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 puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, February 28 (game #362).
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 #363) - hint #1 - today's theme
What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?
• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Let us prey
NYT Strands today (game #363) - hint #2 - clue words
Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
CRUX
PAIN
HOUR
SAND
DATE
DARN
NYT Strands today (game #363) - hint #3 - spangram
What is a hint for today's spangram?
• Seafaring body art
NYT Strands today (game #363) - hint #4 - spangram position
What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?
First side: bottom, 5th column
Last side: top, 2nd column
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Strands today (game #363) - the answers
(Image credit: New York Times)
The answers to today's Strands, game #363, are…
HUMAN
CROCODILE
LION
ORCA
TYRANNOSAURUS
SPANGRAM: APEX PREDATORS
My rating: Moderate
My score: 2 hints
A confession – I got Predators before the Apex part and it took me three attempts to tap out TYRANNOSAURUS in the correct order. Other than that being one of the APEX PREDATORS myself, I ate up this puzzle in no time (not really).
It’s odd to think of HUMANS alongside this company. Sure, we are dangerous but without weaponry we would be defeated by all of them.
The other Apex Predators don’t spend their time watching TV or playing puzzles, they’re too busy being Apex Predators. Well, not the Tyrannosaurus so much these days.
How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.
Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, 28 February, game #362)
EAGLE
SHIP
SWALLOW
ANCHOR
MERMAID
COMPASS
SPANGRAM: SAILOR TATTOO
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.
Microsoft Edge is telling testers their old extensions, like uBlock Origin, are no longer supported
However, this appears to be a move accidentally introduced to the earliest test version of Edge
Don’t be under any illusions that this won’t happen eventually, but looking at Microsoft’s timeline, it feels like that’s still quite a way off
Microsoft Edge just received a change in testing that makes it look like the browser might soon follow in Chrome’s footsteps in ditching certain extensions – notably including a popular ad blocker, uBlock Origin – but in actual fact, this isn’t the case.
Granted, it’s a somewhat worrying development for some folks – and it does point the way to the future, I won’t argue that. However, as the discoverer of the change for the earliest test version of Edge assures us, it’s likely something that’s been piped through automatically into testing prematurely, rather than an intentional move by Microsoft.
As highlighted by Leopeva64 on X in the below post, the Canary version of Edge recently received a new preview build and it’s producing a message about some extensions (add-ons for the browser) not being supported anymore, instructing users to remove them.
1/2 A message stating that some extensions have been disabled because they are no longer supported has appeared after installing the latest Edge Canary build, but I THINK this is one of those unexpected changes coming from upstream Chromium:https://t.co/NME5AvLUvg pic.twitter.com/BLWPI5onYhFebruary 24, 2025
This is happening to uBlock Origin as mentioned, and other extensions which are built using Manifest V2. This is the platform these browser extensions are built on, and it’s been upgraded to Manifest V3 – a change long in the works, and one that has already come into play for Chrome (by which I mean the release version of Google’s browser, not just test builds).
However, what appears to have happened here is because Edge is built on Chromium – the same engine as Google Chrome – the change has been piped through automatically somehow.
In other words, Microsoft didn’t mean to enact this, and the move will (presumably) be corrected soon enough.
It’s worth noting that even in this (seemingly errant) form in testing, only extensions grabbed from the Chrome web store are affected, and not the official add-ons from the Edge store.
(Image credit: Butsaya / Shutterstock)
Analysis: A big shift for all Chromium browsers (albeit with some Brave resistance)
All that said, we don’t know for sure if this is what has actually gone on here – Leopeva64 says they ‘think’ this is the case, and that does seem likely.
Mainly because Microsoft has a schedule for migrating from Manifest V2 to V3 extensions with Edge, and currently, as Neowin flagged up, there is no firm date for ditching the older V2 add-ons – the timeframe remains marked as TBD (To Be Determined). That’s both in terms of dumping these V2 extensions for consumers and businesses (the latter will happen later).
But there is a schedule, and this V2 to V3 migration is happening, make no mistake, which will mean that the traditional version of uBlock Origin – which is the extension most folks are bothered about in terms of losing support – will be given the elbow from Edge eventually. It’s just that it probably won’t be for quite some time yet.
