Technology

Here are some hints and the answer for Wordle No. 1,239 for Nov. 9.

• Apple's now selling a Belkin-made carrying case for the Vision Price
• It's half the price of the Apple-made alternative with plenty of pockets

Since Apple launched Vision Pro in February 2024, the brand has always made a carrying case to accompany – and ultimately protect – the $3,500 Spatial Computer.

It’s not cheap at $199 / £199 /AU$349, but you get a white, puffy, custom-built case to securely carry the headset and the battery and accessories like straps. It’s also a perfect accessory to bring to, say, a campfire because it looks like a giant marshmallow. Now, though, there is another official or rather officially approved option for touting your Apple Vision Pro around, and it’s half the price of Apple’s own case, has more pockets, and features a dedicated slot for an AirTag.

Launched quietly on Apple’s online store the same day four new Macs – the 16-inch MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, and 14-inch MacBook Pro – became available, Belkin’s Travel Bag for Apple Vision Pro is priced at $99.99 / £99.95 / AU$159.95. It's a smaller, more compact gray tote that can easily fit the Vision Pro, a battery, both straps, and other accessories.

(Image credit: Belkin)

For easy travel, the Travel Bag has a handle for quick trots and a larger sash that might be best for bringing it on trips, into an office, or to a friend's house. The main compartment opens up via a zipper, and it has a dedicated spot inside – as well as a tie-down strap – to secure the Vision Pro. Above that, you can store the Vision Pro battery, and you’ll find more room for extra headbands, cables, and even a power brick.

On the front is a zipper pocket and an open one for other odds and ends. You’ll also find a spot for an AirTag. But maybe the best thing here is that Belkin’s bag is a much more affordable option that takes up less space and seemingly has more storage space for various odds and ends.

(Image credit: Belkin)

Its arrival at Apple’s online store came a few days after Belkin’s Head Strap for Apple Vision Pro landed at $49.95 / £44.95. It’s essentially a companion top band for Apple's Solo Knit headband and is all about increasing comfort and hopefully reducing the feel of weight on your head when using the Vision Pro.

We’ll be going hands-on soon with the Belkin Travel Bag and Head Strap for Vision Pro, but if they’re anything like the brand's Battery Holder, which was available at launch, these should be pretty handy.

If you already have a Vision Pro and are keen to pick up either the Travel Bag ($99.95 / £99.95 / AU$159.95), Head Strap ($49.95 / £44.95), or Battery Holder ($49.95 / £49.95), all three are available from Belkin’s online store, Apple’s online shop, and select Apple stores across the United States.

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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 #1020) - 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 #1020) - 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 2.

Quordle today (game #1020) - 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 #1020) - 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 #1020) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• F

• T

• A

• S

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

Quordle today (game #1020) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1020, are…

• FLUME
• THERE
• ATOLL
• SANER

Sometimes the most obvious of words can prove tricky in Quordle. THERE is one that I always have to think about; it's probably the single most common word in the game, but it often escapes my attention. The repeated Es don't help, but even setting that aside it just doesn't occur to me until I really, really think about it.

THERE is one potentially tricky word in this Quordle, but there are others. ATOLL is also a tough one, and SANER could be hard to narrow down depending on the way the letters fell for you.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1020) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1020, are…

• RALPH
• BRICK
• VERSO
• ERROR

Quordle answers: The past 20

• 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 #1016, Tuesday 5 November: BEGET, AMUSE, STONY, LOUSY
• Quordle #1015, Monday 4 November: CHILL, TACKY, GRAPH, PLAZA
• Quordle #1014, Sunday 3 November: QUIRK, HEART, ELBOW, KNOWN
• Quordle #1013, Saturday 2 November: SWUNG, FLOOR, PARER, CRUST
• Quordle #1012, Friday 1 November: FIFTY, GULCH, RECUT, TWEET
• Quordle #1011, Thursday 31 October: TWINE, RIGID, BELCH, AMEND
• Quordle #1010, Wednesday 30 October: SLOOP, BRINE, BROOD, FLUID
• Quordle #1009, Tuesday 29 October: CLIFF, BURNT, SNAKY, POLYP
• Quordle #1008, Monday 28 October: MACAW, LIEGE, GOUGE, CARGO
• Quordle #1007, Sunday 27 October: STUNG, CLOUT, SOWER, BASIS
• Quordle #1006, Saturday 26 October: DUCHY, CANNY, BLOCK, SMART
• Quordle #1005, Friday 25 October: PRANK, EXIST, RUDDY, PICKY
• Quordle #1004, Thursday 24 October: DAIRY, RALLY, CURLY, LABEL
• Quordle #1003, Wednesday 23 October: DROSS, ANNEX, GRAVE, BROKE
• Quordle #1002, Tuesday 22 October: ADORE, SMITH, AFOOT, LUCID
• Quordle #1001, Monday 21 October: TREAD, NINTH, GRIEF, UNSET
• Quordle #1000, Sunday 20 October: CORAL, WHOSE, HEIST, SOAPY

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 #517) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• THRONE
• SHRED
• GNARLY
• POWDER
• RADICAL
• BATH
• LICK
• POWER
• TWISTED
• ROOT
• REST
• BENT
• TRACE
• WARPED
• EXPONENT
• OUNCE

NYT Connections today (game #517) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• Yellow: Crooked
• Green: A little bit
• Blue: Math terms
• Purple: First part of words for a place where you do your business!

