A new NYT Strands 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 Sunday’s puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, April 26 (game #784).
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 NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc’s Wordle today page for the original viral word game.
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SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don’t read on if you don’t want to know the answers.
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NYT Strands today (game #785) – hint #1 – today’s theme
What is the theme of today’s NYT Strands?
• Today’s NYT Strands theme is… The ayes have it
NYT Strands today (game #785) – hint #2 – clue words
Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.
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YETI
COPED
SCORE
NAIL
RICE
CRANE
NYT Strands today (game #785) – hint #3 – spangram letters
How many letters are in today’s spangram?
• Spangram has 10 letters
NYT Strands today (game #785) – hint #4 – spangram position
What are two sides of the board that today’s spangram touches?
First side: top, 2nd column
Last side: bottom, 3rd column
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Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM.
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NYT Strands today (game #785) – the answers
(Image credit: New York Times)
The answers to today’s Strands, game #785, are…
ICICLE
IOTA
IVORY
ICON
ISLAND
IRONIC
SPANGRAM: EYEOPENERS
My rating: Hard
My score: Perfect
The theme had me stumped for a while today.
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“The ayes have it!” reads like a parliamentary procedure joke, which sent me briefly in entirely the wrong direction. It’s actually words that start with I — as in the letter, as in “eye.” Sometimes, Strands themes are a law onto themselves.
After getting ICICLE and IOTA the penny dropped and from here on in it was just a case of looking for the letter I repeatedly.
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Yesterday’s NYT Strands answers (Sunday, April 26, game #784)
ARGUE
DIFFER
QUARREL
WRANGLE
SQUABBLE
BICKER
SPANGRAM: LOCKHORNS
What is NYT Strands?
Strands is the NYT’s not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It’s now a fully fledged member of the NYT’s games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.
I’ve got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you’re struggling to beat it each day.
A blow-up chair? Ikea has been here before. It attempted to make inflatable furniture in the mid-1990s, when designer Jan Dranger came to the Swedish company with a revolutionary idea to solve one of its biggest challenges: how to squish sofas into its preferred flat-pack format, simplifying transport and cutting costs.
It sounded like the perfect solution. Made from durable and recyclable polyolefin plastic, the chair and sofa designs could be inflated at home using only a hair dryer. Transport volumes would be cut by as much as 90 percent. Sadly, only after the “a.i.r” collection launched in the 2000 catalogue did Ikea’s ambitions become deflated.
Staff in stores said that the easy chairs and sofas looked like groups of “swollen hippos” in the furniture displays. Customers forgot to set their hair dryers to cold before inflating. Hot air takes up more space than cold air, so inevitably the sofas deflated as the air inside cooled. Even worse, the valves leaked, so after sitting down, an unglamorous farting noise issued from your general direction. By 2013, Ikea killed the a.i.r collection, but it had crucially learned many lessons.
Fast-forward to the present day and now Mikael Axelsson is the intrepid Ikea designer who has decided to give blow-up furniture another try for the brand’s latest PS collection launching on May 13. However, his $200 inflatable armchair, called (somewhat uninspiringly) the “PS 2026 Easy Chair,” has had a stranger birth than any other of the 2,000 products Ikea releases each year. To start, he’s been sitting on this particular idea for 12 long years after he initially fashioned a Barbie-sized mock-up from foam and wire in 2014—just one year after the original a.i.r collection burst.
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Axelsson’s first model of the PS 2026 Easy Chair.
Courtesy of IKEA
The tubular chrome frame prototyping.
Courtesy of IKEA
At the time, the trouble was not merely that Axelsson struggled to figure out how to make an inflatable cushion feel more like foam and less like a beach ball; Ikea was also wary of returning so soon to the flatulent debacle that was its inflatable furniture failure. So his model was shelved, literally, in his office. Then, in 2023, Axelsson and the rest of the in-house team were summoned to drum up innovative designs for an upcoming PS collection, and he saw a chance to breathe life back into his inflatable easy chair concept.
