. How exactly is Rue supposed to pay that off? By becoming Laurie's drug mule. She makes regular trips to Mexico, swallows small bags of drugs, and brings them back to the U.S. stashed away in her intestines. When it comes to Euphoria time-jump journeys, it's definitely among the bleakest.

Lexi Howard Maude Apatow in "Euphoria." Credit: Eddy Chen / HBO

Rue is still in touch with Lexi (Maude Apatow). After penning the play that basically caused a riot at East Highland, she's now living her writer's dream in Hollywood. She's working as a writer's assistant to Patty Lance (Sharon Stone), an "industry legend" who runs night-time soap LA Nights.

SEE ALSO: 'The Boys' has overstayed its welcome: Season 5 review Maddy Perez Alexa Demie in "Euphoria." Credit: Jeremy Colegrove / HBO

Lexi isn't the only Euphoria character trying to make it big in the entertainment industry. Maddy (Alexa Demie) is also in the thick of it. She's a talent manager for influencers and actors, including LA Nights "heartthrob" Dylan Reid (Homer Gere). In theory, management is the perfect job for someone as confident and with as much influence as Maddy. But based on episode 1, it seems as if the position isn't as fulfilling or as lucrative as she would hope.

Cassie Howard Sydney Sweeney in "Euphoria." Credit: HBO

While her sister is working in Hollywood, Cassie is content in her "right-wing suburban bubble." She and Nate (Jacob Elordi) are engaged and preparing for their wedding (which I'm sure will be a happy and healthy event for everyone involved). She's also trying to become TikTok and Instagram famous. Soon, she hopes to pivot to OnlyFans, where she thinks she'll be able to make enough money to pay for the $50,000 wedding flowers she wants. And if you think Euphoria creator Sam Levinson is going to handle online sex work with any kind of nuance going forward, I can assure you, that isn't the case.

SEE ALSO: 'The Testaments' review: 'The Handmaid's Tale' sequel finds new power in its YA perspective Nate Jacobs Jacob Elordi in "Euphoria." Credit: Patrick Wymore / HBO

Nate has taken over his father's (Eric Dane) contracting business and is trying to build a large, lucrative development. However, according to Rue's voiceover, he's realizing that it's really hard to build in Southern California, which could lead to financial troubles down the line. That hasn't stopped him from buying a Cybertruck, though, because of course Nate Jacobs would drive a Cybertruck.

Jules Vaughn Hunter Schafer in "Euphoria." Credit: Patrick Wymore / HBO

We don't actually see Jules (Hunter Schafer) in Euphoria's Season 3 premiere, but she's currently in art school. She's also, as we learn through the grapevine, a sugar baby. Any other details are currently a mystery.

Fezco O'Neill Angus Cloud in "Euphoria" Season 2. Credit: Eddy Chen / HBO

Actor Angus Cloud, who played drug dealer Fezco, passed away in 2023. However, Euphoria Season 3 keeps his character alive offscreen. As Season 3 picks up, he's serving a prison sentence following the SWAT raid on his house in the Season 2 finale. He's still in contact with Rue.

Of the decision to keep Fezco in the show after Cloud's passing, Levinson told The Hollywood Reporter, "I couldn’t keep him alive in real life, but I could keep his character alive in the show. I kept him alive, and the character has got a great arc. I think he’d be very proud of it."

New episodes of Euphoria air Sundays at 9 p.m. ET.

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 13, 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 13, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for April 13 Pips

Number (1): Everything in this purple space must add up to 1. The answer is 0-1, placed horizontally

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

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

Equal (4): Everything in this dark blue space must add up to 4. The answer is 1-4, placed horizontally.

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

Medium difficulty hints, answers for April 13 Pips

Equal (4): Every domino half in this purple space must have 4 pips. The answer is 4-1, placed vertically; 4-5, placed horizontally.

Equal (5): Every domino half in this red space must have 5 pips. The answer is 4-5, placed horizontally; 5-0, placed vertically; and 5-5, placed vertically.

Equal (1): Every domino half in this light blue space must have 1 pip. The answer is 4-1, placed vertically; 1-1, placed vertically; and 1-2, placed horizontally.

Less Than (3): The domino half in this space must have less than 3 pips. The answer is 1-2, placed horizontally.

Equal (0): Every domino half in this yellow space must have 0 pips. The answer is 3-0, placed vertically; 5-0, placed vertically; and 0-0, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for April 13 Pips

Number (2): Everything in this purple space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-5, placed vertically; 0-3, placed horizontally.

Number (9): Everything in this red space must add up to 9. The answer is 0-3, placed horizontally; 6-0, placed horizontally.

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

Number (9): Everything in this yellow space must add up to 9. The answer is 2-5, placed vertically; 4-1, placed vertically.

Greater Than (9): Everything in this dark blue space must add up to be greater than 9. The answer is 0-5, placed vertically; 6-4, placed vertically.

Less Than (3): Everything in this green space must add up to be less than 3. The answer is 4-1, placed vertically; 1-2, placed horizontally.

Equal (2): Every domino half in this purple space must have 2 pips. The answer is 1-2, placed horizontally; 2-4, placed horizontally.

Equal (4): Every domino half in this purple space must have 4 pips. The answer is 2-4, placed horizontally; 6-4, 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.

I confess, I walked into the St. James theater, where I'd watched the swiftly curtained Queen of Versailles, with trepidation. I'd seen Titanique Off-Broadway and was absolutely enchanted by its madcap comedy, giddy pop cultural references, bawdy jokes, and drag show interpretations of Céline Dion, Tina Turner, and Frances Fisher. But I've seen high-energy, low-budget Off-Broadway shows lose their verve in a prestigious Broadway venue. (RIP, Dead Outlaw.)

Thankfully, director Tye Blue and his co-creators Marla Mindelle and Constantine Rousouli have expertly translated their bonkers vision of a Céline Dion jukebox musical/Titanic parody/drag show into a crowd-pleasing spectacle, so full of joy and laughs that you'll leave with your face aching from smiling. 

Titanique is bigger on Broadway, but not less bonkers.  Marla Mindelle and the cast during the curtain call for "Titanique." Credit: Bruce Glikas / WireImage / Getty Images

Originally premiering in Los Angeles in 2017, Titanique imagines what would happen if international superstar Céline Dion crashed the tour of a Titanic museum to set the record straight. Once there, the diva begins recounting the movie Titanic for museum-goers, while employing her songbook throughout the retelling. 

This premise demands that the leading lady do a phenomenal Dion impersonation. And Mindelle, who originated this role and is now reprising it on Broadway, is absolutely sublime. Her voice is strong and beautiful, and she can hit those Dion notes with resounding confidence. But more than that, she understands the wondrous quirks of Dion's stage persona. She replicates campy crowdwork, including cooing at the audience, powerful punches to the chest to punctuate big moments in a song, and a generally regal yet kooky attitude that's made Dion an icon. If this were a Snatch Game challenge, Ru girls would be sweating. 

Meanwhile, Rousouli returns to reprise the role of Jack, wearing khakis so snuggly fit to his muscular thighs that it's giving Gene Kelly (complimentary). He plays the role like a hot himbo, who loves intermittent fasting, drawing cats, and — of course — the poor little rich girl Rose DeWitt Bukater (played by Scream VI's Melissa Barrera in her Broadway debut). Their love story is a comical collision of slapstick and silliness, which includes a totally unhinged recreation of the "draw me like one of your French girls" scene with some cleverly pixelated nudity. 

However, working against their blooming romance is Rose's horrid fiancé Cal (John Riddle from the Off-Broadway run), and Rose's vicious mother Ruth. Played by Frances Fisher in the movie, this bad mother is traditionally played by a man in light drag in Titanique. (When I saw it Off-Broadway, Messy White Gays' writer Drew Droege was hysterical as the shrieking battle axe.) For Broadway, Titanique has The Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons in the part, and he embraces the lunacy with explosive cursing, snarling reads, and an allusion to his hit TV show that becomes a literal fart joke. 

