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 tricky one, especially the purple category. 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: “Yer out!”

Green group hint: They score goals.

Blue group hint: Daddy dearest.

Purple group hint: Home, home on the…

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Things an umpire calls.

Green group: An attacking player in soccer.

Blue group: MLB father-son duos.

Purple group: ____ range.

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 things an umpire calls. The four answers are ball, out, safe and strike.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is an attacking player in soccer. The four answers are forward, No. 9, striker and target man.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is MLB father-son duos. The four answers are Alou, Bonds, Fielder and Griffey.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ____ range. The four answers are 3-point, driving, long and mid.

Blackmagic Camera is one of the more powerful third-party smartphone camera apps available and it’s now even more useful for solo creators. Blackmagic Design just announced that the latest iOS version 3.3 now supports Apple Watch, letting you control the app and monitor video remotely from your wrist. It also includes ATEM camera control so you can use your iPhone as a live studio camera.

With the new Camera Apple Watch companion app, you can remotely control and monitor your iPhone from anywhere within Wi-Fi range. It lets you start and stop recording, control zoom and adjust settings like frame rate, shutter speed (angle), white balance and ISO with a tap. You can also see a view of your video for framing control, though a Watch screen is probably a bit too small to accurately check focus.

The Watch app will benefit solo creators who want to mount their iPhone on a tripod to record standup or vlogging activities. To set it up, you install the Watch app through your iPhone and it will automatically connect and sync to your device.

The other key feature is iPhone control from Blackmagic’s ATEM Mini switcher used by streamers and broadcasters. To use it, you need the $420 Blackmagic Camera ProDock that gives your iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max an HDMI output, timecode, USB-C and other ports. Blackmagic Camera now lets you connect a single HDMI cable from the ProDock to an ATEM Mini switcher, then adjust settings, trigger recording, focus and zoom. It also offers a DaVinci primary color corrector so you can match and create digital film looks during live production.

Finally, Camera now supports Blackmagic’s “Focus and Zoom Demand” controls (a knob and handle) designed for broadcast cameras. When those controls and an iPhone 17 Pro/Pro Max are connected via USB-C to a ProDock as shown above, you can zoom and focus Camera app video without taking your hands off the tripod handles. Together with the ATEM feature, it lets you use an iPhone as a full broadcast camera, which looks slightly weird but is pretty cool.

On top of those features, Blackmagic Design also added ProRes RAW stabilization and general bug fixes and improvements. Blackmagic Camera for iOS 3.3 is available now as a free download from the Apple App Store.

When a need arises, many people instinctively turn to someone they know. A quick message to a friend or a brief conversation often brings clarity, shaped by shared experiences and personal understanding. According to Stanley Fulton, founder of Trusti, this pattern has long guided everyday decisions, offering a sense of familiarity that extends beyond simple information. He notes that over time, digital platforms introduced new ways to explore options, creating access to vast amounts of feedback within seconds. 

The scale of online reviews reflects their growing role in decision-making. Data shows that the majority of consumers read reviews before making a purchase, and 93% say those reviews influence their decisions. “Even with how widely reviews are used today, the experience can still feel a bit scattered. People often find themselves checking multiple platforms just to feel confident, paying close attention to how recent, genuine, and thoughtfully written those reviews seem,” Fulton says. A survey highlights that consumers increasingly expect recent, high-quality reviews and timely responses from businesses, signaling a desire for engagement that feels active and personal.

Trusti was developed with this insight in mind, offering a platform where recommendations flow through micro-communities built on common experiences. These communities may include coworkers, parents, educators, or local groups, each contributing perspectives that feel relevant to their members. Fulton emphasizes that within this environment, reviews may take on a more conversational quality, echoing the way people exchange advice in daily life. The platform’s new four-click review process further supports this dynamic, allowing users to share their experiences with ease while maintaining clarity and simplicity.

To encourage engagement, Trusti incorporates a coin-based system that rewards participation across the platform. Users earn coins by sharing recommendations, contributing reviews, and engaging with their communities. These coins can be used within the Surf Shop, a marketplace where businesses introduce offerings and connect with interested audiences. This system creates a cycle of contribution and discovery, where participation supports visibility and interaction fosters connection.

The Surf Shop itself reflects an effort to make exploration feel dynamic and community-oriented. Members can browse recommendations, follow discussions, and encounter businesses highlighted by their networks. This environment encourages ongoing interaction, allowing users to remain connected to evolving conversations while discovering new opportunities within familiar circles. 

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Another layer of insight emerges through the “Where the Pros Go” feature, which draws on professional networks to highlight trusted expertise. “Recommendations from experienced professionals tend to carry a certain level of credibility, since they come from real, hands-on knowledge. Bringing that perspective into the experience gives people a broader way to explore their options, with input from both personal connections and professional insight,” Fulton explains.

