Asus just released new open earbuds... for gaming?

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• Asus has launched the ROG Cetra Open Wireless gaming earbuds
• They cost $199 / £174.99 and boast an open design
• The brand advertises them as "perfect" for gaming and fitness

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Asus has launched a new pair of gaming earbuds, the ROG Cetra Open Wireless. They're the first open gaming earbuds from a major hardware brand and are billed as "perfect for gaming, music, and active lifestyles."

Open (or open-ear) earbuds are a relatively recent creation that have become increasingly popular in the last few years thanks to popular models from big audio brands like Bose and JBL. They hook around your ears with drivers that sit a few millimetres further away than regular in-ear earbuds, which usually fully seal the ear canal using a silicone tip.

This leaves your ear open, allowing for almost complete situational awareness and massively reducing fatigue. They're very comfortable to wear, and the ability to hear outside sounds like traffic makes them a good pick for outdoor sport and fitness.

(Image credit: Asus)

They're not without some compromises though. The lack of a seal inevitably means that the ability to produce bass takes a massive hit and (although a few models like the Honor Earbuds Open do offer some form of active noise cancellation) the fact they let in so much sound can be a double edged sword if you want an immersive listening experience in a loud environment.

That's why it's so surprising to see a model geared towards gaming, a market where strong noise cancellation is the norm.

A good fit?

(Image credit: Asus)

The Asus ROG Cetra Open Wireless boast 14.2mm diamond-like carbon coated drivers and support for the brand's 2.4GHz ROG SpeedNova technology via an included wireless dongle.

Bluetooth is offered as well, with dual-mode connectivity for seamless platform switching. Each earbud has a physical button on it, which Asus says will keep them fully responsive in the rain or "intense workouts." An included detachable neck strap even helps keep them in place while you're running.

The idea of a product that's geared towards both gaming and fitness is certainly unusual, and there don't actually seem to be that many gaming-specific features here.

Four microphones are built-in for chatting and there's customizable RGB lighting, of course, with an illuminated ROG logo on each bud. New browser-based Gear Link software that allows you to up the bass via a Phantom Bass setting or enable a more immersive sound mode but that seems to be your lot.

With battery life of roughly 16 hours, with an additional 48 hours in the charging case, you do at least get much more listening time than cheap non-gaming alternatives like the Huawei FreeArc.

The $229.99 / £174.99 asking price, right up there with the cost of some of the best wireless gaming headsets and substantially more than most of the best gaming earbuds, is definitely a tall order and I'm curious to see whether the benefits of an open design are enough to convince gamers to splash out.

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Windows 11 is finally getting an easy way to access dark mode — and a fix for those 'flashbangs' that still plague File Explorer

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• Windows 11 is getting a new more convenient way to enable dark mode
• Microsoft is also implementing a fix for some remaining File Explorer bugs — white flashes on the screen — caused by dark mode last year
• That'll hopefully be the end of those 'flashbangs', but all this work is still in testing for now

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Microsoft is ushering in an improvement for dark mode in Windows 11, as well as fixing a bug that has been hanging around for almost half a year involving distracting white flashes that was caused by work on dark mode.

As Windows Latest noticed, a new preview build in the Beta channel for Windows 11 features the following change, as described by Microsoft: "Removed white flash when launching new File Explorer windows or tabs when File Explorer was set to open to This PC. Also removed white flashes when resizing elements of File Explorer."

If you recall, back in November 2025, Microsoft expanded dark mode so it included a bunch of file operation pop-ups (the boxes that appear when copying or moving files, for example, which were previously left jarringly white when in dark mode).

This change went into testing last October, in fact, but when it was rolled out fully to Windows 11 users, it was found to have introduced a nasty bug whereby people were seeing white flashes on the screen when they were interacting with File Explorer in different ways.

That was seriously irritating, and before long, Microsoft fixed many of the circumstances in which these 'flashbangs' (as they were widely dubbed) were occurring. However, the white flashes remained in some parts of File Explorer.

