Technologies
7 Windows 11 Settings to Change Right Away
Change these seven settings to optimize your computer.

Windows 11 has a ton to offer, and since its launch in October of 2021, the operating system has been gradually adding even more features aimed at making your computer a little bit better. However, not all of Microsoft’s default Windows 11 settings are winners. Some settings that come preset on your device are lackluster, and in certain cases they can even undermine your PC accessories. So the next time you start up for work, or before your next gaming session, look for these settings and adjust them as needed.
Enable dark mode
The option to change between light mode and dark mode in Windows 11 isn’t in the most obvious place. Instead of being filed under display options, it can be found under Settings > Personalization > Colors. There, you can choose light mode, dark mode, or use different settings for Windows vs. apps. You can also set transparency effects and accent colors in this menu.
Default browser
Not a fan of Microsoft Edge? You can change Windows 11 to use whatever browser you prefer. Go to Settings > Apps and look for the browser you’d like to use. Then just click ‘Set default’ in the top-right corner, and Windows will automatically use that browser when opening links from other apps. You also have the ability to customize by file type if, say, you want PDF files to open in a different browser.
Manage updates settings
Keeping your computer updated is important for security, as Windows updates often include patches to prevent security exploits. Still, unexpected updates can be annoying, especially if your computer forces a restart. To take more control of your Windows 11 updates, go to Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options. From this menu, you can set your active hours (so your device won’t restart while you’re doing things) or ask Windows to give you a 15-minute heads-up before automatically restarting to apply updates.
Change startup apps
There’s no annoyance quite like getting a new device but feeling like it’s sluggish as soon as you turn it on. Most of the time, the culprit is too many startup apps. The more apps your device launches on startup, the more resources it drains. To save on resources and make things a bit snappier, go to Settings > Apps > Startup and turn off everything you don’t need immediately after turning on your computer. (I recommend turning off OneDrive, as that consistently slowed down my PC.) You can always open these apps when you’re ready to use them, and if there’s something you typically do first thing after booting up, you can always enable it to save you the step of opening it manually.
Refresh rate
Don’t let your fancy new monitor go to waste because you’re using the wrong refresh rate. Windows 11 defaults to a low refresh rate, likely to save power, but this default means you’re not getting the most value out of your monitor. Go to Settings > System > Display > Advanced display and look for your display. There will be a dropdown menu labeled Choose a refresh rate and pick the highest option your monitor can support. You can choose a lower setting if, say, your device can’t quite match your refresh rate while gaming, but if you play any shooters, you’re going to want that refresh rate to be as high as possible.
Sound quality
As with refresh rate, your default sound settings could be holding back your accessories. To check, go to System > Sound > Properties and choose the sound device you’re using. Then under Output settings, make sure the Format option dropdown uses the highest available setting. This will ensure you’re getting the maximum audio quality. If you’re using a headset for three-dimensional audio, make sure the spatial sound setting is turned on (Windows Sonic for Headphones).
Privacy settings
Some of the default privacy settings in Windows 11 give Microsoft ways to sneak advertisements into your experience. Fortunately, you can disable those avenues in settings. Go to Settings > Privacy & security > General and toggle off any of the options you don’t like. (I particularly recommend turning off Let apps show me personalized ads by using my advertising ID and Show me suggested content in the settings app.) The privacy & security menu also lets you change other options, like turning location services off or choosing which apps can access your camera.
For more on Windows 11, check out how to take screenshots and our favorite keyboard shortcuts.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Saturday, June 28
Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for June 28.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.
Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It’s Saturday, so it’s extra-long, and might take you a while. Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.
The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.
Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword
Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.
Mini across clues and answers
1A clue: Detachable parts of a dress form
Answer: ARMS
5A clue: Catering container containing caffeine
Answer: TEARUN
8A clue: Climbing structure offered in pet stores
Answer: CATTREE
9A clue: Gets into town
Answer: ARRIVES
10A clue: Frédéric Chopin or Ray Charles, notably
Answer: PIANIST
11A clue: They don’t hold water
Answer: SIEVES
12A clue: ___-jerk reaction
Answer: KNEE
Mini down clues and answers
1D clue: With some chance of failure
Answer: ATARISK
2D clue: Prepare for a new job, maybe
Answer: RETRAIN
3D clue: Midday Broadway showing
Answer: MATINEE
4D clue: Goal of a noted reality show set on an island
Answer: SURVIVE
6D clue: Witherspoon who portrayed June Carter in «Walk the Line»
Answer: REESE
7D clue: Lodgings for larks
Answer: NESTS
8D clue: Souvenir from a baseball game
Answer: CAP
Technologies
Facing Billions in DMA Fines, Apple Lets EU iPhone Users Install Apps Outside the App Store
A last-minute rule change lets European iPhone owners download apps from rival stores and developer websites, while introducing new fees that Apple hopes will satisfy regulators in Brussels.

