Technology

Anthropic's experiments with giving Claude AI control of your computer are taking a new tone, literally. Voice control could potentially change how you get your device to operate. The AI assistant developer has teamed with Hume AI and its new Empathic Voice Interface (EVI) 2 to give Claude a grasp of the emotion behind our words and responds in kind.

That's about more than just matching your vibe in a conversation. It smooths the connection between what you say and how Claude can control your computer. Essentially, EVI 2 turns your voice into text and sends it to Claude. Claude then controls the computer, moving the mouse, clicking buttons, and even taking screenshots. Claude then uses plain language to explain its process, text that EVI turns into natural-sounding, human-like speech. It's both a conversation and a way to complete tasks on a computer without a mouse or keyboard.

Hume wants AI to feel more natural and intuitive to use. Instead of typing commands or navigating clunky menus, you can have fluid, emotionally intelligent conversations with your devices.

Imagine telling your laptop, “I’m feeling a little overwhelmed. Can you organize my to-do list?” and having it respond in a soothing voice with just the right balance of empathy and efficiency while actually talking you through your list and putting it together on the screen in front of you. You can see how it works in the video below.

Voice control

"By integrating Claude with EVI, we've created something truly special. Claude's frontier natural language capabilities and personality complement EVI's expression understanding and empathy, so EVI can “act out” Claude’s responses and generate fluid, context-aware conversations that feel remarkably human,” Hume founder Alan Cowen explained in a blog post. "Claude is very eloquent. It has a really good personality that people enjoy talking to."

It's becoming more common to give generative AI assistants voice interfaces, whether ChatGPT's Advanced Voice Mode or Microsoft's Copilot Voice. The latest AI models allow for adaptive assistants that can respond when you interrupt and switch topics easily – far more so than earlier voice assistants from Amazon or Google. Combine that with control over your computer, and suddenly, new horizons open. Technology becomes more accessible to people with disabilities or those doing other things with their hands simultaneously, making multitasking easier.

Of course, any kinks will need to be worked out. The equivalent of an AI hallucination could be disastrous if the AI also has control over your files and messaging services. Plus, privacy becomes even more important when the digital equivalent of keystrokes and browser history becomes part of the AI record. Even so, this deal between Hume AI and Anthropic is still a big step for personalizing AI when it comes to computer control.

You might also like

• A new AI feature can control your computer to follow your orders
• You and your friends can now share and remix your favorite conversations with the Claude AI chatbot
• Claude joins the AI chatbot desktop app rush but leaves some features behind

Anthropic's experiments with giving Claude AI control of your computer are taking a new tone, literally. Voice control could potentially change how you get your device to operate. The AI assistant developer has teamed with Hume AI and its new Empathic Voice Interface (EVI) 2 to give Claude a grasp of the emotion behind our words and responds in kind.

That's about more than just matching your vibe in a conversation. It smooths the connection between what you say and how Claude can control your computer. Essentially, EVI 2 turns your voice into text and sends it to Claude. Claude then controls the computer, moving the mouse, clicking buttons, and even taking screenshots. Claude then uses plain language to explain its process, text that EVI turns into natural-sounding, human-like speech. It's both a conversation and a way to complete tasks on a computer without a mouse or keyboard.

Hume wants AI to feel more natural and intuitive to use. Instead of typing commands or navigating clunky menus, you can have fluid, emotionally intelligent conversations with your devices.

Imagine telling your laptop, “I’m feeling a little overwhelmed. Can you organize my to-do list?” and having it respond in a soothing voice with just the right balance of empathy and efficiency while actually talking you through your list and putting it together on the screen in front of you. You can see how it works in the video below.

Voice control

"By integrating Claude with EVI, we've created something truly special. Claude's frontier natural language capabilities and personality complement EVI's expression understanding and empathy, so EVI can “act out” Claude’s responses and generate fluid, context-aware conversations that feel remarkably human,” Hume founder Alan Cowen explained in a blog post. "Claude is very eloquent. It has a really good personality that people enjoy talking to."

It's becoming more common to give generative AI assistants voice interfaces, whether ChatGPT's Advanced Voice Mode or Microsoft's Copilot Voice. The latest AI models allow for adaptive assistants that can respond when you interrupt and switch topics easily – far more so than earlier voice assistants from Amazon or Google. Combine that with control over your computer, and suddenly, new horizons open. Technology becomes more accessible to people with disabilities or those doing other things with their hands simultaneously, making multitasking easier.

Of course, any kinks will need to be worked out. The equivalent of an AI hallucination could be disastrous if the AI also has control over your files and messaging services. Plus, privacy becomes even more important when the digital equivalent of keystrokes and browser history becomes part of the AI record. Even so, this deal between Hume AI and Anthropic is still a big step for personalizing AI when it comes to computer control.

You might also like

• A new AI feature can control your computer to follow your orders
• You and your friends can now share and remix your favorite conversations with the Claude AI chatbot
• Claude joins the AI chatbot desktop app rush but leaves some features behind

IPVanish has made a few small strides since my previous review, but I’m hopeful for its planned improvements in 2024.

App makers can try out a handful of new features coming in next year's Android 16, which is launching three months ahead of schedule.

Real people. Real advice.

The switch caused NASA to lose contact with the far-flying probe for a few days in October.

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 clues.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Wordle hints and answers, Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too.

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 #534) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• PLAZA
• OVERLOOK
• BONUS
• DISCOUNT
• CLUB
• PROMOTION
• RITZ
• ANIMAL
• RAISE
• TURTLE
• GOLDFISH
• FORGET
• PUG
• IGNORE
• EQUITY
• ELOISE

NYT Connections today (game #534) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• Yellow: Better than being fired
• Green: Don't think about
• Blue: Types of thin, baked food
• Purple: Appear in a classic book

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 #534) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: GOOD THINGS TO GET AT WORK
• GREEN: DISREGARD
• BLUE: KINDS OF CRACKERS
• PURPLE: FEATURED IN “ELOISE”

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

NYT Connections today (game #534) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #534, are…

• YELLOW: GOOD THINGS TO GET AT WORK BONUS, EQUITY, PROMOTION, RAISE
• GREEN: DISREGARD DISCOUNT, FORGET, IGNORE, OVERLOOK
• BLUE: KINDS OF CRACKERS ANIMAL, CLUB, GOLDFISH, RITZ
• PURPLE: FEATURED IN “ELOISE” ELOISE, PLAZA, PUG, TURTLE

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: Perfect

Before I started writing this today I had no idea who or what ELOISE was. Nothing at all about it had ever crossed my cultural path, to the extent that when the answer popped up it wasn't one of those 'Oh, of course' moments, or even an 'Oh, I've vaguely heard of that' situations, but purely one of 'Er, what's that'. I know now that it was a 1950s illustrated book, but I'm completely baffled as to why it's an answer here. It doesn't even appear to be that famous – the entire first page of Google is about a song with that name or a 2007 movie. I can only imagine that it was a favorite of the NYT puzzle setters. Very strange.

Anyway, that was purple, and the good news for me was that it didn't impact my game at all, because I was able to solve the three easier groups instead. I did them in order of difficulty, starting with yellow (GOOD THINGS TO GET AT WORK) and green (DISREGARD), both of which were very simple, before (inevitably) getting stuck on the final groups. Eventually I put RITZ and GOLDFISH together as KINDS OF CRACKERS, and though I wasn't certain about CLUB or ANIMAL I had a hunch that they were right – a hunch of the kind I didn't get about ELOISE, because it had simply never fired a single one of my neurons at any point in the past. But now it has, so I guess that's a positive thing.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Monday, 25 November, game #533)

• YELLOW: ATTAIN EARN, LAND, SCORE, WIN
• GREEN: LARGE GROUP CROWD, FLOCK, HOST, SEA
• BLUE: PARTS OF A SHIP ANCHOR, BOW, BRIDGE, DECK
• PURPLE: ASSOCIATED PRINCIPLES IN CHINESE PHILOSOPHY EXPANSIVE, LIGHT, MASCULINE, YANG

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.

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 clues.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Wordle hints and answers, Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too.

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 #534) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• PLAZA
• OVERLOOK
• BONUS
• DISCOUNT
• CLUB
• PROMOTION
• RITZ
• ANIMAL
• RAISE
• TURTLE
• GOLDFISH
• FORGET
• PUG
• IGNORE
• EQUITY
• ELOISE

NYT Connections today (game #534) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• Yellow: Better than being fired
• Green: Don't think about
• Blue: Types of thin, baked food
• Purple: Appear in a classic book

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 #534) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: GOOD THINGS TO GET AT WORK
• GREEN: DISREGARD
• BLUE: KINDS OF CRACKERS
• PURPLE: FEATURED IN “ELOISE”

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

NYT Connections today (game #534) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #534, are…

• YELLOW: GOOD THINGS TO GET AT WORK BONUS, EQUITY, PROMOTION, RAISE
• GREEN: DISREGARD DISCOUNT, FORGET, IGNORE, OVERLOOK
• BLUE: KINDS OF CRACKERS ANIMAL, CLUB, GOLDFISH, RITZ
• PURPLE: FEATURED IN “ELOISE” ELOISE, PLAZA, PUG, TURTLE

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: Perfect

Before I started writing this today I had no idea who or what ELOISE was. Nothing at all about it had ever crossed my cultural path, to the extent that when the answer popped up it wasn't one of those 'Oh, of course' moments, or even an 'Oh, I've vaguely heard of that' situations, but purely one of 'Er, what's that'. I know now that it was a 1950s illustrated book, but I'm completely baffled as to why it's an answer here. It doesn't even appear to be that famous – the entire first page of Google is about a song with that name or a 2007 movie. I can only imagine that it was a favorite of the NYT puzzle setters. Very strange.

Anyway, that was purple, and the good news for me was that it didn't impact my game at all, because I was able to solve the three easier groups instead. I did them in order of difficulty, starting with yellow (GOOD THINGS TO GET AT WORK) and green (DISREGARD), both of which were very simple, before (inevitably) getting stuck on the final groups. Eventually I put RITZ and GOLDFISH together as KINDS OF CRACKERS, and though I wasn't certain about CLUB or ANIMAL I had a hunch that they were right – a hunch of the kind I didn't get about ELOISE, because it had simply never fired a single one of my neurons at any point in the past. But now it has, so I guess that's a positive thing.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Monday, 25 November, game #533)

• YELLOW: ATTAIN EARN, LAND, SCORE, WIN
• GREEN: LARGE GROUP CROWD, FLOCK, HOST, SEA
• BLUE: PARTS OF A SHIP ANCHOR, BOW, BRIDGE, DECK
• PURPLE: ASSOCIATED PRINCIPLES IN CHINESE PHILOSOPHY EXPANSIVE, LIGHT, MASCULINE, YANG

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.

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,000 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 Wordle today, NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles.

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 #1037) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 5*.

* 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 #1037) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 0.

Quordle today (game #1037) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do 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 #1037) - 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 #1037) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• P

• F

• H

• W

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

Quordle today (game #1037) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1037, are…

• PRIED
• FAINT
• HURRY
• WOOER

There are three things that you need to know about today's game. One, I lost. Again. Two, that was my own fault to a large extent, the result of a really stupid mistake, then a poor strategic decision. And three – I'm delighted about it all, because it's a great story (well, to an extent; it's not Catch-22).

That's because the answer I lost on, WOOER, is my nemesis; the only answer I ever failed on Wordle's first 1250-odd games. I'd played it via the original Wordle archive some time after the game launched (and before the NYT unceremoniously shut it down) and was defeated by its combination of being an ER word, having a repeated letter, containing a very unusual format with three vowels in a row, and it being a slightly ridiculous word that people generally don't use in real life.

I think I would have failed it again even if I hadn't have messed up my fourth guess, going for PRIDE when it couldn't be the answer (it was PRIED), but we'll never know. Instead, I'll have to accept another Quordle loss, and another loss to WOOER.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Daily Sequence today (game #1037) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1037, are…

• GECKO
• ROUSE
• NOBLY
• AFTER

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1036, Monday 25 November: NUDGE, SNOOP, SHACK, DRYLY
• Quordle #1035, Sunday 24 November: CLOTH, CLAMP, PETTY, CHEST
• Quordle #1034, Saturday 23 November: AVOID, PLANT, FILET, TWIRL
• Quordle #1033, Friday 22 November: CUTIE, ALOOF, ETUDE, SILLY
• Quordle #1032, Thursday 21 November: RABBI, EAGER, COUGH, BRASH
• Quordle #1031, Wednesday 20 November: MINTY, TOPAZ, BRUSH, LAPEL
• Quordle #1030, Tuesday 19 November: NINJA, PENCE, PAINT, FOIST
• Quordle #1029, Monday 18 November: ASCOT, BRINK, WEIRD, HOMER
• Quordle #1028, Sunday 17 November: STATE, BRAWN, SWORE, URBAN
• Quordle #1027, Saturday 16 November: NOTCH, BENCH, BUSED, FOUND
• Quordle #1026, Friday 15 November: PURER, TRUSS, TORCH, FORUM
• Quordle #1025, Thursday 14 November: EXALT, TASTE, CRONY, CLOUT
• Quordle #1024, Wednesday 13 November: YEARN, ELBOW, SURGE, PINEY
• Quordle #1023, Tuesday 12 November: CHORD, ATTIC, OLIVE, EIGHT
• Quordle #1022, Monday 11 November: COPSE, REGAL, GRUNT, GOODY
• Quordle #1021, Sunday 10 November: GROIN, FAULT, FERRY, SUITE
• Quordle #1020, Saturday 9 November: FLUME, THERE, ATOLL, SANER
• Quordle #1019, Friday 8 November: DELAY, NAVAL, MOLAR, SWARM
• Quordle #1018, Thursday 7 November: REPAY, SYNOD, LOATH, PITHY
• Quordle #1017, Wednesday 6 November: SASSY, DRUID, THREW, SLOSH

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,000 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 Wordle today, NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles.

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 #1037) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 5*.

* 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 #1037) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 0.

Quordle today (game #1037) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do 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 #1037) - 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 #1037) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• P

• F

• H

• W

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

Quordle today (game #1037) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1037, are…

• PRIED
• FAINT
• HURRY
• WOOER

There are three things that you need to know about today's game. One, I lost. Again. Two, that was my own fault to a large extent, the result of a really stupid mistake, then a poor strategic decision. And three – I'm delighted about it all, because it's a great story (well, to an extent; it's not Catch-22).

That's because the answer I lost on, WOOER, is my nemesis; the only answer I ever failed on Wordle's first 1250-odd games. I'd played it via the original Wordle archive some time after the game launched (and before the NYT unceremoniously shut it down) and was defeated by its combination of being an ER word, having a repeated letter, containing a very unusual format with three vowels in a row, and it being a slightly ridiculous word that people generally don't use in real life.

I think I would have failed it again even if I hadn't have messed up my fourth guess, going for PRIDE when it couldn't be the answer (it was PRIED), but we'll never know. Instead, I'll have to accept another Quordle loss, and another loss to WOOER.

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Daily Sequence today (game #1037) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1037, are…

• GECKO
• ROUSE
• NOBLY
• AFTER

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1036, Monday 25 November: NUDGE, SNOOP, SHACK, DRYLY
• Quordle #1035, Sunday 24 November: CLOTH, CLAMP, PETTY, CHEST
• Quordle #1034, Saturday 23 November: AVOID, PLANT, FILET, TWIRL
• Quordle #1033, Friday 22 November: CUTIE, ALOOF, ETUDE, SILLY
• Quordle #1032, Thursday 21 November: RABBI, EAGER, COUGH, BRASH
• Quordle #1031, Wednesday 20 November: MINTY, TOPAZ, BRUSH, LAPEL
• Quordle #1030, Tuesday 19 November: NINJA, PENCE, PAINT, FOIST
• Quordle #1029, Monday 18 November: ASCOT, BRINK, WEIRD, HOMER
• Quordle #1028, Sunday 17 November: STATE, BRAWN, SWORE, URBAN
• Quordle #1027, Saturday 16 November: NOTCH, BENCH, BUSED, FOUND
• Quordle #1026, Friday 15 November: PURER, TRUSS, TORCH, FORUM
• Quordle #1025, Thursday 14 November: EXALT, TASTE, CRONY, CLOUT
• Quordle #1024, Wednesday 13 November: YEARN, ELBOW, SURGE, PINEY
• Quordle #1023, Tuesday 12 November: CHORD, ATTIC, OLIVE, EIGHT
• Quordle #1022, Monday 11 November: COPSE, REGAL, GRUNT, GOODY
• Quordle #1021, Sunday 10 November: GROIN, FAULT, FERRY, SUITE
• Quordle #1020, Saturday 9 November: FLUME, THERE, ATOLL, SANER
• Quordle #1019, Friday 8 November: DELAY, NAVAL, MOLAR, SWARM
• Quordle #1018, Thursday 7 November: REPAY, SYNOD, LOATH, PITHY
• Quordle #1017, Wednesday 6 November: SASSY, DRUID, THREW, SLOSH

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 Wordle today, NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games.

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 #268) - hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Open-and-shut case

NYT Strands today (game #268) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• BEAR
• SEAL
• REAR
• HALF
• BOSS
• BAKE

NYT Strands today (game #268) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• On-the-go storage

NYT Strands today (game #268) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First: left, 5th row

Last: 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 #268) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #268, are…

• TOTE
• BARREL
• MESSENGER
• BUCKET
• DUFFEL
• CROSSBODY
• SPANGRAM: HANDBAGS

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 2 hints

Full disclosure: I am not an expert in HANDBAGS and struggled to solve today's game, let alone write about it. So don't expect too much in the way of entertaining or enlightening insight here (not that you necessarily get that on any day).

So yes, HANDBAGS. Those things you carry stuff around in. Apparently BARREL and BUCKET and DUFFEL and CROSSBODY are all examples, but I didn't know that until now. TOTE and MESSENGER too, but I thought of them more as bags in general, rather than handbags. I accept that I was wrong about this. I solved it by using two hints, then looking for random words, rather than knowing they might be answers. It took a while and was tedious and I'm glad the whole ordeal is over now. If, however, you do know about handbags then I suspect it was a lot more fun. This is all very much my failing, rather than the game's (on this occasion).

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, 25 November, game #267)

• DATE
• MONTH
• HOLIDAY
• YEAR
• EVENT
• WEEK
• APPOINTMENT
• SPANGRAM: CALENDAR

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and 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.

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 Wordle today, NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games.

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 #268) - hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Open-and-shut case

NYT Strands today (game #268) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• BEAR
• SEAL
• REAR
• HALF
• BOSS
• BAKE

NYT Strands today (game #268) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• On-the-go storage

NYT Strands today (game #268) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First: left, 5th row

Last: 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 #268) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #268, are…

• TOTE
• BARREL
• MESSENGER
• BUCKET
• DUFFEL
• CROSSBODY
• SPANGRAM: HANDBAGS

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 2 hints

Full disclosure: I am not an expert in HANDBAGS and struggled to solve today's game, let alone write about it. So don't expect too much in the way of entertaining or enlightening insight here (not that you necessarily get that on any day).

So yes, HANDBAGS. Those things you carry stuff around in. Apparently BARREL and BUCKET and DUFFEL and CROSSBODY are all examples, but I didn't know that until now. TOTE and MESSENGER too, but I thought of them more as bags in general, rather than handbags. I accept that I was wrong about this. I solved it by using two hints, then looking for random words, rather than knowing they might be answers. It took a while and was tedious and I'm glad the whole ordeal is over now. If, however, you do know about handbags then I suspect it was a lot more fun. This is all very much my failing, rather than the game's (on this occasion).

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, 25 November, game #267)

• DATE
• MONTH
• HOLIDAY
• YEAR
• EVENT
• WEEK
• APPOINTMENT
• SPANGRAM: CALENDAR

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now out of beta so is a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable and 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.

For cable internet, Spectrum is your best bet. Our CNET experts found the fastest upload speeds and cheapest plans in Traverse City.

While fast internet speeds can be hard to come by, there are quite a few reliable internet service providers in Vermont.

With this CNET-exclusive code, you can get an additional $200 off the Engwe EP-2 Pro electric bike, which is already on sale for Black Friday.

Is a Modern Warfare battle pass weapon part of a meta loadout? The Armory lets you level the playing field.

The still-rumored Samsung Galaxy S25 and its siblings could rank among the absolute best phones of 2025, and there’s probably not long to wait for them, with a launch rumored for January.

While nothing will be known for certain about these phones until then, we do have a good idea of what to expect, as there has been an influx of leaks and rumors.

As such, combined with our own educated guesses, we’ve been able to collate a partial list of the likely specs you’ll find on these phones, which we’ve detailed below.

Samsung Galaxy 25 rumored specs

The Samsung Galaxy S24 (Image credit: Future | Roland Moore-Colyer)

The base Samsung Galaxy S25 won’t have as much high-end tech as the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, but this phone could still impress.

Rumors suggest the Samsung Galaxy S25 will have a roughly 6.2-inch screen, and while the resolution has not been leaked, we predict it will be 1080 x 2340, just like the Samsung Galaxy S24, since the rumored screen size is the same.

That would translate to a pixel density of around 416 pixels per inch, and the Samsung Galaxy S25 is also sure to have a 120Hz refresh rate, since its predecessor does, and since higher refresh rates are typically reserved for gaming phones.

There has been some disagreement over which chipset will be used, but sources seem to now agree that the Samsung Galaxy S25 will be equipped with a Snapdragon 8 Elite, which is Qualcomm’s top smartphone chipset.

Multiple leaks also suggest the Samsung Galaxy S25 will have 12GB of RAM. That’s more than the 8GB in the Galaxy S24. But even if these leaks are right, it’s possible there will also be 8GB models.

Storage capacities are unknown for now, but we predict Samsung will once again go with 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB models – though it’s not impossible that the 128GB model will be ditched or that a 1TB version will be added.

For cameras, TechManiacs reports that they’ll be the same as on the Samsung Galaxy S24, meaning a 50-megapixel primary camera, a 12MP ultra-wide, a 10MP telephoto (with 3x optical zoom), and a 12MP front-facing camera.

We’d take this with a pinch of salt since we’ve only heard it from one source, but the fact that we haven’t heard other camera leaks rather suggests that not much is changing.

Finally, we’ve heard that the Samsung Galaxy S25 might also have the same size battery as the S24, at 4,000mAh.

Samsung Galaxy 25 Plus rumored specs

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Information tidbits suggest that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus will have a 6.66-inch screen, which will probably be marketed as 6.7 inches, just like the display on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus.

We can guess, therefore, that its other screen specs might largely match the S24 Plus too, perhaps meaning a 1440 x 3120 resolution for around 513 pixels per inch. And the Galaxy S25 Plus will also almost certainly have a 120Hz refresh rate, since that’s the standard for high-end handsets.

For the chipset, we’re expecting a Snapdragon 8 Elite. In fact, the Snapdragon 8 Elite will probably be used in every Galaxy S25-series model. Some benchmarks suggest the Snapdragon 8 Elite could even perform better than the chipset in the iPhone 16 Pro Max, so this could be a big win for Samsung.

That chipset will reportedly be joined by 12GB of RAM in the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus, which would be no change from the Galaxy S24 Plus. There’s no word yet on storage, but there’s a good chance Samsung will stick with the same capacities as the current model, meaning 256GB and 512GB versions.

Our only real camera information comes from the TechManiacs report linked in the Samsung Galaxy S25 section, pointing to the same megapixel counts as the Galaxy S24 Plus. That would mean a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide camera, a 10MP telephoto camera (probably with 3x optical zoom), and a 12MP selfie snapper.

And we’ve heard from that same source that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus will have a 4,900mAh battery, just like its predecessor.

Samsung Galaxy 25 Ultra rumored specs

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The best specs are likely to be reserved for the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, which rumors suggest will have a 6.86-inch screen, likely to be marketed as 6.9 inches. That will make it marginally larger than the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra’s 6.8-inch display.

We haven’t heard what resolution the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s screen will be, but given the likely size increase there’s a chance it will be higher than the 1440 x 3120 of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. We also haven’t heard what the refresh rate will be, but we’re almost certain it will be 120Hz, since that’s the standard for most high-end phones.

As with the rest of the Samsung Galaxy S25 series, it’s reported that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra will have a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, and in fact we’re even more sure this phone will get that than the other models, since some earlier leaks pointed to other chipsets for the rest of the line, but not for this.

We’ve also heard that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra might have 16GB of RAM, though it’s not clear whether that would be the starting amount or just the amount you get in the top configuration. Either way though, that’s an improvement on the 12GB found in every configuration of the Galaxy S24 Ultra, and it should help give any Galaxy AI features a boost.

There’s no news on storage, but the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra comes in a choice of 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB, and we’d think those same capacities are likely to be offered again.

The cameras could get an upgrade though, with sources suggesting the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra will have a new 50MP ultra-wide camera, up from 12MP on the current model. However, the other cameras reportedly won’t be changing, meaning a 200MP main sensor, a 50MP 5x telephoto, and a 10MP 3x telephoto, along probably with a 12MP camera on the front.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra’s battery also reportedly won’t be any bigger than the S24 Ultra’s, with leaks suggesting it will once again be 5,000mAh, and will once again charge at 45W.

Samsung Galaxy 25 Slim rumored specs

The Samsung Galaxy S24 (Image credit: Future | Roland Moore-Colyer)

Along with the Samsung Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25 Plus, and Galaxy S25 Ultra, leaks have suggested a Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim is on the way, and this might land alongside the other models.

However, we don’t know much about it yet. From what we’ve heard, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim could have a better camera than the base Galaxy S25. One tip even suggests the Galaxy S25 Slim will have an ‘Ultra’-level camera.

So it may impress for photography, and of course it should also be thinner than the rest of the S25 series, though reportedly Samsung hasn’t been able to make the S25 Slim as thin at it would like.

We don’t really know anything else about this phone, which is why we haven’t included a specs chart. But we can predict that it will probably have a 120Hz refresh rate and a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset like the rest of the S25 line.

You might also like

• Samsung Galaxy S25 price rumors: how much is the S25 line likely to cost?
• Samsung Galaxy S25 release date predictions: when are these phones likely to launch?
• Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra – 5 of the biggest expected upgrades

The still-rumored Samsung Galaxy S25 and its siblings could rank among the absolute best phones of 2025, and there’s probably not long to wait for them, with a launch rumored for January.

While nothing will be known for certain about these phones until then, we do have a good idea of what to expect, as there has been an influx of leaks and rumors.

As such, combined with our own educated guesses, we’ve been able to collate a partial list of the likely specs you’ll find on these phones, which we’ve detailed below.

Samsung Galaxy 25 rumored specs

The Samsung Galaxy S24 (Image credit: Future | Roland Moore-Colyer)

The base Samsung Galaxy S25 won’t have as much high-end tech as the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, but this phone could still impress.

Rumors suggest the Samsung Galaxy S25 will have a roughly 6.2-inch screen, and while the resolution has not been leaked, we predict it will be 1080 x 2340, just like the Samsung Galaxy S24, since the rumored screen size is the same.

That would translate to a pixel density of around 416 pixels per inch, and the Samsung Galaxy S25 is also sure to have a 120Hz refresh rate, since its predecessor does, and since higher refresh rates are typically reserved for gaming phones.

There has been some disagreement over which chipset will be used, but sources seem to now agree that the Samsung Galaxy S25 will be equipped with a Snapdragon 8 Elite, which is Qualcomm’s top smartphone chipset.

Multiple leaks also suggest the Samsung Galaxy S25 will have 12GB of RAM. That’s more than the 8GB in the Galaxy S24. But even if these leaks are right, it’s possible there will also be 8GB models.

Storage capacities are unknown for now, but we predict Samsung will once again go with 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB models – though it’s not impossible that the 128GB model will be ditched or that a 1TB version will be added.

For cameras, TechManiacs reports that they’ll be the same as on the Samsung Galaxy S24, meaning a 50-megapixel primary camera, a 12MP ultra-wide, a 10MP telephoto (with 3x optical zoom), and a 12MP front-facing camera.

We’d take this with a pinch of salt since we’ve only heard it from one source, but the fact that we haven’t heard other camera leaks rather suggests that not much is changing.

Finally, we’ve heard that the Samsung Galaxy S25 might also have the same size battery as the S24, at 4,000mAh.

Samsung Galaxy 25 Plus rumored specs

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus (Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

Information tidbits suggest that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus will have a 6.66-inch screen, which will probably be marketed as 6.7 inches, just like the display on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus.

We can guess, therefore, that its other screen specs might largely match the S24 Plus too, perhaps meaning a 1440 x 3120 resolution for around 513 pixels per inch. And the Galaxy S25 Plus will also almost certainly have a 120Hz refresh rate, since that’s the standard for high-end handsets.

For the chipset, we’re expecting a Snapdragon 8 Elite. In fact, the Snapdragon 8 Elite will probably be used in every Galaxy S25-series model. Some benchmarks suggest the Snapdragon 8 Elite could even perform better than the chipset in the iPhone 16 Pro Max, so this could be a big win for Samsung.

That chipset will reportedly be joined by 12GB of RAM in the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus, which would be no change from the Galaxy S24 Plus. There’s no word yet on storage, but there’s a good chance Samsung will stick with the same capacities as the current model, meaning 256GB and 512GB versions.

Our only real camera information comes from the TechManiacs report linked in the Samsung Galaxy S25 section, pointing to the same megapixel counts as the Galaxy S24 Plus. That would mean a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide camera, a 10MP telephoto camera (probably with 3x optical zoom), and a 12MP selfie snapper.

And we’ve heard from that same source that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus will have a 4,900mAh battery, just like its predecessor.

Samsung Galaxy 25 Ultra rumored specs

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The best specs are likely to be reserved for the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, which rumors suggest will have a 6.86-inch screen, likely to be marketed as 6.9 inches. That will make it marginally larger than the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra’s 6.8-inch display.

We haven’t heard what resolution the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s screen will be, but given the likely size increase there’s a chance it will be higher than the 1440 x 3120 of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. We also haven’t heard what the refresh rate will be, but we’re almost certain it will be 120Hz, since that’s the standard for most high-end phones.

As with the rest of the Samsung Galaxy S25 series, it’s reported that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra will have a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, and in fact we’re even more sure this phone will get that than the other models, since some earlier leaks pointed to other chipsets for the rest of the line, but not for this.

We’ve also heard that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra might have 16GB of RAM, though it’s not clear whether that would be the starting amount or just the amount you get in the top configuration. Either way though, that’s an improvement on the 12GB found in every configuration of the Galaxy S24 Ultra, and it should help give any Galaxy AI features a boost.

There’s no news on storage, but the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra comes in a choice of 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB, and we’d think those same capacities are likely to be offered again.

The cameras could get an upgrade though, with sources suggesting the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra will have a new 50MP ultra-wide camera, up from 12MP on the current model. However, the other cameras reportedly won’t be changing, meaning a 200MP main sensor, a 50MP 5x telephoto, and a 10MP 3x telephoto, along probably with a 12MP camera on the front.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra’s battery also reportedly won’t be any bigger than the S24 Ultra’s, with leaks suggesting it will once again be 5,000mAh, and will once again charge at 45W.

Samsung Galaxy 25 Slim rumored specs

The Samsung Galaxy S24 (Image credit: Future | Roland Moore-Colyer)

Along with the Samsung Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25 Plus, and Galaxy S25 Ultra, leaks have suggested a Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim is on the way, and this might land alongside the other models.

However, we don’t know much about it yet. From what we’ve heard, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Slim could have a better camera than the base Galaxy S25. One tip even suggests the Galaxy S25 Slim will have an ‘Ultra’-level camera.

So it may impress for photography, and of course it should also be thinner than the rest of the S25 series, though reportedly Samsung hasn’t been able to make the S25 Slim as thin at it would like.

We don’t really know anything else about this phone, which is why we haven’t included a specs chart. But we can predict that it will probably have a 120Hz refresh rate and a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset like the rest of the S25 line.

You might also like

• Samsung Galaxy S25 price rumors: how much is the S25 line likely to cost?
• Samsung Galaxy S25 release date predictions: when are these phones likely to launch?
• Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra – 5 of the biggest expected upgrades

With its Qi2 15-watt wireless charging technology, this power bank has the ability to charge your devices two times faster, now for a new low price.

Elon Musk’s brain implant company is launching a new study to test whether its wireless device can control a robotic arm.