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A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, June 7 (game #461).
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 #462) - hint #1 - today's themeWhat is the theme of today's NYT Strands?• Today's NYT Strands theme is… On Broadway
NYT Strands today (game #462) - hint #2 - clue wordsPlay any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
- SHINER
- MELTS
- CRISIS
- TRACE
- CHAD
- STING
• Spangram has 11 letters
NYT Strands today (game #462) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?First side: top, 1st column
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 #462) - the answers(Image credit: New York Times)The answers to today's Strands, game #462, are…
- CAST
- SCORE
- LIGHTS
- SINGING
- DANCING
- COSTUMES
- SPANGRAM: ITS SHOWTIME
- My rating: Moderate
- My score: Perfect
When I saw that the theme was “On Broadway”, I was convinced that today’s search would be about classic shows such as Evita. So, I began by spotting Cats, the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical that ran for 18 years, from 1982 to 2000. I was shocked when the letters didn’t turn blue and the answer instead turned out to be CAST.
Here, instead, were some of the elements that it takes to put on a production minus a couple of omissions – stage and script, both of which are crucial to most Broadway hits. Well, unless your idea of a night out at the theater is an improv in a parking lot,
Getting the spangram early always feels a little weird. I got it today as my second correct guess and it helped unlock the rest of the board.
How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.
Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, June 7, game #461)- HUMAN
- SOUL
- MORTAL
- SOMEONE
- INDIVIDUAL
- SPANGRAM: BE YOURSELF
Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which 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.
A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Saturday, June 7 (game #1230).
Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 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 #1231) - hint #1 - VowelsHow 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 #1231) - hint #2 - repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 2.
Quordle today (game #1231) - hint #3 - uncommon lettersDo the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appears among today's Quordle answers.
Quordle today (game #1231) - 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 #1231) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?• R
• A
• P
• F
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
Quordle today (game #1231) - the answers(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)The answers to today's Quordle, game #1231, are…
- REBAR
- ALERT
- PAYEE
- FLUME
A muddling-through game for me today, where working out three-letter combinations got me over the line.
REBAR took me the longest. I tried every combination of the letters I had left and it was the only actual word I managed to find – a classic final word.
How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.
Daily Sequence today (game #1231) - the answers(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1231, are…
- FLESH
- WIDTH
- GUARD
- RALPH
- Quordle #1230, Saturday, 7 June: FLUNK, ESTER, SPITE, CHEAP
- Quordle #1229, Friday, 6 June: ELUDE, KHAKI, VISTA, SMOKY
- Quordle #1228, Thursday, 5 June: CHIDE, RABBI, GUSTY, LANCE
- Quordle #1227, Wednesday, 4 June: BANAL, STOUT, SEDAN, HIPPO
- Quordle #1226, Tuesday, 3 June: FUGUE, SYRUP, FLACK, WORST
- Quordle #1225, Monday, 2 June: THINK, BELLE, CRONE, BOULE
- Quordle #1224, Sunday, 1 June: POINT, MERIT, WHOOP, APHID
- Quordle #1223, Saturday, 31 May: CRUMB, ELFIN, DRIER, QUITE
- Quordle #1222, Friday, 30 May: RAJAH, CAUSE, BLACK, ETUDE
- Quordle #1221, Thursday, 29 May: CRIER, DRAPE, STRUT, NEIGH
- Quordle #1220, Wednesday, 28 May: HELLO, BEADY, VIGIL, PURER
- Quordle #1219, Tuesday, 27 May: TWEET, RANGE, POPPY, RADAR
- Quordle #1218, Monday, 26 May: BLEAT, HOWDY, ASIDE, SCOOP
- Quordle #1217, Sunday, 25 May: OCEAN, AMBER, PIPER, GLEAN
- Quordle #1216, Saturday, 24 May: HUSKY, HEIST, FOGGY, POLAR
- Quordle #1215, Friday, 23 May: SHIRE, GIANT, AWAIT, CAPER
- Quordle #1214, Thursday, 22 May: LOSE, GLOVE, STINT, EXCEL
- Quordle #1213, Wednesday, 21 May: NOVEL, CHOSE, DIRTY, DONUT
- Quordle #1212, Tuesday, 20 May: DECOY, SHAKE, MAPLE, PURER
- Quordle #1211, Monday, 19 May: LINK, HANDY, DITCH, WAIVE
A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Saturday, June 7 (game #727).
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 Connections hints.
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 #728) - today's words(Image credit: New York Times)Today's NYT Connections words are…
- LAST
- BULL
- BORN
- BRED
- DOE
- STAND
- SPOUSE
- BEAR
- EDUCATION
- CACHE
- DOVE
- HOLD
- LUTE
- STAY
- OCCUPATION
- HAWK
What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?
- YELLOW: Relentless
- GREEN: Wildlife traders
- BLUE: Part of the biog
- PURPLE: Sounds like dollars
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 #728) - hint #2 - group answersWhat are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?
- YELLOW: PERSIST
- GREEN: ANIMAL METAPHORS IN ECONOMICS
- BLUE: SIDEBAR INFO ON A PERSON'S WIKIPEDIA PAGE
- PURPLE: HOMOPHONES OF SLANG FOR MONEY
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Connections today (game #728) - the answers(Image credit: New York Times)The answers to today's Connections, game #728, are…
- YELLOW: PERSIST HOLD, LAST, STAND, STAY
- GREEN: ANIMAL METAPHORS IN ECONOMICS BEAR, BULL, DOVE, HAWK
- BLUE: SIDEBAR INFO ON A PERSON'S WIKIPEDIA PAGE BORN, EDUCATION, OCCUPATION, SPOUSE
- PURPLE: HOMOPHONES OF SLANG FOR MONEY BRED, CACHE, DOE, LUTE
- My rating: Moderate
- My score: Perfect
Sometimes Connections can be frustrating, but other times, like today for me, it’s the most satisfying daily game there is.
What began as a 16-word grid where I could not see a single link all gradually fitted into place. It’s a great feeling.
I’m really pleased that I saw, or should I say heard, the purple group HOMOPHONES OF SLANG FOR MONEY – many times in the past wordplay like this has gone over my head, so I’m delighted to have combined BRED (bread), CACHE (cash), DOE (dough) and LUTE (loot).
How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.
Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, June 7, game #727)- YELLOW: TIPS FOR WORKING OUT SAFELY BREATHE, HYDRATE, REST, STRETCH
- GREEN: ESTABLISH FOUND, INSTITUTE, LAUNCH, START
- BLUE: DITTY AIR, NUMBER, SONG, STRAIN
- PURPLE: SPRING____ CHICKEN, EQUINOX, FLING, ONION
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.
- watchOS 26 is expected to be announced on Monday
- It should run on every watchOS 11-compatible watch
- A major visual overhaul is among the rumored changes
A new software update for the best Apple Watches is on the way, and we just got word about which models are going to be compatible with the new watchOS 26 (which is apparently the new name for watchOS 12).
According to a source "with a proven track record" in contact with MacRumors, every watch that's able to run watchOS 11 is also going to be able to run watchOS 26, so there won't be any devices that are left behind this year.
That means Apple smartwatches as far back as the Apple Watch Series 6 (launched in 2020) and the Apple Watch SE 2 (launched in 2022) are going to be eligible for the new update, as well as all the watches launched since.
If you remember back to last year, after the announcement of watchOS 11, we heard from Apple that the Series 5, Series 4 and the original SE wouldn't be getting the 2024 update. This time around, all the currently supported devices are included.
What's on the way?WWDC 2025 is almost here (Image credit: Apple)Apple hasn't said anything officially yet about watchOS 26 – not even that it's on the way or that it's getting a rebranding – but we've heard plenty of rumors about what the upcoming software update might be bringing with it.
As is mentioned in the same MacRumors article, there's a prediction that watchOS 26 is going to offer support for third-party shortcuts on the watch Control Center for the first time, which should mean an improved experience for users.
A new and improved visual interface is apparently on the way too, which would follow the lead of visionOS, with plenty of transparency and frosted glass effects. In fact, the same redesign is said to be coming for all of Apple's software platforms.
We're also hoping we might get a smattering of Apple Intelligence on the Apple Watch. All of these new features are scheduled to be announced at WWDC 2025 on Monday, before watchOS 26 is released this September with the Apple Watch 11.
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Despite growing enthusiasm for agentic AI across businesses, new research suggests that the rapid expansion of these tools is outpacing efforts to secure them.
A SailPoint survey of 353 IT professionals with enterprise security responsibilities has revealed a complex mix of optimism and anxiety over AI agents.
The survey reports 98% of organizations intend to expand their use of AI agents within the coming year.
AI Agents adoption outpaces security readinessAI agents are being integrated into operations that handle sensitive enterprise data, from customer records and financials to legal documents and supply chain transactions - however, 96% of respondents said they view these very agents as a growing security threat.
One core issue is visibility: only 54% of professionals claim to have full awareness of the data their agents can access - which leaves nearly half of enterprise environments in the dark about how AI agents interact with critical information.
Compounding the problem, 92% of those surveyed agreed that governing AI agents is crucial for security, but just 44% have an actual policy in place.
Furthermore, eight in ten companies say their AI agents have taken actions they weren’t meant to - this includes accessing unauthorized systems (39%), sharing inappropriate data (33%), and downloading sensitive content (32%).
Even more troubling, 23% of respondents admitted their AI agents have been tricked into revealing access credentials, a potential goldmine for malicious actors.
One notable insight is that 72% believe AI agents present greater risks than traditional machine identities.
Part of the reason is that AI agents often require multiple identities to function efficiently, especially when integrated with high-performance AI tools or systems used for development and writing.
Calls for a shift to an identity-first model are growing louder, but SailPoint and others argue that organizations need to treat AI agents like human users, complete with access controls, accountability mechanisms, and full audit trails.
AI agents are a relatively new addition to the business space, and it will take time for organizations to fully integrate them into their operations.
“Many organizations are still early in this journey, and growing concerns around data control highlight the need for stronger, more comprehensive identity security strategies,” SailPoint concluded.
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- Beelink Mate adds ports and storage without changing your Mac mini’s footprint
- Choose between higher speed or maximum 16TB storage capacity option
- Quiet fan cooling and full port selection are offered in a sleek metal design
The Beelink Mate mini docking station offers Mac mini M4 users a sleek way to expand both connectivity and storage.
Designed to match Apple’s compact desktop, it attaches underneath the Mac mini, maintaining a tidy footprint while adding additional functionality.
At its core, the Mate mini supports Thunderbolt 5 with 80Gbps data transfer speeds, allowing for fast external SSD performance and seamless device connectivity.
Choice of modelsThere are two models on offer. Model A features dual PCIe x2 M.2 slots and supports up to 16TB of storage. Model B offers a single PCIe x4 slot that delivers higher speeds, up to 6228MB/s read, but with less total capacity.
That trade-off highlights the dock's main drawback. To reach the full 16TB, you need the version that uses PCIe x2, which is slightly less efficient than the x4 configuration. For most users, this is unlikely to create any real issues.
That said, professionals working with massive files or needing the fastest transfer speeds might feel the pinch.
Aside from storage, the Mate mini delivers a full range of ports. These include a 2.5Gbps Ethernet port, USB-A 3.0 ports, an SD 4.0 card reader, and a 3.5mm audio jack.
A Type-C PD port also allows power delivery for peripherals that exceed the Mac mini’s built-in 15W output. Two Thunderbolt 5 cables are included in the box.
A quiet fan and 360° cooling vents help keep the system cool and stable, even during heavy use. The all-aluminum design is finished in silver to match the Mac mini and weighs just 250g.
Priced at $279 (down from $339), the Mate mini targets users looking to extend their Mac mini’s capability without taking up extra space. It may not be perfect, but it does fill a useful role for those seeking extra ports and storage.
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