Blogroll

The eternal fight between light and dark may have just ended, and darkness won. At least on Android.

According to Android Authority, there's a hidden setting in an Android 14 beta that was released in January, allowing you to "make all apps dark."

Yes, this means users should be able to force all apps into dark mode, even those which don't natively support it, thus making the darkening of their Android phones complete. As a long-time dark mode connoisseur, I use it whenever possible, and I avert my eyes in pain from any app that blinds me with anything lighter than a very dark grey.

The setting, which resides in Settings -> System -> Developer option, is described as follows: "Applies to apps without their own dark theme. Some apps may have display issues, like inverted colors."

This is similar to an existing developer option that also applies a dark theme to all apps, but developers can opt out of that one. Likewise, there's an option to invert colors in the Accessibility settings, but that one often has odd results.

The new setting looks to be something intended for users, not developers, and it has better results, though according to Android Authority, which has a gallery of apps with forcefully applied dark mode, it's still not perfect.

SEE ALSO: Android 15: The tech used for Google Pay may be used to charge your devices

The feature isn't available in the latest Android 15 beta, but it's likely to show up in a future release, possibly during Google I/O 2024, scheduled for May 14.

Threads, which is growing in numbers, is expanding on its features too.

The app, flagged as a rival of X (Twitter) since it launched, has announced an elevated "hidden words" feature. Previously, the feature allowed people to filter out "unwanted content" from replies on Threads. But now, users can filter out words, phrases, and even emoji from their feeds.

These will then be automatically muted across Threads – from both "following" and "for you" feeds, in addition to search results, replies to posts, and profiles.

Post by @mosseri View on Threads

Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri announced the update on Threads, writing, "I hope these features give you more control over your experience on Threads and help keep it a place for positive conversation."

Mosseri also teased forthcoming updates to the app, which is currently being tested: controlling who can quote reply to posts on Threads, and the ability to mute notifications on posts.

These guardrails are important for any wide-reaching social networking app. Threads has already struggled with a hate-speech problem, including allegedly rampant transphobic, Islamophobic and anti-abortion posts on the app. The Meta-owned app has launched its own fact-checkers to combat issues like misinformation, and it seems like their latest updates are also an effort to give Threads users a more positive experience.

Threads has generally been playing around with how people view content on the platform, with a recently-launched trending topics feature, for instance. Still, chronological search results – a highly-request update – won't be coming to the app anytime soon.

Acerbic and bleakly funny, Joanna Arnow's feature debut is as intentionally awkward and opaque as its mouthful of a title: The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed. At once overstated in its dialogue and restrained in its visual style, it follows a thirty-something Brooklyn woman through a series of sexual encounters and situationships, as she tries to find what satisfies her — in bed, and in life.

The film's withholding nature makes for a perfect handshake with its glum protagonist — played by Arnow herself — whose disconnect from the world around her motivates amusing aesthetic turns. Tonally, it's a work that consistently simmers on a medium flame, underscored by a purposeful sense of millennial dissatisfaction.

SEE ALSO: 'Big Mood' review: A brilliant dramedy that captures friendship and mental health in all its messiness

It's also incredibly frank with its depictions of kink and sexuality. It presents physical intimacy as an act so casual — even unremarkable — that its sex scenes and plentiful, full-frontal nudity harbor not even an ounce of trepidation or shame. The result is a relaxing, remarkably self-assured film about uncertainty.

Credit: Magnolia Pictures What is The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed about?

The film opens with Ann (Arnow), a mostly quiet and assuming woman, lying naked in bed with Allen (Scott Cohen), an older man she's been involved with for a decade. Despite the longevity of their affair, she hasn't found the right sexual rhythm with him, or a rhythm of any sort. Their conversations are brief and blunt, and while their sexual escapades involve experimental powerplay and complicated instructions, nothing he does seems to work for her.

Ann has a vague idea of what she wants — to be dominated with passion — but specificity, and being brought to orgasm by a sexual partner, always seem to elude her. This lack of spark and excitement bleeds into her everyday interactions, whether with her coworkers at her mundane office job, or her overbearing Jewish family, with whom she doesn't really click. She doesn't talk as much as they do, nor does she seem to really listen (a flaw of which she subtly accuses Allen without recognizing it in herself).

Across the film's 87 minutes — divided into 5 chapters, whose names become a running gag — she begins seeing numerous different partners in an effort to find a new "master," each more neurotic than the last, until she finds a man with whom she's comfortable. Along the way, she becomes a willing participant in various humiliation rituals, sexual encounters the movie mirrors with her attempts to reconnect with her much more outgoing and well-adjusted older sister. In either case, something's missing, and until she finds what that is, The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed takes on a languid appearance, with filmmaking and comic timing that verge on the absurd.

Credit: Magnolia Pictures Joanna Arnow's filmmaking is precise and absurd

Nearly the entire movie is filmed at a distance, using carefully crafted long and medium shots that capture Ann's movement within space. The camera almost never moves, allowing life — in all its idiosyncratic hues — to play out uninterrupted.

Arnow, who also wrote and edited the film, proves herself a singular voice with the way she crafts each scene: purposefully and unconventionally. Whether a mechanical sex scene, or an equally humdrum conversation, she drops the audience in the middle of ongoing physical, verbal and emotional transitions, and cuts away as soon the central point of a scene — its emotional essence — has come to the fore.

