Technology

• Gemini 3.8 Live now includes custom avatars to go with the AI's voice
• Avatars could be used for customer service, training and more
• Gemini 3.8 Live can switch between 97 languages automatically

Google has lifted the wraps of its latest Gemini 3.8 Live model, and with it come avatars you can select to make it feel more like you're speaking to a human. Sort of.

It's all possible through a combination of Gemini's real-time speech capabilities and low-latency video generation, so it looks like your chosen avatar is effectively lip-syncing to the text that Gemini is reading out to you.

Research scientist Shuo-yiin Chang and software engineer CJ Zheng said it now feels like AI has a much more "visual presence" - so that's...nice?

Gemini now takes on the body of your chosen avatar with Gemini 3.8 Live

Avatars are designed specifically for enterprise users, but rather than company employees talking to an avatar to get their work done, Google sees it more as showing off what's possible for its customers' end users. In other words, avatars could be used for customer service, receptionists, training and more.

From launch, businesses will be able to select from a library of preset avatars, but they can also create custom avatars to fit a company's branding, for example with a relevant logo on its uniform.

On the safety front, Google asserts that videos of its avatars include SynthID watermarking to verify that they are indeed AI-generated. "This imperceptible watermark is woven directly into the audio and video output, helping to ensure AI-generated content remains detectable to help minimise misinformation and misattribution," the company wrote.

In a separate post, Google also revealed that Gemini 3.8 Live can now support 97 languages and automatic language switching to make multilingual conversations more seamless. A more hardcore version of that model, 3.8 Live Extended Thinking, outperformed GPT-Live-1 Astra and Grok Voice Think Fast 2.0 across multiple benchmarks while still ending up cheaper to run per hour of input audio.

Meta previews Muse Charm, a pocket-size AI device with cameras and 5G, as the company tests how dedicated AI hardware could fit into everyday phone use.

The post Meta Previews Muse Charm: What You Could Do With This AI Device on the Go appeared first on TechRepublic.

Apple Watch Series 12 and Galaxy Watch9 are close in price, but phone compatibility, health tools, battery life, and AI separate the two.

The post Apple Watch Series 12 vs Galaxy Watch9: Which $400 Smartwatch Should You Buy? appeared first on TechRepublic.

You can never have too many charging cords, especially when you can nab a bunch for cheap.

• A new trailer has been released for DC Studios' Clayface
• The body horror movie will take shape in theaters worldwide this October
• It features a really cool Easter egg that's renewed hope over a Batman cameo

DC Studios has release one final trailer for Clayface — and it contains a specific Batman reference that's set tongues wagging among comic book fans.

Revealed yesterday (September 24), the movie's latest teaser offers a fresh look at its body horror vibes, slick cinematography, and Matt Hagen's tragic villain origin story. Thankfully, the DC Universe (DCU) film's latest round of footage doesn't reveal the titular character's final, grotesque form, meaning audiences will have to check it out in theaters if they want to see Clayface in all of his gruesome, malleable glory.

The comic book flick's new trailer arrives five months after Clayface's first "super freaky" teaser. Two months later, Clayface trailer #2 was unleashed upon the world and left fans with many, many questions — the most pressing of which was whether the shapeshifting villain's primary foe Batman would appear.

Even if the Caped Crusader does show up in the DCU Chapter One movie, Clayface's cast and crew are doing their best not to give away what would be one of the film's biggest surprises. That said, fans have spotted a very specific Batman Easter egg in Clayface's final trailer that's sparked new hope that the Gotham City-based vigilante will make an appearance — even if it's just as a silhouetted cameo — in the James Watkins-directed feature.

Why a musical motif in the new Clayface trailer has excited Batman and DC Comics fans alikeComment from r/DC_Cinematic

So, what's this big Batman reference that some DC fans noticed in Clayface's newest teaser? Skip to the 1:30 mark of the trailer and you might recognize a very familiar motif that plays as the forthcoming film's title card appears on the screen.

Batman fanatics won't need me to explain this Easter egg to them. For those not in the know, though, the brief musical snippet we hear is an exact replica of Clayface's theme from fan-favorite 1990s TV show Batman: The Animated Series (B:TAS), which you can watch right now on HBO Max.

Now, this doesn't give any indication that the Dark Knight will have a walk-on part in DC Studios' next big-screen offering. After all, despite reports that studio co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran have cast an unlikely star as the DCU's Batman, the pair have consistently denied that anyone has been hired to play Bruce Wayne and his superhero alter-ego in their nascent cinematic franchise.

Nevertheless, the use of Clayface's theme from B:TAS has captured some fans' imagination — and with good reason. Clayface's story is heavily inspired by 'Feat of Clay', a two-part tale from B:TAS that's viewed as some of the best storytelling in the beloved cartoon's four-season run.

If nothing else, fans are excited about this musical nugget because, if Clayface is half as good as 'Feat of Clay' is, it could be the best DCU movie so far. Throw a Batman cameo into the mix, though, and it'll generate even more headlines than many of us expected when it's released on October 23.

For more on the upcoming comic book film, find out everything else we know so far about Clayface.

• GrapheneOS will work with the Motorola Signature 27
• This will be the first non-Pixel phone to support the operating system
• Some future Motorola phones are also expected to support it

It must be very difficult for a mobile operating system to tempt users away from Android or iOS, but on a small scale at least GrapheneOS seems to be doing so — and it’s now a little bit easier to get ahold of.

You see, this privacy-focused operating system that’s been built on top of the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), was previously limited to Pixel phones — which is somewhat ironic given it’s likely to appeal to people who want to escape Google’s grasp. But now it’s finally coming to a Motorola phone too.

The device in question is the newly launched Motorola Signature 27. This is a high-end handset, powered by the brand-new Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chipset — making it even more powerful than the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S26 series. It also has a 6.8-inch screen and four rear cameras, so this is set to compete with the absolute best Android phones.

But unlike most of those rivals, you’ll be able to install GrapheneOS on it, as confirmed by the GrapheneOS X account. In fact, you might not even need to install it, as versions of the handset that ship with GrapheneOS pre-installed in place of Android are apparently planned too.

However, it’s unclear when that will be, or even when the Motorola Signature 27 will ship at all — though Motorola’s US site says to expect it sometime in November.

The GrapheneOS App Store (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)Hopefully the first of many

Whenever it does land it’s sure to be expensive (though pricing hasn’t yet been announced), but the GrapheneOS team have spoken about bringing its operating system to some future Motorola phones too, including possibly some lower end ones.

That said, there are some issues to solve, with the team previously saying (via Android Police) that “it's mostly due to how Qualcomm handles it. The latest Snapdragon flagships have the best security features. We'll also need Motorola to start paying them for longer updates below flagships."

So in other words it sounds like the use of this new chipset, alongside long-term software support, is why the operating system is being brought to the Motorola Signature 27 specifically.

Still, it’s nice to see GrapheneOS become at least slightly more widely available, and perhaps if previous chipsets were an issue, we might start seeing it brought to other Android brands once they launch phones with Qualcomm’s new silicon.

This is probably never going to be a truly mainstream OS, but by combining most of the familiarity of Android (including access to the Google Play Store if you choose to install it), with increased privacy and security features — particularly when it comes to what data is shared with Google and apps — it’s a very promising alternative to the big names for more privacy-conscious users.

Summer is officially over, and the cooler weather is a perfect excuse, if you needed one, to cosy up at home with a Lego kit. So what does Lego have new in for October? It's not quite as extensive a lineup as I've seen in previous months — and there's a disappointing lack of Spooky Season sets — but there are still some gems worth checking out.

One standout addition is the Santa Holiday Countdown; a jolly Mr Claus perched in a chimney with an adjustable countdown clock set into it. Listen, I know it's too early to be thinking about holiday season, but apparently Lego didn't get that memo — and I have a feeling this one is going to be popular. If you're an early celebrator, there's also a Buddy the Elf (complete with candy canes, one of the four main food groups) joining the lineup.

For UK residents and fellow Bristolians in particular, I'm very pleased to see Aardman making an overdue Lego debut. You can now swap plasticine for bricks and build your own Wallace & Gromit on motorbike and sidecar. And while this US lineup is sorely lacking in new kits for Halloween, Brits can at least have the option of a couple of new Wednesday themed sets. Have fun sorting out all those black and gray bricks.

Scroll down to explore all the new Lego sets for October.