Deciding to stick with his original tubular chrome frame idea, Axelsson hand-welded 20 prototypes himself, a skill acquired from growing up around his father’s metal workshop, but the beach ball problem remained.
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“I remember when Mikael met with this guy who repairs tractor tires, and he came with the inner tube of a tractor,” Johan Ejdemo, Ikea’s global design manager, tells me. They put that in a concept chair. Better, but not perfect. Eventually, they struck upon the idea of a dual-chamber seat. “It’s one outer air section, and then one central air section,” Ejdemo says. “And you can regulate the comfort yourself, depending on how much you pump it up.”
It’s been three weeks since the Artemis II crew returned to Earth, and while the mission might be over for Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Hammock Koch, and Jeremy Hansen, the work is only just beginning for engineers back at NASA. In a blog post earlier this week, the space agency went over the preliminary post-mission assessments of the spacecraft and its ground support equipment, and detailed some of the work that’s currently taking place as preparations begin for Artemis III.
During Artemis I, higher than expected damage was noted on both the Orion’s heat shield and the Space Launch System (SLS) launch pad. But according to NASA, the changes implemented after that first mission seem to have prevented similar issues this time around. The post also explains that reusable components of the Orion spacecraft, such as the avionics and the crew seats, are already in the process of being removed from Integrity so they can be installed in the next capsule on the production line.
While watching the live stream of the Artemis mission is the closest most of us will ever get to experiencing spaceflight, that doesn’t mean you can’t explore the solar system from the comfort of your own home — or more specifically, your browser. [Sani Huttunen] has created an incredible web-based solar system simulator that lets you explore our celestial neighborhood throughout different periods of time. You can tour the moons of Jupiter, see how the planets aligned on the date of your birth, and even check in on the Voyager probes. There are some very valid reasons to be skeptical about software moving to the web, but we’ve got to admit, this is a very slick demonstration of just how far modern browsers have come.
Speaking of how far things have come, are you ready for a car without a rear window? Polestar certainly hopes so, as their latest model does away with such quaint concepts. The glass panel in the roof ends right around the back headrests, and while the rear of the vehicle does open up for storage, the hatch is completely solid. In place of the traditional mirror, there’s a “high resolution” 1480 x 320 display that shows the feed from a rear-mounted camera.
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No, that’s not a typo. At a time when smartphones are shipping with 2K displays, should the driver want to see what’s going on behind their $70,000+ USD electric vehicle, they’re limited to seeing it at a vertical resolution below that of VGA. We’d make a joke about Polestar offering up a “Rearview+” upgrade down the line that would give the driver a higher resolution view, but honestly, it’s getting a little too close to reality to be funny.
If that last one has you wishing for a reminder of simpler times, how about some new software for using the iconic Wii Remote as an input device? The Wii and its revolutionary controllers may be turning 20 later this year, but that hasn’t stopped the dedicated fans. This new wrapper provides accelerometer calibration, infrared tracking, and the ability to remap the Wii Remote’s buttons and create key combos. If you do something cool with it, we’d love to hear about it.
Finally, on the other end of the input spectrum, some details leaked out this weekend about Valve’s upcoming Steam controller — namely, the fact that it will cost players $99 at release. As reported by VICE, a hands-on review of the controller by TechyTalk was accidentally published early on YouTube, providing the public with pricing info ahead of an official announcement.
At first blush, this might seem like a lot of money to pay for a game controller, but it’s actually within striking distance of the sticker price on the standard controllers on the Xbox and PlayStation consoles. Perhaps more critically, it’s around half the price of the official “premium” controller offerings available for the aforementioned systems. Is it really any wonder that we’ve got cars without rearview mirrors when folks are putting down 200 bucks for a fancy PlayStation controller?
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See something interesting that you think would be a good fit for our weekly Links column? Drop us a line, we’d love to hear about it.
Of the five nominations for the 86th Peabody Awards, Apple TV scored two wins. “Pluribus” won in the entertainment category, while “Come See Me In the Good Light” won in the documentary category.
‘Pluribus’ brings home a Peabody award for Apple TV
Truecaller is one of the world’s most widely used caller identification platforms, with more than 500 million users. Now it’s entering a more challenging phase as growth slows in its largest market and competition intensifies across telecom networks and smartphone platforms.
Much of Truecaller’s growth has been driven by India, which accounts for over 350 million users, or about 70% of its global base. The volume of spam and unwanted calls has turned the app from a simple caller ID service into a more embedded layer of everyday communication.
As competition increases, Truecaller’s growth is starting to slow. Data shared with TechCrunch from Sensor Tower shows downloads from India fell 16% year-over-year in 2025, while global downloads declined 5%, marking a reversal after several years of growth. Separate data from Appfigures shows downloads peaked at 175 million in 2021, dropped sharply in 2022 and have since hovered around 120 million annually.
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Image Credits:Jagmeet Singh / TechCrunch
India remains Truecaller’s largest market, but its share of downloads has declined from over 70% at its peak to the mid-50s in recent years, pointing to a gradual shift in new user growth toward other markets.
Truecaller’s shift in growth dynamics is being closely watched by investors. The company’s shares have fallen about 78% since its 2021 IPO and are down around 37% so far this year, underscoring investor concerns about its growth outlook and business model. Chief Executive Rishit Jhunjhunwala told TechCrunch that one of the key questions from investors has been around the impact of CNAP in India. He also acknowledged recent headwinds in parts of the business, without elaborating further.
Truecaller’s Jhunjhunwala said the company does not see CNAP as a disruption but as validation of the problem.
“Truecaller operates as a global platform with a much richer and dynamic intelligence layer — spanning spam detection, fraud prevention, business identity, and user context across calls and messages,” he said. “This allows us to go significantly beyond basic caller ID.”
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Truecaller’s Community Suggestions show user-generated context about incoming callersImage Credits:Truecaller
Bharath Nagaraj, director of equity research at Cantor Fitzgerald, said CNAP could slow user growth but is unlikely to materially disrupt Truecaller’s core business in the near term. Instead, he pointed to pressure in the company’s advertising segment — driven in part by changes from Google — as the more immediate challenge.
“If you look at the earnings for the company, 65%–70% of it now comes from ad revenue. And that impacted recently,” Nagaraj told TechCrunch.
In its last earnings call (PDF), Truecaller said that it lost roughly one-third of ad traffic from its largest partner in August 2025 — a partner analysts on the call identified as Google. Jhunjhunwala attributed the drop to an unresolved “algorithm issue,” while CFO Odd Bolin said the partner still accounts for more than a third of total revenue. The company is now adding new partners and building its own ad exchange to reduce dependence on any single platform.
But even moving to an in-house ad exchange may not fully address the challenge. Advertising remains highly competitive, with brands able to spend across multiple digital platforms, said Nagaraj. “You can show your ads on Truecaller, but you can also show them on Facebook,” he said.
In-app revenue continues to grow
The pressure on advertising comes even as other parts of Truecaller’s business are on a different trajectory. Data from Appfigures shows that while downloads have plateaued in recent years, gross in-app revenue has risen sharply — from $600,000 in 2017 to $39.3 million in 2025. It has already reached $13.4 million this year as of April 20.
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Monthly revenue generated by in-app purchases on Truecaller is now consistently above $2 million and still climbing, per Appfigures.
Image Credits:Jagmeet Singh / TechCrunch
Truecaller’s presence on iOS has also grown from less than 5% of its total downloads in 2020–2021 to around 11–12% in recent years, per Appfigures, highlighting a shift toward higher-value markets. The company has stepped up efforts on Apple’s platform, including launching real-time caller ID for iPhone in early 2025 and rolling out feature updates to improve parity with its Android app.
Nonetheless, Apple recently expanded its call-screening capabilities, which could reduce the need for third-party apps among iPhone users.
Another key pillar of Truecaller’s monetization strategy is its enterprise offering, Truecaller for Business, which enables companies to verify their identities and communicate with customers via calls and messaging. The segment has been growing steadily, with revenue rising 39% in constant currency in 2025. Truecaller’s Jhunjhunwala said the company is expanding the platform globally by opening its chat services to partners and offering tools such as verified business caller ID to help enterprises verify identity and reach customers.
Alongside its enterprise push, Truecaller has also been expanding its consumer subscription business, which has over 4 million paid subscribers globally, as more users opt for features such as advanced spam protection, AI-based call screening, and an ad-free experience.
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In the past, Truecaller has been criticized over how it builds and maintains its vast database of phone identities. An investigation by The Caravan raised questions about consent and data collection practices, particularly in India, where data protection laws have so far been less stringent. Truecaller has denied wrongdoing and maintains that it complies with applicable regulations, but the debate underlines the broader challenge of balancing utility, scale, and user privacy.
Despite all these challenges, Truecaller sees significant room for growth. The company is focused on addressing the rising complexity of communication, Jhunjhunwala said, as spam and scam calls become more sophisticated with advances in AI. Similarly, it plans to expand across all three revenue streams — advertising, enterprise services, and premium subscriptions — as it looks to sustain growth across markets. Whether that will be enough, however, may depend on how quickly it can adapt as caller identification shifts from standalone apps to the network, and to the phone itself.
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Attendees at the 2026 Beijing Auto Show strolled inside the main hall and were greeted by BYD’s Denza Z series convertible, a four-seater with a soft top that neatly folds up into the rear deck. Much of the automobile, including body panels, seats, and structural components, is made of carbon fiber, which helps to reduce weight and improve handling. When things get really fast, a tiny air vent on the bonnet helps to increase airflow and give the car a little extra downforce.
This car’s design was penned by a team directed by Wolfgang Egger, Audi’s former head of styling, who has a keen sense of style. Smooth curves and exquisite features combine to make the car look attractive without going overboard. The doors are beautiful and long, with no handles visible, but the large wheels and brilliant brake calipers provide a good idea about the beast of a car hiding underneath. We noticed one car painted in a wonderful sheen blue-green that looked amazing in the hall.
Speed & Range: Experience exhilarating rides with the Ninebot S2’s impressive top speed of 11.2 mph and range of 21.7 miles.
Beginner-Friendly: Perfect for riders aged 16-50, the Segway S2 features a user-friendly learning mode, providing a smooth and gradual introduction.
Adjustable & Supportive: Enjoy a customized fit tailored to your needs, as the Segway S2 accommodates heights ranging from 4’3″ to 6’6″ and supports…
Under the hood, or rather, beneath the floor, is a trio of electric motors that work together to drive all four wheels using Denza’s E3 system. And what a power bump, with well over 1,000 horsepower. It can accelerate from zero to sixty-two miles per hour in less than two seconds flat! They used the DiSus-M magnetorheological suspension from the Yangwang U9 and added features such as predictive road scanning and full chassis control, allowing the car to corner like a dream even while the roof was down. The steering is also steer-by-wire, which keeps things feeling quite sharp and responsive.
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The car is powered by BYD’s latest Blade Battery, which rests low on the floor and supports Flash Charging 2.0. That means a full charge can be achieved in as little as five minutes at the appropriate charging station. The same battery pack is used in a few different models, providing ample range while remaining smooth on the inside. They also have several advanced driving aids, all gathered under the Eye of the God suite, which supports in day-to-day tasks while also adding some extra safety measures for longer journeys.
The four seats inside the automobile are placed in a way that makes the back row feel functional rather than crowded. A large screen dominates the center of the dashboard, flanked by a digital instrument panel and a wireless charging station. The central console has a neat and easy button layout for climate control and drive mode. The materials seem high-quality while remaining nice and utilitarian, and the tri-color accents on the display model provide a wonderful touch of flair.
Denza plans to ship the convertible to Europe first this summer. Following that, it will make a complete global debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July. In case you’re wondering, the car will also perform some demonstration laps there. They’re still doing track testing at the Nürburgring, and they anticipate to have proper lap times shortly. Chinese buyers will have to wait till after the worldwide deployment is complete. The car will be available in three versions: normal, open top, and dedicated track edition.
In terms of price, it will be significantly less expensive than its competitors. Early estimates in China range between 400,000 and 500,000 yuan, or $59,000 to $73,000. That places the Denza Z in the same category as the Maserati GranCabrio, but with more power and faster charge, making it a really fantastic offer all around. Prices in Europe will be published closer to the time the automobile goes on sale. [Source]
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.
See those circles in the grid of today’s Mini Crossword? All of them will contain the same letter, when you’re done. 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.
From a Whampoa minimart to Orchard Road: The rapid expansion of Hao Mart under Dr Tan Kim Yong
Once a materials specialist, Dr Tan Kim Yong opted for a completely different career path and opened convenience store Hao Mart in 2016.
Since then, however, the journey of Hao Mart has been a roller coaster ride, fuelled by expansion plans and legal troubles. We take a look back at the journey of Hao Mart founder Dr Tan Kim Yong.
May 26, 2005: As AIM expanded internationally, it became formally listed on the SGX Mainboard in 2005, with Dr Tan serving as Group Chairman and CEO and a substantial shareholder.
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Hao Mart’s first minimart in Whampoa./ Image Credit: T T Teo, Saad Chinoy via Google Reviews
2016: In 2016, Dr Tan entered Singapore’s highly competitive grocery space, opening the first Hao Mart outlet in Whampoa. Established with the concept of a “super-mini-mart,” the outlet combines a convenience store concept with the product range of a supermarket.
May 2, 2017: AIM was delisted from SGX due to low trading liquidity, compliance costs, and other factors. Hao Corp—the parent company of Hao Mart—was listed as the offeror of the now-private entity.
2019: Hao Mart began accelerating its retail expansion into multiple formats. Amid the expansion, it filed its first financial statement for FY2019, with a loss of S$2.2 million.
Aug 8, 2019: Hao Megamart opened at The Grandstand. Spanning over 46,000 sq ft, it carried more than 70,000 products, including live seafood, a butchery, bakery, fresh produce, household goods, and branded electronics—positioning itself as a one-stop hypermart alternative to Giant and NTUC FairPrice.
Dec 20, 2019: Another retail format, “Eccellente by Hao Mart,” targeting a more premium, international grocery audience, was launched. Outlets opened in Marina Square, Westgate, and Kinex.
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Nov 2021: Hao Mart hits its peak of 51 stores in Singapore. It also signed a 7.5-year lease with department store landlord OG for all five levels of the former OG Orchard Point building. The ambitious deal marked Hao Corp’s biggest expansion yet, bringing its grocery and F&B concept to the heart of the Orchard Road shopping belt.
Mar 2023: Hao Mart reported a loss of S$23.2 million for FY2023, after turning profitable for the previous two financial years.
Aug 4, 2023: OG entered a facility agreement with Dr Tan personally, extending a S$66.2 million loan to fund Taste Orchard’s opening at the former Orchard Point. The loan is secured by a mortgage over Dr Tan’s Good Class Bungalow at Jervois Hill, one of Singapore’s most prestigious neighbourhoods. By this time, the project’s opening had already been delayed by around six months from its original planned commencement in Feb.
Taste Orchard was Hao Mart’s first foray into the Orchard Road belt./ Image Credit: orchardmalls.com
Feb 2024: Taste Orchard opens, featuring three floors occupied by Eccellente by Hao Mart, offering a live seafood station, a butchery & deli counter, and an FYI Live Kitchen. Tenants on other floors include Sushiro, BHC Chicken, Killiney Kopitiam, and Warabimochi Kamakura.
Jan – Nov 2024: According to OG’s lawsuit, Hao Mart failed to pay rent at Taste Orchard from Jan to Nov 2024. The supermarket also allegedly sublets parts of the premises to other tenants without obtaining OG’s prior approval, which OG later claims constitutes a breach of the 7.5-year lease.
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Dec 2024: Hao Mart stores dwindled to 20, according to its website.
Jul 2025: The cracks start to appear publicly. at the prime location, and Hao Mart themselves scale down operations at the building. The basement supermarket was shuttered, with products moved elsewhere in the building.
Sept 2025: Landlord , demanding that tenants move out by the end of the year. The move comes just 18 months after Taste Orchard opened. No explanation is given for the lease termination.
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Oct 2025: OG files a lawsuit against Hao Mart for S$6.6 million, including unpaid rent, taxes, and other charges. Hao Mart files a counterclaim, alleging that OG itself breached a separate oral agreement.
Dec 2025: Taste Orchard officially ceases operations, and the premises are returned to OG.
Jan 2026: Hao Mart, Dr Tan, and his wife sue OG for S$57.5 million in damages. They allege a conspiracy by OG to cause loss to Hao Mart by damaging or destroying their business. In the same period, Hao Mart reported a S$49.6 million loss for FY2025, with the financial statements filed belatedly in Jan 2026.
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.
I recently wrote about why I chose the Supernote Nomad over other e-ink tablets as my primary reading and writing device. However, while the Supernote handles most of my book reading, it cannot do everything.
Newsletters pile up, RSS feeds keep rolling, audiobooks need a home, and I need a place to buy ebooks. That means I still depend on a small stack of apps to keep my reading life from falling apart.
Here are the four apps I use every day to stay on top of my reading goals in 2026.
NetNewsWire: for keeping up with my favorite websites and blogs
If you are not using RSS feeds to follow your favorite websites, you are missing out. Instead of checking five or six sites every morning, or god forbid, creating a news-focused timeline on social media apps, an RSS reader pulls all the new articles into one place. I use NetNewsWire to accomplish this, and the best part is that it is completely free and open source.
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Rachit Agarwal / Digital Trends
It works across all my Apple devices, offers good features, and is fast. There are no ads, no algorithms deciding what I should read, and no social media nonsense. I can subscribe to the feeds I want, and NetNewsWire fetches the articles for me. That is it. I love how simple it is, and I genuinely look forward to opening it every morning with my coffee.
Readwise Reader: for saving articles and keeping my newsletters organized
If NetNewsWire is where I discover things to read, Readwise Reader is where I actually read them. It is a read-it-later app, but calling it that feels like calling the iPhone “a phone.” It does a lot more.
I save long articles I do not have time to read right away, and Readwise Reader keeps them neatly organized and waiting for me. What I love about this app is keyboard navigation, an easy way to highlight paragraphs, and its integration with Obsidian, my note-taking app.
Rachit Agarwal / Digital Trends
It ensures that everything I want to retain is automatically synced to my note-taking app, allowing me to easily take notes on them and flesh out the ideas.
I also love that Readwise Reader lets me pull newsletters directly into the app. So, instead of piling up in my email inbox and getting buried, they appear in my reader app where I can read them at my leisure.
When I am doing chores or traveling, I prefer to listen to audiobooks to keep on top of my reading goals. The app I have been using for almost half a decade to do this is BookPlayer.
Rachit Agarwal / Digital Trends
BookPlayer makes listening to those audiobooks genuinely enjoyable. The app is clean, the controls are simple, and it does not ask for a subscription. What more can you want from an app?
I read most of my books on the Supernote Nomad, but not everything is available as a PDF or ePub. A lot of the books I want to read are only available on the Kindle store, so the Kindle app is something I cannot avoid.
Rachit Agarwal / Digital Trends
If a book is available anywhere, it is probably on Kindle. Then there are Kindle-exclusive books that I cannot find anywhere else. As much as I want to truly own my e-books, there’s no denying that Kindle’s library is unbeatable, and I still use it to discover and read new books.
These are the four apps keeping my reading life organized in 2026. I am always on the lookout for something better, so if you have a reading app you swear by, don’t forget to share it with us. I would love to know what is working for you.
If the diesel engine in your vehicle suddenly decides not to play ball and loses power, or is restricted to a certain speed, then it’s possible that the engine has been derated. While this is undoubtedly inconvenient, this is actually a feature of modern diesel engines that’s designed to protect them.
Put simply, engine derating happens when engine sensors detect an issue with it. When this happens, the engine control unit initiates an intentional power drop. Importantly, this power reduction isn’t the failure, it’s a protective response designed to prevent damage or excess emissions. In short, although it probably doesn’t feel like it at the time, this system is there to help and can stop minor issues from becoming wallet-draining trips to the workshop.
The triggers for this can vary depending on the vehicle, but typically, it happens when engine sensors detect that it’s operating outside of its designed operating limits. High running temperatures are a common cause — excessive heat is never a good thing in engines. Modern engines can also derate in response to emission-related issues. The latter can be caused by blocked diesel particulate filters, or even faults with the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve.
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So, while the loss of performance might feel like something’s gone wrong, the reality is that the system is working exactly as intended. Let’s have a closer look at the double-edged sword that’s both inconvenient, but potentially engine-saving.
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What engine derating feels like behind the wheel
Mr.Anuwat Rumrod/Shutterstock
When an engine has been derated, the most obvious symptom is a noticeable drop in performance, often accompanied by the driver simultaneously experiencing a severe sinking feeling in the pit of their stomach. Acceleration might feel sluggish, with a muted throttle response, and engine revs and speed can also be restricted.
In some instances, the top speed can be restricted to as low as 5 mph. Essentially, this is a self-imposed limp mode that allows the vehicle to keep moving, but only enough to reach a safe location or a workshop. Depending on the particular engine and/or the severity of the issue, dashboard warning lights or messages may appear. Understanding what common dashboard warning lights mean can help you get an idea of what the underlying problem is.
This is important, as not all derating is equal. In some situations, the power reduction is intermittent and relatively mild. For instance, if the problem is temperature-related, then the restriction may be lifted when the temperature normalizes. Of course, if this is a persistent problem, then a trip to the mechanic is probably wise. Even if the engine appears fine, there are plenty of ways that cars can lose coolant without a leak.
What is important to understand when the engine’s power is derated is that although the vehicle may be driveable, it isn’t happy. The reduced performance is there to tell you that things aren’t well under the hood — and how you respond to it is important.
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What to do and what not to do when your engine derates
Thx4Stock team/Shutterstock
A derated engine might not always be an immediate emergency. For instance, if a temperature-related derate occurs when the engine is operating under high loads and in high-ambient temperature situations, then it could be a one-off triggered by those operating conditions. This is especially true if the engine goes back to normal once the temperature normalizes.
However, if the problem is more persistent, or the vehicle has entered a restrictive limp mode, then this isn’t something that can be tucked away as next week’s problem. Continuing to drive the vehicle in these circumstances, especially over long distances, can turn a relatively minor issue into an expensive and sob-inducing one. Warning lights, repeated derating, any indications of low-oil pressure or persistent overheating should always be treated seriously.
It’s also worth noting that what a derate does to your vehicle’s performance today, might not be the case tomorrow. For instance, if the derate is linked to high-emissions from a vehicle, then the control system can add further restrictions until the underlying cause is addressed.
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Ultimately, while it might not seem like it, an engine derating might turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Frustrations aside, in most cases, this is the system stepping in to prevent a much more serious failure from developing.
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