This gives the film a feeling of weightlessness despite its gloomy tone, as though it were a stone casually skipping across a pond. Few debut features have been this downright easy to watch, welcoming viewers with open arms into Arnow's world of sexual self-discovery, in which she spends nearly every scene completely naked.

There isn't a wide range of emotional or aesthetic contrast from start to finish, though that's sort of the point. However, when Ann's rut becomes more intense and inescapable, the film too begins to feel like a ticking clock, going back and forth between sex scenes, work conversations, and uneventful family dinners faster and faster, as though they were fleeting obligations.

But when Ann finally meets Chris (Babak Tafti), a sweet man who doesn't quite share the same sexual interests, but is much more interested in her as a person, the film finally switches gears, albeit ever so slightly. It seems to gain its missing spark in the form of establishing shots of the bustling city, the occasional close-up, and dialogue that sounds at least partially (if not fully) engaged, rather than the monotone delivery that has defined each interaction thus far.

It's hardly the kind of movie where time stands still, or where its quiet absurdism gives way to some euphoric formal sweep. But there's a noticeable enough injection of energy, when Ann and Chris connect, that it introduces the possibility of some phantom happiness — not necessarily within immediate reach, but somewhere on the horizon.

A major reason this transition works, however, is the film's performances, which Arnow both leads and directs with clear-cut vision akin to Greek Weird Wave virtuosos like Christos Nikou and Yorgos Lanthimos.

Credit: Magnolia Pictures Joanna Arnow delivers a fine-tuned, vulnerable performance

As Ann, Arnow turns inward, playing each emotion close to her naked chest, and burying it under the kind of uncertainty that has festered so long that it's become an unremarkable equilibrium. Though she didn't originally write the role for herself, it's hard to imagine anyone else embodying it so completely, with a sense of complete physical comfort in front of the camera, and a commitment to the kind of laconic line delivery that runs the risk of feeling robotic.

The film's performances, across the board, often ride all the way up to that line, with awkward spoken dialogue that lack contractions or colloquialisms, but are imbued with sharp intention. The silent gaps between each line result in scenes feeling as though they've been sapped of all urgency and passion, leaving behind a depressed husk of a woman who drifts between work and home and family, in search of some missing part of herself.

When she finally seems to find this missing piece, Arnow's performance (along with Tafti's) is ever-so-subtly modulated in tone. Ann and Chris, unlike so many other characters in the film, feel engaged — with each other, and with their surroundings — and fill the silences not with animus, but with a subtle sense of comfort and contentment. It's a wry film about little victories, told through a brusque tale of sexual experimentation, and finding oneself incrementally through the fog of daily existence.

How to watch: The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed is in theatres from April 26.

With organizations facing increased urgency and unpredictability, being able to ask smart questions has become a key leadership skill—especially when setting strategy. Here are five types of questions to ask that can boost strategic decision-making. Investigative: What’s Known? When facing a problem or opportunity, the best decision-makers start by clarifying their purpose, asking themselves what […]

257257

TL;DR: A lifetime subscription to Headway Premium is on sale for £48.51, saving you 80% on list price.

Headway Premium is a mobile app that provides fun and easy self-growth within 15-minute bite-sized nonfiction book summaries. Now you can get a lifetime of advice with Headway Premium for just £48.51 for a limited time.

Unfortunately, many people are caught up in busy lives, and making time to sit down and read a 300-page book may not be realistic for some of us. That’s where Headway comes in. You’ll gain access to a library of insight with over 1,5000 summaries and up to 50 new summaries added each month to help you streamline your learning process and become better with every read. From personal development and health insights to business strategies, Headway has a world of knowledge right at your fingertips.

If you’re unsure of where to begin, that’s okay. Headway offers a customised approach to learning, picking content according to your specific goals and needs. It also provides thousands of bite-sized actionable insights and tips to help you progress in your 2024 goals, whatever they may be. The Headway app helps users worldwide feel motivated, learn, and do more by making it easy to track your progress, collect achievements, and get positive reinforcement to keep you motivated all year long.

With over 15 million downloads worldwide, Headway has been recognised as App of the Day on the U.S. App Store four times in a row and Apple Editors’ Choice. 

Create a sustainable self-growth habit in a format that works best for you. Watch, listen, and read your way to self-improvement with a lifetime subscription to Headway Premium for only £48.51.

Opens in a new window Credit: Headway Premium Headway Premium (Lifetime Subscription) £48.51 at the Mashable Shop Get Deal

TL;DR: Watch Kolkata Knight Riders vs. Punjab Kings in the IPL for free on JioCinema. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2024 IPL season is in full swing, and as we approach the fourth week of matches, who's next in line?

Cricket enthusiasts will be eagerly awaiting the next fixture as the Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings will soon take to the pitch. Fans can expect to see players such as Shreyas Iyer and Shikhar Dhawan in the lineup for the 42nd match of the season.

Hooked on the action? Don't worry, you can watch all the IPL games including Kolkata Knight Riders vs. Punjab Kings for free from anywhere in the world. Keep reading to find out how.

When is Kolkata Knight Riders vs. Punjab Kings?

Kolkata Knight Riders vs. Punjab Kings starts at 3 p.m. BST on April 26. This fixture will be played at the Eden Gardens cricket stadium in Kolkata, India.