For businesses, particularly smaller enterprises, Trusti’s model may offer meaningful visibility. “Bigger organizations tend to gather a lot of reviews across different platforms, which makes them easier to find when people search. For smaller businesses, so much of their reputation lives in personal referrals and community connections, and that doesn’t always show up the same way online,” Fulton explains. Trusti provides a bridge by helping amplify those existing relationships in an online setting.

Fulton regards this aspect with a sense of purpose shaped by experience. “Small businesses represent effort you can feel and stories you can follow,” he remarks. “Helping them connect with people who appreciate that journey adds a different kind of value.” His view highlights the importance of creating pathways where local enterprises can be discovered through meaningful interactions, aligning digital presence with the trust they cultivate offline.

Trusti’s broader vision also connects to a nonprofit Fulton founded, The Each Child Foundation (ECF), which reflects his longstanding interest in supporting communities beyond commerce. The foundation focuses on early childhood development and family well-being, emphasizing the importance of creating environments where individuals can thrive. This connection adds another dimension to the platform’s purpose, linking everyday interactions with a wider commitment to social impact.

Overall, Trusti builds systems that align with how people naturally seek guidance, allowing digital tools to extend the reach of trusted relationships. “I like to call it HI or human intelligence, using human ingenuity to solve human pain points,” Fulton shares. This approach values both innovation and familiarity, bringing them together intuitively. 

As digital environments continue to evolve, approaches that listen closely to human behavior offer meaningful direction. Trusti illustrates how platforms can reflect everyday patterns of trust, creating connected experiences. In doing so, it contributes to a broader conversation about how technology can support relationships, helping individuals and businesses engage with one another naturally. 

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 kind of a fun one, and the clue for 2-Down is simply a familiar shape. Read on for all 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.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Sound made while sinking into a hot tub
Answer: AHH

4A clue: March Madness pick
Answer: TEAM

6A clue: Like “status quo” and “mea culpa”
Answer: LATIN

8A clue: Large venue for a comedian
Answer: ARENA

9A clue: Piece of bacon
Answer: STRIP

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Book of maps
Answer: ATLAS

2D clue: ❤️
Answer: HEART

3D clue: Constant critic
Answer: HATER

5D clue: Car that’s easy to park
Answer: MINI

7D clue: Much of the afternoon, for a toddler
Answer: NAP

SNK and Plaion introduced an all-new NEOGEO AES+ console, allowing aficionados of the original hardware to play their old favorites in spectacular high definition on current screens. This console hits stores on November 12 and is available for preorder right now through the official website.

The console is based around re-engineered chips that copy that exact behavior of the original 1990 model rather than faking it with software, so every game operates exactly as it did in the arcades. You get access to every original NEOGEO AES cartridge ever manufactured, which is a terrific place to start; however, there are several brand-new titles designed particularly for your system. The console supports enormous games that even earlier systems can’t handle, like hundreds of megabytes, and then sends a crisp clear 1080p HDMI output to your television almost instantaneously. If you still want to use a CRT, there is an AV connector that you can plug into.

HyperMegaTech! Super Pocket NEOGEO Edition

• 14 pre-loaded NEOGEO games including: Metal Slug X, Fatal Fury Special, Samurai Shodown II, Alpha Mission II, Blazing Star, King of the Monsters…
• Works with all Evercade cartridges – this includes over 60 cartridges and 500+ games.
• USB-C charging for fast charging.

At the bottom of the console, there are small dip switches that let you to change the language settings or mess around with the display modes if that’s your thing. If you have a memory card accessible, your high scores will be preserved for good. Furthermore, the power consumption is low, allowing the console to remain cool even after extended gaming sessions. There are two versions launching at the same time: the standard black one costs $250 / £180 / €200, and the 35th Anniversary Edition, which comes in a rather fetching white finish, costs $270 / £270 / €300, and includes a very nice looking white Metal Slug cartridge that cannot be purchased separately.

Each shipment will include the console, a power supply, an HDMI cable, and one of the old wired arcade sticks, constructed to match the originals, to get you started. At launch, you can also add other peripherals, such as a wireless version of the stick, a gamepad with the conventional layout, and a memory card that does not require a battery. To give you a head start, ten games will be released alongside the hardware, including Metal Slug, The King of Fighters 2002, Garou: Mark of the Wolves, Big Tournament Golf, Shock Troopers, Samurai Shodown V Special, Pulstar, Twinkle Star Sprites, Magician Lord, and Over Top. Each one will cost roughly £70 / €80, by the way.

If you’re a collector looking for the full package, you should be able to get the Ultimate bundle, which includes the console, every single accessory in both wired and wireless form, all ten launch games, a rather nice-looking game rack, and a slew of extra cables, all wrapped up in some limited-edition packaging.

The European online age verification app is ready.

The app works with passports or ID cards, is built to be “completely anonymous” for the people who use it, works on any device (smartphones, tablets, and PCs), and is open source. “Best of all, online platforms can easily rely on our age verification app, so there are no more excuses,” said European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen at a press conference on Wednesday. “Europe offers a free and easy-to-use solution that can protect our children from harmful and illegal content.”

High Expectations

“It is our duty to protect our children in the online world just as we do in the offline world. And to do that effectively, we need a harmonized European approach,” von der Leyen said at Wednesday’s press conference. “And one of the central issues is the question, how can we ensure a technical solution for age verification that is valid throughout Europe? Today, I can announce that we have the answer.”

This answer takes the form of an open source app that any private company can repurpose, as long as it complies with European privacy standards and offers the same technical solution throughout the European Union. The user downloads the app, agrees to the terms and conditions, sets up a pin or biometric access, and proves their age through an electronic identification system, or by showing a passport or ID card (in which case biometric verification is also provided). The app does not store your name, date of birth, ID number, or any other personal information, according to the European Commission—only the fact that you are over a certain age.

After that, when a person using the app wants to access a social network (minimum age: 13), pornographic site (minimum age: 18), or any other age-protected content, if they are logged in from a computer, they need only scan the QR code shown on the site they want to visit. If, on the other hand, the person logs in from a smartphone, the app sends the proof of age directly. The platform does not access the document with which the user proved it in the first place.

Adoption Event

The need to introduce a common system for the entire European Union has been discussed for some time, and according to commission technicians, the technical work is now complete. Of course, it will still be possible to circumvent the system—all it takes is for an adult to lend their phone to a younger friend—but the technological architecture exists, and it will be up to EU member states to decide whether to integrate it into national digital wallets or develop independent apps.

“No More Excuses”

For the app to really be effective, platforms must be obligated to verify the age of their users—that’s where things get tricky. The Digital Services Act, which went into effect in 2024, requires “very large online platforms”—those with more than 45 million monthly users in the European Union—to take concrete steps to mitigate systemic risks related to child protection, with heavy penalties for noncompliance.

“And that’s why Europe has the DSA: to call online platforms to their responsibilities. Because Europe will not tolerate platforms making money at the expense of our children,” European Commission executive vice president Henna Virkkunen told a press conference. She added that after an investigation into TikTok, the European institutions plan to take similar action against Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, as well as four porn sites. “Since the platforms do not have adequate age verification tools, we developed the solution ourselves,” he concluded. In short, as von der Leyen also remarked, “there are no more excuses.”

Bare Minimum

So far, this is the European framework that sets the general rules. On this basis, member states can consider more restrictive measures. Italy was among the first to discuss how to regulate the use of social media by minors but has so far not landed on anything concrete. Elsewhere in the EU, France’s Emmanuel Macron has been a trailblazer on the issue, pushing France to discuss a rule to ban social networks for minors under the age of 15 entirely. So far, this measure has received broad political support—but the outcome depends largely on compatibility with the Digital Services Act and the availability of effective age verification systems like the app the European Commission just released.

This article originally appeared on WIRED Italia and has been translated.

Chargers are often tucked into drawers and bags because most of us simply plug them in and forget about it, but Anker’s Nano 45W Smart Charger, priced at $27.99 (was $40), is different. Travelers are constantly looking for gear that does not take up too much room, and the Nano is a game changer. It’s small enough to put in a pocket or a carry-on, yet it delivers an impressive 45 watts of power via a single USB-C port. The prongs fold up in two directions.

When you plug it in, the charger comes to life and displays all of the information on its small screen right in front of you. The latest iPhone models, starting with the 15 series, provide instant ID and display the actual phone name, amount of electricity coming through, battery level, and even the device’s temperature. This is very cool since it transforms what was once just a wall socket into a helpful small gadget that keeps you updated. It charges in three stages so that the charger does not overheat and you do not risk burning out your battery.

Sale

Anker Smart Display Charger,Anker Nano 45W Max GaN Fast Charging USB C Charger Block,180° Foldable…

• Smart iPhone Recognition with Care Mode: Automatically recognizes supported iPhone models and adjusts charging for smarter, safer power delivery…
• 45W Max Fast Charging with Smart Power Adjustment: Delivers up to 45W of high-speed charging while adjusting output based on your battery level…
• Smart Display Controls: Tap once to view real-time charging status, double-tap to switch between modes, and press for 2 seconds to rotate the screen…

As a result, if your phone is supported, it can charge to half capacity in about 20 minutes, and this is not limited to phones. This works with tablets and lighter laptops as well, but it’s mainly designed for Apple devices because they’re always going to be the most comfortable with them. Leave it on your desk or nightstand and you’ll be able to see the status of your phone without having to unlock it. There’s no need to worry about it getting too hot or taking too long because it’ll all come naturally.

