Technologies
Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Oct. 12 #588
Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Oct. 12, No. 588.

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 a fun one, with kind of an old-fashioned twist. Some of the answers 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: Follow suit
If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Deal me in.
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:
- REST, HIST, CHOP, PADS, RITE, RANG, SKATE, ARTS, HEART, TRICK, SKATER
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:
- WHIST, BRIDGE, EUCHRE, SPADES, PINOCHLE, HEARTS
Today’s Strands spangram
Today’s Strands spangram is TRICKTAKING. To find it, look for the T that’s four letters down on the far-left row, and wind up and across.
Technologies
T-Mobile Hikes Late-Payment Charge Amid Other Recent Billing Changes
T-Mobile encourages customers to use autopay by offering monthly discounts.

T-Mobile is increasing the fee it charges customers who pay their bills late. Starting Nov. 1, the carrier will raise its late payment fee from $7 to $10, according to updated billing disclosures sent to customers and first reported by The Mobile Report.
The company says the fee will now be the greater of $10 or 5% of the customer’s monthly bill, depending on state regulations. The move represents a roughly 43% increase in the minimum charge and brings T-Mobile more in line with what rival carriers like AT&T and Verizon already assess for overdue payments.
A representative for T-Mobile did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Read more: T-Mobile Is the New Mobile Network Champ. I Got a Behind-the-Scenes View Into How It Got There
The higher late fee could hit customers with smaller monthly plans the hardest, especially those who don’t use autopay, which is an option T-Mobile promotes by offering monthly discounts. The policy change continues a broader trend of wireless providers tightening payment terms and nudging subscribers toward automated billing as part of cost-control and retention strategies.
T-Mobile has not commented on the reason for the increase, but the change follows other recent billing and plan adjustments as the company continues to streamline operations after its merger with Sprint and amid rising operational costs.
Read more: My First Look at T-Mobile’s Unique Starlink T-Satellite Service Made Me Head Far From Home
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Technologies
It’s Easy to Get Free Extended Security Updates for Windows 10. Just Do This One Thing
Windows 10 support ends on Oct 14. Here’s how to keep access to Windows 10 security updates without spending a dime.

The era of Windows 10 support ends on Oct.14. After more than a decade, Microsoft is prioritizing updates for the most current OS, Windows 11, and stopping security updates for Windows 10.
If updating to Windows 11 isn’t an option, you can snag a year of extended security updates for the prior OS for $30. If you’re on a budget, there’s a free option that will let you keep extended security updates for a year. You’ll just be required to connect your OneDrive account and enable cloud backup.
Getting free updates on Windows 10, which was released more than a decade ago in July 2015, is a pretty big deal. As the most widely used Windows OS, it accounts for just over 53% of installs as of May 2025. Millions of people would be left without security support unless they upgrade. The cloud backup option gives users a choice without costing money.
The only potential issue is OneDrive. Anyone with a Microsoft account gets up to 5GB of storage for free. However, as The Verge points out, some backups may exceed this limitation, requiring users to purchase a monthly or yearly plan. At $2 a month for 100GB of cloud storage, a year of OneDrive still costs less than the $30 for a year of additional security updates, but it may still cause frustration among some customers.
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How to get Windows 10 security updates for free
Per Microsoft’s blog post, there are now three options for those who want to stay on Windows 10 and still receive security updates:
- Use Windows Backup to sync settings to the cloud via OneDrive.
- Redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points. Redeeming those points can buy you one year of security updates.
- Pay $30 for the Extended Security Updates program.
These options are available now. Microsoft began offering its Extended Security Updates program in July. Signing up for this option will guarantee updates until Oct. 13, 2026, although businesses will have the option to purchase up to three years of additional updates. So, this isn’t a long-term solution, but rather gives you more time to upgrade to Windows 11.
It’s been an uphill battle for Microsoft, as people have been reluctant to upgrade their existing hardware. There are myriad differences between the two operating systems, but Microsoft’s string of unpopular decisions, along with Windows 11 compatibility issues, have kept the prior-generation OS around a lot longer than it normally would.
Technologies
Microsoft: No, Xbox Hardware Isn’t Disappearing from Target and Walmart
Microsoft and Target counter rumors that spread over the weekend about retailers removing Xbox hardware from stores.

Microsoft is reassuring gamers that Xbox hardware, including game consoles and accessories, isn’t going away at major retailers, including Target and Walmart. And one of those retailers, Target, has also confirmed that there’s no truth to rumors about the end of Xbox hardware availability in its stores.
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Rumors swirled over the weekend amid a recent Xbox Game Pass Ultimate price hike and news that Costco would no longer be selling Xbox hardware. A clearance sale from Sam’s Club on Xbox consoles also fueled more speculation.
Read more: The 20 Best Xbox Games Right Now
The rumors caught fire over the weekend on Reddit, with Xbox subreddit users posting images and stories alleging that, according to at least one Target employee, the chain would stop selling Xbox hardware.
«Target and Walmart, among other retailers, remain committed partners for Xbox consoles, accessories, and games,» a Microsoft representative said in a statement.
Target also issued its own statement. «We continue to sell Xbox consoles, games and accessories, both in-stores and on Target.com,» the statement read. «Select items are currently not showing up on Target.com because they are sold out, but once available again, consumers will see them on Target.com.»
A representative for Walmart did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Microsoft has raised its Xbox console prices twice this year due to tariffs.
Earlier this month, Microsoft issued a separate statement that said it’s continuing to invest in the future of its first-party console business. The company pointed to a multi-year deal with tech hardware maker AMD that was announced in June.
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