Indeed, in its support document on the timeframes involved, Microsoft notes: “The Microsoft Edge team is currently in the process of updating this MV3 migration timeline.” So, we may hear more on the exact schedule soon enough, perhaps.
All web browsers built on Chromium will eventually be affected by the change Google has instigated here, although some developers are going to try and swerve around it as best they can.
For example, the maker of the Brave browser, another from the Chromium stable, has said it will apply patches to try and keep certain popular V2 extensions alive even after support is fully yanked by Google (and that includes uBlock Origin). Although that’s going to be implemented on a ‘best-effort’ basis and there are no guarantees made.
On a final note, it’s also worth remembering that there’s already a V3 version of uBlock Origin in place, but it’s a ‘lite’ take on the ad blocker, because with V3 it simply isn’t possible to offer the same capabilities.
Google’s big switchover to V3 is being made to get what the company argues is better security and performance for browser extensions over V2, but not everyone agrees with this line of thinking, to put it mildly.
The company urges users to move over to Microsoft Teams instead
Skype has been in steep decline since 2020
Microsoft has confirmed that Skype, the iconic video conferencing program, will shut down in May 2025. That means you've only got three months left to swap over - if you haven't already jumped ship already.
As reported by XDA Developers, a hidden message inside the HMTL code for the Skype for Windows program reads: "Starting in May, Skype will no longer be available. Continue your calls and chats in Teams." The statement is definitive, capping off the program's two-decade-long run by saying: "Move to Teams today" and "{userCount} of your friends have already moved to Teams".
Since its launch in 2003, Skype has been the de facto way of messaging, video conferencing, and audio calls across computers, later adopting mobile platforms, too. It was purchased by Microsoft in 2011, replacing some of the company's services for Skype, such as Windows Live Messenger and others. The program was later attempted to be integrated directly into Windows in 2015, a plan that was never fully realized.
However, Skype ran the risk of being cannibalized alongside Microsoft Teams, the company's newest communications venture, which debuted in 2017. Since its release, Teams has been heavily promoted by the company as the new way to communicate casually and professionally, with a lighter user interface and seamless integration between devices. As a consequence, Skype for Business was officially retired in 2021 after Microsoft announced it would be sunsetting the service in 2019.
The final nail in the coffin for Skype was its steep decline that happened during 2020. Despite a rebrand and a facelift from Microsoft, the Zoom alternative saw its numbers slipping significantly from the most popular conferencing program a decade prior, to only around 36 million monthly users, a decrease of 75% percent. While these numbers sound impressive, that's before realizing that Microsoft Teams was averaging anywhere from 250 to 300 million users a month from 2020 onwards and has remained steady since (via CNBC).
The end of Skype has finally arrived
The news of Skype's closure should not be surprising for many, as the bulk of its users had already long since transitioned to a newer (and likely faster) alternative that could do more. Skype was primarily billed around one-on-one communication, which is now something we've been able to do through Apple's FaceTime, WhatsApp, Discord, Facebook Messenger, and dozens of other programs for desktops and smartphones for a while now. Skype simply has not been needed for a long time, especially once the cracks in its functionality began to show.
Microsoft purchased Skype for $8.5 billion in cash with a 300% markup from its original valuation in 2007, when eBay purchased the program for $2.6 billion back in 2007. The service was thought of as the next big thing, which was later integrated into the company's ill-fated Windows phones and was even (briefly) a mandatory part of Windows 10. However, 2011 was a lifetime ago in the age of social media, where so much has arrived to replace it.
For all its faults, Microsoft Teams is a frontrunner for professional business use alongside the likes of Zoom and Google Meet. If you're having a video meeting in 2025, it's almost a certainty that you'll be using one of these three instead of booting up Skype, which feels primitive by comparison. Retirement for the program was a long time coming, and frankly, it's surprising that it even lasted this long in the first place.
Apple's bolstering its parental controls and child account experience
Later in 2025, global age ratings will be expanded, and you can convert any standard account to a child account
There is also a new API designed to help customize the in-app experience by age
Apple has long offered parental controls on devices and child accounts but is now making some changes to bolster its offering and make it a safer experience for all parties involved. Some of these adjustments are on the end user's side, such as creating a child account and App Store adjustments, but several are on the developer's side, in the form of API changes.
