It seems like the U.S. Government can’t make up its mind about whether it wants to ban TikTok or not! Back in January, we were trembling at the prospect of a TikTok ban across the continent. However, it received a 75-day extension just at the last minute. Now that time is up, and it seems like TikTok is still going nowhere, as it received another 75-day extension, thus delaying its ban.
The app was to shut down its services on January 19th on account of concerns over user privacy and national security. This is due to the Chinese origin of TikTok‘s parent company, ByteDance. But the Trump administration offered an extended period for TikTok to find a US buyer.
Image Credit: Algi Febri Sugita / Shutterstock
There were talks about Amazon making an offer, but the deal didn’t go through. Seeing the situation, the government passed an order further extending the deadline for another 75 days. Since the company hasn’t found a potential buyer, it wouldn’t be the last extension we might see this year.
ByteDance also recently publicly acknowledged that they are in talks with the U.S. government to negotiate TikTok’s future in the country. What’s interesting here is the statement, “There are key matters to be resolved. Any agreement will be subject to approval under Chinese law“.
Image Credit: ByteDance
This leads us to believe that the administration could allow ByteDance to continue operations in the U.S. with certain policy changes with regard to national security. With all that said, I think we all know TikTok is too big in the region to get a ban anytime soon. Even the users don’t seem to be concerned about the app’s future, as they were back in January.
What are your thoughts on the topic? Are you scared about the TikTok ban, or you agree that the extension will keep it running? Share your thoughts and start a conversation in the comments below.
Anshuman Jain
As a tech journalist, I dive into the ever-evolving tech landscape with a particular interest for smartphones, apps, and gaming. With a passion for sharing insights, my articles blend expertise with a friendly touch—think of me as your friendly neighborhood tech support.
We can all collectively agree that even though Zack Snyder gave us some worthwhile movies, under his leadership, DC Studios was nowhere close to competing with Marvel. This might just be why James Gunn took charge of bringing new life into DC Studios and his first step in that direction is the release of DCU’s Superman.
However, showcasing people something that they are not used to is a difficult road to take, and the responses Superman is receiving from Zack Snyder’s fanbase are a living, breathing example of it. So, now the question is whether the Superman movie is bad, or is it the craving of familiarity among Snyder fans talking?
Why Is a Section of Fanbase Hating on DCU’s Superman?
Image Credit: DC Studios (via YouTube/DC, screenshot by Shashank Shakya/Beebom)
As we all know, there is a massive distinction between the version of Superman with Henry Cavill presented to us by Zack Snyder and the one we are getting under the leadership of James Gunn. Now, even though there’s nothing at all wrong with the version of Superman David is bringing us, he and James Gunn are getting unsolicited hate for reasons that are not practical.
A massive section of this hate is coming from people who are still not over the fact that Zack Snyder’s DCEU is already 6 feet under. Even though I understand and completely agree that Henry Cavill was breathtaking as Superman but if you put it into perspective what Superman stands for, Zack Snyder did not do justice to the character in any way or form.
I also understand that for a lot of people, DCEU’s version of Superman was the first time they saw the Man of Steel in live action, which led to an emotional attachment. However, rejecting the new and arguably character-accurate version of Superman even before witnessing it on screen is not fair.
Is Hating on Superman Even Before It’s Released Worth It?
Yesterday, a sneak peek of Superman, which was supposed to be displayed before A Minecraft Movie, was posted online by DC Studios for everyone to see. Talking about the clip, it was the first trailer, but with some extra scenes and overall, it was really good. However, if you go on X and look at the comments under the video posted by James Gunn on his handle, you will find that those comments are untasteful, disrespectful, and downright full of hatred.
Now, if you move to YouTube and look at the comments under the same video, you will see that the majority of the comments there are positive. So, what is causing this massive rift? Now, if you are going to say that those comments are paid for, we all know that it’s much easier to get paid comments on X as compared to YouTube.
See, I’m not saying that Zack Snyder is a bad director; he is an insane artist, and I have immense respect for his craft. However, whether you agree or not, the version of Superman Snyder brought us is nowhere close to what Superman stands for. Superman is not brooding, he is not dark, he is not considered a God, and most of all, Superman instills hope and smiles at children. If you have watched Man of Steel, be honest and tell me if you saw these qualities in Zack Snyder’s Superman. His version felt like an adaptation of Superman rather than being what he is supposed to be.
On the other hand, now, we have David Corenswet as Superman, a version who greets his robot caretakers even when he cannot physically move, is called upon as a beacon of hope by a little boy, and he gets hate?
Make it make sense. Zack Snyder cultists, I understand your love for the director and his work, but that does not mean that anyone else will not be able to do a better job. All hating on the new Superman will get us another failed DCU, and we will be left with nothing. So, if you are a fan of Superman, do what he would do, have hope, because by the looks of it, we are all in for something that has never been seen before.
