How to Move, Resize, and Color App Icons and Widgets in iOS 18

With iOS 18, Apple is finally opening up the iPhone home screen. You still have to adhere to a grid, but other than that, you can freely place app icons, remove text labels, get dark mode icons, and even tint app icons with a color of your own choice! Here's how to make the most out of the new home screen experience on your iPhone and iPad.

Place your apps anywhere

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

Apps and widgets are now finally free to go wherever. So long as you stay to a grid pattern, you can now place app icons only in the bottom part of your screen, or just on the sides, or in a zig-zag. The world is your oyster. This applies to the widgets as well.

The only limits are that you still can't overlap icons or create custom spacing between them. But still, you now have the freedom to place app icons in any format you want, and you really should experiment to see what works well with your wallpaper.

Arranging app icons still works in the same way. You press and hold the app icon and move it to where you'd like. If there are other icons where you drop it, they will move around accordingly.

Remove app labels for a clean look

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

One of the best aesthetic updates in iOS 18 is the ability to remove text labels for apps and widgets. You can do this by switching the home screen to the new Large mode. This makes the apps and widgets bigger, and the labels will disappear.

1. Press and hold the on the background to enter jiggle mode.

2. Tap the Edit button in the top-left corner.

3. Choose Customize.

4. Switch to the Large option from the new popup menu.

Switch all app icons to dark mode

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

Apple has designed dark mode icons for all its apps, and it will even let third-party developers define specific dark mode app icons. If an app doesn't have a dark mode icon, Apple will automatically flip the colors (it's a hack, but not a bad one).

Again, from the jiggle mode, tap the Edit button and choose Customize. From the editing menu, switch to the Dark option for the app icons.

While here, you can also choose to only enable the dark mode wallpaper, or only use dark mode icons, by tapping the Sun icon in the top-left corner of the popup menu.

Change the color of your app icons

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

No, this is not the Android skin pack from 2014. Trust me, I used to be a connoisseur of Android app icons and skin packs. In iOS 18, Apple has added an ability to tint the color of icons on the home screen. This only works with app icons in dark mode, though.

Press and hold the background to enter jiggle mode, tap the Edit button from the top and choose Customize.

Now, from the menu, choose the Tinted option. First, Apple will automatically apply a tint color based on a prominent color from your wallpaper. This, in my experience, is usually quite loud and, well, not pretty.

But you can enhance the result in like 10 seconds. Tap the Eyedropper tool from the top, and choose a color from your wallpaper that's not quite as harsh (this step is optional, but it helps as a starting point).

Once you've picked your color, tone down the intensity to about 50%. I've found this to be the sweet spot. You can also use the color slider to choose any color that you want.

Play around with it, and you're sure to find something great that works for your background.

Change the size of widgets

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

Finally, iOS 18 lets you resize widgets without going through the whole dance of deleting and replacing them (that is, if the widget has multiple size options).

Tap and hold any app icon or a widget, and you will find a new bar in the context menu that shows all available sizes. Choose a size and watch as the widget instantly transforms.

If you're in jiggle mode, you can also just grab a handle at the bottom edge of your widget. Simply pull the handle out to expand the widget or pull it back in to make the widget smaller.

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Today’s Wordle Hints (and Answer) for Monday, September 16, 2024

If you’re looking for the Wordle answer for September 16, 2024 read on. We’ll share some clues, tips, and strategies, and finally the solution. Today’s puzzle is easier; I got it in four. Beware, there are spoilers below for September 16, Wordle #1,185! Keep scrolling if you want some hints (and then the answer) to today’s Wordle game.

How to play Wordle

Wordle lives here on the New York Times website. A new puzzle goes live every day at midnight, your local time.

Start by guessing a five-letter word. The letters of the word will turn green if they’re correct, yellow if you have the right letter in the wrong place, or gray if the letter isn’t in the day’s secret word at all. For more, check out our guide to playing Wordle here, and my strategy guide here for more advanced tips. (We also have more information at the bottom of this post, after the hints and answers.)

Ready for the hints? Let’s go!

---

Does today’s Wordle have any unusual letters?

We’ll define common letters as those that appear in the old typesetters’ phrase ETAOIN SHRDLU. (Memorize this! Pronounce it “Edwin Shirdloo,” like a name, and pretend he’s a friend of yours.)

They're almost all common letters from our mnemonic today! Only one isn't, and it's uncommon.

Can you give me a hint for today’s Wordle?

Made by bees.

Does today’s Wordle have any double or repeated letters?

There are no repeated letters today. 

How many vowels are in today’s Wordle?

There are two vowels and one "sometimes" vowel.

What letter does today’s Wordle start with?

Today’s word starts with H. 

What letter does today’s Wordle end with?

Today’s word ends with Y. 

What is the solution to today’s Wordle?

Ready? Today’s word is HONEY.

How I solved today’s Wordle

I started with RAISE and TOUCH then guessed HOPED as a common word with the letters I had and other common consonants. This left HONEY as the most likely answer compared to other less common words.

Wordle 1,185 4/6

⬛⬛⬛⬛🟨
⬛🟩⬛⬛🟨
🟩🟩⬛🟩⬛
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

---

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle was easier. The hint was "to repeat” and the answer contained four common letters and one fairly common letter.

The answer to yesterday’s Wordle was RECUR.

A primer on Wordle basics

The idea of Wordle is to guess the day’s secret word. When you first open the Wordle game, you’ll see an empty grid of letters. It’s up to you to make the first move: type in any five-letter word. 

Now, you can use the colors that are revealed to get clues about the word: Green means you correctly guessed a letter, and it’s in the correct position. (For example, if you guess PARTY, and the word is actually PURSE, the P and R will be green.)

• Yellow means the letter is somewhere in the word, but not in the position you guessed it. (For example, if you guessed PARTY, but the word is actually ROAST, the R, A and T will all be yellow.)

• Gray means the letter is not in the solution word at all. (If you guessed PARTY and everything is gray, then the solution cannot be PURSE or ROAST.)

With all that in mind, guess another word, and then another, trying to land on the correct word before you run out of chances. You get six guesses, and then it’s game over.

The best starter words for Wordle

What should you play for that first guess? The best starters tend to contain common letters, to increase the chances of getting yellow and green squares to guide your guessing. (And if you get all grays when guessing common letters, that’s still excellent information to help you rule out possibilities.) There isn’t a single “best” starting word, but the New York Times’s Wordle analysis bot has suggested starting with one of these:

• CRANE

• TRACE

• SLANT

• CRATE

• CARTE

Meanwhile, an MIT analysis found that you’ll eliminate the most possibilities in the first round by starting with one of these:

• SALET

• REAST

• TRACE

• CRATE

• SLATE

Other good picks might be ARISE or ROUND. Words like ADIEU and AUDIO get more vowels in play, but you could argue that it’s better to start with an emphasis on consonants, using a starter like RENTS or CLAMP. Choose your strategy, and see how it plays out.

How to win at Wordle

We have a few guides to Wordle strategy, which you might like to read over if you’re a serious student of the game. This one covers how to use consonants to your advantage, while this one focuses on a strategy that uses the most common letters. In this advanced guide, we detail a three-pronged approach for fishing for hints while maximizing your chances of winning quickly.

The biggest thing that separates Wordle winners from Wordle losers is that winners use their guesses to gather information about what letters are in the word. If you know that the word must end in -OUND, don’t waste four guesses on MOUND, ROUND, SOUND, and HOUND; combine those consonants and guess MARSH. If the H lights up in yellow, you know the solution.

One more note on strategy: the original Wordle used a list of about 2,300 solution words, but after the game was bought by the NYT, the game now has an editor who hand-picks the solutions. Sometimes they are slightly tricky words that wouldn’t have made the original list, and sometimes they are topical. For example, FEAST was the solution one Thanksgiving. So keep in mind that there may be a theme.

Wordle alternatives

If you can’t get enough of five-letter guessing games and their kin, the best Wordle alternatives, ranked by difficulty, include:

• Wheeldle, which lets you play one puzzle after another

• Dordle and Quordle, which ask you to play two (Dordle) or four (Quordle) puzzles at the same time, with the same guesses. There is also Octordle, with eight puzzles, and Sedecordle, with 16.

• Waffle, which shows you several five-letter words, scrambled in a grid; you play by swapping the letters around until you solve.

• Absurdle, which changes the solution after each guess, but needs to stay consistent with its previous feedback. You have to strategically back it into a corner until there is only one possible word left; then you guess it, and win.

• Squabble, in which you play Wordle against other people with a timer running. You take damage if you spend too much time between guesses; winner is the last one standing.

• Antiwordle, in which you are trying not to guess the day’s solution. You’re required to reuse any letters that you (oops) guessed correctly, so the longer it takes you, the better you are at the game.

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Today’s Wordle Hints (and Answer) for Sunday, September 15, 2024

If you’re looking for the Wordle answer for September 15, 2024 read on. We’ll share some clues, tips, and strategies, and finally the solution. Today’s puzzle is easier; I got it in three. Beware, there are spoilers below for September 15, Wordle #1,184! Keep scrolling if you want some hints (and then the answer) to today’s Wordle game.

How to play Wordle

Wordle lives here on the New York Times website. A new puzzle goes live every day at midnight, your local time.

Start by guessing a five-letter word. The letters of the word will turn green if they’re correct, yellow if you have the right letter in the wrong place, or gray if the letter isn’t in the day’s secret word at all. For more, check out our guide to playing Wordle here, and my strategy guide here for more advanced tips. (We also have more information at the bottom of this post, after the hints and answers.)

Ready for the hints? Let’s go!

---

Does today’s Wordle have any unusual letters?

We’ll define common letters as those that appear in the old typesetters’ phrase ETAOIN SHRDLU. (Memorize this! Pronounce it “Edwin Shirdloo,” like a name, and pretend he’s a friend of yours.)

They're almost all common letters from our mnemonic today! Only one isn't, and it's fairly common.

Can you give me a hint for today’s Wordle?

To repeat.

Does today’s Wordle have any double or repeated letters?

There is one repeated letter today. 

How many vowels are in today’s Wordle?

There are two vowels.

What letter does today’s Wordle start with?

Today’s word starts with R. 

What letter does today’s Wordle end with?

Today’s word ends with R. 

What is the solution to today’s Wordle?

Ready? Today’s word is RECUR.

How I solved today’s Wordle

I started with RAISE and TOUCH, which left RECUR as the best solution.

Wordle 1,184 3/6

🟩⬛⬛⬛🟨
⬛⬛🟨🟨⬛
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

---

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle was easier. The hint was "not narrow” and the answer contained four common letters and one fairly common letter.

The answer to yesterday’s Wordle was BROAD.

A primer on Wordle basics

The idea of Wordle is to guess the day’s secret word. When you first open the Wordle game, you’ll see an empty grid of letters. It’s up to you to make the first move: type in any five-letter word. 

Now, you can use the colors that are revealed to get clues about the word: Green means you correctly guessed a letter, and it’s in the correct position. (For example, if you guess PARTY, and the word is actually PURSE, the P and R will be green.)

• Yellow means the letter is somewhere in the word, but not in the position you guessed it. (For example, if you guessed PARTY, but the word is actually ROAST, the R, A and T will all be yellow.)

• Gray means the letter is not in the solution word at all. (If you guessed PARTY and everything is gray, then the solution cannot be PURSE or ROAST.)

With all that in mind, guess another word, and then another, trying to land on the correct word before you run out of chances. You get six guesses, and then it’s game over.

The best starter words for Wordle

What should you play for that first guess? The best starters tend to contain common letters, to increase the chances of getting yellow and green squares to guide your guessing. (And if you get all grays when guessing common letters, that’s still excellent information to help you rule out possibilities.) There isn’t a single “best” starting word, but the New York Times’s Wordle analysis bot has suggested starting with one of these:

• CRANE

• TRACE

• SLANT

• CRATE

• CARTE

Meanwhile, an MIT analysis found that you’ll eliminate the most possibilities in the first round by starting with one of these:

• SALET

• REAST

• TRACE

• CRATE

• SLATE

Other good picks might be ARISE or ROUND. Words like ADIEU and AUDIO get more vowels in play, but you could argue that it’s better to start with an emphasis on consonants, using a starter like RENTS or CLAMP. Choose your strategy, and see how it plays out.

How to win at Wordle

We have a few guides to Wordle strategy, which you might like to read over if you’re a serious student of the game. This one covers how to use consonants to your advantage, while this one focuses on a strategy that uses the most common letters. In this advanced guide, we detail a three-pronged approach for fishing for hints while maximizing your chances of winning quickly.

The biggest thing that separates Wordle winners from Wordle losers is that winners use their guesses to gather information about what letters are in the word. If you know that the word must end in -OUND, don’t waste four guesses on MOUND, ROUND, SOUND, and HOUND; combine those consonants and guess MARSH. If the H lights up in yellow, you know the solution.

One more note on strategy: the original Wordle used a list of about 2,300 solution words, but after the game was bought by the NYT, the game now has an editor who hand-picks the solutions. Sometimes they are slightly tricky words that wouldn’t have made the original list, and sometimes they are topical. For example, FEAST was the solution one Thanksgiving. So keep in mind that there may be a theme.

Wordle alternatives

If you can’t get enough of five-letter guessing games and their kin, the best Wordle alternatives, ranked by difficulty, include:

• Wheeldle, which lets you play one puzzle after another

• Dordle and Quordle, which ask you to play two (Dordle) or four (Quordle) puzzles at the same time, with the same guesses. There is also Octordle, with eight puzzles, and Sedecordle, with 16.

• Waffle, which shows you several five-letter words, scrambled in a grid; you play by swapping the letters around until you solve.

• Absurdle, which changes the solution after each guess, but needs to stay consistent with its previous feedback. You have to strategically back it into a corner until there is only one possible word left; then you guess it, and win.

• Squabble, in which you play Wordle against other people with a timer running. You take damage if you spend too much time between guesses; winner is the last one standing.

• Antiwordle, in which you are trying not to guess the day’s solution. You’re required to reuse any letters that you (oops) guessed correctly, so the longer it takes you, the better you are at the game.

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The Easiest Way to Convert All-Caps Text

The Caps Lock key is my nemesis. I keep accidentally hitting it, and, before I know it, I've typed FIVE ANGRY WORDS LIKE THIS. Like a sane person, I delete these words and turn my capitalized tirades into simple sentences. This process wastes a lot of time, unless you use a tool to fix the way macOS handles capitalized text. That's where SmartCapsLock comes in. 

How to use SmartCapsLock

SmartCapsLock is a simple utility that lets you use the Caps Lock key to your advantage. Once installed, the app is unobtrusive, and does only one thing: If you've accidentally capitalized a few words, you can quickly select those words and tap Caps Lock again to convert them into sentence case. This works as long as SmartCapsLock is installed and running. If you haven't selected any words, SmartCapsLock does nothing. 

This means that the app doesn't get in the way of other tasks. My only complaint is that SmartCapsLock uses sentence case conversion as the default, which changes the first letter of selected text to a capital letter. Sometimes I've hit Caps Lock accidentally in the middle of a sentence and when I use this app to fix that error, it leaves me with one capital letter that's out of place. Changing the default to lower case fixed this for me.

You can quickly change this setting by opening SmartCapsLock from the menu bar. It offers a variety of keyboard shortcuts linked to the Caps Lock key, and each of these is mapped to a text conversion option. Feel free to swap around the defaults and prioritize the text conversions you use the most. The utility supports upper case, lower case, sentence case, capitalized case, and a few other fun options—like SpongeBob case, which capitalizes random letters.

Installing SmartCapsLock

SmartCapsLock uses a pay-what-you-want pricing model, and if you wish to, you can get it for free by typing 0 in the pricing box. You can use this to try the app and if you like it, you should consider supporting the developer, Kishan Bagaria, creator of Texts.

That said, the app is on the older side, and not available via the App Store. That means you may need to right-click on the app and choose Open to launch it. Your Mac may also warn you the developer isn't verified, and that you may be downloading malicious software. Lifehacker has contacted Bagaria directly, who confirms the app is in good standing, and is safe to use. If you have an M-series Mac, you'll need to allow macOS to install Rosetta, as the app was written for Intel Macs.

During setup, your Mac may block SmartCapsLock, but you can go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Security to allow it to run. This is a one-time process and it won't bother you again.

Of course, if you'd rather not deal with Caps Lock at all, you can always remap the key to do something else instead.

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Every Fire TV Stick Is on Sale Right Now

If you're stuck with an older TV lacking smart features, or your existing smart TV isn't compatible with your other stuff, Amazon's lineup of Fire TV sticks is a great (and very cheap) solution. Right now all, of them are on sale, making them a no-brainer. One of my favorite things to do on Fire TVs is install Kodi to virtually stream anything you want to for free. You can learn a bit more of what the Fire Stick is like on our head-to-head with the Roku OS here.

Free and live TV, Alexa Voice Remote Lite, smart home controls, HD streaming

Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite

$29.99 at Amazon

$29.99 at Amazon

HD, sharp picture quality, fast streaming, free & live TV, Alexa Voice Remote with TV controls.

Amazon Fire TV Stick

$39.99 at Amazon

$39.99 at Amazon

Streaming device, more than 1.5 million movies and TV episodes, supports Wi-Fi 6, watch free & live

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K

$29.99 at Amazon

$49.99 Save $20.00

$29.99 at Amazon

$49.99 Save $20.00

Level up to our best 4K streaming stick, Wi-Fi 6E support, more storage, supports Xbox gamepass

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max

$59.99 at Amazon

$59.99 at Amazon

Hands-free streaming device with Alexa, Wi-Fi 6E, 4K Ultra HD

Amazon Fire TV Cube

$139.99 at Amazon

$139.99 at Amazon

The Fire TV Stick Lite is $19.99

If you want to get the most basic Fire TV Stick, the Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite for $19.99 (originally $29.99) is the one. It includes all the basic functions, such as some free live TV channels, Alexa voice support for hands-free controls, and HD streaming. You will, however, be giving up some basic buttons on your remote, like volume and mute.

The Fire TV Stick is $24.99

For $5 more, you can get the Amazon Fire TV Stick. This one includes volume control and mute buttons. You can get it now for $24.99 (originally $39.99), and you can read the full PC Mag review here.

The Fire TV Stick 4K is $29.99

If you have a 4K HDTV, get the Fire TV Stick 4K for $29.99 (originally $49.99). You can read the full PC Mag review here.

The Fire TV Stick 4K Max is $39.99

If you have a 4K HDTV and Wi-Fi 6e, choose the Fire TV Stick 4K Max for $39.99 (originally $59.99). This Fire Stick offers high performance and has twice as much storage as the rest at 16GB. You can read the full PCMag review here.

If you want the best device Amazon has to offer

If you have a little extra money to spend, consider the Amazon Fire TV Cube for $109.99 (originally $139.99). The Cube works like an Alexa speaker and includes hands-free voice control for your TV or any other device you can connect to it, including gaming consoles, without a remote (though it does come with one). It has a faster processor than the 4K Max (twice as fast, according to Amazon). Another worthy addition is the ethernet port; a wired connection to your router will offer the fastest speeds and best video quality. Read the full PCMag review here.

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Today’s Wordle Hints (and Answer) for Friday, September 13, 2024

If you’re looking for the Wordle answer for September 13, 2024 read on. We’ll share some clues, tips, and strategies, and finally the solution. Today’s puzzle is easier; I got it in three. Beware, there are spoilers below for September 13, Wordle #1,182! Keep scrolling if you want some hints (and then the answer) to today’s Wordle game.

How to play Wordle

Wordle lives here on the New York Times website. A new puzzle goes live every day at midnight, your local time.

Start by guessing a five-letter word. The letters of the word will turn green if they’re correct, yellow if you have the right letter in the wrong place, or gray if the letter isn’t in the day’s secret word at all. For more, check out our guide to playing Wordle here, and my strategy guide here for more advanced tips. (We also have more information at the bottom of this post, after the hints and answers.)

Ready for the hints? Let’s go!

---

Does today’s Wordle have any unusual letters?

We’ll define common letters as those that appear in the old typesetters’ phrase ETAOIN SHRDLU. (Memorize this! Pronounce it “Edwin Shirdloo,” like a name, and pretend he’s a friend of yours.)

They're all common letters from our mnemonic today!

Can you give me a hint for today’s Wordle?

Jarring to the senses.

Does today’s Wordle have any double or repeated letters?

There is one repeated letter today. 

How many vowels are in today’s Wordle?

There is one vowel.

What letter does today’s Wordle start with?

Today’s word starts with H. 

What letter does today’s Wordle end with?

Today’s word ends with H. 

What is the solution to today’s Wordle?

Ready? Today’s word is HARSH.

How I solved today’s Wordle

I started with RAISE, which gave me three letters and left only two solutions: MARSH and HARSH. I guessed the former first, but the latter was correct.

Wordle 1,182 3/6

🟨🟩⬛🟩⬛
⬛🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

---

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle was easier. The hint was "a metal alloy, used to make some instruments” and the answer contained four common letters and one fairly common letter.

The answer to yesterday’s Wordle was BRASS.

A primer on Wordle basics

The idea of Wordle is to guess the day’s secret word. When you first open the Wordle game, you’ll see an empty grid of letters. It’s up to you to make the first move: type in any five-letter word. 

Now, you can use the colors that are revealed to get clues about the word: Green means you correctly guessed a letter, and it’s in the correct position. (For example, if you guess PARTY, and the word is actually PURSE, the P and R will be green.)

• Yellow means the letter is somewhere in the word, but not in the position you guessed it. (For example, if you guessed PARTY, but the word is actually ROAST, the R, A and T will all be yellow.)

• Gray means the letter is not in the solution word at all. (If you guessed PARTY and everything is gray, then the solution cannot be PURSE or ROAST.)

With all that in mind, guess another word, and then another, trying to land on the correct word before you run out of chances. You get six guesses, and then it’s game over.

The best starter words for Wordle

What should you play for that first guess? The best starters tend to contain common letters, to increase the chances of getting yellow and green squares to guide your guessing. (And if you get all grays when guessing common letters, that’s still excellent information to help you rule out possibilities.) There isn’t a single “best” starting word, but the New York Times’s Wordle analysis bot has suggested starting with one of these:

• CRANE

• TRACE

• SLANT

• CRATE

• CARTE

Meanwhile, an MIT analysis found that you’ll eliminate the most possibilities in the first round by starting with one of these:

• SALET

• REAST

• TRACE

• CRATE

• SLATE

Other good picks might be ARISE or ROUND. Words like ADIEU and AUDIO get more vowels in play, but you could argue that it’s better to start with an emphasis on consonants, using a starter like RENTS or CLAMP. Choose your strategy, and see how it plays out.

How to win at Wordle

We have a few guides to Wordle strategy, which you might like to read over if you’re a serious student of the game. This one covers how to use consonants to your advantage, while this one focuses on a strategy that uses the most common letters. In this advanced guide, we detail a three-pronged approach for fishing for hints while maximizing your chances of winning quickly.

The biggest thing that separates Wordle winners from Wordle losers is that winners use their guesses to gather information about what letters are in the word. If you know that the word must end in -OUND, don’t waste four guesses on MOUND, ROUND, SOUND, and HOUND; combine those consonants and guess MARSH. If the H lights up in yellow, you know the solution.

One more note on strategy: the original Wordle used a list of about 2,300 solution words, but after the game was bought by the NYT, the game now has an editor who hand-picks the solutions. Sometimes they are slightly tricky words that wouldn’t have made the original list, and sometimes they are topical. For example, FEAST was the solution one Thanksgiving. So keep in mind that there may be a theme.

Wordle alternatives

If you can’t get enough of five-letter guessing games and their kin, the best Wordle alternatives, ranked by difficulty, include:

• Wheeldle, which lets you play one puzzle after another

• Dordle and Quordle, which ask you to play two (Dordle) or four (Quordle) puzzles at the same time, with the same guesses. There is also Octordle, with eight puzzles, and Sedecordle, with 16.

• Waffle, which shows you several five-letter words, scrambled in a grid; you play by swapping the letters around until you solve.

• Absurdle, which changes the solution after each guess, but needs to stay consistent with its previous feedback. You have to strategically back it into a corner until there is only one possible word left; then you guess it, and win.

• Squabble, in which you play Wordle against other people with a timer running. You take damage if you spend too much time between guesses; winner is the last one standing.

• Antiwordle, in which you are trying not to guess the day’s solution. You’re required to reuse any letters that you (oops) guessed correctly, so the longer it takes you, the better you are at the game.

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My Favorite Amazon Deal of the Day: Hisense 65-Inch Class U8

It's as surprising as it is questionable when a top-rated, new TV has a huge drop in price not even half a year after its release, but I'm not complaining here. The Hisense 65U8N offers a great bang for your buck for a 65-inch TV and is an "outstanding" TV, according to PCMag. Right now, it's down to $999.99 (originally $1,499.99), $50 off the lowest price it has ever been, according to price-checking tools.

Hisense 65-Inch Class U8 Series Mini-LED ULED 4K UHD Google Smart TV (65U8N)

QLED, Native 144Hz, Full Array Local Dimming, Game Mode Pro, Alexa Compatibility

$999.99 at Amazon

$1,499.99 Save $500.00

$999.99 at Amazon

$1,499.99 Save $500.00

What makes the Hisense 65U8N a great TV is how well-rounded it is for its price. It excels in brightness, contrast, and colors for a price that is considered just at the high end of a "budget TV" for its size and panel type. Its specs also make it a great TV for gamers and for watching sports, thanks to its 144Hz native refresh rate with VRR and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, plus its 7.4 ms input lag when in game mode.

One advantage that this TV has over OLEDs (other than its lower price) is the brightness. This TV can reach 2,755 nits (about three times what most OLEDs offer), making it one of the brightest TVs available right now. The contrast is good, at 393,571:1, but it won't reach the black levels an OLED can. Still, this 65-inch has 1,600 local dimming zones, making the picture quality look high-end.

Because this is a Google Smart TV (my favorite smart TV operating system), you get hands-free Google Assistant as well as Apple AirPlay and Google Cast support. So you can cast your phone or Chrome tab from your laptop to the TV very easily, and if you have an iPhone or iPad, you can do the same with its AirPlay 2.

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The Best Ways to Add Storage Space to Your Living Room for Under $175

I'm always looking for ways to increase the storage in my home, which makes me a big believer in storage furniture—the kind of items that serve one purpose but open up to reveal interior space perfect for housing other things out of sight. And there one room you likely spend a lot of time in that you're under-utilizing for storage: your living room.

Storage ottomans

In the living room, your best bet here is a storage ottoman, and while those can get pricy depending on how fancy you want them to look, a dependable, standard one is usually affordable. For instance, this one is sturdy and big, with a price tag of $44.99. Some other options:

• This round, tufted storage ottoman is $82.49 and looks sharp as a foot rest

• I also like these wicker storage ottomans, $100, because they add more of a rustic feeling

• A wide, hinged storage ottoman that looks like a coffee table is on sale at Target right now, but only in this brown color for $172.79 (and other colors can be over $400, so if you like the brown, don't wait)

Storage mirrors

I am also a strong proponent of using storage mirrors in the bedroom. Typically, I advocate for full-length ones that open up to storage shelving and pockets, but they come in smaller, wall-sized versions ($54.99), too, and those are a perfect upgrade for the living room. You're probably already decorating with a mirror in the space, so swap it for one that can serve you better by storing remotes, jewelry, or whatever else. Feeling fancy? A diamond-shaped one, better for that "living room decor" vibe, is $62.99.

In a similar vein, you can get a plain mirror that comes with containers and hooks attached ($133.92). This is a more standard storage solution that won't hold as much, but puts things like keys and wallets in a more easily accessible position.

Storage baskets

Sometimes, you can't really hide away everything in the name of storage—that's where decorative baskets come in. They're ideal for things like extra blankets or little kids' toys, and you can get some really nice decorative ones for around $25. Try these, too:

• I like this set of three woven baskets for $39.99 because having matching ones around creates more of a put-together look, which is helpful when you're storing your stuff out in the open

• At 20"x13", this larger one ($23.98) is great for bigger blankets and pillows

• A toy box like this one ($129.99) also counts as a storage basket because it's not quite functional furniture, but it hides its contents better than an open container, which is sometimes a necessity

Side tables

Finally, options for inexpensive side tables are surprisingly sparse, but I recommend this one for $84.99 because of its designated section for fabrics. It could be used for towels in a (very large) bathroom, but it's also ideal for accessible blanket storage in a living room. Other considerations:

• There's a limited-time deal running on this multi-container side table ($47.79), which features a USB port in addition to its various storage areas

• With a flat top, cube shelving, and built-in book and magazine racks, $139.99 is a pretty reasonable price for this side table—plus it rotates so you don't even have to get off the couch to grab something off of it

• I'm also really into this set of two mini tables ($75) because they're wire baskets with flat lids that are tall enough to serve as tables, so they'd be a fun way to store pillows, kids' toys, or family games

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Today’s Wordle Hints (and Answer) for Thursday, September 12, 2024

If you’re looking for the Wordle answer for September 12, 2024 read on. We’ll share some clues, tips, and strategies, and finally the solution. Today’s puzzle is easier; I got it in four. Beware, there are spoilers below for September 12, Wordle #1,181! Keep scrolling if you want some hints (and then the answer) to today’s Wordle game.

How to play Wordle

Wordle lives here on the New York Times website. A new puzzle goes live every day at midnight, your local time.

Start by guessing a five-letter word. The letters of the word will turn green if they’re correct, yellow if you have the right letter in the wrong place, or gray if the letter isn’t in the day’s secret word at all. For more, check out our guide to playing Wordle here, and my strategy guide here for more advanced tips. (We also have more information at the bottom of this post, after the hints and answers.)

Ready for the hints? Let’s go!

---

Does today’s Wordle have any unusual letters?

We’ll define common letters as those that appear in the old typesetters’ phrase ETAOIN SHRDLU. (Memorize this! Pronounce it “Edwin Shirdloo,” like a name, and pretend he’s a friend of yours.)

They're almost all common letters from our mnemonic today! Only one isn't, and it's also fairly common.

Can you give me a hint for today’s Wordle?

A metal alloy, used to make some instruments.

Does today’s Wordle have any double or repeated letters?

There is one repeated letter today. 

How many vowels are in today’s Wordle?

There is one vowel.

What letter does today’s Wordle start with?

Today’s word starts with B. 

What letter does today’s Wordle end with?

Today’s word ends with S. 

What is the solution to today’s Wordle?

Ready? Today’s word is BRASS.

How I solved today’s Wordle

I started with RAISE, which gave me three letters. I tried CRASH next as a possible solution, followed by GRASP, which left BRASS as the answer.

Wordle 1,181 4/6

🟨🟨⬛🟩⬛
⬛🟩🟩🟩⬛
⬛🟩🟩🟩⬛
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

---

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle was easier. The hint was "you'll find this in both a grocery store and a theater” and the answer contained five common letters.

The answer to yesterday’s Wordle was AISLE.

A primer on Wordle basics

The idea of Wordle is to guess the day’s secret word. When you first open the Wordle game, you’ll see an empty grid of letters. It’s up to you to make the first move: type in any five-letter word. 

Now, you can use the colors that are revealed to get clues about the word: Green means you correctly guessed a letter, and it’s in the correct position. (For example, if you guess PARTY, and the word is actually PURSE, the P and R will be green.)

• Yellow means the letter is somewhere in the word, but not in the position you guessed it. (For example, if you guessed PARTY, but the word is actually ROAST, the R, A and T will all be yellow.)

• Gray means the letter is not in the solution word at all. (If you guessed PARTY and everything is gray, then the solution cannot be PURSE or ROAST.)

With all that in mind, guess another word, and then another, trying to land on the correct word before you run out of chances. You get six guesses, and then it’s game over.

The best starter words for Wordle

What should you play for that first guess? The best starters tend to contain common letters, to increase the chances of getting yellow and green squares to guide your guessing. (And if you get all grays when guessing common letters, that’s still excellent information to help you rule out possibilities.) There isn’t a single “best” starting word, but the New York Times’s Wordle analysis bot has suggested starting with one of these:

• CRANE

• TRACE

• SLANT

• CRATE

• CARTE

Meanwhile, an MIT analysis found that you’ll eliminate the most possibilities in the first round by starting with one of these:

• SALET

• REAST

• TRACE

• CRATE

• SLATE

Other good picks might be ARISE or ROUND. Words like ADIEU and AUDIO get more vowels in play, but you could argue that it’s better to start with an emphasis on consonants, using a starter like RENTS or CLAMP. Choose your strategy, and see how it plays out.

How to win at Wordle

We have a few guides to Wordle strategy, which you might like to read over if you’re a serious student of the game. This one covers how to use consonants to your advantage, while this one focuses on a strategy that uses the most common letters. In this advanced guide, we detail a three-pronged approach for fishing for hints while maximizing your chances of winning quickly.

The biggest thing that separates Wordle winners from Wordle losers is that winners use their guesses to gather information about what letters are in the word. If you know that the word must end in -OUND, don’t waste four guesses on MOUND, ROUND, SOUND, and HOUND; combine those consonants and guess MARSH. If the H lights up in yellow, you know the solution.

One more note on strategy: the original Wordle used a list of about 2,300 solution words, but after the game was bought by the NYT, the game now has an editor who hand-picks the solutions. Sometimes they are slightly tricky words that wouldn’t have made the original list, and sometimes they are topical. For example, FEAST was the solution one Thanksgiving. So keep in mind that there may be a theme.

