Strands has yet another difficult puzzle grid to try and tease six themed words out of. In order to win, you have to figure out the theme from one little clue, then find all the words hidden inside the grid while using every single letter only once.

One of the best ways to experience VR is the Meta Quest 3S, and Amazon has the best deal weve seen yet on the 256 GB model of this VR headset. Usually $399.99, you can pick up the 256 GB Meta Quest 3S for just $349.99, giving you double the storage of the baseline model for just $50 extra. There isnt any other way to supplement the storage of the headset, making this is an option worthy of consideration. The 3S has lower resolution than the more expensive Meta Quest 3, and a slightly narrower field of view when used in augmented reality mode, but is otherwise equipped with the same processor and has access to the same library of titles available via the Quest App store. Your purchase comes with a free copy of Batman: Arkham Shadow, but youll also get a three-month trial of Meta Quest Plus, which gives you access to a free library of titles in addition to a pair of games that rotate each month. However, if the Quest App store doesnt have what youre looking for, the Quest 3S can also play VR titles from the Steam store using the Steam Link app. Personally, I never lent VR gaming much credence until I became a Meta Quest owner. Even older titles like Beat Saber, Superhot VR, Half-Life: Alyx, and The Climb offer experiences that are impossible to replicate outside of a VR environment. If you want to experience this growing frontier of gaming, the Quest 3S is one of the best ways to do it.

The Sims franchise is a quarter-century old as of Feb. 4th, and its been a wild 25 years of WooHooing, drowning Sims in pools, painting goblins in the basement, vampire dynasties, grinding the career ladder, and other soap opera antics. Maxis and Electronic Arts hosted a short stream Tuesday showing some of the upcoming content, including new stuff packs, creator collaborations, and quality of life updates.On Feb. 4, developer Maxis will be adding a ton of free cosmetics in the game, both in Create-A-Sim and the Build and Buy modes. This includes new hairstyles, clothing items, shoes, wallpapers, windows, wood finishes on kitchen cabinets, and a massive pirate ship playground for Sim kids.Later in March, Maxis will also be overhauling the lighting in The Sims 4, allowing for more dynamic lighting and realistic reflections. This makes setting up a bay window in the breakfast nook much more attractive, and architects will no doubt enjoy setting up their Sims home for peak aesthetics.Maxis also shared some smaller changes coming to The Sims 4, like an overhaul of many common Sims properties using new pieces added to the game over its lifespan. Players will also notice a new menu when they log in starting on Tuesday, with their current Sim family save front and center.In September, Electronic Arts and Maxis announced that there may not be a The Sims 5, and they will continue supporting The Sims 4. Project Rene, a secretive project focusing on multiplayer, is still going through early playtesting. Well have to wait for more details on what Project Rene will look like, and how itll mix with The Sims 4. Maxis is clearly learning from these playtests and continually updating the game with features, like the Occult Switcher.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.Meta has made virtual reality (VR) accessible to many more people, offering good VR headsets for much cheaper than the competition. Right now, the 256GB Meta Quest 3S Batman: Arkham Shadow Bundle is $349 (originally $399.99), the lowest price it has been according to price-tracking tools. The bundle brings the Batman game (an excellent game with a list price of $49.99) and a three-month trial subscription to the Meta Quest+ service that's normally $7.99 a month. All of this is $50 more than the 128GB model, and you also get to double your storage. Meta Quest 3S Batman: Arkham Shadow Bundle, 256GB Item model number:Quest 3S, Item Weight: 4.86 pounds, Manufacturer: Meta. $349.00 at Amazon $399.99 Save $50.99 Get Deal Get Deal $349.00 at Amazon $399.99 Save $50.99 It's true, the Meta Quest 3 has better graphics, but it costs substantially more than the 3S version (currently $499.99). Lifehacker staff writer Stephen Johnson got his VR headsets on to decide which of the two is better, with the Meta Quest 3S coming out victorious. You can see a more in-depth review of the Quest 3S here. There just isn't enough of a difference to justify the price difference, with the Quest 3S's graphics looking very close to the 3 and running the same games and apps.The Meta Quest 3S has a Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor, 8GB of RAM, a display resolution of 1,832 by 1,920 (per eye), and a refresh rate of 120Hz. Once you put them on, the horizontal field of view is 96 degrees, and the vertical view is 90 degrees. The audio is stereo, which is nice, and the speakers are compatible with 3D spatial audio. When it comes to battery life, expect up to two and a half hours of juice before having to recharge (expect it to take about two hours for a full charge).What makes the Meta Quest 3S special is how cheap it is to jump into the VR world, with other headsets going for much more (Apple's Vision Pro is still $3,499). The bundle deal makes it even sweeter.

Meta is preparing for even more layoffs, according to reporting by Bloomberg. CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a company memo that he plans on cutting about five percent of its "low-performers."Ive decided to raise the bar on performance management and move out low-performers faster, Zuckerberg said in the memo. We typically manage out people who arent meeting expectations over the course of a year, but now were going to do more extensive performance-based cuts during this cycle.All told, this could result in 10 percent fewer staff at Meta, once attrition is accounted for. Bloomberg suggested that the forthcoming pink slips will focus on people who have been with the company long enough to receive a performance rating.Between increased layoffs and attrition, nearly 7,000 Meta staff might be leaving the company in the near future. This follows a firing spree that began in late 2022, eventually impacting over 20,000 workers. The company also laid off 60 technical program managers earlier this month."A leaner org will execute its highest priorities faster. People will be more productive, and their work will be more fun and fulfilling," Zuckerberg said in 2024. Nothing says fun and fulfilling like living in constant fear of being fired.Meta has had an unusual year so far. We are only halfway through January and the Zuck has already ended third-party fact checking across Meta platforms, appointed UFC CEO Dana White to Metas board and took a trip to Mar-a-lago to bend the knee. The company also changed its "Hateful Content" policy to make it safer for homophobes and it came out that Instagram had been shadowbanning common LGBTQ hashtags.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/mark-zuckerberg-plans-to-lay-off-an-additional-five-percent-of-metas-workforce-182651886.html?src=rss

If you want to listen to a soundtrack from a movie or TV show, you can usually find it on a licensed streaming service, if not buy the songs outright. Sadly, that's not typically the case with video-game music. Most game soundtracks are not publicly available, which is why YouTube is the #1 source for listening to tracks from your favorite games.In particular, Nintendo hates when third parties upload any of their content to YouTube, whether that's game footage or music. Over the years, the company has gone after creators who upload their copyrighted music to the platform, even though Nintendo itself has offered few viable outlets for fans to find that music legally. Until late last year, anyway.Nintendo Music is the answerAt the end of October 2024, Nintendo announced a new music streaming service, called, appropriately, "Nintendo Music." Nintendo Music is an app for your smartphone, and it resembles other music streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music, only rather than find music from Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, and The Beatles, it houses music from Mario, Zelda, and Metroid. While you can find plenty of specific game soundtracks to listen to, there are some fun and unique options as well. Like other streaming services, Nintendo Music offers playlists based on different moods, themes, or even characters. There are playlists for songs inspired by Bowser or Peach, for example, as well as roundups of songs from boss battles, moments where you win the game, as well as when you start a new adventure. The "Powering Up" playlist, for instance, has "Hyrule Field Main Theme" from Ocarina of Time, "Mario Kart 8 Title Screen" from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and "Tera Raid Battle" from Pokmon Scarlet and Pokmon Violet. Not bad.How Nintendo Music worksThe app is free to download on iOS and Android, but you do need to be subscribed to Nintendo Switch Online. (Any of the plans will do.) After downloading the app, I just needed to sign into my account, choose whether or not to enable notification (never enable notifications), tap through a pop-up warning me that some songs may be spoilers for games I haven't beaten yet, and I was in.As far as streaming apps go, it's pretty straightforward: You choose a song or playlist, and it plays, complete with a still from its game. One neat feature is you can tap an "Extend to" button on certain songs to have a song play for 15, 30, or even 60 minutes. (But when are you going to add a 10-hour option, Nintendo?) You have basic playback controls, the option to repeat or shuffle, and the option to reorder a playlist.If you tap the () menu on any given song, you can choose to add it to your favorites, download the song for offline playback, add the song to another playlist, add the song next on your queue, add the song last on your queue, see more tracks from the game the song is from, share the song with others, or see the credits for the track itself.A growing library (with some oversights)As a huge fan of Nintendo music, the music, I'm mostly feeling positive about Nintendo Music, the app. This experience is long overdue, and the selection of tracks is relatively varied, especially now that it has been up and running for a few months. There are songs from many different Nintendo brands and eras, including new Pokmon, old Donkey Kong, even Nintendogs. This isn't something Nintendo launched and immediately abandoned, either: The company has been adding new game soundtracks each month since the app's release:In October, right after debuting the service, Nintendo added music from Super Mario Bros. Wonder. In November, we got Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, Wii Sports, F-Zero X, and Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day! In December, Nintendo added Splatoon 2, Wave Race 64, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, a "Party" playlist, and Super Mario 64. In January, we have Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!, and, most recently, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.I still have a soft spot for those YouTube playlists I used to rely on for background music. Those creators didn't own the rights to the tracks, but they spent time crafting playlists of their favorite Nintendo tunes for others to enjoy, in a time when they largely did not exist outside the games they came from. While many of those creators' efforts may be more in jeopardy than ever, Nintendo Music has not replaced one particularly important subgenre on YouTube: Nintendo lofi. While you can listen to many Nintendo originals on the company's new app, you can still turn to creators like GameChops for lofi remixes of iconic tracks. (I'm quite partial to "Zelda & Chill" playlists, but "Chilltendo Deluxe" offers a good mix of different Nintendo tunes as lofi beats.) One interesting benefit to using the official app is that Nintendo is taking spoilers seriously. If you're worried about seeing song titles that may ruin plot points to games you haven't played or finished, you can go into Settings, hit "Spoiler prevention," and add all the games you want to hide music from.Another unexpected move from NintendoWhy is Nintendo launching this app at this late date? The company has been acting a little odd lately. While rumors swirl about the successor to the Nintendo Switch (lovingly referred to as the Nintendo Switch 2), the company has decidedly not made any significant announcements about it. Instead, they've dropped goodies like Nintendo Music, and an unrelated piece of hardware: a $100 alarm clock called Alarmo. Nintendo Switch 2 news does seem to be immanent, but until that new console comes along, at least we can enjoy waking up and going through our days to the beat of Nintendo music.

