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Standalone USB-PD Stack For All Your Sink Needs

USB PD is a fun protocol to explore, but it can be a bit complex to fully implement. It makes sense we’re seeing new stacks pop up all the time, and today’s stack is a cool one as far as code reusability goes. [Vitaly] over on Hackaday.io brings us pdsink – a C++ based PD stack with no platform dependencies, and fully-featured sink capabilities.

This stack can do SPR (5/9/15/20V) just like you’d expect, but it also does PPS without breaking a sweat – perfect for your Lithium Ion battery charging or any other current-limited shenanigans. What’s more, it can do EPR (28V and up) – for all your high-power needs. For reference, the SPR/PPS/EPR combination is all you could need from a PD stack intended for fully taking advantage of any USB-PD charger’s capabilities. The stack is currently tailored to the classic FUSB302, but [Vitaly] says it wouldn’t be hard to add support for a PD PHY chip of your choice.

It’s nice to have a choice in how you want your PD interactions to go – we’ve covered a few stacks before, and each of them has strong and weak sides. Now, if you have the CPU bandwidth, you could go seriously low-tech and talk PD with just a few resistors, transistors, and GPIOs! Need to debug a particular USB-C edge case? Don’t forget a logger.

Here’s Why XRP Positions Itself As Treasury-Grade Rail For Institutions Moving Trillions

The narrative around XRP has definitively moved past the era of pure retail speculation. While the global financial system is accelerating its transition to real-time settlement, XRP is emerging as a contender for enterprise-level treasury flows. As Ripple’s institutional network continues to expand, the altcoin is stepping into a role where digital assets can enhance liquidity management and power the next generation of global value transfer.

Why RippleNet’s Expanding Network Drives Enterprise Confidence

The bearish view of XRP is clouding the bigger transformation happening behind the scenes. Analyst Xfinancebull has mentioned on X that XRP is embedding itself into the financial engines where global treasury systems teams move trillions. With the GTreasury acquisition, Ripple gains access to the operational layer where $12.5 trillion in enterprise liquidity flows.

This is about the altcoin becoming a native rail inside the financial command centers of over 1,000 multinational giants where trillions move. Treasury teams move real money, not just $100 payments, but payroll, supply chain financing, and liquidity management across continents.Β 

The XRP niche is that it moves trillions fast, 24/7, across borders. Meanwhile, Ripple now controls the infrastructure platform that interacts with BNY Mellon to move trillions and automates finance at scale.

According to Xfinancebull, the token goes from a speculative asset to invisible plumbing. This shift doesn’t make the front-page headlines, but it moves everything behind them. Most analysts won’t notice that this has unlocked the token to become a standard settlement rail in the GTreasury automation stack, making its utility broader, invisible, and massive.

Founder of Lux Lions NFT and host of the crypto Blitz YouTube show, RipBullWinkle, stated that the Federal Reserve has officially halted its Quantitative Tightening (QT) measures, ending the two-year liquidity drain that weighed down the entire crypto sector.Β 

Vanguard, the world’s second-largest asset manager with $11 trillion in AUM, has reversed course and will now allow clients to have access to the regulated crypto ETFs. This single move clears the path for trillions in passive capital, a macro environment of liquidity, compliance, and global settlement that XRP is engineered for.Β 

How XRP Defies The Market Slump With A Rare Positive Performance

While the crypto market has been struggling to find its footing, an observer and researcher of the current tech shift, SMQKE, has noted that WisdomTree data shows that XRP is the only major cryptocurrency posting positive year-to-date returns in 2025. On a year-to-date basis, where the broader markets were pulling back, the altcoin has stood out as the lone performer, holding onto a modest +4% gain year-to-date.

In a challenging year for most large-cap digital assets, it has emerged as the top-tier asset with a positive year-to-date performance. Even after experiencing drawdowns in line with the broader market during Q4, XRP has demonstrated remarkable relative resilience and remains up +4% YTD and +12% over the past 12 months.

XRP

NYT Pips hints, answers for December 7, 2025

A phone with the Pips logo.

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

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

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

How to play Pips

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

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.

Easy difficulty hints, answers for Dec. 7 Pips

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 0-4, placed horizontally; 4-4, placed vertically; 4-6, placed horizontally.

Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 4-6, placed horizontally; 0-3, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 0-3, placed horizontally; 1-5, placed horizontally.

Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 0-1, placed horizontally; 1-5, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for Dec. 7 Pips

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 0-3, placed horizontally.

Equal (3): Everything in this red space must be equal to 3. The answer is 0-3, placed horizontally; 3-3, placed vertically.

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

Not Equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically; 1-6, placed horizontally; 5-4, placed vertically.

Less Than (5): Everything in this space must be less than 5. The answer is 5-4, placed vertically

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 0-6, placed horizontally.

Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 0-6, placed horizontally; 0-0, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for Dec. 7 Pips

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

Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 3-6, placed vertically.

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

Greater Than (15): Everything in this space must be greater than 15. The answer is 3-6, placed vertically; 2-6, placed vertically; 6-0, placed vertically.

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

Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 6-0, placed vertically; 2-0, placed vertically; 5-0, placed horizontally; 0-4, placed horizontally.

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

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

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

Number (4): Everything in this dark blue space must add up to 4. The answer is 0-4, placed horizontally.

Not Equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 4-4, placed vertically; 2-2, placed vertically; 5-1, placed horizontally.

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

NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for December 7, 2025

A phone displaying the New York Times game 'Connections.'

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easy if you know your baseball parks.

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 β€” 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.

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 β€” 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: Accident

  • Green: Ballparks

  • Blue: Legends in the snow

  • Purple: Black and White

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

  • Yellow: Mistake

  • Green: MLB Stadium Names

  • Blue: Famous American Alpine Skiers

  • Purple: Teams That Wear Black and White

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 #440 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

  • Mistake - BLUNDER, ERROR, FLUB, HOWLER

  • MLB Stadium Names - BUSCH, COORS, FENWAY, NATIONALS

  • Famous American Alpine Skiers - MILLER, SHIFFRIN, STREET, VONN

  • Teams That Wear Black and White - JUVENTUS, NETS, NEWCASTLE, WHITE SOX

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.

NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for December 7, 2025

Connections game on a smartphone

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you're a meateater.

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 trickierβ€”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.

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 mistakeβ€”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 categories

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

  • Yellow: To move quickly

  • Green: Parts of an animal

  • Blue: Heard in the shop

  • Purple: Spanish terms

Here are today's Connections categories

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

  • Yellow: Move at breakneck speed

  • Green: Organ meats

  • Blue: Woodworking joint terms

  • Purple: El ___

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 #910 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

  • Move at breakneck speed: BARREL, BOLT, HURTLE, TEAR

  • Organ meats: GIZZARD, HEART, TONGUE, TRIPE

  • Woodworking joint terms: DADO, DOVETAIL, MITRE, MORTISE

  • El ___: CAPITAN, DORADO, GRECO, PASO

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.

NYT Strands hints, answers for December 7, 2025

A game being played on a smartphone.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you love to pamper yourself.

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 β€” 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.

NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: You're styling!

The words are related to cosmetics.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe grooming treatments.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Beauty Salon.

NYT Strands word list for December 7

  • Facial

  • Extensions

  • Beauty Salon

  • Waxing

  • Haircut

  • Braiding

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.

Wordle today: Answer, hints for December 7, 2025

Wordle game on a smartphone

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're an instrumentalist.

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.

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.Β 

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.

Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A wind instrument.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter F.

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...

FLUTE

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.

Bitcoin Structure Tightens: One Break Above This Zone Could Ignite A Run To $107,000

Bitcoin finds itself at a critical crossroads, hovering between two major price zones that could define its next big move. Buyers and sellers are locked in a tight battle, and the market now waits for a decisive break. A push above key resistance could open the door to $107,000, while weakness at support risks a deeper slide toward $71,000.

Bounce Scenario: A Return Toward The Pink Box And Descending Trendline

Kamile Uray, in her latest update on Bitcoin, noted that BTC failed to hold above the $90,720 level on the hourly chart, triggering the expected decline. The first immediate support now sits at $87,644, while the deeper support range lies between $83,822 and $82,477. If buyers defend this zone successfully, Bitcoin could attempt another climb toward the pink box region and retest the descending trendline overhead.

Uray explained that a sustained move above the pink box resistance on the daily timeframe would open the door for Bitcoin to challenge the descending blue trendline. A confirmed breakout from this area could strengthen bullish momentum, pushing the price toward the next major resistance levels at $98,200 and $107,500. A break above $107,500 alongside the descending trendline would serve as a strong signal that the broader uptrend is ready to continue.

Bitcoin

However, she warned that a daily close below $82,477 would shift the market structure toward further weakness, placing Bitcoin at risk of revisiting lower levels. Even so, Uray highlighted one critical area of strength: the $74,496–$71,237 zone. This region represents the key breakout top from November 2024 and is considered a strong historical support. In this area, buyers may step in aggressively, potentially setting the stage for an upward reversal.

Bitcoin Price Rejection At $93,000–$95,000 Zone

According to Crypto Candy, Bitcoin’s latest price action has been unfolding precisely in line with expectations. After facing rejection in the $93,000–$95,000 resistance zone, BTC dipped sharply and nearly touched the anticipated support range at $86,000–$87,500. This move reflects the broader market’s reaction to heavy selling pressure near the upper resistance band.

Crypto Candy emphasized that the $86,000–$87,500 zone now serves as a crucial pivot area. If buyers successfully defend this support and the price stabilizes above it, Bitcoin could once again revisit the $93,000–$95,000 range, or even push beyond it.

Such a rebound would signal renewed bullish momentum and set the stage for another attempt at breaking higher resistance levels. However, the analyst also warned that failure to hold the $86,000–$87,500 support could trigger deeper downside movement. If the level gives way, Bitcoin may slide to lower price zones in the coming days as bearish pressure strengthens.

Bitcoin

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