New Lego for October: US kits

Jump down the new UK launches

Lego Santa's Holiday Countdown

Lego Pokémon Iconic Trainer Moments Poké Ball

Lego Buddy the Elf

LEGO® Christmas Stocking

Lego Pokémon Up-Scaled Red Minifigure

Lego Marvel Avengers: Doomsday Quinjet

New Lego for October: UK kits

Lego Ideas Wallace & Gromit

Lego Santa's Holiday Countdown

Lego Pokémon Iconic Trainer Moments Poké Ball

Lego Buddy the Elf

Lego Icons Bookshop: Book Nook

LEGO® Christmas Stocking

Lego Wednesday Backpack

Lego Wednesday Nevermore Academy

Lego Pokémon Up-Scaled Red Minifigure

Lego Marvel Avengers: Doomsday Quinjet

Video doorbells used to be fixtures in sci-fi media as futuristic tech, but fast-forward to 2026, almost anyone can install one in their home for not much money or effort, with a lot of the best video doorbells making for an easy home security upgrade.

But if you still find those options a bit pricey, the Blink Video Doorbell System discounted to just AU$27.99 ahead of Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days sale next week, should certainly make for a no-brainer addition to your home.

This discount matches the Blink Video Doorbell System’s last all-time low price during the last Prime Day sale in July. It’s worth noting, though, that many of the features are locked behind the AU$4.95/m Blink Basic or AU$15/m Blink Plus subscription plans, so those costs should be considered if you want video storage, person detection and more. Amazon is also offering a bundle with two Blink Mini 2K+ cameras for AU$48 or 74% off, perfect for a good starter home security system.View Deal

In our Blink Video Doorbell review, we called it one of the easiest security systems to install, with two different mounting options to suit any household, and setting it up within the Blink mobile app with the included Sync Module Core (which serves as the central system hub) takes just three steps.

Our tester found that it has good image quality at 1440p resolution and 30 frames per second, stable video connection, a wide 150º horizontal field of view and battery life rated for up to two years via three AA lithium batteries.

There’s no included indoor chime, but you can pair this doorbell with a Blink Mini camera that’s sold separately (but you can also buy a bundle with two Blink Mini 2K+ cameras for AU$48) or connect via the Alexa app on your phone to an Amazon Fire Stick or Amazon Echo Show to let you see who’s at your door on your TV or smart display.

As mentioned above, lots of features are locked behind a subscription plan, including video recording, cloud video storage, video sharing, person and vehicle detection, even photo capture. The Blink Basic Plan applies to just one device for AU$4.95 per month or AU$49.95 per year, while Blink Plus lets you add an unlimited number of Blink devices for AU$15 per month or AU$150 per year. For most households, though, the former is a good starting point at a reasonable price, which is made even more enticing by the device’s whopping 72% price drop.

Want to explore your options? Amazon has also discounted more Blink video doorbell models and cameras here.

Spoilers for Stuart Fails to Save the Universe episode 10 ahead.

We've finally arrived at the end of Stuart Fails to Save the Universe (SFtStU) and episode 10 certainly didn't let us down. In fact, it's the closest to The Big Bang Theory (TBBT) that we've been since 2019.

Although Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and Leonard (Johnny Galecki) don't appear in the finale — remember, they built the multiversal machine that Stuart (Kevin Sussman) has been responsible for breaking, this season's finale takes us back to where it all began in a different way.

Indeed, as Kevin, Denise (Lauren Lapkus), Kripke (John Ross Bowie), and Bert (Brian Posehn) arrive in yet another alternate universe, they're confronted with others versions of themselves filming the HBO Max show in front of a live studio audience.

Aside from Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage, creators haven't used a sitcom studio multicam format since TBBT itself.... but the Easter eggs don't stop there.

For Posehn and Bowie, the entire thing was "surreal," but could it indicate more of what we can expect to see in the future, including the already greenlit SFtStU season 2?

'It felt like the old show but wildly different'

"Episode 10 definitely felt the most surreal for me," Posehn told me.

"It was interesting because it was the only time during the entire run of this show that we had a studio audience there," Bowie added. "It felt like a real mix of being like the old show, but also feeling wildly different."

"We were back on that same stage, weren't we? Stage 25," Posehn continuds. "That's our old stage, so that was really weird."

You heard correctly. As the gang point out, while leaving the live studio audience behind, they've been plopped onto Stage 25 on the Warner Bros. studio lot in Burbank, California. The stage was named lot is officially named "The Big Bang Theory Stage" in honor of the aforementioned sitcom's 10-season run.

Fun fact: Stage 25 is one of only five stages on the entire lot to be named after a show, with the other four being The Ellen DeGeneres Show, E.R., Friends, and Two and Half Men. Stage 25 is part of the public lot tour, but that's the closest we've been to reviving its TBBT spirit, until now.

"The whole thing was just extremely trippy and fun," Bowie agreed.

I hope more of these incredibly obvious tributes to the original series are made in Stuart Fails to Save the Universe season 2, purely for the fun and whimsy of it. I don't massively mind if Sheldon and Leonard never turn up, but I do want Chuck Lorre to bring George Cooper back to life... but that's another story.

• Thunderobot uses SSD storage to help its 64GB laptop run huge AI models
• The M7000 can reportedly run GPT-OSS-120B despite having 64GB of memory
• Phison's aiDAPTIV+ technology turns part of the SSD into an AI cache

Thunderobot has released the AI Master M7000, a 16-inch mobile workstation built around AMD's Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor.

The M7000 comes with 64GB of LPDDR5X-8000 memory and Radeon 8060S integrated graphics for demanding workloads.

Its 768GB drive incorporates an 85GB caching layer designed to help AI workloads handle models exceeding available system memory.

AI workloads get an unusual storage assist

The M7000 uses LPDDR5X-8000 memory, while its processor provides 16 cores, 32 threads, boost speeds reaching 5.1GHz, and an XDNA 2 neural processor.

AMD rates the neural hardware at 50 TOPS, while the Radeon 8060S configuration reaches as many as 40 compute units for graphics and accelerated workloads.

Thunderobot says the device can run GPT-OSS-120B locally, despite having 64GB of physical memory available for applications and operating-system requirements.

Its unified memory architecture allows processor and graphics resources to access shared memory, supporting workloads that frequently move substantial model data.

The additional cache comes from Phison’s aiDAPTIV+ technology, which uses part of the internal storage to hold data associated with artificial intelligence workloads.

Rather than functioning as conventional RAM, this arrangement keeps selected information on the SSD when unified memory capacity becomes restrictive during demanding workloads.

Such information can include Key-Value cache, less-active mixture-of-experts components, and model data that applications may require again during processing.

Phison has also shown this storage approach with computers carrying considerably less memory, including a 32GB laptop running the same 120B model.

The technology addresses a limitation faced by large local models, where available memory can restrict the performance of certain workloads.

A 160W mobile workstation with unusually high specifications

Thunderobot gives the M7000 a 160W operating profile supported by two fans and three heat pipes for sustained processing.

The device also uses a 2560×1600 display running at 165Hz, with 500-nit brightness and complete sRGB coverage for color-sensitive work.

Power comes from a 99Wh battery, while the chassis weighs 2.45kg despite its workstation-oriented hardware and cooling requirements.

The display and cooling configuration add considerable hardware capability without changing the notebook’s emphasis on local computing.

For connectivity, this device includes OCuLink, USB-C supporting 40Gbps transfers, HDMI 2.1 FRL, 2.5Gb Ethernet, and a UHS-II microSD reader.

OCuLink provides another high-speed connection for compatible external hardware, giving users added expansion options beyond the laptop's built-in resources.

Thunderobot lists the M7000's Chinese retail price at 24,999 yuan, which converts to roughly $3,733 based on current exchange rates.

That figure places the device well beyond typical gaming budgets, despite the company's product lineup historically centering on gaming hardware.

This device instead reads as an artificial intelligence laptop, given how conspicuously its marketing and branding lean toward AI use cases.

Yet it remains surprising that the caching arrangement still falls short of matching genuine additional system memory in practice.

Via Videocardz

Hate talking on the phone? Gemini’s got an answer, but you’ll still need to be in charge.

• Cache-to-Cache lets separate AI models exchange internal information without generating text
• A learned Fuser converts one model’s internal data for another
• C2C uses selective gating to control which layers receive information

Researchers from Tsinghua University have published a paper describing a technique that lets separate AI models exchange information without producing any text.

The method, called Cache-to-Cache (C2C), has already been accepted at ICLR 2026 and ships with open-source code available to developers.

It targets a specific inefficiency present whenever multiple language models work together inside a shared pipeline.

Skipping words entirely

When two AI models cooperate today, one has to turn its thinking into written sentences before the other can read them.

That writing step takes real computing time and throws away small details buried inside the first model's raw thinking process.

Every AI model keeps a working memory of everything it has processed so far, known technically as a cache.

C2C skips typed language entirely by letting one model pass that working memory straight into a second model's memory bank.

A small assistance program called a Fuser handles this handoff, reshaping and rotating the information so the second model can actually use it.

Different AI models store their memories using completely different internal layouts, sizes, and structures from one another.

Simply dumping one model's raw memory into another would likely confuse it or cause its answers to fall apart.

To prevent that, C2C includes a smart filter that decides which pieces of incoming memory are worth absorbing immediately.

Some internal layers accept the new information right away, while other layers keep reasoning independently without any outside interference.

According to the researchers, this setup makes AI models run between 100% and 150% faster during shared collaborative tasks.

That upper figure works out to roughly two and a half times quicker than the usual back-and-forth typing process.

The team also reports accuracy gains as high as 14.2% when models work together instead of operating entirely alone.

Compared against older setups where models still communicate through typed text, accuracy reportedly improved by 3.1% to 5.4%.

Why does this method have limits

This approach currently works only with open-weight models, since it requires direct access to a model's internal cache and layer structure.

Most popular AI tools, the kind ordinary people chat with online, hide those internal details completely from outside users.

That means everyday apps like certain chatbots cannot use this shortcut unless their own creators build it in privately.

Nobody outside these companies currently knows for certain whether anyone has started using a similar method internally.

The research team argues that typed language has always slowed machines down since it forces them to think like humans do.

That argument deserves some caution, since the same team that built the system also ran every test proving it works well.

Whether this speeds things up as much as claimed will depend on other external testing of the system.

Get closer to the responses you want without the constant prompt hacking.

• Durabook Z14I-DX3 rugged laptop has three 14-inch, sunlight-readable 1,200-nit touchscreens
• At 9.8 kg and a mammoth 137.5 mm thick, it may suit vehicles and fixed positions rather than dismounted crews in the field
• It could also be targeting customers at command posts and in drone teams

Durabook's latest rugged workstation laptop is less a notebook and more a capable folding command post, bringing power, durability, and plenty of screen real estate in tow.

The Z14I-DX3 pairs a conventional rugged clamshell with two extra full HD touch panels hinged to either side of the lid.

When folded, the side panels sit over the main display for transport; when opened, the three 14-inch screens form a mammoth 48:9 workspace for a client base that is expected to be overwhelmingly military.

Built around today's command post needs

While Durabook's press release says it is now available to order, it doesn't list a price on-site and instead directs users to request a quote for what it calls one of the most unique rugged laptops on the battlefield.

Durabook pitches the machine at defense, public safety, utilities, field engineering, and maritime users, describing it as a mobile command center where drone control and telemetry, mission maps, live video, and sensor data sit side by side instead of being juggled on a single display.

It also goes out of its way to make the screen component legible in all environments while focusing on utility: all three panels are 1,200-nit DynaVue sunlight-readable touchscreens with finger, water, glove, and stylus modes, and brightness can be synced across the set or adjusted per panel, as per Durabook's announcement.

This design choice makes the most sense when you consider who the workstation laptop serves: military customers. Each panel can run a separate application, so a drone team could keep a live feed on one screen, a map on another, and telemetry or communications on the third.

A single AC power adapter powers the whole setup, which can be configured with up to an Nvidia RTX ADA 5000 GPU that caps at 682 TOPS of AI performance, enabling offline image recognition and video analysis through on-device AI support.

Its I/O offerings also cater to the assumption that it might be plugging into military hardware, much of which uses legacy connections: Thunderbolt 4 and Wi-Fi 7 sit alongside two serial ports, VGA, an ExpressCard 54 slot, and a 41-pin pogo docking connector, plus dual gigabit Ethernet, HDMI, a smart card reader, and dual SIM with eSIM, with GPS, 4G, and 5G as options.

Durabook durability credentials include MIL-STD-810H testing for shock, vibration, altitude, freeze/thaw, high and low temperature, temperature shock, humidity, explosive atmosphere, and solar radiation, plus MIL-STD-461G for electromagnetic emissions and susceptibility, and an operating range of -29°C to 63°C.

Its weight class, however, rules it out as a portable device you can run around with, with a listed weight of 9.8kg (21.6 lb) and a thickness of 137.5 mm when closed, not including an adapter or carrying case.

This matters for drone teams that may already be carrying other hardware, including the drones they often deploy themselves; the Durabook offering suits fixed positions, shelters, or a vehicle better than a device that can be lugged around with relative ease.

For now, a 'workstation' class laptop that offers plenty of durability, a last-generation AI GPU, and a low-powered CPU might check a lot of battlefield boxes, but would be hard to compare in terms of raw performance to modern gaming laptops or even traditional workstations, both of which pack in significant amounts of power even if they skip the two additional screens - but that might just be the point.

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 Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Thursday, September 24 (game #1704).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,500 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 #1705) — hint #1 — VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?

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

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

Quordle today (game #1705) — hint #2 — repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

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

Quordle today (game #1705) — hint #3 — uncommon lettersDo the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

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

Quordle today (game #1705) — 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 2.

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 #1705) — hint #5 — starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• S

• F

• G

• G

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

Quordle today (game #1705) — the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1705, are…

• SWEAR
• FLOOD
• GUPPY
• GROAN

A close call today.

Even though I only had nine letters left — and four of them were J,Q, X and Z — I still made very hard work of getting GUPPY. In my defense, though, “gummy” is a far more likely word, isn't it?

Daily Sequence today (game #1705) — the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1705, are…

• CAROL
• RAVEN
• PARER
• PERKY

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1704, Thursday, 24 September: TOPIC, METRO, SCALP, FREED
• Quordle #1703, Wednesday, 23 September: SHEET, BLAND, JOIST, GUAVA
• Quordle #1702, Tuesday, 22 September: COMFY, LOBBY, DRESS, PANEL
• Quordle #1701, Monday, 21 September: WAXEN, HIPPO, PETAL, LEASH
• Quordle #1700, Sunday, 20 September: DERBY, LIMBO, GAWKY, REIGN
• Quordle #1699, Saturday, 19 September: SCOPE, HEIST, PULSE, CHAMP
• Quordle #1698, Friday, 18 September: MUCUS, MIRTH, APPLE, TILDE
• Quordle #1697, Thursday, 17 September: CRIER, CHIRP, NEIGH, FREER
• Quordle #1696, Wednesday, 16 September: SPEAR, PRICE, BLUNT, FISHY
• Quordle #1695, Tuesday, 15 September: SHUSH, LITHE, DELTA, BUGLE
• Quordle #1694, Monday, 14 September: ZEBRA, LEGAL, RATIO, TROLL
• Quordle #1693, Sunday, 13 September: LUCID, SPRAY, MANGE, EMAIL
• Quordle #1692, Saturday, 12 September: SUPER, BRUSH, RESET, SOWER
• Quordle #1691, Friday, 11 September: PLUSH, PAINT, RIVAL, AFOUL
• Quordle #1690, Thursday, 10 September: AGENT, EXILE, TITAN, PUREE
• Quordle #1689, Wednesday, 9 September: HAPPY, GONER, SMACK, MOTIF
• Quordle #1688, Tuesday, 8 September: FLUNG, DIARY, HALVE, BERTH
• Quordle #1687, Monday, 7 September: VISIT, CLANK, FEVER, OCEAN
• Quordle #1686, Sunday, 6 September: PILOT, HONOR, BOWEL, TAUNT
• Quordle #1685, Saturday, 5 September: GNASH, GEEKY, WHELP, PUTTY

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 Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Thursday, September 24 (game #1201).

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 #1202) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• RATHER
• BOUGIE
• GENIUS
• SPRING
• BORDER
• RATCHET
• SWANK
• SAVAGE
• CLASSY
• LEVY
• PENDULUM
• FANCY
• ESCAPEMENT
• POSH
• FOAMILY
• AYKROYD

NYT Connections today (game #1202) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Classy stuff
• GREEN: Elements of a timepiece
• BLUE: Daniels of note
• PURPLE: Ranked with added character

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 #1202) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: LUXE
• GREEN: PARTS OF A MECHANICAL CLOCK
• BLUE: FAMOUS DANS
• PURPLE: TAXONOMIC RANKS PLUS A LETTER

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

NYT Connections today (game #1202) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1202, are…

• YELLOW: LUXE: BOUGIE, FANCY, POSH, SWANK
• GREEN: PARTS OF A MECHANICAL CLOCK: ESCAPEMENT, PENDULUM, RATCHET, SPRING
• BLUE: FAMOUS DANS: AYKROYD, LEVY, RATHER, SAVAGE
• PURPLE: TAXONOMIC RANKS PLUS A LETTER: BORDER, CLASSY, FOAMILY, GENIUS

• My rating: Hard
• My score: Perfect

The tile AYKROYD surely meant that we were looking for FAMOUS DANS, but after linking LEVY and RATHER I hit a blank, so decided this was a group I would come back to.

Ruling out the possibility that SWANK was about famous Hilarys, I took the obvious path and ended up with the yellow group of LUXE in its rightful place as the first thing I put together.

After this, though, I went off script and guessed the purple group of TAXONOMIC RANKS PLUS A LETTER (when you see them you see them) before returning to my collection of Daniels and taking a punt on SAVAGE, whom I now know is a purveyor of “no-nonsense sex and relationship advice”.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Thursday, September 24, 2026, game #1201)

• YELLOW: PARTS OF A VAMPIRE COSTUME: CAPE, FACE PAINT, FAKE BLOOD, FANGS
• GREEN: THINGS WITH SPRING/S: BOBBLEHEAD, POGO STICK, SNAKES IN A CAN, TRAMPOLINE
• BLUE: FEATURING POINTING: CREATION OF ADAM, FOAM FINGER, I'M WITH STUPID SHIRT, UNCLE SAM
• PURPLE: ANAGRAMS: BEER HAT, BREATHE, HERB TEA, THE BEAR

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Thursday, September 24 (game #935).

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… 1x1, etc…

NYT Strands today (game #936) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• BEST
• REST
• FARE
• BARE
• THEY
• STIR

NYT Strands today (game #936) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 12 letters

NYT Strands today (game #936) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

• First side: left, 4th row

• Last side: left, 5th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #936) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #936, are…

• NINE
• TWENTYFIVE
• FOUR
• EIGHTYONE
• THIRTYSIX
• SPANGRAM: SQUARENUMBER

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Is it just me or is this game missing a few words?

We have FOUR, which is the SQUARENUMBER of two, and NINE (the square of three), but then we miss sixteen (the square of four) before jumping back in again with TWENTYFIVE (the square of five) and THIRTYSIX (the square of six). However, we then skip seven and eight, before resuming with EIGHTYONE, the square of nine.

Maybe I'm overthinking this…

Anyway, this quibble aside, the hardest aspect of this game was trying to find the non-game words for this column. There really were barely any, so I hope you didn’t need hints.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday, September 24, game #935)

• SANDBOX
• TREEHOUSE
• SWINGS
• POOL
• TRAMPOLINE
• FORT
• SPANGRAM: BACKYARD

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

• Tektronix's DPO718AX brings eight synchronized channels of up to 25GHz each to the 7 Series and can double as a Windows 10 PC
• The EPYC 3351, T1000, 96GB RAM, 1.6TB SSD configuration the oscilloscope offers makes it more than capable of running most modern OSes
• Prices start at an eye-watering $308,000 for the base configuration, which can be further modified as per end-user needs

Tektronix has added an eight-channel model to its flagship 7 Series oscilloscope line, and much of the attention it has drawn has gone to the computer it houses as part of the configuration.

The DPO718AX hosts a 12-core AMD EPYC processor, an Nvidia T1000 graphics card, 96GB of RAM, a removable NVMe SSD with at least 1.6TB of capacity, a 15.6-inch 1080p touchscreen, and an optional Windows 10 drive, all in a chassis that Tektronix's datasheet puts at 38.1kg.

This has drawn sharp comparisons to actual Windows-based PCs amid a RAM and memory shortage, including one by CNX Software, which said that the instrument "looks like a high-end PC running Linux (or Windows 10 LTSC)."

A powerful PC in its own right, albeit with dated components

None of the computer hardware listed for the DPO718AX is new or recently released. The AMD EPYC Embedded 3351 CPU is one of the oldest hardware offerings in play here, featuring AMD's first-generation Zen cores and a February 2018 release date.

While the SSD storage speed is unspecified, it is safe to assume it will be capped by the PCIe 3.0 support the EPYC CPU provides to the system. The 96GB of memory on offer can also safely be assumed to be DDR4, as the CPU supports only DDR4 configurations. Despite these limitations, the CPU does offer a 12-core, 24-thread configuration with a rated boost clock of 3GHz that should handle most tasks with relative ease.

The Nvidia T1000 GPU is an entry-level, workstation-class GPU built around its Turing architecture, with a release date of May 2021. The oscilloscope comes with an FHD touch-screen display and can output video up to QHD via DisplayPort, with a capped refresh rate of 60Hz.

The oscilloscope can also run Windows 10 natively, and it matters more than you might think: it is required for the compliance and RF analysis software the DPO718AX supports. The DPOs do not come with an installation by default; the Windows 10 LTSC 2021 installation is available on a secondary, removable drive that users can opt for if needed.

Since the integrated AMD CPU supports TPM 2.0, you could theoretically run Windows 11 on a device that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars, but the aging hardware, low-clocked CPU, and dated internals would make it a terrible PC replacement, even if one had the money to splurge on such an endeavor.

• Rainbow Six Tactics game director Martial Potron says the game's fatigue and injury system will encourage players to try other Operators
• Operators can go out of commission if they're injured, pushing players to shuffle through the roster
• Potron says this also reminds players that Operators are "human"

Rainbow Six Tactics won't let fans repeatedly play the same Operator like in Rainbow Six Siege, but will encourage players to experiment with the entire roster using two new gameplay systems instead.

Rainbow Six Siege fans have a favorite Operator, whether it's Ash, Smoke, Fuze, Hibana, or someone else on the massive roster. But in Rainbow Six Tactics, Ubisoft's turn-based tactics spin-off, the fatigue and injury systems will force players to try other characters across a variety of missions.

"It's a way to push players to use their tools and shuffle their roster," game director Martial Potron told TechRadar Gaming at Gamescom. "So fatigue is one way, injuries is another way."

Potron explained that Operators are human beings, so it makes sense that these special agents will be out of commission for some time if they get injured during a mission; unlike in Siege, where objective-based game rounds will reset a player's health each time.

"I think it's also a good way to remind people that Operators are humans," the director said. "A bullet is a bullet. It's very dangerous. That's why reconning is important. If you don't recon, it may happen that there is someone hidden and he shoots you, and and you get you get injured. You don't have your Operator for two missions."

He added that the fatigue system serves the same purpose and "forces players to readjust their roster" whenever they send Operators on missions; he said this may seem negative, but the game will inform players which Operators will fit certain missions.

For example, a mission that requires players to save targets wouldn't suit Ash, who uses explosives, so a more close-range or precise Operator would be best.

"So depending on who I am facing, I will also readjust my roster because they really are meant to counter other enemies," Portron said. "So there is this negative side of humanity, and there is a positive side of Operators being very good against some part of the challenges."

Rainbow Six Tactics arrives in 2027 for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S.

• A Ford patent shows multi-use front trunk including a TV-housing option
• Images look very like the Ford Fathom, which is coming in 2027
• Ford's EV pickup will start at $28,350 (around £20,970 / AU$39,540)

Ford's upcoming Fathom electric truck could have a very unusual addition: a small front trunk that could house a TV, for the ultimate tailgating upgrade.

As Electrek reports, Ford has filed a patent with several diagrams showing a fold-out, tailgate-style area in the front of an unnamed vehicle that's believed to be the Fathom.

The design takes advantage of EVs' lack of a traditional engine compartment, which means you can have storage space at the front of the car or truck. It appears to offer a large, flat space like you'd find in a pickup such as Ford F-150 Lightning, plus a fold-out tailgate that can be used for multiple purposes, including holding a TV, presumably to be powered by the battery while you sit in camp chairs with a six-pack.

(Image credit: Ford / USPTO)What the patents say about Ford's Fathom's frunk

The design looks well-suited to tailgate parties, and for camping trips and anywhere else a TV might be watched — so for example if you were selling products at a market you could use the back of the Fathom to carry your goods and your stall and your tailgate TV to show the promo video.

And you shouldn't need to worry about the TV draining your battery: the Fathom is expected to have a large battery for over 300 miles of range, so a TV isn't going to make a big dent in that capacity.

The TV isn't the only interesting idea here. The patent suggests that the top of the hood could be swappable, enabling you to replace it so you can put things on it — such as food or tools — without spoiling your vehicle's finish. Presumably the design would also include a storage space for those swappable bits rather having you leave them lying loose around on the frunk's floor.

As for the rest of the upcoming EV, Ford has been drip-feeding details for months now: it's a midsize pickup with more passenger room than a Toyota RAV4, it's launching in early 2027 and it'll have a surprisingly low starting price of $28,350. It comes with Apple Maps integration, CarPlay and Android Auto.

What we don't know yet is what it really looks like: as you can see from the image at the top of the article, the images Ford have released so far are camouflaged. But from what we've seen of the shape it looks suitably tough, and it's priced very aggressively. Ford promises that the camo will come off in 2027.