How to watch Kolkata Knight Riders vs. Punjab Kings for free

JioCinema is giving you the chance to live stream every IPL cricket match this season in 4K resolution on its app, for free.

JioCinema is geo-restricted to India, but by using a VPN, you can bypass this geo-restriction. VPNs can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in India, meaning you can access JioCinema from anywhere in the world.

Unblock JioCinema to stream the IPL 2024 by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

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

4. Visit JioCinema (you will need an Indian phone number to subscribe)

5. Watch Kolkata Knight Riders vs. Punjab Kings for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) Learn More

Most of the best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By utilizing these offers, you can watch IPL live streams without parting with your cash. This isn't a long-term solution, but it does mean you can watch your favorite IPL fixtures for free.

What is the best VPN for JioCinema?

ExpressVPN is the best service for unblocking JioCinema, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including India

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for £82.82 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Stream the IPL for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Watch the 2024 MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix for free on ServusTV. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

We'll let you in on a little secret: MotoGP is where the really fun racing can be found. Sure, F1 gets most of the attention. But MotoGP is far less predictable and a whole lot more fun. If you're into watching extremely talented riders constantly swapping positions on very fast bikes, you should check out MotoGP.

If you're interested in watching the 2024 MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix, we've got all the information you need.

When is the 2024 MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix?

The MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix takes place at the Circuito de Jerez - Ángel Nieto. The 2024 MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix race starts at 8 a.m. ET / 1 p.m. BST on April 28.

How to watch the 2024 MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix for free

Every MotoGP 2024 race is available to live stream for free on ServusTV.

ServusTV is geo-restricted to Austria, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Austria, meaning you can bypass geo-restrictions to access ServusTV from anywhere in the world.

Unblock ServusTV by following this simple process:

1. Sign up for a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

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

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

4. Connect to ServusTV

5. Watch MotoGP for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) $99.95 at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch MotoGP live streams without fully committing with your cash. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does mean you can watch the 2024 MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix without actually spending anything.

If you want to retain permanent access to the best free streaming platforms from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for MotoGP?

ExpressVPN is the top choice for unblocking free streaming platforms like ServusTV, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Austria

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is protected

• Fast streaming speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Watch the 2024 MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Stream Real Sociedad vs. Real Madrid in La Liga for free on ITVX. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Real Madrid haven't been officially confirmed as La Liga champions just yet, but a few more wins should do the job. Next up for Carlo Ancelotti's side is a trip to San Sebastián to play Real Sociedad. It's not going to be an easy game, but any team with Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, Kroos, and so many more stars will always be favorites.

If you want to watch Real Sociedad vs. Real Madrid for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Real Sociedad vs. Real Madrid?

Real Sociedad vs. Real Madrid kicks off at 3 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. BST on April 26. This fixture takes place at the Anoeta Stadium in San Sebastián, Spain.

How to watch Real Sociedad vs. Real Madrid for free

Real Sociedad vs. Real Madrid will be broadcast live on ITV4, with free live streaming available on ITVX.

ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK. This process makes it look like you're connecting from the UK, so you can access ITVX from anywhere in the world.

Unblock ITVX by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Visit ITVX

5. Stream Real Sociedad vs. Real Madrid for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) $99.95 at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By making the most of these offers, you can gain access to ITVX without actually spending anything. This is not a long-term solution, but it gives you plenty of time to stream Real Sociedad vs. Real Madrid in La Liga before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for ITVX?

ExpressVPN is the best service for streaming live sport on ITVX, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Stream Real Sociedad vs. Real Madrid in La Liga for free with ExpressVPN.

Shopping and sex toys. Those are two distinct avenues of pleasure that don't always go hand-in-hand. For starters, there's a massive embarrassment factor when shopping for sex toys. Which is why it's probably easier to buy your sex toys online, where it's much easier to stay anonymous. Thanks to Amazon then — a one-stop shop whether you're buying books, toys, clothes, or a mega-powered rabbit vibrator.

Indeed, there are stacks of options on Amazon for solo play, couples, long-distance love, and everything else. And, as you can probably imagine, these sex toys come in every size, shape, and style possible. But where do you start? Right here, that's where.

In other words, we've tried to take the stress out of sex toy shopping by researching the Amazon listings and reading a whole lot of reviews. With this wealth of knowledge, we've attempted to answer some of the most important questions you should ask yourself before beginning the purchasing process.

What are the benefits of using sex toys?

Sex toys are for everyone. Whether you're avoiding the dating scene and focusing on yourself, looking for something to spice up things with your partner, or simply looking for some fun. Sex toys can help. There's a massive range of plugs, vibrators, rabbits, rings, and much more out there to satisfy every need and desire.

According to research published in the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, 36% of women require sustained clitoral stimulation to orgasm. This means a sex toy may be the difference between an unfulfilled and satisfactory sex life.

Also, there are plenty of devices that can help with erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation. What we're saying is that while we shouldn't forget that sex toys are primarily designed for fun, they can also provide serious benefits to sexual health.

How do you choose a sex toy?

Shopping for a sex toy is not a task to take lightly. You’re buying something that’ll go inside, around, and on your most intimate bits. You should always do your homework before investing in anything. Start by keeping the following factors in mind:

• Power supply — It's important to be aware of whether your sex toy of choice is battery powered or USB rechargeable. Both options are good for portability, but the latter saves you the hassle of stocking up on batteries.

