'There will be things in GTA 5 that they have in GTA 6 that you look at and go, 'I should have seen that coming'' — Former Rockstar developer suggests the upcoming game will feature mechanics from previous titles like Red Dead Redemption 2

 'There will be things in GTA 5 that they have in GTA 6 that you look at and go, 'I should have seen that coming'' — Former Rockstar developer suggests the upcoming game will feature mechanics from previous titles like Red Dead Redemption 2

  • Former GTA 5 audio designer Rob Carr thinks GTA 6 will feature mechanics from Red Dead Redemption 2
  • He points to the game's Dead Eye system, which was also borrowed from the first Red Dead in GTA 5
  • He says, "I'll be surprised if they don't use something from Red Dead 2"

Former Rockstar Games developer Rob Carr believes that the studio will borrow mechanics from Red Dead Redemption 2 for Grand Theft Auto 6.

In a lengthy interview with the Kiwi Talkz podcast, Carr, who worked as an audio designer at the prolific studio for games like LA Noire and Grand Theft Auto 5, discussed GTA 6 and what he's interested in seeing, specifically the systems Rockstar will implement from previous games.

Carr recalls a mission from GTA 4, where all three characters connect in the middle for a mission, saying, "It's easy to see that that's the blueprint of the three-player system in GTA 5" with Trevor, Michael, and Franklin.

"I'm really, really quite keen to see what they do because there will be things in GTA 5 that they will have in GTA 6 that you look at and go, 'We should have seen that coming. That was, oh man, that's really clever,' because they're [Rockstar] very good at that, you know," Carr said.

He continued, saying, "There are things for sure I feel that they did in GTA 5 that they will definitely want to expand on and use as either a core mechanic or a main plot point in GTA 6. I'd be incredibly surprised if they don't do anything like that. I'd be very, very surprised."

Later in the podcast, Carr also pointed out Red Dead Redemption's Dead Eye system, which, if you recall, was used as a core combat feature for Michael in GTA 5 and was also featured in Red Dead Redemption 2.

"Even on GTA 5, they took the Dead Eye system," he said. "They used the Dead Eye as one of the perks for one of the characters. You've got the Dead Eye thing that Michael used, I think you've got the slow-mo driving thing for Franklin, and the basically berserker mode for Trevor."

According to Carr, these mechanics weren't simply thrown in at the last minute, but were intentional ways to expand each character's arsenal, so it's entirely possible they could make a return in some form in GTA 6.

"They're all things that, you know – key things have been used in previous titles that they wanted to expand upon," Carr explained. "So I'll be surprised if they don't use something from Red Dead 2."

GTA 6 was initially slated to launch next month, but will now release on November 19, 2026, for PS5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S.




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NYT Connections hints and answers for Friday, April 10 (game #1034)

 NYT Connections hints and answers for Friday, April 10 (game #1034)
Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Thursday, April 9 (game #1033).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1034) - today's words

NYT Connections hints for game 1034 on a purple background

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

  • GONZO
  • NUTTY
  • CAROLINA REAPER
  • JACK-IN-THE-BOX
  • SONIC
  • FIRM
  • TOASTER
  • CHIPOTLE
  • BELL PEPPER
  • EJECTOR SEAT
  • SWISS
  • BLUE
  • POP-UP BOOK
  • GENIE
  • HOLEY
  • PEPPERONCINO

NYT Connections today (game #1034) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

  • YELLOW: Capiscums
  • GREEN: Springy things 
  • BLUE: Words for fromage 
  • PURPLE: A color in common

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1034) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

  • YELLOW: PEPPERS 
  • GREEN: THINGS THAT POP UP 
  • BLUE: DESCRIPTORS FOR SWISS CHEESE 
  • PURPLE: BLUE CHARACTERS

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1034) - the answers

NYT Connections answers for game 1034 on a purple background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1034, are…

  • YELLOW: PEPPERS BELL PEPPER, CAROLINA REAPER, CHIPOTLE, PEPPERONCINO
  • GREEN: THINGS THAT POP UP EJECTOR SEAT, JACK-IN-THE-BOX, POP-UP BOOK, TOASTER
  • BLUE: DESCRIPTORS FOR SWISS CHEESE FIRM, HOLEY, NUTTY, SWISS
  • PURPLE: BLUE CHARACTERS BLUE, GENIE, GONZO, SONIC

  • My rating: Easy
  • My score: Perfect

I managed to get the yellow PEPPERS group quickly, but I submitted my foursome with some trepidation as, along the lines of CAROLINA REAPER, both JACK-IN-THE-BOX and EJECTOR SEAT sound as if they could be particular potent capiscums.

Detecting a cheese group with SWISS and BLUE among the remaining tiles, I was tempted to include JACK-IN-THE-BOX here too, but in the end the connection to TOASTER and the other THINGS THAT POP was too strong.

Meanwhile, I am sure I am not the only European cheese snob who would have preferred if the group containing FIRM, HOLEY, NUTTY, and SWISS had been called descriptors for Emmental cheese rather than DESCRIPTORS FOR SWISS CHEESE, seeing as there are dozens of Swiss cheeses and most of them don’t contain holes. Although to be fair maybe the cheeseheads at Connections HQ were thinking about Appenzeller.


Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Thursday, April 9, game #1033)

  • YELLOW: GLOOMY BLUE, DARK, DOWN, LOW
  • GREEN: OINTMENT BALM, CREAM, PASTE, RUB
  • BLUE: ZODIAC SYMBOLS ARCHER, FISH, GOAT, RAM
  • PURPLE: MUSCULAR, MINUS "ED" SOUND JACK, RIP, SHRED, YOKE

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.



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Quordle hints and answers for Friday, April 10 (game #1537)

 Quordle hints and answers for Friday, April 10 (game #1537)
Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Thursday, April 9 (game #1536).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,400 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1537) - hint #1 - Vowels

How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1537) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 2.

Quordle today (game #1537) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1537) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)

Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1537) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• P

• T

• B

• K

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1537) - the answers

Quordle answers for game 1537 on a yellow background

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1537, are…

  • PUPPY
  • TRADE
  • BRAND
  • KNOCK

I had two moments during this game where things could have gone in a different direction — guessing PUPPY instead of “pulpy” and BRAND instead of “grand”.

By the time I got to my final word I had enough guesses left to risk KNOCK but happily I didn’t need another.


Daily Sequence today (game #1537) - the answers

Quordle Daily Sequence answers for game 1537 on a yellow background

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1537, are…

  • FROWN
  • BLIMP
  • THREE
  • MIGHT

Quordle answers: The past 20

  • Quordle #1536, Thursday, 9 April: SKIMP, BAWDY, WHERE, DECOR
  • Quordle #1535, Wednesday, 8 April: IDEAL, PULPY, HUMPH, RETCH
  • Quordle #1534, Tuesday, 7 April: FIFTY, SHUSH, HELLO, ZEBRA
  • Quordle #1533, Monday, 6 April: CHIEF, IDLER, PASTA, BRIAR
  • Quordle #1532, Sunday, 5 April: PLUSH, GRATE, DEALT, LABEL
  • Quordle #1531, Saturday, 4 April: MOTEL, COVEN, DRIER, SCOLD
  • Quordle #1530, Friday, 3 April: PINEY, TRUSS, HALVE, SPOOF
  • Quordle #1529, Thursday, 2 April: LEAPT, MECCA, TRAIT, REFER
  • Quordle #1528, Wednesday, 1 April: SEVEN, PRIOR, ADAGE, AUDIO
  • Quordle #1527, Tuesday, 31 March: SMACK, HAPPY, LYING, PULPY
  • Quordle #1526, Monday, 30 March: CHESS, ALLOT, SCONE, DITTY
  • Quordle #1525, Sunday, 29 March: DELAY, STONY, MONTH, PARTY
  • Quordle #1524, Saturday, 28 March: BRAWN, FELLA, SCALY, BRUNT
  • Quordle #1523, Friday, 27 March: GROIN, WRONG, SKUNK, SHALL
  • Quordle #1522, Thursday, 26 March: HOBBY, COULD, MORPH, LEDGE
  • Quordle #1521, Wednesday, 25 March: BLUSH, GRIND, AWASH, SCALP
  • Quordle #1520, Tuesday, 24 March: MADAM, BLACK, USING, VOICE
  • Quordle #1519, Monday, 23 March: BAGEL, HOARD, AUGUR, TANGY
  • Quordle #1518, Sunday, 22 March: SPLAT, BACON, CAIRN, AWFUL
  • Quordle #1517, Saturday, 21 March: LEVEL, MAPLE, BRAID, CORAL


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The Nintendo Switch 2 version of 007 First Light has been delayed until 'later this summer'

 The Nintendo Switch 2 version of 007 First Light has been delayed until 'later this summer'

  • 007 First Light has been delayed for the Nintendo Switch 2
  • IOI says the game will now launch "later this summer"
  • The PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC versions are still on track for its May 27 release

IO Interactive has announced that the Nintendo Switch 2 version of 007 First Light has been delayed to this summer (northern hemisphere summer, that is).

In a new social media post, the developer confirmed that while the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC versions are still on track to launch next month on May 27, Switch 2 users will have to wait a little longer to play.

"007 First Light comes to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on May 27th, 2026, and Nintendo Switch 2 later this summer," IOI said. "We're excited to see players discovering James Bond's reimagined origin story, and we are looking forward to bringing you the best game experience possible across all platforms."

IOI delayed First Light for all platforms earlier this year from its original March 26 release date, citing the need for additional development time to focus on extra polish and refinement.

While the Hitman studio didn't provide a reason for the latest delay, it's likely the team needs more time to polish the Switch 2 edition.

007 First Light follows the story of a young James Bond, played by actor Patrick Gibson, in a re-imagined origin story that led him to become M16's best agent.

TechRadar Gaming had the chance to preview 007 First Light back in September, with managing editor Rob Dwiar writing how the game "looks very much like the James Bond video game that we’ve all been waiting for" and "seems to have Hitman’s distinct DNA running through its veins".

Elsewhere in the run-up to the game's launch, Sony has revealed a new limited edition PS5 controller inspired by James Bond and the upcoming game, with pre-orders starting next week, on April 17.




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'The whole world doesn't look like that. You focus on the areas of the trailer' — Former Rockstar environmental artist says what fans see in GTA 6 trailers has been 'madly polished' but 'everything that's not in that view' won't be as refined yet

 'The whole world doesn't look like that. You focus on the areas of the trailer' — Former Rockstar environmental artist says what fans see in GTA 6 trailers has been 'madly polished' but 'everything that's not in that view' won't be as refined yet

  • A former GTA 6 environmental artist has expressed excitement for the third trailer
  • He says that the city he worked on has been "all fleshed out so much more than when I'd last wandered it"
  • He adds that trailers are more polished than what is not captured by cameras

As we wait for the next Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer to drop, a former Rockstar Games developer has also shared his excitement, but says what you see in trailers has been polished more than anything off-camera.

Speaking on the Kiwi Talkz podcast, and as spotted by GamesRadar+, environmental artist David O'Reilly, who has credits on GTA 5, GTA 6, and Red Dead Redemption 2, teased the game's cityscape, which he had a hand in creating.

"I can't wait for the next trailer too, all that stuff I have no idea about, the characterization, seeing that city all fleshed out so much more than when I'd last wandered it," said O'Reilly.

With that being said, the developer suggested that everything fans see in these grand trailers has been more refined than what isn't captured by the camera.

"When you make a trailer, they look at where the camera's going to be, and that view is getting madly polished," he explained.

"Whereas everything that's not in that view is not getting madly polished yet. The whole world doesn't look like that. You focus on the areas of the trailer."

When the last GTA 6 trailer was released, Rockstar confirmed that the footage was captured on the base PlayStation 5, and while we don't know what frame rate the game was running at, what we saw does look incredible.

However, as O'Reilly said, that was just what Rockstar wanted us to see at the time, so there's a high likelihood that the team is still hard at work polishing up everything else behind the scenes.

When asked further about the game, O'Reilly couldn't provide any story details because he was in the art department, despite working on it for five years, which suggests portions of the game are even kept under wraps from members of the Rockstar development team.

"With GTA 6, people are like, 'What's the story?'. And I'm like, 'I've no idea, dude, I don't know.' Because I worked on it for five years, but I have no idea about the storyline, other than I knew it had two characters, and that was the extent of my knowledge," he said.

As for when we can expect to see the third GTA 6 trailer, Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick has confirmed that marketing will kick off in the next few months, meaning it could arrive this summer.

GTA 6 was initially set to launch on May 26, 2026, but is now slated to arrive on November 19, 2026, for PS5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S.




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Bizarre bug in macOS is a 'ticking time bomb' that takes out networking capabilities if a Mac is left on for too long

 Bizarre bug in macOS is a 'ticking time bomb' that takes out networking capabilities if a Mac is left on for too long

  • A very strange bug in macOS has just been found
  • If a Mac is left on for (just over) 49 days, its networking functionality will completely fail
  • The only cure is a reboot, apparently, but presumably Apple will now be working on an official fix

Ever wondered what would happen if you left your Mac on for a couple of months solid? Probably not, but you might be interested to learn that if you did, the networking side of the OS would fall over.

Tom's Hardware reports that Photon wrote a blog post on how it "found a ticking time bomb in macOS TCP networking", an explosive element in the code that "detonates after exactly 49 days."

Well, 49 days, 17 hours, two minutes, and 47 seconds to be precise. When macOS has been running continuously for that exact length of time, the operating system will experience an 'integer overflow' that "freezes the internal TCP timestamp clock".

When that happens, existing TCP network connections won't expire as they should, remaining frozen in place, and eventually, as Photon explains: "Ephemeral ports slowly exhaust, and eventually no new TCP connections can be established at all. ICMP (ping) keeps working. Everything else dies."

In short, networking on the Mac goes completely kaput, and the only cure is to reboot the machine. Yes, the old 'turn it off and turn it on again' solution.

Photon — a company that facilitates building AI agents — found this bug on the Macs it uses to monitor Apple's Messages service, and the company successfully reproduced the glitch on two systems.


Analysis: Apple following in Microsoft's footsteps

Mac Studio from the back showing ports including Ethernet

(Image credit: Future)

Obviously, this isn't a problem that most of you — assuming that you own a Mac — will have to worry about. No everyday user leaves their machine on for 50 days solid; but in case you're ever inclined to do so, at least you're now forewarned. This is, of course, more of a glitch that'll hit servers (which do run continuously for long periods), and one which businesses like Photon need to be aware of.

The root cause of the issue is, as mentioned, integer overflow. This is where macOS assumes a counter is only going to go up in numerical value, when in fact, it wraps back round to zero after 50 days of ticking up – and this is something that's caught out Microsoft in the past, too. Photon reminds us that Windows 95 suffered a similar 49.7-day crash where the kernel's 32-bit millisecond tick counter overflowed, in this case causing the PC to completely freeze up.

Apparently Photon is working on a solution to avoid having to reboot in order to fix the Mac, but presumably now that this bug has been brought to Apple's attention we should see an official fix before long.





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'Buyer beware' — Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller shopper reportedly finds old model inside the box in nasty repeat of common RAM scam

 'Buyer beware' — Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller shopper reportedly finds old model inside the box in nasty repeat of common RAM scam

  • A Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller buyer claims that they were sent an original Switch 1 Pro Controller in the box
  • The item appears to have been previously processed as a return, suggesting the controllers were swapped up by an unscrupulous customer
  • They say they were able to return it for a refund

You might need to be extra careful if you are thinking of buying a Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller online, as one shopper claims they were sent an original Nintendo Switch Pro Controller instead.

"Buyer beware" warned user 'OutcastKatarn02' in a post to the r/gaming subreddit. "People are returning the box with Switch 1 controllers inside."

The post contains a photo of a Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller box and the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller that they purportedly found inside.

"I bought what I thought was a new Switch 2 Pro Controller from Amazon to give to a family member for their birthday," the user explained. "They opened it today only to find someone packed a Switch 1 Pro Controller inside."

Buyer beware when buying Switch 2 pro controllers. People are returning the box with Switch 1 controllers inside. from r/gaming

The white 'LPN' sticker visible on the product's box in the photo is used as part of the online retailer's returns process, giving some credence to the idea that this was a returned item that an unscrupulous customer swapped out.

The two controllers do look very similar, so it seems plausible that the substitution would be able to make its way through the returns process.

Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller
The Switch 2 modelFuture
Nintendo Switch Pro Controller review
The original Pro ControllerFuture

This kind of returns scam is relatively common in online retail, especially with pricey tech goods. Corsair recently made headlines by changing the packaging of its DDR5 RAM to a clear clamshell design with a 'tamper-evident' label in order to try to combat it.

Despite the visual similarities, the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller is more expensive than its predecessor, with an asking price of $84.99 / £74.99 / AU$119.95. It also has some exclusive Nintendo Switch 2 features, including remappable rear inputs, a dedicated GameChat button, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Thankfully, the story does have a happy ending, with the user adding that "Thankfully Amazon let me return it for a refund."

Of course, as believable as the story is, this post should be taken with a grain of salt, as there's no guarantee that events played out as the user says.

I also haven't been able to find credible evidence that this is part of a wider trend rather than just an isolated incident. Still, if you do pick up a Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller in the coming weeks, it's worth giving a thorough inspection to make sure that you're getting what you paid for.




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Forza Horizon 6 might be getting a limited edition Xbox wireless controller and headset, according to reliable leaker

 Forza Horizon 6 might be getting a limited edition Xbox wireless controller and headset, according to reliable leaker

  • A reliable leaker claims Forza Horizon 6 is getting a limited edition Xbox Wireless controller and headset
  • If the leaker's information is correct, the controller will cost $89.99, while the headset will cost $134.99
  • Both will reportedly launch alongside the game on May 19

Forza Horizon 6 is reportedly getting a limited edition Xbox Wireless controller and headset alongside the game's launch next month.

That's according to the reliable leaker billbil-kun at the French outlet Dealabs, who has accurately reported on upcoming accessories and hardware releases in the past.

"According to our information, Xbox is preparing not only a new wireless controller, but also, and this is the real surprise, a wireless headset in the colors of Forza Horizon 6. This is only the second collector's edition wireless headset of the Xbox Series era," the insider said (via machine translation).

Billbil-kun claims that the Forza Horizon 6 Limited Edition Xbox Wireless controller will cost $89.99 / £84.99 / €89.99, which will be $10 / £10 / €10 more than the Doom: The Dark Ages limited-edition controller that was released last year.

In addition to a fancy new controller, a Forza Horizon 6 Limited Edition headset for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S will be available for $134.99 / £124.99 / €134.99.

As billbil-kun points out, if real, this would be the second limited-edition headset to be released for Xbox consoles since Starfield.

We don't have an idea what the Xbox controller or headset will look like yet, but it's said that both accessories will be available to buy on the Microsoft Store and through authorized retailers.

They will also reportedly launch alongside Forza Horizon 6 on May 19, 2026. The game will be available to players on May 15 for those who purchase the Premium Edition, which offers an early access play period.

Forza Horizon 6 is coming to Xbox Series X|S and PC at launch, but a PS5 release has been confirmed for late 2026.




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Sony is reportedly testing a subtle PS5 UI update — 'Welcome back PS4'

 Sony is reportedly testing a subtle PS5 UI update — 'Welcome back PS4'

  • A PlayStation 5 UI update is seemingly being tested
  • A Reddit user noticed a subtle change to their console's interface and posted a photo
  • The changes should make it easier to access the PS Plus and PS Store pages

Sony is reportedly testing a new PlayStation 5 home screen UI that subtly rearranges a few important elements of the interface.

A user of the r/PlayStation subreddit posted a photo showing off what seems to be a new look for the console. It might be hard to see what's different at first glance, as all of the obvious changes are located at the very top of the screen.

New Playstation Home Screen UI from r/playstation

Rather than the usual games and media tabs, there's a row of icons including new homes for the PS Plus and PS Store tabs. As the row is controlled by your controller's shoulder buttons, this would presumably make it a little quicker to access either.

Opinion on the new design seems mostly positive in the thread. "I like a more direct access to the library," said one commenter. "I would much prefer this set up to the current one," agreed another.

"I can't tell what's different," one posted in confusion.

One Redditor speculated that this is "hopefully a sign that themes are coming" - though sadly, there is no concrete evidence that this change is in anticipation of the highly requested feature arriving.

Some also pointed out similarities with the interface of the PlayStation 4: 'Close enough, welcome back PS4.'

It's also not clear how this change is being rolled out. The author of the photograph explained that they are in the PlayStation firmware beta program, but other members seem not to have received it. There's a good chance that it is only being tested with a small group of users right now and may become more widely available later.




