NYT Strands today — my hints, answers and spangram for Sunday, December 15 (game #287)

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Moonlighting

NYT Strands today (game #287) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• QUEST
• TEAR
• BEST
• RESCUE
• TAPE
• NEAR

NYT Strands today (game #287) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Satellite stages

NYT Strands today (game #287) - 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 #287) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #287, are…

• FULL
• WANING
• WAXING
• GIBBOUS
• QUARTER
• CRESCENT
• SPANGRAM: LUNAR PHASE

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• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

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Many wonderful songs mention the moon – Moon River, Fly Me to the Moon, Moondance, Bad Moon Rising – but few mention a particular LUNAR PHASE, today’s Spangram.

A couple of exceptions…

The fabulous Whole of the Moon by The Waterboys, is a tribute to someone with greater otherworldly talent than the singer, Mike Scott. “I sighed, you swooned," he croons. "I saw the crescent / You saw the whole of the Moon”.

Another favorite is Easy from Now On by Emmylou Harris, which describes running away from a bad relationship and finding yourself beneath a “Quarter moon in a ten-cent town”.

Finally, a tune about the phase of the moon when it appears bulging outward but is not yet full: the off-kilter lament Gibbous Moon by Momus: "This world is lugubrious/ Aghast beneath a gibbous moon/ Waxing and waning with the death of all feeling/ But we will be free soon.”

Thank you, Strands, for this little Spotify rabbit hole.

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

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Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, 14 December, game #286)

• FIRE 
• PASSION
• DRIVE 
• DEVOTION
• INTENSITY
• PURPOSE
• SPANGRAM: GO GETTER

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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.

https://ift.tt/Ll74v9n

Quordle today – my hints and answers for Sunday, December 15 (game #1056)

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,000 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 #1056) - hint #1 - Vowels

How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* 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 #1056) - 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 #1056) - 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 #1056) - 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 #1056) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• D

• S

• L

• G

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

Quordle today (game #1056) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1056, are…

• DROVE
• STILT
• LINEN
• GIANT

I started with Point and Break today. There are no repeat letters, so it’s not a bad punt – and well, it’s my tribute to one of the greatest films of all time.

But where did my gamble get me? I went to the red zone as I ran out of lines for LINEN and climbed on board the last train to Loserville.

As the rain thunders down on my laptop and the waves crash, there is only one thing left to say word-surfing Quordle friends…

Vaya con Dios.

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

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Daily Sequence today (game #1056) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1056, are…

• SHARD
• CHURN
• MACRO
• PRANK

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Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #10545, Saturday 14 December: SPIEL, ONSET, TIGER, DITTO
• Quordle #1054, Friday 13 December: ERECT, REBAR, MOIST, IDIOM
• Quordle #1053, Thursday 12 December: MILKY, CRIER, STORK, DRIER
• Quordle #1052, Wednesday 11 December: BRIAR, NASAL, SHARD, FLUFF
• Quordle #1051, Tuesday 10 December: BEGAN, TRIAL, IDEAL, GUIDE
• Quordle #1050, Monday 9 December: TITAN, FORTE, SPEED, BRIAR
• Quordle #1049, Sunday 8 December: BUNCH, SHINY, MOULT, INTRO
• Quordle #1048, Saturday 7 December: SHAKY, CROOK, GHOUL, VERSE
• Quordle #1047, Friday 6 December: BRAWL, UNTIL, DOWRY, STING
• Quordle #1046, Thursday 5 December: AGING, BICEP, CLOVE, SPILL
• Quordle #1045, Wednesday 4 December: JUDGE, GIVER, GNASH, CLOAK
• Quordle #1044, Tuesday 3 December: FUDGE, THICK, CRANK, STASH
• Quordle #1043, Monday 2 December: TROPE, HOVER, SAUNA, SHAPE
• Quordle #1042, Sunday 1 December: NAIVE, CIRCA, STEAD, MICRO
• Quordle #1041, Saturday 30 November: MAMMA, SNUCK, CRYPT, TAROT
• Quordle #1040, Friday 29 November: JOIST, DROOL, DUSKY, GLIDE
• Quordle #1039, Thursday 28 November: GRADE, WORRY, NOISE, DAISY
• Quordle #1038, Wednesday 27 November: HEART, ROGUE, INEPT, UTILE
• Quordle #1037, Tuesday 26 November: PRIED, FAINT, HURRY, WOOER
• Quordle #1036, Monday 25 November: NUDGE, SNOOP, SHACK, DRYLY

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NYT Strands today — my hints, answers and spangram for Saturday, December 14 (game #286)

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Nothing can stop me!

NYT Strands today (game #286) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• STONE
• DEAR 
• SENT
• TESTED
• PART
• NOTE

NYT Strands today (game #286) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Seize the day types

NYT Strands today (game #286) - 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 #286) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #286, are…

• FIRE 
• PASSION
• DRIVE 
• DEVOTION
• INTENSITY
• PURPOSE
• SPANGRAM: GO GETTER

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• My rating: Easy
• My score: 1 hint

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Being the CEO of my organization (employees: one, me), I like to think that I bring passion, drive, and a sense of purpose to the production of the daily Strands hints and answers page. I am passionate about completing these puzzles one day at a time with methodical professionalism and focused intensity.

It is with a great source of pride that I completed today’s Strands in record time (well, less than 20 minutes) to achieve the stretch goal of returning to bed for a snooze. Being a GO GETTER is sooo exhausting.

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

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Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, 13 December, game #285)

• LOVER
• EVERMORE
• FEARLESS
• FOLKLORE
• MIDNIGHTS
• SPANGRAM: ALBUMTITLE

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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.

https://ift.tt/NQS1Bvq

Quordle today – my hints and answers for Friday, December 13 (game #1054)

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,000 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 #1054) - hint #1 - Vowels

How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* 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 #1054) - 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 3.

Quordle today (game #1054) - 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 #1054) - 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 #1054) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• E

• R

• M

• I

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

Quordle today (game #1054) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1054, are…

• ERECT
• REBAR
• MOIST
• IDIOM

I attempted some more vowel angling today, starting with the legendary opening Quordle salvo of CANOE, SKIRT, and PLUMB. As fishing expeditions go this was not the most successful, but I did land five greens and was feeling pretty confident that today would be the day that I would not go down to the wire.

I was wrong – but I did make the foolish mistake of repeating a letter I already knew was wrong by thinking cunning Quordle had picked ZEBRA. It’s unwise to think you can outsmart Quordle.

I rescued some pride in today's super-tricky Daily Sequence with its very annoying quartet of awkward words.

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

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Daily Sequence today (game #1054) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1054, are…

• OZONE
• CYNIC
• TATTY
• FIXER

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Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1053, Thursday 12 December: MILKY, CRIER, STORK, DRIER
• Quordle #1052, Wednesday 11 December: BRIAR, NASAL, SHARD, FLUFF
• Quordle #1051, Tuesday 10 December: BEGAN, TRIAL, IDEAL, GUIDE
• Quordle #1050, Monday 9 December: TITAN, FORTE, SPEED, BRIAR
• Quordle #1049, Sunday 8 December: BUNCH, SHINY, MOULT, INTRO
• Quordle #1048, Saturday 7 December: SHAKY, CROOK, GHOUL, VERSE
• Quordle #1047, Friday 6 December: BRAWL, UNTIL, DOWRY, STING
• Quordle #1046, Thursday 5 December: AGING, BICEP, CLOVE, SPILL
• Quordle #1045, Wednesday 4 December: JUDGE, GIVER, GNASH, CLOAK
• Quordle #1044, Tuesday 3 December: FUDGE, THICK, CRANK, STASH
• Quordle #1043, Monday 2 December: TROPE, HOVER, SAUNA, SHAPE
• Quordle #1042, Sunday 1 December: NAIVE, CIRCA, STEAD, MICRO
• Quordle #1041, Saturday 30 November: MAMMA, SNUCK, CRYPT, TAROT
• Quordle #1040, Friday 29 November: JOIST, DROOL, DUSKY, GLIDE
• Quordle #1039, Thursday 28 November: GRADE, WORRY, NOISE, DAISY
• Quordle #1038, Wednesday 27 November: HEART, ROGUE, INEPT, UTILE
• Quordle #1037, Tuesday 26 November: PRIED, FAINT, HURRY, WOOER
• Quordle #1036, Monday 25 November: NUDGE, SNOOP, SHACK, DRYLY
• Quordle #1035, Sunday 24 November: CLOTH, CLAMP, PETTY, CHEST
• Quordle #1034, Saturday 23 November: AVOID, PLANT, FILET, TWIRL

