Pop culture fans of all ages will gather at New York Comic Con, which kicks off on Thursday at the Javits Center. A fresh lineup of guest speakers, merchandise and surprise drops await attendees and cosplayers looking to snap photos with celebrities and immerse themselves in their favorite comics, TV shows, anime and movies.

Event organizer ReedPop’s Brien McDonald, vice president of content, recently gave CNET a preview of what to expect and some of the most exciting reveals to look forward to. As someone who’s deeply involved on the TV and film side of things for NYCC (and a fan himself), McDonald notes that studios like Netflix and Paramount have big things planned. 

McDonald is personally excited about The Simpsons and Apple TV Plus appearing at the event for the first time. “Apple TV has staked out a really cool spot in the streaming space where they’re bringing prestige, high-quality TV series, and it’s not genre. But I think something like Shrinking, or Elsbeth or even something like Ghosts — it’s cool that studios and producers are bringing this to New York Comic Con because it shows that this event is deep into the pop culture now.” He also acknowledged that panels for genre programming such as Dune: Prophecy and The Penguin “will blow people’s minds.”

If you can’t attend in person, you can still catch the panels on the event’s Main and Empire stages. Viewers at home can livestream for free via ReedPop’s YouTube channel and NYCC’s social media accounts.

So, what exactly should TV and movie buffs check out? Be on the lookout for everything from animation to celebrations to guest panels and hot new trailers this year. Count on Max, Blumhouse, SpongeBob, Sony, Netflix and a ton of anime.

Anime at New York Comic Con

McDonald said there will be a “big anime kickoff on Thursday.” Dragon Ball will host a panel that day for the new series, Dragon Ball Daima, on the Empire stage. The presentation lines up with the series’ 40th…

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The post New York Comic Con 2024: What to Expect if You’re a TV, Movie or Anime Fan appeared first on Science News Watch.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Connections puzzles.

Strands doesn’t get as much attention as its New York Times game siblings Wordle and Connections, but it can be just as challenging and entertaining. Strands just moved out of beta, so it’s now in the New York Times’ official Games app, which might bring it more fans. I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story. 

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

How to play NYT Strands

1. Use today’s theme to look for words relating to that topic. See one? Drag or click the letters in order. Click on the last letter twice to submit your guess. If you’ve found a theme word, it’ll light up in blue and stay that way.

2. Other words you find are considered hint words that give you clues to the theme words. Find three hint words (they must have at least four letters each) and the game will reward you by showing you a theme word. But if you can’t unscramble it, find three more hint words and the game will highlight the theme word’s letters in order.

3. Hunt for the spangram, a special theme word that spans the entire puzzle, though it could flow across or top to bottom. It summarizes the puzzle theme.

4. When you’re done, you’ll have used every letter on the board in either a theme word or spangram. Theme words fill the entire board and do not overlap. 

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Toon time.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Animated animals.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words….

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The post Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answer and Help for Oct. 12, #223 appeared first on Science News Watch.

This October’s Prime Big Deal Days event might have a different name, but it promises everything we know and love about the more familiar Amazon Prime Day shopping extravaganza of the summer. You’ll find discounts on everything from everyday essentials to headphones, TVs, and laptops. Our team of shopping gurus is searching the site to help you find all the hottest deals so you won’t miss out on a thing.

This live blog will be updated constantly until all of the Prime Day deals have truly gone, so be sure to check back regularly for new discounted products as we find them. And for those of us shopping on a budget, we’ve gathered many of our findings by price point so you can shop under $100 or even under $10. We’ve had our experts go through every deal we show you to ensure you’re landing the best price available. 

Best October Prime Day Deals 

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The post Amazon Prime Day: The Best 115+ Deals Live Ahead of October’s Big Deal Days appeared first on Science News Watch.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Connections puzzles.

Strands doesn’t get as much attention as its New York Times game siblings Wordle and Connections, but it can be just as challenging and entertaining. Strands just moved out of beta, so it’s now in the New York Times’ official Games app, which might bring it more fans. I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story. 

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

How to play NYT Strands

1. Use today’s theme to look for words relating to that topic. See one? Drag or click the letters in order. Click on the last letter twice to submit your guess. If you’ve found a theme word, it’ll light up in blue and stay that way.

2. Other words you find are considered hint words that give you clues to the theme words. Find three hint words (they must have at least four letters each) and the game will reward you by showing you a theme word. But if you can’t unscramble it, find three more hint words and the game will highlight the theme word’s letters in order.

3. Hunt for the spangram, a special theme word that spans the entire puzzle, though it could flow across or top to bottom. It summarizes the puzzle theme.

4. When you’re done, you’ll have used every letter on the board in either a theme word or spangram. Theme words fill the entire board and do not overlap. 

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: No way!

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: False.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the…

Read the full article here

The post Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answer and Help for Oct. 5, #216 appeared first on Science News Watch.

You’ve probably heard that Amazon’s big October Prime Day event, called Prime Big Deal Days, is fast approaching on October 8 and 9. But many top deals have already gone live for eager shoppers looking to grab early savings. From daily essentials to headphones, TVs, laptops, and more, there are plenty of discounts available already. That’s why our team of shopping experts is hard at work finding the best deals for you, so you can skip the endless scrolling and confidently snag the best bargains.

This live blog will be updated constantly until all of the Prime Day deals have truly gone, so be sure to check back regularly for new discounted products as we find them. And for those of us shopping on a budget, we’ve gathered many of our findings by price point so you can shop under $100 or even under $10. Every deal we show you has been checked to ensure you’re getting the best possible price available now, all you need to do is choose the right deal for you. 

Our absolute favorite early Prime Day deals

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The post Amazon October Prime Day: The Top Early Deals on Tech, Home Goods, TVs, Appliances and More appeared first on Science News Watch.

Apple has a reputation for restricting access to its apps and services from non-Apple devices, often leaving Android users without popular features like iMessage and FaceTime. However, in 2021, the iPhone-maker made a surprising announcement that Android and PC users could participate in FaceTime calls. This was one of the initial steps Apple took to make its ecosystem more accessible, though these changes are still quite limited.

For example, while iMessage remains exclusive to iOS, Apple announced RCS support as part of iOS 18 at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June. Rich Communication Services is used widely on Android phones for texting and Apple’s adoption should improve the messaging experience between iPhone users and those on Android devices. This doesn’t mean the end of blue and green bubbles, though. The announcement is another sign that Apple sees value in giving Android users access to some of its most well-known features, albeit on its own terms.

When Apple announced it was expanding FaceTime access, many were under the impression that Apple had made FaceTime for Android, when in reality the company had made it possible for people to join a FaceTime call from a web browser. This means Android and PC users can participate in FaceTime conversations, but there’s a catch: they can’t initiate calls directly, they can only join when invited. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to initiate FaceTime calls to Android users if you’re an iPhone user, and how to receive FaceTime calls if you use an Android phone.

FaceTime: How to video chat on Android or a PC

Like with any call, someone has to initiate it. And if you’re on an Android phone or using a PC, that person is going to have to be someone with an iPhone, iPad or Mac.

Here’s how to initiate a FaceTime call as an iOS user:

1. Open the FaceTime app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap Create Link.
3. A screen will slide up from the bottom that says FaceTime Link.
4. Click Add Name to enter a name for your chat. 
5. On the same…

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The post FaceTime on Android: No, You Don’t Need an iPhone to Join a FaceTime Video Call appeared first on Science News Watch.

If you’ve ever felt that there’s no such thing as having too many games, you’ll feel right at home on the Epic Games Store — a storefront that, much like Valve’s Steam, allows gamers to buy games to their heart’s content. Furthermore, all you need is a decent gaming PC to take full advantage of everything the Epic Games Store offers, whether it’s free games or great discounts.

The Epic Games Store has been giving away free games weekly since 2019, and it doesn’t look like it’ll be stopping these offers anytime soon. Regardless of what storefront you use, the general rule of thumb is never to look a gift horse in the mouth when it comes to discounts and deals, or ignore freebies. So if you’re not a registered user already, we recommend creating an account so you can download a new game each week.

Read on below to find out previous free game offers from Epic, as well as what’s on offer at the Epic Games Store this week, and the next.

What’s free on the Epic Games Store this week? (Oct. 3-10)

Bear and Breakfast

Sit back for a moment and picture what life would be like if you had the time and resources to start your own bed and breakfast in the countryside. Now imagine doing all of that but as a bear. If that sounds like a dream come true, you’ll fit right in with Gummy Cat’s Bear and Breakfast, where customization is plentiful and meeting the needs of curious customers is your No. 1 priority.

You can check out Bear and Breakfast via the Epic Games Store.

What will be free on the Epic Games Store next week? (Oct. 10-17)

Empyrion: Galactic Survival

If you combined elements from space sims, construction games, first-person shooters and survival games, you’d be left with Empyrion: Galactic Survival. Construct the mightiest of vessels, set forth on planetary conquest and, most importantly of all, journey across the galaxy to discover the mysteries of Empyrion.

You can check out Empyrion: Galactic Survival via the Epic Games…

Read the full article here

The post What Are the New Free Games on the Epic Store This Week? appeared first on Science News Watch.

If you have a hard time keeping track of all your passwords, you’re not alone. Ideally, you don’t use the same password twice, so it’s helpful to keep a repository of your passwords in a safe place in case you forget them. But what if you need your Wi-Fi password and you have absolutely no idea what it is?

Usually, your Wi-Fi password should be printed on the back of your router, but if it’s not, don’t sweat it. There’s another way to find the passwords to all of the Wi-Fi networks you’ve ever connected to. They’re all on your computer somewhere.

As long as your Windows or Mac computer has connected to that network before, the Wi-Fi password is permanently stored in your settings. It may require a bit of digging on your part, but all of the passwords are there, saved and ready to be shared with anyone who wants to connect to Wi-Fi.

Here’s how to find the passwords to all of the Wi-Fi networks you’ve ever connected to on MacOS and Windows. For more, discover 17 essential settings for customizing your MacBook or how to get the most out of Windows 11.

How to find Wi-Fi passwords in MacOS

Every password you’ve entered and saved on a Mac is stored in Keychain Access, the password management system for MacOS. And that includes Wi-Fi network passwords. 

To start, use the search feature to open the Keychain Access app and do the following:

1. Click on System under System Keychains in the sidebar.

2. Next, click on Passwords at the top of the window.

3. Find the Wi-Fi network you want the password for and double-click on it.

4. Finally, check the box next to Show password and enter your password when prompted.

The password field will then show the password you used to log in to that Wi-Fi network. You can double-click in the password field to select the password and copy it to your clipboard if needed.

How to find Wi-Fi passwords on Windows

Finding the password to the…

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The post There’s a Fast Way to Find Your Wi-Fi Password on Windows and Mac appeared first on Science News Watch.

PlayStation 5 players scrolling through their game library may have already noticed a major change to the system’s interface: gone is the home screen art when you hover over a game title. Replacing it is patch information, news updates and, in some cases, advertisements for other games from the same publisher.

A September update to the PS5 operating system appears to have changed the way game title screens display information. As a number of gaming sites have pointed out, and CNET confirmed on several titles with a PS5, art from each game has been swapped out with information apparently pulled from each game’s news feed.

A representative for Sony did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Read more: What I Learned Playing Sony’s PS5 Pro

The main art on the title page for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, for instance, is now a video roundtable featuring some of the game’s developers. The art for Black Myth: Wukong, a recent big hit, now shows a background image behind information about the game’s latest patch notes. Star Wars: Battlefront 2 now includes ads and pricing for other Star Wars games.

While the new title screen art and information aren’t ads for, say, Tide detergent or Nike, they could still be considered promotional material and mark a major visual change from multiple generations of PlayStation consoles that have used the Cross Bar interface.

While the September update added new features such as 3D audio profiles and Party Share, it also appeared to have removed a Resume Activity function that, according to PlayStation Lifestyle, only worked intermittently before it was taken away.

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The post PlayStation 5 Home Screen Changes Game Profile Pages to Include Ads and Update Info appeared first on Science News Watch.

If you’re an Apple user, then you know the value of your Apple ID and password. You can’t access Apple services like iCloud, iMessage and Apple Pay without them. You also need these precious credentials to set up new Apple devices — like any of the new iPhone 16 or Apple Watch Series 10 models. 

If you forgot your Apple ID password (and don’t use a password manager) or your account has been compromised, you might not be able to access your device or any of Apple’s services. Resetting your Apple ID password might be just the trick to gaining access again.

Here are several easy ways to change your Apple ID password.

Reset your Apple ID password with your iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch

iPhones account for about half of Apple’s revenue, according to consumer data website Business of Apps, so we’ll start there. The instructions for resetting your Apple ID password on your iPhone will also work on your iPad and Apple Watch. Here’s how.

1. Go to Settings.
2. Tap your name near the top of the menu.
3. Tap Sign-In & Security.
4. Tap Change Password. 

Follow the onscreen instructions, and you’re all set. Easy, right?

Resetting your Apple ID password from a Mac device

You can also reset your Apple ID password from your MacBook or iMac. Here’s how.

1. Click the Apple logo in the top left corner of your screen and click System Settings. 
2. Click your Apple ID in the top left corner of the menu.
3. Click Sign-In & Security.
4. Click Change Password.

Follow the onscreen prompts to finish changing your password. 

Reset your Apple ID password on a new device

While setting up a new Apple device, you’ll be asked to sign into your Apple ID. If you can’t remember your password, no worries. Here’s how to reset your password during the setup process.

1. During device setup, select Forgot Apple ID or Password? whenever the option is available.
2. Finish the setup process.
3. Once setup is complete, select an app or another option that requires you to sign into your Apple ID. 

On iPhone, iPad or…

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The post Hassle-Free Ways to Reset Your Forgotten Apple ID Password appeared first on Science News Watch.