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, March 29 (game #756).
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 #757) - hint #1 - today's theme
What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?
• Today's NYT Strands theme is… For a rainy day
NYT Strands today (game #757) - hint #2 - clue words
Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
SPAN
CLAM
TRAM
TRAIN
TONER
SPACY
NYT Strands today (game #757) - hint #3 - spangram letters
How many letters are in today's spangram?
• Spangram has 12 letters
NYT Strands today (game #757) - hint #4 - spangram position
What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?
First side: bottom, 3rd column
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 #757) - the answers
(Image credit: New York Times)
The answers to today's Strands, game #757, are…
SHAFT
CANOPY
PANEL
VENT
BUTTON
HANDLE
RIBS
SPANGRAM: UMBRELLATERM
My rating: Easy
My score: Perfect
“For a rainy day” immediately set me off in search of coats, hats and of course umbrella, but it took me a while to add 'term' to complete today’s parasol-shaped spangram, indicating a search for the many parts that make up a brolly. There are more of them than I realized.
Not initially seeing any relevant words after spotting the spangram, I went in search of non-game words in order to get a hint — but in the process accidentally found SHAFT and CANOPY, which set me on my voyage of discovery.
I’m not a fan of umbrellas in the urban environment. They’re okay in the countryside or on a golf course, but navigating an array of pointy umbrellas on a crowded street is loaded with peril.
Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, March 29, game #756)
BUGS
SUET
FRUIT
MILLET
BERRIES
NECTAR
SEEDS
SPANGRAM: FORTHEBIRDS
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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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 Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, March 29 (game #1525).
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 #1526) - 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 #1526) - 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 3.
Quordle today (game #1526) - 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.
What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?
• C
• A
• S
• D
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
Quordle today (game #1526) - the answers
(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)
The answers to today's Quordle, game #1526, are…
CHESS
ALLOT
SCONE
DITTY
I have a problem. Whenever I roar through Quordle really quickly and all my guesses are correct after minimal thinking time I cannot help myself from saying “boom” and punching the air.
Today was such a day, with my only moment of hesitation deciding if ALLOT had two Ls or two Ts.
Daily Sequence today (game #1526) - the answers
(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)
The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1526, are…
STRAP
WHIRL
ELIDE
SIEVE
Quordle answers: The past 20
Quordle #1525, Sunday, 29 March: DELAY, STONY, MONTH, PARTY
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, March 29 (game #1022).
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 #1023) - today's words
(Image credit: New York Times)
Today's NYT Connections words are…
ERSATZ
FRITZ
TINKER
TOY
YUTZ
FUTZ
DOLLAR
DUMMY
HERTZ
PLAYS
MOCK
MESS
FAUX
BUDGET
TRUFFLES
AVIS
NYT Connections today (game #1023) - hint #1 - group hints
What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?
YELLOW: False
GREEN: Fool around
BLUE: Hire vehicle from these
PURPLE: Extra food
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 #1023) - hint #2 - group answers
What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?
YELLOW: IMITATION
GREEN: PLAY AROUND (WITH)
BLUE: CAR RENTAL COMPANIES
PURPLE: SNACK BRANDS PLUS STARTING LETTER
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Connections today (game #1023) - the answers
(Image credit: New York Times)
The answers to today's Connections, game #1023, are…
YELLOW: IMITATION DUMMY, ERSATZ, FAUX, MOCK
GREEN: PLAY AROUND (WITH) FUTZ, MESS, TINKER, TOY
BLUE: CAR RENTAL COMPANIES AVIS, BUDGET, DOLLAR, HERTZ
PURPLE: SNACK BRANDS PLUS STARTING LETTER FRITZ, PLAYS, TRUFFLES, YUTZ
My rating: Hard
My score: 1 mistake
All the TZ tiles were very tempting to stick into a group together, but the fact that HERTZ appears alongside some other CAR RENTAL COMPANIES (BUDGET, DOLLAR, AVIS) put me off that connection.
With that out of the way I remembered that ERSATZ was a term a critic friend of mine used to use when he really wanted to call a band or piece of music phoney and derivative, and that definition seemed to fit with DUMMY, MOCK and FAUX.
With just eight tiles left I could not really see much in the way of links, beyond a couple of good names for a small dog, but gambled on four words that sounded like they were about fooling around.
It took me a couple of goes as I had PLAYS instead of FUTZ, but I eventually connected PLAY AROUND (WITH).
Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, March 29, game #1022)
YELLOW: IMAGES SEEN ON THE STREET GRAFFITI, MURAL, POSTER, STENCIL
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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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 Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Saturday, March 28 (game #1021).
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 #1022) - today's words
(Image credit: New York Times)
Today's NYT Connections words are…
GRAFFITI
RECEIPT
STRETCH
HUSTLE
PSYCHO
ROBOT
BEAUTY
STENCIL
POSTER
CORPS
TWIST
QUESTION
CHECK
MASHED POTATO
MURAL
COUP
NYT Connections today (game #1022) - hint #1 - group hints
What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?
YELLOW: Urban art formats
GREEN: Boogie back in the day
BLUE: Perfect silence
PURPLE: Add Zuckerberg’s first name
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 #1022) - hint #2 - group answers
What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?
YELLOW: IMAGES SEEN ON THE STREET
GREEN: RETRO DANCE CRAZES
BLUE: SILENT "p"
PURPLE: ___ MARK
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Connections today (game #1022) - the answers
(Image credit: New York Times)
The answers to today's Connections, game #1022, are…
YELLOW: IMAGES SEEN ON THE STREET GRAFFITI, MURAL, POSTER, STENCIL
This was a very rare game for me in that I saw all the groups at once.
That said, I did have a small question mark over the dance crazes — I knew HUSTLE, MASHED POTATO and TWIST of course, but I thought ROBOT might be a trick as that seemed to belong in the 21st century, whereas the others were popular back in the 1960 and 1970s. The PSYCHO sounded like a possibility.
Instead, I put that to one side and submitted the two groups I was certain of. I was convinced that one of them would be the purple group, but alas I picked SILENT “p” over ____ MARK. It feels like a missed opportunity to bag another “purple first”.
Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, March 28, game #1021)
YELLOW: STEP ONTO, AS A VEHICLE BOARD, EMBARK, ENTER, MOUNT
GREEN: QUANTITIES IN MECHANICS ACCELERATION, FORCE, MASS, MOMENTUM
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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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 Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, March 27 (game #754).
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 #755) - hint #1 - today's theme
What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?
• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Just write
NYT Strands today (game #755) - hint #2 - clue words
Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
VESTED
STOP
CREED
REMOTE
TRIM
ROAM
NYT Strands today (game #755) - hint #3 - spangram letters
How many letters are in today's spangram?
• Spangram has 14 letters
NYT Strands today (game #755) - hint #4 - spangram position
What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?
First side: left, 3rd row
Last side: left, 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 #755) - the answers
(Image credit: New York Times)
The answers to today's Strands, game #755, are…
EMAIL
TEXT
MISSIVE
LETTER
MEMO
POSTCARD
SPANGRAM: CORRESPONDENCE
My rating: Hard
My score: Perfect
It took me a while to get going today, which is why I’m classifying this game as tricky.
After spotting EMAIL and understanding the theme I managed to crack through a search containing modern and traditional CORRESPONDENCE formats.
Personally I am a big fan of a POSTCARD — in many ways a forerunner to the limited space allowed by many social media communications.
One of the pleasures of thrift store shopping in the UK, where postcards were a major element of going on vacation in the pre digital era, is discovering an old postcard sent to a neighbour, which will inevitably describe the weather and description of a minor injury that has befallen the sender. Postcard from the Past is a good podcast and website on the topic.
Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, March 27, game #754)
PERFECT
EXACT
FITTING
IDEAL
SEEMLY
SUITABLE
SPANGRAM: TAILORMADE
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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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, March 27 (game #1020).
