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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… What a stud!

NYT Strands today (game #197) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• LONE
• BORN
• SCAR
• SCAN
• PING
• MEET

NYT Strands today (game #197) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Skin adornments

NYT Strands today (game #197) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First: left, 4th row

Last: right, 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 #197) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #197, are…

• CHEEK
• NOSE
• EARLOBE
• EYEBROW
• SEPTUM
• NAVEL
• TONGUE
• SPANGRAM: PIERCING

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Another day, another easy Strands puzzle. Come on, NYT – give us something tougher! Admittedly, the theme clue of 'What a stud!' left things open, and maybe I'd have struggled a little more if I hadn't uncovered CHEEK by accident when hunting for words. But once I had that it was clear what I needed to do. Completing it was then a simple matter of searching the word grid for parts of the body. Easy.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday 15 September, game #196)

• WHISKEY
• BITTERS
• WATER
• CHERRY
• ORANGE
• SUGAR
• SPANGRAM: OLDFASHIONED

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.

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now nearly 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 #966) - 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 #966) - 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 #966) - 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 #966) - 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 #966) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• R

• S

• F

• U

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

Quordle today (game #966) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #966, are…

• ROUGE
• SWAMP
• FUGUE
• UNDUE

You'll have found today's Quordle to be a lot easier if you included a U in an early guess – because there are five of them in this game, including two in FUGUE and UNDUE. In fact, it's a vowel-heavy Quordle in general: 10 of the 20 letters are A, E, O or U (there are no 'I's today), so assuming you did the sensible thing and played all of them early on you'll have been fine.

Or at least you should have been – because the letters aside it's not necessarily easy. FUGUE is an uncommon word, there are a couple of repeated letters on the board and ROUGE could have been ROGUE just as easily. A real mixed bag.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #966) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #966, are…

• PHONY
• SWELL
• BIRCH
• MOIST

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #965, Sunday 15 September: VILLA, SMOKE, BULKY, THRUM
• Quordle #964, Saturday 14 September: ESSAY, GENRE, WIMPY, CHUTE
• Quordle #963, Friday 13 September: LEANT, ORGAN, FILLY, PLAIT
• Quordle #962, Thursday 12 September: ARBOR, STARK, LEAVE, GOOFY
• Quordle #961, Wednesday 11 September: ROUGH, CACTI, SAVOY, ODDER
• Quordle #960, Tuesday 10 September: PLUMB, SEIZE, EARLY, ASSET
• Quordle #959, Monday 9 September: CHIRP, BEADY, THETA, MINUS
• Quordle #958, Sunday 8 September: TEASE, AGATE, PRIDE, PLATE
• Quordle #957, Saturday 7 September: LASSO, TILDE, BUNCH, PRONG
• Quordle #956, Friday 6 September: FARCE, WOOLY, LOCAL, NIGHT
• Quordle #955, Thursday 5 September: SNIDE, EGRET, AMONG, SHINY
• Quordle #954, Wednesday 4 September: POINT, WITTY, GAFFE, ABUSE
• Quordle #953, Tuesday 3 September: ATOLL, ANGER, OCEAN, SWEEP
• Quordle #952, Monday 2 September: HABIT, LODGE, PLAIN, DRIFT
• Quordle #951, Sunday 1 September: RABBI, CRAWL, GUPPY, BRAND
• Quordle #950, Saturday 31 August: AWOKE, TIBIA, ITCHY, SNACK
• Quordle #949, Friday 30 August: ARISE, OLDER, ISSUE, ERUPT
• Quordle #948, Thursday 29 August: DECAY, DRUID, AVOID, KNEED
• Quordle #947, Wednesday 28 August: VIOLA, GONER, CAVIL, SHARE
• Quordle #946, Tuesday 27 August: ABYSS, DAILY, AGONY, MUSKY

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 #463) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• CACTUS
• BOTTLE
• MUSHROOM
• CHEESE
• SUPREME
• GRADUATE
• HEDGEHOG
• PINEAPPLE
• CORN
• SALARY
• PAP
• PRINCIPAL
• CHIEF
• MACE
• PREMIER
• MUSH

NYT Connections today (game #463) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• Yellow: Most important
• Green: Has pointy bits
• Blue: Will have you crying your eyes out
• Purple: They all have a top to them?

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 #463) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: FOREMOST
• GREEN: SPIKY THINGS
• BLUE: OVERLY SENTIMENTAL WORK
• PURPLE: THINGS THAT ARE CAPPED

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

NYT Connections today (game #463) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #463, are…

• YELLOW: FOREMOST CHIEF, PREMIER, PRINCIPAL, SUPREME
• GREEN: SPIKY THINGS CACTUS, HEDGEHOG, MACE, PINEAPPLE
• BLUE: OVERLY SENTIMENTAL WORK CHEESE, CORN, MUSH, PAP
• PURPLE: THINGS THAT ARE CAPPED BOTTLE, GRADUATE, MUSHROOM, SALARY

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

I'm a big fan of two of today's Connections groups. I love green, SPIKY THINGS, partly because HEDGEHOGs are just great, right? But also because I like the idea of a hedgehog being in a group with a MACE, a CACTUS and a PINEAPPLE. It amuses me for some reason.

Meanwhile, purple – which I didn't solve except by default – is a clever one, challenging players to work out that these are all THINGS THAT ARE CAPPED. I'm glad that I didn't need to work that one out myself.

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, 15 September, game #462)

• YELLOW: RESIDE DWELL, INHABIT, LIVE, STAY
• GREEN: DECREASE DECLINE, DROP, DWINDLE, EBB
• BLUE: DOOFUS CLOWN, DWEEB, SAP, TURKEY
• PURPLE: MEMBER OF A SEPTET DWARF, SEA, SIN, WONDER

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.

With Meta Connect 2024 just around the corner – September 25-26 – I’m sharing the five announcements I most want to see at the event, as well as explaining why I think they are (or aren’t in one entry’s case) likely to happen.

Meta Connect is an annual Meta event focused on its Reality Labs division, where it reveals exciting new hardware coming our way soon and teases future hardware and software we’ll see in the coming years.

This year’s event will likely continue the trend of focusing on XR tech – a catchall for virtual, mixed, and augmented reality technologies – as well as the omnipresent AI, which in Meta’s case is inventively called Meta AI. So this list reflects those expectations, starting with an announcement that has practically already been made.

Meta Quest 3S revealed

Meta Reality Labs - Project Ventura/PantherMeta Quest 3S - Final Design pic.twitter.com/6Tc9ig2hJoAugust 11, 2024

This is less of a ‘what I want to see’ and more of a ‘what we definitely will see unless Meta is playing a big joke on us.’ That’s because the Meta Quest 3S has not only been teased by external leakers sharing details about the project, but Meta itself has leaked its existence through apps and accidentally shown it off in unrelated Threads videos from its CTO.

Based on everything we know, the Quest 3S will boast the Quest 3’s Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset, but a bulkier body and lower-spec displays so it can target a lower price tag – hopefully, somewhere around the Meta Quest 2’s $299 / £299 / AU$479.

This would be an ideal headset for anyone who doesn’t want to be left behind by VR software now that Meta Quest 3 exclusives like Batman: Arkham Shadow are on the way, but isn't ready to spend ($499.99 / £479.99 / AU$799.99) on a VR headset.

Obviously, we’ll have to wait and see exactly what Meta announces during Connect, but I expect the Quest 3S could be the best and biggest reveal we get in terms of making current-gen VR accessible again.

Non-Meta VR headsets finally shown off

(Image credit: Microsoft)

The Quest 3S might not be the only Horizon OS VR headset we see this September. Back in April, Meta announced that its operating system – Horizon OS – will be coming to other headsets from Asus, Lenovo and Xbox, and I think it’s time we finally see one of those headsets in action.

Horizon OS is the best standalone VR operating system I’ve tried. It’s clean, intuitive, feature-rich, and home to the best standalone VR and MR software catalog, thanks, in part, to some great exclusives. I was excited to see that other headset manufacturers would be able to access this OS and all its benefits, as it would allow their hardware to shine without being let down by comparatively lackluster software.

Since the announcement, however, we’ve not heard a thing. Now, hardware does take time to develop, but at Meta Connect 2024, I’d love to see a sizzle reel showcasing these third-party headsets – or even just one of them.

One factor helping my prediction is Google’s XR platform. With Google’s XR efforts – which it developed alongside Samsung – set to be announced sometime this year a reminder from Meta that Horizon OS is open to third parties makes sense so Horizon OS doesn’t get forgotten in the noise.

Meta AR glasses teaser

(Image credit: Meta)

Meta, and the industry at large, has steadily shifted focus from VR headsets to MR headsets to AR glasses. The products being teased for the coming decade are a new breed of sleek XR wearable focused on augmented reality.

We know Meta is working on something blending AR and AI, Mark Zuckerberg has suggested as much, but we've yet to get a proper look at what these glasses might look like – ignoring the stylish non-AR smart glasses Meta has developed in partnership with Ray-Ban.

A launch this year or even next year seems unlikely. I expect we’d get a sneak peek at a prototype AR glasses model at most. Nevertheless, I’d love to finally get a good look at what Meta has been working on in AR, even at this in-development stage.

Given that Meta does like to use Connect to showcase exciting projects that are still several years (or longer) from launch, I think an AR glasses segment is more than possible for Meta Connect 2024.

Meta AI’s wider rollout and upgrades

(Image credit: Meta)

Enough about hardware, let’s talk software.

It’s been the buzzword of 2024 and I’m certain that Meta AI will have plenty of time devoted to it, however, I particularly want to see two announcements.

The first is a wider rollout. Officially, Meta AI on the Ray-Ban smart glasses and the Meta Quest 3 is only available in the US and Canada. Some users (including me) have been able to access it regardless – in my case, I have Meta AI on my smart glasses – but I want to see people outside of North America able to reliably use Meta AI. It’s a really neat assistant, especially on the Ray-Bans, and it’s a shame this major feature is region-locked right now – even if it’s not yet perfect.

The second would be to see Meta AI achieve better parity with the Apple Intelligence and Google Gemini upgrades we’ve seen at recent events, and perhaps some unique features. This could include integration with a wider selection of apps so it can pull context from more places, better speech recognition so you can talk to Meta AI more naturally, AI image editing and generation tools so you can edit snaps taken on your Ray-Ban smart glasses on the fly, or a service that lets you conjure up virtual objects you describe while using your Quest headset in a mixed reality sandbox.

A mini Quest Gaming Showcase

For my fifth and final entry, I’m picking something that seems the most unlikely because Meta Connect usually doesn’t dive too deeply into gaming: a mini Quest Gaming Showcase highlighting some new and exciting VR titles.

This year we didn’t get a proper Quest Gaming Showcase, so I’d love to see some Quest titles get a chance to shine on a big Meta stage at Connect 2024 – especially mixed reality experiences and software that doesn’t have the recognisability of major gaming franchises (like Batman: Arkham Shadow) to help draw in crowds.

Saying that, one particularly exciting announcement would be the revival of GTA: San Andreas VR following it being labeled as “on hold indefinitely” by a Meta spokesperson back in August. That announcement’s about as likely as hearing about Silksong during a Meta presentation (or any 2024 presentation for that matter, it seems) so I certainly won’t be holding my breath.

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Flappy Bird set the bar (or rather pipes, placed randomly) for mobile game simplicity. Between that and its bizarrely high level of difficulty, it created a devilish blend of game-playing compulsion I have rarely seen, before or since. 

When indie developer Dong Nguyen launched it in 2014, it was almost an instant hit. Everyone was desperately tapping on their iPhones and iPad screens in a vain attempt to keep a tiny animated bird aloft without slamming into a series of bright green pipes. There was almost nothing to the classic side-scrolling game, just the flapping bird and pipes racing toward it with small gaps that the bird would fly through – assuming you could tap just enough to keep Flappy flying but not too high or too low.

Most people failed within the first few pipes. Experts, though, could thread through dozens. I still remember watching my youngest's laser-like focus as they navigated Flappy through dozens of pipes. The most I ever did was 13, I think.

Despite the game's extremely high frustration quotient, people played it with the same devotion they now commit to Wordle or Connections. But at least those games are solvable. Flappy Bird really wasn't.

The Flappy craze

As you may recall, the fascination with the game became a phenomenon and eventually, the intense interest and nonstop attention drove Nguyen into hiding. He removed the game from the app store and has scarcely been seen or heard from again.

Over the years there've been numerous attempts to bring Flappy Bird back. The app was so simple that probably anyone could've coded a new one, but whatever has shown up has not captured the imagination like the original.

Now, there might be a new Flappy Bird, not from Nguyen, but from a legion of fans convinced they can rebuild what was into something new and maybe better.

Naturally, they are as misguided as the game's eponymous character and have as much chance of flying to similar Flappy Bird heights as, well, Flappy Bird navigating through those pipes, Which is to say - not much.

