Connect with us

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for April 22, #415

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle No. 415 for April 22. They might make you hungry.

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.


Today’s NYT Strands puzzle threw me off at first, when I realized it wasn’t just beverage options. But the connection is pretty easy to see once you get going. 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: Counter offers

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Take a break.

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:

  • SHAD, HADS, CAME, HEAP, FESS, PRESS, ROSE, ROSES, DAME, MADE, PATS, PAST.

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’ve got 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:

  • CHAI, SOUP, SANDWICHES, ESPRESSO, JUICES, PASTRIES

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is CAFEMENUTo find it, start with the C that’s four letters down on the far left, and wind across.

Toughest Strands puzzles

Here are some of the Strands topics I’ve found to be the toughest in recent weeks.

#1: Dated slang, Jan. 21. Maybe you didn’t even use this lingo when it was cool. Toughest word: PHAT.

#2: Thar she blows! Jan.15. I guess marine biologists might ace this one. Toughest word: BALEEN or RIGHT. 

#3: Off the hook, Jan. 9. Similar to the Jan. 15 puzzle in that it helps to know a lot about sea creatures. Sorry, Charlie. Toughest word: BIGEYE or SKIPJACK

Technologies

Google’s New Nudity Warnings in Messages Will Warn You of Incoming Explicit Images

Google said the process happens entirely on device, and that it does not have access to any image contents.

Google is beginning to roll out sensitive content warnings designed to give Google Messages users more control over viewing and sharing images that may contain nudity. The safety feature, which was announced last year, will automatically blur images suspected of containing nudity before they’re viewed. 

You’ll see a «speed bump» notification, where you have to stop and choose an option before opening a message, including learning why explicit images can be harmful, getting the chance to block the number immediately, getting the option to click Back or choosing the ability to view the image. It will also remind you of the potential risks of sharing explicit content and help prevent accidental sends.

Google said this process happens entirely on your phone to maintain privacy and ensure end-to-end encrypted messages remain accessible only to the sender and recipient. The company also clarified that it does not have access to image contents, will not know whether nudity actually has been detected and does not send identifiable data to its servers.

In a post on its website, the company acknowledged that the feature «isn’t perfect,» noting: «It may occasionally detect images that don’t contain nudity or not detect images that contain nudity.»

The feature is opt-in for adults via Android settings and enabled by default (opt-out) for users under 18. It will roll out to Android 9 and above, including Android Go devices, with Google Messages.

Continue Reading

Technologies

Find Out an Airbnb’s Price Before You Book, Even the Sneaky Fees

Say goodbye to surprise cleaning charges as Airbnb complies with an FTC rule requiring full price disclosure.

You’ll now be able to see the full cost of your Airbnb as you browse, including any sneaky cleaning and service fees. The short-term rental company announced it now automatically shows the total cost of a rental before taxes. 

The change comes ahead of a US Federal Trade Commission rule banning hidden fees, which is set to go into effect on May 12. Hotels and booking sites like Expedia will also be subject to the new rule, which called out «bait-and-switch pricing» for mandatory charges like resort fees.

Airbnb users in the US could turn on the «total price display» option manually for the past two years, but now you’ll see the full price by default. 

«With the global rollout of total price display, we’re making it easier for guests to better understand the price they’ll pay, and for hosts to succeed in a more transparent marketplace,» Airbnb said in the press release. The company declined the opportunity to comment further.

Airbnb has faced criticism over the years for advertising one price, then tacking on extra fees for cleaning and more during the checkout process. Transparent pricing allows you to compare prices more easily, so you don’t get the unpleasant surprise that your $150 deal suddenly increased to $225 because of «host fees.»    

The company also announced it’s adding tools to uncover more discounts, like adding extra nights to reduce the total cost of a stay.

If you’re planning now for summer travel, we have tips to help you save on the rest of your trip, too, including the best time to book flights and how to use AI to save for a vacation.

«One of our main tips is travel on Tuesdays/Wednesdays. Those days tend to be cheaper for flights and hotels versus weekends,» Aixa Diaz, a media relations spokesperson for AAA, said in an email.

Continue Reading

Technologies

Yes, GameStop Really Is Offering $420.69 for Xbox Series X Trade-Ins

You get 85% of the Xbox Series X’s regular retail price when you trade it in at GameStop — which almost covers the price of the new Nintendo Switch 2.

With the Nintendo Switch 2 now official, many gamers are likely eyeing up the new handheld console. But if you’re moving over to the newest Switch, it might be worth trading in your old console first. If you trade in an Xbox Series X to GameStop, this deal will see you get $420.69 of store credit. Nice. That’s almost enough to completely cover the price of a new Switch 2, which you can preorder one from GameStop. Of course, you can spend the trade-in credit on anything else that GameStop sells as well.

To get this extra trade-in credit, you’ll need to go to a physical store to trade-in your console. You also need to be a GameStop Pro member in order to get the higher trade-in rate. If you purchase a membership online before you head to the store, you can save $5 on the $25 annual membership — so you’ll pay $20. While GameStop launched this trade-in deal as a half-joke for 4/20, it is valid until April 26.

Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money.   

The Xbox Series X is one of the best gaming consoles that you can buy. CNET expert Dan Ackerman praised the console in his review for its high resolution, easy set-up, and wider gaming ecosystem. Thanks to the Game Pass offering, it has some of the best games around and there are more arriving all the time. If you’d like to pick up a couple more accessories, like a controller or extra storage, check out our roundup of great Xbox deals.

Why this deal matters

With the launch of the new Nintendo Switch 2, many gamers might be looking to get rid of their old console. This extra trade-in credit is a great opportunity to get the latest Nintendo handheld almost for free. It’s also worth noting that with game console prices potentially increasing in the near future thanks to tariffs, trading in now could be a better value-for-money choice.

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © Verum World Media