'We go to great lengths to record real sounds' — Battlefield 6 team reveals they shot up cars and destroyed shipping containers to capture authentic audio

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• The Battlefield 6 audio team dropped cars from cranes, fired real-world weapons, and more to capture the perfect sounds
• Senior technical sound designer Goncalo Tavares revealed the team will "go to great lengths to record real sounds"
• Audio in the game "comes from a real-life context first," he said

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The Battlefield 6 audio team has revealed that they destroyed cars, walls, shipping containers, and more in their quest to capture the perfect sound.

In a new interview with TechRadar Gaming, senior technical sound designer Goncalo Tavares explained that every audio clip in the game "comes from a real-life context first."

"We go to great lengths to record real sounds, because it's easier to record reality than to try and replicate reality," he said. "We've been accompany, for example, the Swedish military on some of their exercises, recording for reference."

From crumbling buildings to exploding vehicles, Battlefield 6 features plenty of destruction, which requires its own sound profile — some of which the developers recreated in the real-world.

"We tried a bunch of experimental techniques on those recordings," said Tavares.

"We did things like put microphones under the ground to see how it would sound through the floor vibrations, putting microphones inside buildings to hear how it would sound obstructed through a couple layers of walls. And probably my favorite, even though it cost me one recorder, was that I attached the microphone to a shipping container that we dropped and filmed in slow motion."

(Image credit: Electronic Arts)

Tavares also brought up another incident where the team "were recording bullet impacts" by shooting the side of a car and accidentally hit "at least one of the recorders." Luckily, he says it turns out "the last sound of a recorder is pretty cool."

Similarly, senior audio director Mari Saastamoinen Minto recalled the team building "brick walls to knock them down and dropping cars" equipped with a microphone (a microphone that Tavares quickly specified "did not last").

Lots of weapons were recorded too, though senior audio director David Jegutidse explained that in instances where it would be "really hard" to record something (he gave "large projectiles like tank shells or artillery shells or rockets" as examples), the team relied on paid sound libraries.

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NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, April 5 (game #763)

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 4 (game #762).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Pouch perfect

NYT Strands today (game #763) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• WOMB
• PRAY
• BALL
• SANG
• MASS
• PAIL

NYT Strands today (game #763) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 10 letters

NYT Strands today (game #763) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: left, 5th row

Last side: right, 5th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #763) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #763, are…

• KANGAROO
• BILBY
• KOALA
• WOMBAT
• OPOSSUM
• SPANGRAM: MARSUPIALS

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• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 hints

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A very curious theme where my first thought was KANGAROO, because of the pouches they keep their babies, boxing gloves and loose change in.

Thankfully this was correct, as the only other 'pouches' that came to mind were the ones worn by bodybuilders in the 1980s.

So then, somewhat predictably after I found KANGAROO, I drew a blank and used my collection of non-game words to buy a couple of hints — BILBY didn’t help me much but with KOALA I went in search of the word MARSUPIALS, which I thought applied to animals from Australia, but actually refers to animals who raise their young in the aforementioned pouches.

There were tricky words in today’s game too, not least OPOSSUM, which took me several attempts to order correctly as I thought it started with a P not an O, something that depends on whether you are using the US or Australian spelling.

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Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, April 4, game #762)

• DAFFODIL
• TULIP
• HYACINTH
• CROCUS
• SNOWDROP
• SPANGRAM: SPRINGBLOSSOM

---

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 5 (game #1029)

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 4 (game #1028).

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 #1029) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• PIPE
• PANCAKE
• PULPIT
• LIGHT SWITCH
• SHELL
• VIOLIN
• MUSHROOM
• ORBIT
• COIN
• PASTEURIZE
• NUCLEUS
• MAGNIFYING GLASS
• ELECTRON
• GOOGOL
• DEERSTALKER
• THE BIRD

NYT Connections today (game #1029) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Particle science
• GREEN: A sleuth’s stuff
• BLUE: Use your fingers
• PURPLE: Look for types of mush

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 #1029) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: ATOMIC STRUCTURE TERMS
• GREEN: PARTS OF A SHERLOCK HOLMES COSTUME
• BLUE: THINGS TO FLIP
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH SYNONYMS FOR "SLUSH"

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

NYT Connections today (game #1029) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1029, are…

• YELLOW: ATOMIC STRUCTURE TERMS ELECTRON, NUCLEUS, ORBIT, SHELL
• GREEN: PARTS OF A SHERLOCK HOLMES COSTUME DEERSTALKER, MAGNIFYING GLASS, PIPE, VIOLIN
• BLUE: THINGS TO FLIP COIN, LIGHT SWITCH, PANCAKE, THE BIRD
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH SYNONYMS FOR "SLUSH" GOOGOL, MUSHROOM, PASTEURIZE, PULPIT

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• My rating: Hard
• My score: Perfect

---

The first thing that stood out from today’s tiles was DEERSTALKER, an item of headwear that will forever be associated with one person — Sherlock Holmes. I was less certain of the other items, but MAGNIFYING GLASS and PIPE seemed to fit and I’ve got vague recollections of Benedict Cumberbatch’s version playing VIOLIN, so I went for it.

Happily I was correct but I’d like to take issue with a violin being considered PARTS OF A SHERLOCK HOLMES COSTUME.

Anyway, pressing onwards, and slightly disappointed that my shot in the dark wasn’t a purple group, a distant memory of science revision helped me connect the four ATOMIC STRUCTURE TERMS.

Grinding to a halt and initially seeing no links between the remaining eight tiles I decided that PANCAKE, COIN, LIGHT SWITCH and THE BIRD were all THINGS TO FLIP.

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Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, April 4, game #1028)

• YELLOW: "LET SLEEPING DOGS LIE" DOGS, LET, LIE, SLEEPING
• GREEN: OBSCURE COVER, MASK, SCREEN, SHIELD
• BLUE: COASTAL LANDFORMS BLUFF, CAPE, POINT, SPIT
• PURPLE: ____ CAMP BAND, BASE, BOOT, SUMMER

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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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Reddit is closing down its unfiltered r/all page of trending posts, but there is still a way to access it if you know how

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• Reddit has announced that r/all is going away
• The feed was a place to find trending posts across the platform
• It can still be found by going to the old Reddit interface

---

If you're a Reddit user, you may have frequently loaded up the r/all page, a feed showing posts that are trending across the platform with fewer filters than the similar r/popular. Now the page is going away, though at the time of writing there is still one way to get to it.

Reddit published a changelog (via The Verge) explaining that "entry points and links to r/all" are being taken down starting from April 2. This affects both the desktop interface and the mobile apps for Android and iOS.

"As part of ongoing efforts to simplify Reddit and improve Home feed personalization, the final steps to deprecate r/all are being implemented," Reddit says. "Trending content remains available via r/popular."

The r/popular feed is similar to r/all, but blocks out adult content labeled NSFW (Not Suitable For Work). Before it got deprecated, r/all didn't filter anything out, apart from sexually explicit content.

You can still find r/all

Open up old Reddit and you can still find r/all (Image credit: Future)

If you try and access r/all through the standard methods — by following this link, for example — you'll simply be directed to the front page of Reddit. This also presents a selection of popular content taken from across the Reddit boards.

There is still a way of finding r/all though: If you visit the old Reddit interface, which remains online, there's still a link to the r/all page at the top. Reddit has itself said that this option is going to remain available for those who want it.

This hasn't come completely out of nowhere: Reddit has previously been testing redirects away from r/all, though up until now it's been labeled as an experiment. Now the move is permanent, at least as far as the default interface goes.

The r/popular feed might not last much longer either. A spokesperson told The Verge that Reddit was "rethinking parts of the global feed experience, especially for new users" and that future changes may indeed involve r/popular.

---

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NYT Connections hints and answers for Saturday, April 4 (game #1028)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Friday, April 3 (game #1027).