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 #517) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: CONTORTED
• GREEN: SMALLEST AMOUNT
• BLUE: ALGEBRA TERMS
• PURPLE: WORDS BEFORE “ROOM” TO MEAN LAVATORY

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

NYT Connections today (game #517) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #517, are…

• YELLOW: CONTORTED BENT, GNARLY, TWISTED, WARPED
• GREEN: SMALLEST AMOUNT LICK, OUNCE, SHRED, TRACE
• BLUE: ALGEBRA TERMS EXPONENT, POWER, RADICAL, ROOT
• PURPLE: WORDS BEFORE “ROOM” TO MEAN LAVATORY BATH, POWDER, REST, THRONE

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: Perfect

You sometimes need a bit of luck in Connections, just as you do in Wordle. Case in point: the way I solved the purple group today. I thought that the connection was 'words that go after foot', with REST, POWDER and BATH all seeming to fit, just about. It wasn't a great connection, but I thought it was worth a shot. For the fourth I decided that THRONE might work – maybe FOOT THRONE was a posh word for a foot rest that I hadn't heard? Stupid, yes, but I gave it a go and was surprised and delighted to see that it was correct. Well, sort of. The connection was actually WORDS BEFORE “ROOM” TO MEAN LAVATORY, amusingly enough. They all count though, eh?

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Friday, 8 November, game #516)

• YELLOW: ESCAPADE ANTIC, CAPER, EXPLOIT, STUNT
• GREEN: KINDS OF PICKLES DILL, KOSHER, SOUR, SWEET
• BLUE: RISQUÉ ADULT, BLUE, SPICY, SUGGESTIVE
• PURPLE: CUT THE ___ CHEESE, CORD, DECK, MUSTARD

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.

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Generation jam

NYT Strands today (game #251) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• SINE
• LEND
• STUN
• LIME
• RULE
• BAND

NYT Strands today (game #251) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• GrungePop?

NYT Strands today (game #251) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First: top, 3rd column

Last: bottom, 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 #251) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #251, are…

• BLUR
• OASIS
• PAVEMENT
• TOOL
• NIRVANA
• SUBLIME
• SPANGRAM: NINETIESBANDS

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: Perfect

I have slightly mixed feelings about this Strands puzzle. On the one hand, the subject is NINETIESBANDS, and in many ways that's my specialist subject. I'm a huge music fan (and former music journalist) and the '90s was my era. Two of the bands in today's list, PAVEMENT and BLUR, are among my favorites ever, and I have a soft spot for NIRVANA too.

On the flip side, what on earth does 'Generation jam', the theme clue, refer to? I have no idea whatsoever. And setting that aside, this may prove very difficult for people who are either too young or too old to be familiar with the likes of TOOL and SUBLIME, who aren't necessarily household names (or aren't these days, at least). Still, rather this than yesterday's silly emoji-based game.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, 8 November, game #250)

• SHAKE
• WAVE
• CLAP
• PRAY
• PINCH
• FIST
• POINT
• PEACE
• SPANGRAM: HANDGESTURES

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.

Character AI has a huge catalog of virtual personalities derived from history, fiction, and the imaginations of users. But, sometimes, you might make a character and later decide you don't want to have it on the platform anymore.

And while you can't actually outright delete third-party AI-generated characters, in this guide, we will show you how you can manage them for yourself and others.

Hide and overwrite character

(Image credit: Future)

Because Character AI does not offer a delete button for the AI personalities, you can't make them disappear from the servers. But you can edit them and their availability to the point that it doesn't matter.

Making the chatbot private means no one will see it but you, all but making it invisible. You can also take more drastic steps and overwrite everything about the chatbot with gibberish or punctuation to wipe the personality away more thoroughly.

Here's how to hide or obscure your Character AI personalities:

• Open Character AI and log in to your account.
• Select the character you want to send to oblivion from the left sidebar to open a chat with it.
• Click on the three dots in the character's profile on the right-side panel and click on the "Edit button.
• At the bottom of the AI's profile is the "Visibility" option.
• Change that setting to private.
• Click the "Save Changes" button on the bottom right.
• If that's not enough, you can overwrite your creation.
• Edit the character's details in the profile by replacing the name, description, and other details with N/A or any other placeholder text.
• Save the changes like you did to make the chatbot private.

(Image credit: Future) Stop Meta AI summaries

Meta AI's comment summaries can be a nice way to sum up long or complex posts, but they also fill up your screen at times. If you find these summaries unhelpful, here’s how you can turn them off:

• Open Facebook on a web browser or as a mobile app and go to the settings menu.
• Click or tap on "Settings" within the “Settings & Privacy” “ menu.
• Open up the "Posts" sub-menu as indicated in the image above.
• Slide the “Allow Comment Summaries on Your Posts” to the left.
• Once toggled off, you shouldn't see the AI summaries anymore after you reload the website or app.

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