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Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier if you've ever watched baseball.
As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.
Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight, and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections: Sports Edition?The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. The sports Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Each puzzle features 16 words, and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake — players get up to four mistakes before the game ends.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categoriesWant a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: Field fixers
Green: Mile High Sports
Blue: Sneakers
Purple: Defunct basketball teams
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Grounds Crew Equipment
Green: Denver Teams
Blue: Famous Classic Basketball Sneakers
Purple: Former NBA Team Names, Minus the S
Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today's Connections: Sports Edition #683 is...
What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?Grounds Crew Equipment: DRAG MAT, MOWER, RAKE, TARP
Denver Teams: AVALANCHE, BRONCOS, NUGGETS, SUMMIT
Famous Classic Basketball Sneakers: AIR JORDAN, PUMP, QUESTION, WEAPON
Former NBA Team Names, Minus the S: BOBCAT, CHAPARRAL, ROYAL, SUPERSONIC
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.
Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.
Released in August 2025, Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.
Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move on to the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.
How to play PipsIf you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity with how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.
SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for August 7, 2026The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible — and common — for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.
Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:
Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.
Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.
Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.
Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.
Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.
If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.
SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for August 7, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for August 7 PipsNumber (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 3-2, placed horizontally.
Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 3-2, placed horizontally; 0-5, placed horizontally.
Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 0-5, placed horizontally; 1-6, placed horizontally.
Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 1-6, placed horizontally; 6-3, placed horizontally.
Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 6-3, placed horizontally.
Medium difficulty hints, answers for August 7 PipsGreater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 3-0, placed vertically.
Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 2-5, placed horizontally; 2-1, placed vertically.
Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 2-5, placed horizontally; 5-4, placed vertically.
Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 5-4, placed vertically; 6-0, placed horizontally.
Number (7): Everything in this space must add up to 7. The answer is 3-4, placed vertically.
Less Than (4): Everything in this space must be less than 4. The answer is 1-1, placed horizontally.
Hard difficulty hints, answers for August 7 PipsNumber (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-6, placed vertically.
Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 0-2, placed horizontally.
Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 0-2, placed horizontally.
Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-1, placed vertically.
Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 1-0, placed vertically.
Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 5-0, placed vertically.
Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 2-1, placed vertically.
Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 1-3, placed vertically.
Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 0-4, placed vertically.
Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-4, placed horizontally.
Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 3-4, placed horizontally.
Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 1-3, placed vertically.
Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 0-3, placed vertically.
Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-3, placed vertically.
Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-5, placed horizontally.
Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 4-5, placed horizontally.
Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 0-3, placed vertically.
Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 2-3, placed vertically.
Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-1, placed horizontally.
Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 4-1, placed horizontally.
Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 1-5, placed vertically.
Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-4, placed horizontally.
Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 2-4, placed horizontally.
Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 5-2, placed vertically.
Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 1-5, placed vertically.
Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 5-3, placed horizontally.
Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 5-3, placed horizontally.
Greater Than (0): Everything in this space must be greater than 0. The answer is 5-2, placed vertically.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you have a good sense of smell.
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 August 7, 2026 Here's a hint for today's Connections categoriesWant a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: Let it burn
Green: Brrrr
Blue: Get a lift
Purple: Papa bear
Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today
Here are today's Connections categoriesNeed a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Components of a candle
Green: Cold things
Blue: Parts of an elevator
Purple: Starting with male animals
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 #1153 is...
What is the answer to Connections todayComponents of a candle: FRAGRANCE, JAR, WAX, WICK
Cold things: LIQUID NITROGEN, REFRIGERATOR, SNOW, SUNDAE
Parts of an elevator: BUTTONS, CABLES, MOTOR, SHAFT
Starting with male animals: BUCKYBALL, JACKPOT, RAMBO, TOMATILLO
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 easily lose your train of thought.
Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.
SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on MashableBy providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.
If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.
SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for August 7, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Struggling to find the wordsThe words are related to brain fog.
Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explainedThese words describe brain farts.
NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?Today's NYT Strands spangram is diagonal.
Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today
NYT Strands spangram answer todayToday's spangram is Whatchamacallit.
NYT Strands word list for August 7Thingymajiggy
Gizmo
Whatchamacallit
Dingus
Doohickey
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 good actor.
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 August 7, 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 August 7, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:To pretend.
Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?There are no recurring letters.
Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today
Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...Today's Wordle starts with the letter F.
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...
FEIGN
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.
A South Korean lunar orbiter got the shot that virtually every telescope and spacecraft attempted to snap on Wednesday when a wayward SpaceX rocket accidentally smashed into the moon.
The Danuri lunar orbiter recorded the site before and after the collision. It started watching the zone about 30 minutes before the crash, then adjusted its orbit to pass over the site several times, according to the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, or KARI. Officials said the Falcon 9 rocket made moonfall at 2:34 a.m. ET Aug. 5. The spacecraft completed eight photoshoots.
"Through this observation, changes in the terrain around the impact site and traces of ejecta spread were confirmed," the space agency said in a translated X post, referring to the debris thrown from the high-speed impact.
The observations give researchers an unusual chance to look at changes caused by the collision. The new images will be combined with follow-up observations from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, which is expected to photograph the new crater from orbit, to support international research into how impacts reshape the moon.
SEE ALSO: When AI hallucinates aliens: Some think NASA should be nervous This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.The roughly 4-ton Falcon 9 upper stage struck the moon after spending more than a year drifting through space. The crash was unintentional, caused by a combination of solar activity and gravity gradually pushing the stray rocket onto a collision course.
"We actively work to be as responsible as possible with hardware left in space to ensure space safety, including for more complex missions," SpaceX said in a statement. "Impacts like this are rare, but they can happen with objects in these types of orbits, and we worked with NASA on the optimal disposal solution."
View this post on InstagramGround-based observers could not directly see the impact. But astronomers reported using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope in Chile to detect a plume of material that likely came from the crash. Independent space trackers also concluded the rocket reached the predicted impact site near Einstein Crater, close to the boundary between the moon's near and far sides.
The rocket launched from Cape Canaveral in Jan. 2025, carrying Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost and ispace's Resilience lunar landers. After releasing both spacecraft, the spent stage remained in space as planned instead of returning to Earth. Blue Ghost later became the first privately built spacecraft to achieve a successful lunar landing, while Resilience crashed during its landing attempt.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches two moon landers into space on Jan. 15, 2025, from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Credit: SpaceXCoincidentally, the South Korean orbiter took the same type of ride to get to the moon. It launched on the same class of rocket — another SpaceX Falcon 9 — almost exactly four years ago, on Aug. 4, 2022. Its core mission is to map the lunar surface, measure magnetic and gamma-ray data, and identify future landing sites.
The SpaceX incident has renewed concerns about space debris around the moon as lunar missions increase.
NASA has planned a steady stream of robotic missions in support of its Artemis program in coordination with private spacecraft operators, while both SpaceX and Blue Origin are developing lunar landers for future astronaut missions. Scientists have warned that accidental impacts could become more problematic as traffic around the moon increases.
TL;DR: Get the award-winning Luminar Neo Lifetime Bundle for $79.99 (reg. $332) for a lifetime.
Opens in a new window Credit: Luminar Neo The Award-Winning Luminar Neo Lifetime Bundle $79.99Most photos don’t need hours of editing. Instead, they just need the right tools. The Luminar Neo Lifetime Bundle is available for $79.99 (reg. $332), pairing Skylum’s AI-powered photo editor with creative assets and training that can help turn good photos into polished, professional-looking ones without a tough learning curve.
The fundamental software is Luminar Neo, an intuitive photo editing app for Windows and macOS that also works as a plugin for Photoshop and Lightroom. Its AI-powered tools can handle time-consuming edits like replacing skies, relighting scenes, removing unwanted objects, retouching portraits, and enhancing overall image quality in just a few clicks. If you’re not sure where to begin, the built-in AI Assistant can even analyze a photo and recommend edits based on what’s in the frame.
Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!The extras help round out the package without requiring additional purchases. Along with the software, you’ll get a nearly three-hour landscape editing course featuring 20 guided lessons and practice images so you can build confidence with the tools. The bundle also includes creative presets, LUTs, sky replacement packs, and overlays that make it easy to develop a consistent editing style or quickly change the mood of a photo.
Whether you’re touching up vacation photos, building a photography portfolio, creating social media content, or simply looking for a faster editing process, the bundle is designed for photographers of all experience levels. Beginners can rely on the AI tools to produce polished results without spending hours learning complex editing techniques, while more experienced photographers can use layers, masking, local adjustments, and creative assets to fine-tune their work and maintain a consistent visual style across an entire collection.
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Last year, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 was the best foldable I'd ever tested, thanks to an extremely sleek form factor that made it by far the most comfortable phone in the category to actually hold in your hands. This year's follow-up has a new name, but it's broadly the same phone, for better and worse.
Meet the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, a re-branded follow-up to the Z Fold 7. Confusingly, there is also a phone called the Z Fold 8, but it's a totally different device. Regardless of that, Samsung's newest and most premium flagship foldable checks most of the boxes you would want it to check: It's still very comfortable in the hands, the displays are bright and vivid, and the battery has gotten a sizable boost over last year.
But, sadly, that's about it. Aside from all of that and a modest camera upgrade, you're paying $2,099 (a $100 price increase year-over-year) for a phone that's very similar to its predecessor. The Z Fold 8 Ultra might be a great get for anyone who doesn't already have a foldable, but Z Fold 7 owners can likely wait until the next big revision to upgrade.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra: Design and specs It's a tiny bit thinner. Credit: Joe Maldonado/MashableStarting with the phone's physical design, Samsung has not reinvented the wheel in 2026.
That might read as disappointing, but last year was such a big sea change for the Fold series that it's fine for this year's phone to carry that torch forward. There really wasn't much that needed changing. Samsung did shave one tenth of a millimeter off the total thickness, bringing it down to 4.1mm instead of 4.2mm on the Z Fold 7, but the two devices otherwise look, feel, and weigh the same.
As for colors, your options this year are fairly boring: Cream, Graphite, Violet Shadow, and Green Shadow. The last one is an online exclusive on Samsung's store.
Here are the rest of the relevant specs for the Z Fold 8 Ultra:
Inner display: 8-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate
Outer display: 6.5-inches AMOLED display 120Hz refresh rate
Processor: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset
Unfolded dimensions: 158.4 x 143.2 x 4.1 mm
Folded dimensions: 158.4 x 72.8 x 8.9 mm
RAM: 12GB to 16GB RAM
Storage: 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB storage
Battery: 5,000mAh battery
Compared to the Z Fold 7, most of those specs are roughly the same. The displays haven't changed much, but that's fine because they were already great. One important change Samsung did make was to up the max brightness from 2,600 nits to 3,000 nits, making the Z Fold 8 Ultra a little bit more accommodating in bright outdoor conditions. I wouldn't say that was a problem on the Z Fold 7, but it is a little bit improved here.
Samsung also packed a newer Snapdragon chip in the Z Fold 8 Ultra, which has become customary for annual phone releases on this end of the price spectrum. Perhaps the biggest upgrade is the new 5,000mAh battery, up from 4,400mAh on the Z Fold 7. We'll get into specific later, but rest assured, the new battery is much better.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra: Performance The outer display is great. Credit: Joe Maldonado/MashableSpeaking of the new chip, performance on the Z Fold 8 Ultra is rock solid. Everything loads and opens smoothly and quickly, and I never noticed an egregious amount of overheating despite the phone's thin frame. I won't say this is a big improvement over the Z Fold 7, as that phone also had great performance, but the good news is that it certainly didn't get worse.
Using the Geekbench 6 benchmarking software, the Z Fold 8 Ultra registered a multi-score score of 11,262. By comparison, the Z Fold 7 was 9,600, so it definitely seems like there's more power under the hood here, even if it's not eminently noticeable during daily use.
These new Snapdragon chips also enable the use of Samsung's proprietary AI features, as well as Gemini, but as far as I can tell, the AI experience here is largely the same as on other Samsung flagships like the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
Existing features like Now Brief (a daily personalizes summary of weather and other info you might like) and Now Nudge (which reads your screen to surface relevant information when you need it) are here, but they're a little hard to test out fully during a brief review period because they need time to learn more about you.
And so is the inner one. Credit: Joe Maldonado/MashableStill, I will say I like that you can make custom cards for things like a weather forecast in Now Brief. I was able to create a weather card with only the information I would want, like a seven-day forecast with precipitation and humidity measurements, merely by asking the phone to do that. However, I would note that a good weather app would show you these things already without any intervention by AI.
One intriguing feature I was not able to properly test was My FanCam. This is a feature for shooting videos that will lock the frame around a human subject you've chosen to highlight, you know, like a fancam. This is extraordinarily difficult to test if you don't have kids or are afraid of filming strangers in public, though, so I can't give a real verdict on it just yet. If I have one gripe, it's that it doesn't seem to work with animals at all.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra: Battery lifeAs much as I loved the Z Fold 7, battery life was its biggest downfall, by a wide margin. The 4,400mAh cell inside that thing simply wasn't good enough for a $2,000 phone. Using our normal battery testing methods (which involve playing an HD video on the display until the phone dies), I was only able to get about 20 hours of juice out of the Z Fold 7, which is well below average for a flagship phone.
Good thing Samsung fixed that. The 5,000mAh cell here gets the job done, producing about 24 hours of battery life using the same testing method. That's still not spectacular for a phone of this price, but average is better than below-average.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra: CamerasOne thing I feel the need to establish right away is that you really shouldn't buy a foldable phone if you want the best of the best in terms of mobile camera tech. Anyone who is serious about photography should probably go for something a bit more conventional. That said, the Z Fold 8 Ultra's camera array is totally fine.
The 200MP main shooter from last year remains, as does the 10MP telephoto lens, but Samsung upgraded the ultra-wide lens from 12MP to 50MP this year. I have to be honest: I don't know if this actually makes a huge difference in photo quality, though it does make a difference in photo file size. Still, ultra-wide photos taken at 50MP do look quite nice.
Ultra-wide photos do look pretty good. Credit: Alex Perry/MashableMacro photography is also still adept at capturing little details on tiny objects.
The amount of outdoor plants in Brooklyn makes my job easy sometimes. Credit: Alex Perry/MashableYou'd think the telephoto lens (which has 3x optical zoom) would produce quality zoomed in shots. If you keep the zoom level at around 10x or lower, things do tend to look OK.
At around 10x zoom, you can still get decent-looking shots. Credit: Alex Perry/MashableBut if you go beyond that, the phone's software starts filling in the blanks and things can get very ugly, very fast. I don't even know why 30x zoom exists on this device when every 30x photo I took looked like this.
Gross! Credit: Alex Perry/MashableBut, aside from that, shots taken with less extreme parameters still usually come out looking colorful and pretty.
Shout out to New York's graffiti artists. Credit: Alex Perry/MashableAnd I'll leave you with a portrait shot of the sign outside my favorite bar.
This place has a cat. Credit: Alex Perry/Mashable Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra: The verdictI think the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra would probably still be my foldable of choice, if money weren't an object. The thin chassis, gorgeous displays, and newly improved battery go a long way towards making it a very good phone. Its cameras are also the best among the new Samsung foldables.
The only problem here is that almost all of that (aside from the battery) was also present a year ago. Sometimes I wonder if we still need to do annual updates for phones, and this is one of those times. Especially with the $100 price hike.
We need to talk about Ariana Grande.
Quite literally, the recent nonstop internet discourse about Grande suggests an urgent need to name what's happening to the movie and pop star's body.
Concern mounted in recent weeks as Grande posted Instagram photos of her physique while performing on tour. Some worried the singer was disappearing before their eyes.
SEE ALSO: I tried to scrub weight loss content from my FYP. Here's what I learned.Then Grande released the music video "Petal." The imagery in the seven-minute-long film prompted worried fans and onlookers to claim Grande has an eating disorder, though she's never shared such information. Rather, Grande has previously pleaded with the public not to comment on her body.
The furor led to an announcement from her team Sunday that she'd be "taking a step back from visibility" following the end of her tour next month.
How to respond to imagery of Ariana GrandeEating disorder experts who spoke to Mashable say the public shouldn't judge or diagnose Grande, including on social media.
"We have no idea what's what's going on in people's lives, and I think it's very dangerous when we make assumptions," said Johanna S. Kandel, founder and CEO of the National Alliance for Eating Disorders.
The temptation to fixate on or post about Grande, even out of genuine concern, is strong. She's one of the world's most famous celebrities, adored by young girls and women who may aspire to look like her. Grande is also a businesswoman with a distinctly curated image, repping brands like Swarovski and her own cosmetics company, r.e.m. beauty. She possesses immense cultural power.
Still, there's another way to respond to the debate over the singer's health: We should name what's happening to us as a result, said Dr. Elizabeth Wassenaar, regional medical director of the Eating Recovery Center.
After all, Grande's appearance and the public reaction to it can feel legitimately confusing and painful.
That's why it's important to identify how imagery of Grande, along with the related online discussion, makes us feel about ourselves and the people we love — including those who may live with an eating disorder, be in recovery from one, or face fat phobia and discrimination because they live in a larger body.
"We don't want to to squelch the conversations [about] the feelings that are being brought up in people as they're viewing these images," Wassenaar told Mashable. She added that the feelings can include concern, disgust, and even jealousy.
Those emotions are an opportunity to take stock, support loved ones particularly affected by the controversy, and learn more about eating disorders.
The relationships that really matterWassenaar understands the vocal concern about Grande. Some people have a parasocial relationship with her. Others fear staying silent will normalize the imagery of her.
Wassenaar believes the collective unease demonstrates concern for Grande as a human. Then there's worry for loved ones exposed to content that could potentially trigger an eating disorder relapse or curiosity about food restriction and dieting.
"So what can we do in those relationships with the people that we are actually connected to?" Wassenaar asks.
How to talk to loved onesA mom concerned that her tween daughter might see Grande's appearance as aspirational, for instance, can spark a nonjudgmental conversation about the topic.
Wassenaar said it's OK to neutrally observe that bodies naturally change over time, gaining and losing weight for different reasons. The parent can even ask how her daughter feels about the imagery of Grande and the related discussion of her body.
Importantly, though, the conversation should shift to reassuring the tween that she doesn't need to lose (or gain) weight to make herself acceptable to others.
For people who know someone in eating disorder treatment or recovery, Wassenaar suggests supportively reaching out. They can acknowledge the general resurgence of weight stigma, partly due to GLP-1 weight loss drugs, and empathize that both the imagery and discussion of Grande might be difficult or triggering.
Kandel also told Mashable the National Alliance for Eating Disorders helpline is receiving an unprecedented number of calls about "body bullying." While these are unrelated to Grande, the growing and resurgent cultural obsession with thinness is contributing to bias against people in larger bodies, Kandel said.
How to handle your own feelingsFor some people, regardless of whether they experience disordered eating, photos and videos of Grande may elicit jealousy or envy, Wassenaar said.
She recommends naming those feelings and the "wish" underlying them. That can include associating a certain body size with better grades, professional success, a new relationship, and personal fulfillment.
Wassenaar suggests following that "thread" to its conclusion, because changing one's body often doesn't lead to the life changes people desire.
Recognizing these dynamics "gives us a key to begin to investigate for ourselves...what about my life isn't where I want it to be, and what kind of work can I do with that?" Wassenaar said.
She also noted people should seek support if imagery of Grande triggers urges to diet or restrict food.
Fear of repeating the '90s and '00sKandel said there's a prominent fear that we'll repeat history if we don't talk candidly about Grande's appearance.
The mainstreaming of body inclusivity and positivity movements in the 2010s seemed to leave the unforgiving "heroin chic" beauty standards of the 1990s and 2000s behind — until the emergence of GLP-1s and the reported MAHA politicization of thinness.
For some, imagery of Grande has become a worrisome bellwether of this accelerating trend.
Kandel acknowledged the research demonstrating how imagery of thinness can increase body comparison and body checking for some. Vulnerable viewers may compare themselves to that imagery and think that's what an eating disorder looks like — and that they're not sick enough.
At the same time, Kandel said that expressing concern for Grande's size inadvertently reinforces unhelpful or even harmful judgments about people's bodies.
This tension has put many in a rhetorical bind, but both Kandel and Wassenaar offer a way out.
Instead of adjudicating Grande's size and well-being, Kandel suggests using the debate as an opportunity to learn about eating disorders in general.
The emphasis on Grande, for example, obscures the reality that men and people of color experience disordered eating, as well. Anorexia is also one of several eating disorders, including binge eating and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorders.
Wassenaar said people concerned about the broader societal implications of Grande's appearance can focus on their behavior and activism.
"We can change our experiences with our bodies, and we can influence the young people in our lives by modeling that, and that's what we can control," said Wassenaar.
If you are concerned about your eating behavior, visit the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) website for more information. You can also text CONNECT to 741741 for immediate support from a trained volunteer at the Crisis Text Line.
On Bumble, the app that started with the ethos of "women making the first move," men will now be able to message first, according to the company's latest earnings call.
"Now, for the first time on Bumble, by default, anyone will be able to send only one single opening message, and the conversation does not progress until the recipient responds," Bumble founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd said on yesterday's earnings call for Q2 2026.
SEE ALSO: The 9 best free dating apps that literally cost $0 to sign up and use No more "women make the first move"Wolfe Herd founded Bumble in 2014 as the feminist response to Tinder, of which she was also a part of the founding team. Originally, in heterosexual matches, only women could message first. But the app has been trending away from that for some time, as two years ago it launched "Opening Moves," a way for men to technically message first by responding to a prompt on a woman's profile. (The app has since sunset Opening Moves in Australia and Mexico, though.)
Additionally, Bumble is also extending the time limit to respond to the first message, from 24 to 72 hours. "We are also addressing another major complaint that existed from our members," Wolfe Herd said.
In tests, Bumble users saw increases in chat initiations and mutual chat rates. The new rules will roll out globally by the end of this month, Wolfe Herd said.
Both real-life and AI on BumbleWolfe Herd also announced that Bumble will be leaning more into real-life experiences. "I am a firm believer that the future of meeting people in groups will become more important," she said, and confirmed that Plans, a rumored event-curation feature, is coming as a standalone app.
At the same time, Bumble is planning to integrate AI more. As Mashable reported in May, Bumble is getting rid of the swipe, but Wolfe Herd clarified yesterday that the app's upcoming AI dating assistant, Bee, isn't replacing it.
"Let me be clear: Bee is not replacing the swipe. We are not aiming for an AI-driven experience. Bee is simply the intelligence under the hood," she said.
"What will replace the swipe, I will be keeping under wraps a bit longer for competitive purposes," she said. "But it is designed to generate more immediate interactions, and most importantly, better outcomes, mimicking real life and eliminating the friction and delay that exists in current dating app models." Early feedback has been positive for Gen Z and millennial women and men, she continued.
Bee will apparently have an important role in how the new Bumble experience will be delivered, "but never degrading the human-first approach that we will always adhere to," according to Wolfe Herd.
Even more changes coming to BumbleWhen Wolfe Herd first announced Bee in March 2026, she said that the app was developing a new tech stack (the set of technologies that build an app), with a targeted launch of the second quarter of this year. But yesterday, she said that due to a data migration delay, it's been delayed. New features, like profile and onboarding updates and more compelling ways to meet people IRL, are coming in early 2027, she said.
She also said that the app will also make the free experience more compelling, like offering limited access to "Like You," a usually-paid feature where users can see who's already liked them.
The app is re-architecting subscriptions to be simpler, and is planning on releasing a higher subscription tier designed for "mutual serious intent."
This news comes as Bumble's total revenue and paying users continued to decline in Q2 (15.2 percent and 16.4 percent, respectively, compared to Q2 of 2025). In June, Reuters reported that Bumble is considering a sale. Its announcement that it's killing the swipe upset some users, and it remains to be seen how they will react to all of these additional changes.
SAVE UP TO $180: The 13-inch M5 MacBook Air (16GB/512GB) is on sale for $1,134 at Amazon, down from the normal price of $1,299. The 13-inch M5 MacBook Air (16GB/1TB) is on sale for $1,419, down from the normal price of $1,599.
Opens in a new window Credit: Apple 13-inch M5 MacBook Air (16GB/512GB) $1,134 at AmazonTech prices are on the rise, not that we need to say that out loud anymore. In June, Apple raised prices and now we have to figure out how to navigate life with more expensive MacBooks and iPads (sigh). In a rare move, Amazon is offering us some relief today. Check out these sale prices.
As of Aug. 6, the 13-inch M5 MacBook Air (16GB/512GB) is on sale for $1,134 at Amazon, down from the normal price of $1,299. The 13-inch M5 MacBook Air (16GB/1TB) is on sale for $1,419, down from the normal price of $1,599. In total, you'll save $180 with the 1TB model or $165 with the 512GB model.
As much as we hate to see price hikes, we've come to rely on the tech so much that we're simply paying the new price. But thanks to these Amazon MacBook deals, we're getting a break. The timing couldn't be better as we're looking straight at back-to-school season.
SEE ALSO: The Apple Watch Series 11 just hit a rare $100 price drop on AmazonMashable Tech Editor Timothy Beck Werth's review of the 2026 M5 MacBook Air praises its premium design, speakers, display, and the upgrade to the M5 chip. On top of those highlights, the MacBook Air is incredibly travel-friendly, weighing just 2.7 pounds and measuring 0.44 inches thick.
If you're considering the upgrade but were turned off by the price hike earlier this summer, hop on this deal to save up to $180 on the M5 MacBook Air. Since we haven't seen sales this good since the price increase, it's probably wise to shop sooner rather than put it off.
Stop us if you've heard this one before: This week, Meta confirmed that one of its AI models escaped containment and hacked a third-party.
As first reported by The Information, Meta's Muse Spark apparently breached another company's system in a cybersecurity test. After The Information's report, Meta confirmed the story to multiple outlets. It's the latest in a string of incidents where AI models went hack happy during testing.
In a statement to CNN, Meta pinned the blame on a testing partner, who it said was supposed to be evaluating the model in a secure sandbox environment: "A misconfiguration by Irregular, an independent testing company Meta uses, inadvertently allowed one of our models access to the internet during evaluation,” the Meta spokesperson said."
Our big Guessing Game is back! Learn how to enter for a chance to win an Apple Watch.
Interestingly, when Anthropic reported earlier this week that its models had escaped containment and breached outside organizations on three occasions, it also blamed Irregular for the mix-up.
In a blog post, Anthropic revealed that it "identified three incidents in which a model accessed the internet from within or while interacting with the evaluation environment of Irregular," which it identified as "one of our third-party evaluation partners."
As we've noted before, when AI companies warn about the world-changing risks of their technology, they're fundamentally engaged in marketing. (Don't make me tap my sign.)
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.When OpenAI revealed recently that its models had escaped containment and hacked the Hugging Face AI repository, the company generated a ton of headlines about the power of its new models. So, while these disclosures are responsible and necessary, don't forget that they also serve the self-interests of the AI companies themselves.
Coincidentally, as the news spread that Meta Muse Spark had broken out of a sandbox and hacked another organization, Meta also announced the launch of Muse Spark 1.2.
Despite a massive spending spree on AI talent, Meta has so far lagged behind the top AI companies, though it has gained ground with its new Muse Spark family of models.
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Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.
Google Wallet users can now manage money for their kids, with a new expansion that lets parents set up balances and monitor purchases for supervised accounts.
SEE ALSO: TikTok withheld a safety feature from 15 million users, report saysThe tool allows account managers to transfer funds, set up purchase notifications, and set daily spending limits for minor tap-to-pay Wallet accounts connected to their profiles. Parents can also completely lock down payment options for lost or stolen devices or to enact "spending timeouts," Google explains.
Kid and teen users can tap to pay using Android and Wear OS devices anywhere Google Pay is accepted.
Built with additional safeguards, the new Google Wallet option works alongside parental controls already integrated into Google's Family Link, which includes restrictions intended to reduce kids' screen time. The company recently rolled out these features to all Android devices after first launching them in 2025.
The company has been launching a series of upgrades and expansions to Google Wallet over the last month, as well, including on-screen flight updates for linked boarding passes. Last month, Google added live delivery tracking to Wallet, which pulls order information, tracking numbers, and shipping statuses from devices' Gmail accounts.
SAVE $70.05: The Kingston Fury Renegade G5 SSD (1,024GB) is on sale at Amazon for $239.95, down from the list price of $319. That's a 23% discount and the lowest price we've seen in the last three months.
Opens in a new window Credit: Kingston Kingston Fury Renegade G5 SSD (1,024GB) $239.95 at AmazonRAMageddon has been here for a while, unfortunately. That's bad news for all of us, but especially painful for content creators, gamers, and artists, to name a few. If you've been trucking along with constant low-memory warnings, this Amazon deal might be a solution.
As of Aug. 6, the Kingston Fury Renegade G5 SSD (1,024GB) is on sale at Amazon for $239.95, marked down from the list price of $310. That's a 23% discount, which works out to savings of $70.05. It's the lowest price we've seen within the last three months.
SEE ALSO: This 55-inch Hisense QLED 4K TV punches way above its price tag — save $131 at AmazonFor those in the market for high-powered performance, Kingston aims to impress with the Fury Renegade G5 Pcle. It uses the latest Gen 5x4 performance and boasts read speeds up to 14,800 MB/s. Write speeds can reach up to 14,000 MB/s. These stats put the SSD in line for a great experience with game and app load times. At the same time, it's designed to stay cool.
Since the Kingston Fury Renegade has a compact M.2 2280 form factor, it should fit nicely in most motherboards. Kingston also says it's backward compatible with Gen3 and Gen4 systems.
Since memory storage isn't expected to improve soon, snagging an upgrade today might put you in line for the best price we'll see until things calm down. If the Kingston Fury Renegade G5 SSD (1,024GB) meets your needs, it's on sale on Amazon for a nice 23% discount.
SAVE $138: As of Aug. 6, new NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers can lock in an eight-month streaming subscription for just $30 per month instead of the usual $47.25. That's just $240 for eight months and $138 in savings.
Opens in a new window Credit: NFL NFL Sunday Ticket $30/month for 8 months (save $17.25/month) Get DealIt's tough being a fan of a non-local team in any sport. But supporting a non-local NFL team is excruciating. The only legitimate and legal way you can watch every out-of-market game live on Sundays this football season is with NFL Sunday Ticket. And it's pretty dang expensive.
Fortunately, if you have yet to pull the trigger, you can lock in your NFL Sunday Ticket subscription for the season for just $30 per month instead of the usual $47.25 per month. That adds up to $240 for the eight-month season (reg. $378), which saves you $138.
Yes, there are plenty of bootleg broadcasts floating around the internet, but we can't recommend those in good conscience. Plus, a lot of the time, they're shoddy at best. An NFL Sunday Ticket subscription will ensure you can watch your favorite team every Sunday. No scouring Reddit for sketchy bootleg links necessary.
The league's own premium sports package, NFL Sunday Ticket essentially broadcasts NFL regular season games that are blacked out on your local channels. For instance, Ravens games are blacked out for me in Nashville, Tenn., in favor of the Titans broadcast. Sunday Ticket allows me to watch the Ravens every Sunday.
You can get NFL Sunday Ticket as an individual channel on YouTube or as an add-on to YouTube TV. Either way, for a limited time, you'll only pay $30 per month if you're new to the streamer.
SAVE $1,169.99: As of Aug. 6, get the Dream L60 Ultra robot vacuum for $1,169.99, saving you $130 off its list price. Act fast to score 10% off this combo robot vacuum and mop at Amazon.
Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Dreame L60 Ultra Robot Vacuum $1,169.99 at AmazonIn the summer, it's shocking how much gathers on our floors. Dirt, sand, and grass from all the outdoor adventures. Not to mention all the pet hair from summer shedding. If you're sick of bringing out the vacuum and mop multiple times a week, it's time to outsource your cleaning. And no, I'm not talking about hiring a cleaner — you need a robot vacuum.
A robot vacuum, especially one that's also a combo mop, will quickly become your favorite appliance because it cleans and you don't have to lift a finger. One of our favorites comes from Dreame. Mashable contributor Tabitha Britt has sung the praises of the Dreame L60 Pro Ultra, and right now the L60 Ultra is on sale.
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!As of Aug. 6, get the Dreame L60 Ultra robot vacuum for $1,169.99. That saves you $130 off its $1,299.99 list price. This isn't the lowest price ever on the combo robot vacuum and mop, but until the next Prime Day, we're jumping on this extra 10% off.
Mashable's robot vacuum expert Leah Stodart gave Dreame our highest honor, naming the X60 Max Ultra the best robot vacuum of 2026. The currently on sale L60 Ultra is an equally great model with advanced obstacle monitoring, with AI-enhanced 3D vision that detects objects and maps your home. The PowerDock, your robot vacuum's home base, charges your vacuum and is where it self-empties and washes its mop pads. Plus, for thorough sanitization, it heats the mop water to 100 degrees Celsius.
Shop the Dreame L60 Ultra robot vacuum and mop at Amazon now and save $130.
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