• Price — There is something for every budget out there, with budget-friendly sex toys and premium models to consider. You just need to find something that performs where it counts without breaking the bank.

• Sound — This goes without saying, but you should think about how much noise your sex toy is going to make, especially if you live with family or friends. We don't want any embarrassing moments because your new toy can be clearly heard through the walls.

• Type — There are a lot of options out there, with everything from rabbits to bullet vibrators to consider. The wealth of options can be intimidating, so it's best to start off by thinking about what turns you or your partner on. It's not complicated.

• Water resistance — If you're hoping to use your sex toy in the shower or bath, you'll need to find something that is waterproof. Fortunately, there are plenty of options.

Keep these factors in mind when shopping around for your next sex toy.

What is the best sex toy?

We’re not here to tell you which sex toy should be at the top of your list. Instead, we’re here to lend a helping hand, so to speak. To make your life even easier, all of these sex toys are available on Amazon.

These are the best sex toys in 2024.

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 April 26'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. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

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

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 used to be available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it. Unfortunately, it has since been taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times.

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:

Self-obsessed.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no letters that appear twice.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter V.

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 Wordle #1042 is...

VAPID.

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.

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

Connections is the latest New York Times word game 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 April 26'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.

Tweet may have been deleted

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.

Tweet may have been deleted

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

• Yellow: Stuffy Downton Abbey vibes

• Green: Nautre's skin toner

• Blue: Heart to heart

• Purple: Words that are also numbers

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: Refined Sensibility

• Green: Catch Some Rays

• Blue: Emotionally Sway

• Purple: Numbers with First Letters Replaced by "S"

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to Connections #320 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Refined Sensibility: ELEGANCE, GRACE, STYLE, TASTE

• Catch Some Rays: BAKE, BASK, SUN, TAN

• Emotionally Sway: AFFECT, IMPACT, MOVE, TOUCH

• Numbers with First Letters Replaced by "S": SEN, SIGHT, SINE, SOUR

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.

Is this not the Connections game you were looking for? Here are the hints and answers to yesterday's Connections.

People usually want to make sure their iPhones and other Apple devices are extremely easy to find should they ever get misplaced.

But the Find My iPhone feature isn't always for everyone, and you might want to turn it off.

Find My iPhone is Apple's way of helping you locate your lost or misplaced phone, even if the device is offline. (Huge!) By accessing the Find My feature in Settings, using the Find My app, or using Find My on iCloud.com, you can find your lost or misplaced devices and easily share locations with friends and family members.

There are clear benefits to utilizing the technologically advanced feature, but if you're concerned about privacy and location sharing, are getting rid of your phone, or want to disable the feature for whatever reason, you can easily turn it off. As Apple notes, just keep in mind that when Find My iPhone is disabled, you'll no longer be able to use it to locate, lock, or erase your device.

If you're set in your decision and want to temporarily (or permanently) disable Find My iPhone, here's how to do so.

1. Locate "Find My" in your phone's settings

Before you can turn off Find My iPhone, you'll need to locate Find My on your phone. You can do this by making your way to "Settings," clicking on your name and selecting the "Find My" option.

Click, click, click. Credit: mashable composite: screenshot / apple 2. Click "Find My iPhone" to turn off individual features

Once you've selected "Find My," you'll have the ability to disable "Find My iPhone" and "Find My Network" by switching their corresponding toggles from green to gray. Gray means you have turned off the Find My features.

If you're still curious, you can learn more about the Find My feature and related privacy perks by selecting the blue "About Find My & Privacy..." link located under "Find My iPhone."

If you've decided you do want to turn off Find My iPhone, once you tap the toggle you'll be asked to input your Apple ID password for safety reasons. Before you can turn off Find My network, you'll also be asked if you really want to lose the ability to find your device when it's not connected to WiFi or cellular. From there, you should have successfully turned off the Find My features selected.

How to find "Find My" Credit: mashable composite: screenshot / apple

This turn-off method should work on any device using iOS 13 or later. But if your device is on iOS 12 or earlier, you'll go to Settings, click your name, then select "iCloud." There, you'll be able to turn off Find My after entering your Apple ID password.

3. Turn off "Find My" by disabling iCloud

Another way to turn off the Find My feature is by turning off iCloud. You can do this by going to Settings, clicking your name, and selecting "iCloud." Then, switch the toggles for all iCloud features from on (green) to off (gray). This method turns off Find My features in one fell swoop by turning off all iCloud features.

Individually turn off iCloud settings. Credit: mashable composite: screenshot / apple 4. Permanently turn off "Find My" for a device

Let's say you got a new phone, traded in your old one, or gave it to a pal. Whatever the scenario may be, the point is, that you no longer need to keep tabs on that particular device. If that's the case, you'll want to turn off Find My and remove the phone from your Devices list. (When this happens, Activation Lock is also disabled.)

If you want to permanently turn off Find My for your phone, you can head to iCloud.com and remove it using your account. You can also search for the app by typing "Find My" into your phone's search bar. Select the app, click "Devices," tap the device you want to remove and click "Erase This Device." Then, say farewell to your old friend.

Time to open the Find My app Credit: mashable composite: screenshot / apple 5. Turning off "Find My" on an iPad, iPod Touch, Apple Watch, Mac, AirPods, or Beats product

If you're reading this article, you're likely searching for ways to turn off Find My on an iPhone, but have you considered disabling the feature on your other devices as well? Here's a rundown on how to disable Find My on your iPad, iPod Touch, Apple Watch, Mac, AirPods, or Beats product:

Disabling "Find My" on an iPad or iPod Touch

• If you're ever looking to turn off Find My on an iPad or iPod Touch, we've got great news: The instructions are the same as they are for the iPhone, so you're already a pro.

Disabling "Find My" on a Mac

• To turn off Find My on your Mac you'll need to navigate to the trusty Apple menu in the upper lefthand corner of your screen. If you have macOS 10.15 or later select System Preferences, click your Apple ID, select "iCloud," and unselect "Find My Mac." (If you have macOS 10.14 or earlier, you'll just click "iCloud," then deselect "Find My Mac.")

Apple has more info on turning off Find My on devices such as an Apple Watch, AirPods, and Beats products.

Related Video: 5 game-changing iPhone hacks for 2021

The grind never stops for rapper I.M, who is currently preparing for a summer tour across Europe, the U.S., and Asia by beating the hell out of his abs. "[When working out] I usually separate my body into chest, back, shoulder, arm, [and] legs," he says over a Zoom call from Seoul. "But I do abs every day."

As a member of the K-pop group Monsta X, I.M paired this physical brawn with lyrical machismo. But as a solo artist, I.M's music is more like his mind: introspective with a melancholic yearning. His new EP, "Off the Beat," is as ruminative as ever; lead single "Lure" loops through a one-sided conversation with a paramour about going public.

We asked I.M to get out of his head for a bit and tell us about what he likes listening to and watching online when he's not making music.

1. Ty Dolla $ign - "Zaddy" [Music Video]

I.M: "Zaddy" is one of my favorite songs of Ty's, and when I have to test my audio — my headphones, my big speakers — I test with this song because the bass is dope.

Mashable: You know what zaddy means, right?

I don't know what the song means. I just like the vibe. I don't know what zaddy means.

I think I have seen fans call you "zaddy."

Oh, it means "daddy," right?

Yeah, but like cooler and younger.

Is it OK to take it as a compliment?

Yeah, for sure.

OK, I'm zaddy! [laughs]

What other artists have you been listening to?

Chase Shakur and RAAHiiM. And of course, Bryson Tiller. He's my favorite. And Solomon. They make the same kind of music as I do — chill R&B, a bit of a sticky, sexy vibe.

How would you describe a sticky sound?

When you listen to a really original, classic [piece of] music, do you feel like it's sticky? It's kind of like the vibe of a song. Do you nod? When you listen to a rock song, you swing your head like this [moves head up and down]. But when you're listening to R&B, your vibe is more like [moves head slowly to a beat]. It's like the groove.

2. LET ME KNOW - "偽愛とハイボール (Love and Highball)"

I found this band on Instagram, I was scrolling, and I heard the song and was like, "Damn, they're good." It's a different vibe from what I've listened to before. The genre is city pop, I think. It felt quite fresh when I heard it.

How often do you discover new music like that?

I don't dedicate time to it because when you play a song [on Spotify] it plays more songs with a similar vibe. I need ideas, new things, and fresh air, and Spotify gives me those suggestions. I listen to their curated playlists a lot, too.

3. League of Legends gameplay videos from 롤박사 해도리

I play League whenever I have time after work. I started playing in quarantine, in 2021 or 2022. You play with a random team, and sometimes I play with my friends if they're online. If they're offline, I play by myself. I like playing games, but I'm not a gamer. A gamer is, like, addicted to games.

Gamers have a chair and lights and the whole setup.

Of course, I have a chair, but it's for my back.

It's a gaming chair, but you use it for your back?

It's an office chair. I use it for my health.

What other games do you play?

Nothing else, just League. You can assume a character's personality with your playing style, and every single tiny movement is really meaningful. [Laughs] Ah man, I sound like a gamer. I play as Kindred, a wolf trained in archery. That character gives life and death. And if you're really good at that character, it's easy to carry the game. You become important, the MVP, and can face five versus one. When you kill someone, you get a "stack" that gives you more power. As that stack grows, you get super strong. My lane is "jungle," so I needed to find a jungle character.

Your lane?

Yeah, my lane. There are five lanes inside the game: top middle, jungle, ADC, and support. After I took some time to understand the game, I chose jungle because it's complicated. You need lots of knowledge, and you have to come up with lots of strategies inside your head. I hate when I'm bad when I play the game, so I go back to the moments that I was bad and try to figure out what I could have done to fix it.

The game reflects my personality. If you're greedy in the game, it can be a mistake. It can cause lots of death and cause your team's death, too. So balancing my greed with [other elements of my] personality allows us to win the game. How you control your character inside the game is an extension of your personality outside the game.

4. Spaceman

This is a movie I recently watched about a guy who goes to space and is visited by an extraterrestrial creature in the shape of a spider.

When the spider came out, the visual of that was quite disgusting. But the things he said were so straightforward. There was a line, "Listen to the silence," that punched my heart. It's kind of a weird sentence, "Listen to the silence," because silence is not a noise. Silence happens when you don't realize it, and it's like, "Oh, it's quiet." That line was huge for me. To me, it means, "You need to slow down and be thankful."