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NYT Strands today — my hints, answers and spangram for Thursday, December 12 (game #284)

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Shape and bake

NYT Strands today (game #284) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• STEEL
• STEER
• REST
• BELT
• MOAN
• DINT

NYT Strands today (game #284) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Kitchen template

NYT Strands today (game #284) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First: left, 5th 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 #284) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #284, are…

• BUNNY
• BELL
• STAR
• DIAMOND
• HEART
• ANGEL
• SPANGRAM: COOKIECUTTER

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• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 2 hints

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It's a long, long time since I've baked cookies. Actually, no, I have baked cookies in the past couple of years, but they were just splodges of gooey chocolatey goodness, not perfectly shaped BELLs, STARs, DIAMONDs or HEARTs as you would get if you used a COOKIE CUTTER.

Maybe that's a failing on my part, but they all taste the same, right – so why risk losing some mixture by creating shapes? Then again, I'm not five years old, and my kids are older teens, so pretty shapes are not going to be appreciated in the same way as they would be by a pre-schooler.

My unfamiliarity with the form definitely hurt my Strands game today; I needed a couple of hints to get going, and it was only once I spotted the spangram that things got easier. Maybe I'll bake myself a cookie to cheer myself up.

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

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Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, 11 December, game #283)

• VISE
• DRILL
• LATHE
• PLANE
• CHISEL
• JIGSAW
• SANDER
• SPANGRAM: WOODWORKING

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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.

https://ift.tt/Ipnscby

Quordle today – my hints and answers for Thursday, December 12 (game #1053)

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,000 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 #1053) - 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 #1053) - 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 #1053) - 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 #1053) - 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 #1053) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• M

• C

• S

• D

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

Quordle today (game #1053) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1053, are…

• MILKY
• CRIER
• STORK
• DRIER

Still no real strategy for me, but I got lucky with the Quordle gods today, who helpfully provided two words with the same letters except the first one, CRIER and DRIER. Solve one, get one almost free!

They were probably the two toughest words here, but overall it was a pretty easy one today. Makes a change, eh?

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

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Daily Sequence today (game #1053) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1053, are…

• TRITE
• PLANK
• FORGE
• CLAMP

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Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1052, Wednesday 11 December: BRIAR, NASAL, SHARD, FLUFF
• Quordle #1051, Tuesday 10 December: BEGAN, TRIAL, IDEAL, GUIDE
• Quordle #1050, Monday 9 December: TITAN, FORTE, SPEED, BRIAR
• Quordle #1049, Sunday 8 December: BUNCH, SHINY, MOULT, INTRO
• Quordle #1048, Saturday 7 December: SHAKY, CROOK, GHOUL, VERSE
• Quordle #1047, Friday 6 December: BRAWL, UNTIL, DOWRY, STING
• Quordle #1046, Thursday 5 December: AGING, BICEP, CLOVE, SPILL
• Quordle #1045, Wednesday 4 December: JUDGE, GIVER, GNASH, CLOAK
• Quordle #1044, Tuesday 3 December: FUDGE, THICK, CRANK, STASH
• Quordle #1043, Monday 2 December: TROPE, HOVER, SAUNA, SHAPE
• Quordle #1042, Sunday 1 December: NAIVE, CIRCA, STEAD, MICRO
• Quordle #1041, Saturday 30 November: MAMMA, SNUCK, CRYPT, TAROT
• Quordle #1040, Friday 29 November: JOIST, DROOL, DUSKY, GLIDE
• Quordle #1039, Thursday 28 November: GRADE, WORRY, NOISE, DAISY
• Quordle #1038, Wednesday 27 November: HEART, ROGUE, INEPT, UTILE
• Quordle #1037, Tuesday 26 November: PRIED, FAINT, HURRY, WOOER
• Quordle #1036, Monday 25 November: NUDGE, SNOOP, SHACK, DRYLY
• Quordle #1035, Sunday 24 November: CLOTH, CLAMP, PETTY, CHEST
• Quordle #1034, Saturday 23 November: AVOID, PLANT, FILET, TWIRL
• Quordle #1033, Friday 22 November: CUTIE, ALOOF, ETUDE, SILLY

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These are the best Chrome Extensions of 2024 – according to Google

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• Google has announced its 12 favorite Chrome Extensions of 2024
• There are extensions for productivity, shopping, and more
• It even recommends a fun browser game

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Following Google’s November announcement of its picks for the best Android apps of 2024, the company has now revealed its 12 picks for the top Chrome Extensions of 2024. All of which promise to improve your internet browsing experience with a diverse suite of free upgrades.

