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Apple Arcade, a CNET Editors’ Choice Award pick, will add three new titles to its growing games library in May — just in time for summer vacation. The service has familiar and classic games, as well as exclusive titles you can play for $7 a month ( 7, AU$10). You can find many of these games in the App Store, but they have paywalls and ads that might dampen your gaming experience. You can play each game without paywalls and ads by using an Apple Arcade subscription.

Apple Arcade added Puyo Puyo Puzzle Pop and more in April, and these are the games the service is expected to add on May 2.

A Slight Chance of Sawblades Plus

Developer: Yong Kian Chin

It’s raining unattended construction equipment! This game makes a harrowing series of OSHA violations fun and entertaining. The objective is simple: Don’t get hit by a falling saw blade. As each blade falls from the sky, you can jump over it to remove the blade from the board — otherwise, your screen will quickly turn into a puzzle from Saw.

Dicey Dungeons Plus

Developer: Distractionware

Get ready to explore dungeons, fight monsters and take down Lady Luck herself in this deck-building roguelike game. You can choose to play as one of six different classes, like the Warrior or the Thief, with each class offering enough of a challenge. If you enjoy Slay the Spire, you’ll probably like this game as well.

Summer Pop Plus

Developer: Happy Elements

Unwind in the sun with hundreds of puzzles in this match-three game. Each puzzle has a fun summertime backdrop filled with unique characters and activities, like a polar bear serving ice cream or a scuba diving raccoon. The polar bear makes sense, but who knew raccoons had such a penchant for aquatic activities?

You can access these titles in Apple Arcade on May 2, but there are plenty of other games to play on the service now for $7 a month or $50 annually. You can also try Apple Arcade for free for one month with your first sign-up, or you can get a three-month free trial when you buy a new Apple device. To access Apple Arcade, open the App Store on your iOS or iPadOS device and tap the joystick in the menu bar.

I’ve just called the Xiaomi 14 Ultra “the best camera phone I’ve ever used,” but it might have its roots in a phone that launched almost 10 years ago.

Back in 2014 I reviewed the Panasonic CM1. At the time it was the pinnacle of smartphone photography, packing a 1-inch type sensor that dwarfed the tiny sensors of other phones at the time. It had a lens made by Leica and it took images that no other camera phone could begin to compete with. It was essentially a compact camera that happened to also be a phone.

It was, in many ways, my dream phone. Its camera was good enough that I didn’t need a dedicated camera in my bag all the time. And while the technology around that great camera tech wasn’t quite up to the same high standard, with limited raw support and outdated software, I was sorely disappointed that the phone didn’t hang around.

But Xiaomi seems to have picked up where Panasonic left off, giving the excellent CM1 a 2024 makeover. There are a lot of similarities in the phones. Both have massive 1-inch type image sensors (which don’t actually measure an inch diagonally), both have Leica-engineered optics, both have variable apertures and both have physical camera buttons (if you’re using the Xiaomi’s camera grip).

When the Xiaomi is wearing its photography case I even think they look similar, with textured black backs, silver rails on the top and bottom and a big central circle where the camera units sit.

There are so many similarities that it almost feels like Xiaomi looked at this long-obsolete phone and thought, “Hey, let’s resurrect that!”

And I’m so glad it did because the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is every bit as exciting as a camera phone as I found the CM1 to be in 2014 and I’ve been genuinely impressed at the shots I’ve been able to take with it. It helps that the wider technology has caught up to make it a much better experience overall. The Xiaomi’s modern processor makes operating the thing a breeze and the 6.73-inch display is gargantuan compared to the CM1’s 4.7-inch screen.

I’m Blown Away by These Photos I Took on the Xiaomi 14 Ultra

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And DNG raw support is now pretty much standard across the industry, allowing me to process my raw files from the phone in a huge variety of Android apps. When I reviewed the CM1, there were almost no Android apps that supported raw images which meant shooting, processing and sharing those shots was frustratingly convoluted. It’s fair to say the CM1 was ahead of its time, offering specs and features that weren’t especially compatible with the wider technology that supported them.

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is, in many ways, the spiritual successor to the Panasonic CM1, picking up where it left off in a time where its technology and features can be properly put to use.

And all I had to do was wait 10 years.

Phone or Camera? A Closer Look at the Xiaomi 14 Ultra

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You can stream SiriusXM in your car, on a mobile app, on a web browser or via Alexa or Google Home devices. And for a limited time, you can score a three-month subscription to SiriusXM for only $1. You can sign up for either just the app or for the app and your car to qualify for this price. There’s no set expiration date listed for this offer, so we’d recommend signing up soon to avoid missing out.

With this subscription, you can listen to more than 400 channels varying from music, sports channels, podcasts, and more. There are multiple plans to choose from, but each will cost you just $1 to try for your first three months of service. After that time, the price of the plan will increase to the standard price per month: $10 for All Access (App only), $14 for Music Showcase with over 100 channels, $19 for Music & Entertainment with over 400 channels or $24 for the top-tier Platinum plan with over 425 channels, including sports, Howard Stern and more exclusives. This offer is a great way to try out the streaming service for a few months to see if it’s something you want to invest in long-term. Keep in mind, this offer is valid for new users only.

If you’re going to be taking SiriusXM on the go on your phone, you’re going to to want some great headphones to get the best listening experience. Here are our top headphone deals happening right now.

Amazon makes some of our favorite smart home gadgets, including smart speakers, Fire TVs and more. Many of those products are already well-priced compared to some of the competition, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t ways to save even more. Woot is currently offering a ton of Amazon devices at discounted prices. Some are refurbished, most aren’t, and with prices starting from just $9, we’re sure that there will be something for everyone. However, these prices are only going to hang around until the end of the month (unless they sell out sooner), so keep that in mind when planning your purchase.

If you don’t mind a few scratches and dings, used items are often much cheaper than new. For example, right now you can get your hands on a refurbished 43-inch Amazon 4K Fire TV for just $150, while a second-gen Echo Plus is yours for just $45.

Or if you’re just looking for easy hands-free access to Alexa, a voice-control remote might be great for you. For those that don’t mind a refurb, the refurbished Amazon Alexa voice remote is just $22. This remote allows you to control your TV with just your voice.

Those who are looking for home security can check out the Ring Video Doorbell 4 for just $75 while the Ring Video Doorbell 3 Plus is now just $65. Finally, the cheapest product is the Amazon Echo Auto, a product that puts Alexa in your car for just $9. And that’s just the start, so be sure to check out all of these Woot deals to make sure you aren’t missing out.

Remember that these deals won’t be here forever, but don’t worry if you miss out — our collection of the best smart home deals will have something for everyone, too.

If your Discord server is in the midst of a heated debate now (or constantly), Discord polls are here to help.

Discord is adding polls to its messages and channels, the company announced Monday. The much-requested feature will be rolling out to users over the next few days.

While polls might seem like a common feature on messaging and social media platforms, this is the first feature of its kind on Discord. In a video demo of the feature, Discord highlights how using polls will give you more control than using a reaction-based voting system, which can get messy. Now, rather than flooding your message with errant emojis, you can make it easy for people to choose which options they support.

Here’s how you can use polls on Discord.

Read more: How to Download Discord and Join Servers

How to use polls on Discord

You can send polls in most places on Discord. If you have the ability to send messages in a channel, you’ll be able to create polls. If you can only view channels, you can vote in polls but not create your own.

Here’s how to create and send a Discord poll.

1. Open Discord and navigate to the server you want to send the poll to.

2. Click the plus sign (+) to the left of your message bar.

3. Click Poll.

4. Enter the poll name and options. You can add emoji, too.

5. Tap the arrow next to Duration to set how long it will be available.

6. Click Post in the upper right corner.

To vote in a poll, select the option you want and click Vote. You can’t vote anonymously, but you can change your vote until the poll closes.

If you don’t see the option to create a poll, don’t worry. Discord’s help page says the feature will take a couple of days to roll out to all users.

For more, check out how Discord is adding ads with a gamer twist.

Today’s Wordle answer isn’t especially tricky. It’s a common word, with some popular letters in it, and multiple common meanings. But if it’s tripping you up, read on.

Every day, we’ll post hints and then the answer for the current day’s Wordle, just in case you need it.

Today’s Wordle hints

Warning: If you keep reading, you’ll see the Wordle answer for Tuesday April 9, puzzle #1025. That could be a devastating spoiler for some players. But if you just need the answer — maybe you’re on your last guess and just don’t want to see an 800-game streak go poof — keep reading.

Wordle hint #1: One vowel, used twice

There’s only one vowel in today’s answer, but it shows up in two spots.

Wordle hint #2: Ends in a vowel

One of the spots where that vowel appears is the last letter of the word.

Wordle hint #3: Drive my car

Want a hint for the word’s meaning? Automobile drivers need to learn how to do this, and it can be tricky.

Wordle hint #4: MBA topic

Another meaning for the word is something college business majors learn about.

Wordle hint #5: First letter

This answer starts with an M.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Here comes the spoiler: Today’s Wordle answer is MERGE. Some days, I feel like it would be easier to MERGE two companies than to MERGE onto the freeway.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, #1024, was BREED.

Past Wordle answers

April 3, #1019, PLAIT

April 4, #1020, CLIMB

April 5, #1021, WRIST

April 6, #1022, FINCH

April 7, #1022 LASER

Everyday Wordle tips

I’ve written a lot about Wordle — from covering its 1,000th word to my list of the best starter words to a helpful two-step strategy to controversial word changes. I’ve even rounded up what I learned playing the hit online word puzzle for a full year. So if you’re rethinking your need for the actual answer, you might try tips from one of those stories.

Still need a starter word? One person told me they just look around and choose a five-letter object that they’ve spotted to use as their starter word — such as COUCH or CHAIR. I tend to stick to starter words that have the most popular letters used in English words. I like TRAIN as a starter, though I have a friend who uses TRAIL. I’ve read that people use the financial term ROATE, but I like to use words I actually know.

What is Wordle?

If you read this far, you know how to play. You have six chances to guess a five-letter word, and the game gives you feedback as to whether the letters you’ve guessed are in the puzzle or not, and if they are in the same spot where you guessed them to be. The Times bought the game from creator Josh Wardle for seven figures in 2022. Wardle famously created the game for his partner, and let them narrow down the 12,000 five-letter words in the English language to just 2,500, creating the database of answers. It was convenient of him to have a name that plays off “word,” too.

A Times spokesperson told me it lists the very first Wordle as appearing on June 19, 2021, and the paper celebrated the game’s 1000th word on March 15. Spoiler: That 1000th word was ERUPT. As in, Dad will ERUPT if the Wordle is so tough he loses his streak.

There are other fun games in the Times Games stable. My latest addiction is Connections, which I think is trickier than Wordle. This is the game where you look at a grid of 16 words and try to put them into four groups of related words. Sometimes the relationships between the words are pretty out there — like the time when it was four words that all began with rock bands, such as RUSHMORE and JOURNEYMAN. (Connections got a little sassy on April Fool’s Day with an all-emoji puzzle. Some gamers did NOT find that funny.)

Spelling Bee is a popular Times game too. And there’s a new game that’s still in beta, Strands, which I’m trying to master.

When Microsoft launched the $500 Xbox Series X four years ago, it promised that the device would be able to play games from as long ago as the first Xbox launch in 2001. On Monday, the company expanded on that promise by creating a new team within its Xbox division devoted to backward compatibility, ensuring old games can still play on newer devices — like the next Xbox.

“We have formed a new team dedicated to game preservation, important to all of us at Xbox and the industry itself,” Sarah Bond, Xbox’s newly minted president, said in an email to staff that was made public Monday by Windows Central. “We are building on our strong history of delivering backwards compatibility to our players, and we remain committed to bringing forward the amazing library of Xbox games for future generations of players to enjoy.”

Microsoft is “moving full speed ahead” on its “next-generation hardware” — a likely reference to successor to the Xbox Series X — Bond, who was promoted late last year to oversee Xbox hardware and software, said in her email.

Microsoft hasn’t said much about its plans for its next major console after the Xbox Series X, but Bond wrote in her email that the team is “focused on delivering the biggest technological leap ever in a generation.”

Microsoft didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment about the email, though Windows Central said the company had confirmed its authenticity.

Read more: Microsoft Is Testing an AI Chatbot for Xbox. Here’s What It Could Do

The Xbox team’s moves are the latest way the tech giant is hoping to differentiate itself against competitors including Sony, Nintendo and Valve, whose Steam Deck line of portables has helped increase popularity of gaming on PCs.

Microsoft has been marketing backward compatibility for years, offering Xbox players the ability to play hundreds of older Xbox games with either a disk or through an online purchase. As Microsoft’s Xbox division increases its emphasis on its Xbox digital storefront and Xbox Game Pass subscription service, that promise of compatibility could become even more compelling.

There’s also a planned refinement upgrade for the Xbox Series X coming, codenamed Brooklin. That device, which was leaked by Microsoft last year in a reportedly accidental legal filing, is expected to offer a new look along with better accessories connections and power management when it launches later this year.

Read more: PS5 vs. Xbox Series X: How do They Hold Up?

We already seem to know quite a bit about Samsung’s next folding smartphone, the Galaxy Z Fold 6. It’s rumored to be launching in July, with a boxier design that’s thinner and lighter too. But two features that won’t be seeing upgrades are the cameras and the batteries, according to a new report.

Known tech industry tipster, Ice Universe, posted on X on Monday that the camera configuration of the Z Fold 6 will be “exactly the same as that of the Z Fold 5,” adding that Samsung had always intended to skip camera upgrades this time. “There will be no difference,” the tipster added.

A few days earlier, Ice Universe had also posted that the battery capacity of the Z Fold 6 will remain unchanged at 4,400 mAh — the same Samsung used for the past three years with the Z Fold 5, Z Fold 4 and Z Fold 3.

Samsung didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Read more: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Rumored to Be Thinner and Lighter

The increasing torrent of rumors around the Galaxy Z Fold 6 suggests that the folding smartphone will indeed be launched around the July announcement that rumors have been pointing to. The launch timing allows Samsung to draw attention to its more innovation-focused products, ahead of Apple’s expected September upgrade to the iPhone 16 line. Though Samsung doesn’t sell as many units of its folding phones as its more mainline Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24 Plus and Galaxy S24 Ultra, it is popular among techies.

One rumor that hasn’t leaked is about the Galaxy Z Fold 6 pricing. Folding phones are still generally expensive, with asking prices of $1,800 before discounts and incentives. That’s far more than standard smartphones like the Galaxy S24 line, which typically start at $800.

Some of the other rumors about the Z Fold 6 have revolved around it being up to 10% thinner than last year’s model. The Z Fold 6 is also expected to weigh 239 grams, according to reports, making it lighter than last year’s Z Fold 5 and on par with the OnePlus Open.

Read more: The Galaxy S24 Is Just the Start. Here’s What Else Samsung May Launch in 2024

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 Flexes Its Foldable Beauty

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