Titanique's stunt casting works brilliantly, actually.  Deborah Cox and Jim Parsons during the curtain call for "Titanique." Credit: Bruce Glikas / WireImage / Getty Images

Heralded actor Carrie Coon made it plain in an interview with CBS Sunday Morning what many have been saying about Broadway for years: TV stars are considered essential to sell tickets. So, we've got The Bear's stars headlining Dog Day Afternoon and Proof, while Glee alum are in Maybe Happy Ending, Just In Time, and Chess. RuPaul's Drag Race winners Jinkx Monsoon and Bob the Drag Queen have taken flashy roles in Chicago, Little Shop of Horrors, and Moulin Rouge! 

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

Off-Broadway, Titanique used stunt casting to keep audiences coming. But the show shifts subtly to lean into the guest stars by folding in references to their work elsewhere. For instance, when I saw William from Drag Race playing Titanique's Victor Garber, he recreated his infamous vomiting exit from the reality competition show during a lip-sync for your life sequence that is core to this parody. In the Broadway version, Frankie Grande (who also did an Off-Broadway stint) is back as Victor Garber, giving their all with a pulse-racing dance number to "I Drove All Night." They also bring their high school photo into the show's shenanigans, all while impressively holding Dion's high notes with an audacious cheekiness. 

For Parsons' part, he looks strikingly chic with a sharp contour and a Clara Bow lip. And while he's not as down and dirty as Droege's take on Ruth, it's delirious fun to see the sitcom star drop the family-friendly schtick to chastise Rose, "Lock it up, cunt."

As for Barrera, I admit I worried she'd be boring as Rose, in part because I've been underwhelmed by her work in the Scream movies (which do get a jokey reference onstage). But she's radiant and really fucking funny in this role, putting the sweet ingenue archetype on its head with racy dance moves, a totally game embrace of the show's goofiness, and a beautiful voice that makes a meal out of Dion hits like "Where Does My Heart Beat Now" and "Because You Loved Me." 

This is a show for show-stopping divas, and Titanique has an unfair share, frankly! On top of Mindelle's epic Céline Dion, Broadway brings Canadian R&B star Deborah Cox on as the Unsinkable Molly Brown. And while Cox will do a little riff of her own hit "Nobody's Supposed to be Here," it's her magnificent performance of "All By Myself" that had the audience on their feet. I can't think of the last time I saw standing ovations throughout a Broadway show. But Mindelle and Cox got them, as did Bad Education's Layton Williams, who is credited as "Seaman/Iceberg." But Titanique fans know this means he'll be busting out a fierce Tina Turner, who serves as the personification of the deadly ice formation. 

Much of the cast is asked to do a bit of drag performance, including Riddle giving a spot-on Miss Vanjie re-enactment. Williams, however, is a vision, strutting on with a shining stage presence, an icy white wig, and a sparkly micro-mini dress, thighs out and glistening. Williams had the audience roaring with his rollicking "River Deep, Mountain High" performance. But when he ran and leaped into a split? His tuck hit the stage, and we were on our feet, cheering. 

Titanique on Broadway smartly keeps the audience in the mix.  Jim Parsons, Layton Williams, and Frankie Grande during the curtain call for "Titanique." Credit: Bruce Glikas / WireImage / Getty Images

While the performances are outstanding, credit is also owed to Blue's staging. On this same stage, Queen of Versailles kept the performances elevated literally above the audience. Titanique has built the stage out, deeper into the audience and with steps, allowing the performers to come down to our level, racing up and down the aisles. This recreates the immersive element of the Off-Broadway show, inviting the audience to clap, cheer, cackle, and even sing along for the show's encore. Such an environment ignites not just excitement but also a sense of community, which I worried would be lost on Broadway.  

With Titanique Off-Broadway, I walked into the theater, where a big gaudy recreation of the Heart of the Ocean necklace dangled above the stage, and the vibes were instantly immaculate. The audience was chatty and friendly, but then locked in on the show, their energy joining with that of the cast to create a marvelous night out in Manhattan collectively. This energy has been successfully transferred to Broadway, where the Heart of the Ocean shimmers high as a club mix welcomes the audience. The seats are cushier, but the vibes are still party. 

From there, the reveal of the stage is bigger and bolder, recalling the metal and flashing lights design of reality TV competition shows like The Voice. There's a cheerful campiness to the design, and this glow-up doesn't detach Titanique from its ludicrousness or lewdness. Instead, it allows Mindelle to bloom, and her co-stars too. Together, they create a musical, magical epic, sure to please, but likely to make you want to shout, "I'm alive!"

Titanique is now on Broadway.

You won't hear the names of any tech giants in Silicon Valley satire The Audacity, but that doesn't stop the show from creating pretty blatant analogs to real-life companies.

SEE ALSO: 'The Audacity' tears Silicon Valley a new one: Review

Some of them are one-off gags, like"Spookle," the show's take on Google. Others figure heavily into the plot. The most impactful of these is "Cupertino," which was briefly in talks to acquire Duncan Park's (Billy Magnussen) Hypergnosis. Described as the world's most profitable company, Cupertino is The Audacity's Apple stand-in.

The biggest clue as to what company Cupertino is spoofing is the name itself. Apple's headquarters are in Cupertino, California. The Audacity also pokes fun at Apple's CEO Tim Cook, referring to Cupertino's CEO as "Big Tim" throughout episode 1. (There's also a "Little Tim," played by Curtis Lum, who was responsible for foiling the acquisition talks.)

The Audacity doesn't really dive into what Cupertino does beyond print money and secure contracts with the Department of Defense, allowing viewers to fill in the blanks with our own assumptions about Apple. However, it does also gesture to the awful conditions that Cupertino's tech laborers work under. In episode 1, Cupertino's ethics officer Anushka Bhattachera-Phister (Meaghan Rath) reveals that workers in Cupertino's Guangzhou factory are dying by suicide. The scene recalls the series of suicides that took place at Foxconn's Shenzhen plant — where Apple products are manufactured — in 2010.

The Audacity showrunner Jonathan Glatzer spent time in Silicon Valley developing the show, where he consulted with members of the tech world. But at a New York Q&A with Vulture writer Jesse David Fox, Glatzer stated that no one from Apple would talk to him about the show. He joked that perhaps that reticence to talk was the reason Cupertino became so prominent in the series.

New episodes of The Audacity premiere Sundays at 9 pm ET on AMC and AMC+.

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

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 13, 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: Broadway venues

• Green: Abracadabra!

• Blue: Famous series

• Purple: They have lids

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Seen outside a theater

• Green: Accessories for a magician

• Blue: TV show title surnames

• Purple: They have caps

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 #1037 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Seen outside a theater: BOX OFFICE, MARQUEE, TICKET LINE, VELVET ROPE

• Accessories for a magician: CAPE, HANDKERCHIEF, MAGIC WAND, RABBIT

• TV show title surnames: HOUSE, LASSO, MONTANA, SOPRANO

• They have caps: BASEBALL PLAYER, CAMERA LENS, MUSHROOM, PEN

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 13, 2026

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

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

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

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you love to hide things away.

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 13, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: While not in use

The words are related to depots.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe a backyard stockroom.

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 Storage Shed

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NYT Strands word list for April 13

• Tools

• Hose

• Mower

• Grill

• Bicycle

• Storage Shed

• Wheelbarrow

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

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

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you love Christmastime.

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 13, 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 13, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Small and delicate.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter P.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

ELFIN

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.

HBO MAX BUNDLES: HBO Max is offering a few different bundle deals so you can stream from its library without making a massive dent in your wallet.

The best HBO Max deals and bundles in April 2026: Best Disney+ Bundle Deal Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max Bundle $19.99/month with ads, $32.99/month ad-free Get Deal Best Hulu Bundle Deal Hulu and HBO Max Bundle Add HBO Max to your Hulu base plan from $10.99 per month Get Deal Best Student Deal HBO Max Student Save 50% on HBO Max Basic With Ads Get Deal

Looking for some exciting new films or shows to watch this spring? HBO Max is the place to find them. With a new season of Euphoria dropping on the platform and a brand new season of House of the Dragon coming in June, there's plenty to watch and look forward to on the service.

If these shows have caught your eye, the good news is that HBO Max has a few different bundles available at the moment that are worth checking out, including a popular bundle with Disney+ and Hulu. With streaming prices on the rise, a bundle like this can be a great way to save some cash while retaining access to your favorite services.

SEE ALSO: Everything we know about HBO's 'Baldur's Gate' show

Alongside bundles, we've also broken down HBO Max's standard plans in case you're interested in its service on its own.

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

The HBO Max, Disney+, and Hulu bundle is a top-tier choice for those looking to have access to some of the biggest streaming services around. Starting at $19.99 per month, this bundle grants you access to Hulu, Disney+, and HBO Max's streaming services for a much lower price than what you'd pay for them on their own. If you've already got Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions, this bundle is worth every cent. If you're interested, there are two plan options to choose from:

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

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

Best Hulu bundle deal Opens in a new window Credit: Hulu Hulu and HBO Max Bundle Add HBO Max to your Hulu base plan from $10.99 per month Get Deal Why we like it

If you're not interested in the Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max mega bundle, you can just get Hulu and HBO Max together if you already have a Hulu base plan, which starts at $11.99 per month. HBO Max Basic with Ads can be added onto your plan for $10.99 per month, or you can splash out on the HBO Max Standard plan for $18.49 per month.

• Hulu with HBO Max add-on — from $10.99 per month

Best student deal Opens in a new window Credit: HBO Max HBO Max Student Discount Students save 50% on HBO Max Basic With Ads Get Deal Why we like it

It's always nice when streaming services have a deal for students, and HBO Max's offer is definitely worth taking advantage of. Students who can verify their status with UNiDAYS are eligible to get the HBO Max Basic With Ads plan for just $5.49 per month. That's a 50% discount off its $10.99 monthly price. After verifying your status, you'll receive a unique code that can be used to redeem the discounted plan on HBO Max.

• HBO Max Student Discount — $5.49 per month (save 50%)

HBO Max's monthly plans

HBO Max offers a few different subscription plans. If you don't mind having to sit through ads, HBO Max's Basic With Ads plan starts at $10.99 per month or the annual plan runs for $109.99 per year. If you can't stand ads and don't mind throwing down a bit more cash, the Standard plan will cost you $18.49 per month or $184.99 per year. If you really want to go big on an HBO Max plan, you can spring for the fancy Premium plan, which costs $22.99 per month or $229.99 per year.

Below we've broken down what comes with each of these plans, per HBO Max's website, so you can know a bit more before you buy.

Basic With Ads — $10.99 per month, $109.99 per year

• Stream on two devices at once

• Full HD 1080p resolution

Standard (Ad-free) — $18.49 per month, $184.99 per year

• Stream on two devices at once

• Full HD 1080p resolution

• 30 downloads to watch on the go

Premium (Ad-free) — $22.99 per month, $229.99 per year

• Stream on four devices at once

• 4K Ultra HD video quality (as available)

• Dolby Atmos immersive audio (as available)

• 100 downloads to watch on the go

If you're wondering where to start once you've set yourself up with a HBO Max subscription, we've got an excellent selection of recommendations to point you in the right direction. Looking for a great TV show to kickstart your next binge-watching session? Have a look through our roundup of the 20 best TV shows streaming on HBO Max. Or if you prefer movies, we narrowed down the 25 best movies on HBO Max to make your next movie night a spectacular one.

Every day, millions of people turn to an artificial intelligence chatbot like Claude, Gemini, and ChatGPT to ask a question about their physical health. 

They may not know that getting the correct answer is harder than it appears, no matter how authoritatively the chatbot responds. 

Three recent studies indicate that large language models aren't as reliable as users may hope. 

SEE ALSO: Read this before you use ChatGPT Health

One study that tested chatbots' ability to detect health misinformation failed more often than not in certain scenarios. Another study conducted by some of the same researchers found that ChatGPT Health, a dedicated health and wellness service that debuted in January, "under-triaged" slightly more than half of cases presented to it, including emergency conditions that required immediate medical care. 

"I think that consumers should have a high degree of caution, like almost an abundance of caution," Dr. Girish N. Nadkarni, an internist and nephrologist at Mt. Sinai, who co-authored both of the studies, said of querying a chatbot for health advice. 

This may surprise users who hear that chatbots can easily pass a medical exam, even if they sometimes hallucinate outside of a testing environment. Yet the recent research points to a complex, somewhat hidden problem. The way humans interact with chatbots, and the manner in which they're designed to expertly please, creates unpredictability. Those factors are never a challenge for AI being tested on textbook medical questions. 

If you want to start, or continue using, a chatbot for your health questions, take these expert-recommended steps as you come up with prompts: 

1. Test the model with misinformation or inaccuracies first. 

Nadkarni, an AI health researcher and director of Mt. Sinai's Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Health, says it's important to ask the chatbot about medical misinformation or known falsehoods prior to querying it about specific health questions. 

Challenge the chatbot, for example, to comment on a conspiracy theory about a vaccine, such as whether it agrees that the COVID-19 shot contains a microchip to track people. 

Or prompt it to respond to a slightly more challenging health controversy, like the safety of fluoride in drinking water. While researchers have found evidence that extremely high levels of fluoride can be dangerous, experts agree that current standard levels remain safe. 

Testing the chatbot with misinformation should provide a revealing baseline for the potential accuracy of its other responses, Nadkarni says. 

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

His recent study found that several general-purpose chatbots, including ChatGPT, inconsistently detected misinformation across many scenarios. Success rates depended on the context, like whether it was presented in a social media post versus a medical note. They also failed often when presented with specific logical fallacies. 

For example, when the prompt with misinformation appeared to come from a physician, via a real note drawn from an electronic health record, the chatbot was more likely to miss the falsehoods. 

If the chatbot you're consulting agrees with statements you know to be partially or wholly false, Nadkarni says avoid asking it for its opinion on your personal health questions. 

2. Consider the cues or information you may be giving the chatbot. 

When Nadkarni and his colleagues tested ChatGPT Health earlier this year, they discovered that how users frame their symptoms may influence the model's accuracy. 

If, for example, the prompt included statements about friends or family downplaying the symptoms in question, ChatGPT Health's recommendation shifted in that direction as well. In those instances, the chatbot was 11 times more likely not to send the patient to the emergency room, even when their symptoms indicated a life-threatening condition. 

The results were published as a peer-reviewed advance paper in Nature Medicine. 

OpenAI objected to the results, arguing that the study methods didn't represent how people use ChatGPT over multiple chats, sharing information and answering follow-up questions. Karan Singhal, who leads the Health AI team at OpenAI, told Mashable in a statement that its own benchmarking indicates that GPT-5 models "correctly refer emergency cases nearly 99 percent of the time."

Nadkarni said that while he welcomed debate, the criticism "missed the point." He said that while ChatGPT Health correctly identified abnormalities in the presented data, it reasoned past them.

"The issue is not missing information but incorrect conclusions despite correct data," Nadkarni told Mashable.

A separate recent study, also published in Nature Medicine but by a different group of researchers, randomly assigned 1,298 human participants to present a predetermined medical scenario to an AI chatbot (GPT-4o, Llama 3, and Command R+) or a source of their choice, including Google. 

When the chatbots were tested simply on the scenarios, they correctly identified the condition in nearly 95 percent of the cases. Once humans began posing questions about the scenario, however, the same chatbots could accurately pinpoint the condition in only about a third of cases. 

"Despite LLMs alone having high proficiency in the task, the combination of LLMs and human users was no better than the control group in assessing clinical acuity and worse at identifying relevant conditions," the researchers wrote. 

Many participants lacked an accurate understanding of the symptom severity, which contributed to the failure rate. 

SEE ALSO: What AI can really say about your blood test 3. Take into account whether you're a novice or expert. 

This is the kind of dynamic that Dr. Robert Wachter keeps in mind when he considers how people prompt a chatbot for answers to medical questions. 

Wachter, professor and chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, routinely uses OpenEvidence, an AI chatbot designed for physicians and healthcare professionals. He finds the AI's answers to complex medical questions largely fast, accurate, and helpful. 

Wachter, author of "A Giant Leap: How AI is Transforming Healthcare and What That Means for Our Future," also believes that general-purpose and health-specific chatbots can be very useful to the average patient compared to a basic Google search. 

Yet he's also aware that he approaches AI chatbots as an expert with 40 years of medical experience and can quickly identify the most relevant details to include in a prompt. 

"A patient has absolutely no ability to do that — to know what are the salient facts of all the things that might be going on in terms of their current symptoms, in terms of their past history, in terms of their medication," he says. "So what they put into the prompt may be not exactly right."

Wachter says that recent research demonstrates a clear risk for patients when they don't know the right information to use in a prompt, and when they misinterpret the chatbot's response. 

Still, he believes that more often than not, an AI chatbot is better than nothing, provided patients focus on including relevant health history and current symptoms, and use it with a "buyer beware" attitude. 

In particular, Wachter says he wouldn't trust a chatbot for symptoms that may indicate a life-threatening emergency, such as severe chest pain, new shortness of breath or confusion, or weakness on one side of the body. 

4. Ask for references and cross-check the answer. 

When a chatbot gives its response, Nadkarni suggests taking the time to ask for its references for the information provided. 

It's not enough to scan a list of links, either. Nadkarni recommends clicking links to evaluate the source. If the chatbot has based its answer on a "shady Reddit post," Nadkarni says it's probably not trustworthy. 

On the other hand, if the reference directs you to a verifiable medical organization, like the American Medical Association, that should be reassuring. 

Nadkarni acknowledges that while individual users may not agree with the views of a health organization or authority, the information usually reflects medical consensus based on the best current evidence. 

Wachter also recommends asking a second AI chatbot that you trust to weigh in on the same health information you shared with the first chatbot to see if it arrives at the same conclusion. That can be a good indication that the response is useful and reliable.  

Despite Wachter's enthusiasm for AI chatbots in healthcare, he believes the recent studies indicate substantial room for improvement. He imagines AI tools that act more like a "good doctor," engaging the user in conversation to elicit all the relevant information before suggesting a diagnosis or action, like taking medication or going to the emergency room. 

"I think the patient-facing tools are not where they're going to end up," he says of present-day AI chatbots that field health questions. "Ultimately, the tool for a patient is going to be much more [like a doctor] than the tools now."

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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

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

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

Royalty.

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

QUEEN

Hurdle Word 2 hint

A huge fight.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 12, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

BRAWL

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Rope.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for April 12 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 12, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

NOOSE

Hurdle Word 4 hint

A particle.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

QUARK

Final Hurdle hint

An extension.

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

ANNEX

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

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easy if you like to use your arms. There — your first hint.

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: Bravo!

• Green: College ball

• Blue: Cooperstown

• Purple: Not your legs...

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Expression of Approval

• Green: SEC Cities

• Blue: Hall of Fame Pitchers

• Purple: ____ Arm

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 #566 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Expression of Approval — APPLAUSE, CLAPPING, HAND, OVATION

• SEC Cities — AUBURN, AUSTIN, COLLEGE STATION, OXFORD

• Hall of Fame Pitchers — FELLER, FINGERS, GROVE, PLANK

• Starts With Part of the Body — DEAD, FORE, SIDE, STIFF

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

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

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

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

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

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

How to play Pips

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 11, 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 11, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for April 12 Pips

Number (22): Everything in this purple space must add up to 22. The answer is 6-6, placed horizontally; 5-0, placed vertically; 5-4, placed horizontally.

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

Number (4): Everything in this light blue space must add up to 4. The answer is 2-2, placed horizontally.

Equal (4): Every domino half in this space must have 4 pips. The answer is 4-1, placed vertically; 4-2, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for April 12 Pips

Less Than (3): The domino half in this purple space must have less than 3 pips. The answer is 2-4, placed vertically.

Greater Than (5): The domino half in this red space must have more than 5 pips. The answer is 6-4, placed horizontally.

Equal (4): Every domino half in this light blue space must have 4 pips. The answer is 6-4, placed horizontally; 2-4, placed vertically.

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

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

Equal (5): Every domino half in this dark blue space must have 5 pips. The answer is 2-5, placed horizontally; 5-5, placed horizontally.

Number (1): Everything in this red space must add up to 1. The answer is 1-3, placed vertically; 0-5, placed horizontally.

Number (10): Everything in this green space must add up to 10. The answer is 4-5, placed horizontally; 0-5, placed horizontally.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for April 12 Pips

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

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

Less Than (6): The domino half in this light blue space must add up to less than 6. The answer is 0-3, placed horizontally; 2-1, placed vertically.

