If you’re looking for the Wordle answer for July 15, 2024 read on. We’ll share some clues, tips, and strategies, and finally the solution. Today’s puzzle is hard; I got it in six. Beware, there are spoilers below for July 15, Wordle #1,122! Keep scrolling if you want some hints (and then the answer) to today’s Wordle game.

How to play Wordle

Wordle lives here on the New York Times website. A new puzzle goes live every day at midnight, your local time.

Start by guessing a five-letter word. The letters of the word will turn green if they’re correct, yellow if you have the right letter in the wrong place, or gray if the letter isn’t in the day’s secret word at all. For more, check out our guide to playing Wordle here, and my strategy guide here for more advanced tips. (We also have more information at the bottom of this post, after the hints and answers.)

Ready for the hints? Let’s go!

---

Does today’s Wordle have any unusual letters?

We’ll define common letters as those that appear in the old typesetters’ phrase ETAOIN SHRDLU. (Memorize this! Pronounce it “Edwin Shirdloo,” like a name, and pretend he’s a friend of yours.)

Almost all of today’s letters are from our mnemonic. Only one isn’t, and it’s uncommon.

Can you give me a hint for today’s Wordle?

To faint or nearly faint, especially over someone else.

Does today’s Wordle have any double or repeated letters?

There is one repeated letter today. 

How many vowels are in today’s Wordle?

There is one vowel, used twice.

What letter does today’s Wordle start with?

Today’s word starts with S. 

What letter does today’s Wordle end with?

Today’s word ends with N. 

What is the solution to today’s Wordle?

Ready? Today’s word is SWOON.

How I solved today’s Wordle

I started with RAISE and TOUCH, then guessed BLOND, which narrowed down to a handful of solutions including the letters in WIMPY. Next I guessed SNOWS with KNOWS and SWOON as other possible answers—the latter being the final solution.

Wordle 1,122 6/6

⬛⬛⬛🟨⬛
⬛🟨⬛⬛⬛
⬛⬛🟩🟨⬛
🟨⬛⬛⬛⬛
🟩🟨🟩🟨⬛
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

---

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle was medium difficult. The hint was “found at Blockbuster” and the answer contained four common letters and one uncommon letter.

The answer to yesterday’s Wordle was VIDEO.

A primer on Wordle basics

The idea of Wordle is to guess the day’s secret word. When you first open the Wordle game, you’ll see an empty grid of letters. It’s up to you to make the first move: type in any five-letter word. 

Now, you can use the colors that are revealed to get clues about the word: Green means you correctly guessed a letter, and it’s in the correct position. (For example, if you guess PARTY, and the word is actually PURSE, the P and R will be green.)

• Yellow means the letter is somewhere in the word, but not in the position you guessed it. (For example, if you guessed PARTY, but the word is actually ROAST, the R, A and T will all be yellow.)

• Gray means the letter is not in the solution word at all. (If you guessed PARTY and everything is gray, then the solution cannot be PURSE or ROAST.)

With all that in mind, guess another word, and then another, trying to land on the correct word before you run out of chances. You get six guesses, and then it’s game over.

The best starter words for Wordle

What should you play for that first guess? The best starters tend to contain common letters, to increase the chances of getting yellow and green squares to guide your guessing. (And if you get all grays when guessing common letters, that’s still excellent information to help you rule out possibilities.) There isn’t a single “best” starting word, but the New York Times’s Wordle analysis bot has suggested starting with one of these:

• CRANE

• TRACE

• SLANT

• CRATE

• CARTE

Meanwhile, an MIT analysis found that you’ll eliminate the most possibilities in the first round by starting with one of these:

• SALET

• REAST

• TRACE

• CRATE

• SLATE

Other good picks might be ARISE or ROUND. Words like ADIEU and AUDIO get more vowels in play, but you could argue that it’s better to start with an emphasis on consonants, using a starter like RENTS or CLAMP. Choose your strategy, and see how it plays out.

How to win at Wordle

We have a few guides to Wordle strategy, which you might like to read over if you’re a serious student of the game. This one covers how to use consonants to your advantage, while this one focuses on a strategy that uses the most common letters. In this advanced guide, we detail a three-pronged approach for fishing for hints while maximizing your chances of winning quickly.

The biggest thing that separates Wordle winners from Wordle losers is that winners use their guesses to gather information about what letters are in the word. If you know that the word must end in -OUND, don’t waste four guesses on MOUND, ROUND, SOUND, and HOUND; combine those consonants and guess MARSH. If the H lights up in yellow, you know the solution.

One more note on strategy: the original Wordle used a list of about 2,300 solution words, but after the game was bought by the NYT, the game now has an editor who hand-picks the solutions. Sometimes they are slightly tricky words that wouldn’t have made the original list, and sometimes they are topical. For example, FEAST was the solution one Thanksgiving. So keep in mind that there may be a theme.

Wordle alternatives

If you can’t get enough of five-letter guessing games and their kin, the best Wordle alternatives, ranked by difficulty, include:

• Wheeldle, which lets you play one puzzle after another

• Dordle and Quordle, which ask you to play two (Dordle) or four (Quordle) puzzles at the same time, with the same guesses. There is also Octordle, with eight puzzles, and Sedecordle, with 16.

• Waffle, which shows you several five-letter words, scrambled in a grid; you play by swapping the letters around until you solve.

• Absurdle, which changes the solution after each guess, but needs to stay consistent with its previous feedback. You have to strategically back it into a corner until there is only one possible word left; then you guess it, and win.

• Squabble, in which you play Wordle against other people with a timer running. You take damage if you spend too much time between guesses; winner is the last one standing.

• Antiwordle, in which you are trying not to guess the day’s solution. You’re required to reuse any letters that you (oops) guessed correctly, so the longer it takes you, the better you are at the game.

If you’re looking for the Wordle answer for July 14, 2024 read on. We’ll share some clues, tips, and strategies, and finally the solution. Today’s puzzle is medium difficult; I got it in four. Beware, there are spoilers below for July 14, Wordle #1,121! Keep scrolling if you want some hints (and then the answer) to today’s Wordle game.

How to play Wordle

Wordle lives here on the New York Times website. A new puzzle goes live every day at midnight, your local time.

Start by guessing a five-letter word. The letters of the word will turn green if they’re correct, yellow if you have the right letter in the wrong place, or gray if the letter isn’t in the day’s secret word at all. For more, check out our guide to playing Wordle here, and my strategy guide here for more advanced tips. (We also have more information at the bottom of this post, after the hints and answers.)

Ready for the hints? Let’s go!

---

Does today’s Wordle have any unusual letters?

We’ll define common letters as those that appear in the old typesetters’ phrase ETAOIN SHRDLU. (Memorize this! Pronounce it “Edwin Shirdloo,” like a name, and pretend he’s a friend of yours.)

Almost all of today’s letters are from our mnemonic. Only one isn’t, and it’s uncommon.

Can you give me a hint for today’s Wordle?

Found at Blockbuster.

Does today’s Wordle have any double or repeated letters?

There are no repeated letters today. 

How many vowels are in today’s Wordle?

There are three vowels.

What letter does today’s Wordle start with?

Today’s word starts with V. 

What letter does today’s Wordle end with?

Today’s word ends with O. 

What is the solution to today’s Wordle?

Ready? Today’s word is VIDEO.

How I solved today’s Wordle

I started with RAISE then tried BLEND and MITCH to eliminate common consonants. There are a lot of words that include I,E, and D, but most of them end with D, leaving VIDEO as the best possible solution.

Wordle 1,121 4/6

⬛⬛🟨⬛🟨
⬛⬛🟨⬛🟨
⬛🟩⬛⬛⬛
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

---

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle was medium difficult. The hint was “to establish, as in a law” and the answer contained four common letters and one fairly common letter.

The answer to yesterday’s Wordle was ENACT.

A primer on Wordle basics

The idea of Wordle is to guess the day’s secret word. When you first open the Wordle game, you’ll see an empty grid of letters. It’s up to you to make the first move: type in any five-letter word. 

Now, you can use the colors that are revealed to get clues about the word: Green means you correctly guessed a letter, and it’s in the correct position. (For example, if you guess PARTY, and the word is actually PURSE, the P and R will be green.)

• Yellow means the letter is somewhere in the word, but not in the position you guessed it. (For example, if you guessed PARTY, but the word is actually ROAST, the R, A and T will all be yellow.)

• Gray means the letter is not in the solution word at all. (If you guessed PARTY and everything is gray, then the solution cannot be PURSE or ROAST.)

With all that in mind, guess another word, and then another, trying to land on the correct word before you run out of chances. You get six guesses, and then it’s game over.

The best starter words for Wordle

What should you play for that first guess? The best starters tend to contain common letters, to increase the chances of getting yellow and green squares to guide your guessing. (And if you get all grays when guessing common letters, that’s still excellent information to help you rule out possibilities.) There isn’t a single “best” starting word, but the New York Times’s Wordle analysis bot has suggested starting with one of these:

• CRANE

• TRACE

• SLANT

• CRATE

• CARTE

Meanwhile, an MIT analysis found that you’ll eliminate the most possibilities in the first round by starting with one of these:

• SALET

• REAST

• TRACE

• CRATE

• SLATE

Other good picks might be ARISE or ROUND. Words like ADIEU and AUDIO get more vowels in play, but you could argue that it’s better to start with an emphasis on consonants, using a starter like RENTS or CLAMP. Choose your strategy, and see how it plays out.

How to win at Wordle

We have a few guides to Wordle strategy, which you might like to read over if you’re a serious student of the game. This one covers how to use consonants to your advantage, while this one focuses on a strategy that uses the most common letters. In this advanced guide, we detail a three-pronged approach for fishing for hints while maximizing your chances of winning quickly.

The biggest thing that separates Wordle winners from Wordle losers is that winners use their guesses to gather information about what letters are in the word. If you know that the word must end in -OUND, don’t waste four guesses on MOUND, ROUND, SOUND, and HOUND; combine those consonants and guess MARSH. If the H lights up in yellow, you know the solution.

One more note on strategy: the original Wordle used a list of about 2,300 solution words, but after the game was bought by the NYT, the game now has an editor who hand-picks the solutions. Sometimes they are slightly tricky words that wouldn’t have made the original list, and sometimes they are topical. For example, FEAST was the solution one Thanksgiving. So keep in mind that there may be a theme.

Wordle alternatives

If you can’t get enough of five-letter guessing games and their kin, the best Wordle alternatives, ranked by difficulty, include:

• Wheeldle, which lets you play one puzzle after another

• Dordle and Quordle, which ask you to play two (Dordle) or four (Quordle) puzzles at the same time, with the same guesses. There is also Octordle, with eight puzzles, and Sedecordle, with 16.

• Waffle, which shows you several five-letter words, scrambled in a grid; you play by swapping the letters around until you solve.

• Absurdle, which changes the solution after each guess, but needs to stay consistent with its previous feedback. You have to strategically back it into a corner until there is only one possible word left; then you guess it, and win.

• Squabble, in which you play Wordle against other people with a timer running. You take damage if you spend too much time between guesses; winner is the last one standing.

• Antiwordle, in which you are trying not to guess the day’s solution. You’re required to reuse any letters that you (oops) guessed correctly, so the longer it takes you, the better you are at the game.

If you’re looking for the Wordle answer for July 13, 2024 read on. We’ll share some clues, tips, and strategies, and finally the solution. Today’s puzzle is medium difficult; I got it in four. Beware, there are spoilers below for July 13, Wordle #1,120! Keep scrolling if you want some hints (and then the answer) to today’s Wordle game.

How to play Wordle

Wordle lives here on the New York Times website. A new puzzle goes live every day at midnight, your local time.

Start by guessing a five-letter word. The letters of the word will turn green if they’re correct, yellow if you have the right letter in the wrong place, or gray if the letter isn’t in the day’s secret word at all. For more, check out our guide to playing Wordle here, and my strategy guide here for more advanced tips. (We also have more information at the bottom of this post, after the hints and answers.)

Ready for the hints? Let’s go!

---

Does today’s Wordle have any unusual letters?

We’ll define common letters as those that appear in the old typesetters’ phrase ETAOIN SHRDLU. (Memorize this! Pronounce it “Edwin Shirdloo,” like a name, and pretend he’s a friend of yours.)

Almost all of today’s letters are from our mnemonic. Only one isn’t, and it’s still pretty common.

Can you give me a hint for today’s Wordle?

To establish, as in a law.

Does today’s Wordle have any double or repeated letters?

There are no repeated letters today. 

How many vowels are in today’s Wordle?

There are two vowels.

What letter does today’s Wordle start with?

Today’s word starts with E. 

What letter does today’s Wordle end with?

Today’s word ends with T. 

What is the solution to today’s Wordle?

Ready? Today’s word is ENACT.

How I solved today’s Wordle

I started with RAISE then tried BLOND and MATCH to eliminate common consonants. This left ENACT as the only possible solution.

Wordle 1,120 4/6

⬛🟨⬛⬛🟨
⬛⬛⬛🟨⬛
⬛🟨🟨🟩⬛
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

---

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle was hard. The hint was “be there in one of these—i.e., in a hurry” and the answer contained one common letters, two somewhat common letters, and two uncommon letters.

The answer to yesterday’s Wordle was JIFFY.

A primer on Wordle basics

The idea of Wordle is to guess the day’s secret word. When you first open the Wordle game, you’ll see an empty grid of letters. It’s up to you to make the first move: type in any five-letter word. 

Now, you can use the colors that are revealed to get clues about the word: Green means you correctly guessed a letter, and it’s in the correct position. (For example, if you guess PARTY, and the word is actually PURSE, the P and R will be green.)

• Yellow means the letter is somewhere in the word, but not in the position you guessed it. (For example, if you guessed PARTY, but the word is actually ROAST, the R, A and T will all be yellow.)

• Gray means the letter is not in the solution word at all. (If you guessed PARTY and everything is gray, then the solution cannot be PURSE or ROAST.)

With all that in mind, guess another word, and then another, trying to land on the correct word before you run out of chances. You get six guesses, and then it’s game over.

The best starter words for Wordle

What should you play for that first guess? The best starters tend to contain common letters, to increase the chances of getting yellow and green squares to guide your guessing. (And if you get all grays when guessing common letters, that’s still excellent information to help you rule out possibilities.) There isn’t a single “best” starting word, but the New York Times’s Wordle analysis bot has suggested starting with one of these:

• CRANE

• TRACE

• SLANT

• CRATE

• CARTE

Meanwhile, an MIT analysis found that you’ll eliminate the most possibilities in the first round by starting with one of these:

• SALET

• REAST

• TRACE

• CRATE

• SLATE

Other good picks might be ARISE or ROUND. Words like ADIEU and AUDIO get more vowels in play, but you could argue that it’s better to start with an emphasis on consonants, using a starter like RENTS or CLAMP. Choose your strategy, and see how it plays out.

How to win at Wordle

We have a few guides to Wordle strategy, which you might like to read over if you’re a serious student of the game. This one covers how to use consonants to your advantage, while this one focuses on a strategy that uses the most common letters. In this advanced guide, we detail a three-pronged approach for fishing for hints while maximizing your chances of winning quickly.

The biggest thing that separates Wordle winners from Wordle losers is that winners use their guesses to gather information about what letters are in the word. If you know that the word must end in -OUND, don’t waste four guesses on MOUND, ROUND, SOUND, and HOUND; combine those consonants and guess MARSH. If the H lights up in yellow, you know the solution.

One more note on strategy: the original Wordle used a list of about 2,300 solution words, but after the game was bought by the NYT, the game now has an editor who hand-picks the solutions. Sometimes they are slightly tricky words that wouldn’t have made the original list, and sometimes they are topical. For example, FEAST was the solution one Thanksgiving. So keep in mind that there may be a theme.

Wordle alternatives

If you can’t get enough of five-letter guessing games and their kin, the best Wordle alternatives, ranked by difficulty, include:

• Wheeldle, which lets you play one puzzle after another

• Dordle and Quordle, which ask you to play two (Dordle) or four (Quordle) puzzles at the same time, with the same guesses. There is also Octordle, with eight puzzles, and Sedecordle, with 16.

• Waffle, which shows you several five-letter words, scrambled in a grid; you play by swapping the letters around until you solve.

• Absurdle, which changes the solution after each guess, but needs to stay consistent with its previous feedback. You have to strategically back it into a corner until there is only one possible word left; then you guess it, and win.

• Squabble, in which you play Wordle against other people with a timer running. You take damage if you spend too much time between guesses; winner is the last one standing.

• Antiwordle, in which you are trying not to guess the day’s solution. You’re required to reuse any letters that you (oops) guessed correctly, so the longer it takes you, the better you are at the game.

You can get this Samsung Wireless Soundbar on sale for $109.99 right now (reg. $199). This setup connects to your TV or other smart devices via Bluetooth, it has a built-in wireless subwoofer, and you can set up the surround sound extension nearby and choose between presets for standard or surround sound. It’s compatible with Dolby Digital 2ch and DTS 2ch formats, and you can control both the soundbar and your Samsung TV with the same remote. It’s in new condition and marked as “new, open-box” because the box may have been handled or opened, but the soundbar is brand new. 

