If youre looking for the Wordle answer for August 1, 2024 read on. Well share some clues, tips, and strategies, and finally the solution. Todays puzzle is medium difficult; I got it in four. Beware, there are spoilers below for August 1, Wordle #1,139! Keep scrolling if you want some hints (and then the answer) to todays Wordle game.How to play WordleWordle 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 theyre correct, yellow if you have the right letter in the wrong place, or gray if the letter isnt in the days 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? Lets go!Does todays Wordle have any unusual letters?Well 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 hes a friend of yours.)Three of today's letters are from our mnemonic. One is fairly common, and the other is less common. Can you give me a hint for todays Wordle?This is found in a classroom and used by climbers. Does todays Wordle have any double or repeated letters?There are no repeated letters today.How many vowels are in todays Wordle?There is one vowel. What letter does todays Wordle start with?Todays word starts with C.What letter does todays Wordle end with?Todays word ends with K.What is the solution to todays Wordle?Ready? Todays word is CHALK.How I solved todays WordleI started with RAISE and TOUCH, and from the handful of solutions, thought CHAMP was one of the most common words. CHALK seemed like the next most common. Wordle 1,139 4/6Yesterdays Wordle answerYesterdays Wordle was harder. The hint was a type of pasta and the answer contained four common letters and one fairly common letter. The answer to yesterdays Wordle was PENNE. A primer on Wordle basicsThe idea of Wordle is to guess the days secret word. When you first open the Wordle game, youll see an empty grid of letters. Its 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 its 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 its game over.The best starter words for WordleWhat 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, thats still excellent information to help you rule out possibilities.) There isnt a single best starting word, but the New York Timess Wordle analysis bot has suggested starting with one of these:CRANETRACESLANTCRATECARTEMeanwhile, an MIT analysis found that youll eliminate the most possibilities in the first round by starting with one of these:SALETREASTTRACECRATESLATEOther good picks might be ARISE or ROUND. Words like ADIEU and AUDIO get more vowels in play, but you could argue that its 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 WordleWe have a few guides to Wordle strategy, which you might like to read over if youre 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, dont 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 wouldnt 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 alternativesIf you cant 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 anotherDordle 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 days solution. Youre required to reuse any letters that you (oops) guessed correctly, so the longer it takes you, the better you are at the game.

Buying or selling a house has always been a little crazy. The moment you stroll into a Realtors office to inquire about a house or contact a local agent to sell your home, you embark on a roller-coaster ride of emotional and financial pressures. Checks are written. Houses are cleaned. Cookies are baked.But traditionally youve been able to engage an agent to sell your house without a contract, and if you were buying a house you were spared having to come up with your real estate agents commissionthat has almost always been paid by the seller, who coughed up about 6% of the sale price to their agent, who then (usually) split it with the buyers agent. Sure, in a sense the buyer paid that commission because the seller probably padded their homes price to compensate for the cost, but the illusion was there.That all changed recently. In March, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) settled some lawsuits, and as part of that settlement agreed to blow up the whole system. As a result there are two big changes hitting the real estate market starting this month: Buyers will have to start paying their agents directly, and everyone is going to have to sign a contracteven if you just want to look at a house. And until things settle down and become standardized, those contracts are a bit of the Wild Westjust about anything can be in them. Heres what you should look out for if youre buying or selling a house soon.Keeping the splitsThe biggest change hitting the market is in how agent commissions are handled. Instead of the seller paying the whole commission and their agent splitting it with the buyers agent, both agents have to be paid directly by their clientsand the sellers agent is now prohibited from advertising the split on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) (known as an offer of compensation), which was a common practice to attract buyers agents.The idea here is to lower overall costsas a seller, you no longer have to build a 6% hit into your calculations. If commissions stay at the traditional level, youd only need to come up with 3%, which could save you a lot of money. And if you negotiate a lower commission (which you absolutely can), you could save even more.That is, unless the contract you sign with your agent keeps the old system in place by calling it something else. Some draft contracts that agents have circulated maintain the 6% commission split with the buyers agent by calling the commission a bonus. The mechanism of the seller paying a commission that is then split with the buyers agent remains, just in different language. Thats fine if thats what you wantbut dont just blindly agree to pay more than you need to.PenaltiesA big thing to look for in any contract a real estate agent hands you is penalties, especially for withdrawing from a sale. Some draft contracts in the wake of this settlement have built in heavy penalties if a buyer backs out of a sale after making an offersomething youre traditionally able to do, within reason. Sometimes these penalties are worded to award the buyers agent the full commission they would have earned, which could be a substantial sum you have to pay even though youre not actually buying a house. You should never agree to that.You should also watch for penalties attached to terminating your agreement with your real estate agent. If youve worked with an agent for a while and theyve failed to find houses for you, or deals have fallen apart and youre unhappy with their work, you should be free to terminate the agreement at any time, without paying any sort of financial penalty.Fee clarityPart of the settlement the NAR agreed to involves making it very clear a) what your real estate agent will do (what services are provided) and b) what you will pay for these services. This should be clear and transparent in the contract, whether theyre working for an overall commission as a percentage of the sale price or if theyre charging you an hourly or flat fee for specific services.There should also be language that specifies any costs not listed in the contract will come out of the agents commission and not be an add-on fee that you have to pay.ExclusivityAs a home buyer, you retain the right to work with multiple agents if you wantunless you sign an exclusive agreement. Exclusivity clauses have advantagesthe process is more streamlined, and the agent may be more focused and dedicated since they know you wont suddenly announce youve found a home with someone else. But it should be a conscious choice based on your needs, so make sure there is no exclusivity language youre unaware of before you sign.The new rules also require that you sign a Touring Agreement even if all you want to do is view a home. This is a formal agreement with the agent, but its limited to that one property as opposed to hiring the agent to find a property. You should review it carefully to make sure youre not committing to anything more than that, and that theres no exclusivity that locks you in with that agent after youve made a decision on that particular house.ArbitrationFinally, like any contractual agreement, be aware of any clauses that dictate how disagreements are handled. Binding arbitration clauses can prevent you from filing a lawsuit, and may even lock you into using a specific arbitration service instead of allowing you some choice in the matter. Arbitration isnt necessarily a terrible decision, but dont agree to it unless youve decided that the lower costs and faster results are worth some of the disadvantages, including the possibility that your case could be decided by a low-quality arbitrator, and the fact that you often have zero recourse if the decision goes against you. This concern isn't specific to the real estate world, of course, but its always worth keeping an eye on.The new real estate rules are still being figured out, and things are a bit crazy out there. Read those contracts carefully, and be ready to insist on changes if you dont like what you see. One real estate rule hasnt changed: Everything is negotiable.

Boeing has revealed that it has taken another $125 million in losses as a result of its Starliner spacecraft's delayed return from the ISS. As SpaceNews reports, the company has revealed the losses in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, along with more details about its earnings for the second quarter of the year. The company already posted $288 million in losses "primarily as a result of delaying" the Crew Flight Test mission in 2023.The first crewed Starliner flight took off in June with NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams on board. Boeing's spacecraft was only supposed to stay docked to the ISS for eight days before ferrying the astronauts back to Earth, but issues with its hardware prevented the mission from sticking to its original timeline.The company had to examine and find what caused the Starliner's degraded maneuvering thrusters while it was approaching the ISS. In addition, the helium leak that caused several delays to the spacecraft's launch seemed to have worsened, as well. Since June, the company has been putting the spacecraft through a series of tests. Just a few days ago, on July 27, it completed a hot fire test of the Starliner's reaction control system jets and made sure that the vehicle's helium leak rates remain within the acceptable margin. The tests were conducted with Williams and Wilmore onboard, because they're part of the preparations for the spacecraft's flight back home.NASA said the tests' results are still being reviewed. But once Boeing and the agency ensure that the Starliner is ready, they will set a date for the Starliner and the astronauts' return flight.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/boeing-eats-another-125-million-loss-over-starliner-woes-130027376.html?src=rss

