Quordle today – hints and answers for Monday, July 1 (game #889)

This could be a tricky Quordle to start the month – and the Daily Sequence version is even harder. Read on if you need some hints.

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 #889) - 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 #889) - 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 #889) - 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 #889) - 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 #889) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• I

• L

• M

• S

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

Quordle today (game #889) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #889, are…

• INCUR
• MINTY
• LIMIT
• SYNOD

I tried a new approach today, suggested to me a while ago by a reader: use two start words rather than three, in order to give myself a chance of solving Quordle in six guesses, rather than the seven that my three-start-word strategy would allow at best.

But which words to use? I decided to go with TRAIN and CLOSE: between them they used four of the vowels, leaving out the less common U, plus the six most common consonants. Most were also in their most common positions, although S was a notable failure on that front.

Anyway, it worked well enough, in that I solved what may have been a fairly tough Quordle, but then again I needed seven guesses – so there was no advantage over my standard approach. I'll give it another few tries before deciding whether to stick with it or not.

Finally, a nod to the Daily Sequence, which served up a quartet of horrible words today. Well done if you solved that one.

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

---

Daily Sequence today (game #889) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #889, are…

• NADIR
• KNACK
• MADAM
• CACAO

---

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #888, Sunday 30 June: ALIBI, HYENA, NERVE, KNOWN
• Quordle #887, Saturday 29 June: BASIL, PLAID, REMIT, SHEIK
• Quordle #886, Friday 28 June: SCENE, PRIMO, MOGUL, OPIUM
• Quordle #885, Thursday 27 June: MAXIM, DOWNY, ROUSE, ATOLL
• Quordle #884, Wednesday 26 June: NORTH, LEVER, SERUM, SLATE
• Quordle #883, Tuesday 25 June: APPLY, FUNKY, SWORE, TWEAK
• Quordle #882, Monday 24 June: ANGER, SILKY, HURRY, ANODE
• Quordle #881, Sunday 23 June: SPIED, DIZZY, ABUSE, POPPY
• Quordle #880, Saturday 22 June: GROIN, STOVE, SHRUB, HARSH
• Quordle #879, Friday 21 June: INDEX, CLUED, ORBIT, LOSER
• Quordle #878, Thursday 20 June: DELVE, BEZEL, MAMMA, AZURE
• Quordle #877, Wednesday 19 June: CELLO, PRIVY, HUMOR, PAPER
• Quordle #876, Tuesday 18 June: ABYSS, OCTET, BEEFY, PUPAL
• Quordle #875, Monday 17 June: AWAIT, SHADY, SWEET, DRAPE
• Quordle #874, Sunday 16 June: URBAN, MOIST, SPOOL, BELIE
• Quordle #873, Saturday 15 June: LOGIC, SOOTY, WAGON, BRIDE
• Quordle #872, Friday 14 June: MERIT, RASPY, THOSE, WATER
• Quordle #871, Thursday 13 June: NORTH, MOUND, PEACE, RETRY
• Quordle #870, Wednesday 12 June: QUILT, PARTY, SPARK, SINCE
• Quordle #869, Tuesday 11 June: CLANK, GONER, LIEGE, TIARA

July 01, 2024 at 12:02AM from TechRadar - All the latest technology news https://ift.tt/ELbKo9W
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YouTube Premium subscribers just got access to 5 new features

If you're paying out for YouTube Premium every month, there are five new features now rolling out for you to take advantage of, covering YouTube Shorts, smart downloads, improved navigation, and – of course – AI.

As explained in a post on the official YouTube blog, the new features aim to give you more control over your YouTube experience. The post also mentions that the number of YouTube Premium and YouTube Music Premium subscribers now exceeds 100 million.

First up is a new skip feature, available now to US users on Android (and coming to iOS soon). If you double-tap to skip ahead, you'll see a button that takes you right to the most popular part of the video, direct. We'd previously heard that such a feature was being tested, and there's more on how it works here.

Then there's picture-in-picture support for YouTube Shorts, available now on Android devices. This adds to the picture-in-picture experience that's already offered for standard videos, and means you can up your multitasking game.

Still experimental

Some new features are still labeled as experimental (Image credit: Future)

The other three new features are all labeled as experimental, and can be accessed and enabled on the web. You can choose to enable smart downloads for YouTube Shorts, for example, so you've always got some bite-sized content to watch, even offline.

Then there's conversational AI, for Android users in the US. This means you can ask an AI bot questions about the video you're watching, via the Ask button underneath it. This is in addition to the AI summaries that YouTube Premium subscribers can already access.

And the last experimental feature is a redesigned watch page, which rejigs how video and other page furniture (including the comments) gets shown on screen. As with all of these experimental features, you have the option to leave feedback, good or bad.

While these new upgrades aren't particularly big on their own, together with the other perks of YouTube Premium, it all adds up. A subscription to the service currently costs $14 / £12 / AU$17 a month, and includes YouTube Music Premium.

You might also like

• YouTube may be planning AI song generators this year
• We may soon see AI celebrities on YouTube
• YouTube cancels Premium subs bought using VPNs

June 30, 2024 at 03:30PM from TechRadar - All the latest technology news https://ift.tt/QRHwoFz
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NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Sunday, June 30 (game #119)

And so the weekend comes to a close with a Strands puzzle that might cause you a few more problems than some recent instalments. If that's the case, you might find my hints to be useful. 

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 #119) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Cut and color

NYT Strands today (game #119) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• PENT
• SHEET
• SEEM
• SWEET
• SWEEP
• WELT

NYT Strands today (game #119) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Rock stars

NYT Strands today (game #119) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

• First: left, 4th row

• Last: right, 4th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #119) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #119, are…

• SAPPHIRE
• EMERALD
• TOPAZ
• GARNET
• AMETHYST
• SPANGRAM: JEWELTONES

---

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: Perfect

---

I've never heard the term JEWEL TONES before, which made this Strands puzzle a rather difficult one to solve even once I had the concept worked out, which was relatively early on in the game. 

The fact that I've never heard of GARNET, either, and didn't know how to spell AMETHYST also made things a lot tougher than they might otherwise have been. As a result of all that, this was rather a mixed game for me – the likes of EMERALD and RUBY were obvious and easy, some of the others less so. Still, I got there in the end, and without using any hints either. I'll take that any day.

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

---

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday 29 June, game #118)

• COMET
• ASTEROID
• PLANET
• GALAXY
• MOON
• SATELLITE
• SPANGRAM: OUTERPSACE

---

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.

June 30, 2024 at 12:01AM from TechRadar - All the latest technology news https://ift.tt/rnFcCDA
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NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Saturday, June 29 (game #118)

I really enjoyed today's Strands puzzle and hope you will do too. Maybe that's because I found it to be quite easy – but don't worry if you struggle a little, because I've got some hints for you below.

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 #118) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… It's way over your head

NYT Strands today (game #118) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• LETTER
• ELITE
• SPOON
• NOTE
• PLAN
• PLAY

NYT Strands today (game #118) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Heavens above

NYT Strands today (game #118) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

• First: left, 4th row

• Last: right, 4th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #118) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #118, are…

• COMET
• ASTEROID
• PLANET
• GALAXY
• MOON
• SATELLITE
• SPANGRAM: OUTERPSACE

---

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

---

I'm a proper space buff and spend much of my free time staring at the skies through a telescope, taking photos of distant galaxies and nebulae – or more often cursing the fact that it's a cloudy night yet again.

Anyway, that helped me find all of the answers easily once again today – well, once I'd worked out what the theme was. I'd uncovered dozens of potential answers, all of which ended up merely being hints (none of which I used), before I finally got COMET, and realized what the connection was. After that it was plain sailing, other than the spangram, which took me a little while to identify.

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

---

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday 28 June, game #117)

• SALSA
• SOUL
• JAZZ
• BLUES
• ROCK
• DISCO
• FOLK
• COUNTRY
• SPANGRAM: MUSICGENRE

---

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.

June 29, 2024 at 12:01AM from TechRadar - All the latest technology news https://ift.tt/acRQdWq
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This One Million Checkbox game is sparking an internet war – and it's taken hours of our life we'll never get back

A lot of the time, the most addictive games are the simplest ones, and so we present to you One Million Checkboxes. You can get the gist of this new game from its title, but the gameplay simply involves you checking and unchecking as many boxes as you like.

