Summer Game Fest officially returns this summer with all-new game announcements — here's when you can watch the showcase

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• Summer Game Fest 2026 is scheduled to air on June 5, 2026
• The event will be two hours long and feature new game announcements
• The showcase will be followed by SGF Play Days on June 6 and The Game Business conference on June 8

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Summer Game Fest host Geoff Keighley has announced the dates for the 2026 annual gaming showcase, along with the additional key events.

In a new social media post, Keighley confirmed that the main Summer Game Fest presentation will air on June 5, 2026, at 2PM PT / 5PM ET / 10PM BST at the Dolby Theatre and will be approximately two hours long.

Normally, Summer Game Fest is hosted on the official Game Awards YouTube and Twitch channels. The annual awards show was also founded by host Geoff Keighley.

For now, we don't have confirmation of which studios will be present at the showcase, but Keighley has said there will be "new game announcements" and the live show will be followed by the Day of the Devs, which traditionally highlights new and upcoming indie games.

After the main event, the invite-only SGF Play Days will be held for media and influencers from June 6 to June 8, offering hands-on access to new games, followed by The Game Business live conference on June 8.

Last year's Summer Game Fest was a huge event that unveiled brand new trailers and announcements for games like Resident Evil Requiem, which finally launches this week, 007 First Light, Dying Light The Beast, Mafia The Old Country, and more.

There are plenty of games to look forward to in the latter half of 2026, and there's always the possibility we'll be treated to new trailers and launch date reveals for a bunch of them, including FromSoftware's Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, The Duskbloods, Control Resonant, and Marvel's Wolverine.

There's the obvious excitement around Grand Theft Auto 6, which launches on November 19. However, given Rockstar Games' track record for sharing its own trailers and announcements, we think it's unlikely the game will make an appearance at SGF this year.

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Amazon is shutting down King of Meat, promising a 'full refund' for 'all players'

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• Amazon published online game King of Meat is shutting down
• It was on the market for less than a year
• Buyers will be eligible for a refund

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Amazon published online party brawler King of Meat is shutting down after less than one year on the market.

Developed by UK team Glowmade, the game originally launched back in October 2025 and struggled to attract players. According to data from SteamDB, it peaked at a player count of just 320 on Steam, which is startlingly low given it launched alongside a flashy marketing campaign featuring celebrity content creator MrBeast.

Retailing for $29.99 / £29.99 on the platform, the price was slashed to just $7.49 / £5.98 for two weeks in November, but this generous discount did little to increase player numbers.

After weeks of just a handful of players logging into the game daily, Amazon has pulled the plug. "Following the launch of King of Meat, it’s been incredibly rewarding to watch the community enjoy this fun and chaotic world," reads a new notice on the game's official website.

"Despite the creativity and innovation Glowmade brought to King of Meat, the game has unfortunately not found the audience we hoped for", it continues. "As a result, we have made the difficult decision to conclude our investment in the game, and King of Meat's servers will close on April 9, 2026."

The game will still be playable up until that date, but afterwards, it will seemingly be gone for good.

Players who purchased the game on any platform or any in-game currency will be eligible for a refund. According to Amazon, these will be "handled directly by the platform where you purchased the game" and processed automatically towards the end of this month.

This news comes just weeks after Amazon announced that it would be shutting down its MMO New World next year as the company shifts away from the costly support of long-term live service titles.

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Forget the wooden ruler — I measured the Blizzard of 2026 with my iPhone

In between lifting 40-pound scoops of heavy white snow, I stepped back to ponder Mother Nature's stunning show of force with the Blizzard of 2026. Then I pulled out my iPhone 17 Pro Max to measure if this really was The Storm of this Century.

Hidden inside your best iPhone, like the remnants of grass under the mountain of snow currently on my front lawn, is the Measure app. Introduced back in 2018 as part of iOS 12, it's an incredibly handy digital measuring system that uses augmented reality and the iPhone Pro's LiDAR sensor to measure all kinds of dimensions.