Anker definitely got it perfect with the Nano. With compatibility across a wide range of USB-C devices, it’s the one adapter that can do it all, regardless of your phone’s brand. As a result, you can travel light while remaining charged. When you go home, the same charger continues to provide you with detailed information on each session. The charger adjusts its output based on what it has learnt about your device, so your batteries will eventually care after themselves.

Once you’ve seen the light, or gotten used to using a smart charger, switching back to a standard charger feels sort of boring. Anker identified a genuine need for a quick, portable charger that tells you what’s happening on and simply nailed it with the Nano.

Tom Stanton has spent years fiddling with many strange flying machines. His current idea cleverly updates a traditional toy. Rubber band planes have been around forever, storing energy in twisted bands that then spin a propeller. The problem is that they must be wound up for several minutes merely to produce a short burst of flight. Stanton sought to create a flying machine that was faster, more practical, and could be built with easily accessible components.

Instead of relying on rubber bands, Stanton used supercapacitors to store energy. A hand crank generator charges the capacitors up to a 10-farad unit, which weighs just 3 grams and takes just a few seconds to charge. To keep an eye on things, an analog voltmeter is used to ensure that the voltage does not exceed 2.7 volts and destroy the capacitor. Once fully charged, the capacitor powers a small brushed motor repurposed from a toy drone, which propels a propeller engineered to work efficiently with the capacitor’s low voltages.

POWERUP 4.0 The Next-Generation Smartphone Controlled Paper Airplane Kit, RC Controlled. Easy to Fly with…

• PILOTED FLIGHT – Grab a sheet of paper, fold it, and go! Instantly put yourself in the cockpit of an amazing smartphone controlled paper airplane that…
• INCREDIBLE STABILITY – Loops, Barrel Rolls, & Hammerheads are achieved with the special Acro Mode! Your paper plane’s onboard computer automatically…
• CONNECTED FLYING – Pair your plane with the POWERUP App to maneuver your plane, keep a robust flight log, compete with other flyers on the…

Stanton just printed the wings directly onto tissue paper. He used a textured construction plate secured with magnets so that the printer could lay down the structure without breaking the paper. After finishing the print, he simply clipped the edges, applied some adhesive, and used a heat gun to mold the paper so it could function as an airfoil. The initial effort at a wing was a disaster, as it flexed too much under load, sending the plane straight into the ground. However, later versions converted to shorter wings with a greater aspect ratio, which solved the problem by reducing flex and drag while adding minimal weight.

The plane’s fuselage is built of carbon fiber rods, which provide it strength without weighing a ton. Stanton built notches into the rod to prevent it from being drilled out of the holes, allowing the wings and tail to slip in and out with a simple friction fit, making changes easy when testing the plane. The tail is a 3D print that is glued to the back of the rod, and up front, a small steel bolt serves as the nose weight to keep everything balanced. Stanton adjusted the wing mount slightly to keep the propeller out of the line of the airflow, and a printed bracket connects the capacitor and motor and simply clips into the rod.

First, Stanton tested the basic glider on its own, as it was so light (weighing only 3.8 grams) that it flew through the air like a dream and outperformed a simple paper plane. Adding the power system increased the total weight to 15.6 grams, which isn’t terrible given it’s still lighter per square inch than most paper airplanes. When he tried it with the power system, it shot up high after launch and settled into a long, steady glide. Cranking the hand crank for 4 seconds gave him 45 seconds of flight time, but what about the charging time? It was a blazing 0.1 seconds. Stanton thought the charging-to-flight time ratio was impressive to say the least, especially since the charging process takes roughly the same amount of time as blinking.

Cold and damp air reveal one weakness: tissue paper absorbs moisture and loses rigidity quickly. The wings began to sag and the plane fought to stay aloft, as Stanton mentioned in his video, although other individuals have had success with minor repairs such as coatings on comparable planes. To be fair, the primary design of the product demonstrated that the concept works. In the end, the last plane popped right up off the ground, kept altitude far longer than I expected, and then glided down for a rather easy landing.

Stanton made the glider files accessible on Printables, allowing anyone to print their own version and try it out. The entire project is very simple, as it just requires some basic hardware: a 3D printer, a piece of tissue paper, a carbon rod, and the minimum essentials of some electronics. There are no sophisticated or high-tech materials or intricate machine work involved.