As outlined by Microsoft, those glitches that were still kicking around when resizing some elements of File Explorer, or when having it set to open to 'This PC', have now been cured. That should be the last of the dark mode-related gremlins in the works, with any luck.

Microsoft is also bringing in a useful improvement to enable Windows 11 users to more easily access dark mode. Windows Latest highlighted a post on X from leaker PhantomOfEarth, who spotted a new option to turn on dark mode (or switch it off) in the Quick Settings menu accessed via the taskbar. There's a new dark mode toggle in the Energy Saver panel here, although this is still in testing for now (as is the mentioned fix).

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Analysis: a baffling timescale

(Image credit: TechRadar)

A quick toggle for dark mode is something that should have been introduced before now, ideally, but it's still good to see the feature inbound. Right now, if you want to change between dark and light modes, you need to dive a couple of levels into the Settings app (Settings > Personalization > Colors), which isn't a huge deal, but it's not exactly convenient either.

Mind you, the whole timescale of the overall work with dark mode — in terms of its slow and piecemeal introduction to Windows 11 — has been baffling. Why has it taken so very long to do this? Clearly it's not high on the list of priorities for Windows 11, but even so — the time taken for a basic feature to be universally applied across the OS just seems to have dragged on and on.

On top of that, it's worth noting that it's been five months since the flashbang bug in File Explorer — caused by work on dark mode — first manifested, and it's still an ongoing problem. Granted, this should be the end of the saga now, but this fix is still in testing, so we won't know if it actually works to bring an end to all scenarios where white flashes are still occurring until it rolls out to the general computing public using Windows 11.

Fingers crossed, then, but we've seen Microsoft's fixes introduce new bugs before, so it's far from guaranteed that this will be a full end to the matter.

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'Nothing has actually changed': Valve recommits to a 2026 launch for the Steam Machine amid rumors of a further delay

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• Valve recommits to a 2026 launch for the Steam Machine
• There had previously been rumors of a delay into 2027
• The RAM crisis could still have an impact on the retail pricing

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Valve has again committed to launching the Steam Machine during the course of 2026, after worries that the RAM crisis might cause a delay — though it seems it might miss the original goal of getting the hardware to users before the end of March.

In a blog post on Friday, Valve had initially said that "we hope to ship in 2026" regarding the Steam Machine. That set alarm bells ringing for some, and seemed to cast doubt over promises made to launch the device during the course of this year.

However, as The Verge reports, Valve has since clarified that the Steam Machine will indeed be showing up during this year. "Nothing has actually changed on our end," Valve PR representative Kaci Aitchison Boyle told The Verge.

The blog post wording has also been updated accordingly, committing to a 2026 arrival for the Steam Machine — together with the Steam Frame wireless virtual reality headset and the Steam Controller that acts as an accessory for both.

Pricing to be confirmed

There are still some questions over pricing (Image credit: Valve)

The confirmation that we're getting the Steam Machine sometime in 2026 is absolutely welcome news, even if the initial promises of an "early 2026" or Q1 (January, February, March) launch seem unlikely to be kept at this point.

It's clear that the ongoing RAM shortage, driven by skyrocketing AI data center demand, has had an effect on all hardware makers. Valve has already admitted that memory supply chain restrictions are impacting Steam Deck OLED stock levels.

How this ultimately plays out in terms of Steam Machine availability and pricing remains to be seen. The console-like mini PC is going to come with 16GB of DDR5 RAM and 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM, as per the specs previously released by Valve.

"More updates will be shared as we finalize our plans," explains Valve, so watch this space. Last month the indications were that we'd see the device in the first half of the year, as Valve announced it would "revisit" its shipping schedule and pricing plans.

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NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, March 9 (game #736)

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, March 8 (game #735).

