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

---

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

---

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.

---

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

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

---

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

---

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 mistake

---

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.

---

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

---

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

---

• 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

---

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.

---

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

---

• 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

---

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

---

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

---

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.

---

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

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

---

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

---

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

---

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.

---

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

---

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

---

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

---

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.

---

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

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

---

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

---

• 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

---

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

---

• 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

---

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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It's official; Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen are coming to Switch and Switch 2 — but not in the way you might think

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• Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen are coming to Switch next week
• They'll be available via the eShop as opposed to Nintendo Switch Online
• Both versions are sold separately at $19.99 / £16.99 each

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Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, the Game Boy Advance remakes of the original Gen 1 games, are being re-released on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.

The announcement seems to have been made prematurely, as Pokémon Day (and an accompanying Pokémon Presents showcase) is happening next week on February 27. These ports are also set to launch on the Nintendo eShop on that very same day.

And yes, you read that right. In a rather interesting move, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen won't be made available via the GBA Classics library for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers. Instead, they'll be full eShop releases, costing $19.99 / £16.99 apiece.

Users on the r/NintendoSwitch subreddit do seem to be a bit taken aback by the announcement.

"Literally just saw this and was baffled that the rumor was true," wrote one user, referring to rumblings of the ports before the official announcement.

"Even more baffled they didn't just wait a week to announce this on Pokémon Day," another replied.

It's definitely a little bizarre, as an announcement and shadowdrop during the Pokémon Presents showcase would have been a nice surprise. Though announcing a week ahead of time does seem to have been the intended plan, as music from the games has also been uploaded to the official Nintendo Music app.

Some users have expressed confusion as to why the Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen ports are full eShop releases. Right now, it's speculated that they'll have compatibility with Pokémon Home, an official mobile and Switch app that lets you transfer Pokémon between compatible games.

Others have expressed frustration at the price. And yes, I think it's a bit cheeky that we're paying $19.99 / £16.99 (each, mind you) for 20+ year-old GBA games.

Plus, if you have a GBA, physical boxed copies aren't quite as eye-wateringly pricey as their Pokémon HeartGold / SoulSilver DS counterparts on second-hand marketplaces like eBay. But if you don't have original hardware, these Switch versions will at least be a decent and readily available alternative.

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Teens had ‘an addicts' narrative about their Instagram use’ — Mark Zuckerberg takes stand in trail which could reshape not just social media, but his AI and Ray-Ban XR dreams

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• Mark Zuckerberg spoke at the LA social media addiction trial
• He defended Meta's approach to protecting teen users
• The plantiff's lawyer argued Meta was targeting teens for platform growth

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Meta's focus might look to be more on AI and smart glasses than the social media platforms which saw it rise to prominence, but errors its accused of making with regards to keeping teens safe online could affect the whole company, and the whole tech industry.

To catch you up to speed, Meta and YouTube are currently involved in a social media addiction trial being held in Los Angeles, which pits the duo against a plaintiff accusing the companies of intentionally creating damagingly addictive platforms.

It’s one of thousands of similar lawsuits that have been filed against social media giants, which are attempting to argue that platform features rather than platform content have created negative addictive tendencies in younger users. Social media content is protected by the infamous Section 230 federal rule, which shields platforms from liability for the user-generated content on their sites, but lawyers for the plaintiff argue the law doesn’t protect features like infinite scroll.

The trial started a little over a week ago, and after opening arguments from lawyers for each side, key figures are taking the stand, including, recently, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Zuckerberg defended the actions of his company, saying that, while he regrets Meta not making faster progress in its efforts to identify users under 13, the teams working on platforms like Facebook and Instagram have spent years addressing “problematic use” because “it’s the right thing to do” (via the BBC).

This includes adding features such as daily use limits, usage alerts, and the ability to switch notifications off in the evening and overnight.

He was, however, questioned about various internal messages, such as one in 2017 which sees an executive saying “Mark has decided the top priority for the company is teens," and another from 2015 in which Zuckerberg and others discuss strategies to increase "teen usage."

Zuckerberg was also asked about a 2019 research report from an independent company done on behalf of Instagram, which said teen users had "an addicts' narrative about their Instagram use."

(Image credit: Meta)

More than a social media trial?

As we've discussed in previous articles about this ongoing story, the verdict made in this trial could have major ramifications for social media companies. There are thousands of similar lawsuits making their way through the US courts that would take precedent from the decisions made here, and a negative result for Meta and YouTube could embolden more governments to introduce or tighten social media restrictions for younger users, following the lead of Australia.

But for both of these companies, a negative result – or even simply a negative result in the court of public opinion – could impact not only their past mistakes but their future projects too.

Both Meta and Google, the parent of YouTube, are currently pushing hard into AI and wearables with Ray-Ban Meta glasses and Android XR. Smart glasses are the big new thing in tech, and there are rumors that Meta might finally launch a smart watch to compete with Android and Apple bands, but these gadgets can give these companies a lot of insight into our lives and our physical health.

(Image credit: Future)

A recent New York Times report has suggested Meta wants to add facial recognition to its specs, and numerous wearables brands have dreamed up visions of glasses that can remind you where you left your keys before you leave home. But these features only work effectively if your tech is always watching your every move, listening to all your conversations, and deeply involved in your life.

If the perception (even if the trial’s verdict disputes it) is that Meta and YouTube – and by extension Google – misuse social media data to get people hooked on their tech, I imagine folks wouldn’t be keen to hand over even more data to these companies through wearables.

