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 Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, April 19 (game #777).
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 #778) - hint #1 - today's theme
What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?
• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Gloriously glaring!
NYT Strands today (game #778) - hint #2 - clue words
Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
SHEATH
CRAG
CHEAT
TOTAL
LINT
MILE
NYT Strands today (game #778) - hint #3 - spangram letters
How many letters are in today's spangram?
• Spangram has 13 letters
NYT Strands today (game #778) - hint #4 - spangram position
What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?
First side: bottom, 3rd column
Last side: top, 4th column
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Strands today (game #778) - the answers
(Image credit: New York Times)
The answers to today's Strands, game #778, are…
GLINT
GLITTER
GLISTEN
GLEAM
GLOW
GLIMMER
SPANGRAM: CATCHTHELIGHT
My rating: Easy
My score: Perfect
The theme was a little bit confusing initially, but after spotting GLINT and GLITTER I understood that every light-associated word we were searching for began with the letter G.
There was no place then for shimmer or sparkle in this gaggle of G words.
The spangram was harder to spot, but with “light” not featured among the game words I worked backwards to find “catch” and then CATCHTHELIGHT.
Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, April 19, game #777)
ADJUST
MODIFY
TWEAK
REFINE
IMPROVE
ALTER
SPANGRAM: THEREIFIXEDIT
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.
As someone who has worked from home for the last 15 years, there aren't many things more frustrating than my internet connection going down in the middle of a workday. Sure, my kids act like it's the end of the world when it happens after school, when they're trying to unlock some forbidden fruit on Roblox or whatever, but that's nothing compared to the internal rage I feel when I see my camera feed stuttering on a video call.
My current Internet Service Provider (ISP) has gotten more reliable, but there was a period of time when I'd complained about them so much on Twitter that I had four technicians and their boss randomly show up at my house, asking if they could run a brand new service line in a bid to fix my issues.
Those improvements aside, it's not perfect. My connection still drops from time to time.
I've tinkered with backup internet solutions over the years, and even considered signing up for Starlink as a secondary provider at one point.
But most of the backup internet solutions offered by firewalls or Wi-Fi systems aren't seamless, requiring you to connect your router to your phone's hotspot, which then broadcasts mobile data throughout your home's network.
That's not an ideal solution when I'm on a video call, for example. My home office is nowhere near my router, so I'd have extended downtime while I move closer, connect my router to the hotspot, and by then, the call was either over or my regular connection had returned.
Then I found Eero Signal
I currently use one of Eero's mesh Wi-Fi systems, so when Eero announced its latest product, the $99 Eero Signal, my interest was piqued.
The small device that looks like a wireless charging stand for your phone connects to a compatible Eero router. When your main internet connection drops, your Eero system automatically switches to the LTE connection that Signal provides. (There's a 5G model coming later this year that I'd instantly upgrade to.)
I've had Signal set up and running in my house for several weeks now, and I have to admit — I'm smitten. It's perfectly picked up where my service provider has let me down.
Setup was easy, and it has deep controls
(Image credit: Future/Jason Cipriani)
After unboxing the Signal and a 45W power adapter, I immediately connected it to my Eero system and the included power supply. The rest of the process required a few taps on my phone, adding the device to my home system, ensuring I was on an Eero Plus plan for the cellar portion, and I was up and running.
Eero offers two plans. You can pay $99.99 a year for 10 GB of data per month, while $199.99 gets you 100 GB of data per month through Signal's connection.
To test Signal, all I had to do was temporarily disconnect the wired internet connection going to my Eero system, and it switched over to Signal almost immediately.
Seamless backup internet achieved.
The last step to complete setup was to go through the list of devices in the Eero app, approving or forbidding access to data when Signal is active. It's a quick and easy way to ensure that your work laptop or home alarm system and cameras stay connected to the internet during an outage, but stopping your streaming devices from eating into your data allotment.
Recent maintenance put Eero Signal to the test
(Image credit: Future/Jason Cipriani)
My home network setup is complex, and beyond the previously mentioned video calls for work being a priority, so too is all of the self-hosted websites and services I have running, including personal and business websites from my basement. When my sites go down, I get sad. I don't like being sad.
But since installing Eero Signal, my sites have had virtually zero downtime due to a lack of internet.
The reliability and speed of Signal was put to the test a couple of weeks ago when my internet service provider announced routine maintenance in my area that'd take my connection offline all day.
Bring it on, I said to myself as I read the email.
The morning of the scheduled downtime, while I was out of town and away from the house, I received an alert that my connection had dropped and my network switched over to Signal and then... nothing. I didn't get an alert that any of my sites were down, and I could pull up a live stream of my Ring security cameras.
Several hours later, I received another alert that the work was done for the day, but they were unable to finish everything, and expected a prolonged outage the next day.
The second day came and went much like the first — Signal kicked in and took over, providing data to my home's network and self-hosted services, all the while I was able to call into a Teams meeting. The Signal's LTE connection is averaging 50 Mbps down and 10 Mbps up for me, which isn't super fast compared to my standard connection, but it's enough for short periods..
(Image credit: Future/Jason Cipriani)
Internet outages are a thing of the past
(Image credit: Future/Jason Cipriani)
I'd become so accustomed to dealing with sporadic internet outages that I didn't realize how much time I spent worrying about it. Then again, being connected to the internet during the day is how I do my job, and without it, I'm not very productive, so it makes sense.
It also makes sense that after setting up Signal and realizing it delivers on its promise, I've felt relieved. A couple of months ago, those messages alerting me of upcoming maintenance would have stressed me out for days.
Instead, all I did was get excited because it was going to be a stress test for Signal — and it passed, easily.
That relief alone is worth the cost. Now I can spend that energy on something productive.
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, April 18 (game #1545).
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 #1546) - 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 #1546) - 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 4.
Quordle today (game #1546) - 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.
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 Friday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Friday, April 17 (game #1544).
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 #1545) - 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 #1545) - 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 2.
Quordle today (game #1545) - 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.
What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?
• S
• C
• S
• B
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
Quordle today (game #1545) - the answers
(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)
The answers to today's Quordle, game #1545, are…
STEAL
CURIO
SCOOP
BETEL
Our first five-vowel game for ages and a particularly tricky one.
Two admissions. Firstly, with a word that began with S and also included the letter P, O and C I could not resist typing in “spock” (thankfully not a word) before guessing SCOOP.
Secondly, I had no idea what a BETEL is and only arrived there after having exhausted every other combination. I have since discovered it’s a plant.
Daily Sequence today (game #1545) - the answers
(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)
The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1545, are…
A new time limit option on YouTube Shorts allows users to effectively remove the feature entirely
The new zero-minute timer stops Shorts from showing up on users' home feeds
It hasn't rolled out to all users yet, but enabling the setting is quick and easy
It's been a long time coming, but after many requests, YouTube has finally given users the option to disable Shorts from appearing on the homepage. While it's still visible in the subscriptions feed, it's a significant step for users who want the feature eradicated.
As reported by The Verge, YouTube has implemented a zero-minute option for Shorts, which effectively stops users from accessing the feature. Previously, the lowest time limit option was 15 minutes, but users will now have full control over their viewing preferences on Shorts.
Most importantly, the new addition is made to help adults decrease (or eliminate) the time spent scrolling, while also serving as an ideal tool for parental control. It's a significant bonus to the parental controls already present, which include reminders to take breaks and bedtime alerts.
The move from Google has already led to tons of praise, most notably on Reddit, and it's no surprise considering the strong opinions many have over applications that use the same quick video format, such as TikTok.
Unfortunately, it hasn't rolled out to all users just yet, and the option might take some time to present itself. However, once it does become widely available, here's how you activate the setting.
Once you're on the YouTube homepage, you'll want to navigate your way to the daily limit page, via Settings > Time management > Shorts feed limit, and you'll find a new option labelled '0 minutes.'
Enable that, and ensure the 'Shorts Feed Limit' box is checked, and you're good to go. Shorts should now be completely removed from your homepage on YouTube. While I've noticed that some can still show up in the subscriptions tab (when testing the 15-minute option), this should hopefully be completely ironed out, or may not even be the case for most users.
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, April 16 (game #774).
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 #775) - hint #1 - today's theme
What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?
• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Shell company
NYT Strands today (game #775) - hint #2 - clue words
Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
TALK
CORK
POLL
SLUR
MELON
SPOUSE
NYT Strands today (game #775) - hint #3 - spangram letters
How many letters are in today's spangram?
• Spangram has 7 letters
NYT Strands today (game #775) - hint #4 - spangram position
What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?
First side: left, 4th row
Last side: 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 #775) - the answers
(Image credit: New York Times)
The answers to today's Strands, game #775, are…
OYSTER
CLAM
CONCH
ABALONE
LIMPET
MUSSEL
SCALLOP
SPANGRAM: MOLLUSK
My rating: Easy
My score: Perfect
Unlike previous rounds I was right to take today’s theme literally and go off in search of sea creatures that have shells, aka a MOLLUSK, which automatically led me to today’s spangram.
This was my 81st spangram first. How many do you have?
As a lover of seafood I found this search quite an easy one. ABALONE was my only moment of uncertainty and I suffered word blindness by missing my favorite food of all, SCALLOP.
Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday, April 16, game #774)
HOBBY
RECREATION
SIDELINE
INTEREST
PASTIME
SPANGRAM: JUSTFORFUN
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.
Live Nation has been found guilty of running an illegal monopoly
The case ruled that Live Nation has been overcharging fans by $2 a ticket
It could result in Live Nation splitting from Ticketmaster
The verdict is in: Live Nation and Ticketmaster have been running an illegal monopoly to assume their reign over live event ticketing competitors. And I, like many music fanatics, am simply thrilled.
Following a lengthy four-day deliberation during a seven-week trial, a Manhattan jury on Wednesday April 15 found Live Nation and its subsidiary site, Ticketmaster, guilty of violating federal and state antitrust laws, in order to suffocate rival sites. Penalties will be decided at a later date, but this could vary from staggering financial charges to the potential break-up of the two companies.
The ruling comes shortly after Live Nation reached a settlement with the US Department of Justice (DOJ), where the company would’ve been required to divest certain parts of the business and cap its venue exclusivity contracts to four years. Though some US states joined the settlement, 33 other state attorneys didn’t, believing that it failed to restore competition among live event ticketing sites.
During its deliberation, the jury found that Ticketmaster had been overcharging customers by almost $2 per ticket (approximately £1.27) over a few years. Judge Arun Subramanian will decide the total damage penalty owed by Live Nation based on these findings. On top of this, Live Nation has countless exclusivity contracts with venues across the US, another strategy the company has used to seize control over the live events market and eliminate competition.
Speaking with the BBC, Morgan Harper of the American Economic Liberties Project described the verdict as "a historic victory for fans, artists, concert promoters and venue owners who have suffered for decades under the thumb of Ticketmaster's monopoly". But Live Nation has been far from silent, also telling the BBC that "the jury's verdict is not the last word on this matter”.
In addition, Live Nation's legal representative, David R. Marriott, had quite a bit to say during the closing arguments. “We are fierce competitors,” he said, adding that Live Nation is simply “trying to win the business”.
This verdict marks what could be a victorious conclusion for the live music sector, and comes almost two years after the suit was first filed in 2024 by Biden’s DOJ. The growing frustration from music fans, artists, and venues alike served as the catalyst for bringing Live Nation to court, especially following the Taylor Swift Ticketmaster catastrophe in 2022.
A bright (and inexpensive) future on the horizon
So what does this mean for the future of live music? Well, it all depends on the penalties owed by Live Nation which are yet to be determined.
However, given the extremity of its market dominance tactics, it could be that Live Nation will have to divest an even larger portion of its business compared to what was proposed in the settlement. This could lead to the disbanding of Live Nation and Ticketmaster, which, on top of costly court charges, could significantly dampen Live Nation’s dominance in the sector and balance out the competition.
This could also signify a brighter future for ticket pricing, and live music events run by large touring artists may no longer be a ‘luxury product’ — which we saw happen with the Oasis reunion and Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter Tour, the latter of which I was forced to skip due to sky-high pricing.
Ultimately, this verdict isn’t just about holding the big names accountable, it’s about making live music a financially-accessible entity for music lovers everywhere.
