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Here are some hints, and the answers, for the Oct. 11 Strands puzzle, No. 222.

Here are some hints and the answer for Wordle No. 1,210 for Oct. 11.

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Lack of enthusiasm for Harris “seems to be more pronounced with the brothers," Obama said while campaigning for her in Pittsburgh. He said Black men need to get behind Harris and get out to vote.

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Uber is turning to OpenAI and ChatGPT to help push the adoption of electric vehicles (EV) by its drivers. The ride-share company announced the new AI assistant at the Go Get Zero sustainability conference in London among several other green initiatives. Uber will employ OpenAI's GPT-4o model, the same one undergirding ChatGPT, to create a guide for drivers along the road toward where they are confident and comfortable behind the wheel of an EV.

The idea of AI as a personal automotive concierge makes sense, considering the complexities of switching away from gas cars. That means the AI will adapt to the user, tailoring its answers around how to buy and take care of an EV to who is asking. The AI will come packed with data about purchase prices, how to charge and maintain the car, and other useful information unique to EVs. 

The AI will also adjust its responses to match where the driver lives. Geography matters since many states, cities, and other locales have incentive programs to entice people into switching to electric cars, but they are far from uniform. The same goes for mapping out charging stations that the drivers can rely on should their battery run low. A Californian Uber driver might regularly discuss the state rebates and tax credits they earn for getting an EV, while, at the same time, an Uber driver in New York asks the assistant about discounts at nearby charging stations.

Uber AI

Uber isn't going to limit the AI to talking about electric cars forever. The company said it will widen the types of questions the AI can answer and the data sources it pulls from later in 2025 in order to make the AI more flexible and useful in more circumstances.

Personalizing a specialized AI assistant like this may end up seeming inspired as an approach should it pan out. Still, it's a lot less daunting to learn about EVs through a conversation with an AI than trying to plow through a lot of often complicated technical and regulatory documents. The ChatGPT-based AI companion also fits with Uber's more extensive list of new and upcoming features to encourage EV adoption like letting riders specifically request an EV and matchmaking EV Uber drivers with those considering it to answer any questions the AI couldn't.

For OpenAI, it's another milestone in expanding into the automotive AI space. Voice assistants are a common feature in modern vehicles, and ChatGPT's models are powering a growing number of vehicular AI assistants. Volkswagen began embedding ChatGPT in its cars on a wide scale last month. The upgraded Ida voice assistant leverages OpenAI's model to be more conversational and handle a broader array of requests than had been previously feasible. Between VW, Uber, and experiments from Mercedes-Benz and other carmakers, OpenAI has a shot at heavily influencing how we engage with the next generation of car AI assistants. 

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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 #488) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• NERVE
• SPLASH
• EXTRA
• RELISH
• GRAVY
• TREASURE
• SAUCE
• DIP
• DIVE
• BONUS
• VALUE
• BRASS
• FROSTING
• CHEEK
• SWIM
• SAVOR

NYT Connections today (game #488) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• Yellow: Really like
• Green: Don't forget the water wings
• Blue: Something more
• Purple: Impertinence

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 #488) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: CHERISH
• GREEN: QUICK JUMP IN THE POOL
• BLUE: ADDITIONAL BENEFIT
• PURPLE: BRASHNESS

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

NYT Connections today (game #488) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #488, are…

• YELLOW: CHERISH RELISH, SAVOR, TREASURE, VALUE
• GREEN: QUICK JUMP IN THE POOL DIP, DIVE, SPLASH, SWIM
• BLUE: ADDITIONAL BENEFIT BONUS, EXTRA, FROSTING, GRAVY
• PURPLE: BRASHNESS BRASS, CHEEK, NERVE, SAUCE

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

It's always nice to finish the week with a simple Connections game, so I greatly enjoyed today's instalment. It wasn't so easy that I didn't have to use my brain at all – it's never that straightforward – but it wasn't one where any of the individual groups were particularly complex, and there weren't too many red herrings.

There were some of course; I nearly put one together with SAUCE, DIP, RELISH and GRAVY, which might have made some kind of food-based group, albeit not a particularly consistent one. But that aside they were all fairly obvious, and all were essentially synonyms, with no complicated hidden connections to worry about.

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Thursday, 10 October, game #487)

• YELLOW: BODY PARTS ARM, EYE, HIP, LEG
• GREEN: COOL, IN ’80S SLANG BAD, FLY, ILL, RAD
• BLUE: MOVIES BIG, ELF, HER, SAW
• PURPLE: WORDS IN “DO-RE-MI” DOE, FAR, SEW, TEA

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.

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Let's experiment

NYT Strands today (game #222) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• PEEL
• BLARE
• BARE
• MEET
• MOTE
• MORE

NYT Strands today (game #222) - hint #3 - spangram What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Elemental place

NYT Strands today (game #222) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First: bottom, 4th column

Last: top, 4th column

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

NYT Strands today (game #222) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #222, are…

• BEAKER
• FLASK
• PIPETTE
• GOGGLES
• THERMOMETER
• SPANGRAM: CHEMISTRYLAB

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Ah, the CHEMISTRYLAB. The pop of hydrogen/oxygen, the flash of magnesium, the smell of burning hair from someone getting too close to the Bunsen burner… those were the days. Fortunately, there's a lot less risk involved in solving Strands. And that's particularly true today, because it's likely to be an easy one for most people.

The second I saw the theme clue of 'Let's experiment' I thought 'Science!' and knew what would be expected here. And I was right, with BEAKER and FLASK, my first two, confirming the concept. After that it was a simple matter of thinking back to those days spent messing around with potassium, phosphorus and all the other chemicals I should probably never have been allowed near at the age of 13…

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday 10 October, game #221)

• JUMBLE
• SUDOKU
• JIGSAW
• MAZE
• CROSSWORD
• CRYPTOGRAM
• SPANGRAM: PUZZLES

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 #991) - 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 #991) - 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 #991) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• Yes. One of Q, Z, X or J appears among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #991) - 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 #991) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• R

• A

• P

• Z

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

Quordle today (game #991) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #991, are…

• RINSE
• ANIME
• PUSHY
• ZEBRA

I don't know about you but I love the idea of a PUSHY ZEBRA. You know, moving all the other animals away from the watering hole so it can have it all to itself, that kind of thing. I'm sure there's a Pixar animation in there somewhere. But I digress. ZEBRA is arguably the hardest word in today's Quordle, although ANIME does give it some competition. It not only starts with a very uncommon letter in the form of Z, but also has a B in an unusual spot (B tends to start words and not much else). ANIME, meanwhile, is formed of mostly common letters (M is the slight outlier), but caused a lot of trouble when it was a Wordle answer a while ago. Overall: tricky day, folks.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #991) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #991, are…

• FETCH
• WARTY
• FROCK
• ABATE

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #990, Thursday 10 October: UNTIL, MARSH, METAL, WINDY
• Quordle #989, Wednesday 9 October: TRIAL, HUSKY, DOWNY, TRADE
• Quordle #988, Tuesday 8 October: TROUT, HATER, BARGE, DOZEN
• Quordle #987, Monday 7 October: CAULK, HALVE, APING, HEATH
• Quordle #986, Sunday 6 October: FUDGE, TENOR, BEGAT, ROUSE
• Quordle #985, Saturday 5 October: ELECT, CROAK, FRISK, JAUNT
• Quordle #984, Friday 4 October: ELFIN, GRAIL, PATIO, RECAP
• Quordle #983, Thursday 3 October: TENTH, REMIT, CURVE, TOAST
• Quordle #982, Wednesday 2 October: ARGUE, CRANE, TOKEN, PRINT
• Quordle #981, Tuesday 1 October: FRILL, MADLY, GRANT, NYLON
• Quordle #980, Monday 30 September: CRUSH, TARDY, TEACH, STUMP
• Quordle #979, Sunday 29 September: SERIF, BORNE, WRITE, SLEEK
• Quordle #978, Saturday 28 September: BUSHY, CIVIC, SNOUT, EQUIP
• Quordle #977, Friday 27 September: GUEST, CHASM, ROOST, BASAL
• Quordle #976, Thursday 26 September: STAGE, VOGUE, CLUMP, HEATH
• Quordle #975, Wednesday 25 September: UMBRA, DADDY, GLAZE, PRANK
• Quordle #974, Tuesday 24 September: SPACE, INNER, SPAWN, BEGAT
• Quordle #973, Monday 23 September: GUILT, STERN, ANNEX, FIELD
• Quordle #972, Sunday 22 September: ZESTY, MEATY, ALIVE, DRAWN
• Quordle #971, Saturday 21 September: VITAL, FRAIL, SPEAR, EERIE

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Anyone who has tried to find the best hard drives at massive sizes has likely come across the Seagate's Exos range, which can go up to 32TB (yes, you read that right). 

Announced back in January 2024, the Seagate Exos Mozaic 3+ is one of the largest hard drives money can buy, and the beauty of it is that anyone can use the Exos series with their own machine. These aren't just designed for hyperscale data center operators and the like. 

Building a 32TB hard drive isn't easy, and Seagate had to leverage a lot of new technologies to get there, especially for a reasonable price point. The most notable is using Shingled Magnetic Recording (SMR), which allows hard disk tracks to overlap, creating a hard drive with higher densities. 

Most hard drives use Conventional Magnetic Recording (CMR), which has been the standard for a number of years, but the tech simply would not be able to create a 32TB hard drive that wasn't massive. 

Seagate used 3TB platter, with an areal density of 1.742 Tb per square inch, and makes use of SMR or, for hyperscale customers, Heat Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR). The precious record was Western Digital Gold, which hit 24TB. 

(Image credit: Seagate) Watch out for refurb Exos

But beware: we've recently noticed hundreds of refurbished Seagate 28TB SMR hard disk drives that have surfaced online at pretty unbelievable prices. While this might sound good in principle, the problem is that a refurbished product has very likely been sent back by its owners, and therefore has a fault. 

Seagate launched the Exos range in early 2024, and so there has been enough time for customers to make orders, find a fault, and send the super high-end hard drives back to the manufacturer.

Finding reliable figures for how much the Exos range costs new is difficult, but the refurbished model costing €549.99 for 28TB of storage is likely to be extremely cheap in comparison. 

What is the best massive hard drive? 

TechRadar has spent plenty of hours testing the largest SSD and hard drives on the market right now, and we found that the ExaDrive EDDCT100/EDDCS100 tops the list, with an incredible 100TB of storage on offer, as well as options on the more modest end of the spectrum. 

It's worth also shouting out the Samsung T5 EVO, which can come with up to 8TB of storage, for a pretty reasonable $450, too. The WD Elements 6TB portable HDD could also be worth checking out. 

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