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 page for hints and answers for that game, and my 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 #736) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Cute enough to eat

NYT Strands today (game #736) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• MILD
• DUNE
• STEAM
• STEP
• MILE
• DING

NYT Strands today (game #736) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 11 letters

NYT Strands today (game #736) - 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 #736) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #736, are…

• PUMPKIN
• BEAN
• MUFFIN
• NUGGET
• DUMPLING
• PEANUT
• SPANGRAM: ENDEARMENTS

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• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

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It's a curious thing that so many food words are often terms of ENDEARMENTS. I guess it demonstrates how central to our lives tasty treats are. But that said, I don't think I've ever called anyone BEAN, and I'm pretty sure if I called my other half a DUMPLING I'd get punched.

Fortunately, solving the Strands puzzle didn't put me in any such danger, with PUMPKIN, BEAN and MUFFIN all jumping out early on. That gave me a nice path across the board for the spangram, and the other words followed with no drama. 

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Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, March 8, game #735)

• CLOCK
• SPRING
• HOUR
• LOSING
• SLEEP
• FORWARD
• SPANGRAM: DAYLIGHTSAVINGS

---

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, March 9 (game #1002)

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, March 8 (game #1001).

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 a daily Strands hints and answers article if you need help for those too, while my 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 #1002) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• BEAKER
• VIDEO GAME
• WEREWOLF
• MICROSCOPE
• MAFIA
• WAREHOUSE
• FISHBOWL
• ANIMAL
• SPOTLIGHT
• COMPANY
• GONZO
• WEARABLE
• E STREET BAND
• HOT SEAT
• WHEREFORE
• FOZZIE

NYT Connections today (game #1002) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Where are you, where?
• GREEN: You looking at me? 
• BLUE: It's time to play the music, it's time to light the lights…
• PURPLE: Who's in charge?

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 #1002) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: STARTING WITH THE SAME SOUND, SPELLED DIFFERENTLY
• GREEN: METAPHORS FOR PUBLIC SCRUTINY
• BLUE: MUPPETS
• PURPLE: THEY FEATURE A BOSS

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

NYT Connections today (game #1002) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1002, are…

• YELLOW: STARTING WITH THE SAME SOUND, SPELLED DIFFERENTLY WAREHOUSE, WEARABLE, WEREWOLF, WHEREFORE
• GREEN: METAPHORS FOR PUBLIC SCRUTINY FISHBOWL, HOT SEAT, MICROSCOPE, SPOTLIGHT
• BLUE: MUPPETS ANIMAL, BEAKER, FOZZIE, GONZO
• PURPLE: THEY FEATURE A BOSS COMPANY, E STREET BAND, MAFIA, VIDEO GAME

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• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 1 mistake

---

The second I saw E Street Band among the answers today I knew I had to play it first. I'm a massive Bruce Springsteen fan — he's by a distance the greatest live performer I've ever seen — and the legendary E Street Band are very much a part of that. The obvious connection was 'boss' (because Springsteen is of course 'The Boss'), and that fit well with MAFIA, HOT SEAT and COMPANY as things that all have a boss. But it was wrong. Just 'one away', but wrong all the same.

Rather than risk another mistake I looked elsewhere and realized there were four Muppets on the board: FOZZIE, GONZO, ANIMAL and BEAKER. I don't love the Muppets quite as much as the E Street Band, but there's not a lot in it; ANIMAL would be a great addition to it, actually.

I was surprised to see that was the blue group, given that it was quite an easy one, so I was confident I'd now be able to solve them all. Sounding out the remaining words gave me yellow, STARTING WITH THE SAME SOUND, SPELLED DIFFERENTLY.

Next, I spotted that FISHBOWL, SPOTLIGHT, MICROSCOPE and HOT SEAT all seemed to go together as 'being the focus of something'. They were — the actual answer was METAPHORS FOR PUBLIC SCRUTINY — but I didn't guess it yet, because I wanted to solve the E Street Band one. 

Instead, I looked again at the other four words that must go together, namely MAFIA, E STREET BAND, VIDEO GAME and COMPANY and realized that VIDEO GAMES also often have a boss (as in 'boss fight'), so guessed that and got purple. And now I'm going to go listen to The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle for the 1 billionth time!

---

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, March 8, game #1001)

• YELLOW: CITIES LIMA, NICE, OSAKA, PHOENIX
• GREEN: PALINDROMES EYE, REFER, ROTATOR, SELES
• BLUE: HORROR MOVIES MINUS "S" GREMLIN, JAW, SINNER, TREMOR
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH SLANG FOR ZERO JACKET, NADAL, SQUATTER, ZIPPER

---

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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'Everybody talks about what's the next AI device... Glasses, obviously is one of them' — Samsung exec teases details about its forthcoming XR glasses, and when they might arrive

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• Samsung has been talking about its upcoming XR smart glasses
• An increasing number of AI wearables are now being launched
• We should see the Samsung specs launch sometime during 2026

---

We know that Samsung is busy working on a pair of smart glasses — we've even seen them in prototype form — and now company executive Jay Kim has revealed a few key details about what we can expect when the product launches.

Speaking to CNBC (via 9to5Google), Kim said that more tech companies are now exploring the potential of smart spectacles, which are now often referred to as AI glasses because of the intelligent assistants accessible through the devices.

"Everybody talks about what's the next AI device... and I know I've been looking at many different types of devices," says Kim in the interview. "Glasses, obviously is one of them and everybody's looking at it."

Kim also talks about the potential of XR (Extended Reality) on glasses, which are much more lightweight than XR headsets — meaning they're easier to wear all day. Samsung unveiled its own XR headset back in October.

Cameras and phone connections

More smart specs are appearing on the market, including the Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 (Image credit: Meta)

The details that Kim revealed about the Samsung XR specs include that there will be an "eye level" camera on board, and that they will require a connection to a smartphone. That's pretty standard for the best smart glasses on the market at the moment.

According to Kim, it's important for the on-board AI to understand what the user is looking at to provide information, and that's what the Samsung smart glasses will aim for. However, the exec wouldn't confirm if the glasses would have a display or not.

Samsung is partnering with Qualcomm and Google in developing this device, and Kim confirmed that it's going to be launching before the end of the year — something that Samsung hinted at when it was unveiling its XR headset.

There are plenty of other smart glasses rumored to be in development to take on the likes of the Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2. Apple is apparently preparing to launch a product in this category, for example, amongst several other wearable AI devices.

---

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NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, March 8 (game #735)

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, March 7 (game #734).

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 page for hints and answers for that game, and my 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 #735) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… That time of year again

NYT Strands today (game #735) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• PRION
• PRIONS
• DAYLIGHT
• CLOCKS
• LION
• LIGHT

NYT Strands today (game #735) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 15 letters

NYT Strands today (game #735) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: left, 4th row

Last side: left, 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 #735) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #735, are…

• CLOCK
• SPRING
• HOUR
• LOSING
• SLEEP
• FORWARD
• SPANGRAM: DAYLIGHTSAVINGS

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• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

---

While I appreciate that all of the words in today's Strands are related to DAYLIGHT SAVINGS, some of them feel a bit of a stretch. HOUR? Well yes, you lose an hour – but on its own it's a little unconnected to the rest of the words. Ditto LOSING. Maybe they're pairs – as in SPRING FORWARD, LOSING HOUR… but then the other two would be CLOCK SLEEP, which makes no sense.

That aside, this wasn't too tough to solve, and was certainly more enjoyable than the clocks going forward actually is: I never look forward to the annual battle to get the oven clock set to the correct time…

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Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, March 7, game #734)

• TUMBLER
• GOBLET
• TANKARD
• CHALICE
• STEIN
• SNIFTER
• SPANGRAM: DRINKWARE

---

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, March 8 (game #1001)

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, March 7 (game #1000).

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 a daily Strands hints and answers article if you need help for that too, while my 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 #1001) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• NICE
• NADAL
• ZIPPER
• SELES
• JACKET
• OSAKA
• JAW
• SINNER
• EYE
• GREMLIN
• PHOENIX
• SQUATTER
• REFER
• TREMOR
• ROTATOR
• LIMA

NYT Connections today (game #1001) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Places to live
• GREEN: Mirror words
• BLUE: Alien or The Bird could be others  
• PURPLE: Beginning with nothing

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 #1001) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: CITIES
• GREEN: PALINDROMES
• BLUE: HORROR MOVIES MINUS "S"
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH SLANG FOR ZERO

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

NYT Connections today (game #1001) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1001, are…

• YELLOW: CITIES LIMA, NICE, OSAKA, PHOENIX
• GREEN: PALINDROMES EYE, REFER, ROTATOR, SELES
• BLUE: HORROR MOVIES MINUS "S" GREMLIN, JAW, SINNER, TREMOR
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH SLANG FOR ZERO JACKET, NADAL, SQUATTER, ZIPPER

---

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 3 mistakes

---

I got caught out early on by a tennis-based group today, guessing SINNER, NADAL, OSAKA and SELES but getting it wrong. OSAKA is also a city as well as a surname, of course, so I put that with LIMA, NICE and PHOENIX and solved yellow.

Looking again, I thought I spotted a palindromic group: EYE, NADAL, SELES and REFER. And I was right — sort of, because I got one away. But which one? Well, another look at the board turned up ROTATOR, so I knew what the extra word was, but had no idea which of the original four to drop. I was going to have to solve another group first…

I did that by spotting that JAW, SINNER, TEMOR and GREMLIN were all 'horror movies minus an S', but that didn't directly help me solve the palindrome group. So I tried again: NADAL, SELES, ROTATOR and REFER. But got one away again. And then I realized my mistake: NADAL is not a palindrome. What an idiot!

So I went with the other four and finally got green, leaving just the purple to solve by default. And what was that? A very sneaky one: STARTING WITH SLANG FOR ZERO. Phew! 

---

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, March 7, game #1000)

• YELLOW: $1 BUCK, DOLLAR, ONE, SINGLE
• GREEN: "WHEREFORE ART THOU ROMEO?" ART, ROMEO, THOU, WHEREFORE
• BLUE: WORDS BEFORE "CASTLE" BOUNCY, NEW, SAND, WHITE
• PURPLE: WHERE YOU MIGHT MAKE A CONNECTION AIRPORT, DATING APP, INTERNET CAFE, THIS GAME

---

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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24 hours with the MacBook Air M5 — it's already faster than the M4 MacBook Air

It's early days in the life of the MacBook Air M5, which Apple unveiled this week along with a new iPhone 17e, a new MacBook Pro, and that wild MacBook Neo, but I can now confirm that it is faster than the MacBook Air M4, one of our favorite laptops.

Granted, I've run just one set of test moments after unboxing and updating the laptop to macOS Tahoe 26.3.1, but it was enough to prove that even in the more mainstream and ultra-popular MacBook Air, the M5 delivers.

After installing Geekbench 6.6 on both the new 13-inch MacBook Air M5 (in Starlight finish) and my 13-inch MacBook Air M4 (in Sky Blue), I ran the core CPU benchmark in a side-by-side test.

Geekbench shows, by the way, that the M5 is clocked slightly higher than the M4, 4.46Ghz on the M5 and 4.41GHz on the M4. Naturally, both chips are also 10 Core with the same number of performance and efficiency cores (4 and 6, respectively). But those numbers don't tell the full story.

Single and multi-core scores are measurably higher on the MacBook Air M5, as you can see from the results photo below (M5 is on the left).

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

	Single Core	Multi-Core
MacBook Air M5	4190	17073
MacBook Air M4	3832	15034

The results are in line with the M5 scores we saw last year on the then-new 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 chip.

The differences are even more pronounced on the GPU score, where the M5 SoC brings a neural accelerator to every GPU Core. The leap is substantial on OpenCL scores and more modest on the native Metal results.

	GPU (OpenCL)	GPU (Metal)
MacBook Air M5	47171	49557
MacBook Air M4	30132	48075

Obviously, all of these results are preliminary. I haven't run Cinebench; I haven't yet tested the speed of the supposedly faster SSD. What I can see, though, even in these early hours, is that the MacBook Air M5 is up to the challenge of some pretty difficult tasks.

I've loaded:

• Lies of P,
• Pixelmator Pro
• Adobe Lightroom
• Safari
• Chrome (25 tabs)
• FinalCut Pro

(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

And the system is still just chugging along, likely assisted in part by the 16GB of RAM.

Basically, we're now seeing Pro-level performance on the MacBook Air, which is obviously why Apple introduced the M5 Pro and M5 Max for its latest line of MacBook Pros. Good old Apple, always aiming higher.

More to come as we work through our full review of the MacBook Air M5.

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Crimson Desert will seemingly hit 4K resolutions at higher frame rates, with raytracing on PS5 Pro, thanks to the latest PSSR update

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• Crimson Desert will reportedly use the updated PSSR upscaling tech on PS5 Pro
• It's said that the PS5 Pro can hit 4K resolutions at higher frame rates, with raytracing
• The PS5's SSD will also be "key for streaming the huge world"

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Pearl Abyss has confirmed that its upcoming open-world action game Crimson Desert will use Sony's updated PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution) AI upscaling tech on PS5 Pro.

Crimson Desert is perhaps one of the most highly anticipated games of 2026, and it launches in less than two weeks. Early, yet positive previews of the game from a select few have already been released into the wild, and we've seen plenty of trailers and gameplay deep dives; however, they've all been on PC.

The game is also coming to current-gen consoles, and the developer has previously claimed that the game will be supported on PS5 Pro with PSSR upscaling. But until recently, PlayStation footage hadn't been released.

The studio responded to doubts, saying it will "reveal things ahead of launch to give people adequate time to still preorder the game for themselves. We're saying this openly… Let us cook?"

Now, in a new PlayStation Blog post, Sony has confirmed that Crimson Desert will use the latest version of PSSR, after contributor Phil Hornshaw played four hours of the game.

The hands-on deep dive is also accompanied by a series of gameplay snippets, finally providing us with a look at the game running on console, but it's unclear if they're captured on the base PS5 or PS5 Pro.

"The PS5’s SSD is key for streaming the huge world, for a start, and developers will make heavy use of the PS5 Pro’s High CPU Frequency Mode to make viewing and moving through the world as seamless as possible," Hornshaw wrote.

Pearl Abyss also confirmed to Hornshaw that the game is "optimized" for PS5 through several features that help maintain the details of the large-scale project, including Geometry Shader Oversubscription and NGG Culling, "to render lots of elements without losing detail."

As for PS5 Pro, it's said that the recent upgrade to PSSR "makes it possible for Crimson Desert to hit 4K resolutions at higher frame rates, and its raytracing capabilities make lighting effects more realistic and natural."

Crimson Desert launches on March 19 for PS5, PS5 Pro, as well as Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, and PC.

Last week, Sony confirmed that Resident Evil Requiem was the first game to use its brand new PSSR tech on PS5 Pro, announcing that the update will be "rolling out globally to PS5 Pro players in the coming weeks."

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Pragmata will now launch one week earlier in April as Capcom moves up the game's release date

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• Pragmata will now launch one week earlier
• The game will be released on April 17 instead of the initial April 24 release date
• A new gameplay trailer has also been shared

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Capcom has announced that it has changed the release date for its upcoming sci-fi action game Pragmata.

Don't worry, the game hasn't been delayed once again, but will, in fact, launch one week earlier than expected!

Originally slated for an April 24 release, Pragmata will now launch on April 17 for PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.

No reason was given for the date change, but the game has left room for PlayStation's Saros, which launches on April 30.

Capcom announced the change during its Showcase on March 5 alongside a new gameplay trailer teasing never-before-seen locations and enemies, new abilities for the playable protagonist Hugh, and more of the mysterious lunar research station's rogue AI, IDUS.

The trailer also offered a new look at the game's safe room, the Shelter, which can continue to grow, and the Shelter's helpful bot assistant, Cabin.

Pragmata was announced way back in 2020 and was initially scheduled for a 2022 launch window. However, in January 2021, Capcom delayed the game to 2023.

As we now know, the game didn't meet that release window either and was later delayed indefinitely until, during the June 2025 State of Play, Capcom finally announced a new 2026 launch date.

TechRadar's lifestyle managing editor Josephine Watson has played the demo on Nintendo Switch 2, saying the game "went from my least highly anticipated game this year to one of the most exciting releases coming soon".

"Overall, and if early rumors and updates about its development prove true, Pragmata could well create a genre in itself – another trait it stands to share with Death Stranding," Watson said.

"It feels really exciting to have a game like that, with such potential to completely dominate my free time, due to release on a console I can play wherever I please."

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The next Xbox is codenamed Project Helix, and we hope the Xbox CEO's 'commitment to the return of Xbox' is real

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• Microsoft’s next console is codenamed Project Helix
• Xbox CEO says it will “lead in performance”
• Rumors point to a powerful, possibly PC-hybrid console arriving in 2027

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It’s been just about three weeks since Asha Sharma stepped in as CEO of Xbox, replacing Phil Spencer after his lengthy tenure. While Sharma recommitted to the platform when it was first announced she would take over, we’re now learning more about the next-generation console.

First, we have a codename: Project Helix is the next Xbox, as Sharma revealed in a post on X (formerly Twitter). The official Xbox account later shared a quick teaser video as well. Sharma writes, “Project Helix will lead in performance and play your Xbox and PC games,” showing off the forthcoming versatility while also hinting that rumors of Microsoft’s next-generation console being a PC hybrid could be true.

While we’ve seen other hardware-branded Xbox devices — mainly in the form of ASUS ROG Xbox Ally handhelds — we’ve been hearing rumors that the true next-generation console will arrive in 2027. Most recently, AMD CEO Lisa Su reportedly stated that development was progressing well. From what we’ve heard so far, the console is expected to be a premium experience with plenty of performance.

Great start to the morning with Team Xbox, where we talked about our commitment to the return of Xbox including Project Helix, the code name for our next generation console.Project Helix will lead in performance and play your Xbox and PC games. Looking forward to chatting about… pic.twitter.com/Xx5rpVnAZIMarch 5, 2026

The latter is essentially a requirement at this point to compete head-to-head with advanced PCs and other consoles, both upcoming models and the current generation.

If reports that Project Helix will be a PC hybrid come to fruition, it could support Sharma’s claim about leading performance, as the console might be somewhat upgradeable, allowing it to improve over time with swapped hardware or other components.

It would also lean into Xbox’s current strategy of making its games accessible across a wide range of devices through Game Pass and cloud gaming. A big part of that strategy has been expanding beyond the console itself, allowing players to stream titles on other platforms. The return to a next-generation console could signal a partial return to form, though any new Xbox will still need to surpass the existing Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, both of which launched in November 2020.

The next generation of Xbox console: Project Helix pic.twitter.com/YQUrCgCb9JMarch 5, 2026

Given that this is the first major announcement from Asha Sharma since stepping in to lead Xbox after Spencer’s departure, it's somewhat disappointing that it doesn’t reveal more details. She did discuss Project Helix with the Xbox team earlier today — March 5, 2026, when the post was made — and teased that she’s “looking forward to chatting about this more with partners and studios at my first GDC next week!”

