Mashable

To help you find the best pair of headphones possible, our experts test headphones year-round, from popular models to new releases to budget picks (you can learn more about our detailed testing standards below). The result of that vetting is this guide, which we keep updated regularly to give you the most accurate and current purchasing information possible.

How to choose the best headphones

We won't beat around the bush: There's no definitive "best" product here. Sure, elite audio brands put out high-quality products across the board, but even within each of those brands, you'll find different tiers of products. Some will deliver better value, and some will deliver better hardware and active noise cancellation.

All this to say, the best pair of earbuds or headphones largely comes down to personal preference and how you plan to use them. Some listeners swear by over-ear headphones, while others prefer the minimalism of earbuds — one is not necessarily better than the other. Athletes who like to use headphones at the gym will appreciate waterproof materials and the best open earbuds, while frequent fliers will prefer devices with long battery life, comfort, and portability. Finally, music lovers and audiophiles will want to invest in premium features like a custom equalizer, spatial audio, or best-in-class active noise cancellation.

To help you pick your pair, we tested all of the headphones in this guide (and a lot that didn't make the cut). Here, you'll find the top headphones of 2026 for noise cancellation, music, price, and wired connections.

What about wired headphones?

We focused primarily on the best wireless headphones for this guide. While wired headphones have their fans, wireless headphones are just more convenient for most of us, though some of us are also fans of Apple's EarPods. With the release of the new noise-cancelling wired earbuds from Bose, we will be keeping our testing pool open to more wired models and will update this guide accordingly, should any earn a spot.

Other headphones we've tested

Most recently, we tested the Marshall Monitor III, JBL Tour One M3 headphones, and the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC, and though they had their merits, they fell short of winning the best of the best spot on this guide.

We've also tested the Sonos Ace headphones and Dyson OnTrac headphones. And while we loved them both for sound quality and noise cancellation, they fare in the way of AirPods Max — left out of our recommendations for their high price points.

Recent updates to this guide

• August 2026: Following the release of the second generation Bose QuietComfort headphones, we've added them to our list as the best budget pick from Bose for headphones.

• March 2025: We've designated the Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2 earbuds as the most comfortable ANC earbuds and crowned the Sony XM6 earbuds as the new best noise-cancelling earbuds.

• December 2025: We replaced the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 earbuds, which are no longer available, with the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 sports earbuds.

• December 2025: We removed the Marshall Mode wired earbuds, as they're frequently out of stock.

• December 2025: We added the Sony WH-CH720N Noise-Canceling Headphones as the best headphones under $100.

• December 2025: We added the Sony XM5 headphones, originally released in 2022, as our new honorable mention pick.

• August 2026: We replaced the Sennheiser Momentum 4 with the Nothing Headphone (a) as our best battery life pick.

Latest headphones news

A few major headphone releases happened in September: Sony's mid-range WH-10000XM4C headphones, Sony's budget WH-CH730N headphones, and the Beats 360, the first pair of over-ear headphones from the brand in three years. From Bose, we've also recently seen new wired noise-cancelling earbuds, as well as two new pairs of open earbuds. We'll be comparing them against our current picks to see if they have a spot among our favorites.

So, what is the best e-reader for 2026? I'm regularly testing new e-readers (and tablets) and cycling through different models to stay up to date on the best options available. If you're gearing up to read more books this year, I can recommend a model you'll love.

Note: Amazon just dropped a new collection of Kindles. We're testing out these e-readers as they're released. We've now included the 2026 Kindle in this guide.

Featured Video For You Latest e-reader news

• On Oct. 1, Amazon dropped a redesigned collection of Kindles. We have yet to test Amazon's new e-readers, but will update this guide when we've thoroughly vetted the 2026 devices. You can purchase 6-inch Kindles now, and 7-inch Kindles will be available Oct. 28.

• As of September 2026, we've added the Boox Go 6 to this guide, naming it the best Kindle alternative. We also named the Kindle Paperwhite the best e-reader for the beach (in addition to being the best overall) and named the Durobo Krono the best e-reader for audiobooks.

• In August 2026, Amazon increased the price of Kindles. Now the basic Kindle costs $149.99 ($40 increase) and the Kindle Paperwhite costs $199.99 ($40 increase).

• In July 2026, Boox announced it was releasing a pocket-sized e-reader, the Picco. After IFA 2026, rumors floated that the Boox Picco would be released in November 2026.

• Also in July 2026, Xteink dropped the X4 Pro, a new tiny e-reader with a touchscreen.

• As of April 2026, we have included the Durobo Krono and the Xetink X4 e-reader in this guide.

• In May 2026, Amazon ceased support for e-readers released in 2012 or earlier, which includes the first generation of Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite.

• Also in May 2026, Kobo announced its integration with Storygraph, which syncs your on-device reading progress with the Storygraph app.

Which are the most affordable e-readers?

When picking an e-reader, price is always a consideration. However, almost all e-readers fall into the same price range. Kindle and Kobo e-readers both start around $149.99/$159.99, while the tiny Boox Picco is just $109.99. If you want handwriting capabilities, Kobo and Boox make the most affordable options, as Kindle's Scribes start at $500.

Other e-readers we've tested From left to right: Kindle Paperwhite, Nook GlowLight 4 Plus, Kindle Scribe Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

• Remarkable PaperPro: Whenever you search for e-readers, Remarkable's tablets will always pop up in the search results, but unfortunately, it's hard to obtain ePUB files on the Remarkable. With Remarkable, you can access files within Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive. If you have any locked ePUB files — like from Libby — you won't be able to access them on a Remarkable tablet. So, after testing the Remarkable tablet myself, it proved to be a better document reader or digital journal than an e-reader.

• Onyx Boox Go 7: While we love the Boox Go 6, we didn't love the Go 7. It's the same size as the Kobo Libra or Amazon Kindle, but it really lags on processing speed. Reading ePUB files from Libby required downloading the Adobe Digital Editions app onto the Boox Go 7, and there was significant lag when opening and closing the app. While it was an easier process than getting library books on a Nook, it was still a major pain compared to Kindle or Kobo's integrations. The Boox Go 7 lagged and took ages to load files. I was most looking forward to testing this Boox because of its page-turning buttons, but unfortunately, I found that they didn't work on my device.

• Boox Palma 2: I loved reading on the Boox Palma. It's a really solid palm-sized e-reader with an open Android system, so you can download any reading app from the Google Play store, including Libby, Kindle, and Kobo. Unfortunately, the Palma 2 is being discontinued, and its availability is dwindling, which is why it's not included in this list.

What about the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition?

If you're familiar with the Kindle lineup, it may come as a surprise that the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition isn't on this list. Don't get me wrong, it's great, but I think there are better options. The Signature Edition is an upgraded version of the Paperwhite, and we've compared the devices head-to-head. The short version? The Paperwhite is a better value, even with the SE's added features like auto-adjusting brightness and 32GB of storage. Plus, after recent price increases, the Paperwhite SE now costs $249.99. If you are prepared to spend that much on an e-reader, I say skip the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition and go for the Kobo Libra Colour.

Where's the Nook on this list?

In terms of big-name e-readers, you might notice one omission from this list: the Barnes & Noble Nook. I have tested this e-reader, and it was previously featured on this list. However, after testing more devices, it no longer makes the cut. In comparison to any of the Kindles or the Kobo Libra, the Nook has sloth-like performance, making it frustrating to use.

Plus, getting my library books onto the Nook was a nightmare, as it was a multi-step process that required downloading to a computer before uploading to a Nook. Its only redeeming quality was the buttons on either side of the device, which made page turning a breeze. However, unless you are a loyal buyer of Barnes & Noble books, I recommend steering clear of the Nook.

Where to get e-reader books for free

Once you get an e-reader, it's time to fill it up with books, and that doesn't necessarily mean spending money. In fact, you can load up your e-reader without spending a dime; you just need to be a bit resourceful.

The best way to read nearly any book — a classic or hot new release — is with Libby. I have read hundreds of free books with the Libby app — I wouldn't have been able to test for this guide without it. It connects with your library card, allowing you to borrow from your local library's digital collection. Plus, both Kobo and Kindle have exceptional Libby integrations.

Another way to build your library is through Stuff Your Kindle Day events. These are 24-hour opportunities led by authors that make books discounted or free.

If you're a fan of the classics or looking to discover a treasure lost to time, an online resource like Project Gutenberg has more than 75,000 books in the public domain that you can download and read on an e-reader.

Pro-Russian accounts targeting Ukrainians on Facebook and Telegram sharply declined after Ukrainian drone strikes on Yandex data centers, according to a new report from a Ukrainian government agency. It’s the most direct evidence so far behind a claim that went viral last week, but it falls well short of proving it.

The report comes from Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD), which operates under the country’s National Security and Defense Council. It was published Oct. 15, and United24 Media covered it on Oct. 17. The CCD used software from the Ukrainian security firm Osavul to track accounts it flagged as showing "signs of inauthentic behavior." According to Osavul's website, the firm "builds AI-powered risk intelligence for hybrid threats."

SEE ALSO: Did Ukraine’s strikes on data centers really silence Russian bots?

According to United24, the CCD analyzed 22,664 messages from 5,201 accounts posted between Oct. 6 and 12, across 26 topics in Ukraine’s information space. The report found two sharp drops in activity, each following a strike that fully shut down a Yandex facility. On Oct. 8, the day a fire took Yandex’s data center in Sasovo, in Russia’s Ryazan region, offline, messages fell 83.6 percent, from 4,032 to 660.

Ukraine's first data center strike saw a 84% decline in Russian-linked accounts on FB and Telegram. Credit: Center for Countering Disinformation / Mashable screenshot

The number of active accounts fell by a similar share. Activity rebounded past pre-strike levels by Oct. 10, but on Oct. 12, a day after a strike fully halted operations at a Yandex data center in Vladimir, messages fell by 42.6 percent and active accounts dropped by 41 percent.

A smaller group of 98 accounts that posted pro-war propaganda, conspiracy theories, or calls for violence followed the same pattern. The CCD concluded that strikes on data centers can significantly disrupt Russian influence networks, but the effect appears to be short-lived.

Mashable was unable to verify the CCD’s findings independently. Before publication, we emailed Osavul to request the underlying dataset, the criteria it uses to flag inauthentic behavior, and any information about where the accounts were hosted. Osavul did not respond by publication time.

The report never defines "inauthentic behavior." While the term is quite broad, some general signals that researchers typically attribute to bot accounts include newly created profiles, unusually high posting volume, blank or AI-generated profile photos, and activity across many unrelated political narratives. Without Osavul’s criteria, it’s unclear whether these accounts are automated, run by coordinated humans, or a mix of both.

Still, if the numbers hold up, they point to something real. The CCD argues that the drops show strikes on data centers can significantly constrain Russia’s information operations by disrupting the automated networks behind them. However, the agency also acknowledges how quickly the accounts came back, suggesting the disruptions were "substantial but short-lived."

Why it matters

The findings arrive after a week of overheated claims.

Last week, Mashable looked at viral claims that Ukrainian drone strikes on Yandex data centers had knocked Russia’s bot army offline. The conclusion we and other outlets reached was that the data behind those claims couldn’t support them.

That claim spread like wildfire on social media, amplified by European officials and even backed up by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Speaking at the Warsaw Security Forum, President Zelenskyy said "everyone noticed" a drop in Russian bot activity. Social media users echoed similar observations about the seemingly stark decline in pro-GOP and pro-AfD posts after the strikes.

It was an easy idea to believe, given how platforms like Facebook and X incentivize and reward polarizing political ragebait, and Russia’s online influence operations are well-documented. The claim also seemed to have supporting data. United24 Media, the Ukrainian government-run outlet whose reporting drove much of the conversation, cited an analysis by The Deep Dive of Cloudflare Radar data. That data showed automated traffic from Yandex’s network had nearly vanished by Oct. 11.

As Mashable reported at the time, that data couldn’t support the claim. "Automated traffic" means any request that software, rather than a person, sends to a website, and most of it is mundane. Yandex, often called "Russia's Google," runs the Federation's biggest search engine, so its network constantly sends out crawlers to index the web. Knocking its data centers offline would stop that traffic, whether or not a single troll account went quiet. We found no published evidence tying influence campaigns on social media to Yandex servers, and United24 acknowledged the same limitation.

Cloudflare has since published its own analysis. It said its data doesn’t appear to support claims that the strikes crippled social media manipulation, though it couldn’t rule out a connection. Zelenskyy’s office has also narrowed his remarks. According to BBC Verify, his office said the president was "talking about the atmosphere on social media" rather than a fall in bot activity.

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier for people who like golf

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Philly players

• Green: Rank performance

• Blue: Major golf champions

• Purple: Genericized trademarks

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: A Philadelphia Athlete

• Green: Ways to Show Standings in Different Sports

• Blue: U.S Open Golf Winners

• Purple: Brand Names Often Used as Generic Terms

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 #756 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• A Philadelphia Athlete: 76ER, EAGLE, FLYER, PHILLIE

• Ways to Show Standings in Different Sports: LEADERBOARD, RANKINGS, STANDINGS, TABLE

• U.S Open Golf Winners: ELS, KITE, STRANGE, WOODLAND

• Brand Names Often Used as Generic Terms: FRISBEE, JET SKI, JUMBOTRON, SPEEDO

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to play Pips

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for October 19, 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 October 19, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for October 19 Pips

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

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

Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 1-2, placed vertically; 6-2, placed vertically.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically; 1-5, placed vertically.

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 1-5, placed vertically.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for October 19 Pips

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 4-2, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 4-2, placed horizontally; 3-6, placed horizontally.

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

Not Equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 6-1, placed horizontally; 0-4, placed horizontally.

Less Than (5): Everything in this space must be less than 5. The answer is 3-4, placed vertically.

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

Number (12): Everything in this space must add up to 12. The answer is 3-6, placed horizontally; 5-1, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for October 19 Pips

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

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

Greater Than (11): Everything in this space must be greater than 11. The answer is 3-3, placed vertically; 6-2, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (1): Everything in this space must be greater than 1. The answer is 6-2, placed horizontally.

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

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 5-3, placed horizontally; 1-6, placed vertically.

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

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

Less Than (6): Everything in this space must be less than 6. The answer is 4-0, placed vertically.

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

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 6-4, placed horizontally.

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for October 19, 2026 Alibis meaning

A legal defense or piece of evidence showing that a person was in a different place when a crime or event occurred.

Balloon meaning

A flexible, nonporous bag that can be inflated with air or lighter-than-air gas.

Escrow meaning

A safe arrangement where a neutral third party temporarily holds money, documents or property until two other people finish a deal.

Mohawk meaning

A distinct hairstyle with shaved sides and a center strip of hair.

Flurry meaning

A brief, light snowfall that causes little to no ground accumulation.

Muffin meaning

A quick bread made of batter containing egg and baked in a pan having cuplike molds.

Nuggets meaning

Bite-sized pieces of battered and fried chicken or fish.

Rib meaning

The curved bones in the human or animal chest that protect internal organs

Boil meaning

The physical process of a liquid turning into vapor through heat,

Fume meaning

Strong or toxic air pollution, exhaust, or chemical vapor.

Rave meaning

An enthusiastic review or statement of praise.

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

Steam meaning

Water in its gaseous, invisible vapor or condensed mist form.

Blather meaning

To speak idly, ramble or run on.

Gas meaning

A fundamental state of matter in which particles move freely and have no fixed shape or fixed volume

Hot air meaning

Air whose temperature has been raised, causing its molecules to gain energy, move faster and spread further apart.

Wind meaning

The natural horizontal movement of air across the Earth's surface.

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

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

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

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

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

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you have a short fuse.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for October 19, 2026 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Intense anger

• Green: All hype

• Blue: Fast food favorites

• Purple: Take flight

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

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Seethe

• Green: All talk

• Blue: "Mc" things at McDonald's

• Purple: Ending in birds

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 #1226 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Seethe: BOIL, FUME, RAVE, STEAM

• All talk: BLATHER, GAS, HOT AIR, WIND

• "Mc" things at McDonald's: FLURRY, MUFFIN, NUGGETS, RIB

• Ending in birds: ALIBIS, BALLOON, ESCROW, MOHAWK

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

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

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

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

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

Today's NYT Strands hints will be easy if you like make-believe.

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for October 19, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: It's all Greek to me

The words are related to fables.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe ancient fables.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

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

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Mythological.

NYT Strands word list for October 19

• Dryad

• Satyr

• Nymph

• Deity

• Mythological

• Furies

• Muses

• Fates

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

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

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

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

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you have BO.

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

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for October 19, 2026 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Bad smell.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter S.

The Wordle answer today is...

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

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

STICK

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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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

Divide and conquer.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

DIVVY

Hurdle Word 2 hint

A cloud.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for October 19, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

PLUME

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Stare.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for October 19, 2026 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Meanings for each word for Oct. 19, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

GLARE

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Glare.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

STARE

Final Hurdle hint

Quick.

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

BRISK

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

TL;DR: Get a lifetime license to Microsoft Project Professional 2024 for Windows for $39.97 (reg. $1,129.99), with Gantt charts, scheduling tools, and built-in reports.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Project Professional 2024: Lifetime License for Windows $39.97
$1,129.99 Save $1,090.02   Get Deal

Remember group projects where one person did all the work and everyone else showed up for the presentation? Unfortunately, coordinating people doesn’t necessarily get easier after graduation. There are just more deadlines, meetings, and spreadsheets involved. Microsoft Project Professional 2024 helps managers keep track of tasks, deadlines, and resources with scheduling tools and visual timelines. For a limited time, you can get a lifetime license for Windows for $39.97 (reg. $1,129.99).

The software helps you organize tasks, assign resources, and build detailed schedules. You can start with pre-built templates rather than creating a project plan from scratch, then use Gantt charts to visualize timelines and see how different tasks depend on one another. That way, you can see who’s supposed to be doing what and when, without having to chase down every update.

Those dependencies are particularly useful when plans change, which, as anyone who’s managed a project knows, is practically inevitable. Microsoft Project can automatically calculate task dates based on scheduling relationships, while its multiple-timeline views help you present the bigger picture without walking everyone through every individual assignment.

You can also run what-if scenarios to explore how changes in assignments might affect a project. Baselines let you compare actual progress against the original plan, making it easier to spot delays or shifts in scope.

For reporting, built-in options such as Burndown and Resource Overview help turn project data into information you can share with stakeholders. Timesheet tools can track time spent on project and non-project work for reporting, invoicing, or payroll workflows.

Microsoft Project Professional 2024 also supports integration with Project Online and Project Server. Certain collaboration features, including communication through Microsoft Teams for Business, require separate licensing.

Formerly $1,129.99, get a lifetime license to Microsoft Project Professional 2024 for only $39.97.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Get lifetime access to PDF Expert for Mac for $79.99 (reg. $139.99), with tools for editing text, rearranging pages, signing forms, and working with scanned PDFs.

Opens in a new window Credit: Readdle PDF Expert Premium Plan: Lifetime Subscription (Mac) $79.99
$139.99 Save $60.00   Get Deal

Your Mac can handle some pretty impressive things, so it’s a little annoying when editing a PDF becomes the task that slows you down. Fixing one typo shouldn’t require a new workflow, and signing a form shouldn’t turn into a whole afternoon of troubleshooting. PDF Expert brings tools for editing text, inserting images, signing forms, and converting documents into one app. For a limited time, new users can get a lifetime subscription for $79.99 (reg. $139.99).

The app lets you edit existing PDF text, replace images, add links, and make changes without rebuilding a document from scratch. You can also highlight important sections, leave comments, and add notes when reviewing reports, contracts, or class materials.

If your PDFs are scattered across multiple files, PDF Expert can merge them into one document or split a larger file into smaller ones. You can rearrange, rotate, and delete pages, too, which is useful when someone sends you a 40-page document and you only need three pages.

Its conversion tools handle PDFs and common formats, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, JPG, and PNG. You can turn a PDF into an editable document or convert other files into PDFs for sharing. That comes in handy when the file format someone sent you isn’t exactly what you need.

There’s also optical character recognition (OCR), which makes text in scanned documents searchable and selectable. Scanning tools can improve contrast, remove shadows, and correct distortions in imperfect scans. So even that slightly crooked document someone scanned years ago might be easier to work with.

For paperwork, you can fill out forms, add signatures, and redact sensitive information before sharing files.

Normally retailing for $139.99, score a lifetime subscription to PDF Expert for only $79.99.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Anthropic has been privately pitching lawmakers on a draft bill to regulate frontier AI safety and security, POLITICO reported Friday. The outlet cited three people familiar with the effort and obtained a copy of the confidential draft.

An Anthropic spokesperson told POLITICO the bill reflects the company’s Advanced AI Framework, which it has promoted to lawmakers since June. The spokesperson called its proposals "sensible policies" for Congress.

What the bill would do

The draft sets a high bar for government action. According to POLITICO, federal officials could stop a model from launching or being used only if it poses "a foreseeable, imminent risk of more than $1 billion in damages, or of killing or seriously injuring more than 50 people." The danger would also have to come from one of three sources: a bioweapon, a model slipping out of its developer’s control, or a cyberattack. The language closely follows California’s SB 53.

SEE ALSO: Anthropic IPO docs reportedly reveal over $40 billion in losses last year

POLITICO noted that AI labs disclosed several incidents this summer in which AI agents broke into or tested the defenses of online platforms. None of those incidents appear to have caused harm at the scale the bill describes. That includes the OpenAI-Hugging Face incident, in which rogue agents escaped a secure sandbox and attacked a third party.

The bill would also create outside evaluators, designate Commerce as the only agency that can seek to halt a model, impose new duties on labs, and override some state laws.

Anthropic hasn’t publicly endorsed a federal bill, though it supported two California AI safety laws. As POLITICO writes, in the House, Reps. Lori Trahan (D-Mass.) and Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.) are leading the FRONTIER Act, which would also override some state laws.

In the Senate, Majority Leader John Thune and Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) are negotiating a bill on catastrophic AI risks. Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) have called for halting the development of advanced AI altogether.

Altogether, Anthropic's bill shopping is the latest effort by an AI company to help write its own rules. Last month, CEO Dario Amodei urged the industry to "pace the frontier," including by agreeing on shared safety standards, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman quickly endorsed the idea. Weeks later, Amodei, Greg Brockman, Jensen Huang, Elon Musk, Sundar Pichai, and Mark Zuckerberg signed the White House Accord on Super Intelligence.

As Mashable previously reported, that voluntary pact has no enforcement mechanism or penalties.

Japan will launch the first spacecraft designed to travel to Mars and return to Earth on Monday, bringing back soil from one of the planet's potato-shaped moons.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, known as JAXA, leads the Martian Moons Exploration mission, or MMX, with NASA as a partner. The rocket lifts off from Tanegashima Space Center at 3:41 p.m. ET on Oct. 19, or 4:41 a.m. Tuesday in Japan. 

MMX should reach Mars next August and survey the planet's two small moons, Phobos and Deimos. No earlier than December 2028, it will land on Phobos, scoop up a sample, and turn for home, reaching Earth in 2031. 

"MMX will be the first spacecraft ever to return to Earth from the Mars system," said Tom Statler, NASA's program scientist for the mission. "That says a lot."

Scientists hope that the sample will reveal how the Red Planet got its moons. Mars' gravity may have captured passing asteroids, or a large object may have slammed into Mars and blasted debris into orbit, where it clumped together into moons. Learning which story is likely true will give scientists new insight into both Mars and Earth, including events that shaped both planets billions of years ago.

SEE ALSO: Mars without its makeup can look a little blue. Here's why.

Getting there depends on the trip home. JAXA has brought samples back from asteroids before. Its Hayabusa spacecraft returned tiny particles of the asteroid Itokawa, and Hayabusa2 brought back a bit more than 5 grams from the asteroid Ryugu. 

NASA's OSIRIS-Rex has also collected more than 120 grams from the asteroid Bennu. What sets this mission apart is that it will be the first to collect from a moon other than Earth's. NASA, which supplied the mission's Megane instrument and one of its two soil samplers, will keep at least 15 percent of the returning specimens. The U.S. space agency estimates its investment in the mission to be around $87 million over 14 years. 

The Japanese space agency will livestream the launch beginning at 2:45 p.m. ET / 11:45 a.m. PT on Monday. You can watch it lift off in the video mini player below.

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So far, the origin of the moons remains elusive. In visible light, Phobos and Deimos resemble a type of asteroid that generally orbits in the outer part of the main asteroid belt, the ring of rocky objects that circles the sun between Mars and Jupiter. But both moons follow nearly circular paths lined up with Mars' equator, a pattern that fits debris from a giant collision. 

Megane, which means "eyeglasses" in Japanese, will take the first measurements of the chemical elements that make up Phobos. The instrument measures gamma rays, a powerful form of light, and neutrons, tiny particles emitted from the moon's surface.

After a nail-biting landing on Phobos, the spacecraft will stay about 2 ½ hours. Honeybee Robotics' sampler, which sits on one of the lander's four legs, will fire ultrapure nitrogen gas to blow loose soil into a container, like a vacuum cleaner. 

"You blink, and it's all done," said Kris Zacny, Honeybee's vice president. 

If all goes as planned, the mission's Phobos sample will return to Earth in 2031. Credit: JAXA illustration

The spacecraft's other sampler pushes a tube into the top 2 inches of the surface. The spacecraft also carries a small rover from the French and German space agencies. 

Astronomers say Phobos' weak gravity and lack of air make it far easier to land on than Mars. Still, the mission could point the way there. 

"The ability to make such round trips could be interesting for future robotic missions that bring back samples from Mars itself and potentially even visiting Mars with humans in the future," the European Space Agency, another MMX partner, said in a statement.

The spacecraft has three modules: one to reach Mars, one to land on Phobos, and one to return the sample home. When the return module reaches Earth, it will send down a capsule carrying at least 10 grams — roughly one-third of an ounce — of Phobos soil. The capsule will land in Australia, and the sample will then travel to Japan, where scientists will catalog it and share it with the mission's partners.

Open-ear earbuds sit on the exterior of the ear, but they also come in many shapes and sizes, from clip models to ear hook models. Some are specifically designed for exercise, while others are better for everyday use. The Bose Ultra Open earbuds have long been a popular pick, and the second generation model just dropped (alongside the new Bose Sport Open earbuds). That said, they're also $299 and $199 respectively, which is firmly on the expensive side for this audio category.

With open earbuds' growing popularity, there are newer premium competitors from brands like Sony and Shokz. Budget options are also becoming more prevalent, with open earbuds under $100 from brands including Soundcore, EarFun, Raycon, and CMF by Nothing. We tested open earbuds from all price ranges to find the best of the best — these seven picks are the results of our search.

SEE ALSO: The 11 best wireless earbuds we've ever tested What are open earbuds?

Open earbuds let you get as close as possible to the feeling of not wearing earbuds at all. Unlike in-ear earbuds, which sit in your ear canal, open earbuds sit outside the ear canal and leave it completely unobstructed, or open (as the name would suggest). Some models hold the speaker component in place with an ear hook, while others opt for an ear cuff.

SEE ALSO: We tested the top fitness trackers of 2025: See our favorite wearables and smart rings

People generally opt for open earbuds for three main reasons:

1. They provide a private listening experience while leaving you almost completely aware of your surroundings. It's like the best transparency mode you've ever used.

2. For some people, not having an earbud physically in their ear is generally more comfortable.

3. The hooks and cuffs (along with general awareness of your surroundings) make them a great option for keeping you in place and alert while you're working out, working, or simply existing in the world.

What are the drawbacks of open earbuds?

As you may have gathered from the section above, open earbuds don't come with active noise cancellation. That's mostly thanks to how much sound they let in (by design) and the difficulty of cancelling out sound without having the device covering your actual ear canal.

Also, thanks to the whole open ear-canal situation, these aren't going to be the earbuds for audiophiles. That's not to say open earbuds sound bad — if you've never tried them, we promise they sound much better than you're imagining — but you will lose out on some of the nuance of a song without having the earbud actually in your ear.

SEE ALSO: I tested sleep earbuds for over a month: Here are the 3 I'd buy

That said, many pairs still have equalizers on their companion apps to help you make them sound their best. Our best picks for sound, the Bose Ultra Open earbuds and Shokz OpenFit Pro earbuds, even have spatial audio features that work surprisingly well.

Most open earbuds will also boast some form of special technology that keeps them from leaking too much sound. While these pairs do pretty well in keeping the sound just to you, most pairs (including our picks) will be prone to some leakage, especially at higher volumes.

Finally, some open earbuds — mainly those with ear hooks — tend to have slightly bulkier cases. If you like to travel especially light, it's something to keep in mind.

How to wear open-ear earbuds

Open-ear earbuds come in three major styles: cuff, ear hook, and bone conduction. How you wear them depends entirely on which style you have. Cuff earbuds "clip" onto the ear, not unlike a piece of jewelry, generally around the area right above the earlobe. Ear hook earbuds have a hook situated around the back of your ear and a speaker component situated right over your ear canal. Finally, bone conduction earbuds sit right behind the ears, with a band that goes around the back of the head to hold them in place.

Regardless of the style, it's important to adjust the exact positioning of your open earbuds to see which offers the best sound, especially as the wrong positioning can deteriorate the quality.

For a visual representation of what wearing a cuff-style earbud looks like, you can check out our open earbuds explainer.

What about bone conduction headphones?

Bone conduction earbuds work exactly like the name implies they do — they use your skull to conduct sound waves, instead of projecting the sound into your ear, like most of the picks on this list. Typically, a band runs from either side of the user's head to help hold the headphones in place.

Shokz, the brand behind our top pick, is a popular maker of these kinds of headphones. While we do consider them open earbuds, we have yet to test any bone conduction earbuds — look out in the future for that update. On that note:

What's next in our testing pipeline

The latest big release in the open earbuds world is the second-generation Bose Ultra Open earbuds and the Bose Sport Open earbuds. Considering the first gen Ultra Opens have been a mainstay on our list of recommendations, we're thoroughly testing the newer models to see how they stack up.

The Apple AirPods 5 are a newer release that are also technically open earbuds, but we're testing them against similar designs (as opposed to the more classic clip or hook style open earbud) before making a call on adding them to this guide.

The open earbuds market is rapidly expanding, so we'll be testing more as we can get our hands on them. We recently added the Sony LinkBuds Clip and Soundcore AeroFit 2 Pro to this guide.

In addition to the earbuds that made our initial guide in May 2025, we tested out the Nothing Ear (Open) earbuds ($149), the Sony Linkbuds Open ($199.99), the Anker Soundcore AeroClip earbuds ($169.99), and the Shokz OpenFit Air ($119.95). While none of the above were bad earbuds by any means, we found our picks to outshine them in comfort and sound quality, especially when considering their respective prices.

The best Hulu deals and bundles in October 2026: Best Hulu Bundle Deal Disney+ and Hulu Bundle Get 6 months for $11.99/month Get Deal Best HBO Max Bundle Deal Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max Bundle $21.99/month with ads, $34.99/month ad-free Get Deal Best Student Deal Disney+ and Hulu Student Deal $6.49/month Get Deal Best ESPN Bundle Deal Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited Bundle $35.99/month Get Deal

There's a wide range of excellent shows and films to watch on Hulu, including season 2 of Chad Powers, The Devil Wears Prada 2, Furious, and Hokum. It's a library that's full of options to keep you entertained, especially as we head into the chillier months of the year.

If these shows have caught your eye and have you itching to sign up for Hulu, we're here to help you get the best deal. While the streamer was recently hit by another price hike, there's still plenty of bundle options available to help you save some cash.

This includes the awesome Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max package, but that's certainly not all. Disney also has a six-month offer for the Disney+ and Hulu bundle, though it is only available on their site. This drops its ad-supported plan to $11.99 per month when locked in for six months (then back up to $12.99 per month). The ad-free plan is down to $19.99 per month (which will return to $21.99 per month after six months).

Disney notes that this is an "ongoing offer for people who want to subscribe for a longer period to save on the average monthly cost." It's also available for new and eligible returning subscribers.

SEE ALSO: 'The Swan: Behind the Mirror': Let's talk about the most WTF reveals

Below you can find details on Hulu's best bundles at the moment — along with information on both its ad-supported and ad-free plans, if you just want the basics — to help you save on the service right now.

Best Disney+ bundle deal Opens in a new window Credit: Hulu Disney+ and Hulu Bundle Get 6 months for $11.99 per month Get Deal at Disney Why we like it

The ad-supported Disney+ and Hulu Bundle starts at $12.99 per month. If you'd prefer the Premium ad-free version of this plan, this jumps to $21.99 per month.

If you're curious about Disney's six-month offer, this is available on Disney's site. Again, it offers the ad-supported Disney+ and Hulu bundle plan for $11.99 per month when locked in for six months, then returns to $12.99 per month. The Premium ad-free plan is $19.99 per month for six months, then returns to $21.99 per month after.

• Disney+ and Hulu Bundle — $12.99 per month

• Disney+ and Hulu Bundle Premium — $21.99 per month

Best HBO Max bundle deal Opens in a new window Credit: Hulu Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max Bundle $21.99/month with ads, $34.99/month ad-free Get Deal Why we like it

This is one of the best Hulu bundles available at the moment. Starting at $21.99 per month, this bundle grants you access to Hulu, Disney+, and HBO Max for a much lower price than what you'd pay for the three separately. It's an incredible deal to take advantage of, especially if you've already got Disney+ and HBO Max subscriptions. There are two plans to choose from with this bundle, and they are:

• Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max Bundle (with ads) — $21.99 per month (save 38%)

• Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max Bundle (no ads) — $34.99 per month (save 43%)

Best student deal Opens in a new window Credit: Hulu Disney+ and Hulu Student $6.49/month Get Deal Why we like it

If you're a student enrolled at a university, you can get the ad-supported Disney+ and Hulu Bundle for $6.49 per month. That's 50% off the regular monthly price of $12.99, though the page does note that the offer only lasts "so long as student enrollment status remains verified." After that, it goes back up to $12.99 per month.

• Disney+ and Hulu Student — $6.49 per month

Best ESPN bundle deal Opens in a new window Credit: Hulu Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited Bundle $35.99/month Get Deal Why we like it

Alongside the big Hulu, Disney+, and HBO Max bundle, Hulu also offers sports-focused plans that include ESPN Select or ESPN Unlimited. According to ESPN, "ESPN Select includes ESPN+ content only. Fans who want ESPN+ exclusively may subscribe to the ESPN Select plan. ESPN Unlimited includes all of the ESPN networks and services, including ESPN+." 

The Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited Bundle, which has ads, is available for $35.99 per month. The Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Unlimited premium bundle without ads is available for $44.99 per month.

• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Select Bundle — $21.99 per month

• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Select Bundle Premium — $32.99 per month

• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited Bundle — $35.99 per month

• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited Bundle Premium — $44.99 per month

Hulu's monthly plans

If you're just looking to jump straight into Hulu's library without any fancy bundles, there are a couple of subscription options to consider. The ad-supported tier comes in at $12.49 per month. If you want to go ad-free, that'll cost you $21.49 per month.

• Hulu (with ads) — $12.49 per month, $124.99 per year

• Hulu Premium (no ads) — $21.49 per month

If you really want to go big on a streaming investment, there's the Hulu + Live TV plan. This costs a whopping $99.99 per month for its ad-supported plan, but comes with plenty to keep you busy. Hulu + Live TV (with ads) gets you access to 95+ channels, unlimited DVR, Disney+ (with ads), ESPN Select (with ads), and Hulu (with ads). If you want to go even bigger with the ad-free plan — which offers Hulu (no ads), Disney+ (no ads), and ESPN Select (with ads) alongside Live TV — it'll cost you $109.99 per month. The ad-supported plan also offers a free trial for three days.

• Hulu + Live TV, Disney+, and ESPN Select (with ads) — $99.99 per month (3-day free trial)

• Hulu Premium + Live TV, Disney+ Premium, and ESPN Select (no ads) — $109.99 per month

• Hulu + Live TV, Disney+ Premium, and ESPN Select — $94.99 per month

• Live TV Only — $98.99 per month

Wondering what to watch once you get set up with a Hulu plan or bundle? We're here to help with that as well. Have a look at our roundups of the 30 best comedies on Hulu, the 25 best sci-fi movies on Hulu, and the 26 best horror movies on Hulu to start building your watchlist. And if you're in the mood to binge-watch a show, check out our breakdown of the 25 best shows on Hulu.

TL;DR: Get a lifetime subscription to Koofr’s 1TB cloud storage plan for $199.99 (reg. $810), with file management tools and no recurring subscription fees.

Opens in a new window Credit: Koofr Koofr Cloud Storage: Lifetime Subscription (1TB) $199.99
$810 Save $610.01   Get Deal

Somewhere in your cloud storage is a document you haven’t opened in five years, three copies of the same photo, and a folder you definitely meant to organize. Koofr gives you lifetime access to 1TB of space for your files, plus tools like Duplicate Finder to help tidy things up, all for just $199.99 (reg. $810).

One whole terabyte gives you plenty of room for photos, videos, documents, and other files without having to constantly decide what deserves to stay on your device. That’s roughly enough space for 250,000 12-megapixel photos, depending on file size. And because this is a lifetime subscription, you won’t have another monthly cloud storage bill to add to your collection. Your streaming services can keep that honor.

Koofr lets you connect existing cloud accounts, including Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive, so you can access files from multiple services through one interface. You don’t have to move everything into Koofr just to find it, which is particularly useful if your digital life is spread across several accounts.

For the files you do store there, Duplicate Finder can help identify redundant copies taking up space. Other file management features include advanced renaming options and customizable sharing links, while collaboration tools make it possible to work with colleagues on shared files. That means fewer duplicate documents floating around and, hopefully, less time figuring out which version everyone is supposed to be editing.

Files are encrypted during transfer and while stored on Koofr’s servers, and the service says it doesn’t track your file activity. You can access your storage through desktop and mobile devices, with no limit on the number of devices connected to your account.

Formerly $810, get a lifetime subscription to 1TB of Koofr cloud storage for only $199.99.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

A laptop doesn't make a great impulse buy, like a pack of gum in the checkout line or a weird thingamajig you saw in a TikTok livestream.

Of course, if the computer you depend on for work, school, or entertainment randomly decides to kick the bucket, it likely requires immediate replacement (after recycling or repurposing it). Most people, however, can and should strategize before investing in a new machine they hope to use for years to come.

First, decide what's most important to you: a laptop with minty-fresh specs, or a laptop that costs less than usual? From there, I can point you to several key times to buy, based on my historical knowledge of laptop launches and deals. With the holiday shopping season approaching, I'll tell you upfront that we're heading into the best time to buy a laptop if you want the best bang for your buck. But if you're not quite ready to lock in, Black Friday isn't the only time to shop.

If you want the latest specs

For future-proofers and shoppers with cash to spare, splurging on the laptop of the moment can be more appealing than buying an older model at a discount.

Best time to buy: At launch

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES), a tech industry trade show that happens every year in January, is basically ground zero for next-generation Windows laptops. Major manufacturers like Asus, Acer, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Samsung, MSI, and Razer treat their booths as runways for new computers with the latest processors, graphics cards, and/or cutting-edge features. Think rollable displays, weird lid attachments, and touchpads with built-in media controls.

While some of the laptops showcased at CES are just prototypes, many are fully fleshed-out devices, and a batch of them are available for preorder or purchase shortly after the event wraps. The rest typically hit the market by March or April.

Billed as "the world's first rollable display AI PC," Lenovo's ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 made a splash at CES 2025. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

There are two lone alpha wolves who don't make appearances at CES, one being Apple, which is known to take a couple of different approaches to new laptop launches. Apple usually hosts formal keynote events to mark an upgrade, which the public can watch via livestream. Other times, it just drops an unceremonious press release. That said, the company is pretty consistent about updating its MacBook Air and Pro lines annually. You can usually count on seeing new MacBook Airs in the spring (March or June) and new MacBook Pros in the fall (October or November). In 2026, Apple also dropped the first budget laptop, the MacBook Neo, alongside the M5 Air.

SEE ALSO: Laptop specs explained: A jargon-free guide to what's inside your computer

Microsoft also opts out of CES in favor of holding its own Surface laptop launch events, which typically happen in the spring (March or May) or fall (September or October). It's been operating on a two-year release cycle lately.

If you want a good deal

Any opportunity to save money is ultimately a win, especially after a year full of price increases (thanks, RAMageddon). Certain times of the year feature more (and steeper) laptop deals than others if you can overlook specs for a stellar value.

Best time to buy: On or near Black Friday

The fourth Friday in November isn't treated with the same sort of reverence it once was: Ever since Amazon started hosting Prime savings events in the fall, prompting other retailers to jumpstart their own year-end sales, "Black Friday" has become an informal season that lasts from early October into late November. Still, it remains the best time of year to grab a great laptop deal — and it's not just because stores like to take advantage of the holiday shopping surge.

Laptops get extra cheap around Black Friday (to the tune of 20 to 50% off) because it syncs up with when retailers and manufacturers are trying to offload their inventories ahead of next-gen refreshes at CES. For laptops that debuted at the beginning of the year, which are about to age out of their "current-gen" moniker, this often translates to year-round lows that knock hundreds of dollars off their normal sticker prices. Older laptops that are at least one generation removed, meanwhile, can plummet to the lowest prices of their entire lifespan as they're priced to move. (I've encountered some ancient Chromebooks on sale for less than $100 on Black Fridays past.)

The 14-inch Apple MacBook Pro (M4) was $200 off three weeks post-launch thanks to Amazon and Best Buy's Black Friday sales. Credit: Microsoft

Apple and Microsoft might not operate on the same product cycles as everyone else, but they often see rock-bottom discounts on older MacBooks and Surface laptops at third-party retailers (Amazon and Best Buy, in particular) during Black Friday. They also tend to drop initial deals on newly launched models. On Black Friday 2025, for example, they took $200 off the 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro that debuted three weeks prior.

Apple and Microsoft technically host their own Black Friday sales, too, but they usually aren't much to write home about. The famously stingy Apple Store only doles out free gift cards or accessories with the purchase of older MacBooks, and the Microsoft Store's prices are often trounced by its third-party peers.

SEE ALSO: Now is one of the best times to buy a MacBook

To wait or not to wait...

The real debate concerning Black Friday laptop deals revolves around whether consumers should shop early or hold off on buying until Black Friday proper, in case prices get even cheaper, and the answer boils down to whether you're eyeing specific models or specs. Retailers still reserve some deals for the actual holiday (always the Friday after Thanksgiving) even if their sales are weeks or months long, so it can be worth waiting to see which laptops get featured in that primetime slot. The trouble is that we rarely know what those featured laptops are ahead of time — and by the time they're live, the model you really wanted may be backordered or back to full price.

If you're married to a certain spec sheet and don't just want a good deal, period, I generally recommend buying a laptop as soon as it gets added to a Black Friday sale's roster. In the off-chance its deal improves, you can always tap the retailer's holiday price-match guarantee and/or return policy as a fallback plan.

Second-best time to buy: During back-to-school season

Whether it's a multitasking MacBook for a college freshman or a basic Chromebook for a fifth-grader, a laptop is a given on most school supply shopping lists. As such, laptop prices dependably tank in the summer to tempt students, their parents, and teachers preparing for the upcoming semester — typically from mid-June to early September.

The back-to-school season is so major for laptop purchases that it's the only time outside of Black Friday when the Apple Store runs one of its "sales," throwing in free gift cards or accessories with MacBook purchases from early June through early October. That's in addition to its usual education pricing, which saves students, parents, and faculty $100 on select MacBooks year-round.

Apple runs one of its rare gift card promos during the back-to-school season; the other happens during Black Friday. Credit: Apple

It's worth mentioning that Amazon's flagship Prime Day sale falls during back-to-school season, and it's one of the only times when shoppers can source a slew of legitimately good laptop deals there besides Black Friday.

Crucially, Prime Day can also be lucrative for laptop shoppers because it prompts other retailers to run competing sales that often match or beat Amazon's prices. (Best Buy's Prime Day counter-programming is usually Amazon's toughest rival when it comes to tech deals.) Prices aren't quite as low as they are on Black Friday, but it's still enough to make Prime Day worth marking on your calendar.

Third-best time to buy: Over holiday weekends

Retailers are partial to offering deals on big-ticket tech purchases like laptops over federal holiday weekends, the big ones being Presidents' Day weekend (in mid-February), Memorial Day weekend (in late May), the Fourth of July, and Labor Day (in early September, coinciding with the end of back-to-school season). You won't find extreme discounts like you do in the thick of back-to-school season or Black Friday, but they're above average for the "off-season."

Honorable mention: Buy right after new models are announced

Pay attention to new laptop launches even if you don't want the latest tech, as they often trigger quiet sales or price drops on the older models they're replacing. For most laptop brands, this usually means deals start trickling out after the CES dust settles in late January and into February.

Apple's 13-inch M2 Apple MacBook Air got two permanent price drops during its lifespan. Credit: Molly Flores / Mashable

Apple and Microsoft refreshes are, again, a little less predictable timing-wise, but they're just as reliable when it comes to previous-gen discounts. You might recall the 13-inch M2 MacBook Air getting a permanent $100 price cut when its 15-inch counterpart debuted, then another $100 chop once the latest M3 version materialized. And the original Surface Laptop Studio went on sale for $500 off the week after its successor was announced.

How to tell if you're getting a good laptop deal

Being wary of third-party sellers and cross-checking listings between laptop retailers and manufacturers are two of the best ways to ensure you're making a smart purchase. I also recommend appraising discounts using price-tracking tools like camelcamelcamel and Google's Shopping Insights feature. They can tell you whether a laptop you're considering has ever gone on sale for cheaper, if at all.

Finally, consider bookmarking Mashable's shopping experts' deals coverage. In recommending laptop deals, we personally vet every single discount and stick with trusted sellers. Whether the computer you buy is brand new or just new to you, we strive to ensure you can confidently say your money was well spent.

Unless you've been living under a rock, you probably already know that Grindr has opened up access to everyone, including women, trans, and non-binary people, which now means it can compete in the larger hookup category rather than the more specific gay hookup category when it comes to comparisons.  

And that got us thinking: how does Grindr stack up against the web's oldest, raunchiest hookup site, AdultFriendFinder? Specifically, when it comes to hookups, is one service much better at finding you something fun, flirty, and short-term? What are each service's strengths and weaknesses?

We put these two hookup juggernauts to the test across four major categories to see which one will work best for you.

Opens in a new window Credit: AdultFriendFinder AdultFriendFinder   Learn More Opens in a new window Credit: Grindr Grindr   Learn More Userbase

Let's start with Grindr. According to their Investor Relations report, Grindr boasts 15 million active monthly users, which really does make them, in their words, the "Global Gayborhood in Your Pocket." 

AdultFriendFinder, on the other hand, boasts nearly 8 million active users (7,288,978, to be precise!), but in our experience on the site, many of them are bots.

Grindr, with nearly twice as many active users, is the clear winner, then, right? Not so fast! The answer depends on what you're looking for. While AdultFriendFinder definitely has a skewed gender ratio (65 percent men, 35 percent women, according to a recent DatingAdvice breakdown), Grindr still hasn't escaped its reputation as being an app exclusively for gay men, since, according to the latest DatingNews report, Grindr's members are a whopping 93 percent male. 

In other words, if you're a gay man looking for a hookup, Grindr is the clear favorite, but if you're anyone else… AdultFriendFinder still retains the edge. 

Winner: AdultFriendFinder

Interface and ease of use

The big drawback of AdultFriendFinder is that the site was founded all the way back in 1996, and though it's undergone some updates through the years, it definitely looks its age. The aesthetics, navigation tools, and even the profile photo limitations don't reflect what modern technology is capable of, so you have to get comfortable with a dated interface. On the plus side, though, AFF has one of the most comprehensive offerings of any dating site, with blogs, discussion boards, live webcam feeds, and even user-generated sex tutorials you can peruse when you're tired of looking at profiles.

Grindr, being a mobile app, operates very differently and is powered by more impressive tech. The focus of Grindr is its location-based grid, which shows you the nearest Grindr users to within 100 meters, which is about as efficient as any hookup app can get.  

Other features are also much better executed on Grindr. Profile photos are larger and crisper, messages are easier to read and allow for modern conveniences like location sharing and voice notes, and the navigation bar makes it easy to switch between the main grid, your profile, and your conversations in the blink of an eye. And best of all, for those of us who prefer a computer or tablet to a smartphone, Grindr even has a web app, Grindr Web, so you can enjoy all the above perks with a full-size keyboard to boot. 

Winner: Grindr

Cities versus towns versus rural communities

Another major difference between AFF and Grindr is where their users are located. Because Grindr operates on proximity, showing you the profiles of people closest to you first, it is most effective in large metropolitan areas where you're constantly surrounded by people. On the other hand, if you live in a small town or rural community, not only are you unlikely to have many fellow Grindr members nearby, but your profile is at an inherent disadvantage since you live farther away from the core Grindr userbase. 

If, for example, you live 30 minutes outside of Manhattan, there's a good chance your profile won't appear to Manhattan Grindr users, unless they manage to swipe through the millions of Grindr profiles on the island. 

Which, in turn, demonstrates the beauty of AdultFriendFinder: you can be from anywhere, including rural Alaska, and still let your freak flag fly prominently, without being penalized because you don't live near a large, active member community. 

This one is a bit of a toss-up, since Grindr is arguably the most effective app for people living in cities, but, for the same reason, it's much less effective for everyone else. 

Winner: Tie

In-person success

If you narrowly define a hookup as something that exclusively happens in person, there's a clear winner in this category: Grindr. Its location-based matchmaking algorithm and culture of horny singles constantly on the lookout for novelty make hooking up nearly as fast and efficient as ordering food for delivery. Just look at any social media site, and you'll find hundreds, if not thousands, of people talking about using Grindr and meeting people from the app. AFF? Not so much.

On the other hand, if you expand the definition to include online hookups, whether that's sexting or sharing a live webcam interaction, AdultFriendFinder has a lot going for it, beginning with the fact that you aren't limited to the people in your immediate vicinity. 

For in-person fun, though, Grindr takes the victory. 

Winner: Grindr

Does this ultimately mean that a heterosexual male will be better off creating a Grindr profile than an AdultFriendFinder one? No, of course not. If you're a man and not at least heteroflexible, Grindr will be an exercise in disappointment, and you're automatically better off on AdultFriendFinder. But if you're gay, lesbian, or bisexual, Grindr has the goods and is clearly the future of hookup apps.

TL;DR: Watch Real Madrid vs. Sevilla in La Liga for free on CazéTV. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

La Liga action has been typically entertaining this weekend, and we're expecting more of the same from Real Madrid vs. Sevilla. José Mourinho's side is stacked with stars, but they need to keep pace with the defending champions Barcelona. They'll need to be at their best to defeat a strong Sevilla side.

If you're interested in watching Real Madrid vs. Sevilla in La Liga from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Real Madrid vs. Sevilla?

Real Madrid vs. Sevilla in La Liga kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on Oct. 18. This fixture takes place at the Santiago Bernabéu.

How to watch Real Madrid vs. Sevilla for free

Real Madrid vs. Sevilla in La Liga is available to live stream for free on CazéTV.

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

Live stream Real Madrid vs. Sevilla for free by following these simple steps:

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

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

What is the best VPN for La Liga?

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

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Live stream Real Madrid vs. Sevilla for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.