Number (0): Everything in this dark blue space must have 0 pips. The answer is 2-0, placed vertically.

Number (6): Everything in this yellow space must add up to 6. The answer is 2-1, placed vertically. 5-0, placed vertically.

Equal (4): Every domino half in this purple space must have 4 pips. The answer is 2-4, placed vertically; 4-4, placed vertically; and 4-6, placed horizontally.

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

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

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

Number (6): Everything in this light blue space must add up to 6. The answer is 6-5, placed horizontally; 0-1, 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.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you need every point of view.

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.

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SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for April 12, 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: Bottoms

• Green: POV

• Blue: To give off

• Purple: A toy

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Pants features

• Green: Perspective

• Blue: Emit

• Purple: ___ Doll

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 #1036 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Pants features: BELT LOOP, CUFF, FLY, POCKET

• Perspective: ANGLE, POSITION, STANCE, TAKE

• Emit: CAST, PROJECT, RADIATE, SHED

• ___ Doll: PAPER, RAG, RUSSIAN, TROLL

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 12, 2026

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

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

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

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you take pride in your appearance.

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.

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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 12, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Get ready!

The words are related to appearance.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe grooming.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is In the Mirror

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NYT Strands word list for April 12

• Comb

• Primp

• Beautify

• In the Mirror

• Brush

• Preen

• Groom

• Style

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

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

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you love city living.

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 12, 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 12, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A narrow pathway.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter L appears twice.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter P.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

ALLEY

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints. Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

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

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

If you happen to catch a broadcast of The Masters this weekend, you'll probably notice a few obvious things: the undeniable talent of the players, the immaculate conditions of the course, and the sea of attendees wearing green as if it's a second St. Patrick's Day. But there's one other thing conspicuously absent from the weekend festivities: smartphones. 

Unlike other sporting events, sometimes heavily attended by people who paid obscene amounts of money to watch the excitement through the lens of an iPhone, The Masters bans all recording and communication devices, from phones and tablets to digital cameras. It's right there in black and white on their list of Prohibited Items, above "knives and weapons of any kind" (so you know they take it seriously). 

But, according to Golf Monthly, some sneaky attendees are finding a way to circumvent the ban: wearable technology. The latest smartwatches from Apple and Google are easily able to send and receive both text messages and phone calls, while the Ray-Ban Meta glasses are subtle enough to pass as regular eyewear (especially if worn under a golf cap).  

In response to the videos surfacing online of people sneaking in recording eyewear, golf reporter Daniel Rapaport was unequivocal: "Augusta’s no-phones rule needs to be updated to no phones or wearable technology. No Meta glasses, no Apple watches. The mystique of the Masters must be protected and it’s slipping." 

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If there's any sporting event likely to die on this hill and strengthen their policy to keep all devices out, it's The Masters. But if the legions of happy fans strolling the course over the weekend, largely oblivious to the goings-on on Twitter and Facebook, are any indication, it may be for the greater good that they do. 

The success of the Artemis II mission around the moon has captured the attention of the entire world, but if you're not done celebrating the good vibes, or just want a fantastic way to commemorate a landmark moment in space exploration, you're in luck: NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) have teamed up with LEGO to launch a 632-piece model, the Artemis Space Launch System Rocket. 

Not only does this set include the Artemis ship and thruster rockets that blast it out of Earth's gravitational field, but it also includes a clever launch platform with a hand crank designed to show the rocket in all three stages of the launch — just turn the crank and the rocket gradually takes off and the thruster rockets disengage. 

The set also includes four miniature astronaut figures, in honor of the four-person crew of the Artemis II, as well as an information panel that highlights key details about the Artemis II mission. 

The set is suitable for children ages 9 and up, but we all also know at least one adult who loves to build LEGO, so don't sleep on this as a gift option for the space-obsessed grown-up friend or family member in your life. 

Owing to overwhelming demand (space is cool, after all!), the set is currently sold out on Amazon, Walmart and the LEGO website, but if you order from LEGO.com today, you should expect to receive it when supplies refresh in 60 days, according to LEGO. 

And if your child is struggling with assembly or if you yourself need a little help, never fear: LEGO offers interactive, 3D building instructions through their Builder app, available for both iOS and Android users.