Technologies

I Drank the Nothing Beer So You Don’t Have To

Phone manufacturer Nothing brewed a lager, and it’s actually pretty good.

Why has a phone company launched a beer? Good question. Mobile phone maker Nothing, the company behind the flashy Android Nothing Phone 2, partnered with UK brewery Freetime to produce a rice lager. True to the company’s minimalist aesthetic, it’s just called «beer (5.1%)» and comes in pure white cans with Nothing’s dot-matrix style font.

So what’s it taste like? It’s good. Full flavored, malty and very drinkable. I’m glad I ordered several packs. My favorite thing about it? If someone asks me what I was drinking last night, I can honestly reply «Nothing.»It’s available only in the UK and in limited quantities, but whether it gets a wider release remains to be seen.

The beer did make me wonder what drinks represent other tech firms. I think Apple could be a vodka that it insists on serving neat, but in time might allow customers to add a slice of lime — a decision that will get a round of applause at the unveiling. Google, meanwhile, could be a punch bowl, taking ingredient input from all comers. Samsung could be a range of shots — cheap fruity ones for weekend clubbers and fancier spirits for wealthier adults.

Tie-in drinks aren’t new in the tech space. I sort of remember when I taste-tested every single promotional beverage made for the then-upcoming game Cyberpunk 2077.

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Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for March 18, #1011

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for March 18 #1011.

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 pretty tricky, but musicians might find the blue group easy. 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: Time between two things, maybe.

Green group hint: That smarts!

Blue group hint: Rockers know these well.

Purple group hint: You might write one out to pay a bill.