Why was I suddenly so interested in using Measure? If you don't live on the northeast coast of the US, you could be forgiven for not knowing about Bomb Cyclone Hernandez and the feet of snow dumped on places like New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Boston, and Maine during a bona fide blizzard (a snowstorm with sustained winds of 35mph that reduces visibility to near-zero).

Even just eyeballing it, I assumed I had two feet of snow and drifts that approached 3- to 3.5 feet. Where we shoveled, piles of snow reached 4 and 5 feet high.

However, the iPhone offers me an opportunity to get an accurate reading without carrying around a yardstick or jumping in until I'm almost waist-deep in the white stuff.

How to use Measure

(Image credit: Future)

Using Measure, which also includes a level, is easy.

I opened the app and then pointed the camera array at the ground, choosing a spot where we had neatly shoveled down from the top of the snow pile to my sidewalk

Measure automatically detects the ground, and once it's done, you can tap to set a start point for your measurement. After that, I slowly pull the phone up while I watch the measurement appear on screen, rolling out almost like a fabric measuring tape. The current total appears to be midway along the line.

Once I reached the top of a pile, I taped again to capture the measurement. The first one said 19 inches. I then chose a slightly higher plateau and measured out 22 inches.

I could find higher drifts, but I was looking for whatever represented the untouched (or unblown) totals. I think around 20 inches is where we're at.

If you were in this storm's path and want to know just how much snow you got, don't go hunting for a ruler or yardstick. Just unpocket your iPhone, open Measure, and start collecting and sharing your totals.

I'd love to share more tips, butI have to finish digging out...

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Lenovo is the latest victim of the RAM crisis, and states, 'there's no way around' upcoming March price hikes

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• Lenovo has warned its partners of March price hikes for select products
• The price hikes are a result of the ongoing RAM crisis
• Lenovo is yet another company to be hit by the RAM crisis in 2026

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The RAM crisis is spiraling out of control, with multiple PC hardware manufacturers, companies, and resellers forced to implement price hikes – and unfortunately, the latest victim is a renowned consumer PC brand, Lenovo.

As reported by CRN, Lenovo has warned its partners of upcoming price hikes for select products, including consumer PCs, in March, due to the RAM crisis caused by the ongoing AI boom.

Partners have been encouraged to place orders on or before February 28 to stay aligned with "current pricing assumptions," specifically stating that orders received on February 28 that aren't shipped by March 31 "will need to be repriced", further highlighting Lenovo's urgent push for partners to avoid March's pricing adjustments.

Lenovo's North America VP and Channel Chief, Wade McFarland, stated: "Pricing is influenced by both order and timing and fulfillment timing, and Lenovo reviews pricing periodically in response to evolving market conditions."

Regarding those price increases and orders for its wide range of hardware, Lenovo stressed, "We've absolutely had to adjust and continue to adjust [terms]. There's no way around it."

It's quite clear that the impact of the RAM crisis is substantial for Lenovo, and it won't be long before consumers see price changes on its devices, likely including the Lenovo Legion Go 2 handheld gaming PC.

(Image credit: Lenovo)

Consumers should act fast too

It's now easy to say that the current state of the PC hardware market is unprecedented, with demand for memory from AI datacenters causing almost a total collapse in stability.

Prices are higher than ever before as the crisis is forcing manufacturers to rethink strategies, and Lenovo joins the likes of Valve, which is facing memory and storage shortages and has its Steam Deck OLED handheld intermittently out of stock as a result.

While Lenovo's urgent message is to its partners, it's also one consumers should consider. Prices for its handhelds, laptops, and consumer PCs are likely going to see major price increases, and now may be the only chance to beat the inevitable impact.

The market is a chaotic state of affairs, and now the only question we can ask is how much worse can the RAM crisis possibly get?

