Tech
Hurdle hints and answers for September 8, 2025
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.
Hurdle Word 1 hint
Awful.
Hurdle Word 1 answer
LOUSY
Hurdle Word 2 hint
Overweight.
Hurdle Word 2 Answer
OBESE
Hurdle Word 3 hint
To permit.
Hurdle Word 3 answer
ALLOW
Hurdle Word 4 hint
To confess something.
Hurdle Word 4 answer
ADMIT
Final Hurdle hint
Used to light a candle.
Hurdle Word 5 answer
MATCH
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Tech
Mini Kindle Pods are trending on TikTok, but these devices arent what they seem

Among passionate TikTok communities, BookTok, may be the most influential.
BookTok is where book lovers and e-reader obsessives to come together to discuss their favorite books and device hacks. For readers who use e-readers, Kindle, Kobo, and Boox lead the charge as the most popular devices, so it's notable when a new device goes viral. "Mini Kindles" appear to be the latest device to cause a stir on BookTok, with hundreds of videos showcasing the tiny e-readers.
On TikTok, searching for "mini Kindle" (or "mini Kindle pods") brings up dozens of user videos showing someone walking into a Barnes & Noble or Target and then cutting to an unboxing of a so-called "mini Kindle". As someone who tests e-readers for a living, this confused me.
I have no reason to believe these e-readers are actually being purchased at Barnes & Noble, nor do they have any apparent affiliation with Amazon Kindles.
In fact, the devices being hyped in these videos appear to be sold by the users who post them.
In a since-deleted video, user @aurealeaf directs viewers to the website NovaLeaf, where the "NovaLeaf Mini Kindle" is listed. (Editor's note: As of this writing, the @aurealeaf account is no longer available.) Another user, @hydro_scope, directs viewers to their website with a listing for a NOVA Mini Pink Kindle. Both devices claim to be pocket-sized e-readers under the Kindle name, despite no affiliation with Amazon.
We reached out to both @aurealeaf and @hydro_scope, and we'll update this post if we receive a response.
Are mini Kindle pods actually Kindles?
These mini Kindles do not seem to be actual Kindle e-readers or associated with Amazon at all, nor does Amazon sell any mini version of the Kindle e-readers. We reached out for comment from Amazon and have not heard back at the time of publication.
By performing reverse image searches on Nova and NovaLeaf websites, I found that the "mini Kindles" listed for sale there are visual matches for devices manufactured by a company called Oilsky. They appear to be 4-inch touchscreen MP3 and 1080p video players. With built-in access to the Google Play store, the Kindle app is available to download onto the device; however, that appears to be the only connection to Amazon.
The Oilsky MP3 player and copycat versions are currently listed on Amazon. These TikTok-based sellers have their mini Kindles listed for $79.99, about $10 more than the direct Oilsky listing on Amazon. Oilsky MP3 players are not listed for sale at Barnes & Noble or Target.
In short, the viral TikTok videos are using the word "Kindle" to refer to any e-reader-like device and may be at risk of legal action from Amazon.
As of this writing, the @aurealeaf TikTok account is no longer available.
Tech
How to watch Switzerland vs. Germany online for free

TL;DR: Live stream Switzerland vs. Germany in a 2026 International Friendly for free on RTS. Access this free streaming site from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
There are a number of really interesting International Friendlies taking place this week, including Switzerland vs. Germany.
This is a great opportunity for these sides to test out new formations, experiment with new players, and generally build some positive momentum before this summer's World Cup. We expect a competitive contest between two experienced sides, with the likes of Joshua Kimmich and Florian Wirtz expected to feature.
If you want to watch Switzerland vs. Germany in a 2026 International Friendly for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
When is Switzerland vs. Germany?
Switzerland vs. Germany kicks off at 3:45 p.m. ET on March 27. This fixture takes place at the St. Jakob Park.
How to watch Switzerland vs. Germany for free
Switzerland vs. Germany is available to live stream for free on RTS.
RTS is geo-restricted to Switzerland, but anyone can access this free streaming service with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Switzerland, meaning you can access free live streams on RTS from anywhere in the world.
Lve stream Switzerland vs. Germany for free by following these simple steps:
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Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
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Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
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Open up the app and connect to a server in Switzerland
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Visit RTS
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Stream Switzerland vs. Germany for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Switzerland vs. Germany without actually spending anything. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream select games before recovering your investment.
If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming sites from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.
What is the best VPN for RTS?
ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on RTS, for a number of reasons:
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Servers in 105 countries including Switzerland
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Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
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Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
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Fast connection speeds free from throttling
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Up to eight simultaneous connections
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30-day money-back guarantee
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).
Live stream Switzerland vs. Germany for free with ExpressVPN.
Tech
Hurry: The Nothing Ear (a) earbuds just hit a record-low price for Amazons Big Spring Sale

SAVE 46%: As of March 27, you can get the Nothing Ear (a) wireless earbuds for $58.99, down from $109, at Amazon. That's a 46% discount or a $50.01 price cut.
If you want a pair of earbuds that stand out from the crowd without emptying your wallet, the Nothing Ear (a) should definitely be on your radar. For the Big Spring Sale, they've dropped to just $58.99, which is $50 off their usual $109 list price.
Mashable's Tech Reporter, Alex Perry, recently rounded up the reviews for these buds, and the consensus is that they deliver way more than their price tag suggests. They offer an open-midrange sound and clarity that outperform those of standard, more expensive AirPods, and they have active noise cancellation strong enough to drown out loud household distractions. Plus, you'll get around five hours of battery life even with every single battery-draining feature turned on at once, like ANC and multipoint pairing.
As always, I checked the fine print, and there are a couple of things you should know. Perry noted that the biggest critique across the board is that the charging case lacks Qi wireless charging and relies strictly on USB-C. But skipping wireless charging is a fair trade-off for a case that's as small and pocketable as Apple's AirPods. Also, according to the Amazon listing, the voice-enabled ChatGPT feature will only work on a Nothing series phone. Still, grabbing earbuds with this level of sound quality for under $60 is a total steal.
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