Saturday, 4 July 2026

Google Maps may soon be able to replace Uber Eats and DoorDash by letting you order food from restaurants right in the app

  • Google Maps may soon let you order food inside the app
  • It could work as an extension of the Ask Maps feature
  • Right now it's not clear how it would rival apps like Uber Eats

Google Maps may soon offer you the option of ordering food from a restaurant ready to pick up, as well as directing you to that restaurant on the map, according to hidden code found inside the latest version of Google Maps for Android.

The code was found by the team at Android Authority, and includes text strings such as "ask Maps to order food", "say what you're craving", and "Maps will order for you — even while you're on the go".

This feature isn't live yet, so it's difficult to say exactly how it would work, but it certainly looks as though you would be able to quickly request something on the menu at a restaurant and then pick it up yourself.

Presumably there might be the option to dine in, or to have your food delivered to you if you weren't traveling — so maybe this will work in partnership with apps such as DoorDash and Uber Eats rather than replacing them.

AI working for you

Google Ask Maps

The feature could extend Ask Maps (Image credit: Google)

The 'Ask Maps' feature referred to in the code leak is the recently introduced Gemini-powered tool that lets you have a natural conversation with Google Maps about anything you've found or are looking for.

It appears that this same part of the interface is where the food ordering will be placed as well, using Gemini's agentic capabilities to take action for you — though as Android Authority points out, it's not clear just how much autonomy the AI would have.

It might even be restricted to certain phones, like the Magic Cue feature that's currently exclusive to the Pixel 10 series. However, it seems more likely that Google would want to make this as widely available as possible.

We'll have to wait and see how this works, if it does make it to the app at all. The next big announcements from Google should come along with the Pixel 11 launch, which is expected sometime in August.

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Friday, 3 July 2026

NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, July 4 (game #853)

Looking for a different day?

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 Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, July 3 (game #852).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

Today's NYT Strands theme is… Ooh!

NYT Strands today (game #853) - hint #2 - clue words

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

  • SING
  • LURK
  • FOUR
  • RAIL
  • PAIR
  • DARE

NYT Strands today (game #853) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

Spangram has 9 letters

NYT Strands today (game #853) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: bottom, 4th column

Last side: top, 6th column

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

NYT Strands today (game #853) - the answers

NYT Strands answers for game 853 on a blue background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #853, are…

  • BRIGHT
  • COLORFUL
  • DAZZLING
  • EXCITING
  • SPARKLING
  • SPANGRAM: FIREWORKS
  • My rating: Hard
  • My score: 1 hint

Talk about a theme that could mean absolutely anything at all.

Totally in the dark, not an entirely unusual feeling to be truthful, I worked my way around the board in search of non-game words to earn a hint. Instead, I saw the spangram FIREWORKS and remembered today’s date.

I went to a fireworks display recently that was underwhelming, in part due to the murky conditions but also because the drones that made up a large part of the display had to be viewed from a particular angle in order to impress; a case of “uh?” rather than “ooh!”. 

Meanwhile, it was nice to see a bit of color in Strands for a change. A rare treat.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, July 3, game #852)

  • OBSTINATE
  • STUBBORN
  • WILLFUL
  • FIRM
  • HEADSTRONG
  • SPANGRAM: NOTBUDGING

What is NYT Strands?

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.

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Thursday, 2 July 2026

NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, July 3 (game #852)

Looking for a different day?

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 Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Thursday, July 2 (game #851).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

Today's NYT Strands theme is… It’s like talking to a brick wall

NYT Strands today (game #852) - hint #2 - clue words

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

  • BOUT
  • TURN
  • BURL
  • WILT
  • BORN
  • SING

NYT Strands today (game #852) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

Spangram has 10 letters

NYT Strands today (game #852) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: left, 6th 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 #852) - the answers

NYT Strands answers for game 852 on a blue background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #852, are…

  • OBSTINATE
  • STUBBORN
  • WILLFUL
  • FIRM
  • HEADSTRONG
  • SPANGRAM: NOTBUDGING
  • My rating: Easy
  • My score: Perfect

“It’s like talking to a brick wall”. I know exactly what that feels like, thanks to growing up with a father to whom all of today’s words could apply — I’d add a few more, given the space.

Perhaps this is why I found the search an easy one, despite a couple of well-hidden words and a spangram that defied the normal top-to-bottom, side-to-side routine.

Far harder was searching the board afterwards for non-game words.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday, July 2, game #851)

  • BECHAMEL
  • MARINARA
  • SRIRACHA
  • TERIYAKI
  • TZATZIKI
  • SPANGRAM: GETSAUCY

What is NYT Strands?