After the live experiences, TV shows based on TV shows and a boom in childhood South Korean games and hobbies, Squid Game returns for season two. Almost three years after the bleak, lightly anti-capitalism drama became a massive hit in the US. Season two will hit Netflix December 26, with a final third season coming sometime in 2025.In a letter, series director and writer, Hwang Dong-hyuk, teased the continuation of Seong Gi-huns revenge, facing off against Front Man. Were expecting more death, betrayal and enough delicious Korean food to make me want to take a trip to Seoul. Mat SmithThe biggest stories you might have missedTesla involved in fatal Washington crash was using self-driving modeEtsy just announced a loyalty program thats (sort of) similar to Amazon PrimeAyaneos take on the Game Boy Micro is available to order starting at $190You can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!Reddit CEO wants Microsoft to pay for its contentSteve Huffman called out Microsoft for scraping data from Reddit.Reddit boss Steve Huffman called out Microsoft and other AI search engines, like Anthropic and Perplexity, for not paying for the information their AI models have seemingly scraped from Reddit. Without these agreements, we dont have any say or knowledge of how our data is displayed and what its used for, which has put us in a position now of blocking folks who havent been willing to come to terms with how wed like our data to be used or not used, Huffman said in an interview with The Verge. Reddit said its blocking unauthorized data scraping by updating its Robots Exclusion Protocol (robots.txt), and its already stopped Microsofts Bing from accessing the social sites data.Continue reading.Twelve Souths AirFly Duo Bluetooth dongle drops to $30The best way to listen to your inflight movie with wireless headphones.EngadgetTwelve Souths AirFly Duo is a dongle that connects Bluetooth earbuds and headphones to in-flight entertainment systems. The device is currently on sale for $30, and I swear by it. It plugs into any 3.5mm audio jack, so you can use it with gym equipment, older gaming systems or even TVs. I used it with my Switch before Nintendo finally enabled Bluetooth audio.Continue reading.Senators introduce bill to protect individuals against AI-generated deepfakesOpenAI joined several entertainment industry groups in backing the NO FAKES Act.US senators have introduced a bill to combat the growing threat of AI-generated deepfakes. The legislation would hold online platforms accountable for deepfake content by requiring them to label the material. If it passes, the NO FAKES Act would create an option for people to seek damages when their voice, face or body are recreated by AI. Both individuals and companies would be held liable for producing, hosting or sharing unauthorized digital replicas.It follows the Senates recent passage of the DEFIANCE Act, which would enable victims of sexual deepfakes to sue for damages.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-squid-game-returns-on-december-26-111550905.html?src=rss

OpenAI will give the US AI Safety Institute early access to its next model as part of its safety efforts, Sam Altman has revealed in a tweet. Apparently, the company has been working with the consortium "to push forward the science of AI evaluations." The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has formally established the Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute earlier this year, though Vice President Kamala Harris announced it back in 2023 at the UK AI Safety Summit. Based on the NIST's description of the consortium, it's meant "to develop science-based and empirically backed guidelines and standards for AI measurement and policy, laying the foundation for AI safety across the world."The company, along with DeepMind, similarly pledged to share AI models with the UK government last year. As TechCrunch notes, there have been growing concerns that OpenAI is making safety less of a priority as it seeks to develop more powerful AI models. There were speculations that the board decided to kick Sam Altman out of the company he was very quickly reinstated due to safety and security concerns. However, the company told staff members in an internal memo back then, that it was because of "a breakdown in communication."In May this year, OpenAI admitted that it disbanded the Superalignment team it created to ensure that humanity remains safe as the company advances its work on generative artificial intelligence. Before that, OpenAI co-founder and Chief Scientist Ilya Sutskever, who was one of the team's leaders, left the company. Jan Leike, who was also one of the team's leaders, quit, as well. He said in a series of tweets that he had been disagreeing with OpenAI's leadership about the core priorities of the company for quite some time and that "safety culture and processes have taken a backseat to shiny products." OpenAI created a new safety group by the end of May, but it's led by board members that include Altman, prompting concerns about self-policing.a few quick updates about safety at openai:as we said last july, were committed to allocating at least 20% of the computing resources to safety efforts across the entire company.our team has been working with the US AI Safety Institute on an agreement where we would provide Sam Altman (@sama) August 1, 2024 This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/openai-vows-to-provide-the-us-government-early-access-to-its-next-ai-model-110017697.html?src=rss

Once youve set up your new iPhone, its time to make the most of it with the best iPhone accessories. Its exciting to choose a new case or wireless charger, and personalize your smartphone with a cute PopSocket to really show off your style. There are probably a bunch of iPhone accessories you didnt even know you needed, like a kickstand so you can watch YouTube or TikTok videos while getting ready in the morning, or an AirTag so you can use your new iPhone 15 Pro Max to keep track of all your belongings. With an extensive range of iPhone accessories to choose from, weve whittled down the best accessories that are worth investing in. If youre not quite done accessorizing your Apple devices, you can also check out our recommendations for the best Apple Watch accessories. Best iPhone accessories This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-iphone-accessories-140022449.html?src=rss

You might have an idea of which smartphone you want to buy next. But there are more options than ever before that are solid plenty of companies are making stellar handsets nowadays, at similar prices, all with comparable feature sets. That said, the choice isnt always cut-and-dry. If you know you want an iPhone, your decision-making process is a bit easier. If youre an Android person, you have even more options to choose from and more questions to answer before you spend any money. At Engadget, we review phones regularly and have tested dozens over the years; so far for 2024, our top picks remain the same as they were last year, with Apple's iPhone 15 Pro and Google's Pixel 8 handsets sitting at the top of the list. Whether youve had your eye on them, one of Samsung's new Galaxy S24 phones or another device, were here to help you decide which is the best phone to buy this year. Android or iOS? When you're searching for the best smartphone, it becomes clear that each OS has its pros and cons. Apples tight-knit ecosystem makes it super easy to share data between iPhones, iPads and Macs or seamlessly hand-off phone calls or music from one device to another. At the same time, youre effectively locked in, as services like Apple Messages arent available on other platforms. As for Android, theres a much wider range of handsets from companies like Google, Samsung, Sony and more. However, Android phones dont enjoy that same length of software support and often have lower trade-in values. In short, theres no wrong answer. However, you will want to consider how your phone will fit in with the rest of your devices. So unless youre really fed up with one OS and willing to learn another, it probably doesnt make a lot of sense to switch from an iPhone to an Android phone (or vice versa) especially if everyone else in your household is using the same platform. Cameras Since your cell phone often pulls double duty as your primary camera, figuring out what kind of photo tools you want is key. Nowadays, practically every mobile phone can take a great picture in bright light. But if you want a long optical zoom, youll probably have to upgrade to a more expensive device. Cherlynn Low / Engadget Mid-range phones often only have two rear cameras (a primary wide-angle lens and a secondary ultra-wide camera) and can sometimes struggle in low-light situations. Each phone maker also has various features that might be a better fit for your style, with Apple offering four different color presets on the latest iPhones, while Googles Pixel 8 comes with neat tools like dedicated long exposure and Action Pan modes. Will you get mmWave 5G or Wi-Fi 7? The good news is that in 2024, most phones have at least Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 6e and support for some kind of 5G connectivity. However, if you want the fastest wireless speeds possible, its going to cost you a little extra. For example, on certain networks, mmWave 5G offers up to gigabit download speeds, less latency and better bandwidth. But mmWave 5G also requires more sophisticated (and pricier) modems, which means support for it is often missing on less expensive devices, even those like the unlocked version of the Pixel 8. On the bright side, mmWave 5G isnt as widely available as other versions of 5G, so depending on where you live and what network youre on, you may not be missing out on much right now if you buy a phone that doesnt support it. Its a similar situation for Wi-Fi 7, which is available on some high-end handsets like the Galaxy S24, but harder to find on cheaper devices. Wi-Fi 7 also requires you to have a compatible router, so unless you know you need it or have a specific use case in mind, the lack of support for mmWave 5G or Wi-Fi 7 shouldnt be a dealbreaker when looking for a new phone. Other features to consider Because not everyone agrees on what makes the best phone, you should think about any other specs that might be extra important for you. Mobile gamers will almost certainly appreciate the 120Hz refresh rates you get on phones like the Samsung Galaxy S23 or the Apple iPhone 15 Pro. Alternatively, if long battery life is important, youll probably want to go with a larger iPhone or an Android phone with a battery thats between 4,000 and 5,000 mAh in size. Meanwhile, if you find yourself juggling a lot of devices, it can be really nice to have a phone that supports reverse wireless charging, which on Samsung phones even lets you recharge the companys Galaxy Watches. Other smartphones we've tested Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra For its latest super-premium phone, Samsung gave the S24 Ultra a more durable titanium frame, faster performance thanks to a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip and a much longer battery life. The company also tweaked its longest telephoto lens with a 5x optical zoom so it's more usable in a wider range of situations. But the biggest upgrade is a new full suite of AI tools, which includes the ability to proofread texts, edit images and transcribe recordings. And when you tack on the best display available on a phone today and a built-in stylus, you have a very compelling flagship handset. Unfortunately, starting at $1,300, the S24 Ultra is a bit too expensive to recommend to anyone without deep pockets. OnePlus 12 While the OnePlus 12 wasnt able to unseat the latest Pixel, its worth mentioning because it offers powerful specs for the money. It features a speedy Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, a big and bright 6.8-inch, 120Hz OLED screen and the best battery life weve seen on any phone to date. OnePlus also brought back support for wireless charging for the first time in several generations, along with a good (but not great) IP65 rating for dust and water resistance. And even though its huge camera module looks a bit ungainly, its photos are surprisingly sharp. But the best thing is that, with a starting price of $800, the OnePlus 12 costs $200 less than a Pixel 8 Pro or a similarly specced S24+. FAQs How do I know which smartphone is the best for me? While choosing the best smartphone can be challenging, it mostly comes down to how you plan on using the device. All of the best phones available now get the basics right youll be able to make calls, text and access the internet without many hiccups. If your smartphone is your most used gadget, you may want to consider paying for a device on the higher end of the price spectrum. That will get you better overall performance, higher-quality cameras and a phone that will last for many years. If you dont use your phone for everything, you may be able to compromise on performance and extra perks and spend less on a still-capable handset. How much is a smartphone? Smartphones range in price from $300 to over $1,500. The best budget phones available now will usually compromise on overall performance, design, camera prowess and extra features to keep costs down. On the flip side, the most expensive phones will have powerful processors, triple-camera arrays and even flip or fold designs. Most people will find a phone that fits their needs somewhere in the middle of that wide price range weve found that most of the best smartphones available right now cost between $500 and $1,000. What can you do on a smartphone? Smartphones are essentially small, portable computers that let you do things like check email, browse social media, follow map directions, make contactless payments and more. This is all on top of the basics like making phone calls and texting, which weve come to expect in all modern cell phones. Smartphones have also mostly replaced compact cameras thanks to their high-quality, built-in shooters, and the fact that most smartphones today as just as portable, if not more so, as compact cameras. How long do smartphones last? Smartphones can last years and people are holding on to their phones longer now than ever before. Software updates and battery life are two of the biggest factors that can affect phone longevity. Apple promises five years worth of software updates for its latest iPhones, and Google promises the same for its Pixel phones. Samsung phones will get four years worth of Android updates from the time they launch. As for charging speeds and battery life, your phone can deteriorate over time as you use and recharge your phone on a regular basis.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-smartphones-140004900.html?src=rss

LightWave 2024 is out. It's another sizeable update to the veteran 3D modeling and animation software, adding new character rigging, weight painting and liquid simulation toolsets.https://www.cgchannel.com/2024/07/lightwave-digital-releases-lightwave-2024/

Discover how to design a near-future vehicle grounded in real-world engineering principles with Race Vehicle Concept Design, The Gnomon Workshop's beginner-friendly new tutorial using Blender, Photoshop, Illustration and After Effects.https://www.cgchannel.com/2024/07/tutorial-race-vehicle-concept-design/

Which is the best AMD workstation GPU for CG work? Check out CG Channel's group test of the Radeon Pro W7000 Series, which puts AMD's pro GPUs through an exhaustive series of real-world content creation and rendering tests, including Blender, Cinema 4D, Maya, Substance 3D Painter and Unreal Engine.https://www.cgchannel.com/2024/07/group-test-amd-radeon-pro-w7000-series-workstation-gpus/