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 #1021) - today's words
(Image credit: New York Times)
Today's NYT Connections words are…
PITCHER
BOARD
FIGURE
FACE
FORCE
PLATE
POWER
PICTURE
MOUNT
MASS
ENTER
MOMENTUM
ILLUSTRATION
ACCELERATION
EMBARK
ROBERT
NYT Connections today (game #1021) - hint #1 - group hints
What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?
YELLOW: Getting on transportation
GREEN: Mechanical terms
BLUE: Visual display formats
PURPLE: Add a word that contains “ant”
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 #1021) - hint #2 - group answers
What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?
YELLOW: STEP ONTO, AS A VEHICLE
GREEN: QUANTITIES IN MECHANICS
BLUE: TEXTBOOK IMAGES
PURPLE: _____ PLANT
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Connections today (game #1021) - the answers
(Image credit: New York Times)
The answers to today's Connections, game #1021, are…
YELLOW: STEP ONTO, AS A VEHICLE BOARD, EMBARK, ENTER, MOUNT
GREEN: QUANTITIES IN MECHANICS ACCELERATION, FORCE, MASS, MOMENTUM
I saw no threads when I began today’s game, but slowly the mists of confusion parted and I eventually completed it — but not before making a couple of mistakes
My first error was thinking that PLATE and PICTURE indicated a group linked by baseball; with low knowledge on this topic I added MOUNT and BOARD.
Switching focus I made another error adding ENTER instead of FORCE to what was to become QUANTITIES IN MECHANICS, the 'one away' helping me see the true connection.
From here it was plain sailing, although I’m ashamed that I did not spot ___ PLANT. Kudos if you did, but the musical surname I connect with ROBERT is Smith, not the fella from Led Zeppelin.
Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Friday, March 27, game #1020)
YELLOW: WHAT IT ALL BOILS DOWN TO BASIC FACTS, BOTTOM LINE, BRASS TACKS, NITTY-GRITTY
GREEN: FEATURES OF AN AIRPORT TERMINAL BAGGAGE CLAIM, DUTY-FREE, FOOD COURT, TICKET COUNTER
BLUE: THINGS THAT ARE ORANGE GOLDFISH CRACKER, MONARCH BUTTERFLY, THE LORAX, TRAFFIC CONE
PURPLE: ENDING IN WORDS FOR CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY LIP SERVICE, MONKEY BARS, TURN SIGNAL, WEDDING RECEPTION
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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The PS5 and Xbox Series X editions will run at 120 frames per second
The new versions will arrive alongside new "bonus content and quality of life improvements"
Supergiant Games has announced that its award-winning roguelike, Hades 2, will finally launch on PlayStation and Xbox next month.
The news comes from the Xbox Partner Preview on March 26, where the studio confirmed that the Hades sequel will be released on PS5 and Xbox Series X and Series S on April 14. It will also be available via Xbox Game Pass.
The PS5 and Xbox launch follows the game's official version 1.0 release last year, which arrived on PC, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2.
The developer confirmed that the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions will run at "an ultrafast 120 frames per second" and launch alongside brand new "bonus content and quality of life improvements."
"If you already have the game, expect these in a patch releasing that the same day, and we'll have full patch notes then," it said in an official post.
The contents of the bonus content patch remain a mystery, but in the new, gorgeously animated trailer, which sees the main character Melinoë gearing up for battle, there are a few hints as to what players can expect.
For instance, it looks like there will be a new scene featuring Heracles at the hot spring, a place where players can further their relationship with several other romance options.
Hades 2 made its way into TechRadar Gaming's Game of the Year 2025 list thanks to its thrilling combat and gameplay loop, striking visual art style, and electric soundtrack, making it a worthy successor to one of the best roguelike games of all time.
"Roguelikes are usually a hit or miss for me, but like the first game, Hades 2 has managed to hold my attention and keep me coming back even after hours of battling through the underworld," I wrote.
"Its unique characters and compelling narrative, inspired by the great Greek myths, and dynamic gameplay accompanied by a diverse replayability structure and challenging boss fights, will keep you on your toes and reward you for your efforts."
