Quordle hints and answers for Wednesday, November 4 (game #1745)

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 Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Tuesday, November 3 (game #1744).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,500 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 #1745) — 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 #1745) — 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 #1745) — hint #3 — uncommon letters

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

• Yes. One of Q, Z, X or J appears among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1745) — 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 #1745) — hint #5 — starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• J

• C

• D

• I

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

Quordle today (game #1745) — the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1745, are…

• JOIST
• CROOK
• DELAY
• ICILY

If you experienced a strong sense of deja-vu playing this game you are not alone.

This is the third time JOIST has made an appearance in the past three months, while DELAY appeared in a Sequence game last week.

Is there a shortage of five-letter words?

Daily Sequence today (game #1745) — the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1745, are…

• MOSSY
• SNOOP
• SLEEK
• NICER

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1744, Tuesday, 3 November: TRIAL, STAID, LEVEL, BONUS
• Quordle #1743, Monday, 2 November: EXTRA, AMITY, LUPUS, EAGLE
• Quordle #1742, Sunday, 1 November: DROVE, PRIED, SHELL, BEGIN
• Quordle #1741, Saturday, 31 October: ANIME, SWARM, CHALK, RAJAH
• Quordle #1740, Friday, 30 October: ULCER, DIMLY, BRAIN, BEGUN
• Quordle #1739, Thursday, 29 October: PRUDE, MINUS, SAVOY, USHER
• Quordle #1738, Wednesday, 28 October: DEALT, FLUME, SLEEK, RELIC
• Quordle #1737, Tuesday, 27 October: ANKLE, HAVOC, SULKY, WHITE
• Quordle #1736, Monday, 26 October: ASSAY, GLEAM, MUCUS, WRING
• Quordle #1735, Sunday, 25 October: RAINY, BUSED, PROXY, UNDID
• Quordle #1734, Saturday, 24 October: TOXIN, SMART, MOUSE, STYLE
• Quordle #1733, Friday, 23 October: BLIMP, HOIST, FRIED, LURID
• Quordle #1732, Thursday, 22 October: DECAL, WIDTH, WOKEN, LEVER
• Quordle #1731, Wednesday, 21 October: MOIST, VALVE, VERSE, NORTH
• Quordle #1730, Tuesday, 20 October: COYLY, SAUNA, TRIAL, RASPY
• Quordle #1729, Monday, 19 October: EXIST, DECOY, HITCH, FLUID
• Quordle #1728, Sunday, 18 October: FLINT, FUROR, WEDGE, RODEO
• Quordle #1727, Saturday, 17 October: QUARK, ENEMY, SPASM, BLOCK
• Quordle #1726, Friday, 16 October: SHORT, WORTH, JOIST, SLUNK
• Quordle #1725, Thursday, 15 October: STALE, EPOCH, PIANO, CORNY

from Latest from TechRadar US in Gaming News https://ift.tt/Ry1Fi5O
via TECHNICAL SAFEER

Safari finally gets vertical tabs — and a new way to make any site dark, all thanks to iOS 27.3

• Safari is getting some useful updates
• Vertical tabs will arrive for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, but it's only in the dev betas for now
• Other features like Adaptive Dark Mode and Siri AI browser tools are coming, too, along with our first glimpse of the new Audio Intelligence capabilities

On the global web browser stage, Safari lags behind Chrome, but when it comes to Apple's 2.5 billion customers, it reigns supreme. Yet, even those devoted users might've noticed that their favorite browser was lacking at least one long-sought feature. Now, with the introduction of Dev Betas for iOS 27.3, iPadOS 27.3, and macOS 27.3, they're getting their wish.

In beta today, the platform upgrade actually brings a series of relatively small but important updates to Safari across the iPhone Duo, iPad, and Mac, but chief among them is vertical tabs.

As is often the case, Apple didn't invent this idea. I started using vertical tabs in, of all things, Microsoft Edge years ago, and even Chrome recently added them. Now, with the Safari update, you can open the Safari View Menu or hop into Settings and select vertical tabs.

Future

Future

By default, the tabs, which will live on the left side of your browser window in iPadOS and macOS (and iOS for the iPhone Duo), appear as icons — a space-saving measure. You can hover over any of them for a quick look at the hidden browser window.

There are other vertical tab features like the ability to pin tabs at the top of your list by dragging and dropping them, and tab groups. The tabs will work on the iPad and, yes, the new iPhone Duo in portrait and landscape mode.

(Image credit: Future)

The platform updates also bring a new kind of Dark Mode. Instead of only showing the mode on web pages that support it, Safari will offer to tune unsupported pages to Dark Mode too, but in a way, Apple promises, that won't ruin the sites. The Adaptive Dark Mode will automatically darken light backgrounds, invert logos and graphics, recolor vector artwork, lift raised surfaces, and even detect shadows and adjust them. It will not touch already darkened sites. For developers, there are new tags they can use that will prevent Adaptive Dark Mode from adjusting them.

The update is also bringing some Siri AI browser tools to Safari for hardware that supports Apple Intelligence.

Siri AI already has, with your permission, an awareness of what's on your screen, but with this update, it'll see entire web pages (beyond what you see in the screen frame) and even hidden tabs.

This can be useful when you want to do wholesale organization and group tabs. Say you want all tabs relating to a trip to Malta sorted by activity, or you need all your car shopping tabs grouped and organized by car price.

Siri AI can, with new Custom Actions, do your bidding on the browser and clean up your history by topic, site, and time period. It might be useful when you don't want someone seeing that you've been shopping for the last few days on a particular site for that coveted gift. There might be other reasons for targeted history scrubbing, but no need to get into that here.

(Image credit: Apple)

Other notable updates arriving in iOS 27.3, iPadOS 27.3, macOS 27.3, watchOS 27.3 Dev Beta 1 include:

• Siri App Actions will let Siri AI dig even more deeply into your system by organizing files, making trip plans, creating playlists, scheduling group messages, and finding the best photos to share.
• The promised Apple Health app overhaul, which uses Apple Intelligence, will give you more insights from your health data.
• The pair of Audio Intelligence features that will work with your Apple Watch Series 12:
• Live rewind, for recalling what was said in conversation (you have to double-press the watch crown to read the last snippet of conversation). It might be a great tool for settling he said/he said arguments.
• Siri Recap, which, when enabled, can use Apple Intelligence to recap and summarize an entire talk, speech, lesson, or maybe a TED Talk.

The changes are coming to 27.3 betas first and will eventually roll out to the other platforms in a full release. For now, though, all of these updates are found only in the Dev Betas, which are typically the earliest and potentially buggiest releases before Apple moves on to Public Betas ( that anyone can install) and the final releases. There's no word on when the full releases will arrive, and we would caution you against installing Developer betas on any of your everyday Apple devices.

from Latest from TechRadar US in Computing News https://ift.tt/qfFgvw2
via

Rumored RTX 5080 Super is delayed, while GPU prices are rocketing upwards

• Nvidia's RTX 5080 Super was rumored for January 2027, but fresh gossip suggests it's delayed
• Meanwhile, a new report on GPU prices observes a hefty price jump month-on-month
• Even lower-end GPUs are getting more costly at a faster pace, and the high-end is a nightmare — with no RTX 5080 Super riding to the rescue, it seems

Nvidia's RTX 5080 Super has been strongly rumored of late, but there's now been a cloud of doubt cast over this potential addition to the Blackwell range — just as we've got more evidence of how dire the situation with GPU price hikes has recently become.

VideoCardz spotted the latest from the rumor mill on the RTX 5080 Super, a graphics card that supposedly packs 24GB of video RAM, with Taiwanese tech site Benchlife reporting that Nvidia has delayed the GPU (assuming it's a real product in the first place, of course).

We were told via other rumor peddlers that the 24GB spin on the RTX 5080 is theoretically planned for a January 2027 launch, but Benchlife asserts that the release date "remains unclear" and that Nvidia's board manufacturing partners have yet to receive any design details for the new model.

Given that, according to Benchlife, the "probability is extremely high" that the RTX 5080 Super won't debut in January, considering that board makers were expecting to receive the mentioned design info back in October.

This pushes the rumored GPU back at least a month, very probably more, and the idea of that is hardly surprising given the ongoing RAM crisis, which has been getting worse as 2026 rolls on.

