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A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms episode 5 doesn't just give viewers a brutal trial of seven to prove Ser Duncan "Dunk" the Tall's (Peter Claffey) innocence. It also offers up an extended flashback to his past as an urchin in Flea Bottom — and that past includes a Westerosi history lesson.

SEE ALSO: 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' Targaryen family tree: How everyone connects

After scavenging around a battlefield with his friend Rafe (Dune: Prophecy's Chloe Lea), young Dunk (Bamber Todd) remarks that "the war is over. The Black Dragon's dead." But what war is he talking about, and which Targaryen has the title of the Black Dragon? Let's break it down.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms references the Blackfyre Rebellion.

The war Dunk mentions is known as the Blackfyre Rebellion, a Seven Kingdoms-wide conflict that took place in 196 AC (after Aegon's conquest), 13 years before the Ashford Meadow tourney. Similarly to the Dance of the Dragons seen in House of the Dragon, the Blackfyre Rebellion was fought between members of House Targaryen.

On one side of the war was King Daeron II Targaryen, who is still on the Iron Throne by the time of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Opposing him was his half-brother Daemon I Blackfyre, a legitimized Targaryen bastard.

Both Daeron II and Daemon were sons of Aegon IV Targaryen, the grandson of House of the Dragon's Rhaenyra and Daemon Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy and Matt Smith). Prince Daeron's relationship with his father was tense, as Aegon IV wanted to attack Dorne unprompted, while Daeron II (married to Dornish Princess Myriah Martell) urged caution.

During this time, Aegon IV earned his father of the year status by spreading rumors that Daeron II was a bastard and that he would choose a new heir. He heavily favored one of his bastard sons, Daemon Waters, going so far as to give him Aegon the Conqueror's sword Blackfyre after he won a tournament at age 12. Daemon took Blackfyre as his own name after that.

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Aegon IV never did appoint a new heir, but he did legitimize all of his bastard sons on his deathbed in 184 AC, setting the stage for maximum Targaryen chaos. It took 12 years, but in 196 AC, Daemon opted for open rebellion and made a play for the Iron Throne. His sigil was a black dragon on a red field, the inverse of House Targaryen's usual sigil, prompting him to be known as the Black Dragon.

Daeron II won out in the end thanks to a decisive victory in the Battle of Redgrass Field, which Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) references in song back in episode 3. Both Daemon and his twin sons died in battle, but they were far from the last of the Blackfyre Pretenders. Others departed Westeros for the Free Cities, only to come back later to try and take the Iron Throne for themselves.

Spoiler alert: It doesn't quite work out, but that's a story for another time (and potentially another season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms).

New episodes of Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premiere Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

Industry has never been afraid to shy away from frank depictions of sex and kink.

In Season 1, Yasmin Kara-Hanani (Marisa Abela) made Rob Spearing (Harry Lawtey) eat his own ejaculate off a mirror. In Season 3, Sir Henry Muck (Kit Harington) asked Yasmin to urinate on him. Each scene was about sex, yes, but also about the power dynamics at play: Who was willing to give up control, and who relished it.

SEE ALSO: 'Industry's Ken Leung on Eric's episode 6 sacrifice: 'It's his ultimate show of love'

The same goes for a new sex scene in Season 4, episode 6, titled "Dear Henry." The episode sees Whitney Halberstram (Max Minghella) manipulating Henry before leaving him implicated in Tender's illegal activities. Among his manipulative tactics? Plying Henry and Tender's auditor with expensive alcohol at dinner, thereby breaking Henry's sobriety. Afterwards, Henry and Whitney go to a gay club, where Henry receives oral sex at a glory hole while Whitney urges him on.

"When you see that on paper, you're like, 'Bloody hell, this is going to be intense,' and you kind of laugh about it," Harington told Mashable in a video interview alongside Minghella. "Then you get to the actual scene, and it's so much more than just a glory hole scene. There's so much more going on than the fetish and slightly giggly nature of it. It's about these two characters, and it's about manipulation, and it's about intensity and falling down some rabbit hole."

SEE ALSO: 'Industry's Miriam Petche weighs in on Sweetpea's big episode, including those devastating final moments

The roles here are fairly clear-cut: Whitney is the manipulator luring Henry further into his web, while Henry is swept up in the ride. It's been that way since Whitney brought Henry on as CEO, but Whitney's guidance of Henry throughout the scene lays their dynamic even more starkly bare.

Minghella, tasked with playing the season's slippery puppetmaster, found his own mind changing about the sequence.

"I had ideas on the day of what was authentic about that moment or inauthentic about it, and I have slightly different feelings now that I've seen the episode cut together and in the context of the season as a whole," Minghella said.

These different feelings stem from Industry's process of pinning down the "mercurial" Whitney in the show's edit.

"We changed quite a lot of things quite drastically in post, not specifically around this [glory hole] scene, but for me, large components of the character were shifted as we worked on the edit and ADR and all these things," Minghella explained. "We're constantly finding Whitney and where the truth of Whitney lies."

In the final edit, Henry and Whitney's trip to the club is accompanied by voiceover from Whitney, as he reads from one of the many drafts of the letter Henry will receive by the episode's end, when he learns he's been implicated.

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"Dear Henry," Whitney says in voiceover. "You have to be the person that makes the other feel safe in the fullest expression of who they really are."

Voiceover Whitney is laying out his seduction plan of Henry as it's nearing its completion. Between the alcohol and the stroking of Henry's ego, Whitney has made him feel "safe" enough to let his guard totally down, leading to the glory hole scene.

Henry's giving in here marks a far cry from his earlier argument with Yasmin about Whitney's attraction to him. When she reminded Henry that he gave one of his male classmates a blowjob, he defensively shuts it down, saying, "you can be a homo at school."

(Later, Henry hooks up with two women, perhaps another defensive mechanism to affirm his straightness.)

For Harington, that all of these layers of backstory and power are swirling during the scene is "typical" Industry.

"It spoke to what Industry really is about," Harington said. "So much of the time you're reading a scene, and it's never really about the banking or financial jargon. It's the same with this. It's never really about that glory hole. It's about everything else that's around. It's about these two characters delving into the most intense and seductive thing they can find in life."

New episodes of Industry Season 4 premiere Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

Industry Season 4, episode 6 should have been a victory lap for Harper Stern (Myha'la) and Eric Tao (Ken Leung). Instead, it was a heart-wrenching parting of ways.

The episode, titled "Dear Henry," saw Harper present SternTao's findings on Tender's scam activity, kicking off a large-scale short on the fraudulent fintech giant. Eric declares their win his "favorite day in finance."

SEE ALSO: Kit Harington and Max Minghella break down 'Industry's NSFW glory hole scene

However, that all comes crashing down when Eric receives a text from an unknown number. It's a video recording of his tryst with escort Dolly (Skye Lucia Degruttola), from earlier in the season. A photo of her passport soon follows, revealing that she was born in 2011.

It's a nauseating discovery, one that leaves Eric shell-shocked. Making matters worse is the fact that one of his teenage daughters, Lily (Serrana Su-Ling Bliss), is in the room when he receives the text. (She's just told Eric how much she loves him, a huge step in their otherwise-distant relationship, and he's simply unable to respond.)

SEE ALSO: 'Industry's Miriam Petche weighs in on Sweetpea's big episode, including those devastating final moments

Turns out, this is Whitney Halberstram's (Max Minghella) playbook at work. He hires escorts like Hayley (Kiernan Shipka) to get opponents in compromising sexual situations, then he blackmails them with the footage. Eric doesn't back down right away, though. He takes Whit head-on in a CNN interview, then transfers the entirety of his partnership in SternTao to Harper.

"It's yours, not mine," he tells her.

Their goodbye scene is shattering. So often a toxic mentor-mentee, father-daughter relationship, Harper and Eric have somehow managed to find more of an equilibrium in Season 4. Now, it all comes crashing down, but for Leung, Eric's sacrificing of his place at SternTao "is his ultimate show of love."

"It's his version of the highest love that he can give, the surrendering of self to protect [Harper]," Leung told Mashable in a video interview. "[He's thinking,] 'I'm going to kill myself to protect you.'"

Eric's protectiveness revolves around his complicated relationship with his daughters: Both his twins, Lily and Lara (Isla Bonner), as well his daughter figure in Harper. This season has seen him grow far closer to the latter, even pouring the Lily Lara Fund he'd established for his twins into SternTao.

But even as Eric has been estranged from Lily and Lara, he's had to face some uncomfortable truths about them. First, as he says in episode 5, he doesn't feel a "celestial" bond to them — more of a transactional one. Second, he's realizing that they have a similar capacity for ruthlessness as he does in the finance world. Lily was expelled from school for catfishing a classmate.

"In the professional sphere, Harper has come to take on a form that resembles [Eric], in his mind," Leung explained. "In the personal sphere, his daughter has become a version of him in her being a monster at school, getting kicked out of school. In one world, he can speak the language, and in the other world, he doesn't know how to, and I think for this season, Eric is trying to learn how to [get through] to his daughter through the world that he knows."

In the end, that internal struggle culminates in Eric's decision to give SternTao entirely up to Harper.

"It's what he's always wanted to do, tried to do, dreamt of doing as a dad, and could never [do]," Leung said. "But in this world, he can, and so that's what he does."

New episodes of Industry Season 4 premiere Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you keep calm.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for February 16, 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: A good laugh

• Green: They sound the same

• Blue: Bird noises

• Purple: Reactions

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Knee slapper

• Green: Homophones

• Blue: Sounds a chicken makes

• Purple: Stress responses

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 #981 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Knee slapper: HOOT, LAUGH, RIOT, SCREAM

• Homophones: DO, DOE, DOH, DOUGH

• Sounds a chicken makes: BUCK, CACKLE, CLUCK, SQUAWK

• Stress responses: FAWN, FIGHT, FLIGHT, FREEZE

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 February 16, 2026

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

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

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

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you love being on the ice.

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 February 16, 2026 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for February 16, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: The cutting edge

The words are related to sports.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe a popular winter sport.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Figure Skating.

NYT Strands word list for February 16

• Crossover

• Jump

• Spin

• Lift

• Throw

• Figure Skating

• Loop

• Combo

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 a bird watcher.

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 February 16, 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 February 16, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A bird landing.

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 R.

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...

ROOST

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

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

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

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

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

TL;DR: Convert, edit, OCR, and manage PDFs with a $24.97 AcePDF lifetime license — one tool that replaces multiple document apps.

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PDFs are one of those file types everyone uses, but almost nobody enjoys working with.

That’s why all-in-one tools like AcePDF Converter & Editor exist — to turn PDFs from “locked document headaches” into files you can actually work with.

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The biggest advantage here is flexibility. AcePDF lets you convert PDFs into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, images, HTML, and text while keeping original layouts, formatting, and links intact. It also works in reverse, letting you create PDFs from Office files or images in just a few clicks.

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Editing tools cover the basics and beyond: merge PDFs, split pages, compress large files, extract images, add watermarks, and password-protect or unlock documents. You can even build or fill interactive forms directly inside the software.

For anyone who regularly works with documents — whether it’s for work, school, or personal projects — having one tool that handles everything can make everyday tasks noticeably smoother, and your life a little less stressful.

This AcePDF Converter & Editor lifetime license is available for $24.97 (reg. $99.99) through Feb. 22 with code SAVE5.

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TL;DR: Get lifetime access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and more for Mac for $49.97 — a one-time purchase that replaces ongoing subscription fees.

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Some software purchases feel optional. Productivity software usually isn’t one of them.

For most Mac users, apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook are daily tools — whether for work projects, school assignments, business tasks, or keeping life organized. That’s why one-time payment software options have a lot of appeal.

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Microsoft Office Home & Business 2021 for Mac delivers the core Microsoft apps most people already rely on, just without the ongoing subscription model. Everything installs directly onto your Mac and is tied to your Microsoft account, so you can keep using it without worrying about renewals.

The bundle includes Word for documents, Excel for data and budgeting, PowerPoint for presentations, Outlook for email and calendar management, plus Teams (basic) and OneNote for notes and collaboration.

Performance-wise, Office 2021 still feels modern and fast on current Mac hardware. It’s built for everyday productivity — writing, data work, presentations, and communication — without adding unnecessary complexity.

Sometimes the simplest tech decisions are the best ones — especially when they remove one more recurring payment from your life.

The lifetime Microsoft Office Home & Business 2021 for Mac license is available for $49.97 (reg. $219) through Feb. 22.

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Looking to buy a new hard drive? Get ready to pay even more this year.

According to Western Digital, one of the world's biggest hard drive manufacturers, the company has already sold out of its storage capacity for 2026 with more than 10 months still left in the year.

"We're pretty much sold out for calendar 2026," said Western Digital CEO Irving Tan on the company's recent quarterly earnings call. 

Tan shared that most of the storage space has been allocated to its "top seven customers." Three of these companies already have agreements with Western Digital for 2027 and even 2028. 

SEE ALSO: This is your last chance to get super cheap SSDs and hard drives at Amazon

Furthermore, the incentive for these hardware companies to prioritize the average consumer is also dwindling. According to Western Digital, thanks to a surge in demand from its enterprise customers, the consumer market now accounts for just 5 percent of the company's revenue.

AI companies have been eating up computer hardware as industry growth accelerates. Prices for products ranging from computer processors to video game consoles have skyrocketed due to these AI companies cannibalizing supply chains.

The tech industry has already been experiencing a shortage of memory due to demand from AI companies. PC makers have been forced to raise RAM prices on a near-regular basis as shortages persist. Video game console makers, like Sony, have even reportedly considered pushing the next PlayStation launch beyond the planned 2027 release in hopes that AI-related hardware shortages would be resolved by then.

With this latest news from Western Digital, it appears the ever-increasing demands from AI companies for memory and storage will continue to grow, with no end in sight. Unless, of course, investors decide to pull back from AI over fears that AI's promises may not come to fruition. But, for now at least, the shortages – and price hikes for consumers – will continue.

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

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

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

How to play Pips

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for February 15, 2026

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible – and common – for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

• Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.

• Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.

• Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.

• Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.

• Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for February 15, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for Feb. 15 Pips

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

Equal (3): Everything in this red space must be equal to 3. The answer is 2-3, placed horizontally; 3-1, placed vertically.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 1-4, placed vertically; 6-3, placed horizontally.

Number (5): Everything in this orange space must add up to 5. The answer is 6-3, placed horizontally; 2-0, placed horizontally.

Number (1): Everything in this orange space must add up to 1. The answer is 3-1, placed vertically; 2-0, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for Feb. 15 Pips

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

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

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

Equal (2): Everything in this light blue space must be equal to 2. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically; 5-2, placed horizontally; 2-1, placed vertically.

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

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

Number (12): Everything in this space must add up to 12. The answer is 0-6, placed horizontally; 6-1, placed horizontally.

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

Hard difficulty hints, answers for Feb. 15 Pips

Equal (6): Everything in this purpspace must be equal to 6. The answer is 6-4, placed horizontally; 6-2, placed vertically.

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

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

Equal (1): Everything in this orange space must be equal to 1. The answer is 2-1, placed horizontally; 1-3, placed horizontally.

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

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 6-0, placed vertically; 4-3, placed vertically.

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

Equal (4): Everything in this red space must be equal to 4. The answer is 6-4, placed horizontally; 4-4, placed horizontally; 4-5, placed horizontally.

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

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 1-6, placed vertically.

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 1-6, placed vertically.

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

The next time you book a rental on Airbnb, you might be getting some help from AI.

Airbnb is currently testing out a new AI-powered search feature. According to the company's Q4 shareholder letter, Airbnb is currently "integrating AI" into its app. One such integration, AI-powered search, is already in its testing phase and available to a "small percentage" of Airbnb's users.

SEE ALSO: Bitcoin biopic 'Killing Satoshi' leans into generative AI

Airbnb's AI-powered search currently lets users use natural language to describe the type of rental and amenities they're looking for. This means users no longer have to formulate the perfect search query to find exactly what they want; they can simply describe the type of rental they're looking to book in a conversational manner. Users can also use the AI-powered search to ask questions about specific listings and their locations.

