IT General

Tired of having to figure out how to watch your favorite live news, reality shows, and sports? By the time you piece together which streaming bundle is right for you, your show’s likely to be half over. Why not sign up for Sling TV today and save half off your first month instead?

Sling is one of the most affordable live TV streaming services out there, and it’s a cheaper alternative to cable. Sling’s two main plans — Sling Orange and Sling Blue — both offer 28 of the same live TV channels, including CNN, BET, Comedy Central, and the Food Network, plus you can rent movies and fire up on-demand content across all your devices.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sling TV Sling Orange & Sling Blue $23.99
$45.99 Save $22.00 Take 50% off your first month Get Deal

Both plans are also a steal right now at $23 for your first month and $45.99 a month after that, so nab the perfect Sling plan and press play already.

Sling Orange has live NCAA and Disney Channel

If sports and family movie nights are your jam, Sling Orange is a slam dunk. It comes loaded with over 30 live channels, including seven exclusive channels that slay with sports fans and kiddos, such as live NCAA and NBA games on ESPN, the Disney Channel, and old-school flicks on Freeform.

Sling Blue packs news, football, and reality TV

Sling Blue comes in swinging with over 40 live channels, including 15 exclusive channels such as MSNBC, NFL Network, Fox Sports 1, and Bravo. If you always have the news going or can’t live without your football or reality TV, Sling Blue delivers. You can also watch your shows on up to three devices at once, which is a nice perk.

Dial it in with Extras and premium channels

If you’re having a hard time deciding which Sling plan is the best fit — just go to the site, choose the channels you watch, and Sling will recommend a base plan. Next, customize your lineup even more by adding “Extras” — such as Sports Extra, Entertainment Extra, or News Extra — as well as premium channels like Paramount + with Showtime, for an added fee. 

Sling TV gives you more of the channels you love and no long-term contracts, hidden fees, or complex tech. Start watching today, starting at just $23 your first month.

There are some days that start off bland and then spin strangely and sensationally to change your life forever — for the better.

Jay Duplass' The Baltimorons is about such an extraordinary day. Co-writing this comedy with leading man Michael Strassner, director Duplass crafts a journey that is an absolute side-tickling and soul-enriching delight — and it all begins with a broken tooth. 

After a robust slate of productions with his brother Mark Duplass — recently including Penelope and The Creep Tapes — this is Jay's first solo venture. Yet he stays true to the Duplass' mumblecore roots. The Baltimorons is proudly a low-budget, character-driven comedy starring actors who look less like movie stars and more like the folks you see at any given grocery store. However, the humor blooms more broadly than the mumblecore of their Puffy Chair and Baghead origins, with leads Michael Strassner and Liz Larsen, who are absolutely enchanting as an unlikely but undeniably dynamic duo brought together by happenstance and held together by good fun. Together, they craft a chemistry that steadily bubbles into an eruption of shenanigans and joy. 

The Baltimorons is a classic comedy out of the gate. 

Duplass has found a top-notch collaborator in Strassner, whose comedic timing and scruffy charisma are absolutely extraordinary as outgoing Baltimore local Cliff Cashen. A thirtysomething former improv comedian — who was once on the brink of breaking through on a certain New York sketch show — Cliff is six months sober on Christmas Eve, with his fiancée (Olivia Luccardi) urging him to attend a family dinner and his old troupe begging him to come back to the stage for a show that night. Both possibilities for festive fun are threatened when Cliff accidentally breaks a tooth, forcing him to embark upon a side quest for a dentist who'll see to his emergency on a holiday. 

Enter Dr. Didi Dahl (Liz Larsen), a sixtysomething, no-nonsense divorcee with a sharp sensibility and a tender heart. Doped up on laughing gas, an unguarded Cliff can't help but remark on how pretty Didi is and how nice she smells. Dr. Dahl has little patience for this teddy bear of a younger man — at least until his car gets towed. Then her cool exterior cracks into a warm grin as she plays Good Samaritan with some well-meaning mischief. Didi's plans for the holiday have been ruined by her selfish ex-husband, but following Cliff's lead takes her down an unexpected path of discovery, low-level crimes, juicy payback, and second chances. 

At first glance, these characters seem to have nothing in common. He's a sweet and funny but lost millennial, who's left his comedy dreams behind to become — maybe — a mortgage broker. She's a boomer, hardened by a soured marriage and a demanding career, but can't deny the charms of this beguiling goofball — even if she says he's a "real Eddie Haskell … full of shit!" There's a tantalizing chemistry in the way they banter, not letting each other get away with anything. And as tempted as I am to give an example by laying out a punchline about holiday weight, it's just too good in context to spoil. Let's just say it's thrilling to watch two strangers truly see each other, and mutually delight in that discovery.

Michael Strassner is a comedy star in the making. 

There's a jolly gameness to Strassner's comedic persona that is instantly charming, making even an early joke about a failed suicide attempt joltingly funny in his hands. Strassner has a vaguely Bill Murray-ish quality about his humor, whether in moments of buffoonery or taboo subject matter. Yet he doesn't carry the smug self-assurance of '80s Murray, instead brandishing a cherry-cheeked vulnerability that makes The Baltimorons feel deeply of this moment. Cliff is a modern man, grappling with thwarted dreams, personal failures, and a confounding path to the future. But he does so with an open heart and a smart mouth that makes for brightly hilarious scenes, whether Cliff's doing schtick with a thick Baltimore accent or trying to impress some rude Ravens fans. 

Liz Larsen is his perfect scene partner. There are shades of Edie Falco's Carmela Soprano in her "don't mess with me" energy, signaling that Didi has been burned before and isn't looking to get hurt again. But when Larsen smiles, you can see the hopeless romantic who still yearns in Didi's heart. She becomes radiant, whether pressing Cliff to take a big risk or barking orders from a crabbing boat. Their adventure takes them all over Baltimore, from quiet residential streets to sketchy parking lots, bustling holiday parties, and a spot offering a serene view of the water. Along the way, we feel lucky to be along for the ride, nestled in by Duplass' subtle but strong world-building of his characters' Baltimore.

Essentially, The Baltimorons is a celebration of those moments when — despite all the reasons to shield ourselves from a cruel world — we open up to a new friend. It's about the magic in being vulnerable, not out of naiveté but out of hope.

The screenplay by Duplass and Strassner neatly captures the excitement and tension of such a social gamble, balancing moments of heartache and comic elation. Strassner and Larsen bring this theme to vivid life with portrayals that play similarly to Duplass' odd-couple comedies like Somebody Somewhere and Biosphere. Which is all to say, The Baltimorons is an absolute gem. Deftly modern and smartly self-aware, it's not only one of the best things I saw out of SXSW, but assuredly one of the best films of 2025. 

The Baltimorons was reviewed out of its World Premiere at the 2025 SXSW film and TV conference.

SAVE $72: As of March 14, the Garmin vívoactive 5 smartwatch is on sale at Best Buy for $227.99. That's 24% off its list price of $299.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Garmin Garmin vívoactive 5 $227.99 at Best Buy
$299.99 Save $72 Get Deal

If you've been looking for a way to keep track of your health and fitness goals, a smartwatch is a great investment. While a lot of them can be quite pricy, occasionally you can score one on sale at a price that's worth taking advantage of. That's the case at the moment with the Garmin vívoactive 5 in slate aluminum and black, which has had a very nice $72 discount at Best Buy.

This has dropped the price of the Garmin vívoactive 5 from $299.99 to $227.99. If you've been hoping to pick up a smartwatch but didn't want to spend too much cash on a model, this is a deal worth jumping on. The Garmin vívoactive 5 has plenty to offer.

SEE ALSO: The best fitness trackers you can buy in 2025: From smartwatches to rings

Boasting a vibrant AMOLED display, the Garmin vívoactive 5 will provide you with insights into your sleep patterns, stress levels, workouts, and more. It has a feature called Body Battery that gives you a better understanding of your energy levels, and it even has health features like a heart rate monitor, fitness age, and more. It even has up to 11 days of battery life, so you won't have to worry too much about keeping it charged up frequently.

Save some cash and stay on top of your goals with this deal on the Garmin vívoactive 5 at Best Buy.

This isn't the only smartwatch deal that's available right now, though. If you want a tracker that's more focused around running, the Garmin Forerunner 55 is also on sale right now at Best Buy and if you want to go all-out on a fancy new smartwatch, the Apple Watch Series 10 is discounted at Amazon at the moment.

