Technology

Here are some hints, and the answers, for the Oct. 29 Strands puzzle, No. 240.

Here are some hints — and the answers — for Connections No. 506 for Oct. 29.

Now that ChatGPT has its own Windows app, the question of whether it's worth picking over Microsoft’s Copilot, which is already threaded throughout Windows 11, is front and center.

With the two sharing the stage, you should learn where ChatGPT shines versus Copilot. So, we've assembled four reasons why you might prefer the ChatGPT app on Windows and where it stands out.

Instant Access with Alt + Space

Speedy access to a tool is always a major selling point, which is why Copilot's native home on Windows is appealing. But, with the ChatGPT app, you just have to press Alt + Space to open a chat window instantly. That's true regardless of what you're already doing or if you're juggling a bunch of other tasks.

Imagine you’re writing a document and want to ask AI for help improving your word choice or checking the grammar. You don't need to open the Copilot app; just press Alt + Space, type your query, and get an answer. Copilot often requires opening an app; even with a single button to open it, it still feels a little slower than the ChatGPT app.

Accessing Chat History Across Devices

As someone who uses multiple devices that don't all use Microsoft operating systems, the most obvious benefit of the ChatGPT app is that it syncs my account and chat history to the web portal, my mobile app, and anywhere else I use ChatGPT. If I am using ChatGPT on my desktop computer with the Windows app and want to continue the conversation while taking the train, I can pull the conversation up and keep going, and vice versa, once I return home.

On the other hand, Copilot is pretty integrated into Microsoft 365, which is fantastic for staying within Word or Excel but doesn’t let me carry a conversation from my desktop to my mobile. So, if I ask Copilot to help brainstorm some ideas for a party, I'll need to wait until I'm on another Windows device before I can continue the conversation. ChatGPT's ability to stay connected across devices makes a big difference if you work on the go and want to keep all your AI conversations contained in one platform.

Image Analysis for Visual Projects

One of the best ChatGPT features is its ability to analyze images you upload. Drop in a photo, and the AI will interpret what’s going on in the image – something Copilot doesn’t currently offer.

I've regularly used this feature on the mobile app with complex charts or multiple seemingly contradictory parking signs on a street post, even with recipe photos to work out the ingredients. This kind of image-based assistance isn’t part of Copilot’s toolkit yet, so when visuals are all you have, and words aren’t enough, ChatGPT is the go-to option.

Plugin and GPT Store Access (Coming Soon)

This is still more anticipation than actual reality, but the ChatGPT app for Windows will get access to OpenAI's GPT Store along with the plugins built by other companies to work with the AI chatbot. That means more customization and new ways to use the AI chatbot are on the horizon. For instance, you might link a content calendar plugin to ChatGPT to get its responses and other specialized tools.

Copilot is great for how it blends with Microsoft's apps, but it otherwise doesn't have the kind of flexibility provided by the GPT Store (albeit still speculatively for now). So, while both the ChatGPT Windows app and the built-in Copilot provide Windows users with many AI tools and features, ChatGPT has enough unique perks to make it more enticing in many cases. That could certainly change as Microsoft continues to improve Copilot, but I suspect you'll see a spike in Windows ChatGPT usage and a drop in Copilot for the foreseeable future.

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Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Oct. 29.

Operating in 40 states, EnergyPal is a marketplace and energy advisor that can help you with your solar installation.

More and more people want the internet to forget about them. This sentiment is especially strong in the US where almost half of internet users would like to be removed from the web. However, most of them don't know how.

This is the main finding unveiled by a joint investigation recently carried out by one of the best VPN providers around, NordVPN, and personal data removal company Incogni. Worse still, the global percentage of people worried about their personal data rose from 30% in 2022 to 35% this year.

"The shift in people’s attitude and their increasing need to delete their presence from the internet highlights a trend: people are no longer passively accepting the idea that their data should live on the internet forever," said Marijus Briedis, CTO at NordVPN.

152 million Americans want to delete themselves from the web

Under NordVPN and Incogni's commission, researchers at Cint surveyed a total of 6,800 respondents aged 18 years old and older from the US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Spain, and Italy. Unsurprisingly, Americans came out as the most worried, with Canadians following suit.

Almost half of the people in the US (48% of respondents) feel used by companies that collect, sell, or use their data to benefit third parties. This is the main reason why Americans want their personal information removed from the internet. At the same time, they are also worried that someone will eventually hack their devices to steal their sensitive data.

Most American respondents (40%) agree that their names shouldn't be online, either, while 41% expressed a lack of trust in the internet, and one-fifth fear manipulation by third parties.

Did you know?

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Vector Image Plus)

Since 2018, GDPR has prompted more stringent data protection and privacy rules in the EU and the UK. Among these is the right to be forgotten, allowing citizens to request that companies delete their information.

Financial information tops the list as the data category people in the US are most keen to erase (64%). This is followed by a third of respondents seeking to remove their old dating/social media profiles and others (31%) eager to clean up embarrassing moments uploaded to social media. Medical history (38%) and dating/sex details (31%) also feature as data sets that Americans would prefer to keep offline.

Despite all these concerns, though, almost half of Americans (44%) said they don't know how to delete their sensitive information from the web. A third of respondents would be willing to spend up to $100 to browse anonymously at all times – and 5% claimed that they'd pay up to $1000.

While a few states including California, Colorado, and Connecticut passed their own privacy laws, the US still lacks comprehensive data protection legislation on a federal level. This research is a stark reminder that citizens, however, have different needs.

"There is a growing demand for control, empowerment, and the right to be forgotten," said Briedis.

How to protect your privacy on the internet

A federal privacy law might not be here yet, but there are still some steps you can take to protect your data every time you browse the web.

As a rule of thumb, Briedis suggests limiting what you share online as much as possible. You should be mindful of the posts you share on social media, for example, and ensure that you're not giving away sensitive details by mistake. You should also consider adjusting your social media settings to make your account private.

Using a VPN is also an important step to reclaiming control over your data. A VPN, short for virtual private network, is security software that encrypts your internet connection to prevent third parties from tracking your online activities. It also spoofs your real IP address location for better security. NordVPN is our top pick at the time of writing, followed by Surfshark and ExpressVPN.

Anonymity is no longer a luxury but a necessity

Marijus Briedis, CTO at NordVPN

You should also protect your account security at all times. Briedis recommends using strong passwords and enabling multi-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security to your accounts. I also suggest checking out handy password manager solutions to help keep track of all your login details.

Lastly, delete your info from data broker databases. These companies collect your data, use it to build personalized profiles, and inundate you with targeted ads – then, they'll sell it all to anyone willing to pay. While you could remove your data yourself, I recommend subscribing to a data removal service like Incogni, where the team will handle all the required processes for you.

All in all, as Briedis pointed out, anonymity is quickly becoming a necessity – not a luxury. He said: "People want to browse the internet without leaving traces, free from tracking and profiling. Looking ahead, the internet will evolve to resolve these privacy concerns. The next generation of users will push both technology providers and policymakers to rethink how personal data is handled online."

You can now ask the Meta AI chatbot for news and get an answer based on the latest Reuters reporting without leaving Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, or Messenger. Meta and Thompson Reuters have reached a deal to link the AI chatbot with Reuters content in an agreement that will see Reuters paid – an undisclosed amount – for its content.

Right now, the news responses will only appear to U.S. users. When you ask about news on topics that Reuters has reported on, you will get a short summary of the news and a direct link within the AI chatbot's response to the relevant Reuters article.

Meta hasn't made a deal with news providers since announcing plans to reduce the news content appearing on Facebook and its other social media platforms. In fact, Meta has made fighting against mandatory compensation of news companies its policy. That's why Meta blocks all news content on Facebook and Instagram in Canada. Arguments over AI regulations are also why you won't find Meta AI in the EU.

Reuters is widely considered a trustworthy news source, so Meta's interest in adding its imprimatur to Meta AI's answers about the news makes sense. Signing a deal that will compensate Reuters rather than just summarizing and linking to articles available without a paywall suggests Meta also wants to stay on the news service's good side amidst a growing debate about how AI platforms use news articles to answer questions and train their models.

Meta's news tangle

Other AI chatbots have made their own deals to access news sources. For instance, OpenAI inked a licensing deal with publishers, including The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and the Meredith group of publications. At the same time, some major media organizations have been pushing back in court. The New York Times is in exactly that kind of legal dispute with OpenAI, claiming the ChatGPT creator infringed on its copyright by training AI models with its content without permission or compensation.

A news service is definitely a departure from the more entertainment-focused features Meta AI has highlighted until now. For instance, the celebrity voices highlighted at Meta Connect and the AI chatbots with personalities (that no longer have celebrity faces) were decidedly not about sharing real-world news.

Despite the contentious situation around news and AI platforms, the agreement with Reuters could boost the appeal of Meta AI to users looking for credible information on current affairs. As Meta AI faces plenty of competition in AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Perplexity, and other AI platforms, Meta wouldn't want this specific feature to be the thing that keeps potential users away.

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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 #506) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• TIMES
• NEW
• ROMAN
• TOWN
• POCKET
• EAR
• FRIEND
• FELLOW
• ATTENDING
• ORIGINAL
• PERFECT
• RESIDENT
• MINT
• COUNTRYMAN
• INTERN
• UNUSED

NYT Connections today (game #506) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• Yellow: Untouched
• Green: Doctor doctor
• Blue: Et tu?
• Purple: Blank [four equal sides]

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 #506) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: IN PRISTINE CONDITION
• GREEN: MEDICAL ROLES
• BLUE: SINGULAR NOUN IN A FAMOUS “JULIUS CAESAR” LINE
• PURPLE: ___ SQUARE

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

NYT Connections today (game #506) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #506, are…

• YELLOW: IN PRISTINE CONDITION MINT, NEW, ORIGINAL, UNUSED
• GREEN: MEDICAL ROLES ATTENDING, FELLOW, INTERN, RESIDENT
• BLUE: SINGULAR NOUN IN A FAMOUS “JULIUS CAESAR” LINE COUNTRYMAN, EAR, FRIEND, ROMAN
• PURPLE: ___ SQUARE PERFECT, POCKET, TIMES, TOWN

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: Perfect

One thing I love about Connections is the way in which it forces you to draw upon disparate sources of knowledge. Today, for instance, I needed to know about both William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, medical roles and, um, eBay, sort of.

Green was the first to fall: ATTENDING, FELLOW, INTERN and RESIDENT all standing out as MEDICAL ROLES, possibly because I'm rewatching the excellent comedy-drama House at the moment. Then I attacked what turned out to be the yellow group; I could see that MINT, NEW, ORIGINAL and UNUSED were all examples of something being IN PRISTINE CONDITION, the kind of descriptions you get on auction sites, but PERFECT could potentially fit there too.

Eventually I had a guess at it and got it right. The other two were harder still. I focused on COUNTRYMAN, because it's not a common word with obvious connections. The presence of ROMAN and FRIEND alerted me to that famous speech, and I added EAR to complete the set.

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Monday, 28 October, game #505)

• YELLOW: AUDIO APPS AUDIBLE, PANDORA, SHAZAM, TIDAL
• GREEN: INDICATE MEAN, SIGNIFY, SPELL, SUGGEST
• BLUE: CHURCH OF ENGLAND WEDDING VOW VERBS CHERISH, HAVE, HOLD, LOVE
• PURPLE: MAGIC WORDS ABRACADABRA, PLEASE, PRESTO, THANK YOU

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 #1009) - 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 #1009) - 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 #1009) - 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 #1009) - 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 #1009) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• C

• B

• S

• P

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

Quordle today (game #1009) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1009, are…

• CLIFF
• BURNT
• SNAKY
• POLYP

There are some interesting words in today's Quordle. POLYP has a very uncommon spelling, with P at both ends and a Y in position #4, and isn't a particularly widely used term (unless you have some skin in the game medically, so to speak). BURNT is a less common form of burned, although it does depend on whether you're using it as a verb or adjective, and whether you're in the UK or US (or somewhere else entirely). CLIFF is a common word, but it has those two Fs at the end. SNAKY is not particularly common as a word and contains a K, one of the least likely letters to appear.

Put it all together and you have a tricky selection to solve. I needed some inspired/very lucky guesses to get home in seven, so I'm feeling pretty pleased with myself today.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1009) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1009, are…

• STAMP
• TAMER
• CRUMP
• GLAZE

Quordle answers: The past 20

• 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
• Quordle #999, Saturday 19 October: GUSTY, BROKE, ENJOY, HAZEL
• Quordle #998, Friday 18 October: PUPIL, MOCHA, EGRET, NATAL
• Quordle #997, Thursday 17 October: BUILD, BIRTH, LURCH, SASSY
• Quordle #996, Wednesday 16 October: EERIE, SMIRK, HUNCH, EMBED
• Quordle #995, Tuesday 15 October: UMBRA, BRIEF, GRAVY, TORUS
• Quordle #994, Monday 14 October: ROGUE, STORY, EMCEE, AUNTY
• Quordle #993, Sunday 13 October: UNFIT, NYMPH, THUMB, PUREE
• Quordle #992, Saturday 12 October: SAUCY, UNDUE, EGRET, HELLO
• Quordle #991, Friday 11 October: RINSE, ANIME, PUSHY, ZEBRA
• Quordle #990, Thursday 10 October: UNTIL, MARSH, METAL, WINDY
• Quordle #989, Wednesday 9 October: TRIAL, HUSKY, DOWNY, TRADE

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… You and me

NYT Strands today (game #240) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• NAME
• MESS
• SITE
• BIKE
• DINE
• FINE

NYT Strands today (game #240) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Just the two of us

NYT Strands today (game #240) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First: top, 4th column

Last: bottom, 2nd column

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

NYT Strands today (game #240) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #240, are…

• FRIEND
• PARTNER
• BESTIE
• COMPANION
• SIDEKICK
• SPANGRAM: TOGETHERNESS

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Strands is generally at its easiest when the words are all simple synonyms – and today's is one such example. There are only five words to find, because the spangram, TOGETHERNESS, is so long, and the likes of FRIEND, COMPANION and BESTIE are all pretty obvious. Finding that spangram was the hardest part of it, but even that was only the work of a minute or so.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, 28 October, game #239)

• PUMPKINS
• APPLES
• MAZE
• CIDER
• DOUGHNUTS
• HAYRIDES
• SPANGRAM: ORCHARDS

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.

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The Lenovo Legion Go handheld gaming PC is now on sale, with its price falling to $499 (was $699) at Amazon for the first time amidst rumors of AMD’s Ryzen Z2 handheld gaming chips - and this could be positive news for a potential successor.

Lenovo remains the only brand among recent handheld manufacturers that is yet to build a successor or upgrade to its original handheld device; Asus released the improved ROG Ally X earlier this year and Valve launched the Steam Deck OLED in November 2023. There have been reports of a Lenovo Legion Go ‘Lite’ ‘leak’, which might have a smaller screen and an HDMI output, but would reportedly stick with the Ryzen Z1 chip.

The rumors surrounding the purported Ryzen Z2 Extreme chip suggest it could feature RDNA 3.5 for better gaming performance and battery life. Since Asus ROG Ally prices fell drastically before the launch of the improved Ally X, the timing here could mean Lenovo may be about to follow in the same direction.

Z2 Extreme means better battery life for gaming handhelds? Yes please

Valve’s Steam Deck is a prime example of a gaming handheld device that prioritizes battery life (even if it could still be much better). Compared to the ROG Ally and Legion Go, it is currently the best at allowing gamers to get the most time out of their gaming sessions on the go. While the recent Ally X offered a significant bump in battery life, this was achieved thanks to a much larger battery than the one seen in the original Ally.

While there is no official confirmation yet, the Z2 Extreme promises to enhance gaming performance and battery life - this could be highly beneficial for a Legion Go successor, which we noted in our review was in dire need of stronger battery performance.

Asus’ next Ally is also rumored to come with three variants, if the ‘Z2G’ chip reports are true - this could support the Legion Go Lite leak mentioned earlier, potentially leading to stronger competition in the gaming handheld market. In other words, things are starting to get interesting…

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