Technologies
Best Party-Planning Apps for 2023
Plan your party from start to finish with the help of these apps.
In the world of apps and smart devices, anyone can be an awesome party planner. From music and games to drinks and everything else, there’s an app that can teach you to throw the greatest shindig your friends and family have ever been to.
Check out these party-planning apps to throw a bash your guests will be talking about for the rest of the year.
Screenshot by Katie Conner/CNET
Pro Party Planner (download for iOS) serves as your event planner.
Once you know how many guests are coming, create a task list to get everything done before the big day. The feature also lets you set reminders, so you won’t fall behind. You’ll need to set a budget and start building your shopping list for the party. Track your budget for food, decorations and party favors.
Manage guests attending by sending them invitations and checking off RSVPs. If applicable, create a seating chart with Pro Party Planner’s augmented reality feature to better visualize what your party will look like.
Pro Party Planner costs $5 to download, plus $1 per month.
Screenshot by Katie Conner/CNET
Before you begin planning an event, you need to get an idea of how many people will be there. You don’t want to plan for 50 guests only to have 10 show up and leave you with tons of uneaten food.
Use Evite (download for iOS or Android) to invite your guests with personalized invitations. Design templates with photos from your phone, and add the event name, time and location.
Send invitations via text or email. Track the RSVPs to see who has viewed your invitation, and who has accepted or declined. Nudge guests who haven’t responded and create polls for party and food ideas.
Screenshot by Katie Conner/CNET
Planning a party from scratch isn’t easy, so gather inspiration from Pinterest (download for iOS or Android). If you have an idea of what theme you want, search for it on Pinterest to see thousands of boards with party designs.
If you’re planning a low-key party, search for «simple party ideas» or if you’re planning a more upscale event, search for «fancy party ideas.» Sometimes people will post where they found the decorations and the cost.
Screenshot by Katie Conner/CNET
Begin planning the meals you’re going to cook for your event with BigNight (download for iOS). If you’re hosting a formal party, create a menu for your guests. Name the menu and organize by courses, like drinks, appetizers and the main dish.
Import recipes from Pinterest or your favorite recipe website by using the in-app browser. Then create a shopping list with the ingredients you’ll need. Check each item off the list as you shop.
Set reminders for each task, like bake the cheesecake the night before, and add whipped cream one hour before the party begins.
BigNight costs $4 to download.
Screenshot by Katie Conner/CNET
Your guests will be impressed with your bartending skills when you use Cocktail Flow (download for iOS or Android). The app gives you detailed drink recipes that you can make with ingredients you already have.
Plan ahead of time by having a cocktail menu for your guests and include classics like wine, beer or fun cocktails. You can customize the drinks for your event attendees by liquor, drink type (tropical, creamy, shot) and strength (light, medium, strong).
Screenshot by Katie Conner/CNET
A good party doesn’t last long without music. It puts people in a good mood and helps loosen them up.
Spotify (download for iOS or Android) is our music streaming service of choice, with more than 50 million tracks available and 232 million users, according to the company. Keep in mind what your guests like, and make or find a playlist with a good variety of songs, or find a station that will play fun party favorites from every decade.
Spotify is free to use if you listen with commercials. To listen commercial-free, subscribe to Spotify Premium. It’s $10 per month for an individual account.
Screenshot by Katie Conner/CNET
Once everyone is feeling good, keep the party going with Karaoke (download for iOS or Android). Whether your guests like country, pop or rock, there’s a huge catalog of songs to choose from, ranging from 7 Rings by Ariana Grande to Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen and Tennessee Whiskey by Chris Stapleton.
Browse through categories like popular, recommended and genre to find a song. Tap Sing when you’re ready to begin your karaoke session.
Record your songs and hear them played back. Don’t worry if singing isn’t your forte — the app uses sound effects to auto-enhance your voice.
Screenshot by Katie Conner/CNET
For guests not interested in singing karaoke, set them up with a game full of laughs, like Heads Up (download for iOS or Android). This game can be played with any number of people, so everyone can get involved.