You can get this Samsung Wireless Soundbar on sale for $109.99 right now (reg. $199), though prices may change at any time. 

Argentina takes on Colombia in the 2024 Copa América final in Miami at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 14—and you don’t need a VPN to watch it if you have the right channels and subscriptions. The final is available on Fox Sports and Fox Sports 1 in English. Univision owns the Spanish rights, so you can catch the game on TUDN, Univision, and TelevisaUnivision (UniMás). There’s also paid streaming subscriptions you can watch it on, but it might be cheaper to use a VPN than get a subscription you might only use once.

Which VPN to use to watch the Copa América final

To watch the upcoming Copa América final using a VPN, go to Sportitalia, which has been streaming all of the Copa América matches in Italy (and in Italian). No, you don’t have to physically be in Italy to watch the stream like the website says—that’s where a VPN comes in handy. You can use any VPN to change your IP address, but you’ll need one that lets you choose Italy as the server. Express VPN is my favorite VPN for bypassing geo-blocking restrictions and choosing your server country. It costs $12.95 per month, $9.99 per month for six months, or an annual plan for $8.32 per month. Once you have ExpressVPN, open the app on your phone or computer and go to Sportitalia on the same device (you’ll probably need your browser to translate to English unless you speak Italian), and you’ll be able to watch the Copa América final there.

The advantage of doing this over a subscription you might not use again is that VPNs are helpful tools for giving you more security online or using other streaming platforms like Netflix in other regions to have different media that would otherwise not be available in your area.

You can get this Apple 67W USB-C Power Adapter on sale right now for $39.99. It has a retractable plug, but note that it doesn’t come with a charging cable, so you’ll need to use your own. It works for MacBooks and any other USB-C device and offers fast and efficient 67W charging, and compatible MacBook models from 2015 to 2023 can expect a 50 percent power boost in 30 minutes. The power adapter is an open-box item, typically excess inventory from store shelves—which is what gives it its low price—but it’s brand new.

You can get this Apple 67W USB-C Power Adapter on sale right now for $39.99 (reg. $59), though prices can change at any time.

Sometimes, it’s hard to get a handle on the latest phones, tablets, computers, and gaming devices through text alone—as much as we appreciate you reading us here at Lifehacker, I acknowledge that video can be really helpful when making a big tech purchase.

Thankfully, there are plenty of great YouTubers out there making high-quality unboxing videos, deep dives, and reviews for free. Here are some of my favorite technology YouTubers to help flesh out your knowledge when text alone just doesn’t cut it.

Marques Brownlee/MKBHD

Marques Brownlee, also known as MKBHD, is a great first source when it comes to phones, tablets, and wearables. Marques started making videos in 2009, while he was still in high school, and his long-held personal interest in consumer technology shows.

Brownlee has a high level of access to the industry, almost always snagging day-one reviews on devices from Apple, Google, Samsung, and even smaller companies like Nothing. He has also interviewed the likes of Tim Cook, Elon Musk, and Mark Zuckerberg. Even with his connections to larger companies, he keeps an eye on devices across budget ranges, with his annual smartphone awards giving a pretty thorough breakdown of the state of the industry. He also has a side channel where he reviews electric cars, although his Tesla coverage sometimes makes it to his main channel.

Marques’ reviews are thorough, well-produced, and calm—and despite his connections and a wholesome approach that has gotten him on Sesame Street, he isn’t afraid to criticize. Recently, he spun up a bit of a controversy after a scathing review of the Humane AI Pin, but wasn’t afraid to stick by his opinion in response.

Linus Tech Tips

Linus Tech Tips is ones of the next biggest tech reviewers on YouTube behind MKBHD, and he tends to cover the geekier side of tech, but in a way that’s approachable for general audiences. Videos are usually (but not always) hosted by the proudly sandals-and-socks wearing Linus Sebastian, who got his start making videos for now defunct video computer store NCIX. Topics include laptops, GPUs, CPUs, custom PC builds, and wacky experiments like water cooling a PC using a pool, although LTT isn’t afraid to also comment on big innovations from the likes of Apple and Google when necessary.

Linus Tech Tips did come under fire last year when fellow tech channel Gamers Nexus called them out for misleading, rushed, or error-prone reviews, as well as conflicts of interests and unfair handling of certain products. After taking some time off, the channel came back with a promise to improve transparency and quality control, and is still going strong as a general place to keep up with the more enthusiast side of tech.

Gamers Nexus

When Gamers Nexus criticized Linus, it wasn’t some upstart taking a shot at the king. The channel, operated by former computer industry engineer Steve Burke, has millions of subscribers in its own right and covers similar topics to Linus Tech Tips, even having shown up in previous Linus Tech Tips videos. The difference is in approach.

While Linus Tech Tips has big personalities and a multi-camera approach that focuses more on general information, wacky experiments, and entertainment, Burke’s videos tend to be more down-to-Earth and vlog style. The main character here is not Burke himself, but the numbers from the many vigorous benchmarks he puts products through before reviewing them. Burke may also get a bit more niche in the products he covers and is not afraid to speak to specific subsets of his audience.

Before you start thinking that deep dives on heatsinks and PC cases might be a bit geeky for you, don’t worry. The channel’s regular HW News videos offer an approachable way to keep up with tech, and it’s worth subscribing to the channel for those alone. Structured like an evening newscast, they feature Steve in an anchor-like position, dedicating a few minutes each to the biggest tech news stories of the moment. All the stories are listed in a sidebar on the left side of the video with timestamps for each topic, complete with what I can only call loading bars that update as you progress through the video. It’s a quick, simple way to get a no-nonsense update on what’s worth keeping up with in the tech world.

Linus also isn’t the only one Gamers Nexus has taken to task. The channel has a bit of a reputation as a crusader for ethics, most recently criticizing computer manufacturer Asus for a confusing and misleading returns process, an expose that actually got the company to overhaul its returns and repairs service. When it comes to YouTubers who have concretely changed tech for the better, Gamers Nexus is high on the list.

Unbox Therapy

Most of the channels on this list do some kind of unboxing from time to time, but Unbox Therapy is the only one dedicated to it. Despite the more general name, this is a tech-focused channel, focused largely on anticipated products from major manufacturers like Apple or Sony. The videos here do include reviews and guides, but are more often focused on first impressions and showing what a product’s out-of-the-box experience looks like. Unbox Therapy has covered everything from the Google Pixel 8a to the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, and his videos do not skimp on detail. You’ll get to see multiple color options, configurations, comparisons with past products, and pretty much everything you need to know to figure out how a gadget stacks up in the real world.

Dave2D

Dave2D is like a bit of a cross between Marques Brownlee and Gamers Nexus, regularly mixing coverage of products like the Apple Vision Pro with more specialty gear like the MSI Claw gaming handheld. The host, Dave Lee, tends to keep his videos under 10 minutes, making them great for short and to-the-point refreshers. The approach here is informative and somewhat similar to MKBHD’s, but works well as a complement to that channel, thanks to the somewhat wider breadth of topics. Brownlee regularly admits that he isn’t a gamer, and Dave2D does a great job of discussing devices that MKBHD doesn’t cover in a less geeky and somewhat more approachable way than Linus Tech Tips or Gamers Nexus. Even when covering more popular general tech, though, Dave2D’s videos are clean, comprehensive, and approachable.

Digital Foundry

There are two ways to review video games. One is to cover the title’s art, story, music, gameplay, and general game design. The other is all about how the game performs as a piece of software. Ideally, a review should do both, but Digital Foundry is the reigning champion of the latter.

Knowledgeable and not afraid to mix in opinion about the games themselves, Digital Foundry has become the first port of call for gamers wondering whether their PCs can run a game or which console to buy a game for. For each game it reviews, the channel breaks down frame rates across a variety of systems and graphics settings, while also explaining why performance might suffer in a way that helps gamers understand what they’re buying—and helps developers know what to fix.

Digital Foundry doesn’t just cover the big AAA releases, either, also being sure to hit indie titles like Penny’s Big Breakway and fan projects like Zelda 64 Recompiled. (Note that Digital Foundry is partially owned by the Gamer Network, which was recently purchased by IGN, a sister company to Lifehacker.)

LGR

There’s more to tech than reviewing the hottest new gadgets. Sometimes, there is plenty to learn from looking at the past. That’s why I love LGR Oddware, hosted by Clint Basinger. A recurring feature on the wider LGR channel (formerly Lazy Game Reviews), the show features Clint unboxing, describing, building, and testing the weirdest computer gadgets and gizmos of yesteryear. Part history lesson and part schadenfreude generator, Oddware has covered everything from weird video game controllers to drink-serving robots from the 1980s. Reviews, surprisingly, aren’t always negative, and are a fascinating look at the creativity old school tech designers resorted to before standards were set on things like phones, controllers, and mice.

Technology Connections

You’re probably using your dishwasher wrong. That’s what I learned from Technology Connections’ half-hour explainer last month, and my dishes have never looked so spotless since. Acting as a sort of guru for home appliances, Technology Connections explains the history and methodology behind common devices like air conditioners, dishwashers, and power outlets in a genuinely fun way that might also teach you a few tricks and tips that will make your life better. The documentary style approach is comprehensive yet approachable, and while topics often have some bearing on what you have in your house right now, the channel has also done LGR Oddware-style breakdowns on odd trends or gadgets that aren’t really around anymore.

Against all logic, Americans sure do love their lawns. Most of us recognize that lawns are wasteful: functionally useless ornaments that suck up water, encourage the use of dangerous pesticides and fertilizers, and require regular maintenance that eats into our free time, and yet we can’t seem to quit them. There are actually more lawns than cornfields in the United States, despite the fact that, as any lawn-proud homeowner will tell you, growing a lush field of grass isn’t easy, and requires a lot of investment.

Your best decision when it comes to your lawn is to kill it and replace it with something less ridiculous and environmentally harmful. But if you’re sticking with your lawn despite all the downsides (maybe you enjoy spending hundreds of hours mowing?) there’s one thing you can still do to make the situation a little better: Plant the right grass—meaning, usually, the least terrible grass for your needs and location.

The right grass can require less maintenance

If you want the least-worst lawn possible, your goal should be cutting down the resources that it consumes. The number one consideration should be water consumption: We use a collective 9 billion gallons of water on landscape irrigation every single day, even as major cities around the country are running out of water. That means your best/least-worst choice for grass has to be a low-water, drought-resistant variety.

We also use a lot of pesticides to keep those green lawns green, around 70 million pounds of the stuff annually. All those pesticides get into the ground and the groundwater, and many of the common pesticides used have been linked to serious health problems in humans. That means your least-worst grass choice will also have to thrive without the use of a lot of pesticides.

On the bright side, you have a few choices for low-water, low-maintenance grasses, depending on your local climate.

The best (least terrible) grasses to choose for your lawn

• Zoysia Grass. An overall good choice, Zoysia grass is drought- and bug-resistant, grows slowly so you don’t have to mow it constantly, and holds up well to foot traffic. It’s actually a very hard-to-kill grass, so it’s a great choice for the lazy as well as the environmentally conscious. It’s a warm-weather grass that will do best in USDA zones 6-11.

• Red Fescue. Red Fescue is a great choice for the lazy lawn master, as it doesn’t require much mowing or other landscaping work, and will grow into a dense carpet more or less on its own. A cool-weather grass, it thrives in Zones 1-7 and won’t need irrigation at all if you usually get at least 18-20 inches of rain every year.

• Buffalo Grass. Native to North America, Buffalo Grass is a hardy, easy-to-grow grass that sips very little water—most varieties need just an inch or so of water per month. You can let it grow to produce a soft, tall lawn or cut it short for a more traditional look. It thrives in Zones 3-9. For the ultimate least-worst grass lawn, the UC Verde variety developed at the University of California uses even less water. The one downside is that Buffalo Grass has a tendency to allow weeds to infiltrate, so it might take a bit more care.

• St. Augustine Grass. St. Augustine Grass is a low-water grass that thrives in the shade and heat (it will do best in Zones 8-10). so if you’ve made sure the hateful sun can’t burn you alive in your yard it will grow just fine. It’s also tolerant of sea salt, making it a good choice if you’re near the water. You can’t get seeds for this grass—you’ll have to propagate from pods or slugs. This grass does require a fair amount of watering when it’s first planted, but once it’s established it is a very low-water grass. While resistant to weeds, St. Augustine Grass does attract a fair amount of pests, so if cutting down your pesticide use is a priority this may not be the best choice.

• Centipedegrass. Centipedegrass isn’t the best when it comes to water usage, but it is one of the more pest-resistant grasses available, allowing you to use fewer pesticides in your lawn care regimen. Centipedegrass grows easily in Zones 7-9 and is so easy to maintain its nickname is “lazy man’s grass.”

If you love your lawn beyond all sense and sanity, at least plant a grass that will do as little harm to your sanity—and the environment—as possible. These five grasses are all good choices if you insist on your lawn.