The new features and functionality were shared in a new whitepaper titled “Helping Protect Kids Online,” which you can read in full here. The changes begin with streamlining the process of creating a child account. As seen in the latest betas for iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, Apple now allows you to select an age range when creating an account; once selected, this information informs the presets for parental controls.
Of course, creating the account adds your child as a user and allows for family sharing of iCloud services and purchases within the App Store. However, to streamline the process, you can still give the child access to the new device with more limited functionality if you want to complete the rest of the account setup later.
(Image credit: Future)
Likely even more important, and good news for some, is that later in 2025, Apple will let you update the age on an Apple Account. This way, if you input the wrong date of birth, you can adjust it. Apple requires that kids under 13 have a Child Account associated with a parental Apple ID in the United States. Those under 18 can choose to be set up this way for these advanced protections, and some presets.
The App Store experience currently offers four age ratings worldwide, two of them being 12+ and 17+. Apple aims to create a more curated, safe experience and will expand the global age ratings later this year. This will bring Apple's age ratings closer to those of Google and its Play Store, which already offer age-based ratings in several categories depending on region.
Apple's expansion is a bit more focused and standard across all regions, with four new categories targeting specific age groups.
4+, which means no objectionable content is in the app.
9+, meaning the app might have content unsuitable for children under nine. It’s described in the paper as “infrequent or mild cartoon or fantasy violence, profanity or crude humor, or mature, suggestive, or horror- or fear-themed content.”
13+, which is described as potentially featuring: “infrequent or mild medical or treatment-focused content, references to alcohol, tobacco, or drug use, sexual content or nudity, realistic violence, or simulated gambling; or frequent or intense contests, profanity or crude humor, horror or fear-themed content, or cartoon or fantasy violence.
16+, described as “including through unrestricted web access, frequent or intense mature or suggestive content, or medical or treatment-focused content.”
19+, “including through instances of gambling, frequent or intense simulated gambling, references to alcohol, tobacco, or drug use, sexual content or nudity, or realistic violence.”
These will be the minimum age recommended for the app. This should allow developers to more accurately determine the age rating for the experience they are creating, and parents might find it easier to decide if it's safe to download. If a parent has turned on parental controls for app downloads, the App Store will only serve up age-appropriate apps when this arrives later in 2025.
It comes at a time when, in the United States, on both a state and federal level, there is debate about who should be in charge of age verification for using apps, either the store – i.e. Apple's App Store – or the developers themselves. It's packaged within larger conversations around child protection laws pertaining to digital experiences and connected devices.
Apple believes a per-app level is better for age verification and reducing data sharing overall. That's where the forthcoming Declared Age Range API will come into play. Rather than asking a user to input a date of birth, the developer can opt into the API. If approved via a pop-up in the app, the app will pull the age range from the user's Apple Account.
It's very much in line with how other apps request to use things like the camera or microphone and even to enroll you in notifications for the app. Apple's stance here is to reduce a user potentially oversharing while still ensuring a safe experience; seemingly, the per-app level approach is a better way to do this.
The company also says in the paper that it's similar to purchasing alcohol at a store in a mall, "After all, we ask merchants who sell alcohol in a mall to verify a buyer’s age by checking IDs – we don’t ask everyone to turn their date of birth over to the mall if they just want to go to the food court."
Apple's approach is at odds with other companies and even legislators, who think the enforcement and verification should be handled by where you get the app. The information is there because Apple does ask for the age range for creating an Apple Account, and one is required for a user under 13. From a privacy perspective, Apple isn't just handing that information over but wants to use it securely through this API.
Apple’s approach to age verification is arguably better from a privacy perspective for all, but requires active parental involvement.
Avi Greengart, Techsponental
Avi Greengart, founder of Techsponental, wrote in a statement to TechRadar, "Apple is trying to thread the needle between forcing everyone to share data that proves their age and giving parents the ability to protect their children from content that’s inappropriate for them. Apple’s approach to age verification is arguably better from a privacy perspective for all, but requires active parental involvement. It also doesn’t – and perhaps can’t – address the responsibility of social media apps to police their algorithms to prevent harm to minors."
The approach here with the Declared Age Range API likely ties back to Apple's further bolstering of Child Accounts, making them easier to create and control and linking them up to make using devices like iPads and iPhones and the services on them safer.
We're already seeing some of these changes, like the new Age Range selection for creating a child account. However, the updated age ratings for apps, the ability to adjust an account's age, and the new API will all arrive before the end of 2025.
Ultimately, time will tell who is responsible for age verification. Still, it's excellent to see Apple making it easier to create child accounts that offer a bit more protection and safeguards. The full paper released by Apple can be viewed here.
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, February 27 (game #361).
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 #362) - hint #1 - today's theme
What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?
• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Nautical ink
NYT Strands today (game #362) - hint #2 - clue words
Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
MAID
LOSER
PART
SOLD
WEST
CARP
NYT Strands today (game #362) - hint #3 - spangram
What is a hint for today's spangram?
• Seafaring body art
NYT Strands today (game #362) - hint #4 - spangram position
What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?
First side: left, 4th 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 #362) - the answers
(Image credit: New York Times)
The answers to today's Strands, game #362, are…
EAGLE
SHIP
SWALLOW
ANCHOR
MERMAID
COMPASS
SPANGRAM: SAILOR TATTOO
My rating: Easy
My score: Perfect
The SAILOR TATTOO made an appearance in Connections recently, so I was well-versed in what I was looking for here.
The subjects that made it to today’s puzzle are among the most popular, but there’s lots of traditional ones that didn’t make the cut – among them is the superstition that having a pig tattooed on your left foot and a chicken on the right would ward off being the victim of a shipwreck.
Over time, the meaning of some of these symbols has been lost or unappreciated by non-sailors. A single SWALLOW, for example, was inked on a seafarer after they had travelled 5,000 nautical miles from home, two were awarded after reaching 10,000.
Maybe tattooists could come up with some similar reward-based tattoos for us land lovers – a tattoo of a cardboard box after 2,000 Amazon deliveries? 100 editions of Strands without a Hint.
How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.
Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday, 27 February, game #361)
FOOT
BIRD
BREAK
SPENDER
CHEESE
LEAGUES
PICTURE
SPANGRAM: BIG STUFF
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.
A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Wednesday, February 26 (game #1129).
Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.
Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.
Quordle today (game #1130) - 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 #1130) - 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 1.
Quordle today (game #1130) - 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?
• T
• C
• E
• G
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
Quordle today (game #1130) - the answers
(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)
The answers to today's Quordle, game #1130, are…
THIEF
CHAIR
ETHER
GRIME
My start words gave me the ideal situation of a column with all five letters. Perhaps the real dream situation would be having them all green, but then you wouldn’t have the joy of a quick untangle to find the correct word – in this case GRIME.
For my second correct guess, I already had the letters I-H-R-A, which made sense forming H-A-I-R and there is only one letter that could fit at the front.
How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.
Daily Sequence today (game #1130) - the answers
(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)
The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1130, are…
BREAK
SUING
SALTY
PETTY
Quordle answers: The past 20
Quordle #1129, Wednesday 26 February: LOVER, SPIED, VAPOR, METER
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, February 26 (game #360).
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 #361) - hint #1 - today's theme
What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?
• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Living large
NYT Strands today (game #361) - hint #2 - clue words
Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
GUSH
RUSH
NEST
SUGAR
BRIDE
BLAG
NYT Strands today (game #361) - hint #3 - spangram
What is a hint for today's spangram?
• Great things
NYT Strands today (game #361) - hint #4 - spangram position
What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?
First side: bottom, 4th column
Last side: top, 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 #361) - the answers
(Image credit: New York Times)
The answers to today's Strands, game #361, are…
FOOT
BIRD
BREAK
SPENDER
CHEESE
LEAGUES
PICTURE
SPANGRAM: BIG STUFF
My rating: Moderate
My score: 1 hint
I had a Connections-like experience of not exactly knowing what I was looking for with today’s puzzle. The answer only came into focus after I got SPENDER and, of course, Shirley Bassey’s classic Hey Big Spender came to mind.
