Windows 11 PC won't boot? Microsoft's Quick Machine Recovery will automatically try to fix it before you have time to panic.

This is NOT the Xbox handheld you're looking for. Here's why the recent teaser trailer from ASUS is generating hype for all the wrong reasons.

Here's some help with today's Quordle, including hints and the answers.gettyLooking for Tuesdays NYT Connections hints, clues and answers instead? You can find them here:Annnd breathe. I hope yesterdays April Fools Day edition of Connections didnt break too many of your streaks. It was a fun one! Back to normality today. Or maybe not? Well see soon enough!Oh yes, I have to do my thing.Its Wednesday, and you know what that means: its time for another round of Connections!Before we begin, Ive set up a discussion group for NYT Connections and this column on Discord. We have a great little community over there and we chat about more than NYT games. Everyone who has joined has been lovely. Its a fun hangout spot.Its also the best way to give me any feedback about the column, especially on the rare(!) occasions that I mess something up since I dont look at the comments or Twitter much.Todays NYT Connections hints and answers for Wednesday, April 2, are coming right up.How To Play ConnectionsConnections is a free, popular New York Times daily word game. You get a new puzzle at midnight every day. You can play on the Youre presented with a grid of 16 words. Your task is to arrange them into four groups of four by figuring out the links between them. The groups could be things like items you can click, names for research study participants or words preceded by a body part.Theres only one solution for each puzzle, and youll need to be careful when it comes to words that might fit into more than one category. You can shuffle the words to perhaps help you see links between them.Each group is color coded. The yellow group is usually the easiest to figure out, blue and green fall in the middle, and the purple group is usually the most difficult one. The purple group often involves wordplay.Select four words you think go together and press Submit. If you make a guess and youre incorrect, youll lose a life. If youre close to having a correct group, you might see a message telling you that youre one word away from getting it right, but youll still need to figure out which one to swap.If you make four mistakes, its game over. Lets make sure that doesnt happen with the help of some hints, and, if youre really struggling, todays Connections answers. As with Wordle and other similar games, its easy to share results with your friends on social media and group chats.If you have an NYT All Access or Games subscription, you can access the publications Connections archive. This includes every previous game of Connections, so you can go back and play any of those that you have missed.Aside from the first 60 games or so, you should be able to find my hints via Google if you need them! Just click here and add the date of the game for which you need clues or the answers to the search query.What Are Todays Connections Hints?Scroll slowly! Just after the hints for each of todays Connections groups, Ill reveal what the groups are without immediately telling you which words go into them.Todays 16 words (well, symbols) are...FANCYREADINGNICEIMPULSEJOBTYPELIKEVENUSKINDHERBROBINLARKTENNESSEEWHIMSORTHANKAnd the hints for todays Connections groups are:Yellow group sudden idea or a spontaneous activity, perhapsGreen group classificationBlue group like John, Michelle and MaisiePurple group like polish and mobileWhat Are Todays Connections Groups?Need some extra help?Be warned: were starting to get into spoiler territory.Todays Connections groups are...Yellow group capriceGreen group ilkBlue group WilliamsesPurple group words pronounced differently as proper nounsWhat Are Todays Connections Answers?Spoiler alert! Dont scroll any further down the page until youre ready to find out todays Connections answers.This is your final warning!Todays Connections answers are...Yellow group caprice (FANCY, IMPULSE, LARK, WHIM)Green group ilk (KIND, LIKE, SORT, TYPE)Blue group Williamses (HANK, ROBIN, TENNESSEE, VENUS)Purple group words pronounced differently as proper nouns (HERB, JOB, NICE, READING)My record streak rolls on with a 36th win and a perfect game. Here's how I fared: TENNESSEE and VENUS were dead giveaways for the blues. Its been over a decade since he passed and I still miss Robin Williams so very much. Not only was he incredibly funny and seemingly just as kind, he was a big gamer! He famously named his daughter Zelda (after the character in Nintendos The Legend of Zelda series) and he was very much into Call of Duty as well.Anyway, the yellows were up next, though it took me a moment to realize FANCY should go with them (as in "a flight of fancy"). I've never heard of the word "caprice" before, so hey, I learned something today!From there, the greens seemed pretty obvious to me, and you know what that means I had to submit the purple group first. I didn't deduce the connection before sliding those through, especially because I always pronounce HERB the proper way, with the "h."As far as the proper nouns go, HERB is a person's name as is JOB ("johb"), in the sense of the biblical figure. NICE (like "niece") is a city in France, and READING ("red-ding") is a place in England or Pennsylvania.Thats all there is to it for todays Connections clues and answers. Be sure to check my blog tomorrow for hints and the solution for Thursdays game if you need them.P.S. Lets go with a song by a different Williams Hayley Williams and her band. I never got super into Paramore, but they have a few songs I like a ton. None more so than "Hard Times." It has quite a juxtaposition between the downbeat, serious lyrics and the funky track and colorful video. In any case, it rarely fails to get me moving:Have a great day! Stay hydrated! Call someone you love!If youre so inclined, please follow my blog for more coverage of NYT Connections and other word games and even some video game news, insights and analysis. It helps me out a lot! Sharing this column with other people who play Connections would be appreciated too Also, follow me on Bluesky! Its fun there.

Editor's take: Judging from the discourse in my communication bubble, almost no one likes AI technologies. The most enthusiastic AI evangelists are vendors interested in selling you something AI related to cash in on the craze or the companies creating it and shoving it down our throats. A recent Gartner analysis reports that spending on generative AI (GenAI) will grow to unprecedented levels in 2025, even though very few organizations understand how this technology can help their businesses or profit prospects. Experts believe this market "paradox" trend will persist through 2025 and 2026.Global spending on GenAI will reach around $644 billion in 2025, a 76.4-percent increase compared to 2024. This spending trend comes despite the technology's lack of actual usefulness and error rate. Gartner VP Analyst John-David Lovelock says foundational model providers are investing billions in developing and enhancing their solutions regardless of the growing concerns about the technology.This year, internal projects with lofty goals will face increased scrutiny, Lovelock stated. Chief investment officers will likely opt for commercial, off-the-shelf solutions, while proof-of-concept experimentations and self-developed implementations should become the exception. GenAI prospects haven't been as ambitious lately, but the technology should still significantly impact all IT spending this year.Experts expect AI technologies to become integral to all kinds of business operations and consumer products. This forced integration will be primarily due to AI capabilities baked directly into consumer hardware, with servers, smartphones, and PCs absorbing 80 percent of the projected GenAI spending.Lovelock notes that the growing prevalence of AI-enabled devices is driving market growth, with these consumer electronics expected to make up nearly the entire market by 2028. However, end consumers don't seem as enthusiastic about GenAI, as they're not actively seeking these "extra" features when shopping for new devices. Regardless, manufacturers continue embedding AI as a standard in mass-market products, ultimately forcing consumers to adopt it.Developers have adopted a service model that says, "You will consume our product, even if you don't want it." It sounds like a page out of Microsoft's playbook back in the day.

What just happened? West Japan Railway Company (JR West) has unveiled what it claims to be the world's first 3D-printed train station building. Located at Hatsushima Station on the JR Kisei Main Line in Arida, Wakayama Prefecture, the project merges cutting-edge technology with cultural sensitivity, marking a potential milestone in railway infrastructure. The new station building, set to open in July, replaces an aging wooden structure that had served the rural community for years. Standing 2.6 meters tall, 6.3 meters wide, and 2.1 meters deep, the single-story reinforced concrete building was constructed using advanced 3D printing technology.Japanese 3D-printing construction specialist Serendix prefabricated four key components, including the roof and walls, off-site. These were then transported and assembled in just two and a half hours, during the window between the last train at night and the first train the following morning.The process involved shaping mortar with a 3D printer and creating formwork to mold the exterior. Reinforcing steel was inserted into the hollow sections before being filled with concrete, ensuring durability and earthquake resistance comparable to traditional reinforced concrete structures, without the need for conventional wooden or metal formwork.JR West estimates this approach cuts costs by around 50 percent compared to conventional reinforced concrete buildings.Beyond cost savings, this rapid construction method reduces disruptions to railway operations, making it an ideal solution for replacing aging infrastructure on active rail lines.The station's design reflects its local surroundings, featuring artistic depictions of Arida City's iconic mikan oranges and tachiuo (beltfish) on the exterior. JR West emphasized that the goal is to create a station cherished by residents while aligning with regional culture, an approach they describe as "regional coexistence." // Related StoriesHatsushima Station was chosen for the pilot due to its coastal location, allowing experts to evaluate the structure's resilience against environmental challenges such as salty air exposure. Additionally, JR West will assess long-term maintenance costs and feasibility as part of its broader plan to modernize Japan's railway infrastructure.If successful, JR West plans to expand 3D printing technology across its network. The company sees this innovation as key to its long-term vision of providing "safe, secure, and human-friendly transportation" while enhancing sustainability.Image credit: JIJI

Google has announced it is updating Help me create on Google Docs to support seven additional languages.The company announced in a blog post on Monday that its expanding the little-known AI-powered tool to make it more accessible to Google Docs users for whom English is not their native language. Help me create now supports the following languages: Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Italian, French and German.Recommended VideosIf youre not sure what Help me create is, Google introduced the tool in December 2024 that employs Gemini to help you overcome writers block by writing the first draft of whatever documents you need to write up when you give it a prompt, provided your document is blank. It gives you stylized templates for each document format Google Drive gives you access to, whether its a business proposal, a product launch plan, product road map, newsletter, or even a party-planning list, and you can tweak them accordingly. Below is a demonstration of the tool giving templates for a newsletter, product launch plan, and product roadmap from Spanish-speaking users to choose from.GoogleFor users who are excited about Help me create supporting the aforementioned languages, its important to keep in mind that the tool should only be used to help you brainstorm what you are going to write in your document, not for you to take every word it writes immediately and pass it off as your own. Even though it doesnt incorporate Google search results, its still in its experimental stages, which means it can get certain things wrong. The Help me create language update is only available for Google Workspace users who have a Business, Enterprise, Google One AI Premium, Gemini Education, Gemini Business, or Gemini Enterprise account. Its still rolling out, so it may not reach every Google Workspace subscriber right away.Editors Recommendations

Fortnite fans are buzzing with excitement as Epic Games continues to release new content in 2025, keeping players engaged with a continuous stream of missions and event-themed challenges. The battle royale giant has long been praised for its innovative updates, which combine seasonal events, crossovers, and limited-time objectives to keep its community thriving.From battling iconic characters to exploring new map landmarks, these adventures provided players with unique opportunities to earn XP and unlock rare rewards. As spring arrives, the current v34.21 patch adds even more action, including a high-profile Mortal Kombat collab with Scorpion as an island boss.Recommended VideosBut the actual buzz today, April 1, 2025, is around a unique twist: the arrival of Fortnites April Fools Day quests. Known for their unique, playful tone, these limited-time challenges guarantee a dose of mischief in addition to the normal grind. Heres how to complete all of them.RelatedEpic GamesFortnites April Fools quests are newly added challenges to the usual stack of quests that you can access via the Quests Tab in-game. These quests are off beat challenges which require you to perform unusual actions during your Battle Royale gameplay. You can complete these quests in Zero Build or Battle Royale lobbies for the current Chapter 6 Season 2 and completing all of them grant 46,000 XP.Here are all the April Fools quests and its rewards:Place anything but first (1): 2,000 XP Build a structure as soon as you land on the islandBreak open chests instead of searching them (3): 2,000 XP Pickaxe and break 3 chestsTouch Grass (60): 2,000 XP Stay on grass terrain for 60 secondsDrive safely on the road for 100 meters (100): 2,000 XP Drive without a collision for 100 meters straightLand over here and over there (2): 2,000 XP Land on the island and then redeploy glider and land once again on the island. Use a launch pad to do soFind the coolest player on the island (1): 2,000 XP Find a bathroom and stand in front of a mirror facing itCollect non-fish from fishing (1): 2,000 XP Fish in a fishing spot and catch anything else but fishSurvive seconds before collecting any weapons in a match (120): 2,000 XP Survive for two minutes on the island without a weapon in your inventoryThese quests are only live until tomorrow April 2, 2025 at 6 am EST, so make sure to complete it as soon as you can to grab the free XP and level up faster.Editors Recommendations

Joelle Pineau said she would step down effective May 30, creating an executive vacancy as the company aggressively invests and competes in the booming sector.

Teresa Riberas trip comes as her department wraps up investigations into Apple and Meta under the Digital Markets Act the European Unions digital antitrust law.

The roots of modern-day New York City its dizzying cultural diversity and capitalist mightlie in its Dutch origins.