Technologies

Classic Mystery Board Game Clue Lands in Apple Arcade

Eat your heart out, Sherlock Holmes.

Get your magnifying glasses ready because Clue: Hasbro’s Mystery Game Plus, based on the classic board game, arrived on Apple Arcade Friday. If you subscribe to Apple Arcade ($5, £5 or AU$8 a month), you can play this game free of cost, ads or in-app purchases.

See at Apple Arcade

Marmalade Game Studios is responsible for bringing the board game to your screen, and this isn’t the first time the studio has brought a board game to digital devices, either. The studio has digitized other classic games, like Monopoly and Battleship, too.

If you’ve played the board game before, then you already know the rules for the Apple Arcade version of Clue. If you haven’t played before, the goal of the game is to be the first person to solve the murder mystery represented by the three cards in the secret envelope. These three cards show who committed a murder, with what weapon and in what location on the board.

Each player gets four cards that show either a person, weapon or place, and because these cards aren’t in the secret envelope they can’t be part of the solution. Players take turns moving around the board and making guesses about the crime. If someone guesses, «It was Colonel Mustard with the rope in the library,» and you have the library card, you have to show the guesser to disprove their guess. When someone has enough evidence, they can make a final accusation about the mystery. But be careful, your final accusation is your last act in the game, whether you’re right or wrong.

You can play online against friends or other people or you can play against the computer in single-player mode. There are also some fun new characters in this version of Clue, including Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson, and more locations. The original game board was a mansion, and this version contains other maps, including boards that resemble Egypt and a train so you can become the hero in your own Agatha Christie story.

If you’re interested in this game or others, you can get a free month of Apple Arcade for signing up the first time, or you can get a three-month free trial with the purchase of a new Apple device. Apple Arcade adds new games and updates every week. To access Apple Arcade, open the App Store and tap the joystick icon along the bottom of your screen.

CNET’s Shelby Brown contributed to this report.

Technologies

iPhone 17 Preorders Spike and Overall Phone Sales Aren’t Slowing Down Despite Tariffs

Global smartphone shipments saw a notable increase in the third quarter of 2025. Plus, preorders for Apple’s new iPhone 17 beat out the iPhone 16.

Despite tariffs and market uncertainty, global smartphone shipments increased 2.6% in the third quarter of 2025, compared to the same time last year, according to the International Data Corporation. Additionally, preorders for the iPhone 17, which launched last month, outpaced last year’s iPhone 16.

These increased sales include premium phones like the latest iPhones and Samsung foldables, suggesting yet again that pricier phones still sell in periods of economic strain. It’s a remarkable achievement, says IDC senior research director Nabila Popal, citing shrewd financing options as the reason people keep buying these high-end phones, which cost anywhere from $800 to nearly $2,000.

«[Phone makers] have mastered the art of innovation not only in hardware and software to entice upgrades but also in removing purchase friction. They have flawlessly combined cutting-edge devices with innovative financing models and aggressive trade-in programs that make the upgrading decision a ‘no-brainer’ for consumers,» Popal said in an IDC press release.

Apple sold 58.6 million iPhones this quarter, an increase of 2.9% over the same period in 2024, with more preorders for the iPhone 17 series than its predecessor. But Samsung wasn’t far behind, with its Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 selling better than all of the company’s prior foldables. The company still reigns atop the phone market with 61.4 million phones sold, representing 19% of the market in the third quarter of this year — an increase of 6.3% from the same period last year. Meanwhile, Apple lands slightly behind Samsung with 18.2% market share this quarter.

The other phone makers trailing Apple and Samsung are, in order: Xiaomi, with 13.5% of the market; Transsion, with 9%; and Vivo with 8.9%. The remaining companies in the phones industry, from Chinese stalwarts like Oppo and Honor to Motorola and Google, make up the remaining 31.4% of the market for the quarter. All told, 322.7 million phones were sold, up from 314.6 million in the third quarter of 2024, according to IDC.

IDC’s findings for the third quarter continue the small but steady growth of phone sales over the year, including a modest 1% increase in the preceding three months — which includes the April deadline when President Donald Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs. In the second quarter, IDC cited midrange devices like Samsung’s Galaxy A36 and other phones that started incorporating AI. But even persistent tariffs haven’t slowed down people’s appetites for pricier phones in the third quarter.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Tuesday, Oct. 14

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Oct. 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.

Today’s Mini Crossword has an odd vertical shape, with an extra Across clue, and only four Down clues. The clues are not terribly difficult, but one or two could be tricky. Read on if you need the answers. 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.