MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ with Intel Arc G3 Extreme inside revealed at Computex 2026

• The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ uses the new Intel Arc G3 APU, among the first gaming handhelds to use this chip, similarly to the recently unveiled Acer Predator Atlas 8
• This new Intel Arc B370-powered iGPU features support for Multi-Frame Generation through XeSS 3, allowing the hardware to reach higher framerates
• Ergonomically, the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ has taken cues from the Asus ROG Ally X with its new gamepad-style grips, featuring Hall Effect sticks and RGB lighting

The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ has been announced at Computex 2026, billed as the "world's first gaming handheld" to be powered by the Intel Arc G3 processor. It is joined by recently announced competitors, such as the Acer Predator Atlas 8, in leading the charge for the next generation of mobile gaming hardware.

This third-generation MSI Claw gaming handheld features Intel XeSS 3 Multi-Frame Generation, enabled by the latest Intel Arc iGPU standard. Specifically, the Arc G3 is built on the B390 die, with 12 Xe cores, and up to a 30W TDP range.

No MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ pricing has been announced yet; however, it is expected to be a gaming handheld at the premium end of the spectrum. We can gauge a rough estimate by looking at the current-generation MSI Claw 8 AI+, with its cheapest 1TB variant retailing for $899 / £899 and its pricier option (doubling the storage) selling for $1,129 / £999. As such, we expect this new model to follow a similar pricing strategy.

The ergonomics have also drastically changed for the upcoming MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ when compared to the previous-generation MSI Claw 8 AI+ and MSI Claw A1M. The Taiwanese company has taken notes from the Asus ROG Ally Xbox X with its new controller-style grips, Hall-effect sticks and triggers, as well as a revised D-pad, too.

Xbox Mode looks to be directly rivalling what's featured in its competition. Just as with the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ will feature quick resume functionality and on-the-fly adjustments with the press of a button, and it aims to be as unintrusive as possible when dialing in your settings.

Also new to the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is the addition of haptic motors for vibration when playing. It's described as a "high-end linear motor" that's said to simulate "tactical textures" in a similar vein to what the PS5's DualSense Wireless Controller can do. It appears to be a massive upgrade of the weaker rumble feature found in the two previous-generation models.

Instead of opting for the same usual black or gray colorway of its contemporaries, the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ features a purple aesthetic, with red face buttons, RGB lighting around the sticks, and that same solid 120Hz 8-inch VRR display in the center. At a time when the best handheld gaming PCs are iterating on the same design trends from four years ago, it's good to see a degree of innovation implemented here.

How does the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ compare to its predecessors?

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ vs previous-generation models

	MSI Claw 8 EX AI+	MSI Claw 8 AI+	MSI Claw A1M
Processor	Intel Arc G3 Extreme	Intel Core Ultra 7 258V	Intel Core 7 155H
Display	8-inch 1920 x 1200 120Hz touchscreen	8-inch 1920 x 1200 120Hz touchscreen	7-inch 1920x1080 120Hz touchscreen
Graphics	Intel Arc B390	Intel Arc Graphics 140V	Intel Xe-LPG architecture
Memory	32GB LPDDR5x-8533	32GB LPDDR5x-8533	16GB LPDDR5-6400
Battery	80 Whr	80 Whr	53 Whr

How could the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ fare in the 2026 handheld market?

The meteoric rise of Valve's Steam Deck four years ago set into motion a path that would see dozens of different, remarkably similar handhelds hit the market. The majority of the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+'s competitors are using either the AMD Z2 Extreme or the older Z1 Extreme, with lesser-known brands going all in with Intel. We've seen this with the OneXPlayer X1 and AOKZOE A2 Ultra, both utilizing the older Intel Core 7 Ultra 155H, and 140V Arc integrated graphics.

As touched upon above, the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is among the first gaming handhelds to use the newly unveiled Intel Arc G3 chipset, although it's not the first to be announced to market.