The company says that the AI-powered search feature will eventually "evolve into a more comprehensive and intuitive search experience that extends through the trip."

During Airbnb's recent Q4 earnings call, company CEO Brian Chesky described how the property rental company is currently working on an  "AI-native experience" for its users.

Airbnb also shared that its AI-powered customer support assistant, which was released in the U.S. last year, now resolves a third of all customer support requests. The company says it's prepared to roll out the feature globally to all users later this year.

Investors have been hearing a lot about AI integrations lately from big tech companies, as AI has been frequently mentioned on recent quarterly earnings calls. Music streaming giant Spotify shared during its Q4 call that its developers now have AI handling the majority of the company's coding work.

Future Olympic prospects are testing a device that can give them corrective advice in real time as they hurtle into the air.

Why do you need a VPN?

Even the best VPNs can't make you 100 percent anonymous on the web. Cookies and other trackers can still follow you around, and your ISP can see that you're using a VPN. But a good VPN will secure your traffic and hide your true IP address so that prying eyes on the outside can't see which sites you're visiting, what you're downloading, or your general location. The most trustworthy VPN providers operate transparently and abide by independently verified no-logs policies to prove that they don't collect or store any user data in the process.

For casual users, VPN services are useful tools for staying safe on public WiFi networks. For journalists, activists, and those in critical situations where digital privacy is paramount, the best VPN can be a legitimate lifesaver.

SEE ALSO: Google issues security alert about malicious VPNs stealing user data

Beyond these scenarios, the top VPN services also have a popular secondary use case as location-spoofing tools. By connecting to a VPN server across a border or ocean, you can bypass geo-restrictions on content that isn't available in your own country or region. This is pertinent intel for folks in France, the UK, and 23 U.S. states where sites with explicit content are restricted by age verification laws.

The best VPN for 2026? Proton VPN.

I believe Proton VPN is the top VPN for most people. It's the most privacy-forward VPN I've tried, with open-source apps, a no-logs policy that's held up in court, and a history of supporting digital freedom efforts. It's also a stellar value: Paid Proton VPN users get full access to its huge fleet of reliable servers and useful features like multi-hop and split tunneling, with up to 10 simultaneous VPN connections per account. Their subscriptions also include bonus security tools like a password manager, encrypted cloud storage, and ad, tracker, and malware blockers.

The free version of Proton VPN is extremely limited in comparison, but it's the only free VPN I've encountered with unlimited data and zero ads. For all these reasons, Proton VPN is the first (and only) VPN to win a Mashable Choice Award.

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

FYI: Prices for most VPN providers' long-term plans change frequently. The rates listed here were accurate at the time of publication.

What's new

I didn't love ExpressVPN the first time I tried it in 2023. But after re-testing and re-evaluating it in early 2026, I've decided to make it a new top pick. The company has expanded its server network, redone its desktop apps, added a new ShuffleIP feature that makes users harder to track, and fleshed out some new subscription tiers with more non-VPN privacy tools. It's a much better value than before.

In Minneapolis, videos of the Alex Pretti killing undermined the federal government’s account. But an A.I. video of Brad Pitt shows the dangers ahead.

In Minneapolis, videos of the Alex Pretti killing undermined the federal government’s account. But an A.I. video of Brad Pitt shows the dangers ahead.

I love Kindles. Among e-readers, Kindles are still the best option for most readers. (I do love Kobos, though, don't get me wrong.) But within the Kindle line-up, there's been one dud: the Kindle Scribe. I've tested two previous generations of the Scribe, and it's been a decent enough e-reader, as well as the only Kindle with writing abilities. However, it's always been a little lackluster; it's too big, too slow, and too expensive — until now.

Announced in Sept. 2025, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft didn't actually hit the market until Dec. 2025. Now that I've had the chance to try the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, I'm pleasantly surprised, and I can confidently say that this is the first Kindle Scribe worth buying. It's faster, brighter, and a lot of fun for writing, reading, and doodling.

There's just one problem: It's still way too expensive.

Kindle Scribe Colorsoft price and specs The home page of the Kindle Scribe got a much needed makeover. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

The 2025 Kindle Scribe received a significant redesign from the previous two generations of Scribes. They got rid of the extraneous sidebar for a more narrow, streamlined look.

These are the full specs for the 2025 Kindle Scribe Colorsoft:

• 11-inch glare-free display, up to 100 nits brightness, 300 ppi black and white, and 150 ppi color resolution

• USB-C charging port with up to eight weeks of reading battery life and two weeks of writing battery life.

• 32GB or 64GB storage options available

• Premium pen included

• Includes Google Drive and Microsoft One integrations

• Comes in fig (purple) or graphite (dark gray)

• Not waterproof

Classic Kindle speed and a redesigned home screen Improvements to the user interface gives the new Kindle Scribe Colorsoft a boost. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Historically, I've found that the Scribe runs slower than other Kindles, but with this latest iteration, it's caught up. The Scribe Colorsoft is a quick-moving e-reader with writing capabilities. It moves swiftly between pages and doesn't lag when switching between books. It does tend to slow down when writing and using the notebooks; however, it is much faster than previous models, and I barely noticed the difference.

Kindles are generally already user-friendly devices; however, Amazon made some significant interface improvements on the new Scribe. The Scribe Colorsoft has a redesigned home screen that puts notebooks front and center. This makes it super convenient to switch between notebooks when you need to hop between a journal and a planner.

Plus, I love that you can add documents or books to your notebook section. For students, this makes swapping between your readings and notebooks truly convenient, so you don't have to move between your library and notebook sections.

It also just looks better. The device now has a front light, giving it a much lighter, brighter display. This means the screen has an actual white background rather than a muted gray that previous generations had.

It conveniently collects notes You can annotate, take notes on the page, or take notes in the margins. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Another way the Scribe is nailing the user interface is how it collects notes. Testing the Kindle Scribe came at a convenient time as I was taking a class and needing to do some required reading. Using the Scribe, I annotated, wrote notes on the page, and made comments in the margins.

Go back and find all of your notes throughout a book in one spot. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

The Kindle collects all of these notes in one place, allowing you to see your comments and the section annotated. From there, you can tap to go back to the page where your notes are, which is extremely helpful when I was in a class discussion and wanted to go back to read a quote or remind myself of a thought I had about it.

Did Kindle solve ghosting? The Kindle Scribe's ghosting is at its worst after erasing. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

The Scribe has had one major performance issue across all generations thus far: ghosting. This is the phenomenon in which traces of previous screens linger, creating shadows of images. Ghosting is a common issue that any e-reader is susceptible to, but especially those with writing capabilities.

Ghosting on Kindle Scribes has been quite egregious in our previous reviews, so we didn't expect this Kindle to have nearly no ghosting. When using the device as an e-reader, there's no trace of ghosting.

When writing, though, some minor ghosting does appear. This typically happens after erasing on the Scribe. Some writing or drawing appears even after it's erased. Even this ghosting is mild, though, as I found that as soon as I refreshed the page, those marks disappeared.

Feeling like Lady Whistledown when I write My handwriting has never looked better. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Whenever I need to write digitally, trying to craft a signature with a finger on the screen, it looks... terrible. Luckily, with the Kindle, my handwriting truly looks better than ever. To write, there's an included stylus, Amazon's premium pen that automatically connects to the device.

There are five pen styles on the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft but my favorite is the fountain pen. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

When writing with the premium pen, you have so many writing styles available, including pen, fountain pen, marker, pencil, and, for illustrators or highlighters, a shader. Each pen style has adjustable width and color, too, making it something you could even illustrate with.

I'm not an artist, so I can only judge it by its writing, and on that front, it makes my handwriting look neater and more beautiful. I'm particularly fond of the fountain pen, which has me feeling like Lady Whistledown writing with her quill.

Where does it stand to improve? The color resolution

While color e-readers are rising in popularity, some features are still slow to improve. The standard color resolution across most color e-readers, including the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, maxes out at 150 ppi, half the usual black and white resolution. The result is muted colors and some pixelation.