The Todoist for Chrome and Evernote Web Clipper make it easier to access your to-do list and virtual notebook from your browser to easily mark off objectives or create new ones with links to sites you might want to revisit later.

Meanwhile, Momentum and Stylish aim to give you more control over your browser's appearance and function. Momentum is designed to keep you focused on your key tasks with a streamlined design, daily inspiration via quotes and images, objective reminders, and website blockers to prevent you from booting up distractions. In contrast, Stylish offers thousands of custom website themes so you can alter how your Chrome browsing experience looks across the web.

If your travels take you to YouTube or other media sites, then these next two will be great pick-ups. Turn Off the Lights turns your Chrome browser into a cinema-like experience by dimming the parts of the webpage that aren’t the video you’re playing so you can focus on the clip, and Volume Master offers greater volume control. It adds voice boost and bass boost options, as well as the ability to turn your volume up to 600%.

Find shopping deals, and improve your productivity

Starting off the back half of the list are two apps that seem perfect for shoppers. Keepa lets you easily track Amazon price history for the stuff it sells, so if you’ve ever wanted to see if an item you’re about to buy has ever been cheaper (and if it’s worth waiting for sale) or if a discount is as good as Amazon says this could be the one for you. CouponBirds is a free coupon-finding app that could help you save money wherever you shop.

If productivity is more your thing, then you have Text Blaze, which lets you set up typing shortcuts and document templates to make your repetitive writing tasks pass by more quickly.

You can also consider Bardeen, which leverages AI to help you create automated workflows across multiple sites and Google apps, and Immersive Translate, which can automatically translate documents, pages, and videos and boasts useful tools like bilingual reading, which shows the translation next to the original words.

Lastly, we have Ice Dodo, a simple yet addictive 3D parkour game you can quickly access from your extension toolbar.

If any of these extensions have tickled your fancy, you can head to the Chrome Store to download them or learn more about them.

You might also like

• The Google Pixel 7 and other older Pixels will now get two extra years of updates
• Chrome could revolutionize search on PC with a big Google Lens upgrade
• Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards 2024 winners announced

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Apple names the 17 apps you should download now – here are the 2024 App Store Awards winners

Just about three weeks after Apple revealed the 45 finalists in its 2024 App Store Awards, it’s time to unveil the best of the best. That’s right – Apple just announced the 2024 App Store Award winners, and there are 17 of them, including the best apps and games for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and the Apple Vision Pro. Additionally, six apps are walking away as Cultural Impact winners.

Many big names and smaller titles have been chosen to receive the highest honor for an app from Apple. The winners walk away with a hefty – trust us, we briefly held one – aluminum, bright blue App of the Year award engraved with the app's name. It’s roughly the size of an oversized Mac Mini.

We’re sharing a few of our favorites across categories and the full list of winners. But as you might expect, these apps are definitely worth a download, considering Apple’s deemed them to be its 2024 App Store Award Winners.

2024 App Store Award Winners – the full list

• iPhone App of the Year: Kino
• iPhone Game of the Year: AFK Journey
• iPad App of the Year: Moises
• iPad Game of the Year: Squad Busters
• Mac App of the Year: Adobe Lightroom
• Mac Game of the Year: Thank Goodness You're Here!
• Apple Vision Pro App of the Year: What If...? An Immersive Story
• Apple Vision Pro Game of the Year: THRASHER: Arcade Odyssey
• Apple Watch App of the Year: Lumy
• Apple TV App of the Year: F1 TV
• Apple Arcade Game of the Year: Balatro+
• Cultural Impact Winners: Oko, EF Hello, DailyArt, NYT Games, The Wreck, and Do You Really Want to Know? 2

(Image credit: Kino)

You'll likely know the makers of Kino, aka Lux Optics, for their popular camera app Halide, but this one is all about video recording and even packs in support for Apple's Log Recording standard.