Simple, right? Well, if you want to stay productive today, we'd encourage you to think carefully before following that link. You run the risk of being dragged into an endless battle across a field of flashing blue and white squares.

The checked status of each box is the same for every player, which means any box you fill in might soon be made blank again by someone else – and mini-wars are breaking out all across the board as the checkers battle the uncheckers.

Up in the top right corner of the screen is a count of how many boxes you've checked, and how many boxes have been checked. The game, straightforward though it is, is causing a furore online, as some players try and empty the board and some try to fill it up.

Soothing or frustrating?

I made a website. it's called "one million checkboxes dot com". it has one million checkboxes on it.checking a box checks it for everyone.that's it. have fun! pic.twitter.com/KBF4UqCMJcJune 26, 2024

The game comes from creator Nolen Royalty, who has made similar games and internet oddities before. Judging by the developer's X feed, they weren't expecting quite so many people to get involved – some 500,000, by the last count.

And you don't have to go far on the web to find reactions: it's "kinda soothing" to some, but "maximally frustrating" to others, so your mileage may vary. What's clear is that it's addictive enough to take up a significant chunk of the day.

At the time of writing, the number of checked boxes is up to around 560,000, and the activity is frenetic up at the top of the board. Scroll down, or use the jump box down in the lower right corner, and you can find calmer blocks of the board to play around in.

The big question is: what happens when every box on the board is checked? Or every box on the board is cleared? Perhaps nothing at all – but judging by the time we've spent glued to the checkbox action, we might never end up finding out.

You might also like

• Our picks for the best free games around
• There are even games on LinkedIn now
• The best games you'll find on Steam

June 28, 2024 at 03:25PM from TechRadar - All the latest technology news https://ift.tt/VaerNLK
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NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Friday, June 28 (game #117)

It's time for the last Strands puzzle of the week – and it's a rather apt one for the weekend, I think. Enjoy!

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 #117) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… That's my jam!

NYT Strands today (game #117) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• BLUE
• LUCK
• COUNT
• ROUND
• GONER
• LOSS

NYT Strands today (game #117) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Playlist variety

NYT Strands today (game #117) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

• First: left, 6th row

• Last: right, 6th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #117) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #117, are…

• SALSA
• SOUL
• JAZZ
• BLUES
• ROCK
• DISCO
• FOLK
• COUNTRY
• SPANGRAM: MUSICGENRE

---

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

---

I was a little thrown today by the the combination of the theme clue – 'That's my jam' – and the first answer I found, SALSA. In my head, I thought this might be another food-related Strands game; salsa could be described as a type of jam, maybe? No, I was on totally the wrong path there, as became obvious as soon as I solved the next couple, SOUL and JAZZ, at which point this became rather easy.

I spotted MUSIC soon after, and a process of elimination led me to the spangram, MUSICGENRE, and once that was in place it was even more of a simple solve.

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

---

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday 27 June, game #116)

• CHEESE
• GRAVY
• BISCUIT
• MACARONI
• BURGER
• FRIES
• SPANGRAM: COMBOMEALS

---

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.

June 28, 2024 at 12:01AM from TechRadar - All the latest technology news https://ift.tt/l3E0kXP
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NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Thursday, June 27 (game #116)

This might be a tricky one, depending on certain factors that I won't go into for fear of spoilers. If that's the case, you might find my hints to be helpful.

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 #116) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Better together

NYT Strands today (game #116) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• CARGO
• RICE
• COME
• ROSE
• STONE
• LANE

NYT Strands today (game #116) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Dining companions

NYT Strands today (game #116) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

• First: left, 7th row

• Last: right, 4th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #116) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #116, are…

• CHEESE
• GRAVY
• BISCUIT
• MACARONI
• BURGER
• FRIES
• SPANGRAM: COMBOMEALS

---

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

---

Here's another Strands puzzle that will probably be harder for those of you who aren't in the US. Two of the pairings here – BURGER and FRIES, and MACARONI and CHEESE – are well known around the world. The other, GRAVY and BISCUITS, is not. In fact, the idea of GRAVY and BISCUITS going together in the UK would be disgusting, because gravy for us is a savoury meat (or vegetable) sauce, not a creamy one as the US equivalent is, while biscuits are what Americans would know as cookies. Mmmmm, put some more meat sauce on those Oreos, please…

Fortunately that didn't have an impact on my game today, because I have worked for American websites for long enough that I know what gravy refers to in this context, plus the other answers were simple enough that I would have worked it out anyway. The spangram was probably the hardest aspect of this game – I could see MEALS fairly on, but couldn't work out the COMBO part until fairly late into the game.