That affects video RAM, and it's the main driver of price spikes with graphics cards, which are starting to get out of hand, as evidenced by TechSpot's latest monthly report highlighting the current cost of GPUs across various regions.

What TechSpot's monitoring data for October 2026 shows is that, as we already knew, high-end pricing has gone even further off the rails. The RTX 5080 is up 39% in the US and 40% in Germany month-on-month, for example, which is ludicrous, frankly — in the US it's now 120% over the MSRP at $2,200. The UK has seen an 8% hike over the past month, with this GPU now 40% over its MSRP in the country. Globally, it's 77% over Nvidia's recommended price on average.

The RTX 5090 is even sillier, as we've seen for some time now, and stands at $9,400 in the US in October, some 370% over the already very expensive MSRP. If you can find the Blackwell flagship at all, that is.

What's really worrying is that TechSpot's data shows lower-tier GPUs are now seeing some major price bumps. Want a humble RTX 5050 in the US? It's gone up 35% over the past month (an increase of over $100), so you'll now pay 68% over the MSRP.

The RTX 5060 is creeping up in price in some European countries, too — it's up 7% in the UK and 13% in Germany. The RTX 5060 Ti 8GB has gone up more, with this GPU getting hiked by 10% in the UK, so it's now £440 compared to £350 back at the start of 2026. The 5060 Ti 8GB went up 6% in the US, too, so it's now 40% over the MSRP in total.

There are hikes across the board for Nvidia, and AMD's Radeon GPUs are getting more expensive at an even faster rate currently. Again, lower-end graphics cards are suffering, such as RX 9060 XT models being up 10% on average month-on-month. The RX 9070 XT is also up 10% in the US since last month, and the increase in Canada has been a sickening 30% — in just one month.

Analysis: a deteriorating situation for GPUs

(Image credit: Future)

What does all this tell us? That spiralling graphics card prices are very real, with some huge ongoing hikes for higher-end models — but this isn't just a top-end GPU problem any longer. The real concern is that lower-tier boards are also seeing more price inflation, and I don't think this is a problem that's going away.

Indeed, based on the weighty amount of chatter about the memory crisis continuing to get worse in this final quarter of 2026 and into next year, there's every reason to believe that GPU prices could keep going up. That's why I've been advising PC owners thinking of a GPU upgrade to treat Black Friday as a prime (pun not intended) opportunity to get in and buy a graphics card before any more hikes.

With the RTX 5090 reportedly effectively discontinued — something Nvidia strenuously denies, but the stock situation speaks for itself in countries like the US — and the RTX 5080 pricing itself well out of the range of the vast majority of consumers, those who were anticipating the RTX 5080 Super to ride to the rescue have suffered a fresh blow here, too.

I never thought that was a realistic proposition anyway, mind, but still, it's clear enough that the GPU market is in trouble, and Nvidia seemingly doesn't have any answers in the short term for the upper echelons of its Blackwell range. As noted, though, the real worry is that there's more pain coming to the more affordable end of the graphics card spectrum, where mainstream buyers make their purchases.

from Latest from TechRadar US in Computing News https://ift.tt/cr1BfUG
via

Google leads takedown of massive XCPE malware botnet made of more than 1.3 million Android TV streaming boxes — and claims the items were intentionally set up for criminal access

• Google leads efforts to dismantle 1.3 million device residential proxy botnet built through malware preinstalled on Android hardware
• Researchers say manufacturer Videostrong intentionally shipped malware and sold botnet access to cybercriminals
• Google seized infrastructure, blocked the company from Android certification, and strengthened device security checks

Google has revealed its role in taking down a massive residential proxy network and the malware that built it - with the unusual twist that the developer was a seemingly legitimate business with multiple products and countless trusting customers.

In a blog post, the company said that together with its partners, it dismantled a backdoor called XCPE. This malware was apparently used for ad fraud, served as a dropper for additional malware, and used for assimilating devices into an illegal residential proxy network.

In total, more than 1.3 million set-top boxes alone were part of the network, the company said.

No supply chain attack

Malicious residential proxy networks are nothing new - they emerge and get dismantled on a regular basis. But this one was unique, as it came preloaded on Android devices built and sold by a certified Android Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and Original Design Manufacturer (ODM). In other words, people were thinking they were buying a legitimate product from a legitimate, Google-vetted company, but were instead getting malware-laden hardware that abused their trust and sold their bandwidth to cybercriminals.

In this case, not only did the company know what it was doing, but it was actively developing the malware and even worked on hiding it from Google and everyone else.

“A device manufacturer intentionally infecting their users with malware is an unacceptable breach of trust, and represents a serious risk to those users,” Google said, not hiding its disappointment with the manufacturer.

Videostrong ended up selling two things: On the surface, it was selling Android-powered smartphones and similar devices that contained malware that built a botnet. Under the table, it was selling access to that botnet to cybercriminals.

Google was joined by a number of other companies and agencies in this operation, including Japan’s National Police Agency, Lumen, HUMAN Security, Plume, Synthient, and TrendAI.

Threat actors are always in need of residential proxy botnets. They can use them to launch powerful Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, hide their addresses as they operate, conduct large-scale credential stuffing campaigns, bypass geographical restrictions, scrape websites at scale, and more. We don’t know how much Videostrong made from selling access to the botnet, or who used it.

Taking down the C2 domains

To disrupt both the malware and the network, Google took down the domains and servers the company used to control the botnet and install malware modules, took down C2 domains that were used by over a dozen malware families loaded as modules via the XCPE backdoor, and banned Videostrong and all future subsidiaries and affiliates from building and selling Android devices in the future, or supplying software to other certified vendors.

Google also said it had improved its firmware integrity checks for certified Android TV devices to prevent similar incidents involving other manufacturers.

“Google requires OEMs go through a comprehensive suite of compatibility and security tests to ensure a consistent and safe user experience across the Android ecosystem,” it stressed. “However, Videostrong employed obfuscation techniques to exploit a gap in our tests and load malicious code after the device's first boot. As a result, Google has implemented changes to its existing review process to better safeguard against similar activity in the future.”

This is not the first time an electronic device came with malware off the shelf. Last month, security researchers Bitdefender found Android phones from multiple manufacturers, including Doogee and Cubot (both Chinese firms) being sold with preloaded malware. However, in those cases, the supply chain was compromised and the malware was included without the OEM’s knowledge, or consent.

from Latest from TechRadar US in Computing News https://ift.tt/O40Dc3z
via

NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, November 3 (game #975)

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 Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, November 2 (game #974).

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 #975) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… I’ve got a song in my heart

NYT Strands today (game #975) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• CLAD
• CLOT
• TAILOR
• VITAL
• STOUT
• BEST

NYT Strands today (game #975) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 10 letters

NYT Strands today (game #975) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

• First side: left, 3rd row

• Last side: right, 6th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #975) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #975, are…

• SINGER
• CROONER
• CHORISTER
• VOCALIST
• BALLADEER
• SPANGRAM: BELTITOUT

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 hint

SINGER seems the most obvious word to feature in the theme “I’ve got a song in my heart”, but embarrassingly I needed a hint to find it.

From here on in, I managed without help — although it did take me several attempts to tap out CHORISTER after finding the next most obvious word, CROONER.

Meanwhile, I have issues with the spangram BELTITOUT, as it’s terrible advice to those who can sing and encourages those who can’t that all that is required is the conviction that you can. My uncle Roger was one of these people and possibly the only person who has been banned from a pub for singing too loudly, something you’d think a pub would be used to.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, November 2, game #974)

• CLIFF
• SNOW
• GLACIER
• PEAK
• RIDGE
• SADDLE
• SUMMIT
• SPANGRAM: MOUNTAINTOP

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.

from Latest from TechRadar US in Gaming News https://ift.tt/xC5NXbo
via TECHNICAL SAFEER

Jackery's smallest-ever portable power station uses long-lasting LFP batteries

• The Explorer 100D is a palm-sized 30,000mAh portable power station
• It uses a long-lasting lithium iron phosphate battery
• It has a maximum total output of 158W and supports direct solar input

Jackery has just launched a new portable power station that combines a high capacity with an impressively small and lightweight design.

Dubbed the Jackery Explorer 100D, it measures 11.87 x 8.26 x 8.57cm and weighs 850g, which sounds fairly compact when you consider that it has 30,000mAh of power. Indeed, it’s 14% smaller and 12% lighter than the Explorer 100 Plus, making it Jackery's smallest portable power station yet.

So, while it will certainly add some weight to your bag, it's small enough to carry around in a backpack, so you can keep your devices powered when out and about or on trips. It’s designed to comply with lithium battery transport standards, too, so you can take it on planes and trains, and even though it’s palm-sized, it also includes a built-in handle and supports an optional shoulder strap.

(Image credit: Jackery)

An LFP battery with solar support

The Jackery Explorer 100D also uses a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery rather than the more common lithium-ion ones, meaning it’s theoretically both safer and longer-lasting, with Jackery claiming it has an up to 8-year lifespan and will retain at least 80% of its capacity across 3,000 charging cycles.

It has two 140W USB-C ports and an 18W USB-A port, so you can charge, for example, a laptop, phone, and tablet all at once. That said, it tops out at 158W of combined charging power, so you can’t use all of those ports at full power simultaneously.

When you need to charge the 100D itself, you can of course plug it in to any outlet, but it also supports up to 100W of direct solar input, making it suited to an off-grid setup.

So there’s a lot to like here, and while this isn’t the cheapest 30,000mAh power station, it’s reasonably affordable too, coming in at $99 / €99 (roughly £75 / AU$140). It’s not currently available in the UK or Australia, but Jackery does have a presence in both regions, so that might change.

from Latest from TechRadar US in Computing News https://ift.tt/CxH5cO9
via

NYT Connections hints and answers for Monday, November 2 (game #1240)

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 Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Sunday, November 1 (game #1239).

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 #1240) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• MEDICINE CABINET
• COMPASS
• FOG MACHINE
• INCENSE
• WATERFALL
• DISCO BALL
• NETTLE
• HIKING BOOTS
• DRESSING ROOM
• DRY ICE
• WATER BOTTLE
• WIND UP
• PIQUE
• KALEIDOSCOPE
• HUMIDIFIER
• BACKPACK

NYT Connections today (game #1240) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Equipment for a long walk
• GREEN: Raging
• BLUE: Wet not wet
• PURPLE: Watch your reflection

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 #1240) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: THINGS TO BRING ON A TREK
• GREEN: ANGER
• BLUE: MIST MAKERS
• PURPLE: THINGS WITH MIRRORS

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

NYT Connections today (game #1240) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1240, are…

• YELLOW: THINGS TO BRING ON A TREK: BACKPACK, COMPASS, HIKING BOOTS, WATER BOTTLE
• GREEN: ANGER: INCENSE, NETTLE, PIQUE, WIND UP
• BLUE: MIST MAKERS: DRY ICE, FOG MACHINE, HUMIDIFIER, WATERFALL
• PURPLE: THINGS WITH MIRRORS: DISCO BALL, DRESSING ROOM, KALEIDOSCOPE, MEDICINE CABINET

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

A straightforward Connections puzzle to begin the week, without any word games, traps, trickery or cultural gaps.

As is often the case with these types of Connections games I got each group in difficulty order and was able to experience that little tingle of perfection, but also disappointment that I wasn’t smart enough to spot a fairly easy purple group.

Games this easy also make me suspicious that the NYT puzzle setters are merely giving our brains a day off in order to soften us up before a difficult run. Bring it on!

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, November 1, 2026, game #1239)

• YELLOW: KINDS OF TEETH: BICUSPID, CANINE, INCISOR, MOLAR
• GREEN: KINDS OF LOVE: BROTHERLY, PUPPY, SELF, UNREQUITED
• BLUE: ENTHUSIAST: FIEND, HEAD, HOUND, LOVER
• PURPLE: SYNONYMS FOR "SOAKED" WITH FIRST LETTER CHANGED: DOGGY, MATURATED, TRENCHED, TRIPPING

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.

from Latest from TechRadar US in Gaming News https://ift.tt/DmAjNV4
via TECHNICAL SAFEER

NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, November 2 (game #974)

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 Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, November 1 (game #973).

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 #974) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… High and mighty

NYT Strands today (game #974) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• MULE
• FILE
• SNARE
• RACE
• TIME
• DATE

NYT Strands today (game #974) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 11 letters

NYT Strands today (game #974) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

• First side: bottom, 1st column

• Last side: top, 6th column

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

NYT Strands today (game #974) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #974, are…

• CLIFF
• SNOW
• GLACIER
• PEAK
• RIDGE
• SADDLE
• SUMMIT
• SPANGRAM: MOUNTAINTOP

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

I love how today’s spangram jaggedly rises from one corner to the other.

However, despite my enjoyment of some top-level Strands craft I still managed to miss out on spotting it. Instead, I began with the game’s two most obvious words in CLIFF and PEAK.

The closest I’ve got to a MOUNTAINTOP is snowmobiling on a GLACIER in Iceland — an experience that was both exciting and terrifying, not least the moment when our guide pointed out a 120ft-deep crevasse we were inches away from falling into. I’m still having the nightmares.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, November 1, game #973)

• SNOOZE
• SLEEP
• CATNAP
• DOZE
• SLUMBER
• DROWSE
• SPANGRAM: ZZZZZZZZ

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.

from Latest from TechRadar US in Gaming News https://ift.tt/f6lAxWL
via TECHNICAL SAFEER

NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, November 1 (game #973)

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 Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, October 31 (game #972).

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 #973) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… For the rest of the day

NYT Strands today (game #973) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• PEEL
• CASE
• RESET
• PAINT
• BRED
• SWORD

NYT Strands today (game #973) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 8 letters

NYT Strands today (game #973) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

• First side: top, 2nd column

• Last side: bottom, 3rd column

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

NYT Strands today (game #973) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #973, are…

• SNOOZE
• SLEEP
• CATNAP
• DOZE
• SLUMBER
• DROWSE
• SPANGRAM: ZZZZZZZZ

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Has there ever been a spangram made up of the same letter before?

I am annoyed because I didn’t immediately spot it and score a Spangram First, although I did have the fleeting thought “there are a lot of Zs in today’s game” without realizing why.

The words of this puzzle remind me of Morrissey’s under-appreciated 2017 song Spent The Day In Bed, a jaunty anthem in celebration of skiving while others are striving that includes the typical Morrissey line “I'm not my type, but I love my bed”.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, October 31, game #972)

• TOOTHBRUSH
• FANGS
• RING
• CANDY
• APPLE
• STICKER
• SPANGRAM: TRICKORTREAT

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.

from Latest from TechRadar US in Gaming News https://ift.tt/IBSoxnV
via TECHNICAL SAFEER

NYT Connections hints and answers for Saturday, October 31 (game #1238)

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 Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Friday, October 30 (game #1237).

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 #1238) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• STAYCATION
• GUITAR
• DIRTY
• KILLER
• SICK
• DOWNFALL
• SHAKEN
• UP
• TENNIS RACKET
• SHAKESPEARE
• WICKED
• TASSEL
• SITCOM
• MARIONETTE
• DRY
• GNARLY

NYT Connections today (game #1238) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Confusing slang
• GREEN: Instructions for James Bond’s favorite cocktail
• BLUE: A twine in common
• PURPLE: Begin with canine control

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 #1238) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: WORDS MEANING GOOD THAT SOUND BAD
• GREEN: MARTINI SPECIFICATIONS
• BLUE: THINGS WITH STRINGS
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH DOG COMMANDS

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

NYT Connections today (game #1238) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1238, are…

• YELLOW: WORDS MEANING GOOD THAT SOUND BAD: GNARLY, KILLER, SICK, WICKED
• GREEN: MARTINI SPECIFICATIONS: DIRTY, DRY, SHAKEN, UP
• BLUE: THINGS WITH STRINGS: GUITAR, MARIONETTE, TASSEL, TENNIS RACKET
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH DOG COMMANDS: DOWNFALL, SHAKESPEARE, SITCOM, STAYCATION

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 mistakes

I was on the right track with STARTING WITH DOG COMMANDS, as I saw the link between DOWNFALL, SITCOM and STAYCATION — but I thought KILLER was the fourth; something, in hindsight, that would take canine training to a whole new (and wrong) level.

After winning a Purple First for connecting the hardest group of the game, I made another error putting together the easiest/yellow group, including DIRTY among the WORDS MEANING GOOD THAT SOUND BAD.

After switching with GNARLY, another meaning for DIRTY came to mind and I was able to cobble together MARTINI SPECIFICATIONS.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Friday, October 30, 2026, game #1237)

• YELLOW: PARTS OF A CAMERA: FLASH, LENS, SHUTTER, VIEWFINDER
• GREEN: AROUND A THEATER STAGE: BACKDROP, CURTAIN, PIT, WINGS
• BLUE: THROW____: HANDS, PILLOW, RUG, SHADE
• PURPLE: FRUIT WITH FIRST LETTER CHANGED: DEMON, DRAPE, GLUM, GRANGE

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.

from Latest from TechRadar US in Gaming News https://ift.tt/2gPAZti
via TECHNICAL SAFEER

It's now possible to turn your PS5 into a Steam Machine — but you shouldn't

• PS5 Bazzite Deck is a new spin on this gaming-focused version of Linux
• It allows you to boot your PS5 to a Steam Deck interface and play PC games
• You need to jailbreak your Sony console to run it (via the PS5 Linux loader), and that's a risky path to take for a number of reasons

Don't want to fork out all that cash for a Steam Machine? If you've got a PS5, you could turn it into a spin on Valve's gaming PC thanks to a custom version of a Linux distro — although the major catch is you'll need to jailbreak your console.

TechPowerUp noticed the PS5 Bazzite Deck project on GitHub, which takes this flavor of the gaming-focused Bazzite distro and adapts it for Sony's console. (Bazzite Deck is different from vanilla Bazzite, as it was built specifically for handhelds to offer an experience similar to SteamOS for the likes of the Asus ROG Ally — but without some of the headaches of running Valve's OS on that portable).

When PS5 Bazzite Deck is run on a jailbroken console, it'll boot straight into the Steam Deck interface (Steam Gaming Mode), and you can play your PC games from there.

You don't need to install the PS5 Bazzite Deck OS, either; you can just run it from a USB stick (via the PS5 Linux loader). As the developer VivaLaVent explains, when you next restart the PS5, it'll boot its own operating system again, and you'll be back at Sony's welcome hub.

So the PS5 isn't modified by running this OS as such, except for the fact that you have to jailbreak the console (then run the PS5 Linux Loader).

This project is compatible with the base PS5 and PS5 Pro consoles, and you can also switch to a desktop mode running KDE Plasma on your PS5, should you wish.

Of course, game compatibility is going to be hit-and-miss, although a gamer on Reddit observed that they've successfully run Horizon Zero Dawn, Palworld, Genshin Impact, and Rimworld — although Marvel Rivals was a non-starter.

Analysis: interesting times

(Image credit: Future)

I should make it very clear up front that I wouldn't recommend jailbreaking your console even as an experiment. There are potential legal ramifications (depending on where you live) with doing so, the possibility of Sony banning your account, and a whole raft of risks (including the third-party software involved, of course). So, if you do want to turn your PS5 into a take on a Steam Machine in this way, proceed at your own risk.

That said, there's an increasing amount of activity around getting the PS5 to run PC games, as you might have seen, so clearly this is something that quite a few gamers are interested in. Most notably, we've seen Playden, which is a very different way of running PC titles on a PS5, by using a compatibility layer (a custom port of Wine) to pull this off. PS5 Bazzite Deck differs in that it replaces the entire OS with a new one, as opposed to running on top of Sony's system.

By all accounts, PS5 Bazzite Deck is pretty slick. One Redditor shares their experience: "I've been using this distro for 4 days, and WOW! Seriously, it's way better than the others. There are constant updates that bring bug fixes."

The DualSense controller support is also niftily implemented by all accounts, as you can pair to both Linux and the PS5 system (saving you from unpairing when switching between the two). The controller's touchpad works like a mouse on the PS5 Bazzite Deck, and seemingly waking from sleep takes only two seconds (much faster than the PS5's normal wake time).

Another gamer on Reddit declares: "If the PS5 turns out to have been the perfect Steam Machine all along, it would be so funny."

But I refer you back to my previous advice on jailbreaking (and game compatibility). Still, this kind of modding is attention-grabbing, to say the least, and we're also seeing it in reverse, with a breakneck pace of development for PS5 emulation on the PC (very much accelerated by the use of AI, it's worth noting).

