NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, May 23 (game #811)

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, May 22 (game #810).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Staying alive

NYT Strands today (game #811) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• VITAMIN
• HATERS
• MINT
• LIST
• PATCH
• ROAR

NYT Strands today (game #811) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 11 letters

NYT Strands today (game #811) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: left, 1st row

Last side: 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 #811) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #811, are…

• TARP
• SHOVEL
• HATCHET
• MACHETE
• PARACORD
• FLINT
• SPANGRAM: SURVIVALIST

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 hint

While I admire the hardy folk prepared to rely on wilderness skills to survive in moments of danger, the fact that Bear Grylls once apologised when it was revealed he'd stayed in a motel while filming a show about surviving alone on a desert island tells me all I need to know about it — it’s just a hobby. 

That said, if I am in a catastrophic situation on a desert island and the resorts are full, then I’d like to borrow your TARP please.

Finding today’s SURVIVALIST party list was far from elementary. The spangram and TARP were easy enough, but I struggled to find the others and needed a hint to help me cross the line.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, May 22, game #810)

• BOUNDLESS
• VAST
• EPIC
  IMMENSE
• WHOPPING
• ASTRONOMIC
• SPANGRAM: ITSBIG

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.

https://ift.tt/smobwNJ

Your Wi-Fi could be holding you back from achieving success, report warns

• SMBs are suffering due to unreliable Wi-Fi connection
• UK small businesses are losing an average of 11 hours a week to Wi-Fi disruption
• Almost half (47%) of business leaders said they would feel more confident if they could improve connectivity reliability

Small businesses are seeinn major productivity issues due to disruption caused by their Wi-Fi connectivity, new research has claimed.

The findings from Zen Internet claim small businesses are losing an average of 11 hours a week due to connection issues.

And this isn't just a minor annoyance or loss of network - nearly 4 in 10 SMBs say the problems are directly costing them revenue.

Wi-Fi causing problems

The scale of the issue was perhaps best reflected by the finding that almost half (47%) of the business leaders surveyed for the report saying they would feel more confident in their company’s success if they could improve connectivity reliability.

Half of senior business decision makers said poor Wi-Fi coverage inside their premises limits the value they get from broadband connectivity, while 39% say connectivity issues are directly causing lost revenue.

“We often talk about productivity in terms of skills, investment and innovation, but digital reliability has become just as fundamental," noted Jon Nowell, managing director of Zen’s business division.

“For many SMEs, poor in-building connectivity is now a hidden operational cost. If businesses are expected to modernise and grow, the technology experience inside offices, retail spaces and hospitality venues has to keep pace too.”

The research also found connectivity problems were affecting day-to-day running of a business, as 23% said connectivity disruption impacts communication with customers or suppliers.

A similar amount (22%) say it directly slows down operations, 21% said it disrupts digital payments, and 22% said it contributes to lost sales or missed opportunities.

“Small businesses are under pressure to operate faster, serve customers seamlessly and rely more heavily on cloud-based systems, digital payments and connected devices than ever before," added Nowell.

“But too many businesses still have a disconnect between the broadband coming into the building and the actual experience staff and customers are getting day to day."

“You can have access to full fibre, but if the WiFi inside the premises isn’t reliable, businesses still lose productivity, sales opportunities and operational efficiency.”

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NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, May 22 (game #810)

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, May 21 (game #809).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Put down your ruler

NYT Strands today (game #810) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• SAVE
• BITES
• PANG
• PASTE
• MITE
• WING

NYT Strands today (game #810) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 6 letters

NYT Strands today (game #810) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: left, 5th row

Last side: 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 #810) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #810, are…

• BOUNDLESS
• VAST
• EPIC
  IMMENSE
• WHOPPING
• ASTRONOMIC
• SPANGRAM: ITSBIG

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 hint

Today’s search was for words that describe something enormous, tied together with the ironically small spangram ITSBIG.

Before properly starting today’s game I wasted a ridiculous amount of time trying to link together the word pistachio. After abandoning this quest I saw BOUNDLESS, but was still uncertain of the theme, so took a hint — which made me feel really silly for not spotting the theme.

Today’s search contains one of my most hated words in WHOPPING, which is only ever used by news reporters in connection with large quantities of money. It is such a cliched word. It is meant to indicate that the sum in question is staggeringly enormous, but if that’s the case then why do we need the word WHOPPING in front of it to tell us, surely its enormity would be evident already — after all, “one million dollars” is exactly the same as “a WHOPPING one million dollars”. It’s a very low-level irritation, I’ll admit!

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday, May 21, game #809)

• WOOL
• SATIN
• VELVET
• COTTON
• SILK
• DENIM
• FLEECE
• LINEN
• SPANGRAM: FABRICS

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.

https://ift.tt/rGdcN1m

Discord just made your voice and video calls more private and secure than ever — but age verification privacy concerns haven't been dispelled

• Discord has implemented end-to-end (E2EE) encryption for voice and video calls by default
• This is possible via its E2EE protocol, DAVE (Discord's Audio & Video End-to-End Encryption)
• Discord doesn't plan to use E2EE for text messages

Discord is hard at work to regain the trust of its users, with recent moves including adding Xbox Game Pass to Nitro and improving streaming on Linux, but it's not slowing down, judging by its latest move — even if it still may not be enough to appease everyone.

In its latest blog post, Discord announced that every voice and video call will now include end-to-end encryption (E2EE) by default on its platforms. This means calls are now completely private and secure, and only those within a call can hear conversations.

Discord highlights that calls can consist of users on PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles, or via a web browser on a laptop or phone, which requires an E2EE protocol that works "seamlessly across all of those surfaces simultaneously", which isn't exactly an easy feat.

Fortunately, the rollout of E2EE using DAVE (Discord's Audio & Video End-to-End Encryption) began earlier in March 2026, which requires all clients to support DAVE before joining a call. Now, Discord is in the process of "removing the client code that supports unencrypted fallback", and once complete, unencrypted connections will be a thing of the past.

(Image credit: Discord)

It's certainly a move that will have users feel more secure with private conversations on calls, especially with Discord's recent privacy concerns regarding global age verification. However, those controversial age verification plans are still slated for implementation in late 2026, and Discord currently has no plans to use E2EE for text messages.

It's worth noting that Discord has faced multiple cases of security breaches recently, revealing over 70,000 government ID photos, and that's exactly what the age verification checks require users (who aren't automatically verified) to submit.

Discord is moving in the right direction by doubling down on features like E2EE, but it's also not helping itself by doubling down on age verification, which is only mandatory for users in regions where new online child safety laws have been passed. Hopefully, those plans are revised, but it doesn't look like that's set to happen.

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NYT Strands hints and answers for Thursday, May 21 (game #809)

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 Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, May 20 (game #808).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… In a material world

NYT Strands today (game #809) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• MINK
• FLOW
• FOOL
• RIFLE
• BELT
• STONK

NYT Strands today (game #809) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 7 letters

NYT Strands today (game #809) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: left, 4th row

Last side: 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 #809) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #809, are…

• WOOL
• SATIN
• VELVET
• COTTON
• SILK
• DENIM
• FLEECE
• LINEN
• SPANGRAM: FABRICS

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

This was my 91st “spangram first” and I don’t think I’ve ever seen an easier one.

Madonna lyrics aside there was only one possible topic today’s theme could be referencing, made even more obvious by the FABRICS lurking across the center of the board.

From here on in there continued to be no surprises as we collected eight of the most common materials, with no room for leather, latex, lamé, spandex or bacon and thus eliminating 95% of Lady Gaga’s wardrobe. That said, she must have a FLEECE jacket somewhere.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, May 20, game #808)

• RELAXED
• SLOW
• LEISURELY
• PLACID
• CALM
• GENTLE
• SPANGRAM: TAKEYOURTIME

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.

https://ift.tt/1UIlwdK

NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, May 20 (game #808)

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, May 19 (game #807).

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… No rush

NYT Strands today (game #808) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• MEAL
• KEYS
• SLICE
• GATE
• RULE
• PLACES

NYT Strands today (game #808) - hint #3 - spangram letters

How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 12 letters

NYT Strands today (game #808) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First side: top, 4th column

Last side: bottom, 3rd column

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

NYT Strands today (game #808) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #808, are…

• RELAXED
• SLOW
• LEISURELY
• PLACID
• CALM
• GENTLE
• SPANGRAM: TAKEYOURTIME

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

One of the many downsides of aging is that you get slower, while the world around you speeds up. I feel this doubly so as a knee injury means that I can currently only perambulate the world at snail’s pace.

Regardless, I still feel that people are in too much of a hurry to get to places they don’t need to rush to and I am fully on board with the promotion of today’s words into the consciousness of a chaotic planet.

Ironically I didn’t really employ the mantra TAKEYOURTIME as I zoomed through the search beginning with the letter X, which pointed me towards RELAXED. 

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday, May 19, game #807)

• MOUND
• HILL
• KNOLL
• SLOPE
• RIDGE
• BUTTE
• HUMMOCK
• SPANGRAM: HIGHERGROUND

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.

https://ift.tt/izWpmAD

Google I/O 2026 live — Gemini upgrades, Android XR, and more of what to expect from today's big software showcase

Is it that time of year again? Google I/O 2026 kicks off today, with the two-day software showcase set to run from May 19 to May 20.

Google tends to reveal its biggest announcements at an introductory keynote, which takes place today at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST (or 3am AET tomorrow if you're reading from Australia), and we'll be following along with that event here.

Google already teased a host of Android 17 upgrades during its recent Android Show broadcast, so we're expecting today's announcements to focus on Gemini, Search, and Android XR specifically. Might we finally see some fully-fledged Android XR-powered smart glasses released for sale? It's about time...

We've rounded up the 5 biggest things to expect at Google I/O 2026 elsewhere on TechRadar, but stick with us here for a beat-by-beat breakdown of the event itself.

Google I/O 2026 — how to watch

Google's I/O 2026 keynote kicks off at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST, or 3am AET on May 20, and you can tune into proceedings via the above YouTube link.

If you hit the ‘Notify Me’ button on the full YouTube page, you’ll also get a reminder when the event is about to start, and if you can't tune in live, don't worry — the video will almost certainly remain up, so you can watch it after the fact.

Google I/O 2026 — what to expect

We don't know for sure what Google is cooking up for I/O 2026, but we can make some pretty confident predictions based on various leaks and rumors:

• A new Google Gemini agent — possibly called Remy — is reportedly in the works; it'll supposedly run digital errands, monitor routines, and help connect you with apps and services
• Google has been teasing its Android XR-powered smart glasses for a long time now — might we finally see them unveiled at I/O 2026?
• AI Search dominated Google I/O 2025, so it tracks that Google will again reveal upgrades to Search at I/O 2026
• We could get our first look at Aluminum OS, a unified operating system that will supposedly merge Android and ChromeOS into one platform
• Google already told us what to expect from Android 17 at The Android Show, but Gemini Intelligence could get another chance to shine at I/O

(Image credit: Google)

Welcome to our Google I/O 2026 live blog! Stick with us as we predict what to expect from today’s big software showcase, before reporting on the event as it happens.

As a reminder, Google's livestream kicks off at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST (or 3am AET tomorrow if you're reading from Australia), and you can tune in via the video link above.

I/O keynotes tend to run for between one and two hours, so expect things to be wrapped up by 12pm PT / 3pm ET / 8pm BST / 5am AET.

Is it Android XR time?

Google has been teasing its Android XR smart glasses for what seems like forever at this point, but might we finally see them unveiled at I/O 2026? We make our predictions in the video above.

Google-what?

(Image credit: Future)

The Googlebook was a real oddity of Google's The Android Show broadcast. Is it hardware? Is it software? Google's first Gemini-centric platform is, seemingly, a bit of both, but we're not entirely sure how it works just yet. Here's hoping we get a little more color on this new "intelligence system" at I/O 2026.

Google I/O is typically reserved for software announcements, so we're not expecting much in the way of hardware news from today's event. But if you are wondering about the company's latest physical products, Google recently launched a super slim screenless fitness tracker, the Fitbit Air.

@techradar

♬ original sound - TechRadar

(Image credit: Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

As for where Google I/O is taking place, it'll kick off — like always— at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California. That's basically Google's version of the Steve Jobs Theater, which, by the way, is just a 16-minute drive away. Keep an eye out for Apple CEO John Ternus peeking over the fence.

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