Mashable

Just when you thought the outcry against dating app culture couldn’t get any louder, an old app returns to remind us that there truly is no floor.

Enter Score, an app that was first launched back in 2024 by a financial services company looking to promote greater openness about personal finances. To qualify for Score membership, users had to prove they had a credit score of 675 or above, and that gimmick somehow garnered them north of 50,000 active users.

According to a recent interview with TechCrunch, Score founder Luke Bailey is eager to relaunch the app. There is already a Score website where you can sign up for the waiting list and discover their new tagline: "Dating For People With Good Credit."

SEE ALSO: I watched every episode of 'Pop the Balloon.' Here's what it taught me about dating.

In the new-and-improved Score, inclusivity is the focus. The app will offer two membership tiers: a general-access membership for everyone and a higher tier for members who are willing to verify their credit scores. Doing so unlocks more quality-of-life features, including the ability to send video introductions or message people who haven’t already swiped to talk to you. 

Score is teaming up with Equifax to handle both credit and ID verification, prompting tech-savvy critics to raise privacy concerns. But according to a press release, Bailey doesn’t believe there’s anything inherently superficial about using a credit score as a proxy for dating value.

"We look at credit not as a measure of wealth, but as a reflection of consistency and reliability. Most dating platforms measure attrition," says Bailey in the press release. "We measure reliability alongside compatibility." The general idea being that someone who doesn’t shirk their regular credit card payments is also less likely to ghost their dating app matches.

The timing of the Score launch is also inauspicious, as younger Americans are simultaneously experiencing a credit crunch and a weakening job market comparable to the 2008 financial crisis, with average credit scores falling at a faster rate than at any time since 2009. The bet that Score is making is that, in a search for financial stability, users might re-prioritize the credit-worthiness of their potential partners, but it’s just as likely that young people will view this move as yet another crass attempt to harvest user data under the guise of offering a worthwhile service. 

Finally, the app's underlying thesis deserves some scrutiny. Are credit-worthy people also inherently more reliable in dating? Does a missed credit card payment suggest a flaky personality, or someone likely to forget to return a phone call or remember a birthday? We suspect the market will supply the answer to those questions.

In the latest escalation of their efforts to push back against opposition to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Department of Homeland Security is issuing hundreds of subpoenas to the largest social media companies, including Google, Meta (Facebook and Instagram), Discord and Reddit, seeking to learn the personal information behind accounts that have either criticized ICE or alerted the general public to the locations of ICE agents, according to reporting conducted by the New York Times. 

Under the conditions of anonymity, four government officials and tech employees with privileged access to these DHS subpoena requests spoke to the Times, revealing that Google, Meta, and Reddit have complied with at least some of these government requests for private information. 

SEE ALSO: How Minneapolis used tech to make ICE retreat

When pressed for comment by The New York Times, Meta, Reddit, and Discord declined to comment, while a Google spokeswoman offered this statement: 

When we receive a subpoena, our review process is designed to protect user privacy while meeting our legal obligations. We inform users when their accounts have been subpoenaed, unless under legal order not to or in an exceptional circumstance. We review every legal demand and push back against those that are overbroad.

DHS told the Times that the agency had "broad administrative subpoena authority," but declined to answer questions about these social media requests, while their lawyers have argued that the information is necessary to protect the safety of ICE agents operating in the field. In practice, however, the subpoenas have often been withdrawn before they could be presented to a judge, placing the onus on the accused to seek restitution in court. 

This legal battle is just the latest in a larger confrontation between the powers of technology and the long-established rights to privacy and free expression, and understandably, it has drawn the attention of civil liberties advocates. In Minneapolis and Chicago, for example, ICE agents have warned protesters that they would be recorded and identified with facial recognition technology, while border czar Tom Homan has publicly called for a database of people "arrested for interference, impeding, and assault."

The ACLU has stepped in, offering legal representation for people whose social media accounts have been subpoenaed by the Department of Homeland Security, while Steve Loney, senior supervising attorney for the ACLU of Pennsylvania, issued this warning: "The government is taking more liberties than they used to. It’s a whole other level of frequency and lack of accountability."

An upcoming biopic about the mysterious creator of Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto, starring both Casey Affleck and Pete Davidson, is causing controversy for its willingness to use artificial intelligence, not only to generate backgrounds and scene locations but also to adjust actor performances.

The film, Killing Satoshi, will be directed by Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity and 2024's Road House) but it was producer Ryan Kavanaugh who has been making headlines when he disclosed in a U.K. casting notice that the filmmakers reserve the right to "adjust" actor performances, including the right to "change, add to, take from, translate, reformat or reprocess" those performances, and that the actors themselves will be performing on a "markerless performative capture stage and not in any locations," according to reporting by Variety. 

These revelations come at a time of heightened anxiety and uncertainty in the film and TV industry, particularly around the use of artificial intelligence to augment, or even fully replace, the work of creative professionals. Labor unions, copyright lawyers, and federal courts are scrambling to come to terms with the implications of generative AI’s incredible ability to repurpose existing creative material.

Consider, for example, this AI-generated encounter between Keanu Reeves’ characters Neo and John Wick and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s iconic Terminator, created using Seedance 2.0, or this AI-generated clip of Jack Black doing a comedic turn as Darth Vader from Star Wars, created using Google’s Veo 4, and you’ll quickly grasp the transformative and disruptive power of these technologies. 

In response to the public anxiety around the choice to lean into AI use in the making of Killing Satoshi, producer Ryan Kavanaugh had this to say to Variety: 

We were very cautious, sensitive and overly protective of our actors to make sure we only use performance capture AI which means that we will not have any AI-generated actors that do not exist. AI is a tool we’re using to make the filmmaking process more efficient while maintaining all department heads’ jobs, all actor jobs and hopefully helping to grow the industry in a positive way.

Though currently still just in production, Killing Satoshi will be one of the first movies to test these boundaries, so anyone interested in the intersection of AI and creative work should pay close attention to its reception.

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

Released in August 2025, the 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 onto 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 for 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 February 14, 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 February 14, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for Feb. 14 Pips

Equal (1): Everything in this purple space must be equal to 1. The answer is 1-1, placed vertically; 1-5, placed vertically.

Number (5): Everything in this orange space must add up to 5. The answer is 3-6, placed vertically; 4-2, placed vertically.

Equal (4): Everything in this purple space must be equal to 4. The answer is 4-2, placed vertically; 5-4, placed vertically.

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

Medium difficulty hints, answers for Feb. 14 Pips

Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 4-1, placed horizontally; 1-5, placed vertically.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 1-5, placed vertically.

Equal (5): Everything in this dark blue space must be equal to 5. The answer is 2-5, placed vertically; 5-5, placed horizontally.

Equal (4): Everything in this orange space must be equal to 4. The answer is 4-4, placed horizontally; 0-4, placed vertically.

Equal (0): Everything in this red space must be equal to 0. The answer is 0-4, placed vertically; 0-3, placed horizontally.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for Feb. 14 Pips

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

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

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

Equal (3): Everything in this orange space must be equal to 3. The answer is 3-4, placed vertically; 3-3, placed horizontally.

Equal (2): Everything in this dark blue space must be equal to 2. The answer is 2-2, placed horizontally; 2-5, placed vertically.

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

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 1-5, placed horizontally; 2-5, placed vertically.

Equal (4): Everything in this green space must be equal to 4. The answer is 2-4, placed vertically; 3-4, placed vertically; 4-4, placed horizontally.

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

Today's Connections: Sports Edition is know your spot up shooters.

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

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

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

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

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

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise 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.

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: Ref noises

• Green: NBA Jam

• Blue: Sharpshooters

• Purple: College icons

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Signal for Play to Stop

• Green: Dunks

• Blue: NBA 3-Point Contest Winners

• Purple: College Mascots

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 #509 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Signal for Play to Stop - BUZZER, HORN, SIREN, WHISTLE

• Dunks - 360, BETWEEN-THE-LEGS, REVERSE, WINDMILL

• NBA 3-Point Contest Winners - HERRO, HIELD, LOVE, PIERCE

• College Mascots - BIG AL, BRUTUS, OTTO, RAMESES

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.

There have been a lot of heated conversations around Emerald Fennell’s "Wuthering Heights" since it was first announced. Months before the film’s release, behind-the-scenes pictures and later the film’s trailer, outraged the internet, as people complained about Fennel’s casting choices, the anachronistic costumes, and everything that signaled that this wouldn't be the adaptation of Emily Brontë’s Victorian classic fans were expecting.

But what did we expect? And is a good adaptation one that mimics the book, or is there something else that the latest one is missing?

"Wuthering Heights" is out on Feb. 13 in theatres across the U.S. and the UK.

Sometimes, the anticipation of a hookup is even hotter than the main event. In my experience, sexting is the ultimate form of digital foreplay. It’s the glue that keeps long-distance relationships from falling apart, the spark that stops long-term couples from feeling like roommates, and — for all you singles out there — the safest way to test sexual chemistry before you ever meet up in person.

There's just one problem: You can't (and shouldn't!) trust your most intimate moments to just any app. Sliding into the DMs on a random dating app might feel like spontaneous fun, but in 2026, your digital footprint is forever. If you're going to share that side of yourself, you need to know it stays between you and the recipient.

As Mashable's resident dating app expert, I've spent the last three years testing dozens of platforms to find the best and most discreet apps for the job. My highest priority is always user safety. I also spoke with security expert Gary Orenstein, who stressed that for sharing intimate content, "privacy features cannot be optional — they’re essential." He recommends looking for apps with three key features: end-to-end encryption, disappearing messages, and screenshot detection.

SEE ALSO: A beginner's guide to sexting

After all, if you believe in safe sex, you should practice safe sexting, too. Based on my hands-on testing and these expert criteria, I’ve picked the best sexting apps that will keep your chats private — whether you're messaging a partner, a hookup, or a verified creator.

Recent updates to this guide:

• Confide: I’ve moved this back to the #1 spot. On balance, its specific privacy tools (like screenshot-proofing) just give it the edge over everything else right now.

• Lovense Remote: I added this as the winner for "Group Sexting." It's also the best way for couples (and polyamorous folks) to sync Bluetooth toys for long-distance play.

• FetLife: Added as "Best for Kink." It’s less of a standard app and more of a social network, but it remains the go-to place for finding niche communities.

What about other sexting sites?

You've probably seen other "best of" lists recommending apps I've left off. That's intentional. My goal is to recommend platforms where you can make connections, not just burn cash.

Here's why a few popular names didn't make the cut:

• A note on "paid operator" sites: Many sites marketed for sexting (like InstaBang, Arousr, and SextLocal) don't primarily connect you with other real users. Instead, they often use "chat operators" to keep you talking and paying. While there's nothing wrong with a paid fantasy, I don't consider that mutual sexting. My list focuses on apps for real, user-to-user interaction (with the exception of SextPanther, which connects you with verified adult performers).

• Couple's apps: You also won't find apps like Between on this list. While it's a private messenger for couples, it lacks the specific features that make sexting fun. If you want to level up your digital intimacy, my picks (like We-Vibe and Lovense) are much more interactive.

Founded in 2009, ExpressVPN is one of the biggest names in the online privacy space. Does it deserve the prestige?

When I first reviewed ExpressVPN back in 2023, I was impressed with its strong privacy practices and stylish app, but took issue with its expensive subscriptions and ownership. In the years since, ExpressVPN has continued to grow its global server network, overhauled its desktop apps, added a neat ShuffleIP feature, and reworked its plans with new tiers and more simultaneous connections. As of early February, it's added new non-VPN privacy tools to most of its plans at no extra cost, with more in the works.

SEE ALSO: ExpressVPN launches new free privacy tools for subscribers: 'VPN for email,' secure AI, and more

I've been busy, too. Last year, I came up with an all-new VPN reviewing methodology for Mashable that involves more rigorous criteria and a standardized scoring rubric. Consider this a from-scratch review redo.

So, to return to the question at hand: Is ExpressVPN any good in 2026? For this ExpressVPN review, I spent nearly two weeks re-testing and re-evaluating its service. I walked away more impressed with it than before.

ExpressVPN review: How much does it cost? ExpressVPN is available on a bunch of platforms, including iOS (pictured). For this review, I only tried it on macOS. Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN offers the following plans as of February 2026:

• The Basic plan comes with 10 simultaneous connections, a built-in speed test, an ad blocker, a malicious site blocker, and limited access to two new digital privacy tools (ExpressMailGuard and ExpressAI). Prices range from $3.49 per month for 28 months to $12.99 on a monthly basis.

• The Advanced Plan adds two extra simultaneous connections, a tracker blocker, an adult site blocker, an eSIM with three days of unlimited data, more access to ExpressMailGuard and ExpressAI, and full access to ExpressKeys and Identify Defender. Prices range from $4.49/month for 28 months to $13.99 monthly.

• The Pro Plan includes 14 simultaneous connections, a dedicated IP address, an eSIM with five days of unlimited data, and full access to all of the aforementioned privacy tools. Prices range from $7.49/month for 28 months to $19.99 monthly.

For the purposes of this review, I only tested the VPN service itself.

All things considered, ExpressVPN plans are a pretty decent value, more so if you opt for an annual or biannual plan. (Just be aware that they both renew as pricier yearly plans after your first term.) ExpressVPN's monthly rates aren't the most expensive I've seen, but they're also not the cheapest.

I would probably pick the Advanced plan over its Basic plan, which gets you way more extra fixings for just $1 more per month — or less when ExpressVPN runs sales, which is often. For new users, all ExpressVPN subscriptions are covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee.

SEE ALSO: ExpressVPN overhauls its VPN plans with a new tier structure and lower prices

At present, you can pay for an ExpressVPN subscription with a credit card, Apple Pay, PayPal, or Google Pay. It used to accept Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies, but those options weren't available at the time of writing. An ExpressVPN representative told me they're temporarily disabled because of technical issues in certain areas. They should be back soon.

In September 2025, ExpressVPN introduced a free VPN service called EventVPN. It doesn't have any data or time limits, but it makes you watch ads every time you start a new session. I'll test it at a later date; this review only covers ExpressVPN's flagship paid service. 

Is ExpressVPN trustworthy?

ExpressVPN abides by a strong privacy policy, which it audits regularly alongside its features and apps. Additionally, its no-log policy has been verified by numerous transparency reports and as part of a criminal investigation. However, I think certain users will side-eye it for a couple of reasons.

ExpressVPN privacy policy

ExpressVPN's privacy policy is a little jargon-y, but it thoroughly explains what kind of data it does and doesn't collect. The information it does retain includes account information (such as email addresses and payment information), usage statistics, and anonymous app diagnostics that users can opt into (such as crash reports). It also collects data for marketing purposes when you use its app, but promises that "[this] data cannot be linked to the online activity of any particular person."

The company explains why it collects this data, emphasizing a "guiding principle" of only saving "the minimal data required" to operate its services. It also specifies that the data isn't sold or leased to third parties, nor managed by ExpressVPN's parent company, Kape Technologies. (More on Kape momentarily.) This is all standard for a major paid VPN provider.

ExpressVPN says it retains the aforementioned user data "for a limited period in accordance with applicable data protection law (for as long as we have your consent or a legitimate reason for holding such data)." You can submit a data deletion request, though you won't be able to use ExpressVPN afterward.

Credit: ExpressVPN

Third-party providers like payment processors (i.e. PayPal) may get access to some user data if you use their services via ExpressVPN. The company says they're subject to "confidentiality and data processing obligations" and that they can't use this data for any other purpose.

ExpressVPN doesn't log any sensitive user data like browser history, DNS queries, or traffic connection logs, including IP addresses or session durations. Since it doesn't collect this data, it can't store it or turn it over to authorities, even if they were to request it. 

The policy notes that ExpressVPN's servers are housed in secure data centers that don't mandate sensitive data collection — and that if they ever reversed course, ExpressVPN would stop using them. "Even if a government were to physically seize one of our VPN servers," its privacy policy reads, "there would be no logs or information that would tie any individual user to a particular event, website, or behavior." 

This held up in 2017 when Turkish authorities seized an ExpressVPN server in an attempt to find logs in connection with an investigation, and came up empty, the company said.

Furthermore, ExpressVPN shut down its servers in India in 2022 after the country introduced a new data law requiring all VPN providers to store users' real names and usage patterns (among other identifying data) for at least five years.

ExpressVPN transparency reports

ExpressVPN's biannual transparency reports also back up its no-log claims. These reports peel back the curtain on any legal requests the company receives.

Per its latest transparency report, ExpressVPN received 374 formal requests from government, law enforcement, or civil entities from January to June 2025, more than double the volume of the previous report cycle. It also received 1,063,598 DMCA requests. ExpressVPN says it didn't disclose any user data in response to these requests, which is exactly what I want to hear.

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN has only been publishing transparency reports since 2024, but so far, all of its findings have been the same.

ExpressVPN audits

Regular independent audits are another way VPN providers can prove that they don't have anything to hide. ExpressVPN considers such audits "a central pillar of our commitment to users," and it shows. 

The company has commissioned more external audits than any other provider in the industry, it claims, including nearly 20 since 2022. These include assessments of its privacy policy, server technology, Lightway protocol, browser extension, mobile apps, desktop apps, and Aircove routers. 

Most of these audits are redone every two years, but a couple of them have gone unupdated since 2022. It would be nice if ExpressVPN got on a more frequent auditing schedule. Still, this is another respectable degree of transparency. Plus, anyone can read the results without needing to make an ExpressVPN account.

ExpressVPN supplements its audits with a bug bounty program, which encourages security researchers to hunt for vulnerabilities in its apps. It has offered this program since 2020 and upped its bonus award to $100,000 in 2022. It's still unclaimed.

ExpressVPN DNS leak incident

In February 2024, CNET's Attila Tomaschek noticed that ExpressVPN's split tunneling tool was leaking DNS requests on Windows. (Disclosure: Mashable and CNET are both owned by the same parent company, Ziff Davis.) Some user traffic was being routed through third-party servers instead of ExpressVPN's servers, exposing it to the public internet. This bug had been around for nearly two years before it was discovered, according to Bleeping Computer.

This is exactly what you don't want to happen when you use a VPN. (Fortunately, the bug affected less than one percent of users on Windows.) But providers' reactions to issues like this are important measures of their commitments to transparency, or lack thereof. A good response is key to rebuilding consumer trust, and a bad one will erode it even further.

For its part, I think ExpressVPN's response was good; it certainly did its due diligence. After learning about the issue, the company immediately disabled its split tunneling tool on Windows while its engineering team looked into the bug, and it informed its user base about the problem via blog post. It then updated its Windows app with a fix and commissioned an external audit that verified its security. On top of that, it conducted further research into DNS leak testing methods and published a technical paper on its findings.

ExpressVPN ownership and leadership Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is owned by a British-Israeli digital security company called Kape Technologies that has a less-than-sterling reputation among some folks in the cybersecurity realm. I'm generally of the opinion that any sort of corporate sketchiness is a good reason to abandon a VPN service, but in the case of Kape, I don't think we should dismiss ExpressVPN entirely. That said, I would approach it with more skepticism than providers with different ownership.

Kape was once a development platform for browser extensions called Crossrider, which some third-party app developers allegedly used for adware injection. A joint study between Google and the University of California, Berkeley in 2015 flagged Crossrider as part of a "network of affiliates" that drove and made money off clicks to injected ads. The Crossrider extensions platform was shut down in 2016. In 2018, the company rebranded to Kape Technologies. It acquired ExpressVPN three years later.

Per a media handout, Kape maintains that Crossrider itself wasn't an adware distributor, only that its products were abused by "a small subset" of the developers and publishers using its technology.

"Due to how the Crossrider platform worked, extensions by developers using the platform were typically linked to Crossrider in one way or another (signing, distribution, etc.)," the handout reads. "This had the unfortunate effect of some of these extensions being misattributed to Crossrider itself, including by adware and malware scanning and removal tools."

The handout goes on to note that Crossrider had a connection to a third-party ad marketplace so developers could monetize their extensions, and that it received a portion of their revenue. However, it adds, developers controlled "where and how ads were served through their extension."

Kape's ancestry might give some users pause. You don't want a company in the business of cybersecurity to show any signs of shadiness, past or present. But to be clear, there's no reason to believe that Kape is a bad actor with nefarious intentions in its current iteration. Furthermore, ExpressVPN operates separately from other Kape brands, and according to its audited privacy policy, Kape doesn't control or store any of its user data. I was also able to confirm with ExpressVPN's rep that the company generates all of its revenue from subscriptions.

Journalists, activists, and those who need a VPN to hide their identity in legally precarious or life-or-death situations might be inclined to take a "better safe than sorry" approach and defer to a different provider. I can't fault you for that. But casual, everyday users for whom the stakes aren't as high can be much less persnickety.

SEE ALSO: There are only 2 free VPNs I actually recommend. Ignore all the rest.

Right now, I'm more icked out by the fact that Kape has its fingers in multiple pies within the VPN space. Its portfolio includes ExpressVPN, Private Internet Access (PIA), and CyberGhost VPN, as well as Webselenese, a platform for the security tool review sites vpnMentor and WizCase. CNET reported that PIA and CyberGhost replaced two of the Webselenese sites' top VPN picks shortly after Kape purchased them.

In a statement, Kape told me that the Webselenese sites "have and continue to be editorially independent from any of the privacy product brands within the Kape portfolio" since it acquired them. Additionally, it said, "[the] review sites owned by Webselenese maintain strict and transparent review standards, which are clearly outlined in their review methodologies and site disclosures.”

I still think this is a yucky conflict of interest, so look elsewhere for unbiased VPN reviews. Might I suggest Mashable dot com?

I want to mention one other incident that happened in 2021. The same week Kape announced that it bought ExpressVPN, the latter's then-CIO Daniel Gericke was one of three former U.S. intelligence operatives who, under a deal to avoid prosecution, admitted to violating U.S. hacking laws as cyberspies for the United Arab Emirates as part of a secret surveillance program called "Project Raven." Gericke was fined $335,000 and agreed to cooperate with the FBI.

In a subsequent blog post, ExpressVPN said it knew "key facts relating to Daniel’s employment history" before hiring him in 2019. "In fact," the company added, "it was his history and expertise that made him an invaluable hire for our mission to protect users’ privacy and security." Reuters reported that ExpressVPN's initial positioning "disturbed" some of its employees. 

A day later, the company issued an expanded statement clarifying that it didn't condone Project Raven or know of the investigation beforehand, while defending Gericke's expertise. "Someone steeped and seasoned in offense, as Daniel is, can offer insights into defense that are difficult, if not impossible, to come by elsewhere," it wrote. It went on to explain how its systems are protected from internal threats, and pledged to increase the regularity of its third-party audits to verify its privacy policy. Gericke continued to work for ExpressVPN until 2023.

I can see why people would be freaked out by this, but it is true that former hackers can be valuable assets for tech companies, so this isn't a flaming red flag. But again, I won't knock users for feeling differently based on their use cases.

Hands-on with ExpressVPN Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN has apps for Windows, macOS, Android, iOS/iPadOS, Linux, Apple TV, and Fire TV/Fire TV Sticks, plus browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Brave. It also sells VPN-enabled WiFi 6 routers called the Aircove and the Aircove Go. For the purposes of this review, I tested ExpressVPN on macOS for about a week and a half.

Most of the time, I completely forgot that ExpressVPN was running. It only took a few seconds to make an initial connection or switch servers. It passed several DNS leak tests, proving the VPN was consistently concealing my real IP address. It uses strong AES 256-bit and ChaCha20 encryption.

I spent most of my testing period on servers selected by ExpressVPN's "Smart Location" feature. It uses an algorithm to find the fastest servers near you based on real-time factors like latency and geographical distance. (VPN servers that are physically closer to you are usually speedier than farther ones.) 

Browsing with ExpressVPN active never felt sluggish in practice, and a couple of back-to-back speed tests proved that it had a minimal impact on my internet speed. One of my usual Smart Locations was only five percent slower than my regular, non-VPNed internet connection. A server abroad (UK - London) was just 11 percent slower, which is great considering my traffic was traveling across a whole ocean.

Credit: Ookla / Mashable composite

I only ran into one access issue when I had ExpressVPN running: Archive.today wouldn't load no matter what server I was on. This wasn't detrimental to my daily workflow, though.

ExpressVPN app design

The ExpressVPN app has an attractive Corporate Memphis design that's uncluttered and easy to navigate. Its main interface involves a central connection button, a clean map, and a session timer for the week. The map displays the location of your current server (plus its IP address). You can see the latency of nearby servers and click on them to change locations.

Credit: ExpressVPN

There's a button near the top of the main menu that pulls up your full server list, which you can search by city or country. You can favorite servers and see recent locations you've been connected to.

Another button lets you choose which protocol you use. You can pick from OpenVPN, IKEv2, Wireguard, or ExpressVPN's in-house, open-source Lightway protocol, which it touts as the fastest and most secure option. You can also set your protocol to "Automatic," where the app chooses the best option for your network. (ExpressVPN says it's usually Lightway.) This setting is on by default, and I used it throughout my testing.

Credit: ExpressVPN

A group of tabs on the left-hand side of the ExpressVPN interface pulls up a built-in speed test tool, an add-ons menu, your profile, a help section, and a QR code that you can scan with your phone to download the ExpressVPN mobile app. 

You can enable any non-VPN features that come with your plan via the add-ons tab. Your profile tab is where all your other settings live, including your kill switch ("Network Lock") and a split tunneling tool that lets you pick which apps and websites get routed through the VPN.

ExpressVPN server network Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN offers city-level server selection. At the time of writing, it had more than 3,000 servers across 108 countries. That's a good amount of geographic diversity, though its network is much smaller than most of its competitors' stables. ProtonVPN currently has over 17,800 server locations in 129 countries, and NordVPN has more than 7,400 servers in 118 countries. Tunnelbear has over 8,000 servers, but they're only located in 47 countries.

SEE ALSO: How to unblock porn sites and stream porn anonymously

Notably, ExpressVPN has servers in all 50 states. Other major VPN providers only have servers in select U.S. cities. This makes it an especially good option for frequent travelers who need to access content back home, and for those looking to skirt content restrictions in certain states. Think regional sports broadcasts (... and PornHub). A server in a neighboring area will be more reliable than a far-flung server across the country.

ExpressVPN features and support

As briefly mentioned, ExpressVPN has a kill switch that disables your internet connection if the VPN ever fails. This is available on all platforms. It also has a split-tunneling tool that lets you choose which traffic is routed through the VPN, available on all platforms except iOS. These are two of the three most important features I look for in a VPN.

Credit: ExpressVPN

The other is multi-hop, a feature that lets you route your traffic through two servers for an extra layer of protection. This is a premium feature offered by ProtonVPN, NordVPN, and Surfshark that's especially useful for journalists and activists, but you won't find it on ExpressVPN. In a blog post, the company said it "has intentionally chosen not to" offer multi-hop because its servers are secure and reliable enough on their own.

ExpressVPN's ShuffleIP feature helps its case here. This relatively new tool automatically changes your IP address every time you visit a new website, without interrupting your connection. This makes it more difficult for anyone to track your activity. Surfshark offers a similar "rotating IP address" feature, but it's only available on macOS and not on by default.

If you ever run into issues with ExpressVPN, you can submit a support request via the app's help tab or use the 24/7 live chat feature on its website. It starts as an AI assistant, but you can get connected with a real agent in a couple of clicks.

ExpressVPN used to have a robust online support center, but many of its articles were broken at the time of writing. When I clicked on each of the 10 most popular articles featured on its landing page, six took me to error pages.

Can ExpressVPN unblock streaming services?

Unblocking georestricted streaming services isn't the main point of using a VPN, but I still test for it because it's important to many Mashable readers. I'm happy to report that ExpressVPN successfully unblocked ITVX, BBC iPlayer, and Netflix's UK library while connected to a server in London.

Is ExpressVPN worth it?

ExpressVPN is a dependable and thoughtfully designed VPN for everyday browsing and streaming. Most importantly, its strong privacy practices have stood up to regular scrutiny, and it has a track record of thorough transparency. 

ExpressVPN's new tiered pricing structure and suite of bonus privacy tools make it a better value than before, especially if you're fine with committing to a longer-term plan. (Again, be mindful of the renewal markup.) Its global network isn't very large, but its presence in all U.S. states makes it a solid choice for jet-setting professionals and users looking to skirt local georestrictions. If you're on a plan that includes an eSim, it's an excellent option for travel.

In terms of actual VPN features, power users will find that other providers still offer a little more for the money, like multi-hop connections and Tor network access. Don't sleep on ShuffleIP, though.

Overall, I think ExpressVPN is a worth-it pick for casual users, especially those who regularly go abroad, though it's not the absolute best VPN I've tried. The Mashable Choice Award-winning ProtonVPN is still the service I prefer for its larger global network, open-source apps, advanced VPN features, and loud commitment to online freedom causes.

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN Starting from $3.49 to $7.49 per month Learn More

UPDATE: Feb. 14, 2026, 5:14 a.m. EST Mashable originally published an ExpressVPN review in 2023. We've written this new review based on our updated VPN testing methodology and the latest ExpressVPN features.

My first sex toy ever was a cheap and super sketch dual-ended jelly dildo from Amazon (which, disturbingly, is still sold there today). To make matters worse, I had it shipped to my college mailroom, and it arrived in a package that literally looked like a shrink-wrapped sausage. I was mortified, but back then, I didn't know the difference between a "good deal" and a health hazard.

SEE ALSO: Etsy to ban sale of most sex toys, explicit content, and more

Since then, I’ve come a long way (pun intended). Because I have endometriosis, my relationship with pleasure — particularly penetration — is complicated, to say the least. Testing sex toys isn’t just a fun job perk (though it definitely is); it’s something I pushed my career into so that I could fix my sex life and find products that worked for my body. I have zero tolerance for anything that feels cheap or uncomfortable — which is a pretty good standard to have, anyway. While this list does include products for pelvic pain, like the Ohnut, there are plenty of heavy hitters here for everyone and every body type.