Wordle alternatives

If you can’t get enough of five-letter guessing games and their kin, the best Wordle alternatives, ranked by difficulty, include:

• Wheeldle, which lets you play one puzzle after another

• Dordle and Quordle, which ask you to play two (Dordle) or four (Quordle) puzzles at the same time, with the same guesses. There is also Octordle, with eight puzzles, and Sedecordle, with 16.

• Waffle, which shows you several five-letter words, scrambled in a grid; you play by swapping the letters around until you solve.

• Absurdle, which changes the solution after each guess, but needs to stay consistent with its previous feedback. You have to strategically back it into a corner until there is only one possible word left; then you guess it, and win.

• Squabble, in which you play Wordle against other people with a timer running. You take damage if you spend too much time between guesses; winner is the last one standing.

• Antiwordle, in which you are trying not to guess the day’s solution. You’re required to reuse any letters that you (oops) guessed correctly, so the longer it takes you, the better you are at the game.

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Five New Features Coming to AirPods Pro 2 (and How to Update Them)

iOS 18 is nearly here: When you update your iPhone next week, you'll have access to total Home Screen customization, a better texting experience with friends on Android, and a new password manager app. (Apple Intelligence is coming with iOS 18.1.)

If you have a pair of AirPods Pro 2, you'll also get five new features when you update to iOS 18. The thing is, your AirPods also need to be updated in order to try them out. Apple dropped that AirPods update this week, which means if you're running iOS 18 early, you can try out these new changes right now.

New AirPods Pro 2 features

You've been able to control Siri with your voice for a decade, but following the firmware update, you will be able to control Siri with head movements as well. A head nod indicates a positive command, while a head shake denotes a negative command. For example, you can shake your head side to side to decline an incoming call, or nod your head to confirm you want to send the message you dictated to Siri. If I had a pair of AirPods Pro 2, I'd be excited for this feature: It'd be convenient to interact with Siri in public without having to start talking to myself out of the blue.

There's also a new Voice Isolation feature for these AirPods that should make it easier for people to hear you on the other end of a phone call. iOS and macOS already have a built-in Voice Isolation mode for iPhones, iPads, and Macs, but now the feature is extending to AirPods Pro 2, when you take a call while wearing them. This will also work with both pairs of AirPods 4.

The other three features are all about gaming: Developers can now take advantage of a new API to add Personalized Spatial Audio to their games. The idea is playing these games with AirPods Pro 2 will deliver "the most immersive audio experience." I don't know about all that, but if it games sound more realistic while wearing your earbuds, I'm all for that. This feature will also work with AirPods 3 and newer, all AirPods Pro models, as well as AirPods Max.

In addition, Apple has reduced the latency (or delay) for high-quality audio (now up to 16 bits at 48 kHz) when live-streaming or communicating with friends. In-game audio is also upped to 16 bits at 48 kHz while live-streaming and talking with friends.

As someone with both an OG pair of AirPods Pro and AirPods Max, it's a bummer that so many of these features are exclusive to the latest AirPods models. I'm not likely going to take advantage of Personalized Spatial Audio on iOS games, but head nods with Siri? Voice Isolation? Those would be great.

How to update your AirPods' firmware

To try out these features today, you need to be running iOS 18 or macOS Sequoia. Those updates are due to release on Monday, Sept. 16, so you don't have to wait long. That said, Apple has seeded the release candidate (RC) for both of these OSes: While technically beta software, an RC is meant to be the final build of the OS, barring any unforeseen issues. As such, there's a much lower risk installing the RC on your devices than a typical beta. If you want to try these features early, you can install the RC on your compatible iPhone and/or Mac today.

From here, you need to update your AirPods Pro 2. That is easier said than done. For some reason, Apple doesn't let users manually update their AirPods firmware. Unlike other software updates, it just kind of happens on its own. That's usually fine for smaller updates, but when you want to try out new features, not being able to update your AirPods yourself is bizarre.

The internet has plenty of tricks to try to force the firmware update installed, but, in general, your AirPods update their firmware when stored in their case, and paired to your Apple device. So, pop your earbuds in their case, move them over to your iPhone, and open and close the lid. You can check whether your AirPods updated by heading to Settings, tapping on your AirPods, and scrolling down to Version under ABOUT. The new firmware version is 7A294, from 6F8.

If you're not sure what type of AirPods you have, check out the model number in the ABOUT section, and cross-reference it with the list on this Apple support page. If you have a pair of AirPods Pro 2, that will be model numbers A2931, A2699, A2698, A3047, A3048, or A3049. Alternatively, just look at your case: A second-generation pair of AirPods Pro will have a lanyard loop on the side and a speaker on the bottom, and may have a USB-C port. A first-generation case will have a Lightning port, and neither a speaker nor a lanyard loop.

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