5. 미국 근본의 맛 ("A taste of American roots") @dudely_08

I watch this kind of content to kill time. I don't like aggressive, intense videos. I like to watch things that don't mess with my vibe. Sometimes I have to watch my diet [for work] and can't eat a lot, so I try and satisfy [my appetite] with videos. I don't like traditional mukbangs where people sit and eat. This guy is different; he reviews the food, the view, and the presentation.

In general, I'm not really that greedy about eating food, it's just something I need to live. I enjoy eating, but the process of it all— choosing from a menu, for example — is stressful to me. So I'd be fine if someone were to choose something for me [to eat], but I'd hope it'd be delicious.

What else do you do to chill out?

Sometimes when I'm really exhausted, I listen to a song with no lyrics, just instrumentals. Because if there is something to think about, my brain tries to keep working. So [I listen to] jazz music and drink some whiskey. Every alcohol has a different kind of vibe. Whiskey can feel very lonely, and it's easy to get drunk on. But beer is quite light and easy to drink, so I drink that when playing League. It fits the game.

You said earlier that League is a balancing exercise for you between your needs and the needs of the team. Does that apply to your real life?

I'm not trying to fool myself about who I really am. I love everything I do on my own, and I love being with my Monsta X team. So balance isn't that important or that hard because I love every moment when I'm doing music. I try to do my best in every moment but it's important to face reality and acknowledge what you're capable of doing 100 percent. I'm not really a positive guy, but I do my best to not waste an opportunity and to face challenges when I can.

My experience with Another Crab's Treasure can be summed up with the following observation: after 20 hours adventuring the ocean floor, the game crashed during the final cutscene.

A refreshing take on the soulslike genre, Another Crab's Treasure is the latest game from Seattle-based developer Aggro Crab, makers of other indie hits Going Under and Subway Midnight. And while the game markets itself heavily as an attempt to be the cute soulslike, at its core it's an action-platformer with some very dark and existential themes. At times really fun and sometimes really frustrating, Another Crab's Treasure is a memorable entry-level souls-like that is, unfortunately, plagued with performance issues.

Another Crab's Treasure is a cute — but bleak — undersea journey Credit: Aggro Crab

Set under the sea, the game's hero is Kril, a hermit crab who spent most of his life topside until one day when his shell gets repoed by a loan shark. Kril's adventure takes him into the ocean, wearing trash as protection, on a quest to get his shell back. During this mission, he discovers that the sea below him is polluted by trash and is being slowly corrupted by its gunk — meaning whether he likes it or not, he might be the only one who can save it.

Unlike some games I've reviewed like Harold Halibut, which use mild critiques of late-stage capitalism as set dressing for their stories, Another Crab's Treasure is a brutal satire that isn't afraid to feed players a message loud and clear: how we live truly fucking sucks. Throughout the story, Kril quickly learns the undersea society he's been avoiding lives and breathes the trash and pollution his fellow surface-dwellers produce. The game's hub city, New Carcinia, runs on trash, with all goods and services using microplastics as its currency.

In the city, you'll quickly notice the clear wealth disparity between the citizens in the upper and lower levels. In the Upper Crust, the roads are CVS receipts, with houses made from coral and expensive bottles of whiskey. Down below, there's a stark lack of any type of road along with the building built from wonky boxes of cardboard. Even though it's all junk, talking with city-goers will make it obvious that to them, there's a difference between good trash and bad trash.

We all lose in the trash economy. Credit: Aggro Crab

It's hard to take a lot of Upper Crusters seriously when they flex their clothing to you — made from silica gel packets and discarded orange peels — whereas the lower city inhabitants wear literal garbage bags as dresses. It's all one big, unified trash concept, and it's a sort of subtle, but at times very explicit, form of environmental storytelling that is built into the details.

The creatures that inhabit New Carcinia and the ocean around them are memorable if a bit one note. Firth is a blue hermit crab who is an obvious riff on annoying libertarian tech bros; Neema is a motherly, down-to-earth crab who runs the dive bar with her two daughters in the poor part of town and lives just one day at a time; Chitan is a noble lobster knight who seeks for the power to save the ocean.

Aggro Crab's cute soulslike is unabashedly a critique of how man-made climate change and pollution are destroying our planet. It's refreshing to see a developer take an actual stand for an issue rather than just dance around it hoping not to make anyone upset. Despite all the charm and color, Another Crab's Treasure grapples with a form of existential dread that's just as gloomy as any other soulslike without being a grimdark medieval European fantasy.

Another Crab's Treasure is a Soulslike at its core You can unlock various combat abilties like a air-dodge or the ability to make hammers out of shells. Credit: Aggro Crab

Like many other genre imitators, Another Crab's Treasure's combat is of the dodging, rolling, and slashing variety. However, it's not as deep as Dark Souls or Lies of P, instead, it's sort of like Sekiro and Fallen Order — fairly static combat that meets you at your level and asks you to master what's been handed to you. What makes Crab's Treasure's combat stand out is the ability to, at any time, swap between shells filled to the brim with unique magical abilities called "umami."