Flappy pic.twitter.com/YbGnLMdYpESeptember 13, 2024

The new Flappy Bird will start off on the wrong..., er... wing by not recreating the original Flappy Bird but by adding, levels, skins, and multi-player features. In other words, they're going to make Flappy Bird on iOS and Android an extremely traditional mobile game. It may even resemble Angry Birds but without cleverness or finesse.

Flappy Bird was not successful because people craved something more or perhaps visually better. They played and played because Flappy Birds triggered some simian part of their brains intent on problem-solving. And Flappy Birds' quest was an almost unsolvable problem. Nguyen programmed it in such a way that there was no fuzziness to the flight control. Instead, it required a sort of tapping precision not seen in another game before or since.

One might argue that many hate-played it in a desperate attempt to beat the Flappy Bird system. Few if any did, and yet we played and played and often complained to Nyguyen on social media (and drove him away).

The new Flappy Bird will invariably be easier. People will win and compare total flight times through the maze. The skill level will be far reduced, but at least you'll have entertaining levels.

Enough with the nostalgia

I don't know why we have to revisit every moment from our past and then take out the defibrillator and restart memory hearts. If we can't revive them, we go all Dr. Frankenstein and rebuild them.

Like Frankenstein's monster, these rebuilt memories bear little resemblance to the originals but they do have just enough to trigger that other simian response: nostalgia. It's why we're rewatching Beetlejuice after nearly 35 years. Sure, that new movie might be good but for every Beetlejuice 2, there's a Land of the Lost (sorry, Will Ferrel).

The return of Flappy Birds will not be cause for celebration, it'll be a reminder that we can't leave well enough alone. I don't want a new Flappy Birds, I want the original, untouched, and back in the App Store so I can fail over and over again until I wish I'd never discovered, or rediscovered, the game in the first place.

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Researchers at the Department of Instrumentation and Applied Physics (IAP), Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and collaborators have developed a new supercapacitor that can be charged by light.

This innovation could be used in streetlights and self-powered electronic devices, including sensors, as unlike standard capacitors, which store energy electrostatically, supercapacitors use electrochemical methods to hold significantly more energy, allowing them to “release charge more quickly than batteries,” explained Abha Misra, Professor at IISc’s Department of Instrumentation and Applied Physics, and the study’s author.

The supercapacitor's electrodes are made from Zinc Oxide nanorods on a transparent Fluorine-doped Tin Oxide substrate, allowing light to pass through and charge the device. When exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light, the supercapacitor demonstrated a large increase in capacitance - its ability to store electrical energy. “The ideas were simple... but when combined together, they worked very well,” Misra adds.

Necking behavior

In addition to the impressive increase in capacitance, the researchers discovered two unusual behaviors. First, the device’s capacitance increased with voltage under light exposure, a phenomenon co-author AM Rao from Clemson University refers to as "necking behavior." Second, while energy storage typically decreases when charging faster, the team found that their supercapacitor stored more energy during rapid charging when exposed to UV light.

The research team used a liquid electrolyte to improve performance by enhancing the electric double layer effect, which plays a key role in the high energy storage capacity of supercapacitors. “We have miniaturized supercapacitors to the micron scale so that they can be integrated along with microelectronic chips,” Misra notes, pointing to potential applications in mobile phones and other small devices.

Misra believes this new technology could eventually replace solar cells in streetlights due to its faster charging time and high power density.

The research was published in Journal of Materials Chemistry A, and the team hopes to further develop the supercapacitor to charge using visible and infrared light.

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A little over two years ago, I wrote about how integrated graphics were the future of gaming. I stand by the things I said in that article - if anything, recent developments in the computer hardware industry have vindicated me, and further convinced me that we’re seeing the slow death of the graphics card.

That’s right: I think the dedicated GPU is going to go the way of the dodo. It’s an almost heretical thing to say as a long-time PC gamer and system builder; I own more than 500 games on Steam alone, and I’ve built a ridiculous number of PCs both for work and personal use over the years. I’m not afraid of being crucified by Reddit for saying that I both believe and hope that GPUs will die out, but I’d frankly understand if they did so. It’s a dramatic statement to make.

Getting the best graphics card is your number one priority when it comes to building a gaming PC, almost invariably the most expensive component in your system, and it’s a common aspiration among PC players to have a fully tricked-out liquid-cooled build with an RTX 4090 at the center of it all. So why am I so convinced that soon, we won’t need them anymore?

The great graphics shake-up

The answer to that question requires two separate parts: a look at the CPU industry, and a look at the AI industry. As anyone who knows me well will tell you, I think AI is kinda sus, so let’s start with the CPU side of the story.

Earlier this year, we saw the triumphant arrival of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite chips at Computex 2024. A new challenger in the laptop processor arena, something to finally take aim at Intel’s dominance in the market - something AMD has been trying and failing to do for years. It was a strong showing all around for the new chips, but the part that stuck in my mind the most was seeing an ultrabook without a graphics card run Baldur’s Gate at 4K.

Now I can look at Gale's beautiful face on a thin-and-light laptop without a dedicated GPU. Welcome to the future! (Image credit: Larian Studios)

Yes, CPUs with integrated graphics just keep getting better and better, even if Qualcomm itself insists that it doesn’t have real plans to take over the gaming market. It’s not just Snapdragon, either; Intel plans to hit back with powerful gaming performance on its upcoming Lunar Lake chips, and AMD has been enjoying huge success with its custom-tuned chips for PC gaming handhelds like the Asus ROG Ally X, Lenovo Legion Go, and Valve’s Steam Deck. Sure, these chips aren’t going to rival the best 4K graphics cards when it comes to high-end gaming, but they’re more than capable of providing a solid gaming experience.

There’s a key reason why gaming on integrated graphics is now actually feasible, and that’s upscaling software. Tools like Nvidia DLSS, AMD FSR, and Intel XeSS are what make this performance possible; my colleague John Loeffler saw an Asus ZenBook with an Intel Lunar Lake chip at IFA 2024 hit an average fps of 60 in Cyberpunk 2077 on 1080p on medium settings thanks to XeSS - a notoriously demanding game.

All in on AI

XeSS and DLSS (though notably not AMD’s competing FSR upscaler) are powered by AI hardware, which gives me a nice segue into my next point: AI is killing the gaming GPU industry, and if it continues at its current pace, it threatens to swallow it entirely.