What does an eclipse look like from the moon? Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lander just sent back a stunning image from the lunar surface.

The commercial space company's lander, which touched down on the moon without a hitch on March 2 as part of a mission for NASA, took a high-definition image of the eclipse from its top deck in the early hours of Friday — and it's mighty beautiful.

"Blue Ghost got her first diamond ring! Captured at our landing site in the Moon’s Mare Crisium around 3:30 am CDT, the photo shows the sun about to emerge from totality behind Earth," Firefly Aerospace wrote online. (A "diamond ring" effect happens during a total solar eclipse when the sun just begins to appear from behind Earth; it also happens just before Earth totally blocks the sun.)

SEE ALSO: Solar eclipses were once extremely terrifying events, experts say

From our perch on Earth, it was a total lunar eclipse, and from the moon it was a total solar eclipse. These unique events happen when the sun, Earth, and moon align, allowing Earth to cast a shadow on the moon and block most sunlight from reaching the lunar surface. But our planet's atmosphere still allows red wavelengths of light to squeeze through and travel through space, illuminating the moon in reddish, rusty, orangish, or crimson colors.

The end of the total solar eclipse viewed by the Blue Ghost moon lander on March 14, 2025. Credit: Firefly Aerospace This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

According to the company, it's "the first time in history a commercial company will be actively operating on the Moon and able to observe a total solar eclipse where the Earth blocks the sun and casts a shadow on the lunar surface."

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

Firefly’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 launched on Jan. 15 and landed on the moon on March 2 after a 45-day trip — and the photos Blue Ghost has been sending back are breathtaking. In the above photo, you can also see the Blue Ghost lander's NASA equipment, including a Lunar Environment heliospheric X-ray Imager, Lunar Magnetotelluric Sounder mast, and X-band antenna.

On Friday, Firefly also posted an image taken on March 3, the day after Blue Ghost landed on the moon. It's a view of Earth taken with the lander's wide-lens camera.

Hello! Credit: Firefly Aerospace

Firefly is now the first commercial spacecraft to land fully successfully on the moon, and Mashable has been covering every last element of the mission.

SAVE $50: As of March 14, the Sonos Era 100 smart speaker is on sale at Amazon for $199. That's 20% off its list price of $249.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sonos Sonos Era 100 $199 at Amazon
$249 Save $50 Get Deal

Whether you're using it for listening to music or are looking to create a surround sound setup, a high-quality speaker can be a great addition to your home. The Sonos Era 100, in particular, offers excellent sound quality for both situations. As someone who owns two of these speakers, I absolutely love using them for movie nights to create a more immersive experience. It's a speaker that's worth every cent, in my opinion. If you've been hoping to pick it up, now's a great time to do it at a discounted rate.

The Sonos Era 100 has dropped from its list price of $249 to $199, saving you 20% overall. According to price tracker camelcamelcamel, this marks a return to its lowest-ever price. It's currently listed as a limited-time deal, so you'll want to act fast to scoop it up at this price. Both the black and white models are discounted, so you can choose the speaker that will best blend in with your home's style.

SEE ALSO: Samsung’s ridiculous Buzzer Beater Bundle is over $5,000 off — because one TV isn’t enough for March Madness

The Sonos Era 100 is a real treat when it comes to sound quality. Music sounds great coming out of it, but I especially love having both of my speakers paired with the Sonos soundbar underneath my TV. They make any movie, TV show, or video game feel more immersive with sound coming from all around the room. As a bonus, they have a compact size that fits really nicely on a bookshelf or tabletop.

If you've been looking for a speaker upgrade, this deal on the Sonos Era 100 is well worth jumping on while it's still available.

There are a couple more speaker deals that are worth checking out right now. The Sony XG300 portable Bluetooth speaker has gotten a great discount at Best Buy and the Bose SoundLink Revolve+ (Series II) speaker is on sale at Amazon.

SAVE $100: As of March 14, Sony's WH-1000XM4 headphones are on sale at Amazon for $248. That's 29% off their list price of $348.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Sony WH-1000XM4 Headphones $248 at Amazon
$348 Save $100 Get Deal

Sony headphones are always worth picking up if you've been looking for an upgrade. Some come with a hefty price tag, but every once in a while a deal comes along that's worth taking advantage of. And as of March 14, Amazon is offering a great deal on the Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones.

The Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones have dropped from their list price of $348 to $248. This saves you $100 on list price. This deal is marked as a limited-time offer, so if they've caught your eye, you'll want to act fast to score them at this price. You can save on the midnight blue, black, and silver models.

SEE ALSO: For gym rats and picky audiophiles alike, these are the 7 best headphones of 2025

These headphones offer excellent sound quality and active noise cancelation with Dual Noise Sensor technology so you can be fully immersed in your favorite sounds while wearing them. Not to mention, they offer up to 30 hours of battery life. We even consider them the best overall pick in our roundup of the best wireless headphones, with Mashable's Miller Kern saying, "The Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones have superior sound quality and noise cancellation. They're comparable to the Sennheiser PXC 550-II headphones, but have a more stylish look in our opinion — the ear cups are less bulky."

This limited-time deal won't last for long. Grab the Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones for $248 while they're still discounted at Amazon.

If you're looking for more headphone and earbud deals, you can also save on the Beats Studio Pro right now at Best Buy and the AirPods 4 (without ANC) have dropped below $100 at Amazon.

SAVE $30: As of March 14, Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation are on sale for $149.99 at Best Buy. That’s $30 off their usual price of $179.99. The deal ends March 16.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation $149.99 at Best Buy
$179.99 Save $30 Get Deal

There are two types of people in this world. Those who lose their AirPods constantly and those who don’t own AirPods yet. If you’re in the second camp or just tired of using the single earbud you still haven’t lost, now’s a good time to fix that. Best Buy has Apple’s AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation for $149.99, knocking $30 off the usual price of $179.99. This deal disappears after March 16 so don't think about it for too long.

For under $150 you’re getting active noise cancellation, which is kind of a big deal. Standard AirPods let in just about every sound around you. Dog barking, baby crying, someone on the train having a full-volume FaceTime call with no headphones. AirPods 4 ANC blocks noise out so you can enjoy your music, podcasts, or just the sound of sweet, sweet silence.

SEE ALSO: The Apple Watch SE 2 is down by $80 at Best Buy — score it for under $200

But there’s always that moment when you need to hear what’s going on. Like when your name gets called at the coffee shop or when someone at work starts a sentence with “Not to add to your workload, but…” That’s where Environmental Noise Control comes in, letting outside sound in when you need it.

Battery life is decent but not groundbreaking. You’ll get four hours per charge, which is fine for commuting but might have you reaching for the case during a long-haul flight. Speaking of the case, it bumps the total battery life up to 20 hours, so as long as you remember to drop them in between uses, you’ll be fine. Charging is USB-C because Apple finally decided we don’t need 17 different cables for their products (and they got forced to).

• Price: $149.99 $179.99

• Retailer: Best Buy

• Noise Cancelling: Yes (Active)

• Wireless: Yes (Bluetooth 5.3, True Wireless)

• Water Resistant: Yes

• Battery Life: 4 hours (20 hours with case)

• Charging: USB-C Case

• Voice Assistant: Works with Siri

• Deal Ends: March 16, 2025

These AirPods also come with Bluetooth 5.3, meaning they’ll pair instantly with your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. No fiddling with settings required. And if you’re someone who actually uses Siri (I respect you, but I don’t understand you), they work seamlessly with voice commands.

Are there cheaper wireless earbuds out there? Sure. But are they AirPods, with Apple’s seamless pairing, noise cancellation, and ecosystem perks? No. That’s why these are worth considering, especially at $149.99 up until March 16.

Being relentlessly haunted by a monstrous woman wouldn't be all that much fun, but at least in the trailer for 825 Forest Road the victims have each other.

Hell House LLC writer/director Stephen Cognetti's movie sees a man moving into a new town, only to discover that the locals have something of a ghost problem — and there's even a support group where they sit in a circle and discuss what to do about it. It sounds almost like it could be a comedy, but the video above is all horror.

825 Forest Road is streaming on Shudder from April 4.

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

Islam's holiest city.

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

MECCA

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Useful.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for March 14, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

HANDY

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Infected with rabies.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for March 14 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 14, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

RABID

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Something nonsensical.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for March 14 Hurdle Word 4 answer

SILLY

Final Hurdle hint

A powerful person.

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

MOGUL

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 Life of Chuck, Mike Flanagan's latest adaptation of a Stephen King story, made waves during its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) last year — and now we have our first proper glimpse of the film via a teaser trailer.

The film, which Mashable's Kristy Puchko describes as "surprising and upsetting, funny and profound" in her review, and which King himself called "one of the good ones", follows a man who's haunted by billboards that all contain an image of a strange man named Chuck.

The Life of Chuck is in theatres in June.

If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.

Strands 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 March 14 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 14 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Fillin' good!

These words are related to desserts.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

The words are delicious in crust.

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 ClassicPies.

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for March 14

• Blueberry

• Pecan

• Pumpkin

• Apple

• Cherry

• Peach

• ClassicPies

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 today's Strands.

Connections: Sports Edition is a new version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

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

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

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

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

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.

Here's a hint for today's Connections Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Reasons a flag is thrown

• Green: Used in field events

• Blue: Skiing events

• Purple: Scoring without help

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Football penalties

• Green: Track and field equipment

• Blue: Freestyle skiing forms

• Purple: Scores worth one point

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 #172 is...

What is the answer to Connections Sports Edition today

• Football penalties - FACE MASK, FALSE START, HOLDING, OFFSIDE

• Track and field equipment - BATON, DISCUS, HURDLE, STARTING BLOCK

• Freestyle skiing forms - AERIALS, CROSS, HALF-PIPE, MOGULS

• Scores worth one point - EXTRA POINT, FREE THROW, ROUGE, SOLO HOME RUN

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.

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 today's Connections.

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's The Mini crossword answers for March 14 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: To require a fee

• Green: Small items near a cash register

• Blue: Movies with different spans

• Purple: Same second word

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Impose, as a penalty

• Green: Checkout line impulse buys

• Blue: Movies of various lengths

• Purple: ___ Road

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 #642 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Impose, as a penalty: ASSESS, CHARGE, FINE, LEVY

• Checkout line impulse buys: CANDY, CHAPSTICK, CHARGING CABLE, MAGAZINE

• Movies of various lengths: EPIC, FEATURE, FILM SERIES, SHORT

• ___ Road: DIRT, HIGH, ROCKY, SILK

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 March 14

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 today's Connections.

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

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 today: Hints and answers for March 14 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's The Mini crossword answers for March 14, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A section.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter e appears twice.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter P.

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...

PIECE.

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for March 14

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 today's Wordle.

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

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

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Friday, March 14, 2025:

AcrossHydroelectric project

• The answer is Dam.

Piece of the pie

• The answer is Slice.

Concern for a basement apartment

• The answer is Light.

Noted octet in higher education

• The answer is Ivies.

Fur-riend

• The answer is Pet.

DownPiece of the pi?

• The answer is Dight.

Feel the pain

• The answer is Ache.

Team that signed Juan Soto to a record-breaking 15-year, $765 million contract

• The answer is Mets.

Mess (up)

• The answer is Slip.

Like podcasts with a studio audience, say

• The answer is Live.

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

Featured Video For You The Wordle Strategy used by the New York Times' Head of Games

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

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Mini Crossword.

We are a scant few months away from the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 launching, and the rumor mill is already ablaze with plenty of information for enthusiasts to pour over. We’d like to lend a helping hand by rounding up all of the rumors that we’ve heard so far about Samsung’s upcoming foldable flagship. 

For starters, it’ll almost certainly be announced in July. This is a pattern for Samsung. It announced last year’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 in July 2024 and the Z Fold 5 in July 2023. Additionally, while releasing info on bone conduction headphones that may also be debuted at the event, noted leaker Ice Universe said that the event would be held in July once again. 

That’s only the beginning. There are plenty of other rumors about the actual details of the Galaxy Fold 7, so let’s go into them. 

Design

The phone’s design hasn’t been confirmed, but there are some computer-generated renders floating around. Leaker OnLeaks collaborated with Android Headlines to generate the renders and it tells us a few things about how the device might feel compared to last year’s model. 

For starters, the dimensions are 158.4 x 143.1 x 4.5mm. Based on the measurements of the Z Fold 6, that would make the Z Fold 7 1.1mm thinner when unfolded, and the outer screen would be 11mm wider than the Z Fold 6. Additionally, three cameras adorn the back, housed in an island similar to the Z Fold 6. 

In short, it’ll look quite similar to the Z Fold 6, except it’ll be slightly wider and thinner than its predecessor, with a camera array on the back that looks similar to the one found on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. 

Leaker Setsuna Digital also claims that the Fold 7 will include a better screen, an improved hinge, more optimized internal structure, and will feature improvements to water and dust resistance. 

SEE ALSO: Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: Which foldable is best for you? Camera

Speaking of the camera, it too is set to get some sizable upgrades from last year’s Fold. Per Gadget360, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is expected to get the 200 MP main shooter that came on the Galaxy S25 Ultra and the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition, which was exclusive to Korea and China last year. This would be a significant increase in resolution from the 50 MP camera on the Galaxy Z Fold 6. 

Reports also suggest that the Z Fold 7 will get a new under-display camera, which will be located under the internal screen. The specifics of the under-display camera are unknown, but it is expected to be better than the 4 MP camera on the Galaxy Z Fold 6. 

Android Headlines suggests that the Galaxy Z Fold 7 will ultimately house the same camera array that was in the Z Fold 6 Special Edition, which includes a 12 MP ultrawide camera and a 10 MP telephoto camera in addition to the others. 

Specs and battery

The specs are still mostly a mystery, but we can infer a little bit from context here. In 2024, the Fold 6 used the same chipset as the Galaxy S24 Ultra, so it would make sense if the Fold 7 had the same power under the hood as the Galaxy S25 Ultra. 

There aren’t any rumors to suggest this, but unless Samsung goes with a Dimensity chip like its latest tablets or returns to Exynos, the Fold 7 will almost certainly have the same Snapdragon 8 For Galaxy chip as the S25 Ultra. 

Moving around to the back of the device, multiple outlets have reported that Samsung won’t be changing the battery size for 2025. The Fold 7 should come with the same 4,400 mAh battery as the Fold 6 with no demonstrable change in charge speed reported among the leakers. 

S-Pen and others

The S-Pen is rumored to be different for the Fold 7 compared to prior years. Currently, Samsung uses a digitizer to interface with the S-Pen. Rumors from ET News suggest that Samsung will do away with this method and instead use something different. This correlates with the rumor of a thinner Fold since removing the digitizer would allow Samsung to do just that. 

As 9to5Google reports, the removal of the digitizer would allow Samsung to reduce the thickness by up to 0.6mm. S-Pen fans can relax, though, because the pen will still work with the Fold 7. Samsung may just end up using something similar to the Apple Pencil, where the S-Pen itself would be relaying signals to the device instead of using a built-in digitizer to do it. 

There is no word as to whether the Fold 7’s S-Pen will lose Bluetooth functionality like the one on the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but if Samsung does indeed go with something like the Apple Pencil, Bluetooth connectivity should still be intact.

FREE BOOKS: The latest Stuff Your Kindle Day takes place on March 11-16. Fairy Land, hosted by Indie Author Central, offers free fairy-themed books featuring magical worlds.

There isn't much to complain about an event that gives away books for absolutely nothing, but we really love to complain.

Stuff Your Kindle Day is always a great occasion. We're not saying it isn't. But these events usually last 24 hours, which is simply not long enough. What if you're away from a screen enjoying the real world and miss the news? That would be absolutely heartbreaking for all the greedy bookworms out there, patiently waiting for another opportunity to stock up for free.

Fortunately, the latest Stuff Your Kindle Day takes place over a number of days, so you've got plenty of time to peruse your options. And the books that you download are yours to keep forever. The latest Stuff Your Kindle Day is focused on fairy-themed books featuring magical worlds. Fairy Land, hosted by Indie Author Central, is one you won't want to miss.

Want to make the most of Stuff Your Kindle Day? We've lined up everything you need to know about this event.

When is Stuff Your Kindle Day?

The Stuff Your Kindle Day schedule has been absolutely relentless in 2025. In February, Stuff Your Kindle Day took place on Feb. 10, Feb. 14, and Feb. 21, and Feb. 28. And March is following with the same energy. Events have already taken place on March 4 and March 7-10, and now it's the turn of the fairies.

SEE ALSO: The best Kindles in 2025

Until March 16, Fairy Land, hosted by Indie Author Central, is offering free fairy-themed books featuring magical worlds.

Who can take part in Stuff Your Kindle Day?

Anyone can participate in Stuff Your Kindle Day, even if you don't actually own a Kindle.

Kindle, Kobo, and Nook readers can download these books for free. You can even download these books on your preferred app and read them straight from your phone, as you can also find these free titles on the Google Play and Apple Books apps.

Which e-books are free?

Sourcing these free books is made easy thanks to Indie Author Central.

There's a helpful Fairy Land hub page that's live on Indie Author Central. All of the listed books have been discounted to free, $0.99, or made available on Kindle Unlimited or through the author's website. Indie Author Central have sorted the books by content and spice level, with descriptions of what this actually means at the bottom of the page.

Is Stuff Your Kindle Day the same as Amazon Kindle Unlimited?

Everything you download on Stuff Your Kindle Day is yours to keep, and there's no limit on the number of books you can download. Stuff Your Kindle Day downloads don't count towards the 20 books per month that Amazon Kindle Unlimited subscribers can borrow, so don't hold back.

Shop Stuff Your Kindle Day deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Kindle (16GB) + 3 Months of Kindle Unlimited $109.99 at Amazon
$145.96 Save $35.97 Get Deal Why we like it

These super popular e-readers help you take your entire library on the go. With weeks of battery life and an anti-glare display, you can read anywhere and anytime with the Kindle. They start at $109.99, a great price for those on a budget, but if you want to save even more, you can get three months of Kindle Unlimited absolutely free during Stuff Your Kindle Day.

Kindle Unlimited costs $11.99 per month and allows you to borrow up to 20 months per month. For a limited time, you can get three months of Kindle Unlimited for free, saving you $35.97.

Connections is a game from the New York Times that challenges you to find the association between words. It sounds easy, but it isn't—Connections categories can be almost anything, and they're usually quite specific. If you need a hand getting the answers, we've got you covered.

It was a perfect moon landing.

Although no easy feat, Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lander descended in a controlled fashion, and without mishap, to the lunar surface on March 2, becoming the first commercial spacecraft to have a fully successful landing on the moon. And NASA cameras affixed to the bottom of the robotic craft filmed footage of the descent and dusty touchdown.

The NASA instrument, called Stereo Cameras for Lunar-Plume Surface Studies, or (SCALPSS), captured 3,000 frames during the operation. This "first-of-its-kind" imagery will inform future landing missions — both crewed and robotic — about how plumes of moon dust behave as thrusters file into the lunar regolith, and how such plumes impact nearby craft or infrastructure.

SEE ALSO: Why landing a spaceship on the moon is still so challenging

The view shown in the NASA video below begins when the squat Blue Ghost craft — 6.6 feet tall and 11.5 feet wide — is 91 feet, or 28 meters, from the lunar ground.

"As the descent continues, the interaction becomes increasingly complex, with the plumes vigorously kicking up the lunar dust, soil, and rocks — collectively known as regolith," NASA explained. "After touchdown, the thrusters shut off and the dust settles. The lander levels a bit and the lunar terrain beneath and immediately around it becomes visible."

The shadow of the Blue Ghost spacecraft on the lunar surface, with Earth in the distance. Credit: Firefly Aerospace

While this landing went smoothly, landing on the moon still remains daunting, largely because it's a world with virtually no atmosphere to slow spacecraft down. A craft must plummet to the surface almost perfectly, as thrusters fire to slow its descent onto a surface teeming with pits and craters. Although Chinese and Indian craft have had recent landing successes, the U.S. commercial spacecraft Odysseus sustained damage while landing awkwardly in 2024, and another of the company's landers fell to its side in 2025. In 2024, a Japanese craft landed upside down, on its head.

Blue Ghost's mission was funded by NASA as part of its Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, which it hopes will set the stage for a U.S. lunar presence. In the coming years, NASA intends to land astronauts on the moon, too. The space agency currently expects to bring astronauts to the moon in mid-2027, wherein they'll spend a week exploring eerie craters of the moon's resource-rich south pole.

For nearly 76 percent of Americans in 2019, this was a typical workweek: Wake up, get dressed, pile into a car alone, work, drive home, sleep ... and repeat five times.

But starting in March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced many employees who weren't essential workers to switch to internet-enabled remote work, that routine shattered. For many, it would never be the same again. 