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

---

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday 26 June, game #115)

• POSH
• SNAZZY
• DAPPER
• SPIFFY
• CHIC
• SWANK
• DRIPPY
• SPANGRAM: FASHIONISTA

---

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.

June 27, 2024 at 12:01AM from TechRadar - All the latest technology news https://ift.tt/Vj8ONbz
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NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Wednesday, June 26 (game #115)

I was a little out of my depth for today's Strands, but hopefully you'll find it more straightforward than I did. If not, I've got some helpful hints for you below.

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 #115) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Looking good

NYT Strands today (game #115) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• SPIRE
• WAIST
• FIRE
• PAPER
• RIFF
• SHIRK

NYT Strands today (game #115) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• In style

NYT Strands today (game #115) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

• First: left, 6th row

• Last: right, 2nd row

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

NYT Strands today (game #115) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #115, are…

• POSH
• SNAZZY
• DAPPER
• SPIFFY
• CHIC
• SWANK
• DRIPPY
• SPANGRAM: FASHIONISTA

---

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: Perfect

---

I'm about as far from a FASHIONISTA, as it's possible for a human to be, and I have no embarrassment about that fact. That may explain why I struggled to find some of the answers today. A few were easy – for instance CHIC, DAPPER, SNAZZY stood out fairly quickly and make total sense in the context of the theme clue and the spangram. However, POSH confused me; I'd never have considered it to be related to fashion, particularly, although I guess it makes some sense.

DRIPPY also tripped me up; it was the final one I got, when the answer couldn't be anything else, and I suspect I wouldn't have solved it if not by default. But my struggles may well not be shared by anyone else, or certainly by those of you who spend more time thinking about clothes than I do.

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

---

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday 25 June, game #114)

• SPARE
• SPLIT
• STRIKE
• TURKEY
• LANE
• PINS
• ALLEY
• GUTTER
• SPANGRAM: BOWLING

---

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.

June 26, 2024 at 12:01AM from TechRadar - All the latest technology news https://ift.tt/BsTxWCq
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NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Tuesday, June 25 (game #114)

Today's Strands is a nice approachable one that shouldn't cause you too many problems – but read on if you do need a few 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 #114) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Frame game

NYT Strands today (game #114) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• SPARSE
• PLAIT
• BORE
• LIKE
• SPIN
• NINE

NYT Strands today (game #114) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Pin pals

NYT Strands today (game #114) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

• First: left, 3rd row

• Last: right, 6th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #114) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #114, are…

• SPARE
• SPLIT
• STRIKE
• TURKEY
• LANE
• PINS
• ALLEY
• GUTTER
• SPANGRAM: BOWLING

---

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

---

I'm awful at bowling; my best score ever was about 100, I think, which would be considered a disaster for a decent player. Although that said, I am a champion at the game on Nintendo Switch / Wii, so that counts for something, right?

Anyway, my inability to knock down pins in real life didn't impact my game today, which went a lot more smoothly. I didn't spot the concept from the theme clue, which was a little obtuse, but picked up both SPARE and SPLIT by accident, and at that stage knew exactly what the remaining answers would be related to. I got the spangram next, which made the task of finding the other solutions easier still, and completed the whole thing in a lot less time than it would take to complete an actual game of bowling. 

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

---

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday 24 June, game #113)

• TARTAN
• PAISLEY
• GINGHAM
• STRIPES
• CHEVRON
• ARGYLE
• SPANGRAM: PATTERNS

---

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.

June 25, 2024 at 12:01AM from TechRadar - All the latest technology news https://ift.tt/2kjyYiz
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NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Monday, June 24 (game #113)

A new week means a new opportunity to solve Strands. But then again, every day brings that opportunity, so I'm just talking nonsense. My hints are more useful than this intro, honest!

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 #113) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Fine print

NYT Strands today (game #113) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• THING
• STRIP
• GEARS
• LETTER
• GREAT
• HANG

NYT Strands today (game #113) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Repeating design

NYT Strands today (game #113) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

• First: left, 5th row

• Last: right, 4th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #113) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #113, are…

• TARTAN
• PAISLEY
• GINGHAM
• STRIPES
• CHEVRON
• ARGYLE
• SPANGRAM: PATTERNS

---

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

---

I liked this Strands puzzle. It's challenging enough to keep your brain working, but without some of the rather silly elements that sometimes frustrate about this game. For instance, it all makes logical sense – the spangram is PATTERNS, and the answers are all… patterns! Genius!

It took me a while to get started, but once I came up with TARTAN the theme was obvious, although the clue of 'fine print' was not particularly helpful in retrospect. Some of the answers were straightforward – I'm looking at you, STRIPES and PAISLEY – but the likes of ARGYLE and GINGHAM were a lot less so. Enjoyable.

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

---

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday 23 June, game #112)

• CHILIS
• SIZZLER
• CHECKERS
• SUBWAY
• OUTBACK
• SONIC
• SPANGRAM: CHAINLINK

---

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.

June 24, 2024 at 12:01AM from TechRadar - All the latest technology news https://ift.tt/oZdiHQh
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NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Sunday, June 23 (game #112)

Sunday is always a good day to play Strands, because in my house at least there's more of a lazy, do-nothing feel to things. If only all days could be like that, eh? Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy today's instalment very much. Hopefully your experience is different.

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 #112) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Fine diners

NYT Strands today (game #112) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• CHEEK
• LINK
• SOCK
• BATON
• CHAIR
• TOUCH

NYT Strands today (game #112) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Fast franchise

NYT Strands today (game #112) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

• First: left, 3rd 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 #112) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #112, are…

• CHILIS
• SIZZLER
• CHECKERS
• SUBWAY
• OUTBACK
• SONIC
• SPANGRAM: CHAINLINK

---

• My rating: Frustrating
• My score: Perfect

---

The American-centric nature of Strands can be a little frustrating sometimes. Yes, the game appears in a New York newspaper, so I understand that there's going to be a bias that way, but a puzzle like today's is just no fun for people outside of the US.

The theme – I think – is chain restaurants, although that being the case I have no idea why the spangram is CHAINLINK. What's the 'link' bit refer to? And why is SUBWAY in there, when it's a sandwich shop, not a restaurant? Maybe they're all just chain eateries, rather than restaurants… And are SONIC and SIZZLER and OUTBACK and CHECKERS that well known? Maybe they are in the States – but they're not exactly Burger King. CHILIS was the only one I'd heard of, SUBWAY aside, and that was only thanks to The Office.

Anyway, I solved it all, by trial and error, but had zero fun in doing so. Maybe I'm expecting too much, but it's a shame Strands is not more inclusive in the way that Wordle usually is.

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

---

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday 22 June, game #111)

• OPOSSUM
• SKUNK
• COYOTE
• AARDVARK
• LEOPARD
• WOMBAT
• SPANGRAM: NOCTURNAL

---

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.

June 23, 2024 at 12:01AM from TechRadar - All the latest technology news https://ift.tt/zXVST4G
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NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Saturday, June 22 (game #111)

It's the weekend – yay! And it's time for Strands from the NYT – double yay! Read on if you need some hints for today's game, which is, I think, another good one.

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 #111) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… I love the nightlife

NYT Strands today (game #111) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• TOWN
• DUNK
• CONE
• SAND
• LOAN
• NEAT

NYT Strands today (game #111) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Creatures of the night

NYT Strands today (game #111) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

• First: top, 5th column

• Last: bottom, 5th column

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

NYT Strands today (game #111) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #111, are…

• OPOSSUM
• SKUNK
• COYOTE
• AARDVARK
• LEOPARD
• WOMBAT
• SPANGRAM: NOCTURNAL

---

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

---

Other than the fact that I got a little hung up on urban night creatures, looking in vain for the likes of FOX and BADGER, this was another fairly easy Strands puzzle. I didn't necessarily know that AARDVARKs and WOMBATs are nocturnal, but SKUNK, OPPOSUM and COYOTE were all easy, meaning I solved this one with no real problems.

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

---

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday 21 June, game #110)

• FAMILY
• RING
• KISS
• BOUQUET
• CAKE
• FRIENDS
• DANCE
• SPANGRAM: WEDDING

---

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.

June 22, 2024 at 12:01AM from TechRadar - All the latest technology news https://ift.tt/9qLHe0b
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Microsoft Edge just got a major AI upgrade to make the browser look sharper – and more is on the way

Microsoft is forging onwards with its mission to pack the Edge browser full of AI features, and the newest innovation allows you to generate your own themes for the browser, letting you express yourself more with the app.

The Theme Generator (previously spotted in a leak) uses generative AI to create themes such as, looking at the examples picked out in Microsoft’s blog post, summer landscapes or a ‘fantasy football season with your very own custom image to represent your team.’ The color of the browser frame can also be changed to match the theme, which is a nice extra touch in terms of a uniform overall look.

You can visit the AI Theme Generator website right now and have a look at some of the examples of what to expect from the feature, which to be honest do look pretty stunning. In fact, some of the examples kind of look like my own Google Chrome layout!

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Creating your own theme is as easy as visiting the site and typing in a description of the theme you’re after - the AI will then take over and hopefully concoct something suitable to fit your vision.

AI pepping up screenshots, too?

Want more AI in Edge other than this new theme creation feature? Well, you could be in luck, at least if clues spotted in the browser by Windows Latest are anything to go by.

In case you weren’t aware, Edge has a screenshot function, and it seems that Microsoft is mulling the idea of tying it in with Copilot somehow.

The theory is based on Windows Latest’s discovery of a feature hidden in a recent test build of Edge (in the Canary channel), namely: ‘msEdgeWebCaptureAskCopilotMenu.’

This functionality doesn’t work yet, but Windows Latest guesses that it could point to an ‘Ask Copilot’ option appearing in the window that pops up after you’ve captured a grab with Edge. Or it could simply send a screenshot that’s just been taken directly to Copilot in the browser’s sidebar, running a query on it.

The smart money is on one of those handy shortcuts, although of course because this isn’t even working in preview versions of Edge yet, it may never actually happen. However, given Microsoft’s big push to jam in as much AI as possible – to Edge, and Windows 11 in general – it wouldn’t be a surprise to see this feature inbound soon enough.

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June 21, 2024 at 02:37PM from TechRadar - All the latest technology news https://ift.tt/6tTIP8r
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NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Friday, June 21 (game #110)

Your final NYT Strands puzzle of the week is here, ready to give your brain another workout. Today's game is not too tricky, but you still might want some hints to get you started. 

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 #110) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… We do

NYT Strands today (game #110) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• SING
• SINK
• FIRE
• GRIN
• ROWS
• SLIDE

NYT Strands today (game #110) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Perfect match

NYT Strands today (game #110) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

• First: right, 4th row

• Last: left, 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 #110) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #110, are…

• VOWS
• FAMILY
• RING
• KISS
• BOUQUET
• CAKE
• FRIENDS
• DANCE
• SPANGRAM: WEDDING

---

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

---

Another very easy Strands puzzle today, with a straightforward theme and words that stand out immediately. The theme clue was pretty helpful, and led me immediately to the spangram, WEDDING, and none of the blue answers were remotely cryptic: the likes of VOWS, RING, KISS and BOUQUET were all obvious. Nothing more to say here!

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

---

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday 20 June, game #109)

• COMMUNITY
• VEEP
• SCRUBS
• CHEERS
• FRIENDS
• BEWITCHED
• SPANGRAM: SITCOMS

---

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's currently in Beta 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.

June 21, 2024 at 12:01AM from TechRadar - All the latest technology news https://ift.tt/r4vh1ZG
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YouTube is reportedly canceling Premium memberships for people using VPNs to get discounts

If you’ve been looking to avoid YouTube’s worsening ad situation now that the site has made it near impossible to use many ad blockers – with plans to adopt server-side ads, and automatically skipping to the end of videos if it detects a blocker – then you might have turned to YouTube Premium for help. But if you paid for membership in a foreign country, using one of the best VPNs to save on the cost, then you could be in trouble; as there are reports YouTube is automatically canceling those memberships.

On the r/YouTube subreddit, there are two separate posts from users who claim they’ve been told their Premium memberships are being canceled by YouTube itself, with plenty of comments saying the same thing has happened to them. The reason? They all seem to have been using a VPN to pay for Premium in a country they don’t live in – one where subscriptions are cheaper than what they’d pay where they live.

One post explained they were told by YouTube that their subscription was ended “due to inaccurate billing country” [sic] (claiming they were paying in Argentine Pesos despite their home currency being Pounds Sterling), while a comment on another post said YouTube customer service told them “as I ‘moved’ to a different location from the one I signed up at (Ukraine but UK based), the service has been cancelled until I sign up with a UK card and address.”

We reached out to YouTube directly for a comment on this situation to verify it, but at the time of publishing it has yet to respond. 

The one silver lining for cancellations at least appears to be that YouTube is simply ending their subscription at the end of the current billing cycle – rather than cutting it off right away.

VPNs can help you access your home country's network (Image credit: NordVPN)

Why is Premium cheaper elsewhere?

For those of you wondering why YouTube Premium costs less in certain places, it’s because of a commonly used practice called geographical pricing. To simplify things, let’s say one country’s average wage is $25/hour and and another’s average is $5/hour; an $100 item would be equivalent to four hours of labor in Country A and 20 hours in Country B so people from Country B are a lot less likely to be able to afford or buy this product. With geographical pricing, the product might instead cost $100 in A and $20 in B so that it’s equally attainable.

Shipping fees, taxes, other costs, and general logistical issues make it difficult for customers to game this system for physical items, but for digital items it's easier for people to find workarounds.

This does, however, result in reduced revenue for the product or service you are purchasing, and YouTube isn’t the first service to clock onto this use of region spoofing. Back in 2021, Valve added a limit to region switching on Steam to seemingly combat this practice (via GamesIndustry.biz), while digital code cards for Xbox games and services are only valid for users in the region they were purchased (via the official FAQ) to name a couple of examples. Other companies simply ignore geographical pricing altogether.

Moving forward with or without Premium 

If you’ve not been lucky enough to dodge YouTube’s Premium cancellations then what can you do?

Well, the unfortunate answer is that you’re probably stuck with the unappealing options of simply subscribing in the country you actually live in, or stopping watching YouTube altogether.

Some Reddit users have suggested possible workarounds using payment cards registered in the country you’re pretending to be from, and then always accessing YouTube via a VPN. But we wouldn't recommend this, and we expect this and other workarounds won't last for long.

Your YouTube account is also a Google account, so if you use other Google services (like Maps for example) you'll almost certainly get caught out – meaning you could go to a lot of effort just for your scheme to crumble. 

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• The best streaming VPN in 2024
• The best Windows VPN for PC in 2024
• What is a VPN? VPN meaning explained in 2024

June 20, 2024 at 03:55PM from TechRadar - All the latest technology news https://ift.tt/yqhM2iW
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NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Thursday, June 20 (game #109)

Today's Strands is a fun one, and is also on the easier side of things. But as always, how difficult you find it will depend on your knowledge of the subject in question, so read on if you need some 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 #109) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… They're good for a laugh

NYT Strands today (game #109) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• FIRE
• WISER
• COMMIT
• PITTED
• SHIRT
• SMOTE

NYT Strands today (game #109) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Not sketchy

NYT Strands today (game #109) - hint #4 - spangram position

What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

• First: left, 3rd row

• Last: right, 4th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #109) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #109, are…

• COMMUNITY
• VEEP
• SCRUBS
• CHEERS
• FRIENDS
• BEWITCHED
• SPANGRAM: SITCOMS

---

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

---

Is this the easiest Strands puzzle of the week? I think so. Or at least it's the one that I solved with the least drama and in the shortest time. The task was helped by the fact that the spangram, SITCOMS, sat right in the middle of the board reading left to right and high up, with only one minor wiggle in its path. 

With that in place the task was clear, and I immediately spotted COMMUNITY (watched a few episodes, didn't particularly like it), VEEP (amazing, one of my favorites), CHEERS (an all-time great that gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling if I watch a re-run), SCRUBS (never watched it, always thought I should), FRIENDS (meh) and BEWITCHED (before my time). All in all, a nice, fun Strands puzzle. 

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

---

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday 19 June, game #108)

• MOUSE
• PRINTER
• KEYBOARD
• MONITOR
• WEBCAM
• SPEAKERS
• SPANGRAM: DESKTOP

---

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's currently in Beta 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.

June 20, 2024 at 12:01AM from TechRadar - All the latest technology news https://ift.tt/8rX6lHA
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NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Wednesday, June 19 (game #108)

It's the middle of the week and the NYT has a middling-level Strands puzzle for you to solve. Need some hints? Read on…

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 #108) - hint #1 - today's theme

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Home work helpers

NYT Strands today (game #108) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• TOME
• PRINT
• BAKE
• SACK
• SPEND
• TAKE

NYT Strands today (game #108) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Digital assistants

NYT Strands today (game #108) - 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 #108) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #108, are…

• MOUSE
• PRINTER
• KEYBOARD
• MONITOR
• WEBCAM
• SPEAKERS
• SPANGRAM: DESKTOP

---

• My rating: Easy
• My score: 1 hint

---

I work from home a couple of days a week, so should really have completed this without the use of any hints, but inexplicably got stuck when I was almost finished and had to use one to move my game along. Matters started well, with MOUSE uncovered very early on, and PRINTER, KEYBOARD, MONITOR and the spangram, DESKTOP, all added quickly.

But despite only having 14 letters left, I couldn't form two more answers out of them. And I couldn't think of any other computer-related things people might use. My own desktop was no help: I only have a laptop, so not a single one of the answers on the NYT's list, although I suppose that does have a keyboard, speakers and webcam built in. Anyway, I used up one hint to identify WEBCAM, then was able to add SPEAKERS after that.

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

---

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday 18 June, game #107)

• TOOTHBRUSH
• PENCIL
• HANDLEBAR
• WALRUS
• HORSESHOE
• SPANGRAM: MUSTACHE

---

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's new word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's currently in Beta 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.

June 19, 2024 at 12:01AM from TechRadar - All the latest technology news https://ift.tt/Wdn4fov
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YouTube launches preemptive strike against misinformation with the new Notes feature – but will it work?

It seems that YouTube is following in the footsteps of X (formerly known as Twitter)’s  Community Notes by introducing a new feature called Notes.

This experimental feature will allow viewers to contribute notes that add context and information under videos. According to what YouTube told TechCrunch, Notes can be used to clarify “when a song is meant to be a parody, or letting viewers know when older footage is being portrayed as a current event.”

The pilot will start in the US in English on mobile devices, and a limited number of users will get to test out the feature in the next weeks and months. The only requirement is an active YouTube channel that is in good standing.

YouTube will use third-party evaluators to rate the helpfulness and accuracy of Notes under a video to train the system, and then viewers will be able to vote on how helpful they find any approved notes, as well as why. The algorithm will then determine which notes are useful, and those notes will be more to be displayed under a video.

Of course, YouTube acknowledges that mistakes will likely happen during this test phase, saying, “notes that aren’t a great match for a video or that incorrect information may be included in a note.” It will use community feedback to improve the quality of Notes during this period. This will also determine whether the feature is rolled out officially.

Better late than never is still late

There are two major reasons why YouTube is rolling out such an ambitious feature now, and both involve unprecedented events. 

The first is the meteoric rise of AI use and subsequent abuse, which is already being used to spread misinformation and will undoubtedly worsen as the technology progresses. The second is the upcoming 2024 US presidential election, which is naturally subject to misinformation campaigns like in the 2016 and 2020 elections.

Despite – or because it’s a feature that’s clearly pilfered from X – the fact that introducing Notes now is a ‘better late than never’ situation, this tool should have been incorporated into YouTube long ago. Even without the advent of AI, factually incorrect and outright malicious videos have always plagued the platform, and having something like Notes would have done wonders to deter it.

But now that it’s here hopefully, its success will mean an official rollout of the feature soon and a true deterrent against the spread of misinformation on one of the biggest online social media platforms.

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June 18, 2024 at 04:11PM from TechRadar - All the latest technology news https://ift.tt/QWq68sO
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