Technology

I’ve never wanted to sky dive or do a bungee jump, but when I read some industry commentary it feels like this is what CFOs are being asked to do when it comes to investing in AI tools. For example, Ashu Garg and Jaya Gupta at Foundation VC claim: “This isn’t just a new category of software; it’s the dismantling of enterprise software as we know it.”

Knowing CFOs as I do, they are a pragmatic bunch who are not easily swayed by marketing speak and will only invest when tangible value can be demonstrated. They are also unlikely to invest in AI if there is any sense they might lose control of critical decision-making processes. So, if vendors want to encourage CFOs to embrace AI, finance leaders must be confident they can trust the technology to deliver accurate results.

Putting aside the hype, it is not likely that existing large language models (LLMs) and conversational AI tools will dismantle every element of finance workflows any time soon. However, change is coming, and CFOs need to get ready. Right now, they should be thinking about getting the correct foundations in place so that when the time comes to adopt AI tools, they have ultimate flexibility to do it in a pragmatic way; rather than the unnerving sensation of jumping off a cliff into the unknown attached to a bungee cord.

AI and the randomness of life

Once the organizational and IT foundations are established, CFOs will have more confidence that AI tools will base their decisions on accurate information. They will also be better placed to oversee the AI tool to avoid incorrect decisions. For example, unpredictability in forecasting and planning is a primary challenge.

Black swan events can have dramatic and unforeseen effects on performance, but this is not simple for LLMs to address. Traditionally, they require training on every eventuality to make decisions, but with the right building blocks in place finance teams can decide how best to approach such unique scenarios with AI tools.

One way AI Agents will be able to address these more complex situations is by collaborating with one another to complete tasks autonomously, as the analyst and industry commentator, Phil Wainewright has highlighted. Potentially, this approach will see these tools find new solutions and create opportunities to drive productivity, as well as business performance.

Three priorities to build trust in AI

In such an example, CFOs must be prepared to allow critical finance systems to operate autonomously without supervision. This will require huge trust in AI, but finance leaders can be more confident in ceding control to AI tools if they have addressed three priorities:

1. Integrity of input data: it is obvious, but data must be accurate, and its integrity protected if AI tools are to make trustworthy decisions. AI agents must be able to share data if they are to collaborate, so organizations must have a single source of truth for all the information within their systems, as well as be able to integrate information easily from external sources. This also means being able to read all data, in all formats – structured and unstructured. On top of that is data security and knowing that the data comes from trusted sources – if AI Agents are talking to one another unhindered, how do you guarantee they are all trustworthy?

2. Problem complexity: the AI tool you adopt needs to fit the problem. Generalist AI models, like conversational AI tools, may not be suited to making decisions for niche challenges. How you train the AI is critical – does it have the right data source relevant to the problem you’re looking to solve? But the even bigger question is how you deal with randomness. Phil Wainewright talks about the “ingenuity of humans” which today AI systems cannot replicate. In the world of finance, if you are looking at forecasting, there are a multiplicity of known factors affecting business performance, but there are also black swans which are very difficult to train an AI to adapt to. How will your AI model cope with randomness?

3. Transparency of decision making: if we are going to let go and trust AI Agents to take more decisions in finance environments, then we must be able to trust the answers they provide. Unsupervised learning is a key step on the path to “letting go” but this requires confidence both in the model being used and the training data. With LLMs this process can also become inefficient. The more data they require to train the AI, the bigger the black box becomes, the more unwieldy and harder it is to understand the decision making. It also poses the risk of unreliable data sources being introduced into the model. Businesses cannot afford to rely on technologies and data that cannot be decoded, so it is critical to find more elegant, streamlined ways to demonstrate what data is being used and how the model uses the data to reach decisions.

Addressing these priorities from the outset will give CFOs the confidence that AI is being embraced as part of a structured approach, surrounded by defined policies and guidelines. Having such checks and balances in place will ensure adopting AI is not a leap of faith. Certainly, there is an element of stepping into the unknown, because we don’t yet know the full extent of what mature AI technologies will be capable of, but if you approach it right, it will not feel like you’re attached to a bungee, curling your toes over the edge of the cliff while you psyche yourself up to leap.

We've compiled a list of the best RPA software.

This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for March 10.

