NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, May 5 (game #793)

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, May 4 (game #792).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Get up!

NYT Strands today (game #793) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• CLAM
• MEAL
• SPIRE
• TONE
• ZOOT
• SOON

NYT Strands today (game #793) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 12 letters

NYT Strands today (game #793) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: left, 2nd 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 #793) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #793, are…

• ALARM
• SNOOZE
• TIME
• RADIO
• DATE
• DISPLAY
• TUNER
• SPANGRAM: DIGITALCLOCK

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Does anyone still use a DIGITALCLOCK? I know they do in TV shows and movies — especially when the storyline needs to indicate the drudgery of the daily grind. But in real life? 

My memory was instantly jogged by today’s search, back to simpler times and this piece of tech’s most-used feature: the SNOOZE button.

Today, I use my phone as an alarm clock and set three alarms to nag me awake. The first is the ideal waking time if I was a properly functioning adult, the second is the “you need to wake up now” alarm, and the third is the “if you have not cancelled this alarm you are going to be late” alarm.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, May 4, game #792)

• CEDAR
• ASPEN
• DOGWOOD
• BIRCH
• CYPRESS
• EUCALYPTUS
• SPANGRAM: BRANCHOUT

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, May 5 (game #1059)

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, May 4 (game #1058).

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 #1059) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• HINT
• HITCH
• POINTER
• HICCUP
• BEND
• SETBACK
• BLINK
• SUGGESTION
• SNEEZE
• WHIFF
• SHIVER
• FLICKER
• GAMELAN
• SHEEPSHANK
• MATCHSTICK
• BOWLINE

NYT Connections today (game #1059) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Shimmer
• GREEN: Can’t be helped
• BLUE: All tied up
• PURPLE: Elements of tennis scoring

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 #1059) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: GLIMMER
• GREEN: INVOLUNTARY ACTIONS
• BLUE: KINDS OF KNOTS
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH UNITS IN COMPETITIONS

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

NYT Connections today (game #1059) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1059, are…

• YELLOW: GLIMMER FLICKER, HINT, SUGGESTION, WHIFF
• GREEN: INVOLUNTARY ACTIONS BLINK, HICCUP, SHIVER, SNEEZE
• BLUE: KINDS OF KNOTS BEND, BOWLINE, HITCH, SHEEPSHANK
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH UNITS IN COMPETITIONS GAMELAN, MATCHSTICK, POINTER, SETBACK

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

My only moment of hesitation in today’s game was connecting HITCH, SETBACK and HICCUP thinking we were looking for a group about unexpected delays, but thankfully I held back as I couldn’t find a fourth.

Instead, I took the leap and joined the dots between the four INVOLUNTARY ACTIONS and KINDS OF KNOTS.

I saw STARTING WITH UNITS IN COMPETITIONS too late — although surely the link is specific to the game, set and match of tennis?

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Monday, May 4, game #1058)

• YELLOW: TENDER-HEARTED PERSON MARSHMALLOW, SOFTIE, SWEETHEART, TEDDY BEAR
• GREEN: PELLET-FILLED THINGS BEANIE BABY, DESICCANT PACKET, EYE PILLOW, HACKY SACK
• BLUE: THINGS WITH KNOBS CONTROL PANEL, ETCH A SKETCH, RADIO, STOVE
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH FAMILIAR NAMES FOR KINDS OF DOGS CHOWDER, DOODLEBUG, LABUBU, PITTER-PATTER

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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Microsoft continues the good work on Windows 11, with tweaks to 'quiet' ads — and that big taskbar change is 'coming soon'

• Microsoft has toned down the ads and annoyances with Windows 11's widgets panel
• In testing, the new default settings are a lot less in-your-face and distracting
• This is part of a large slab of work to improve Windows 11 in the past month, and Microsoft has further promised another major change is inbound for the taskbar soon

Microsoft has made a useful move to tame ads on the widgets board in Windows 11 (as previously promised), and it has updated us on the overall progress in fixing the OS so far – complete with an assurance that the big taskbar change some folks are desperate for is coming soon.

Windows Latest reports that in a preview build released a few days back in the new Experimental channel – which hosts the earliest test builds, before beta – there's a change to make the widgets board 'quieter', which is Microsoft-speak for less in-your-face with advertisements and promoted news stories.

Microsoft tells us: "We're working to make Widgets feel less distracting and overwhelming by making the experience quiet by default. To do this, we're testing a new set of default settings designed to reduce unexpected alerts and visual interruptions."

These new defaults mean that mousing over the widgets section on the taskbar will no longer cause the panel to pop up. More importantly, when the widgets board is summoned, you will get the "widgets experience on first launch", meaning by default the panel will be just widgets – with no MSN feed.

That MSN (Microsoft Network) feed is where Microsoft makes revenue from the widgets in the interface, pushing news stories and ads, and it's not something many people want to see – at least not by default. If you want to turn it back on, though, that's entirely possible with the new way of working, as you might expect.

Microsoft is also toning down taskbar badging for the widgets panel, which is when little notification dots pop up, say, for breaking news.

Remember that these changes are still only in testing for now, and at an early stage of that process too.

Analysis: 'top improvements' being pushed through

(Image credit: Future / Microsoft)

Essentially, Microsoft is smoothing over a bunch of distractions with the widgets panel here and turning off some of the advertising in Windows 11 by default. That's great news for everyone, and it's also a positive sign that, in its big revamp of Windows 11, Microsoft isn't afraid to make changes users really want, even if they could potentially interfere with its revenue stream.

I've recently written about my doubts about Microsoft calming down its upselling activities in Windows 11, so I'm pleased to see action actually being taken to pull back on some of the promotional nonsense that's included by default as part of the operating system.

These widget changes are mentioned in a lengthy blog post that Microsoft wrote about the "top improvements" that have started rolling out in testing, and it's quite a list, from making File Explorer speedier and improving system performance in general, through to a bunch of important changes to Windows Update.

Another key bit of info dropped here is Microsoft saying, "We know there's a lot of excitement for Taskbar customization – and that's coming soon."

So, the ability to move the taskbar away from the bottom of the screen (and other useful customization options) isn't far off, and that's good to hear. It seems that the rumors of this being a top priority for Microsoft were on the money.

All in all, it's good to see that Microsoft wants to stay engaged with Windows 11 users, and that it's keeping us all up to date regularly, and pushing promised changes through with some alacrity – including reining in some ad-related blights on the OS.

Fixing Windows 11 remains a mountainous task, don't get me wrong, but I'm starting to have more faith that Microsoft may actually pull this off.

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Ask Jeeves quietly shuts down after nearly three decades, after pioneering conversational web search long before ChatGPT and Gemini

• Ask Jeeves has closed after almost 30 years
• It pioneered natural language web searches
• Today, ChatGPT and Gemini work in similar ways

With AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini available, it's now easy to run web searches like "what are the best sights in Rome?" or "how do you fix a leaky shower?", but this natural language format was actually pioneered almost 30 years ago — and by a search portal that just closed down.

The portal was Ask Jeeves, later rebranded to Ask.com, and it opened fully to the public on June 1, 1997. As XDA Developers reports, what remained of Ask.com has now been shuttered by its current owner, InterActiveCorp (IAC).

If you were online just as the internet was taking off, you'll remember Ask Jeeves and its eponymous butler character — named after the valet Jeeves in the PG Wodehouse stories. The idea was to ask questions and get answers from the growing amount of information on the web, not just look for topics like "sports" or "movies".

At the time that Ask Jeeves launched, Google was still a prototype university project, and it offered something genuinely different to the search engines and web directories of the time (including Yahoo, AltaVista, and Lycos).

'Deeply grateful'

(Image credit: Ask Jeeves / Ask.com)

Google of course entirely changed the web search landscape, and after its initial success, Ask Jeeves struggled. It was renamed Ask.com in February 2006 as Jeeves was removed from the search portal, although the butler character did reappear on the UK version of the site between 2009 and 2016.

IAC took over operations in 2005, and has now made the decision to close the search engine down to "sharpen its focus" on other areas. The official end date for Ask Jeeves and Ask.com was May 1, 2026.

"We are deeply grateful to the brilliant engineers, designers, and teams who built and supported Ask over the decades," says IAC. "And to you — the millions of users who turned to us for answers in a rapidly changing world — thank you for your endless curiosity, your loyalty, and your trust. Jeeves' spirit endures."

It's interesting that as Google and other AI-led companies try and make web search like a natural conversation again, the site that first pioneered the approach is closing. Ask Jeeves really was ahead of its time, back in 1997.

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NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, May 4 (game #792)

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 3 (game #791).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… May the forest be with you

NYT Strands today (game #792) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• STUB
• CHASE
• CHART
• ESCAPE
• HEAP
• SHOUT

NYT Strands today (game #792) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 9 letters

NYT Strands today (game #792) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: bottom, 3rd column

Last side: top, 3rd column

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

NYT Strands today (game #792) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #792, are…

• CEDAR
• ASPEN
• DOGWOOD
• BIRCH
• CYPRESS
• EUCALYPTUS
• SPANGRAM: BRANCHOUT

• My rating: Hard
• My score: Perfect

May 4th is, of course, “May the Fourth/Force be with you” day but “forest” seems to be stretching the pun a little too far, unless we are discussing the Forest Moon of Endor, Takodana, which we are patently not.

Instead, this was a search for trees found in woods and forests, made more complex by some tricky twists and turns to connect the letters.

The longest word of the game, EUCALYPTUS, was my final find — not the most obvious of trees, so I’ll forgive myself for not seeing it sooner.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, May 3, game #791)

• WEIRD
• PECULIAR
• STRANGE
• UNUSUAL
• BIZARRE
• QUIRKY
• SPANGRAM: THATSODD

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, May 4 (game #1058)

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 3 (game #1057).

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 #1058) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• MARSHMALLOW
• LABUBU
• RADIO
• CHOWDER
• BEANIE BABY
• STOVE
• PITTER-PATTER
• ETCH A SKETCH
• TEDDY BEAR
• DESICCANT PACKET
• DOODLEBUG
• SWEETHEART
• HACKY SACK
• CONTROL PANEL
• SOFTIE
• EYE PILLOW

NYT Connections today (game #1058) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Kind people
• GREEN: Filled with beads etc
• BLUE: Turn the dials
• PURPLE: Begin with types of canine

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 #1058) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: TENDER-HEARTED PERSON
• GREEN: PELLET-FILLED THINGS
• BLUE: THINGS WITH KNOBS
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH FAMILIAR NAMES FOR KINDS OF DOGS

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

NYT Connections today (game #1058) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1058, are…

• YELLOW: TENDER-HEARTED PERSON MARSHMALLOW, SOFTIE, SWEETHEART, TEDDY BEAR
• GREEN: PELLET-FILLED THINGS BEANIE BABY, DESICCANT PACKET, EYE PILLOW, HACKY SACK
• BLUE: THINGS WITH KNOBS CONTROL PANEL, ETCH A SKETCH, RADIO, STOVE
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH FAMILIAR NAMES FOR KINDS OF DOGS CHOWDER, DOODLEBUG, LABUBU, PITTER-PATTER

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 mistakes

My first mistake was thinking that LABUBU, BEANIE BABY, ETCH A SKETCH and HACKY SACK were all something to do with childhood trends — I was less confident about HACKY SACK, obviously.

Next, I connected the soft and squishy things and after getting one away realized we were looking for soft and squishy people types of people or indeed a TENDER-HEARTED PERSON, so swapped EYE PILLOW for SWEETHEART.

CONTROL PANEL seemed an odd tile but after a shuffle I managed to cotton on that we were looking for THINGS WITH KNOBS.

With eight tiles left I got four of the dog-related tiles and gambled on PITTER-PATTER. All in all not my finest day of deduction.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, May 3, game #1057)

• YELLOW: HOME STRUCTURES GARAGE, HOUSE, PORCH, SHED
• GREEN: ASSOCIATED WITH 1960S COUNTERCULTURE ACID, COMMUNE, FREE LOVE, HIPPIE
• BLUE: FAMOUS REVOLUTIONS IN HISTORY FRENCH, GREEN, INDUSTRIAL, SEXUAL
• PURPLE: GESTURES MADE WITH THE INDEX AND MIDDLE FINGERS AIR QUOTES, BUNNY EARS, FINGERS CROSSED, PEACE

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 only worry is for your budget': Microsoft briefly says 32GB of RAM is the 'no worries' level for gaming on Windows 11, but users fear getting priced out

• 32GB of RAM is a "no worries zone" for gamers, Microsoft says
• Users aren't happy — especially with the current price of memory
• The article has since disappeared, which is perhaps for the best

How much RAM is enough RAM for your Windows 11 gaming PC? It's an age-old debate, but Microsoft has briefly recommended 32GB as the "no worries zone" level, if you're planning on doing some multi-tasking alongside your actual gaming.

We say briefly, because the article mentioning 32GB of RAM has now been pulled from the Windows Learning Center — though not before Windows Latest and several other outlets spotted the new advice for gamers.

Perhaps the Microsoft marketing team realized that recommending 32GB of RAM wasn't the best idea during the current RAM crisis, when AI data center demand is driving up prices to ridiculously expensive levels.

Certainly, reaction on Reddit has not been kind: "the only worry is for your budget" quips one poster, while another says "the correct amount of RAM for Windows 11 is installing Linux" (a sentiment that seems to be broadly shared online).

Worried, or not worried?

Microsoft says 32GB of RAM is the “no-worries” upgrade for Windows 11 gaming from r/technology

To be fair to Microsoft, the now-pulled document said that 16GB of RAM remained the baseline for gamers, and the recommended RAM for Windows 11 itself is still 8GB. It's really the awkward phrasing that's new.

The unsaid implication of labeling 32GB as the "no worries zone" is that gamers who spend a lot of time in their browser, checking Discord, or livestreaming content while gaming should be worried if they've only got 16GB installed.

It's all semantics to some extent, but with prices continuing to shoot upwards — affecting every company in the industry — it's perhaps not the best idea to push 32GB of RAM as the new normal, especially when your own Copilot AI is contributing to memory shortages.

Reddit is filled with requests for Microsoft to get busy optimizing RAM usage on Windows 11 rather than advising customers to buy more memory — though there are also complaints about the bloat of Discord and modern AAA games as well.

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NYT Connections hints and answers for Sunday, May 3 (game #1057)

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 2 (game #1056).

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 #1057) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• PEACE
• GREEN
• HOUSE
• ACID
• GARAGE
• COMMUNE
• FRENCH
• FINGERS CROSSED
• INDUSTRIAL
• BUNNY EARS
• SEXUAL
• HIPPIE
• SHED
• AIR QUOTES
• FREE LOVE
• PORCH

NYT Connections today (game #1057) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Buildings
• GREEN: Far out, man
• BLUE: Movements for cultural change
• PURPLE: Hand signals

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 #1057) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: HOME STRUCTURES
• GREEN: ASSOCIATED WITH 1960S COUNTERCULTURE
• BLUE: FAMOUS REVOLUTIONS IN HISTORY
• PURPLE: GESTURES MADE WITH THE INDEX AND MIDDLE FINGERS

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

NYT Connections today (game #1057) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1057, are…

• YELLOW: HOME STRUCTURES GARAGE, HOUSE, PORCH, SHED
• GREEN: ASSOCIATED WITH 1960S COUNTERCULTURE ACID, COMMUNE, FREE LOVE, HIPPIE
• BLUE: FAMOUS REVOLUTIONS IN HISTORY FRENCH, GREEN, INDUSTRIAL, SEXUAL
• PURPLE: GESTURES MADE WITH THE INDEX AND MIDDLE FINGERS AIR QUOTES, BUNNY EARS, FINGERS CROSSED, PEACE

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 mistake

I absolutely knew that I was falling into a trap today, but I couldn’t help myself from connecting ACID, GARAGE, INDUSTRIAL and HIPPIE as types of house music, although I did think of including GREEN instead of INDUSTRIAL.

With this clanking error I got lucky with a purple first although I originally just had BUNNY EARS and FINGERS CROSSED, thinking the group was something to do with good fortune before realizing I was thinking of rabbit’s feet. 

Thankfully, I managed to avoid another error assembling the final groups — although I did fleetingly think that HOUSE, FRENCH and GREEN were all types of dressing.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, May 2, game #1056)

• BLUE: U.S. CABINET DEPARTMENTS EDUCATION, INTERIOR, STATE, TREASURY
• GREEN: STAGED PERFORMANCES BALLET, MUSICAL, OPERA, PLAY
• YELLOW: CLAIRVOYANT EXTRASENSORY, MENTAL, PSYCHIC, TELEPATHIC
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH NEWSPAPER NAMES GLOBETROTTER, HERALDRY, POST-IT, TIMES TABLES

What is NYT Connections?

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

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

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

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

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NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, May 3 (game #791)

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, May 2 (game #790).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Something fishy

NYT Strands today (game #791) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• TRAIN
• PATRIAL
• SIRE
• WIPE
• QUART
• LOSER

NYT Strands today (game #791) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 8 letters

NYT Strands today (game #791) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: bottom, 3rd column

Last side: top, 4th column

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

NYT Strands today (game #791) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #791, are…

• WEIRD
• PECULIAR
• STRANGE
• UNUSUAL
• BIZARRE
• QUIRKY
• SPANGRAM: THATSODD

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 hint

I couldn't help thinking that today’s task was about fish, but this was something that I instantly dismissed after spotting the letter Q on the board.

Despite this very heavy clue I still failed to see QUIRKY until the very end of the game and needed a hint to get going.

I’m putting today’s slowness down to tiredness from a big night last night rather than anything STRANGE or PECULIAR. 

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, May 2, game #790)

• SHUFFLE
• KICK
• COASTER
• PONY
• SCUFF
• SAILOR
• WIZARD
• SPANGRAM: LINEDANCE

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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Apple’s Mac mini now has a higher starting price, as it discontinues the entry-level model and slides down to the mid-range

• Apple's entry-level $599 Mac mini with 256GB of storage and 16GB of RAM is no longer available
• It now starts at $799 for 512GB of storage and 16GB of RAM
• Apple's still quoting over a month for delivery as well

Less than 24 hours after Apple’s earnings call in which CEO Tim Cook commented on supply chain issues hitting the Mac mini — shipping dates for the popular entry-level Mac desktop unit have been slipping — the price has gone up, and the former mid-range model is the new entry-level model on Apple.com.

Prior to this story's publication, Apple’s entry-level Mac mini was priced at $599 and came with 256GB of solid-state storage and 16GB of RAM, though that model was out of stock for over a week. That’s no longer an option, though, and the Mac mini now starts at $799 for 512GB of solid-state storage and 16GB of RAM.

MacRumors was the first to spot this change, and the price has increased internationally as well. The Mac mini now starts at £799 in the UK and AU$1,299 in Australia, both with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.

Essentially, the $599 / £599 / AU$999 model with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage is discontinued, and the previous mid-range $799 / £799 / AU$1,299 Mac mini with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage is now the entry-level. Same hardware specs and cost, but that previous step-up price is now the entry point.

(Image credit: Future)

As we noted in our review when this refreshed Mac mini hit the market, it delivered significant value, especially at the $599 price point in the United States. That value’s a bit tougher with a $200 MSRP increase, but one could say the MacBook Neo takes that spot — albeit with less power — while still staying affordable.

Considering the ongoing RAM crisis, which is bleeding into storage, and slipping times for Apple’s Mac mini already stretched out by weeks, this is likely a way for the supply chain teams within the Cupertino-based technology giant to manage the model.

On the earnings call, Cook didn't give many specifics or tease this forthcoming change, but did say, "We think, looking forward, that the ‌Mac mini‌ and ‌Mac Studio‌ may take several months to reach supply demand balance."

Even with the new entry-level model, the Mac mini is still showing a multi-week delivery estimate. If I were to order it now, the estimated delivery is between June 9, 2026, and June 16, 2026 — actually after WWDC 2026 starts.

We've reached out to Apple to request comment on the changes to the Mac mini and will circle back when we receive a response. And in the meantime, let us know what you think about this change to the Mac mini starting point.

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Redditor builds a PC inside an old CRT monitor — it looks like an ancient iMac, but runs Cyberpunk 2077 at 100fps in 1440p

• A Redditor found an unrepairable old CRT monitor in e-waste
• They decided to recycle it by using the monitor as a case for their PC build
• The resulting rig is built around a Ryzen 7600X CPU plus an RX 6900 XT GPU, uses a laptop panel for the front screen, and runs Cyberpunk 2077 smoothly

If left-field DIY with PCs is your bag, then you'll like a new project that has popped up on Reddit, which consists of a full rig jammed inside an old monitor.

Wccftech spotted this intriguingly different PC build, whereby the innards of the rig have been put together inside a hefty old CRT monitor, as shown off by Redditor 'Discipline_Great'.

The Redditor explains that the monitor was discovered in local e-waste, but it was shattered, and the internal components were "partly burned beyond repair", so about the only usable thing was the chassis.

(Image credit: Discipline_Great on Reddit)

So, why not turn that into a PC? The Redditor did exactly that, using an AMD Ryzen 7600X processor plus a Radeon RX 6900 XT graphics card, alongside 16GB of DDR5 RAM in an MSI B650 Gaming Plus motherboard.

The cooling is provided by six 120mm fans, and the display itself at the front is a 17.3-inch laptop panel (offering a 1440p resolution and 165Hz refresh rate).

Analysis: a novel anti-theft deterrent indeed

(Image credit: Discipline_Great on Reddit)

Some of the fellow inhabitants of Reddit wonder why on earth the original poster has done this, to which the obvious answer is: why not? It's a fun project, and one that harks back to the days when all-in-one PCs actually looked like this (rather than flat panels), such as the original iMac (from the previous century, of course).