,
Shashank Shakya
Shashank Shakya is an entertainment writer at Beebom. He has completed his Bachelors (Honors) in English Literature and is a published author.
Shashank boasts incomparable knowledge about the Marvel and DC universe, along with other branches of entertainment with substantial experience in the field of writing.
Nintendo’s sudden announcement of a delay in preorders for its eagerly awaited Switch 2 console has caused a stir of anxiety among gamers. The original plan for the Switch 2 preorder, which was April 9 in the U.S., is now delayed due to the broad tariffs that President Donald Trump announced earlier this week. The worries are even greater for fans who think the Switch successor is already priced higher than it should be.
Nintendo cited the need to “assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions” as the primary reason for the postponement, leaving the possibility of a price hike looming over eager consumers. However, Nintendo confirmed that despite the preorder delay, the console will launch on June 5 as planned. The Switch 2 was initially announced at $450, with a $500 bundle including the latest Mario Kart title. A post from GameStop on X said,
“Pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 in the U.S. will not start April 9, 2025 in order to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions. Nintendo will update timing at a later date. The launch date of June 5, 2025 is unchanged. GameStop will continue to work closely with Nintendo and provide updates as soon as more information becomes available. Stay tuned for further details.”
Even before the tariff concerns, some gamers expressed sticker shock, especially considering the original Switch’s $299 launch price and current game prices ranging from $69.99 to $79.99. The prospect of an even higher price tag has ignited a swift backlash. Some users even discuss cross-border purchases from Canada to avoid inflated U.S. costs potentially.
Even though the Switch 2 is clearly a luxury purchase, this scenario shows how the recently implemented tariffs are set to cause economic disruption by raising the cost of necessities and upending international supply chains.
According to Shihoko Goto, a senior fellow at the Mansfield Foundation, this directly results from the tariffs and portends significant price increases in several industries.
What Will Be Nintendo’s Move?
In 2019, Nintendo moved part of its Switch production from China to Vietnam to reduce tariff risks during the first Trump administration. However, with a hefty 46% levy, the current tariffs unfairly single out Vietnam and penalize businesses that responded to previous calls to shift production from China to nations like Vietnam. This action ignores the economic reality of Vietnam’s trade surplus, which arises from its status as a developing nation with limited purchasing power over American-made goods.
According to trade analysts, Vietnam’s economy and American consumers both benefit from its exports of reasonably priced goods like textiles, electronics, and shoes. However, these tariffs will unavoidably increase the cost of manufacturing and exporting to the U.S. market, and businesses like Nintendo will probably pass these costs on to customers.
This may result in a considerable reduction in the price of optional consumer goods, especially in the electronics industry, making the Switch 2 unaffordable for many. Due to the Switch 2 preorder delay, gamers are now uncertain about the final price and availability.
What do you think of the Switch 2 preorder delay situation? Are you looking to get one in the U.S.? Do tell us in the comments.
Ishan Adhikary
A gaming nerd who cover all thing video games. Spending time looking through the games and gaming industry was always a dream. Thanks to Beebom, I live it. Once I am done gaming, I write. Once I am done writing, I game.
Microsoft‘s Copilot AI is now getting smarter and more functional as the company has announced a slate of new features coming to this LLM chatbot. We have already discussed the Actions feature that will surf the web for you, but another neat trick up Microsoft Copilot’s sleeve is the ability to create personalized podcasts for you.
Yes, Copilot will now be able to generate AI-powered podcasts based on your requests and prompts. This will allow the AI to deliver information that you need to know in a more engaging and informational manner, which you can listen to while doing another task.
Image Credit: Microsoft
You can ask Copilot to create a personalized podcast to plan vacations or compare housing options before the purchase. And with minimal effort, the AI will generate a podcast explaining the subjects and their details in brief.
This new feature will also let you input sources, or website content, and ask Copilot to create a podcast to discuss the subject discussed in an article. Something we have already seen executed stunningly by Google’s Notebook LM. But Copilot is taking the same formula, one step ahead, by doing that for everything that you need to know or learn about.
What do you think about personalized podcasts with Copilot AI? Will you be giving it a shot once it comes out? Let us know in the comments below.
Anshuman Jain
As a tech journalist, I dive into the ever-evolving tech landscape with a particular interest for smartphones, apps, and gaming. With a passion for sharing insights, my articles blend expertise with a friendly touch—think of me as your friendly neighborhood tech support.
On Microsoft’s 50th anniversary, the Redmond giant has unveiled a boatload of features that are coming to Copilot. Microsoft Copilot is getting Memory, Actions, Vision, Deep Research, Podcasts, Pages, and more. With all these new features, Microsoft is making Copilot nearly as capable as ChatGPT or Gemini. Here are all the new features Microsoft has announced for Copilot.
Copilot Vision
Let’s start with Copilot Vision. It can see through the camera and analyze your screen to interact in real-time using voice chat. Copilot Vision was previously rolled out on the web, but now Microsoft is expanding Copilot Vision on Android and iOS as well. Not only that, with the native Copilot app on Windows, you can use the Vision functionality on all apps on Windows.
Image Credit: Microsoft
As for availability, Copilot Vision is rolling out on Android and iOS, starting today. And Vision will be available to Windows Insiders, starting next week.
Copilot Actions
Next, Copilot has received support for Actions which makes it agentic to some degree. Copilot Actions can take actions on your behalf. For example, you can ask Copilot to book event tickets or reserve a table at a restaurant. It works with most of the websites on the web, however, Microsoft has partnered with many websites to make the experience seamless.
These are the websites optimized for Copilot Actions: Flowers.com, Booking.com, Expedia, Kayak, OpenTable, Priceline, Tripadvisor, Skyscanner, Viator, and Vrbo.
Memory and Personalization
Besides that, Microsoft Copilot is getting better at personalization, thanks to Memory support. Copilot remembers your preferences from conversations and personalizes your experience based on what it has learned about you. For instance, as you continue your conversation, it learns what kind of movies you like, where you live, what kind of food you enjoy, and so on. If you want Copilot to forget some memories, you can delete them or turn off the feature entirely.
Apart from that, Microsoft is experimenting with giving users control to create an appearance for Copilot. This way, you can design and personalize Copilot’s appearance to create an entertaining character.
Deep Research
Image Credit: Microsoft
Deep Research is an AI tool coming to Copilot that will allow you to perform multi-step research tasks within minutes. It can browse the web, gather information from multiple sources, and extract information from large documents and images. Then it analyzes all the information and creates an expert-level research document for you. This is similar to the Deep Research agent available on ChatGPT and Gemini.
Pages
Pages is another feature coming to Copilot. You can create Pages in Copilot where you can throw your thoughts, research notes, and content, and Copilot organizes them in a neat way. You can use Pages to brainstorm, plan, write, study, and organize your scattered notes. With the help of Copilot, you can refine and iterate notes in Pages seamlessly.
Podcasts
Image Credit: Microsoft
Microsoft is also bringing AI-powered podcasts to Copilot. Copilot can generate personalized podcasts based on your interests, just like NotebookLM. You can also provide your notes or study material, and Copilot creates an AI-powered podcast for you. The best part is that you can also interact with the generated podcast and talk to learn more about the topic. Basically, you can create an interactive AI podcast on anything and everything.
Microsoft wants to make Copilot your personal shopper. For instance, you can simply ask Copilot to suggest some stylish cups and it does the research for you and suggests items within your budget. You can view the details and buy the item directly on Copilot, but note that this experience is only supported on partner websites. Apart from that, Copilot can track price drops and compare products for you.
Copilot Search in Bing
Just like Google’s AI Overviews, Microsoft is bringing Copilot Search to Bing. When you search for something on Bing, Copilot Search browses the web and compiles information from relevant websites to present a detailed answer. It also adds citations so you can cross-check the information.
Microsoft says the new Copilot Search experience in Bing is rolling out today. However, it’s a limited rollout and in the coming weeks and months, more users will get access to Copilot Search in Bing.
Arjun Sha
Passionate about Windows, ChromeOS, Android, security and privacy issues. Have a penchant to solve everyday computing problems.
NYT Connections is the one word association game known for the difficulty and amusement that it brings. However, if you are part of the folks lost as to what today’s Connections answer is, then you are in the right place. We post a NYT Connections answers guide every day to help you solve each day’s puzzle easily. So, let’s not waste time and check out Connections hints for today’s game #664 to help you get to the answers for April 5, 2025.
What is NYT Connections Game?
After Wordle’s overwhelming success, The New York Times embraced the fun and launched another word puzzle game called Connections. NYT Connections is a popular word puzzle game available to play for free on mobile and desktop.
Thankfully, it’s easy getting started with NYT Connections. This word association game spreads 16 random wordsacross a 4 x 4 grid. Players must find well, connections among these words and divide them across four categories, colored yellow, green, blue, and purple, based on difficulty.
Connections Hint Today for April 5, 2025
As mentioned above, the NYT Connections puzzle has four different categories that are divided into color-coded difficulties. From Yellow category being the easiest to the hardest Purple one, the game can quickly become difficult if you’re unprepared.
To make your life even easier, here are the NYT Connections hints for today’s categories:
Yellow Category – You give work, they give money
Green Category – In every website you visit
Blue Category – You read these
Purple Category – These words end in deadly ways
Do you also solve Strands from The New York Times every day? Our articles include Strands hints for April 5 and Wordle hints for April 5, useful tips to help you figure out the answers to these puzzles.
Spoiler Warning:
Scroll past this point AT YOUR OWN RISK. Major category hints and answers for today’s NYT Connections below.
Check out Today’s Connections Categories
The Connections categories today are an interesting mix of themes, which might get a bit difficult for us all. That said, here are the NYT Connections categories for Saturday, April 5, 2025.
Yellow – EMPLOY
Green – PARTS OF A WEBSITE
Blue – MAGAZINES
Purple – ENDING WITH MEDIEVAL WEAPONS
Do you finally see where each word should go? No? Then, keep scrolling to see the NYT Connections answers for today.
Today’s Connections Answers for April 5, 2025
The answers for Connections today, on April 5, 2025, are:
EMPLOY – Contract, Engage, Retain, Sign
PARTS OF A WEBSITE – Banner, Header, Menu, Sidebar
MAGAZINES – Billboard, People, Star, Time
ENDING WITH MEDIEVAL WEAPONS – Crossword, Grimace, Rainbow, Semblance
Image Credit: NYT Games (screenshot by Upanishad Sharma/ Beebom)
How to Play Connections: Tips & Tricks to Solve the Puzzle
Given the fact you’re here, chances are that you already know how to play NYT Connections. As you might be able to tell by now, Connections by The New York Times is a word association game where players sort out 16 random words into four categories by finding a common ‘connection.’ This can be anything from a common sound to a deeper meaning.
That said, if you’re still confused, here are the best tips on how to play NYT Connections:
Simplicity is key: Connections will often throw ambiguous words at you. While it’s easy to get caught up in the details, the answer almost always lies in the simplest connections possible. So, instead of dear and deer being connected through a hunter-prey dynamic, they most likely connect because of a similar sound.
Watch those guesses: A key thing to note is Connections only gives you four chances in 24 hours for a single puzzle. As such, we advise not being trigger happy and carefully weighing in your words before pressing that submit button.
Shuffle Away: While a bit tricky, the sneaky Connections editor deliberately puts the first word placement as a misdirection. So the one golden tip here is to press that Shuffle button before you go on solving it.
If you’re still unsure how to proceed, check out our dedicated how-to-play NYT Connections guide for all the help you need.
We hope you had similar luck as I did for today’s game. If not, please let us know in the comments below!
What are the NYT Connections answers for April 4, 2025?
The Connections categories for April 4 are Yellow: What’s leftover, Green: Car Trip, Blue: Baseball Venues, and Purple: Companies with “E” Removed. For in-depth answers, check out our Connections hints and answers for April 4.
How to play past Connections games?
Thankfully, it’s very easy to play old NYT Connections games. Simply head to the Connections archives and pick any date you wish to replay!
What is the hardest Connections category?
The Purple category is without a doubt the hardest NYT Connections category to solve. You have been warned!
Can I play NYT Connections for free?
Yes, you indeed can, as NYT Connections is a fully free game.
Upanishad Sharma
Combining his love for Literature and Tech, Upanishad dived into the world of technology journalism with fire. Now he writes about anything and everything while keeping a keen eye on his first love of gaming. Often found chronically walking around the office.
NYT Wordle is a satisfying and tricky test of vocabulary and logic that challenges players to guess a new five-letter word every day. However, things can get a little too challenging at times, and that probably explains why you’re here. So, if you don’t want to break your word-guessing streak or get too frustrated, take a look at today’s Wordle hints and answer for puzzle #1386 for April 5, 2025, down below!
How to Play Wordle
Wordle is a word puzzle game by The New York Times. You are given six attempts to guess a five-letter word. The letters are highlighted in Yellow, Green, and Grey when you input a word. Yellow denotes that the letter appears in today’s Wordle answer, but it’s not at the right spot. Meanwhile, when a letter turns green, it means you have guessed the right letter in the right position. At last, a grey letter means the letter is not part of today’s answer.
While it may seem that winning at Wordle is easy, it is difficult to get that pesky five-letter word right. To help you out, here are some quick tips on how to play Wordle:
Open with a strong word – Using the right Wordle starting words rich with multiple vowels and consonants is important. While you can take a look at our dedicated guide, starting words like AISLE, SALTY, and DINER are my go-to choices.
Pay attention to colors – Keep track of the yellow, green, and grayed-out letters to eliminate incorrect positions and letters. To make every guess count, avoid accidentally repeating letters that have already been eliminated.
Isolate the vowels – There can be days when your usual starting words don’t help much. In that case, try to test the remaining vowels by using different words.
Repeating letters is good – Don’t be afraid of repeating letters as history is proof that there are chances the Wordle answer will have one or two letters that repeat themselves.
Use the Wordlebot – As described above, NYT’s Wordlebot is an intuitive bot that analyzes your responses and compares them against itself. Instilling some healthy competition can help you improve your own Wordle guessing and see what you could have done better.
If you still need more details, learn how to play Wordle and check out more Wordle tips and tricks to ensure you get the answer almost every time.
