NYT Connections hints and answers for Thursday, October 8 (game #1215)

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 Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Wednesday, October 7 (game #1214).

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 #1215) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• FOOLHARDY
• MINDS
• THANKS
• STOOGES
• BEST
• WISHES
• REGARDS
• ECLIPSE
• CHEERS
• MULHOLLAND
• RESPECTS
• STRIKES
• TOP
• AUTOCRUISE
• HEEDS
• SURPASS

NYT Connections today (game #1215) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Abide by laws
• GREEN: At your peak
• BLUE: Famous trios
• PURPLE: Ending with Hollywood Thomases

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 #1215) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: FOLLOWS, AS RULES
• GREEN: OUTDO
• BLUE: THINGS THAT COME IN THREES
• PURPLE: ENDING IN ACTORS NAMED TOM

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

NYT Connections today (game #1215) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1215, are…

• YELLOW: FOLLOWS, AS RULES: HEEDS, MINDS, REGARDS, RESPECTS
• GREEN: OUTDO: BEST, ECLIPSE, SURPASS, TOP
• BLUE: THINGS THAT COME IN THREES: CHEERS, STOOGES, STRIKES, WISHES
• PURPLE: ENDING IN ACTORS NAMED TOM: AUTOCRUISE, FOOLHARDY, MULHOLLAND, THANKS

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 3 mistakes

A scrappy game, but one that ultimately resulted in triumph, once I'd made a breakthrough by getting a single group correct.

Before that, I fell into the trap of thinking that we were looking for a group made up of greetings and salutations, so wasted three mistakes chopping and changing between REGARDS, RESPECTS, BEST, CHEERS, WISHES and THANKS.

I finally stopped my fall after realizing that AUTOCRUISE and FOOLHARDY might be hiding famous Toms, although it took me a while to get to the Hanks in THANKS.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Wednesday, October 7, 2026, game #1214)

• YELLOW: SAVE FOR LATER: BANK, SQUIRREL, STASH, STORE
• GREEN: KINDS OF BUNS: CINNAMON, HAMBURGER, HOT DOG, STICKY
• BLUE: GREEK NUMERICAL PREFIXES: DICHOTOMY, MONOLOGUE, TETRACYCLINE, TRIDENT
• PURPLE: BEST _____ TONY AWARDS: CHOREOGRAPHY, MUSICAL, ORCHESTRATIONS, PLAY

What is NYT Connections?

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

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

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

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

from Latest from TechRadar US in Gaming News https://ift.tt/4gcYk1J
via TECHNICAL SAFEER

NYT Strands hints and answers for Thursday, October 8 (game #949)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, October 7 (game #948).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… A star is born

NYT Strands today (game #949) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• MACE
• CREATE
• MINCE
• BRAIL
• CLUE
• WINNER
• TUNA

NYT Strands today (game #949) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 8 letters

NYT Strands today (game #949) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

• First side: left, 5th row

• Last side: right, 5th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #949) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #949, are…

• FAME
• CELEBRITY
• REPUTE
• ACCLAIM
• RENOWN
• EMINENCE
• SPANGRAM: LUMINARY

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

After the Lady Gaga movie, the first thing today’s theme made me think of was FAME, so I immediately went searching for it in the game and found it lurking on the right-hand edge.

CELEBRITY was the next most obvious word, but from here the synonyms were less obvious — although, thankfully, easy to spot, along with a spangram that was unfashionably short at just eight letters..

Later in my search I found the word ”winner” and was shocked that it wasn’t featured in the game, because, let's face it, the talented folk who can be described as achieving ACCLAIM, RENOWN and EMINENCE are winning at life.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, October 7, game #948)

• BUBBLEGUM
• BARBIE
• SHOCKING
• QUARTZ
• FLAMINGO
• SPANGRAM: TICKLEDPINK

What is NYT Strands?

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

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

from Latest from TechRadar US in Computing News https://ift.tt/zYvhq9j
via

Netgear reveals new dark web monitoring tool which will tell you if your personal data turns up online

• A new dark web monitoring service has been launched for Netgear customers
• Netgear Dark Web Monitoring is available on Netgear routers supporting its Armor and Armor Plus plans
• Expert analysis of the dark web shows that over 15 billion personal records are available to purchase

Netgear has announced a new service whicht conducts dark web monitoring and notifies you when your stolen data is found lurking in someone else’s database.

Announced as part of its Armor and Armor Plus plans, the Dark Web Monitoring service is available to subscribers via the Netgear app.

The dark web is the hidden arena of the internet where various “out of sight” transactions are conducted. While it has legitimate uses (such as dissidents accessing resources via Tor), it is also the home of a black market in data – typically stolen from large organizations, companies, and governments in successful hacking attempts.

Collection of tools

Owners of the data should be notified by law when their information is stolen. However, often it isn’t until personal information (and more valuable data such as company secrets or software engines) hits the dark web that companies are even aware that they have been hacked. This makes dark web monitoring services such as Netgear’s new feature particularly attractive.

Netgear’s service is added to its existing collection of tools for Armor and Armor Plus subscribers. These include protection against malware and exploits, intrusion, anomaly, and DDoS detection and protection, and a VPN with adblock and anti-tracking.

The dark web monitoring feature adds to these by offering continuous monitoring of the dark web for emails, phone numbers, and financial details lost during a data breach. National Insurance numbers are also monitored.

If anything is found, Netgear Dark Web Monitoring sends alerts and recommends actions. It also offers an Identity Protection Score to illustrate exposure, and as households improve their security the tool tracks their progress.

Finding exposed data

While free services can uncover data that has been exposed in data leaks, the dark web is home to stolen information that may not yet be disclosed. This could be because the organization that has been hacked hasn’t got around to sharing the breach with their customers – or because they don’t know it has even happened.

This makes an active monitoring service like Netgear Dark Web Monitoring particularly valuable.

“Most people think about network security as something that happens within their home,” says Jonathan Oakes, Senior Vice President and General Manager of NETGEAR’s Home Networking Division. “But your details can end up exposed somewhere else entirely, in a breach at a company you’ve never even dealt with directly. Dark Web Monitoring means finding out while there’s still time to act.”

Netgear Dark Web Monitoring is available with its routers’ Armor ($99/year) and Armor Plus ($149.99/year) plans, available to be purchased via the Netgear app.

from Latest from TechRadar US in Computing News https://ift.tt/unw5pvH
via

Quordle hints and answers for Wednesday, October 7 (game #1717)

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Tuesday, October 6 (game #1716).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,500 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today — or scroll down further for the answers.

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

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

Quordle today (game #1717) — hint #1 — Vowels

How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.

* 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 #1717) — 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 1.

Quordle today (game #1717) — hint #3 — uncommon letters

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

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

Quordle today (game #1717) — hint #4 — starting letters (1)

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

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

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

Quordle today (game #1717) — hint #5 — starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• P

• F

• D

• E

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

Quordle today (game #1717) — the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1717, are…

• PALER
• FROTH
• DOZEN
• ERASE

Two rare occurrences popped up for the second time in the past week — another word beginning and ending in E, and another appearance of a rare letter.

However, despite the rarities, this ended up being an oddly easy game for me, with most of the work done for DOZEN and no other letter working at the beginning for ERASE.

Daily Sequence today (game #1717) — the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1717, are…

• HANDY
• PUREE
• SHOOK
• SATIN

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1716, Tuesday, 6 October: FRESH, SKULK, BATCH, ENSUE
• Quordle #1715, Monday, 5 October: SIXTH, SPEAK, SEDAN, HEIST
• Quordle #1714, Sunday, 4 October: INFER, RAINY, THING, ARENA
• Quordle #1713, Saturday, 3 October: CHORE, FLYER, STICK, PURSE
• Quordle #1712, Friday, 2 October: IVORY, SADLY, ANGEL, LLAMA
• Quordle #1711, Thursday, 1 October: NAVEL, SHEER, BIRTH, TACKY
• Quordle #1710, Wednesday, 30 September: CHOKE, BATCH, MOSSY, EAGER
• Quordle #1709, Tuesday, 29 September: BILGE, MEDAL, LODGE, PORCH
• Quordle #1708, Monday, 28 September: BRUNT, TORSO, STONE, HEATH
• Quordle #1707, Sunday, 27 September: VALET, CHEST, VIGIL, PUREE
• Quordle #1706, Saturday, 26 September: SNORT, BIBLE, LAPSE, CRANE
• Quordle #1705, Friday, 25 September: SWEAR, FLOOD, GUPPY, GROAN
• Quordle #1704, Thursday, 24 September: TOPIC, METRO, SCALP, FREED
• Quordle #1703, Wednesday, 23 September: SHEET, BLAND, JOIST, GUAVA
• Quordle #1702, Tuesday, 22 September: COMFY, LOBBY, DRESS, PANEL
• Quordle #1701, Monday, 21 September: WAXEN, HIPPO, PETAL, LEASH
• Quordle #1700, Sunday, 20 September: DERBY, LIMBO, GAWKY, REIGN
• Quordle #1699, Saturday, 19 September: SCOPE, HEIST, PULSE, CHAMP
• Quordle #1698, Friday, 18 September: MUCUS, MIRTH, APPLE, TILDE
• Quordle #1697, Thursday, 17 September: CRIER, CHIRP, NEIGH, FREER