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 #1028) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• BAND
• MASK
• САРЕ
• LIE
• BLUFF
• BOOT
• SPIT
• SHIELD
• LET
• POINT
• BASE
• COVER
• SLEEPING
• SCREEN
• SUMMER
• DOGS

NYT Connections today (game #1028) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Say what you see 
• GREEN: Slightly hidden
• BLUE: Seaside geography
• PURPLE: Add a word that rhymes with “lamp”

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 #1028) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: "LET SLEEPING DOGS LIE" 
• GREEN: OBSCURE
• BLUE: COASTAL LANDFORMS
• PURPLE: ____ CAMP 

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

NYT Connections today (game #1028) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1028, are…

• YELLOW: "LET SLEEPING DOGS LIE" DOGS, LET, LIE, SLEEPING
• GREEN: OBSCURE COVER, MASK, SCREEN, SHIELD
• BLUE: COASTAL LANDFORMS BLUFF, CAPE, POINT, SPIT
• PURPLE: ____ CAMP BAND, BASE, BOOT, SUMMER

---

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

---

Am I the only person who really dislikes it when the four tiles form the name of the category like today’s yellow group “LET SLEEPING DOGS LIE” with its tiles LET, SLEEPING, DOGS, and LIE? My reason is that often Connections will tease us with groups just like this, that seem obvious, but when you submit them they are just a trick to fool us into a mistake.

Apologies, I shall wind my neck in now.

Irritations aside this was a relatively straightforward game — probably down to that one big red herring that wasn’t actually a red herring, making the deployment of all other red herrings moot.

---

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Friday, April 3, game #1027)

• YELLOW: CATTY MEAN, PETTY, SMALL, SNIDE
• GREEN: HANKER (FOR) JONES, LONG, LUST, THIRST
• BLUE: COCKTAIL GLASSES COLLINS, HURRICANE, ROCKS, ZOMBIE
• PURPLE: ____ CONTROL CRUISE, DAMAGE, GROUND, MISSION

---

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 4 (game #762)

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 2 (game #761).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Early risers

NYT Strands today (game #762) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• SOLID
• COIN
• PROUD
• BINGO
• TWINS
• SOIL

NYT Strands today (game #762) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 13 letters

NYT Strands today (game #762) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: left, 4th column

Last side: top, 5th column

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

NYT Strands today (game #762) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #762, are…

• DAFFODIL
• TULIP
• HYACINTH
• CROCUS
• SNOWDROP
• SPANGRAM: SPRINGBLOSSOM

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• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 hints

---

I quickly abandoned my search for jobs that required an early morning start (mainly because I couldn’t think of any).

Fortunately in my hunt for non-game words I found ‘blossom” and then “spring” and stuck them together for today’s spangram.

However, after finding the most obvious of SPRINGBLOSSOM with DAFFODIL I reached the limits of my floral knowledge and needed two hints to see me virtually to a full bouquet.

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Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday, April 3, game #761)

• GUAVA
• ACAI
• PINEAPPLE
• LYCHEE
• MANGO
• PAPAYA
• SPANGRAM: TROPICALFRUIT

---

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, April 3 (game #1027)

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 2 (game #1026).

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 #1027) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• PETTY
• CRUISE
• LONG
• ZOMBIE
• HURRICANE
• JONES
• GROUND
• COLLINS
• MISSION
• SMALL
• LUST
• SNIDE
• MEAN
• THIRST
• DAMAGE
• ROCKS

NYT Connections today (game #1027) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Salty putdowns
• GREEN: Long coveted affection
• BLUE: Fancy beverage receptacles
• PURPLE: Add a word for 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 #1027) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: CATTY 
• GREEN: HANKER (FOR)
• BLUE: COCKTAIL GLASSES
• PURPLE: ____ CONTROL

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

NYT Connections today (game #1027) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1027, are…

• YELLOW: CATTY MEAN, PETTY, SMALL, SNIDE
• GREEN: HANKER (FOR) JONES, LONG, LUST, THIRST
• BLUE: COCKTAIL GLASSES COLLINS, HURRICANE, ROCKS, ZOMBIE
• PURPLE: ____ CONTROL CRUISE, DAMAGE, GROUND, MISSION

---

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

---

CATTY is the most brilliant way of describing the kind of person who puts down others with MEAN, PETTY, SMALL, or SNIDE remarks — not to degenerate cats, but it brilliantly brings them down to size.

I also enjoyed the inclusion of the word JONES in the HANKER (FOR) group — although I admit that I was pondering the existence of a rock supergroup whose members had the surnames JONES, COLLINS, SMALL and LONG.