Hints for Today’s Wordle Answer for April 5
We know you are here for Wordle hints and clues, and we are eager to help you. Like always, to assist you with today’s puzzle, we list the starting word for today’s Wordle answer, whether it has any vowels or repeating letters, and more.
After that, we also provide an additional hint for today’s Wordle game to get one step closer to the answer. So scroll down if you’re ready. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Does Today’s Wordle Have Any Vowels?
Today’s Wordle answer for Saturday, April 5, 2025, has two vowels.
If you guess the vowels correctly, there is a high possibility that you will guess the correct 5-letter answer in no time.
Does the Wordle Today Have Double Letters?
Well, there are no double letters in the Wordle answer today.
What Does Today’s Wordle Answer Start with?
Today’s Wordle answer starts with the letter “F.”
Spoiler Warning:
Scroll slowly past this point. Major hint and answer for today’s Wordle #1386 lie ahead.
Additional Hint for Today’s Wordle Answer
If the above-mentioned hints haven’t helped much, here’s the Wordle cheat hint that will definitely get you to the answer. The final hint for today is:
Think of bubbly liquids like soap water.
What Is Today’s Wordle Answer?
The answer for Wordle today on April 5, 2025, is FOAMY.
Image Credit: NYT Games (Screenshot by Sagnik Das Gupta/ Beebom)
Meaning of Foamy — Something that’s covered with, full of foam, or resembling foam.
The Wordle today was a great mix of both challenge and fun. I got a green Y and O, along with a yellow A from my usual starting words. After a bit of thinking, BOATY seemed like a good word to try out and everything but the B and T in it turned green. FOAMY was the next choice, and that turned out to be the Wordle answer for the day.
Do you also solve NYT Connections and Strands every day? Check out our posts for Strands hints for April 5 and Connections hints for April 5 since they include helpful tips and clues to today’s puzzles.
Previous Wordle Answers
For regular Wordle players, we have curated the answers of all past Wordle answers in one place. If you are trying to find patterns in these word puzzles, check out our list of past Wordle answers.
Why Is Wordle Still So Popular?
Despite over 1,350 puzzles and nearly four years since its initial surge, Wordle is still going strong as a free-to-play word puzzle game that it is. What started as a simple game to pass the time during the pandemic has now become a daily habit for millions of The New York Times readers.
Just like reading your early morning newspaper, Wordle adds some productive value to your daily life as a brainteaser, which explains the incredible player base. Some avid Wordle players even stay up late to solve the puzzle as soon as it releases at 12:00 AM local time.
The fact that there’s a single puzzle on a daily basis that every player tries to solve makes it all the more competitive and challenging. According to a report by The Conversation, just in 2022, Wordle had around a whopping 3 million users across the world. As of 2025, one can only imagine where this number has soared.
That said, if you are one of them, hope the Wordle hints we shared today helped you figure out the answer without having to scroll to the answer.
What are the best 3 words in a row for Wordle?
While there are a ton of words to start your Wordle with, we suggest using SALTY, POUCH and BOATY today.
What are the NYT Wordle hints for April 5, 2025?
The NYT Wordle today starts with “F” and refers to bubbly liquids like soap water. It has two vowels.
What is the NYT Wordle answer for April 5, 2025?
If you are unable to figure out puzzle #1386, then the Wordle answer today for April 5, 2025, is “FOAMY.”
What was yesterday’s NYT Wordle answer?
The answer for yesterday’s Wordle #1385 on April 4, 2025, was “KRILL.”
Sagnik Das Gupta
Sagnik is a tech aficionado who can never say “no” to dipping his toes into unknown waters of tech or reviewing the latest gadgets. He is also a hardcore gamer, having played everything from Snake Xenzia to Dead Space Remake.
We ended up not getting an Elena teaser this week, but instead, Capcom announced Street Fighter 6 on the Nintendo Switch 2.
And though they haven’t shown her in motion yet, the Nintendo Switch 2 material does actually provide our first look at Elena’s character render ahead of her full reveal.
Besides the new cover art shown for the upcoming Street Fighter Years 1-2 Fighters Edition that showed Elena front and center, the trailer provided our first glimpse at her.
At around the 1:15 mark, we can see Elena featured at the bottom along with the rest of the cast, but that’s not all.
They also included another look at the same render art on the SF6 Switch 2 website next to Mai Shiranui.
Unfortunately, Capcom has yet to show off the image in full detail, but we can get pretty much the full picture here already.
There was also the alleged Fighting Pass image leak for Elena that’s been floating around online this week if you know where to look though.
While we still don’t have a release date, we expect Elena to likely release sometime in May, however, it may not come until after the start of the Capcom Pro Tour 2025 that starts in the first half of the month at Evo Japan 2025.
That means we should see Elena’s teaser hopefully sometime in April where Capcom will presumably show off her appearance in World Tour mode ahead of her actual gameplay trailer.
You can check out all of the images below as well as the full high quality art of the new bundle edition’s cover.
Unlike software, where it’s comparatively much easier to succeed with products, hardware transcends digital constraints. It involves the complexities of manufacturing, supply chain, and physical design, which takes incredibly high effort to get right in the first go. Naturally, firms falter a lot with the initial products and gadgets, but Microsoft had a surprisingly good run.
Software firms try to transition to hardware, and it usually doesn’t go well, and Microsoft’s situation was no different. Perhaps it was due to the state of hardware back in the years, or due to the existing hardware competition? It’s debatable. While Microsoft could be struggling to put out good hardware now, it once made gadgets that redefined or refined categories and made them memorable. Here are some of the most iconic Microsoft gadgets from every decade in the past 50 years.
1. Microsoft’s “Original” Mouse
Release Date: May 1983
Image Credit: Microsoft
Microsoft entered into making hardware before it made Windows. Now, as surprising as it sounds, the Microsoft Mouse was released in 1983 in contact with the Alps Electric. It came with Microsoft Word, Notepad, a game, and a piano program for consumers to practice how to use the mouse. Microsoft’s sudden entry into the hardware market and that too starting with a mouse was all thanks to Apple’s Mouse for Lisa computer which also released in 1983.
Besides, there were other competitors, like the Logitech P4. The Microsoft Mouse was pretty simple, with two green buttons at the area where your fingers would usually sit. That’s also how it got its name among the consumers, the “Green-eyed mouse”. It costed a whopping $195 which was almost a $100 less than the P4.
There was also a very subtle old Microsoft logo on the left side of the body, which looked extremely minimalistic. Initially, it came with an ancient DB-25 serial port, which was used by the IBM PC and even Apple’s original Macintosh and Apple II. However, Microsoft was still a new kid on the block and the Microsoft mouse was released before Windows. In the end, the firm could initially only sell 5,000 units despite manufacturing around 100,000 units.
You can still download the original manual of the Microsoft Mouse to this day from the official Microsoft website. The design of the Microsoft Mouse was short-lived. It was replaced by Mouse 2.0 in the same year alongside a variant with a PS/2 connector. Then came the IntelliMouse in 1996 and IntelliMouse Explorer in 1999. They were the last of Microsoft’s last OG mice before the start of the 21st century.
2. SideWinder Controller
Release Date: October 1995
Image Credit: Poshmark
Released in 1995, SideWinder Controller was Microsoft’s first attempt at creating a Game pad for PCs. Its release was around the same time as Windows 95, when games like DOOM, Diablo, and Sim City came out. The SideWinder had a Game Port, but Microsoft did have an early USB prototype model that it unfortunately never released. The best part about the USB prototype was that it was transparent (Hello, Nothing).
Visually, it was pretty laid back for a controller, especially when you compare it with modern game pads. Perhaps it was a generation thing, but it did get many things right functionality-wise. The six buttons on the right alongside a D-pad on the left. There were two triggers at the back. Microsoft wanted to fit more buttons into the SideWinder but couldn’t due to Game Port’s bandwidth constraints.
Besides the lack of joysticks and the presence of two extra buttons beside the ABXY, you could see the current Xbox layout is still pretty similar to the old SideWinder. It’s worth noting that the game pad is not the only gaming accessory that the giant launched. The SideWinder was a peripheral brand which included Joysticks, Game pads, and even Steering Wheels. We could talk about them, but this section would never end.
As for SideWinder’s popularity, Microsoft pushed it hard, and it was arguably one of the best GamePort game pads for Windows 95/98. However, users complained the D-pad was below average. The competition from Gravis GamePad, Logitech WingMan, and the Thrustmaster Firestorm Digital was there; however, it quickly became a case of “more choices, all the wrong ones” thanks to the limitations of GamePort.
3. The Original Xbox
Release Date: November 2001
It’s the early 2000s and Microsoft had a new possible market to look forward to, i.e., gaming. Having missed out on creating an early PlayStation rival by not taking the market seriously, Microsoft released the Xbox a year after Sony came up with the PlayStation 2.
The delay was due to the lack of interest; Microsoft was betting big on DirectX and Windows as the future of gaming, which it definitely was. However, but in the process failed to capitalize on another market that would later turn out to be worth billions.
The PlayStation 2 came straight toward Microsoft’s PC gaming glam, and that’s when the giant realized it was time for a console. The original Xbox came out in 2001 with titles like Halo: Combat Evolved. It was a game-changer and single-handedly raised popularity. The console ran a heavily modified version of Windows, which allowed Microsoft to really kick things off superfast.
With hardware being the only piece of the puzzle left, Microsoft’s Intel partnership helped delivered a 733MHz Pentium III processor, 64 MB RAM, a built-in hard drive, and a 233MHz NVIDIA GeForce 3 chip. Besides, Xbox Live was way ahead of its time.
It offered voice chats, the ability to add friends, and easier online multiplayers. All in all, Microsoft really showed its software prowess with the Xbox, while Sony was considerably behind in terms of both hardware and software.
However, despite the console being a great competitor, Xbox was still not as huge of a success compared to the PS2. This was because most of the popular games were still available for only PlayStation. Besides, while the PlayStation 2 came at the same price as the Xbox, i.e., $299. The Xbox was bulkier, lacked game support, and received criticism for its heft and controllers.
So, while it was pretty successful, selling around 24 million units, it was no match for PlayStation 2’s record sales number of 155 million units. It was a great first try, though, and gave users something to look forward to for the future. Well, we all know how the future console events unfolded for Microsoft, and the less we talk about it, the better. However, the OG Xbox will forever remain in the hearts of gamers, especially American console gamers.
4. Zune
Release Date: November 2006
The iPod came out in 2001 and it sold in incredibly huge numbers. Of course, everyone else wanted a piece of that market, so firms came out with their own media players. That’s when the true iPod competitor came out in the form of Zune, manufactured by the biggest technology firms (then), Microsoft.
Released in 2006, the Zune 30 was the first original Zune. The biggest advantages of the Zune, right off the bat, was it’s bigger screen. It could play videos and the experience was nicer than the then released iPods Video. The UI was much sleeker and the home page was reminiscent of Windows phone’s settings page. There was Zune-to-Zune sharing, which allowed users to share songs wirelessly in 2006! (Hello AirDrop).
Microsoft would then release the Zune 80, 120, and 4, 8, 16 with sleeker designs, but by far the best and the most modern Zune was the Zune HD. With an OLED touchscreen and a Windows phone-inspired UI, it was way ahead of the time. Unfortunately, Zune’s reign was short-lived, as Microsoft pulled the plug in 2011.
Notable Mentions: Windows Phone and Surface Lineup
The Surface brand’s emergence was thanks to Windows 8’s radical design shift from the conventional desktop UI. Its first device was the Surface RT and it ran Windows RT 8 (RT was for ARM devices). It had a Tegra 3 SOC, 2 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. Microsoft marketed the Surface RT as a hardcore Windows device but the ARM architecture meant not all apps were supported.
If I had a time machine, I would go back to the early 2010s to experience Nokia Lumia all over again. Lumia phones were initially made in partnership with the legendary phone maker Nokia and ran Windows. In an era of countless Android and expensive Apple smartphones, Lumia did everything different thanks to the newly released Metro UI. It was bold, had lots of character while being minimal. and was way ahead of its time.
On the occasion of Microsoft turning 50, we delved about the Lumia era in detail where my colleague Anshuman couldn’t stop wishing for the brand’s comeback. The most talked about device in the Lumia series has to be the Lumia 1020 featuring a whopping 41 MP camera. Even now, my hands itch from time to time to get a taste of what made it such a good phone, as my search for a good 1020 unit in the used market continues.
5. HoloLens
Release Date: March 2016
Just when we thought Microsoft was done making gadgets, it came up with HoloLens, a Mixed Reality headset to blend physical and digital worlds. It was the first Microsoft product that was one of its kind in a period where VR headsets were popping up. Although, there was some competition, the real reason Microsoft went straight into MR was due to the anticipation of Apple entering the space soon. Well, Apple did enter the space but much later.
Microsoft’s original intentions were to make HoloLens a consumer products. Its initial marketing involved showing people holograms in living rooms, playing Minecraft, and productivity features. But the hype fell apart due to the $3000 price tag, lack of apps, clunky design, and an extremely limited FoV. Amidst the interest from a handful of early adopters, the Redmond giant saw huge interest from Healthcare, Manufacturing, and Defense. So it transitioned HoloLens for industrial purposes.
Microsoft did come up with HoloLens 2 in 2019 and while it solved many complaints users had with the first generation, it was still expensive and lacked the app support. Therefore, it naturally failed to capture a broader consumer market. There were reports of conflict about the HoloLens 3, which led to Microsoft eventually killing HoloLens in 2024.
These gadgets will remain some of the best Microsoft hardware, with some of them being way ahead of their time. As for me, I’ll carry the burden of not trying out a Zune and Lumia when they launched. Sure they didn’t take off, but I’m sure the innovation and ideas they brought forward acted as an inspiration to a lot of modern hardware.
What are your thoughts on Microsoft completely abandoning hardware? Let us know in the comments.
If you are finding it hard to spot theme words in today’s puzzle, then you are in serious need of the Strands hints below. Those bored with sensational games like Wordle and Connections are turning their attention to Strands for a challenging new experience. If you happen to be one of them and are struggling with NYT Strands, we can get you sorted. So, to help you out, we have added the Strands hints, answers, and Spangram on Saturday, April 5, 2025, below.
What is NYT Strands?
NYT Strands is a word game created by The New York Times as part of its growing “Games” library. The aim of this New York Times game is to connect letters in a six-by-eight grid to form a bunch of words that share the same theme.
To get you started, the puzzle will give you a theme for today’s NYT Strands. You can use it to form multiple “theme” words which will be relevant to this theme, along with one “special” word called the Spangram. This is a word or phrase that spans the length of the grid, vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, giving you the key to crack the rest of the Strands theme words.
The theme for today’s Strands can be relevant in many different ways. So, the puzzle keeps you on your toes every day with its intriguing set of theme words and Spangrams.
NYT Strands Hints for Today’s Theme: “In it to win it”
The theme for today’s Strands on April 5, 2025, is — In it to win it
If you can’t figure out answers for today’s puzzle, here’s a quick Strands hint — what’s a different way to say “modify a sport”.
Here are hints for a couple of Strands theme words to make it easy for you to solve today’s puzzle on your own without having to scroll down to view the answers:
Hint #1: another word for a hattrick of victories.
Hint #2: when you win all the games in (a series), you do a clean ____.
NYT Strands Spangram Hint: Is It Vertical or Horizontal?
The Spangram for today’s Strands on April 5, 2025, is mostly HORIZONTAL. It starts with the letters “GA“.
The hint for today’s Spangram for Strands — people who bring their vision to do something in a different way.
Spoiler Warning:
Scroll past this point AT YOUR OWN RISK. Hints and answers for today’s Strands below.
Today’s NYT Strands Answers for April 5, 2025
Today’s Strands Spangram Answer
The Spangram answer for today’s Strands on April 5, 2025, is — GameChangers
All Theme Words in Today’s Strands
Still looking for the theme words to get the answers for today’s NYT Strands? You can check them out below:
ROUT
RALLY
SWEEP
UPSET
COMEBACK
THREEPEAT
Image Credit: NYT Games (screenshot by Ajaay Srinivasan/ Beebom)
The answers for today’s Strands were a little tricky. I had to solve some hints to get to first set of theme words – ROUT and RALLY. As soon as I spotted GAME, I cracked the Spangram and it was only a matter of time before the rest of the puzzle revealed itself.
Do you also happen to play NYT Connections daily? If so, you can check out Wordle hints for April 5 and Connections hints for April 5 for answers and step-by-step guides to these puzzles.
What is NYT Strands Spangram and How Does It Work?
Every NYT Strands puzzle consists of a unique word or phrase that’s called the Spangram. This word or set of words will run the length of two opposite sides of the grid. One thing to note here is that, a Spangram doesn’t necessarily have to originate or end at the edge of the grid.
In its essence, the Spangram is kind of like a bigger hint that sums up today’s Strands theme in just a word or two. Since it spans across two sides of the puzzle, solving it early helps you figure out the rest of the theme words and vice versa.
Tips and Strategies for Mastering NYT Strands Puzzle
Solving an NYT Strands puzzle successfully isn’t that hard in itself, but in some cases, the approach might not be as straightforward as it looks. So, here are simple tips and tricks that we suggest you follow to crack the theme words and Spangram for Strands puzzles:
Always start at the corners: No two puzzles are the same. But the chances of the Spangram extending to a diagonal form are quite low. So, the best strategy is to find and decrypt relevant words that are at the corners of the grid.
Don’t be ashamed to get hints: Sometimes, a theme word could be all you need to solve the entire puzzle. If that requires getting a hint using non-theme words, then that’s the first thing you should do. After all, the point is to have fun and figure this out, like all of us.
Think both literally and figuratively: Not all themes may land you in the same sense of thought. Some puzzles may welcome more clever answers that may convey something totally different from their actual meaning.
Aim for the Spangram: The Spangram is what splits the Strands board in half. So, figuring it out will help you cross out other potential approaches for a theme. Deciphering even half of the Spangram can get you close to the rest of the answers.
Still finding it difficult to master the art of NYT Strands? Follow our guide and learn how to play Strands, along with more helpful tips and tricks.
What is the NYT strands theme for April 5, 2025?
The theme for today’s NYT strands puzzle is – In it to win it
What are the NYT strands hints and answers for April 5, 2025?
Today’s Strands puzzle is mostly HORIZONTAL, and it includes different terminologies used in American sports. The Spangram answer for today’s Strands puzzle is — GameChangers.
What was yesterday’s NYT strands answer?
The answer to yesterday’s NYT strands puzzle was – Flooring and you can find the NYT Strands hints for April 4 here.
Ajaay Srinivasan
Ajaay’s love affair with technology started young, with the Nokia N-Gage piquing his interest. Since 2016, he’s channeled his passion for tech into crafting explainers and guides on iOS, macOS, Android, social media, privacy & cybersecurity, and AI. When it’s time to unplug, Ajaay enjoys playing EAFC, unwinding to music on a pair of open-backs, building his dream audiophile gear, or watching Arsenal struggle to keep a clean sheet.