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NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, February 24 (game #723)

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, February 23 (game #722).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Just for reference

NYT Strands today (game #723) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• PAID
• RISK
• DIARY
• TOOL
• DUETS
• HEARD

NYT Strands today (game #723) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 8 letters

NYT Strands today (game #723) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: left, 8th row

Last side: right, 1st row

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

NYT Strands today (game #723) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #723, are…

• ENCYCLOPEDIA
• DIRECTORY
• THESAURUS
• DICTIONARY
• SPANGRAM: LOOKITUP

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• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

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The very first thing I thought of when I saw the theme “just for reference” was ENCYCLOPEDIA — possibly the hardest word to hide in Strands game and one that was instantly spotted.

DIRECTORY was slightly harder, but with just four game words, and a diagonal spangram that neatly divided the board, the biggest challenge today was connecting the letters of THESAURUS correctly.

Although versions of all four of these reference materials exist in multiple formats, I find it hard to imagine them as anything other than books from the pre-digital age. There are plenty of benefits to this — specifically the joy of the random page turning and learning a new fact or word.

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Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, February 23, game #722)

• BRIDGE
• BODY
• FRETBOARD
• NECK
• HEADSTOCK
• PEGS
• STRING
• SPANGRAM: GUITAR

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What is NYT Strands?

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

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

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NYT Connections hints and answers for Tuesday, February 24 (game #989)

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 Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Monday, February 23 (game #988).

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 #989) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• COWARD
• LASER
• SCOTTIE
• BONES
• JIM
• CORAL
• BALANCE
• CHEKHOV
• THISTLE
• SHAW
• SHELLS
• TRACTOR
• TARTAN
• TEETH
• MILLER
• BAGPIPES

NYT Connections today (game #989) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Formed from common white mineral
• GREEN: Icons of kilt-wearing nation
• BLUE: Dramatists of note
• PURPLE: Add a word that rhymes with “scheme”

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 #989) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: CALCIUM-BASED STRUCTURES
• GREEN: SYMBOLS OF SCOTLAND
• BLUE: FAMOUS PLAYWRIGHTS
• PURPLE: _____ BEAM

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

NYT Connections today (game #989) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #989, are…

• YELLOW: CALCIUM-BASED STRUCTURES BONES, CORAL, SHELLS, TEETH
• GREEN: SYMBOLS OF SCOTLAND BAGPIPES, SCOTTIE, TARTAN, THISTLE
• BLUE: FAMOUS PLAYWRIGHTS CHEKHOV, COWARD, MILLER, SHAW
• PURPLE: _____ BEAM BALANCE, JIM, LASER, TRACTOR

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• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 mistake

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I once went to an event at the Jack Daniel’s distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee and mischievously asked the barman for a double JIM BEAM. The barman fixed me with a mean stare and told me “we do not say that name around here”, leaving me in no doubt that I’d crossed a line.

Despite my penchant for Jim’s bourbon, I still failed to see today's purple group and I also floundered over my attempt to complete the FAMOUS PLAYWRIGHTS, foolishly putting THISTLE instead of COWARD.

This error directed me to the significantly more obvious SYMBOLS OF SCOTLAND which, much like yesterday conical shapes group — which included a “cone” tile — included the word SCOTTIE after the eponymous dogs, all in aid of creating a ghost group of classic Star Trek characters (JIM, CHECKHOV, BONES) which I thankfully didn’t see until the game was over.

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Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Monday, February 23, game #988)

• PURPLE: SETTINGS FOR A KISS BLARNEY STONE, MISTLETOE, NEW YEAR'S EVE, WEDDING
• BLUE: POSE BLUFF, FRONT, MASQUERADE, POSTURE
• YELLOW: EAT VORACIOUSLY BOLT, GORGE, INHALE, SCARF
• GREEN: CONICAL THINGS CHRISTMAS TREE, CONE, PARTY HAT, VOLCANO

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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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RAM crisis shows (slight) signs of easing as DDR5 prices drop — but there's a sting in the tail

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• DDR5 RAM prices appear to be dropping in Europe
• Price tags have eased by around 10% to 15%, albeit that evidence is a limited snapshot of the market
• On the downside, Chinese RAM — which some hoped would be an affordable alternative — isn't looking so good

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There's a hopeful sign that RAM prices might be finally dropping — although there's also a more negative piece of news that's crept in to balance that out somewhat.

First off, the good news, which as Tom's Hardware reports is that the prices for DDR5 RAM appear to be easing in Europe.

The tech site noticed a claim on Reddit, showing a graph of the price of an 'average' 32GB kit of DDR5 memory in the EU — which all sounds very vague, but points to a drop of about 10% (roughly) in price since the start of February.

Seemingly this graph is from price-comparison data compiled by Tweakers.net, a Dutch tech site, and there are anecdotal observations in the Reddit thread that this is what's happening in Europe.

Tom's also did its own quick check of five popular (big brand) DDR5 memory kits at Amazon Germany (using CamelCamelCamel price tracking), finding that a couple of products had indeed dropped quite considerably — by around 12% to 15% — since early February.

So, there does appear to be an easing of prices at some major retailers over in Europe, which is good to see. Tom's also looked at the US market, and found some evidence of much smaller price drops, but nothing that you'd read much into (yet).

While that's something of a welcome relief, then, Wccftech also spotted a more pessimistic sign, as flagged by Chinese tech site IT Home.

As you may be aware, there's some hope that more affordable RAM from Chinese manufacturers might step in as a relatively wallet-friendly option for western buyers if imported — but this isn't likely to happen, we're told.

In fact, KingBank, one of the big RAM makers that uses memory chips from CXMT — which was recently highlighted as a potential cost-friendly savior for the overinflated RAM market in the west — has jacked up its pricing to levels similar to what we've seen in Europe and the US.

Wccftech notes that a KingBank 32GB DDR5 kit on JD.com now runs to the equivalent of over $500, meaning it's pretty much the same price as the big brands in the US. You may still be able to score a decent price on DDR4 memory, perhaps, in the near-term — although with all the risks that buying from the likes of AliExpress entails.

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Analysis: peak pricing reached?

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Dean Drobot)

While the Chinese RAM news is far from great, I'll take any positivity at all frankly, and the glimpse of memory prices in Europe now falling is very much welcome.

Okay, so this is probably more about prices reaching such a peak that buyers are increasingly holding off buying — in other words, a reflection of a wobble in demand, and a refusal to get drawn into panic buying, rather than a bolstering of available supply that's easing RAM prices in Europe.

But the net effect is still that prices are coming down, rather than heading inexorably upwards at a ludicrous pace, and I'll take any solace I can get here. We need to keep watching prices going into March, of course, to see whether this downward trend might continue — albeit with a gentler decline maybe, but any further drops will still be a positive sign that perhaps the market is starting to settle down (finally).

I can't say I believe that'll happen with any conviction, mind you – but you never know, especially if buyers are going to get more stubborn about trying to wait this out. The problem with that tactic, of course, is that the RAM crisis isn't predicted to go away any time soon, and the likelihood is that it'll continue into and throughout 2027, if the sentiment of various analyst firms is on the money.

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I can save you from the RAMpocalypse, but you'll need to act fast and trust AliExpress

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• Chinese RAM is available on AliExpress and other third-party sellers at slightly cheaper prices
• Not all options are cheaper than mainstream RAM kits in the west, though
• This is not a solution to the RAM crisis, but it's an alternative some people may want to explore

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The RAM crisis feels relentless for consumers looking to buy PC memory, with high prices across the board for RAM kits from mainstream manufacturers – but fortunately, there's something of a possible temporary solution.

As reported by PC Gamer, an alternative to a traditional mainstream brand (like Corsair or Kingston, for example) in some regions is to buy Chinese RAM at AliExpress, Temu, or other third-party online sellers.

Essentially, you're importing a RAM kit made for the Chinese market, and that idea has suddenly got a lot more appealing due to the skyrocketing prices for RAM sticks from mainstream US and European brands.