Nvidia has been making waves in the AI space for a while now. Although a potential slowdown in AI expansion saw Nvidia shares drop last week, the company remains committed to its AI vision: CEO Jensen Huang’s Computex keynote was chock-full of AI-related schemes that may or may not destroy the planet, and the company keeps putting out new AI-powered tools as well as supplying hardware for the training of AI models around the globe.

Jensen Huang won't stop talking about AI, and I don't really blame him - it's made Nvidia a LOT of money. (Image credit: Nvidia)

Jensen isn’t alone, either. Earlier this week, AMD Senior VP Jack Huynh revealed in an interview that AMD is seriously targeting the AI market, and a knock-on effect of this is that Team Red will be withdrawing from the high-end GPU race, so we probably won’t be getting a Radeon RX 8900 XTX, at least not anytime soon. Instead, AMD’s consumer efforts will be focused on the budget to midrange space - further closing the performance gap between their discrete graphics cards and new integrated processor graphics (iGPUs).

An ignoble end for the humble graphics card?

Simply put, the increasing demand for GPUs for AI projects is incompatible with a future where GPUs are necessary for gaming PCs. It’s been clear for a while now that the focus is no longer on consumer hardware (especially for Nvidia), but with iGPUs improving at a faster rate than traditional graphics cards, it won’t surprise me if RTX 5000 is the final generation of Nvidia GPUs aimed at gamers.

After all, nothing lasts forever. Sound cards and network adaptors were an integral part of custom PC builds for years, but those eventually got swept away as motherboards improved and started to integrate those features. When it comes to the requirements of the average gamer, we’re likely not far off from CPUs that can handle everything you need - even if that’s gaming at higher resolutions.

I won’t weep for the dedicated GPU when it dies, either. Not only are they very expensive, but being able to improve my gaming performance by simply swapping out a single chip would make future system upgrades quicker and easier, as well as allowing for more compact PC builds. Yes, I love my chunky RGB-filled tower, but it takes up too much damn space on my desk. 

A group of researchers have identified a security flaw in Apple’s Vision Pro mixed reality headset which let them reconstruct user’s passwords, PINs and messages.

Dubbed ‘GAZEploit’, the researchers used eye-tracking data to allow them to decode what users typed using their eyes with the virtual keyboard.

Since the avatars are visible to other users, the researchers did not have to hack into anything, or to gain access to the user’s headset, they just had to study the eye movements of their avatar. The avatars can use the virtual keyboard to log into Slack, Teams, Twitter, and more.

All patched up

The researchers were able to predict keyboard placement with impressive accuracy, able to deduce the correct letters typed within a maximum of five guesses with over 90% accuracy in messages, 77% of the time for passwords, and 73% of the time for PINs.

The vulnerability was discovered in April, and Apple issued a patch to fix the issue in July, and the avatar will no longer be displayed when the virtual keyboard is being used. It is said to be the first of its kind, and exposes how biometric data can be used to surveil users, the researchers confirmed,

“These technologies … can inadvertently expose critical facial biometrics, including eye-tracking data, through video calls where the user’s virtual avatar mirrors their eye movements,”

Wearable technology has ushered in a new set of privacy concerns for users, with more information captured and stored in people’s day to day lives. Health data, locations, biometric information, could all be used against users if it fell into the wrong hands.

Via Wired

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Meta, Snapchat and TikTok are finally banding together to do something about the harmful effects of some of the content hosted on their platforms – and it’s about time.  

In partnership with the Mental Health Coalition, the three brands are using a program called Thrive which is designed to flag and securely share information about harmful content, targeting content around suicide and self-harm.

A Meta blog post reads: “Like many other types of potentially problematic content, suicide and self-harm content is not limited to any one platform… That’s why we’ve worked with the Mental Health Coalition to establish Thrive, the first signal-sharing program to share signals about violating suicide and self-harm content. 

“Through Thrive, participating tech companies will be able to share signals about violating suicide or self-harm content so that other companies can investigate and take action if the same or similar content is being shared on their platforms. Meta is providing the technical infrastructure that underpins Thrive… which enables signals to be shared securely.”

When a participating company like Meta discovers harmful content on its app, it shares hashes (anonymized code pertaining to pieces of content relating to self-harm or suicide) with other tech companies, so they can examine their own databases for the same content, as it tends to spread across platforms. 

 Analysis: A good start

(Image credit: Getty Images)

As long as there are platforms that rely on users uploading their own content, there will be those that violate regulations and spread harmful messages online. This could come in the form of grifters attempting to sell bogus courses, inappropriate content on channels aimed at kids, and content relating to suicide or self-harm. Accounts posting this kind of content are generally very good at skirting the rules and flying under the radar to reach their target audience; the content often being taken down too late. 

It’s good to see social media platforms – which use comprehensive algorithms and casino-like architecture to keep their users addicted and automatically serve up content they’ll engage with – actually taking some responsibility and working together. This sort of ethical cooperation between the most popular social media apps is sorely needed. However, this should just be the first step on the road to success. 

The problem with user-generated content is that it needs to be policed constantly. Artificial intelligence can certainly help to flag harmful content automatically, but some will still slip through – much of this content is nuanced, containing subtext that a human somewhere in the chain will need to view and flag up as harmful. I’ll certainly be keeping an eye on Meta, TikTok and other companies when it comes to their evolving policies on harmful content. 

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Nearly a week after the grand unveiling of the iPhone 16 series, Apple has finally confirmed one of the key specs for these new flagship phones: all of the models in the range are fitted with 8GB of RAM.

As spotted by 9to5Mac, Apple executive Johny Srouji confirmed the 8GB amount in an interview with Geekerwan. Apple doesn't include RAM in the official spec sheets for its iPhones, for whatever reason, so some detective work is usually required to establish how much memory these handsets have inside.

A few days ago, code spotted in an official Apple developer tool suggested that all the iPhone 16 models were indeed fitted with 8GB of RAM, and now we have confirmation. Last year the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max had 8GB of RAM inside, while the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus made do with 6GB.

That means it's an upgrade for the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16 Plus – but the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max haven't got any extra RAM this year. It also means there's less of a distinction between the standard and the Pro models.

Specs compared

The Pixel 9 has 12GB of RAM inside (Image credit: Future)

The lack of a RAM boost is a little disappointing, especially considering Apple Intelligence is on the verge of rolling out: AI tasks take up a lot of memory, especially when the processing is done on device, so extra RAM definitely helps there.

It also means Apple's phones are well behind their Android competitors when it comes to this particular spec. The newly launched Google Pixel 9, for example, is fitted with 12GB of RAM, and while the Samsung Galaxy S24 has 8GB of RAM inside, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra ups that to 12GB.

