Anker unveils Eufy S4 video doorbell with VR viewing and AI tracking

• Anker claims its new Eufy S4 video doorbell is the first with VR viewing
• The device has a 180-degree field of view, and uses AI tracking to follow subjects and frame them
• It's set to ship at the end of October, for $299 (about £230 / AU$430)

Anker has unveiled its Edge 5.0 lineup of smart home devices, but the new Eufy Video Doorbell S4 that apparently comes with VR viewing of who's at your door is the latest inductee to the weird tech hall of fame.

The device, which also comes with the Chime 2, is available to pre-order now and is expected to ship at the end of October, but it’s quite a costly addition to your smart home setup priced at $299.99. Still, despite its price and arguably unnecessary headline feature, its expansive roster of features could putit among the best video doorbells.

Aside from being subscription-free with 4GB of built-in memory — which you’d hope for given its asking price — the device’s VR viewing sets the S4 apart from rivals such as the Philips 7000 Series, our overall best pick. According to Anker, the S4 is the world’s first video doorbell with such viewing capabilities, and it sounds pretty insane, but very much impressive.

When the doorbell detects someone at your door, you’ll get a videocall-like notification from the Anker Eufy app which will open a video 180-degree field of view (horizontally and vertically). This gives you an ultra-wide view of the front of your home at all times, removing the need for additional security cameras.

Once you’ve launched the live view in the Anker Eufy app, you can move your smartphone — or VR headset, naturally — to look in different directions and see things from different angles. Clever, right? But that’s not the only smart feature.

As far as camera tracking goes, the S4 records 3K video in 3072 x 3072 keeping a subject’s entire body visible, while Eufy’s AI-powered OmniTrack technology locks onto the person in the frame, following them as they move around. The doorbell then uses Auto-Framing to crop the panoramic view, keeping them in the center at all times.

Detection accuracy, smart hub compatibility, and more

(Image credit: Anker / Eufy)

With the new Eufy video doorbell, Anker has put a huge amount of effort into ensuring the device is capable and sensitive enough to monitor your home’s entrance.

A common mishap with video doorbells is false alerts, sending a wave of worry through you when there was nothing to really worry about. To reduce these false alarms, the S4 uses a combination of radar for longer-range detection, while sporting dual PIR sensors to help differentiate human movement closer to your front door.

When it comes to smart home compatibility, Anker’s new video doorbell can be integrated into your existing ecosystem whether you’re running on Alexa, Google Home, or Apple HomeKit, though there are a few things to keep in mind.

For those of you using Apple HomeKit, you’ll need to have the Eufy HomeBaseS380 hub to get set up. Additionally, VR viewing and OmniTrack is only available through the Anker Eufy app, so third-party platforms will only show a fixed live view.

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NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, September 28 (game #939)

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, September 27 (game #938).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… A form of art

NYT Strands today (game #939) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• TALES
• SPOT
• TONE
• SUGAR
• BRAG
• POSTAL

NYT Strands today (game #939) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 9 letters

NYT Strands today (game #939) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

• First side: bottom, 3rd 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 #939) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #939, are…

• WOOD
• CLAY
• GLASS
• SOAPSTONE
• BRONZE
• MARBLE
• SPANGRAM: SCULPTURE

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Some NYT crossover here, as yesterday we had a Sculpture Media category in Connections — although plaster was missing from that particular group of four.

Regardless, it still took me a while to realize that we were looking for materials, a failing that’s highlighted by the fact that I had both soap and stone in my list of non-game words before realizing that SOAPSTONE was a thing.

Anyway, this poor piece of gameplay aside this was a relatively easy search and a nice start to the week.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, September 27, game #938)

• SUNSCREEN
• MOISTURIZER
• CLEANSER
• SERUM
• TONER
• SPANGRAM: BEAUTYCARE

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, September 28 (game #1205)

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, September 27 (game #1204).

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 #1205) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• CHIHUAHUA
• LEMON
• VIPER
• BAMBOO
• CELERY
• TABASCO
• ARKANSANS
• DURANGO
• SPRINGING
• CHARGER
• HORSERADISH
• WHEAT
• POSSESSES
• MIGNONETTE
• CORN
• CHALLENGER

NYT Connections today (game #1205) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Stick up plants
• GREEN: Enhance your seafood with these
• BLUE: Types of car
• PURPLE: Triple trouble

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 #1205) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: THINGS WITH STALKS
• GREEN: OYSTER CONDIMENTS
• BLUE: DODGE MODELS
• PURPLE: THREE LETTERS PLUS REPEATED TRIGRAMS

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

NYT Connections today (game #1205) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1205, are…

• YELLOW: THINGS WITH STALKS: BAMBOO, CELERY, CORN, WHEAT
• GREEN: OYSTER CONDIMENTS: HORSERADISH, LEMON, MIGNONETTE, TABASCO
• BLUE: DODGE MODELS: CHALLENGER, CHARGER, DURANGO, VIPER
• PURPLE: THREE LETTERS PLUS REPEATED TRIGRAMS: ARKANSANS, CHIHUAHUA, POSSESSES, SPRINGING

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 mistake

I have never actually had a Bloody Mary, but I managed to convince myself that CELERY, TABASCO, HORSERADISH and LEMON were all things that you would add to vodka and tomato juice.

Fortunately I soon corrected my error after thinking what CELERY might have in common with some of the other tiles.

The next two groups were put together on hunches — I had no idea about DODGE MODELS, but thought that CHALLENGER, CHARGER, DURANGO and VIPER all sounded like macho names for cars. Finally, I took a gamble that MIGNONETTE was a foodstuff (I now know it’s a type of vinegar) and lumped it in with the other OYSTER CONDIMENTS; I’m a purist myself.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, September 27, 2026, game #1204)

• YELLOW: SCULPTURE MEDIA: BRONZE, CLAY, MARBLE, PLASTER
• GREEN: RESTAURANT SEATING OPTIONS: BANQUETTE, BOOTH, CHAIR, STOOL
• BLUE: TELECOM: CARRIER, NETWORK, OPERATOR, PROVIDER
• PURPLE: ENDING IN CHINESE DYNASTIES: BBQING, HOMING, LOHAN, WU-TANG

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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Rainbow Six Tactics game director says Ubisoft moved away from the 'smoke and mirrors' experience and Mario + Rabbids helped it understand 'the metrics of tactics'

• Rainbow Six Tactics game director Martial Potron says Mario + Rabbids helped the team understand "the metrics of tactics"
• He says it borrowed the "DNA" of the series, and it was a different experience from working on Ghost Recon
• Potron adds that he had to change his developer habits when working on
• Rainbow Six Tactics

Rainbow Six Tactics game director Martial Potron has said the development team borrowed the "DNA" of the studio's turn-based game series, Mario + Rabbids, for tactical level design inspiration.

"Mario + Rabbids helped us shape some parts," Potron told TechRadar Gaming in a recent interview about the upcoming Siege spin-off. "The team, especially the level design team that came from Mario + Rabbids, really helped us to understand the metrics of tactics."

The game director explained that, instead of keeping in line with the series' first-person style, the team chose a turn-based tactics genre because it felt that Rainbow Six's DNA is already "tactical."

Speaking more on inspiration, Potron explained that some of the "core rules" for him as someone who worked on Ghost Recon are to design an experience that players would expect; "smoke and mirrors," as he puts it, in terms of lethality or enemy behaviors to "make the experience cinematographic," but the turn-based tactics genre is different.

"In tactical, everything is very precise," he said. "It's pure. It's like chess. So we had to change a bit of our mindset to adjust to this philosophy."

Poltron continued: "This is a bit of a paradigm shift for us in terms of habits. It's 15 years of my habits that I need to shift."

Rainbow Six Tactics launches in 2027 for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S.

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Total War: Warhammer 40,000's diplomacy will exist 'in a different form,' and players will need to manage relationships with local forces and planetary governors, says Creative Assembly — 'How you manage them is kind of down to you'

• Total War: Warhammer 40,000 battle product owner Dave Petry says the series' diplomacy will be present but "in a different form"
• He says players need to manage relationships with local forces and planetary governors to balance their reputation, renown, and suspicion
• Players will deal with planetary representatives and will have to manage their attitude towards them

Creative Assembly has confirmed that Total War: Warhammer 40,000's diplomacy system will affect players' standing with planetary governors and local forces, so they'll need to strategically manage relationships.

TechRadar Gaming recently caught up with battle product owner Dave Petry and lead designer Joy Dey at Gamescom to chat about the upcoming turn-based strategy game and what players can expect from the next installment.

Alongside a discussion about how player customization was a "must-have" in Total War: Warhammer 40,000, Petry said that the diplomacy that's a defining feature of the Total War series will also exist, especially within the Imperium, and players will be required to manage relationships with local forces and planetary governors to balance their reputation, renown, and suspicion.

"When it comes to diplomacy in 40,000, I think the focus is that the Imperium itself is an absolutely monstrous bureaucratic nightmare, effectively, and all of the arms of the Imperium need to communicate and coordinate in some fashion between one another too," Petry explained.

"So although there are going to be some factions which are extremely belligerent and extremely difficult to get on with, when you're dealing with, say, the Imperium, there are local forces and allies there that you also need to work with and get on board and make sure you get to where you need to get to. Space Marines are obviously incredibly powerful."

The developer also touched on the Astra Militarum, the largest military force in the universe, and being supported by them "means a level of negotiation with the Imperium itself and the local forces that you're fighting around."

"In a different form, diplomacy will be present," Petry said. "But when it comes to dealing with outright belligerents, they're obviously tricky points to get through."

Players will also need to deal with planetary representatives, Dey added, so players will have to manage their attitude towards them.

"There will be things they would like you to do," Dey said. "There will be things that they don't like that you do."

Petry added, "Planetary governors can be problematic, and how you manage them as a Space Marine, or in a Space Marine chapter, is kind of down to you. But it will then affect your renown or your reputation with the Imperium, and those things might not always align, which should put you in some fun spots."

Total War: Warhammer 40,000 launches in 2027 for PS5, Xbox Series X, Series S, and PC.

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NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, September 27 (game #938)

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, September 26 (game #937).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… It’s skin deep

NYT Strands today (game #938) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• SUET
• CLEAR
• TRACE
• STIR
• RAISE
• ROUTE
• NOSE

NYT Strands today (game #938) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 10 letters

NYT Strands today (game #938) - 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 #938) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #938, are…

• SUNSCREEN
• MOISTURIZER
• CLEANSER
• SERUM
• TONER
• SPANGRAM: BEAUTYCARE

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

I would normally begin by finding words connected to any rare letters or double-letter combinations, but in today’s game it was impossible to ignore SUNSCREEN in the top left-hand corner.

From here I moved on to MOISTURIZER and then realised with these two finds I had exhausted my knowledge of skincare products.

Fortunately, these two spots opened up the spangram and CLEANSER. I did get the final two words without a hint, but even though they were both just five letters long it took me a stupidly long time to uncover SERUM and TONER.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, September 26, game #937)

• BREEZE
• ZEPHYR
• GUST
• WHIFF
• PUFF
• FLURRY
• CURRENT
• SPANGRAM: GENTLEWIND

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, September 27 (game #1204)

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, September 26 (game #1203).

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 #1204) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• WU-TANG
• CARRIER
• HOMING
• BOOTH
• STOOL
• MARBLE
• BBQING
• OPERATOR
• CLAY
• BANQUETTE
• NETWORK
• CHAIR
• LOHAN
• BRONZE
• PROVIDER
• PLASTER

NYT Connections today (game #1204) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Statue materials
• GREEN: Sit to eat
• BLUE: Phone energy
• PURPLE: The end for hereditary rulers

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 #1204) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: SCULPTURE MEDIA
• GREEN: RESTAURANT SEATING OPTIONS
• BLUE: TELECOM
• PURPLE: ENDING IN CHINESE DYNASTIES

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

NYT Connections today (game #1204) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1204, are…

• YELLOW: SCULPTURE MEDIA: BRONZE, CLAY, MARBLE, PLASTER
• GREEN: RESTAURANT SEATING OPTIONS: BANQUETTE, BOOTH, CHAIR, STOOL
• BLUE: TELECOM: CARRIER, NETWORK, OPERATOR, PROVIDER
• PURPLE: ENDING IN CHINESE DYNASTIES: BBQING, HOMING, LOHAN, WU-TANG

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

The NYT gives us a relaxing end to the weekend with a simple controversy-free game.

It’s hard to see any red herrings in this game, although I did waste some time wondering if Lindsey LOHAN had any connections to the WU-TANG Clan — maybe she has 36 chambers at home, or perhaps she used to work at a gravel pit?

I began with RESTAURANT SEATING OPTIONS, as it contains one of my favorite words — and the seating option everyone would plump for given the choice — the BANQUETTE. The STOOL, on the other hand, is something you’d only select if you had no other pick or if your name was Arthur Fonzarelli.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, September 26, 2026, game #1203)

• YELLOW: BREATH FRESHENERS: GUM, MINT, MOUTHWASH, SPRAY
• GREEN: THINGS DONE TO A DRESS SHIRT AT THE LAUNDRY: FOLD, PRESS, STARCH, WASH
• BLUE: FEATURES OF WOOD: BURL, GRAIN, KNOTS, RINGS
• PURPLE: "COOL" THINGS, IN EXPRESSIONS: BEANS, CAT, CUCUMBER, CUSTOMER

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, September 26 (game #937)

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, September 25 (game #936).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… A breath of fresh air

NYT Strands today (game #937) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• CURE
• FEEL
• PREY
• BREW
• DICE
• SWIFT

NYT Strands today (game #937) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 10 letters

NYT Strands today (game #937) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

• First side: top, 1st column

• Last side: bottom, 6th column

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

NYT Strands today (game #937) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #937, are…

• BREEZE
• ZEPHYR
• GUST
• WHIFF
• PUFF
• FLURRY
• CURRENT
• SPANGRAM: GENTLEWIND

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

I began, as I’m sure most players did, by finding the words linked to the two letter Zs.

However, while BREEZE was a breeze, ZEPHYR was not something I would have got without the fact that its letters connected straight down.

ZEPHYR is, like all of today’s game words, a way of describing a GENTLEWIND — but prior to today its only appearance in my life was in The Zephyr Song by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, which seemed to imply it was some kind of magical vehicle we could fly away on.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, September 25, game #936)

• NINE
• TWENTYFIVE
• FOUR
• EIGHTYONE
• THIRTYSIX
• SPANGRAM: SQUARENUMBER

What is NYT Strands?

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

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

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NYT Connections hints and answers for Saturday, September 26 (game #1203)

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, September 25 (game #1202).

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 #1203) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• MINT
• PRESS
• GRAIN
• BEANS
• STARCH
• CAT
• CUCUMBER
• RINGS
• GUM
• FOLD
• KNOTS
• CUSTOMER
• WASH
• MOUTHWASH
• BURL
• SPRAY

NYT Connections today (game #1203) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Oral hygiene methods
• GREEN: Stages of attire care
• BLUE: Timber markings
• PURPLE: The opposite of hot stuff

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 #1203) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: BREATH FRESHENERS
• GREEN: THINGS DONE TO A DRESS SHIRT AT THE LAUNDRY
• BLUE: FEATURES OF WOOD
• PURPLE: "COOL" THINGS, IN EXPRESSIONS

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

NYT Connections today (game #1203) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1203, are…

• YELLOW: BREATH FRESHENERS: GUM, MINT, MOUTHWASH, SPRAY
• GREEN: THINGS DONE TO A DRESS SHIRT AT THE LAUNDRY: FOLD, PRESS, STARCH, WASH
• BLUE: FEATURES OF WOOD: BURL, GRAIN, KNOTS, RINGS
• PURPLE: "COOL" THINGS, IN EXPRESSIONS: BEANS, CAT, CUCUMBER, CUSTOMER

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Today I scored another Purple First to add to my collection.

Whenever I see the word CAT I immediately think of the word cool, as it’s an expression that’s always amused me in part because of the song Cool For Cats by Squeeze and equally because of Top Cat, my favorite cartoon as a kid.

From here I just said the word cool to myself in front of every tile. Fortunately, I had the office to myself as I did this, so I was able to maintain my reputation as a cool CUSTOMER.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Friday, September 25, 2026, game #1202)

• YELLOW: LUXE: BOUGIE, FANCY, POSH, SWANK
• GREEN: PARTS OF A MECHANICAL CLOCK: ESCAPEMENT, PENDULUM, RATCHET, SPRING
• BLUE: FAMOUS DANS: AYKROYD, LEVY, RATHER, SAVAGE
• PURPLE: TAXONOMIC RANKS PLUS A LETTER: BORDER, CLASSY, FOAMILY, GENIUS

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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Rebellion confirms Alien Deathstorm uses the same engine as Atomfall, but it's 'a more advanced version' that offers a new lighting system, 'which for an action horror game is actually a must'

• Alien Deathstorm was built on a new version of the Atomfall engine
• Head of design Ben Fisher says it's an "advanced" version that offers a new lighting system
• Producer Martin Willingham says this is "a must" for an action horror game

Rebellion has confirmed that Alien Deathstorm was built on a new version of the Atomfall engine, which also let the team bring the horror aspect to life.

Speaking in an interview with TechRadar Gaming at Gamescom, where we went hands-on with the upcoming first-person horror game, producer Martin Willingham and head of design Ben Fisher discussed how it's not a survival shooter with typical survival horror features; the team considers it a "dynamic" experience with sandbox elements where the player's actions can affect unscripted enemy encounters.

Willingham said the team values replayability and sandbox freedom, which means "we had to do something dynamic," and "building the encounters around the player and the player's activities means it's a different experience."

This sandbox survival experience was built on "a more advanced version" of the studio's Atomfall engine, Fisher revealed, which offered an improved lighting system and a deeper sense of realism as players explore their surroundings.

"Which for an action horror game is actually a must," said Willingham. "The tech team have just been absolute wizards with us being able to manifest and visualize that deathstorm."

He added, "We've been working on a lot of the GPU particles, visual effects, and fog system as well."

Alien Deathstorm doesn't have a release date yet, but it's coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Series S, and PC in Spring 2027.

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NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, September 25 (game #936)

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, September 24 (game #935).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… 1x1, etc…

NYT Strands today (game #936) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• BEST
• REST
• FARE
• BARE
• THEY
• STIR

NYT Strands today (game #936) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 12 letters

NYT Strands today (game #936) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

• First side: left, 4th row

• Last side: left, 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 #936) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #936, are…

• NINE
• TWENTYFIVE
• FOUR
• EIGHTYONE
• THIRTYSIX
• SPANGRAM: SQUARENUMBER

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Is it just me or is this game missing a few words?

We have FOUR, which is the SQUARENUMBER of two, and NINE (the square of three), but then we miss sixteen (the square of four) before jumping back in again with TWENTYFIVE (the square of five) and THIRTYSIX (the square of six). However, we then skip seven and eight, before resuming with EIGHTYONE, the square of nine.

Maybe I'm overthinking this…

Anyway, this quibble aside, the hardest aspect of this game was trying to find the non-game words for this column. There really were barely any, so I hope you didn’t need hints.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday, September 24, game #935)

• SANDBOX
• TREEHOUSE
• SWINGS
• POOL
• TRAMPOLINE
• FORT
• SPANGRAM: BACKYARD

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, September 25 (game #1202)

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, September 24 (game #1201).

