An anonymous reader shared this report from Autoblog:
Imagine walking out to your car, pressing the start button, and getting absolutely nothing. No crank, no lights on the dash, nothing. That's exactly what happened to hundreds of Porsche owners in Russia last week. The issue is with the Vehicle Tracking System, a satellite-based security system that's supposed to protect against theft. Instead, it turned these Porsches into driveway ornaments.
The issue was first reported at the end of November, with owners reporting identical symptoms of their cars refusing to start or shutting down soon after ignition. Russia's largest dealership group, Rolf, confirmed that the problem stems from a complete loss of satellite connectivity to the VTS. When it loses its connection, it interprets the outage as a potential theft attempt and automatically activates the engine immobilizer.
The issue affects all models and engine types, meaning any Porsche equipped with the system could potentially disable itself without warning. The malfunction impacts Porsche models dating back to 2013 that have the factory VTS installed... When the VTS connection drops, the anti-theft protocol kicks in, cutting fuel delivery and locking down the engine completely.
After scouring the second-hand shops and the endless pages of eBay for original video game hardware, a pattern emerges. The size of the accessory matters. If a relatively big controller originally came with a tiny wireless dongle, after twenty years, only the controller will survive. It’s almost as if these game controllers used to be owned by a bunch of irresponsible children who lose things (wink). Such is the case today when searching for a Nintendo Wavebird controller, and [James] published a wireless receiver design to make sure that the original hardware can be resurrected.
The project bears the name Wave Phoenix. The goal was to bring new life to a legendary controller by utilizing inexpensive, readily available parts. Central to the design is the RF-BM-BG22C3 Bluetooth module. Its low power draw and diminutive footprint made it a great fit for the limited controller port space of a Nintendo GameCube. The module itself is smaller than the GameCube’s proprietary controller connector. Luckily for projects like this, there are plenty of third-party connector options available.
When it comes to assembly, [James] insists it is possible to wire everything up by hand. He included an optional custom PCB design for those of us who aren’t point-to-point soldering masters. The PCB nestles cleanly into the 3D-printed outer casing seen in the image above in the iconic GameCube purple. Once the custom firmware for the Bluetooth module is flashed, pairing is as simple as pressing the Wave Phoenix adapter pairing button, followed by pressing X and Y simultaneously on the Wavebird controller. The two devices should stay paired as long as the controller’s wireless channel dial remains on the same channel. Better yet, any future firmware updates can be transferred wirelessly over Bluetooth.
Those who have chosen to build their own Wave Phoenix adapter have been pleased with the performance. The video below from Retrostalgia on YouTube shows that input responsiveness seems to be on par with the original Nintendo adapter. Mix in a variety of 3D printed shell color options, and this project goes a long way to upcycle Wavebird controllers that may have been doomed to end up in a dumpster. So it might be time to fire up a round of Kirby Air Ride and mash the A button unencumbered by a ten-foot cord.
There are even more open source video game controller designs out there like this previous post about the Alpakka controller by Dave.
Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.
Released in August 2025, the Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.
Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move onto the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.
How to play Pips
If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity for how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.
The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible – and common – for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.
Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:
Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.
Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.
Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.
Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.
Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.
If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.
Less Than (1): Everything in this space must be less than 1. The answer is 0-3, placed vertically.
Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 4-4, placed horizontally; 4-6, placed horizontally.
Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 4-2, placed vertically.
Medium difficulty hints, answers for Dec. 8 Pips
Greater Than (4): Everything in this space must be greater than 4. The answer is 6-2, placed horizontally.
Equal (2): Everything in this red space must be equal to 2. The answer is 6-2, placed horizontally; 1-2, placed horizontally; 2-4, placed vertically.
Greater Than (4): Everything in this orange space must be greater than 4. The answer is 4-6, placed vertically.
Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 1-3, placed horizontally.
Greater Than (1): Everything in this space must be greater than 1. The answer is 6-1, placed horizontally.
Equal (1): Everything in this light blue space must be equal to 1. The answer is 1-2, placed horizontally; 1-3, placed horizontally; 6-1, placed horizontally.
Equal (4): Everything in this green space must be equal to 4. The answer is 0-4, placed horizontally; 2-4, placed vertically.
Hard difficulty hints, answers for Dec. 8 Pips
Number (7): Everything in this space must add up to 7. The answer is 0-3, placed vertically; 4-1, placed vertically.
Equal (1): Everything in this green space must be equal to 1. The answer is 4-1, placed vertically; 1-0, placed horizontally.
Equal (0): Everything in this light blue space must be equal to 0. The answer is 1-0, placed horizontally; 0-6, placed horizontally.
Number (21): Everything in this space must add up to 21. The answer is 2-5, placed horizontally; 5-5, placed horizontally; 6-3, placed vertically.
Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 6-3, placed vertically.
Number (12): Everything in this space must add up to 21. The answer is 2-6, placed vertically; 0-6, placed horizontally.
Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 0-0, placed horizontally; 0-4, placed vertically.
Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 0-4, placed vertically; 4-2, placed vertically.
Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 1-2, placed vertically; 2-2, placed horizontally; 4-2, placed vertically.
Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easy if you live in the Mile High City.
As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.
Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake — players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today's Connections: Sports Edition #441 is...
What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?
Denver Teams - AVALANCHE, BRONCOS, NUGGETS, ROCKIES
Words That Come Before "Football" - AMERICAN, COLLEGE, FANTASY, FLAG
NFL Owners - BLANK, HUNT, KRAFT, YORK
MAC Team Nicknames - GOLDEN FLASHES, MINUTEMEN, ROCKETS, ZIPS
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you're a California native.
Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today's Connections #911 is...
What is the answer to Connections today
Goad, with "On": EGG, PUSH, SPUR, URGE
Famous streets in Los Angeles: MULHOLLAND, RODEO, SUNSET, VINE
Member of a Dallas pro sports team: COWBOY, MAVERICK, STAR, WING
European capitals minus second-to-last letter: MINK, PARS, ROE, SOFA
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're good with words.
Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.
By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.
If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.
Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you love a Thanksgiving meal.
If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today's Wordle is...
GRAVY
Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
Opening with yet another flashback to 1908, the penultimate episode in Andy Muschietti's prequel series takes us back to the origin of not the monster itself, but the creature's infamous clown persona.
In 1908, Ingrid Kersh (Madeleine Stowe) is working at the fun fair with her father Bob Gray (Bill Skarsgård), who performs as Pennywise the Dancing Clown. When he's in his costume he looks like a budget version of the evil Pennywise we've come to know all too well, and it's clear that the man himself isn't an evil, child-snatching entity.
Credit: HBO
So what's going on here?
The first clue comes when we see a creepy child watching Pennywise from a window with an unsmiling expression on his face. Later, that same child approaches a makeup-free Bob and tells him that "the children seem drawn to you." The kid then says he can't find his parents, before leading Bob into the woods towards the sound of screams.
The next thing we know Ingrid's father has disappeared, and all that remains of him is a blood-spattered handkerchief that's been found in the forest.
What does it tell us about Pennywise's origin?
Firstly, the episode rules out any possibility of Mrs Kersh being the monster's actual daughter (as she herself realises towards the episode's end). What it does tell us is that Pennywise was once a real, human clown, chosen by the creature due to his popularity with children. Essentially the clown is just another one of IT's many disguises — the form it reverts to when it wants to lure in children.
IT: Welcome to Derry only has one episode left, and things seem to be going from bad to worse.
Because as well as a Pennywise origin story and a re-creation of one of the book's most disturbing historical chapters, episode 7 also ends with a twist that spells trouble for not just the main characters, but potentially the entire United States.
During a tense discussion with General Shaw (James Remar), the army's real plans become clear: They don't want to kill the creature, they want to free it.
Why is the army trying to free IT?
Given Pennywise has spent the past six episodes laying waste to 17 children, the army's plan to unleash IT into the U.S. seems misguided at best. But General Shaw seems convinced that IT is exactly what America needs. "This country is slowly fracturing into a thousand, jagged, ill-fitting pieces," he barks. "I am only trying to prevent another civil war."
The general believes that the only chance of controlling the population is through the kind of fear that a creature like Pennywise has the power to instil en masse.
"Look at this town. What happened last night, horrific," Shaw says. "But guess what? The streets are calm today. No rioting, no looting, no unrest. The fear — it settles on every living person it touches like a fog. Like a goddamned anaesthetic."
Despite the best efforts of Major Hanlon, the army succeeds in destroying the pillar. As we see from the final shots of the episode, this causes the creature to reawaken from its slumber.
Somehow we think the army may not have properly thought this little scheme through.
Nuclear engineer Lonnie Johnson worked on NASA's Galileo mission, has more than 140 patents, and invented the Super Soaker water gun.
But now he's working on "a potential key to unlock a huge power source that's rarely utilized today," reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. [Alternate URL here.]
Waste heat...
The Johnson Thermo-Electrochemical Converter, or JTEC, has few moving parts, no combustion and no exhaust. All the work to generate electricity is done by hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe. Inside the device, pressurized hydrogen gas is separated by a thin, filmlike membrane, with low pressure gas on one side and high pressure gas on the other. The difference in pressure in this "stack" is what drives the hydrogen to compress and expand, creating electricity as it circulates. And unlike a fuel cell, it does not need to be refueled with more hydrogen. All that's needed to keep the process going and electricity flowing is a heat source.
As it turns out, there are enormous amounts of energy vented or otherwise lost from industrial facilities like power plants, factories, breweries and more.
Between 20% and 50% of all energy used for industrial processes is dumped into the atmosphere and lost as waste heat, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The JTEC works with high temperatures, but the device's ability to generate electricity efficiently from low-grade heat sources is what company executives are most excited about.
Inside JTEC's headquarters, engineers show off a demonstration unit that can power lights and a sound system with water that's roughly 200 degrees Fahrenheit — below the boiling point and barely warm enough to brew a cup of tea, said Julian Bell, JTEC's vice president of engineering. Comas Haynes, a research engineer at the Georgia Tech Research Institute specializing in thermal and hydrogen system designs, agrees the company could "hit a sweet spot" if it can capitalize on lower temperature heat...
For Johnson, the potential application he's most excited about lies beneath our feet.
Geothermal energy exists naturally in rocks and water beneath the Earth's surface at various depths. Tapping into that resource through abandoned oil and gas wells — a well-known access point for underground heat — offers another opportunity.
"You don't need batteries and you can draw power when you need it from just about anywhere," Johnson said. Right now, the company is building its first commercial JTEC unit, which is set to be deployed early next year. Mike McQuary, JTEC's CEO and the former president of the pioneering internet service provider MindSpring, said he couldn't reveal the customer, but said it's a "major Southeast utility company." "Crossing that bridge where you have commercial customers that believe in it and will pay for it is important," McQuary said...
On top of some initial seed money, the company brought in $30 million in a Series A funding in 2022 — money that allowed the company to move to its Lee + White headquarters and hire more than 30 engineers. McQuary said it expects to begin another round of fundraising soon.
"Johnson, meanwhile, hasn't stopped working on new inventions," the article points out. "He continues to refine the design for his solid-state battery..."
PLUS: South Korea to strengthen security standards; Canon closes Chinese printer plant; APAC datacenter capacity to triple by 2029; And more
Asia In Brief Chinese rocketry outfit LandSpace last week flew what it hoped would be the country’s first reusable rocket, only to watch it explode while attempting to land.…
Phys.org republishes this article from The Conversation:
On average, managers spend 23 hours a week in meetings. Much of what happens in them is considered to be of low value, or even entirely counterproductive. The paradox is that bad meetings generate even more meetings... in an attempt to repair the damage caused by previous ones...
A 2015 handbook laid the groundwork for the nascent field of "Meeting Science". Among other things, the research revealed that the real issue may not be the number of meetings, but rather how they are designed, the lack of clarity about their purpose, and the inequalities they (often unconsciously) reinforce... Faced with what we call meeting madness, the solution is not to eliminate meetings altogether, but to design them better. It begins with a simple but often forgotten question: why are we meeting...?
The goal should not be to have fewer meetings, but better ones. Meetings that respect everyone's time and energy. Meetings that give a voice to all. Meetings that build connection.
Slashdot reader ShimoNoSeki shares an obligatory XKCD comic...
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Lauren Thomas / Wall Street Journal:
