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.

Google’s next flagship phones could arrive with a notable display advantage.

According to a new report from ETnews, the Pixel 11 series is set to use Samsung’s latest M16 OLED panels. This could potentially make it the first smartphone line to feature the upgraded screen technology.

The panels are expected to bring improvements in brightness, colour accuracy and power efficiency, building on Samsung’s current M14 OLED displays used in today’s premium devices. That includes phones like the Pixel 10 Pro and even recent iPhone models. Therefore, the jump to M16 could represent a modest but meaningful upgrade.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes’ case against prediction market Kalshi appears to have hit a snag.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission announced Friday that it has won a temporary restraining order preventing the state from pursuing its criminal case against Kalshi (whose CEO Tarek Mansour is pictured above).

“Arizona’s decision to weaponize state criminal law against companies that comply with federal law sets a dangerous precedent, and the court’s order today sends a clear message that intimidation is not an acceptable tactic to circumvent federal law,” said CFTC Chairman Michael S. Selig in a statement.

While the CFTC normally has five commissioners, Selig is currently the only one on the commission, following his confirmation in December and the departure of previous acting chairman Caroline Pham (who left to join crypto company MoonPay).

Arizona has filed charges against Kalshi accusing the company of operating an illegal gambling business in the state without a license. The announcement of the restraining order comes just a couple days after a federal judge allowed Arizona’s case to move forward, according to Bloomberg.

The CFTC also filed suits seeking to stop similar cases from moving forward in Connecticut and Illinois.

Five hundred bucks. That’s the price difference between the MacBook Neo and the MacBook Air. Having spent a lot of time testing and using both laptops in the MacBook lineup, I can say that there’s a clear demographic for both of these devices.

As a longtime laptop tester, my goal here is twofold. I want to make sure that you buy the right MacBook, and I also want to make sure you don’t overpay or underbuy. Deciding isn’t actually as difficult as you might think. Don’t think you want a MacBook after all? Don’t forget to check out our guides to the Best Windows Laptops, the Best Chromebooks, or the Best Linux Laptops.

The Easy Way to Decide

Photograph: Luke Larsen

There’s one easy question to answer if you’re stuck between the Neo and the Air. Is this for a job that you will use full-time? Because if you’re sitting in front of this laptop for eight hours a day, don’t bother considering the MacBook Neo. You’ll likely be tempted by the price, but it’s compromises are just too many. Trust me.

On the other hand, if you answered “No” to that question, you can likely save some cash by buying the MacBook Neo without being bothered by some of its deficiencies. For example, a lot of people have a work PC or laptop at the office, but then need something for weeknights, weekends, or to travel with. It also works perfectly for a student, whether in high school or college.

I know that’s an oversimplified way of thinking about it, but it’s a good place to start.

Design, Size, and Aesthetics

There’s a small difference in size, but it isn’t as significant as you might assume. The MacBook Neo’s screen is 13 inches, measured diagonally, which is over half an inch smaller than the 13.6-inch MacBook Air. As someone who frequently works on a MacBook Air, I found it pretty easy to switch to the slightly smaller Neo. You can also upgrade to the 15-inch MacBook Air, which gives you a significantly bigger canvas to work on. But that also costs an extra $200. In terms of portability, the MacBook Air is 0.44 inches versus the 0.50 inches of the Neo. Again, not a huge difference—especially since they’re identical in weight.

The MacBook Neo does depart from the MacBook formula in terms of design in a few key ways. It’s a bit more playful than other MacBooks, using rounder edges, white keycaps, and some more brighter color options. They’re nowhere near as daring as the iMac colors, but you get to choose between Silver, Blush, Citrus, and Indigo. Silver and Blush are more subtle, while Citrus and Indigo are the bolder options. My favorite aspect of the MacBook Neo is the lack of a notch, though. Don’t get me wrong: I want thin bezels on my laptop like everyone else, but I’ve always found the notch to be an ugly solution.

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 tough one, with a double letter that could throw you off. 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.

Read more: New Study Reveals Wordle’s Top 10 Toughest Words of 2025

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, plus one sometimes vowel.

Wordle hint No. 3: First letter

Today’s Wordle answer begins with A.

Wordle hint No. 4: Last letter

Today’s Wordle answer ends with Y.

Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning

Today’s Wordle answer can refer to a narrow passageway between or behind buildings.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Today’s Wordle answer is ALLEY.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, April 11, No. 1757, was PRUDE.

Recent Wordle answers

April 7, No. 1753: DENSE

April 8, No. 1754: INLET

April 9, No. 1755: LADEN

April 10, No. 1756: CAROM

Leeanne Patterson discusses her role in the HR space and how organisations can develop a healthy and happy company culture.

“My interest in HR peaked during my studies in college,” Leeanne Patterson, the head of human resources at TCS Letterkenny Global Delivery Centre, told SiliconRepublic.com. 

After completing her degree in business studies, she decided to delve deeper into the world of HR, completing a postgraduate diploma at the National College of Ireland.

“I have always had a genuine interest in people and how organisations can create cultures where individuals and teams thrive.

“I began my career building strong foundational experience across core HR disciplines, including business partnering, talent acquisition, performance management, employee engagement, compensation and benefits, reward and recognition, and working closely with leaders and employees to support growth, change and development.”

How does it feel to have TCS named as a Top Employer in Ireland by the Top Employers Institute?

It’s fantastic and something that we are very proud of. Recognition like this reflects and validates the consistent effort our teams put into creating a supportive, inclusive and engaging workplace. Importantly, it reflects an external assessment of our practices, not just our intentions, but also includes feedback from our own employees in the north-west region, Dublin and throughout the country.

Being named a Top Employer in Ireland reinforces our commitment to continuous improvement and sets a benchmark we hold ourselves accountable to every year.

How can organisations ensure that they are creating a positive and productive atmosphere for their employees?

A positive workplace culture starts with respect, trust and clear communication, ensuring that employees feel comfortable sharing ideas and voicing concerns. In Ireland, where community and connection are so important, it’s essential that organisations take the time to understand what matters to their people, both professionally and personally. Putting people first and supporting flexibility, work‑life balance and wellbeing is also critical.

I am particularly passionate about creating and supporting health and wellness that is core to a company’s workplace culture. Prioritising physical and mental health with wellness programmes reduces burnout and increases productivity. Good health is good business.

Diversity and inclusion enhance creativity, improve decision-making and drive innovation by leveraging varied perspectives. Inclusive workplaces boost employee engagement, trust and retention while attracting top talent, as many candidates prioritise diverse environments.

Does TCS have any initiatives or programmes aimed at creating a strong culture?

Yes, culture is at the heart of everything we do at TCS Ireland. We actively promote inclusion, collaboration and belonging through a range of initiatives, from employee engagement, employee resource groups, CSR initiatives and wellbeing programmes to upskilling in key capabilities, leadership development and mentoring.

At TCS, employee wellbeing is particularly embedded into the fabric of the organisation. I am particularly proud of the multiple programmes we have in place to support healthier lifestyles, work-life balance and online counselling sessions for better mental health. Our culture is built around shared values, but it’s lived locally, shaped by the communities in which our people work and live. We actively promote, but we also participate and encourage. It’s not just a ‘nice to have’, it’s a necessity.

How is training utilised as a means of building a responsive and responsible culture?

Learning and development are central to our approach in Ireland. We view training not just as a way to build skills, but as a way to empower our people and reinforce our values. Through continuous learning opportunities, employees are supported to adapt to change, grow their careers, and contribute responsibly to our clients and communities.

Training also plays a key role in ensuring consistency, accountability and high standards across all our Irish teams. Continuous learning is a way of life in TCS and employees are encouraged to make use of the extensive learning and certification opportunities.

What kind of talent does TCS typically look to bring onboard?

Individuals with high emotional intelligence, proactive individuals who are solution-driven and candidates with an enthusiasm for learning.

In Ireland, we look for people who are curious, collaborative and eager to learn. While technical capability is important, we place equal value on attitude and mindset. We seek individuals who are open to working with global teams, but who also understand the importance of local context – people who want to build long‑term careers while contributing positively to their communities, including regions like the north-west.

Have you any advice for a new recruit looking to join TCS on how to present themselves as an attractive candidate?

My advice would be to be yourself and show genuine interest in who we are as a company. Research TCS Ireland, understand our values and think about how your own experiences align with them. Illustrate how you are motivated by making a difference and driving tangible results. Highlight your adaptability, your willingness to learn and any examples where you’ve worked collaboratively or made a positive impact, whether through work, study or community involvement. We’re proud to attract talent from across Ireland, and we’re always interested in potential, not just past experience. 

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Hackers hijacked the update system for the Smart Slider 3 Pro plugin for WordPress and Joomla, and pushed a malicious version with multiple backdoors.

The developer says that only the Pro version 3.5.1.35 of the plugin is affected and recommends switching immediately to the latest version, currently 3.5.1.36, or 3.5.1.34 and earlier.

Apart from installing backdoors in multiple locations, the malicious update created a hidden user with administrator permissions and stole sensitive data.

Smart Slider 3 for WordPress is used on over 900,000 websites for responsive slider creation via a live slider editor, featuring a large selection of layouts and designs.

According to the vendor, the threat actor distributed the malicious update on April 7, and some websites may have installed it.

An analysis from PatchStack, a company focusing on securing WordPress and open-source software, notes that the malware is a fully featured, multi-layered toolkit embedded in the plugin’s main file while preserving Smart Slider’s normal functionality.

The researchers noticed that the malicious kit allows a remote attacker to execute commands without authentication via crafted HTTP headers. It also includes a second authenticated backdoor with both PHP eval and OS command execution, and automated credential theft.

The malware achieves persistence through multiple layers, one being the creation of a hidden admin account and storing credentials in the database.

Additionally, it creates a ‘mu-plugins’ directory and creates a must-use plugin with a file name that pretends to be a legitimate caching component.

Must-use plugins are special in that they are loaded automatically, cannot be disabled from the WordPress dashboard, and are not visible in the plugins section.

PatchStack notes that the malicious kit also plants a backdoor in the active theme’s functions.php file, which allows it to persist for as long as the theme is active.

Another persistence layer is injecting in the wp-includes directory a a PHP file with a name that mimics a legitimate WordPress core class.

“Unlike the other persistence layers, this backdoor does not depend on the WordPress database, but reads its authentication key from a .cache_key file stored in the same directory,” PatchStack researchers explain.

As such, changing the database credentials does not neutralize the backdoor, which continues to work “even if WordPress fails to bootstrap fully.”

The vendor issued a similar warning for Joomla installations, saying that the malicious code present in version 3.5.1.35 of the plugin may create a hidden admin account (usually with the prefix wpsvc_), install additional backdoors in the /cache  and /media directories, and steal site information and credentials.

Recommended actions

The malicious update was distributed to users on April 7, but the Smart Slider team suggests April 5 as the safest date for backup restoration, to ensure time zone differences are accounted for in all cases.

“A security breach affected the update system responsible for distributing Smart Slider 3 Pro for WordPress,” reads the vendor’s disclosure.

If no backup is available, it is recommended to remove the compromised plugin and install a clean version (3.5.1.36).

Administrators who find the compromised plugin version should assume full site compromise and take the following action:

• Delete malicious users, files, and database entries
• Reinstall WordPress core, plugins, and themes from trusted sources
• Rotate all credentials (WP, DB, FTP/SSH, hosting, email)
• Regenerate WordPress security keys (salts)
• Scan for remaining malware and review logs

The vendor also provides a multi-step manual cleanup guide for WordPress and Joomla, which starts with getting the site into maintenance mode and backing it up.

Admins should then clean the site of unauthorized admin users, remove all malicious components, and install all core files, plugins, and themes. Resetting all passwords and scanning for additional malware is also recommended.

The final recommendations include hardening the site by activating two-factor authentication (2FA) protection, updating components to the latest versions, restricting admin access, and using strong passwords that are unique.

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.

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