from Latest from TechRadar US in Computing News https://ift.tt/OGZ7ouc
via

NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, October 7 (game #948)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, October 6 (game #947).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Color for the cure

NYT Strands today (game #948) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• KING
• FLIP
• BARGE
• LINKS
• SOCK
• BULK

NYT Strands today (game #948) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 11 letters

NYT Strands today (game #948) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

• First side: right, 8th row

• Last side: left, 3rd row

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

NYT Strands today (game #948) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #948, are…

• BUBBLEGUM
• BARBIE
• SHOCKING
• QUARTZ
• FLAMINGO
• SPANGRAM: TICKLEDPINK

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

In case you were unaware, today’s theme celebrates Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the “Wear it pink” campaign of global fundraising.

The pink aspect became apparent early on, and I was thinking of the phrase “in the pink” when looking for the spangram. That was wrong, but it did help me to locate today's all important color and score another Spangram First with TICKLEDPINK.

I really enjoy games like this, where they fool around with the standard Strands palette — and I’m impressed by how many shades of pink they created.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday, October 6, game #947)

• FLIP
• UNDO
• REVERSED
• OVERTURN
• BACKPEDAL
• SPANGRAM: THEOLDSWITCHEROO

What is NYT Strands?

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

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

from Latest from TechRadar US in Computing News https://ift.tt/YPu14Z7
via

'With Remedy, it’s about philosophy and the emotional layer' — Control Resonant composer says to create Remedy's atmospheric music, he records sounds on a 'daily basis' that he'll later manipulate into harmonies: 'The weirder, the better'

• Control Resonant composer Petri Alanko says he captures sounds using his iPhone or a field recorder, which he later transforms into harmonies
• He says, "The weirder, the better," but the studio doesn't have an "audio bible" for what it wants
• Alanko adds, "What I’ve noticed in my past: the worse the recording is, the better the outcome"

Control Resonant composer Petri Alanko has explained how he created the eclectic soundtrack for Remedy Entertainment's latest game, revealing that much of what he comes up with is initially captured on a recording device.

In an interview with TechRadar Gaming, Alanko shared that he records "a lot of stuff on a daily basis" using his iPhone or "my tiny, crappy dictaphone," but if he's carrying a bag, he'll have a small field recorder; whatever he records, he explained, he will later manipulate into harmonies that can be used for his professional work.

"Every now and then I go through what I have found, and I start doing the next phase: turning them into something I could use musically, be that rhythm or harmony or melody," Alanko said. "A lot of Control Resonant’s soundtrack is of that origin. The weirder, the better. There’s no 'too weird' for that."

The composer, who also created the soundtrack for the first Control and Alan Wake 2, said since he's been "decorating Remedy’s game universe for ages" he has "a good perspective on what works and what doesn’t," but explained that the studio doesn't have a certain approach.

"We don’t have an exact 'audio bible' for brand usage; it’s just what one might call 'silent knowledge'," he said. "I’d love to create one for Remedy; by the way, I’ve done that for some clients with whom I’ve gone through so-called sonic identity cases, audio branding, in other words. I try to not use that latter expression, as it cheapens the process.

"With Remedy, it’s about philosophy and the emotional layer, and nothing actually is omitted or put aside; everything might work. Emphasis on the word 'might'. It depends, and often one miss would need another miss or two to become an un-miss - and then it works in conjunction with everything else.

"It’s a very meticulous process, actually, but there’s no 'Remedy Game Music And Music Concept For Dummies 1-2-3', really. If it feels right, it is right. I rely on intuition and let it kick my ass with inspiration."

Alanko said that when coming up with Control's atmospheric music fans are familiar with, "sometimes the key to something cool is just slowing down things," or "by stretching or transposing a recorded sound down, a little like slowing the tape," explaining that the slower the sound flows, the lower the pitch, or the higher the frequency, it can reveal "very interesting things."

"Also, what I’ve noticed in my past: the worse the recording is, the better the outcome," he added. "Sometimes I spend ages with iZotope RX to carve out something usable from an intentionally (or unintentionally) flawed recording, then shove that through anything by Zynaptiq and continue from there. Then I gather together some instrument material groups — percussive, tonal, atonal, etc — and assemble something playable through a synth keyboard from them… which is when the first ideas connect with the pictures and the presentation I had seen.

"It’s a very clear 'Hey, NOW I know how things go from here' moment, in other words."

Control Resonant is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Series S, and PC.

from Latest from TechRadar US in Gaming News https://ift.tt/RkmMN6D
via TECHNICAL SAFEER

NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, October 6 (game #947)

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, October 5 (game #946).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Changing course

NYT Strands today (game #947) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• HOOF
• HOOT
• STOVE
• ROAR
• SEAL
• SLED

NYT Strands today (game #947) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 16 letters

NYT Strands today (game #947) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

• First side: bottom, 3rd column

• Last side: bottom, 4th column

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

NYT Strands today (game #947) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #947, are…

• FLIP
• UNDO
• REVERSED
• OVERTURN
• BACKPEDAL
• SPANGRAM: THEOLDSWITCHEROO

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 hint

I saw “switch” and then I saw “switcheroo” but it took me until the very end of the game to finally connect today’s spangram.

At 16 letters long THEOLDSWITCHEROO is the longest spangram we've had in ages; “cardiovascular” last month was 14 characters long, but I can't think of an example that's been longer recently. And, in true switchback style, it also completed the unusual feat of starting and ending on the same side of the grid.

All in all this was a trickier-than-usual search, with hard to get non-game words and BACKPEDAL connecting in spiralling fashion.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, October 5, game #946)

• ALAS
• BUMMER
• SUCKS
• BOOHOO
• UNFORTUNATE
• SORRY
• SPANGRAM: SADTROMBONE

What is NYT Strands?

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

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

from Latest from TechRadar US in Computing News https://ift.tt/if5LG2U
via

NYT Connections hints and answers for Tuesday, October 6 (game #1213)

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, October 5 (game #1212).

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 #1213) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• ADIRONDACK
• KNICKKNACK
• CATSKILL
• HOLIDAY
• COMFORT
• BERKSHIRE
• STABILITY
• HAMPTON
• WINDSOR
• MERRILL
• WINGBACK
• DAYS
• CITI
• PIANOFORTE
• EAMES
• GOLDMAN

NYT Connections today (game #1213) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Wall Street mobs
• GREEN: Famous for sitting on
• BLUE: Chains where you can stay
• PURPLE: End with something you are good at

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 #1213) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: FINANCIAL FIRMS, FOR SHORT
• GREEN: KINDS OF CHAIRS
• BLUE: INN HOTELS
• PURPLE: ENDING IN TALENTS

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

NYT Connections today (game #1213) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1213, are…

• YELLOW: FINANCIAL FIRMS, FOR SHORT: BERKSHIRE, CITI, GOLDMAN, MERRILL
• GREEN: KINDS OF CHAIRS: ADIRONDACK, EAMES, WINDSOR, WINGBACK
• BLUE: INN HOTELS: COMFORT, DAYS, HAMPTON, HOLIDAY
• PURPLE: ENDING IN TALENTS: CATSKILL, KNICKKNACK, PIANOFORTE, STABILITY

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 3 mistakes

I was on the right track with today’s green and blue groups, but it took me multiple attempts to get both right.

I knew that EAMES and WINGBACK were famous chairs and took a guess with the other two tiles after initially trying BERKSHIRE and then MERRILL. Then, for INN HOTELS, I had DAYS, COMFORT and HOLIDAY locked in but couldn’t decide on the fourth with Hilton offshoot HAMPTON passing me by.

I also blanked on the financial firms that made up the yellow group, but fortunately saved myself by spotting the four tiles ENDING IN TALENTS. I certainly have a talent for making Connections hard for myself.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Monday, October 5, 2026, game #1212)

• YELLOW: CALM: CONTENT, PEACEFUL, PLACID, SERENE
• GREEN: ADJECTIVES FOR MATURE CONTENT: EXPLICIT, GRAPHIC, STRONG, SUGGESTIVE
• BLUE: KINDS OF BOARDS: ADVISORY, CHESS, IRONING, MESSAGE
• PURPLE: ENDING IN WAYS TO TEMPORARILY ACQUIRE: PARENT, PLEASE, SAPPHIRE, SLOAN

What is NYT Connections?

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

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

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

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

from Latest from TechRadar US in Gaming News https://ift.tt/ol2xbvV
via TECHNICAL SAFEER

Nearly 40,000 phishing attacks hit US financial firms in H1 2026 — automated AI agents and a new Seychelles bulletproof host fuel aggressive new campaigns

• US financial services faced nearly 40,000 phishing URLs during H1 2026
• Attackers used 645 hosting providers to distribute financial phishing campaigns
• Free hosting carried 12.6% of phishing URLs targeting financial services

Phishing campaigns targeting American financial institutions are spreading across a fragmented web of hosting services, making fraudulent infrastructure difficult to contain.

New research from Netcraft has uncovered almost 40,000 unique phishing URLs connected to US financial services were discovered in the first half of 2026.

Behind those URLs were 645 hosting providers and 576 registrars, while newer services and automated AI tools helped attackers move quickly between platforms.

Cheap infrastructure is helping campaigns multiply

The scale of the activity becomes clearer when the services carrying these attacks are examined rather than the fraudulent websites alone.

Free developer and application hosting accounted for 12.6% of phishing URLs recorded against US financial services during H1 2026.

That means approximately one in eight observed attacks relied upon infrastructure that attackers could access without paying conventional hosting fees.

Netcraft observed significant changes in infrastructure use between Q1 and Q2, suggesting criminals were switching services as infrastructure became unavailable or less useful.

AI is making that movement easier by helping users create websites, reproduce legitimate pages and deploy malicious infrastructure with less technical effort.

Netcraft said generative AI website builders and cloning tools increasingly include free web hosting options, further reducing the work required to establish campaigns.

The financial brands being impersonated also show where attackers are concentrating their efforts across the sector during the reporting period.

Payment service providers accounted for 37.2% of observed phishing activity, with PayPal representing 80.6% of attacks within that subsector.

American Express accounted for 72.8% of observed activity involving card networks, showing how heavily campaigns can focus on recognizable financial brands.

Omegatech emerges as another source of attack infrastructure

The infrastructure picture changed further with the emergence of Omegatech, a paid hosting provider based in the Seychelles, which started operations in January 2026.

By June, Netcraft attributed roughly 3% of observed phishing attacks against US financial services to infrastructure hosted through Omegatech.

One cluster contained 16 .es domains that generated 585 unique attack URLs between March 25 and April 21 2026.

Those domains were used to impersonate 41 financial brands through subdomains, allowing one cluster to support campaigns against numerous institutions.

Registration data for many of those domains was unavailable, limiting visibility into the companies responsible for registering the infrastructure.

Omegatech's emergence came as another major campaign was winding down after targeting Fidelity Investments through the Darcula phishing platform.

That operation fell sevenfold from Q1 to Q2, after previously accounting for more than half of phishing infrastructure impersonating Fidelity.

Meanwhile, financially motivated North Korean groups and organized criminal operators continued pursuing banks, cryptocurrency services and compromised accounts.

The changing mix suggests that attackers are not relying on one platform, campaign or technique to reach financial customers.

Financial companies are advised to closely monitor newly registered domains, restrict suspicious links and strengthen employee verification procedures against impersonation attempts.

from Latest from TechRadar US in Computing News https://ift.tt/W5YtOLr
via

Windows 11 update packs a bug that's making the lives of gamers a misery

• Microsoft has admitted there's a bug in the latest Windows 11 update
• The September preview update causes some games and apps to crash
• According to some reports, this patch is also leading to sluggish performance, or even boot failures, so tread very carefully

Windows 11's latest update has a bug that's causing havoc with some PC games and apps, or worse still, according to reports that have found the upgrade breaking their entire system.

Windows Latest highlighted a post on the Windows health dashboard where Microsoft admits there's a problem with September's optional update, which was released almost two weeks ago now.

Bear in mind that this patch (KB5124010) is a preview update, then, but there certainly seem to be quite a few issues for gamers here based on some of the feedback on social media. These problems affect Windows 11 26H2 and 25H2 users, as well as those still on 24H2.

Microsoft tells us that: "Some applications which require the decoding of AC-3 (Dolby Digital) audio might close unexpectedly."

The company adds: "Affected applications may vary and can include games, media players, and certain productivity applications."

The bug may cause the game or app to completely fail to launch, or it might crash, and in some circumstances things could be fine until certain features are used, notably playing music.

At least Microsoft assures us that "many modern applications do not use Windows for this type of encoding and therefore will not encounter this issue," but clearly there are problems here.

There are reports on Reddit from gamers expressing their displeasure at witnessing crashing with, for example, Fallout: New Vegas, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Wardogs. In all cases, players found that the problems started after installing the September preview patch, and ceased when the update was removed.

What's more worrying is that some of the affected gamers are reporting more serious issues that include the system ending up broken with boot failures, or very slow performance for booting or shutting down the PC. Other complaints include general sluggishness on the desktop.

As one Redditor observes: "KB5124010 was a disaster on one of my Win11 25H2 PCs. It caused boot issues, very slow shutdown/search, and after uninstalling it the machine got stuck at the Asus logo and stopped booting. Clean reinstall in the end."

Another agrees: "I thought I was going insane with slow boot up. File Explorer issues. Just big grey boxes taking forever."

Analysis: this needs a quick fix

(Image credit: Bethesda)

Microsoft says: "We are working on releasing a resolution for this issue in a future Windows update. We will provide an update when more information is available."

Well, this is a nasty one by all accounts, so Microsoft better muster all its bug squashing powers pretty swiftly. After all, while this is a preview update now, it becomes the full October update for Windows 11 a week tomorrow – so that's not far away at all.

Also, there are some folks who may have wanted to grab this optional update straight away because it packs a fix for a previous bug in the September (non-preview) update which broke a backup feature in Windows 11. So, they could have downloaded KB5124010 and been happy to receive this particular fix, only to find that their games or apps are suddenly in hot water (or worse). Sadly this kind of situation is all too common with Windows 11 these days.

Furthermore, this is a warning to be careful around preview updates, because seemingly the only cure for the bugs here is to uninstall the patch – there's no workaround. Also be aware that if you have selected the option to 'Get the latest updates as soon as they're available' in Windows 11 then you will get all these preview updates automatically, and possibly be hit by bugs like these.

That's why I'd be cautious about exercising this right, even if you are very keen to receive new Windows 11 features as soon as possible.

from Latest from TechRadar US in Computing News https://ift.tt/uvYG8Bq
via

NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, October 5 (game #946)

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, October 4 (game #945).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Oh well, too bad, what a shame

NYT Strands today (game #946) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• BONE
• SCUM
• HOOD
• TREAT
• CURB
• TURN

NYT Strands today (game #946) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 11 letters

NYT Strands today (game #946) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

• First side: bottom, 3rd column

• Last side: top, 4th column

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

NYT Strands today (game #946) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #946, are…

• ALAS
• BUMMER
• SUCKS
• BOOHOO
• UNFORTUNATE
• SORRY
• SPANGRAM: SADTROMBONE

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 hint

I was thrilled to get a Spangram First yesterday but there was absolutely no chance of spotting it today — congratulations if you were smart enough to see it.

I was totally puzzled by the theme, so I took a hint — but ALAS didn’t help me much.

Fortunately, I managed to connect BUMMER (not a word I was expecting to see in a game of Strands) and from here managed to make my sad SORRY way around the board. BOOHOO me.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, October 4, game #945)

• PONG
• FROGGER
• ASTEROIDS
• CENTIPEDE
• SCRAMBLE
• SPANGRAM FIRST: ARCADEGAMES

What is NYT Strands?

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

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

from Latest from TechRadar US in Computing News https://ift.tt/tU15R0e
via

NYT Connections hints and answers for Monday, October 5 (game #1212)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Sunday, October 4 (game #1211).