• Red Hat and Axiom Space plan to send an Orbital Data Center to the ISS
• AxDCU-1 will run AI, cybersecurity, and cloud computing tests in space
• The aim is to deliver secure, low latency processing off-world

It seems as if space really is the next frontier for data centers. We recently reported Lonestar was preparing to send the first physical data center (actually a RISC-V processor with a Phison SSD running Ubuntu) to the Moon, following the company's earlier success in testing the world’s first software-defined data center on the International Space Station (ISS).

Now, IBM’s Red Hat has announced a tie-up with Axiom Space to send a data center to the ISS in spring 2025. The Data Center Unit-1 (AxDCU-1) prototype will be powered by Red Hat Device Edge, an enterprise-grade version of MicroShift (a lightweight Kubernetes distribution derived from Red Hat OpenShift), along with Red Hat Enterprise Linux and the Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform.

AxDCU-1 will test applications in cloud computing, AI/ML, data fusion, and space cybersecurity on the space station while also demonstrating initial Orbital Data Center (ODC) capabilities.

In-space data processing

“Off-planet data processing is the next frontier, and edge computing is a crucial component,” said Tony James, chief architect, Science and Space, Red Hat. “With Red Hat Device Edge and in collaboration with Axiom Space, Earth-based mission partners will have the capabilities necessary to make real-time decisions in space with greater reliability and consistency.”

AxDCU-1 is part of Axiom Space’s ongoing work to develop space infrastructure and will allow data to be processed closer to off-world sources, including spacecraft and satellites. The aim is to support more secure and faster decision-making in space.

“We are excited about the possibilities this collaboration with Red Hat enables for ODC infrastructure and the future of space operations. Infusing terrestrial-grade cloud solutions into ODCs will enable users to seamlessly transition and enhance their terrestrial workloads to orbit while leveraging the lower latency and increased security inherent with ODCs," said Jason Aspiotis, global director of in-space data and security at Axiom Space.

Axiom Space says use cases for ODCs include in-space data processing for satellites, AI/ML training, cybersecurity, autonomy, space weather analytics, and off-planet backup for Earth's critical infrastructure.

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• Samsung has signed an agreement with China’s YMTC to use its hybrid bonding tech
• The move will prevent infringement claims in production of 400-layer NAND
• US-China trade tensions may also have influenced the agreement

Samsung Electronics has signed a contract with Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. (YMTC) which will allow it to use the Chinese semiconductor company’s bonding technology in the production of its 400-layer NAND flash memory.

Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Wuhan, China, YMTC is a subsidiary of Tsinghua Unigroup, which is backed by the Chinese government. It focuses on 3D NAND flash memory, a critical component in storage devices like SSDs, smartphones, and data centers, and most famously developed Xtacking technology, a proprietary architecture that improves NAND flash performance and density.

According to Korea’s ChosunBiz news site, Samsung likely entered into the agreement to avoid a patent dispute related to this “hybrid bonding,” which will be an essential process in the mass production of 400-layer NAND memory.

US-China trade war a factor?

"YMTC registered the hybrid bonding patent and was the first to apply the relevant technology in the manufacturing process of NAND flash memory. Although YMTC significantly trails behind global memory semiconductor corporations such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix in terms of market share, it is quickly catching up with South Korean firms, recently starting mass production of 294-layer NAND flash memory," the site explains.

It is believed the agreement will protect both firms from violating each other’s patents. YMTC sued Micron in a U.S. court last year, alleging infringement of its NAND tech.

ChosunBiz quotes a semiconductor industry insider as saying, “In the memory semiconductor industry, companies sign licensing agreements in advance to avoid patent disputes ahead of next-generation product development and manufacturing. While such agreements are a common practice in the industry, concerns are growing over the rapid narrowing of the technology gap between China and leading companies, as Samsung, the top player in the NAND flash memory market, is now using patents from a Chinese firm.”

eeNews Analog points out that there could be more to the agreement than just wanting to avoid infringement. “It may also reflect that a US-China trade war may impact YMTC’s ability to sell memory components outside China and that a licensing or cross-licensing arrangement for various technologies could benefit YMTC,” the site writes.

ChosunBiz’s article doesn’t mention SK Hynix, Samsung’s South Korean memory rival, but it’s possible - likely even - that it too will have explored or entered into similar licensing agreements with YMTC to secure the hybrid bonding technology for its own NAND flash production.

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• The Mac mute button now matches the on-screen graphics
• Keyboards for MacBooks and iPads have been updated
• It's the first tweak to the button design since back in 1999

Apple unveiled some shiny new MacBook Airs for 2025 earlier this week – and as well as featuring the latest M4 chipsets inside, they also correct a keyboard oversight that's been around since the last century.

As spotted by iCulture (via MacRumors), the mute button on the keyboard now shows a small speaker with a strikeout line through it. Previously, the icon was just a speaker, with none of the sound waves next to it that the other volume buttons show.

Why does this matter? Well, as you'll notice if you're reading this on a Mac, if you tap the mute button on an Apple keyboard, you get a speaker icon with a strikeout line through it on screen. The keyboard graphics now match the macOS visuals.

It's not much of a change in the grand scheme of computing upgrades, but it's nice to now have some consistency. The old mute button icon has been around since the launch of the PowerBook G3 all the way back in 1999.

Looking good

The updated laptops bring with them a fresh color (Image credit: Apple)

Apple hasn't said anything officially about the updated iconography, but the change has also been made on the new Magic Keyboard that comes with the refreshed 7th-generation iPad Air tablet, powered by the M3 chipset.

That would indicate the new look is here to stay, and will continue to feature on Mac keyboards going forward. The next computers we're expecting from Apple are the M5 MacBook Pros, due before the end of the year.

Judging by the comments on the MacRumors article linked above, this isn't something that has been particularly confusing or frustrating for users – but given Apple's usual attention to detail, it's strange that the inconsistency has persisted.

Our full review of the M4 MacBook Air is still in the pipeline, but we have managed to get some hands-on time with the updated laptops already – and the fresh Sky Blue color is definitely one that catches the eye.

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Gemini, Google's AI chatbot running the 2.0 Flash model, is well equipped to handle complex conversations, generate instant images ("I need a picture of a guy working on the weekend on his computer"), and handle difficult math equations. I know all this, and yet, sometimes, I just find myself chatting with the thing, and when I do that, I often discover hidden capabilities, like classic video gameplay.

Remember Zork? In 1977, a trio of MIT researchers created the first text-based adventure game for a DEC mainframe and eventually ported it to the earliest PCs. I discovered the minimalist game in 1980 at my high school's math lab, home of the school's only computer. The game offers you descriptions and options while a witty narrator carries you through the storyline. Your decisions define your experience and gameplay. It was difficult and inscrutable, but I loved it.

BFFs

The subject of the game came up quite by accident during a casual conversation with Gemini.

I started using Gemini more after I found I could place the Gemini widget on my iPhone 16 Pro Max's lock screen. Now, the LLM is one tap away. As with most AI conversations, they follow my own somewhat random stream of consciousness. I started by asking Gemini about AGI (artificial general intelligence). Gemini spelled it out for me and admitted that it does not yet have AGI.

The conversation felt stilted, so I asked, via voice, Gemini to make its responses more casual like it was my best friend. It heard the word "casual" as "coffee" and then comically blended coffee references into its now much friendlier banter.

Gemini asked about my weekend plans, and then I asked if it liked to play games. Among the responses it offered is that it enjoyed text-based games. Then Gemini asked what games I like to play.

(Image credit: Future)

I explained my love of chess and poor modern video game skills. Then I described playing "one of the very earliest video games where there was nothing but text and you would sort of go on an adventure and you'd get a prompt, and then you would figure out what you were supposed to do based on some options."

This description clearly intrigued Gemini, and it asked if I wanted to talk more about these classic games, play chess, or play a text-based adventure that it would create.

I recalled the game Zork, which Gemini described as a "legendary game," and gave me some details about its history.

Then Gemini offered to set up a little "Zork-inspired adventure."

Do you want to play a game?

Don't worry; this isn't a tale where a sinister computer offers to set up a game that inexplicably has geopolitical and possibly world-ending implications. Gemini is not that AI. But I will say, the game that followed was impressive, if a bit too precious.

Here's how it started:

"You find yourself standing at the edge of a whispering forest. The air is thick with the scent of damp earth and ancient trees. A narrow path winds its way into the depths of the woods, disappearing into the shadows. To your left, you see a crumbling stone wall, partially overgrown with ivy. To your right, a small, gurgling stream flows from the forest, its water dark and clear.

What do you do?

Options:

1 Follow the path into the forest.

2 Examine the stone wall.

3 Follow the stream.

4 Listen to the sounds of the forest.

Enter the number corresponding to your choice."

Mostly, I selected numbers that I thought would keep the adventure percolating. The descriptions were rich and mostly well-written; if I closed my eyes, I could imagine the scene. I was entertained and curious enough to keep going.

The game's storyline led me through a path in the woods to, naturally, an old moss-covered cottage. Inside was a "figure" who was eventually described as "Edler." At one point, Gemini took to calling the figure "them" and "they," which might have meant the figure had no gender or that Gemini had lost a bit of the thread.

Throughout more than a dozen prompts, we explored the woods, retrieved a magical key, and examined the contents of a mysterious box. Perhaps my favorite part of the game was how it tied together, retrieving the key from a magical stone and then realizing that it was also the key that unlocked that special box.

The game went on so long that I had to take breaks. When I returned to Gemini, I thought I'd lost the game, but Gemini keeps track of all prompt discussions in the chat icon on the upper left corner of the app. As soon as I opened that prompt, we were able to continue from where I left off.

Gemini's idea of a big reveal fell a little flat. We found a locket in the box containing photos of Edler's parents. Their tale of love found and lost wasn't particularly magical or even that dramatic, but Edler's obvious sadness did touch me.

However, once the Elder shared the 'secret" of the locket, I was no longer interested in the Elder's story or the cottage, so I chose the option where I said goodbye and left the cottage.

(Image credit: Future)

Here was the final gameplay text:

"Thank you for sharing your story, Elder," you say, your voice soft and respectful. "I'm glad I could help you recover this precious memento."

You rise from your chair, ready to take your leave. "I should be heading back now. The sun is setting, and I don't want to get lost in the forest."

Elder nods slowly, their eyes filled with gratitude. "You are a kind and courageous traveler," they say. "May the forest guide you safely on your journey. And may you always remember the power of love and memory."

You turn and walk towards the door, the creaking hinges echoing in the quiet room. As you step out into the twilight, you glance back at the cottage. The flickering candlelight casts a warm glow through the window, illuminating the figure of Elder, still holding the silver locket.

You turn and walk away, the sounds of the forest closing in around you. The path back to the edge of the woods seems clearer now, as if the forest itself is guiding you.

The End."

Gemini wasn't that good at raising the stakes – a key component of the best gameplay – but I was engaged, and I think the game might've been more interesting if I'd made some different choices or been more involved in the game development. I'm sure Gemini would let me adjust some of the mechanics.

It's another reminder that we're far from discovering the full depths of these chatbots' capabilities. We must be ready to look beyond the obvious, choose our path, and take an AI adventure.

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• The Last of Us season 2's final trailer has been released
• HBO's hugely successful TV show will return to our screens in mid-April
• Its new teaser is full of moments pulled right of the series' videogame namesake

The Last of Us season 2 is, at the time of writing, just over a month away – and HBO has more than whet our appetite for its arrival with a pulsating new trailer.

Clocking in at around two minutes, the teaser was released online after its worldwide debut at South by South West yesterday (March 8). I predicted season 2's new trailer would be revealed during the show's panel at this year's Austin, Texas-based festival, so I'm glad I was right.

Anyway, the latest footage is full of thrilling, tense, and dark moments (literally and thematically) that have been pulled right out of Naughty Dog's videogame franchise of the same name. Suffice it to say: if The Last of Us' return wasn't already one of my most anticipated new series of 2025, it certainly would be now.

There's a lot – and I mean a lot – to unpack from The Last of Us TV show's latest trailer. The most notable moment is saved for its final few seconds, though, as it confirms that Ellie (Bella Ramsey) will eventually learn about what Joel (Pedro Pascal) did in last season's finale. I'll refrain from spoiling that for anyone who's still working their way through The Last of Us season 1, but you can read all about in my guide on The Last of Us season 2 if you need a reminder or aren't fussed about spoilers.

The incident I'm referring to also sets up some big plot threads for season 2, which begs the question: will that incredibly shocking and divisive event from The Last of Us Part II be a part of this season's narrative? The short answer is: I don't know. Season 2's latest trailer didn't give us any indication that it would. Neither did The Last of Us season 2's first trailer or another teaser that was released in early January.

Of course, HBO isn't going to ruin one of the most important moments from the aforementioned game ahead of one of the best Max shows' return. My best guess? It will happen before the upcoming season ends, and might even be the basis for a cliff-hanger ending that leaves us devastated and longing for the show's in-development third season to arrive ASAP.

What is the release date for The Last of Us season 2?

Season 2 arrives in mid-April worldwide (Image credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO)

The hit show's sophomore outing will be released on Sunday, April 12 in the US. It'll launch a day later (April 13) in the UK and Australia.

As for where you can watch it, US audiences can stream it on HBO and Max – the latter being one of the world's best streaming services. UK viewers can watch it on Sky and Now TV, while Australians should tune into Binge and Foxtel.

The Last of Us season 2 cast: Bella Ramsey, Pedro Pascal, Kaitlyn Dever, and more

Kaitlyn Dever's Abby should play a massive role in season 2 (Image credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO)

Joining Ramsey and Pedro on the returning cast roster are Gabriel Luna as Tommy and Rutina Wesley as Maria.

Where newcomers are concerned, Kaitlyn Dever is the most noteworthy addition as she's playing Abby, The Last of Us Part II's deuteragonist. Due to her importance to the story, she'll likely have a co-starring role with Ramsey and Pascal throughout this season.

Other confirmed faces you can expect to see in season 2 are Isabela Merced as Dina, Young Mazino as Jesse, Ariela Barer as Mel, Tati Gabrielle as Nora, Spencer Lord as Owen, Danny Ramirez as Manny, and Jeffrey Wright as Isaac. Catherine O’Hara will play a currently unnamed therapist who interacts with Pascal's Joel, too. You can learn more about all of them in my season 2 hub, which I linked to earlier.

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• Chinese researchers are working to develop molecular hard drives with high capacity
• The drives use organometallic molecules to boost data density and efficiency
• A conductive atomic force microscope tip reads and writes molecular data

Chinese researchers are exploring the potential of organic materials to develop a new type of hard drive that could potentially store six times the amount of data compared to current mechanical models.

Traditional hard drives store data in binary form, relying on magnetized regions to represent ones and zeros, which limits storage capacity. Molecular hard drives overcome this by using self-assembled monolayers of organometallic complex molecules, such as RuXLPH, to significantly increase data density while maintaining ultra-low power consumption, measured at just 2.94 picowatts per bit.

A key component in the operation of molecular HDDs is the conductive atomic force microscope tip (C-AFM), which serves as the mechanical programming and read head. The tip applies localized voltages to the self-assembled monolayer, triggering redox reactions in the RuXLPH molecules. The tip’s nanoscale resolution allows precise control over molecular conductance states, allowing for multi-bit storage in an exceptionally small footprint.

Encryption at the molecular level

Another advantage of molecular hard drives is the enhanced security they offer. Unlike traditional drives that require separate encryption mechanisms, molecular HDDs feature in-situ XOR encryption at the molecular level. This capability allows secure data encoding and retrieval without additional hardware, reducing vulnerability to cyber threats.

The researchers demonstrated this by encoding and encrypting a 128x128 pixel image, proving the system’s ability to securely store and retrieve data.

The research was published in Nature Communications. The authors say future work will focus on improving miniaturization, increasing conductance states, and addressing environmental sensitivity.

Blocks & Files makes an interesting point however. “The working life of an atomic force microscope tip is currently measured at 50-200 hours in intermittent touch (tapping) mode versus 5-50 hours in continuous touch mode. Unless and until a long-lasting C-AFM tip can be created, this would seem to be a fatal flaw in their molecular hard drive concept. A second point is that the device has “ultralow power consumption of pW/bit range,” but this is for reading and writing, not spinning the disk, which would take more power.”

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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 Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, March 9 (game #371).

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… You're pushing my buttons

NYT Strands today (game #372) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• VOTE
• MORE
• BIDE
• LEAN
• ROGUE
• POEM

NYT Strands today (game #372) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Works your TV

NYT Strands today (game #372) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: bottom, 4th column

Last side: top, 4th column

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

NYT Strands today (game #372) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #372, are…

• VOLUME
• BACK
• POWER
• HOME
• MUTE
• GUIDE
• CHANNEL
• SPANGRAM: REMOTE CONTROL

• My rating: Easy
• My score: 1 hint

Losing a REMOTE CONTROL is really frustrating. As a scatterbrained person it's something I do a lot. It's almost a superpower – well if superpowers were useless and annoying.

Losing a remote is a great example of how powerless we are without technology – with the TV remaining on (or off) and stuck until the blessed “zapper” is located.

I've found ours in the fridge before and I once took it to work, leaving my wife at home having to watch National Geographic all day (there are worse channels it could have been stuck on) or pull the plug.

The worst remotes are the tiny ones. I’ve gone through three for my Amazon TV Fire Stick, all possibly eaten by the couch (or a cat) but vanished forever after lengthy hours-long searches. I could tape an AirTag to it, but this seems an extreme measure considering how it's a housebound object.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, 9 March, game #371)

• PURR
• HISS
• SNUGGLE
• STRETCH
• SWAT
• BLINK
• POUNCE
• SPANGRAM: CAT BEHAVIOR

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.

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 Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, March 9 (game #1140).

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 #1141) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.

* 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 #1141) - 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 4.

Quordle today (game #1141) - 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 #1141) - 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 #1141) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• A

• T

• T

• G

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

Quordle today (game #1141) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1141, are…

• AVAIL
• THESE
• TITAN
• GAUGE

You know when there’s a really obvious word but you go for some random one instead? Well I did that today, completely missing THESE and putting, er, TESTE instead. What a balls up.

It had been going very well, with my Quordle muscle memory kicking in to land TITAN and AVAIL.

Oh well, at least I didn’t crash out.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1141) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1141, are…

• STRAW
• SNIDE
• MUDDY
• TRACK

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1140, Sunday 9 March: SKILL, IDEAL, WHERE, REHAB
• Quordle #1139, Saturday 8 March: WATCH, LAPSE, WREST, HEFTY
• Quordle #1138, Friday 7 March: GLEAN, SHINY, DECRY, MANGA
• Quordle #1137, Thursday 6 March: TRICE, EIGHT, BELCH, RIPER
• Quordle #1136, Wednesday 5 March: PLEAD, TWANG, MAJOR, RISKY
• Quordle #1135, Tuesday 4 March: FLOWN, ETUDE, TOPAZ, JOKER
• Quordle #1134, Monday 3 March: FRILL, KAYAK, REBAR, WORDY
• Quordle #1133, Sunday 2 March: TUNIC, GLOSS, DEBUG, LARGE
• Quordle #1132, Saturday 1 March: DENSE, BONEY, KITTY, SMEAR
• Quordle #1131, Friday 28 February: PASTA, RAZOR, PLUMB, DROOL
• Quordle #1130, Thursday 27 February: THIEF, CHAIR, ETHER, GRIME
• Quordle #1129, Wednesday 26 February: LOVER, SPIED, VAPOR, METER
• Quordle #1128, Tuesday 25 February: TWIST, TWEAK, MEANT, CLEAR
• Quordle #1127, Monday 24 February: LEASH, LEVER, TOTEM, CREME
• Quordle #1126, Sunday 23 February: RABID, RELIC, SCRAM, BASIS
• Quordle #1125, Saturday 22 February: ETHER, SONIC, VAUNT, ROUSE
• Quordle #1124, Friday 21 February: STIFF, PRIZE, SCOWL, DONUT
• Quordle #1123, Thursday 20 February: HASTY, DRAPE, FICUS, CRAZE
• Quordle #1122, Wednesday 19 February: ABATE, TROVE, VENUE, DRAPE
• Quordle #1121, Tuesday 18 February: TAMER, SCRUB, BRICK, DRIFT

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 Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Sunday, March 9 (game #637).

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 #638) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• MONA LISA
• STATUE OF LIBERTY
• BOWLING
• SPHYNX
• VENUS DE MILO
• JOKER
• RUSSIAN BLUE
• RUG
• WHITE RUSSIAN 
• LIBERTY BELL
• COMEDY MASK
• TURKISH ANGORA
• RAGAMUFFIN
• CHESHIRE CAT
• BATHROBE
• TOWER OF PISA

NYT Connections today (game #638) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Types of kitty
• PURPLE: Coen Brothers classic
• BLUE: Altered tourist attractions
• GREEN: All-star grins

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 #638) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: CAT BREEDS 
• PURPLE: ASSOCIATED WITH "THE DUDE" LEBOWSKI 
• BLUE: ATTRACTIONS ICONICALLY DIFFERENT FROM THEIR ORIGINAL
• FORMS 
• GREEN: FAMOUS SMILES 