The Acer Predator Atlas 8 appears to be similar to what's on offer from MSI. It features the same Intel Arc G3 processor, XeSS 3 Multi-Frame Generation, 80 Whr battery, 120Hz display, and Xbox controller-style ergonomics as well. It's never a bad thing to have too many options as a consumer, so time will tell which of these devices is superior and if they have what it takes to dethrone the Steam Deck or ROG Ally.

Fundamentally, the implementation of the vastly more capable B390 die ensures that your games will look better and play smoother than before. That's purely due to true MFG, and XeSS' upscaling tech has caught up massively to what AMD FSR and Nvidia DLSS can do in the last two years, as the transition from Alchemist to Battlemage architecture has been truly night and day in terms of performance. We'll have more to share when we go hands-on with the device to deliver a proper verdict.

• Check out our Computex 2026 hub for all the latest news out of Taipei.

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NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, June 1 (game #820)

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, May 31 (game #819).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Shall we gather for lunch?

NYT Strands today (game #820) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• PRONE
• CHART
• STORY
• TINGE
• BAKER
• CHAIR

NYT Strands today (game #820) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 8 letters

NYT Strands today (game #820) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: left, 3rd 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 #820) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #820, are…

• RAMP
• MOREL
• NETTLE
• BLACKBERRY
• CHESTNUT
• CHICORY
• SPANGRAM: FORAGING

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 hints

I had no idea what today’s theme was to begin with and assumed it was some pop culture reference that had passed me by — like a quote from Golden Girls or the punchline of a Tim Robinson sketch.

My first hint word of RAMP didn’t help much either, but after I took a second hint of MOREL I got it — this is all about FORAGING, I thought, as the spangram magically appeared before my eyes.

Foraging is one of those things that sounds brilliant — it’s natural, resourceful and free — but I just know that I would get it wrong and pick the wrong kind of CHESTNUT or mushroom and end up poisoning myself.

BLACKBERRY picking is the most common form of foraging (for one week a year) where I live, but I still managed to get that wrong and give myself stomach pain once. 

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, May 31, game #819)

• MARKET
• MUSEUM
• BEACH
• CASTLE
• RESTAURANT
• MONUMENT
• SPANGRAM: TOURISM

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 Monday, June 1 (game #1086)

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, May 31 (game #1085).

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 #1086) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• WEDDING
• MENAGERIE
• ONION
• NEWSPAPER
• CEILING
• SLIPPERS
• TREE
• CAT
• DOOR
• TATTOO
• PIPE
• WALL
• KEY
• WINDOW
• STREETCAR
• ROBE

NYT Connections today (game #1086) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Elements of a space
• GREEN: Armchair inactivity
• BLUE: Partial names of famous plays
• PURPLE: Add a word that rhymes with “thing”

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 #1086) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: ROOM FEATURES
• GREEN: OLD-TIMEY LOUNGING ACCESSORIES
• BLUE: SUBJECTS IN TENNESSEE WILLIAMS TITLES
• PURPLE: ____RING

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

NYT Connections today (game #1086) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1086, are…

• YELLOW: ROOM FEATURES CEILING, DOOR, WALL, WINDOW
• GREEN: OLD-TIMEY LOUNGING ACCESSORIES NEWSPAPER, PIPE, ROBE, SLIPPERS
• BLUE: SUBJECTS IN TENNESSEE WILLIAMS TITLES CAT, MENAGERIE, STREETCAR, TATTOO
• PURPLE: ____RING KEY, ONION, TREE, WEDDING

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 mistakes

Being somewhat old-timey and longing to spend more time lounging I should have gotten OLD-TIMEY LOUNGING ACCESSORIES easier, but my mistake was to include CAT instead of ROBE, as whenever I get to do any lounging it invariably involves the addition of a cat on a lap.

Next, knowing the titles of three Tennessee Williams plays has rarely come in handy but was invaluable today, although it would have been better if I knew four, so alongside CAT, MENAGERIE and STREETCAR I initially had DOOR instead of TATTOO.