To its credit, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft works well within the constraints of its low resolution. It uses colors that skew in the pastel range, which look better than other shades. This is best showcased in the lock-screen ads, which I thought were delightful and gorgeous, surprising since I've never been impressed by Amazon's lock-screen images before.

It's still too expensive

Usually, I find Kindles to be well-priced e-readers, but the Scribe and Colorsoft e-readers are far too expensive. Unfortunately, this is the case for the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, which starts at $629.99. This puts it on par with the Remarkable Paper Pro's price tag, although the Remarkable e-ink tablet has better color resolution and worse black-and-white resolution at 229 ppi for both.

It's certainly an investment, and if you're just using it as an e-reader, it's way overpriced. However, if you're looking for an e-reader that's also a great e-ink tablet, it is on par with the market price, even if we still think that the market price is too high.

Should you buy the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft? Amazon finally made a Kindle Scribe worth buying. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

If you can stomach the price, I think the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is the first Scribe worth purchasing. Its redesigned build has crafted a smaller tablet with a wider screen that's more comfortable to hold. The added front light is visually stunning and truer white background. Amazon has sped up the Kindle Scribe's processing, resulting in a faster e-reader with very little ghosting.

For those turned off by the price, I say hold out. It hasn't gone on sale yet, but if it does during the next Prime Day, it'll be a far better value than it is now.

The way marketing professor Scott Galloway puts it, the primary way to get President Donald J. Trump's attention is by influencing the market.

Don't like Trump's deployment of immigration authorities to Minneapolis or the killings of Americans observing the agents' actions? Find a way to change the economic calculus for Trump, Galloway says.

That's why Galloway, the popular podcast host and author, recently launched a month-long economic strike campaign called Resist and Unsubscribe. The initiative invites people to cancel tech subscriptions and services they may enjoy using for work, convenience, and entertainment.

He says the campaign has reached nearly a million people via its website and related content has been viewed more than 18 million times on social media.

SEE ALSO: The tech titans who show up in the Epstein files

The list of services Galloway says to consider forgoing includes Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Uber, and X. Galloway has identified these and other tech companies "as having outsized influence over the national economy and our president."

Amazon, for example, spent tens of millions of dollars making and promoting Melania, a documentary about First Lady Melania Trump, a move that skeptics of the deal and film have likened to a "bribe" and "propaganda." Amazon has said it made the movie because they believed customers would "love" it.

Mashable asked Galloway to share his reasoning for this strike, which services he personally canceled, and what he's doing with the time he's reclaiming from various tech products he used prior to the strike.

Mashable: Why is canceling subscriptions specifically important if someone wants to protest what you describe as "the Trump administration's assault on our nation's values"?

Galloway: The Trump administration doesn’t respond to outrage, it responds to economics. If you look at the times that the President walked back plans (like annexing Greenland or raising tariffs) it’s always been the result of the bond market or stock market falling. I'm recommending we focus on subscription cancellations because that's currently the easiest opportunity in the market. The Magnificent 7 account for roughly 35 percent of the S&P 500, and they’re all tech companies. Targeting Big Tech will have an outsized impact on the markets, which will influence the President.

Mashable: The tech-based subscriptions you encourage people to cancel have become central to how people entertain themselves, shop, and work. If someone is balking at the list and the prospect of giving up, say Apple Music or ChatGPT, or both, how do you frame the stakes for them?

Galloway: By all means, I'm not asking anyone to give up something that's central to their life or work. What I will say: if you head over to our website and read the list of companies we're targeting, you'll almost certainly find a subscription that you can go without for a short period of time. Like me, you'll also probably find out that you've been paying for two Spotify accounts and an Amazon Health account that you didn't know existed. At the very least, it’s a good excuse to audit what you’re paying for. 

Mashable: You've canceled Amazon Prime, Uber, Apple TV+, and Amazon One. Have you subscribed to other services to make up the difference, like a competing retailer delivery program or ride-hailing app? What have you learned from canceling these subscriptions? 

Galloway: Personally, I’m trying to reclaim my time as much as possible from technology and use it to do things that make me truly happy — connecting with friends, spending time with family, shopping locally and in-person — but there are definitely alternatives to the big tech services out there. For entertainment, you can stream films and documentaries via Kanopy with a library card. If you're switching from Uber, you can use Lyft — still corporate, but a much smaller player in the markets. Above all, shopping locally is a great alternative to using Amazon. 

Mashable: If someone cancels a service, such as LinkedIn or Apple Fitness+, but their membership is still good for a period of time, is it OK to continue using it? Is it the cancellation that really counts or the combination of terminating the subscription and ceasing to use the service?

Galloway: As a guy with economic security, I'm not going to tell anyone what they should or shouldn't cancel. I just want to make it easy to take action. Maybe you unsubscribe from a few things, pause others, realize you don't need half of what you're paying for. What I'm really trying to highlight is something we all forget: in a capitalist society, the most radical thing you can do is stop participating. Whether that's canceling the subscription or just stopping usage, the point is opting out.

Mashable: If someone cancels a subscription, should they communicate to the company that the cancellation is due to the company's support of the president's administration and policies?

Absolutely. Companies track cancellation reasons, and if enough customers cite political concerns, that data influences decision-making. Be explicit about why you're leaving — whether through the cancellation form, a follow-up email, or by sharing publicly on Instagram using our template.

Mashable: What's the most memorable or profound feedback you've received from someone who participated in this campaign?

It's been amazing seeing the outpouring of support for Resist and Unsubscribe. I've received thousands of emails in which people tell me what they've unsubscribed from. The collective response has been profound. Above all, it's given me hope. It's easy to lose that right now — but this has shown me that there's still a lot of good people out there who care about America and are willing to make personal sacrifices to create change. 

TL;DR: Through Feb. 22, grab a lifetime AdGuard Family Plan for $15.97 (reg. $169.99) and remove ads and trackers on up to nine devices for good.

Opens in a new window Credit: AdGuard AdGuard Family Plan: Lifetime Subscription $15.97
$169.99 Save $154.02   Get Deal

Picture browsing, streaming, and scrolling without constant interruptions — no pop-ups, no autoplay videos, no tracking scripts following you around. AdGuard delivers a cleaner, safer internet across nine mobile and desktop devices with one lifetime license. Lock in the $15.97 deal before Feb. 22.

Want to browse the web without the jump scare of pop-up ads? Wouldn’t it be nice to watch a YouTube video without having to sit through a boring video ad beforehand? AdGuard rids your internet experience of both of these things, easily blocking ads from your internet experience for good.

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!

Aside from blocking ads, AdGuard also doubles as a privacy protection tool. It can protect you from cyberattacks, like malware and phishing sites, while also keeping your information hidden from trackers and activity analyzers.

This AdGuard Family Plan lets you protect up to nine devices, allowing them to enjoy an ad-free, safer internet experience. It works seamlessly on both Android and iOS, so you can cover smartphones, laptops, and tablets.

If you have kids at home, the parental control feature can also come in handy. It restricts children’s access to inappropriate online content, serving as their own internet babysitter.

Get your AdGuard lifetime subscription for $15.97 until Feb. 22 at 11:59 p.m. PT (reg. $169.99).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

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

The international ice hockey schedule is busy right now, which is great news for fans looking for something to tide them over until the NHL returns.

Canada face off against France in one of the best matchups this weekend. Canada will be expected to win this one confidently, but anything can happen in a tournament like this. Canada will be eyeing up medals in this competition, but they mustn't take their eyes off their last group stage fixture. Doing so could result in an upset.

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

When is Canada vs. France?

Canada vs. France in men's ice hockey takes place at 10:40 a.m. ET on Feb. 15. This fixture takes place at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena.

How to watch Canada vs. France for free

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

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

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

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

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

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

4. Visit CBC Gem

5. Watch Canada vs. France for free from anywhere in the world

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

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

What is the best VPN for CBC Gem?

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

• Servers in 105 countries including Canada

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Canada vs. France in men's ice hockey 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

Weirdo.

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

FREAK

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Beam of light.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for February 15, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

LASER

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Single-celled.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for February 15 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for February 15, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

SPORE

Hurdle Word 4 hint

To put a word in.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

VOUCH

Final Hurdle hint

Mattress covering.

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

SHEET

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