Tag: Phones and Gadgets

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 Sunday, March 30, 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: “Join the chorus”

The theme for today’s Strands on March 30, 2025, is — Join the chorus

If you can’t figure out answers for today’s puzzle, here’s a quick Strands hint — think of musicians who are employed in church.

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: the Italian word for half, middle, or medium.
• Hint #2: a type of classical singing voice that’s considered “the most common male voice”.

NYT Strands Spangram Hint: Is It Vertical or Horizontal?

The Spangram for today’s Strands on March 30, 2025, is mostly HORIZONTAL. It starts with the letters “CH“.

The hint for today’s Spangram for Strands — different vocal or instrumental sections that are carried out by different musicians when performing at a church.

Spoiler Warning:

Scroll past this point AT YOUR OWN RISK. Hints and answers for today’s Strands below.

Today’s NYT Strands Answers for March 30, 2025

Today’s Strands Spangram Answer

The Spangram answer for today’s Strands on March 30, 2025, is — ChoirPart

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:

• ALTO
• SOPRANO
• BASS
• TENOR
• BARITONE
• MEZZO
• TREBLE

The answers for today’s Strands were pretty straightforward. I started off with the first theme words – ALTO and SOPRANO. Once I spotted CHOIR, 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 March 30 and Connections hints for March 30 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.

Fisch is here with a major expansion update that will take you back to experience the same feelings you had when the game initially launched. With a completely new sea, new currency, and so many new rods, there’s a lot in store. While we would love to rave about it all, our focus is on the latter. If you’re a fellow Fischer excited about all the new Rods, this one’s for you. So with that, keep reading to find out all about all the new rods in the Fisch Cursed Sea update here.

Fisch Cursed Sea: All New Fishing Rods

1. Wildflower Rod

• How to get: Located beside the Merchant at Waveborne island in 2nd Sea (Coordinates: X= 166, Y= 115, and Z=727 )
• Price: 7000 E$

The Fisch Waveborne Rod doesn’t have any passives as of now. However, it has quite decent overall stats, including 30% Lure Speed, 55% Luck, 0.07 Control, 12% Resilience, and 700kg Max Kg.

2. Firefly Rod

• How to get: Found beside the Merchant at the Waveborne island in the 2nd sea (Coordinates: X= 166, Y= 115, and Z=727)
• Price: 9500 E$

Next on the list is the Firefly Rod, which has the highest Lure Speed among all others on the second sea. However, its other stats might not seem to attract you since it has 75% Lure, 35% Luck, -0.01 Control, 0% Resilience, and 175kg Max Kg.

3. Frog Rod

• How to get: Found in the chamber of the Abyssal Zenith, a little to the southwest of the pool (Coordinates: X= 222, Y= 119, and Z= 812)
• Price: 12,000 Cash

The Frog Rod is the highest-priced rod on the Waveborne island. With a small amphibian companion, you get some really cool passive abilities that increase your luck for every 2 minutes after you get a perfect catch.

Apart from this unique passive, this rod comes with 20% Lure, 100% Luck, 0.05 Control, 5% Resilience, and 650 Max Kg.

4. Free Spirit Rod

• How to get: Found beside the Angler in the Isle of New Beginnings (Coordinates: X= -389, Y= -78, and Z= 389)
• Price: 200,000 E$

The Free Spirit Rod comes at a hefty price, although it looks really cool. It has a long skeleton hand of a greedy pirate holding a gemstone in his palm. Similar to its looks, it has some pretty decent stats as well, including 25% Lure, 150% Luck, 0.15 Control, 10% Resilience, and 5000 Max Kg. However, there are no passives for now.

5. Blazebringer Rod

• How to get: Found near the small pond of Emberreach island (Coordinates: X= 2874, Y= 164, and Z= 528)
• Price: 70,000 E$

Here is another awesome rod with incredible Luck stats known as the Blazebringer Rod. There is no such passive ability in the rod for now, but for the stats, you will get the following: 10% Lure, 90% Luck, 0.15 Control, 8% Resilience, and 5000 Max Kg.

6. Azure Lagoon Rod

• How to get: Found at the bottom of the ladder near the Inn Keeper (Coordinates: X= 1288, Y= 93, and Z= 2283)
• Price: 100,000 E$

Next on the Azure Lagoon island, you will find the Azure of Lagoon Rod, which has decent stats like 25% Lure, 105% Luck, -0.01 Control, 55% Resilience, and 100,000 Max Kg.

7. Verdant Shear Rod

• How to get: Found near the Merchant on Lushgrove island (Coordinates: X= 1022, Y= 130, and Z= -697)
• Price: 100,000 E$

Here, we have a rod that looks like a glowing pair of scissors. Quite funny to fish with, the Verdant Shear Rod has got some decent stats like 25% Lure, 150% Luck, 0.15 Control, 10% Resilience, and 5000 Max Kg.

8. Great Dreamer Rod

• How to get: Found near the tree at the back of the Cursed Shores island (Coordinates: X= 2874, Y= 164, and Z= 528)
• Price: 500,000 E$

Finally, the last rod on our list is the Great Dreamer rod found on the Cursed Shores island in the second sea. There aren’t any passive on this rod for now, and you get the following stats, which are great compared to all others: 65% Lure, 80% Luck, 0.12 Control, 12% Resilience, and 8000kg Max Kg.

9. Adventurer’s Rod

• How to get: Found at the beginning once you unlock the 2nd sea
• Price: Free rod

The Adventurer’s is the first rod you start with once you unlock the 2nd Sea in Fisch. This one’s straight up trash and not worth using at all since you get the following stats: 10% Lure, 10% Luck, 0 Control, 5% Resilience, and 104kg Max Kg. As such, we suggest you stick to the other rods above.

With that, here are all the new rods in Fisch’s Cursed Sea update. We are all aware of the fact that these rods will surely receive a few buffs as the update gets older, and they will get better with time. So, have you unlocked all of them yet? Let us know in the comments below!

With the Second Sea coming in Fisch, there are plenty of bestiaries you can complete. However, not all are as easy as the others. To get used to the new world of Fisch, the Pine Shoal area is an ideal place. However, it might be difficult to catch all the fish here. In this guide, we discuss the complete Pine Shoal bestiary in Fisch, along with some tips to catch these fish easily in the Cursed Seas update. With that, let’s begin fishing!

Full List of Pine Shoal Bestiary in Fisch

To complete the Pine Shoal bestiary in Fisch, you’ll need to catch 8 unique fish, ranging from common to exotic. Though any rod will do, the challenge lies in understanding the required weather, season, time, and bait for each species. The bestiary includes a legendary, mythical, and secret fish, and each has its own progress rate. With that, here is the complete list of Fisch Pine Shoal bestiary:

Fisch has introduced a brand new second sea in the latest Cursed Sea Update. However, with so many bestiaries added into the game, it can be a tough job to keep track of them all. One such area is the new Lushgrove Beastiary. To help you catch all the fishes here, we have compiled a handy guide listing them with all their conditions and best tips. So with that, let’s begin deciphering the Lushgrove bestiary in Fisch.

Full List of Lushgrove Bestiary in Fisch

The first thing you should know is that you must be level 250 and above to reach the Lushgrove Beastiary in Fisch. Only when you meet this requirement can you head over to the Terrapin island, where you must complete the Cthulhu boss fight. Completing this fight will help you get to the Second Sea.

Once there, you need to sail west of the starter island to reach Lushgrove Island. This area consists of 13 fish in all, including the Exotic Idolfish and the Secret Primordial Levi. With that, here is the list of all the fishes you can get here:

The Cursed Seas update in Fisch is here, and with it comes some of the biggest bestiaries in the game. The Cursed Shores is one of the most important bestiaries of Fisch’s Second Sea. In this guide, we discuss The Cursed Shores bestiary in Fisch and provide some tips to prepare you for the new location in Fisch. So with that, let’s begin fishing.

Full List of The Cursed Shores Bestiary in Fisch

The Cursed Shores bestiary in Fisch‘s Second Sea comes with a total of 13 fish. However, to fully complete the bestiary, you will need only 12, as the last one is a secret. So, skip the secret if you want to go for the bestiary completion. As you will have less effective rods, you must have better baits and conditions to catch them. With that, here is the complete list of The Cursed Shores bestiary:

The Cthulhu update that all of us Fischers were looking forward to is now live. Now, we all know for sure that Fisch is leveling up its game since this update brings a whole new sea for us to explore. Although there’s a lot on our hands, we must not forget about the main boss in this update, Cthulhu, or popularly known as the Dreamer. Besides being a bit of a challenge, you also need to defeat this Dreamer to get to the Second Sea. Want to know how? Dive right in as we teach you how to beat the Cthulhu boss in Fisch.

How to Find the Cthulhu Boss in Fisch

The Cthulhu boss fight is available at the Terrapin island in the first sea of Fisch. This island is located to the very south of the starter island, Moosewood, at these coordinates: XYZ: -96, 128, 1872. Consider getting a GPS from Moosewood to locate this one easily.

At the back of the Terrapin island, a Sea Traveler NPC stands in front of a huge, greyed-out entrance. Talk to this NPC, and he will ask you whether you’re prepared or not. The only prerequisite to enter this boss fight is to be level 250 and above. Furthermore, do note that you need to defeat the Cthulhu boss to get to the Second Sea in Fisch.

Once you tell the Sea Traveler that you’re prepared, just walk through the entrance and you’ll enter the Cthulhu chamber. Here, you will find another NPC in front of the iron gate. Interacting with him will give you entry to the narrow passageway, where a new cutscene will start. However, if you’re level 250 and below, you will be burned to death if you try to make your way past the iron gate.

The cutscene will end with a massive green glowing door opening that gives you access to the Cthulhu boss fight arena. Finally, the center podium will be your starting point or the queue where you must wait for a maximum of 2 minutes. You may consider getting inside this podium with your friends to complete the boss fight together. It’s highly recommended that you make a party of two or more members to defeat Cthulhu easily.

How to Defeat the Cthulhu Boss in Fisch

The Cthulhu boss might seem really high and tall, gripping a Scylla head in one hand. However, this boss is relatively very easy to tackle if you know certain tactics. With that said, let’s give you a brief overview of how to approach this fight.

Firstly, I recommend entering this boss fight with a few friends, where two is the minimum amount. Once you go through the portal and the cutscene ends, try to grab and equip the nearest Keeper’s Torch in front of you. Make sure you empty at least one hotbar so the torch takes up that position.

You may keep the Advanced Glider here to make your movements fast and complete the obby, or use the Glimmersuit speed boots instead to gain speed. Having equipped the Keeper’s Torch, click the Left Mouse Button to throw flame attacks at him. You should point the mouse pointer at the boss to perfect your aim.

To inflict maximum damage, you must imbue flame from the colored lanterns. Notice the color of the bars below Cthulhu’s health bar. You’ll see that these colors are placed below the Cthulhu boss’s HP bar. You’ll find the lanterns of the same color on the platforms beside the boss.

Try doing the obby very patiently and carefully, such that you don’t fall, and come near the lantern to imbue the same colored flame to your torch.

This way, you can ask your friends to stand on the platforms with a unique colored lantern, let them imbue their torch with the colored flame, and hit the boss with all your might. Remember that, when the health bar is above a specific color, the same colored flames will do the maximum damage. Continue attacking the boss with all your might, and the health will decrease rapidly in the blink of an eye. A final note to defend yourself is to hide behind the lanterns, and you will receive minimal damage.

Once the battle ends, you can unlock the 2nd Sea in Fisch. So that is how you can defeat the Cthulhu boss in Fisch. Make sure you have some friends to help you, and the fight will be a piece of cake. Did our tips help you in defeating the boss? Were you able to get to the second sea? Let us know in the comments below!

On March 28 2025, several media reported that AWS Greater China had laid off a lot of employees. The reports claimed the company made these layoffs through a strategy of “three-year non-renewal and PIO” (Performance Improvement Plan). According to details of the reports, the layoff affected nearly 10% of staff from multiple departments.

To get further details about this story, Sina Technology reached out to Amazon Cloud Technology China. It turned out that the largely reported claims were not entirely true. The company strongly denied such claims. Quoting from the official response from AWS China, the company said:

“The reports are seriously untrue. Amazon Cloud Technology continues to actively recruit talent in China and provide world-class, secure, and reliable cloud technology to Chinese enterprises.”

Renewal Policy and Performance Standards

AWS China says there are no mass layoffs. However, reports say employees must get a Top Tier (TT) rating to renew their contracts after three years. This rule makes job security uncertain. It also increases pressure on workers. Many think it could lead to more competition and job cuts in the future.

TT rating is Amazon’s highest performance level, awarded only to the top 10% of employees. This makes contract renewal highly competitive.  In most cases, 90% of employees are not able to meet the criteria for automatic renewal. Employees who fail to secure the TT rating may face non-renewal of contracts. The company may also place some of them on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). Most workers on this plan often end up voluntarily resigning or terminating their contracts.

Tightened Hiring and Recruitment Restrictions

Other reports have also indicated that AWS Greater China significantly slowed down hiring in 2024. The reports claimed that only a few Business Development positions in the company are recruiting. Unlike the past years, AWS China does not seem to be replacing employees who leave the company. This indicates that the company is strategically shrinking its workforce. In the past, AWS made sure it replaced any staff that left the company or was laid off. However, that wasn’t the case in 2024.

Implications for AWS in China

AWS China may have denied mass layoffs. However, the reported policies indicate increased job insecurity for employees. The high renewal bar and hiring freeze also suggest otherwise. AWS may be restructuring its China operations. This could potentially be due to business strategy shifts or external market conditions.

AWS is growing worldwide and needs to keep skilled workers in China. The company competes with local cloud providers, so it offers good pay, career growth, and training. It also follows local rules and understands the culture. By supporting employees and encouraging new ideas, AWS can stay strong in China.

Cha Hae-In is counted as one of the greatest hunters to have ever existed in Korea. So, of course, she participated in the fourth Jeju Island raid to clear out the ants and save their nation from impending danger. However, things didn’t go as planned after the arrival of an anomalous magical beast called the Ant King. She was sent to the edge of her death by that monster, but luckily, Sung Jinwoo saved the day by vanquishing the monstrous ant.

However, Cha Hae-In was slowly dying as the top Korean healer, Min Byung-Gyu, was killed at the hands of the Ant King earlier. So, how did Sung Jinwoo save Cha Hae-In on Jeju Island? Let’s find out in this article.

Spoilers Warning:

This article includes major spoilers for Solo Leveling. So, we highly recommend you read the manhwa or watch the anime to avoid ruining the intended experience.

Ant King vs Cha Hae-In in Solo Leveling

The Jeju Island Raid party, consisting of Japanese and Korean hunters, split up to carry out their mission of clearing out the ants. Cha Hae-In joined the Korean hunters in taking down the Ant Queen. Their plan succeeded as Cha Hae-In triumphantly decapitated the Ant Queen’s head and finished their mission.

The killing of the Ant Queen immediately got the Ant King’s attention who was busy killing all the Japanese S-Rank hunters (see who all died in Solo Leveling’s Jeju Island raid). Cha Hae-In straight away knew that this was no ordinary magical beast just from the smell and threatening aura of the black ant. The Ant King didn’t waste a second as he moved behind Cha and rapidly struck her ribs.

This attack sent Cha Hae-In flying and wrecking against a wall, which put her in an unconscious state. She was fighting for her life as the Ant King’s single yet fatal strike pushed her toward the cliff of her death. There was only one savior, Min Byung-Gyu, but the Ant King devoured the S-Rank healer later on. However, Sung Jinwoo, fortunately, arrived at the scene by switching places with his shadow and took an extreme measure to save Cha Hae-In’s life.

Sung Jinwoo Resurrects Min Byung-Gyu

Sung Jinwoo initially tried using his healing potions on Cha Hae-In, but they didn’t work. Then, he attempted to heal Hae-In’s injuries by giving her the Elixir of Life, a magical potion he collected to save his mother. However, even the holy magical potion was of no use here.

With no healer in sight and Cha Hae-In’s life quickly perishing before his eyes, Jinwoo resorted to a difficult option as the female S-Rank hunter would die by the time they took her to a hospital. So, he used his shadow extraction skill to revive Min Byung-Gyu as his shadow.

As Min Byung-Gyu was one of the best healers on the planet, he restored Cha Hae-In to full health and saved her life. Jinwoo didn’t keep Byung-Gyu around as one of his shadows since Baek Yoonho, the Guild Master of the White Tiger Guild, requested him to let go of his friend so that he can rest in peace.

Hence, Sung Jinwoo honored his request and nullified the extraction of his fellow hunter. Finally, Cha Hae-In survives the Jeju Island raid, which should have been the end of the road for her if not for Sung Jinwoo and Min Byung-Gyu.

The Korean nation would have lost all of its S-Rank hunters if Jinwoo hadn’t come to the rescue. He also saved his future partner’s life here on Jeju Island and more daunting adventures now await this duo. That said, let us know your thoughts on Jinwoo resurrecting an S-Rank healer in the comments section below.