Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Sept. 22, #364

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Sept. 22, No. 364.

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.

As a Seattle sports fan, I immediately solved the blue category in today’s Connections: Sports Edition. The purple one, though, took some thinking. 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: Make a racket.

Green group hint: Fore!

Blue group hint: He often wore #34.

Purple group hint: Star baseball players, but with a twist.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Scoring in tennis.

Green group: Carried by a golfer.

Blue group: Associated with Marshawn Lynch.

Purple group: Baseball Hall of Famers minus the last letter.

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 scoring in tennis. The four answers are game, match, point and set.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is carried by a golfer. The four answers are ball, pencil, scorecard and tee.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is associated with Marshawn Lynch. The four answers are Beast Mode, Cal, Seahawks and Skittles.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is Baseball Hall of Famers minus the last letter. The four answers are Bank (Ernie Banks), May (Willie Mays), Role (Scott Rolen) and Rut (Babe Ruth).

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Monday, Sept. 22

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Sept. 22.

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.

The second letter in the alphabet has a big role in today’s Mini Crossword. Need some help? 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: Barker who hosted «The Price Is Right»
Answer: BOB

4A clue: (Base x height) / 2, for a triangle
Answer: AREA

6A clue: Bouncy toys in a playroom
Answer: BALLS

8A clue: Budget for
Answer: ALLOT

9A clue: Busy buzzers … and letters found at the start of every clue in this puzzle
Answer: BEES

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Baked dessert soaked in rum
Answer: BABA

2D clue: Big name in dental products
Answer: ORALB

3D clue: «Beauty and the Beast» protagonist
Answer: BELLE

5D clue: Balm ingredient with soothing properties
Answer: ALOE

7D clue: Bourbon and Beale: Abbr.
Answer: STS

Technologies

VPNs Are in High Demand for These Main Reasons

A new study reveals how virtual private networks are expanding outside of the niche technology just for businesses.

We all have concerns about online privacy and security, and that’s not changing anytime soon.

According to a new report from Maximum Market Research, the global market for virtual private networks will grow by more than 17% annually over the next five years. VPN expenditures are projected to reach $150 billion by 2030, more than triple what it was ($48.7 billion) in 2023.

Two key drivers for that growth are the lack of data security on public networks and the increasing number of employees doing remote and hybrid work.

VPN providers are working to boost the appeal of their services for consumers. This week, for instance, ExpressVPN introduced new features for Apple’s iOS app, including shortcuts, Home screen widgets and integration with Siri voice commands.

If you’re not already using a VPN, maybe you’re getting a sense of FOMO — should I jump into the VPN pool?

There are lots of good reasons to do so, including improved privacy, streaming without geo-restrictions and preventing ISP tracking. Check out CNET’s recommendations for the top VPNs (Canada, see here).

If you’re still in the «what’s a VPN?» camp, here’s a short description of how it works. First, you connect to a VPN server, which allows your device to establish an encrypted connection (sometimes called «tunneling in»). Then, all of your internet traffic is routed through that server, thus hiding your public IP address and physical location. The encryption also scrambles data related to your online activity, rendering it unreadable to hackers or cyberthieves.

VPNs are no longer just a «niche» nice-to-have technology for businesses, according to the report cited above. The projected growth of VPNs through 2030, it says, underscores the urgency we feel to keep our data secure.

Maximum Market Research expects North America to dominate the VPN market, with approximately 41% of the market share by 2030.