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NYT Strands hints and answers for Thursday, April 9 (game #767)

 NYT Strands hints and answers for Thursday, April 9 (game #767)
Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, April 8 (game #766).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #767) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

Today's NYT Strands theme is… In the paint

NYT Strands today (game #767) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

  • TRAM
  • STAND
  • LACE
  • TREE
  • CLAM
  • MODE

NYT Strands today (game #767) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

Spangram has 6 letters

NYT Strands today (game #767) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 4th row

Last side: right, 4th row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #767) - the answers

NYT Strands answers for game 767 on a blue background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #767, are…

  • ENAMEL
  • PASTEL
  • FRESCO
  • ACRYLIC
  • WATERCOLOR
  • TEMPERA
  • SPANGRAM: MEDIUM

  • My rating: Easy
  • My score: Perfect

Judging by the theme, this search was either going to be about basketball or paint, but I hadn’t anticipated that it would actually be about art.

The incredibly basic left-to-right spangram didn’t change things much, but spotting ENAMEL, and then quickly afterwards PASTEL, did — and from here it was a case of finding different types of painting mediums.

All was going well until the brakes went on with the final word. I had never heard of TEMPERA (tempura, yes) and it took a few abortive attempts before I finally made the word (for the record, tempera is a permanent, fast-drying, water-based painting medium historically created by mixing pigments with a binder, typically egg yolk).


Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, April 8, game #766)

  • BLANKET
  • QUILT
  • AFGHAN
  • THROW
  • SPREAD
  • COMFORTER
  • SPANGRAM: BEDCLOTHES

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.



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More RAM price-hike misery? Framework warns of 'volatility and cost increases through the rest of 2026' just as some GPUs suddenly get more expensive

 More RAM price-hike misery? Framework warns of 'volatility and cost increases through the rest of 2026' just as some GPUs suddenly get more expensive

  • Asus RX 9070 XT GPUs have been hit with a sudden price hike in the US
  • Framework has warned that while memory costs have stabilized in some areas, this is likely just a temporary reprieve
  • The laptop maker predicts that "We'll continue to see volatility and cost increases through the rest of 2026."

There's been a fresh round of price rises for PC components, and that includes price hikes for certain Radeon GPUs, as well as more RAM and storage-related unpleasantness.

We'll start with the graphics cards. VideoCardz noticed that Asus RX 9070 XT models have become more expensive at the firm's US store.

For example, the Asus Prime 9070 XT OC was previously $799.99 and has now been jacked up to $939.99, which represents a hefty increase of 17.5%. The newer white model of this graphics card has gone up by 7% and will now set you back $959.99.

The Asus TUF overclocked take on the 9070 XT is up by 16.5%, meaning the GPU now tips the scales at $989.99, very nearly a grand.

There's been no official announcement from Asus regarding any rising prices, and these hikes have been applied overnight, worryingly.

On top of that, modular laptop and PC manufacturer Framework has announced more RAM and SSD price increases (hat tip to Tom's Hardware), albeit these are not as painful as we've previously witnessed.

The Framework Laptop has seen a price increase for the prebuilt model with 64GB of DDR5 RAM, although there is some more positive news with lower CPU pricing (this is down to its original level for some configurations).

With the Framework Desktop PC, the company notes that it has absorbed RAM cost increases save for the 128GB model, which has had a price hike.

On the storage front, it says new SSDs the company is buying have "substantially higher costs" and to begin with, this means the 4TB version of the WD SN850X is more expensive – and other drives are likely to be soon.

Framework adds: "Our advice here is still that if you need high capacity storage, you should configure a system with it now while we still have inventory at the older, lower cost basis."


Analysis: a temporary reprieve?

Computer memory RAM on motherboard background . Close up.

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Despite the fact that some cost increases have been absorbed, and the latest round of hikes is relatively limited, Framework cautions against getting comfortable with any notion that things might be calming down with regard to the memory crisis. The manufacturer warns: "We have seen costs stabilize in some areas, but all indications are that this is a temporary reprieve and that we'll continue to see volatility and cost increases through the rest of 2026."

There have been glimmers of hope regarding a RAM reprieve elsewhere of late, too — albeit mainly based on the cost of memory getting so high that consumer demand is seriously flagging — but those hints have been weighed down with similar caveats.

The Asus GPU price hikes are more alarming here, though, as they represent some swiftly applied increases, pushing the Radeon 9070 XT graphics card up over the $900 mark for a basic model. That said, this isn't representative of the overall market for AMD's 9070 XT in the US, as you can still get this GPU (at the entry level) for not much more than $700 (at least for some models).

