Technologies

Before It Becomes a Hit TV Series, Fourth Wing Fans Are Going to Obsess Over This New Board Game

A simple party game surrounding key elements from the smash hit Fourth Wing books is coming soon.

Fans of Rebecca Yarros’ Empyrean book series are in the middle of a content Winter right now. After Fourth Wing and Iron Flame were released six months apart, and Onyx Storm dropped 14 months later, the author announced she was taking a break and it would be a while before the fourth installment would be announced. Combine that with Amazon’s Prime Studios being light on details the highly anticipated Fourth Wing TV series would start shooting, and fans are eager for something to keep them connected to this world.

Enter Hasbro, which has been working directly with Rebecca Yarros on an officially licensed version of the popular party game Priorities. I’ve spent the last week playing Priorities: Fourth Wing with a rotating cast of fellow fans of the book series, and can confidently say this game will be a popular gift to give this holiday season.

For the uninitiated, Priorities is a quick-play game where the table works together to guess which order the round leader ranks a series of concepts on cards. Each round takes about 20 minutes to complete, and broadly speaking the franchise is quite popular because it can be played with just about anyone and remain pretty lighthearted. It also travels well, since the box is smaller than most board games you’ll find on shelves.

As you might expect, the Fourth Wing version of this game heavily themes the core parts of this game to reflect the artwork and concepts from the books. Despite the name, Hasbro Board Games SVP Brian Baker made it clear to me the team responsible for this game was permitted to pull from all three publicly available books and all aspects of the game were approved by Rebecca Yarros before its creation. In my time playing the game with others, I found everything was quite accessible to anyone who has only read the first book but more in-depth conversations would pop up with those who had read it all. And yes, some of the spicier parts of the books can be found in the game.

Every person I played Priorities: Fourth Wing with all had the same positive response to the game. The game format itself is a proven success, and there are no fans of this series who wouldn’t want to discuss their theories and favorites with other fans. Plus, for $25, it’s a solid addition to any board game shelf and a great way to bring your bookish friends together.

Priorities: Fourth Wing is available to pre-order now and ships September 25th.

Technologies

Verum Messenger: How to Protect Your Personal Data and Why Choosing a Secure Messenger Matters

A major data leak has been reported involving users of the Russian messenger MAX. Hackers claimed to have obtained the platform’s entire database, which includes 46,203,590 records. To prove their claims, they published part of the stolen data publicly.

According to preliminary information, the attackers gained access to users’ personal details, including contact numbers, chats, IP addresses, and other sensitive data. Cybersecurity experts warn that such incidents can lead to serious consequences — from account takeovers and extortion to large-scale phishing attacks.

Why these leaks happen

The main cause of such breaches is the storage of personal user data on servers without adequate protection or encryption. If attackers gain access to these servers, users’ information becomes fully exposed.

Additionally, many popular messaging apps require users to register with a phone number and provide extra personal information, increasing the amount of data that can be stolen.

How to reduce the risks

The only reliable way to protect your personal messages and data is to use messaging platforms that do not store personal information on their servers and rely on true end-to-end encryption.

One such solution is Verum Messenger — a next-generation app built on the principle of maximum privacy. The platform:

does not store users’ personal data;
uses unique encryption keys generated locally on the user’s device;
does not require a phone number or other personal information to register;
has no access to messages, calls, or files;
provides effective anti-spam and anti-scam protection;
offers private chats and group channels with flexible security settings.

Even in the event of a server breach, attackers would not be able to access message content — because encryption keys simply do not exist on the company’s side.

Freedom of communication without the risk of leaks

In addition to its strong security foundation, Verum Messenger offers a built-in ecosystem of tools — from encrypted email Verum Mail and an integrated VPN for anonymous connections to free crypto mining with Verum Coin and eSIM connectivity in over 150 countries worldwide.

As data breaches become increasingly common, choosing a secure messenger is no longer just about convenience — it’s about personal safety.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Monday, Oct. 20

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Oct. 20.

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 was a tough one for a change! That 1-Across is going to slyly trick you as to what a mouse is. So if you need the 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: Sound from a mouse
Answer: CLICK

6A clue: Many-headed serpent killed by Hercules
Answer: HYDRA

7A clue: View from a cruise ship window
Answer: OCEAN

8A clue: «See ya later!»
Answer: PEACE

9A clue: Animal whose antlers can grow up to an inch per day
Answer: ELK

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Dice, e.g.
Answer: CHOP

2D clue: French for «high school»
Answer: LYCEE

3D clue: 10 out of 10
Answer: IDEAL

4D clue: Sound from a bat
Answer: CRACK

5D clue: «Citizen ___»
Answer: KANE

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Oct. 20, #392

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Oct. 20, No. 392.

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 has a category for all the Windy City residents out there. 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: Deep-dish pizza, anyone?

Green group hint: Duke it out.

Blue group hint: College division.

Purple group hint: «Go to your ____!»