There is a heavy emphasis on shells in combat, as they serve as both your armor and access to your umami abilities. Just like everything else in the ocean, these shells are everyday human junk that's been thrown out — from tennis balls, springs, soda cans, to even boxing gloves. Most shells have their own unique abilities that riff off their common use by humans. Soda cans can launch a magical blast of fizz; wearing fuses will shield your armor in electricity that will shock opponents that attack you; and wearing a shot glass or salt shaker can turn you into a sharp ball of glass.

Along with your "umami" abilities, you can attach stowaways to your shell. These are pieces of junk and small animals that give you enhanced abilities in combat. Examples include a sea star that grants you extra health, or a rubber band that makes you immune to electric attacks.

Oh barnacles. Credit: Aggro Crab

The combat is never that hard compared to Dark Souls, but it's not without its challenges. After reaching the second or third major area of the game there's a noticeable lack of enemy variety. You'll get different enemies to fight, but they mostly all exist within the same archetypes — except now they do more damage. Additionally, there is a deliberateness to the combat meant to punish button mashers. This includes input lag and a lack of I-frames when dodging. But it's not always clear where intentional challenge ends, and performance issues (I'll get to those in a minute) begin. I can't tell, for instance, if the game doesn't recognize that I'm trying to heal myself, or if I'm timing the command wrong or something.

As if to try and be fair to the player in light of the added challenges, certain gameplay elements make things much easier too. Enemies telegraph their moves to an annoying extent. And if somehow combat is still giving you trouble, the game has accessibility features that can negate damage, add extra I-frames, or even give you a gun that insta-kills enemies (that is not a joke, I swear to God).

At its heart though, Another Crab's Treasure feels like a spiritual incarnation of classic platformers like Jak and Daxter, as there is a level of verticality you will not see in any other soulslike. As you adventure around, you can climb on fallen nets, access high areas using a fishing hook, and make long gaps by pressing and holding X, which will enable you to float through the water. It's an invigorating mechanic for a souls-like, even though at times it's way too frustrating – especially if, like me, you have fat fingers and while you're floating towards a gap you accidentally press the dodge button and now you've air-rolled into the abyss below.

Another Crab's Treasure is buggy

As much as I love the game's story and characters, it's buggy. The review copy given to me by Aggro Crab and Popagenda was played on PlayStation 5, which has had performance issues of late with games like Dragon's Dogma 2. There were multiple instances where the game would crash, mostly from loading up new areas within the map.

As the game says, you're gonna die a lot, but it won't always be your fault. Credit: Aggro Crab

During combat, Kril would mysteriously launch into the air after doing — or being hit by — certain moves. Other times had Kril getting stuck in the world's geometry, to the point where I had to go into the menu and use the "die instantly" option so I could reset. There was an instance in grappling over a lake of gunk that caused the game to trigger the falling death animation because Kril's hitbox would barely glide over the gunk.

Even more annoying, when nearing the end, I inadvertently warped into the final area of the game after glitching through the floor.

Some games have taken advantage of the PS5's SSD to do things like hide their loading screens via transitional gameplay mechanics, such as taking an elevator, or by making the character navigate through a narrow crevice a-la Bloodborne or God of War. While Another Crab's Treasure attempts this, it's quite obvious that a cutscene or new area is being booted up because the game will freeze and stutter until it's loaded.

Although finding shortcuts is a big component of the genre, soulslikes have long stretches of gameplay in-between areas where you can save your progress — so imagine the feeling that all your hard work can be wiped at any moment because the game often crashes trying to load up a new area. And as I said at the top of the review, during the game's final cutscene, it crashed — which forced me to fight the final boss again just so I could watch the last half of the ending.

It's an added layer of challenge that doesn't add any fun, and instead sort of feels like a hostage situation.

Is Another Crab's Treasure worth it? Cowboy Crab. Credit: Aggro Crab

For just under $30, Another Crab's Treasure is an excellent, if a bit basic, soulslike for anyone looking to get into the genre. From its beautiful environments to its cast of charming, cute characters, the game's story is clever, witty, and a biting reminder that we live in community with each other and not for ourselves.

However, I'd hesitate to recommend this straight away unless the game gets a hearty day-one patch to shore up its myriad performance issues on PS5. Outside of those complaints, Aggro Crab's cute soulslike is, so far, one of the best games I've played this year.

Zendaya, Josh O'Connor and Mike Faist discuss the thematic significance of the traveling 'I Told Ya' shirt in Challengers.

Challengers opens in theaters April 26. 

Finally, long-overdue feature comes to Google Meet.

On Wednesday, Google announced a new update for its video conferencing and calling platform Google Meet, which lets users switch devices while connected to a call without dropping the stream. Essentially, this allows users to seamlessly swap between their desktop and mobile devices without other users in the Google Meet knowing about it.

With this update, Google Meet brings a feature to its platform that at least one competitor, Zoom, has had for at least a few years now.

How to use the Google Meet device swapping feature

To swap devices, you must be in an active Google Meet call on either desktop or mobile.

Next, open the page for that specific Google Meet on their secondary device. On that page, users will see an option to "Switch here." Selecting that option will transfer the Google Meet call to their second device — and then drop the call on the first device once the transfer completes.

Google Meet users will even have the ability to remain on the call on both devices by going to "Other joining options" and choosing "Join here too."

The feature works on desktop computers as well as Android and iOS devices like smartphones and tablets.

This new Google Meet feature makes so much sense, one has to wonder how it wasn't launched years ago when everyone was working at home while juggling family life with their kids. But, it's here now. So, take advantage of your ability to travel around during a Google Meet call if needed. Nobody will know!

UPDATE: Apr. 25, 2024, 2:17 p.m. EDT Reddit is back up and fully operational. The company wrote that the "incident has been resolved" shortly before 2 p.m. ET.

Reddit was down for lots of users on Thursday, April 25. The site confirmed it was experiencing a back end issue.

The company wrote Thursday afternoon: "An issue with a Reddit backend has impacted many users on our site. We are looking into the cause." So if you're getting something like a 502 bad gateway error message, that's the reason.

When Mashable tried to load the site on desktop a bit after 1 p.m. ET we got a typical, "Oops, something went wrong, please try again later."

User reports of issues began to spike upwards on Down Detector starting at about 20 minutes past noon, eastern time. The issue should, hopefully, not be long lasting. Reddit said it was working to fix the problem at around 1:15 p.m. ET.

"We have identified the issue, and are remediating it; reddit.com should be back shortly," the company wrote.

Despite signing the TikTok "ban" bill, President Joe Biden plans to continue to use the platform to campaign for re-election reports the Financial Times.

Biden signed the bill into law yesterday (April 14) as part of a foreign aid package sending 95 billion dollars to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. The bill requires TikTok's China-based parent company ByteDance to divest itself from the app within the next year. If the company fails to do so TikTok will be banned in the U.S. The deadline Jan. 19 falls on the day before the presidential inauguration.

SEE ALSO: The TikTok ban is law. Here's what happens next.

The ban comes amid security concerns. Lawmakers who argued for the ban are concerned that because a Chinese company owns TikTok it could hand American users' data over to the Chinese government, despite TikTok denying that it shares data with the Chinese government. There are 170 million American users of TikTok, more than half the population and Biden's campaign has taken note of the platform's reach.

Biden's campaign still sees the app as a way to reach young voters. A Biden campaign official told the Financial Times, "When the stakes are this high in the election, we are going to use every tool we have to reach young voters where they are." The official also ensured "enhanced security measures" were in place.

Biden first joined the platform on the day of the Super Bowl (Feb. 11). His account has since posted 140 videos accumulating a mere 3.8 million likes. The president only has 308,200 followers on the platform.

Been watching Fallout on Prime Video? It turns out there's a bunch of Fallout video games you can play right now if you like that show — and the latest one just got a juicy re-release of sorts.

As was announced in a blog post earlier this month, 2015's Fallout 4 just got a shiny new coat of paint. Officially set to launch on April 25 (which you may have noticed is today), Fallout 4 officially has PS5 and Xbox Series ports that promise a plethora of improvements to the nine-year-old game. Here's what that entails.

SEE ALSO: 'Fallout's music might be polarizing, but here's why it's perfect What's included in the Fallout 4 next-gen update?

First off, I should mention that the update to Fallout 4 is free if you already own the game on PS5 or Xbox Series consoles. Xbox subscribers, in particular, shouldn't have a problem here, as the game is available on Xbox Game Pass for free.

Once you download the update, you'll find that the game now has toggles for "Performance" or "Quality" modes in the settings menu. Bethesda's blog post didn't give exact technical specifications for these modes, but mentioned that the performance mode targets 60 frames per second and implied that the quality mode would have a higher resolution (while likely targeting 30 frames per second).

Fallout 4 got a batch of fresh stability and bug fixes with this re-release, too. As is the case with almost every game on current-gen consoles, I'd be shocked if the load times weren't vastly improved, too. Another fun bonus is that the Steam version of Fallout 4 is now marked as "Verified" for Steam Deck.

Release times based on your time zone

The good news is that, at least in the U.S., it seems the update is already available, per X/Twitter gaming legend Wario64. That means there's no need to set an alarm for a specific release time.

Tweet may have been deleted

I'm sorry to report that Walton Goggins isn't in Fallout 4, but you can at least try your luck at making him in the character creator.

Save $50: Shop the Fitbit Versa 4, the brand's latest smartwatch, and get 25% off.

Fitbit Versa 4 $149.95 at Amazon
$199.95 Save $50.00 Get Deal

The Fitbit Versa 4 smartwatch is one of the best deals on Amazon this week. This latest iteration in the Versa series is $50 off if you're looking for an upgrade to your fitness tech. We previously reviewed the Fitbit Versa 3, which does a great job of tracking data but came at a higher price point. Our friends at PC Mag (owned by Mashable's parent company, Ziff Davis,) got to test the Versa 4 and enjoyed its extensive fitness tracking features that collect in the Fitbit app and analyze your metrics — if you're into that sort of thing.

The Fitbit Versa 4 is a pared down version of other smartwatches. It shines when it comes to all things fitness, offering over 40 different exercise modes with automatic tracking, 24 hour heart rate monitoring, and water resistance up to 50 meters. This smartwatch boasts superior battery life compared to other smartwatches, lasting nearly a week without needing a charge.

However, it isn't capable of downloading third-party apps, so what it offers is what you get. That's not necessarily a dealbreaker as you're still able to receive calls and texts plus have access to Google Wallet. If you don't need all the bells and whistles of a traditional smartwatch, the Fitbit Versa 4 is a perfectly good choice, especially if you're looking for a budget-friendly option.

Get the Fitbit Versa 4 for $149.95 at Amazon and save $50.