The four plays in question are Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Glass Menagerie, A Streetcar Named Desire, and The Rose Tattoo, if you were wondering.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, May 31, game #1085)

• YELLOW: THINGS THAT ARE YELLOW BUTTER, PIKACHU, RUBBER DUCK, SCHOOL BUS
• GREEN: BILLIARDS TERMS BREAK, CUE, POCKET, RACK
• BLUE: SLANG FOR A SAILOR JACK, SALT, SEA DOG, TAR
• PURPLE: KINDS OF WOOD PLUS "S" SASH, SOAK, SPINE, STEAK

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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Meta is rumored to be working on an AI pendant, and smart glasses different to what we've seen before

• More hardware is reportedly on the way from Meta
• We could get an always-on AI pendant and new smart glasses
• The smart specs may involve new hardware partners

As well as exploring premium subscriptions for its social media platforms, Meta is also reportedly developing new hardware too: an AI pendant, and smart glasses that are apparently going to be different to the models we've seen before.

This is according to The Information, which says testing for the AI pendant will begin in the coming year. Presumably it works along similar lines to the Limitless AI Pendant which launched in 2024, as Meta acquired Limitless at the end of last year: the device records and processes audio, and can answer queries with its built-in chatbot.

Details are thin on the ground at the moment, but we've seen quite a few of these AI wearables in recent years. From transcribing meetings to telling you what time you need to be at the station to catch the next train home, the idea is they act as constant companions ready to lend a hand at any moment.

We know that ChatGPT developer OpenAI is working on something similar, though again there's not much in the way of solid information about what the something is, or what it'll do. We could be getting gadget launches from two of the biggest names in AI across the course of the next 12 months.

More smart glasses

We've already seen several smart glasses from Meta (Image credit: Meta)

As for the smart glasses, as per the report in The Information, there are apparently several new models coming. The rumored plan is to bring more partners on board, in addition to Ray Ban, which Meta already works with. As you would expect, Meta's own AI models are going to be providing the intelligence.

The same report mentions a new 'Wearables for Work' project at Meta, intended to drive subscriptions for Meta's AI apps — including an as-yet-unreleased AI agent called Hatch. Meta is apparently aiming to sell 10 million smart glasses in the second half of 2026, in part by expanding sales to more countries.

There's more evidence for the incoming smart glasses via Android Authority: Meta has registered several new pairs of smart specs with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the US, a necessary regulatory step for new gadgets. These documents have been filed under the Meta name, which hasn't often been the case with previous wearables.

That might suggest Meta is teaming up with another hardware partner, which lines up with what The Information is saying, but we'll have to wait for confirmation. Many other companies are expected to launch smart glasses soon too, including — perhaps — Apple.

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Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, May 31 (game #1588)

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 Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Saturday, May 30 (game #1587).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,400 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

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

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

Quordle today (game #1588) - hint #1 - Vowels

How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1588) - hint #2 - repeated letters

Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 2.

Quordle today (game #1588) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

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

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1588) - 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 #1588) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• W

• M

• O

• C

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

Quordle today (game #1588) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1588, are…

• WRYLY
• MOUNT
• OVERT
• CACAO

Not the easiest of games today, with each word needing some thinking time.

The hardest was CACAO. Initially, I couldn’t think of anything that began with a C and ended in an O, but after realizing I’d already used the R in “cargo” I decided it must include a repeated letter — or in this case, two.

