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TL;DR: Visual Studio Pro 2026 is Microsoft’s latest IDE, and a lifetime license is on sale for $35 through May 31.
Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2026 $34.97Developer tool subscriptions aren’t cheap. Visual Studio Professional through Microsoft’s standard licensing runs hundreds of dollars a year, and that’s before you factor in the cost of other tools in a typical dev stack, but that’s also not your only option anymore. A lifetime license for Visual Studio Professional 2026 cuts that recurring cost down to a single payment, and it’s on sale for $34.97 right now (reg. $499.99).
Visual Studio Pro 2026 gives you the tools to write code faster and catch problems earlier, with AI doing a lot of the work that used to slow you down. IntelliCode reads your codebase and completes entire lines or blocks based on patterns learned from your own code, not generic suggestions. AI-assisted refactoring cuts down on boilerplate and flags bugs before they compound. CodeLens surfaces recent changes, commit history, test results, and references directly in the editor, so you always know what’s happening in your codebase without jumping between windows.
Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!For teams, Live Share is one of the more practical collaboration features available in any IDE. Teammates can join a session, edit, and debug in real time without cloning the repo or setting up their own environment. Access controls and personalized settings keep things organized, whether you’re doing code reviews, pair programming, or bringing someone new up to speed.
The build capabilities are broad. Visual Studio 2026 handles .NET and C++ apps targeting Windows, Linux, and containers, with cross-platform mobile and desktop through .NET MAUI and responsive web UIs via Blazor. Hot reload applies code changes to running apps without restarting, which saves real time across a workday. Azure, GitHub, and other DevOps workflows are integrated directly.
There’s no reason to keep paying hundreds to license a tool you can own outright.
Until May 31 at 11:59 p.m. PT, you can get a Microsoft Visual Studio Pro 2026 lifetime license for just $35.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
TL;DR: Lock in 100TB of permanent space with this lifetime subscription to Internxt Cloud Storage, on sale now for $974.97 (reg. $9,900) through May 31.
Opens in a new window Credit: Internxt Internxt Cloud Storage Lifetime Subscription: 100TB $974.97What happens when our digital lives outgrow our smartphones and laptops? If you’re tired of paying a small fortune renting space from a cloud storage service month after month, it’s time to check out something more permanent.
Internxt Cloud Storage lets you own your storage space, and right now you can lock in 100TB for life for just $974.97 — less than the cost of renting 12TB of iCloud storage for 18 months.
Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!Whether you’re the resident family photographer or you’ve simply amassed a massive digital library over the years, the need for cloud storage will continue to grow. If you’re looking for a more permanent solution, it’s Internxt Cloud Storage.
With an ample 100TB of space, Internxt Cloud Storage provides storage you can grow into. Not only does it give you plenty of space, but they also make sure your data is secure. Internxt’s end-to-end encryption means that not even the company itself can see your files, a far cry from competitors who not only access but also profit from your data.
Internxt is GDPR-compliant, audited, and verified by Securitum. It’s also open-source, with the code available on GitHub whenever you want to access it.
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Get a lifetime subscription to Internxt Cloud Storage for only $974.97 (reg. $9,900) through May 31.
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As AI gets integrated into every facet of our lives, AI hallucinations remain a stubborn and intractable problem. Yet in the two-hour Google I/O keynote, where Google introduced a massive expansion of AI search and a new default model, Gemini 3.5 Flash, hallucinations didn't warrant a mention.
Likewise, the Gemini 3.5 Flash system card contains no references to hallucinations. Sycophancy is also conspicuously absent. This is especially notable given that both Anthropic and OpenAI publicly report data on metrics such as how often their models hallucinate, encourage delusions, or act sycophantically.
So, as Google makes AI Mode and AI Overviews even more visible in Google Search, users may not realize just how likely an answer is to contain hallucinations and confident mistakes.
Google AI tools do sometimes include warnings such as "AI responses may include mistakes." But there’s no disclosure to searchers that Gemini and AI Mode responses may only be accurate 68.8 to 83.8 percent of the time.
Those are the results from Google's most recent data on Gemini accuracy.
In response to Mashable's questions, a Google spokesperson said that the company plans to publish more information about the newest models' safety evaluations alongside the release of the rest of the Gemini 3.5 model series, which is expected in June.
Credit: Google How accurate is Gemini, AI Mode, and AI Overviews? It's at the top of a failing class.Google doesn’t report the honesty, sycophancy, or hallucination rates of its latest models. However, in December, it published a study of their accuracy based on the FACTS Grounding test, a benchmark created by Google DeepMind to measure accuracy.
FACTS "comprehensively evaluates the ability of language models to generate factually accurate text," and Gemini 3 Pro and Gemini 2.5 Pro top this benchmark.
Google reports that Gemini 3 Pro has an overall accuracy score of 68.8. In many classrooms, this would be a hard "F" grade, though it's considered a high score for an AI model.
On the FACTS Search benchmark, which measures a model’s skill at "generating factual responses by interacting with a search tool," Gemini 3 Pro scores 83.8 percent.
Credit: GoogleThe FACTS Search benchmark also measures models' "hedging rate," or how often they decline to answer a question, which is the desired outcome when an answer is unknown. Gemini 3 Pro has a significantly lower "hedging rate" than GPT-5, Claude 4.5 Opus, Claude 4.5 Sonnet, and even its predecessor Gemini 2.5 Pro.
What does Google say about AI hallucinations?A single reference to hallucinations does appear in the Gemini 3 Pro system card published on Nov. 18, 2025. "Known Limitations: Gemini 3 Pro may exhibit some of the general limitations of foundation models, such as hallucinations. There may also be occasional slowness or timeout issues."
This boilerplate language is similar to what’s included in the Gemini 2 series system cards, which acknowledge additional problems. “Gemini 2.0 Flash may exhibit some of the general limitations of foundation models, such as hallucinations, and limitations around causal understanding, complex logical deduction, and counterfactual reasoning.” (Emphasis added.)
Hallucinations are actually a feature, not a bug, of the way large-language models work. They're probabilistic algorithms predicting the next token in a sequence. By definition, they're predicting, not "knowing" or "reporting."
"Hallucinations can only be reduced and never eliminated,” Niranjan Krishnan, Head of AI Solutions, FPT Software, told Mashable. "Large language models are penalized if they sound uncertain or tentative. They don’t know what’s true, but know how to sound true. That bias drives confident errors. Models don’t know their limitations and do not know when to stop."
Krishnan added, "Trying to eliminate hallucinations is the wrong goal. The ultimate challenge is building systems that know when to say, 'I don’t know.'"
“I think users are entitled to that information, especially considering the fact that if you're using an AI chatbot, for example, like Claude or ChatGPT, you're opting into that experience...But when you're on Google, not everyone opts into getting an AI Overview, or engaging with AI mode. They're opening up a search engine that they've always used, and now the experience is different." - Klaudia Jaźwińska, Tow Center for Digital JournalismSo, why doesn't Google report hallucination or sycophancy rates like its chief rivals?
Gary Marcus, scientist, author, and the AI Cassandra of Silicon Valley, told Mashable that "One could guess that their performance there wasn’t groundbreaking or we would have likely heard about it." He added, "Some candor about these things, as with nutrition labels, would certainly be a good thing."
By ignoring AI hallucinations, Google is depriving users of information they could use to evaluate AI output.
Mashable reached out to Google to ask about the lack of hallucination data in the Gemini system cards. In response, a Google spokesperson said, "We take a rigorous approach to defining and measuring persona attributes like helpfulness, tone, and sycophancy. Our goal is to train models to provide objective, direct responses that avoid flattery or simply mirroring a user's views, while keeping the system highly steerable for developers."
The spokesperson also said:
Improving model factuality and managing persona are ongoing, scientific efforts for us. While balancing a model's creativity with factual accuracy remains an industry-wide challenge, hallucination rates have steadily fallen as core model capabilities advance...To continuously guard against incorrect outputs, we invest heavily in robust safety policies, pioneering automated quality-check systems like FunSearch, and open-source evaluation benchmarks like FACTS Grounding to track and improve factual accuracy over time.
Why does this matter?Billions of people rely on Google to find information on everything from random celebrity trivia to life-altering medical diagnoses. And Google has long said it looks for expertise, authority, experience, and trustworthiness (or E-E-A-T in Google jargon) for "Your Money or Your Life" (YMYL) topics.
These YMYL topics include anything "that could significantly impact the health, financial stability, or safety of people, or the welfare or well-being of society." Now, users are learning about these topics directly in Google Search or the Gemini app, a tool that's only accurate up to 83.8 percent of the time.
AI hallucinations are also poisoning our collective body of knowledge. Fortune recently reported on a study that found 4,000 AI-fabricated references in nearly 3,000 medical research papers. Likewise, lawyers around the world are being sanctioned for including hallucinated decisions in their briefs. One database tracking legal hallucinations includes 1,497 cases and counting.
Google's AI transformation is also having an outsized impact on the publishers who produce the information that Gemini relies on.
As Google has shifted to AI search, traffic to news websites has fallen off a cliff, a phenomenon that’s been described as a “Traffic Apocalypse” and the "AI armageddon" for publishers.
Once upon a time, back when Google prided itself on its "Don't be evil" ethos, the company defined success by how quickly users left Google. "We may be the only people in the world who can say our goal is to have people leave our website as quickly as possible." Now, Google wants users to spend as much time as possible in its walled garden.
To be clear, all of the actual reporting — the interviews, the research, the photography, the videography, and the old-fashioned sleuthing — is still performed by human journalists. But instead of leaving Google to read about the Iran War in the New York Times, Gemini and AI Mode will brief you right on the search page.
In any other context, journalists call this plagiarism. And as Mashable has reported previously, AI chatbots like Gemini are particularly bad at parsing breaking news, which is when misinformation spreads quickly.
Klaudia Jaźwińska, a journalist and researcher for the Tow Center for Digital Journalism, told Mashable that Google should do more to inform users of its AI's limitations.
“I think users are entitled to that information, especially considering the fact that if you're using an AI chatbot, for example, like Claude or ChatGPT, you're opting into that experience,” Jaźwińska said. “But when you're on Google, not everyone opts into getting an AI Overview or engaging with AI mode. They're opening up a search engine that they've always used, and now the experience is different. And I think for that reason [Google] should be even more transparent about what it can and can't do and what its limitations are.”
In the absence of regulation on AI safety and transparency, Google could commit to publishing data on Gemini's hallucination, sycophacy, or honesty rates, as OpenAI and Anthropic do.
In the meantime, don't forget what Google says in its AI terms of service: "Use discretion before relying on, publishing, or otherwise using content provided by the Services."
Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.
After a premiere at the Sundance Film Festival and a stint in theaters, The Moment is coming to HBO Max. But what can fans of Charli XCX expect from this comedy that's masquerading as a documentary?
First off, let's not flat-out call this a "mockumentary." While that's not the wrong term for writer/director Aidan Zamiri's film, the popularity of the term typically used for Christopher Guest parodies and The Office might have moviegoers expecting a comedic romp. The Moment is far more dry and cutting than wacky. But make no mistake, it's awesome.
The British singer/songwriter who redefined "brat" plays herself in a compelling, often unvarnished look at what it means to achieve massive fame at breakneck speed. Beginning in September 2024, The Moment kicks off at the tail end of "brat summer."
With her sixth studio album becoming a massive hit that inspires memes, TikTok dances, and controversy, Charli XCX has her first arena tour ahead of her, pinned to brat. An eye-jittering montage of news clips and internet videos is intercut with flashing neon-colored production company logos, and Charli thrashing around in a feral dance under strobe lights. Right off, Zamiri captures the nonstop energy that is this 365 party girl's image. But once the montage stops, The Moment pauses on Charli, who practically collapses from her dance when "Cut!" is called. Just like that, she goes from fantasy to reality, and she's utterly exhausted.
What's The Moment about? Charli XCX and Alexander Skarsgård star in "The Moment." Credit: A24Charli XCX is credited with the original story behind Zamiri and Bertie Brandes' screenplay, which follows the pop star through business deals, meet-and-greets, and tour rehearsals to a last-minute retreat to Ibiza, and onto the stage. Now, plenty of musicians have allowed camera crews behind the scenes for concert docs that reveal the human frailty behind the epic shows. But The Moment has more in common with St. Vincent's The Nowhere Inn, a 2020 mockumentary/psychological thriller that blended fact and fiction to explore the strangeness of being famous for your music.
The plot of The Moment is Charli prepping for the tour, initially eager to collaborate with her trusted creative director, Celeste (Hailey Benton Gates), who envisions each show turning the arenas into a nightclub, complete with strobe lights and flashing graphics that include the word "cunt." However, this hard party energy clashes with the vision of documentarian Johannes (Alexander Skarsgård), who's been hired by a snarling record exec (Rosanna Arquette) to make the brat moment last forever with a concert doc that'll appeal to the mainstream and "dads."
This battle for creative control seems simple at first. Everyone from those above to Charli's timid manager Tim (Jamie Demetriou), her make-up artist Molly (Kate Berlant), and her famous friends, like Rachel Sennott (playing a comically shallow version of herself) insist Charli has the final say. But as pressure from the record company grows more intense, Charli realizes how little power she actually has, and struggles to make sense of what's best for her and brat.
Far from finger-wagging or self-pitying, The Moment is electrifying. Charli XCX takes a call in "The Moment." Credit: A24The faux documentary Zamiri has made is not presented as Johannes' concert doc. That faux documentarian is an antagonist to Charli, pushing her to change her image, her signature green color, and even "brat" itself, daring to capitalize the B.
Yet within the film's logic, it's unclear whose movie we're watching. The camera crew and director stay out of frame. However, through the persistent strobe effects — which mirror the opening title cards and Celeste's vision for the brat tour — it seems the film is from Charli's perspective, even as she is intruded upon. The cameras invade squabbles with Charli's team, doing cocaine in a nightclub bathroom, and an emotional breakdown in a private resort. And whereas in a narrative film people would ignore the camera, those around Charli look right into the lens, audibly alarmed. The pop star doesn't look, implying that Charli has gotten so used to being watched that she doesn't even notice them anymore.
This reflects the message at the core of The Moment. In a tearful phone message, Charli recounts how she made brat the way she wanted to. It was hers, and now everyone else acts as if it is theirs, as if she is theirs, and as if they are entitled to tell her what to do next.
Rather than enjoying the success she dreamed of, she's being relentlessly pushed to make big decisions. Will brat define her for life? Will she cling to it or let it go to look for something new? Will it be destroyed by capitalism's insistence on making all art into a commercial opportunity?
And yet, Charli is not painted as a pitiable victim of her own success or a noble heroine for creative freedom. The portrait she and Zamiri offer is more complicated and refreshing. She shares personal insecurities about her hair and body, showing herself flushed and without make-up next to a meticulously made-up Kylie Jenner, who is in a bikini to boot. Beyond creating space for the venting of her frustrations, The Moment also shines a light on the bad calls made when caving to studio pressure. Thus, Charli demystifies the glory of being a pop star by uncovering some unflattering truths about commercial compromise, even when you are the moment.
The Moment has a dry, razor-sharp wit. Rachel Sennott plays herself in "The Moment." Credit: A24Not a romp or a laugh fest, this is the kind of movie where a laugh escapes you like a gasp or a scream, booming and deliciously surprising. There's cringe humor, like Sennott's scene, which plays like her HBO Max satire, I Love L.A., probing a particularly venal element of self-promotion. There are inside jokes that will only hit for Charli's fans, like a brief but biting appearance from Julia Fox as herself. For his part, Skarsgård is frightfully convincing as a faux-feminist douchebag. Then, there's Gates, whose bristled creative director is wickedly funny in her rage. Her delivery of the phrase "metaphorical cocaine" is sublimely absurd.
Rather than broadly skewering the rich and famous, The Moment shrewdly targets the corporate side of making art for a living. Through celebrity cameos, a succinct yet riveting story, earnest emotion, and biting humor, Charli XCX's mockumentary captures something real about the battle of art versus commerce. How does one hold onto themselves when hit by an avalanche of more, more, more, for better or worse? The Moment shows one answer, urging audiences to find their own.
The Moment is streaming on HBO Max.
UPDATE: May. 27, 2026, 2:12 p.m. EDT "The Moment" was reviewed out of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. This article was originally published Jan. 30, 2026, and has been updated to include current viewing options.
TL;DR: Live stream Fonseca vs. Djokovic in the 2026 French Open for free on France TV. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
The 2026 French Open took a massively unexpected turn yesterday when unseeded youngster Juan Manuel Cerundolo defeated world No. 1 Jannik Sinner. With the men's field now wide open, Novak Djokovic has perhaps his best chance at winning a record 25th Grand Slam title.
But there's a long way to go. The 30-year-old Serb must first beat Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca, the tournament's No. 28 seed. Fonseca has only dropped two sets so far, so will prove tough competition. He's just 19 years old and as proved by Cerundolo, anything can happen on the court on any given day.
If you want to watch Fonseca vs. Djokovic in the 2026 French Open for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
How to watch Fonseca vs. Djokovic for freeFonseca vs. Djokovic in the 2026 French Open is available to live stream for free on France TV.
France TV is geo-restricted to France, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in France, meaning you can stream the 2026 French Open for free from anywhere in the world.