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Windows 11's taskbar repositioning is a top priority fix for Microsoft
An exec has also been frank about progress with dark mode
This new openness and transparency from Microsoft, and the way more execs are engaging with users, is promising for the future of Windows 11
We appear to have moved into a very different space with Windows 11, as Microsoft executives are busily engaged in dealing with feedback on social media regarding what needs fixing. And as more revelations about what's happening behind the scenes pour forth, I'm becoming increasingly hopeful about the future of the OS.
As Windows Central informs us, one of the big changes being made to Windows 11, namely work on repositioning the taskbar, has been made a top priority at Microsoft according to inside sources.
This is about being able to move the taskbar away from the bottom of the screen — where it's been firmly anchored since the release of Windows 11 — and other customization elements, such as having a more compact bar (which is useful for smaller screens).
These features will work pretty much as they do in Windows 10 (unsurprisingly), although moving the taskbar will be implemented slightly differently (it won't be directly draggable, you'll have a selection of choices within Settings).
Windows Central informs us that repositioning the taskbar is a 'priority 0' task, which is the most urgent level, with resizing the bar a slightly lesser but still important 'priority 1' affair.
So, we should soon be able to to move the taskbar land in Windows 11, unless Microsoft runs into a bunch of problems executing this smoothly enough.
Elsewhere Windows Central also reports that Marcus Ash, Microsoft's head of Windows Design and Research, has provided an update on dark mode in Windows 11.
In case you weren't aware, introducing dark mode has been a glacially slow process for Windows 11, taking what's seemed forever to gradually creep across more areas of the interface. And still there are numerous jarring sections that remain stubbornly white, when they should be a dark, eye-friendly shade with the mode enabled.
In response to a query on X about getting dark mode into 'Regedit' (the Registry editor), Ash said: "We are pushing to get our tools/techniques to the point where we can get dark theme into more areas across Windows. No timelines to commit to yet for Regedit. As we make progress in various legacy system panels/dialogs, we will keep improving consistency."
While that isn't a firm promise, it's good to get a response — and it is an open and frank reply.
Analysis: precious hope for the future
(Image credit: Microsoft)
It's great to see that more Microsoft execs are now communicating with Windows 11 users in a refreshingly frank, and largely positive, way. This comes on top of a lot of responses that have been made on X and other social media outlets recently, from the likes of Pavan Davuluri (who heads up Windows) to Scott Hanselman (a VP who's been the most active of all, and is clearly an integral part of the 'fix Windows 11 in 2026' campaign).
The inability to move the taskbar to the sides or top of the Windows 11 desktop has long been a bugbear, so it's great to see this is one of the highest priorities for Microsoft. It may not be a feature everyone needs, but those who do want it have been very vocal about its absence for years.
However, the way Microsoft execs are conducting themselves now gives me hope that this is a whole new attitude from the company, as it realizes the serious threats to its desktop OS dominance – such as macOS being pushed by the new and very well-received MacBook Neo.
We'll know soon enough how serious Microsoft is about curing everything that's wrong with Windows 11 — which pretty much appears to be the end goal — as fixes have been promised on a monthly basis, starting immediately. Therefore, we should see that taskbar work coming through into testing soon enough, barring any unfortunate complications as noted.
The other point skeptics will no doubt pick up on is that if Microsoft is going to move fast here, can it avoid also breaking things? Because in the past, even when Microsoft has moved slowly, features have somehow ended up broken. This is one of the biggest potential hurdles of all, and Microsoft must invest enough resources to ensure that it doesn't go this way.
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Google Search Live is now available globally in 200 countries and 98 languages
Search Live uses the new Gemini 3.1 Flash Live audio and voice model to enable a “more natural” conversational search
Audio responses have links to the information source
Google has rolled out its AI-powered conversational search tool, Search Live, globally to more than 200 countries and territories, and is available in 98 languages. First launched in the US in September 2025, Search Live lets you point your phone or tablet’s camera at something and ask the AI tool about it out loud, such as what model washing machine you have and how to use it.