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

NYT Connections today (game #638) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #638, are…

• YELLOW: CAT BREEDS RAGAMUFFIN, RUSSIAN BLUE, SPHYNX, TURKISH ANGORA
• GREEN: FAMOUS SMILES CHESHIRE CAT, COMEDY MASK, JOKER, MONA LISA
• BLUE: ATTRACTIONS ICONICALLY DIFFERENT FROM THEIR ORIGINAL FORMS LIBERTY BELL, STATUE OF LIBERTY, TOWER OF PISA, VENUS DE MILO
• PURPLE: ASSOCIATED WITH "THE DUDE" LEBOWSKI BATHROBE, BOWLING, RUG, WHITE RUSSIAN

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 mistakes

Even though I guessed there was a CAT BREEDS category from my first look at the grid, I still made hard work of it. I thoughtlessly put WHITE RUSSIAN instead of RAGAMUFFIN. It was the realization that it was The Dude’s beverage of choice that set me on the right path.

My errors didn’t end there, though. Despite deducing Tourist Attractions was a link I tried to make a group containing MONA LISA rather than LIBERTY BELL, confusion which I can’t help but suspect was part of today’s cunning plan to baffle players.

Mona Lisa and CHESHIRE CAT aside, FAMOUS SMILES was quite the stretch. The JOKER maybe makes the cut, but COMEDY MASK?

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, 9 March, game #637)

• YELLOW: COMPUTER INPUT DEVICES MICROPHONE, MOUSE, SCANNER, TABLET
• GREEN: BUILDING MATERIALS BRICK, CONCRETE, METAL, STONE
• BLUE: HELPFUL DEED FAVOR, KINDNESS, SERVICE, SOLID
• PURPLE: #1 SONGS FROM 1982 ABRACADABRA, CENTERFOLD, MICKEY, PHYSICAL

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.

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• iPhone 17 Air screen size and camera specs leak
• The handset could start at 128GB of storage
• It's set to be slightly smaller than the iPhone 17 Pro Max

It seems likely that the iPhone 16 Plus is going to make way for the iPhone 17 Air this year – and a new leak gives us a better idea of the specs the new phone will bring with it, and how it is set to stack up against the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

These specs come from tipster @OreXda (via Notebookcheck), and suggest the iPhone 17 Air is going to come with a 6.7-inch screen running at a resolution of 2796 x 1290 pixels. A main camera resolution of 48MP and a selfie camera resolution of 12MP are also mentioned, as well as 128GB of storage (with other options probably available too).

That compares to a 6.9-inch screen for the iPhone 17 Pro Max, running at a resolution of 2868 x 1320 pixels. The same camera resolutions are listed – though the iPhone 17 Pro Max will probably have another couple of rear cameras too – and for this phone the internal storage apparently starts at 256GB.

If all that is accurate, then the iPhone 17 Air would be sitting between the 6.3-inch display of the iPhone 17 Pro and the 6.9-inch display of the iPhone 17 Pro Max, in terms of screen size – so there'll be plenty of choice on offer.

Thinner and thinner

pic.twitter.com/JL27Do53HXMarch 8, 2025

None of the specs listed here are designed to make the iPhone 17 Air stand out – instead it's going to be the super-slim frame that will carry the most appeal. The rumors are that the handset will measure just 5.59 mm front to back.

And 2025 could well be the year of the ultra-thin phone. We've already seen the launch of the thinnest foldable to date, the Oppo Find N5, and we're getting ready for the full reveal of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge – a phone we've only had a brief look at so far, and which will be going head-to-head against the iPhone 17 Air.

Based on unofficial renderings that have already popped up online, the iPhone 17 Air is going to come with a single rear camera, housed in a raised camera bar that extends all the way across the top of the back casing. It looks likely that the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will have raised camera modules too.

The usual chipset upgrades are to be expected, but it'll be interesting to see how Apple prices the iPhone 17 Air, which marks a new series within the iPhone family. Last month, Apple debuted the iPhone 16e, which starts at $599 / £599 / AU$999.

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• The iPhone 17 is rumored to go big on video recording
• iPhone 17 Air leak suggests it'll get next-gen battery
• Leaked iPhone 17 schematics show a speaker redesign

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