However, these raw specs don't necessarily tell the whole story: as Apple has full control over every part of the iPhone design and architecture, it's often able to add optimizations and tweaks that make up for lower-level specs. Battery capacity is another example of this – iPhones can often match their rivals on battery life, even with smaller batteries.

With iOS 18 rolling out tomorrow and Apple Intelligence appearing shortly after that, we'll have to wait and see how this 8GB of RAM affects software performance. In the meantime, check out our iPhone 16 hands-on review.

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Thunderbolt 5 (TB5), Intel's latest leap in high-speed connectivity, is set to improve how we handle data transfer, display output, and device charging.

With up to 80 Gbps of bandwidth - and a boost option up to 120 Gbps - it effectively doubles the speed of Thunderbolt 4. This extra power is perfect for handling dual 8K displays, transferring large video files, and running real-time applications like gaming and virtual reality.

A standout feature of Thunderbolt 5 is its ability to deliver 240W of power, which means faster charging for laptops and enough juice to power even more demanding devices through a single cable. Plus, it's backward compatible with Thunderbolt 3 and 4, so integrating it into your current setup should be straightforward. The extra bandwidth and power are also future-proofed for technologies like 16K displays and more powerful external GPUs.

Where are the laptops?

At IFA 2024, UGREEN unveiled its new Revodok Thunderbolt 5 docking station, one of the first devices to make use of the technology.

It comes equipped with three Thunderbolt 5 ports that offer up to 80 Gbps of data transfer and can boost up to 120 Gbps when needed. It’s versatile too, supporting a single 8K display for Windows users and triple-display setups for Mac. With 13 ports, including USB-C, USB-A, and HDMI, it’s built to cater to users with a serious need for connectivity.

The Revodok docking station really shows off what Thunderbolt 5 can do in terms of data transfer, display output, and power delivery. It’s a handy solution for professionals managing loads of data and running multiple displays and devices. We previously reviewed the UGREEN Revodok Max 208 8-in-1 Thunderbolt 4 docking station, and you can read our four star review here.

However, while it, like other TB5 docking stations (e.g. J5 Create) offers a glimpse into the future, laptops with built-in Thunderbolt 5 ports are still on the horizon. For users to get the full benefit of Thunderbolt 5, we’ll need to see more widespread adoption from laptop makers. It will happen, but when is the big as yet unanswered question.

Aside from the docking station, UGREEN also revealed a number of other products at IFA, like the Nexode Power Bank, a 20,000mAh charger capable of delivering up to 145W, and the NASync series, a new line of network-attached storage for personal and business use. It also showcased its Uno Series chargers and power banks.

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When it comes to the best Samsung phones, our Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review will tell you that it's one of the models up near the very top of the list – and newly leaked, unofficial renders give us a better idea of the changes coming with the 2025 model.

A picture posted by well-known tipster Ice Universe shows the Ultra version of the Samsung Galaxy S25 next to the equivalent Galaxy S24 model. Apparently, the new phone will be thinner and lighter than its predecessor, due to tweaks to the metal frame.

We can also clearly see the corners of the device are becoming more rounded, something that's been mentioned in previous leaks. It would seem the boxy, angular look is out, and the curved, rounded look is in for the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

If these changes are indeed applied, it would mean the Ultra model looks much more like the standard and Plus models. However, there would still be several features to keep it distinct, including support for the S Pen stylus.

Design changes

S24 Ultra vs S25 Ultra This is the most direct contrast. The S25U has removed the thick and heavy metal middle frame, which makes it look thinner and lighter. pic.twitter.com/t3G0xBdcVYSeptember 15, 2024

From what we've already heard about the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, it sounds as though the handset is going to come with a frame that's more rounded front to back, making it more comfortable to hold in the hand.

We've also already seen leaked renders that match up with the new picture above. While the design changes don't look to be huge, the change in frame shape would make it easy to spot the difference between a Galaxy S24 Ultra and a Galaxy S25 Ultra.

There's also been talk that Samsung will shrink the bezels on the new model, meaning it boasts a larger screen – perhaps stretching 6.86 inches from corner to corner, which would be a small increase on the 6.8-inch display of the Galaxy S24 Ultra.

Rumors continue to swirl around the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and we're also expecting a processor bump and perhaps better battery life too. If Samsung sticks to its 2024 schedule in 2025, the Galaxy S25 phones should show up in January.

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There are lots of reasons to love vinyl records. There's the sound of a good quality LP, of course. But there's also the joy of crate digging, which is when you rifle through the racks in the hope of finding a lost classic, an obscure curio or an absolute bargain. 

There's the joy of getting a brand new repressing of an old favorite, its heavy-duty vinyl enabling you to hear it like it's the first time all over again. 

There's the art of a good cover and the seductiveness of an interesting sleeve, and the anticipation between lowering the needle (hopefully onto one of the best turntables TechRadar recommends) and the music beginning. 

And with independent and small-label artists, there's also the knowledge that some money is actually going to the artist rather than to some shareholders somewhere, so it's good for your conscience too.

In other words, vinyl is brilliant. So how do you get started?

While getting into vinyl is a little more complicated than getting into streaming, it's not very complicated: all you need is a turntable, an amplifier and some speakers – and sometimes you can get all of those things in a single device. There are plenty of really good, really affordable and really straightforward turntables that are absolutely perfect for vinyl beginners and returning music lovers alike.

We test all kinds of turntables here at Techradar, ranging from super-cheap models to ones that cost more than you would spend on a car. And that means we know what turntables come with the least messing around and deliver the most musical bang for your bucks. 

Whether you're buying your very first turntable or coming back to vinyl after years of digital downloads and streaming, the following three turntables come highly recommended.

Buy now, enjoy forever: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon

How your turntable sounds is the most important thing, we know. But there's also value to a turntable whose looks make your heart sing a little every time you see it. And that's definitely the case here, because the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon comes in a range of colors and looks great in all of them. It's a bit like having really great artwork on a really great record.

The Debut is one of Pro-Ject's most user-friendly and affordable turntables, and it sounds fantastic. As we said in our review: "The Debut Carbon Evo is a luxuriously full-bodied listen, but that’s not to say it’s in any way languid. It has plenty of the warmth and richness that’s so often held up as an unarguable vinyl virtue, but it doesn’t wallow or slur. It’s easy to listen to, but it’s not uninvolving... Like any worthwhile turntable, it’s very adept and tying everything together."

