Technologies

Get Ready for Fall Sports With Apple Arcade’s October Lineup

Subscribers can take their favorite NBA team to the championship game before the basketball season even starts with NBA 2K26 Arcade Edition.

We’re a few weeks into the NFL season and less than a month away from the start of the NBA season. Fittingly, Apple Arcade brought Retro Bowl ’26 to sports gamers in September ahead of the NFL season, and the service is bringing NBA 2K26 Arcade Edition to gamers on Oct. 16, a few days before the NBA season officially starts.

Apple Arcade is filled with familiar and classic games, alongside exclusive titles, that you can play for $7 per month (£7, AU$10). Many of these games can be found in the App Store, but they may have paywalls and ads that hinder your gaming experience.

An Apple Arcade subscription gives you access to games without paywalls and ads, a feature usually denoted by «Plus» in the name. Here are all the games Apple Arcade subscribers can play soon. You can also check out the games Apple added in September, like Retro Bowl ’26.

Note that subscribers can play NBA 2K26 Arcade Edition starting on Oct. 16, but subscribers can play other games listed here starting on Oct. 2.

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NBA 2K26 Arcade Edition

Developer: 2K

You’re a league rookie in the latest installment of this gaming franchise, but that doesn’t mean you can slack off. Build your player from the ground up, enjoy the journey to become an NBA star and lead your team to the championship.

This entry in the series brings NBA Eras to Association Mode. That means you can manage legendary NBA dynasties throughout the ages, like the Magic Johnson era of the LA Lakers or the Larry Bird era of the Boston Celtics. And new decades of NBA Eras will be released each season, so maybe you’ll be able to play the Tim Duncan-era San Antonio Spurs or the Michael Jordan-era Chicago Bulls.

Thomas & Friends™: Let’s Roll Plus

Developer: StoryToys Limited

Thomas the Tank Engine is back in this kid-friendly game. You can pick your favorite engine, drive around the Island of Sodor and go on journeys into places like the Old Mine or Whiff’s Recycling Plant. After driving around, you can also let your creativity fly and build your own train tracks with the Track Builder feature.

Piffle Plus

Developer: Hipster Whale

Zip up your cat onesie for this adorable arcade puzzle game. Your goal is to break all the blocks on each board by shooting Piffle Balls at them. You can collect and craft new Piffle Balls, and you can give them power-ups to help clear the boards faster. You’ll have a cat-tastic good time!

Dominoes: Classic Tile Game Plus

Developer: MobilityWare

Whether you’re new to the game or have been slapping bones for years, you can play the classic strategy game of dominoes right from your device. You can learn to play classic game modes, like Draw Dominoes or All Fives, face off against characters with unique playstyles or complete daily challenges and goals in this well-known board game.

You can access these games soon, and there are plenty of others you can play in Apple Arcade, too, for $7 a month or $50 annually. You can also try Apple Arcade free for one month with your first sign-up, or you can get a three-month free trial when you buy an Apple device.

To access Apple Arcade, open the App Store on your iOS or iPadOS device and tap the joystick in the menu bar.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Jan. 24 #692

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Jan. 24, No. 692.

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 is one of those where the answers only make sense in pairs. There are six answers to find, and each of them matches up with one of the other answers. Some of them are difficult 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: A work of art.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: On museum walls.

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:

FINS, FINE, FINES, GARB, BOAT, GATES, GATES, FIST, RATE, RATS, STAR, PAINT, SILL, SPAT

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:

STARRY, NIGHT, WATER, LILIES, BOATING, PARTY

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is FAMOUSPAINTING. To find it, start with the F that’s four letters down on the far-left vertical row, and wind up, across, and then down.

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Toughest Strands puzzles

Here are some of the Strands topics I’ve found to be the toughest.

#1: Dated slang. Maybe you didn’t even use this lingo when it was cool. Toughest word: PHAT.

#2: Thar she blows! I guess marine biologists might ace this one. Toughest word: BALEEN or RIGHT.

#3: Off the hook. Again, it helps to know a lot about sea creatures. Sorry, Charlie. Toughest word: BIGEYE or SKIPJACK.

Technologies

San Diego Comic-Con Draws a Line: No AI Art Allowed at 2026 Event

The long-running fan convention is banning AI-created works from its popular art show.

Like Sarah Connor in The Terminator, San Diego Comic-Con is fighting back against AI. The prestigious, long-running pop culture convention has banned all artwork created by artificial intelligence from the 2026 Comic-Con art show. Rules posted on the Comic-Con website now state that AI-generated art won’t be shown in any form.

«Material created by Artificial Intelligence (AI) either partially or wholly, is not allowed in the art show. If there are questions, the Art Show Coordinator will be the sole judge of acceptability,» the website reads.

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A representative for San Diego Comic-Con did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In the past, the convention allowed participants to display AI artwork, provided it was clearly marked as such and wasn’t sold. But now, those artists can’t even bring it through the door. The rule change is a response to artist-led pushback, according to a 404 Media report. San Diego Comic-Con is one of the world’s most famous pop culture conventions, uniting comics, movies, television, gaming, cosplay and collectibles.

Jim Zub, writer for the Conan the Barbarian and Dungeons and Dragons comic book series, told CNET he supports Comic-Con’s decision and hopes other conventions will follow their lead.

«Hundreds of thousands of people attend San Diego Comic-Con each year, and the excitement that generates isn’t because they’re eager to meet a computer spitting out homogenized slop,» Zub said.

Zub, who’s also an artist, is scheduled to appear at Comic-Con in 2026.

Entertaining AI

The use of generative AI in comic book and pop culture art has generated controversy in recent years as AI programs have become more skilled at imitating creators.

A central focus of the 2023 actor’s strike involved backlash against the use of AI in movies and television. The issue has continued to roil Hollywood, as actors, special effects designers, and other film workers see the technology as a threat, while some movie studios view AI as a way to reduce production costs.

Netflix has already begun using AI-generated imagery in at least one series, Argentine sci-fi show El Eternauta. CEO Ted Sarandos praised the technology during a 2025 earnings call.

«We remain convinced that AI represents an incredible opportunity to help creators make films and series better, not just cheaper,» Sarandos said at the time.

AI is also an issue in the video game industry, with publishers facing swift backlash whenever fans discover AI was used in a game. The Indie Game Awards rescinded two awards for the hit RPG, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, after they found out that AI-made placeholder assets were included when the game launched. The game developer quickly patched the assets out.

While the movie and video game industries appear to have mixed views on using AI, Comic-Con has taken a firm stance, at least for now.

«Artists, writers, actors and other creatives gather and celebrate the popular arts in person because the people part of the equation is what matters most,» Zub said.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Saturday, Jan. 24

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Jan. 24.

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’s a long one, as per usual on Saturday. 1-Down made me awfully hungry! 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.