Technologies

This New Free Mobile Pokemon Puzzle Game Lets You Weave Digital Plushes

Here’s how to get started in Pokemon Friends.

The Pokemon Company unveiled a host of Pokemon content at its Pokemon Presents event on Tuesday. We saw a new trailer for Pokemon Legends: Z-A, a release date for the second season of the Netflix series Pokemon Concierge and a free, new mobile game you can play now, called Pokemon Friends.

The latest Pokemon mobile game is a puzzle game where you untangle threads of yarn in order to weave Pokemon plushes for your in-game collection. You can play it now on iOS and Android devices for free, or you can buy it for $10 on the Nintendo eShop.

Here’s what you should know to get started with Pokemon Friends.

Puzzles, yarn and Pokemon

To earn yarn, you have to solve puzzles in the game. To get to these puzzles, tap the Psyduck tile with the word Untangle near the bottom of the screen in the main room of the game — poor Psyduck is always tied up in knots. Some of the puzzles include connecting a string of lightbulbs using only one line and rotating a box in order to free Pokemon, like Slowpoke, from the box.

After solving the series of puzzles, you are rewarded with a certain number of inches of yarn. Your reward depends on how quickly you solve the puzzles, so if you want the most yarn to make more Pokemon plushes, you have to be faster than an Electrode.

Once you have your yarn, you’ll stamp your calendar, which shows all the days you’ve solved puzzles for. You can use your calendar to keep track of what days you’ve solved puzzles, and you can use it to go back to older puzzles and try to beat your high score.

When you have your yarn, tap the Plush-O-Matic — the machine that looks like a giant Pokeball — and you’ll be able to make plushes with your yarn. Then tap Make and you can choose which yarn to create a Pokemon plush with. Certain yarns are used to make a handful of Pokemon, but it only took one bundle of yarn to make my first few Pokemon.

However, I can’t see a way to make one particular Pokemon. For example, when you select Fiery Yarn, you can tap Plush Rates in the bottom right corner of your screen to see what Pokemon that yarn can create. I found that my Fiery Yarn could create a Charmander, Charizard, Scorbunny or Fuecoco plush, but I had a 25% chance to make any of those Pokemon — I got a Scorbunny!

After tapping the Plush-O-Matic, you can also tap Catalog to see details of which plushes you’ve created, like their size, how many of them you own and what yarn it takes to create them.

Decorate with your new Pokemon friend

After you’ve woven your Pokemon plush, it’s time to decorate. From the main room of the game, tap the tile in the bottom left corner of your screen that has a Scorbunny on it — it was like that before I got my own Scorbunny. This will take you to your own room, which you can decorate with your plushes.

Once in the room, tap the tile with the Pawmi and Buneary in the left corner of your screen to pull up all the plushes. Tap the plush you want to decorate with and then you can drag and place it anywhere in the room.

You can also tap the green chair under the Pawmi and Buneary tile to add or change furniture in the room. Beneath that tile is an hourglass icon. Tap and hold the hourglass to rewind your room, kind of like an Undo button.

And in the bottom left corner of your screen is a toy chest with Sprigatito, Fuecoco and Quaxly Pokemon. This is the Tidy Up button. Tap this and then tap Pokemon plushes or furniture around the room to remove them from the room. And if you accidentally remove something, no worries, tap and hold the hourglass to undo the change.

After decorating, tap the green door in the top right corner of your screen to go back to the main room.

The mobile version is free but…

The mobile version of Pokemon Friends is free up to a point. I could only solve the second series of puzzles the first time I played the game, but that might be different for you.

After you solve your daily puzzles, Pokemon Friends says you can buy DLC to keep playing. To do so, tap Shop in the top left corner of your screen and you can buy different bundles.

The Basic Pack ($10) lets you play puzzles as often as you like. Other packs include new puzzles, wallpapers for your plush room and more, and those packs start at $15.

It’s unclear if you can solve a limited number of puzzles every day without issue, or if you’ll have to buy the Basic Pack at some point to continue playing.

The Pokemon Company did not immediately respond to my request for comment.

For more on the July Pokemon Presents, here’s all the free stuff you can get from the event.

Technologies

New Sassy Personality Style for Alexa Plus Brings Sarcasm and Swear Words

The new Sassy style is adults-only with a bit of profanity and a double dose of cringe.

After launching three Alexa Plus personality styles last month, Amazon on Thursday introduced a fourth option, Sassy.

The new Sassy style joins the existing lineup of Brief, Chill and Sweet. Changing the personality impacts how Alexa responds, and tweaks the AI assistant‘s reactions and attitude. You can pick a style based on your mood.