I'm also in the process of testing and reviewing more toys for inclusion in this guide. In particular, I'm taking a closer look at the legendary Hitachi Magic Wand vibrator and the all-gender Njoy Pure Wand stainless-steel dildo, both of which have a sterling reputation.

What to look for when buying sex toys

Walking into a sex shop (or browsing the web) can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re a first timer. There are just so many options to choose from, and if you’re not sure what you’re looking for, it can get confusing (and expensive!) fast.

After testing hundreds of products and consulting with the experts, I’ve boiled it down to a few non-negotiables.

Material matters (do the sniff test).

If there’s one rule you follow, let it be this: No mystery rubber or jelly materials. If the specific materials aren’t listed or you’re actually in the store and it smells like a chemical fire or a new car tire, put it down.

“Look for medical-grade silicone, stainless steel, or glass,” Emily Lambert Robins, LCSW, and AASECT-certified sex therapist, tells Mashable. These materials are generally non-porous and easy to clean. Robins also suggests avoiding materials such as PVC, jelly rubber, and anything containing phthalates.

Start simple.

It’s tempting to buy the most advanced or aesthetic toy with multiple vibration modes and app connectivity, but more features don’t always mean more pleasure. Honestly, I’m not a fan of the toys with all the bells and whistles because if I press the wrong button or have to fumble with an app, I will lose interest fast!

“Start simple, stay curious, and stay true to yourself,” advises Sarah Kelleher, LCSW, and sex and relationship therapist. “Ask yourself: What kind of stimulation am I most drawn to? Internal? External? Gentle? Intense? That kind of self-awareness is more helpful than any recommended list,” she adds. “Your first toy doesn’t need to be the most powerful or high-tech — it needs to feel approachable, whatever that means to you.”

Buy toys that work with your body, not against it.

It’s easy to get caught up in marketing hype or friendly recommendations (or even things you see in porn), but one of the most important things to remember is that you’re buying this toy for your body. Therefore, it should work with your body, not against it. (This is something I learned the hard way.)

“The biggest mistake to avoid is buying based on popularity alone or buying based on what you want or wish your body to feel/do/or like instead of based on what it does or what you like currently,” says Kelleher. “That’s not to say don’t be curious and be open to expanding your horizons, but knowing and acknowledging your body and what feels good or not needs to be accounted for when purchasing a toy.”

According to board-certified sex therapist and sexuality educator at Hily: Dating app, Mindy DeSeta, PhD, this includes “comfortable grips, intuitive controls, appropriate sizing, and shapes that complement natural anatomy.”

Final note: Don’t forget the lube.

Finding the right lube can make all the difference, especially when you’re experimenting with penetration, vaginally or anally. But not all lubes are compatible with sex toys. Here’s a quick guide to help you choose the best lube:

• Water-based lubes are the gold standard — they’re compatible with sex toys and condoms, and they’re super easy to clean up.

• Silicone-based lubes aren’t compatible with silicone toys, but you can use them with latex condoms.

• Oil-based lubes are long-lasting, but they’re not compatible with latex products (i.e., condoms) and can stain fabrics.

• Flavored lubes are great for oral sex, but you really shouldn’t use these for vaginal or anal penetration, even if they’re water-based.

If you've ever heard a toddler tell a story, then you know they have a tendency to let the narrative meander. Kids often have an excess of imagination and a deficit of mental organization, leading to silly, wildly entertaining tales.

One parent has taken it upon himself to turn his 3-year-old's silly, adorable stories into cute, catchy tunes — songs he's posted online to the benefit of us all. Stephen Spencer is more than qualified; he's a songwriter, composer, and music professor, which means the somewhat silly exercise has resulted in songs that are way too good.

Listen to this ditty about the Apple Man, for instance, which has racked up millions of views.

"Apple-the-Stoola the Apple Man" is going to rattle around your head for days, I guarantee it. And just when you might think this whole thing is a one-hit-wonder — nope! Let me introduce you to "Regular Rabbit." You're simply not going to believe the regularity of this rabbit named Pippa-Tory Fripp.

Seriously, these songs are amazing. Most of Spencer's TikTok and Instagram are devoted to his daughter's masterpieces. His audience has really responded to every song he's posted. Don't sleep on "Funchy the Snow-woman," for instance. Mashable reached out to Spencer for further details but did not hear back in time for publication.

If you want to support Spencer and his daughter's work, however, you can pre-save "Regular Rabbit" before it hits the music platform of your choosing.

Coming up in March, the full moon will dim, darken, and then glow red as Earth's shadow slides across its face.

The total lunar eclipse will unfold over several hours and reward people willing to wake up early in the morning or in the middle of the night. Unlike a solar eclipse, which requires eye protection and precise timing, a lunar eclipse happens slowly and can be watched safely from just about any place with an unobstructed view of the moon.

Visible across much of North America, this March 3 event will offer a clear demonstration of celestial mechanics in action — a simple way for the public to observe how the sun, Earth, and moon move in relation to one another. The best part: No fancy equipment or technical knowledge is necessary for the experience.

SEE ALSO: These 'avatars' will fly around the moon with NASA's Artemis 2 astronauts How a lunar eclipse works

A total lunar eclipse happens when Earth moves directly between the sun and the moon during a full moon. That causes the planet to block most of the sunlight that would normally illuminate it. 

Earth's shadow has two main regions: the outer shadow, called the penumbra, and the inner shadow, known as the umbra. The penumbra causes faint dimming that can be hard to notice. But the umbra is much darker. As it sweeps over the moon, the eclipse becomes obvious and the darkened portion spreads until the entire moon is covered.

Rather than disappear in this dark shadow, the moon is bathed in a coppery red or orange color.

A composite image shows the moon's stages during a total lunar eclipse, as seen from Texas A&M University on March 14, 2025. Credit: Jon Shapley / Houston Chronicle / Getty Images When and where to see it

The eclipse will be visible across several time zones. In North and Central America, it will occur in the early morning hours before sunrise. Observers in eastern Asia and Australia will see it in the evening, while those across the Pacific Ocean will experience it over night. This eclipse won't be visible from Africa or Europe, but more than 40 percent of the world's population could see some part of the totality phase, if they so desired.

Key stages follow a predictable timeline. The penumbral phase begins at 3:44 a.m. ET / 12:44 a.m. PT on March 3, when the moon first starts to dim. The partial eclipse begins at 4:50 a.m. ET / 1:50 a.m. PT, as the darker shadow becomes clearly visible. Then, totality arrives at 6:04 a.m. ET / 3:04 a.m. PT and lasts until 7:03 a.m. ET / 4:03 a.m. PT. Afterward, the moon gradually brightens as it exits the shadow. The whole show concludes at 9:23 a.m. ET / 6:23 a.m. PT.

For precise local timings, visit TimeandDate.com or the U.S. Naval Observatory's tool.

Why it's called a 'blood moon'

By now, you've probably figured out that the nickname "blood moon" pays homage to its signature reddish-orange hue. The "why" behind the color is perhaps more intriguing. 

Earth's atmosphere bends and filters sunlight as it passes around the edges of the world. The shorter blue wavelengths scatter, while red and orange light continue onward and reach the moon. The result resembles the warm glow of sunrise and sunset. In effect, light filtered through Earth's atmosphere tints the lunar surface.

How to watch the total lunar eclipse

A lunar eclipse is one of the easiest sky events to watch because no telescope, filter, or special glasses are needed. A clear line of sight to the moon is all one needs to catch the show.

Binoculars or a small telescope can sharpen surface details and make the color changes easier to see, but that's optional. A darker location away from bright lights can also improve the view, especially during the totality phase.

The beauty of a lunar eclipse is that if you want to photograph the event, you don't need special gear to protect your camera. Even a smartphone can capture a spectacular shot. But if you're looking for advice on how to get the most out of the photo session, companies like B&H Photo and Nikon offer some pro tips. 

What else to look for in the sky

As Earth's shadow darkens the moon, the sky may dazzle with an even bigger show. Stars may be easier to spot because the full moon's usual glare has faded. During this eclipse, the moon will appear in the direction of the constellation Leo.

Newsflash: people in long-term monogamous relationships aren't the only ones who get to celebrate Valentine's Day.

On Feb. 14 this year, I'm here to tell you that relationships of all kind deserve to be celebrated: platonic, familial, self-love, romantic, polyamorous, sexual, whatever the hell you've got going on.

SEE ALSO: Not quite dating but not hooking up either? You're in a situationship.

We're living in the age of confusing labels and ill-defined dating stages. Are you my sneaky link? Is this a situationship? Are we still in the talking stage? Throw Valentine's Day into the mix, and you've got yourself a veritable headache. If you find yourself in this perplexing conundrum, you're far from alone. Sixty-eight percent of Gen Z and millennials say they are in or open to the talking stage, and 48 percent are engaging in sneaky links, according to research Deliveroo sent to Mashable.

"Valentine's Day can feel a bit awkward in the early stages because so many people are operating in undefined spaces," says sex and relationships expert Oloni, who partnered with Deliveroo for the research.

Valentine's is about all forms of love

Just because your relationship doesn't fit into society's couple-centric relationship structures doesn't mean you can't celebrate love in all its beautiful forms.

Lovehoney sex and relationship expert Annabelle Knight says, "Valentine's Day can seem like a lot if you are not in a 'traditional,' heteronormative, monogamous relationship, but actually at its essence it's a chance to enjoy the company of those around you in your life."

Knight rightfully points out that "much of the advertising and marketing around Valentine's Day is aimed at couples."

Given the number of young people who say they're in non-couple structures, marketing and advertising agencies might want to give their campaigns a bit of a rethink. But let's not forget that those messages we're absorbing are being defined by capitalism.

Polyamory educator Leanne Yau says, "Valentine's Day isn't just celebrated by monogamous couples, and doesn't just have to be about romantic love; it can be expanded to a celebration of love in general."

Unspoken expectations on Valentine's Day

The weight of our expectations around this day can set us up for disappointment before it's even begun. Don't fall into the trap of thinking "if he wanted to, he would" and measuring your partner's actions as a barometer of how invested they are. They might be trying to match your energy, or holding back because they don't want to come on too strong. If you haven't yet defined the connection, this occasion might expose a mismatch in what you're looking for.

"If one person experiences the connection as casual while the other experiences it as emerging commitment, Valentine's Day amplifies that gap," says relationship coach Lorin Krenn. "The discomfort has little to do with a particular date in the calendar. It stems from what we associate with it: the public celebration of love. In that sense, the day acts as a prompt for greater clarity about the nature and direction of the connection."

SEE ALSO: Pornhub's U.S. Valentine's Day map is extremely telling

"Used well, it can serve as a moment of honesty. What are we building, if anything? Are we aligned in how we see this? Clarity tends to reduce tension, while silence intensifies it," adds Krenn.

How to navigate situationships on Valentine's Day

Navigating fledgling relationships on Valentine's Day can be really tricky. Many of us grew up reading toxic dating advice in the 2000s that told us to play it so cool that our interest was barely perceptible (if at all). We were told not to ask for clarity, to avoid asking to define the relationship, to be aloof and cool, so you don't scare anyone off.

But relationships require vulnerability and trust in order to move forward. At some point, someone will need to ask, "What is this?" We all have to do the uncomfortable, scary thing of laying our cards (and hearts) out on the table at the risk of being told, "No, thanks."

When it comes to situationships, talking stages, and general early dating territory, it's true that we don't want to come on too strong. Lovebombing is real, and many of us are on high alert for red flags. Slow and steady wins the race. In those early stages, the fledgling romance can feel like a fragile, tender thing, so we tread lightly in an effort not to break it.

In those early days, the decision of whether to broach the topic of Valentine's Day is a personal one, and it really depends on how comfortable you are with bringing it up.

You could try having some fun with it and being playful, such as sending a message like “Happy Situationship Day." You could send them a meme they'd like. You could even suggest a low-key hang that day.

In those early stages, the fledgling romance can feel like a fragile, tender thing, so we tread lightly in an effort not to break it.

Oloni recommends "light, direct communication." For early-stage dating, you could say, “Are we doing anything for Valentine's or keeping it chilled?” which, she says, "keeps things low stakes while giving clarity. Assumptions create anxiety, but honesty keeps things steady."

If you want to acknowledge it, meeting for coffee or going for a nice walk would be appropriate for the nature of that relationship. Here's a message suggestion: "Any plans this weekend? Want to grab a coffee?" If you're keen to see where this goes and want to go the distance, I'd advise against gift-buying or suggesting lavish meals out.

It's also totally fine to just breeze right past it and pretend that Valentine's isn't a thing. And if your partner doesn't bring it up, I personally wouldn't see that as anything to be concerned about, especially if it's really early days.

"Situationships are not inherently lesser forms of intimacy," says Krenn. "Many adults are consciously exploring connection without traditional structures. Emotional depth, sexual chemistry, and companionship remain meaningful regardless of whether a relationship has a formal title."

Honour the non-romantic loves of your life

I've been single for 15 years, and each year I buy at least one card for a non-romantic love in my life. Last year on Valentine's Day, I went out for dinner with one of my oldest friends who was visiting from overseas. In a restaurant crowded with couples, we ate a candle-lit three-course dinner, sipped fizz, and enjoyed each other's company. The restaurant staff loved the fact that we were having a Galentine's dinner together. And why the hell shouldn't we? The year before, I went round to a guyfriend's house, and we had a Palentine's evening together, ate Nando's and watched Real Housewives Of New York. You can't get more perfect than that, tbh.

This year, I'm spending the weekend with my wonderful parents, with whom I have a really close bond. I've bought them a card and some heart-shaped chocolates. We're splitting an M&S dine-in meal deal (three courses for £25) three ways, even if it was intended for two (an oversight on retailers' parts in my opinion). But, really, Valentine's is just another day. One I'll likely spend crouching in a damp flower bed planting bulbs for summer.

Celebrate yourself this Valentine's Day

The longest relationship you'll have in life is the one you have with yourself. Self-love doesn't come easily, and we can have complicated, challenging relationships with ourselves, our minds, and our bodies. On Valentine's Day, why not celebrate how far you've come — even if you feel you've still got a bit more distance to travel.

I saw a post on Instagram today that read, "12-year-old you wouldn't believe how cool you are." We should remind ourselves constantly that we have grown into the kind of person we once dreamed of becoming.

It's not cringe or loserish to celebrate self-love on Feb. 14. You could turn it into a ritual that you intend to repeat every year — a candlelit bubble bath, a walk around your favourite museum or park, playing your favourite record from start to finish, grabbing coffee with your best friend, buying yourself that fancy pastry you've been eyeing up all week.

We know that Valentine's Day is heavily commercialised, so self-love doesn't have to involve buying things. Write a list of things you like or love about yourself. Call or voice note a friend you've been meaning to catch up with. 

Happy Valentine's Day from me to you.

TL;DR: Live stream Wales vs. France in the 2026 Six Nations for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Six Nations started with a number of huge performances from the usual candidates. The best performance from the opening round? It's difficult to look past France. They dismantled Ireland in front of a passionate Stade de France, making a big statement of intent as the tournament kicked off.

Next France face Wales at the Millennium Stadium. Wales suffered a defeat to England in the opening round, and will be hoping to see improvements over the next few weeks. Fans will expect France to win this one comfortably, but you can never truly count out Wales.

If you want to watch Wales vs. France in the 2026 Six Nations for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Wales vs. France?

Wales vs. France in the 2026 Six Nations starts at 3:10 p.m. GMT on Feb. 15. This fixture takes place at the Millennium Stadium.

How to watch Wales vs. France for free

Wales vs. France in the 2026 Six Nations is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer.

BBC iPlayer is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock BBC iPlayer from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Wales vs. France from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

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

4. Visit BBC iPlayer

5. Live stream Wales vs. France for free from anywhere in the world

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Wales vs. France without committing with your cash. This isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream most of the 2026 Six Nations before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming services to watch the Winter Olympics, the T20 World Cup, and more from anywhere in 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 the 2026 Six Nations?

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

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and 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 Wales vs. France in the 2026 Six Nations for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream USA vs. Denmark in men's ice hockey for free on CBC Gem. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The international ice hockey schedule is delivering a huge number of fascinating matchups right now, including USA vs. Denmark.

USA secured a confident win in their opening game. Denmark fell to a 3-1 defeat against Germany. USA will be expected to triumph here, but anything can happen at this level. Every team possesses quality, so you never know.

If you want to watch USA vs. Denmark in men's ice hockey for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is USA vs. Denmark?

USA vs. Denmark in men's ice hockey takes place at 3:10 p.m. ET on Feb. 14. This fixture takes place at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena.

How to watch USA vs. Denmark for free

USA vs. Denmark in men's ice hockey is available to live stream for free on CBC Gem.

CBC Gem is geo-restricted to Canada, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Canada, meaning you can access free live streams of the 2026 winter sports ice hockey from anywhere in the world.

Live stream USA vs. Denmark in men's ice hockey for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

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

4. Visit CBC Gem

5. Watch USA vs. Denmark for free from anywhere in the world

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

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to free live streams without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch the ice hockey before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for CBC Gem?

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

• Servers in 105 countries including Canada

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always 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 USA vs. Denmark in men's ice hockey for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: A quality refurbished Apple MacBook Air from 2017 with a 13.3-inch display, Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB SSD is on sale for $199.97 (reg. $999).

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

If you’re seeking a reliable laptop for everyday essentials without breaking the bank, this refurbished Apple MacBook Air deserves a look. The 2017 model is now just $199.97 (reg. $999), putting a familiar Apple device within reach. The sale ends on Feb. 22 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

This MacBook Air features a 13.3-inch widescreen display, a 1.8GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 128GB solid-state drive. That’s a solid spec list for day-to-day tasks like web browsing, email, streaming, document editing, and file management. Intel HD Graphics 6000 provides smooth video playback, while Wi-Fi and Bluetooth cover all standard connectivity needs. Apple estimates up to 12 hours of battery life, which is beneficial for marathon study sessions or travel days.

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Each unit is quality refurbished and ships in Grade A or Grade B condition. That means it’s been thoroughly tested, cleaned, and restored to full working order, with cosmetic wear that varies by device. For anyone open to minor signs of previous use, the value compared to buying new is hard to beat.

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Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Windows 11 Pro $12.97
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What's the best laptop for battery life? It's a question I encounter often when doling out laptop recommendations, and understandably so: Battery life is one of the most crucial factors to consider when choosing a new computer. A machine that dies after only a few hours unplugged has limited portability, and it puts you at risk of data loss in the case of sudden shutdowns.

When testing the best laptops, Mashable reporters always perform a battery-rundown test. Some people might be shocked to learn that the best battery-life laptop I've reviewed isn't an Apple MacBook. (They're renowned for their all-day stamina.) But if you're familiar with the Qualcomm processors powering the newer Windows laptops, then my top pick should come as less of a surprise.

Which laptop lasts the longest? I'm a sucker for OLED displays. Credit: Haley Henschel

Out of all the models I've tested as Mashable's resident laptop expert, the 2025 HP OmniBook 5 14 with the Snapdragon X Plus chip is the clear battery life champ. It lasted an incredible 32 hours and 31 minutes before dying. To put it lightly, that's stupid good. None of the other models we've tested has lasted longer than 25 hours in our standard battery-life benchmark, a video rundown test.

That makes the OmniBook 5 14 an extreme outlier, and in the best-possible way. It's the clearest example so far of the overachieving abilities of the Snapdragon X series chips, Qualcomm's last-gen ARM-based processors for thin and light laptops. In our testing, x86-based Intel and AMD chips with comparable multitasking performance typically die hours before them.

I expect newer Qualcomm-powered laptops that launch in the coming months to have similarly stellar battery lives, but they'll probably — hopefully — have more competition.

Opens in a new window Credit: HP HP OmniBook 5 14 (Snapdragon X Plus, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $1,269.99 at HP.com
  Shop Now Let's crunch some numbers

To find the laptops with the best battery life, we had to do a lot of testing.

In 2024 and 2025, we tested seven Windows laptops with Snapdragon X series chips, six with comparable Intel V-class Lunar Lake processors, and six with AMD's equivalent Ryzen AI 300 series chips. (All of them were ultraportables for consumers, not business users.) The Snapdragon models had a median battery life of 19 hours and 55 minutes, lasting no fewer than 16 hours. The Intel ones had a 14-hour, 16-minute median and a 10-hour minimum. Lastly, the AMD models had a 12-hour, 19-minute median and a baseline of about seven hours.

This not only means that Snapdragon computers are the best Windows laptops for battery life, but they're also the only ones that can keep pace with MacBooks. Apple's 2024 and 2025 models with M3, M4, M4 Pro, and M5 chips had a 19-hour, 56-minute average and a 16-hour, 32-minute minimum. I'll add one asterisk here, which is that the latest MacBooks are much faster than the Snapdragon-fueled Windows laptops you can currently buy. Their overall power efficiency is unmatched.

The HP OmniBook 5 14 is almost as thin and light as a MacBook Air. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

Here's a closer look at our top 10 longest-lasting consumer laptops from recent years. Note what kinds of chips they have:

1. HP OmniBook 5 14 (Snapdragon X Plus) — 32 hours and 31 minutes

2. Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition (Intel Core Ultra 7 258V) — 23 hours and 34 minutes

3. Microsoft Surface Laptop 7, 13.8-inch (Snapdragon X Elite) — 22 hours and 50 minutes

4. Asus Zenbook A14 (Snapdragon X Plus) — 21 hours and 47 minutes

5. Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5) — 21 hours and 17 minutes

6. Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 (AMD Ryzen AI 7 350) — 20 hours and 52 minutes

7. Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M4 Pro) — 20 hours and 51 minutes

8. Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M4) — 19 hours and 56 minutes

9. Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x (Snapdragon X Elite) — 19 hours and 55 minutes

10. Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M3) — 19 hours and 4 minutes

It's still too early to tell if x86-based Windows laptops will be able to play catch-up in 2026, but I'm optimistic that we'll see more models eclipsing the 24-hour mark. Intel has rated its new Core Ultra Series 3 ("Panther Lake") chips at up to 27 hours of battery life, while AMD is claiming that its new Ryzen AI 400 series processors have "multi-day battery life."

I've only tested one next-gen laptop so far, the MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+, which is a hybrid business laptop with a high-end Core Ultra X7 358H chip. It made a great first impression with more than 24 hours of battery life and awesome multitasking performance, notching a Geekbench 6 multi-core score of 16,257. (It's only seven percent slower than the M5 MacBook Pro.) Previous-gen Windows laptops with Intel's H-class Arrow Lake chips for premium portable workstations were similarly strong performers, but they never lasted more than 14 hours per charge.

There's a reflective "HP" logo on the back of the OmniBook 5 14. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

For its part, Qualcomm is also running with a "multi-day battery life" line for its upcoming Snapdragon X2 series chips. That's in addition to the significant performance gains it's promising. According to a pair of company press releases, the new X2 Plus and X2 Elite will be 35 and 31 percent faster than their predecessors, respectively, while using up to 43 percent less power.

SEE ALSO: The 12 best Windows laptops for 2026

But the one to watch in particular will be the X2 Elite Extreme chip, Qualcomm's all-new, top-tier processor. (It'll make its first appearance in the Asus Zenbook A16, which is coming soon.) The company claims it offers up to 75 percent faster CPU performance than other laptops using the same amount of power, and it might actually live up to the hype. Early benchmarks suggest its multi-core performance blows past that of Intel's best Panther Lake chip, the Core Ultra X9 388H, as well as the Apple M5 chip.

If the X2 Elite Extreme chip can manage that and last several workdays before dying, it's going to be a game-changer.

What else I like about the HP OmniBook 5 14 The HP OmniBook 5 14 starts at just $779.99. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

Back to the OmniBook 5 14. Beyond its exceptional battery life, I think most users will find that it's an excellent value for the money. The review unit that HP sent me is an HP.com exclusive that costs $1,269.99 and includes 32GB of memory with a terabyte of SSD storage. (It's healthily future-proofed amid our ongoing RAM shortage.) If you can get by with less, other configurations were priced as low as $779.99 at Amazon and Best Buy, which is a really good deal.

The model I tried was decently peppy in multitasking scenarios, earning a multi-core score of 11,265 in our Geekbench 6 CPU benchmark. That puts it in the same range as x86 Windows laptops with Intel Core Ultra 7 256V and AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 processors that cost anywhere form $950 to $1,750. Looking broader, it's only six percent slower than an M3 MacBook Pro and just five percent slower than the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7, our best Windows laptop for most people.

SEE ALSO: We've tested over 30 laptops in the past year. Here are the 13 best for 2026.

The OmniBook 5 14's Glacier Silver design is boring — if you see one plain gray laptop, you've seen 'em all — but it feels well-made for the most part. It has a durable plastic keyboard case and a matching aluminum exterior that doesn't cling to fingerprints too badly. It sports a pretty 14-inch OLED display with vivid colors and thin side bezels. Its snappy backlit keyboard has a super comfy island-style layout. Its speakers, mic, and 1080p webcam are all adequate.

If you're looking for a portable Windows laptop, this one cuts the mustard. It's lightweight at 2.84 pounds and sleek at 0.5 inches thin. It's just a touch bigger than a 13-inch MacBook Air.

What I don't like about the HP OmniBook 5 14 The HP OmniBook 5 14's keyboard is great, but its touchpad screams "cheap." Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The OmniBook 5 14's touchpad is easily the worst thing about it. It has a pleasantly smooth, almost papery feel, but it makes an odd rattling sound every time I tap on it. It's almost like there's too much space between the surface of the touchpad and its internal mechanism. (A couple of customer reviews on Amazon and BestBuy.com mention the exact same thing, so I don't think my loaner is faulty.) Use a mouse with this one.

I also wish the OmniBook 5 14 display was a little brighter. It's only rated at 300 nits of brightness, so it's a bit difficult to see its picture in sunnier environments. (I always used it at max brightness, which drains the battery faster.) I'll also note that it has a basic 60Hz refresh rate, but that's a pretty common spec at this price point.

Look for an updated model later this year The HP OmniBook 5 14 is getting a CPU refresh for 2026. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this past January, HP announced an updated version of the OmniBook 5 14 with a Snapdragon X2 Plus processor. The company hasn't confirmed its pricing or availability yet.

For now, various configurations of the current model are available for purchase at Amazon, Best Buy, and on HP's website. If you're looking for an affordable and portable mid-range laptop with a marathoner's stamina, I can vouch for it.

Shop the HP OmniBook 5 14: The model I tested HP OmniBook 5 14 (Snapdragon X Plus, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $1,269.99 Shop Now Less memory HP OmniBook 5 14 (Snapdragon X Plus, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $779.99 Shop Now Less memory and storage, no keyboard backlighting, but an added touchscreen HP OmniBook 5 14 (Snapdragon X Plus, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $799.99 Shop Now

I’ll admit that, of all the dating shows I’ve watched over the years, none have hit me as personally as Pop the Balloon or Find Love. The wildly popular YouTube dating show, hosted by Arlette Amuli alongside her husband, BM (Bolia Matundu), has become a weekly ritual for my best friend and me, as we sit down to watch what I genuinely believe is one of the most miserable dating shows ever made.

That misery, of course, is part of the appeal. Across its roughly 90-episode run on YouTube so far, Pop the Balloon regularly pulls in around two million views per episode, catapulting Amuli’s channel from a modest vlog page with around 7,000 subscribers to more than 1.4 million in just over two years since the first episode aired on December 7, 2023.

SEE ALSO: Viral YouTube show ‘Pop the Balloon’ is becoming a dating app

For those that don't know, Pop the Balloon works like this: A group of contestants stands onstage holding balloons, while a single participant enters and introduces themselves. If anyone in the lineup is not interested, they pop their balloon, immediately eliminating themselves from consideration.

Clips of contestants walking in and having all the balloons pop before they even speak have routinely gone viral.

Pop the Balloon has found a massive audience, in part because Amuli’s version of the format is, unmistakably, a Black dating show. Across dozens of episodes and spinoffs like Pop the Balloon Congo and Pop the Balloon UK, which are uploaded to BM’s channel, white contestants are notably absent, though there are occasional mixed-race and Hispanic participants. That specificity is also part of why viewers believe the show’s Netflix adaptation failed to land with longtime fans, as a more diverse cast, a different host, and a generally flatter group of contestants stripped away much of what made the original compelling.

Truthfully, I find the whole thing painfully relatable to my own dating experience. Not the dates themselves, but the vetting process. The endless conversations, the mental calculus of who’s worth your time, and the quiet embarrassment that comes with being on a dating app and having to actually ask another human being out. I can’t help but imagine that, on some level, the contestants feel the same way, except they’re doing it on camera. At the end of the day, nobody wants to be made a fool.

That’s what got me thinking. I watch this show every week. I’ve seen every episode. But I started wondering if there was anything to actually learn from it.

And, surprisingly, the answer is yes.

Lesson 1: Embrace delusion

If there’s one real takeaway from watching the show, it’s this: remember that you are the prize. It doesn’t matter if you’re an entrepreneur without a business yet, or a deeply devout Christian who believes that even though you’re divorced, you’re still spiritually married in the eyes of God, and therefore any new relationship counts as cheating unless your ex is dead. At the end of the day, it’s your way or the highway.

If there’s one real takeaway from watching the show, it’s this: remember that you are the prize.

The last few weeks, I went deep into Pop the Balloon’s back catalog and came to an important realization. Whatever I originally thought this show was supposed to be — a genuine, on-camera experiment in finding love, something closer to early Love Is Blind — it has never actually been that. This show has always been goofy as hell.

And I mean that in the nicest way possible. No one on this show has a serious dealbreaker. You can be eliminated for being too tall, not tall enough, having the wrong star sign, wearing a bad outfit, wearing too good an outfit, or simply being light-skinned or dark-skinned, because yes, participants have been accused of colorism.

So what I’ve ultimately learned is to never compromise on the little things. I have two cats, so why would I date someone with a dog? I like being at the club, so why would I date someone whose idea of fun is a hike followed by Sunday brunch? I won’t date a blonde, and God forbid you’re my height and have crooked teeth. I’m 5'9, by the way, and I can’t afford braces. But I'm the prize, so you're not allowed to judge me.

Lesson 2: Waste time

On average, Pop the Balloon episodes run anywhere from 90 minutes to two full hours. On rare occasions, episodes even get split into two parts, usually for reasons far more foolish and wicked than I can responsibly unpack here. All of which is to say: these episodes are long. And you very quickly learn why. Everyone is a time waster.

Once you get past the initial visceral eliminations at the start of each contestant’s round, the midsection, especially when the guest is conventionally attractive, can be an absolute slog. The format goes something like this: a contestant walks out, gives a brief introduction, and then Amuli asks everyone who popped their balloon why they did it. Depending on how many balloons remain, the contestant will then pop one or two balloons based purely on appearance. Next, the remaining contestants explain why they didn’t pop theirs. Then questions are exchanged, either from the single person to the lineup or vice versa. Eventually, the final unpopped balloon comes forward, and Amuli asks if it’s a match. Rinse and repeat this process for three or four guests per episode.

That was a mouthful, right? See how I just wasted your time by making you read all of that. Now imagine sitting through it, only for one of the contestants to casually reveal at the very end that, despite the other saying they live in the area, they actually live across the country and don’t do long distance.

That’s where one of the show’s biggest problems comes in. As Pop the Balloon has grown in popularity, contestants now fly in from all over the United States. Early episodes focused on people local to the Phoenix metro area, but that quickly changed as more hopefuls wanted airtime, often to plug their business (and everyone has one, apparently) or kickstart a budding influencer career. Time and time again, the episode grinds toward its final pairing, only for one balloon to be popped after 30 or 40 minutes of meandering, first-date-level conversation, because neither person wants to deal with a long-distance relationship.

It’s hard to square that with the idea of "finding love," which, according to most dating experts, usually involves at least a little compromise. Especially when the distance in question is, say, Dallas to Phoenix, which is, at worst, a two-hour flight.

So the real lesson I’ve taken from this isn’t how to date better, but how to waste time with intention. Not because I’m busy or nervous, but because I’m bored. I will text for weeks without ever suggesting concrete plans. I will ask thoughtful questions, but I don’t actually care about the answers. I will let the conversation drift aimlessly because making a move would require admitting I’m only mildly interested at best. And then, right when expectations have quietly formed, I’ll embrace delusion. I’ll cite a sudden schedule conflict or a vague personal issue that means I don't have time to date, then disappear entirely.

Like on Pop the Balloon, I'm talking just to talk.

Lesson 3: Feign tradition

While Pop the Balloon or Find Love can be a fun watch in the same way Too Hot to Handle is, it’s important to remember that, weirdly enough, this is a deeply conservative dating show. It’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment when contestants became laser-focused on performing rigid, heteronormative gender roles, but it’s been that way for a while now. Somewhere around episode seven is when the first rumblings of contestants insisting on dating someone "with faith" started to surface.

By episode 90, that expectation has hardened into an unspoken rule: everyone is a man or woman of faith, and not being religious is seemingly an automatic elimination.

To be clear, neither I nor this publication is saying there’s anything wrong with being religious. But on Pop the Balloon specifically, the show seems to attract, or perhaps encourage, a clientele that is either sincerely or performatively Christian. It’s the biggest said-unsaid of the entire format. If you apply to be on the show, which I have and have not heard back from, it straight-up asks whether you’re religious. You don’t need to love God to exist, but apparently, you do need to love God to get a match. While there are other spinoffs, you will not find episodes for same-sex daters looking for love.

Pop the Balloon has somehow distilled the essence of every cursed "50/50 dating discourse" tweet ever posted, then cast contestants who are more than willing to embrace that delusion on camera. Much like the popular online discourse surrounding "trad wives" and the manosphere, men insist they want women who aspire to be housewives. Women say they want men who can provide that lifestyle. The men then recoil at women who openly want provision because it feels "materialistic," while the women side-eye men who hesitate at being providers because that signals insecurity. And the loop continues endlessly until your eyes glaze over.

It’s not about love. It’s about optics. And yet, despite all of that, I’ll probably keep watching, and I'll keep on dating.

The conversations spiral into the same hollow abstractions every time: what defines a "high-value man," how strong your relationship with God is, and what kind of "value" you can bring to a man's life. None of it is grounded in reality, but it is all vague enough to sound important, creating maximum confusion with minimal substance. Somewhere out there, I imagine there's a CIA agent celebrating another successful diversion, watching Black people once again get pulled into debates about nonsense like whether your mother or your wife sits in the front seat.

So the lesson I’ve taken from all of this is simple: feign tradition. Not because I believe in it deeply, but because it plays well. I now understand that the quickest way to sound serious, mature, and dateable is to sprinkle in just enough talk about “values,” “structure,” and being “God-led,” even if none of that meaningfully shapes how I actually live my life. Tradition, as Pop the Balloon presents it, isn’t about conviction so much as performance. It’s a costume you put on long enough to get through the conversation, to seem aligned with the person you're trying to date. Then I'll quietly play that role until the mask slips.

After weeks of basically unpaid field research, I'm left at how thoroughly unserious dating has become. It's awkward, performative, and everyone involved is performing sincerity while actively dodging it. Nobody wants to be the villain, nobody wants to commit, and everyone wants credit for "trying." It’s not about love. It’s about optics. And yet, despite all of that, I’ll probably keep watching, and I'll keep on dating. I may even try the new dating app the Pop the Balloon creators have released. My match is out there somewhere — maybe on the new dating app that Amuli and her husband have created.

Put on some flip-flops, leave your cellphone at home, and wander alone into a dangerous place the town weirdo definitely warned you about, because it's time to get scared!

Right now on HBO Max, the horror category is an embarrassment of terrifying riches with top-shelf selections available from every decade of horror history. You've got 2000s tank top horror next to 1980s slashers next to 1950s camp and more. It's rad.

There's so much great stuff to choose from, but we've somehow managed to narrow it down to these 18 horror movies. Honestly, you can't go wrong.

SEE ALSO: What to watch: Best scary movies 1. Night of the Living Dead If you ever see this face... RUN. Credit: Image Ten / Kobal / Shutterstock

Visionary of the zombie apocalypse George A. Romero tops this list with his most iconic film: Night of the Living Dead. This 1968 classic makes for a great watch — not only as a standard-setting staple of cinema, but also as a vehicle for terror that gets under your skin and festers there. Expertly executed from start to finish, this bleak tale of strangers versus an army of the undead needles at you in a way that's still tough to shake more than 50 years later.* — Alison Foreman, Entertainment Reporter

How to watch: Night of the Living Dead is now streaming on HBO Max.

2. Eraserhead

God, Henry is just so fucked. The directorial debut of walking-talking id David Lynch, Eraserhead follows the poor guy, played by Jack Nance, as he wanders through a surrealist blend of horror and humor, featuring an alien baby, sperm monsters, a lady with big ol' cheeks, and more bizarre characters. The plot has been interpreted as a representation of Lynch's own fear of being a parent, with Henry serving as a kind of placeholder for Lynch himself. It's fascinating, freaky, and really fun. — A.F.

How to watch: Eraserhead is now streaming on HBO Max.

3. Cronos

Guillermo del Toro's first film carries with it all the hallmarks of the Mexican auteur's career-to-come — gross monster mayhem with delightful creature design, religious and political settings and symbolism, the innocence of children as a contrast to all adult awfulness. This time around it's the story of an elderly antique dealer named Jesús (Federico Luppi, who also had roles in The Devil's Backbone and Pan's Labyrinth) and the 500-year-old golden scarab he finds tucked away inside the base of a statue. 

SEE ALSO: Yes, that was Guillermo del Toro in 'Barry'

Winding it up the scarab suddenly springs to life and injects the old man with a mysterious substance, and before you know it Jesús' youth is being restored to him… alongside a newfound taste for blood. When a tough guy named Angel (Ron Perlman) shows up to find the device, the film turns into a showdown between Jesús and Angel for eternal life. Not particularly subtle there, Guillermo! But Cronos is a blast anyway, and the perfect introduction to one of modern horror's reigning kings. — Jason Adams, Contributing Writer

How to watch: Cronos is now streaming on HBO Max.

4. The Blob "Intergalactic goo" sounds funny enough until you're screaming in your living room watching "The Blob." Credit: Allied / Kobal / Shutterstock

Mark my words, anyone who reduces director Irvin Yeaworth's iconic The Blob to "just a B-movie" hasn't actually seen it. An astounding feat of filmmaking for the time, that maintains a surprisingly watchable flow 63 years later, The Blob is a solid selection for anyone seeking that classic scary movie vibe. Stand by helplessly as intergalactic goo terrorizes the citizens of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. Then, be genuinely impressed by how the '50s townspeople manage to corral the thing through smart, sensible sci-fi means. Nice job, humans! — A.F.

How to watch: The Blob is now streaming on HBO Max.

SEE ALSO: 31 best horror movies on Prime Video to keep you up at night 5. House

Reader, cue up House and avail yourself of one of the weirdest and most wonderful viewing experiences out there.

Sometimes listed as Hausu, director Nobuhiko Obayashi's surreal 1977 horror comedy is a whirlwind of spectacular and bizarre images unlike any other title on this, or frankly any, list. Running just under an hour and a half, it's a breezy jolt of strange beauty and intense dread that uses dreamlike images to tell the story of six girls as they're eaten by a house. Yeah, it's something. — A.F.

How to watch: House is now streaming on HBO Max.

6. Scanners "Scanners" has absolutely 0 chill Credit: Moviestore / Shutterstock

Get your mind blown by Scanners. (See what I did there? 'Cause it's about people's heads exploding?) In writer-director David Cronenberg's super goopy sci-fi nightmare, Earth must contend with a super-powered group of people capable of telepathy and psychokinesis — and the bad dudes who want to use that power for evil. It's no The Fly, The Dead Zone, or even Shivers. But it's the best body horror on Max right now. — A.F.

How to watch: Scanners is now streaming on HBO Max.

7. Carnival of Souls

The definition of slow burn, writer/director and lead ghoul Herk Harvey's 1962 classic horror film Carnival of Souls is basically all vibes — and it probably had to be, given the nothing budget he was working with. But he rode that empty wallet straight to heavenly cinematic gold, giving us a steady stream of unforgettable visuals shot in the eeriest black-and-white. If you can get yourself onto Carnival of Souls' wavelength, you will be rewarded with spooky nightmares for life. 

SEE ALSO: 31 essential, history-making horror movies to stream this spooky season

Candace Hilligoss plays Mary, a good girl who gets caught up in a road race that flies out of control in the film's opening scene. Recovering in its aftermath, Mary begins experiencing visions of an odd haunted theme park on the shores of the Great Salt Lake. Her isolating job as a church organist, along with constant harassment from an aggressive next door neighbor, only further dissociates her from those around her, until she can no longer tell what's real and what's not, with it all leading to one of the all-time great twist endings. Carnival of Souls is probably the closest thing we'll ever get to a Twilight Zone episode directed by Ingmar Bergman. — J.A.

How to watch: Carnival of Souls is now streaming on HBO Max.

8. Kwaidan

Just a couple of years after delivering his three-part WWII masterpiece The Human Condition, writer/director Masaki Kobayashi gathered together four old Japanese folk tales to make Kwaidan. This horror anthology takes us all the way to Hell, but it must've felt like a relief to make after the atrocities he put on-screen in those epic war films. Visually magnificent, there are enormous images in Kwaidan that will sear themselves into your brain forever after. But it mostly revels in the small betrayals that haunt its protagonists and their relationships forever after — the sorts of awful human conditions that echo across every culture. — J.A.

How to watch: Kwaidan is now streaming on HBO Max.

9. The Brood

With all-time greats like The Fly and The Dead Zone available, The Brood rarely makes horror fans' short lists for David Cronenberg recommendations. But if you're looking for a uniquely weird psychological thriller with an amazing gross-out finale, this 1979 romp just can't be beat.

Oliver Reed stars as Dr. Hal Raglan, a clinical psychologist experimenting with what he calls "psychoplasmics" — a process by which chemically induced physical ailments, designed to alleviate long-standing emotional trauma, are administered to vulnerable patients. But when Nola, a patient played by Samatha Eggar, is hospitalized by Raglan, her estranged husband Frank, played by Art Hindle, decides to investigate. — A.F.

How to watch: The Brood is now streaming on HBO Max.

10. The Lure

The Lure has been described as a lesbian mermaid horror musical, but somehow even that doesn't come close to capturing what this audacious Polish film is. Agnieszka Smoczyńska's debut feature is the darkest retelling of The Little Mermaid you could imagine, incorporating grisly violence and the sex work industry into that classic fairytale.* — Oliver Whitney, Freelance Contributor

How to watch: The Lure is now streaming on HBO Max.

11. The Witch Credit: Parts And Labor / Rt Features / Rooks Nest / Upi / Kobal / Shutterstock

Writer/director Robert Eggers's haunting folk horror flick follows an isolated family living in 1630 New England as paranoia and religious fervor brew after an infant goes missing. Rebellious teen Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy) bears the brunt of the blame from her Puritan parents, but her eerie twin siblings (is there any other kind?) and their friendship with a goat they've nicknamed Black Phillip lets the viewer know something far stranger is afoot.

"What really sets this movie apart from its horror peers [...] is its sheer beauty," wrote Yohana Desta in her review for Mashable. "Every scene is meticulously styled. The costumes have a quiet beauty. Every frame could be a painting, or a macabre Vogue editorial. The score (and scenes with lack thereof) is a perfect accompaniment, rattling and haunting."* — Sam Haysom, Deputy UK Editor

How to watch: The Witch is now streaming on HBO Max.

12. Sisters

It's probably pretty important to note upfront that his 1972 shocker Sisters is very much of its time, although you could say this about pretty much every movie that Brian De Palma has ever made (ahem, Dressed to Kill). Which is to say, don't go in expecting a modern read on mental health issues in this story about formerly conjoined twins turned fashion models who go on a murder spree. But as dated as some of its psychological concepts are, not to mention its emphasis on Hitchcock's Psycho, Sisters remains a magnificently crafted thriller that will have you jumping out of your seat more than once. And Margot Kidder's having a terrific  time with the soapiness of ping-ponging between good and evil twins. The movie that somehow made birthday cake terrifying! — J.A. 

How to watch: Sisters is now streaming on HBO Max.

13. I Saw the TV Glow Credit: A24

Writer/director Jane Schoenbrun's I Saw the TV Glow is such a mood, especially if you're someone who came of age in the late '90s/early aughts with any of the teen-centric television shows that aired on the WB. Starring Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine as Owen and Maddie, two outcasts who bond over their love of the Buffy-esque program The Pink Opaque, Schoenbrun, a trans filmmaker, is explicitly exploring the places where our obsessions fracture our identities, and vice versa — how we build ourselves in the image of fiction. 

SEE ALSO: 'I Saw the TV Glow' review: Queer horror has a new arthouse masterpiece

The movie casts an eerie spell with its bizarre overlapping realities that make the shifting dynamics of a Christopher Nolan movie seem pat and hollow. And there might be no more unsettling monster this year than the moon-faced Mr. Melancholy, whose discount-budget cheapness gives way to a true chasm of uncanniness. — J.A.

How to watch: I Saw the TV Glow is now streaming on HBO Max.

14. Evil Dead Rise Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

More than four decades after we first rendezvoused with Sam Raimi's demon troupe of Deadites, Evil Dead Rise proved there's still plenty of juice — not to mention a myriad of other less savory liquids — left in the franchise. And it did so by simply shifting location; who needs a creepy cabin in the woods when we've got a run-down apartment building isolated from the outside world by a power outage during a big storm? 

It also benefits from a big shift in character dynamics. Rather than a group of sexy young people (hubba hubba, Bruce Campbell) tearing each other to shreds after reading from the Book of the Dead, writer/director Lee Cronin gave us a single mom and her young kids all battling to save and/or swallow each other's souls. While the nasty, bloody business stays the same, it sure hits different when it's your possessed mommy (an outstandingly acrobatic Alyssa Sutherland) trying to carve you up like Christmas dinner. — J.A.

How to watch: Evil Dead Rise is now streaming on HBO Max.

15. Sinners Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

Writer/director Ryan Coogler reimagined vampire lore as a way to explore what it means to be young, Black, and gifted in America.

Michael B. Jordan stars as the Smokestack Twins, Black gangsters turned juke joint proprietors whose opening night is crashed by a vicious white vampire (Jack O'Connell) thirsty for the blood of their magical bluesman, Sammie (Miles Caton in a jaw-dropping debut). The character-building in this 1932-set period piece is rich, developing emotional plotlines of love, loss, and injustice.

Critics praised the epic scope Coogler applied to his genre-fluid drama — which might be a horror musical. In my review of the film, I wrote, "Smoothly blending vampire horror into a unique tale of regret, resilience, and redemption, Coogler and Jordan have made a cinematic marvel that is terrifying, satisfying, and unforgettable."* — Kristy Puchko, Entertainment Editor

How to watch: Sinnners is now streaming on HBO Max.

16. Weapons

Like Jordan Peele before him, Zach Cregger took a hard turn from sketch comedy — as a member of Whitest Kids U' Know — to horror director with a jaw-dropping vision of terror. In 2022, he gave us the deeply twisted Barbarian. And this year, he gifted us the perfectly witchy icon in Weapons' Gladys (Amy Madigan).

In this deeply creepy tale of 17 children vanishing into the night, the focus leaps from one character to another, eerily unfolding the mystery at the heart of this missing persons case. A tormented teacher, a furious father, a bewildered principal, a cranky cop, and an unhoused goofball will collide in ways wild and unpredictable.* — K.P.

How to watch: Weapons is now streaming on HBO Max.

17. Bring Her Back

First, filmmaking duo Danny and Michael Philippou awed critics and horror fans with their haunted-hand hit Talk to Me. Next, they returned with this gnarly psycho-biddy horror offering starring two-time Academy Award nominee Sally Hawkins. This nail-biting film is so intense that it might well have you gagging, covering your eyes, or experiencing some hard-won catharsis. Probing further into grief, the Philippou brothers explore how the unmooring feeling of mourning can make the world around us feel unreal, hostile, and strange.

In Bring Her Back, Hawkins stars as a foster mom named Laura, who takes in orphans like Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips), and siblings Piper (Sora Wong) and Andy (Billy Barratt). But despite Laura's chipper mumsy demeanor, 17-year-old Andy realizes something is off in her remote forest home. But can he stop the hell that's coming?* — K.P.

How to watch: Bring Her Back is now streaming on HBO Max.

18. The Substance

As the ferocious follow-up to her grisly and glorious directorial debut Revenge, French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat pulled no punches, delivering a thriller that's a gut-churning knockout.

Demi Moore stars as Elisabeth Sparkle, an actress whose star is fading as she ages, and heartless Hollywood execs (exemplified by a shellfish-chomping Dennis Quaid) hunger for young beauties and fresh blood. So when a miracle drug allows her to split her life with a perky younger model of herself (Drive-Away Dolls' Margaret Qualley), she leaps at the chance. But the brutal cost it takes is ugly.

A ghastly satire about the misogynistic beauty standards applied to women, The Substance shocked and awed critics and audiences alike with its giddily gruesome imagery. Speaking for those of us who loved The Substance, there's something undeniably exhilarating about a movie that's as proudly pink as Barbie but as unhinged as the gnarliest midnight movie.* — K.P.

How to watch: The Substance is now streaming on HBO Max.

Asterisks (*) indicate the entry comes from a previous Mashable list.

UPDATE: Feb. 12, 2026, 2:33 p.m. EST This story was first published on April 23, 2021. It has since been updated to reflect the current streaming options.

Opens in a new window Credit: Max Max   Get Deal

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.

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

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

A Greek letter.

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

OMEGA

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Struck.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for February 14, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

SMOTE

Hurdle Word 3 hint

True.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for February 14 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for February 14, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

VALID

Hurdle Word 4 hint

A deceptive movement.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

FEINT

Final Hurdle hint

A thin tree.

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

BIRCH

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