Technologies

AT&T’s New AI-Based Wi-Fi Personalization Prioritizes Internet Traffic at Home

AT&T is optimizing gaming, streaming and work-related traffic for customers who subscribe to both fiber and mobile services.

AT&T is rolling out a new AI feature called Wi-Fi Personalization that prioritizes your home Wi-Fi traffic based on what you’re doing, potentially increasing performance while gaming, streaming and video conferencing. It’s an automatic feature for «converged» AT&T customers (subscribing to both home fiber and mobile service), as well as those with All-Fi Pro plans.

«We have to sweat the details on Wi-Fi performance, so we wanted to really look at what’s the next level that we can take Wi-Fi,» said Josh Goodell, AT&T vice president of broadband and converged product management.

Wi-Fi Personalization determines which types of internet traffic are most important at different times of the day, such as video calls during the day and gaming late at night.

«It learns the rhythm of the network,» Goodell said, «and will become more performant over time.»

He noted that traffic is prioritized at the application level, which differs from how home network hardware typically regulates data based on the device being used. For example, a TV and an iPad running Netflix, Hulu, or YouTube TV would be categorized as video streaming and prioritized ahead of other traffic during times when streaming is typically active.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

The feature is software-based and in the process of being automatically activated on AT&T Wi-Fi 7 and Wi-Fi 6 gateways, although it’ll work only on equipment the carrier lends to subscribers. Goodell says it works with most current AT&T-supplied modems and doesn’t require new hardware. If you use your own device to provide Wi-Fi, such as an Eero or TP-Link system, the feature isn’t available.

Wi-Fi personalization is being added at no extra cost for subscribers. And because it’s looking at traffic, that brings up the inevitable question of what AT&T might do with the usage data.

Goodell said that the AI processing happens only on the Wi-Fi gateway, and personal details do not leave the home. AT&T also never sees specific content. «We have no desire to monetize any data as part of this. This is all about improving performance,» he said, noting that privacy remains at the forefront for customers.

Although Wi-Fi Personalization is automatically enabled, a control in AT&T’s Smart Home Manager app allows you to pause the feature or manually prioritize types of traffic. As an example, Goodell mentioned entertaining family during college football games. He could go into the app and set the feature to prioritize streaming to ensure the best performance while watching the game.

Goodell said that AT&T’s gateways already scan the traffic 500 million times a day. The AI analyzes historical patterns rather than adjusting traffic in real-time based on demand.

Read more: AT&T recently boosted its wireless 5G performance, thanks to its purchase of EchoStar spectrum.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Dec. 11, #444

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Dec. 11, No. 444.

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 is a tough one. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle 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 appear in the NYT Games app, but it does 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: Put on your skates.

Green group hint: Get your racket.

Blue group hint: Dribble the ball.

Purple group hint: Kids love to do this.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Found at a hockey rink.

Green group: Last four men to win a tennis Grand Slam.

Blue group: Current women’s college basketball stars.

Purple group: ____ play.

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 found at a hockey rink. The four answers are bench, boards, glass and penalty box.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is the last four men to win a tennis Grand Slam. The four answers are Alcaraz, Djokovic, Nadal and Sinner.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is current women’s college basketball stars. The four answers are Betts, Booker, Crooks and Strong.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ____ play. The four answers are bang-bang, power, trick and triple.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Toughest Connections: Sports Edition categories

The Connections: Sports Edition puzzle can be tough, but it really depends on which sports you know the most about. My husband aces anything having to do with Formula 1, my best friend is a hockey buff, and I can answer any question about Minnesota teams.

That said, it’s hard to pick the toughest Connections categories, but here are some I found exceptionally mind-blowing recently.

#1: Series A Clubs, Jan. 11. Answers: Atalanta, Juventus, Lazio, Roma.

#2: WNBA MVPs, Jan. 21. Answers: Catchings, Delle Donne, Fowles and Stewart.

#3: Premier League team nicknames, Jan. 17. Answers: Bees, Cherries, Foxes and Hammers.

#4: Homophones of NBA player names, Jan. 26. Answers: Barns, Connect, Heart and Hero.

Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for Dec. 11, #1636

Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle for Dec. 11, No. 1,636.

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

Today’s Wordle puzzle is a little tricky, with a double letter, to boot. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.

Today’s Wordle hints

Before we show you today’s Wordle answer, we’ll give you some hints. If you don’t want a spoiler, look away now.

Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats

Today’s Wordle answer has one repeated letter.

Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels

Today’s Wordle answer has two vowels.

Wordle hint No. 3: First letter

Today’s Wordle answer begins with G.

Wordle hint No. 4: Last letter

Today’s Wordle answer ends with S.

Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning

Today’s Wordle answer can mean to estimate or to suppose something.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Today’s Wordle answer is GUESS.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, Dec. 10, No. 1635 was ERASE.

Recent Wordle answers

Dec. 6, No. 1631: WAIST

Dec. 7, No. 1632: FLUTE

Dec. 8, No. 1633: GRAVY

Dec. 9, No. 1634: SNIDE

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Thursday, Dec. 11

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Dec. 11.

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 wasn’t too bad, though 7-Across threw me until I solved some of the Down clues. Read on for the answers. 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.