The AI then responds with an audio answer that’s also, handily, captioned, and will continue listening for any clarifications and follow-up questions to emulate a natural conversation.
You can access Search Live through the Google app on Android or iOS by tapping the “Live” button under the search bar, placed between the AI Mode and Nano Banana buttons. It can also be accessed through Google Lens and the dedicated Gemini app.
Google has said the expansion has been made possible thanks to the launch of a new audio and voice model called Gemini 3.1 Flash Live, which it says is “inherently multilingual”. The company also claims the model also responds to queries faster, and aims to deliver “more natural and intuitive conversations”.
Analysis: Good but not perfect
Search Live uses query fan-out — an information retrieval technique that broadens the search by looking at related answers beyond a specific question — to provide a more comprehensive response and double down on the conversational aspect.
We tried Search Live in June last year, and noted how the tool continues to work in the background to use query fan-out, and my colleague Eric Hal Schwartz said the answers “didn’t feel boxed into a single form of response, even on relatively straightforward queries”.
I took it for a spin myself, testing it on my bike. While Search Live was good at identifying the specific model, year of release and why it had a specific paint job, it failed to recognize that I had swapped out the stock wheelset for a third-party set and thought that it still had the integrated handlebars that it originally came with. It also failed to correctly identify the accessories on the bike, like my rear light, water bottle and the bottle cages.
(Image credit: Future | Nico Arboleda)
In a similar test, it failed to identify the Nothing Phone 4a Pro that was on my desk, calling it the Nothing Phone 2a instead. I compared the results with the same question on Gemini Live, and I received identical answers.
It’s understandable why some of the results were incorrect as the AI assistant was drawing from existing sources online and new products won’t necessarily have information for the model to learn from but, as it stands, it can handle a fair few general queries.
According to Google, over 1.5 billion people were using Google Lens to identify objects around them as of June 2025 and there are about 750 million Gemini Live users, so it would be interesting to see what the uptake of Search Live will be globally and if this becomes the default way to search for information online.
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On Wednesday, a Los Angeles jury found that Meta and Google are liable for designing products that are deliberately addictive and failing to warn users about the nature of their products.
This is huge news, a landmark verdict that will inform hundreds of cases to come. While the plaintiff, a 20-year-old identified only as KGM, has been awarded $6m in damages, it's the verdict itself that's most damaging, as it opens the door to many more lawsuits against tech companies.
According to a report in The Guardian, KGM testified that "she became addicted to YouTube at age six and Instagram at nine, which she said had deleterious effects on her wellbeing". She began self-harming at age 10 and was diagnosed with body dysmorphic disorder and social phobia in her early teens.
KGM's lawyers, in their closing remarks, said: “How do you make a child never put down the phone? That’s called the engineering of addiction. They engineered it, they put these features on the phones. These are Trojan horses: they look wonderful and great … but you invite them in and they take over.”
Outside the courtroom, families who had lost young people to suicide celebrated the verdict as the beginning of justice. Meta and Google both plan to appeal, stating they "respectfully disagree" with the verdict.
Why is it so hard to put down our phones? Is social media and scrolling really as addictive as substances like nicotine and tobacco? Should we be safeguarding our kids from technology, or is it a content issue to be monitored by parents, rather than an app design problem? I'll break down the scientific research behind the verdict below.
Children and social media addiction: the effects
While I think it's pretty obvious to any phone user that social media apps have addictive qualities, there are extra concerns about the effects of heavy digital device use on children's developing brains.
One literature review by Italian pediatrists linked digital addiction in children with depression, diet, and psychological issues, as well as 'sleep, addiction, anxiety, sex related issues, behavioral problems, body image, physical activity, online grooming, sight, headache, and dental care'. KGM was six years old when she first got addicted to social media, according to her testimony.
Researchers in Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands have also linked 'high social media usage' among adolescents to 'a statistically significant change in the developmental trajectory of cerebellum volumes', a part of the brain associated with emotional control. It could literally influence the brain's physical development.
