Technologies

Summer Sizzles On, With Triple-Digit Heat Waves Breaking Records

There’s less than two weeks of the season left, but major cities continue to bake.

Officially it’s nearly autumn, but oppressive heat continues to broil the low-lying deserts of California and Arizona. On Saturday, Phoenix set a new record as the city saw its 54th day this year with temperatures over 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

Temperatures had reportedly reached as high as 113 in the sprawling Phoenix metroplex by 4 p.m. on Saturday. The previous record of 53 days at over 110 degrees was set in 2020.

Earlier this summer, the city endured a 31-day streak of days over 110, shattering the previous record streak of 18 straight days.

Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, is also on pace to reach a grimmer milestone: a record for annual heat-associated deaths. As of Wednesday the county counted 194 such fatalities in 2023 so far, with 351 more deaths under investigation to determine a link to the heat. At this point in 2022, there had been 153 confirmed deaths from the heat with 238 more still being investigated. Last year’s final tally of 425 heat-associated deaths is the most recorded in a calendar year since the county started keeping track in 2006.

More than half of the heat deaths so far in 2023 are among people who are either experiencing homelessness (44%) or have an unknown living situation (10%).

The City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department closes popular hiking trails from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on days when the National Weather Service issues an excessive heat warning. On Thursday, the agency put out just such a alert, saying that «a period of very hot temperatures, even by local standards, will occur.» Anyone wanting to take a walk at Phoenix’s iconic Camelback Mountain this weekend will have to hit it early in the morning or later in the evening.

Not just a single city’s problem

The danger expands beyond Phoenix’s concrete-laden metroplex, with Tucson, Yuma, Palm Springs and places in between also under an excessive heat warning this weekend.

Many heat records in the western US are typically competing with previous marks set in just the past decade or so. Climate change and increasing surface temperatures have accelerated drastically in the 21st century, triggering increased risk of heat waves, drought, wildfire and stronger storms.

Solar physicist Keith Strong noted on Twitter Thursday that record high temperatures around the globe are tripling record lows.

«In the last week the Earth has set 1,178 new daily record high temperatures compared to just 351 new record lows,» Strong said. «If the climate were in climate balance, these two numbers should be statistically equivalent, but they are not.»

RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES OUTPACING RECORD LOWS 3:1 — In the last week the Earth has set 1178 new daily record high temperatures compared to just 351 new record lows. If the climate were in climate balance, these two numbers should be statistically equivalent but they are not.

— Keith Strong (@drkstrong) September 7, 2023

How to stay cool and survive

The National Weather Service urges anyone in a region facing excessive heat to stay hydrated, avoid daytime sun exposure, wear light, loose clothes and seek out air conditioning.

For more on what types of clothing can help you beat the heat, check out our detailed guide to keeping cool.

Forecasters warn that fans may not be enough to cope with temperatures over 110 degrees this weekend, but access to air conditioning isn’t guaranteed for everyone in the Southwest. Fortunately, we’ve compiled 10 ways to get by without AC when temperatures soar.

And if you do have to rely on a fan, the proper placement will be key to get the most out of it and stem the sweating.

Also, fluids without alcohol, sugar and caffeine are more hydrating, as is eating smaller meals more frequently.

Be sure to check in on friends, family, neighbors and pets to see how they’re coping.

Many communities will offer public cooling shelters, including in Phoenix and Arizona’s Heat Relief Network. Check with your local county or municipal government for other resources.

Finally, if you’re in a heat zone, take some time to know the difference between heat stroke and heat exhaustion. Heat stroke can be deadly, so check out our guide on the signs, causes and what to do in such a scenario.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Saturday, Sept. 6

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Sept. 6.

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 is extra-long, as usual on Saturdays. And a couple of the clues were stumpers! Need answers? Read on. 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: U.S. prez who served four terms
Answer: FDR

4A clue: Hurry, in Shakespearean English
Answer: HIE

7A clue: Only country to have a musical instrument (the harp) as its national emblem
Answer: IRELAND

9A clue: Big name in rum
Answer: BACARDI

10A clue: She holds the record for most #1 Billboard hits by a female rapper (5)
Answer: CARDIB

11A clue: Ancient time-tracking device
Answer: SUNDIAL

12A clue: Ctrl-___-Del
Answer: ALT

13A clue: Opposite of SSW
Answer: NNE

14A clue: Used to be
Answer: WAS

15A clue: Jupiter or Saturn, primarily
Answer: GAS

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Small lie
Answer: FIB

2D clue: Whom Count von Count of «Sesame Street» is a parody of
Answer: DRACULA

3D clue: Takes back, as testimony
Answer: RECANTS

4D clue: 1920s U.S. president
Answer: HARDING

5D clue: Home to the W.N.B.A.’s Fever
Answer: INDIANA

6D clue: Weed gummies
Answer: EDIBLES

8D clue: Cooking grease
Answer: LARD

11D clue: Observed
Answer: SAW

Technologies

Researchers Discover 18 Popular VPNs Are Connected: Why This Matters

All are owned by 3 separate groups but CNET’s recommended VPNs are not on the list

Virtual private networks are popular ways to keep your online activity private and hide your physical location from your internet service provider and apps. But it’s obviously important to choose a safe and secure VPN.

Three university researchers have discovered that 18 of the most widely used VPNs have shared infrastructures with serious security flaws that could expose customers’ browsing activity and leave their systems vulnerable to corrupted data. These VPNs are among the top 100 most popular on the Google Play Store, comprising more than 700 million downloads.

Read more: Best VPN Service for 2025: Our Top Picks in a Tight Race

The peer-reviewed study by the Privacy Enhancing Technologies Symposium found that these VPNs, despite calling themselves independent businesses, are actually grouped into three separate families of companies.

None of CNET’s recommended VPNs — ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark, Proton VPN and Mullvad — are on the list. (If you currently don’t have a VPN, here’s why you might want to start using one.)

According to the findings, these are the three groups that contain the 18 VPNs:

Family A: Turbo VPN, Turbo VPN Lite, VPN Monster, VPN Proxy Master, VPN Proxy Master Lite, Robot VPN, Snap VPN and SuperNet VPN
Family B: Global VPN, Inf VPN, Melon VPN, Super Z VPN, Touch VPN, VPN ProMaster, XY VPN and 3X VPN
Family C: X-VPN and Fast Potato VPN

Researchers determined that the VPNs in Family A are shared between three providers linked to Qihoo 360, a firm identified by the US Department of Defense as a Chinese military company. The VPNs in Family B use the same IP addresses from the same hosting company.

Know your VPN’s parent company

It’s a cautionary tale about why it’s important to know who’s behind the VPN you’re using, says CNET senior writer Attila Tomaschek.

«It’s also crucial to know what kinds of data the VPN provider is sharing with its parent company and affiliated entities,» Tomaschek said. «Some of these companies may even be compelled to log customer activity and share it with authorities, depending on the jurisdiction in which they operate.»

Despite the warnings, Tomaschek says it’s not so easy to figure out who controls your VPN. But he says there are measures that customers can take.

«Users can do a few things to help ensure the VPN they’re using is reputable,» Tomaschek says. «Check the privacy policy — specifically for terms like ‘logging,’ ‘data sharing’ or ‘data collection.’ A Google search of the provider can help determine whether the VPN has been involved in questionable activity. Read detailed, unbiased reviews from reputable sources. Be especially wary of signing on with a free VPN, even if it’s listed as a top choice in your app store.»

The PETS researchers examined the most downloaded VPNs on Android, looking for overlaps among business paperwork, web presence and codebase. After identifying code similarities, they were able to group the 18 VPNs into three groups. The study was initially spurred by VPN Pro’s own findings, «Who owns your VPN? 105 VPNs run by just 24 companies.»

CNET’s Tomaschek has advice for anyone who has been using one of these 18 VPNs.

«I’d recommend deleting it from your device immediately,» he said. «If you suspect that any sensitive personal data may have been compromised, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on your credit report and look into services like dark web monitoring or identity theft protection.»

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Sept. 6, #348

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Sept. 6, No. 348.

Looking for the most recent regular 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 and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition was a stumper. But if you play cards, the green group is a fun one for sure. If you’re struggling but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Racket time.

Green group hint: Ante up!

Blue group hint: NY signal-callers.

Purple group hint: Coach’s CV.