In a scramble to sidestep penalties that could soar into the billions, and with Brussels regulators watching closely, Apple has agreed to let Europeans download iPhone apps from outside its own App Store.
With just hours left before an EU compliance deadline, the company said residents of the 27-nation bloc will soon be able to grab apps from rival marketplaces or straight off a developer’s website. The change rolls out later this year with iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6, and also lets users set a different browser engine and choose a third-party wallet at checkout.
For everyday EU iPhone owners, that means the download button could pop up in more places than just Apple’s storefront. After you select the new setting, iOS shows a one-time permission sheet confirming you’re leaving Apple’s marketplace. The app then passes a quick notarization scan meant to weed out malware. Apple notes that off-store downloads work only inside the EU, and disappear if you stay outside the bloc for more than 30 days.
Cost to developers
Developers do gain fresh distribution freedom, but there’s a price tag. A new two-tier Store Services fee asks for 5% of outside sales in exchange for basic services like app reviews and support in what’s called Tier 1, or 13% for the full bundle of perks, including automatic updates and App Store promotions in Tier 2.
Apple will take a 5% «Core Technology Commission» on any purchase made outside its own payment system. That new cut will phase out the current €0.50-per-download fee and become the sole charge across the EU when a unified pricing model arrives on Jan. 1, 2026.
Apple insists «more than 99%» of devs will pay the same or less under the revamped math.
Why now?
In April, the European Commission fined Apple €500 million ($585 million) for blocking developers from steering users to cheaper payment options, and warned that daily penalties of up to 5% of global revenue could follow if it failed to comply.
Throughout the back-and-forth, Apple has accused the commission of «moving the goalposts» on what counts as compliance, with a spokesperson saying the company has invested «hundreds of thousands of hours» to meet the EU’s evolving demands.
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney blasted the 5% tier as a «malicious compliance scheme» that «makes a mockery of fair competition.»
If regulators decide Apple still hasn’t gone far enough, the iPhone maker could face steeper sanctions, or even be forced to separate its App Store business.
Technologies
Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for June 27, #1469
Here are hints — and the answer — for today’s Wordle No. 1,469 for June 27. Some players need a new starter word now.

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 isn’t too tough, but somehow, it has a starting letter I never seem to guess. Some posters on Reddit say it was one of their starter words, so now they’re in the market for a new way to begin the game. 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
There are two vowels in today’s Wordle answer.
Wordle hint No. 3: First letter
Today’s Wordle answer begins with P.
Wordle hint No. 4: Placement
The two vowels are next to each other.
Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning
Today’s Wordle answer can refer to something that is not decorated and is simple.
TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER
Today’s Wordle answer is PLAIN.
Yesterday’s Wordle answer
Yesterday’s Wordle answer, June 26, No. 1468 was OFFER.
Recent Wordle answers
June 22, No. 1464: THRUM
June 23, No. 1465: ODDLY
June 24, No. 1466: ELITE
June 25, No. 1467: COMFY
Will Wordle run out of words?
When Wordle began, creator Josh Wardle used a list of five-letter words he’d shared with his partner, picking only the words they recognized. While that’s more than 2,000 words, more than half of them have already been used.
Wordle editor Tracy Bennett admitted that the game will eventually have to come to grips with the fact that the word list is not eternal.
«One possibility is that we could recycle old words at some point, like when we get close to the end,» Bennett told a Wordle player on TikTok.
She also said the editors might throw all the words back in and reuse them, or allow plurals, or past tense, something that’s not done now.
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