Another report says: "frequent social media use may be associated with distinct changes in the developing brain in the amygdala (important for emotional learning and behavior) and the prefrontal cortex (important for impulse control, emotional regulation, and moderating social behavior), and could increase sensitivity to social rewards and punishments".
However, it's worth noting that none of these findings are yet conclusive.
How social media apps are designed to foster engagement
Below are three ways Meta and Google could have designed their platforms to encourage addictive behaviors, supported by science and quotes from the trial.
1. The dopamine cycle
(Image credit: Getty Images)
In a report by The Guardian, Meta employees in 2020 are quoted as saying “oh my gosh y'all, IG is a drug” in an email exchange, while a colleague responds, “Lol, I mean, all social media. We’re basically pushers.”
They're not entirely wrong. The basis of addiction is all about hijacking the 'mesolimbic system', the part of the brain responsible for associating certain behaviors with rewards, both natural (food, sex, play) and artificial (drugs such as alcohol and nicotine, and notifications). Once a reward is achieved, dopamine is released.
One study on teen addiction linked activation of the mesolimbic pathway to social media use, stating children are "often victims of an unrelenting 'dopamine cycle' created in a loop of 'desire' induced by endless social media feeds, 'seeking and anticipating rewards' in the way of photo tagging, likes, and comments," the latter being the triggers that continue to reinstate the 'desire' behavior.
"The overactivation of the dopamine system in such individuals can further increase the risk of addictive behaviors or pathological changes that lead to a decline in pleasure from natural rewards." Essentially, all you want to do is keep scrolling, just like an addict looking for an endless fix because natural rewards no longer provide the same pleasure as scrolling.
According to CNN, KGM's lawyer Mark Lanier said in his opening statement: “This case is about two of the richest corporations who have engineered addiction in children’s brains,” Lanier said in his opening statement. “The swipe, for a child, like Kaley, this motion is a handle of a slot machine. But every time she swipes, it’s not for money, but for mental stimulation.”
2. The infinite scroll
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Now that a swipe is a pleasure creation tool, the next crucial tool in social media's arsenal of addiction creation is the infinite scroll: the ability to swipe forever, to continue to activate and hijack the mesolimbic pathway for as long as the user desires. Likewise, video autoplay on platforms such as YouTube and Netflix helps remove barriers and pauses, encouraging viewers to continue watching.
KGM's lawyers mention the infinitely scrollable feeds and video autoplay as features designed to keep people on the apps, maintain attention, and encourage addictive behaviors. But it's ok, because the inventor of the scrollable feed, Aza Raskin, apologized when he unleashed this horror upon the world.
3. Algorithmically encouraged negative content
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
Ever heard of 'happy scrolling'? Of course not. 'Doomscrolling,' on the other hand, is named so for a reason. Negativity is more addictive than positive content: one 2024 report by Cambridge University said that "it’s long been recognized that news-related social media posts that use negative language are re-posted more, so that in turn rewards users who create negative content through greater exposure".
Combine this with the infinitely scrollable feed and addictive, casino-esque nature of social media platforms, and you get doomscrolling, a constant stream of bad news, enraging user-created content, and messaging that you're never going to be enough unless you do this, or buy that, or look like this.
KGM used Instagram filters on 'almost all' her pictures and 'had not experienced the negative feelings associated with her body dysmorphia diagnosis before she began using social media and filters,' according to court reporting by Al Jazeera.
The same scientific report quoted above on brain development also said that "in early adolescence, when identities and sense of self-worth are forming, brain development is especially susceptible to social pressures, peer opinions, and peer comparison".
The bottom line? Children are easily impressionable, and if online negativity is more rewarding than positivity, unfettered access to an endless stream of content designed to make users feel worse to increase engagement is going to warp their worldview. According to the jury, in this case, the buck stops at the algorithm's designers.
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Microsoft is going to cut back on promotional activity in Windows 11
An exec said on X that "a calmer and more chill OS with fewer upsells is a goal" with Windows 11
Microsoft has mentioned other notable improvements on social media, including making the taskbar better beyond giving us the ability to move it
Windows 11 without adverts? Okay, maybe that's a pipe dream, but the amount of promotional activity Microsoft visits on its desktop OS is apparently going to be cut back.
As OC3D spotted, this is the latest word from Scott Hanselman, who is a VP, member of technical staff at Microsoft, and one of the major players in the whole 'fix Windows 11' campaign now underway with the software giant.
Hanselman posted on X that "a calmer and more chill OS with fewer upsells is a goal" with Windows 11.
This was in reply to someone who observed that while Microsoft has just made many laudable promises about what is going to be improved in Windows 11, one thing not mentioned was a "commitment to cut out the borderline malware tactics we've seen in recent years to push things like Edge, Bing, ads into the Start menu".
'Borderline malware' is strong phrasing, granted, but I'd agree that some of Microsoft's pop-ups or insertions into menus cross a line in terms of getting overly pushy.
On top of that, Windows Latest reports that as well as the ability to move the taskbar in Windows 11 (which is inbound), users might get the option to have a more compact taskbar, as seen in Windows 10.
Again, a denizen of X noted that they hate the "jumbo" taskbar in Windows 11 – the height of which can't be adjusted – and that "Windows 10 and Windows 8 have a compact/slim taskbar option" which should be in the newest OS.
Pavan Davuluri, head of Windows at Microsoft, replied in this case to say: "This is something we're looking at implementing."
This would be a particularly useful change for those with smaller displays (such as compact laptops), where the Windows 11 taskbar can feel unnecessarily large, eating up valuable desktop real estate.
Analysis: calmer chameleon — let's hope all these changes come to fruition
It's one thing to want to be seen to be listening, though, and another to actually carry through on this work. I must admit, I found it odd that Microsoft didn't mention tackling instances of self-promotion in Windows 11 in its big announcement last week — but perhaps this was too close to the bone to state in an official blog post.
If Microsoft genuinely wants to make Windows 11 better, though, it's certainly a point that needs addressing. The various crowbarred-in bits of promotion for Edge, Bing, OneDrive and so forth definitely need to be canned, as they're irritating to see, and clutter up the interface to boot. And if some people do want reminders about features they could be missing out on, create a dedicated area of Settings that they can visit to take in the upselling candy on offer.
One way or another, 2026 is going to be a huge year for Windows 11. A massive amount of change is on the way, that much is clear, but how much of these extra promises on social media will be realized is going to be truly interesting to see.
How serious is Microsoft about making Windows 11 the best operating system it can possibly be? Let's hope we see all these things come to fruition, and more. We'll get a flavor of how the delivery of all this work will pan out soon enough, as the various changes are going to come pretty swiftly to Windows 11 on a monthly basis, we've been told.
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The PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro features ofDirective 8020have been revealed
The PS5 edition uses PSSR for "sharper visuals" and enhanced ray tracing
Supermassive Games says the title was also designed with the DualSense controller in mind
Supermassive Games has revealed the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro features of its next major entry in its Dark Pictures Anthology, Directive 8020.
The interactive survival horror title launches in May, and ahead of its launch, the developer has outlined the tech that will "deepen the tension, clarity, and emotional impact at the heart of the game" on PlayStation.
According to Will Burdon, studio technical director at Supermassive, PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution) is the most significant enhancement for the PS5 Pro version by offering "sharper visuals".
"PSSR intelligently enhances image detail and clarity frame by frame, allowing environments, character models, and subtle environmental storytelling to appear crisp and well-defined," Burdon wrote in a new PlayStation Blog post.
"The metallic corridors of the Cassiopeia, the frost forming across a freezing medical lab, the distortion in a reflective visor, all of these details benefit from the added sharpness."
The enhancements on PS5 Pro also boast advanced ray tracing, meaning lighting will behave more realistically in corridors and dark corners, heightening the horror of Directive 8020.
Dynamic shadows also "add depth and movement to scenes, making environments feel less static and more unpredictable", while also enhancing the game's tense atmosphere.
"The added richness in shadow rendering enhances atmosphere in subtle but powerful ways, reinforcing the unease that runs through the entire experience," Burdon said.
