Technologies

Playing Silksong on the ROG Xbox Ally X: I’m Ready for More

A clever surprise demo opp was also a great chance to see how Microsoft and Asus’ upcoming handheld feels. I’m impressed.

The biggest game of next week, or weeks, is a long-awaited indie sequel you may have heard of. Hollow Knight: Silksong, which has been expected for years, just dropped like a magic back-to-school gift.

Hollow Knight: Silksong is available for several platforms, including Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PlayStation and PC. I got a chance to play it for an hour on the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X handheld. This upcoming Windows-based handheld promises better support of Microsoft’s game library and services than previous Windows handhelds offered.

CNET already got a look at the Rog Ally X in person, and a full review will come when the hardware launches in October. I didn’t get to see the OS or Microsoft’s new secret sauce in this device, which may make things work even better, potentially giving the device an advantage over its rivals in the handheld space.

All I did was play some Silksong, a game that doesn’t demand much processing power at all. Much like the original Hollow Knight, the sequel puts you in a subterranean world of murky mazes and charming, but dangerous, bug characters, finding secret switches and doors to open on what, hopefully, is the right way forward.

Silksong looks as lovely as the previous Hollow Knight game, and I can’t wait to wander around longer and discover more of its secrets (and actually go back and play Hollow Knight again). But I was more focused on Ally X’s controls, which felt generous and comfy like an Xbox game controller.

The Ally X’s button layout makes sense, and the analog sticks are solid — not too stiff, not too loose. The trigger placement felt just right. The handheld’s size, while big, didn’t feel too heavy (the Ally X weighs 715 grams, compared to the Steam Deck OLED’s 640 grams). I’m getting used to big gaming handhelds anyway, having spent years with the Steam Deck and now adjusting to the larger Nintendo Switch 2.

I was also impressed by the onboard haptics, which seemed to rumble in subtle ways that felt very organic to the game — in this case, giving me little jolts when hitting (or getting hit) by enemies with Silksong’s sword. The whole handheld feel was as comfy as any regular console controller experience. Like many PC handhelds, the controls felt better than the Switch 2’s. I didn’t accidentally press the shoulder buttons, and the responsive sticks and sturdy grips were useful for quick movement. Also, the d-pad is a great way to play.

But will the Xbox Ally and Ally X transform the Windows gaming handheld landscape, offering something like a true long-awaited Xbox handheld, or will this be a stepping stone to a better one in the future? I have no idea. But I’m as curious as anyone else, especially now that the Switch 2 has opened a larger door into the possibilities of graphics-boosted next-gen handhelds.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Oct. 23 #599

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Oct. 23, No. 599.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle might be Halloween-themed, as the answers are all rather dangerous. Some of them are a bit tough to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Please don’t eat me!

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Remember Mr. Yuk?

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

POND, NOON, NODE, BALE, SOCK, LOVE, LOCK, MOCK, LEER, REEL, GLOVE, DAIS, LEAN, LEAD, REEL

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

AZALEA, HEMLOCK, FOXGLOVE, OLEANDER, BELLADONNA

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is POISONOUS. To find it, look for the P that is the first letter on the far left of the top row, and wind down and across.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Oct. 23, #395

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Oct. 23, No. 395.

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 one of those crazy purple categories, where you wonder if anyone saw the connection, or if people just put that grouping together because only those four words were left. 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: Fan noise.

Green group hint: Strategies for hoops.

Blue group hint: Minor league.

Purple group hint: Look for a connection to hoops.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Sounds from the crowd.

Green group: Basketball offenses.

Blue group: Triple-A baseball teams.

Purple group: Ends with a basketball stat.

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 sounds from the crowd. The four answers are boo, cheer, clap and whistle.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is basketball offenses. The four answers are motion, pick and roll, Princeton and triangle.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is triple-A baseball teams. The four answers are Aces, Jumbo Shrimp, Sounds and Storm Chasers.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ends with a basketball stat. The four answers are afoul, bassist, counterpoint and sunblock.

Technologies

Amazon’s Delivery Drivers Will Soon Wear AI Smart Glasses to Work

The goal is to streamline the delivery process while keeping drivers safe.

Amazon announced on Wednesday that it is developing new AI-powered smart glasses to simplify the delivery experience for its drivers. CNET smart glasses expert Scott Stein mentioned this wearable rollout last month, and now the plan is in its final testing stages.

The goal is to simplify package delivery by reducing the need for drivers to look at their phones, the label on the package they’re delivering and their surroundings to find the correct address.

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A heads-up display will activate as soon as the driver parks, pointing out potential hazards and tasks that must be completed. From there, drivers can locate and scan packages, follow turn-by-turn directions and snap a photograph to prove delivery completion without needing to take out their phone.

The company is testing the glasses in select North American markets.

Watch: See our Instagram post with a video showing the glasses

A representative for Amazon didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

To fight battery drain, the glasses pair with a controller attached to the employee’s delivery vest, allowing them to replace depleted batteries and access operational controls. The glasses will support an employee’s eyeglass prescription. An emergency button will be within reach to ensure the driver’s safety.

Amazon is already planning future versions of the glasses, which will feature «real-time defect detection,» notifying the driver if a package was delivered to the incorrect address. They plan to add features to the glasses to detect if pets are in the yard and adjust to low light.