The player selects a category and then holds the phone to their forehead so the other players can see the screen. The other players act out what’s on the screen so you can guess what it is. Category options are celebrities, animals, movies and more.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, Jan. 14
Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Jan. 14.
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 not too tough, but 8-Across stumped me, so I had to pass on that and fill in the Down answers to solve it. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.
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: Abruptly stop texting
Answer: GHOST
6A clue: Shaving kit item
Answer: RAZOR
7A clue: 2024 film role for which Mikey Madison won Best Actress
Answer: ANORA
8A clue: The ancient Chinese used compressed blocks of tea leaves as this
Answer: MONEY
9A clue: Shape of a round chart
Answer: PIE
Mini down clues and answers
1D clue: Dad’s dad, informally
Answer: GRAMP
2D clue: Capital of Vietnam
Answer: HANOI
3D clue: ___ layer, part of Earth’s atmosphere
Answer: OZONE
4D clue: How you might wake up after sleeping funny
Answer: SORE
5D clue: Cafeteria food carrier
Answer: TRAY
Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.
Technologies
Google Could Revive Last Year’s Bright Pink Color for the Pixel 10a
Google’s upcoming Pixel 10a is expected to launch in February with some new colors, including one popular ask.
The Google Pixel 9a is one of Google’s most affordable Pixel phones, and it includes one of the most frequently requested colors — bright pink. With the Google Pixel 10a rumored to launch in February, we’re already getting a hint at the colors the new model will come in.
According to Roland Quandt, a regular mobile leaker on Bluesky, the Google Pixel is expected to be offered in obsidian (black), berry (pink), fog (light gray), and lavender colors. However, it’s the berry hue that is intriguing customers.
A representative for Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.
«I always love to see phones come in vibrant colors, and it’s especially welcome in more budget-friendly options,» said Abrar Al-Heeti, senior technology reporter at CNET. «Yes, we tend to slap a case on our phones anyway, but just knowing your phone touts a bold color can make it feel like more of a statement piece, rather than a bland piece of tech.»
Pink is one of the most requested color options for the Pixel phones. CNET sister site Mashable loved the color when it debuted on the Pixel 9. Phone rivals like Apple and Samsung are usually expected to offer a pink color option in their flagship and midrange phone lineups, so it’s not surprising to see the berry color on the Pixel 10a.
«I’ll say that Google loves having Pixel phones in pink,» said Patrick Holland, CNET managing editor. «The Pixel 9 and 9a come in peony (a bright, bold pink) and the 9 Pro in rose quartz (a more muted pink). The Pixel 10 series lacks any pinkish hues.»
Quandt also says that the Pixel 10a will have 128GB and 256GB storage models, and will launch in mid-February. That’s earlier than expected compared with the Pixel 9a, which was revealed in mid-March 2025 for a launch on April 10. In terms of specifications, we expect the Pixel 10a to be a modest upgrade compared with previous generations. According to leaks, the Pixel 10 is unlikely to feature a newer Tensor G5 chip, and it’s likely to retain the same overall design as the Pixel 9a.
One leaker, Mystic Leaks on Telegram, expressed disappointment and revealed additional specs, including the absence of a telephoto lens, UFS 3.1 storage, a Tensor G4 chip, a 2,000-nit display and no Magic Cue, which is Google’s AI feature for the Pixel 10.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Jan. 14, #948
Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Jan. 14 #948.
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 blue category, not the purple one today, expects you to find hidden words in four of the words given in the grid. 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: That’s not going anywhere.
Green group hint: End user or customer.
Blue group hint: Ask a meteorologist.
Purple group hint: Not noisy.
Answers for today’s Connections groups
Yellow group: Fixed.
Green group: Receiver of goods or services.
Blue group: Starting with weather conditions.
Purple group: Silent ____.
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today’s Connections answers?
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is fixed. The four answers are fast, firm, secure and tight.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is receiver of goods or services. The four answers are account, client, consumer and user.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is starting with weather conditions. The four answers are frosty (frost), mistletoe (mist), rainmaker (rain) and snowman (snow).
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is silent ____. The four answers are auction, movie, partner and treatment.
Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.
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