My favorite of all the BIG STUFF is CHEESE – and not just because cheese is one of humanity’s greatest culinary creations. Big Cheese is also a lovely way to describe a boss. It’s disarming and charming, but also complimentary (you’re not just a cheese, you’re a big cheese). Had this been an actual job title I may have been more ambitious during my career – being a manager always sounded like hard work and dull, being a big cheese sounds fun and aspirational and maybe you could get there just by being fabulously cheesy rather than stomping on all the little cheese on your way to the top.
Anyway, I digress… apologies. A lovely puzzle, big thanks to the big cheeses at the big Strands office for making it happen.
How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.
Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, 26 February, game #360)
CHALLENGE
JURY
MERGE
REWARD
ALLIANCE
IMMUNITY
SPANGRAM: SURVIVOR
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.
Adobe has launched a powerful new Photoshop app for iPhones
The free app also has a paid tier that unlocks tools like Content-Aware Fill
An Android version is coming "later this year"
Adobe is no stranger to launching Photoshop apps, but it has just launched its most powerful one so far for iPhones – and it's the closest thing we've seen to the desktop experience on smartphones.
The new Photoshop iPhone app, which you can download today for free (with paid upgrades), combines desktop-style tools like layers and masking with Firefly AI image generation. An Android version of the app is coming "later this year".
While Adobe Express will continue to be the company's main Canva rival on smartphones, there is some crossover with the new Photoshop app. Rather than replacing the desktop app, it's been designed to help turn your images into podcast cover art, personalized posters or whatever else you need to look like a creative wizard on social media.
In this sense, the new Photoshop app takes the baton from recently-retired apps like Photoshop Fix and Photoshop Mix, alongside the current Photoshop Express. But it does also go a bit further than those apps, offering some of the advanced tools that are the hallmark of the full-fat desktop app for free.
Alongside layers and masks, the free version offers the Spot Healing Brush, a Tap Select tool to edit specific parts of an image, and lets you dabble with Adobe Firefly tricks like Generative Fill and Generative Expand. If you don't want to use your own photos, you can also start with the free Adobe Stock assets instead.
If those tools aren't enough for you – as Adobe no doubt hopes – then the new Photoshop Mobile and Web Plan ($7.99 p/month, or $69.99 annually) will unlock more powerful tricks, plus access to the browser-based version of the app. We don't yet have international pricing for that plan, but it converts to around £7 / £13 per month or £55 / AU$110 annually.
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(Image credit: Adobe)
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(Image credit: Adobe)
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(Image credit: Adobe)
With that paid plan, you get handy tools like Magic Wand, Object Select and the classic Clone Stamp (which was in the very first version of Photoshop). You'll also unlock extra Firefly tools like 'Generate Similar' to make is super-easy to whip up some fun visuals.
If you already subscribe to Photoshop with Creative Cloud, you'll now get access to this new mobile Photoshop app (alongside Photoshop on iPad and Photoshop on the web). We're looking forward to taking it for a spin soon.
Analysis: Photoshop's biggest smartphone push, but is it too late?
(Image credit: Adobe)
Photoshop recently celebrated its 35th birthday – and with its competition hotter than ever, the influential app is at something of a crossroads.
Adobe launched Photoshop for iPad way back in 2019, so it's about time we got a more powerful smartphone app. But its appeal will depend very much on what you're looking to do.
Rather than trying to cram the full version of Photoshop into a smartphone app, Adobe has created a powerful free alternative to the likes of Snapseed and Pixelmator. Naturally, it's also left out just enough tools to push you towards a (reasonably affordable) subscription.
From our brief first look, it looks like Adobe has successfully translated some of Photoshop's traditional complexity – built around 'layers' for a non-destructive editing process – into a more intuitive, touch-based experience for smartphones. Given the tools on offer, the discounted annual plan could in particular offer decent value.
This competition is good news for us, as it's forced Adobe to create the closest thing so far to a desktop-level Photoshop for our iPhones (and soon, our Android phones). Adobe no doubt also wants to get more people using its Firefly AI image generation, which it brands "commercially safe" because it was apparently trained on licensed content.
Whether that's successful remains to be seen, but for now we're looking forward to spending more time with the new Photoshop app to see how it compares to the best photo editors for smartphones.
Microsoft Edge just got a smart feature that a fair few people have been keenly awaiting for a long time now – the ability to control how much RAM the web browser gobbles up, with a useful side serving for gamers here, too.
These are controls to limit how much RAM that Edge uses (certainly not the only hardware resource in a computer, but a major part of the picture, particularly for a web browser when running a whole load of tabs).
The resource controls panel offers a slider that can be adjusted to make all of the system RAM on your PC available to Edge, or as little as 1GB.
You can also choose whether that limit applies all the time, or only when you’re playing a PC game. The latter option allows those keen on gaming to have Edge operating normally, with the full amount of RAM, when doing other tasks, but whenever a PC game is running, the browser’s allocation of system memory can be trimmed down considerably to help ensure games run a bit more smoothly.
It likely won’t be a world of difference for gamers, but every extra frame helps in terms of having a better gameplay experience. Google Chrome, take notes.
(Image credit: Wachiwit / Shutterstock)
Analysis: A definite Edge over Chrome
You might be thinking: why would I want to have Edge running while I’m gaming, anyway? Fair point, and closing the browser completely is obviously going to free up the maximum amount of memory resources for the PC game you’re playing.
However, there may be situations where you’re tackling a single-player game and get stuck, needing to consult a walkthrough. So, in that case, you might want Edge running in the background with the walkthrough open so you can Alt-Tab between the game and the tips. You’ll want a minimal impact on your gaming session, so you can turn Edge right down to use just a small amount of RAM.
Obviously, Edge can be limited in the general use of your computer, too, giving more of your RAM to the other apps you have running on your PC, but I’d be very careful about being too stingy with the memory allocation for Microsoft’s browser. Turning it down to the absolute minimum of 1GB of RAM (or near there) is likely to make Edge chug like a rusty old steamboat, especially if you have multiple tabs open.
My advice, then, is not to go too far to the left (minimum) side with that RAM slider, and start with a more middling setting to test the waters. As you might imagine, it’ll be a bit of trial-and-error as to exactly where might be best to position the slider for your particular system.
Overall, the new resource controls are a smart move to give Edge something extra over its big rival Chrome. Google’s browser does have performance alerts, along with a Memory Saver feature (which makes tabs that haven’t been used for a while inactive to save RAM), but this doesn’t provide anything like the same level of control as this fresh introduction for Edge.
I’ve got to say that I’m more tempted than ever to switch to Edge at this point. I do use Microsoft’s browser as a secondary option right now, here and there, but maybe it’s time to start thinking about adopting it as a primary candidate – or at least giving that a whirl for a time.
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 Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, February 24 (game #358).
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 #359) - hint #1 - today's theme
What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?
• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Life is like a box of chocolates
NYT Strands today (game #359) - hint #2 - clue words
Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
SONG
LONG
TRACT
ROSE
CALL
FEET
NYT Strands today (game #359) - hint #3 - spangram
What is a hint for today's spangram?
• Inside bonbons
NYT Strands today (game #359) - hint #4 - spangram position
What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?
First side: top, 3rd column
Last side: bottom, 4th column
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Strands today (game #359) - the answers
(Image credit: New York Times)
The answers to today's Strands, game #359, are…
CARAMEL
TRUFFLE
NOUGAT
LIQUEUR
TOFFEE
ALMONDS
SPANGRAM: FILLINGS
My rating: Moderate
My score: 1 hint
I love chocolate and will eat anything that’s covered in it – strawberries, dried chickpeas, coffee beans, ants. Basically, I’d eat my shoe if you poured some melted milk chocolate over it. However, chocolate TOFFEE is a crime against humanity.
I seriously do not know how anyone eats it.
My disgust, however, has nothing to do with taste; instead, it's the texture and specifically what damage it could inflict to my teeth – particularly my sad British teeth with all my many cheap NHS fillings (not to be confused with FILLINGS).
Anyway, a fun puzzle today that taught me how to spell LIQUEUR and which triggered some ant-toffee rage. Apologies.
How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.
Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, 24 February, game #358)
WADDLE
SKIP
MOSEY
STROLL
STRUT
SHUFFLE
TIP TOE
SPANGRAM: GET MOVING
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.
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 Monday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Monday, February 24 (game #1127).
Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.
Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.
Quordle today (game #1128) - 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 #1128) - 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 1.
Quordle today (game #1128) - 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?
• T
• T
• M
• C
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
Quordle today (game #1128) - the answers
(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)
The answers to today's Quordle, game #1128, are…
TWIST
TWEAK
MEANT
CLEAR
Today I decided to go with three start words again, but to tweak things use the results of the first two to influence the third. As I had three letter Es in the wrong position, I decided to go with a double-E word (WHEEL) for my third guess, which turned two of them green and set me on my way to glory.
Even with this headstart I still needed a little bit of luck to finish without errors, opting for CLEAR instead of CREAM, which would also have fit.
How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.
Daily Sequence today (game #1128) - the answers
(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)
The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1128, are…
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 Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, February 23 (game #1126).
Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.
Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.
Quordle today (game #1127) - 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 #1127) - 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 #1127) - 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?
• L
• L
• T
• C
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
Quordle today (game #1127) - the answers
(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)
The answers to today's Quordle, game #1127, are…
LEASH
LEVER
TOTEM
CREME
I was getting very cocky with my magical three-word starts, but got brought back down to earth today with a very poor display that’s led me to conclude that you still need luck as well as logic on your side to master Quordle.
If it was too easy it wouldn’t be fun, eh? Still, I did manage to solve it on the final guess, so it wasn't a total disaster.
How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.
Daily Sequence today (game #1127) - the answers
(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)
The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1127, are…
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, February 23 (game #357).
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 #358) - hint #1 - today's theme
What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?
• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Step to it
NYT Strands today (game #358) - hint #2 - clue words
Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
WADE
PUFF
TILE
LINE
MOLE
TROLL
NYT Strands today (game #358) - hint #3 - spangram
What is a hint for today's spangram?
• Walk this way
NYT Strands today (game #358) - hint #4 - spangram position
What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?
First side: right, 5th row
Last side: left, 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 #358) - the answers
(Image credit: New York Times)
The answers to today's Strands, game #358, are…
WADDLE
SKIP
MOSEY
STROLL
STRUT
SHUFFLE
TIP TOE
SPANGRAM: GET MOVING
My rating: Moderate
My score: 1 hint
I think it says a lot about my speed of travel that WADDLE was the first word I got in today’s puzzle.
It takes a certain kind of person to pull off a STRUT. In essence they have to have some “funky stuff” to strut, which is something I’ve never been in possession of. Hats off to you though if you do.
A MOSEY, on the other hand, is something everyone can do regardless of their legwear or athletic ability. In many ways it’s like a strut, except slower – much, much, slower. Those who mosey are in no particular hurry, they're gonna stop and look in windows for as long as they damn well please and are utterly free from the arrows of judgement. They may or may not have some “funky stuff”, but they are having far too much of a relaxing time to reveal it.
Anyway, I digress, what a pleasant STROLL of a Strands.
How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.
Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, 23 February, game #357)
STAMP
COIN
VINYL
COMIC
PLUSHIE
BOBBLEHEAD
SPANGRAM: COLLECTIBLES
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.
A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, February 22 (game #356).
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 #357) - hint #1 - today's theme
What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?
• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Oh, this old thing?
NYT Strands today (game #357) - hint #2 - clue words
Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
SHINE
LINE
COLT
COIL
MALE
TALL
NYT Strands today (game #357) - hint #3 - spangram
What is a hint for today's spangram?
• Available on eBay
NYT Strands today (game #357) - 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 #357) - the answers
(Image credit: New York Times)
The answers to today's Strands, game #357, are…
STAMP
COIN
VINYL
COMIC
PLUSHIE
BOBBLEHEAD
SPANGRAM: COLLECTIBLES
My rating: Easy
My score: Perfect
Today’s puzzle collates items that some may consider junk and that others treasure, depending on your collecting demeanor.
Personally, I’ve always veered on the side of treasure and although my loft is free of a single BOBBLEHEAD it contains plenty of everything else listed here, all of which will bail us out of crisis and pay the mortgage off one day.
Well, that’s the dream of everyone with COLLECTIBLES, but the brutal reality upon perusing eBay is that it is all close to worthless . Having said that, I did once sell a comic for $300. The fact that it’s now worth $1,000 further entrenches my position of holding on to everything.
How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.
Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, 22 February, game #356)
GRIDLOCK
BLOCKAGE
CONGESTION
OVERCROWDING
SPANGRAM: TRAFFIC JAM
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.