This is at the higher end of many beginners' budgets, we know. But the sound it delivers is truly amazing, and while this particular model doesn't bother with the likes of Bluetooth that's not a problem when what it does do, it does so beautifully. 

If it's a little too pricey, or if you want Bluetooth, we'd recommend checking out the same firm's newly updated E1 range: that's available without or with Bluetooth, and the non-Bluetooth version is cheaper than the Debut. 

Read our full Pro-Ject Debut Carbon review

A brilliant budget buy: Audio-Technica AT-LP60XBT

(Image credit: Future)

If your budget can't quite stretch to the Pro-Ject, this sub-$200 turntable (street prices are typically $149 / £179 / AU$299) is an excellent alternative: it's our current best budget buy. That's because it does a creditable job in every department, including Bluetooth streaming to wireless headphones and speakers.

The materials aren't quite as touch-me as the Pro-Ject, but it's perfectly well-made and looks pretty good; the tonearm does feel a little flimsy, though, so it's wise to be careful with that. But really we're nit-picking here: the sound you get for the money you pay is really good, and this is a superb option for a starter turntable you won't outgrow too quickly. 

Read our full Audio-Technica AT-LP60XBT review

A capable all-in-one: Lenco LS-410

(Image credit: TechRadar)

We're not snobbish about all-in-ones: if you're short of space or cash or both, an all-in-one system can be a great way to dip your toes into the vinyl waters without too much effort or expense. We wouldn't recommend this as the audio source for a seriously specified hi-fi system, but for around $230/£220 you're getting a lot of kit for not too much money - including Bluetooth streaming from other audio sources such as your phone. There's 50W of power via four speakers, and as a Bluetooth speaker it's really rather good.

Inevitably, though, the low price means some corners have had to be cut. We found a few flaws compared to rival turntables: the tonearm and lifter feel insubstantial so this might not be one for clumsy folks, and the sound is decent rather than jaw-dropping. In our review we found that the platter's rotation speed varied audibly, and once we noticed it we couldn't un-notice it. It's not a bad record player by any means, but it's not up there with the very best.

If you're thinking of taking the first steps towards building a really amazing hi-fi system, we wouldn't start here. But if you're looking for a bedroom player, something for a small flat or just don't know if you're going to be bitten by the vinyl bug, this is a good affordable, transportable option.

Read our full Lenco LS-410 review

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Netflix won't be giving the keys back to the reality series Buying London as the best streaming service canceled the show after one season – and I can't help but feel slightly disappointed.

A Netflix spokeswoman confirmed the cancelation to Deadline in early September and declined to comment further – but I think its dreadful 14% Rotten Tomatoes score is enough of an explanation for why Buying London was axed by the streamer. 

The reality show made a brief appearance in the Netflix top 10 for one week, but failed to meet the sheer success of its critically acclaimed American counterpart Selling Sunset. The critics did not sing high praises for the show, with The Guardian writing in their scathing zero star review that it's "the most hateable TV show ever made" (ouch). Netflix subsequently used the publication's review to promote the show on X (see the post below), which probably helped it make a home on the streamer's top 10 list, as well as on my TV screen.

"Probably the most hateable TV show ever made."Stirring up drama, on and off screen. Buying London is now streaming! pic.twitter.com/c5C3WrqamxMay 22, 2024

The series is a British alternative to one of my all-time favorite reality shows Selling Sunset (so of course I had to watch it) and is a spin-off of Buying Beverly Hills, which was also canceled by Netflix. The show follows property mogul Daniel Daggers and his agents at DDRE Global as they navigate London's prestigious property market. Much like its predecessor, there's mega mansions, office gossip, and friendship feuds, but they definitely aren't as juicy as the drama I've seen across the pond in Selling Sunset.

While Buying London failed to grasp my attention as much as Selling Sunset, news of its unsurprising cancelation was still a tiny sting to the heart after I watched three worst-rated TV shows on Netflix. Yes, Buying London isn't one of the best Netflix shows, it doesn't have any style or substance, and won't win awards – but this doesn't stop it from being enjoyable. 

Buying London doesn't pretend to be something it's not. It's a reality show, simple as that. It gets the job done in providing mindless, casual entertainment to escape our lives and block out the world when we desperately need to. And that's something I think is important in the world of streaming.

From London to LA

There won't be a second season of Buying London on Netflix, sadly.  (Image credit: Netflix/Zoe McConnell)

There are still so many loose ends to the series: did agent Lauren Christy leave DDRE to join a rival company? Is there still bad blood between her and colleague Rasa Bagdonaviciute due to Daniel's apparent favoritism? Oddly, I wanted answers to these questions in a Buying London season two and to snoop inside more homes of the mega rich that I would never be able to afford. But I guess I'll have to settle for Selling Sunset to keep me going.

In a stark contrast to Buying London, Selling Sunset took the world by storm when it first aired in 2019 and has become a huge hit for Netflix's reality TV portfolio. The Emmy-nominated series goes behind the scenes of the cutthroat world of LA real estate as it follows a group of glamorous female brokers at The Oppenheim Group who sell luxury properties to elite buyers. 

Selling Sunset's runway success has since birthed an eighth season, and two spin-offs Selling Tampa and Selling the OC, so it's clear that this kind of content is a big winner with audiences. 

While Buying London is yet another canceled Netflix show, it doesn't seem to be all bad as a spokeswoman for Daniel Daggers Real Estate Global told Deadline: "Buying London did exactly what we wanted it to do – it enabled us to put DDRE Global on an international stage, and as a result, generated record interest in our business. We are at the forefront of 'contemporising' an archaic industry by embracing new technologies and ways to communicate to likeminded people communities, which we have been doing since 2020 and what caught the eye of Netflix in the first place. Our work has only just begun and there’s so much more of our story yet to be told. Stay tuned…"

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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 #462) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• CLOWN
• DWELL
• TURKEY
• SEA
• WONDER
• SAP
• DWINDLE
• STAY
• DECLINE
• DWEEB
• EBB
• LIVE
• SIN
• INHABIT
• DWARF
• DROP

NYT Connections today (game #462) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• Yellow: Be somewhere
• Green: Reduce in number
• Blue: Idiot
• Purple: All associated with one number

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 #462) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: RESIDE
• GREEN: DECREASE
• BLUE: DOOFUS
• PURPLE: MEMBER OF A SEPTET

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

NYT Connections today (game #462) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #462, are…

• YELLOW: RESIDE DWELL, INHABIT, LIVE, STAY
• GREEN: DECREASE DECLINE, DROP, DWINDLE, EBB
• BLUE: DOOFUS CLOWN, DWEEB, SAP, TURKEY
• PURPLE: MEMBER OF A SEPTET DWARF, SEA, SIN, WONDER

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

My streak reached 10 today, which is not particularly impressive but which does at least point the way to Connections being in the midst of a rare placid period. Will it change soon? Almost certainly. Am I complaining? No!

After all, it's not like it still didn't get me thinking. Rather, each of these four groups was solvable with a bit of thinking and without the need for specialist knowledge. Yellow, green and blue were all fairly simple synonym-style groups, purple was the only more difficult one, being a clever connection of 'things of which there are seven' – SINs and WONDERs etc. I didn't need to solve it, because I had the other three by then, but I feel like I'd have had a chance – and that's all that I ask of my daily Connections, a chance of success.

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, 14 September, game #461)

• YELLOW: WINE BOTTLE INFO GRAPE, REGION, VINTAGE, WINERY
• GREEN: CONSOLE INPUTS BUTTON, KNOB, SLIDER, SWITCH
• BLUE: PREFIXES PRO, RETRO, SUB, SUPER
• PURPLE: ___ KING BURGER, CALIFORNIA, LION, PROM

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 nearly 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 #965) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 5*.

* 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 #965) - 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 1.

Quordle today (game #965) - 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 #965) - 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 #965) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• V

• S

• B

• T

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

Quordle today (game #965) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #965, are…

• VILLA
• SMOKE
• BULKY
• THRUM

My trio of start words weren't too helpful today, giving me only three letters for three of the quadrants and four for the other; on a good day, they can provide four or five letters for all of them. So I needed a bit of luck, instead, and got it with successive guesses for THRUM, SMOKE, BULKY and VILLA – the first and last of which were potentially tough answers to find. Satisfying.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #965) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #965, are…

• ASCOT
• CURIO
• TARDY
• BRACE

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #964, Saturday 14 September: ESSAY, GENRE, WIMPY, CHUTE
• Quordle #963, Friday 13 September: LEANT, ORGAN, FILLY, PLAIT
• Quordle #962, Thursday 12 September: ARBOR, STARK, LEAVE, GOOFY
• Quordle #961, Wednesday 11 September: ROUGH, CACTI, SAVOY, ODDER
• Quordle #960, Tuesday 10 September: PLUMB, SEIZE, EARLY, ASSET
• Quordle #959, Monday 9 September: CHIRP, BEADY, THETA, MINUS
• Quordle #958, Sunday 8 September: TEASE, AGATE, PRIDE, PLATE
• Quordle #957, Saturday 7 September: LASSO, TILDE, BUNCH, PRONG
• Quordle #956, Friday 6 September: FARCE, WOOLY, LOCAL, NIGHT
• Quordle #955, Thursday 5 September: SNIDE, EGRET, AMONG, SHINY
• Quordle #954, Wednesday 4 September: POINT, WITTY, GAFFE, ABUSE
• Quordle #953, Tuesday 3 September: ATOLL, ANGER, OCEAN, SWEEP
• Quordle #952, Monday 2 September: HABIT, LODGE, PLAIN, DRIFT
• Quordle #951, Sunday 1 September: RABBI, CRAWL, GUPPY, BRAND
• Quordle #950, Saturday 31 August: AWOKE, TIBIA, ITCHY, SNACK
• Quordle #949, Friday 30 August: ARISE, OLDER, ISSUE, ERUPT
• Quordle #948, Thursday 29 August: DECAY, DRUID, AVOID, KNEED
• Quordle #947, Wednesday 28 August: VIOLA, GONER, CAVIL, SHARE
• Quordle #946, Tuesday 27 August: ABYSS, DAILY, AGONY, MUSKY
• Quordle #945, Monday 26 August: NEVER, CHUNK, AUNTY, CROUP

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… On the rocks

NYT Strands today (game #196) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• WHISK
• STET
• WHEAT
• CHEAT
• SLED
• FARE

NYT Strands today (game #196) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Mad Men tipple

NYT Strands today (game #196) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First: left, 4th row

Last: left, 7th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #196) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #196, are…

• WHISKEY
• BITTERS
• WATER
• CHERRY
• ORANGE
• SUGAR
• SPANGRAM: OLDFASHIONED

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: Perfect

Thank heavens for Mad Men. I devoured the brilliant AMC show during lockdown, having somehow missed it when it originally aired about a decade before, and without it I probably would have found today's Strands to be far, far tougher. As it was, I remembered lead character Don Draper's favorite drink and therefore the spangram OLDFASHIONED.

Not that I knew the ingredients as such – but I remembered enough that finding the likes of BITTERS, WATER, CHERRY and SUGAR wasn't an impossible task. It might have been without WHISKEY, but fortunately the theme clue of 'On the rocks' had set me on the path to searching for that, making the whole thing more manageable than it would otherwise have been.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday 14 September, game #195)

• BELT
• HANDBAG
• SCARF
• JEWELRY
• WATCH
• GLASSES
• SPANGRAM: ACCESSORIZING

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.

Adele has set a new Guinness World Record with the largest continuous outdoor LED screen.

Used during her now-completed ‘Adele in Munich’ concert series, the temporary screen, verified on August 23, 2024, measured an impressive 4159.7 square meters (44,774.6 square feet) and was a standout feature of her residency at Messe München in Germany.

This massive display sits alongside other iconic large-scale screens, including the Las Vegas Sphere, which boasts 1.2 million LED lights and a 16x16K resolution interior, and the 100-meter projection screen at the Gasometer museum in Oberhausen.

Pushing beyond the limits

Designed in collaboration with Solotech, a Canadian AV and entertainment technology services company, the LED screen at Adele’s show had a unique wavy form, described as resembling an unraveled scroll.

Throughout the concerts, custom visuals created specifically for each song played across the screen, enhancing the audience’s experience. The residency ran from August 2 to August 31, 2024, in an 80,000-seat outdoor arena. Following the final show, the screen was dismantled, with Solotech planning to repurpose sections of it for future installations and live events.

Guinness World Records adjudicator Joanne Brent commented, “I was intrigued to see how such an expansive and seamless screen would be utilized during the concert. The bespoke visual effects, tailored to each song, truly elevated the performance adding an undeniable ‘wow’ factor.”

"This Munich residency is unlike anything that has ever been done before," noted Ian Woodall, Solotech’s director of global touring and special projects.

"There was no template, no comparison - only possibilities. What makes this show groundbreaking isn't just the scale of the record-breaking LED screen, but the innovative thinking that made it possible. This production redefines how live entertainment can be experienced. Working alongside Adele's visionary team and all the other top-tier suppliers, we were able to push beyond the limits of what anyone thought was possible. It's this spirit of collaboration and innovation that made the Guinness World Records for the Largest Outdoor LED Screen achievable.”

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So here’s the thing: I want to ditch my iPhone and move to Android so badly, yet every time I verge on making the move, Apple pulls me back in. 

Last year, I used a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra for a week and really enjoyed it. But it was for an experiment and I was just waiting for the iPhone 15 Pro Max to launch. In September, titanium iPhones appeared, and just like that I was back to using iOS within my ever-growing Apple walled garden.

This year was different, however, and it’s the closest I’ve ever come to saying goodbye to the iPhone for good, well, at least for 12 months. After seeing the reveal of Google’s new flagship smartphones in August, I was instantly intrigued by the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold. You see, up until very recently my idea of a folding phone was large gaps, peeling screen protectors, and a bulky footprint, but that all changed when I held a 9 Pro Fold at the store.

(Image credit: Google)

In our Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold review, US Mobiles Editor, Philip Berne wrote, “When I showed the Pixel 9 Pro Fold to iPhone-toting friends and family they were all amazed, without fail. It’s the first foldable that looks… normal, they all said. How normal? It isn’t just that the front is the exact same size and shape as the Pixel 9. Being thin helps a lot – the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is so thin that it’s less bulky than my iPhone 15 Pro Max if I keep the iPhone in a case.”

I may as well be one of his friends or a family member because that’s exactly how I felt after just a few minutes with the 9 Pro Fold. For the first time in a long time, it felt like I was holding innovation in the consumer tech space and I felt like a kid again. Obviously, my idea of foldables was skewed and there are lots like Google’s offering, but when most of the tech you use outside of work is “Designed by Apple in California” you lose a sense of what something genuinely refreshing to use feels like. Now that’s not a diss at Apple, my Mac, my iPad, and my iPhone all work exactly how I want my technology to work, but when you’ve used incremental updates of the same products for nearly 15 years, at some point you want to see if the grass is greener on the other side.

So I did it. I pre-ordered a Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold. I was finally going to sell my iPhone and try Android 15 for a year. But then things changed.

Groundhog Day

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold was officially released on September 4 but my preorder with EE, one of the biggest networks in the UK. never arrived. I waited patiently, excited to test out Google Gemini built into Android and get my first taste of a folding smartphone with a beautiful 8-inch display. For whatever reason my preorder kept getting pushed back, September 5, September 6, September 7, September 8… And then it happened: Apple’s iPhone 16 event on September 9.

At the event, Apple showcased the iPhone 16 Pro Max alongside the rest of the iPhone 16 lineup. The hardware is an incremental improvement over my 15 Pro Max, but in our early hands-on iPhone 16 Pro Max review, Editor At Large, Lance Ulanoff, wrote, “The question is, can the small or even invisible changes add up to something big? Based on my brief hands-on time with the iPhone 16 Pro Max, I'd say the answer is yes.”

For me, it’s not about the hardware, I own 2023’s best iPhone and it’s still a beast almost 12 months later. Instead, it was Apple’s ability at the event to make me feel like I couldn’t skip the first year of Apple Intelligence. Yes, I’ll have access to Apple’s AI on my iPad Pro M2 and my MacBook Pro M3 Pro, but the iPhone is at the core of the Apple ecosystem and it’s arguably the smartphone experience that will define Apple Intelligence’s success.

(Image credit: Apple)

AI is pivotal to the success of iOS 18 and the new iPhones deemed, “the first iPhones built from the ground up for Apple Intelligence”, by Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook. With incremental updates coming over the next year, we’ll get to test out individual Apple Intelligence features as they cook in the oven and see just how much of an impact they can make on our day-to-day lives. I’m hoping at least one of Apple’s AI tools is as useful as Universal Clipboard, quite possibly my favorite Apple feature which allows me to copy and paste between all my products.

iPhone 16 Pro Max preorders are now live and yet again, I’ve got a new Apple smartphone to collect on launch day. I came so close to taking a leap of faith into Android, but stock delays, the fear of the unknown, and Apple’s ability to make you feel FOMO hooked me back in. I’m excited for a year of Apple Intelligence and I can’t wait until Siri has on-screen awareness to become the personal assistant in my pocket I’ve always wanted it to be. In around 11 months this cycle repeats itself, only next time Apple Intelligence will be less of an unknown and Google Gemini might be the way forward.

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Circle to Search, which lets you run a visual search from anything on screen, launched on the Galaxy S24 and Pixel 8, and has since made its way to other Galaxy and Pixel devices. Now, it looks as though the feature is about to roll out to other Android handsets besides those made by Google and Samsung.

As noted by Android Authority, Chinese smartphone maker Tecno has told multiple members of the tech press that Circle to Search will be appearing on the foldable Tecno Phantom V Fold 2 next month.

It's not quite an official announcement from Google, but it's almost as good. If you're using a handset made by OnePlus, Oppo, Xiaomi, Motorola, or any other Android phone maker, you might not have too long to wait to get Circle to Search.

Back in May, Google said it wanted Circle to Search to be live on at least 200 million phones by the end of the year, and opening the feature out to devices from more manufacturers will be a big help in reaching that goal.

What Circle to Search can do

Google is reportedly planning to expand Circle to Search to more Android phones next month, ending the feature's exclusivity for Pixel and Samsung phones.Multiple reviewers of the TECNO Phantom V Fold 2, including @bencsin and Android Central's Nicholas Sutrich, were told by… pic.twitter.com/jssMYP1j1CSeptember 13, 2024

Circle to Search is essentially a slick new front-end for Google Lens, which runs web searches based on images. Anything that pops up on your phone's display – from lampshades to plants to people – can be used as the basis of a visual search, so you can get more information (or some shopping options) for whatever you're looking at.

Despite the name, you don't have to circle something: you can also scribble over it, or just tap on it (in which case the tool will try and identify what it is you're looking for). It's activated with a long press on the home button or bottom navigation bar.

A recent Circle to Search update added the ability to search for music playing either around you, or on your phone – which suggests Google is committed to improving the tool over time, as well as rolling it out to move devices.

We know that more Samsung phones are getting Circle to Search, and it's safe to say it'll be included on the best Android phones going forward as well. It's also on the new Google Pixel 9 series, including the standard model – see our full Pixel 9 review for features.

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