The good news is that RAM kits like Cusu and Dudga (which you've likely never heard of) are available to ship to other regions at slightly lower prices compared to the mentioned mainstream offerings.

For example, 16GB of Cusu's 3200MHz DDR4 RAM (2 x 8GB sticks) is available at AliExpress for around $120 / £80. That's discounted due to a sale, mind you, and so Chinese RAM options aren't a silver bullet to completely solve pricing issues.

However, they are a viable alternative for those who don't mind importing, and I've noticed that third-party sellers like AliExpress feature big discounts fairly often.

To put the above price in perspective, a Corsair Vengeance 16GB DDR4 kit features similar specifications but costs $159 / £158.

This isn't a solution to the RAM crisis

(Image credit: Corsair)

To make one thing clear, not all Chinese RAM modules on AliExpress or similar Asian marketplaces will have cheaper pricing than kits being sold in the west. Indeed, I've spotted a fair number of options that are actually priced equivalently (or even more) to what's available with existing mainstream options like Corsair RAM.

That said, if you hunt for a bargain in Asia, you've got a better chance of finding a compelling discount. But you must also remember that there's risk as well as reward to be found here.

It's important to note that while these Chinese RAM kits share similar specifications to those we're familiar with, there's no guarantee they will perform as well as they should. AliExpress isn't the most reliable vendor compared to buying directly from mainstream RAM makers or reputable retailers like Amazon or Best Buy.

Further remember that support will be an issue with a product shipped from Asia, should anything go wrong with the RAM.

For those reasons, I would suggest proceeding with caution if you're considering a purchase along these lines, but this is undeniably one way to escape the RAM crisis without overpaying.

Mind you, it's always possible the RAM crisis might settle down, and mainstream prices could drop lower. There's even some tenuous evidence this could be happening, but whether it'll continue is entirely another matter.

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NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, February 23 (game #722)

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, February 22 (game #721).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Strike a chord

NYT Strands today (game #722) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• TOAD
• BRIDE
• TANK
• BONG
• TRIED
• RANK

NYT Strands today (game #722) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 6 letters

NYT Strands today (game #722) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: left, 4th row

Last side: right, 4rd row

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

NYT Strands today (game #722) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #722, are…

• BRIDGE
• BODY
• FRETBOARD
• NECK
• HEADSTOCK
• PEGS
• STRING
• SPANGRAM: GUITAR

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• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

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The first thing I thought of when I saw the theme “strike a chord” was, of course, GUITAR and there it was lurking bang in the middle of the board.

So then our search was for the various parts that make up the instrument from the BODY to the PEGS. Incidentally, am I being picky (no pun intended) by complaining that PEGS is plural but STRING (is singular) — you wouldn’t get much of a tune or being able to “strike a chord” with one STRING.

Anyway, I digress. The hardest part about today’s game was finding some non-game words.

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Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, February 22, game #721)

• FLAME
• PARADE
• FLAG
• ATHLETE
• ANTHEM
• MEDAL
• SPANGRAM: CLOSINGCEREMONY

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What is NYT Strands?

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

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

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NYT Connections hints and answers for Sunday, February 22 (game #987)

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 Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Saturday, February 21 (game #986).

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 #987) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• OUTCAST
• SALT-AND-PEPPER
• BLONDIE
• TEDDY BEAR
• DISTINGUISHED
• BLACK SHEEP
• ROUGH RIDERS
• THE FAR SIDE
• BULL MOOSE
• BLOOM COUNTY
• SILVER
• PEANUTS
• MISFIT
• FLECKED
• REJECT
• BIG STICK

NYT Connections today (game #987) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Outsiders 
• GREEN: Fading mane
• BLUE: Retro cartoons
• PURPLE: The 26th president 

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 #987) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: ONE WHO DOESN'T FIT IN 
• GREEN: DESCRIPTORS FOR GRAYING HAIR
• BLUE: CLASSIC COMIC STRIPS 
• PURPLE: ASSOCIATED WITH THEODORE ROOSEVELT 

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

NYT Connections today (game #987) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #987, are…

• YELLOW: ONE WHO DOESN'T FIT IN BLACK SHEEP, MISFIT, OUTCAST, REJECT
• GREEN: DESCRIPTORS FOR GRAYING HAIR DISTINGUISHED, FLECKED, SALT-AND-PEPPER, SILVER
• BLUE: CLASSIC COMIC STRIPS BLONDIE, BLOOM COUNTY, PEANUTS, THE FAR SIDE
• PURPLE: ASSOCIATED WITH THEODORE ROOSEVELT BIG STICK, BULL MOOSE, ROUGH RIDERS, TEDDY BEAR

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• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

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I’m classing this as easy, but the four tiles ASSOCIATED WITH THEODORE ROOSEVELT went over my head.

I’m more of a cartoon person than an American presidential history person which is possibly why CLASSIC COMIC STRIPS leapt off the screen. I’m less familiar with BLONDIE than the others, but I highly recommend digging into the surrealist world of Gary Larson’s THE FAR SIDE. 

DESCRIPTORS FOR GRAYING HAIR was also an easy get for me, miraculous solutions for which have become an ever present on my social media channels — I’m happy looking DISTINGUISHED, thanks.

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Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, February 21, game #986)

• YELLOW: EXPERIENCE BACKGROUND, HISTORY, LIFE, PAST
• GREEN: ATTENDANCE STATUS ABSENT, EXCUSED, LATE, PRESENT
• BLUE: COMMENTARY ABOUT YOUR CONNECTIONS RESULTS GREAT, PERFECT, PHEW, SOLID
• PURPLE: CAR BRANDS PLUS TWO LETTERS AUDITS, DODGERS, INFINITIVE, MINION

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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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NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, February 22 (game #721)

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, February 21 (game #719).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… xxxxx

NYT Strands today (game #720) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• MATH
• FLAP
• DATA
• FADE
• SODA
• CLOSED

NYT Strands today (game #720) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 15 letters

NYT Strands today (game #720) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: bottom, 3rd column

Last side: top, 5th column

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

NYT Strands today (game #720) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #720, are…

• FLAME
• PARADE
• FLAG
• ATHLETE
• ANTHEM
• MEDAL
• SPANGRAM: CLOSINGCEREMONY

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• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

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The Olympic Flame is extinguished today — before being lit again for the start of the Winter Paralympics in 12 days' time. 

Today’s spangram mimicked the shape of an Olympic torch (or possibly someone on a skeleton bob, it’s hard to tell) and included the many rituals that feature in a typical CLOSINGCEREMONY or MEDAL presentation.

One notable absentee from this search was speeches — something there’s a little too much of at Olympics ceremonies, which much like today’s spangram are needlessly long.

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Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, February 21, game #719)

• HOPS
• BARLEY
• WATER
• MALT
• FLAVOR
• YEAST
• SUGAR
• WHEAT
• SPANGRAM: HOMEBREW

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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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WhatsApp could get a Reddit-style spoiler-hiding feature – so you won't have to hide from group chats if you’re behind on the big shows

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• A spoiler protection feature for WhatsApp is in the works
• It's been spotted in the beta release for iOS and Android now
• There's a similar feature already in place threads on Reddit

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WhatsApp is known for pushing out new upgrades at a steady clip, and there's a feature in the works that could potentially help you avoid spoilers from friends and family members for the big shows of the moment.

As spotted by WABetaInfo (via 9to5Mac), the latest beta version of WhatsApp for iOS comes with a spoiler format option, which means text wouldn't be revealed to recipients until it had been specifically tapped on in a message.

It would work in a similar way to the spoiler formatting option currently available on Reddit: when you open up a post, spoiler text is concealed, and then you need to click on it to see the message underneath.

This would mean you could carry on chatting with contacts without worrying about seeing information on the latest plot twists on Bridgerton or Industry. The same feature has already turned up in beta versions of WHatsApp for Android.

