President Trump has reversed an executive order by former President Joe Biden that calls for federal agencies to promote voter registration.
(Image credit: Sean Rayford)
Donald Trump returns to Washington newly empowered.
The Republican party has remade itself in his image. The Supreme Court has granted him sweeping immunity for his official actions. And, unlike last time, he narrowly won the popular vote.
And Trump is prepared to exercise his new power almost immediately. He's pledged to sign an unprecedented wave of executive actions – many of which will be challenged in court.
These actions include one making it U.S. policy to recognize only two biologically distinct sexes – male and female. And his administration would end birthright citizenship — a right explicitly protected by the Constitution.
President Donald Trump's executive actions could make fundamental changes to some of the foundations of American government.
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President Trump has signed an executive action ordering federal agencies to bring their workers back to the office full time. Roughly 1.1 million federal employees are telework-eligible.
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Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,000 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.
Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my 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 #1093) - 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 #1093) - 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 0.
Quordle today (game #1093) - 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 #1093) - 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 #1093) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?• C
• V
• P
• S
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
Quordle today (game #1093) - the answers (Image credit: New York Times)The answers to today's Quordle, game #1093, are…
Even though I had a complete brain melt on my penultimate guess I’m still pleased that I completed today’s Quordle after eight tries, especially as it took me four lines before I got a correct word.
Even though I already had the letter “N” in yellow form before I solved SPAWN, I completely missed it when I guessed SWAPS. What's more, I entered a plural – even though I know that they are not included in the game. A wasted guess. Still it got me to SPAWN eventually, so nothing ventured, nothing gained.
How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.
Daily Sequence today (game #1093) - the answers (Image credit: New York Times)The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1093, are…
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 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 #590) - today's words (Image credit: New York Times)Today's NYT Connections words are…
What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?
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 #590) - hint #2 - group answersWhat are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Connections today (game #590) - the answers (Image credit: New York Times)The answers to today's Connections, game #590, are…
The second I cast eyes upon WHO and NO I knew that we were looking for DOCTORS IN POP CULTURE. PEPPER was an easy spot (easier than drinking it, anyway) but the fourth was trickier, not being a fan of the whole Marvel multiverse – but OCTOPUS sort of sounded like a villain of some kind.
Having got the Purple group first I thought that would make the Yellow group easier to solve; I came close to completing THINGS TO CLEAR SNOW, but instead found all four PUTDOWN words and the green SMALL LIKENESS quartet.
How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.
Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Monday, 20 January, game #589)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.
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 #324) - hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?• Today's NYT Strands theme is… You don't say …
NYT Strands today (game #324) - hint #2 - clue wordsPlay any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
• Old skool speak
NYT Strands today (game #324) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?First side: left, 5th row
Last side: bottom, 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 #324) - the answers (Image credit: New York Times)The answers to today's Strands, game #324, are…
As someone who still greets old friends with an impression of a 1990s Budweiser commercial, I’ve no truck with calling the “SLANG” included in today’s Strands “DATED” as if it’s lame or something. In fact I’m buggin about it. I’ve only just gotten over saying Cowabunga when my team score a goal.
Having said all that, I still struggled a little with today’s puzzle. Even though they were the last two words, it took me yonks to come up with RADICAL and TUBULAR – I mean, I’m sure RALUBUT is slang for something somewhere.
How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.
Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, 20 January, game #323)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.
The meme coins yo-yoed in value as Trump took office. Here is what you should know about the coins and cryptocurrency's future under the Trump administration.
(Image credit: Mark Humphrey)
Alludo has launched new updates to its popular CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 2024 and CorelDRAW Technical Suite.
The updates include a range of enhancements such as Vector FX, Painterly Brush tool and new Pantone colour palettes all aiming to improve flexibility, efficiency, and creativity.
Vector FX is of particular interest - a standalone generative AI application which simplifies the creation of vector graphics, allowing users to input text prompts to generate unique, scalable graphics, which can then be edited and refined in CorelDRAW.
CorelDRAW new featuresBeyond AI tools, the update also upgrades the Painterly Brush tool with the addition of new pixel-based brushes, exclusively available to subscribers. The brushes support customizable settings allowing users to modify parameters such as texture, density, smoothing, and glow.
The Painterly Brush now features a dedicated tab in the Properties docker/inspector, offering a streamlined interface for accessing and adjusting brush properties.
Another addition to the 2024 CorelDraw Graphic Suite is the integration of Pantone’s latest colour palettes, now available at no additional cost. It brings 175 new shades from the Pantone Dualities palette.
The new update also adds Brush Favorites, which allows users to save their most-used brushes for quick access, as well as Focus Mode which offers a a distraction-free workspace. With the new Print Merge feature, CorelDraw now supports QR codes, images, and Excel spreadsheet data, making it easier to create personalized print materials such as marketing brochures, invitations, or labels.
“The new updates to our Painterly Brush tool reflect our dedication to innovation and incorporating user feedback,” said Prakash Channagiri, Senior Director of Product Management for CorelDRAW.
“With the latest colour palettes from Pantone, users can discover 175 new colours, offering unparalleled colour matching, ensuring precise, vibrant designs. These advancements open up new opportunities for designers to work more efficiently and push the boundaries of their creativity."
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 2024 is available in two purchasing options: a subscription model and a one-time purchase. Both options provide access to CorelDRAW's core applications, including Corel PHOTO-PAINT, Corel Font Manager, CAPTURE, and AfterShot HDR. However, it is important to note the key differences between the two versions before making a choice.
The subscription model receives instant access to new updates and enhancements as they become available, including exclusive tools such as Vector FX and the 50 new Painterly Brushes. This version also supports a cloud-based template library, providing access to over 500 templates, more than double what is available in the one-time purchase version. Furthermore, the enhanced asset management system in the subscription version is cloud-based, allowing users to access and organize their design assets from anywhere.
On the other hand, the one-time purchase version, while lacking some of the advanced features of the subscription model, offers a more traditional approach to software ownership.
Users who opt for this model can use the software indefinitely without recurring fees - however, they will not have access to the ongoing updates and new features available to subscribers. The one-time purchase version includes over 200 templates and more than 100 brushes, which falls short of the expanded content provided in the subscription model.
Additionally, the subscription version includes enhanced support for AutoCAD DWG/DXF files and also features an enhanced Hints docker/inspector, which provides more personalized learning resources to help users get the most out of the software. These features are available in the one-time version, but they are not enhanced.
In addition to the updates to CorelDRAW Graphics Suite, the CorelDRAW Technical Suite has also received a new upgrade. This suite caters to professionals involved in technical illustration and documentation, offering specialized tools for creating precise, technical drawings.
The pricing for CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 2024 varies depending on the purchasing option. The subscription model is priced at $269 per year, or €369 and £319 for European and UK customers, including VAT. Alternatively, users can opt for a one-time purchase at $549, €779, or £659.
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite 2024 is available on Windows and macOS, as well as via web access for subscribers and maintenance customers. The software is offered in several languages, including English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Dutch, Polish, Czech, Russian, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Turkish, Swedish, and Japanese.
You may also likeFrench audio specialist Focal needs no introduction from me (but see the phenomenal Diva Utopia or Aria Evo X floorstanding speakers if you'd like a refresher), and now the celebrated hi-fi brand is introducing something a little different. It's something the company is proudly calling Utopia Main, and it's a new range of studio monitors pitched specifically at engineers, musicians, producers, and other audio professionals – as long as they've got fairly deep pockets…
Focal tells me that each component in the two models (one a three-way pair; the other a 3.5-way option) has been carefully crafted for these models alone, and when Focal directs you to new technology such as an "M-shaped membrane" on the all-new 5-inch midrange unit, plus a "W-membrane Beryllium tweeter", it's worth taking note – this company has produced some of the finest-sounding audio equipment we've ever heard. (Have I ever told you about the Focal Celestee or Focal Bathys? I suppose I have now.)
The company also tells me that many elements within its Utopia range have been in development since 2017 and that Utopia Main marks "the most significant milestone" for Focal’s pro division since its inception.
Looking for Utopia, in the Main The UM 112 above are the slightly less-expensive of the two models (Image credit: Focal )Shall we dig just a little deeper into Focal's technical wizardry? I won't try to simplify the workings in the Utopia Main press release, which state: "Force submitted to a membrane is determined by the equation F=B*l*i, where B is the magnetic field within the voice coil, l the length of the coil and i the current". But I can tell you that for the first time ever, Focal's Tuned Mass Damper (TMD) technology has been integrated to the high-frequency driver. According to Focal, this halved the Total Harmonic Distortion – aka those pesky unwanted intonations in an audio signal – at 3kHz, a high-treble frequency.
As well as this, the voice coil diameter was increased to 25mm, for better heat dissipation. Then, there are the patented amplifiers of the three-way UM 112 and 3.5-way UM 212. These use a combination of lesser-seen Class H amplification (which typically modulates the supply voltage to the output devices, so that it's never higher than necessary to support the signal) with a current-mode amplification. Focal says that by controlling the current in the amplification stage (instead of the voltage), engineers have been able to directly control the force submitted to the membrane, and all-but-eliminate any additional unwanted audio articles and nasties.
I'll tell you one thing: I've heard the large, floor-standing Diva Utopia, and although they're too high-end for our dedicated buying guide, they're still some of the best stereo speakers money can buy. If the Utopia Main range can perform anywhere near as commandingly and insightfully in a smaller, studio-friendly package, they'd get my vote for reference recording.
Pricing? Of course, but get ready: Focal UM 112 is priced at $30,000 / £22,000 (so around AU$43,000), while the Focal UM 212 will set you back a cool $50,000 / £38,000 (or nearer AU$75,000). Two for the wish-list, then…
You may also likeSatechi has unveiled its latest innovation for Apple fans: the Mac Mini M4 Stand & Hub with SSD Enclosure, designed exclusively for the 2024 Mac Mini.
This new Stand & Hub supports up to 4TB of M.2 NVMe SSD storage as well as multiple SSD sizes, including M.2 2230, 2242, 2260, and 2280 while offering 10Gbps transfer speeds to ensure quick access to files and media.
This Stand & Hub is a cheaper option for storage upgrades compared to Apple’s built-in upgrades, and while the speeds may not rival Apple’s onboard SSDs, they should be more than sufficient for everyday use, making this a decent alternative for those on a budget.
Designed for the 2024 Mac MiniThe new Satechi Mac Mini M4 comes with an aluminium design that mirrors Apple’s design, but is also smaller than its predecessor, rendering older stands incompatible.
Modern Apple devices, including the Mac Mini M4, often omit older ports, leaving users reliant on adapters - the Satechi hub addresses this by reintroducing three USB-A ports, positioned on the front for ease of access.
Its front-facing ports make it easier to connect frequently used peripherals without reaching around the back of the device. The aluminium casing is paired with heat-dissipating vents which keep the device cool while preserving wireless signal strength, a critical factor for modern connectivity needs. It also incorporates a patented technology to ensure optimal airflow and heat dissipation.
Upgrading to 4TB using Apple’s internal storage upgrades could cost over $1200. Satechi’s hub provides a more affordable alternative, allowing users to purchase and install their own SSDs.
You may also likeTrump says Americans should look to the stars, by sending astronauts to Mars.
(Image credit: Kevin Lamarque)
If – like us – you've just binged the second season of Silo, one of the very best Apple TV Plus shows, you'll be very familiar with its big problem: the darkness.
I don't mean darkness in the sense of bleakness or horror, although Silo season 2 did serve up some of that. I mean literal darkness, the darkness that made watching the second season feel for long periods like Apple had forgotten to pay the lighting crew and decided to go ahead and film entire episodes with nothing more than a candle and the torch app on an old iPhone.
The good news? The darkness is going away for season 3 – and we presume for future seasons that have been confirmed to be coming. Or at least, some of the locations aren't going to be in down deep in the dark.
Bringing Silo into the lightThe news comes via TV Line, who spoke to Silo showrunner Graham Yost and presumably said, "hey Graham, how about making a season we can actually see this time, huh?" Because Yost has shared the welcome news that the lighting will be much brighter in the third season of Silo.
That's not to say he's sorry about making a show so dark my brother ended up upgrading to one of the best TVs to watch it. According to Yost, "it's just the way it plays" when you're making a season set largely underground in locations that are written as having limited or no power. "When we showed the first episode on a big screen in London, it looked fantastic, because motion picture screens are very bright. So I just encourage everyone to crank up the brightness [on your TV], and you’ll see a difference."