Live stream the 2026 French Open for free by following these simple steps:
Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in France
Connect to France TV
Watch the 2026 French Open for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer pretty generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Roland-Garros without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream the 2026 French Open before recovering your investment.
If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming platforms from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.
What is the best VPN for sport?ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries
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
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 a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).
Live stream Fonseca vs. Djokovic in the 2026 French Open for free with ExpressVPN.
TL;DR: Live stream Linette vs. Swiatek in the 2026 French Open for free on France TV. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
The 2026 French Open is still stunned from yesterday's shock result, which saw men's No.1 Jannik Sinner eliminated by unseeded Juan Manuel Cerundolo, a twist that's blown the field wide open.
But there's little time to take it all in — the Roland-Garros action continues today as women's No. 3 Iga Swiatek faces Magda Linette in a third-round, all-Polish showdown. And the women's field is just as open and unpredictable following surprise exits of Elena Rybakina and Jessica Pegula.
With some of the toughest opponents out of action, Swiatek must surely fancy her chances to go all the way and claim a seventh Grand Slam, which would come off the back of winning last year's Wimbledon. You can also bet that Linette will be motivated by the number of big unseeded upsets so far at Roland-Garros, and will look to further disrupt the order.
If you want to watch Linette vs. Swiatek in the 2026 French Open for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
How to watch Linette vs. Swiatek for freeLinette vs. Swiatek in the 2026 French Open is available to live stream for free on France TV.
France TV is geo-restricted to France, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in France, meaning you can stream the 2026 French Open for free from anywhere in the world.
Live stream the 2026 French Open for free by following these simple steps:
Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in France
Connect to France TV
Watch the 2026 French Open for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer pretty generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Roland-Garros without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream the 2026 French Open before recovering your investment.
If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming platforms from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.
What is the best VPN for sport?ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries
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
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 a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).
Live stream Linette vs. Swiatek in the 2026 French Open for free with ExpressVPN.
Today's Connections: Sports Edition will require knowledge of Music City.
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.
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 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.
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: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categoriesWant a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: Fancy footwork
Green: Basketball club-related
Blue: Sports leaders
Purple: Music City competitor
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Hit a ball with your foot
Green: First words in NBA team locations
Blue: League commissioners
Purple: An athlete in Nashville
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 #613 is...
What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?Hit a ball with your foot: BOOT, KICK, PUNT, STRIKE
First words in BA team locations: GOLDEN, LOS, NEW, OKLAHOMA
League commissioners: BETTMAN, GOODELL, MANFRED, SILVER
An athlete in Nashville: COMMODORE, PREDATOR, SOUND, TITAN
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.
The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.
With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.
So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: How to play Pips, the newest NYT gameHere are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Friday, May 29, 2026:
Across"Whatcha ___?"The answer is Doin.
The answer is Up to.
The answer is Ocean.
The answer is Karl.
The answer is Stay.
The answer is Ducat.
The answer is Opera.
The answer is Italy.
The answer is Non.
The answer is OKs.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Mini Crossword.
A Blue Origin New Glenn spaceship has exploded, disappearing in a massive ball of fire during a test on Thursday night. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported, but it's an expensive setback for Jeff Bezos' space company.
SEE ALSO: Blue Origin’s New Glenn mission successfully launches and lands a reusable rocketThe New Glenn rocket had been undergoing a static hot-fire test at Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at the time of the explosion. A static hot-fire test is a trial run of the rocket's launch system, involving fuelling up the vehicle and briefly firing all its engines without disengaging the launch mount.
Unfortunately, this trial didn't go as planned. At approximately 9 p.m. ET the rocket "experienced an anomaly," which is Blue Origin-speak for "rapid unscheduled disassembly," which is SpaceX-speak for "exploded in a giant fireball." SpaceX suffered a similar accident last June, when its Starship spacecraft also exploded during a static fire test.
One first stage New Glenn rocket reportedly costs over $100 million to build.
The explosion was caught on camera by Spaceflight Now and NASA Spaceflight.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed."We experienced an anomaly during today's hotfire test," the official Blue Origin X account posted shortly after the explosion. "All personnel have been accounted for. We will provide updates as we learn more."
Bezos reiterated that all personnel were safe in a post from his personal X account, and said that an investigation into the incident is now underway.
"It’s too early to know the root cause but we’re already working to find it," Bezos wrote. "Very rough day, but we’ll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying. It’s worth it."
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.New Glenn is Blue Origin's attempt at building a reusable orbital rocket. On Wednesday, the company announced that New Glenn's fourth launch would place 48 Amazon Leo satellites into orbit, with further details to be revealed at a later date.
TL;DR: The new Motorola Razr Fold is available for free with T-Mobile. Claim this offer by activating a new line on Experience Beyond.
Opens in a new window Credit: Motorola Motorola Razr Fold Free when you activate a new line on Experience Beyond. Shop NowFoldable phones are taking over in 2026. We've seen plenty of rumors about a potential iPhone Fold, but for now, the focus is firmly on the new Motorola Razr Fold.
If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to make the jump, T-Mobile has launched an enticing offer on this brand-new handset. For a limited time, the Motorola Razr Fold is free with T-Mobile. Yes, you read that correctly. To qualify, all you need to do is activate a new line on Experience Beyond. There's no trade-in required for this offer.
Before claiming this deal for yourself, it’s important to understand the contractual small print. T-Mobile doesn't simply hand over a $1,700 smartphone. Instead, the full retail value of the phone is financed across 24 consecutive monthly statements. Each month, T-Mobile applies an equal promotional bill credit that brings your device charge down to $0.
If you decide to close your account, switch networks, or pay off the phone early to upgrade to a different brand next summer, the remaining unpaid balance will be due immediately.
You will also need to pay taxes and a $35 activation fee, but that's always the case with these "free deals." Does that make this phone totally free? We guess not, but it's a grey area.
Score the Motorola Razr Fold for free with this latest offer from T-Mobile.
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 hintTo decorate.
SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answerADORN
Hurdle Word 2 hintGolf helper.
SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 29, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 AnswerCADDY
Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today
Hurdle Word 3 hintA principle.
SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 29 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 29, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answerDOGMA
Hurdle Word 4 hintSpiral.
Hurdle Word 4 answerHELIX
Final Hurdle hintAn explosion.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answerBLAST
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
We're just a few nights away from the Blue Moon, so there's plenty surface features to spot on the Moon tonight. But what are they? Keep reading to find out.
What is today’s Moon phase?As of Friday, May 29, the Moon phase is Waxing Gibbous. Tonight, 91% of the moon will be be lit up, according to NASA's Daily Moon Guide.
You don't need visual aids to be able to moon gaze, especially if its a clear night. With just your naked eye, you'll be able to spot the Mare Imbrium, Aristarchus Plateau, and the Kepler Crater. If you have binoculars you'll also be able to catch a glimpse of the Posidonius Crater, Archimedes Crater, and the Clavius Crater. If you have a telescope, you'll see the Caucasus Mountains, Descartes Highlands, and the Schiller Crater.
When is the next Full Moon?There are two Full Moons in May, with the next due to take place on May 31.
What are Moon phases?According to NASA, the Moon takes around 29.5 days to orbit Earth, passing through a repeating pattern of eight distinct phases. Although the same side of the Moon always faces Earth, the portion illuminated by the Sun changes as it moves around the planet. This is what creates the different shapes we see in the night sky, from thin crescents to half Moons and the full Moon. Together, these phases form the lunar cycle:
New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).
Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).
First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.
Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.
Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.
Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)
Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.
Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.
The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you have a sensitive nose.
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 May 29, 2026 Here's a hint for today's Connections categoriesWant a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: Seas
Green: Bad odors
Blue: Found in an estate
Purple: Acronym
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Oceans
Green: Sources of distinctive smells
Blue: Kinds of rooms in a mansion
Purple: What "PA" might refer to
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 #1083 is...
What is the answer to Connections todayOceans: ARCTIC, ATLANTIC, INDIAN, PACIFIC
Sources of distinctive smells: AMMONIA, BO, DURIAN, WET DOG
Kinds of rooms in a mansion: BILLIARD, DRAWING, POWDER, READING
What "PA" might refer to: FATHER, PENNSYLVANIA, PROTACTINIUM, PUBLIC ADDRESS
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 May 29, 2026Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.
Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're 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 MashableBy providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.
If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.
SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 29, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: E-I-E-I-OThe words are related to animals.
Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explainedThese words describe barnyard animals.
NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.
NYT Strands spangram answer todayToday's spangram is Farm Animals.
NYT Strands word list for May 29Cows
Farm Animals
Goats
Chickens
Sheep
Horses
Ducks
Pigs
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 have a good ear.
If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 29, 2026 Where did Wordle come from?Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
What's the best Wordle starting word?The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
What happened to the Wordle archive?The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
Is Wordle getting harder?It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.
SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for May 29, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:A sharp sound.
Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?There are no recurring letters.
Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...Today's Wordle starts with the letter C.
SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today's Wordle is...
CLANG
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.
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 PipsIf 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 May 29, 2026The 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 May 29, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for May 29 PipsLess Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 0-6, placed horizontally; 0-5, placed vertically.
Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 0-6, placed horizontally; 6-2, placed horizontally.
Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 6-2, placed horizontally; 1-5, placed vertically.
Number (20): Everything in this space must add up to 20. The answer is 0-5, placed vertically; 5-5, placed horizontally; 1-5, placed vertically.
Medium difficulty hints, answers for May 29 PipsEqual (0): Everything in this purple space must be equal to 0. The answer is 0-0, placed horizontally.
Equal (0): Everything in this red space must be equal to 0. The answer is 5-0, placed horizontally; 0-6, placed horizontally.
Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 0-6, placed horizontally; 6-1, placed horizontally.
Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 6-1, placed horizontally; 2-0, placed vertically.
Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 0-1, placed vertically; 3-2, placed vertically.
Greater Than (0): Everything in this space must be greater than 0. The answer is 3-2, placed vertically.
Hard difficulty hints, answers for May 29 PipsLess Than (6): Everything in this space must be less than 6. The answer is 0-1, palced horizontally.
Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-0, placed horizontally.
Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 2-0, placed horizontally; 0-5, placed vertically.
Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 5-5, placed vertically.
Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 0-5, placed vertically; 5-3, placed vertically.
Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-2, placed vertically.
Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 0-1, placed horizontally; 1-3, placed horizontally; 1-1, placed vertically; 1-4, placed vertically.
Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 1-3, placed horizontally; 3-3, placed vertically; 3-0, placed vertically; 5-3, placed vertically.
Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 3-0, placed vertically; 6-2, placed vertically.
Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 3-2, placed vertically; 0-4, placed vertically.
Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 0-4, placed vertically; 1-4, placed vertically; 4-2, placed horizontally.
Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 4-2, placed horizontally; 2-2, placed horizontally; 6-2, placed vertically.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
TL;DR: Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows is available for $29.97 (reg. $219.99) through May 31 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows: Lifetime License $29.97If you’re shopping for Microsoft Office and don’t necessarily need Microsoft’s latest release, this right here could save you quite a bit of money. Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows is price-dropped to $29.97 (reg. $219.99) through May 31 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
Instead of paying an ongoing subscription fee for Microsoft 365, this package provides access to Microsoft’s classic productivity apps with a one-time purchase.
Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!One advantage of Office Professional 2021 is the inclusiveness of software included. While newer Office editions often focus on the core essentials, this package comes with eight applications: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, OneNote, Publisher, and Access.
That means users can handle everything from document creation and email management to database projects and business presentations without piecing together multiple software solutions. Excel remains a go-to tool for budgeting, reporting, and data analysis, while Word and PowerPoint continue to be primary programs for professional communication.
Although Office 2021 isn’t Microsoft’s newest version, that may not be a pitfall for many buyers. If your main goal is reliable access to familiar Office applications rather than the newest feature releases or bundled cloud storage, Office 2021 can be a more cost-effective option. In fact, this deal includes more applications than Office 2024 Home & Business, making it a smart choice for users who want the broadest set of desktop tools.
Before purchasing, it’s worth noting that Office Professional 2021 requires Windows 10 or Windows 11 and installs on one Windows PC.
For anyone looking to equip a home office, small business, or personal workstation without stretching their software budget, Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows is available for $29.97 through May 31 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
TL;DR: The GoCable 8-in-1 EDC 100W Cable is on sale for $21.99 (reg. $49.99) and combines fast charging, multiple connectors, cable management, and everyday tools in one compact gadget.
Opens in a new window Credit: GoCable GoCable 8-in-1 EDC 100W Cable $21.99Is your bag, desk drawer, or carry-on overflowing with charging cables, adapters, and random accessories? The GoCable 8-in-1 EDC Cable is here to turn all of that disarray into convenience, consolidating all that clutter into one clever, pocket-sized tool, and it’s on sale for $21.99 (reg. $49.99).
We’ve seen multi-purpose charging accessories before, but GoCable stands out by packing an impressive range of features into something small enough to clip onto your keychain or backpack.
Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!The GoCable supports up to 100W charging speeds when paired with a compatible power source. That means it’s ready for everything from smartphones and tablets to laptops and other USB-C devices. Plus, with both USB-C and Apple Lightning compatibility, it’s great for those who always have a mix of devices.
It’s built-in LED display shows charging info in real time. Instead of not knowing whether your device is charging efficiently, you can see the status right on the cable itself.
GoCable also features magnetic cable management, keeping cords neatly wrapped and tangle-free. It’s great for travelers, commuters, photographers, drone users, and content creators alike (basically anyone carrying multiple gadgets).
It also comes loaded with extras: a built-in bottle opener, a safe cutter for opening packages, a carabiner clip for attaching to bags or gear, and support for high-speed data transfers between devices.
Plus, rather than carrying separate charging accessories and small utility tools, users get several everyday functions bundled into one compact gadget that’s less than six inches long.
If you want to travel lighter with your tech, the GoCable 8-in-1 EDC 100W Cable can do that for you for just $21.99 (reg. $49.99).
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.
Anthropic isn't ready to let regular users look at its supposedly super-powerful Claude Mythos AI model just yet. But the AI company has just released an upgrade to its flagship product, Claude Opus — now in its 4.8 version.
"It builds on Opus 4.7 with improvements across benchmarks, and is a more effective collaborator," Anthropic promised in a press release Thursday. Indeed, the benchmark numbers, below, show very minor improvements across the board.
One major improvement, allegedly, is in the area of hallucinations. Claude Opus 4.8 won't lie to users as much. "Early testers report that Opus 4.8 is more likely to flag uncertainties about its work and less likely to make unsupported claims," Anthropic said, touting the model's "honesty."
Claude Opus 4.8 has 'better judgment'"Claude Opus 4.8 has noticeably better judgment," an engineer at Shopify, Tom Pritchard, told Anthropic. The coding version of the model "asks the right questions, catches its own mistakes, and pushes back when a plan isn't sound."
Given the increasing number of horror stories about AI agents deleting entire corporate databases, that promise may be music to the ears of vibe coders everywhere.
To please power users, Anthropic is offering a significant discount on "fast mode," where Claude will work at 2.5 times regular speed. Fast mode "is now three times cheaper than it was for previous models," the company said.
Users on Reddit weren't buying it, however. Many feared a loss of access to a more popular model, Claude Opus 4.6. "Nobody trusts the benchmark charts," wrote one redditor in summary, noting that Opus 4.7 also seemed to have some pretty good numbers when it was released.
Whether or not we can trust the benchmarks — and to be clear, Mashable hasn't independently verified these numbers — here's what Anthropic is claiming.
Credit: Anthropic How to try Claude Opus 4.8Claude Opus 4.8 is available now via Anthropic's website, Claude.AI, as well as via the Claude API, plus Anthropic partners like Microsoft Foundry.
The new model is priced exactly the same as its predecessors, which is to say models going all the way back to Claude Opus 4.5. All of them will cost you $5 per million input tokens and $25 per million output tokens.
Given that Anthropic is promising Claude Mythos within a matter of weeks, however, you may want to hang back and wait to see whether that model can be even more "honest" about its hallucinations.
Autonomous robotaxi company Waymo just announced a fleet of new vehicles — the Ojai — that it describes as roomier and more accessible than its typical Jaguar I-PACE cars.
The self-driving Ojai offers “elevator-like doors,” low steps, flat floors, and a seat-integrated handle, features the Google-owned company says make it easier for riders to get in and out of the vehicle. Waymo describes the space inside the Ojai as a "living room on wheels." The Ojai interior shares some similarities with Waymo competitor Zoox, which operates a fleet of carriage-style autonomous cars.
The Ojai has three large LED screens that display routes, temperature controls, and music options, with embedded braille and screen-reader compatibility (low-vision riders have expressed an affinity for self-driving cars in a recent New York Times report).
The Ojai will feature the 6th-generation Waymo Driver tech, which the company says will enable the cars to operate more effectively in snowy conditions. Don’t look for the cars in New York or Boston, though; they will first roll out as free rides for select riders in the temperate cities of Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco, before moving to Denver, Las Vegas, and San Diego.
SEE ALSO: Robot, take the wheel: What you need to know about autonomous vehicles rolling out across the U.S.Speaking of weather, Waymo recently suspended rides in San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, and Atlanta after some of its cars drove into floods. Still, Waymo proudly touts its safety record, recently releasing data showing that its Waymo Driver tech was involved in 92 percent fewer serious crashes than human drivers under the same conditions. Additionally, Waymo stated that its cars have a 13x lower rate of serious injury or fatal crashes than human drivers.
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