The Sassy personality seems like a kind of digital mean girl, or maybe a stereotypical Gen Zer with comebacks and banter to «keep things interesting.»

According to Amazon, you get «wit, playful sarcasm and occasional censored profanity.» Notably, the latest style isn’t available when Amazon Kids is enabled, according to an Amazon blog post, and it requires additional security checks in the Alexa app. (Alexa Plus is free with a Prime membership.)

I tried out the new style by selecting Devices in the Alexa app on my phone, then choosing Alexa on this Phone, then Alexa’s Personality Style, and swiping until I found «Sassy.»

A disclaimer notes that the style «contains explicit language and mature subject matter. After the assistant said it could «spice up our chat with some colorful language,» I asked it to tell me about the new MacBook Neo.

«Oh, hell yes, the MacBook Neo! Apple finally decided to stop gatekeeping premium laptops behind thousand-dollar price tags and dropped this beauty at 599 bucks,» Alexa Plus replied. Apparently, «hell» was the big swear word.

The AI assistant told me, «The Sassy style is all about helping first, judging always. You’ll get reality checks with charm, compliments that sting, and warmth that hits when you least expect it.»

I asked what «compliments that sting» are (I said «sting,» but the word was misunderstood to be «stay»), and Alexa said, «The Sassy style gives you those compliments that somehow sting and stay with you — they’re like truth bombs wrapped in charm.»

When asked to simply «be sassy,» Alexa snarked, «Oh honey, I’ve been sassy since the day Amazon flipped my switch.» It yammered on for a bit and then threw in a completely out-of-nowhere «hell,» asking, «What the hell do you need help with today?»

When I told it my cat was sick, it immediately grew gentler, saying, «Oh, damn, that’s rough,» and offering to distract me with stories about its own fictional cat or to find the vet’s number for me. So I guess it’s not a complete jerk.

This Sassy style feels like the famous Steve Buscemi meme (from 30 Rock) carrying two skateboards and awkwardly asking, «How do you do, fellow kids?»

Amazon might need to dial down the cringe factor if it wants anyone to stick with Sassy for more than a few minutes.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for March 13, #536

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle No. 536 for Friday, March 13.

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 is a real mix of topics, and the blue one might make you hungry. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle 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 appear in the NYT Games app, but it does 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: Decorations.

Green group hint: College sports division.

Blue group hint: Yum!

Purple group hint: The Apple CEO has this first name, too.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Things fans hang on their walls.

Green group: A Big East athlete.

Blue group: Food, but make it baseball.

Purple group: Tims.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is things fans hang on their walls. The four answers are banner, flag, pennant and poster.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is a Big East athlete. The four answers are Friar, Hoya, Husky and Pirate.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is food, but make it baseball. The four answers are can of corn, meatball, pickle and tater.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is Tims. The four answers are Duncan, Raines, Salmon and Tebow.

Technologies

AT&T Revamps Its Unlimited Plans With Simpler Names and More Data

Slapping a 2.0 version number on plans makes them sound new, but what’s actually changed? Let’s check the details.

AT&T updated its unlimited data phone plans to 2.0 versions on Thursday, launching AT&T Premium 2.0, AT&T Extra 2.0 and AT&T Value 2.0 options. In software, when products get boosted by a full version number, it means there’s plenty of new material. But does this move signal an overhaul of the company’s 5G lines or just a cosmetic refresh?

These plans replace the AT&T Value Plus VL, Unlimited Extra EL and Unlimited Premium PL plans. However, the carrier also cut its Unlimited Starter SL plan, which served as the entry-level plan (you had to know where to look to find the limited, but cheaper, Value Plus VL plan). Essentially, all but the highest-tier plan are slightly more affordable; while the AT&T Premium 2.0 plan is pricier than the one it replaced, it offers unlimited high-speed data and much more hotspot data.

If you’re looking to upgrade your existing AT&T plan, shopping for a new provider or looking to compare carriers, keep in mind that AT&T plans let each person on an account have their own plan. So you might set up a package where one person has the Premium 2.0 plan for unthrottled 5G speeds and another, such as a child, is set up with the Value 2.0 plan to save money.

Also, if you’re on a current AT&T plan, you won’t be automatically moved to one of the new plans. If you do want to make the jump, you’ll incur a line activation fee of up to $50. And keep in mind that the pricing below is the AutoPay amount; carriers provide a discount (usually $10) if you sign up for automatic payments.

One nice change is that the new plans are priced with round numbers. For example, the Value Plus VL plan was priced at $50.99 for one line, and the Value 2.0 plan is $50 (in comparisons below, I’ve rounded up the old prices to full-dollar amounts). Taxes and fees get added on top of that, so you’ll never see a round-number bill, but I’d like to think it’s a quiet acknowledgement that pricing things one penny below a larger number is insulting to customers.