While remote work grew gradually in the four decades leading up to the pandemic, it "surged" in 2020, according to a working paper from the U.S. Labor Department. In 2022, after vaccines reduced previously staggering death rates, the U.S. Census reported that the share of American workers driving alone to work was 68.7 percent. On the surface, that is just a 7 percent reduction in solo commuters — but it also represents millions of people no longer driving alone by car twice a day.

While the number of people who take public transit to their workplace or walk or bike there has also shrunk significantly since COVID, the shift to remote work and its related reduction in vehicular miles driven is a rare silver lining of the pandemic.

The average passenger vehicle emits about 400 grams of CO2 per mile, according to the EPA.

Fully remote workers can have a 54 percent lower carbon footprint than onsite workers, according to a 2023 study from Microsoft and Cornell University.

Researchers found that even hybrid workers, those splitting their time between home and office work, contribute to a significant drop in carbon emissions. That makes sense considering the average passenger vehicle emits about 400 grams of CO2 per mile, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Increased home use of computers, phones, and internet services has a negligible effect on carbon emissions, according to the study. Still, the benefits of remote work are not perfectly linear.

The Cornell researchers found that Americans’ personal car usage — such as driving to errands or social events — actually increases the more days they work remotely. Those who work a hybrid schedule often live farther from the office than those fully onsite — so the days they drive, they expend more carbon than those going into the office full-time.

Still, even with those caveats, the reduction in driving from remote work yields environmental benefits for all, regardless of whether they drive to an office every day or not.

Are bosses getting sick of Zoom?

When CEOs like JPMorgan Chase's Jamie Dimon and Tesla's Elon Musk advocate for a return to the office, environmental trade-offs are likely low on their list of considerations.

Dimon, who mandated his employees report to the office five days a week starting this month, hasn’t weighed in on remote work’s carbon effects but did express that in-office workers are good for business.

"I completely respect people that don't want to go to the office all five days a week," Dimon told CNBC last month. "But they should respect that the company is going to decide what's good for the clients, the company, etc., not an individual."

Musk told CNBC that remote work is "messed up" and questioned its morality, saying it was unfair that blue collar workers didn't have the same telework options as their white collar peers. As part of his position at DOGE, and apparently with President Trump’s backing, Musk demanded in February that nearly all federal workers return to their offices full-time.

"Starting this week, those who still fail to return to office will be placed on administrative leave," Musk wrote on X (a website he runs, along with Tesla and SpaceX, mostly remotely).

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

How many people does Musk's mandate effect? A 2024 report from the White House Office of Management and Budget reports that 1.1 million federal workers were eligible for hybrid work, with 228,000 working fully remote (the report appears to be scrubbed from the White House's website, but was previously reported on by Reuters).

The environmental aspect of many of these people getting back into gas-powered cars every day does not appear to be a concern for the Trump administration (the move was probably motivated by a desire for some of these workers to quit). Since federal workers are not limited to the Washington, D.C. area, the environmental ramifications would be felt nationwide.

"Returning federal employees to full-time office work would significantly increase greenhouse gas emissions," Fengqi You, an engineering professor at Cornell University, recently told Euronews. 

Going back to the office? You can reduce your footprint

Even if the federal government and the nation's largest companies aren't interested in reducing emissions, anyone can take individual action. For anyone returning to the office, either by choice or compulsion, there are ways to limit the effect on the environment.

1. Take public transit or walk or bike to work. E-bikes are also a good option for those not ready to commit to pedaling to work every day.

2. There's also carpooling. Nearly 9 percent of American workers were sharing rides to work in 2019; by 2022, that number had rebounded to 8.6 percent after taking a hit during the pandemic.

3. If you do drive solo to work, commit to leaving your car in the work garage or lot during the day. Walk to lunch or errands if possible, which will provide exercise and, in some cases, a Vitamin D boost.

4. Bring snacks, lunch, and reusable utensils and mugs to work. One study found that many office workers believe they use more plastic (forks, spoons, tops of coffee cups) and packaging for their meals than those working and eating from home.

5. When leaving home, shut off all lights and energy sources, including heating and air conditioning units. There's an economic argument for this, not just an environmental one: As the U.S. Department of Energy points out, shutting off lights yields longterm savings and even offers a calculation to figure out how much you could save.