The Anker Soundcore Space A40 wireless earphones are now back to their Black Friday and Cyber Monday price, dropping from $80 to $45. These earbuds have made it onto our list of the best budget wireless earbuds and won first place. This pair of earbuds boasts some great features, such as sound customization using the Soundcore app and multipoint connectivity, which lets them connect to two devices at once. Of course, they have active noise cancellation (ANC) to block out background noises. The ANC is unexpected for headphones at this price range, and its adaptive and has adjustable levels. The sound profile of the Soundcore Space A40 earbuds is warm with a boost in the upper-bass, but the higher frequencies have some cutting, which can reduce the clarity of some finer details. However, the bass profile is still pleasant and not overwhelming like many cheaper earphones have. The earbuds have a battery life of 10 hours on a full charge, but the case adds 50 hours more, an impressive number. The case also supports wireless charging. The main downside is that quality when using them for voice calls isnt great, but if you stick to tunes youll likely be happy. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/our-favorite-budget-wireless-earbuds-are-down-to-a-record-low-price-154206363.html?src=rss

The AI Opportunities Action Plan wants to turbocharge AI.

Synthesia CEO Victor Riparbelli told CNBC his company isn't "dependent" on venture capital, unlike companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic.

All characters in Marvel Rivals fit into one of three roles: vanguards (tanks), duelists (damage), and strategists (support). While all characters can help out their allies or deal damage, these three roles help you differentiate the heroes and diversify team comps.In addition to a new battle pass and skins, season 1 added two new characters to the game (a duelist and strategist), bringing the total current roster to 35 characters. Later in the season, according to the Marvel Rivals roadmap, two more (a duelist and vanguard) will join. In this Marvel Rivals guide, well walk you through all characters in Marvel Rivals, broken up by role, detailing the games full roster. And if youre looking for the best characters, see our Marvel Rivals tier list.All vanguards in Marvel RivalsThere are currently eight vanguards in Marvel Rivals as of the start of season 1 and weve listed them all below.The Thing from the Fantastic Four will join the roster as a vanguard later in season 1.CharacterDescriptionDate addedBruce Banner (Hulk)A transforming tank who's able to leverage massive health bars and multiple lives to stay in the battle.Launch, Dec. 6, 2024Captain AmericaA dueling tank who's able to go toe-to-toe with some duelists and strategists, making him an effective assassin who can also defend his allies.Launch, Dec. 6, 2024Doctor StrangeA shield-first tank, who's able to protect allies and carry them around the map quickly via portals.Launch, Dec. 6, 2024GrootA wall-focused tank, able to build massive barriers that protect himself and his allies.Launch, Dec. 6, 2024MagnetoA powerful tank that uses shields to block damage, which he can then redirect at his enemies.Launch, Dec. 6, 2024Peni ParkerA defensive tank who's able to lock down an area with mines and healing webs.Launch, Dec. 6, 2024ThorA high-damage tank who's able to weave his abilities together to quickly kill enemies while keeping himself alive.Launch, Dec. 6, 2024VenomA highly mobile tank who's able to dive into the enemy backline and live to get back to his team.Launch, Dec. 6, 2024All duelists in Marvel RivalsThere are currently 19 duelists in Marvel Rivals as of the start of season 1 and weve listed them all below.Mister Fantastic from the Fantastic Four is the latest duelist to join the roster. His brother-in-law and fellow Fantastic Four teammate, the Human Torch, will become the 20th duelist later in season 1.CharacterDescriptionDate addedBlack PantherA diving duelist able to assassinate squishy characters with ranged spear attacks and melee claws.Launch, Dec. 6, 2024Black WidowA sniper character who's able to scope in and deal with squishy characters in the backline.Launch, Dec. 6, 2024HawkeyeA sniper with the capability to one-shot squishy heroes with well-placed arrows.Launch, Dec. 6, 2024HelaA long-range precision character who's able to quickly destroy foes with knives to the head and explosives from the air.Launch, Dec. 6, 2024Iron FistA diving assassin who's able to quickly push his way behind tanks and eliminate duelists and strategists in seconds.Launch, Dec. 6, 2024Iron ManAn aerial damage dealer able to rain down explosive shots and powerful lasers on unsuspecting enemies.Launch, Dec. 6, 2024MagikA melee duelist who uses portals to slide in and out of the enemy backline and assassinate squishy characters.Launch, Dec. 6, 2024Mister FantasticA stretchy duelist who's able to punch from afar and become very tanky for short periods of time.Season 1, Jan. 10, 2025Moon KnightA damage dealer that specializes in area of effect attacks, and is able to ricochet boomerangs between enemies.Launch, Dec. 6, 2024NamorA pet-focused duelist who's able to throw out octopuses to do his bidding and take down powerful enemies from afar.Launch, Dec. 6, 2024PsylockeA swift duelist who's able to use her ranged attacks to deal damage from afar, while also dashing into the backline.Launch, Dec. 6, 2024Scarlet WitchAn up-close duelist who's able to drain the life from enemies before disintegrating them with her one-shot ultimate.Launch, Dec. 6, 2024Spider-ManA mobile duelist who's able to weave in and out of the enemy team, getting quick kills before retreating to safety.Launch, Dec. 6, 2024Squirrel GirlAn area-damage focused duelist, who's able to launch explosive nuts into the enemy team and rack up big damage.Launch, Dec. 6, 2024Star-LordA mobile duelist who's able to fly around the battlefield dealing consistent damage with his dual pistols.Launch, Dec. 6, 2024StormA damage dealer who brings some support-like bonuses to her team and is able to fly around the battlefield at will.Launch, Dec. 6, 2024The PunisherA more traditional shooter character who's able to use his powerful arsenal of weapons to take enemies down.Launch, Dec. 6, 2024Winter SoldierA high-damage character who's able to use his ultimate multiple times in a row to secure kill after kill.Launch, Dec. 6, 2024WolverineA tank-busting duelist who's able to survive for long periods of time and shred the health of bigger targets.Launch, Dec. 6, 2024All strategists in Marvel RivalsThere are currently 8 strategists in Marvel Rivals as of the start of season 1 and weve listed them all below.Invisible Woman from the Fantastic Four is the latest strategist to join the roster, and did so at the start of season 1.CharacterDescriptionDate addedAdam WarlockA healer that specializes in reviving himself and allies with his powerful ultimate.Launch, Dec. 6, 2024Cloak & DaggerA duel support who's able to swap between a damage-dealing character and a pure healer mid-battle.Launch, Dec. 6, 2024Invisible WomanAn invisible healer who's able to shield allies and push away enemies.Season 1, Jan. 10, 2025Jeff the Land SharkA healer who's able to give allies health and movement speed boosts while swallowing enemies whole.Launch, Dec. 6, 2024LokiA trickster healer who's able to dish out decent damage while being very difficult to track down.Launch, Dec. 6, 2024Luna SnowA popstar healer who's able to freeze enemies, and both heal and damage boost allies with her powerful ultimate.Launch, Dec. 6, 2024MantisA support that is able to heal allies as well as boost their damage for long periods of time.Launch, Dec. 6, 2024Rocket RaccoonA gadget-focused support who can deal decent damage and has the power to resurrect allies.Launch, Dec. 6, 2024For moreMarvel Rivalsguides, heres a list of all knowncodes, allTeam-Up abilities, allmaps and modes, and a look at the gamesroadmap.