A PS5 Pro enhanced version also means improved frame rate for "smooth, consistent performance" that will ensure players hit those split-second decisions that permanently shape the story on time, as well as fluid camera movements and cinematic transitions.
Supermassive also said that the game was "designed with the PlayStation 5 in mind", particularly the DualSense Wireless Controller, and wants interactions to feel "instinctive", whether that be reaching for the flashlight button, scanning a room before entering a hatch, or grabbing the wedge tool at the last second.
Haptic feedback "puts the fear in your hands during choices and while using tools," and the controller's audio output will alert players to distant characters to communicate with through the game's messenger tool.
"Our goal was simple: make the controller your tool for survival and fully immerse you in the world, to keep you on the edge of your seat," Burdon said.
The game will also feature a couch co-op mode called Movie Night, which allows up to five players to play through the entire story together in local couch co-op, where each player takes control of a crew member.
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Rumor has it that Intel and AMD are increasing CPU prices due to a supply shortage, and this could end up as serious as the situation with RAM
Storage prices are also heading up sharply, and device makers are having to rethink plans — with a handheld even getting canned this week due to pricing difficulties
If you've not heard enough about supply woes and price hikes for various PC components, here's another bit of bad news: CPUs are now apparently in the firing line.
PC Gamer flagged a report from Nikkei Asia, which observes that the market for processors is suffering "an average price hike of between 10% to 15%", which has hit both server and PC CPUs. This information has been provided by multiple sources, we're told, all singing the same unwelcome tune.
Nikkei Asia also claims that according to these sources: "Intel and AMD have recently told clients they will increase prices for all series of CPUs from March and April, respectively."
The lead time taken to ship processors that have been ordered is increasing, too, and by a large margin. Wait times have increased from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, or indeed more.
One of the sources is an executive at a gaming PC manufacturer who says that the supply of CPUs is expected to become thinner on the ground in the second quarter of 2026. That exec said: "Intel and AMD have prioritized capacity for server CPUs, and the supply for PCs has become less ... What PC players can get in Q2 is much less than the volume we got in Q1."
They added, "What we worry about is that even if we pay more, we still cannot get more. The CPU shortage is getting more serious day by day, no less than the memory chip situation."
Analysis: AI crushes the hopes of consumers once again
(Image credit: Shutterstock/Sashkin)
If you wanted a worrying statement about the situation with CPUs, I don't think you could get a more ominous utterance than the last sentence above. If we're going to start thinking about comparing processor supply levels to what's happened with memory chips, then that's the start of a very dark path that CPUs could be about to head down. Indeed, seemingly this is already happening, and the article is citing multiple sources to this effect.
As you might guess, this is all about the AI boom. It's driving a huge need for computing power, and that isn't just about memory and storage for servers, but also processors. Meaning the drive for profits is leading to CPU makers prioritizing data center sales over consumers, just as with memory, because these are business decisions after all, and you go where you can make the most money.
Unfortunately, the storage crisis is getting worse, too. This week, we've had news of the price of a 1TB external SSD from SanDisk tripling on the Apple store (via Gizmodo). And a high-end handheld has been effectively cancelled, with Ayaneo shutting down pre-orders of its Next 2 portable gaming device, as Kotaku reports. Thanks to the spiralling costs of storage and RAM, the Next 2 would've ended up costing some $4,000, which clearly isn't tenable. (Maybe the top-end Strix Halo Ryzen CPU was a factor here, too).
Meanwhile, Asus has just treated us to a forecast of 25% to 30% price rises for its PCs in Taiwan over the next quarter, and that reality will surely be reflected globally to a large extent.
It's a bleak picture that appears to be worsening. And it's also very odd that Intel has just revealed a couple of very wallet-friendly consumer CPUs with its refresh of Arrow Lake. How those low prices will work in this climate remains to be seen, although of course, so do the stock levels of said processors – they may only be produced in small quantities.
The advice for those thinking of buying a new CPU for their PC would be to do so now, or in the near future, much as is the case for those mulling a laptop purchase.
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