Technologies

How to Join the Diablo 4 Beta

Time to head back to Hell.

Diablo 4, the latest installment of the popular dungeon crawler, comes out in June, but players can try out some of the game in beta before its full release.

The Diablo 4 open beta and early access beta started Friday. Developer Blizzard Entertainment says the beta will focus on the early parts of the campaign covering the prologue and Act 1, which takes place in the Fractured Peaks zone. Players will be able to max their characters to level 25, but can still play the beta throughout the weekend beyond that.

When does the Diablo 4 beta start?

The early access beta started on Friday at 9 a.m. PT (12 p.m. ET) and will last until Monday, March 20, at 12 p.m. PT. This weekend is only for those who received a beta code.

An open beta available to everyone will start next Friday, March 24, at 9 a.m. PT and ends on March 27 at 12 p.m. PT.

How do I get a Diablo 4 beta code?

Those interested can receive a code for the beta by preordering a copy of Diablo 4. KFC is also offering beta codes with the purchase of a Double Down.

Preorder Diablo 4

$70 at Target

What systems can I play the Diablo 4 beta on?

The beta is playable on the same systems the game will be released on: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X and S.

What are the PC requirements for the Diablo 4 beta?

The minimum requirements are:

Operating system: 64-bit Windows 10
Processor: Intel Core i5-2500K or AMD FX-8100
Memory: 8GB RAM
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 or AMD Radeon R9 280
Storage: Solid-state drive with 45GB available space

Blizzard recommends the following specs:

Operating system: 64-bit Windows 10
Processor: Intel Core i5-4670K or AMD R3-1300X
Memory: 16GB RAM
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 or AMD Radeon RX 470
Storage: SSD with 45GB available space

What classes are available in the Diablo 4 beta?

The early access beta will offer the Rogue, Barbarian and Sorcerer classes. The open beta will unlock the other two classes, the Druid and Necromancer.

Will my Diablo 4 beta progress transfer over?

Beta testers in the early access weekend can carry over their progress to the open beta weekend, but no progress from the betas will transfer to the final game.

What content will be available in the Diablo 4 beta?

As well as the prologue and Act 1, a World Boss, Ashava, will be available to check out during both weekends. The boss will appear in the early access beta on March 18 at 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 10 p.m. and 12 a.m. PT on March 19. During the open beta, Ashava will appear on March 25 at the same times.

What is the story for Diablo 4?

Diablo 4 is the newest entry in the legendary dungeon-crawling action RPG. Players will fight against the horde of monsters controlled by Lilith, the daughter of Mephisto, one of the Great Evils, and called the «mother» of Sanctuary, the world in which the Diablo series takes place.

Technologies

This 3-in-1 Charger Is a Must-Have for Travelers, and It Just Hit a Record-Low of $95

Snag it for $45 off and charge your iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch at the same time.

If you’re a frequent traveler, then you know that outlets are a precious commodity in places like airports and coffee shops. So why waste one on a single device when you can charge up to three at once? Right now, you can grab this seriously sleek Ugreen Magflow three-in-one foldable charger for just $95 at Amazon. That’s a $45 discount and the all-time lowest price we’ve seen. Just don’t wait too long, as this deal could expire at any time.

At just 7.4 ounces, this compact charging station is designed to be taken on the go. But despite its size, it still supports 25-watt MagSafe charging for iPhones, as well as 5-watt wireless charging for AirPods and Apple Watches. The charging stand also tilts up to double as a stand, and it’s equipped with 16 magnets to keep your phone aligned and securely in place. Plus, it’s got built-in protections against overheating, overcharging, short-circuiting and more to prevent damage to your devices.

Why this deal matters

This folding Ugreen charger is great for juicing up your devices on the go, and it’s never been more affordable. Plus, Ugreen makes some of the best MagSafe chargers on the market right now, so don’t miss your chance to grab one at a record-low price.

Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for Jan. 13, #1669

Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle for Jan. 13, No. 1,669.

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

Today’s Wordle puzzle is a little tricky, and it might make you hungry. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.

Today’s Wordle hints

Before we show you today’s Wordle answer, we’ll give you some hints. If you don’t want a spoiler, look away now.

Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats

Today’s Wordle answer has no repeated letters.

Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels

Today’s Wordle answer has two vowels.

Wordle hint No. 3: First letter

Today’s Wordle answer begins with G.

Wordle hint No. 4: Last letter

Today’s Wordle answer ends with O.

Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning

Today’s Wordle answer can refer to a spicy Cajun stew popular in New Orleans.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Today’s Wordle answer is GUMBO.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, Jan. 12, No. 1,668 was TRIAL.

Recent Wordle answers

Jan. 8, No. 1,664: BLAST

Jan. 9, No. 1,665: EIGHT

Jan. 10, No. 1,666: MANIC

Jan. 11, No. 1,667: QUARK

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

What’s the best Wordle starting word?

Don’t be afraid to use our tip sheet ranking all the letters in the alphabet by frequency of uses. In short, you want starter words that lean heavy on E, A and R, and don’t contain Z, J and Q.

Some solid starter words to try:

ADIEU

TRAIN

STARE

NOISE

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Jan. 13 #681

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Jan. 13, No. 681.

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

It took me a while to figure out the theme for today’s NYT Strands puzzle, but once I did, I thought it was a fun one. Some of the answers are difficult to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: You need to chill

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Brrrr!

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

GONE, ABLE, TABLE, FOOD, TEEN, LEAF, GOOF, GOOD, SAFE

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers: