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.

A robotic spacecraft called LINK will soon tug the telescope to a higher orbit.

Sarla Aviation just finished a full round of flight tests with its Sylla 1.0. The 700-kilogram machine with a 7.5-meter wingspan became the heaviest electric aircraft ever to take off vertically in India. Engineers put it through more than 500 tests and over 18 hours of flight time during a six-month campaign in southern India.

Sylla 1.0, built as a half-scale tech demo, is essentially a shrunken version of what the business envisions for the full-size passenger aircraft. It has a novel dispersed propulsion system, with electric motors sticking out along the wing. These are fueled by a 400-volt grid that keeps everything running smoothly. This is critical because the entire structure just lifts off vertically and hovers steadily in the air, with no runway necessary.

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The goal of the test phase was to get all of the individual components to communicate with one another. For example, electric propulsion, battery systems, flight control software, the aircraft itself, and the landing gear were all tested to see how well they operate together in practice. First up, get off the ground and hover. Not that difficult, it turned out… Sylla 1.0 just repeated this section several times, obtaining a wealth of relevant flight data along the way.

The entire project moved at quick pace to say the least, with this group going from the start of developing Sylla 1.0 to actual flying in just under a year, which isn’t bad considering the project’s complexity. To top it all off, the project only cost them around 13 million dollars. When compared to some of the major global eVTOL projects now in development, the difference is clear.

Sarla Aviation opened its doors in Bengaluru in 2023 and now employs a team of engineers, many of which had previously worked for Lilium, Volocopter, Wisk, Beta, and Joby Aviation. They pulled all of that international know-how back together with some quick execution to get the place off the ground. Sarla Aviation is named after Sarla Thukral, India’s first woman pilot in the 1930s.

Sylla 2.0, on the other hand, will have to figure out how to fly forward rather than just hovering. We all know how important this is, since it dictates how efficiently these birds will be able to transport passengers or cargo from A to B. They’ve already started collecting important data from Sylla 1.0 and are incorporating it into the next level of testing.

Of course, the long-term goal is to reach Shunya at full capacity. This is the real deal: an aircraft capable of carrying a pilot and six passengers, or four in a more spacious configuration, as well as cargo variants capable of carrying around 680 kg. Oh, and they’re also looking into hybrid power with some sustainable aviation fuel, which should help increase the range to about 800 kilometers. They plan to reach a top speed of roughly 250 km/h using seven ‘propulsion units’ and two batches of separate batteries.

Sarla sees these aircraft fitting in similarly to how ride-hailing apps are used today, as a way to travel from A to B in the air. Early routes can link big cities, such as Bengaluru to Mumbai or Delhi to Pune, or just shuttle passengers between airports and city centers. The real goal, however, is to see what they can do to help India’s push for cleaner transportation while simultaneously increasing their own digital industry.
[Source]

Many don’t think of the Fourth of July as a mattress-shopping holiday, but they probably should. Black Friday, Memorial Day, and even Presidents’ Day get a lot of attention when it comes to mattress sales, but many brands offer some of their biggest discounts for Independence Day as people tackle summer moves, home projects, and long-overdue bedroom upgrades. If you’ve been putting off replacing an old mattress, now’s a smart time to put down the grill tongs and shop.

The WIRED Reviews team has spent years testing mattresses in our own homes, and we evaluate everything from long-term comfort and cooling to motion isolation and durability, so the recommendations below are mattresses we’ve actually slept on and continue to recommend. Note that all prices are for queen-size models.

If you’re looking to upgrade the rest of your bedroom, check out our guides to the Best Pillows, Best Bed Frames, and Best Sheets.

WIRED Featured Deals

The Best Fourth of July Mattress Sales

Helix Midnight Luxe

Photograph: Wired

Helix

We’ve tested dozens of mattresses over the years, and the Helix Midnight Luxe continues to earn the top spot, ranked as the best overall mattress of 2026 so far. Its medium-firm feel, zoned support coils, and excellent pressure relief work for nearly every sleeping position, but especially for side sleepers, and it is surprisingly cool for the amount of plush that it has. Fourth of July brings one of the best prices we typically see for this mattress outside of Black Friday, making this an excellent time to buy.

Leesa

The Leesa Sapira Chill is one of our favorite mattresses because it tackles two of the biggest sleep struggles: waking up sore and waking up hot. Its medium-firm hybrid design gently cushions the shoulders and hips without sacrificing support, while the cooling cover regulates temperature throughout the night. When former WIRED director Martin Cizmar tested it, he found it to be the best cooling mattress he’s tried for side sleepers, making this deal especially worth a look, especially in this heat wave.

Avocado

The Avocado Green has remained one of our top organic mattress picks over the years. Its hybrid construction hits a sweet spot between plush comfort and sturdy support, making it a great option for couples with different firmness preferences and combination sleepers who tend to toss, turn, and switch sleeping positions throughout the night. Its individually wrapped coils also do a great job minimizing motion transfer, and after nearly three years of use, WIRED operations manager Scott Gilbertson has reported virtually no sagging or signs of wear. Avocado doesn’t offer discounts as aggressively as many competitors, making this 15-percent-off sale one of the better opportunities you’ll get all year.

• The best organic mattress: Avocado Green Mattress for $2,039 (15 Percent Off)

Nolah Evolution

Photograph: Julia Forbes

Nolah

Designed with side sleepers in mind, the Nolah Evolution pairs zoned foam and pocketed coils to cushion the shoulders and hips and support the lower back. We also found it comfortable for both side and stomach sleeping, thanks to its hybrid design that makes it easy to roll over without feeling like you’re stuck in your mattress. Nolah’s Fourth of July sale takes 35 percent off site-wide, matching one of the brand’s strongest promotions of the year.

Naturepedic

The Naturepedic EOS Classic Organic Mattress stands out for its customization. Its modular design lets you fine-tune its firmness by swapping out latex layers, and each side of the mattress can be configured independently, making it another great mattress for sleeping partners with different sleep preferences. We also appreciate that you can exchange the latex layers for free during your first 100 nights, so you don’t have to cross your fingers and hope you picked the right firmness the first time. The Fourth of July sale knocks 20 percent off site-wide with code JULY4 and includes a free muslin blanket with qualifying mattress purchases.

Bear

If back pain has you shopping for a new mattress, the Bear Elite Hybrid is 35 percent off with code JULY35. Multiple WIRED reviewers with conditions including scoliosis, spondylosis, sciatica, and chronic back pain have found that this mattress’s zoned coil support helped keep their backs happy while the quilted pillow top provided enough cushioning to prevent sore shoulders and hips. It feels pretty firm right out of the box, but our testers found it cushioned up over time while maintaining the support they needed.

As part of an ongoing legal dispute with three Hollywood studios, AI startup Midjourney is seeking to compel those studios to reveal how they use AI themselves.

Disney and Universal sued Midjourney for alleged copyright infringement last year, noting that the startup’s image-generation models could create images of characters, such as Bart Simpson and Darth Vader, who are owned by the studios. A few months later, Warner Bros. sued Midjourney as well.

The startup argues that training its AI models on images of copyrighted characters is permitted under fair use. 

The current dispute revolves around the documentation the studios will need to produce during the discovery process. A judge previously ruled that the studios would indeed have to provide information about their generative AI usage – but only when it led to “consumer-facing” videos and images.

In its latest filing, Midjourney seeks to overturn that limitation, arguing that it “unfairly” allows the studios “to cherry-pick only those documents they believe support their market harm claims while depriving Midjourney of documents that would support its defenses.”

Midjourney goes on to claim that the “documents [the studios] are withholding are precisely those that would reveal whether, behind closed doors, they are doing exactly what they are suing Midjourney for doing.”

For example, the startup says that if the studios are developing image-generating AI models  “for internal use in storyboarding or ideating content for film or TV, that evidence would equally demonstrate that it is an industry custom, even among the studios themselves, to download and train AI on unlicensed copyrighted content.”

In the filing, the startup also argues that the studios should reveal all the prompts they used in Midjourney, as well as the resulting outputs, not just the prompts that produced the allegedly infringing images.

The studios’ lead attorney David Singer previously claimed Midjourney was seeking this documentation as part of a “fishing expedition.” 

He also said the studios “do not seek to stop AI technology or even shut down Midjourney’s business,” but rather “simply want Midjourney to stop copying their movies and TV shows and to stop distributing, publicly displaying, publicly performing, and creating derivative works that include copies of [their] famous characters without authorization.”

Having tested countless pairs of ANC headphones, it takes something special to truly wow me. But today, we’re going to compare two sets of premium cans that did exactly that: Apple’s AirPods Max 2, and Sony’s WH-1000XM6.

If you’re considering which pair of headphones are for you, I’ve got you covered. I’ve spent hours testing both sets side by side, assessing each model on their feature-sets, performance, design, and most importantly, value for money.

Noble Audio is a major player in the hi-fi arena. Founded in 2013, Noble’s vast and varied work in the IEM market has helped shape much of what we now take for granted. From CNC-machined aluminum shells to sophisticated driver configurations, there are few parts of the modern IEM scene that Noble has not influenced in some way.

Today, we’re taking a look at one of Noble’s newest and most affordable earbuds: the true wireless Noble Osprey. At $199, this hybrid TWS undercuts flagship offerings from established brands like Bose and Sony on price. But does Noble have what it takes to match them in the realm of modern tech features and quality-of-life refinement? Let’s get into it.

About My Preferences: My impressions are inevitably influenced by my personal preferences. While I try to mitigate that as much as possible during the review process, I’d be lying if I said my biases are ever completely erased. So, for you, my readers, keep the following in mind:

My ideal sound signature includes competent sub-bass, textured mid-bass, a slightly warm midrange, and extended treble.

I also have mild treble sensitivity.

Testing equipment and standards can be found here.

Related Reviews:

Key Specifications

• Drivers: 10mm dynamic driver + custom balanced armature driver
• Wireless: Bluetooth 6.0
• Bluetooth chipset: Airoha 1571
• Supported codecs: LDAC, AAC, SBC
• Noise control: Active Noise Cancellation and Hearing Through/Transparency mode
• Microphones: Dual microphones with cVc noise reduction
• Multipoint: Yes
• TrueWireless Mirroring: Yes
• Battery life: Up to 7 hours with ANC off; up to 5 hours with ANC on
• Quick charging: Approximately 2 hours of playback from a 10-minute charge
• Charging case: 500mAh aluminum case
• Charging: USB-C
• Included accessories: Aluminum charging case, USB-C cable, ear tips, and user documentation

Tech & Features

The Osprey supports Bluetooth 6.0, along with a suite of high-quality audio codecs. LDAC, AAC, and SBC are onboard, with the only notable exclusions being aptX HD and aptX Low Latency. This appears to be a concession to keep the price low, as aptX is a proprietary suite of codecs licensed by Qualcomm.

Pairing the Osprey with my Google Pixel 10 Pro was quick and easy. A brief jaunt through the user manual confirmed that the Osprey automatically launches into pairing mode when new, which was convenient. I was able to pair the Osprey seamlessly with all of my devices, including my Windows 10/11 desktop, Linux PC, and Nintendo Switch 2. The Osprey also supports multipoint connectivity, allowing it to juggle multiple active connections without requiring user intervention.

The Osprey features haptic touch controls on both earbuds and supports single, double, triple, and long-press gestures. They are fine for the most part, but can be inconsistent when trying to quickly pause or play audio. As a general rule, I prefer buttons on true wireless earbuds, and the Osprey is no exception. Being forced to tap my earbuds to pause music or adjust the volume is disruptive, especially when some of those taps are not recognized.

Further, the Osprey’s hollow construction transmits a ton of noise into my ears when using the touch controls, which is a less-than-fun experience. Thankfully, you can adjust which gestures map to which functions through the app, barring the press-and-hold control for ANC modes.

I appreciate the app’s lightweight, zero-account approach. You can update the Osprey’s firmware, select an EQ preset, or create your own using its 10-band equalizer.

While that minimalism is good for performance and storage footprint, it comes with some functional downsides. Mainstream rivals like Sony, Bose, and JBL offer more advanced features, including location-based profiles, find-my-device tools, and ear-health monitoring — useful extras that power users may miss.

The austere Noble app reflects the company’s priorities: Noble remains primarily focused on sound, leaving much of the more elaborate tech experience to the established names in the true wireless earbud space.

Build

As is tradition with Noble Audio’s IEMs, the Osprey places a major emphasis on aesthetics. It features a four-piece chassis comprising a resin faceplate, plastic middle ring, resin inner face, and short aluminum nozzle. The nozzle is machined from aluminum and topped with a metal debris filter.

The Osprey’s aluminum charging case features a solid, spring-loaded lid. A charging-status LED is located on the front of the case.

The rear of the Osprey’s case features a USB-C charging port that supports quick charging. It works with any USB-C cable that meets the USB PD standard, so aftermarket options are viable. Inside, the Osprey’s case features molded recesses for each earbud, complete with standard charging pins and magnetic attachment points.

Comfort

Comfort is a metric that depends heavily on your individual ear anatomy, so mileage will vary.

The Osprey is a lightweight, compact wireless earbud. Its shorter nozzles result in a shallower fit, but I was still able to achieve a solid passive seal with the stock eartips. The foam tips worked best for me, though the silicone options were similarly comfortable. I was able to listen comfortably for multiple consecutive hours, making the Osprey a competent companion for long days in the office.

Accessories

• 1x Aluminum charging case
• 1x Felt baggie
• 3x Pairs of double-flanged eartips
• 3x Pairs of foam eartips
• 4x Pairs of standard silicone eartips
• 1x USB-C to USB-A charging cable

For what amounts to an entry-level pair of wireless audiophile earbuds, this is a solid accessory package. You get a high-quality aluminum charging case, a felt baggie in which to store it, and ten pairs of eartips. The Osprey includes both silicone and foam options, along with three pairs of double-flanged tips.

The included charging cable is short and basic, though functional. I ended up swapping to a different USB-C cable, as the stock cable is too short for my use case and terminates in USB-A rather than USB-C. The case supports quick charging over USB-C, so make sure to use a quality aftermarket cable should you go that route.

Listening

The Noble Audio Fokus app supports onboard EQ, but I did not use it during this portion of the sonic analysis. Should you wish to tweak the Osprey’s sound, you can select a genre-based preset or adjust the 10-band EQ manually.

Noble’s sonic intent with the Osprey is clear: deliver a stock tuning that lives up to the audiophile promise of clear, robust sound. It features a gently V-shaped sound signature, with lifted and well-extended sub-bass, mild warmth through the lower midrange, a slight upper-midrange lift for instrumental clarity, and bright, but not sharp, treble.

Precise, Atmospheric Bass

Noble gave the Osprey’s bass a full-bodied but nimble presentation. Its sub-bass sits just behind the mid-bass, delivering depth and articulation without becoming messy.

The Osprey’s lower register is textured and quick, allowing it to convey an excellent sense of atmosphere on “The Dark” by Thrice. The track’s mix of synthetic bass lines and plucky bass guitar plays well with the Osprey’s expressive mid-bass.

The weighty drums at the beginning of “Better Strangers” by Royal Blood land with body and authority, decaying precisely into the soundstage’s black background. The gritty, filtered drop-D guitars in the foreground carry an addictive bassy undertone, giving them a physicality the track desperately needs.

Electronic tracks play well with the Osprey, leveraging its solid extension to generate tactile but respectful punch and rumble. On “The People” by Uppermost, the Osprey rendered the bass line with a robust, substantial timbre.

Beyond simple extension and speed, the Osprey’s bass tuning gives it the ability to sound complete and organic without thinning out the bottom end. That said, some tracks could really use additional bass presence. “Drunk Wishing (Hairitage Remix)” relies on a wall-of-bass effect that the Osprey’s more moderate low end does not quite produce.

You can crank the bass through the EQ to get a little closer to a basshead’s preferences, but ultimately, the Osprey does not seem interested in producing much more sub-bass than it delivers by default.

Hearty, But Lightweight, Midrange

The Osprey’s midrange sits a little north of neutral, delivering mild warmth and an overall clean tonality. Noble balances the upper and lower mids well, allowing it to give harmonically complex elements their proper weight. Acoustic guitar is particularly synergistic with the Osprey’s midrange, pulling a fantastic sense of presence and completeness from tracks like “Life of Illusion” by Foo Fighters. Electric guitar is likewise well-toned and textured. The gritty distortion in “I Got” by Young the Giant streaks from the Osprey’s drivers, staging both guitars with realism and precision.

Even during busy passages, the Osprey maintains its composure, presenting a deep array of layers. It nails the cascading, contrasting layers of instrumentation in the outro of “Endless” by Slow Hours. Each strike of the piano hammer against its strings carries distinction and air, standing apart from the bittersweet violin breathing gently in the background.

Clear & Energetic Treble

The Osprey’s treble tuning is excellent. Combined with a carefully selected, high-performance driver setup, there are not many IEMs, wired or otherwise, at this level of treble refinement.

The Osprey’s single balanced-armature driver works overtime, delivering impressive texture alongside fine-grained control over its deeply layered treble. I was particularly impressed by its ability to manage treble-heavy elements under pressure. The dense soundstage of “Weak” by Seether is a tough mix to render, but the Osprey captures the metallic slam of the hi-hats and tambourines with aplomb. It also beautifully stages the ringing bells at 1:58 in “Wish You Were Here” by Incubus, a fragile micro-detail buried deep in the track and easy to smudge.

The Osprey’s treble is clear and energetic without stepping beyond the bounds of comfort, even with my treble sensitivity. There is no hint of sharpness or sibilance, even on roughly mastered tracks like “Satisfy” by Nero.

Mic & Phone Call Quality

While I’m stoked on the Osprey’s sonic performance, its microphone performance is not quite as impressive. The dual onboard mics work well in quiet spaces, but struggle to pick up my voice when I take calls in environments with considerable background noise. The built-in noise-isolation technology also seems to struggle with vocal clarity in noisier settings, sometimes introducing harsh or unnatural artifacts.

You will also need to position each earbud carefully to maintain the proper angle for the microphones. Otherwise, the Osprey can struggle to pick up your voice when speaking quietly. Other Bluetooth IEMs offer larger microphone arrays while delivering clearer, more intelligible call audio.

Competitors like the Sony WF-1000XM4, WF-1000XM5, and WF-1000XM6, along with the Bose QuietComfort Ultra, offer materially better experiences for standard calls and PC meetings, especially when you are trying to keep your voice down.

Noise Cancelling

I’m not a big ANC guy, but I recognize its utility when trying to take an important call in a loud space. I also frequently make use of ANC when traveling by plane, especially if there’s a perturbed child onboard.

The Osprey’s ANC is middling at best, however. It can reduce interference from a TV in the next room or kitchen noise from down the hall, but it is not especially useful in crowded coffee shops or on busy streets. Top-tier ANC from true wireless IEMs like the Sony WF-1000XM6 provides a profoundly different experience, and if you rely heavily on ANC day to day, I would stick with an offering like that.

Thankfully, I rarely, if ever, use ANC in my daily routine, so this is a downside I’m willing to tolerate.

While not exactly a noise-cancelling feature, the Osprey also supports Ambient Mode, a kind of inverse ANC that pipes environmental sound into the IEMs. Parents, or anyone who needs to maintain sonic awareness of their surroundings, will be happy to know that Ambient Mode works well, even in crowded or busy places.

The Bottom Line

The Noble Osprey is an audiophile true wireless earbud designed with a clear sense of purpose. Rather than chasing every app feature, wellness metric, and ANC trick in the book, Noble has focused its efforts on the part that matters most to listeners who actually buy audiophile earbuds: the sound.

Its hybrid driver setup delivers a balanced, well-extended presentation with textured bass, a clean and articulate midrange, and unusually refined treble for $199. Detail retrieval is excellent, and the Osprey avoids the brittle, overcooked treble that often passes for “resolution” in this category. Add a compact fit, aluminum charging case, generous tip selection, LDAC support, and onboard 10-band EQ, and Noble has put together a genuinely compelling audio-first package.

That focus comes with obvious compromises. ANC is merely serviceable, microphone performance falls short in noisy environments, and the Noble Fokus app is stripped down compared with Sony, Bose, and JBL. There is no aptX support, no elaborate ecosystem of location-based profiles or device-finding features, and no illusion that these are meant to replace a top-tier mainstream travel earbud.

The Osprey is unique because it treats true wireless as a vehicle for serious portable listening rather than a feature checklist with drivers attached as an afterthought. It will not win the airport, the conference call, or a fight with a screaming espresso machine. But for listeners who value musicality, detail, comfort, and a properly sorted tuning above all else, it is one of the more persuasive options at its price.

Pros:

• Small, light and ergonomic
• Powerful hybrid driver setup
• Balanced and well-extended sound signature
• Articulate, textured midrange
• Great detail retrieval
• Solid accessory package
• Support for LDAC, SBC

Cons:

• ANC quality falls behind mainstream competitors
• Barebones app offers minimal feature-set
• No support for APT-X codecs
• Mediocre mic quality while on call

Our Ratings

★★★★★★★★★★ Sound Quality

★★★★★★★★★★ Comfort

★★★★★★★★★★ Usability

★★★★★★★★★★ Build Quality

★★★★★★★★★★ Value

Price & Availability

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