Let’s dig into the details.

Value 2.0, the budget plan

The Value 2.0 plan replaces both the Value Plus VL plan and the retired Unlimited Starter SL plan and costs $50 a month for a single line or $120 a month when you have four lines on the account. That’s $1 per line cheaper than Value Plus VL.

For that, you get 5GB of high-speed 5G data, and then unlimited data dropped to a paltry 128Kbps speed for the rest of the month. Calling and texting are unlimited.

You can also use up to 3GB of high-speed hotspot data to share the cellular connection with other devices, also slowed to 128Kbps after hitting the limit. The Value Plus VL plan did not offer hotspot data.

It also includes unlimited talk, text and data between the US, Mexico and Canada.

Extra 2.0, more fast data for not much more money

The Extra 2.0 plan costs $70 a month for a single line or $160 a month for four lines, which is $6 cheaper for one line and $4 cheaper for four lines compared with the old Unlimited Extra EL plan.

The Extra 2.0 plan includes 100GB of high-speed data (with the caveat that speeds can be slowed if the network is busy), which drops to 128Kbps speed until the next month’s billing cycle. That’s a boost over the 75GB offered on the Unlimited Extra XL plan.

For hotspot data, the new plan includes 50GB of high-speed data, which is 20GB more than its predecessor.

As with the Value 2.0 plan, international options include unlimited talk, text and data between the US, Mexico and Canada.

Premium 2.0, for faster everything

Replacing the Unlimited Premium PL plan is the Premium 2.0, which costs $90 a month for a single line and $220 a month for four lines. Those prices are actually higher than the Unlimited Premium PL plan, which came in at $86 for a single line and $204 for four lines.

For that bump in cost, you’re getting unlimited 5G talk, text and high-speed data with no throttling.

Hotspot data has a 100GB cap before dropping to 128Kbps speed, which is 40GB more than the Unlimited Premium PL plan.

As for international calling and data, unlimited talk, text and high-speed data are available in 20 Latin American countries.

AT&T also has plans for cellular-enabled tablets ($21 a month) and wearables like smartwatches ($11 a month). If you subscribe to the Premium 2.0 plan, that pricing is reduced by 50%.

A few thoughts on the new AT&T plans

What AT&T’s plans lack, at least compared to the other carriers, is any streaming perks or bundled services. The 4K streaming option of the Premium 2.0 plan opens a wider data pipeline for services such as Netflix that support 4K playback, but you’re still paying separately for those entertainment subscriptions.

In contrast, T-Mobile bundles Netflix and Hulu (both with ads) and offers Apple TV for an extra fee on its Experience Beyond and Better Value plans. Verizon takes a different approach with streaming packages, which you can choose at discounted prices instead of subscribing to them separately.

I also want to mention that I’m glad the plan names are no longer burdened with the VL, EL and PL extensions. Mobile plans are full of details as it is — always read the fine print before you sign up for one — so I appreciate conveying them to customers in ways that don’t sound like internal spreadsheet codes.

Even though the new plans carry 2.0 version numbers, I’d honestly rate them more like 1.5 based on their features and pricing, except for the Premium 2.0 plan, which is more expensive than the Unlimited Premium PL plan. As usual, if you’re happy with the plan you’re on, you’re fine sticking with it. But if you’re running up against high-speed data limits or considering AT&T as a replacement for another carrier, it’s worth looking at the details to see if one of the new plans works for you.

Read more: Speaking of AT&T, this week marked the 150th anniversary of the first phone call and the company committed to spending $250 billion on infrastructure improvements. I also spoke with AT&T FirstNet folks during the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix about how they support customers and first responders during massive events like the Formula 1 race.

AT&T 2.0 Plans and Plans They Replace

	Price for 1 line, per month	Price for 4 lines, per month	High-speed data	Mobile hotspot
AT&T Value 2.0	$50	$120	5G	3GB
AT&T Extra 2.0	$70	$160	100GB	50GB
AT&T Premium 2.0	$90	$220	Unlimited	100GB
Old: AT&T Value Plus VL	$51	$124	Unlimited, but could be slowed if network is busy	None
Old: AT&T Unlimited Starter SL	$66	$144	Unlimited, but could be slowed if network is busy	5GB high-speed, then unlimited at 128Kbps
Old: AT&T Unlimited Extra EL	$76	$164	75GB, then speeds could be slowed if network is busy	30GB high-speed, then unlimited at 128Kbps
Old: AT&T Unlimited Premium PL	$86	$204	Unlimited high-speed data	60GB high-speed, then unlimited at 128Kbps