However, is this an early signal that we might see other board makers also increase their 9070 XT asking prices? Possibly — that is very much the worry here, and we shouldn't forget that a few months ago, back at the start of the year in the US, you could still get these AMD GPUs for around the $600 mark, which certainly isn't the case now.





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NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, April 8 (game #766)

 NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, April 8 (game #766)
Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, April 7 (game #765).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #766) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

Today's NYT Strands theme is… We’re going under cover

NYT Strands today (game #766) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

  • PEAR
  • BATH
  • FREE
  • BEER
  • QUEST
  • SPORT

NYT Strands today (game #766) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

Spangram has 10 letters

NYT Strands today (game #766) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 5th row

Last side: right, 5th row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #766) - the answers

NYT Strands answers for game 766 on a blue background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #766, are…

  • BLANKET
  • QUILT
  • AFGHAN
  • THROW
  • SPREAD
  • COMFORTER
  • SPANGRAM: BEDCLOTHES

  • My rating: Easy
  • My score: Perfect

“We’re going under cover” must be about spies, I thought, so I went in search of words connected to covert operations like mole, agent and mission. Then I found the word BLANKET and realized I was looking for the wrong type of under cover.

Next up, the letter Q helped me find QUILT — although I admit that I found the non-game word “quest” first.

Today’s spangram was obvious, but it still took me a while to go from “cloth” to “bedcloth” to finally BEDCLOTHES, all of which has made me feel a bit sleepy.


Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday, April 7, game #765)

  • KNOT
  • MARK
  • FATHOM
  • COURSE
  • WAYPOINT
  • BEARING
  • SPANGRAM: SMOOTHSAILING

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.



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NYT Connections hints and answers for Wednesday, April 8 (game #1032)

 NYT Connections hints and answers for Wednesday, April 8 (game #1032)
Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Tuesday, April 7 (game #1031).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1032) - today's words

NYT Connections hints for game 1032 on a purple background

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

  • SPECTACLE
  • SCHEME
  • ASSOCIATE
  • CONTACT
  • MONKEY
  • LOOK
  • SHADE
  • PEER
  • GOGGLE
  • DESIGN
  • PULL-UP
  • FELLOW
  • UNEVEN
  • COLLEAGUE
  • STYLE
  • PARALLEL

NYT Connections today (game #1032) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

  • YELLOW: People you work with
  • GREEN: The vibes of an object
  • BLUE: Types of similar gymnastic equipment
  • PURPLE: Focus minus an S

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1032) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

  • YELLOW: COHORT MEMBER
  • GREEN: AESTHETIC
  • BLUE: KINDS OF BAR APPARATUSES
  • PURPLE: EYEWEAR IN THE SINGULAR

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1032) - the answers

NYT Connections answers for game 1032 on a purple background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1032, are…

  • YELLOW: COHORT MEMBER ASSOCIATE, COLLEAGUE, FELLOW, PEER
  • GREEN: AESTHETIC DESIGN, LOOK, SCHEME, STYLE
  • BLUE: KINDS OF BAR APPARATUSES MONKEY, PARALLEL, PULL-UP, UNEVEN
  • PURPLE: EYEWEAR IN THE SINGULAR CONTACT, GOGGLE, SHADE, SPECTACLE

  • My rating: Easy
  • My score: Perfect

I failed to get all the groups in difficulty order. If I’d have done so it would have been my third “perfect” day in a row. Not that I was really trying, more hoping that it would come out this way.

In reality, I felt all of today’s groups were equally easy — the purple group of EYEWEAR IN THE SINGULAR could have been the yellow/easiest group and the yellow group of tiles describing a COHORT MEMBER could have been the purple/hardest group.

There was also an absence of red herrings — unless you were tempted to link GOGGLE, LOOK, PEER and SCHEME into a group about snooping. In other words: an easy day. 


Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Tuesday, April 7, game #1031)

  • YELLOW: COMPETITION BATTLE, CLASH, CONTEST, MATCH
  • GREEN: ON BOARD DOWN, GAME, IN, WILLING
  • BLUE: WORDS FOR UNSPECIFIED CHOICES ANOTHER, EITHER, NEITHER, ONE
  • PURPLE: ____LIFE AFTER, LOW, NIGHT, WILD

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.



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