Strands has a new word-search puzzle today for fans of the genre to ponder over. Winning this one will mean not only figuring out the theme from just one little clue, but also finding all the themed words hidden inside the letter grid as well.

With the New Years Treasures minigame in full swing, Monopoly GO players are rushing to collect more Cake Scoop tokens so that they can dig out the required treasures. Those who actively participate in the New Years Treasures minigame can win the limited-edition New Years Top Hat Token and Party Time Shield. If you want to add these fun collectibles to your board and celebrate the New Year in style, you need to play with the right strategy. To help you out, this guide covers Monopoly GO's schedule for January 02, 2025, and the best strategy to progress through the dig event today.

Carlotta is the first 5-star limited pistol character in Wuthering Waves, introduced with the release of the new Rinascita region in version 2.0. As one of the highlights of this major update, Carlotta brings a fresh and dynamic playstyle, perfectly suited for exploring the new areas, especially if players have been looking to try out new characters for overworld exploration. Her fast-paced ranged attacks may be refreshing experience for both veteran and new players alike.

I am an EDM / Trap EDM artist who has always wanted my music in some video games. I would love to allow my songs in a few games for free. I have over 50K streams on Spotify and about 5K on SoundCloud. Emphasis on I just want to help a dev. Please don't take my post down again mod, I'm not asking for anyone to pay LOL.Here's my SoundCloud if you want to listen. (Has a few unreleased songs on it)

RISE Visual Effects Studios has unveiled its new showreel, featuring jaw-dropping visual effects from some of the biggest recent blockbusters. The reel showcases RISEs incredible work on blockbuster films such as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Fallout, Megalopolis, and Red One.It marks this special edition on the studios commitment to exploring the boundaries in VFX artistry. With breathtaking space battles and intricate cityscapes and high-octane action sequences, RISE continues to break new ground for cinematic visual effects.With their attention to detail and breakthrough techniques, RISE has established itself at the forefront of the VFX industry, transforming filmmakers imaginations into moving pictures that attract viewers worldwide.The post RISE REEL 2025 Hyper Championship Special Edition appeared first on Vfxexpress.

Usually I type my initial thoughts for these columns on a computer, but this week I wrote them in a paper notebook instead.Ive never been much of a paper person. Although I did carry around a reporters notebook for a newspaper job in the pre-iPhone era, I prefer to file my thoughts away in digital form, where they can be categorized, backed up online, and accessed from any device.But after a recent office cleaning project yielded a stack of unusedField Notes notebooksalong with a couple of nice pens that Id accumulated as gifts over the yearsIve been inspired to give paper notes another try as a supplement to my digital note-taking.This story first appeared inAdvisorator, Jareds weekly tech advice newsletter.Sign up for freeto get more tips every Tuesday.The case for paper notesAlready I can see why paper notes endure.Theres the obvious stuff: Paper is cheap, you dont have to keep it charged, and it never nags you for in-app purchases. At worst you just buy more of it.Theres also the immediacy factor: You dont have to think about which app to use or which folder to open. Should you decide to digitize a handwritten notemore on that shortlyyou can still write first and categorize later.Paper notes are more relaxing to work with as well. I started scribbling some things down while watching baseball on a recent evening, and it felt less stressful than having a glowing screen in my face and keyboard in my lap. The lack of immediate distractions within a few finger swipes is also helpful.Perhaps best of allat least for meis that you cant delete what youve written in ink. Ive tried using an iPad with an Apple Pencil for handwritten notes and havereviewed a few digital writing tablets, and they always feel counterproductive to me. As an obsessive self-editor, I cant resist the erase and undo tools that digital notepads provide. The only option with paper is to forge ahead.None of this means that Im ditching digital notes.I still stash quick bits of info inGoogle Keepwhen Im out and about, and I make extensive use ofObsidianto plan my week, organize story ideas, and write my actual drafts. For interviews, I still rely onNotability, an iPad app that syncs handwritten notes and audio recordings together (though Im also starting to weave in Apples Voice Notes app for automatic transcription).But just as Ive carved out distinct roles for each of those apps, I can foresee a place for paper as well. At the very least, it helped with putting this column together.Digitizing handwritten notesWhile I dont intend to immediately digitize all my handwritten notes, I like the idea of scanning completed notebooks for archival purposes, and the apps that Ive previously recommended for document scanning work just as well for handwritten pages:On iOS:Open the Files app, press the button, and select Scan Documents.On Android:Open the Google Drive app, then press the Camera button.Scanning pages in Files for iOS (left) and Google Drive for Android (right)Both apps will open a camera mode so you can point at your notes, and theyll automatically scan and crop each page with no need to even hit the shutter button between scans. Once you get in a rhythm, you can turn an entire notebook into a PDF file in just a few minutes.There are also a bunch of free ways to convert that handwriting into text:iOS and MacOS: Just select the text in your PDF file as if it were a printed document. Apples system will automatically detect and highlight the text, which you can then copy and paste elsewhere. (On a Mac, you can even hit Cmd+A to select the entire document.)Windows:If youve installedMicrosoft PowerToys, press Win+Shift+T to select a section of your notes and copy the text to your clipboard. Alternatively, a free program calledNAPS2can make text selectable in PDF files.Any web browser:Open your PDF in Google Drive, then use the Open with drop-down menu at the top and select Google Docs. This will create a new document with all the handwriting converted to text.One more trick:Try uploading a PDF to GooglesNotebookLMAI tool to generate a summary, brainstorm further ideas, orstrangest of allturn your notes into a podcast.Unfortunately my handwriting tends to stump even the most sophisticated text recognition systems, but perhaps youll fare a bit better.This story first appeared inAdvisorator, Jareds weekly tech advice newsletter.Sign up for freeto get more tips every Tuesday.

The Gigabyte M27U hides versatility and reliability under an unassuming design.

Peter CleggSource: Feilden Clegg Bradley StudiosThe National Trust HQ by Feilden Clegg Bradley StudiosSource: Simon Doling1/2show captionPeter Clegg, senior partner and co-founder of Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, has been awarded an OBE in the New Years Honours List for services to architecture.Clegg foundedFeilden Clegg Design with Richard Fielden in 1978.Cleggs work at the practice has included headquarters for environmental organisations such as Greenpeace, the National Trust, and the Woodland Trust.These buildings featured passive design principles, such as natural ventilation, daylighting, and thermal mass, intended to reduce energy consumption..In response to the award, Clegg said: I regard this honour as one which acknowledges the long history of the practice in promoting environmentally and socially responsible architecture.Architecture is a collaborative discipline, and the recognition needs to be shared by the hundreds of people over the years that have been part of the practice and the thousands of consultants contractors and clients that have worked on projects that have allowed us to explore a new approach to architectural design.Beyond his architectural practice, Clegg is also a professor of architecture at the University of Bath and chair of trustees at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.Source: Battersea Power Station Development CompanySimon MurphySimon Murphy, who served as CEO of the Battersea Power Station Development Company until March 2024, has been awarded an OBE for services to real estate, heritage, and the community in London.Reflecting on his tenure at the time of stepping down, he said: It has been a huge honour to have played a part in delivering such a special addition to the London landscape.While there have been many challenges along the way these have been more than eclipsed by the many remarkable highlights such as bringing the iconic Grade II* listed building back to life after a thorough restoration and collaborating with Transport for London to deliver the first extension to the London Underground in 25 years.Murphy worked on the Battersea Power Station development for 11 years, six of which were as CEO, overseeing the completion of the first three key phases of the project.> Also read:Battersea power station: the remarkable journey from ruin to rejuvenationAmos SimboAmos Simbo, founder of Black Professionals in Construction, has been awarded an OBE for services to the construction industry and to diversity. Simbo is managing director and founder of Winway Group,an independent M&E consultancy.In response, he said: Im truly humbled to have been honoured with an OBE in the Kings New Years Honours representing construction. Its the honour of my life being in construction, promoting inclusion for individuals and small businesses showcasing how the industry is truly at the heart of community building.Other honours in the built environment sector:Timothy John Beech Williamson, architect, Department for Education OBE for services to educationRichard Andrew Wilson, landscape architect and garden designer OBE for services to the landscape and garden design industry and to heritageAlexander William Adam, chair, Springfield Properties plc OBE for services to the construction industry in ScotlandDr Wei Yang, CEO and co-founder, Digital Task Force for Planning OBE for services to the construction industryDavid Hugh Fellows Odgers, consultant and researcher, Historic Building Conservation MBE for services to heritageAman Sharma, CEO, Totus Digital MBE for services to building and fire safetySally Anne Strachey, founder, Sally Strachey Historic Conservation Ltd MBE for services to the repair and conservation of heritage buildingsMaira Shernaz Bana, co-founder, SheCanEngineer BEM for services to diversity in engineering

Looking for the most recentregular Connections answers? Click here for today's Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.Connections: Sports Editiondelivered an all-graphic game grid yesterday to start off 2025. Today, there are just two images, both of athletes. If you know who they are, you're a step ahead, but if their smiling faces don't ring a bell, today's puzzle could be a struggle. Shake it off (that's a hint to one of the photos) and read on for hints and answers for today's Connections: Sports Edition puzzle.For now, the game is in beta, which means the Times is testing it out to see if it's popular, before adding it to the site's Games app. You can play it daily for now for free and then we'll have to see if it sticks around.Read more: NYT Has a Connections Game for Sports Fans. I Tried ItHints for today's Connections: Sports Edition groupsHere are four hints for the groupings in today's Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest, yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.Yellow group hint: Speedy.Green group hint: Singular soccer teams.Blue group hint: Triumphant TEs.Purple group hint: Big Apple jocks.Answers for today's Connections: Sports Edition groupsYellow group: Fast.Green group: MLS teams, in singular form.Blue group: NFL career yards leaders among tight ends.Purple group: New York athletes.Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English WordsWhat are today's Connections: Sports Edition answers? Two athlete photos showed up in the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Jan. 2, 2025. Can you identify the players? NYT/Screenshot by CNET The completed NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Jan. 2, 2025. NYT/Screenshot by CNETThe yellow words in today's ConnectionsThe theme is fast. The four answers are brisk, rapid, swift and zippy.The green words in today's ConnectionsThe theme is MLS teams, in singular form. The four answers are Earthquake, Sounder, Timber and Whitecap.The blue words in today's ConnectionsThe theme is NFL career yards leaders among tight ends. The four answers are Gates, Gonzalez, Kelce (photo) and Witten.The purple words in today's ConnectionsThe theme is New York athletes. The four answers are Ionescu, Judge (photo), Rodgers and Shesterkin.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer?Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Connections puzzles.It's cold and wintry in many parts of the world in January, so the topic of today'sStrandspuzzle might be an appropriate meal. If you need hints and answers, read on.Also, I go into depth about therules for Strands in this story.If you're looking for today's Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visitCNET's NYT puzzle hints page.Read more:NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So FarHint for today's Strands puzzleToday's Strands theme is:For the soul...If that doesn't help you, here's a clue: Good meal if you're sick.Clue words to unlock in-game hintsYour goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle's theme. If you're stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints, but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:CHIT, STAT, STATE, NEAR, CART, CARTS, SAKE, LAKE, LAKES, BUTT, BUTTS, STOP, ROTS, PLOD, PLODS.Answers for today's Strands puzzleThese are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you've got all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:CARROTS, SALT, THYME, BUTTER, NOODLES, POTATOESToday's Strands spangramToday's Strands spangram isCHICKENSOUP.To find it, start with the C that's two letters in from the far left on the top row, and wind down. The completed NYT Strands puzzle for Jan. 2, 2025. NYT/Screenshot by CNET