NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, April 15 (game #773)

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, April 14 (game #772).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Gift of the month

NYT Strands today (game #773) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• DIET
• GONE
• QUEST
• POST
• SHUT
• RATE

NYT Strands today (game #773) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 10 letters

NYT Strands today (game #773) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: left, 4th row

Last side: right, 8th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #773) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #773, are…

• TOPAZ
• TURQUOISE
• OPAL
• GARNET
• DIAMOND
• PERIDOT
• SPANGRAM: BIRTHSTONE

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 hints

After spotting “birth” on the board it took me a while to connect it up to the rest of the spangram and find BIRTHSTONE; I was expecting it to become birthday.

From here it was just a case of finding gemstones that represent particular months — of which I know a sum total of zero, despite having purchased a few as gifts over the years.

It was then something of a struggle, but the letters Z and Q helped narrow things down and point towards TOPAZ and TURQUOISE, plus OPAL — as it was sandwiched between them. With my first finds out of the way I was able to navigate the rest of the game, but even so it took me a hint and proceeded at snail's pace.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday, April 14, game #772)

• HAZY
• BLURRY
• SOFT
• CLOUDY
• FADED
• MUTED
• BEDIMMED
• SPANGRAM: OUTOFFOCUS

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 Wednesday, April 15 (game #1039)

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 Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Tuesday, April 14 (game #1038).

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 #1039) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• TASSEL
• CROWN
• GOWN
• HASSLE
• FLIP
• GRIND
• CASTLE
• FACILE
• TRIAL
• CAP
• TRITE
• HORSE
• SHALLOW
• MITER
• CHORE
• DIPLOMA

NYT Connections today (game #1039) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: As worn at college celebration
• GREEN: A task reluctantly done
• BLUE: Far too easy
• PURPLE: Game of Kings and Queens

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 #1039) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: GRADUATION GEAR
• GREEN: TEDIOUS UNDERTAKING
• BLUE: OVERSIMPLISTIC
• PURPLE: SHAPES OF CHESS PIECES

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

NYT Connections today (game #1039) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1039, are…

• YELLOW: GRADUATION GEAR CAP, DIPLOMA, GOWN, TASSEL
• GREEN: TEDIOUS UNDERTAKING CHORE, GRIND, HASSLE, TRIAL
• BLUE: OVERSIMPLISTIC FACILE, FLIP, SHALLOW, TRITE
• PURPLE: SHAPES OF CHESS PIECES CASTLE, CROWN, HORSE, MITER

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 mistakes

I didn’t go to college or university and I sometimes think it holds me back — it definitely has held me back in terms of earning power — and today it stopped me from getting GRADUATION GEAR without making two mistakes.

For some reason I can’t quite explain, I thought that MITER was an essential part of graduation day attire — not that I actually know what a MITER is, it just sounded college-like.

This embarrassment aside, I managed to complete the rest of today’s challenge without much of a hitch, but by then the damage was done. Let’s just agree not to talk about it.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Tuesday, April 14, game #1038)

• YELLOW: THINGS STORED BY A BROWSER BOOKMARK, CACHE, COOKIE, HISTORY
• GREEN: BOXING TERMS BELL, GLOVES, RING, ROUND
• BLUE: TILT LEAN, LIST, PITCH, TIP
• PURPLE: FREE____ LANCE, MASON, STYLE, WAY

What is NYT Connections?

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

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

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

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

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The RAM crisis strikes again — Samsung Galaxy phones and Microsoft Surface laptops just got a whole lot more expensive

• The RAM crisis has forced Microsoft to put up price tags on Surface laptops
• These hikes are across the board, with increases of up to $500 in the US
• Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets also received some hefty price increases

A fresh round of price hikes on hardware, namely Microsoft's Surface devices alongside Samsung's Galaxy smartphones and tablets, is the latest blow dealt to consumers by the RAM crisis.

Windows Central noticed that prices for Surface laptops have been hiked across the board at the Microsoft Store. Some of the worst price jumps here mean that baseline devices have been increased by an eye-watering $500 in the US.

For example, the Surface Laptop 13.8-inch started at $999 when the device first emerged in 2024, but it's now $1,499 (with 16GB of RAM — the same configuration as all these entry-level models).

If you want the 15-inch model of this notebook, you'll pay $300 more than at launch, with an outlay of $1,599 (which isn't as much of a leap, but still a nasty increase).

Turning to the Surface Pro 13-inch, that's been hiked by $500. The Surface Pro 12-inch and Surface Laptop 13-inch haven't been hit quite as hard, but are still $250 and $300 more expensive, respectively, for the entry-level configuration.

A top spec Surface Pro 13-inch with 64GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD will lighten your wallet to the tune of $3,649.

Expect equivalent hikes in other regions, no doubt, and these new prices will be coming to other retailers selling Surface products, as you might expect.

Microsoft told Windows Central: "Due to recent increases in memory and component costs, Surface is updating pricing on Microsoft.com for its current‑generation hardware portfolio. We remain committed to delivering value to customers and partners while upholding our standards for quality and innovation."

Meanwhile, Phone Arena reports some price hikes on certain models of Samsung's Galaxy smartphones and tablets, which have just quietly come into play in the US.

The Galaxy Z Flip 7 variant with 512GB of storage has been upped in price from $1,219.99 to $1,299.99, with the Galaxy S25 Edge (512GB) also getting bumped from $1,219.99 to $1,299.99. Furthermore, the Galaxy S25 FE has had a price hike from $709.99 to $749.9 (in this case for the 256GB model).

As for Samsung's tablets, price increases have been actioned for Galaxy Tab S11, Tab S10, and Tab A11 models in the US. That includes hikes of $100 to $200, or even close to $300 in some cases (the Tab S11 Ultra with 1TB is up from $1,619.99 to $1,899.99).

Analysis: Samsung worries and Apple value

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

At least the price rises are relatively slight with the Samsung phones, although $80 is still a bit of a sting (the S25 FE at $40 is much more palatable). Compared to what's happened with Samsung's tablets, though, and the Surface range in particular, that's relatively insignificant. Also, Microsoft's increases are across the board, whereas Samsung has only hiked a few phones here (and not the entry-level products, either, crucially).

Still, this does come off the back of other Samsung phones and tablets getting pricier earlier this month (including the Galaxy Z Fold 7). Unfortunately, all of this points to further possible price increases from Samsung down the line.

As for Microsoft, the current-gen Surface line-up is great in many ways — the Surface Laptop 13-inch is still rated as the top Windows 11 device in our best laptop roundup — but these new prices really put a dent in the appeal of the range. Microsoft's devices are now a lot more expensive overall, and they hardly majored in affordability before, either (particularly not with beefier RAM and SSD configurations).

This is particularly bad news for Microsoft right now, because it makes Apple's MacBooks look a lot more tempting in terms of the value proposition versus a Surface purchase. Apple seems to be weathering this PC component storm in a more graceful fashion so far, and with the affordable MacBook Neo already threatening the dominance of Windows laptops, it could be a dangerous time for Satya Nadella's company, both on the hardware and software fronts.

As a Redditor observed in a thread where multiple people are mulling, or have already made, a macOS defection: "Perfect timing for Microslop, a month after Apple announced the Neo. What could they have been thinking? Apple is now the value brand, lol..."

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NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, April 14 (game #772)

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, April 13 (game #771).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… It’s a little unclear

NYT Strands today (game #772) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• BATH
• TOOL
• LADY
• FATHOM
• BLADE
• SIDE

NYT Strands today (game #772) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 10 letters

NYT Strands today (game #772) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: left, 1st row

Last side: left, 8th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #772) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #772, are…

• HAZY
• BLURRY
• SOFT
• CLOUDY
• FADED
• MUTED
• BEDIMMED
• SPANGRAM: OUTOFFOCUS

• My rating: Hard
• My score: Perfect

“It’s a little unclear” is a phrase I could use every day in relation to Strands and its baffling letter soup that slowly comes into focus.

My lack of mental clarity was brilliantly summed up by today's search, which put the spotlight on words that described vision that is off — often deliberately so, for artistic purposes — and thought process lacking in similar sharpness.

Despite my slow progress I managed to complete the board without a hint, although there was plenty of hesitation (not least over BEDIMMED, which still doesn’t look like an actual word  to me), and paused in the final moments to admire the ocular-shaped spangram. It’s a marvel how they achieve these low-key wonders.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, April 13, game #771)

• BICYCLE
• GRILL
• MOWER
• WHEELBARROW
• TOOLS
• HOSE
• SPANGRAM: STORAGESHED

What is NYT Strands?

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

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

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NYT Connections hints and answers for Tuesday, April 14 (game #1038)

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, April 13 (game #1037).

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 #1038) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• ROUND
• LIST
• MASON
• BOOKMARK
• COOKIE
• LANCE
• BELL
• WAY
• TIP
• GLOVES
• STYLE
• CACHE
• RING
• PITCH
• HISTORY
• LEAN

NYT Connections today (game #1038) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Common on Chrome and Safari
• GREEN: Fighting talk
• BLUE: Slight wobble
• PURPLE: Begin with a word of zero cost

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 #1038) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: THINGS STORED BY A BROWSER
• GREEN: BOXING TERMS
• BLUE: TILT
• PURPLE: FREE____ 

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

NYT Connections today (game #1038) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1038, are…

• YELLOW: THINGS STORED BY A BROWSER BOOKMARK, CACHE, COOKIE, HISTORY
• GREEN: BOXING TERMS BELL, GLOVES, RING, ROUND
• BLUE: TILT LEAN, LIST, PITCH, TIP
• PURPLE: FREE____ LANCE, MASON, STYLE, WAY

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

My long wait for another “Purple first” is finally over.

It was the word LANCE that set me on my way, as it immediately made me think about the toils and hardships of being a freelancer, and I soon spotted the other words that made it work. Happy days!

After this grand beginning I followed up with TILT and then the group that I really should have gotten first, seeing as I spend the bulk of my life utilizing all four of these THINGS STORED BY A BROWSER.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Monday, April 13, game #1037)

• YELLOW: SEEN OUTSIDE A THEATER BOX OFFICE, MARQUEE, TICKET LINE, VELVET ROPE
• GREEN: ACCESSORIES FOR A MAGICIAN CAPE, HANDKERCHIEF, MAGIC WAND, RABBIT
• BLUE: TV SHOW TITLE SURNAMES HOUSE, LASSO, MONTANA, SOPRANO
• PURPLE: THEY HAVE CAPS BASEBALL PLAYER, CAMERA LENS, MUSHROOM, PEN

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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I’m a smart glasses expert — and Apple’s rumored Meta Ray-Bans rivals could tempt me to switch thanks to one key strength

• Apple is working on smart glasses that should be revealed later this year, according to leaks
• AI AirPods and an AI pendant are also planned
• Apple's privacy-first approach could help it win with AI glasses

Every tech company and its dog is cramming AI into whatever system it can, and while Apple has been slow to get off the starting line, its rumored AI glasses, AI-focused AirPods, and AI necklace could help it snatch victory from the jaws of defeat — all thanks to one major long-term focus: privacy.

While a couple of these gadgets have been teased previously by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman (behind a paywall), who often shares reliable Apple insider info, he has just revealed more details about Apple’s plans to create its first smart glasses.

According to Gurman, Apple is developing display-free smart glasses that will compete directly with the Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2. These smart specs, internally code-named N50, will apparently help you capture photos and videos, play music, catch up on notifications, and interact with Siri. The latter will finally, according to reports, get a big upgrade in iOS 27.

The rumored AirPods and pendant could similarly rely on tech like cameras and microphones to capture information from your surroundings to provide insight and assistance, such as visual reminders.

Gurman doesn’t share release dates for any of the trio, but says the smart spectacles should appear later this year, with a launch due in 2027. He also claims that Apple's smart glasses are being tested with four designs: a large, rectangular frame (like the Ray-Ban Wayfarers), a slimmer rectangular design (like Tim Cook's specs), larger oval or circular frames, plus a "smaller, more refined" version of the latter.

But despite these rumors that Apple will try to eclipse its rivals with a "higher-end build", I still think they're going to have their work cut out for them, for a few reasons.

Not plain sailing

(Image credit: Future)

For starters, this delayed Apple glasses rollout could damage the perceived utility of its tech compared to its rivals — especially as by the time it debuts AI specs, Apple’s competitors are expected to have a generation or two of AR / display glasses released.

From experience, AR and display glasses (which can overlay your vision with various details, including live translation, shared play environments, or HUD elements like a map) are also a significant step up from display-less AI specs in terms of their usefulness and capabilities.

The less-than-stellar Apple Intelligence rollout also gives me cause for concern. Apple still hasn't really proved that it knows what it's doing with AI.

The other potential pitfall is that Apple is said to be going it alone design-wise, rather than linking with a brand like Ray-Ban or Warby Parker, like Meta and Google have. As a fashion accessory, the look of smart glasses is almost as essential as their usefulness, and several brands I’ve seen try to design their glasses in-house have struggled to make something that looks good.

That said, if any brand can buck that trend, it’s arguably the tech design champion that is Apple.

And the Californian tech giant also has one major smart glasses strength that could still win me over, even as an Android fan: privacy.

Privacy, privacy, privacy

Visual reminders are seen as the next big advantage AI wearables can leverage. That is, they can take in all of the information about your life and help you remember things like people’s names, where you left your keys, or what needs restocking in your fridge.

(Image credit: Apple)

The issue is, while this level of AI assistance is undeniably useful, it’s equally invasive — essentially requiring the wearable to have an always-on view of your life. Otherwise, it could miss vital context that would make its advice useless.

Meta and Google's practices have come under fire in the past for their data privacy, and what information is or isn’t shared with their AI — most recently, Meta has fallen into hot water over how many more videos and images than people realized are being shared with Meta and reviewed by contractors.

Apple, on the other hand, has always made a big effort to promote privacy with its tech. And in the world of AI — where some tasks require personal information to be processed on servers rather than on your device — it created Private Cloud Compute to ensure that user data is kept private even when it is used by Apple’s remote servers.

I’m firmly in the Android ecosystem, and if you’ve seen our podcast you know I have a bit of an ‘Apple-hater’ persona. Still, I’d currently trust Apple glasses over any other brand as things stand — and with the privacy advantages I expect them to offer I’d even be willing to put up with worse performance and specs if it meant knowing my personal data was secure.

We’ll have to wait and see what Apple reveals — as with all leaks, we must take teases and speculation with a pinch of salt — but I’m uncharacteristically excited to see what Apple has up its sleeve. Meta and Google (and the rest) should watch out.

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NYT Connections hints and answers for Monday, April 13 (game #1037)

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, April 12 (game #1036).

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 #1037) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• MAGIC WAND
• VELVET ROPE
• MUSHROOM
• САРЕ
• LASSO
• HANDKERCHIEF
• MARQUEE
• HOUSE
• PEN
• BOX OFFICE
• CAMERA LENS
• TICKET LINE
• MONTANA
• BASEBALL PLAYER
• SOPRANO
• RABBIT

NYT Connections today (game #1037) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Spotted at the cinema
• GREEN: Things a trickster has
• BLUE: Small screen characters
• PURPLE: Think: a type of hat 

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 #1037) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: SEEN OUTSIDE A THEATER
• GREEN: ACCESSORIES FOR A MAGICIAN
• BLUE: TV SHOW TITLE SURNAMES
• PURPLE: THEY HAVE CAPS

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

NYT Connections today (game #1037) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1037, are…

• YELLOW: SEEN OUTSIDE A THEATER BOX OFFICE, MARQUEE, TICKET LINE, VELVET ROPE
• GREEN: ACCESSORIES FOR A MAGICIAN CAPE, HANDKERCHIEF, MAGIC WAND, RABBIT
• BLUE: TV SHOW TITLE SURNAMES HOUSE, LASSO, MONTANA, SOPRANO
• PURPLE: THEY HAVE CAPS BASEBALL PLAYER, CAMERA LENS, MUSHROOM, PEN

---

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

---

After seeing SOPRANO and LASSO on the grid I was pretty certain that there had to be a group about TV SHOW TITLE SURNAMES, but MONTANA made me hesitate and check to see if there were any more Tonys in the game after Tony SOPRANO and Tony MONTANA. In the end I stuck with my hunch and threw in HOUSE.

I used to love The Sopranos and used to buy any merchandise connected to the show I could — I’ve got a cookbook, T-shirts, scripts, a Satriale’s meat market sign and, in the style of those Baby on Board stickers, one that says Body on Board with the chalk outline of a dead body. I had that on my car for five minutes before I thought better of it.

Anyway, we digress. The other two groups were pretty straightforward, but I lacked the lateral thinking to be able to connect MUSHROOM and BASEBALL PLAYER — kudos if you saw it.

---

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, April 12, game #1036)

• YELLOW: PANTS FEATURES BELT LOOP, CUFF, FLY, POCKET
• GREEN: PERSPECTIVE ANGLE, POSITION, STANCE, TAKE
• BLUE: EMIT CAST, PROJECT, RADIATE, SHED
• PURPLE: _____DOLL PAPER, RAG, RUSSIAN, TROLL

---

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 Monday, April 13 (game #771)

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, April 12 (game #770).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… While not in use

NYT Strands today (game #771) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• SHOE
• BEAR
• HEEL
• ROWDY
• GRIME
• HORSE

NYT Strands today (game #771) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 11 letters

NYT Strands today (game #771) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: left, 1st 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 #771) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #771, are…

• BICYCLE
• GRILL
• MOWER
• WHEELBARROW
• TOOLS
• HOSE
• SPANGRAM: STORAGESHED

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• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 hint

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A day to forget for me.

Hopefully I was not the only person in the world that didn’t realize we were looking for things that you would keep inside a STORAGESHED and was instead searching for other things you could keep your junk in.

After abandoning this fruitless diversion I took a hint and realized the error of my ways.

Having said that, other than TOOLS my shed is far too small to store any of the items we were hunting for — not that that’s any excuse!

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Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, April 12, game #770)

• COMB
• BRUSH
• PREEN
• GROOM
• BEAUTIFY
• STYLE
• SPANGRAM: INTHEMIRROR

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What is NYT Strands?

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

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

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Morbid Metal developer explains why he ditched an origami art direction in favor of gritty sci-fi — 'It worked, but it didn't really feel like me'

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• Morbid Metal developer Felix Schade has discussed the inspirations behind his game's art direction
• He originally intended to make an origami-themed game, but pivoted to gritty sci-fi
• He was also greatly encouraged by Bright Memory: Infinite

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Morbid Metal developer Felix Schade has discussed the art direction of the recently launched action game and revealed one of his biggest inspirations.

Schade developed Morbid Metal over the course of nine years, initially working from his bedroom and posting clips of his early efforts online. The resulting flurry of social media attention eventually caught the attention of gaming giant Ubisoft, with the company agreeing to publish his title. This gave him the funds to create a now 11-person game studio.

The game was recently released in early access and is available via Steam, with a largely positive reception from players so far. In addition to a unique shapeshifting mechanic, it stands out thanks to its gritty sci-fi art direction that looks almost like a cross between Warframe and the Shadow Warrior series.

Morbid Metal didn't always look this way, however, and, in an interview with TechRadar Gaming, Schade revealed how its art direction has evolved over its lengthy development time. He said his original vision for the game was something origami-themed, "where you can fold your piece of paper into different origami figurines, each with their own unique skills" in a bright and colorful world.

"At the beginning, I was just trying to figure out what I could do on my own. This origami setting, it worked, but it didn't really feel like me," he added. The big change in direction came when he started working on Morbid Metal full-time in 2020: "When I really took it more seriously, it was really important for me that [the game] was something that I could be fully passionate about."

Bright Memory (pictured) released in 2020. (Image credit: FYQD-Studio, PLAYISM)

From a setting and visual perspective, it needed to be something that I really resonate with personally," he continued. "Otherwise, I don't think I would have the perseverance to do this for nine years!"

He also pinpointed one particular indie game that was a huge source of encouragement. "At around that time, there was a game called Bright Memory: Infinite, also made by a solo dev," he recalled.

"The game really gave me so much inspiration, and the confidence that something visually striking can be done by a very small or solo dev team. He proved it, and I was like, 'okay, I can do this too.'"

Asked why the direction that he settled on appealed, Schade simply said, "I love it. It's just cool."

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'Insane demand': some Mac mini and Mac Studio models are now out of stock at Apple, but it's not clear what the reasons are — RAM crisis or imminent refresh?

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• Certain Mac minis and Mac Studio models are no longer available
• The shortage could be linked to RAM and storage issues
• An M5 chipset refresh for these Macs is also expected soon

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A few days ago we reported that certain configurations of the Mac mini and the Mac Studio were showing extended delays on their shipping times if you ordered directly from Apple — and the stock situation now appears to be worse still.

As spotted by 9to5Mac, certain models in these lines are now completely out of stock at the Apple Store in the US. These include the M4 Mac mini with 32GB of RAM and the M3 Ultra Studio with 256GB of RAM, so the higher spec, more expensive options seem to have been hit the hardest.

We've checked on stock levels at Apple in the UK and Australia, and the same configurations are showing up as unavailable — you simply can't buy them right now. The models that are still available to purchase or pick up at an Apple Store are showing significant delays of several months in some cases.

This seems to be more than a 'mere' stock shortage, too: when Apple products become unavailable to buy like this, it usually means they're being discontinued entirely, which is what happened with the Apple Mac Pro at the end of last month.

M5 refresh incoming?

The Mac Pro has already been discontinued (Image credit: Brittany Hosea-Small/ AFP/ Getty Images)

With no official comment from Apple yet, we can only speculate on what's going on here — but it seems likely that the ongoing memory and storage shortage caused by AI data center demand is having an effect on Apple's production lines.

There's another angle here, though, which is that M5 chip refreshes for the Mac mini and the Mac Studio are thought to be around the corner. Apple might be running down stock to make room for new models that are about to be announced — or a combination of factors could all be having an influence.

Users on Reddit have pointed to "insane demand" for the current models — in part due to Macs being used to run local AIs — and the upcoming M5 refresh as the main reasons for the stock shortage. There are fewer mentions here of the RAM crisis, which until now Apple has been able to navigate fairly successfully.

What's certain is that due to Apple's 'unified memory' approach, where RAM is soldered directly on to the chipset, you can't upgrade the RAM on these machines afterwards — so bear that in mind if you're going to be putting any orders in.

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NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, April 12 (game #770)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, April 11 (game #769).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Get ready

NYT Strands today (game #770) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• SURE
• MIRTH 
• TRUE
• BRIAR
• MERGE
• THEME

NYT Strands today (game #770) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 11 letters

NYT Strands today (game #770) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: top, 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 #770) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #770, are…

• COMB
• BRUSH
• PREEN
• GROOM
• BEAUTIFY
• STYLE
• SPANGRAM: INTHEMIRROR

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• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

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You know when you get a word in the first second that you are in for an easy run and that was the case for me today after getting COMB the instant I looked at the board.

That’s not to say I didn't hit a couple of bumps in the road. 

For starters, I could see that the spangram began with I-N-T-H-E but it took me a while to complete INTHEMIRROR. Then, I got snagged on “beauty” coming back as a non-game word, not initially realizing we were looking for BEAUTIFY.

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Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, April 11, game #769)

• BERET
• SOMBRERO
• DERBY
• BOWLER
• FEDORA
• BEANIE
• TOQUE
• SPANGRAM: TOPGEAR

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What is NYT Strands?

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

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

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NYT Connections hints and answers for Sunday, April 12 (game #1036)

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, April 11 (game #1035).

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 #1036) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• FLY
• PAPER
• TAKE
• CAST
• TROLL
• PROJECT
• POCKET
• ANGLE
• SHED
• POSITION
• RUSSIAN
• CUFF
• RAG
• RADIATE
• STANCE
• BELT LOOP

NYT Connections today (game #1036) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Trouser elements
• GREEN: How one sees it
• BLUE: Let it shine
• PURPLE: Add the word for a humanoid toy

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 #1036) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: PANTS FEATURES
• GREEN: PERSPECTIVE
• BLUE: EMIT
• PURPLE: _____DOLL

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

NYT Connections today (game #1036) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1036, are…

• YELLOW: PANTS FEATURES BELT LOOP, CUFF, FLY, POCKET
• GREEN: PERSPECTIVE ANGLE, POSITION, STANCE, TAKE
• BLUE: EMIT CAST, PROJECT, RADIATE, SHED
• PURPLE: _____DOLL PAPER, RAG, RUSSIAN, TROLL

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• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

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I managed to make zero mistakes in this game, but I came close to putting together a couple of groups that didn’t make the final four.

The first was linking FLY, CAST, ANGLE, and TROLL as all being terms connected with fishing and the other was a group about being mean to someone that would include RAG, TROLL and CUFF. Thankfully I didn’t have enough confidence to follow through on either idea.

Instead PANT FEATURES seemed an obvious selection, although I did waiver over CUFF and from here the other groups fell neatly into place — as they often do when you complete this game in difficulty order.

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Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, April 11, game #1035)

• BLUE: STRUCTURAL SUPPORTS BEAM, BRACE, COLUMN, STRUT
• YELLOW: FOUND IN THE TRUNK OF A CAR ICE SCRAPER, JACK, JUMPER CABLES, SPARE TIRE
• GREEN: BENEFACTOR ANGEL, CHAMPION, PATRON, SPONSOR
• PURPLE: ENDING IN BODIES OF WATER BOMBAY, CHELSEA, SCREWDRIVER, SNOWFLAKE

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What is NYT Connections?

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

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

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

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

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NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, April 11 (game #769)

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, April 10 (game #768).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… You’re putting me on

NYT Strands today (game #769) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• RUDE
• QUOTE
• FADE
• PAGE
• TOWER
• ERODE

NYT Strands today (game #769) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 7 letters

NYT Strands today (game #769) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: left, 5th row

Last side: right, 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 #769) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #769, are…

• BERET
• SOMBRERO
• DERBY
• BOWLER
• FEDORA
• BEANIE
• TOQUE
• SPANGRAM: TOPGEAR

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• My rating: Hard
• My score: Perfect

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The theme “you’re putting me on” had me briefly searching for the phrase 'just kidding', which would have made the perfect spangram — but there wasn’t even a letter K.

It was at this point that I decided it must be something to do with clothes instead and after spotting BERET it appeared the clothes in question were hats.

I managed to spot most of the TOPGEAR in our search, but TOQUE I would not have found unless it was last — though I now know it's a variant of the humble BEANIE.

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Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, April 10, game #768)

• WILY
• CANNY
• SHREWD
• SLICK
• CRAFTY
• CUNNING
• SPANGRAM: LIKEAFOX

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What is NYT Strands?

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

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

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