A blog about Technology, new invention and ways of looking.
A game being played on a smartphone.

Today's NYT Strands hints will be easy if you're a creative.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: A form of art

The words are related to art.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe creative mediums.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Sculpture.

NYT Strands word list for September 28

  • Soapstone

  • Glass

  • Marble

  • Sculpture

  • Wood

  • Clay

  • Bronze

  • Steel

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.



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A blog about Technology, new invention and ways of looking.
Wordle game on a smartphone

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're a tree hugger.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Stem.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

No, there are no recurring letters.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter S.

The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

TRUNK

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.



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A blog about Technology, new invention and ways of looking.
Claude AI Professional E-Degree

TL;DR: Learn how to get more out of Claude with the Claude AI Professional E-Degree, on sale for $14.97 (reg. $49) through Sept. 29.


Credit: Eduonix Learning Solutions

More companies are building their workflows around Claude, and Forbes reports it has become the enterprise favorite. That shift can feel like one more thing to keep up with, but it can also be an opening. Knowing how to get strong results from Claude could make you the go-to person on your team when questions come up, and this four-course bundle can help guide you there for $14.97 (reg. $49). That breaks down to less than $4 per course.

The courses come from Eduonix Learning Solutions, a team of industry professionals who teach technology the way it’s used on the job. You get over 8 hours of video lessons that start with the basics and progress to more advanced material. It fits whether you’ve only asked Claude a handful of questions or already use it every day.

Here’s what the lessons cover

  • Writing more effective prompts and building chain-of-thought workflows

  • AI-assisted coding and debugging techniques

  • Connecting Claude with Gmail, Google Drive, Calendar, Chrome, and MCP connectors

  • Hands-on projects for marketing workflows, AI websites, and automated systems

The project work is where you turn your learning into action. Instead of watching someone else use the tool, you’ll build things that mirror the tasks you’d actually hand off to Claude at work. Quizzes along the way show you what’s sticking, and you’ll earn a professional eDegree certification when you finish.

It’s a great low-effort way for developers, freelancers, creators, and entrepreneurs who want to move beyond basic chats and into AI use that saves real time. The material is split into four modules so that you can take them one at a time.

Get the Claude AI Professional E-Degree for $14.97 (reg. $49) through Sept. 29.

StackSocial prices subject to change.



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A blog about Technology, new invention and ways of looking.
In this photo illustration, the Instagram logo is seen displayed on a smartphone screen.

First came the hand across the dinner table. Then the second drink, the carefully cropped shoulder, and the suspiciously tall shadow. Now Instagram has a new way to hint that you’re seeing someone.

The platform’s new Pixel effect lets you blur a person or object in a Story by describing what you want pixelated in a text prompt. In a post showing off the effect, Instagram leaned into its dating potential: "Soft launching? We got you."

If you’re unfamiliar with the ritual, a soft launch lets your followers know there’s a new person in your life without telling them exactly who it is. You might post their hand or the back of their head. Pixel takes that idea a step further: Everyone can see that your date is in the photo, but their identity remains a mystery.

And there’s an audience for that kind of reveal. Tinder data reported by Mashable in 2023 found that 26 percent of UK 18- to 34-year-olds would rather gradually reveal a new partner online, compared with 8 percent who preferred a big announcement. In a recent Tinder survey, 46 percent of single Gen Z social media users in the U.S. said they soft-launch relationships, while 37 percent said they hard-launch them.

Of course, blurring a date is its own kind of announcement, and people have thoughts about what it might feel like to be on the other side of it. In an r/popculturechat thread about the feature, one commenter asked whether a pixelated partner was in "witness protection." Another summed up the appeal, or lack of it, as "For when you want to share pictures but not really." Someone else could already see the argument coming: "Fights about why someone blurred the other happening in 3..2..1."

There’s another option, too: Keep the relationship off Instagram. In a 2024 survey of 1,000 Gen Z and millennial adults, 45 percent said they didn’t share their relationships online or didn’t use social media. The same survey found that respecting their own or their partner’s privacy was the top reason respondents gave for soft launching. For some couples, a partial reveal feels like a comfortable middle ground. For others, it might be more attention than they want.

Pixel also has uses unrelated to dating. You could blur a child’s face in a family photo or obscure a stranger who ended up in the background. "This makes most sense for background people in your picture who didn’t consent to being in a picture posted online," one Reddit commenter wrote.

That concern lands amid other questions about how Meta handles people’s images. In July, the company briefly let users reference public Instagram accounts in AI-generated images, then removed the feature after criticism. Its camera-equipped smart glasses have also raised concerns about bystanders being recorded without their knowledge. Now, Pixel gives someone posting a Story a way to blur a person first.

As for dating, Pixel makes the soft launch easier to pull off — though it doesn’t tell you how your date will feel about it. That may be a conversation to have before the Story goes up.



from Mashable https://ift.tt/10LQSjN
A blog about Technology, new invention and ways of looking.
A game being played on a smartphone.

Today's NYT Strands hints will be easy if you're forever young.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: It's skin deep

The words are related to skin.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe skin products.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Beauty Care

NYT Strands word list for September 27

  • Sunscreen

  • Beauty Care

  • Serum

  • Toner

  • Cleanser

  • Moisturizer

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.



from Mashable https://ift.tt/gGB1fPc
A blog about Technology, new invention and ways of looking.
Wordle game on a smartphone

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you love to set sail.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A boat with only one mast.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

Yes, the letter O appears twice.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter S.

The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

SLOOP

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.



from Mashable https://ift.tt/Siqxye6
A blog about Technology, new invention and ways of looking.
Surfshark VPN Starter Plan: 3-Yr Subscription

TL;DR: Improve your cybersecurity with just a few taps with this threre-year subscription to Surfshark VPN Starter Plan, on sale now for just $67.19 (reg. $430) with code SAVE20 until Sept. 30.


The office isn’t always an actual office these days. From taking meetings at a coffee shop to tackling things at a coworking space or signing on from an airport lounge, work happens wherever life takes you. But if you’re signing on to public WiFi, you probably don’t realize how important it is for your connection to be secure.

SurfShark VPN makes it easy to keep your data secure and your activities private. And right now, you can lock in a three-year subscription for just $67.19 with code SAVE20 until Sept. 30.

The scary thing about cybercrime is that you don’t have any warning. So when you sign on to public WiFi, you have no idea if your data is compromised or if you’re being tracked. Surfshark VPN serves as a great first line of defense, keeping you safer online wherever you go.

Surfshark VPN provides military-grade AES-256 encryption that protects your data and your online location to help prevent you from being tracked. A no-logging privacy policy takes things one step further, as the company itself doesn’t keep any tabs on your activity.

Not only does the VPN keep you safe from hackers, but it also lets you bypass geographical restrictions and watch content freely. Choose from over 3,200 servers worldwide across 100 countries. Need to share your real location on a certain app? A bypass feature makes that easy when needed.

This VPN gives you an added perk of access to Surfshark Search, a search engine that keeps your searches private and provides unbiased, organic search results. There’s also a kill switch that disables your internet connection at the system level if your VPN drops.

Secure this three-year subscription to Surfshark VPN Starter Plan for just $67.19 with code SAVE20 now through Sept. 30.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.



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