Technology

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle 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: Quordle hints and answers for Saturday, August 16 (game #1300).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1301) - hint #1 - VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1301) - hint #2 - repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 2.

Quordle today (game #1301) - hint #3 - uncommon lettersDo the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1301) - hint #4 - starting letters (1)Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1301) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• F

• A

• D

• C

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

Quordle today (game #1301) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1301, are…

• FUNGI
• AMITY
• DRIER
• CHECK

Another day where I struggled to find my final word and thought about entering an incorrect one – it was going to be “admit” – just to keep the game moving and attempt to turn a few letters green.

AMITY was an experiment as it sounded like a word (as well as the town in Jaws) but it turned out to be correct (it means friendly relations).

Daily Sequence today (game #1301) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1301, are…

• PUFFY
• WEIGH
• SHEIK
• STRIP

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1300, Saturday, 16 August: OWING, QUAKE, SLIDE, ELITE
• Quordle #1299, Friday, 15 August: WHALE, PRISM, DRAKE, TEPEE
• Quordle #1298, Thursday, 14 August: LAPEL, IDIOM, RENEW, LIVER
• Quordle #1297, Wednesday, 13 August: CACTI, HOMER, EMAIL, ALBUM
• Quordle #1296, Tuesday, 12 August: SPOOL, TITLE, JAUNT, OVINE
• Quordle #1295, Monday, 11 August: ADULT, BROOM, PURER, CRUEL
• Quordle #1294, Sunday, 10 August: SCRUM, PIPER, TROLL, SPORE
• Quordle #1293, Saturday, 9 August: NOOSE, INLET, ELEGY, VIRUS
• Quordle #1292, Friday, 8 August: KNEEL, KINKY, RALPH, BOOZY
• Quordle #1291, Thursday, 7 August: PLUNK, PROXY, CURVY, PEARL
• Quordle #1290, Wednesday, 6 August: RISKY, APART, FAUNA, HANDY
• Quordle #1289, Tuesday, 5 August: ROAST, SLICK, AUDIT, BILLY
• Quordle #1288, Monday, 4 August: MACAW, SINCE, COLON, CHIRP
• Quordle #1287, Sunday, 3 August: MOTIF, LEERY, LOFTY, BURST
• Quordle #1286, Saturday, 2 August: WARTY, PUPAL, CLEAR, SLICE
• Quordle #1285, Friday, 1 August: ACTOR, MEALY, WIDTH, ADOBE
• Quordle #1284, Thursday, 31 July: STYLE, VALET, AGONY, ALLOY
• Quordle #1283, Wednesday, 30 July: DEBAR, ADMIN, FOLIO, USAGE
• Quordle #1282, Tuesday, 29 July: BATCH, TOPIC, MURKY, BUNCH

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, August 16 (game #797).

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 #798) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• PRESS
• CLOSE
• WELCOME
• STAMP
• OPEN
• SPEECH
• HANDY
• ADDRESS
• PETITION
• ENVELOPE
• PUSH
• ACCESSIBLE
• NAME
• NEARBY
• ASSEMBLY
• EXIT

NYT Connections today (game #798) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Local places
• GREEN: Put it in the post
• BLUE: Seen at an entrance 
• PURPLE: Protected by the US Constitution

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 #798) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: CONVENIENTLY LOCATED
• GREEN: NEEDS FOR SENDING A LETTER 
• BLUE: WORDS ON A DOOR 
• PURPLE: FIRST AMENDMENT FREEDOMS

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

NYT Connections today (game #798) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #798, are…

• YELLOW: CONVENIENTLY LOCATED ACCESSIBLE, CLOSE, HANDY, NEARBY
• GREEN: NEEDS FOR SENDING A LETTER ADDRESS, ENVELOPE, NAME, STAMP
• BLUE: WORDS ON A DOOR EXIT, OPEN, PUSH, WELCOME
• PURPLE: FIRST AMENDMENT FREEDOMS ASSEMBLY, PETITION, PRESS, SPEECH

• My rating: Easy
• My score: 1 mistake

I made one mistake today and it came from rushing to put together a quartet before properly considering all 16 tiles. 

Thinking I was collecting words linked to pressure on an opposing team, I grouped together PRESS, CLOSE, PUSH and ADDRESS.

I abandoned this pursuit and studied the board a bit more carefully immediately seeing NEEDS FOR SENDING A LETTER and then FIRST AMENDMENT FREEDOMS, something I’m surprised warranted being a purple group.

The oddity of the round for me was completely overlooking the yellow group – something on reflection I really should have seen ahead of anything else.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, August 16, game #797)

• YELLOW: INTREPIDITY FORTITUDE, GRIT, PLUCK, RESOLVE
• GREEN: RENOVATIONS CONSTRUCTION, REPAIRS, UPGRADES, WORK
• BLUE: TROUNCE CREAM, CRUSH, ROUT, SHELLAC
• PURPLE: KINDS OF SOFT/LIGHTWEIGHT PAPER CREPE, ROLLING, TISSUE, TOILET

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.

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, August 16 (game #531).

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 #532) - hint #1 - today's themeWhat is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Think again!

NYT Strands today (game #532) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• TINT
• GRAIN
• STEER
• FILTH
• TRIVIA
• TUNA

NYT Strands today (game #532) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 10 letters

NYT Strands today (game #532) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: bottom, 4th column

Last side: top, 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 #532) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #532, are…

• CREATIVITY
• FEELINGS
• SPONTANEITY
• INTUITION
• SPANGRAM: RIGHT BRAIN

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

The day after giving us the theme of left brain with a spangram running down the left of the puzzle, today Strands followed it up with RIGHT BRAIN. 

Activities associated with this side of our brains are those that involve visual-spatial processing and imagination, whereas the left involve logical, analytical, and sequential processing (I engaged the center of my brain – which I like to call 'Google' – to bring you these facts).

Despite the tricky words – SPONTANEITY always trips me up – this was a relatively easy puzzle to complete, but a worthwhile exercise all the same, as it’s always nice to be reminded about the wonder of our brains and the multitudes they contain.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, August 16, game #531)

• LOGIC
• ANALYSIS
• LANGUAGE
• NUMBERS
• ORDER 
• REASON
• SPANGRAM: LEFT BRAIN

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.

The Balanguera kick off their title defense at the Estadi Mallorca Son Moix.

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• James Gunn has dropped a big hint about Supergirl's age rating
• The DC Studios co-CEO indicated that "everyone" will be able to see it
• Gunn's comment suggests it'll have a similar rating to Superman

James Gunn had dropped the biggest hint yet over Supergirl's age rating – and, if you were expecting it to a mature movie, you'll be disappointed.

Speaking as part of a roundtable attended by TechRadar to promote Peacemaker season 2, Gunn heavily implied that the Milly Alcock-starring DC Universe (DCU) film won't be as age-restricted as some viewers might have expected. Instead, Gunn indicated that it'll fall within the same bracket as Gunn's Superman movie, which carried a PG-13 rating in the US and a 12A classification in the UK.

As part of a wider answer about how each DCU Chapter One project's age rating is determined, especially in a shared cinematic world where characters from R-rated productions could appear in more family-oriented ones and vice versa, Gunn replied: "I think it's exciting to be able to tell different stories for different groups of people.

"So, you know, Superman was for everyone. Peacemaker is for an adult audience. Supergirl will be for everyone. We have the Krypto shorts [included on Superman's forthcoming physical release] that are for children. Then, we have Clayface, which is an R-rated horror film. So, I really like the idea of telling truly different tales within a singular universe."

Have you seen #Superman in theaters yet? pic.twitter.com/p4s60RWBXdAugust 9, 2025

Supergirl, which was known as Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow until Gunn confirmed its shorter title in June, will be the next DCU film that flies into theaters. Supergirl's official release date was confirmed in June 2024, and it'll make its global theatrical debut on June 26, 2026.

We haven't had to wait for our first glimpse of Alcock in Gunn and Peter Safran's new-look DC comic-book universe, either. In January, the movie's first image showed Alcock's Kara Zor-El in a place that'll be very familiar to DC comic fans. Then, after teasing that Superman would include characters Gunn hadn't publicly revealed yet, one of the DCU film's final scenes included a crowd-pleasing cameo from Alcock's Kryptonian – and that 30-second teaser was all I needed to have full confidence in the DCU's Supergirl movie.

Following Kara's all-too-brief appearance in her cousin's latest big-screen adventure, Supergirl's first poster revealed a near-full first look at her superhero costume, and put a rebellious spin on Superman's 'Look up' tagline. If you were expecting her to be a squeaky clean as Clark Kent/Kal-El, you're sorely mistaken.

For more on the DCU's next silver-screen project, check out my dedicated guide on Supergirl and then find out why Jason Momoa's Lobo is such a vital part of its story.

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I’m a little late to the table, but I’ve recently started season 4 of The Bear on Disney+ with the hope that the slow simmering of season 3 is replaced with one that reaches the boiling points of the earlier ones.

It’s early days for me to fully chew into what season 4 has on the menu, but the steaks have been raised and it looks appetizing to add to my TV series diet. Yet there’s one ingredient in The Bear that’s made in through all four seasons, and has started to turn sour.

This could ruin The Bear for you, regardless of which season you’re on, as once you see it, there’s potentially no going back…

Heady flavors

That thing is the nodding. So. Much. Nodding.

Very noticeable in the first two seasons, to my eyes, every time key characters have a deep and meaningful interaction, they tend to nod a lot at each other. Speech pauses, the camera fixes on their individual faces and cuts between them, nodding to each other.

Fixing on faces and having slower moments is a fine tool to emphasise the emotion or impact of a scene, especially when the story is centered on chef Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto’s coping with trauma, death, and a dysfunctional restaurant. And Carmy’s nodding is almost a signature emote brought to the character by actor Jeremy Allan White.

This is all fine until you start to notice other actors and characters also nodding away in close-up scenes, often with eyes full of sadness or damp emotion. Used a few times, it’s a neat touch and seasons a scene or interaction.

Can we appreciate Carmy’s signature head nod for a moment??? from r/TheBear

As such, now that we’ve got to season 4, I find myself struggling to watch The Bear without fixating on spotting the incessant nodding, be it big and bold or just a subtle dusting of y-axis head movement. Though with a little sprinkle of irony, I don’t think this season is quite as full of nodding as the others, with the exception of Carmy’s bobbing head.

But there’s still a heck of a lot of slow scenes with characters staring into the void or at each other, which I fear is blunting the pace of The Bear and leaving episodes to feel a bit spongy in terms of proper narrative progression.

The Bear is less about food and more about the characters as they process challenges and changes, jeopardy and joy, all in the pressure cooker of a busy restaurant kitchen. But after the frenetic pace of the first two seasons and some standout episodes, The Bear’s focus on the characters is starting to taste a little samey without much in the way of big changes to push the narrative forward at a speed that’s in sync with the 30-minute runtime of each episode.

It feels like more development could be coming after my appetiser of two episodes. My hope is that season 4 rounds out with a perfectly baked story, and characters that don’t feel like they’ve been left in the emotional oven for too long or underdone like Edwin Lee Gibson’s Ebraheim, who I felt didn't get much time to sizzle on screen.

And I do hope the nodding is kept in check, as otherwise I’m going to be driven slowly mad by The Bear, which would be a shame given a fifth season has been greenlit.

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• England’s drought was declared nationally significant after the driest six months since records began in 1976
• The UK government urges the public to delete old files as part of a nationwide water conservation strategy
• Hosepipe bans remain in place while reservoirs across England drop to alarmingly low seasonal levels

The UK government has proposed an unconventional way to contribute to water conservation during the country’s ongoing drought - deleting old emails and pictures.

ThE suggestion came from the National Drought Group, which includes government agencies, water companies, and environmental experts.

The ongoing drought in England has been declared a “national incident” following the driest six months since 1976.

Six months of extreme dryness prompt government-level alert

The reasoning behind the advice is linked to the operation of data centers, which support services such as email hosting, cloud storage, and email services.

These facilities use large volumes of water to cool servers and maintain optimal performance, so by reducing the amount of stored data, the argument goes, demand on data center capacity could be lowered, potentially cutting water consumption.

However, the real-world effect of such personal digital cleanups is uncertain.

While data centers do consume large amounts of water, particularly in high-density computing operations, experts have not presented clear evidence showing that deleting small amounts of personal data measurably reduces their cooling needs.

Critics suggest that structural changes, like reducing leaks and improving water infrastructure, would have a more immediate and tangible impact.

The drought has already prompted hosepipe bans in parts of Yorkshire, the South East, and other affected regions.

Reservoirs have dropped to 67.7% capacity on average across England, far below the early August norm of over 80%.

Some are now below 50%, with river flows at historically low levels in certain areas.

Prolonged dry conditions and multiple heatwaves have worsened the situation, affecting agriculture, wildlife, and public water supply.

Water companies have intensified leak repairs, with some fixing over 800 each week, and smart meters are being used to identify problem areas.

Public awareness campaigns have encouraged traditional water-saving actions such as taking shorter showers, fixing leaking toilets, and collecting rainwater for garden use.

The inclusion of a digital storage cleanup in official conservation messaging reflects a broader recognition that water consumption is linked not only to domestic and industrial activities, but also to the infrastructure supporting online life.

The growing demand for cloud storage and generative AI has added to the load on data centers, and environmental reports have shown measurable water use from AI processing tasks.

Whether deleting old files will have an impact on water supplies remains open to question.

However, England is in dire need of a solution for the drought, and small, everyday actions, whether at home or online, are part of the collective effort to protect the country’s strained water resources.

"Simple, everyday choices, such as turning off a tap or deleting old emails, also help the collective effort to reduce demand and help preserve the health of our rivers and wildlife," said Helen Wakeham, Director of Water at the Environment Agency.

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