Kino is like a Halide for video, but is instead designed for beginners as well as enthusiasts. You can shoot 'cinematic' video – which covers color, tone and motion – by quickly applying what Kino's makes call an 'instant grade'. You can choose from one of many grades created by artists, or instead go into full manual mode with Apple ProRes and tweak settings like frame-rates, shutter speed and more.

As is the theme with most year-end lists, AI is involved here and likely best represented via the iPad App of the Year, Moises. The name is a subtle pun at its ability to separate sounds on a track, and that makes sense as it's for musicians and producers. You can either record sessions within the app or upload files into Moises to have its AI models split instruments, including vocals, on a given track, automatically add an approximately timed metronome, or even change the key.

It's pretty neat, and in a quick demo where we did not sing or play an instrument, it did work quite well on a 13-inch iPad Pro via the built-in microphones. From a generative AI standpoint, a future update will allow it to automatically play on a track, much like session players within Logic Pro for iPad. Similarly, Adobe Lightroom – the 2024 Mac App of the Year – boasts several AI features and runs well on any M-series-powered Mac.

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

2024 is also the first year that Apple Vision Pro apps are included in the App Store Awards, and we can't agree more with What If...? – An Immersive Story getting the top brass for Apple's spatial computer.

In our hands-on with the story that you basically get immersed in and play through, we called it the "most fun [we’ve] had on the device" and a taste of future impactful, immersive content that would arrive. And if you have a Vision Pro, here is a friendly reminder that this experience is free and a blast.

Of course, considering so many people play the Wordle daily – including TechRadar's Global Editor-in-Chief Marc McLaren – it clearly has had an impact on our culture, and the NYT Games app is an excellently-designed app that not only lets you easily play each title but can also introduce you to other titles you might not have tried – maybe give Connections or Strands a try?

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

Oko, another one of the cultural impact winners, is super impressive and a key tool for accessibility, as it uses an AI model layered on top of the iPhone's camera to help folks with low vision or who are blind safely navigate streets. It's quite impressive and shows just how impactful an application can truly be.

While these are only a few of the 17 total apps getting the highest honor from the App Store, all of these that made the list are likely worth a try. And that's the case whether you've had an iPhone, Mac, Apple Watch, iPad, Apple Vision Pro, or Apple TV for a while or are maybe getting one – or hoping to get one – this holiday season. Apple's 2024 App App Store Award Winners list is an excellent place to start for what to download first.

You might also like

• Spotify Wrapped 2024 not working? Try these 3 fixes to help it show up
• Marvel’s first immersive story for the Apple Vision Pro is the most fun I’ve had on the device
• Apple iPhone 16 review: elevating the base to new heights

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NYT Strands today — my hints, answers and spangram for Wednesday, December 11 (game #283)

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Board certified

NYT Strands today (game #283) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• SHINE
• RISE
• STARE
• SNOW
• NOEL
• GREED

NYT Strands today (game #283) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• The Carpenters

NYT Strands today (game #283) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First: top, 3rd column

Last: bottom, 1st column

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

NYT Strands today (game #283) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #283, are…

• VISE
• DRILL
• LATHE
• PLANE
• CHISEL
• JIGSAW
• SANDER
• SPANGRAM: WOODWORKING

---

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 hints

---

The theme “board certified” confused me today: PLANE, LATHE, DRILL – were these acronyms for organizations with boards? What are you doing to me, Strands?

It all became clear once the Spangram snake appeared. My mind wandered back to my dim and distant schooldays, the smell of sawdust in the air as I used a JIGSAW and a CHISEL to fashion a magnificent butt joint as I toiled away creating a spectacularly ugly spice rack that was given pride of place in my family kitchen – until it fell apart two days later under the weight of a single jar of turmeric powder. I was about as good back then at WOODWORKING as I am at Strands now.

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

---

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday, 10 December, game #282)

• FILM
• FLICK
• MOVIE
• PICTURE
• SHORT
• TALKIE
• FEATURE
• SPANGRAM: CINEMATIC

---

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.

https://ift.tt/rSGfap6

Google’s Year In Search 2024 proves that it’s not me who’s out of touch – it’s the children who are wrong

---

• Google has released its list of the things we searched for the most in 2024
• Sports, US elections, and music artists feature heavily
• The list makes me feel like an out-of-touch old man

---

Forget Spotify Wrapped, Google has just shared its Year In Search 2024, highlighting what people have been searching for this year – and I’ve never felt older and more confused.

Google Year In Search 2024 doesn’t highlight all the things you’ve personally searched for (that would be… fun), but shows the trending searches globally, and you can also see what people are searching for in your location, just in case you want another reason to avoid your neighbors.

From the US elections to top movies, songs, and the best museums in the world, Google’s Year In Search 2024 gives us a glimpse at what grabbed people’s attention this year – and it's making me feel about as out-of-touch as a caveman at an AI conference.

According to the report, the most popular thing people searched for this year (using Google, of course, so apologies to the five people who use Bing – keep reaching for that rainbow, guys!) is… Copa América.

GOAL! (Image credit: Pixabay)

Now, I seem to remember (I’m not Googling it, I don’t want to add to the stats) that this is some sort of sporting event, possibly combining balls, feet and nets. Unfortunately, as I have zero interest in sports, the number one search subject means nothing to me. Let’s take a look at number two: UEFA European Championship. Oh.

Positions three and four seem to also be about sport, this time cricket, which (fun fact!) I also don’t like.

When it comes to news, the number one search is the US elections, which makes a lot more sense – it’s something that has huge ramifications around the world after all – and number two is ‘excessive heat.’

This year has seen (and continues to see) some pretty extreme weather, and it's clear that people are concerned about that. There's also a chance that some of the people searching for that have a gaming PC.

As for the people we're searching for, Donald Trump was number one, followed by Princess Catherine, then Kamala Harris. Current US president, with Joe Biden just making the top five.

That’s entertainment

When it comes to entertainment searches, and general pop culture queries, I start to get seriously lost.

Of the five most searched for actors in 2024 (Katt Williams, Pawan Kalyan, Adam Brody, Ella Purnell, Hina Khan) I only know Ella Purnell, thanks to the excellent TV series Fallout (which is number two in most-searched TV shows).

This is Adrien Brody. Not Adam Brody. (Image credit: 20th Century Fox)

I thought I knew Adam Brody as well, which gave me hope that I’m not as out of touch as I feared, but turns out I was mixing him up with Adrien Brody, which proves that I am indeed chronically not-with-it.

I did better with movies, having seen three of the top five and having heard of the others, and I also watched four of the five top searched-for TV shows.

As for songs… I have no idea.

I genuinely couldn’t tell you what any of those sound like, and to be honest, Bling-Bang-Bang-Born by someone or something called Creepy Nuts just sounds made up.

Time for another fun fact! Bling-Bang-Bang-Born by Creepy Nuts is the second most searched-for song when it comes searching by humming. That’s right, Google can take a decent stab at identifying a song that you hum, which is useful if you find yourself humming something and don’t know what it is.

Another fun fact: humming should be banned.

Food for search

Google also revealed the food and drink recipes we’re looking for, and again I'm mostly confused:

What are Olympic chocolate muffins? Who is Tini, and why is their mac and cheese so good? I am pleased to see mango pickle in there, however. As a curry-loving Brit, it’s good to see arguably the greatest-ever condiment getting some love.

Finally, there’s gaming. I thought I’d be in with a shot here, as I do love playing games, but alas not. Out of the top five, I’ve heard of three but played a big fat zero.

While I probably shouldn’t calculate how cool and hip I am by seeing how many search terms I recognize (after all, I’m the kind of person who uses the word ‘hip’ in 2024), Google’s Year in Search is a fascinating glimpse at what people are interested in – and a horrible reminder that I used to with it, but then they changed what 'it' was. Now what I'm with isn't it, and what is it seems weird and scary to me.

You might also like...

• Internet traffic grew hugely in 2024, with Google taking the strain
• AMD announces CES 2025 launch event on January 6, 2025 – and drops a heavy hint that new RDNA 4 GPUs will be revealed
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NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Tuesday, December 10 (game #282)

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Something to see

NYT Strands today (game #282) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• SAME
• RIFLE
• MULE
• SMACK
• PIECE
• FAME

NYT Strands today (game #282) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Big screen wonder

NYT Strands today (game #282) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First: left, 5th 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 #282) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #282, are…

• FILM
• FLICK
• MOVIE
• PICTURE
• SHORT
• TALKIE
• FEATURE
• SPANGRAM: CINEMATIC

---

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 hints

---

Today’s Spangram reminded me of a few unsavory CINEMATIC experiences at my local Picturehouse Cinema.

I’m not a fan of a crowded theater, so I tend to go and see movies during the daytime whenever I can, but this does also tend to be the time when similarly anti-social/strange people go.

Twice I’ve been the only person in a completely empty screening, when, with 100 seats to choose from, someone has come in seconds before the start of the film and sat down next to me. Maybe I’m magnetic. It happened a few weeks ago when I went to see The Heretic, as if that film is not awkward and creepy enough as it is.

Another time, there was just me and one other person in the room and they stood up for the entire two hours. But the worst was when someone sat directly behind me. All was quiet for 30 minutes, but then I sensed something in my peripheral vision and spied two bare feet balanced on the back of my seat. I could have had fun with it and wedged popcorn between their toes, but instead, I just moved as many rows back as I could.

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

---

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, 9 December, game #280)

• WRAP
• PSALM
• GNOME
• HONESTY
• MNEMONIC
• KNUCKLE
• SPANGRAM: SILENT LETTER

---

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.

https://ift.tt/5fZJc6T

NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Monday, December 9 (game #281)

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Quiet at first

NYT Strands today (game #281) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• SLAP
• POEM
• NOISEY
• MILE
• SMELT
• PONY

NYT Strands today (game #281) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• What’s an aphthong?

NYT Strands today (game #281) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First: left, 4th row

Second: right, 3rd row

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

NYT Strands today (game #281) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #281, are…

• WRAP
• PSALM
• GNOME
• HONESTY
• MNEMONIC
• KNUCKLE
• SPANGRAM: SILENT LETTER

---

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 hints

---

After seeing the clue and spotting the word Noisey in the grid, it appeared that today’s Strands was about sounds; instead Noisey and Noise just helped get closer to a hint – something that was much needed with today's SILENT LETTER theme.

Even after working out the connecting theme once I'd been gifted WRAP, I still struggled to find these dreaded aphthongs – you could say it gnawed at me and momentarily turned me into a psycho ready to wreak havoc on the pseudo Strands setters, pterodactyl style – but then I connected the Spangram snake, untwisted my knickers and all was good with the world.

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

---

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, 8 December, game #280)

• FACE
• HANDS
• BEZEL
• CROWN
• LUXURY
• DIGITAL
• ANALOG
• SPANGRAM: WATCHWORDS

---

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.

https://ift.tt/oSjTGn1

NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Sunday, December 8 (game #280)

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… A timely theme

NYT Strands today (game #280) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• SAID
• BLUR
• COAL
• TIDE
• RANG
• LAID

NYT Strands today (game #280) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• On your wrist

NYT Strands today (game #280) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First: top, 3rd column

Last: 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 #280) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #280, are…

• FACE
• HANDS
• BEZEL
• CROWN
• LUXURY
• DIGITAL
• ANALOG
• SPANGRAM: WATCHWORDS

---

• My rating: Easy
• My score: 1 hint

---

Today’s theme was WATCHWORDS and it got me thinking about how much I love my Apple Watch and its many uses, but also a little nostalgic for my old ANALOG timepieces of yesteryear, who had just one job – to tell me the time. Ah, simple, distant days, memory wastes, memory wastes…

In case you think I’m losing my mind, those words are from one of my favorite songs – Cattle and Cane by The Go-Betweens. It includes the evocative line “his father’s watch – he left it in the shower”. It’s about memory, being young and naive and doing thoughtless things like losing a precious belonging in the school bathrooms after gym class. It was released in 1983, but I’m sure anyone listening to it in 2024 would still think the watch in question was some beautiful Omega Seamaster or Rolex Oyster rather than erm a Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra. I mean you would be sad if you lost that, but you could also wear it in the shower, so it’s unlikely you’d leave it behind.

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

---

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, 7 December, game #279)

• FRIED
• BAKED
• MASHED
• ROASTED
• FONDANT
• SCALLOPED
• SPANGRAM: HOT POTATO

---

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.

https://ift.tt/kbV05La

NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Saturday, December 7 (game #279)

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

What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Prepare to be eaten

NYT Strands today (game #279) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• STOP
• STAMP
• HEAT
• MATCH
• CHOP
• TOAST

NYT Strands today (game #279) - hint #3 - spangram

What is a hint for today's spangram?

• Spuds up

NYT Strands today (game #279) - hint #4 - spangram position

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

First: bottom, 4th column

Last: 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 #279) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #279, are…

• FRIED
• BAKED
• MASHED
• ROASTED
• FONDANT
• SCALLOPED
• SPANGRAM: HOT POTATO

---

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

---

Having spent far too long watching The Walking Dead, zombies – or “walkers” – was my first thought about today’s clue “Prepare to be eaten". I used to love that show, but then it turned into a zombie itself and self-replicated into other weaker versions of itself. Then those weaker versions self-replicated into even weaker more boring versions, so you could hardly recognize the old Walking Dead anymore.

Anyway, I digress because today’s Strands was actually about the greatest vegetable of them all – the beloved HOT POTATO – and some of the multiple ways in which it can be cooked. My favorite is smashed potatoes – boiled whole, then squished, then drizzled, then BAKED – it works, my friends.

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

---

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, 6 December, game #278)

• CLUB
• BUNCH
• GROUP
• CROWD
• CIRCLE
• CLIQUE
• SOCIETY
• SPANGRAM: FELLOWSHIP

---

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.

https://ift.tt/cCW5YiA

Google Photos gets new Recap video – and it’s like Spotify Wrapped for your life in 2024

---

• Google Photos is rolling out a new Recap feature today
• Recap videos give you a Spotify Wrapped-style summary of your year
• The feature includes highlights and stats like your longest photo streak

---

If you're a big Google Photos fan, the service knows a lot about your life – and from today it's crunching all of that data together to make a new Spotify Wrapped-style highlights video of your year called Recap.

Rolling out from today in the Google Photos app, Recap goes a bit further than the Memories feature it's based on. There are the usual photo and video highlights, but like Wrapped you get stats based on your photos – like your longest photo streak and the top colors you photographed in 2024.

Recap can also reveal who you smiled the most with this year, but to power all of this you need to have Google Photos' 'Face Groups' setting turned on. To check that, inside the app go to your Account profile photo or initials in the top-right, then Settings > Privacy > Face Groups.

The Recap feature takes the form of a short video that sits in your Memories carousel and you'll get a notification in the Google Photos app when yours is ready. Google says it'll sit in the carousel throughout December so it's handy for sharing over the holidays, but you can also share it to social media from the app.

Google also says that "select users" in the US can also opt in to receive a version of their Recap video with personalized captions that are generated by Google Gemini. To do that, you'll need to head into the app's Settings and opt into using Gemini features.

How much do you want Google Photos to know?

(Image credit: Google)

New Google Photos features like Recap and 'Ask Photos' could divide opinion among its users. For some, they'll be fun, time-saving tools that save them from what were once huge photo book projects. But others could find its all-knowing analysis of their photo libraries a little creepy and invasive.

Recap goes a step beyond being a highlights reel with stats like the number of smiles you captured, who you smiled with the most and your favorite colors of 2024 (above).

That's all pretty innocent, but there's also a danger that those who haven't delved into Google Photos Memories settings like 'hide a face' could get a Recap video that treads on sensitive ground. A Google spokesperson told us: "Not all memories are worth revisiting, so we use filters and do our best to avoid resurfacing upsetting memories. However, there may be times where we don’t get it right."

"That’s why Google Photos includes controls to hide photos of certain people or time periods within Memories. Hidden people and dates will not appear in your Recap," the spokesperson reassured us.

Gemini-powered features like 'Ask Photos' (and the personalized Recap captions available to "select users" in the US) are also opt-in, so Google recognizes there is a sensitivity to its most powerful AI features being applied to Google Photos.

The tech giant's privacy hub for Google Photos says that your personal data in Photos is "never used for ads" and that your 'Ask Photos' responses "aren't reviewed by humans", but with cloud photo libraries becoming increasingly smart it's worth deciding how much you want the services to know about your life.

You might also like

• Google Photos is rolling out AI-powered search now – and it could be its biggest upgrade in years
• Gemini AI could soon be adding narration to your memories in Google Photos
• Google Photos will soon fix your average videos with a single ‘enhance’ tap

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