Technology

Apple has just revealed the iPhone 16e, its new budget phone to replace the aged iPhone SE, but it’s more than just a cheaper take on the iPhone 16, as it comes with a brand-new component: the C1 cellular modem.

That’s Apple’s first-ever modem chip created for an iPhone and marks what could be a major move from using Qualcomm modem chips, further letting the Cupertino crew have greater control over iPhone hardware at a granular level.

We don’t have a vast amount of information about the C1 modem chip. Still, Apple touted that it’s “the most power-efficient modem ever on an iPhone, delivering fast and reliable 5G cellular connectivity."

A fast and reliable 5G connection is to be expected, especially when the iPhone 16e is a $599 / 3599 / AU$999 phone, so it is hardly a slam-dunk contender for our best cheap phones list, at least in its current content. But what got my attention was the power-efficiency claim.

Unbelievably, I live in a part of London that has yet to get fiber internet connectivity, so when it comes to doing anything that requires a lot of bandwidth, say downloading a PS5 or Xbox Series X game, I need to tether to my iPhone 16 Pro Max to tap into the faster 5G connection.

This is fine until I look at how much battery gets gobbled up from using sustained 5G data transfer, plus the phone gets rather toasty to the touch.

If the C1 can significantly improve power efficiency, we could see the iPhone 16e, and perhaps the likes of the rumored iPhone 17 family, combat this by glugging less juice from the battery and getting less hot under the silicon collar.

Overall, we could see that iPhones improve on the already solid battery life that Apple phones tend to offer, though they are far from being the longest-lasting smartphones. At a time when we’re seeing demanding AI-powered tools and features pop up in the best phones, having improved power efficiency will become rather more important.

Chipping away

(Image credit: Apple)

Another interesting point that popped up when I dug into Apple’s iPhone 16e announcement is that the combination of the new C1 chip and the A18 chip, which can be found in the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, has allowed for a new internal design with the iPhone 16e.

Apple hasn’t gone into details here, but like in the world of cars, especially Formula One, new methods of packaging in components can lead to more efficient designs and potentially improved performance.

Or a new internal design for iPhones could yield new hardware features; maybe with next-generation iPhones, we could get a dedicated graphic processing unit separate from the A18 chip that could bring in huge graphics power to supercharge gaming and other graphically demanding tasks on iPhones.

This is just me pondering, of course. But if nothing else, a new internal design could yield more compact and slimmer iPhones.

So, while a new in-house-designed modem chip might not be the most exciting of new Apple components, it could be a bigger deal for future iPhones than one might first think.

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“I do not believe that DOGE can continue to deliver the work of USDS, based on their actions so far,” wrote Anne Marshall in a LinkedIn post on Wednesday.

• Instagram is continuing to expand what's possible in the DMs
• You can now schedule a message and easily translate one
• The bigger news dropped from JENNIE and Doechii as you can share music now

Sure, Instagram DMs might be best known as where you might shoot your shot with someone or send Reels to friends with common interests, but Meta wants them to be used as a core messaging service. At least, that’s what we think this pretty major expansion to Instagram DMs, which is rolling out now, indicates.

Just days after debuting the ability to give another user a nickname timed to Valentine’s Day, Instagram is rolling out four major improvements to its DMs. Starting with the ability to schedule a message, which I was surprised wasn’t already there. Instagram is now playing catch up with the likes of iMessage – which only got this feature in iOS 18 – Messenger, and WhatsApp.

Within Instagram, though, you can now write out a message – emojis, GIFs, and all – and schedule it to be sent later for individual or group messages. You can schedule one for up to 29 days in the future, which might prove fruitful if you need to be sure an important message will be sent, like for a friend's birthday or an anniversary with a loved one.

(Image credit: Instagram)

Further, Instagram knows its platform is global and that you might be messaging someone in another language. And rather than copying that message into another app or the web for a translation, you can now translate a message into 99 different languages right within Instagram. You can do this by long holding on to the message and selecting the translate option. This one could prove pretty handy.

Next, we’ve all been there when group messages get busy – it can be a constant onslaught of new items to read, and other messages or items shared can get lost in the mix. Instagram has a fix, well, at least one that could help, as you can now pin up to three messages to the top of an individual or a group chat. So, if you’re planning a weekend trip with friends, you can get the essential details up top.

Considering Instagram already integrates music into Stories and lets you share an adorable vinyl record spinning with artwork, it was only a matter of time before this feature arrived in messages. The result is that you can share your favorite tracks with your friends in a one-person or group message and listen to the track simultaneously.

You also don’t need to navigate out to Apple Music or Spotify to find the track as you can search for your favorite songs right in-line from a new pop-up menu. It’s similar to picking a track to share on Stories or as backing music for a Reel. Instagram actually partnered with JENNIE and Doechii to unveil this feature.

(Image credit: Instagram)

All of this stacks up to make messaging in DMs a bit more seamless but also to keep you more within Instagram rather than navigating out to other apps. Additionally, Instagram also now lets you generate a QR code so another user can easily join a group chat by just scanning it.

Let us know what your favorite feature of this Instagram DM drop is in the comments below, but in the meantime, I’m going to share some new music in a DM with my friends.

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Here are some hints -- and the answers -- for Strands No. 354 for Thursday, Feb. 20.

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• Six rack-mounted servers arrive in Q1 2025, while the Synergy 480 blade and DL580 quad-socket in Q3 2025
• Offers up to 288 cores, 8TB DDR5 memory, and PCIe Gen5
• HPE introduces quantum-resistant encryption

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) has unveiled its latest ProLiant Compute Gen12 portfolio, introducing eight new servers powered by Intel Xeon 6 processors.

This marks a departure from previous generations that offered AMD EPYC alternatives, and HPE says the new lineup with faster DDR5 configurations can provide up to 65% annual power savings, thanks to its AI-driven optimizations and fanless Direct Liquid Cooling (DLC) architecture which reduces cooling power consumption by up to 90%.

The ProLiant Gen12 portfolio integrates quantum-resistant encryption to guard against cryptographic threats while HPE iLO 7 offers independent hardware-based protection for sensitive credentials, such as encryption keys and system passwords.

Expanding the ProLiant lineup

The ProLiant Gen12 series includes six rack-mounted servers, a blade server, and a high-performance quad-processor system.

Among them, the DL380 (2U) and DL360 (1U) provide dual-socket configurations, supporting up to 288 cores, 8TB of DDR5 memory, and PCIe Gen5 expansion. These models cater to enterprises requiring scalable compute power for AI, cloud, and virtualization workloads.

For businesses seeking cost-effective single-socket solutions, the DL320 and DL340 offer targeted performance benefits. The DL320, a 1U server, supports up to 144 cores, 2TB of DDR5 memory, and PCIe Gen5 expansion, making it ideal for virtualization while the DL340, a 2U server, is optimized for AI-driven cloud computing with support for up to 8TB of DDR5 memory and PCIe Gen5 connectivity.

Designed for SMBs and edge computing, the ML350 tower server offers up to 8TB of DDR5 memory and multiple PCIe Gen5 slots. Meanwhile, the DL380a, a 2U rack server, is built for intensive workloads, supporting up to 16 single-wide or 8 double-wide GPUs.

HPE plans to release the six rack-mounted servers in Q1 2025, while the Synergy 480 blade server and the high-performance DL580 quad-processor system will launch this summer, available as standalone units or through HPE GreenLake.

“Our customers are tackling workloads that are overwhelmingly data-intensive and growing ever-more demanding,” said Krista Satterthwaite, senior vice president and general manager, Compute at HPE.

“The new HPE ProLiant Compute Gen12 servers give organizations – spanning public sector, enterprise and vertical industries like finance, healthcare and more – the horsepower and management insights they need to thrive while balancing their sustainability goals and managing costs," she added.

"This is a modern enterprise platform engineered for the hybrid world, designed with innovative security and control capabilities to help companies prevail over the evolving threat landscape and performance challenges that their legacy hardware cannot address."

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Back when the iPhone SE was still a thing, it was well understood that "SE" stood for "Special Edition," but applying that logic to the iPhone 16e, which Apple announced on February 19, makes no sense. That would make it the "iPhone 16 Edition".

That "e," though, must stand for something.

Apple isn't talking about it. Trust me, I asked. However, a little research reveals that Apple has used the "e" a couple of times before. There was 2002's eMac, where "e" stood for "education." Such a nomenclature made the product's intention clear. Apple wanted schools to adopt this cheaper, boxy, candy-colored computer. I don't think they were very successful.

Twenty years before that, Apple sold the Apple IIe, where the "e" on its second-generation and rather popular personal desktop PC stood for "Enhanced."

As far as I can tell, those are the only other times Apple applied an "e" to a product name. However, the iPhone 16e is neither an "education" smartphone nor exactly an "enhanced" model.

There are other ideas that I think, upon reflection, make some sense, but first, we have to step back and ask why this new 5G, 128GB, 6.1-inch super Retina XDR-sporting phone is not called the iPhone SE 4.

What does 'e' mean to you?

Clearly, with its wealth of updates, including a more powerful rear camera (48MP fusion), the A18 chip that supports Apple Intelligence, Face ID, wireless charging, and the Action Button, this is nothing like any SE model. It has far more in common with all the other iPhone 16 models. The notch, instead of a Dynamic Island, is odd and feels like a throwback but otherwise, the iPhone 16e feels like part of the new family.

But those differences, like the notch, lack of MagSafe support, and the missing Camera Control, also make it distinctive.

Perhaps you'd accept that some of those missing attributes might not be core to the iPhone 16 experience (is the Camera Control necessary?) and, on balance, you might consider this $599 phone "exciting" because it's comparatively affordable while still providing the "essential" iPhone 16 "experience".

I think you get where I'm going. If I had to guess, I'd say that Apple is being a little "enigmatic" and using a handful of "e" words to define this model. That's not necessarily a bad thing since it means the "e" in iPhone 16e can mean what you want it to mean.

I do think Apple missed an opportunity here. This is the first and only iPhone 16 with the new C1 cellular modem. The introduction of this piece of Apple Silicon is a huge deal and kind of makes the new phone special or "Special." Why Apple didn't name this the iPhone 16s is beyond me.

This might not have been the answer you were looking for, but I think it's the one we've got. I hope everyone is okay with that.

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The iPhone 16e starts at $599, which is nearly $200 more than the iPhone SE it just replaced.

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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 Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Wednesday, February 19 (game #1122).

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 #1123) - hint #1 - Vowels How 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 #1123) - 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 #1123) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• Yes. One of Q, Z, X or J appears among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1123) - 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 #1123) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• H

• D

• F

• C

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

Quordle today (game #1123) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1123, are…

• HASTY
• DRAPE
• FICUS
• CRAZE

I don’t feel that bad about being defeated by today’s puzzle. I still got three very difficult words – one of which included Z. Plus, I got myself in a bind with a letter combination that led to several incorrect guesses I chose ahead of CRAZE.

But mainly I don't feel bad because I have never heard of the word FICUS (a genus of tropical trees, of course) and would only have got it by chancing it, like we all do sometimes in Scrabble hoping that the random letters we’ve put down are in the dictionary.

Onwards and upwards.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Daily Sequence today (game #1123) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1123, are…

• CUMIN
• SCENE
• GUEST
• GRAPH

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1122, Wednesday 19 February: ABATE, TROVE, VENUE, DRAPE
• Quordle #1121, Tuesday 18 February: TAMER, SCRUB, BRICK, DRIFT
• Quordle #1120, Monday 17 February: SADLY, WAFER, LITHE, IDIOM
• Quordle #1119, Sunday 16 February: GHOUL, AFIRE, COVEN, FIERY
• Quordle #1118, Saturday 15 February: CREEP, CONDO, GRILL, FANCY
• Quordle #1117, Friday 14 February: MEDIA, ELUDE, THUMB, WIDOW
• Quordle #1116, Thursday 13 February: SCALP, DWELL, AMPLE, TRUNK
• Quordle #1115, Wednesday 12 February: SHOOK, GRADE, POLAR, SEEDY
• Quordle #1114, Tuesday 11 February: HEAVY, CIRCA, PESKY, SCION
• Quordle #1113, Monday 10 February: TWIXT, FRESH, GUISE, TABBY
• Quordle #1112, Sunday 9 February: TAPIR, SHAKE, TOKEN, SEVEN
• Quordle #1111, Saturday 8 February: AFOOT, ALIKE, HUMUS, TOWEL
• Quordle #1110, Friday 7 February: PETAL, ABASE, AMONG, CORER
• Quordle #1109, Thursday 6 February: MADAM, SCAMP, FAUNA, TRACK
• Quordle #1108, Wednesday 5 February: SIXTH, VERVE, BLURB, CACTI
• Quordle #1107, Tuesday 4 February: BIRTH, DRAWN, MILKY, JOIST
• Quordle #1106, Monday 3 February: SLEET, TENSE, SEIZE, SCAMP
• Quordle #1105, Sunday 2 February: LOUSY, PENNE, CHUMP, SALVE
• Quordle #1104, Saturday 1 February: FACET, BLISS, FLUFF, FRANK
• Quordle #1103, Friday 31 January: PARER, SYNOD, BRAWN, BANJO

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, February 19 (game #353).

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Together for the present

NYT Strands today (game #354) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• FIVE
• TIED
• NEST
• THAN 
• THEN
• DONE

NYT Strands today (game #354) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Wedding date celebrations

NYT Strands today (game #354) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: bottom, 1st column

Last side: top, 3rd column

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

NYT Strands today (game #354) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #354, are…

• DIAMOND
• GOLD
• FIRST
• PAPER
• FIFTIETH
• SIXTIETH
• SPANGRAM: ANNIVERSARY

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Just to wrap up these pairs, PAPER is your FIRST ANNIVERSARY, GOLD your FIFTIETH, and DIAMOND the SIXTIETH.

With people getting married later in life, it feels as if there should be celebrations of wedding anniversaries before you toast 50 years together, especially as you’re less likely to want a party by the time you get to that stage. I propose we go big on Tin – which marks 10 years since your wedding day. It’s also a lot more affordable than getting someone a gold or diamond gift.

Come on Hallmark, let's make this happen. All in on Tin.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, 19 February, game #353)

• ELDER
• STRAW
• HUCKLE
• BLUE
• RASP
• SALMON
• GOLDEN
• BLACK
• SPANGRAM: BERRIES

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.

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Wednesday, February 19 (game #619).

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 #620) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• ROOSTER
• UMBRELLA
• SLEEP
• STAR
• SOS
• SUNRISE
• STAY
• FLARE
• CIRCLE
• BUNK
• SIGNAL
• DEW
• ALARM
• TRIANGLE
• WORM
• CRASH

NYT Connections today (game #620) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Something you’d sound
• GREEN: Sleepover
• BLUE: First thing in the AM 
• PURPLE: No. 456 picked the hardest

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 #620) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: ALERT 
• GREEN: SPEND THE NIGHT (AT) 
• BLUE: ASSOCIATED WITH EARLY MORNING 
• PURPLE: COOKIE CUTTER SHAPES IN "SQUID GAME" 

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

NYT Connections today (game #620) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #620, are…

• YELLOW: ALERT ALARM, FLARE, SIGNAL, SOS
• GREEN: SPEND THE NIGHT (AT) BUNK, CRASH, SLEEP, STAY
• BLUE: ASSOCIATED WITH EARLY MORNING DEW, ROOSTER, SUNRISE, WORM
• PURPLE: COOKIE CUTTER SHAPES IN "SQUID GAME" CIRCLE, STAR, TRIANGLE, UMBRELLA

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 1 mistake

I made one mistake today, initially thinking that there was a group that was about ways to wake up. I rashly selected ROOSTER, ALARM, SIGNAL and FLARE before coming to my senses.

Getting the Purple group – COOKIE CUTTER SHAPES IN "SQUID GAME – largely depended on whether you have seen the Netflix series or not, although I guess they're all shapes that might go together anyway. Well, other than UMBRELLA, obviously, which rather complicated things. Still, that aside this was not too tough.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Wednesday, 19 February, game #619)

• YELLOW: STRUCTURES BY THE SHORE BOARDWALK, DOCK, LIGHTHOUSE, WHARF
• GREEN: SMALL IMPERFECTION DENT, DING, NICK, SCRATCH
• BLUE: SOUNDS A CUCKOO CLOCK MAKES CHIME, CUCKOO, TICK, TOCK
• PURPLE: _ TAIL COCK, MOCK, PIG, PONY

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.

Apple kills small iPhones, the home button and the Lightning ports in one swoop.