Technologies

Octopath Traveler 0 Isn’t Just a Prequel, It’s a Whole New Approach

The next installment of the popular Nintendo Switch game lets you customize who the hero will be.

The Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase on Thursday showed trailers for some games already announced for the Nintendo Switch 2 and revealed a few new ones as well. The biggest of those debut games is the third game in the Octopath Traveler series, Octopath Traveler 0.

As the «0» implies, this game is a prequel to the first Octopath Traveler game, released on the original Switch in 2019. This turn-based RPG makes a big change to the series by allowing players to make their own protagonist instead of picking a character to play. As the hero, players will have to rebuild their hometown and fight powerful enemies with the help of more than 30 recruitable characters.

The Octopath Traveler series has a key feature of having eight playable characters. Each character starts from a different part of the world of Osterra and has their own unique job with abilities, and their story arc plays out and eventually meets up with the other heroes. Another trademark of the franchise is its HD-2D graphics and the Break and Boost battle system. In battles, players have their own Boost points that can be used to quickly Break a character, so they can become unable to fight or can be saved to unleash more damage on enemies who get broken during regular attacks. The result is surprisingly fast combat.

This new entry in the series isn’t the only prequel for the franchise. In 2022, Square Enix released a free-to-play gacha game for Android and iOS called Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent. That game was a prequel to the first Octopath game, so it’s unclear how Octopath Traveler 0 will fit into the timeline.

Octopath Traveler 0 will come out on Dec. 4 for the Switch and Switch 2.

Technologies

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 Might Come in 5G and 4G Cellular Models

If the rumor proves true, the 5G Galaxy Watch Ultra would rival the 5G-enabled $799 Apple Watch Ultra 3 that debuted last fall.

Samsung’s next high-end Galaxy Watch could support faster 5G speeds, but if this leak is true, it will depend on where you live. The rumored Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 might come in 5G and 4G cellular models, with availability for each smartwatch depending on the country.

According to the Dutch website Galaxy Club (and spotted by SamMobile), Samsung’s servers may have revealed a series of model numbers that point to 5G, 4G and Wi-Fi-enabled editions of the next Galaxy Watch Ultra, which would succeed the original model that debuted in 2024.

A representative for Samsung did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Galaxy Club website speculates that the 5G edition would be sold in the US and Korean markets, while the 4G edition would sell in the rest of the world. In the US, a 5G version of the Galaxy Watch Ultra would rival the 5G-enabled $799 Apple Watch Ultra 3, which debuted last fall. The 4G edition would have broader compatibility worldwide, since the earlier network is far more established.

It will likely be a few months until we hear anything official about the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. Samsung typically unveils its new watches in the summer alongside its Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip foldable phones. Last year, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Watch 8 and the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic, but otherwise left the prior 2024 Ultra in the lineup for those looking for a larger 47mm smartwatch.

Technologies

2 Cases Show Supreme Court Isn’t Holding ISPs Responsible for Piracy

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for April 8, #1032

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for April 8, No. 1032.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle is kind of tough. The purple category is a fun one, once you see the connection. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: In the group.

Green group hint: Appearance details.

Blue group hint: Often found in gyms.

Purple group hint: They help you see.