Meanwhile, my lack of interest and knowledge of alcohol is hampering my Connections game — this week at least — as COCKTAIL GLASSES went completely over my head.

---

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Thursday, April 2, game #1026)

• YELLOW: SUPPORT BACK, CHAMPION, ENDORSE, SECOND
• GREEN: OPPORTUNITY CHANCE, MOMENT, OPENING, WINDOW
• BLUE: MALE ANIMALS BUCK, DRAKE, DRONE, STALLION
• PURPLE: ENDS OF LIQUOR BRANDS CARDI, EATER, MESON, MIGOS

---

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 Friday, April 3 (game #761)

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 2 (game #760).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Smooth(ie) operator

NYT Strands today (game #761) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• LINE
• PLACE
• CLAP
• PINE
• PYRE
• FRUG

NYT Strands today (game #761) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 13 letters

NYT Strands today (game #761) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: left, 5th row

Last side: right, 4th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #761) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #761, are…

• GUAVA
• ACAI
• PINEAPPLE
• LYCHEE
• MANGO
• PAPAYA
• SPANGRAM: TROPICALFRUIT

---

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

---

As opposed to the hits of '80s legend Sade (who sang the brilliant Smooth Operator) it was immediately apparent that we were searching for smoothie ingredients.

It wasn’t immediately apparent that all the words would be TROPICALFRUIT, so my first thought was for banana — the key ingredient of most smoothies — a search you could say proved fruitless.

Smoothies are a key plot point in an HBO show I am currently watching — DTF St Louis — where one of the characters pretends to be a regular consumer of The Go Getter at her local juice store, where it is later revealed that she is a regular Watermelon Breeze consumer. It’s quite the twist!

---

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday, April 2, game #760)

• AGENT
• BETTOR
• JOCKEY
• TIPSTER
• BOOKIE
• TRAINER
• SPANGRAM: HORSERACING

---

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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'Side effects may include curiosity': Google's $3 ChromeOS Flex kit aims to save your old Windows 10 laptop from the scrapheap

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• ChromeOS Flex is now available to buy in kit form
• The $3 kit provides a USB stick and full instructions to install the OS easily
• Flex is meant to breathe new life into old hardware, specifically Windows 10 PCs, which soon run out of road for extended support

---

ChromeOS Flex is a lightweight OS designed to be easily installed on older PCs — like Windows 10 laptops — to provide a way to keep what would otherwise become obsolete hardware usable, and it's now even easier to install.

That's because, as was previously promised, Google, in conjunction with Back Market (an outfit that specializes in refurbished tech), now has a ChromeOS Flex kit available to buy.

It costs $3 (or £3 in the UK, €3 in Europe) and for that outlay, you get a USB stick containing the operating system and guides on how to install it.

The Flex version of Google's OS is pretty much the same as standard ChromeOS, albeit with some features cut, and with its highly streamlined (cloud-focused) nature, it's designed to run nicely on older hardware.

Emphasizing the eco-friendly aspects here, Google tells us: "The manufacturing process of a new laptop is responsible for a large part of its carbon footprint. ChromeOS Flex allows the already-manufactured device to be used for longer, which keeps hardware out of landfills and avoids the emissions of making a new device. Savings do not stop there, ChromeOS also consumes 19% less energy on average than other comparable systems."

As the blog post announcing the arrival of the $3 kit makes clear, this is targeted at Windows 10 PCs, which will lose extended support (updates) for consumers this October, in six months. (Official support actually ceased last October.)

It will also convert other machines, including some Macs, to ChromeOS Flex, and there's a full list of compatible devices here (including caveats, such as if a webcam might not work with Google's OS).

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Analysis: Flex for the win

(Image credit: Google / Back Market)

It's a great idea to produce a dead easy-to-use kit in order to try and recruit more PCs to the ChromeOS Flex fold. As Back Market puts it, this is about "administering the cure" for the Windows 10 blues, and the "side effects may include curiosity".

All you need to do is turn off your laptop, put the USB stick in a free port, boot the machine, and from the boot menu, install ChromeOS Flex from the USB key. As mentioned, the full instructions are provided, and the kit is commendably cheap at just a few bucks. The idea is that you can pass it on to others once you're done, and as this is still a pilot program for now, there's a limited number of these kits. More will be made if they're popular, though.

