Strands is back again with another difficult word-search puzzle to ponder over. If you are stuck on this one, you aren't alone. The clue is not super helpful, and the words aren't all that intuitive either.

Connections challenges players with its signature word-grouping puzzle. It provides sixteen words that belong to four mystery categories. The three-mistake limit adds pressure to each attempted grouping, and these words can get really challenging to put in the right place.

The Fukui Curse in Assassins Creed Shadows is an affliction (real or imagined) that affects some of the people youll meet. These are people youll run into along the side of the road who have all had some sort of bad luck and blame the curse.Our Assassins Creed Shadows guide will tell you if you should help people with the Fukui Curse.Should you with the Fukui Curse in Assassins Creed Shadows?When youre out riding around in Assassins Creed Shadows, youll sometimes pass by people who need your help. Sometimes they just need some resources or rations. A lot of the time, youll just spot someone being abused by bandits or ronin.Every once in a while, though, youll talk to someone who insists theyre under a Fukui Curse. Theyll usually have a story about bad luck or accidents and blame their curse. Youll get the option to help them usually to give mon or refuse.Always refuse to help them.Theyll explain why youre right not to help, and then theyll reward you with either a World Rumor the location of a point of interest to go check out or Scout Intel that refills one of your scouts. (These, by the way, are the same rewards you get for helping most people.)For more Assassins Creed Shadows explainers, heres how to get more knowledge points and mastery points, how to get more rations, and how to get all companions and romance options. Plus, see our all weapons and all armor lists.

The Lord of the Rings Deluxe Illustrated Box Set is currently discounted to its lowest price ever; its also one of the dozens of eligible titles you can pick up during Amazons buy two, get one free sale. That lines up neatly with Amazons Big Spring Sale, going on right now: You can get a third title for free by purchasing two other books of equal or greater value. Basically, you can get the Deluxe Illustrated Edition of The Hobbit for free if you purchase the Deluxe Illustrated Editions of The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion. To top it all off, each of these volumes are on sale, so I cant think of a better opportunity to bring these tomes back to your Hobbit hole.Each illustrated volume in the J.R.R. Tolkien saga is quarter-bound in leather with a stamped cloth cover and packaged in an illustrated slipcase. Throughout the pages, youll find a number of color illustrations and sketches produced by the author, along with poster-sized maps of Middle-earth and other mementos. If high fantasy isnt your thing, dont worry. This buy two, get one free deal extends to dozens of excellent novels across a variety of genres. Eligible titles include The Hunger Games, Frank Herberts Dune trilogy, and Andy Weirs Project Hail Mary, just to name a few.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.If youve been holding off on upgrading your system because of the high cost of a new Windows license, this deal on Microsoft Windows 11 Home might be worth your while. StackSocial is offering a Windows 11 Home lifetime access for just $17.97 for a limited timedown from the original $199 price tag, and way cheaper than the $139 its listed for at the Microsoft Store. But before you get too excited, there are a few important things to know. This version is meant for PCs that dont already have a Windows 11 license and meet all of Microsofts system requirements (which arent exactly forgiving). If your current PC runs Windows 10 but couldnt get the free upgrade via Windows Update, odds are this version wont work for you either. Its also not for those running Pro editionsyou cant use this to downgrade or cross over.Assuming your system checks out, Windows 11 Home does bring in a bunch of upgrades that make everyday use more efficient and, honestly, nicer to look at. The redesigned interface is cleaner and easier to navigate, and features like Snap layouts and virtual desktops help keep your workflow organized. If you constantly juggle browser tabs, documents, and random apps simultaneously, these tools can reduce the chaos. Theres also Microsoft Teams baked right into the taskbar, which is convenient if you use it often, though not necessarily a game-changer if youre already tied to Zoom or Slack. On the security side, theres support for TPM 2.0 and biometric loginsgreat if you want more than just a password standing between your data and a stranger.Gamers and creatives might appreciate the inclusion of DirectX 12 Ultimate support, which pushes better graphics if youve got the hardware to match. This is a one-device, one-time activation key, so once you redeem it (which you need to do within 30 days), thats the machine it lives on. Theres no hopping around between systems later. Additionally, this license is for Windows 11 Home onlynot the Pro versionso if youre already running Windows 10 Pro, this wont do you any good. And just to be clear, it wont upgrade or include Microsoft Office. It'll run Office just fine if you already have it, but dont expect any MSO upgrades to come bundled in. That said, its hard to argue with under twenty bucks for a full OS license that usually runs ten times that.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.When you think of the best wireless earbuds, it's easy to think of popular brand names like Bose and Sony, but a newer entry to the market has also made a splash. EarFun has made a name for itself by punching well above its weight class with earbuds and headphones that dont cost nearly as much as the competition but, as I can personally attest, bring audio quality and features that even some of their pricier rivals lack. But if the value offered by EarFuns buds wasnt already good enough, many of its products boast solid discounts as part of Amazons Big Spring Sale. EarFun Air Pro 3 $49.99 at Amazon $99.99 Save $50.00 Get Deal Get Deal $49.99 at Amazon $99.99 Save $50.00 I would be happy to recommend the EarFun Air Pro 3 for anyone looking to get budget noise-canceling headphones, even if they were at full price. But with this discount, they're even more of a steal. There's a lot on offer for $50 here, including exceptional audio quality, powerful noise canceling, a long battery life, and wireless charging for the case. Plus, theyre water resistant for workouts and support Bluetooth Multipoint. See more in-depth detail in PCMags review. EarFun Air Pro 4 $59.99 at Amazon $95.99 Save $36.00 Get Deal Get Deal $59.99 at Amazon $95.99 Save $36.00 The EarFun Air Pro 4 are an update of the Air Pro 3, and they basically level up those buds in a few key areas. These buds boost the noise canceling performance and also increase the battery life to up to 11 hours on a single charge, even without the extra juice the case provides. They also support a wide range of Bluetooth codecs such as aptX Lossless and LDAC to help you enjoy optimal audio quality. And at just $10 more than the Air Pro 3, theyre an easy upgrade choice for those who want the best audio for their money. You can find out all about them in my review for PCMag. EarFun Free Pro 3 $49.99 at Amazon $79.99 Save $30.00 Get Deal Get Deal $49.99 at Amazon $79.99 Save $30.00 The EarFun Free Pro 3 take a slightly different direction. They still offer great sound and noise canceling, with many of the same capabilities as the Air Pro 3. However, they feature a different design. These buds tuck away into the ear more than the stemmed design of the Air Pro 3, which can be useful for sports or tucking under beanies. The smaller design of the buds also allows for an ultra-compact charging case thats easy to find space for in even a small bag or pocket. EarFun OpenJump $59.99 at Amazon $79.99 Save $20.00 Get Deal Get Deal $59.99 at Amazon $79.99 Save $20.00 EarFuns OpenJump headphones are an alternative for runners who want to prioritize safety. These earbuds loop around the ear and see the buds hover over the opening of the ear. Since they dont actually go into or block the ear canal, they let external sounds enter along with whatever youre listening to. The result is that you can get a pretty good sense of your surroundings while wearing the OpenJump, which can improve your safety while exercising outdoors, where hearing cars and other pedestrians is important. EarFun Wave Pro $55.99 at Amazon $79.99 Save $24.00 Get Deal Get Deal $55.99 at Amazon $79.99 Save $24.00 EarFun even has some over-ear headphones in the Wave Pro. You get a lot of the same high-end features as the companys buds, such as support for Bluetooth Multipoint, LDAC support for high-resolution audio, and surprisingly good noise-canceling. And the Wave Pro are geared up for long-time listening, with up to 55 hours of battery life with ANC on or 80 hours without ANC. Find out more in PCMags review.