Daily Sequence today (game #1588) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1588, are…

• RENEW
• EBONY
• BRAVE
• SWORN

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1587, Saturday, 30 May: WHILE, TAPER, BRAWL, REPLY
• Quordle #1586, Friday, 29 May: DRIFT, CREPT, ETHOS, DECAY
• Quordle #1585, Thursday, 28 May: GRAPE, VALUE, YEARN, INFER
• Quordle #1584, Wednesday, 27 May: GAUZE, REPAY, GIANT, STEEP
• Quordle #1583, Tuesday, 26 May: MODAL, MELON, PSALM, DRAWN
• Quordle #1582, Monday, 25 May: SLIME, ARISE, EAGER, SHEIK
• Quordle #1581, Sunday, 24 May: RIGHT, STALE, FLUKE, LINEN
• Quordle #1580, Saturday, 23 May: JUICY, DREAM, IDYLL, BRAID
• Quordle #1579, Friday, 22 May: GAILY, HITCH, DRUNK, COUNT
• Quordle #1578, Thursday, 21 May: RANCH, OTTER, WREST, ILIAC
• Quordle #1577, Wednesday, 20 May: TEDDY, MINUS, TRULY, STARK
• Quordle #1576, Tuesday, 19 May: HIPPY, FORTE, HORSE, QUELL
• Quordle #1575, Monday, 18 May: CLANK, SWINE, STEAM, DRAPE
• Quordle #1574, Sunday, 17 May: WHINE, TENET, KNAVE, GREED
• Quordle #1573, Satuday, 16 May: DEMUR, THREE, SLEEP, CRUDE
• Quordle #1572, Friday, 15 May: EPOCH, SPIKY, FAINT, PENNE
• Quordle #1571, Thursday, 14 May: SEVEN, DECRY, VILLA, MILKY
• Quordle #1570, Wednesday, 13 May: SKUNK, CHAFE, INTER, SOOTH
• Quordle #1569, Tuesday, 12 May: AGLOW, AVAIL, BADLY, STING
• Quordle #1568, Monday, 11 May: CLUMP, SALTY, BOAST, YIELD

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NYT Connections hints and answers for Sunday, May 31 (game #1085)

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, May 30 (game #1084).

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 #1085) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• BUTTER
• SALT
• STEAK
• BREAK
• JACK
• SOAK
• POCKET
• SPINE
• RUBBER DUCK
• TAR
• RACK
• SCHOOL BUS
• PIKACHU
• SEA DOG
• SASH
• CUE

NYT Connections today (game #1085) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Linked by a primary color
• GREEN: Sport played on baize covered table
• BLUE: Seafaring folk
• PURPLE: Tree plus one

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 #1085) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: THINGS THAT ARE YELLOW
• GREEN: BILLIARDS TERMS
• BLUE: SLANG FOR A SAILOR
• PURPLE: KINDS OF WOOD PLUS "S" 

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

NYT Connections today (game #1085) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1085, are…

• YELLOW: THINGS THAT ARE YELLOW BUTTER, PIKACHU, RUBBER DUCK, SCHOOL BUS
• GREEN: BILLIARDS TERMS BREAK, CUE, POCKET, RACK
• BLUE: SLANG FOR A SAILOR JACK, SALT, SEA DOG, TAR
• PURPLE: KINDS OF WOOD PLUS "S" SASH, SOAK, SPINE, STEAK

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 mistakes

Firstly, kudos to all those who spotted KINDS OF WOOD PLUS "S" — sadly, I was not among you, but I did let out a groan after the connection was revealed.

My mistakes today came from almost being on the right track. Initially I thought there was a group about pirates, so included SASH alongside JACK, TAR and SEA DOG — then with one away I thought the connection was drunken sailors.

Wisely, I abandoned this group to concentrate on the much more gettable THINGS THAT ARE YELLOW and BILLIARDS TERMS.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, May 30, game #1084)

• YELLOW: "IN YOUR DREAMS" IMPOSSIBLE, NEVER, NO WAY, SORRY
• GREEN: SENSIBLE CLEAR, LUCID, RIGHT, SOUND
• BLUE: TYPOGRAPHICAL SYMBOLS BRACE, CARET, PIPE, TILDE
• PURPLE: SONG OF THE YEAR NOMINEES AT THE FIRST GRAMMY AWARDS
• FEVER, GIGI, VOLARE, WITCHCRAFT

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 Saturday, May 30 (game #818)