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.

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WhatsApp should freeze username rollout as it could ‘increase cybercrimes’, says India — but Meta claims impersonation isn’t an issue

  • There are reports of a WhatsApp username impersonation problems
  • WhatsApp and Meta say popular names are reserved
  • India wants to see the rollout of username reservations paused

WhatsApp is launching a username feature later this year, to enable you to add contacts without revealing your phone number — but while handle reservations have gone live for many users, there are reports that username impersonation is already an issue.

As per testing done by TechCrunch, usernames very similar to Indian politicians, celebrities, business figures, and public institutions are available. They include 'indiamodi' (for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi) and 'shahrukh.actor' for Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan.

This focus on India is because authorities in the country have already asked WhatsApp to put a pause on username reservations. As per the BBC, the Indian government suggests that WhatsApp usernames could "increase cybercrimes" such as online fraud and phishing scams — already big concerns in the country.

The thinking is that usernames could allow scammers to operate without revealing their numbers (which may get picked up in blacklists). If those scammers are also impersonating well-known figures, then the problems are compounded.

Get in line

WhatsApp has seen this coming. When announcing the feature, it said that handles for well-known individuals would be reserved for those people — including usernames for politicians, VIPs, and other celebrities.

"People are making false claims about reserving popular or well-known usernames," says WhatsApp. "This isn't true, only the legitimate account owners are able to reserve well-known public-figure names." The same line was repeated by WhatsApp owner Meta when contacted by TechCrunch.

However, it's not clear how many variations of famous names and identities are covered by this block. It seems that with enough imagination, working alternatives can be found — though of course once you start dropping in different spellings, numbers, and extra words, the username impersonation becomes less convincing.

It's a challenge that all social platforms have to deal with, including the Meta-owned Instagram and Facebook. With WhatsApp though, the connection is more direct and the potential scams are more plausible — which may affect the feature's rollout worldwide.

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Wednesday, 1 July 2026

Quordle hints and answers for Thursday, July 2 (game #1620)

Looking for a different 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 Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Wednesday, July 1 (game #1619).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,400 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 #1620) - hint #1 - Vowels

How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 5*.

* 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 #1620) - 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 #1620) - 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 #1620) - 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 2.

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 #1620) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• B

• P

• B

• M

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

Quordle today (game #1620) - the answers

Quordle answers for game #1620 on a yellow background

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1620, are…

  • BULKY
  • PARSE
  • BELOW
  • MOVIE

Despite there being five vowels, which usually indicates a difficult game, this was an easier game than usual.

Having two words beginning with the letter B helped, of course.

I only tripped up on one word — guessing “bully” instead of BULKY — with the others being immediately obvious.

Daily Sequence today (game #1620) - the answers

Quordle Daily Sequence answers for game #1620 on a yellow background

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1620, are…

  • CLING
  • SWING
  • FROZE
  • CONIC

Quordle answers: The past 20

  • Quordle #1619, Wednesday, 1 July: EASEL, OTTER, LYRIC, SHACK
  • Quordle #1618, Tuesday, 30 June: HALVE, DRYER, THERE, MINTY
  • Quordle #1617, Monday, 29 June: SLURP, CRACK, CRANK, PHONY
  • Quordle #1616, Sunday, 28 June: RUPEE, TOPAZ, FULLY, BEING
  • Quordle #1615, Saturday, 27 June: PRINT, MARRY, SADLY, BICEP
  • Quordle #1614, Friday, 26 June: JUICE, ARRAY, BONEY, SKIFF
  • Quordle #1613, Thursday, 25 June: SHELF, TAWNY, HYPER, SOLVE
  • Quordle #1612, Wednesday, 24 June: SOBER, ECLAT, GOOSE, NINNY
  • Quordle #1611, Tuesday, 23 June: ARDOR, DADDY, SERVE, SHEAR
  • Quordle #1610, Monday, 22 June: WAXEN, APNEA, CHIME, WAVER
  • Quordle #1609, Sunday, 21 June: ABBOT, NOTCH, DREAD, LURID
  • Quordle #1608, Saturday, 20 June: SLAIN, TAMER, VIPER, FALSE
  • Quordle #1607, Friday, 19 June: ALOUD, POINT, GLOBE, GROIN
  • Quordle #1606, Thursday, 18 June: LATCH, BRAWL, STEEL, CRUSH
  • Quordle #1605, Wednesday, 17 June: HOIST, PLUSH, GROUP, LEMUR
  • Quordle #1604, Tuesday, 16 June: SLAIN, PLUCK, PINTO, SLICE
  • Quordle #1603, Monday, 15 June: GAUNT, SNEAK, ROUTE, POKER
  • Quordle #1602, Sunday, 14 June: WIMPY, WISPY, VIRAL, NYLON
  • Quordle #1601, Saturday, 13 June: DEALT, STEED, BELIE, GULLY
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Are you a YouTube Premium user? You could be paying more than you should be if you’ve subscribed through the Apple App Store