Samsung just released a spate of new QLED TVs, after teasing the lineup at CES. The Neo QLED line is the first to feature the companys Vision AI platform. This allows for new personalization and optimization features. You can pick one up right now, but you might want to open up a line of credit first. The most budget-friendly model is the 55-inch Class Neo QLED 4K QN80F, which comes in at $1,300. As for 4K models, prices balloon all the way up to $15,000 for the top-of-the-line 98-inch Class Neo QLED 4K QN90F. Samsung also just released some 8K smart TVs with Vision AI. The pricing here starts at $3,300 for a 65-inch model and goes up to $5,300 for the 85-inch version. If you need a high-end soundbar to go with that brand new TV, Samsung has got you covered. The company just announced availability for two new soundbar systems. The flagship HW-Q990F costs $1,800 and the HW-Q800F clocks in at $1,000. Both come with the companys redesigned subwoofer, but the Q990F also includes a pair of rear speakers. Samsung They support wireless Dolby Atmos technology, so the cable clutter can go the way of the dodo. All of these products are available right now from Samsung or via third-party retailers. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/home-theater/samsung-neo-qled-tvs-are-now-available-with-prices-starting-at-1300-184437768.html?src=rss

Canon is expanding its vlogging lineup in a big way with two new models, the R50 V mirrorless and PowerShot V1 compact, both designed to take on cameras in Sony's vlogging lineup. The PowerShot V1 has an interesting new 1.4-inch sensor that's considerably larger than the ones on most compact cameras. The R50 V, meanwhile, matches features from Sony's ZV-E10 II but at a considerably lower price. PowerShot V1 compact camera The PowerShot V1 was already announced and released in Japan, but it's now set to come to North America. It effectively competes with Sony's ZV-1 II 1-inch sensor compact but has a much larger 1.4-inch 22.3MP sensor that's roughly the same size as Micro Four Thirds, but with a horizontal aspect ratio better suited for video. That larger size, along with the 17-52mm (3.1x zoom) f/2.8-4.5 lens, should make it superior to its rival in low light while also offering shallower depth of field. I've only had the PowerShot V1 for a day, but it's heavy for a compact camera at 426 grams (15 ounces) and fairly thick. There aren't many manual controls other than the top mode dial, a rear setting dial for burst, exposure compensation and other functions, a lens dial for aperture, a camera/video switch and a zoom dial, along with several buttons. It has a 3-inch, one-million-dot fully articulating rear display but no electronic viewfinder, just like the ZV-1 II. Steve Dent for Engadget It can shoot 4K 30 fps supersampled video using the full sensor width, 4K 60p video with a 1.4 times crop or 1080p at 240 fps. Also supported is Canon C-Log3 with 10-bit 4:2:2 capture to improve dynamic range and allow for easier grading. Optical along with digital enhanced stabilization are available and to allay overheating it comes with a built-in cooling fan that allows unlimited shooting times at all resolutions. Like the ZV-1 II, the PowerShot V1 supports several shooting modes aimed at creators. Those include a "close-up demo mode" that's equivalent to Sony's "product showcase," allowing the camera to quickly focus on an object you hold in front of the camera. Another is "smooth skin mode" for beauty-style shooting, plus "movie IS mode" for vloggers that stabilizes any jolting movements like walking. Steve Dent for Engadget The PowerShot V1 uses Canon's Dual Pixel II autofocus system with subject detection and face/eye tracking and includes a "subject tracking IS" mode that automatically adjusts cropping to center the subject in the frame. You can use it as a 1080p webcam via the USB-C port, while connecting to your smartphone for live streaming. For photography, it sports a physical mechanical shutter and can shoot bursts at up to 30 fps with autofocus in electronic shutter mode. A welcome feature is a built-in ND filter (equivalent to three stops of light reduction) that will allow creators to add more bokeh on sunny days. Other features include support for a smallish LP-E17 battery and a single UHS-II card slot along with microphone, headphone and microHDMI connectors. However, the PowerShot V1 isn't cheap at $900. It's set to arrive in April 2025. EOS R50 V Steve Dent for Engadget The R50 V is Canon's first true mirrorless vlogging-specific camera and is clearly designed to go up against Sony's ZV-E10 II. It's slightly taller than the PowerShot V1 but has largely the same dimensions otherwise, and weighs just a bit more if you include the new 14-30mm (21-45mm full-frame equivalent) f/4-6.3 power zoom lens. It has a nice array of manual controls including a primary control dial on top, a zoom rocker for supported lenses and an unusual mode dial that lets you select multiple custom video and vlogging modes including Movie Auto Slow Shutter, Slow/Fast Motion Recording and Movie IS Mode. For vloggers it has a fully-articulating 3-inch display but again, no electronic viewfinder. Steve Dent for Engadget The R50 V comes with a 24MP APS-C sensor like the EOS R50, while also including features from Canon's Cinema EOS system like C-Log3 capture and 10-bit 4:2:2 video. It can capture supersampled 4K 30 fps video using the full sensor width, 4K 60p video with a crop or 120 fps 1080p video. It's not a bad camera for photographers either, letting them shoot 12 fps bursts using the first-curtain shutter or 15 fps with the electronic shutter, all with continuous autofocus enabled. Like the ZV-E10 II it lacks in-body stabilization but does offer optical stabilization with supported lenses, along with electronic stabilization. For situations that require extra shake reduction, the optical and electronic stabilization modes can be combined and there's an enhanced IS mode for abrupt movements like walking. Steve Dent for Engadget The R50 V has vlogging-friendly modes like a product showcase-type function along with focus breathing correction. You get Canon's latest Dual Pixel II autofocus system that includes face and eye detection as well as subject tracking for people, animals and vehicles (along with an auto mode). A dedicated button allows you to livestream instantly with four modes supported: UVC/UAC, HDMI, Camera Connect, and Live Switcher Mobile multi-camera. It comes with a single UHS-II card slot and an LP-E17 battery, along with microphone, headphone, microHDMI and USB-C ports. The R50 V will cost $650 for the body only or $850 with the new RF-S14-30mm F4-6.3 IS STM PZ lens (sold separately for $330). Canon also announced the $1,700 RF 20mm f/1.4L VCM full-frame lens, the latest in its fast hybrid cinema-friendly series that includes the RF24mm f/1.4, RF 35mm f/1.4 and RF 50mm f/1.4 models. As mentioned, I've only had the R50 V and PowerShot V1 cameras for a short time but you can expect a full review of both models shortly. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/canon-goes-all-in-on-vlogging-with-the-powershot-v1-compact-and-r50-v-mirrorless-cameras-170047522.html?src=rss

Phison slashes AI training costs shifting workloads from GPUs to SSDs could cut trillion-parameter model expenses from $3 million to just $100,000.

Hisense is updating its U9, U8, U7, and U6 series TVs for 2025, with larger screen sizes and gaming feature upgrades.