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TL;DR: Compare multiple AI models in one spot with this lifetime subscription to ChatPlayground AI’s Unlimited Plan, now for just $79.00 (reg. $619) through Jan. 11.

Opens in a new window Credit: ChatPlayground AI ChatPlayground AI: Lifetime Subscription (Unlimited Plan) $79
$619 Save $540   Get Deal

Whether you’re totally new to the world of AI or a total veteran who knows the strengths of different models, every AI user can benefit from ChatPlayground AI. This handy service lets you see multiple AI models’ results in one convenient spot, so you don’t have to tab hop or second-guess which model you’re using.

Right now, you can get a lifetime subscription to ChatPlayground AI’s Unlimited Plan for just $79.00 (reg. $619) through Jan. 11.

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AI is a powerful tool that can help you save a lot of time — if you know how to use it correctly. If you want to cut the guesswork out of which models are best for which task, ChatPlayground AI is here to help. This platform lets you compare the results from top AI models side-by-side, so you can pick the best result and skip tab-hopping.

Need to generate an image? How about getting help with coding or content creation? You’ll have access to ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude Sonnet, DeepSeek, Llama, and dozens more top AI models in one convenient window with ChatPlayground AI. There are also advanced tools like image or PDF chat, prompt engineering, and saved conversations to improve your workflow even further.

Use ChatPlayground AI seamlessly with the Chrome web browser extension. If you run into any issues, there’s priority customer support to help when needed.

This Unlimited Plan gives you access to unlimited messages every month for life, making it particularly helpful for prompt engineers, startups, and teams who constantly run experiments. It also includes priority access to new features and future models.

Get an lifetime subscription to ChatPlayground AI’s Unlimited Plan for just $79.00 (reg. $619) through Jan. 11.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Get a three-year subscription to Surfshark VPN Starter Plan for just $67.19 (reg. $430) with code SURF through Jan. 11.

Opens in a new window Credit: Surfshark Surfshark VPN Starter Plan: 3-Yr Subscription $67.19
$430 Save $362.81   Get Deal

Just because you can’t see hackers and cybercriminals doesn’t mean they’re not out there. If you want to stay safer online this year, a VPN is an easy and effective way to do it. The Surfshark VPN Starter Plan is great for beginners, and right now you can secure a three-year subscription for just $67.19 (reg. $430) with code SURF until Jan. 11.

Hoping to upgrade your cybersecurity in 2026? The Surfshark VPN Starter Plan is a great choice, offering an easy way to stay protected and browse the web without worry.

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If you’re new to the world of VPNs, they allow you to experience the internet safely and in total privacy. Hackers won’t be able to steal your data, and you’ll enjoy access to CleanWeb, which blocks cookie pop-ups, ads, and malware and allows you to experience a faster internet.

Surfshark VPN offers military-grade AES-256 encryption and hides your online location so you can’t be tracked. It also bypasses geographical restrictions, allowing you to browse freely and access content from anywhere. Surfshark has a no-log policy, so your activity remains private.

Choose from over 3,200 servers worldwide, in more than 100 different countries. You’ll also have Surfshark Search at your fingertips, so you can peruse the web more easily and receive unbiased, organic search results.

You can use this three-year subscription on an unlimited number of devices, including tablets, smartphones, and laptops.

Secure a three-year subscription to Surfshark VPN Starter Plan for just $67.19 (reg. $430) with code SURF through Jan. 11.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Stranger Things may be over, but the theories and speculation live on. And while the show itself leaves the question of whether Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) is alive or dead at the end open to interpretation, Sadie Sink is pretty clear which side she lands on.

"I think she's dead, I don't know," Sink, who plays Max in the Netflix series, says in The Tonight Show clip above. And the audience groans. "Is that like a hot take or something? I think Mike's story is just one last story, and then they say goodbye to childhood. But that's just one final tale. And that's it. I think it's just like a coping thing."

Maybe the upcoming Netflix documentary, One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5, will give us some clearer answers.

CES 2026 was AMD's moment to shine in the light of the ongoing AI boom, offering more chips to drive AI compute and bringing industry luminaries on stage to talk about the future.

The Santa Clara, Calif.-based chipmaker has already surpassed local rival Intel in revenue. But if it's ever going to catch its other local rival, Nvidia — now the world's most valuable company, thanks to its data center-friendly GPU chips — AMD has to prove it is just as relevant to big tech's big moment, if not more so.

The world's largest tech show was a chance to prove that. After all, Nvidia didn't unveil any new GPU chips, just a forthcoming family of chips named Rubin. Dr. Lisa Su, AMD CEO, was given the spotlight of the show's main keynote. As she noted, AMD products — the Helios rack introduced in 2025, the Epyc CPU chips — are used by every major AI company already. And she had some new PC-level AI-friendly processors, the Ryzen AI 400, waiting in the wings.

SEE ALSO: CES 2026 live updates: See the latest news, surprises, and strange tech from LG, Samsung, Lego, and new startups

But as we've seen over the past three years, elbowing your way into the AI boom isn't just about new product. It's about making bombastic predictions, and showing lots of charts where the line goes up. And in this respect, Su delivered.

"You ain't seen nothing yet" when it comes to AI, Su said — showing off a graph that predicted AI would go from 1 billion active users to 5 billion active users within 5 years. She didn't explain where either figure came from (expert estimates vary wildly, with at least one 2030 estimate coming in below one billion users).

OpenAI makes a cameo appearance

Of course, no company can make huge hopeful predictions like OpenAI, makers of ChatGPT. Su brought an OpenAI luminary up on stage before she announced any brand-new chips. Not its CEO Sam Altman (who isn't at CES, but did offer an endorsement of Nvidia's Rubin), but co-founder Greg Brockman. "I would love to have a GPU running in the background for every single person in the world," Brockman says, explaining why he's constantly asking Su for "more compute."

More compute is what Su had to offer, along with multiple attempts to make strips of silicon seem exciting. "Helios is a monster of a rack," she said, showing off a "double-wide design" developed in collaboration with Meta. She noted it weighed 7,000 pounds, or "more than two compact cars."

The announcement follows an October 2025 report that OpenAI is making an investment worth "tens of billions of dollars in revenue" in AMD, relying on the company to provide six gigawatts of AI infrastructure in the years ahead as part of a deal that could see the AI giant owning up to 10 percent of AMD.

SEE ALSO: At CES 2026, Samsung’s AI Living vision leaves no device un-AI’d

On the "bigger is better" front, Su invited White House science advisor Michael Kratsios on stage to talk about how AMD was helping the U.S. "win" the "AI race" via the Genesis Mission, a public-private partnership that aims to use AI for scientific discoveries. Kratsios was short on specifics on what exactly an AI race is and how any country can win it.

And then there was "AI for everyone," AMD's tagline for its PC processors. The Ryzen AI 400 is an upgrade to the Ryzen AI 300, announced in 2024 and finally arriving in on-sale PCs this quarter. AMD says the new chip will allow for 1.3x faster multitasking and is 1.7x faster at "content creation" than its competitors.

What that means exactly, we'll have to wait and see. But in the meantime, Su offered a dizzying array of guest CEOs to talk up how AI will transform everything from healthcare to spaceflight. None of that seems to have made much difference to investors, at least. They drove AMD stock down slightly earlier in the day; it flatlined in after-hours trading.

Seth Meyers has weighed in on the U.S. attack on Venezuela and abduction President Nicolás Maduro, theorising about what President Donald Trump's motivations could possibly be.

"Even the most astute observers remain perplexed as to what could have possibly motivated this attack given that the Trump administration has played its cards so close to the vest," Meyers said.

He then immediately launched into a supercut of Trump and his supporters blatantly stating their desire to seize Venezuela's significant oil reserves.

"Dammit, I just wish there were clues," quipped Meyers.

The Late Night host also aired a montage of Trump claiming to be against foreign wars and regime changes, an assertion which seems at odds with his actions as of late.

"I still can't actually believe anyone thought Trump was telling the truth about being anti-war," said Meyers. "You really thought Donald Trump, the most thin-skinned, impulsive man on the planet, would suddenly discover the concept of restraint once he gained control of the world's most powerful military? Giving Donald Trump control of the U.S. military is like giving the cast of The Real Housewives an open bar and a 'one free slap' coupon."

Open earbuds are having a moment at CES 2026. First came a batch of releases from JBL, then Anker Soundcore's dual-form open earbuds. Shokz, one of the biggest players in the open earbuds space, is no exception, bringing a new release aimed at improving the open earbud listening experience.

Meet: the Shokz OpenFit Pro. The earbuds are the first from Shokz to feature open-ear noise reduction, which lowers the volume of the environment so users can hear audio with more clarity. As of Jan. 6, they're available for preorder in two colorways — black and white — from Shokz's website and Best Buy for $249.95. According to Shokz, they'll be available for purchase from Amazon starting in March.

Now that CES 2026 has kicked off, brands like Shokz are unveiling a ton of new products, so head to the Mashable CES 2026 hub for the latest news.

Opens in a new window Credit: Shokz Shokz OpenFit Pro $249.95 at Shokz and Best buy
  Pre-order Here Shokz OpenFit Pro noise reduction tech

The headline news of the OpenFit Pro is an upgraded listening experience. This starts with the Open-Ear Noise Reduction technology, which quiets external noises for a better listening experience. The feature must be manually enabled via the on-ear controls or through the app, and can be adjusted by levels from within the app. At its default setting of 50 percent power, Shokz estimates it reduces noise by about 12 to 16dB — roughly the same as a pair of Loop Engage 2 earplugs.

SEE ALSO: Open earbuds guide: What they are, who should buy them, and why they're popping up everywhere

This feature is designed to give wearers more flexibility in which environments they can use their earbuds in, whether it be the gym, an office, or a noisy cafe. It should be noted that this is not the same as noise cancellation, which aims to quiet the world around you. The OpenFit Pros are designed to maintain situational awareness, provided by open earbuds, while utilizing a quieter environment to help music come through clearer for the listener.

Alongside the noise reduction, these Shokz earbuds are also optimized for Dolby Atmos to provide a spatial audio listening experience, and feature two speakers per ear (as compared to one on other Shokz models) for an improved audio quality.

Shokz OpenFit Pro specs

In addition to the noise-reduction tech, here's what users will find in the OpenFit Pro specs:

• Ultra large 11 × 20 mm synchronized dual-diaphragm driver

• 10-band custom equalizer

• Five preset equalizer modes (standard, vocal, bass boost, treble boost, privacy mode) and two custom equalizer slots

• Bluetooth 6.1

• 12 hours of listening per charge (50 hours with case) or six hours with noise reduction (and 24 hours with the case)

• 10-minute quick charge for four-hour listening time

• IP55 rating

• Triple microphone system with AI voice recognition and custom wind-control technology

• Multipoint pairing for two devices

Head to the Mashable CES 2026 hub for the latest news and live updates from the biggest show in tech, where Mashable journalists are reporting live.

TL;DR: Live stream Ivory Coast vs. Burkina Faso in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations for free on Channel 4. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

There's only one place left in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations quarter finals. Ivory Coast will face off against Burkina Faso to secure that last spot. We're expecting a thrilling contest between two talented sides. Ivory Coast might be the favorites, but anything can happen in tournament football.

If you want to watch Ivory Coast vs. Burkina Faso in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Ivory Coast vs. Burkina Faso?

Ivory Coast vs. Burkina Faso in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations kicks off at 2 p.m. ET on Jan. 6. This fixture takes place at the Marrakech Stadium.

How to watch Ivory Coast vs. Burkina Faso for free

Ivory Coast vs. Burkina Faso in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is available to live stream for free on Channel 4.

Channel 4 is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock Channel 4 to stream AFCON for free from anywhere in the world.

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Live stream Ivory Coast vs. Burkina Faso 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 the UK

4. Visit Channel 4

5. Watch Ivory Coast vs. Burkina Faso 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 access free live streams of AFCON without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Ivory Coast vs. Burkina Faso (plus more 2025 Africa Cup of Nations fixtures) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Channel 4?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Channel 4, 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 $78.18 and includes an extra four months for free — 78% 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).

Watch Ivory Coast vs. Burkina Faso in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Algeria vs. DR Congo in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations for free on Channel 4. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is slowly creeping towards its dramatic conclusion. The quarter finals beckon for Algeria and DR Congo, but there's not room for both sides. They'll battle it out to progress, and fans can follow all the action without spending anything.

If you want to watch Algeria vs. DR Congo in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Algeria vs. DR Congo?

Algeria vs. DR Congo in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations kicks off at 11 a.m. ET on Jan. 6. This fixture takes place at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium.

How to watch Algeria vs. DR Congo for free

Algeria vs. DR Congo in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is available to live stream for free on Channel 4.

Channel 4 is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock Channel 4 to stream AFCON for free from anywhere in the world.

Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!

Live stream Algeria vs. DR Congo 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 the UK

4. Visit Channel 4

5. Watch Algeria vs. DR Congo 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 access free live streams of AFCON without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Algeria vs. DR Congo (plus more 2025 Africa Cup of Nations fixtures) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Channel 4?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Channel 4, 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 $78.18 and includes an extra four months for free — 78% 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).

Watch Algeria vs. DR Congo in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations for free with ExpressVPN.

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

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

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

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 stench.

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

SMELL

Hurdle Word 2 hint

To frown.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for January 6, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

SCOWL

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Vulgar.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for January 6 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for January 6, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

CRUDE

Hurdle Word 4 hint

A small sweet fruit.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for January 6 Hurdle Word 4 answer

BERRY

Final Hurdle hint

An art stand.

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

EASEL

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

Dell's modern Alienware gaming laptops are powerful and cool-looking machines, but they have a reputation of being hefty and expensive. That may soon change. At CES 2026 Monday, the American tech company unveiled a first, brief look its forthcoming ultra-slim and entry-level gaming laptops set for release later this year.

While details about the two devices are still very minimal — Dell hasn't even revealed their names yet — neither one's category is currently represented in the Alienware lineup. Existing models include the 16-inch Aurora 16 and 16X, two sleek mid-range options, and the 16- and 18-inch Area-51s, Dell's glitzy flagship machines. They start at $1,100 to $2,670, respectively; weigh 5.5 to 7.5 pounds; and measure at least 0.89 inches thick.

Dell's PC gaming lead, the new ultra-slim Alienware laptop will have a more understated look compared to other Alienware models, and it'll be available in 14- and 16-inch sizes, according to a blog post by Matt McGowan. It will come in around 0.67 inches thick, making it as thin as last year's 16-inch Apple MacBook Pro.

Dell's new ultra-slim Alienware gaming laptop will come in 14- and 16-inch sizes. Credit: Dell

McGowan said the 16-inch version of the ultra-slim Alienware laptop will be "nearly 50% smaller in volume than our current 16-inch Area-51." Its portability comes at the cost of some power, but it "still delivers serious gaming capability with Nvidia discrete graphics and new highly efficient CPUs," he said.

Dell provided one photo of it that appears to reveal an RGB keyboard and a microSD card slot, but that's all I've got spec-wise. In theory, it sounds like a direct competitor to the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 and G16, which are popular picks for gamers and creatives who prioritize mobility. Lightweight and aesthetically subtle, they're often likened to MacBook Pros themselves.

The new entry-level Alienware gaming laptop looks pretty thin, too. Credit: Dell

Unfortunately, Dell has revealed even less about its mysterious entry-level Alienware gaming laptop. All we really know for sure is that it will be cheaper than any other model in the Alienware lineup. Per McGowarn's blog post, it "delivers strong gaming performance in a clean design at our most accessible price point yet." Its sole product photo seems to show a similarly slim build, a white backlit keyboard, and a good mix of ports, at least. Fingers crossed that we'll learn more at our briefing with Dell at CES later this week.

Head to the Mashable CES 2026 hub for the latest news and live updates from the biggest show in tech, where Mashable journalists are reporting live.

For CES 2026, HP is debuting the EliteBoard G1a, a keyboard with a modular business Copilot+ PC inside. And this isn't just vaporware; HP says the keyboard PC will hit the market this spring. The all-new HP EliteBoard G1a Next Gen AI PC houses an AMD Ryzen AI 300 Series processor, fans, and dual stereo mics and speakers.

Keyboard computers have been around since the late 1970s, though they were far less advanced and geared toward education or 8-bit gaming (see: the Apple II, the BBC Micro, the Commodore 64, and the ZX Spectrum). More recently, the $70 Raspberry Pi 400 hit the market as an affordable home computer.

However, the EliteBoard G1a marks a fresh form factor for modern all-in-one (AIO) PCs, which are usually monitors with integrated components. (The Apple iMac is one popular example.) Unlike traditional all-in-ones, the EliteBoard contains all the necessary hardware within the keyboard itself. Portable and minimalist, it measures 0.7 inches thin and starts at less than 1.5 pounds, fitting nicely inside a backpack.

It's a keyboard. It's a computer. It's the HP EliteBoard G1a. Credit: HP

The EliteBoard G1a is also designed to be easily serviceable, with modular components that IT departments or users themselves can swap in minutes. You can remove the bottom cover to replace its RAM, SSD, speakers, battery, fans, or WiFi module. The top keyboard itself can also be switched out.

HP promises that it doesn't sacrifice performance, either. The EliteBoard G1a can be configured with up to an AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 PRO chip for enterprise purposes, offering up to 50 TOPS of AI processing power. (That stands for Trillions of Operations Per Second, an AI performance metric.) It'll have an integrated AMD Radeon 800 Series graphics, up to 64GB of RAM, and up to 2TB of SSD storage. And it supports two daisy-chained 4K external displays.

The HP EliteBoard G1a weighs as little as 1.49 pounds without a built-in battery. Credit: HP

For everyday users with lesser needs, the EliteBoard G1a will start with an entry-level AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 processor and a mere 32GB of eMMC storage.

The EliteBoard G1a's fans pull air into the device from a vent that covers most of its bottom case and push it out through a rear slit above its function row. HP says its thermal management system has been thoroughly tested to make sure the user never feels the heat of its internals on their fingertips. Its spec sheet notes that it has TUV certification for low noise, so it should run pretty quietly, too.

Credit: HP

The EliteBoard G1a can be configured with or without a built-in battery and an attached cable that plugs into an external monitor. The version with no battery and a detached cable weighs in at just 1.49 pounds. Adding both components increases its weight to 1.69 pounds, which makes it just over a pound lighter than a 13-inch MacBook Air.

The battery models are rated to last for over 3.5 hours of active use, but they can go more than two days in idle mode before dying.

The HP EliteBoard G1a comes with a pre-paired wireless mouse. Credit: HP

The keyboard itself features a lattice-free design (meaning it lacks spaces between its keys), plus a full numpad, backlighting, and an optional fingerprint reader. It's spill-resistant and meets the U.S. MIL-STD 810 standard for military-grade durability.

While HP hasn't announced pricing for the EliteBoard G1a yet, the company says it will be available on HP.com sometime this March. All variants will come in an Eclipse Gray finish and ship with a matching pre-paired wireless mouse. The battery models will have an extra canvas case.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you love gambling.

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 January 6, 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: Living space

• Green: A nice voice

• Blue: Card game terms

• Purple: Creature

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Apartment

• Green: Sonorous

• Blue: Poker hands, familiarly

• Purple: ___ animal

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 #940 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Apartment: DIGS, FLAT, PAD, QUARTERS

• Sonorous: CLEAR, DEEP, FLAT, RICH

• Poker hands, familiarly: BOAT, FLUSH, QUADS, STRAIGHT

• ___ animal: BALLOON, PACK, PARTY, STUFFED

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for January 6, 2026

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

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

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

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're not afraid of heights.

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 January 6, 2026 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for January 6, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Look up!

The words are related to flight.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe things that fly.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Defying Gravity.

NYT Strands word list for January 6

• Balloon

• Drone

• Defying Gravity

• Kite

• Bird

• Airplane

• Rocket

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're full of energy.

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 January 6, 2026 Where did Wordle come from?

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

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

What's the best Wordle starting word?

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

What happened to the Wordle archive?

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

Is Wordle getting harder?

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for January 6, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Pizzazz.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter O appears twice.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter O.

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

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

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

OOMPH

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.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for January 6, 2026

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

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

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

It’s hard to say whether Nvidia has ever truly been subtle with its announcements. At last year’s CES, CEO and founder Jensen Huang stunned the industry with the debut of the GeForce RTX 50 series alongside Nvidia Cosmos, its ambitious world-model initiative. This year’s show was more restrained on the consumer GPU front, but the message to CES 2026 attendees was still unmistakable: Nvidia wants it all.

SEE ALSO: CES 2026: Dell XPS is back from the dead

"All" isn't hyperbole. Nvidia is now the first company ever to surpass a $5 trillion valuation — an almost inconceivable figure — and Huang and company show no signs of slowing down. The company’s ambitions now span factories, autonomous vehicles, robotics, and nearly any domain that can be trained, tested, or perfected in simulation before ever touching the real world. If something can be modeled, Nvidia wants to power it.

Nvidia’s real obsession is physical AI

The biggest buzzword of the night was “physical AI,” Nvidia’s term for AI systems that don’t just generate content but actually act. These models are trained in virtual environments using synthetic data, then deployed into physical machines once they’ve learned how the world works.

Credit: Bridget Bennett/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Huang showcased Cosmos, a world foundation model capable of simulating environments and predicting movement, alongside Alpamayo, a reasoning model specifically designed for autonomous driving. This is the tech Nvidia says will power robots, industrial automation, and self-driving vehicles, as demonstrated by the Mercedes-Benz CLA, which was shown running AI-defined driving on stage. The company also revealed plans to test its own robotaxi service with a partner as soon as 2027, using Level 4 autonomous vehicles capable of driving without human intervention in limited regions.

Nvidia hasn’t announced where the service will launch or with whom it’s partnering, but the move signals a shift from being a behind-the-scenes supplier to actively participating in the self-driving race. Huang has already described robotics — including autonomous vehicles — as Nvidia’s second-most important growth category after AI itself.

No New GPUs

If you were waiting for new consumer GPUs, you probably noticed very quickly that there weren’t any. Nvidia didn’t announce a single new GeForce card, and that felt entirely intentional. Instead, Huang spent most of the keynote talking about Rubin, Nvidia’s next-generation AI platform that’s already in full production.

SEE ALSO: CES 2026: Asus' ROG Zephyrus Duo is finally a proper dual-screen gaming laptop

Rubin is described as more than just a chip, but an entire system. GPUs, CPUs, networking, and storage, all designed together to handle the immense (and environment-altering) compute demands of modern AI models at data center scale. Nvidia framed this as essential to keeping up with skyrocketing AI demand, where training costs, energy use, and bottlenecks are becoming existential problems.

The absence of gaming hardware shouldn't be considered a snub, but it is clear that Nvidia is no longer driven by gamers. It's kind of been clear that's been the case for a while, but today's conference really drove the nail in the coffin. Instead, the company's ambitions are driven by hyperscalers, governments, and anyone trying to automate everything that moves.

'Open' AI, powered by Nvidia hardware

The third major takeaway was Nvidia’s ongoing push to make itself unavoidable through openness — or at least Nvidia’s version of it. Huang repeatedly emphasized that the company isn’t just selling hardware, but open AI models that developers can actually use, fine-tune, and deploy (not to be confused with ChatGPT developer OpenAI). Nvidia now has open models spanning healthcare, climate science, robotics, embodied intelligence, reasoning AI, and autonomous driving, all trained on Nvidia supercomputers and released as foundational building blocks. They've practically become the corn of tech.

Even personal AI agents got some stage time, with demos of local agents running on Nvidia’s DGX Spark hardware. Nvidia aims to be the platform beneath every AI system, from massive data centers to individual desktops. It’s an elegant strategy — sell openness, but still own the pipes.

Taken together, the keynote felt like a declaration. Nvidia isn’t chasing CES hype cycles any more. It’s positioning itself as the backbone of an AI-powered world, where the most important announcements don’t happen on stage, and the most impactful products aren’t meant to fit under your desk.

Deepfakes of Venezuela’s ousted president, Nicolás Maduro, flooded the internet after his capture, in a new collision of breaking news and artificial intelligence.

Asus' dual-screen gaming laptop is back with more screen than ever. The Taiwanese tech company unveiled an new ROG Zephyrus Duo with twin 16-inch 3K OLED touchscreens at CES 2026 Monday, marking its first update in three years and a major redesign.

Previous ROG Zephyrus Duos released from 2020 to 2023 had 15- to 16-inch displays that were accompanied by a thinner tilted panel called a "ScreenPad Plus." It was attached to the top of the device's keyboard, which had narrow vertical touchpad on the right-hand side. Reviewers called its overall design "pretty cool" and potentially useful for keeping an eye on Twitch or Discord chats while gaming, but took issue with its "cramped" and "awkward" keyboard and touchpad layout.

In overhauling the ROG Zephyrus Duo for 2026, Asus finally made it a proper dual-screen gaming laptop. The ScreenPad Plus has been replaced with a second full-sized display for 213% more screen real estate, and it now has a larger detachable keyboard with a centered touchpad underneath it.

Bye-bye, ScreenPad Plus. Credit: Asus

Asus also built a kickstand into the base of the ROG Zephyrus Duo and made its hinge capable of rotating 320 degrees. This affords it five different user modes:

1. Dual-Screen Mode, where the two displays are stacked on top of one another.

2. Laptop Mode, where the second display is attached the keyboard. (The keyboard automatically charges itself this way.)

3. Sharing Mode, where the two displays are laid flat on a surface.

4. Book Mode, where the two displays are propped up vertically side by side.

5. Tent Mode, where the two displays fold up in the center like an inverted V, allowing two people to use the device at once.

These changes bring the ROG Zephyrus Duo's design more in line with that of the ZenBook Duo, Asus' dual-screener for everyday productivity. However, the ZenBook Duo's hinge opens to a maximum of 180 degrees, so it lacks Tent Mode support.

The new ROG Zephyrus Duo runs a new Intel Core Ultra chip with up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 graphics, and it maxes out with 64GB of RAM and 2TB of storage. Its two 16-inch touchscreens both feature 3K OLED panels with 120Hz refresh rates and up to 1,100 nits of brightness for HDR content.

The 2026 Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo supports (clockwise from upper left) Book, Tent, Sharing, Dual-Screen, and Laptop modes. Credit: Asus

To keep the ROG Zephyrus Duo cool, Asus has equipped it with a vapor chamber, liquid metal, two fans, and put a graphite sheet underneath its second display.

The ROG Zephyrus Duo has an aluminum chassis in a new Stellar Gray finish. Its lid features a diagonal "Slash Lighting" RGB LED strip with 35 different lighting zones, but it's otherwise pretty understated. (Well, as understated as a laptop with two bright OLED displays can be.)

The ROG Zephyrus Duo comes with six Dolby Atmos speakers and a good mix of ports, including Thunderbolt 4 ports, USB-A ports, an SD card slot, and an HDMI port. It measures 0.77 inches thin and weighs 6.28 pounds, making it quite heavy even for a 16-inch gaming laptop. For comparison's sake, its 2023 predecessor came in at 0.81 inches and 5.9 pounds.

The ROG Zephyrus Duo's heft will probably be the second-biggest dealbreaker for potential buyers after its price. Asus has yet to reveal its starting cost, but the previous model retailed for $3,499.99 with 32GB of RAM and 2TB of storage — and it wasn't released amid a RAM and storage shortage.

If someone was to tell you that Hyundai was having a big press conference at CES, the first thing that would come to mind would likely be cars.

But, at CES 2026, Hyundai's big event on Monday was all about Boston Dynamics' robots and the first time its Atlas robot appeared outside the lab and in front of a public audience.

The press conference began with a group of Boston Dynamics' well-known Spot robots doing a dance number before the event's announcements officially kicked off. You've likely seen video of Boston Dynamic's two-legged humanoid robot known as Atlas, but those have always been in the company's lab.

Boston Dynamics' Atlas robot walked out in front of a public audience for the first time at CES 2026 before the debut of the new product version of the Atlas. Credit: Mashable

However, at CES, Atlas walked out on stage in front of the public for the first time. The robot stands up off the floor in an awkward fashion, but Boston Dynamics explains this as the best way for the robot to get up — because it's not human and doesn't have to conform to the way we need to stand up.

SEE ALSO: CES 2026 live updates: See the latest news, surprises, and strange tech from LG, Samsung, Lego, and new startups

As Atlas walked around the stage, Boston Dynamics announced the new product version of its Atlas robot that will be sent out in the field. The new Atlas robot can lift up to 110lbs and extend its arms up to 7.5 feet. The new Atlas is fully water-resistant and can work in temperatures as low as -4 degrees and as high as 104 degrees Fahrenheit. The Atlas robot can quickly learn new tasks and then share that knowledge instantly with other Atlas robots. The Atlas robots battery pack can last for four hours and, when the charge starts to run out, the Atlas robot can return to its charging station and swap out the battery packs all on its own.

Credit: Mashable

Where does Hyundai come in at their own press conference? Hyundai is partnering with Boston Dynamics to actually create the Atlas robots, supply the actuators and work together to build the supply chain. In addition, Hyundai itself will utilize all of the robots manufactured this year, with the robots scheduled to ship to Hyundai’s Robotics Metaplant Application Center (RMAC). Google DeepMind is also partnering with the two companies in order to further develop Atlas' cognitive abilities with its AI models.

Credit: Mashable

Boston Dynamics and Hyundai hope that once Atlas robots prove themselves in a factory setting, these robots can one day start performing tasks inside the home.

At the CES conference, Jensen Huang, the company’s chief executive, said the more efficient and powerful chip would begin shipping later this year.

Dell is reviving the XPS laptop brand just a year after replacing it with the "Dell Premium" line. As part of its un-rebranding, the American tech company is launching revamped XPS 14 and XPS 16 laptops with thinner-than-ever designs and unrivaled battery lives. Both PCs will have the XPS logo on their lids for the first time and, crucially, a physical function row, scrapping one of their lineage's most controversial features.

Dell announced the return of XPS at CES 2026 Monday, though the news leaked days prior. Select configurations of the XPS 14 and XPS 16 will be available for purchase Tuesday for $1,649.99 and $1,849.99, respectively, with more variants launching in February. The XPS line will continue to expand later this year starting with a cheaper XPS 13.

The Dell XPS 16 and 14 are back, and they've both gotten makeovers. Credit: Dell

"XPS has always been our benchmark for premium laptops," the company said in a blog post. "The new laptops are rebuilt from the ground up, delivering striking design, speedy performance, impressive displays, and exceptional battery life. All in a compact device, built to move with you."

Who could've seen this coming? (Probably most people.)

Dell renamed all of its laptops in January 2025 under a new tiered Dell, Dell Pro, and Dell Pro Max naming schema, ditching the well-known XPS, Inspiron, Precision, and Latitude labels it had been using since the 1990s. (The Dell 14 Premium and 16 Premium officially ousted the previous XPS 14 and XPS 16 in June, but the last-gen XPS 13 was still available as of early 2026.) The move was immediately panned for being confusing and seemingly ripping off Apple's naming structure.

SEE ALSO: Dell roasted at CES for adopting Apple-like device names

At the time, Dell said its new branding aimed to simplify its product lines so consumers better understood which laptop was right for them. It also pushed back against the Apple comparisons, telling Mashable that words like "Pro" were "industry terms" that the MacBook maker didn't originate.

But consumers' loyalties remained strong. During a media presentation in mid-December, Dell executives told members of the press that the company noticed lingering search interest in the line in the months after it was killed off. In other words, people were still looking for XPS machines on Google and Dell's website. This was one of several factors in its decision, they said.

Left: RIP to Dell's old laptop naming schema, 2025-2025. Credit: Dell Right: The XPS brand has a home in Dell's new laptop naming structure for 2026. Credit: Dell

The return of XPS means a shakeup for the rest of Dell's lineup. The company is keeping the just-Dell line for its mainstream portfolio, but XPS is slotting in for the Dell Premium sub-tier to encompass higher-end, minimalist consumer models. Dell will still use the Dell Pro line for its commercial PCs, but it has new sub-tiers for different use cases. (The old Precision name got put to use for the "performance" tier.) The Dell Pro Max moniker is simply donezo.

"I hope it demonstrates our ability to course-correct, to be humble," said Dell COO Jeff Clarke, speaking to the rebranding reversal during last month's presentation.

XPS rides again: New design and specs

The new XPS laptops' redesign is also a direct response to critical and consumer feedback. Swapping the Dell logo for an XPS logo on their top covers isn't just a doubling-down on the rebrand. Apparently, it's "a change that reviewers and XPS fans have been requesting for years," the company's blog post reads.

The Dell XPS 14 and XPS 16 will both come in Graphite (pictured) and Shimmer finishes. Credit: Dell

Additionally, Dell has nixed the XPS 14 and XPS 16's divisive capacitive touch function row in favor of a traditional function row with physical keys. The former was a big sticking point in many XPS reviews from 2022 to 2024, and last year's Dell Premium models were often chided for retaining it. They keyboard itself is now removable for repairs, and it has slightly deeper keys.

Another hit-or-miss XPS feature of yore, the seamless glass touchpad, has been etched with lines on the new models so that users can more easily identify its active area.

The 2026 XPS 14 and XPS 16 both have a stronger unibody design made with aluminum and Corning Gorilla Glass. They'll launch in Graphite, but Dell will eventually sell them in a second "Shimmer" finish.

A normal function row! We won!!! Credit: Dell

The company also overhauled their thermal system, making their fans larger and thinner than ever. With a starting thickness of 0.58 inches, the XPS 14 and XPS 16 are the thinnest Dell laptops of their sizes to date. The 14-inch model is quite compact to boot, boasting a smaller footprint than a 13-inch MacBook Air. It weighs as little as three pounds, which makes it well over half a pound lighter than the 2024 XPS 14 and the 2025 Dell 14 Premium. Meanwhile, the XPS 16 comes in at 3.65 pounds to start — shaving over a pound off its Premium predecessor. Not to bring up Apple again, but both sizes are a hair thinner than the latest 14-inch MacBook Pro and 0.25 to 0.4 pounds lighter.

The new XPS 14 and XPS 16 can both be configured with up to an Intel Core Ultra X7 processor, Intel Arc graphics, 64GB of RAM, and 4GB of SSD storage at launch. Dell will eventually sell Intel Core Ultra X9 variants.

Users can upgrade them with a 2.8K tandem OLED touchscreen, which was previously exclusive to the XPS 13, but know that sticking with their base 2K LCD display has some major advantages. One: It supports a variable refresh rate of 1 to 120Hz, conserving tons of power when you're looking at static content like emails and PDFs. Dell says its new XPS devices are the first laptops available with such technology.

The Dell XPS 14 and XPS 16 both start at 0.58 inches thin. Credit: Dell

Secondly (and relatedly), the LCD variants are rated for more than a day's worth of battery life. Dell claims they'll offer up to 27 hours of Netflix streaming and more than 40 hours of local video playback per charge. I'm very eager to verify that claim in testing: We got less than 14 hours out of the Dell 14 Premium and the Dell 16 Premium. (Granted, the latter had a Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 GPU.)

The overhauled XPS 14 and XPS 16 will both have an 8MP camera and three modular Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports with a headphone jack. The "modular" part is new for the XPS series.

What's next for XPS The thin-and-light new Dell XPS 13 launches later this year. Credit: Dell

Dell will keep the XPS revival's momentum going with the release of more devices "across different price points and form factors" later this year, according to its blog post. First on the docket is a new XPS 13. Dell says it's "expected to be our thinnest and lightest XPS laptop ever at less than 13mm" (or 0.51 inches), as well as the most affordable. More specs and details will be revealed in the coming months.

Head to the Mashable CES 2026 hub for the latest news and live updates from the biggest show in tech, where Mashable journalists are reporting live.