Equally, if Meta and YouTube can prove they have done everything they can to keep users safe, then that could help convince people that their wearables are the safest option in this new AI/AR wild west.

This is a case we’ll be following closely, though with the trial still underway, and appeals likely to follow, don't expect a final decision to be made any time soon.

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It seems Microsoft just started work on Windows 11 27H2 — and this could be the update that saves the OS... or dooms it

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• Microsoft just split the Canary testing channel into two paths
• One of these will see underlying platform changes ushered in
• This is likely to become the 27H2 update next year, which will unify Arm PCs and AMD/Intel devices – and it's a release Microsoft must get right

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Microsoft has just split the earliest preview builds of Windows 11 into two different paths, one of which will seemingly lead to the big update for next year.

Windows Central noticed the announcement from Microsoft and observed that one of the two paths that the Canary channel has been forked into will likely turn into the 27H2 update next year.

Microsoft says that splitting the channel like this is being done for the following reason: "This will help us validate platform changes at different stages while continuing to deliver new features and experiences to Insiders [testers] in the Canary channel."

In other words, current Canary releases will continue to be builds in the 28000 series, with the new channel having build numbers in the 29500 series (starting with 29531 right now).

The mentioned "platform changes" means switching to a new underlying platform for Windows 11 from the current 'Germanium' base (ushered in with the 24H2 update).

Of course, Arm PCs are already going to get a new platform which is codenamed 'Bromine' and will arrive imminently with Windows 11 version 26H1. This is because the Snapdragon X2 silicon which is debuting shortly requires some tinkering under the hood. Other non-Arm PCs won't get this at all – and don't need it, or the risk it might cause issues with these devices – so they will have a separate 26H2 update (which will still be on Germanium).

So, effectively Arm PCs and AMD/Intel (x86) PCs will be on two different versions of Windows 11 for their underlying platform this year – but they will still have the same features on top.

However, next year, both these platforms will be merged in the 27H2 update, which is what's likely now just started in testing. Windows Central guesses that this may be codenamed 'Strontium'.

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(Image credit: Shutterstock / Alex Photo Stock)

Analysis: Strontium canaries

In short, what's going to happen is that Canary testers opting for the new (later) build series will be testing the groundwork for Windows 11 27H2. That means they won't get new features, as these will be delivered to the other (earlier) Canary builds.

It's difficult enough for Microsoft to rework the foundations of the OS, without throwing new features on top of that activity to cause more potential bugs and confusion. So, the smartest move is to separate these builds as we see here (and has been done before).

Indeed, it's not just that they won't get new capabilities, but the 29500 series testers will see some features being cut initially, as Microsoft explains: "Please note, because of the focus on platform development for this path, you may notice a temporary loss in some features that you have today. These features will return to this new active development build."

In the bigger picture, if this is version 27H2 – which seems very likely – this is the incarnation of Windows 11 that Microsoft is aiming to make less buggy, and generally more performant, as the software giant recently vowed. This is going to involve quite a lot of work under the hood, and I'd imagine this rejigging of the very guts of Windows 11 is what's starting right now. We're also seeing evidence of more tweaking above ground, as it were, in smoothing over existing features in terms of bug squashing and making everything more responsive.

All of this suggests that Microsoft's campaign to 'fix Windows 11' and the fundamentals of the OS is truly underway, and it's great to see action being taken – but we need to see the results before we get too enthusiastic here.

Away from the actual coding and the task of honing Windows 11, we also need to see Microsoft improve its QA processes to better catch bugs early on, so fewer of these glitches end up being inflicted on the computing public. Far too many bugs are hitting release candidates of Windows 11, and it's been this way for some time now – ever since 24H2.

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'I'm not going to criticize other games, but all of our voices are done by humans' — Crimson Desert dev suggests the upcoming game won't feature characters voiced by AI

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• Crimson Desert marketing director Will Powers has suggested the game doesn't feature generative AI voice acting
• Powers confirms that "all the main NPCs and those in side quests have actors' voices"
• However, he refrains from saying if "100% of the NPCs have human voices"

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Amid the increasing popularity of generative AI in video games, Pearl Abyss has said that Crimson Desert will be fully voiced by human beings.

In an interview with the Dropped Frames podcast(via Eurogamer), marketing director Will Powers was asked whether the characters in the upcoming open-world game will be voiced by humans.

While Powers didn't want to "100%" confirm that all NPCs have human voices, the developer did assure fans that the main cast does.

"I'm not going to criticize other games, but all of our voices are done by humans," Powers said. "I'm refraining from saying that 100% of the NPCs have human voices [...] because if that's not the case for even one NPC, I don't want the internet to accuse me of lying."

Powers didn't directly call out the other games he was talking about, but we've seen games like The Finals and Arc Raiders utilize generative AI tools for NPCs.

"But yes," Powers continued, "all the main NPCs and those in side quests have actors' voices. The game features voice acting in different languages."

Crimson Desert will offer English, Korean, and Chinese language options at launch, and it's reported that more languages could be in development for after release.

In the same interview, Powers confirmed that the $69.99 game won't feature microtransactions or a cosmetic cash shop, explaining that it is "made to be a premium experience that you buy and you enjoy the world, and not something for microtransactions."

Powers added, "It’s a monetization model. If you do free-to-play, then you need to make up the revenue in a different way. This is a premium experience. That is the transaction. Full stop."

We won't have much longer to wait, because Crimson Desert launches next month on March 19 for PS5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and PC.

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