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Hints and answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, No. 247, for May 28.

Here are hints and the answer for today's Wordle No. 1,439 for May 28.

Hints and answers for Connections for May 28, #717.

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle No. 451 for May 28.

WhatsApp for iPad will sync your messages across all of your devices, and it gets widescreen hardware features.

Macron said that the video depicts the couple "joking" and dismissed it as part of a disinformation campaign. Experts say Russian accounts are trying to undermine his image as a strong advocate for the West.

(Image credit: Hau Dinh)

Nintendo appears to be locking down anything related to the Switch 2.

Lumping his 31 feats together, Kami Rita Sherpa has climbed nearly 90,000 feet above sea level on the famous peak. He first climbed to the top of the world's highest mountain in 1994.

(Image credit: Prakash Mathema)

This is Starship's third test flight this year and the ninth flight overall since SpaceX first launched the craft in 2023.

After two spectacular failures, SpaceX is hoping this test flight will go more smoothly for the behemoth rocket.

(Image credit: Eric Gay)

One year after the defunding of the ACP, I talked to people affected by the loss of Affordable Connectivity Program and how its disappearance has forced them to make heartbreaking trade-offs just to stay connected.

Subscribers will be able to play NBA 2K25 on PS Plus in June, alongside these Destiny 2 expansions.

It might be winter but you still need protection from the sun. Shield your skin from UV radiation with these products.

A 90-day pause on triple-digit U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods has left exporters and importers in a high state of uncertainty. Factory owners in China tell NPR that orders are down overall.

(Image credit: Ng Han Guan)

Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. announced that CDC recommendations for COVID vaccines will no longer include healthy pregnant women and healthy children.

(Image credit: Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/Media News Group)

• Nikon has announced a 'necessary price adjustment' for cameras in the US
• This is happening "due to the recent tariffs", according to the camera giant
• The price hikes will take effect from June 23

Nikon is officially joining the list of camera manufacturers who are raising camera prices in response to, you guessed it, the US tariffs.

In a short post on the Nikon US press site, the camera giant said that "due to the recent tariffs" it was planning a "necessary price adjustment for products". This will apparently take effect from June 23, making it a potentially good time to pick up that Nikon camera you've been eyeing.

We don't yet know which cameras (or lenses) will be affected, but that should become clear in the next few weeks. Nikon offered a small crumb of comfort by stating that it will be "carefully monitoring any tariff developments and may adjust pricing as necessary to reflect the evolving market conditions".

That could mean an adjustment in the wrong direction if the trade wars continue to heat up, but hopefully the price changes won't be as damaging as the ones we've already seen from other manufacturers.

The DJI Osmo Pocket 3, for example, has jumped from its $500 launch price to $800, and has remained at that level despite a 90-day truce on China's tariffs that have temporarily reduced the rate on US imports down to 10%.

What other camera price hikes have we seen?

(Image credit: Future)

Nikon is far from alone in announcing tariff-related price hikes, though not all of them have come into effect just yet.

Canon gave us a similar warning earlier this month by stating in its quarterly earnings call that it had "notified major dealers that we will raise prices and are in the process of estimating the timing and amount of the increase".

This means we're in a strange waiting period where camera fans are bracing themselves for price rises, without knowing exactly which models will be hit and how they might affect existing stock that's in the US already (in theory, the latter shouldn't be hit by tariff-related price rises on imports).

As spotted by Sony Alpha Rumors, Sony has seemingly already raised prices on its China-made cameras and lenses, which include the Sony RX100 VII and a number of lenses including the FE 70-200mm F4 Macro G OSS II (which has seen an 18% price jump). But we don't yet know if these prices are a temporary reaction to the current tariffs or a more permanent hike.

Fujifilm, meanwhile, was recently forced to pause pre-orders on cameras including the X100VI, GFX100RF and X-M5 (black version), while the new Fujifilm X half has a high price in the US compared to other regions ($849, compared to £699 / AU$1,349 in the UK and Australia).

It's clearly a tumultuous time for cameras and lenses – and while panic-buying is never a wise option, if could be worth pulling the trigger soon if you're in the US and have been considering buying new from Nikon or Canon.

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Do a little search online and you’ll find a plethora of 3D home design software. BeLight Software’s Live Home 3D aims to provide a solution no matter which platform you’re on: the company has apps for your Mac or Windows computer, iOS or Android phones and tablets, and even the Apple Vision Pro.

For the purposes of this review, we’ll be looking at the desktop versions to see how this popular tool measures up to the best interior design software we've tested.

• Interested in Live Home 3D? Check out the website here

Live Home 3D: Pricing & plans

• A limited free version, a 30-day money back guarantee for the other tiers, with clear information about what’s included in each, and no need to hand over your payment details or email address to check the software out

Live Home 3D comes in three versions. One is free and two must be paid for. The free one has severe limitations: you can only design building with up to two stories, for instance, you can't create custom materials, nor can you edit the terrain outside of your building; your renders and video walkthrough will be watermarked, and limited to 720p for videos, and 2048x1536 for stills.

The Standard version removes many of these limitations: you can now work with an unlimited number of levels, and your renders are no longer watermarked, for instance. This will currently cost you $50 for a lifetime licence.

Pro is worth $100, also for a lifetime licence, and introduces the ability to work on the terrain, alter lighting, change camera settings, edit materials, and increase the resolution of both videos and images.

You’ll also find discounts for students, and members of non-profit organisations.

BeLight also offers a 30-day money back guarantee. One thing worth noting, Unlike Macs who have a dedicated free version, Windows users can download the Standard version for free, and have an in-app purchase to unlock features beyond those available in the free version.

Downloading the software is easy. You’re not asked for any payment information, and you’re not even required to hand over your email address. Can’t really get less obtrusive than that.

• Score: 4.5 / 5

Live Home 3D: Interface

Live Home 3D’s interface is simple and well-designed, with icons at the top and sidebars on either side (Image credit: BeLight Software)

• A single interface, with icons at the top and sidebars on each side, Live Home 3D also comes with a wealth of templates and canvases of different sizes should you prefer to start working from scratch

Live Home 3D sports a very simple and elegant interface. You have a row of tools at the top, a sidebar on the left, where you get to choose items and materials, as well as seeing a list of objects you’ve added to each floor, and an Inspector to the right, allowing you to access all of a selected object’s parameters.

In many ways, the software looks deceptively simple. You can easily start designing a building in seconds, adding walls, doors, windows, and furniture with ease, but the number of values you can alter is huge, all located in the Inspector section, giving you full control over the look of your creation, should you wish to be meticulously precise.

When creating a new document, you’re given a few options in terms of scale: do you wish to build a single room, an apartment, or a house? Either would work to start with, but this just sets the basic size of the canvas you’ll be working on. You’ll also find a wealth of sample designs for you to explore and get inspired by, be they single rooms, houses, apartments or cottages. All these templates are free, save for the ‘Additional Houses’ which offer more ‘exotic’ designs (who lives in a pineapple house, I ask you), and are available via a separate purchase.

• Score: 4.5 / 5

Live Home 3D: Tools

Moving walls is as easy as clicking and dragging, and all adjoining walls are automatically resized to accommodate the new position (Image credit: BeLight Software)

• The tools are excellent and extremely easy to use, along with a wealth of parameters you’re free to use or ignore

We’ve explored many 3D home design packages, from simple free ones, to the best architecture software for professionals. Each has their strengths and weaknesses, but it really feels to us that Live Home 3D has combined the best of most of these.

Erecting walls is incredibly easy. Not only is it a simple click and drag to add one, you can also just click on a wall and then drag it to alter its position. Any adjoining wall will be altered as you do this, saving you a lot of time. Even better, if you add a new wall close enough to an existing one, Live Home 3D is clever enough to understand you want those two walls to join, and does this for you automatically.

Doors and windows snap to walls automatically as you drag them near one, and this also works with angled walls. It’s like you’ve got an intelligent assistant just waiting to help make your design work so effortless. Of course, just like walls, you can resize doors and windows by selecting them and dragging their edges inwards or outwards. More precise alterations can be done via the Inspector panel on the right.

Just above the Inspector are the view modes. By default you’ll be working on a top-down 2D view, but you can opt for a 3D view instead, or split your workspace into two to see both at the same time. We really liked that you can alter and manipulate your design in any view, although 2D is where you will be doing most of your work, as that’s where all options are available.

• Score: 5 / 5

Live Home 3D: Objects

Live Home 3D has a ton of objects you can add to your projects, from doors to sofas, and everything in between (Image credit: BeLight Software)

• Live Home 3D has hundreds of materials you can use to decorate your home and customize its furnishings

Live home 3D offers a wealth of objects you can add to your projects, all located in the left sidebar, and broken down by categories - although there’s also a handy search function, to make finding what you’re after so much easier.

When you’ve found what you’re looking for, just drag it onto your project. You have resize and rotate handles around the item, so you can position it exactly where you need it. You’ll find a ‘Glue by’ option in the Inspector, which is preset for each item (although you can change that should you wish).

This tells the software where to drop the object. A sofa, for instance, needs to be on the floor, whereas a ceiling light will automatically attach to the ceiling.

If you can't find the object you're looking for you have the ability of importing your own files, or get additional ones from the Trimble 3D Warehouse (you’ll have to create a free account there in order to do so).

Adding objects is one thing, but you need the ability to customize them as well, and Live Home 3D definitely has your back there. The left sidebar stores hundreds of different materials, also organised by category, which you can add to any object, wall, or floor, or anything that’s selectable, really. And you’re not limited to using these materials in ‘traditional’ ways. Want a sofa made of grass on a leather floor? Go for it.

• Score: 5 / 5

Live Home 3D: Renders

You can create an unlimited number of renders, with a choice of two render engines (Image credit: BeLight Software)

• Two render engines to create an unlimited number of images for you at various resolutions. Works well, as long as the ‘Radeon ProRender’ doesn’t crash on you like it did us

One thing we quite liked is, although your renders are watermarked for the Free version, and the size is limited to 2048x1536 for Free and Standard, you can create as many images as you please.

That watermark, it’s fair to mention, is massive and right in the middle of the image - there’s no getting away from the fact this was generated by the free version of Live Home 3D. You also have two render engines to choose from, ‘Radeon ProRender’ and ‘Cycles’.

However, the Radeon option crashed on us every time we tried using the former through our computer’s Radeon GPU. Bypassing the GPU and working solely with the CPU worked without a hitch. We found ‘Radeon ProRender’ took longer to render, but produced finer detail.

Should I buy Live Home 3D?Image 1 of 2

Although you work in 2D by default, you can also switch to 3D and make alterations from there (Image credit: BeLight Software)Image 2 of 2

Customize objects, walls, and everything else, by changing its material covering (Image credit: BeLight Software)Buy it if...

You need a simple to use 3D home design software with a myriad of options at your fingertips, should you need them, and a wealth of customisable objects you can add to your projects.

Don't buy it if...

You’re not into home design, don’t like having so many optional options, and would rather have an interface you can wrestle with.

For more pro-grade design tools, we reviewed the best landscape design software.

This budgeting app is a solid choice if you're trying to pay off debt.

• Apple’s first smart home hub could launch as soon as later this year
• It will look like a cross between a HomePod and an iPad
• A more advanced device with a robotic arm may launch a year or two later

If you’ve been following recent Apple news, you might have heard the rumor that the company is working on a home hub that would look something like a cross between a HomePod and an iPad. Given Apple’s pedigree, it has the potential to become one of the best smart home devices around, and it now looks like the device could launch as soon as the end of 2025.

That’s according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who claimed in his Power On newsletter that we could get our hands on this product “by the end of this year at the earliest” (although that’s not yet set in stone). It could mark Apple’s attempt to both dominate the smart home and make further inroads into artificial intelligence (AI) – something it hopes its Apple Intelligence platform will be a key part of.

1. A new OS that pulls from tvOS

Interested in this device? We’ve heard a few things about it already, and it's certainly shaping up to be an eye-catching addition to Apple’s product roster. That’s due in part to the fact that Apple is allegedly working on an entirely new operating system for the product, potentially named homeOS, that is based on tvOS and will prominently feature Siri and Apple Intelligence.

2. The display will be the focal point

Secondly, the key focal point of the so-called HomePad will be its display. Here, rumors have pointed to a 7-inch screen with a thick bezel, with a front-facing camera mounted on the top edge. The latter will reflect an emphasis on using the device for video calling.

3. The smart display will support apps, and carry over a popular iPhone feature

The third point is that Apple apps will, of course, be supported. And finally, you can expect some features from other apps, such as the iPhone’s StandBy dashboard. The focus, though, will remain on controlling your connected smart home devices.

4. Eyes on the AI prize

(Image credit: Amazon)

Apple has never really embraced the smart home to the extent that some rivals have. Sure, you can control connected products using HomeKit and the Home app, but these have their problems. Beyond that, there’s also a surprising lack of Apple-branded hardware in this space. That could all change in the next year or two.

But the smart home isn’t Apple’s real target here – it’s artificial intelligence. AI is a huge, booming market right now, and Apple has already fallen behind due to its well-documented struggles with its Apple Intelligence platform, with a host of promised features delayed and missing altogether.

Like many tech firms, Apple wants to get its AI into as many customers’ homes as possible, so launching a smart home hub makes a lot of sense in this regard: it gives Apple another way to appeal to customers who might not be convinced by Apple Intelligence so far.

This isn’t the only smart home product that rumors claim Apple is working on, though. The company also has something up its sleeve that would comprise a screen on the end of a robotic arm, allowing it to be moved around at will. This more advanced product isn’t expected until “a year or two” after the HomePad launches, though, while Gurman adds that Apple has “pulled some bolder features from the device” in order to get it ready faster.

Time is of the essence, and Apple is all too aware of that. With its first home hub potentially launching later this year, we’ll soon find out if Apple’s efforts have been worth the wait or need more time in the oven.

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HBO' forthcoming Harry Potter TV show (it'll also be streaming on HBO Max), has finally found the crucial part of its cast, having already signed up a combination of Hollywood and British names for its adults cast.

Harry, Hermione, and Ron have all been cast – and as you'd expect for young kids, they're pretty unknown names.

Dominic McLaughlin will play Harry Potter, and is somehow already a veteran of the 'kid attends mysterious school for those with special skills' genre, having played a part in the BBC TV series Gifted, which was about kids with superpowers.

Arabella Stanton plays Hermione Granger, and also isn't new to acting, having played Matilda in the wonderful Matilda the Musical in London's West End. She followed that up with a role in Starlight Express on stage.

Lastly, Alastair Stout will portray Ron Weasley, and is notable among the three for having the name most like a character in the Harry Potter books. He seems to have the least acting experience of the three, but has appeared in a potato commercial, which also somehow feels very appropriate for a character like Ron.

HBO's TV adaptation is scheduled to begin filming sometime in mid-2025, so they'll have to get stuck into their textbooks ASAP to be ready to go. It's expected that the early books will take up a season each, too, so it'll be interesting to see if HBO pumps out a new season annually to ensure that this intrepid trio don't age out of the teenage roles they'll soon grow into.

By the time we get the fourth book/season, we might find that things need to be split across two parts. We'll see, but the best streaming services love to split seasons, so you have to assume it'll be the case here.

Who's joining Harry, Ron, and Hermione's new actors in the Harry Potter TV show

Six actors were previously cast in big roles for HBO's Harry Potter TV series (Image credit: HBO)

The kids will join John Lithgow as Hogwarts' headteacher Albus Dumbledore, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch, and Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirell.

There's a huge swathe of roles not cast yet, of course (at least, not officially), ranging from the likes of the Weasley siblings through to Neville Longbottom – but, perhaps the biggest missing role is Draco Malfoy.

We don't know exactly when the show will air yet, but it's planned to arrive in 2026. Time will tell if it winds up making it onto our best Max shows list.

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