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 #1212) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• PARENT
• ADVISORY
• EXPLICIT
• CONTENT
• CHESS
• PLEASE
• MESSAGE
• GRAPHIC
• STRONG
• SAPPHIRE
• SUGGESTIVE
• SERENE
• PEACEFUL
• IRONING
• SLOAN
• PLACID

NYT Connections today (game #1212) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Relaxed contentment
• GREEN: Adult warnings
• BLUE: A stiff word in common
• PURPLE: You can’t own these hidden words

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 #1212) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: CALM
• GREEN: ADJECTIVES FOR MATURE CONTENT
• BLUE: KINDS OF BOARDS
• PURPLE: ENDING IN WAYS TO TEMPORARILY ACQUIRE

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

NYT Connections today (game #1212) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1212, are…

• YELLOW: CALM: CONTENT, PEACEFUL, PLACID, SERENE
• GREEN: ADJECTIVES FOR MATURE CONTENT: EXPLICIT, GRAPHIC, STRONG, SUGGESTIVE
• BLUE: KINDS OF BOARDS: ADVISORY, CHESS, IRONING, MESSAGE
• PURPLE: ENDING IN WAYS TO TEMPORARILY ACQUIRE: PARENT, PLEASE, SAPPHIRE, SLOAN

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Back in the 1990s many hip-hop albums — or at least those that were deemed dangerous — carried PARENT ADVISORY stickers on them warning parents and carers of the contents of their children’s record store purchases. Naturally, like all warnings it backfired and the stickers helped sales of these so-called offensive products rather than leading to wholesome blasphemy- and cursing-free music.

I mention this because seeing PARENT, ADVISORY, GRAPHIC and MESSAGE I came close to building a group honoring that strange moment in pop-culture history.

Having said that, I was almost on the right track with the green group of ADJECTIVES FOR MATURE CONTENT.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, October 4, 2026, game #1211)

• YELLOW: CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT: BUNCH, HEAP, LOT, STACK
• GREEN: TABLE TENNIS NEEDS: BALL, NET, PADDLE, TABLE
• BLUE: PARTS OF A JUDGE COSTUME: COLLAR, GAVEL, ROBE, WIG
• PURPLE: SILENT ____: AUCTION, FILM, PARTNER, TREATMENT

What is NYT Connections?

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

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

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

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

from Latest from TechRadar US in Gaming News https://ift.tt/V0FNQC7
via TECHNICAL SAFEER

Control Resonant composer says it's his duty to 'represent the story,' but sometimes offers it 'in a different light, as contradicting the on-screen events can be really delicious'

• Control Resonant composer Petri Alanko says a musical score is "an emotional vessel"
• He explains that it's his duty "to represent the story in the most beautiful light possible"
• Alanko adds that the music "must be able to exist by itself, without the game and the story"

Control Resonant composer Petri Alanko thinks of a game's musical score as another way to tell the story, and it's his job to do that, even if he sometimes takes some creative liberties.

"In my thoughts, a score is what one might call an emotional vessel - or a tray for the story," Alanko told TechRadar Gaming in an interview about Remedy Entertainment's latest action game. "My duty is to represent the story in the most beautiful light possible, to help drill the ideas and the vision into the heads of those who experience the events."

The composer compared it to his band, where on stage it's his role to help the soloist "be the best version of themselves and showcase their talents in the most elegant way possible," saying that the "Same applies" to a video game.

"What I do is a series of deep bows towards the story; I love the story; it’s an honour for me to make it even more approachable and beautiful," he said. "But… it must be able to exist by itself, without the game and the story. Otherwise, it’d be just a pointless collection of noodling. I carry the responsibility of respecting both the story creator and especially those who enjoy the story."

Alanko went on to liken what he does to a customer service business, but added, "Trust me: I wouldn’t do anything just to please others; I do this to please myself. Simple as that."

"If I don’t like what I do, nobody else will, and, just to be clear and precise, I do really enjoy what I do," he reiterated, "my self-confidence is in very good shape that way (laughs). If something moves me, there’s a good chance it might move someone else, too."

While Alanko believes that it's a composer's job to translate the Remedy's story to the audience with his talent, he admitted: "I sometimes offer the story in a different light, as contradicting the on-screen events can be really delicious."

"It’s a very human feature to make errors, to have a sudden twist of a knife in your side in the middle of the most heroic event, as if someone reminded you of your mortality and how different the outcome would be if this-or-that happened," Alanko added. "A bit like memento mori. It makes you humble; it makes you human."

You can play Control Resonant now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Series S, and PC.

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