That effort is, of course, generating a ton of interest given that GTA 6 is nearly here, and indeed there are theories floating around that the work on that PS5 emulator could force Rockstar to launch the PC port much earlier than intended (before an emulated version is up and running). The rumor mill reckons we could see the PC version of GTA 6 early in 2027 as a result.

from Latest from TechRadar US in Gaming News https://ift.tt/Z4AieD0
via TECHNICAL SAFEER

Criminal investigation launched into Google's Finnish data center project

• Google's subsidiary Tuike Finland cleared and drained 330 hectares of forest at Muhos for a data center site
• The company failed to get the necessary environmental impact assessments completed before carrying out the felling
• A preliminary police investigation is now taking place, based on 'ambiguities and ‌shortcomings in the drainage and water management', although the results of this won't be known until 2027

A preliminary police investigation is now underway into Google's clearing of a forest in Finland to make space for an AI data center.

As The Guardian reports, the allegation is that Google's subsidiary Tuike Finland cleared and drained 330 hectares of forest at the site in Muhos before it had ensured the necessary environmental impact assessments were completed.

Yle (Finland's public broadcasting company) further reports that the police have said that the investigation is into suspected environmental damage, but the other possible charges could be added depending on its ongoing findings.

Finnish police said: "Based on preliminary information, there have been ambiguities and ‌shortcomings in the drainage and water management at the construction site of Tuike Finland ​Oy's datacentre project."

The investigation will be far from a short process, though, and won't be completed until some point in 2027.

Construction work was stopped on the data center in Muhos, and also at a second data center site at Kajaani-Otanmäki, on October 14. In both cases, the environmental assessments were apparently incomplete.

Antti Järvinen, who heads up Google Finland as country manager, apologized for the forest clearances, but said that Google had acted according to the "best understanding we had of the legislation at the time."

Analysis: the rush for AI data centers

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Some 400,000 trees have reportedly been felled across both sites (250,000 of those at Muhos). As The Guardian makes clear in a separate report from last week (via Tom's Hardware), there are a lot of very unhappy Finnish people, as you might imagine.

Many of them question the building of data centers at all, and the AI gold rush that's the driving force behind this activity. There's apparently little direct benefit for the people of the country where these projects are underway, with only a small number of local jobs created. As a professor of computer science at the University of Helsinki, Jussi Kangasharju points out, "Really, for Finland, there are no benefits. They are international companies serving international customers. Datacentres ultimately have little benefit for others except the datacentre operator."

Others obviously worry about the impact on wildlife. Finnish conservationists inform us that the three-toed woodpeckers in the forest have been displaced, and The Guardian highlighted that in Otanmäki, wolves that had nowhere to go when the trees were felled ended up coming into a local village.

It will be some time before the criminal investigation is completed, as noted, but you can bet that the results are going to be closely watched.

from Latest from TechRadar US in Computing News https://ift.tt/HLbmQt9
via

NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, October 30 (game #971)

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 Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Thursday, October 29 (game #970).

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 #971) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… All charged up

NYT Strands today (game #971) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• JUGGLE
• CITY
• LUCK
• DICE
• GLUE
• TARP

NYT Strands today (game #971) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 9 letters

NYT Strands today (game #971) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

• First side: left, 1st row

• Last side: right, 2nd row

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

NYT Strands today (game #971) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #971, are…

• JUICE
• ELECTRICITY
• POWER
• ENERGY
• SPARK
• CURRENT
• SPANGRAM: PLUGGEDIN

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

As nice as it is to be congratulated for completing a round without the need of any hints, missing out on a Spangram First makes it far from perfect — especially when you've spotted it immediately after the first game word.

The reason for my Spangram blindness was a rare outing for the letter J, something that is rarely seen on the Strands board, making JUICE impossible to resist connecting.

From here on it was low-wattage fare with little to, erm, get the brain fired up.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday, October 29, game #970)

• WORM
• FIRE
• TONGUE
• SNAKE
• NEWT
• BUBBLE
• LIZARD
• BLOOD
• SPANGRAM: CAULDRON

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.

from Latest from TechRadar US in Gaming News https://ift.tt/8iWVRNK
via TECHNICAL SAFEER