So what's changing for season 3? In a word, locations. The next season will also go into much more detail about the origins of the silos and the events that made them necessary. "We will be outdoors, and we will be in the world, and there will be sunshine." Sunshine! But don't expect to turn down the brightness too often, because Yost also confirms that – very mild spoiler ahead – we'll also be returning to Silo 17.
You might also likeAt CES 2025, Samsung unveiled its next flagship OLED TV, the Samsung S95F. While the fanciest feature may be the highly impressive OLED Glare Free 2.0 reflection-reduction coating, there were two other elements that Samsung shouted about: a new 83-inch size option (along with the 55-inch, 65-inch and 77-inch sizes already available); and the promise of dazzling brightness at up to 4,000 nits.
Given that in our testing of the best OLED TVs, we have yet to measure one that makes it past 2,000 nits of brightness, I had to know more about this, and I spoke to Samsung about exactly what to expect.
One reason I wasn't sure about it was that the new 83-inch model doesn't use the same Samsung QD-OLED screen technology as the other sizes; instead, it uses a W-OLED panel, made by LG Display. Samsung didn't confirm this, but given the brightness claims, it must be the latest-generation 'four-stack' OLED panel from LG.
Samsung says that every size of S95F will have the same level of performance, including the promise of hitting 4,000 nits of peak HDR brightness. However, Samsung specified that this claim is definitely an extreme one – something the panel is capable of doing in real life, but it's unlikely to happen much. The company told me this can be hit in a 3% HDR window for a few seconds, and will presumably require a particular image mode to achieve.
The more useful real-world measurement, and no less impressive in that context, is that Samsung says all models will be able to hit 2,000 nits of peak HDR brightness in a 10% window, and this can be sustained.
(Image credit: Future)That is still higher than we've measured from any OLED TV to date, and really brings OLED TVs into line with the best mini-LED TVs for peak brightness (at least, the mainstream ones – not the likes of the Hisense 110UX and its claims of up to 10,000 nits).
Fullscreen brightness for this year's OLED TVs seems to be improved as well – there's talk of the S95F jumping to just under 400 nits, from about 320 nits for the S95D. The LG G5 flagship OLED promises a 40% jump in fullscreen brightness, which would put it at about 350 nits.
However, those figures are still much lower than higher-end mini-LED TVs, which can hit 500-600 nits of fullscreen brightness, which is why we rate them as the best TVs for sport, where brightness across the whole screen is important, in order to make everything bright and vibrant at once, and to beat reflections (although that's what Samsung's Glare Free coating is supposed to help with).
Time to drop the old concerns?In the past, when Samsung has mixed QD-OLED and W-OLED panels at different screen sizes, it's given us a big headache. Take the Samsung S90C OLED TV, which we rated at the best TV overall for a long time… at least, at most sizes. Just like the Samsung S95F, that set came in 55-inch, 65-inch, 77-inch and 83-inch sizes – and the three smaller sizes were made with a Samsung QD-OLED screen, while the 83-inch size was an LG W-OLED panel.
The problem was that, at the time, the mid-range QD-OLED screens were far brighter than LG's mid-range W-OLED screens, so we basically just had to say that we didn't recommend the 83-inch size, because we felt that the 83-inch LG C3 was better value given that it used the same panel.
So in the past, every time I heard that Samsung was using different panel types at different sizes for one of its OLEDs, I got an instant migraine. We knew the performance of these panels, and we knew they couldn't be equivalent.
But Samsung says that's not the case in the S95F. I was told very confidently that the promise of 4,000 nits of extreme peak brightness and 2,000 nits of sustained peak brightness will apply to the 83-inch W-OLED size as well as the QD-OLED size.
Obviously, we're aiming to measure and confirm this ourselves – I can only hope we're about to get our hands on it sooner rather than later, because the S95F is absolutely one of the most exciting TVs of 2025.
You might also likeIndigenous activist Leonard Peltier was convicted of killing two FBI agents in the 1970s.
(Image credit: Mark Schiefelbein)