Considering the rumors point to 2027 as the launch timeframe for the next-generation Xbox, it’s clear that Microsoft’s teams still have a way to go. Even so, the early confirmation and codename could be seen as good news for Xbox faithful. Sharma has also emphasized her commitment to a “return to Xbox,” telling fans she’s “committed to Xbox, starting with the console,” a message that could make Project Helix an important step in that direction.

Hopefully, we’ll see more details — and likely plenty of rumors or reports — trickle out in the coming weeks and months. We’ll be keeping a close eye on GDC next week, but in the meantime, let us know in the comments below what features and functionality you’d like to see on Project Helix.

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Ubisoft provides updates on the Assassin's Creed series, says its 'taking the time to deliver on its ambitious vision' of Hexe and Codename Invictus is 'a new approach to multiplayer in the franchise, but it isn't quite what the rumors have suggested'

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• Assassin's Creed head of content Jean Guesdon has provided updates on Codename Hexe, Invictus, and Jade
• Guesdon also teases "several other projects", which are "all at different stages of development"
• A free 60FPS patch for Assassin's Creed Unity is also available today for current-gen consoles

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Ubisoft has shared new details about the future of the Assassin's Creed franchise, providing details on Hexe, Invcitus, Jade, and more while also announcing a new 60 frames per second (fps) update for Assassin's Creed Unity.

In a new blog post, Jean Guesdon, head of content on the series, confirmed that the studio will soon wind down the Assassin's Creed Shadows updates as it shifts its focus to its next major projects.

Those include Codename Hexe, which was announced in 2022 and is being built by a team of veteran Assassin's Creed developers at Ubisoft Montreal.

Guesdon, who recently took over as creative director for the project, said fans can expect a "unique, darker, narrative-driven Assassin’s Creed experience, set during a pivotal moment in history", but isn't ready to share more details yet.

"We are taking the time to deliver on its ambitious vision, which means we’ll be quiet for a little longer, but we love seeing all the enthusiasm happening on our channels and can’t wait to unveil more when the time is right," he said.

As for Codename Invictus, a PvP multiplayer experience led by a team of For Honor veterans, development is "progressing steadily with a test and learn approach."

Guesdon acknowledged the curiosity surrounding the project, explaining that it's a new approach to multiplayer in the franchise, "but it isn't quite what the rumors have suggested."

The developer was seemingly referring to reports dated back to 2024, which claimed the game is inspired by Fall Guys and features multiple game modes.

"With player feedback at the heart of our approach, we're exploring ways to bring the community in earlier so we can shape the experience together," Guesdon added. "The team is incredibly passionate about what they're building, and their work reflects our broader goal of offering a wider variety of experiences within the Assassin's Creed universe."

Beyond Hexe and Invictus, Ubisoft is also working on "several other projects", which are "all at different stages of development", including Assassin's Creed Jade, a mobile game that was first revealed in 2022.

Guesdon also confirmed that the studio is bringing co-op back to the series, saying it's "a detail we know didn't go unnoticed".

He also seemingly addressed the canceled Assassin's Creed cooperative multiplayer game, which was reported to have initially been developed as an Assassin's Creed Shadows downloadable content (DLC), saying "the lessons from that work are already helping shape our approach going forward."

Alongside these new updates, Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced has officially been announced after months of rumors, and a free 60 FPS patch for Assassin's Creed Unity will be available for PS5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S.

Multiple Assassin's Creed games will also be playable for free on Xbox for a limited time for Xbox Free Play Days, from April 2 to April 6.

"Finally, continuing to support our older games matters to us. We know how much those titles mean to many of you, and that they're often the first entry point for new players discovering the franchise," Guesdon said.

"We know some of you have been waiting for it for a long time, so get ready to re‑experience 18 century Paris and Arno's fancy parkour moves with more smoothness on consoles."

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