Coming soon

How the spoiler feature works (Image credit: WABetaInfo)

The new feature, assuming it does eventually roll out, would be particularly useful in group chats – where some participants might be caught up with the latest happenings in the best shows on streaming platforms and others might not.

It's not clear how long it will take for this spoiler protection feature to make it out of beta and into the official app, but it's an upgrade that makes a lot of sense – and which should end up getting a lot of use in WhatsApp conversations.

At the moment, spoiler tags can't be applied to images and videos, but the team at WABetaInfo speculates that this might come too, eventually – meaning you'd be even better protected against revelations you don't want to see.

Only yesterday, WhatsApp began rolling out another upgrade for group chats, enabling new arrivals in these conversations to see a selected amount of the group history – saving the same information from being reposted again and again.

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'We will not...flood our ecosystem with soulless AI slop,' new Xbox chief promises Xbox fans

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• Phil Spencer steps down and retires from Microsoft
• Asha Sharma is the new EVP and CEO of Microsoft Gaming
• She'll provide the new leadership and direction of everything Xbox gaming

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It's a new dawn for Xbox and its millions of devoted fans. Microsoft announced on Friday (February 20) that longtime Xbox chief Phil Spencer is retiring and Asha Sharma is stepping into the Microsoft Gaming CEO rol.

Sharma joined Microsoft two years ago after previously serving as Instacart's COO. Phil Spencer, who started as an intern, departs after 38 years with Microsoft, the last dozen of which he led Microsoft's gaming efforts.

Under his leadership, the Xbox business was transformed, marked by a focus, perhaps, less on hardware and more on the platform as a service. He expanded Game Pass and, on the platform, launched several "Day One" releases. The Xbox Network, formerly Xbox live currently has over 500 million monthly active users. Spencer oversaw the acquisitions of Activision and Minecraft, and the release of major game franchises like Halo, Forza, and Gears of War.

Spencer also owns the widely derided Game Pass price hikes, which drove monthly fees up 50%, from $19.99 a month to $29.99 a month, and his laser focus on cloud-based services has left some worried the once vaunted Xbox console is now a second-glass citizen in the Xbox gaming ecosystem.

Microsoft Gaming CEO Asha Sharma (Image credit: Microsoft)

Yes, Xbox, No, AI

Clearly aware of these and other criticisms, Asha Sharma promised in a blog post, "the return of Xbox."

"We will celebrate our roots with a renewed commitment to Xbox starting with console which has shaped who we are. It connects us to the players and fans who invest in Xbox, and to the developers who build ambitious experiences for it," wrote Sharma.

That's good news for Xbox fans, but Xbox faces an uphill battle with the current console holding, according to Quantumrun, just under 31% marketshare compared to PS5.

PS5 vs Xbox Series X (Image credit: Future)

Sharma, though, is not promising a pure return to hardware first. As she notes in her company message, "Gaming now lives across devices, not within the limits of any single piece of hardware. As we expand across PC, mobile, and cloud, Xbox should feel seamless, instant, and worthy of the communities we serve."

That sounds like more cloud-based device-agnostic services.

Sharma also touched on the most controversial tech topic: AI, and makes a commitment to content created by people.

We will not chase short-term efficiency or flood our ecosystem with soulless AI slop

Microsoft Gaming CEO Asha Sharma

"As monetization and AI evolve and influence this future, we will not chase short-term efficiency or flood our ecosystem with soulless AI slop. Games are and always will be art, crafted by humans, and created with the most innovative technology provided by us."

While it's not yet clear how Sharma and her recently promoted lieutenant, Microsoft Games Chief Content Officer Matt Booty, plan to achieve these goals, there's no shortage of enthusiasm, "I want to return to the renegade spirit that built Xbox in the first place," wrote Sharma.

"Together, Asha and Matt have the right combination of consumer product leadership and gaming depth to push our platform innovation and content pipeline forward," wrote Microsoft CEO Satya in his message to staff.

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