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 #1202) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• RATHER
• BOUGIE
• GENIUS
• SPRING
• BORDER
• RATCHET
• SWANK
• SAVAGE
• CLASSY
• LEVY
• PENDULUM
• FANCY
• ESCAPEMENT
• POSH
• FOAMILY
• AYKROYD

NYT Connections today (game #1202) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Classy stuff
• GREEN: Elements of a timepiece
• BLUE: Daniels of note
• PURPLE: Ranked with added character

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 #1202) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: LUXE
• GREEN: PARTS OF A MECHANICAL CLOCK
• BLUE: FAMOUS DANS
• PURPLE: TAXONOMIC RANKS PLUS A LETTER

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

NYT Connections today (game #1202) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1202, are…

• YELLOW: LUXE: BOUGIE, FANCY, POSH, SWANK
• GREEN: PARTS OF A MECHANICAL CLOCK: ESCAPEMENT, PENDULUM, RATCHET, SPRING
• BLUE: FAMOUS DANS: AYKROYD, LEVY, RATHER, SAVAGE
• PURPLE: TAXONOMIC RANKS PLUS A LETTER: BORDER, CLASSY, FOAMILY, GENIUS

• My rating: Hard
• My score: Perfect

The tile AYKROYD surely meant that we were looking for FAMOUS DANS, but after linking LEVY and RATHER I hit a blank, so decided this was a group I would come back to.

Ruling out the possibility that SWANK was about famous Hilarys, I took the obvious path and ended up with the yellow group of LUXE in its rightful place as the first thing I put together.

After this, though, I went off script and guessed the purple group of TAXONOMIC RANKS PLUS A LETTER (when you see them you see them) before returning to my collection of Daniels and taking a punt on SAVAGE, whom I now know is a purveyor of “no-nonsense sex and relationship advice”.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Thursday, September 24, 2026, game #1201)

• YELLOW: PARTS OF A VAMPIRE COSTUME: CAPE, FACE PAINT, FAKE BLOOD, FANGS
• GREEN: THINGS WITH SPRING/S: BOBBLEHEAD, POGO STICK, SNAKES IN A CAN, TRAMPOLINE
• BLUE: FEATURING POINTING: CREATION OF ADAM, FOAM FINGER, I'M WITH STUPID SHIRT, UNCLE SAM
• PURPLE: ANAGRAMS: BEER HAT, BREATHE, HERB TEA, THE BEAR

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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Rainbow Six Tactics game director says players can't repeatedly play their favorite Operators because of the game's fatigue and injury system — 'It's a way to push players to use their tools and shuffle their roster'

• Rainbow Six Tactics game director Martial Potron says the game's fatigue and injury system will encourage players to try other Operators
• Operators can go out of commission if they're injured, pushing players to shuffle through the roster
• Potron says this also reminds players that Operators are "human"

Rainbow Six Tactics won't let fans repeatedly play the same Operator like in Rainbow Six Siege, but will encourage players to experiment with the entire roster using two new gameplay systems instead.

Rainbow Six Siege fans have a favorite Operator, whether it's Ash, Smoke, Fuze, Hibana, or someone else on the massive roster. But in Rainbow Six Tactics, Ubisoft's turn-based tactics spin-off, the fatigue and injury systems will force players to try other characters across a variety of missions.

"It's a way to push players to use their tools and shuffle their roster," game director Martial Potron told TechRadar Gaming at Gamescom. "So fatigue is one way, injuries is another way."

Potron explained that Operators are human beings, so it makes sense that these special agents will be out of commission for some time if they get injured during a mission; unlike in Siege, where objective-based game rounds will reset a player's health each time.

"I think it's also a good way to remind people that Operators are humans," the director said. "A bullet is a bullet. It's very dangerous. That's why reconning is important. If you don't recon, it may happen that there is someone hidden and he shoots you, and and you get you get injured. You don't have your Operator for two missions."

He added that the fatigue system serves the same purpose and "forces players to readjust their roster" whenever they send Operators on missions; he said this may seem negative, but the game will inform players which Operators will fit certain missions.

For example, a mission that requires players to save targets wouldn't suit Ash, who uses explosives, so a more close-range or precise Operator would be best.

"So depending on who I am facing, I will also readjust my roster because they really are meant to counter other enemies," Portron said. "So there is this negative side of humanity, and there is a positive side of Operators being very good against some part of the challenges."

Rainbow Six Tactics arrives in 2027 for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S.

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