However, you don't have to buy a kit, as you can make your own USB stick and install ChromeOS Flex by following our full guide here. The kit does make everything very novice-friendly, though, which is the idea, of course.

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The Division Resurgence developer says they're 'very satisfied with the touch controls' of the 'more tactical' game

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• Executive producer Fabrice Navrez says The Division Resurgence's gameplay was refined for mobile
• Ubisoft also did a lot of work making controllers compatible
• Navrez says The Division is a good fit for mobile because it's "more tactical" than other shooters

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Tom Clancy's The Division Resurgence executive producer Fabrice Navrez is "very satisfied" with the mobile game's touch controls, but says players can choose to play with a controller if they prefer.

Speaking in an interview with TechRadar Gaming, Navrez said that the team at Ubisoft refined the mobile game's "core" touch controls through multiple playtests, while also paying attention to players that want to use a controller instead.

"The main principle is to offer what players prefer. If you prefer to play with a controller, we did a [lot of work] to make it compatible," Navrez said. "It's more or less the same control scheme as The Division 2, so if you're familiar with The Division 2, it's easy to get in.

"Coming back to the to the mobile touch control, we did a lot of iteration on that front, doing a lot of play tests, getting player feedback to make sure that you can have the same level of control with a controller, or even with a mouse and keyboard. It was all a question of first keeping the core gameplay."

The developer also believes The Division, which has predominantly been a console and PC series, belongs in the mobile gaming space because the pace is "a bit slower than a classic shooter", making it a good fit for handheld gaming.

"It's more tactical, you're going from cover to cover. You have some time to observe the situation, pick your target, etc," he added. "So that pacing is already a good basis to create a good mobile game."

The team also developed multiple iterations on the game's "cover to cover shooting mechanics", offering multiple ways for players to approach combat, including an option where they can automatically go into cover. This simplifies the number of inputs needed, making the game more approachable.

"At the end of the day, I think I'm very satisfied with the touch control we achieved," Navrez said, adding that he personally prefers playing on mobile.

"I'm playing like that, so I guess it's a good sign," he revealed. "Actually, I'm a bit faster on touch than with a game controller. Perhaps because I have hours of training now, but I think it's working quite well. As I said, what matters is player choice. And here we have a lot of options to change the HUD to what you like, changing the size of the button, opacity, etc. So that's very complete on that front."

The Division Resurgence is a free-to-play game now available on mobile devices. Ubisoft has confirmed that it's entirely canon to The Division universe, with gameplay tweaks that allow users to play for shorter sessions at a time.

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NYT Connections hints and answers for Thursday, April 2 (game #1026)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Wednesday, April 1 (game #1025).

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 #1026) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• STALLION
• CHAMPION
• SECOND
• CHANCE
• MIGOS
• MOMENT
• BACK
• CARDI
• DRAKE
• EATER
• OPENING
• ENDORSE
• WINDOW
• BUCK
• MESON
• DRONE

NYT Connections today (game #1026) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: On your side
• GREEN: A big break
• BLUE: Masculine beasts
• PURPLE: A bit of a hard drink

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 #1026) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: SUPPORT
• GREEN: OPPORTUNITY
• BLUE: MALE ANIMALS
• PURPLE: ENDS OF LIQUOR BRANDS

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

NYT Connections today (game #1026) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1026, are…

• YELLOW: SUPPORT BACK, CHAMPION, ENDORSE, SECOND
• GREEN: OPPORTUNITY CHANCE, MOMENT, OPENING, WINDOW
• BLUE: MALE ANIMALS BUCK, DRAKE, DRONE, STALLION
• PURPLE: ENDS OF LIQUOR BRANDS CARDI, EATER, MESON, MIGOS

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• My rating: Hard
• My score: Perfect

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After yesterday’s cryptic bamboozler we returned to reality with a more straightforward game.

There were a couple of red herrings hiding amid the tiles, but thankfully I resisted the temptation to hunt for rap acts and instead saw the link between DRAKE, STALLION and BUCK, taking a chance with DRONE, which I knew was a word related to bees.

CARDI and MIGOS did end up being in a group together, but it was ENDS OF LIQUOR BRANDS rather than music that united them. Cardi B was of course married to Migos member Offset and adding to the inter connections, Cardi promotes Whipshots, a line of vodka-infused whipped cream and Migos member Quavo had his own line of white vodka. Thank you, Google. 

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Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Wednesday, April 1, game #1025)

• YELLOW: BEER BRANDS BLUE MOON, DOS EQUIS, MILLER HIGH LIFE, RED STRIPE
• GREEN: ROCK BANDS GREEN DAY, PINK FLOYD, THREE DOORS DOWN, U2
• BLUE: MOVIES BACK TO THE FUTURE, BLUE VELVET, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, TOP GUN
• PURPLE: U.S. CITY NICKNAMES BIG APPLE, BIG EASY, MILE HIGH CITY, SECOND CITY

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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 Thursday, April 2 (game #760)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, April 1 (game #759).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… On track

NYT Strands today (game #760) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• NECK
• JOKE
• COST
• CAGE
• TINK
• THEY
• BOOK

NYT Strands today (game #760) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 11 letters

NYT Strands today (game #760) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: left, 4th 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 #760) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #760, are…

• AGENT
• BETTOR
• JOCKEY
• TIPSTER
• BOOKIE
• TRAINER
• SPANGRAM: HORSERACING

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• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 hints

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My first thoughts on today’s theme were something to do with music tracks or with track and field athletics. Finding nothing to match either and coming up with plenty of non-game words, I took a hint.

Alas, AGENT didn’t help me at all and confused on how to progress I used up a second hint. BETTOR made me think of gambling and finally the penny dropped.

As the son of a man who would spend every waking hour studying HORSERACING form guides I possibly should have seen this topic a bit more quickly, but I have to say I find the whole business of sitting on animals a bit ridiculous. I realize this may be a niche opinion, but to me it feels like something humans should have evolved not to need to do anymore.

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Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, April 1, game #759)

• QUIET
• HUSHED
• SILENT
• NOISELESS
• INAUDIBLE
• SPANGRAM: SHHHHHHHHHHHH

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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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The Division Resurgence seems like the perfect way to get your MMO shooter fix on the go — 'We believe it's a good way to catch up with the universe in a more flexible way' developer says

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• The executive producer of Tom Clancy's The Division Resurgence has described the new mobile game as "a good way to catch up with the universe"
• The free-to-play title is fully canon and set between The Division and The Division 2
• Gameplay was tweaked so players "have more options to play for five to 10 minutes"

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Executive producer Fabrice Navrez described Tom Clancy's The Division Resurgence as "a good way to catch up with the universe" on the go ahead of the game's launch today.

Speaking to TechRadar Gaming, Navrez explained that the developer put in a lot of work "to make sure that the game is an extension of The Division" and that it is a fully canon instalment.

"The prologue is before The Division 1: you're a first wave agent, basically the first agents to try to save the day with New York City collapsing," he said. "Then the main bulk of the game is between The Division 1 and The Division 2."

In addition to the setting, Resurgence also features many key mechanics from both The Division games. Having played it for a few hours before release, I've certainly been impressed by how similarly it plays to the paid PC and console games.

"What I really like about The Division, and I believe really fits with mobile gaming as well, is the fact that the pace is a bit slower than a classic shooter," Navrez said. "It's more tactical, you're going from cover to cover. You have some time to observe the situation, pick your target, etc. So that pacing is already a good basis to create a good mobile game."

Still, there were some changes that needed to be made in order to bring the franchise over to mobile.

"So I think where The Division Resurgence is different from the original formula is that you have more options to play for five to 10 minutes," he revealed. Even those that are only "playing a bit every day" will still be "progressing forward," he continued. "But we know for sure already that we have players that are playing extensively already, which is doable as well."

He also argued that part of the reason for the mobile game launch is to bring The Division to "people that have, perhaps, less time to play on more classic video game platforms", whether they are long-time fans or completely new to the series.

"We believe it's a good way to catch up with the universe in a more flexible way."

The Division Resurgence is available today via the Android Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

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