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 Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, May 29 (game #817).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… We’ll be there

NYT Strands today (game #818) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• SWEAR
• RING
• FLEA
• PEAR
• BLADE
• GIRL

NYT Strands today (game #818) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 11 letters

NYT Strands today (game #818) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: left, 3rd row

Last side: right, 6th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #818) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #818, are…

• RELIABLE
• LOYAL
• CARING
• TRUSTWORTHY
• HELPFUL
• SPANGRAM: GOODFRIENDS

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

I was almost disappointed when I saw RELIABLE immediately, as I like a little bit of a challenge, so to make it fun I roared through the entire game at breakneck speed.

I am sure that somewhere hidden within the letters is a Friends reference, beyond the theme itself of course, but I couldn’t find it.

Instead, we were given a selection of words to remind us of the qualities required of GOODFRIENDS.

To my mind, being LOYAL is the most important and being able to look beyond disagreements. In other words, it’s fine to hate your friends occasionally.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, May 29, game #817)

• PIGS
• COWS
• HORSES
• SHEEP
• DUCKS
• CHICKENS
• GOATS
• SPANGRAM: FARMANIMALS

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 Saturday, May 30 (game #1084)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Friday, May 29 (game #1083).

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 #1084) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• LUCID
• WITCHCRAFT
• IMPOSSIBLE
• SOUND
• PIPE
• FEVER
• RIGHT
• SORRY
• CLEAR
• BRACE
• NEVER
• TILDE
• GIGI
• NO WAY
• CARET
• VOLARE

NYT Connections today (game #1084) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Rejection response
• GREEN: Solid response
• BLUE: Punctuation marks
• PURPLE: Hits of 1959

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 #1084) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: "IN YOUR DREAMS"
• GREEN: SENSIBLE 
• BLUE: TYPOGRAPHICAL SYMBOLS
• PURPLE: SONG OF THE YEAR NOMINEES AT THE FIRST GRAMMY AWARDS

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

NYT Connections today (game #1084) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1084, are…

• YELLOW: "IN YOUR DREAMS" IMPOSSIBLE, NEVER, NO WAY, SORRY
• GREEN: SENSIBLE CLEAR, LUCID, RIGHT, SOUND
• BLUE: TYPOGRAPHICAL SYMBOLS BRACE, CARET, PIPE, TILDE
• PURPLE: SONG OF THE YEAR NOMINEES AT THE FIRST GRAMMY AWARDS
• FEVER, GIGI, VOLARE, WITCHCRAFT

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 mistake

I really thought that my job might help me get a purple today. Alas, there was an even tougher group than the selection of four TYPOGRAPHICAL SYMBOLS.

I thought this was difficult, but getting the purple group took three guesses — even though I only had eight tiles left after connecting SENSIBLE.

FEVER and VOLARE I knew as hits from the crooning era, but I was uncertain of the other two and included IMPOSSIBLE in the mix (I think I was thinking of The Impossible Dream by Andy Williams) before finally getting the correct four.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Friday, May 29, game #1083)

• YELLOW: OCEANS ARCTIC, ATLANTIC, INDIAN, PACIFIC
• GREEN: SOURCES OF DISTINCTIVE SMELLS AMMONIA, BO, DURIAN, WET DOG
• BLUE: KINDS OF ROOMS IN A MANSION BILLIARD, DRAWING, POWDER, READING
• PURPLE: WHAT "PA" MIGHT REFER TO FATHER, PENNSYLVANIA, PROTACTINIUM, PUBLIC ADDRESS

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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FIFA websites spoofed by hackers ahead of 2026 World Cup, FBI warns

• FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center warned of at least 35 spoofed FIFA websites designed to steal personal and financial data from fans
• Fraudsters mimic legitimate domains with subtle spelling or TLD changes
• Officials advise typing FIFA’s URL directly, or avoiding sponsored search results

Hackers spoofing FIFA has gotten so bad that the FBI had to react and issue a public alert to warn people to be careful.

Earlier this week, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint (ICC) issued a new alert, warning about the rise in fake FIFA websites looking to steal people’s sensitive information and even money.

Cybercriminals and fraudsters have always tapped into current events in their attacks. The Olympic games, the Covid epidemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and other global events, have been used as a theme in phishing attacks, and fake websites were popping up, distributing malware under the guise of “vaccine information”, or cheap tickets.

Project Glasswing is important

The World Cup is no different. Even eight years ago, TechRadar reported about tickets scams hitting fans worldwide, and back in 2022, fake World Cup streaming sites were targeting virtual fans.

This time around, the FBI says it identified at least 35 spoofed websites which, at first glance, look identical to the real thing with branding, product listing, and all other important details, being carefully placed.

“Threat actors often create spoofed websites by slightly altering characteristics of legitimate website domains, with the purpose of gathering personally identifiable information (PII) entered by a user into the site, including name, home address, phone number, email address, and banking information,” the FBI said.

“For example, spoofed website domains may feature alternate spellings of words or use an alternative top-level domain to impersonate a legitimate website. Members of the public could unknowingly visit spoofed websites while attempting to access FIFA's website.”

The FBI recommends users going to the FIFA website by typing in the address directly. Those using the search engine should avoid sponsored results since “these can be paid imitators looking to deter traffic”, and should make sure they’re visiting a site on the .com domain. Bookmarking vetted websites is also a good idea.

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Quordle hints and answers for Friday, May 29 (game #1586)

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 Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Thursday, May 28 (game #1585).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,400 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

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

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

Quordle today (game #1586) - hint #1 - Vowels

How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1586) - 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 0.

Quordle today (game #1586) - hint #3 - uncommon letters

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

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1586) - 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 2.

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 #1586) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• D

• C

• E

• D

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

Quordle today (game #1586) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1586, are…

• DRIFT
• CREPT
• ETHOS
• DECAY

It’s quite unusual in Quordle to get an anagram where every letter is in an incorrect position, so it took me a while to convert “those” into ETHOS.

This minor struggle aside, I was gifted the other three words — especially CREPT, which is just one letter out from my starter word of “crypt”.

Daily Sequence today (game #1586) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1586, are…

• SHEET
• SONAR
• SALON
• SLIME

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1585, Thursday, 28 May: GRAPE, VALUE, YEARN, INFER
• Quordle #1584, Wednesday, 27 May: GAUZE, REPAY, GIANT, STEEP
• Quordle #1583, Tuesday, 26 May: MODAL, MELON, PSALM, DRAWN
• Quordle #1582, Monday, 25 May: SLIME, ARISE, EAGER, SHEIK
• Quordle #1581, Sunday, 24 May: RIGHT, STALE, FLUKE, LINEN
• Quordle #1580, Saturday, 23 May: JUICY, DREAM, IDYLL, BRAID
• Quordle #1579, Friday, 22 May: GAILY, HITCH, DRUNK, COUNT
• Quordle #1578, Thursday, 21 May: RANCH, OTTER, WREST, ILIAC
• Quordle #1577, Wednesday, 20 May: TEDDY, MINUS, TRULY, STARK
• Quordle #1576, Tuesday, 19 May: HIPPY, FORTE, HORSE, QUELL
• Quordle #1575, Monday, 18 May: CLANK, SWINE, STEAM, DRAPE
• Quordle #1574, Sunday, 17 May: WHINE, TENET, KNAVE, GREED
• Quordle #1573, Satuday, 16 May: DEMUR, THREE, SLEEP, CRUDE
• Quordle #1572, Friday, 15 May: EPOCH, SPIKY, FAINT, PENNE
• Quordle #1571, Thursday, 14 May: SEVEN, DECRY, VILLA, MILKY
• Quordle #1570, Wednesday, 13 May: SKUNK, CHAFE, INTER, SOOTH
• Quordle #1569, Tuesday, 12 May: AGLOW, AVAIL, BADLY, STING
• Quordle #1568, Monday, 11 May: CLUMP, SALTY, BOAST, YIELD
• Quordle #1567, Sunday, 10 May: DONOR, FAITH, ROBOT, EXILE
• Quordle #1566, Saturday, 9 May: SHALL, ERUPT, WISER, DRIER

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NYT Connections hints and answers for Friday, May 29 (game #1083)

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 Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Thursday, May 28 (game #1082).

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 #1083) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• POWDER
• FATHER
• READING
• ATLANTIC
• PENNSYLVANIA
• BILLIARD
• PACIFIC
• BO
• AMMONIA
• PROTACTINIUM
• WET DOG
• DRAWING
• INDIAN
• DURIAN
• PUBLIC ADDRESS
• ARCTIC

NYT Connections today (game #1083) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Large bodies of water 
• GREEN: Stinky stuff 
• BLUE: Areas in a posh house 
• PURPLE: Also what you’d call a personal assistant

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 #1083) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: OCEANS 
• GREEN: SOURCES OF DISTINCTIVE SMELLS 
• BLUE: KINDS OF ROOMS IN A MANSION 
• PURPLE: WHAT "PA" MIGHT REFER TO 

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

NYT Connections today (game #1083) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1083, are…

• YELLOW: OCEANS ARCTIC, ATLANTIC, INDIAN, PACIFIC
• GREEN: SOURCES OF DISTINCTIVE SMELLS AMMONIA, BO, DURIAN, WET DOG
• BLUE: KINDS OF ROOMS IN A MANSION BILLIARD, DRAWING, POWDER, READING
• PURPLE: WHAT "PA" MIGHT REFER TO FATHER, PENNSYLVANIA, PROTACTINIUM, PUBLIC ADDRESS

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 mistake

I had no idea what PROTACTINIUM is, but I decided that it smelled and placed it alongside DURIAN, WET DOG and AMMONIA, all of which I knew were properly stinky. 

My big error here was failing to see that BO was short for body odour and not what I had initially thought of as a casual greeting between fans of 1990s hip-hop.

PROTACTINIUM I have since learned is a dense, highly radioactive, and toxic actinide metal. So, it may well smell funky — especially if it was kept in a sealed box with some blue cheese — but it wouldn’t be a good idea to find out.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Thursday, May 28, game #1082)

• YELLOW: GET LOW DUCK, HUNCH, SQUAT, STOOP
• GREEN: FOURTH ESTATE MEDIA, NEWS, PAPERS, PRESS
• BLUE: PARTS OF A COURTROOM BAR, BENCH, PODIUM, STAND
• PURPLE: SKI__ JUMP, LIFT, LODGE, SLOPE

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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Websites are using this FROST-y new technique to spy on users by snooping on their SSD activity

• Researchers at Graz University of Technology unveiled FROST, a browser side‑channel attack
• The method can reveal visited websites and opened desktop apps, but requires large file creation
• Limitations exist, yet the study highlights how modern browser features expand the attack surface for surveillance

Security researchers have come up with a new way of spying on internet users, and they’re calling it FROST. Recently, more than half a dozen researchers from the Graz University of Technology (Austria) published a new report called “FROST: Fingerprinting Remotely using OPFS-based SSD Timing” in which they claim that there is a way to spy on user activities directly through the browser.

This is a remote side-channel technique that exploits a standard browser feature called the Origin Private File System (OPFS). Generally, a side-channel attack is a way of stealing secrets by measuring physical side effects, such as how long an action takes, how much power it uses. In this case, the researchers measured solid-state drive (SSD) access speeds, allowing them to track which websites a victim visited, and what desktop applications they opened.

“Web browsers have evolved from simple document viewers into complex platforms capable of running sophisticated applications,” the research paper says. “Companies like Google, Microsoft, and Adobe have developed full-fledged office suites, photo- and video editors, or even integrated development environments (IDEs) that run entirely within the browser.”

Limitations exist

“While these features enhance the capabilities of web applications and allow completely novel use cases, they also increase the browser’s attack surface, and some have already been shown to introduce new vulnerabilities.”

Unlike real-life exploits, those discovered in controlled environments have limitations, which make it somewhat harder to pull off in the wild. For example, the attack only works if the victim’s activity and the browser are running on the same SSD. The attack requires creating an exceptionally large file to bypass the computer’s memory cache, which can noticeably drain the victim’s free disk space and since Firefox limits storage space per website to 10GB, the attack is a little more difficult to pull off on that specific browser.

It was also said that the attacker cannot perform a quick, short measurement, because the large file must first be cleared out of the system’s memory cache. And finally, if a user runs software that completely moves their browser profile into RAM, the zero-interaction attack is successfully blocked.

Still, if you are worried about someone using FROST to snoop on you, just make sure you only keep one tab open at a time.

Via Ars Technica

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Cybercriminals are using GTA 6 hype to spread malware ahead of launch, NordVPN warns

• NordVPN identified malware and scam campaigns targeting GTA 6's fans
• The web is flooded with fake beta keys, trojanized repacks, phishing sites
• PC and Android users are the main targets

The hype around the release of GTA 6 is real, and threat actors are quick to make the most of it by targeting gamers who are disappointed by the game's delayed release. The lead-up to the release of Rockstar Games' most anticipated title makes fans vulnerable to a large number of scams, NordVPN warns.

NordVPN, which consistently ranks at the top of our list of the best VPNs, shared the findings of its Threat Intelligence team. The team discovered a wave of GTA 6-themed scams targeting eager fans with fake installers, non-existent beta keys, phishing pages, and even Android adware pretending to be a "GTA 6 beta" app.

Attackers are banking on victims clicking first and then thinking later, instilling a sense of urgency through every scam attempt.

NordVPN reveals the staggering extent of GTA 6 scams

NordVPN has revealed that PC and Android users are the primary targets of GTA 6 scams, but the threat actors may still promise access to the game on other platforms.

The game has been confirmed to launch on the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X/S to start with, which threat actors are willingly abusing by promising exclusive beta keys for those consoles. Users first fill out a short form, go through a quick verification process, and then are told to either subscribe or download potentially unwanted applications (PUAs).

Windows users are also targeted by clones of well-known piracy sites. These clones distribute malware, cleverly disguised as the actual game. NordVPN downloaded one of these scam files and found it to look surprisingly legitimate, with a proper game installer that quietly launches a trojan in the background. The malware can modify your PC's RAM, connect to external servers, and download even more malware.

gta from r/GTA/comments/1t5m6cr/gta6_is_already_on_android

Android users are subjected to adware that pretends to offer access to the GTA 6 beta. This is especially clever, as the game is unlikely to ever launch on Android, but fake apps that promise access to the game are still cropping up, as shared by NordVPN as well as various Reddit users.

NordVPN downloaded one such file and found the app to be an empty shell that plays a video and then makes you download additional data. The app tries to get users to pay for a subscription or download further malware, and NordVPN traced it back to a domain that's known for distributing banking trojans, ransomware, and infostealers.

Even Rockstar Social Club accounts aren't safe: phishing pages attempt to steal login credentials, and those accounts, quickly stolen, are often resold or used for in-game scams.

How to stay safe

The general rule of thumb is not to trust anything that didn't come directly from Rockstar Games, the PlayStation Store, or the Xbox Marketplace. Never download any game-related content from third-party sites, as even a legitimate-looking site can be a scam.

Don't trust offers of free beta keys, either. Follow the official social media channels for these platforms to keep an eye out for legit offers.

Lastly, don't share your Rockstar account details on any websites other than the official site, and check the URL before you type them in.

NordVPN has just rebranded its Threat Protection suite as next-gen antivirus, so if you want to stay extra safe with a more robust security solution, it's worth checking out.

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