3D printing is a staple of the hacker community. From decorative items to rugged functional parts, almost anything you can think of, can be printed. [anurag.id] shows us some classic 3D printing hacks by converting his keyboard into a compact workstation.
Like any hacker project, the initial idea is small: he decides the knob on his mechanical keyboard is boring, so he designs some alternatives. First, one “retro style” knob. Then, like any good project, the scope creep begins. He makes another knob, and another… by the end he has 6 different designs! But don’t worry, the scope can get even bigger. He decides his ipad needs a good stand on his desk–and what better place to put it than on the keyboard? Now it’s starting to look like a real little workstation. Finally, as a finishing touch, he adds some magnetically-attached wrist rests for a compact, ergonomic workstation.
For many gadget enthusiasts, it’s a badge of honor to have a large collection of old tech, such as an assortment of old smartphones. Others may keep old phones around because they don’t know what else to do with them, or because they have important data that may be useful in the future. But if you’ve got a phone or two shoved into a drawer, out of sight and mind, you should probably be aware that they can pose risks both physical and digital.
For one, the lithium-ion batteries in them can degrade and become prone to spontaneous combustion over time. In the digital realm, old smartphones can be the virtual equivalent of an unlocked window, the perfect point of entry for malicious actors to breach the security of your private work and personal data.
That doesn’t mean you should never hold on to an old smartphone, even if disposing of old electronics by recycling or donating them is probably the better move. It does, however, mean that you should never chuck old phones in a drawer and forget about them. To lower those associated risks as much as possible, old smartphones should be properly stored and maintained. So, here’s a deeper look at what can go wrong when you keep an old phone around, and how you can reduce the chances of something going wrong.
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Old lithium-ion smart phone batteries can be a ticking time bomb
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Old smartphones mean old smartphone batteries. These degrade over time, and when they do, they become volatile. In some cases, they can spontaneously catch fire and cause a minor explosion. This can cause injuries and start fires. Even new batteries aren’t entirely safe: In September 2024, for example, Boston 25 News reported a house burned down after a charging smartphone’s battery exploded and started a fire.
Incidents of that severity are rare, but minor catastrophes are more common. In 2022, popular tech YouTuber Arun Maini, who posts under the moniker Mrwhosetheboss and maintains a vast collection of old phones he’s reviewed over the years, reported that three Samsung phones from his smartphone menagerie had exploded during the record-breaking heat wave that afflicted the U.K. that summer. Maini claimed he had spoken to other popular tech creators, Austin Evans, Marques Brownlee, and Zack Nelson, all of whom had experienced the same issue at one time or another.
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If you insist on keeping old phones around, you should store them in a cool, dry environment to minimize the risk of a battery-related incident. You should also charge the phone to around 50% every so often to help the battery stay healthy. If the phone has an easily removable battery, you should pop that battery out. Note that you should not dispose of lithium-ion batteries in your household trash. Many tech stores, such as Best Buy, have on-site battery disposals, and there are often battery recycling services you can search for in your area.
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Old smartphones are an additional cybersecurity threat surface to manage
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Your mileage may vary when it comes to old batteries, and many people hang onto old technology without incident. However, old phones also pose a tangible threat to your cybersecurity. All your old messages, photos, and app data remain on phones, even after you stop using them. Unless you factory reset a phone, it remains a treasure trove of personal data that cybercriminals would love to get their hands on. You’re keeping an unnecessary attack surface exposed, a major no-no in the cybersecurity world.
Making matters worse, phones eventually stop receiving security updates; when a phone is no longer updated, it becomes more vulnerable to attacks, and new exploits go unpatched. You may think you’re safe because the phone is turned off while it languishes in your drawer, but you should never entirely discount the risk of physical access. If, for instance, your home were to be robbed and the phone stolen, the robbers would have a much easier time gaining access to that old, insecure phone than they would to a new one.
At the very least, you should occasionally check for and install any updates for that phone while it remains in your possession. Once it stops getting updates, you should move any important data to another device or USB storage drive and perform a factory reset. You should also make sure that the old phone remains disconnected from your home network so that it cannot become an attack vector for the rest of your devices.
Costs for PC parts are skyrocketing, and I’m sure you understand the frustration of attempting to construct a gaming system when graphics cards and RAM are so expensive. Watching the price continue to rise is enough to put you off even the most basic upgrades right now, but a device like the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally, priced at $499.99 (was $600), steps in and saves the day, as you simply open the box and you have a whole gaming system right in your hands.
This portable is powered by an AMD Ryzen Z2 A processor, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. Indie games and old favorites run smoothly on the 7-inch screen, with consistent and snappy frame rates. Newer releases will still function properly on lowered settings, allowing you to enjoy playing games on the move or when you simply want to relax. For example, Forza Horizon 5 manages about 40 frames per second on medium detail, and Hollow Knight keeps the pace nice and fast with no drop off at all. Don’t worry if there are some titles that don’t run natively on the device, because cloud streaming comes to the rescue, allowing you to pull high-quality visuals straight from the cloud without putting a strain on the device.
XBOX EXPERIENCE BROUGHT TO LIFE BY ROG The Xbox gaming legacy meets ROG’s decades of premium hardware design in the ROG Xbox Ally. Boot straight into…
XBOX GAME BAR INTEGRATION Launch Game Bar with a tap of the Xbox button or play your favorite titles natively from platforms like Xbox Game Pass…
ALL YOUR GAMES, ALL YOUR PROGRESS Powered by Windows 11, the ROG Xbox Ally gives you access to your full library of PC games from Xbox and other game…
Let’s start with the screen, which is immediately noticeable as something special. When throwing the items about quickly or in fast action, 1080p at 120 Hertz provides silky smooth motion. The colors appear natural, and the touch layer responds instantly as you tap through menus. It’s bright enough to watch in most rooms, even with daylight streaming in from a nearby window. It comes down to more than just the numbers, though, because the grips on this thing are curved like an Xbox controller, so it feels natural in your palm. Even if you play for an extended period of time, the textured surfaces remain in place. The buttons and triggers are in the proper locations, so you don’t get tired after an hour or two. At just over a pound and a half, you may easily throw it in a bag or slide it into your pocket and go.
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The software is also fairly sleek, with a clean interface that has the Xbox things up front. Your game pass library is right there, as are all of the other games you have access to. There is a button on the controller that allows you to quickly access power modes and display modifications without having to go through all of the options. Throw in three months of Game Pass Premium for free, and you’ll get access to dozens of games without having to deal with downloads and the like.
Unlike those inflated lab tests, battery life lasts fairly well in everyday use. Demanding games will slog along for roughly two hours on a single charge, whilst more casual titles may coast along for six to seven hours with settings reduced to a manageable level. That offers you plenty of time to complete your daily commute or spend a relaxed Sunday afternoon on the couch. Furthermore, the sixty-five watt charger performs admirably, quickly replenishing juice anytime you connect it. The side ports also have you covered, taking a microSD card for a bit more storage and two USB-C connections so you can plug it into a bigger screen whenever you want.
Most drivers have in mind a pure British roadster from the early 1990s, the Lotus Elan, but only a small group of fans are aware of the strange story of the Kia Vigato that followed. After the original Elan M100 run ended in 1995, Kia bought the whole production tooling from Lotus. The company then assembled the car in Korea and shipped examples to Japan under the Vigato name.
It’s a strange footnote in Kia history, and one of the decade’s most underappreciated sports cars. The Lotus Elan M100 was built around a lightweight front-wheel-drive chassis with double-wishbone suspension at all four corners, giving it the crisp, confident handling that we all enjoy. When Kia took over the molds, the chassis remained almost unchanged. The end result was a car that still seemed perfectly balanced and drove smoothly, but with a few adjustments to suit their new owner.
BUILD A RACING LEGEND – Boys and girls ages 9 years old and up can construct the LEGO Speed Champions Porsche 911 GT3 RS Super Car (77239) building…
AUTHENTIC PORSCHE DETAILS – Young builders can recreate the real-life vehicle’s signature elements including the famous rear wing, air intake…
1 PORSCHE DRIVER MINIFIGURE – Kids can place the driver minifigure with helmet and red Porsche Track Day Experience outfit behind the wheel to stage…
The 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine, a naturally aspirated beast, produces 151 horsepower and delivers it to the front wheels via a five-speed manual. It accomplishes the job well, with sprightly acceleration that never goes overboard. Drivers can simply shift easily and experience a direct connection between pedal and road. Brakes are discs all around, and the suspension absorbs bumps while remaining rooted even when making abrupt direction changes. In terms of fuel economy, it’s quite decent for a convertible with a hint of sportiness.
Visually, the car retains the original Elan lines, with a low wedge shape, clean surfaces… you get the idea. Pop-up headlights are a nice feature because they sit flush when switched off and spring up nicely when you turn the switch. The rear spoiler is small, and the fenders are filled with nice16-inch OZ Racing wheels. The current example features a sleek white paint job, a black soft top that folds over by hand, and Yokohama tires to keep everything in place on the road. Oh, and one more thing: previous owners had some fun with the badges, replacing them with Lotus emblems… despite the fact that the chassis plate still proudly states that it is a genuine Kia Vigato from 1997.
Inside the cabin, colorful textile inserts that match the door panels add a splash of color to the black vinyl seats. A Mitsubishi head unit handles the audio, and a wonderful old-fashioned analog clock sits to the side of the gauges. Standard features include power windows and mirrors, as well as air conditioning to keep you comfortable. The instrument cluster displays a speedometer with a maximum speed of 240km/h and a tachometer with a maxes out at 6500rpm. An upgraded wood-rimmed steering wheel with a cool MOMO horn button gives it a nice personal touch. Even with two adults in the car, space isn’t a problem on longer excursions, and there’s still room behind the seats for a few items.
It appears that practically all of the Vigatos that rolled off the assembly line never made it out of Japan, where they just blended in with the traffic. A few made their way to North America via private imports, no less. The 1997 Vigato now offered for auction on Bring a Trailer has only 53,000 kilometers on the clock. This Canadian import arrived in late 2022, complete with an Ontario registration and a clean history report. Some of the underbody pieces show rust, but the main body and all mechanicals appear to be in fine condition. Bidding began modestly and will continue through April 9th. [Source]
Exploit code has been released for an unpatched Windows privilege escalation flaw reported privately to Microsoft, allowing attackers to gain SYSTEM or elevated administrator permissions.
Dubbed BlueHammer, the vulnerability was published by a security researcher discontent with how Microsoft’s Security Response Center (MSRC) handled the disclosure process.
Since, the security issue has no official patch and there is no update to address it, the flaw is considered a zero-day by Microsoft’s definition.
It is unclear what triggered the public release of the exploit code. In a short post under the alias Chaotic Eclipse, the researcher says “I was not bluffing Microsoft, and I’m doing it again.”
“Unlike previous times, I’m not explaining how this works; y’all geniuses can figure it out. Also, huge thanks to MSRC leadership for making this possible,” the researcher added.
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On April 3rd, Chaotic Eclipse published a GitHub repository for the BlueHammer vulnerability exploit under the alias Nightmare-Eclipse, expressing disbelief and frustration at how Microsoft decided to address the security issue.
“I’m just really wondering what was the math behind their decision, like you knew this was going to happen and you still did whatever you did ? Are they serious ?”
The researcher also noted that the proof-of-concept (PoC) code contains bugs that may prevent it from working reliably.
Will Dormann, principal vulnerability analyst at Tharros (formerly Analygence), confirmed to BleepingComputer that the BlueHammer exploit works, saying that the flaw is a local privilege escalation (LPE) that combines a TOCTOU (time-of-check to time-of-use) and a path confusion.
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He explained that the issue is not easy to exploit and that it gives a local attacker access to the Security Account Manager (SAM) database, which contains password hashes for local accounts.
Given this access, attackers can escalate to SYSTEM privileges and potentially achieve complete machine compromise.
“At that point, [the attackers] basically own the system, and can do things like spawn a SYSTEM-privileged shell,” Dormann told BleepingComputer.
Exploit demo Source: Will Dormann
Some researchers testing the exploit confirmed that the code was not successful on Windows Server, confirming Chaotic Eclipse’s statement that there are bugs that may prevent it from working properly.
Will Dormann added that on the Server platform, the BlueHammer exploit increases permissions from non-admin to elevated administrator, a protection that requires the user to temporarily authorize an operation that needs full access to the system.
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While the reason behind Chaotic Eclipse/Nightmare-Eclipse’s disclosure remains uncertain, Dormann notes that one requirement from MSRC when submitting a vulnerability is to provide a video of the exploit.
Although this may help Microsoft sift through reported vulnerabilities more easily, it adds to the effort of submitting a valid report.
Despite BlueHammer requiring a local attacker to exploit it, the risk it poses is still significant, as hackers can gain local access through a variety of vectors, including social engineering, leveraging other software vulnerabilities, or through credential-based attacks.
BleepingComputer has contacted Microsoft for a comment on the BlueHammer flaw, and a spokesperson sent us the below statement:
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“Microsoft has a customer commitment to investigate reported security issues and update impacted devices to protect customers as soon as possible. We also support coordinated vulnerability disclosure, a widely adopted industry practice that helps ensure issues are carefully investigated and addressed before public disclosure, supporting both customer protection and the security research community.” – a Microsoft spokesperson
Article updated on 4/7 to add Microsoft comment
Automated pentesting proves the path exists. BAS proves whether your controls stop it. Most teams run one without the other.
This whitepaper maps six validation surfaces, shows where coverage ends, and provides practitioners with three diagnostic questions for any tool evaluation.
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: A federal appeals court ruled on Monday that New Jersey gaming regulators cannot prevent Kalshi from allowing people in the state to use its prediction market to place financial bets on the outcome of sporting events.
A three-judge panel of the Philadelphia-based 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 (PDF) in finding that the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission has exclusive jurisdiction over the sports-related event contracts that Kalshi allows people to trade on its platform. The ruling marked the first time a federal appeals court has ruled on what has become the central issue in an escalating battle over the ability of state gaming regulators to police the activity of prediction market operators.
Kalshi and companies like it allow users to place trades and profit from predictions on events such as sports and elections. States argue that firms like Kalshi are operating without required state licenses, in violation of gaming laws, including bans on wagers by those under 21. Those states include New Jersey, which last year sent Kalshi a cease-and-desist letter stating that its listing of sports-related event contracts on its platform violated state gambling laws that prohibit betting on collegiate sports. Kalshi sued the state, arguing its event contracts qualify as “swaps,” a type of derivative contract, that under the Commodity Exchange Act can only be regulated by the CFTC, which had granted the company a license to operate a designated contract market (DCM).
A lower-court judge had sided with New York-based Kalshi and issued a preliminary injunction, prompting New Jersey to appeal. But a majority of the judges on the 3rd Circuit panel concluded the Commodity Exchange Act likely preempted state law. “Kalshi’s sports-related event contracts are swaps traded on a CFTC-licensed DCM, so the CFTC has exclusive jurisdiction,” U.S. Circuit Judge David Porter wrote. The ruling was in line with the position advanced in other litigation by the CFTC under President Donald Trump’s administration. The regulator last week sued Arizona, Connecticut and Illinois to prevent them from pursuing what it called unlawful efforts to regulate prediction markets.
Handheld console fans have long praised Nintendo’s Switch Lite for its compact size and low price, but many have wished for a variant that included those fancy premium features without sacrificing portability. Fortunately, Tito from Macho Nacho Productions stepped up and created exactly that type of machine through a series of painstaking modifications that transformed a regular Switch Lite into something far more capable.
The parts selection was the foundation of this entire project, since Tito began with Retro Remake’s Super5 OLED kit, which replaces the stock LCD with a high-quality OLED panel with touch capabilities and HDMI output, which no regular Switch Lite has ever had. The Hall effect joysticks came next, and they are meant to prevent stick drift over time. The transition was completed with an aluminum shell machined to ultra-precise specifications, which replaced the original plastic body and gave the console a solid, high-quality build that appears to be from a high-end electronics brand.
One system, three play modes: TV, Tabletop, and Handheld
Larger, vivid, 7.9” LCD touch screen with support for HDR and up to 120 fps
Putting it all together was a lot easier than Tito expected, but you’ll need to be familiar with the hardware components to feel comfortable. Once you’ve opened up the casing and removed the original screen and control bits, you simply slot in the new OLED assembly and an HDMI enabled board, and the stick drift-proof Hall effect sticks simply go in the places they were meant to occupy, and then the aluminium shell slams on in with no room for error, using the original screws. If you’ve done something like this previously, the entire procedure takes about an hour, and the finished product appears factory fresh on the outside.
Once you’ve put everything together, the Switch Lite Pro showcases what all of the upgrades can achieve in everyday use. Gamers may now connect the console to a large TV or monitor via normal HDMI and play in docked mode on the big screen, something the base Lite cannot do. The OLED screen has deeper blacks, richer colors, and greater contrast than the LCD it replaced, making the games stand out even in the brightest environments. The touch input allows you to play games that rely on it, while the Hall effect sticks provide silky smooth control that stays precise for years. The aluminum body adds weight and durability without making the device feel clunky, and it stays cool over long sessions thanks to much enhanced heat dissipation.
When compared to the standard Switch Lite, the enhancements make a significant difference. Tito compared the hacked unit to a stock Switch Lite, and the OLED screen was noticeably brighter and more color correct across a variety of titles, even in light surroundings. The blacks are truly black, rather than some dark grey, and the dark scene elements come out. The HDMI output is rock solid at full quality, and switching between handheld and TV modes is a breeze.
Keeping my house clean can feel like an impossible task with a litter-kicking-happy cat and a two-year-old on a mission to throw everything, whether it’s Cheerios or pizza, onto the floor. One of the things that has made it easier, though, is my Shark handheld vacuum. The Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro Plus is one of our favorite handheld vacuums, and it’s made it easy to clean up messes from both my cat and tiny human without needing to lug my old vacuum out for every mess. If you want a mess-free home for less, check our Shark coupon code.
Get 10% Off Your First Order With a Shark Promo Code
If you’re buying a Shark vacuum for the first time, you’re in luck: you can get 10 percent off right away by signing up for Shark’s emails. You’ll be prompted to put your email in, and will be emailed a unique code for you to use to get 10 percent off your order of a single item. That item doesn’t have to be a vacuum—feel free to snag your own Shark FlexStyle, an air purifier, or even a red light mask.
Get 15% Off $150+ With the Shark Student Discount
If you’re a student, you can get one of the best Shark discount codes regularly available: 15 percent off purchases over $150. In order to get it, you’ll need an account on UNiDAYS, then visit the Shark website through the UNiDAYS portal to get the student discount code.
Give $20, Get a $20 Shark Coupon Code With Referral
If you’ve already had your first order on Shark’s website, all is not lost. You can refer a friend to get them a $20 discount on orders over $100 on Shark’s website. You’ll score a $20 discount for yourself, too, once that referral code is validated, though you’ll need to spend $200 to use it.
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15% Off Shark Espresso Machines
There is nothing better than a nice espresso in the morning. We have a lot of coffee-related opinions here on the WIRED Reviews team, and we have a list of our favorite espresso machines that keep us going every morning. While we’ve gotten used to our bad and boujee lifestyle, these little lifesaving machines can be very, very expensive. But hey, we can’t sacrifice taste for price. And with this Shark espresso machine discount, you won’t have to make any sacrifices. Right now, you can get up to 15% off Shark espresso machines.
Enjoy Frozen Treats for Less With the Shark Ninja Creami
We at WIRED love the Shark Ninja Creami; we called it “almost as good as having your own personal frozen yogurt shop.” (Read our full review here.) With a wide variety of recipes, simple use that’s easy enough for a 7-year-old to operate, and costing thousands less than commercial alternatives, it’s safe to say we are fans here. Check out Shark Ninja’s full catalogue of ice cream makers, including the Ninja CREAMi Scoop & Swirl, which turns virtually anything into soft serve; and the Ninja CREAMi 7-in-1 Ice Cream Maker, which allows you to make every sweet treat with ease at home, from gelato to sorbet to smoothie bowls. Plus, the Ninja CREAMi XL Deluxe 11-in-1 Ice Cream and Frozen Treat Maker, which allows you to make italian ice, frozen yogurt, and more. All of these viral makers are on sale right now, making it the perfect time to indulge in a sweet treat (for less).
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If you’re looking for an eco-conscious option, Shark has a refurbishment program where you can get a certified renewed vacuums, hair dryers, and stylers for a lower cost. It’s a great way to get a discount on Shark’s fantastic gadgets, with up to $100 off a refurbished product. There’s not always a refurbished product ready to buy, but you can sign up to get alerts for certain products, like the Shark FlexStyle system.
When to Save the Most With a Shark Promo Code
Wondering if there’s a best time to shop on Shark’s website? While some of the best times of year won’t be until the fall holiday season with Black Friday and Cyber Monday, you can keep an eye out for great sales during summer holidays like Memorial Day and Labor Day. Shark also has an end of season sale usually in July, plus a Shark Anniversary Sale in September.
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More Shark Cleaning Tools We Love
Shark makes more than just handheld vacuum cleaners: they’ve got robot vacuums, steam cleaners, cordless vacuums, carpet cleaners, and so much more. And there’s several we love, from the Shark PowerDetect (8/10, WIRED Recommends) and the Shark Genius Steam Mop. Shark also makes fantastic hair tools like the Shark FlexStyle (9/10, WIRED Recommends). In the spirit of spring cleaning, there’s no better time to get a brand-new Shark vacuum, especially since you can snag a Shark promo code for 10 percent off and up to $100 off any Shark vacuum. There’s also student discounts and referral codes for more money off if you qualify. Here are all the Shark promo codes you can’t miss.
A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing ‘today’s game’ while others are playing ‘yesterday’s’. If you’re looking for Monday’s puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Monday, April 6 (game #1030).
Good morning! Let’s play Connections, the NYT’s clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.
What should you do once you’ve finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I’ve also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc’s Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.
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SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don’t read on if you don’t want to know the answers.
Article continues below
NYT Connections today (game #1031) – today’s words
(Image credit: New York Times)
Today’s NYT Connections words are…
ONE
BATTLE
AFTER
ANOTHER
WILD
GAME
IN
MATCH
NIGHT
CLASH
DOWN
LOW
NEITHER
WILLING
EITHER
CONTEST
NYT Connections today (game #1031) – hint #1 – group hints
What are some clues for today’s NYT Connections groups?
YELLOW: Games
GREEN: Fully committed
BLUE: Vague selections
PURPLE: Add a word that rhymes with “wife”
Need more clues?
We’re firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today’s NYT Connections puzzles…
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NYT Connections today (game #1031) – hint #2 – group answers
What are the answers for today’s NYT Connections groups?
YELLOW: COMPETITION
GREEN: ON BOARD
BLUE: WORDS FOR UNSPECIFIED CHOICES
PURPLE: ____LIFE
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM.
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NYT Connections today (game #1031) – the answers
(Image credit: New York Times)
The answers to today’s Connections, game #1031, are…
YELLOW: COMPETITION BATTLE, CLASH, CONTEST, MATCH
GREEN: ON BOARD DOWN, GAME, IN, WILLING
BLUE: WORDS FOR UNSPECIFIED CHOICES ANOTHER, EITHER, NEITHER, ONE
PURPLE: ____LIFE AFTER, LOW, NIGHT, WILD
My rating: Easy
My score: Perfect
In Saturday’s Connections game the tiles ‘let’, ‘sleeping’, ‘dogs’ and ‘lie’ became the group “let sleeping dogs lie” so ONE, BATTLE, AFTER, ANOTHER could very well have been a group in honor of the brilliant award-winning movie of the same name, rather than a red herring.
I decided not to risk it and instead linked BATTLE with MATCH, CLASH, and CONTEST and pressed submit, happy that I had not fallen for this most obvious of traps.
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With eight tiles left I was uncertain about any connection, so took a gamble with EITHER and NEITHER — and then, thinking that they sounded like vague selections, picked ANOTHER and ONE. And just like that I’d completed a game in difficulty order for the second day in a row.
Yesterday’s NYT Connections answers (Monday, April 6, game #1030)
YELLOW: EVENTS WITH DANCING BALL, HOEDOWN, HOP, RAVE
GREEN: INTEREST CLAIM, CONCERN, SHARE, STAKE
BLUE: COMPONENTS OF WHAC-A-MOLE HOLES, MALLET, MOLE, TIMER
PURPLE: MUSICALS WITH LAST LETTER CHANGED CAROUSER, EVITE, OLIVES, WICKET
What is NYT Connections?
NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.
On the plus side, you don’t technically need to solve the final one, as you’ll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What’s more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.
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It’s a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.
It’s playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.
Early editions of the index were a tabbed notebook. “I still have some of the original versions of it,” Boyer says. “You would go through, laboriously, by hand, turning the pages, and it would say ‘see page 27,’ like one of those find-your-own-ending books, and then you would put in a phone call, because the last section in the Antivenom Index was the home phone numbers of zookeepers.”
In 2006, Boyer and Steven Seifert, then a medical toxicologist at the University of Nebraska, partnered to bring the index online, where it remains today. Now, nearly 90 zoological organizations list their wares.
When Chris Gifford was bitten by his deadly green mamba, he was lucky to receive antivenom from South Carolina’s Riverbanks Zoo.
Courtesy of Chris Gifford
Gifford, the North Carolina man, had been comparatively lucky, as only one of his mamba’s fangs had pierced his skin. By the time he reached a nearby hospital, Gifford’s hand was swelling and creeping paralysis was causing his eyelids to droop. The Antivenom Index was activated, and South Carolina’s Riverbanks Zoo, about 200 miles to the southwest, had the antivenom he needed. Just 30 minutes after the mamba’s bite, Gifford was struggling to breathe as the paralysis started to affect his diaphragm.
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“It feels like you’re drowning,” he says.
Keepers at the Riverbanks Zoo packed 10 vials of antivenom on ice and sent them on a helicopter. Just as Gifford’s timer hit the six-hour mark, the hospital began administering the first of the vials. “Almost immediately, I could feel myself breathing,” Gifford says. He left the hospital some two days later.
If you’re bitten by a venomous snake in the northeastern United States, odds are good that you’ll be treated with vials of antivenom nestled in a refrigerator in the back room of the Bronx Zoo’s reptile house. The zoo collaborates with the nearby Jacobi Medical Center, whose dedicated snakebite response team makes it a rarity among US hospitals.
Inside the refrigerator are boxes, bins, and bags of the delicate glass vials that are often the difference between life and death. Shelves are lined with jars full of antivenom for Indian species and the North American coral snake, and lavender cartons with images of a poised king cobra. In all, the Bronx Zoo stocks 25 different antivenom varieties, many of which are polyvalent, meaning applicable to multiple species.
Waymo’s driverless taxis are making their way to London, starting with a pilot this month (April 2026), with a full launch coming in September, but what does that mean for the UK’s capital?
Will the city’s notoriously difficult-to-drive streets become a chaotic mess of robot carnage? Well, hopefully not — in fact, if the London experience is anything like the Waymos I’ve ridden in San Francisco, it might be the Uber replacement you’ve been waiting for.
These robocabs might even make London’s streets a bit safer.
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(Apologies for the over-enthusiastic start to the video)
Waymo has been operating its robotaxis for years and, as of March 2026, has 3,000 vehicles in its fleet — so it knows how to make the rider experience smooth.
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The Waymo app is essentially the same as Uber or Lyft; you choose where you want to go and be picked up from, request a ride, and wait for your car to arrive.
In some ways, I’ve found Waymo easier because when the car arrives, it flashes your initials on top of the vehicle — meaning you don’t have to do the awkward dance of cross-checking license plate numbers.
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To unlock the car, you have to push a button in the app, so no random person can get in before you. Once everyone is in and has their seat belt on, you just push a button in the car to set it off.
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When you arrive at your destination, Waymo will let you know and park somewhere safe. It’ll also give some safety guidance, like checking for traffic before opening your door into the road — yes, it’s obvious, but if you’re coming from a party or a long day at work, a safety reminder is handy to ease the mental load.
(Image credit: Waymo)
It’s easy, but is Waymo safe?
The whole user experience is superbly smooth, and that’s true for the ride as well.
Driving is inherently risky — more risky than many of us realize —, but according to Waymo itself, the company’s vehicles have 91% “fewer serious injuries or worse crashes,” 83% “fewer airbag deployment crashes,” and 82% “fewer injury-causing crashes” than regular human drivers.
This is all thanks to the tri-sensor technology used by Waymo cars. They rely on cameras, radar, and LiDAR to create an incredibly accurate 360-degree map of everything around the vehicle — including pedestrians, obstacles, other cars, cyclists, trams, road signs, basically everything.
It’s a heck of a lot more data and understanding than we humans with just our two eyes can provide, and we also have to contend with a few blind spots while we drive. So it’s no wonder that Waymo is much safer.
Now, you might see some driverless vehicles have worse safety records, but that tends to be for rivals who rely solely on cameras and AI. Cameras alone aren’t yet as accurate as a system with LiDAR and radar, as the technology seems to be more prone to error due to environmental interference — for example, cameras, like our eyes, can struggle in fog, whereas the triple sensor setup doesn’t.
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From my own experience, I felt perfectly safe inside the Waymos I rode in — the driverless car drove smoothly, merged with the right balance of caution and confidence, and stuck to the speed limit.
(Image credit: Myriam Joire)
What about my privacy?
Lastly, let’s touch on privacy. In some ways, Waymo is more private than a regular Uber or cab, as while the vehicle has mics, the company says they’re only switched on when you’re speaking with support — otherwise they’re muted.
However, there are internal cameras on all the time inside the car’s cabin — with social media full of stories of folks who didn’t realize.
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Remember, other people have to use these taxis, and if Waymo catches you doing stuff you shouldn’t be — including trying to drive the car — you’ll get in trouble, which could see your account penalized or suspended entirely. So don’t be weird.
Treat it like a driver is in the car with you, and I’m sure your rides will be smooth.
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