Sam Kriss / New York Times:
A look at various quirks in AI-generated prose, mainly influenced by “overfitting” in AI models, as humans increasingly mimic AI language in writing and speech — If only they were robotic! Instead, chatbots have developed a distinctive — and grating — voice.
Bloomberg:
Short seller Grizzly shorts London-listed Trustpilot, alleging the review site pressures businesses to pay for subscriptions; Trustpilot refutes the claims — Shares in Trustpilot Group Plc had their steepest ever one-day drop after Grizzly Research said it holds a short position and published …
Tyler Kingkade / NBC News:
Parents are pressuring LA Unified, the second-largest US school district, to reduce mandatory student screen time on school-issued iPads and Chromebooks — A growing contingent of public school parents say school-mandated iPads, particularly in elementary and middle schools, are leading to behavior problems.
The Amiga was a great game system in its day, but there were some titles it was just never going to get. Sonic the Hedgehog was one of them– SEGA would never in a million years been willing to port its flagship platformer to another system. Well, SEGA might not in a million years, but [reassembler] has started that process after only thirty four.
Both the SEGA Mega Drive (that’s the Genesis for North Americans) and Amiga have Motorola 68k processors, but that doesn’t mean you can run code from one on the other: the memory maps don’t match, and the way graphics are handled is completely different. The SEGA console uses so-called “chunky” graphics, which is how we do it today. Amiga, on the other hand, is all about the bitplanes; that’s why it didn’t get a DOOM port back in the day, which may-or-may not be what killed the platform.
In this first video of what promises to be a series, [reassembler] takes us through his process of migrating code from the Mega Drive to Amiga, starting specifically with the SEGA loading screen animation, with a preview of the rest of the work to come. While watching someone wrestle with 68k assembler is always interesting, the automation he’s building up to do it with python is the real star here. Once this port is done, that toolkit should really grease the wheels of bringing other Mega Drive titles over.
It should be noted that since the Mega Drive was a 64 colour machine, [reassembler] is targeting the A1200 for his Sonic port, at least to start. He plans to reprocess the graphics for a smaller-palette A500 version once that’s done. That’s good, because it would be a bit odd to have a DOOM-clone for the A500 while being told a platformer like Sonic is too much to ask. If anyone can be trusted to pull this project off, it’s [reassembler], whose OutRun: Amiga Edition is legendary in the retro world, even if we seem to have missed covering it.
If only someone had given us a tip off, hint hint.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Abram Brown / The Information:
Source: Microsoft is in talks to design future custom chips with Broadcom, which would involve Microsoft switching its business from Marvell — Microsoft is in talks to design future custom chips with Broadcom, which would involve Microsoft switching its business from Marvell …
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.
To search.
FRISK
A command.
EDICT
Hold.
GRASP
Fake.
BOGUS
A breast.
BOSOM
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Have you noticed the moon looking a little smaller lately? That's because of where we are in the lunar cycle, a series of the moon's different phases. Right now, we're heading towards the New Moon. Keep reading to find out what this means.
As of Saturday, Dec. 6, the moon phase is Waning Gibbous. This means 96% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation.
If you're looking up with just your naked eye, there's lots to see, in particular the Oceanus Procellarum and the Kepler Crater. With binoculars you'll also be able to spy the Posidonius and Alphonsus craters, as well at the Grimaldi Basin. And with a telescope, you can catch a glimpse of the Apollo 11 and 12 landing spots and the Linne Crater.
The next full moon will be on Jan. 3.
NASA explains that the lunar cycle (which is about 29.5 days long) is made up of the Moon’s phases, which describe how the Moon looks from Earth as it travels around us. We view the same side of the Moon at all times, but the sunlight hitting its surface shifts as it moves through its orbit. That changing illumination is what makes the Moon appear full, half-lit, or not visible at all. The cycle includes eight distinct phases:
New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).
Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).
First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.
Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.
Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.
Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)
Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.
Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.
Choosing the right tool for multiple jobs can be tough. There are countless brands to choose from, and each one offers hundreds of tools with various models that often look identical. Earlier this year, I finally bought a Ryobi High-Torque Impact Wrench, and not only is it the tool upgrade I needed, but it's something everyone should own.
Jyoti Mann / Business Insider:
Leaked memos: Meta is delaying the release of its MR glasses codenamed “Phoenix” from H2 2026 to H1 2027 for “more breathing room to get the details right” — - Meta delays the release of its “Phoenix” mixed reality glasses to 2027, aiming to “get the details right.”
Like many classic board games, Ludo offers its players numerous opportunities to inflict frustration on other players. Despite this, [Viktor Takacs] apparently enjoys it, which motivated him to build a thoroughly modernized, LED-based, WiFi-enabled game board for it (GitHub repository).
The new game board is built inside a stylish 3D-printed enclosure with a thin white front face, under which the 115 LEDs sit. Seven LEDs in the center represent a die, and the rest mark out the track around the board and each user’s home row. Up to six people can play on the board, and different colors of the LEDs along the track represent their tokens’ positions. To prevent light leaks, a black plastic barrier surrounds each LED. Each player has one button to control their pieces, with a combination of long and short presses serving to select one of the possible actions.
The electronics themselves are mounted on seven circuit boards, which were divided into sections to reduce their size and therefore their manufacturing cost. For component placement reasons, [Viktor] used a barrel connector instead of USB, but for more general compatibility also created an adapter from USB-C to a barrel plug. The board is controlled by an ESP32-S3, which hosts a server that can be used to set game rules, configure player colors, save and load games, and view statistics for the game (who rolled the most sixes, who sent other players home most often, etc.).
If you prefer your games a bit more complex, we’ve also seen electronics added to Settlers of Catan. On a rather larger scale, there is also this LED-based board game which invites humans onto the board itself.
Thanks to [Victoria Bei] for the tip!
The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you love animated films.
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.
The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: Typical
Green: To appease
Blue: Famous cartoons
Purple: Reptiles and amphibians
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Norm
Green: Mollify
Blue: Member of a titular group in an animation franchise
Purple: Starting with herpetofauna
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 #909 is...
Norm: AVERAGE, MEAN, PAR, STANDARD
Mollify: COOL, MODERATE, SETTLE, TEMPER
Member of a titular group in an animation franchise: CAR, INCREDIBLE, MINION, MONSTER
Starting with herpetofauna: ADDERALL, MONITORSHIP, NEWTON, TOADY
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? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.
Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you love fantasy books.
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.
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.
The words are related to fantasy.
These words describe "The Lord of the Rings."
Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.
Today's spangram is Middle Earth.
Wizard
Forest
Hobbit
Middle Earth
Quest
Dwarf
Ring
Shire
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.
Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.
Released in August 2025, the Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.
Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move onto the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.
If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity for how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.
The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible – and common – for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.
Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:
Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.
Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.
Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.
Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.
Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.
If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.
Number (12): Everything in this space must add up to 12. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically; 6-4, placed horizontally.
Less Than (5): Everything in this space must be less than 5. The answer is 6-4, placed horizontally.
Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 3-3, placed vertically.
Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically.
Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 6-5, placed vertically; 4-4, placed vertically.
Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 6-5, placed vertically; 0-0, placed horizontally.
Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 5-5, placed vertically.
Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 1-0, placed vertically; 2-2, placed vertically.
Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 3-3, placed vertically; 3-1, placed horizontally.
Less Than (5): Everything in this space must be less than 5. The answer is 4-5, placed horizontally.
Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 4-5, placed horizontally.
Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 0-4, placed vertically.
Greater Than (1): Everything in this light blue space must be greater than 1. The answer is 0-6, placed vertically.
Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 0-2, placed vertically; 1-4, placed horizontally.
Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 0-2, placed vertically.
Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 1-4, placed vertically; 6-6, placed vertically.
Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 6-6, placed vertically; 1-2, placed horizontally.
Greater Than (1): Everything in this green space must be greater than 1. The answer is 5-3, placed vertically.
Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 1-2, placed horizontally; 1-0, placed vertically.
Equal (3): Everything in this red space must be equal to 3. The answer is 5-3, placed vertically; 0-3, placed horizontally.
Equal (0): Everything in this light blue space must be equal to 0. The answer is 0-3, placed horizontally; 0-4, placed vertically.
Equal (4): Everything in this yellow space must be equal to 4. The answer is 0-4, placed vertically; 4-4, placed horizontally; 5-4, placed vertically.
Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 0-0, 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.
Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easy if you know your Joes.
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.
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.
Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Yellow: Sports teams
Green: Schools
Blue: Legends
Purple: Alliterative strategy
Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:
Yellow: Pro teams whose names start with D
Green: Division I colleges
Blue: Basketball hall of famers
Purple: Five Ds of Dodgeball
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 #439 is...
Pro teams whose names start with D - DEVILS, DIAMONDBACKS, DOLPHINS, DREAM
Division I colleges - DARTMOUTH, DAYTON, DEPAUL, DUKE
Basketball hall of famers - DIVAC, DONOVAN, DREXLER, DUNCAN
Five Ds of Dodgeball - DIP, DIVE, DODGE, DUCK
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.
Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're a belly dancer.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Midsection.
There are no recurring letters.
Today's Wordle starts with the letter W.
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...
WAIST
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.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
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