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Time of India
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
NYT Strands today, May 24, 2025: Hints, answers, spangram, and tips to decode puzzle #447
Understanding NYT Strands and Its Format Live Events Theme and Hints for May 24: 'Flights of Fancy' Hint 1: A sparkling white wine typically served in business or first class — Champagne Hint 2: A small moistened napkin offered mid-flight — Towelette NYT Strands Spangram Answer for May 24 PILLOW LEGROOM PRIVACY CHAMPAGNE TOWELETTE Spangram: FIRSTCLASS FAQs What is NYT Strands? How does NYT Strands work? (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel As the word game landscape continues to evolve, The New York Times has expanded its digital gaming suite with NYT Strands, a rising favorite among puzzle enthusiasts. Launched as part of its 'Games' collection, Strands has quickly gained a reputation for its nuanced challenges and thematic twists. On Saturday, May 24, 2025, players were greeted with a fresh grid titled 'Flights of Fancy', prompting widespread curiosity over the day's NYT Strands answers and elusive six-by-eight grid puzzle, which tasks solvers with connecting adjacent letters to form theme-based words, has carved a niche among those who find Wordle and Connections increasingly its daily shift in difficulty and layered complexity, Strands offers a cerebral diversion for both casual and dedicated the uninitiated, NYT Strands begins each day with a thematic prompt. Using this, solvers must extract multiple words tied to the central idea. However, one pivotal feature distinguishes Strands from other puzzles—the Spangram. This special word or phrase spans the grid either vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, encapsulating the theme in a concise form and often serving as a keystone to unlock the rest of the Saturday's edition, the Spangram ran vertically and began with the letters 'FI', adding another layer of intrigue to the theme for the day—'Flights of Fancy'—pointed toward the luxuries associated with air travel. Players who were able to catch on to the suggestion of premium in-flight amenities were one step closer to cracking the aid solvers, hints were offered for a few key theme words, as per a report by Beebom:These clues served as stepping stones for discerning players seeking to unravel the full set of theme anticipated, the NYT Strands Spangram on May 24 turned out to be FirstClass, tying together the day's theme of opulent air travel. Identifying the Spangram early often helps solvers deduce the surrounding theme words with greater NYT Strands Answers for May 24, 2025Here is the full list of theme words featured in today's puzzle, as mentioned in a report by Beebom:Players familiar with the aviation experience were likely quick to spot LEGROOM and PILLOW, which in turn illuminated the broader thematic arc and led directly to the is a daily word puzzle game from The New York Times Games collection, known for its thematic challenges and unique gameplay format. It was introduced to offer more complexity than Wordle or are presented with a 6×8 grid of letters and a daily theme. They must form theme-related words by connecting adjacent letters. One key feature is the Spangram—a central word or phrase that ties the entire theme together and spans across the grid.
Engadget
07-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Engadget
The best tech gifts for mom that she'll appreciate for the rest of 2025
When we think about gifts that moms will appreciate, the idea of "time" comes up a lot. If you can give the mom in your life a few hours back to do whatever — relaxing, creating, or getting things done— do that. The next best thing is a device that'll help mom make the most of her time. We've rounded up some clever gadgets and useful gear that we've tried out ourselves, so we can confirm they're worthwhile. Our favorite air fryer will save time in the kitchen, a quality style-dryer could make her morning routine more efficient, and one of our favorite smartwatches will literally mark the minutes for her. We also suggest a subscription to The New York Times Games, to help make the most of precious downtime. When I tested air purifiers for our guide, I found the best way to clear the air was by opening windows — but if the mom in your life deals with allergies or lives where the air quality can get bad, an air purifier can be the next best thing. The Levoit Core 400S Smart Air Purifier was one of the quietest models I tested and performed on a level with models three times as expensive. It has a three-stage filter (including an activated carbon layer and particulate filter), and the internal particulate matter sensor can automatically adjust fan speed as air gets murkier. The companion app both shows historical air quality readouts and makes the unit itself easy to control and schedule. Plus, the replacement filters aren't overly expensive like they are with other units. — Amy Skorheim, Reporter Read more: The best air purifiers $220 at Amazon Take your mother's morning coffee routine up a notch with the Ember Mug, a self-heating smart mug that keeps beverages at just the right temperature for up to 1.5 hours or all day if the mug is kept on its charging coaster. It has a temperature range between 120 and 145 degrees Fahrenheit, which lets your mom dial in just how hot she wants her brew. There's also a companion app which lets her save preset temps for her favorite drinks, track her caffeine intake, customize the color of the LED light on the front of the mug and more. The latest version comes in a pretty rose gold color as well as white, black, gold, silver and copper. — Nicole Lee, Former Commerce Writer $180 at Amazon Explore More Buying Options $180 at Target So many of us take hundreds of photos with our phones and then never do anything with them. They're left to languish in our camera rolls, only to be uncovered when you have to scroll back months to find that one image you're searching for. If you want to give mom a more polished way to look back at her favorite photos, an album from Mpix will do the trick. You can customize your photo book from the ground up, choosing the best images of her family and friends and laying them out on each page in a neat way. You can also pick from different types of cover options and paper weights, making the final product as premium as you want it to be. With options starting at $30 per book, it's pretty easy to make mom a gift she'll want to revisit again and again. – Valentina Palladino, Deputy Editor $30+ at Mpix I'll be the first to say the Pura scent diffuser surprised me. Before testing it out, I didn't believe such a small device could really inject strong scent into my home. But it didn't take long before I was proven wrong. The one I have stays plugged in, resolute, in the family room of my home close to the front door, and as soon as I walk in when the Pura is running, I'm met with the lovely smells of Amalfi lemon, lavender fields or whichever other scent I decided to go with. The Pura can hold two different proprietary scent capsules at a time, so you can create very different vibes based on time of day, occasion or anything else you can think of. The Pura app makes it easy to set diffusion schedules per scent, too, and it can pause diffusion all together if you're away from home. Are you going to get whole-home diffusion from this CD-sized gadget? No (maybe try the new Pura Plus for that), but it'll make the part of your home that it lives in feel much more luxurious. — V.P. $50 at Pura The Aura Carver frame would make a great gift for any parent or relative with whom you want to stay more connected and share memories as you're making them. The top pick in our best digital frames guide, the Aura Carver has a super simple setup: plug it in, download its companion app and upload photos. One of its best features is its ability to continuously scan the albums you pair with it and automatically upload new photos in it to the frame. That means if you have a shared photo album between you, your mom and other family members and pair it with the frame, anyone can add new photos to the frame simply by adding them to your shared album. On top of that, the Carver has the best display we've seen on any digital frame and there's no limit to the number of photos it can show. — V.P. Read more: The best digital frames $149 at Amazon Explore More Buying Options $178 at Walmart$150 at Target Tech touches everything now and the beauty industry has built a better mousetrap with the latest dry-and-style machines available today. One of the simplest I've tried, yet most effective, is the Calista StyleDryer Pro. It's a hairdryer and a brush in one, and it comes with two brush attachments that mom can swap between depending on her preference. Regardless of which is her favorite, both will make it easier for her to get a stellar blowout. Three temperature settings let her dial in exactly how hot (or cool) she needs to go for her desired style, and the attachments are infused with Tourmaline to better distribute heat. In my testing, I found the StyleDryer Pro not only dried my hair more quickly than my separate, aging hair dryer and brush duo, but it also got my hair sleeker and smoother than I ever have been able to get it before. (Note that we're now linking to the newer Vault StyleDryer Pro, which appears to be a bit larger but replaces the now-discontinued original version.) — V.P. $29 at Calista If mom's been feeling all in knots lately, a personal massage 'gun' like the Theragun Mini can provide some temporary relief by gently pummeling away her muscle aches. While not the most forceful device of its kind, this triangular massager is effective enough to ease soreness, yet small enough to carry around in and outside of the house. We've recommended older versions of the Mini in past gift guides; compared to the last one, this third-generation model is similarly compact and supports the same speeds and head attachments, but it lasts a bit longer on a charge. (Therabody rates it at 180 minutes.) Just be warned it's not exactly quiet. — Jeff Dunn, Senior Reporter $179 at Amazon Explore More Buying Options $179 at Target The Beats Fit Pro may be our favorite wireless earbuds for working out, but your mom doesn't have to be a regular running or pilates enthusiast to get a lot of use out of them. These buds have a comfortable, secure fit thanks to their flexible wing tips, plus a great sound profile out of the box thanks in part to Adaptive EQ technology. Active noise cancellation is solid as well, which will come in handy when she wants to block out distractions at work or while running errands, and she'll be able to quickly jump into any conversation she deems important by using Transparency Mode. If your mom has an iPhone, she'll benefit from the H1 chip inside the Beats Fit Pro, which enables things like quick pairing and switching between Apple devices and hands-free Siri. But Android toting mothers won't be left out either — the Fit Pros have their own Android app that supports many of the same features. — V.P. Read more: The best wireless earbuds $170 at Amazon Explore More Buying Options $170 at Macy's$180 at Walmart Look, there's a good chance your mom plays Wordle, Connections, Sudoku and/or The Mini anyway — opening up the rest of the New York Times Games catalog with a subscription should only bring them a few more hours of gentle fun during their downtime. Few daily achievements are more satisfying than reaching 'genius' in Spelling Bee or finishing the full-size crossword. But even beyond that, the paid tier unlocks archived editions of Wordle and Connections, plus the ability to track game stats across devices. While not every game in the selection is a winner, your mom will probably be grateful for the harmless entertainment the next time she's bored. — J.D. $50/year at New York Times The Pixel Watch 3 is Google's best smartwatch yet, so much so that it took the top stop as our favorite watch for Android users in our best smartwatches guide. The Pixel Watch 3 has a slightly larger circular display than its predecessor, and it's brighter than ever which will make it easier to read in all sorts of lighting. In our testing, we found it to be an excellent activity and sleep tracker, and advanced features like auto workout detection and custom running plans make it even better for both those just starting a new exercise routine and seasoned athletes. Google Assistant integration comes in handy as well, allowing users to get questions answered, check calendar events and weather forecasts and more just using voice commands. Plus, the Pixel Watch 3 has the longest battery life of any Pixel Watch to date, with up to 24 hours of use before it needs a recharge. — V.P. Read more: The best smartwatches $300 at Amazon Explore More Buying Options $300 at Walmart$350 at Google Store I've loved Withings' hybrid watches, which put all the health tech you could need in a far less geeky package, for more than a decade. The ScanWatch Horizon, its first using a diver's watch case, has been a permanent fixture on my wrist since 2021. Since then, Withings has updated the ScanWatch with even more features, and launched a Horizon successor, called the Nova. The one downside is that all the ScanWatches are, to be blunt, beefy enough that they only suit folks with strong forearms. If you prefer a smaller timepiece, you've been left on the sidelines until the company launched the ScanWatch Nova Brilliant. It shrinks all of the ScanWatch tech into a 38mm case and gets a two-tone strap that matches your bezel color choice. A cynic might suggest Withings is aping the style of Rolex's Datejust watches, even down to the two-tone strap choice. An optimist might wonder why that's relevant, given it costs an order of magnitude less money and does an awful lot more. If someone special in your life wants a smart watch but not a smartwatch, and wants to look luxurious while doing it, this should be top of your options. — Daniel Cooper, Senior Reporter $599 at Withings Last holiday season, after a month or so of me unsubtly and repeatedly mentioning how very cool and convenient and interesting Engadget's top air fryer pick seemed to me, one surprisingly appeared beneath our tree. For nearly a year now, my entire family has used the Instant Vortex Plus air fryer nearly daily to cook frozen french fries, crisp up dinner, reheat takeout or make extra stretchy nachos. This particular model comes with replaceable filters that keeps the fried-food smell down to a minimum and the glass front paired with interior light make it easy to peek on your potatoes without opening the drawer. The basket is easy to clean, preheating is fast and the touch controls are simple to understand — pretty much everything you want in a good air fryer. — A.S. Read more: The best air fryers $130 at Amazon Explore More Buying Options $136 at Walmart$160 at Wayfair For most moms I know, sleep is a precious, unguaranteed commodity. I personally used to sleep like the dead until I had a kid, which then made every nighttime creak a reason to bolt upright, ready for action. I reviewed the Hatch Restore 2 and found it to be a delightful sleep companion, one that helped me get to sleep and woke me up less jarringly than anything else I've tried. The latest model, the Hatch Restore 3 actually improves upon the previous generation with additional onboard controls (something I'd wished for in my review). It still has a continually updated library of sleep aids including nature sounds, lulling stories, dreamy music and meditations. Waking up techniques combine a sunrise alarm with pep talks, stretching sessions, fun facts and more. The only catch is that the best content requires a $6-per-month subscription. But, so far it's been worth it for me. — A.S $170 at Amazon Explore More Buying Options $170 at Target$170 at Best Buy I'm not the world's most organized person, but I do recognize that keeping the detritus of life more or less in its proper place makes a day far easier to get through. I've picked up a few of the storage and organizational designs from Yamazaki Home and each one has made my home feel more under control. The Rolling Storage Cart has a clean look with its white steel and a bamboo top. Just about any room in the house could benefit from the three hidden shelves it offers, but I've used mine as a place to store rolls of toilet paper and the bowl scrubber in the bathroom. Everything stays concealed behind the solid side panel until you roll it away from the wall to access what you need. To me, it represents low-effort tidiness, which is my favorite kind. — A.S. $145 at Yamazaki Check out the rest of our gift ideas here.