  • Apple charges 15-30% extra for in-app purchases and subscription fees like YouTube Premium
  • This has become known as the 'Apple tax'
  • Third-party developers have been protesting this, mainly Fortnite founder Epic Games

Apple’s App Store is a one-stop shop for all your needs. It’s made subscribing to third-party services a lot easier, and you can manage your memberships all from one place right there on your iPhone. That said, subscribing to platforms through Apple comes with a small but pricey catch.

If you’ve subscribed to the best streaming services such as YouTube Premium through the App Store, you might not know that this could cost you a lot more than if you were to sign up through YouTube itself — and it’s all down to App Store fees.

For example, if you were to sign up to YouTube Premium’s standard tier via its website, it would cost $15.99/ £12.99/ AU$22.99 a month, but if you signed up through the App Store, that monthly price becomes slightly more expensive ($20.99/ £16.99/ AU$23.99).

So, if you’ve started to wonder why your YouTube Premium subscription fee has skyrocketed in comparison to your Netflix and Disney+ memberships, this could be the reason. But why is the margin a lot higher for purchasing directly through Apple’s App Store?

Two words; Apple tax

Apple doesn’t just make bank from selling its extensive range of smartphones, laptops, and other devices; its App Store has created another source of revenue for the tech giant, which is now often referred to as the ‘Apple tax’.

Since Apple charges developers to implement alternative payment systems that aren't Apple Pay, these developers will bump up monthly subscription costs by roughly 15-30%, charging you more per month for simply subscribing to platforms via the App Store in order to avoid paying this fee. It doesn’t just apply to monthly subscriptions; Apple applies this tax to most of its digital goods and in-app purchases.

Now, Apple has been doing this pretty much since the App Store launched on iPhone some 18 years ago, resulting in a protest to this tax — mainly by Fornite-founding company Epic Games.

Back in 2020, Epic Games started its protest against Apple’s App Store fees by implementing its own direct payment system in iOS. As a result, Apple booted Epic’s developer accounts and removed Fortnite, but it didn’t end there.

Epic Games retaliated with a claim of its own, arguing Apple decided to remove Epic's developer accounts because it saw Epic Games as a threat to its ecosystem. Fortnite was then listed back on the App Store following a five-year absence, but the dispute is still very much unresolved. As it stands, the US Supreme Court has decided to hear Apple’s appeal of contempt in the ongoing lawsuit with Epic Games. This will begin in the Supreme Court’s next term, which starts in October.

For most of you who are literate with the ways of Apple, its App Store fees probably won’t come as a big shock to you, but for the average user who relies on their Apple device to make digital purchasing more convenient, they might not be as aware of the catch and are still being blindsided by the Apple Tax.

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Tuesday, 30 June 2026

NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, July 1 (game #850)

Looking for a different day?

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 Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, June 30 (game #849).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

Today's NYT Strands theme is… Not a red herring

NYT Strands today (game #850) - hint #2 - clue words

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

  • NATION
  • CHILD
  • MINT
  • DEEM
  • CLOUT
  • MEET

NYT Strands today (game #850) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

Spangram has 12 letters

NYT Strands today (game #850) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: top, 5th 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 #850) - the answers

NYT Strands answers for game #850 on a blue background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #850, are…

  • HINT
  • INDICATION
  • CLUE
  • EVIDENCE
  • INTIMATION
  • SPANGRAM: TELLTALESIGN
  • My rating: Hard
  • My score: Perfect

I went around this board at a pace Mrs Marple would be impressed by until I reached the dastardly last word. I just could not see INTIMATION at all and it took me a few minutes before I finally linked the letters in the right order.

Fortunately, the theme was no mystery and thinking about red herrings I found TELLTALESIGN before any game or non-game words.

Meanwhile, I had to chuckle when the first word I got was HINT — frequently this is something I need to get going on Wednesday, but not today!

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday, June 30, game #849)

  • WRITER
  • DIRECTOR
  • CAST
  • PRODUCER
  • CREW
  • EDITOR
  • SPANGRAM: THATSSHOWBIZ

What is NYT Strands?

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.

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