The creator has also tried to make it look the part in terms of nostalgia, with the PC running Nobara Linux (a gaming-focused spin on the Fedora distro) using a Windows XP-like theme for more of a retro appearance.

Replying to one of the 'but why?' comments, the maker observes: "No one would steal it, and it's something different." I guess looking like a relic from the past, thieves probably wouldn't bother with the PC (and I expect any burglar would think twice about their back health when first setting eyes on this lump of a computer, too — until they picked it up).

To be fair, some of the criticisms on Reddit about the cooling are valid — looking to the longer-term, there needs to be more thought about the airflow, and the internal layout is a little clunky and untidy overall. But hey, have you tried to fit a motherboard and a full set of PC components inside a monitor chassis? I'm guessing it's far from easy.

As for the gaming chops of this defiantly squat, retro PC build, we're told that it can run Cyberpunk 2077 at 1440p ultra with ray tracing (on medium) at around 90 to 100 frames per second. Not shabby at all.

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NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, May 1 (game #789)

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 Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Thursday, April 30 (game #788).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… I ❤️ Hawaii

NYT Strands today (game #789) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• PUKE
• PEEL
• DAME
• PINE
• LAME
• PLEAD

NYT Strands today (game #789) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 11 letters

NYT Strands today (game #789) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: left, 8th 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 #789) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #789, are…

• POKE
• HULA
• LUAU
• UKULELE
• PINEAPPLE
• MACADAMIA
• SPANGRAM: ALOHASPIRIT

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Happy Lei Day, Hawaiians.

Having never been to Hawaii — the closest I’ve got is a shirt I owned in the late 1990s — I feared I would struggle my way around today’s board, but the reality was that it could not have been easier.

It’s a testament to how much Hawaiian culture has permeated around the globe that I was familiar with all of today's words, with the exception of MACADAMIA — which I did not know had a strong link to the islands (I thought they were Australian). It was also a very tricky word to piece together and took me a couple of attempts to get in the right order.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday, April 30, game #788)

• DRIZZLE
• MIST
• STEAM
• VAPOR
• HUMIDITY
• AEROSOL
• SPANGRAM: CONDENSATION

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 Friday, May 1 (game #1055)

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, April 30 (game #1054).

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 #1055) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• POUR
• WAX
• ALE
• HIVE
• CREST
• HONEY
• MIX
• COMB
• BUFF
• WIGHT
• WATTLE
• CITRINE
• SHINE
• BEAK
• AMBER
• POLISH

NYT Connections today (game #1055) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Final touch up after car wash
• BLUE: Avian elements
• GREEN: Clearly yellowy-orange
• PURPLE: Altered numerals

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 #1055) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: MAKE GLOSSY
• BLUE: FEATURES OF A BIRD'S HEAD
• GREEN: TRANSLUSCENT GOLDEN THINGS
• PURPLE: NUMBERS WITH FIRST LETTER CHANGED

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

NYT Connections today (game #1055) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1055, are…

• YELLOW: MAKE GLOSSY BUFF, POLISH, SHINE, WAX
• BLUE: FEATURES OF A BIRD'S HEAD BEAK, COMB, CREST, WATTLE
• GREEN: TRANSLUSCENT GOLDEN THINGS ALE, AMBER, CITRINE, HONEY
• PURPLE: NUMBERS WITH FIRST LETTER CHANGED HIVE, MIX, POUR, WIGHT

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 mistake

Hopefully I wasn't the only player to fall into the bee-related trap, collecting HIVE, HONEY, WAX and COMB.

This error, though, helped me focus on other uses for WAX and its obvious car cleaning companions BUFF, POLISH and SHINE. Not that the MAKE GLOSSY activity is exclusive to cars — you could also BUFF up your medals or trophy collection. Something Cristiano Ronaldo no doubt employs someone to do daily.

Meanwhile, I was pretty pleased to get FEATURES OF A BIRD'S HEAD — largely down to knowing what a WATTLE is (that’s not the start of a tongue twister by the way).

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Thursday, April 30, game #1054)

• YELLOW: UNNERVE ALARM, DISTURB, SHAKE, SHOCK
• GREEN: REMOVE, AS AN ITEM FROM A LIST, WITH "OFF" CHECK, CROSS, MARK, TICK
• BLUE: WHAT "T" MIGHT STAND FOR TESLA, TIME, TRUE, TYRANNOSAURUS
• PURPLE: HOMOPHONES OF POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES HOUR, HUR, THERE, YORE

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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