Strands is the NYT’s latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it’s great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games.

You may be guilty of accelerating up to intersections and slamming the brakes at a red light – this common habit can generate significant carbon emissions each year. But programming modern cars to glide up to intersections instead could significantly reduce annual emissions.

An AI-powered model suggests that if every single gas or diesel-powered vehicle in the US consistently followed certain eco-driving practices, they could cut the country’s yearly carbon emissions by between 62 million and 123 million tonnes.

SpaceX is aiming to launch “about five” uncrewed Starship voyages to Mars in two years’ time, according to a post on X (formerly Twitter) by CEO Elon Musk on Sunday.

Musk said that if the uncrewed missions land safely on the red planet, then the first crewed mission could take place as early as 2028, but he added that “if we encounter challenges, then the crewed missions will be postponed another two years” due to the alignment of Earth and Mars that makes such journeys possible. He continued: “We want to enable anyone who wants to be a space traveler to go to Mars! That means you or your family or friends — anyone who dreams of great adventure. Eventually, there will be thousands of Starships going to Mars and it will a glorious sight to see! Can you imagine? Wow.”

It’s worth noting that Musk’s space-based timelines often slip. In 2016, he said SpaceX was planning to send a rocket to Mars “as soon as 2018,” and in 2022, he said the Starship could make its first flight to the distant planet this year.

His latest comments on his long-held dream to eventually colonize Mars come as SpaceX awaits permission from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to proceed with the fifth orbital test flight of the Starship, which comprises the first-stage Super Heavy rocket and upper-stage Starship spacecraft.

The FAA is currently investigating the environmental impact of the Starship flights, along with the safety measures being put in place for the fifth one, and SpaceX can’t fly until that investigation is complete. Much to SpaceX’s annoyance, the FAA said recently said that it would need until at least the end of November to finish its work.

Responding to recent criticism by SpaceX over the time it’s taking, the FAA explained that SpaceX’s current license authorizing the Starship’s fourth test flight “also allows for multiple flights of the same vehicle configuration and mission profile,” but said that “SpaceX chose to modify both for its proposed Starship Flight 5 launch, which triggered a more in-depth review.”

It added that Musk’s spaceflight company also submitted new information in August “detailing how the environmental impact of Flight 5 will cover a larger area than previously reviewed [and that] this requires the FAA to consult with other agencies,” meaning that more time is needed to complete its investigation than originally expected.

Musk said in Sunday’s social media post that he wants to make human existence multiplanetary “before something happens on Earth to prevent that, for example nuclear war, a super-virus or population collapse that weakens civilization to the point where it loses the ability to send supply ships to Mars.” He blamed what he sees as overregulation by the government for slowing down the Starship testing program, as well as other large engineering projects.

While many may sympathize with Musk’s frustration at not being able to proceed more quickly with the Starship test program, others insist that such regulations are essential to ensure public safety, maintain industry standards, reduce the risk of catastrophic events, and protect ecosystems.

YouTube Premium is a paid subscription service that comes with several perks including YouTube Music. With YouTube Premium, you can enjoy ad-free video streaming on the platform, enjoy background/offline playback, and YouTube Originals. While these are all good features, Google has been increasing the price of YouTube Premium in different countries occasionally.

YouTube Premium price increased yet again in several countries with most from Europe

It seems the price of YouTube Premium is increasing yet again, leaving paid customers affected from at least sixteen countries. The latest increase in the price of YouTube Premium mostly affects users based in Europe. Notably, both Individual and Family plans have seen significant price hikes.

According to a Reddit post, some of the prices have spiked by over 40%. Per the thread, Individual plans in countries like Ireland, Netherlands, Italy, and Belgium have increased by €2 and now cost €13.99. Whereas, the Family plan which previously cost €17.99 in these regions is seeing an increase of €8. Additionally, you can check out this Reddit post to get an idea of YouTube Premium’s revised price in other countries.

If you are living in any of the affected countries, Google may have sent you an email to communicate the price hike. The company reportedly says that this decision will allow it “continue to deliver great service and features” and “support the creators and artists you watch on YouTube.” Last summer, users in the US saw a similar email when Google increased the price of YouTube Premium in the region.

Users who signed up through Apple are seeing an even higher price increase

What’s more surprising is that users who have signed up for YouTube Premium through Apple on its streaming devices are seeing an even higher increase in price. One Redditor from Sweden claimed to have seen a 60% price increase. However, it appears to be a tax for paying through Apple rather than Google.

Well, the sad part is that even if you cancel your subscription through Apple and try to resubscribe via Google, it won’t affect the pricing. You’ll still have to pay the higher price. On the other hand, those who signed up through Google are seeing a much lower price increase.

Several Reddit users residing in the affected countries have announced that they have canceled their YouTube Premium subscriptions. In July when YouTube started cracking down on premium plans purchased using VPNs, many did a similar thing. Time will tell if Google revises the price of YouTube Premium to remain more aligned with the users’ expectations.

Microsoft is in the midst of a deal that would bring the infamous Three Mile Island nuclear power plant back to life, according to reporting by The Washington Post. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because the Pennsylvania plant was home to a partial meltdown of one of its reactors back in 1979.

The deal would make Microsoft the plant’s sole customer for 20 years, meaning it’ll hoover up 100 percent of the power all for itself. Why does the company need so much juice? You can guess. It’s for AI, which is notoriously power hungry. Look, if it takes an entire nuclear power plant so we can ask Bing to whip up an image of Steve Urkel in space riding a skateboard, then we gotta do it. It’s the future… or whatever.

Let’s break it down further. If this deal is approved by regulators, Three Mile Island will provide Microsoft with enough energy to power 800,000 homes. Again, no homes will be getting that energy, but don’t worry. Microsoft will be able to hold a live streaming event to show off some ghoulish new AI video generation tools or something.

I know I’m coming off as a real troglodyte here, but there is a silver lining. This could help Microsoft meet its pledge to power AI development with zero emissions electricity. It’s not as if these companies would give up on AI if there wasn’t a decommissioned nuclear power plant sitting around, so this move could help alleviate some of the strain that’s already being placed on our power grid due to ye olde artificial intelligence.

If approved, this would be a first-of-its-kind deal for a couple of reasons. A commercial power plant has never worked exclusively for one client before. It’ll also be the very first time a decommissioned power plant has come back online. It’s worth noting that the plant shut down five years ago for economic reasons, which has nothing to do with the partial meltdown from 1979. The current plan is for it to resume operations by 2028.

“The energy industry cannot be the reason China or Russia beats us in AI,” said Joseph Dominguez, chief executive of Constellation, the company that owns the plant. I’d take his jingoistic language with a grain of salt, however, as Constellation stands to make an absolute boatload of cash from this deal.

Let’s do some math. Yearly profits from a nuclear power plant averages $470 million. Microsoft will be the exclusive buyer of this energy for 20 years, which totals $9.4 billion. Constellation is spending $1.6 billion to get the plant going again, along with federal subsidies and tax breaks provided by the Inflation Recovery Act. This leaves $7.8 billion in sweet, sweet profit. That’s just a guesstimate, but you get the gist. The company does promise $1 million in “philanthropic giving to the region” over the next five years. That’s $200,000 a year.

This isn’t a done deal. There are many regulatory hurdles that Constellation will have to jump over. This includes intensive safety inspections from the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which has never authorized a plant reopening. There’s also likely to be an inquiry into those aforementioned tax breaks, as all of the energy is going to one private company and not serving entire communities. But come on. Steve Urkel on a skateboard in space.

On the plus side, Constellation will need around 600 employees to run the plant, according to the New York Times. Jobs are good. Also, the company says it won’t be seeking any additional subsidies from Pennsylvania. The Palisades nuclear plant in Michigan is also looking to reopen for business, but it plans on servicing the local grid and not the gaping maw of AI.

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now nearly 1,000 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles.