Saturday, August 19, 2023

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It's time for your daily dose of Quordle hints, plus the answers for both the main game and the Daily Sequence spin off. 

Quordle is the only one of the many Wordle clones that I'm still playing now, around 18 months after the daily-word-game craze hit the internet, and with good reason: it's good fun, but also difficult.

What's more, its makers (now the online dictionary Merriam-Webster) are also keeping it fresh in the form of a new variant called the Daily Sequence, which sees you complete four puzzles consecutively, rather than concurrently. 

But Quordle is tough, so if you already find yourself searching for Wordle hints, you'll probably need some for this game too. 

I'm a Quordle and Wordle fanatic who's been playing since December 2021, so I can definitely help you solve Quordle today and improve your game for tomorrow. Read on for my Quordle hints to game #573 and the answers to the main game and Daily Sequence. 

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #573) - hint #1 - Vowels

How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too). 

Quordle today (game #573) - hint #2 - total vowels

What is the total number of vowels in Quordle today?

The total number of vowels across today's Quordle answers is 6.

Quordle today (game #573) - hint #3 - repeated letters

Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 0.

Quordle today (game #573) - hint #4 - total letters

How many different letters are used in Quordle today?

The total number of different letters used in Quordle today is 16.

Quordle today (game #573) - hint #5 - uncommon letters

Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #573) - hint #6 - starting letters (1)

Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 0.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #573) - hint #7 - starting letters (2)

What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• W

• P

• F

• S

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #573) - the answers

Quordle answers for game 573 on a yellow background

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #573, are…

  • WIMPY
  • PLUNK
  • FORAY
  • SHAKE

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.


Daily Sequence today (game #573) - the answers

Quordle daily sequence answers for game 573 on a yellow background

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #573, are…

  • ZESTY
  • BREAK
  • STALK
  • GUEST

Quordle answers: The past 20

  • Quordle #572, Saturday 19 August: STIFF, QUOTH, MUCKY, WEDGE
  • Quordle #571, Friday 18 August: EXPEL, ROGUE, PATCH, MINTY
  • Quordle #570, Thursday 17 August: OLDEN, HASTY, ADULT, OLIVE
  • Quordle #569, Wednesday 16 August: BOOST, QUARK, ADULT, ANGST
  • Quordle #568, Tuesday 15 August: IONIC, DAUNT, BRIBE, NORTH
  • Quordle #567, Monday 14 August: CARGO, PATTY, BARGE, MELON
  • Quordle #566, Sunday 13 August: SAUCE, DEIGN, HARDY, FLUNG
  • Quordle #565, Saturday 12 August: APRON, STALE, GUILT, PARTY
  • Quordle #564, Friday 11 August: REPEL, MANOR, MONEY, ZESTY
  • Quordle #563, Thursday 10 August: OVERT, RALLY, SENSE, ATOLL
  • Quordle #562, Wednesday 9 August: FEAST, APING, LIMIT, GIRTH
  • Quordle #561, Tuesday 8 August: CREPE, CADDY, DRIER, TANGO
  • Quordle #560, Monday 7 August: SMITE, GRIND, CRAWL, FIBRE
  • Quordle #559, Sunday 6 August: QUASH, MOULT, STALK, EDICT
  • Quordle #558, Saturday 5 August: SPASM, TRAWL, LEVER, BIRTH
  • Quordle #557, Friday 4 August: SHAKY, OWING, HOMER, PICKY
  • Quordle #556, Thursday 3 August: BIGOT, AMPLE, LAUGH, EASEL
  • Quordle #555, Wednesday 2 August: SLUMP, FLUTE, RUMBA, REACH
  • Quordle #554, Tuesday 1 August: ANNOY, TAPER, TRIAL, HOUSE
  • Quordle #553, Monday 31 July: SQUAT, CHOSE, SNORT, THERE

Quordle FAQs: Everything you need to know

What is Quordle?

Where Wordle challenges you to guess a new five-letter word each day, Quordle presents you with four puzzles to solve. And rather than complete them in turn, you do so simultaneously. You get nine guesses, rather than the six for Wordle, but the rules are otherwise very similar. 

It's played online via the Quordle website and you can also get to it via the Merriam-Webster site, after the dictionary purchased Quordle last year

As with Wordle, the answers are the same for every player each day, meaning that you're competing against the rest of the world. And also as with Wordle, the puzzle resets at midnight so you have a fresh challenge each day.

The website also includes a practice mode - which I definitely recommend using before attempting the game proper! - and there are daily stats including a streak count. You also get Quordle Achievements - specific badges for winning a game in a certain number of turns, playing lots of times, or guessing particularly hard words.

Oh, and it's difficult. Really difficult.

What are the Quordle rules?

The rules of Quordle are almost identical to those of Wordle.

1. Letters that are in the answer and in the right place turn green.

2. Letters that are in the answer but in the wrong place turn yellow. 

3. Letters that are not in the answer turn gray…

4. …BUT the word you guess appears in all quadrants of the puzzle at the same time, so an A could turn green in one square, yellow in another and gray in the final two. 

5. Answers are never plural.

6. Letters can appear more than once. So if your guess includes two of one letter, they may both turn yellow, both turn green, or one could be yellow and the other green.

7. Each guess must be a valid word in Quordle's dictionary. You can't guess ABCDE, for instance.

8. You do not have to include correct letters in subsequent guesses and there is no equivalent of Wordle's Hard mode.

9. You have nine guesses to find the Quordle answers.

10. You must complete the daily Quordle before midnight in your timezone.

What is a good Quordle strategy?

Quordle needs to be approached in a different way to Wordle. With four puzzles to solve in nine guesses, you can't blindly throw letters at it and expect to win - you'll stand a far better chance if you think strategically.

That's the case in Wordle too, of course, but it's even more important in Quordle.

There are two key things to remember. 

1. Use several starting words

Firstly, you won't want just a single starting word, but almost certainly two or three starting words. 

The first of these should probably be one of the best Wordle starting words, because the same things that make them work well will apply here too. But after that, you should select another word or possibly two that use up lots more of the most common consonants and that include any remaining vowels.

For instance, I currently use STARE > DOILY > PUNCH. Between them, these three words use 15 of the 26 letters in the alphabet including all five vowels, Y, and nine of the most common consonants (S, T, R, D, L, P, N, C and H). There are plenty of other options - you might want to get an M, B, F or G in there instead of the H, maybe - but something like that should do the trick.

If all goes well, that will give you a good lead on what one or sometimes two of the answers might be. If not, well good luck!

2. Narrow things down

Secondly, if you're faced with a word where the answer might easily be one of several options - for instance -ATCH, where it could be MATCH, BATCH, LATCH, CATCH, WATCH, HATCH or PATCH - you'll definitely want to guess a word that would narrow down those options. 

In Wordle, you can instead try several of those in succession and hope one is right, assuming you have enough guesses left. It's risky, but will sometimes work. Plus, it's the only option in Hard mode. But in Quordle, this will almost certainly result in a failure - you simply don't have enough guesses.

In the scenario above, CLAMP would be a great guess, as it could point the way to four of the seven words in one go.



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Latest Tech News

Specifications for the Pixel Watch 2 have recently surfaced in what may be the most credible leak for the wearable to date.

This information comes from 9to5Google which unearthed it from the “Google Play Console device catalog”, an official resource for Android developers. The specs sheet reveals what appears to be the Pixel Watch 2, under its codename “Eos”, and that it will come equipped with the Qualcomm SW5100. That chip identification is believed to be a reference to the base model of the Snapdragon W5 SoC (system on a chip). 

A Snapdragon W5 Plus does exist and can be found on the TicWatch Pro 5. The difference is the Plus version comes with a second “co-processor”. You may think the Pixel Watch 2 will, based on this difference, won't perform as well as the TicWatch Pro 5. However, an Android Authority report from early August suggests Google’s new wearable will indeed have a second processor. Instead of a third-party component, the company will use a "custom co-processor... similar to the first-generation Pixel Watch."

Better performance

Assuming this is true, we do question the decision to use the base W5 silicon as opposed to the more energy-efficient Snapdragon W5 Plus. In fact, Qualcomm claims this chipset could “double the battery life” of a smartwatch. Having the regular Snapdragon W5 will almost certainly result in a shorter battery life.

Why might Google do this? It could be a matter of finding the right balance between wearable price and the probably higher cost of more energy-efficient components.

Continuing with the leaked specs sheet, Android 13 will come pre-installed on the smartwatch. 9to5Google is taking this reveal as confirmation the Pixel Watch 2 “will launch [sporting] Wear OS 4.” They go on to claim there’s evidence the device will have the “new ‘Backup’ feature… one of the key upgrades of Wear OS 4.” Backup, as the name suggests, would give users a way to save their data and then securely transfer everything “from an old watch to [a] new one.” 

Staying the same

Compared to the two aspects we just covered, the rest of the leak is relatively minor. The screen on the Pixel Watch 2 is said to have a resolution of 384 x 384 pixels with a screen density of 320 ppi (pixels per inch) – just like the first Pixel Watch. The RAM is even staying the same at 2GB. As you can see, not everything is getting an upgrade.

We should mention the Google Play Console listing has a picture some online reports have said is the Pixel Watch 2. It’s actually a placeholder image of the original Pixel Watch. In fact, you can head over to the official Pixel Watch page on Google’s website and find the exact photograph there.

As with any leak, take this information with a grain of salt. Or maybe not. Considering all this is coming from an official source, there could be more truth in it than we realize.

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WhatsApp, one of the most popular messaging and voice/video applications in the world, announced that it's rolling out the option to send photos in HD quality. And according to Meta, videos will receive the same treatment later down the line.

According to the announcement made through Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s broadcast channel on Instagram, “Sharing photos on WhatsApp just got an upgrade. Now you can send in HD.” The new feature will be rolled out worldwide over the next several weeks, with the option to send HD photos on Android, iOS, or the desktop version. Recipients will know it’s HD by the icon highlighted at the top of the screen.

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Photos from WABetaInfo (seen above) back when this feature was still in beta show how the formatting will look after it officially rolls out. When tapping the HD icon, two resolution options will appear: standard quality (1600 x 1052) and HD quality (4096 x 2692). And the HD images will still have the end-to-end encryption that WhatsApp is known for.

Recipients can choose between keeping standard quality photos or upgrading to HD quality, which is a relief for those on slower connections. And for those worried about storage space issues that could arise from too many HD photos sent, standard quality will remain the default for senders.

WhatsApp’s HD upgrade is late but still great 

It’s almost shocking that with all the WhatsApp quality of life changes and updates  over the years, the option to send photos and eventually videos in HD is only coming to users now. Sending high-quality photos seems to be such a no-brainer in terms of enhancements, but it’s better late than never.

And this isn’t the first time that a company looked over such an obvious and oft-requested feature either. Back in April 2023, Discord announced that it would be raising the upload limit from 8MB to 25MB, which was in response to images and file sizes becoming larger over time.

And unlike many other applications, WhatsApp is a completely free-to-use service with zero paywalls for any of its features. So any updates it receives will be available to its over two billion user base. Features like transferring chat logs, sending video messages, allowing the app to edit and add new contacts, and more. 

So hopefully we'll be seeing more of these kinds of upgrades to sent content, keeping WhatsApp current with the quickly moving times.

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Latest Tech News

The all-in-one creative suite Adobe Express is getting a wave of new features; chief among them is the introduction of the Adobe Firefly generative AI.

With Firefly being added, you will be able to create “custom image and text effects” using nothing more than a simple text prompt. The official trailer displays these tools in action as it showing the steps of how to create a poster for a neighborhood event. Firefly is used to change the basic lettering of a short phrase into a “purple gloss balloon” font. It can also be used to generate decorative backgrounds for posters. 

So it's nothing groundbreaking or anything that will blow your mind, but it is a nice addition to the Express toolbox. The best part is it’s available on the free version of Adobe Express, meaning anybody can take the AI feature out for a spin. 

We do want to warn you to not expect too much from this rendition of Firefly. Like a lot of other free image generators, the results can look rather nightmarish, especially when they involve people. It’s nowhere on the same level as Generative Fill on Photoshop. We recommend keeping things simple, like throwing in graphical flourishes, if you ever decide to try out the Express AI.

The company states the prompts support over 100 languages including French, German, Japanese, Spanish, as well as Brazilian Portuguese. Something we found a little funny is how Adobe clarifies that the content Firefly generates is “designed to be safe for commercial use.” Given how several companies with AIs are currently being sued over copyright issues, it looks like the Photoshop-developer felt the need to offer some reassurance to its customers. 

Notable non-AI features

The update introduces a lot of other non-AI tools. For the sake of brevity, we’re just going to focus on the more notable ones. 

For instance, you have Quick Actions for faster editing. These actions can remove the background in images, immediately convert a video into a GIF, edit PDFs, and “animate a character using just audio”. That last one is fittingly called Animate from Audio which will have “characters come to life” as their bodies automatically sync up to recorded dialogue. It takes some of the busy work out of animating the finer details.

Adobe is also introducing an all-in-one editor consisting of various design elements and pre-made templates for social media platforms. So if you want to make videos for TikTok or Instagram but don’t know how to start, the editor can help you out tremendously. 

Availability

Everything you see here is currently available on Adobe Express for desktop. A full list detailing each feature can be found on the official website. The company says it has plans to bring the update to the mobile app soon, but declined to give an exact date for the future patch in its announcement. 

It is great to see Adobe offer some of its latest tech for free. Photoshop can be very expensive. If you’re looking for other options, check out TechRadar’s list of the best Photoshop alternatives for 2023



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