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You can always count on Max for a show-stopping drama, but you never know when it could get rid of that one movie you've been relying on it for. Luckily, that's what we're here for, and you can bet that we've had our eagle eyes peeled for the titles leaving Max soon.

There are five stand-outs that have limited time left on one of the best streaming services and now is the time to make the most of them. With two A24 movies on the chopping block (one of them a previous Best Picture Oscar winner), there's a beloved superhero movie, a British modern classic animated feature, and historical war biopic that Max have decided to let go.

Thankfully none of our picks for the best Max movies are leaving any time soon - but that's never guaranteed. On a brighter note, Max has a wave of new movies and shows on the way, and you can view our full list of everything new on Max in May 2025.

Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)

RT score: 94%
Directors: Dan Kwan & Daniel Scheinert
Age rating: R
Length: 132 minutes

One of the most-loved movies to come from the A24 studio that captured the hearts of millions of movie fans, and now it's running its course with Max. Though many were left utterly disappointed with Jamie Lee Curtis' Oscar victory over fellow nominee Stephanie Hsu, it certainly redeemed itself when it swept Best Supporting Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Picture.

In this surrealist comedy action drama Michelle Yeoh stars as Evelyn Wang, a Chinese immigrant who is under IRS investigation. She uncovers a strange ability to transport through different universes and connect with her alternative timelines. Through this crazy journey across the multiverse she must stop a powerful being from destroying everything, but this wild ride turns into a touching story of self-discovery which leads her to rekindling her complicated relationship with her daughter.

The Imitation Game (2014)

RT score: 90%
Director: Morten Tyldum
Age rating: PG-13
Length: 113 minutes

When I started my monthly streaming diary roundups earlier this year, The Imitation Game was one of the nine movies I streamed in January 2025. As far as biopics go, Tyldum's retelling of Alan Turing's history-altering discovery is a gold standard British drama film despite its small handful of historical inaccuracies.

As much as its a war drama, The Imitation Game is an inspiring story of a queer genius who helped saved millions, but was still persecuted for his sexuality even in the events after his ground-breaking achievement.

It's the Second World War, and English mathematician Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) has been recruited by MI6 to help crack the Enigma Nazi code which professionals have failed time again to achieve. Behind him is a team of computer whizzes Hugh Alexander (Matthew Goode) and Joan Clarke (Kiera Knightley), who assist Turing in building a machine which he hopes will be the answer to saving the country from war.

The Florida Project (2017)

RT score: 96%
Director: Sean Baker
Age rating: R
Length: 111 minutes

If you loved recent Best Picture winner Anora (2024) you only have a few more weeks left to revisit this coming-of-age drama from the back catalog of Sean Baker.

Before he dabbled in comedy crime dramas, Baker put out his slice of life drama starring Willem Dafoe exploring the small joys in life and the means of creating your own fun and happiness with what you have. Six year-old girl Moonee (Brooklynn Prince) lives with her single mother at a motel in Florida who struggles to make ends meet and dips in and out of homelessness. Their world is a stark contrast from the one which surrounds them - the surreal and built-for-distraction Walt Disney World.

Paddington (2014)

RT score: 96%
Director: Paul King
Age rating: PG
Length: 95 minutes

The Paddington series of movies has sat very well with audiences, with its recent installment Paddington in Peru (2024) scoring 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. But its second movie Paddington 2 (2018) comes out on top with a near-perfect score of 99%.

Inspired by the classic British children's literature Paddington Bear (Ben Whishaw) lands himself in London after his Peru home is destroyed by an earthquake. He immediately warms to the family of Henry Brown (Hugh Bonneville) and Mary Brown (Sally Hawkins) and their two children, who decide to adapt him into the family, but shortly after settling into city life, he becomes the target of Millicent Clyde (Nicole Kidman), a taxidermist who will stop at nothing to get her hands on a bear as rare as he.

Deadpool (2016)

RT score: 85%
Director: Tim Miller
Age rating: R
Length: 108 minutes

Miller made his directorial debut with Deadpool in 2016 and went on to produce the Sonic trilogy of movies (we won't mention Borderlands).

In contrast to other Marvel movies and superheroes, Deadpool isn't the suave, put-together action hero you'd expect. Instead, he's irreverent and unserious, yet has smart comedic timing. After serving in the Special Forces Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) is disfigured by evil scientist Ajax (Ed Skrein) and is turned into Deadpool. In spite of his disfigurement he's left with superhuman powers which he uses to his advantage to track down the man who ruined everything for him.

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• Zeekr and MG showcased new models at the Shanghai Motor Show
• The MG Cyber X brings back pop-up headlights
• Zeekr’s 9X is gunning for Bentley and Rolls-Royce with opulent styling

Both MG and Zeekr have joined a plethora of Chinese brands in showcasing exciting new models at this year’s Shanghai Motor Show.

Sitting at the more affordable end of the spectrum, MG unveiled the second in its fashion-forward ‘Cyber’ themed series, which includes the ground-breaking two seater Cyberster sports car.

While much of the current global MG range is stylish but a little restrained, the Cyber X is a full-on design showcase, boasting boxy proportions, a high-riding road presence and cool pop-up headlights that retract when the ignition is turned off.

Sporting a stealthy smoked black paint job, it is the work of ex-VW and Bugatti Veyron designer Jozef Kaban, who joined MG early last year to bring some design spice to the brand.

Speaking to Autocar, he said that the point of the Cyber X was to show how diverse the company is.

(Image credit: Zeekr)

Just around the corner from MG’s stand, Zeekr showcased its first every hybrid model in the gargantuan 9X – a car that the company hopes can legitimately take on the Rolls-Royce Cullinan and Bentley Bentayga in the ultra-luxury SUV space.

But unlike the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, which costs well in excess of $400,000 (or £300,000 / AU$625,000) the 9X is slated to start at around $70,000 (about £53,000 / AU$110,000) and offer plenty in terms of intentions plushness and technology.

There’s a 43-inch cinema screen in the rear, allowing passengers to recline in plush surroundings, while Zeekr says it will be the first model to sport its G-Pilot autonomous driving technology.

According to the marque, its extensive camera, sensor and Lidar suite is good for true Level 3 autonomy – allowing drivers to take hands off the wheel and eyes off the road where legal to do so.

China refines its luxury tastes

(Image credit: SAIC Design)

Recent reports have suggested that the demand for premium Western brands is cooling in China, as the domestic market looks more towards its own start-ups for the latest and most innovative electric vehicle technology.

Sales of Porsche and Ferrari vehicles have dipped in recent years, while even the luxury watch, wines and spirits markets have seen an overall decrease in sales numbers, according to Finews.

This could be down to several factors, but Jing Daily, which covers China’s luxury market, claims that there has been a general societal shift away from showy signs of wealth, while younger buyers expect a much higher level of digital engagement in their products.

It is the reason that Audi has launched its own China-only brand in the confusingly-badged AUDI and Mercedes-Benz is showcasing its futuristic Vision V MPV concept at the Shanghai Motor show this year – not only is China producing some of the most advanced EVs on the planet, it is also exclusively receiving some of the newest and most innovative models from western brands.

But both Zeekr and MG sell far beyond their domestic markets, with the pair rapidly finding an audience in Europe and beyond. While it is unlikely the rest of the world will get to see the mammoth 9X on the roads any time soon, the MG Cyber X is highly likely to spawn a global production variant.

The Cyberster did a great job of establishing the brand as something more than just a budget offering, but the Cyber X could well be a volume seller that proves MG can also do desirable design.

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• The latest Google Messages beta hides a working version of group chat muting
• The feature requires some effort to get working, but seems likely to be launching soon
• There's no word on a release date yet

Earlier this month we reported on rumors that suggested Google Messages would be getting a snooze feature so you can temporarily turn off group chat notifications, and now it looks even more likely that this feature is on the way.

That’s according to a new Android Authority teardown of the latest Google Messages build, in which the AA team actually managed to get the tool to work – suggesting it’s very close to release.

The snooze feature will see a new button added to the toolbar (which appears at the top of the screen when you long-press on a chat).

Choosing snooze will cause a second menu to appear, where you can choose to mute a group chain for one hour, eight hours, 24 hours, or 'always'. The menu also reveals that “other members will not see that you snoozed this chat.”

(Image credit: Google)

You can also tweak your snooze options within user profiles, with this option giving you the ability to fine-tune notifications – such as muting everything except direct @ mentions in the chat.

A group chat essential

Muting can be an invaluable group chat function. Sometimes you just need to focus on something for a few hours and don’t want your phone to be bombarded with notifications. And we’ve all been in the family group chat which might be just a few very active relatives pinging messages back and forth – it would feel rude to leave, but only about 5% of the messages are relevant to you (and if a message is relevant the sender can always @ you).

Muting allows you to remove some distractions from your life without completely shutting yourself off socially.

As with all leaked features, there’s no guarantee that this will launch; however, given how in-depth the muting feature already appears to be, it seems likely that it’s not only on the way, but on the way soon.

If and when it does eventually launch, it looks like it could be joined by two other very useful Google Messages features that are also being teased by the latest beta.

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• Roku's Pro and Plus Series TV models are getting some upgrades
• Custom factory calibration is arriving on the Roku Pro Series
• The Plus Series is getting mini-LED backlighting and a host of software improvements

Today, streaming stick and smart TV maker Roku announced a range of enhancements for its current Roku Pro and Roku Plus Series models, as well as a new 85-inch screen size option for its entry-level Select Series TVs.

The Roku Pro series, the budget choice in our best TVs guide, will now get custom factory calibration, a process designed to ensure that “every TV delivers a stunning picture right out of the box.”

The most significant announced changes are for the mid-range Roku Plus Series TVs, which now feature mini-LED backlighting. Combined with the TV’s QLED display panel, this should bring the brightness and color benefits of the Pro Series to a much cheaper price point. Plus Series TVs will also get Roku Smart Picture Max, a feature that performs picture adjustments on a scene-by-scene basis, so you don’t have to fuss with picture settings.

Roku's Plus Series TVs will additionally get a remote finder button, first introduced in the Pro Series. This feature lets you easily locate a remote control buried between couch cushions or left in a different room.

Additionally, the Pro Series’ integrated cable management, a design highlight we appreciated in our Roku Pro Series TV review, is also migrating to the Plus Series.

Finally, the full Roku TV lineup will now feature a Bluetooth Headphone Mode, allowing for an easy wireless connection from the TV for private viewing.

A new best budget TV?

Roku's new Pro Series TVs will now be getting a custom factory calibration prior to shipment (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

Roku’s Pro Series has been among our regular go-to recommendations for viewers looking to upgrade their TV to one with a mini-LED backlight without having to take on excess credit card debt.

At under $1,000 for a 65-inch screen size, the Pro Series is an exceptional value, offering additional benefits such as 4K 120Hz support for gaming, a sleek design, and, of course, Roku’s excellent smart TV interface.

With mini-LED backlighting now on the Plus Series, along with Smart Picture Max, remote finder, and integrated cable management, we may now have a new best budget TV option.

Roku’s announcement indicated that the upgraded Plus Series TVs would be available at the “same affordable price.” With the current 65-inch Plus Series model priced at $649 (and now selling for $499), the new Plus series should be a compelling value, competing head-to-head with other high-value mini-LED TVs such as the Hisense U6N.

We look forward to getting our hands on the new Roku TVs to conduct a full review. In the meantime, check out our coverage of the new Roku streaming sticks introduced at today’s event.

@techradar

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Black Mirror season 7 is sitting right at the top of Netflix's streaming TV chart. With 10.6 million views in the past week, it's even more popular than Ransom Canyon, which is clocking in at 7.2 million views so far.

It's clear that when it comes to viewing numbers, Black Mirror is pretty much review-proof: it's racking up big numbers, despite some critics suggesting that one of the best Netflix series feels like it's running out of ideas. Those critics include us: in our Black Mirror season 7 review we said that perhaps Charlie Brooker and co should quit while they're still ahead.

That said, the series does still deliver some great episodes: we really liked Common People and Hotel Reverie in our Black Mirror season 7 episode ranking. Both episodes stick to Black Mirror's most resonant theme: that technology can really mess with your head.

Sometimes, of course, you actually want technology to mess with your head. It's why some of the most enjoyable shows are also some of the weirdest – and why I'm recommending these highly rated sci-fi and supernatural shows for you to stream.

Stranger Things

Stranger Things isn't so much a show as a phenomenon, and the world owes it a big thanks for introducing a new generation to Kate Bush's sublime Running Up That Hill. Oh, and for making some utterly compelling television too.

Stranger Things is set in a sleepy midwestern town in the 1980s where weird things are going on. It's smart, it's scary and it often feels like a love letter to a much-maligned decade. As someone who was a teen back then, I'm well aware that growing up then was as much about expecting World War III as it was big pop songs and highly flammable clothes. And ST absolutely nails that.

It's "a fascinating stew that juggles numerous genres and influences," Keith & The Movies says. "Yet it all comes together to form an enthralling eight-episode television season that plays like one well-paced and impressively conceived movie."

"It's scary when it means to be scary," Rogues Portal says. "It's endearing when it's meant to be endearing. And overall, it's a delight to watch." And the LA Times raved: "Stranger Things honors its source material in the best way possible: By telling a sweet 'n' scary story in which monsters are real but so are the transformative powers of love and fealty."

The first season achieved 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and while later seasons haven't quite reached that high point they're still great, gripping TV.

Dark

"Having Stranger Things withdrawals?" asks CNET. "Tune in to the eerie supernatural German Netflix show that will make you think twice about stepping into caves."

Stranger Things comparisons are common for this, well, Dark drama. Here's the Sydney Morning Herald: "If Stranger Things is a big bowl of macaroni and cheese made with that lurid orange cheddar you can only get in America, Dark is a gamy Old World stew ladled out from a pot that has been bubbling away for centuries."

Dark has consistently scored highly on the Tomatometer, with the second season hitting the full 100% and season 3 getting a still exceptional 97%. It's an extremely twisty drama that centers on the disappearance of two children in a small German town – a disappearance that unearths the town's sinful past and something supernatural.

Dark is the first German original series made for Netflix and has been described as being rather like Lost, without just being another Lost. "Dark’s creators Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese’s have crafted a remarkable, labyrinthian series of interconnected characters, events, and consequences," says Loud and Clear Reviews, while CNET said "For my money, it's the best show on Netflix."

Russian Doll

Natasha Lyonne is Nadia, a young woman who finds herself out of time: en route to a fancy New York party, she gets trapped in a mysterious time loop that has her attending the same event again and again and again.

Season 1 and 2 both racked up a 97% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and clearly delighted many reviewers: "The show is perfect," said LatinaMedia.co, while Consequence said that "It offers philosophy, humor, a strong cast, and sci-fi-esque twists and turns that feel intentional rather than hokey."

Lyonne is remarkable, ScreenCrush says: "Natasha Lyonne gives a terrifically layered performance that ranges from hilariously funny in the early episodes to brutally emotional." And Collider loved it. "A brilliant tale of morality and mortality that finds an expert balance between sincerity, cutting comedy, and wild genre flourish."

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• Researchers found a huge ad fraud scheme called Scallyway
• The scheme monetizes pirated sites through a series of redirects
• At its peak, there were 1.4 billion daily requests

Cybersecurity researchers from HUMAN have spotted a major ad fraud operation that leverages people’s interest in pirated content to generate ad revenue from otherwise non monetizable content.

In an in-depth report, HUMAN explained pirated websites don’t host ads because they would “run afoul of most advertisers’ policies”. Instead, they are partnering with hundreds of website owners (scammers, basically) who deploy a set of four WordPress plugins on their assets.

These plugins are collectively named Scallywag, and they are designed to do a couple of things, but mostly to load as many ads as possible, and make sure people stick around until they fully render. There are a couple of tactics to slow visitors down, from the “please wait” button that turns to “download now”, to fake CAPTCHAs and other methods. The plugins are called Soralink (released in 2016), Yu Idea (2017), WPSafeLink (2020), and Droplink (2022).

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Choking the operation

After rendering the ad, visitors are again redirected and allowed to download the pirated content they were looking for.

By the time HUMAN discovered the operation, it counted 407 domains and 1.4 billion fraudulent ad requests - per day. It seems the strength is in numbers, since the fraudsters even made YouTube video tutorials, coaching other people on how to join:

"These extensions lower the barrier to entry for a would-be threat actor who wants to monetize content that wouldn't generally be monetizable with advertising; indeed, several threat actors have published videos to coach others on setting up their own schemes," HUMAN said.

The researchers moved in to report and block Scallywag traffic, and claim to have largely succeeded. The traffic allegedly shrunk by 95%, although the operation is not entirely dead since threat actors rotated domains and moved to other monetization models.

Via BleepingComputer

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• Andor season 2 is laying the foundations for an incredibly harrowing moment in Star Wars history
• The event was set in motion by the meeting held by Orson Krennic in episode 1
• It's related to the planet Ghorman, which will make its live-action debut later this season

Andor season 2 has finally made its Disney+ debut – and, amid the numerous online discussions that its first three episodes have spawned, there's one above all others that's really got Star Wars fans talking.

Indeed, following the release of this season's first three episodes, it's all but confirmed that Andor's final installment will cover one of the most tragic moments in the near 50-year history of Lucasfilm's iconic sci-fi franchise.

Full spoilers immediately follow for Andor season 2 episodes 1 to 3. Turn back now if you haven't watched them all yet.

Andor has arrived.See episodes 1-3 of the final season of Andor now streaming, only on @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/Ut8QfdW1qTApril 23, 2025

So, what emotionally devastating event is season 2 building towards? The Ghorman Massacre, which is not only a hugely pivotal moment for many characters involved in the Rebel Alliance, but one whose canonicity has sparked a fierce debate among Star Wars fans for many years.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet. First, let's explore how the final season of one of the best Disney+ shows is laying the foundations to depict this grave moment in such soul-destroying fashion.

In season 2's opening episode, Ben Mendelsohn's Orson Krennic, aka the Galactic Empire commander who's overseeing the creation of the Death Star, invites a number of high-ranking Imperial officers to a secret meeting at The Maltheen Divide.

There, Krennic informs the assembled guests that nobody outside of this room – Emperor Palpatine and a couple of high-ranking officers notwithstanding – is to know about what's discussed at the gathering. Indeed, no notes are to be taken, officers' personal droids will have their hard-drives wiped once the meeting ends, said meeting shouldn't have been put in their calendars, etc.

With that housekeeping out of the way, Krennic plays an infomercial-style video to his fellow Galactic Empire employees about the planet Ghorman. This world is famous for the spiders that weave the best silk in the galaxy, which is used to make the finest twill for the priciest clothes, which are sold across the cosmos.

Cassian will make his way to Ghorman at some point in the show's final season (Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney Plus)

It's a strange mini-documentary to show to the assembled guests, including Imperial Security Bureau commander Major Lio Partagaz and Dedra Meero. But, hey, Krennic is nothing if not eccentric (he's also terrifying, but we knew that already).

Anyway, there's a reason why Krennic played this video, and it's got nothing to do with the spiders that inhabit Ghorman. The planet is also home to a particularly important material – Deep Substrate Foliated Kalkite (DSFK) – which is apparently important to the Emperor's Energy Initiative.

The public line is that DSFK will allow the Galactic Empire to create "stable, unlimited power" (Krennic's words, not mine) that can be used throughout the galaxy, but that's merely a front for the tyrannical regime's true intentions. Indeed, DFSK is actually going to be used to coat the Death Star's reactor lenses. This will allow the Death Star's crew to concentrate its planet-destroying beam to apply enough force to, well, destroy any planets and their inhabitants who oppose the Empire.

Learn the behind-the-scenes secrets of building Yavin 4, Chandrila, Mina-Rau, and more locations from Andor Season 2: https://t.co/XuaShFS8Z5 pic.twitter.com/IR2n2ct0O2April 23, 2025

The Empire's problem is two-fold. For starters, excavating DSFK is an incredibly invasive procedure, so much so that it would destabilize the planet's core and effectively destroy it. If the Empire fails to find a suitable alternative to DSFK – it has three years to locate a substitute, according to Krennic – it'll have no choice but to begin "gouge mining" Ghorman for DSFK.

The other issue is the Empire has little to no presence on Ghorman, so its sudden appearance would raise eyebrows and potentially lead to a rebellion from its 800,000-plus inhabitants.

But the Empire has a plan. By building an armory in Palmo, Ghorman's capital, the autocratic regime plans to distract Ghorman's citizens by using it as a front to secretly ferry in the machines necessary to start digging for DSFK under their noses. With Dedra Meero also informing Krennic that he'll need an Empire-led insurgency on Ghorman to give the Imperials an excuse to start erecting said armory, too, the Empire's scheme will be fully operational soon.

Alright, so what does this have to do with The Ghorman Massacre? Without spoiling too much, Ghorman's populace isn't naïve enough to simply take the Empire's 'we're building an armory, honest!' line at face value. With rebellions springing up across the galaxy as the embryonic Rebel Alliance starts to fight back against the dictatorial Empire, it's only a matter of time before Ghorman's own underground resistance is established.

The Ghorman Massacre will be shown in all of its soul-destroying glory this season (Image credit: Lucasfilm/Disney+)

What'll be most interesting to Star Wars fans is which version of events, neither of which has been covered in a big- or small-screen Star Wars project before, is depicted in season 2.

That's because there are two incidents that bear 'The Ghorman Massacre' name in Star Wars literature. The most well-known one takes place two years before the Battle of Yavin (2 BBY), aka the battle depicted in Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope. The other, outlined in the now non-canonical Star Wars: Legends timeline, occurs in 18 BBY, i.e. well before the events of Andor.

For those unfamiliar with The Ghorman Massacre, I won't spoil what happens during either event. But, with season 2 episodes 7 to 9 in 2 BBY, fans won't have long to wait to find out which version not only serves as inspiration for the Ghorman Massacre in one of 2025's new Star Wars TV shows, but clears up confusion about which event is actually canon.

For more coverage of Andor's return on one of the world's best streaming services, read my spoiler-free review of Andor season 2. Alternatively, read articles from my exclusive chats with the Andor season 2 cast in the section below.

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Ever since I first saw Back to the Future as a kid, I've wanted to go back in time. Whether that was to relive the 90s as an adult instead of a child, or get a glimpse into the roaring 20s, I've always been fascinated with the past.

As a huge movie lover, up until now, I would relive previous decades through the eyes of some of the world's best directors. Whether it's heading back to the summer of 1922 with The Great Gatsby or reliving 1980's Manhattan with When Harry Met Sally, there's a movie for almost any time in history.

Now, thanks to ChatGPT and AI image generation, there's another way to get a snapshot of the past, and while it's very superficial, the trend is picking up steam on social media.

I decided to give the AI time machine a go and head back to 1955, just like my good pal Marty McFly. Here's what I learned.

The Booming 50s

To get ChatGPT to generate old imagery, you'll need to pick a decade or year and ask, "Can you show me an image of what it was like to live in X?" For this example, I chose 1955, just like the first Back to the Future movie.

Initially, ChatGPT generated an image of a stereotypical white family with two children, one girl and one boy. There was a black and white TV in the background, which is historically accurate, but it's hardly an intriguing image.

The best way to get the most out of ChatGPT's time machine is to start a conversation, opting for an initial period in history and then asking follow-up prompts.

(Image credit: ChatGPT)

I followed up my initial prompt with "I love going to the cinema, what would that experience have looked like?" ChatGPT knew I was still talking about 1955 and offered me an image of the outside of a cinema showing The Quiet Man, starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara.

I was unfamiliar with The Quiet Man, so I did a quick search to learn that the film had its first screening in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 1955. Spot on, ChatGPT.

I continued my conversation, wanting to know what fast food in the 50s looked like. I knew McDonald's was invented prior to 1950, but I had no idea what its restaurants looked like.

"What did a fast food burger restaurant look like?" I asked, to which ChatGPT gave me a shockingly accurate image of a 1950s McDonald's, including the half golden arch that was used back then.

(Image credit: ChatGPT)

Impressed by the accuracy, I followed up with, "What about a shopping mall?", ChatGPT imagined an indoor shopping area with a store called Penneys.

I had never heard of Penneys, but again, after some quick research, it turns out it's an Irish store in Dublin that is called Primark in the UK, and JCPenney in the United States.

Thinking back to the cinema, I realized, for whatever reason, ChatGPT was pulling information from Ireland and Northern Ireland. I decided to call it out.

(Image credit: ChatGPT)

"Why do you keep imagining life in Ireland?" I asked, to which AI replied, "Great catch — it does seem like some of those imagined details (like 'Penneys' instead of 'JCPenney') lean more Irish than American, which is a fun little mix-up on my part."

I decided my prompts were too vague, and I should give ChatGPT a little more help when it comes to imagining the 1955 I was dreaming about.

New York, New York

(Image credit: ChatGPT)

I love New York City, specifically any kind of movie set in the Big Apple. I decided to tell ChatGPT that I wanted to see "what it was like to live in 1955 in New York City." AI obliged.

The bustling New York streets looked pretty retro, although I'm not quite sure how I feel about the eerie faces on the New Yorkers caught in frame.

I followed up by asking for a glimpse at Katz's Diner, the iconic NYC diner famous for its incredible pastrami sandwiches and that famous scene where Meg Ryan, you know... Makes a lot of noise.

Image 1 of 2

(Image credit: ChatGPT)Image 2 of 2

(Image credit: ChatGPT)

I had been to Katz's last year, and the image ChatGPT generated was pretty much how I expected it would've looked in the 50s. Funnily enough, even today it feels like you're stepping a foot into the past, so I wouldn't call AI's ability to recreate the decor impressive.

After my pastrami, I walked up Fifth Avenue, past the Plaza Hotel, and finished my 1950s trip to New York City in Central Park. All of the images generated by ChatGPT, while clearly produced by AI, were realistic enough to fulfill the purpose of giving me a snapshot into 1950s American life.

This AI trend is one that I definitely see the appeal of, although I think I prefer to relive the past through cinema, instead of static, procedurally generated imagery.

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• A malicious actor used a compromised Ripple dev account to publish commits to NPM
• The commits would grant access to people's crypto wallets
• They were downloaded around 450 times before being pulled down

A JavaScript library recommended by a major cryptocurrency company has been hijacked, with users now being at risk of losing access to their crypto wallets, as well as the funds stored inside.

Researchers warned omeone managed to break into a NPM account belonging to a developer associated with Ripple.

After breaking into the account, the threat actor modified the NPM JavaScript library named ‘xrpl.js”. Versions 2.14.2, 4.2.1, 4.2.2, 4.2.3, and 4.2.4 of the xrpl NPM package were modified and then published to NPM. The xrpl.js library is used to interact with the XRP Ledger (XRPL) from JavaScript applications, enabling developers to send transactions, check balances, and manage accounts on the network. It is maintained by the XRP Ledger Foundation and is Ripple’s recommended library for interacting with the XPR blockchain via JavaScript.

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GitHub not affected

Ripple is a cryptocurrency company that built XRP, currently the fourth biggest cryptocurrency. It is designed for cross-border payments and currency transfers, primarily for financial institutions. At press time, XRP has a market capitalization of $132.34 billion, and a daily transaction volume of $5 billion.

Before being pulled down, the malicious updates amassed 452 downloads. The latest version showing now is 4.2.5 and this one is clean. Users are advised to upgrade immediately. Usually, the library has more than 100,000 downloads a week.

The malicious commits are not found in the GitHub repository, which should mean the attack occurred during the NPM publishing process.

In the meantime, the XRP Ledger Foundation took to X to clarify that the XRP Ledger codebase and GitHub repository were not affected:

“To clarify: This vulnerability is in xrpl.js, a JavaScript library for interacting with the XRP Ledger. It does NOT affect the XRP Ledger codebase or Github repository itself. Projects using xrpl.js should upgrade to v4.2.5 immediately,” it said.

Xaman Wallet, XRPScan, First Ledger, and Gen3 Games projects were not affected.

Via BleepingComputer

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Smartphones have become an essential part of our lives. As of 2024, around 4.88 billion people worldwide now own smartphones. But have you ever considered what happens to your phone when you upgrade to a new one? On average, a smartphone lasts just 2 to 3 years before it’s either tucked away in a drawer or tossed into a landfill. There, it can leak toxic chemicals and contribute to the growing issue of electronic waste.

But what if smartphones—and other tech products—were designed differently? Imagine modular devices with parts that can be easily repaired, replaced, refurbished, or recycled. Not only would this cut down on environmental damage, but it would also help manufacturers manage rising raw material costs. This is just an example of shifting away from a linear model of consumption, to what is known as circular transformation.

As businesses face mounting economic pressure, the circular economy offers a smarter, more resilient path forward—one that reduces waste, strengthens supply chains, and opens up new revenue streams. By embedding circular principles into their operations, companies can improve profitability while supporting long-term sustainability.

Yet, the latest Circularity Gap Report reveals a troubling reality: only 8.6% of the global economy is circular. This means that of all the minerals, fossil fuels, metals and biomass that enter the economy each year, just 8.6% are cycled back. The rest doesn’t just harm the environment, it’s a huge burden on industries and economies.

To reverse this trend, businesses, policymakers, and industry leaders must work together to scale sustainable and circular solutions.

What does circularity look like?

According to the Ellen Macarthur Foundation, “The circular economy is a system where materials never become waste and nature is regenerated.” Essentially, it’s a departure from the linear take-make-waste model, to a more regenerative, sustainable, and resilient one.

To turn this into action, businesses should incorporate the Ecodesign principles “use better, use longer, and use again” into their product and service offerings, operations, and customer engagement. It might not be an immediate transformation, but an incremental one.

Circularity as a competitive advantage

The perception that circular business models are less profitable is outdated. In fact, companies that integrate sustainability into their core strategies can gain a significant competitive edge. Circularity enables businesses to manufacture products more efficiently, with less —an advantage at a time when material costs remain high and businesses look to cut costs.

By adopting circular design principles, companies can ensure greater repairability, reduce waste, and optimize resource use. With over 80% of a product’s environmental impact determined at the design stage, it's crucial for repairability, reusability, and modularity to be considered right from the start. Additionally, circularity can help mitigate risks associated with geopolitical instability, as businesses become less reliant on volatile supply chains for raw materials.

The key to widespread adoption lies in demonstrating value. Customers must see the tangible benefits of circular models, including cost savings, improved product longevity, and environmental impact reductions. With regulation like the EUs Circular Economy Action Plan, it is becoming increasingly important for compliance.

Investing in education, awareness, and market readiness will be essential in fostering a circular mindset across industries. Larger companies should be working with suppliers and partners to educate them and help implement circular actions.

Scaling circular solutions through industry partnerships

Collaboration is at the core of a successful circular economy. Industry partnerships can accelerate the adoption of circularity by creating shared ecosystems where waste is minimized, and resources are maximized.

Businesses should also look to established ‘recycler’ partners with proven reverse logistics capabilities. At our MasterTech site, MasterPact circuit breakers are collected, disassembled, upgraded, and reintroduced into the market, meeting the same stringent quality standards as new products. This initiative has led to a 45% reduction in emissions per unit, equating to savings of approximately 755kg of CO2 per MasterPact.

Overcoming barriers to circularity: A collaborative effort

Despite its benefits, circularity presents challenges, particularly in reverse logistics, which can be up to 11 times more expensive than traditional supply chains. Costs associated with returns, transportation, and refurbishment can be prohibitive. However, strategic partnerships can help alleviate these pressures by distributing costs and leveraging shared expertise.

Industrial symbiosis—where one company’s waste becomes another’s resource—further enhances efficiency and reduces costs. Moreover, designing products with modularity, upgradability, and ease of repair in mind will make circular business models more viable.

A circular future: The path to economic and environmental resilience

In today’s rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape, embracing circularity is not just an environmental imperative but an economic one. Businesses that integrate sustainable models will be better equipped to withstand supply chain disruptions, manage costs, and achieve long-term profitability.

Achieving a circular future requires a fundamental shift in how we design, produce, and consume. From sustainable product packaging—such as using 100% recycled materials—to developing upgradable, repairable products, every step counts toward creating a more resilient global economy.

For industries worldwide, sustainability is no longer a secondary consideration; it is central to future success. By fostering strategic partnerships and embedding circularity at every level, businesses can drive innovation, strengthen resilience, and pave the way for a net-zero world. The future is circular, and the time to act is now.

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This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

• Ghost of Yōtei will launch on October 2, 2025
• Pre-orders are set to begin next week
• A newly released trailer also outlines the basic story

Developer Sucker Punch Productions has finally revealed the release date for Ghost of Yōtei and released a brand new trailer for the game.

Set in Ezo (now Hokkaido in the modern day) during the Edo period, the game follows protagonist Atsu as she hunts down a band of outlaws that murdered her family sixteen years ago.

Having narrowly escaped their attack, she learned how to hunt and kill, before returning with a list of mysterious names to hunt down one by one: The Snake, The Oni, The Kitsune, The Spider, The Dragon, and Lord Saito.

Despite focusing on revenge, Atsu will encounter a range of unlikely allies throughout her journey and forge long-lasting connections.

The new trailer introduces the premise of the story and also showcases some stunning action scenes and a little more of the beautiful world.

A standalone sequel to the popular Ghost of Tsushima, Ghost of Yōtei evolves that game's open-world formula with even more freedom. You can choose which of your six foes to pursue, in addition to completing bounties for other dangerous targets.

We now also know that the game is set to launch exclusively for PlayStation 5 on October 2, 2025. Pre-orders for the game will begin next week on May, with multiple editions to choose from.

This includes the $69.99 / £69.99 standard edition, which is available both digitally or physically, and a digital-only Ghost of Yōtei Digital Deluxe Edition which costs $79.99 / £79.99. This unlocks some additional digital content, including an armor dye, sword kit, horse and saddle, and charm.

Image 1 of 3

(Image credit: PlayStation)Image 2 of 3

(Image credit: PlayStation)Image 3 of 3

(Image credit: PlayStation)

Finally, there's the Ghost of Yōtei Collector’s Edition which packs in a range of physical and digital items including a physical Ghost Mask to display. There is no word on a price for this version quite yet, though I can't imagine that it will be cheap.

Those who pre-order any edition of the game will receive a unique in-game mask, plus seven PSN avatars to use.

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• A database stolen in a 2024 ransomware attack is being offered for free
• It was grabbed from the French retail company Boulanger Electroménager & Multimédia.
• It affects at least a million people

Sensitive customer information stolen from a French electronics shop in 2024 has now surfaced online and is being offered for free, according to cybersecurity researchers Safety Detectives, who analyzed a sample of the data, confirmed its authenticity, and traced its source.

The researchers said that they recently discovered a forum thread, on the clearweb, offering a database allegedly belonging to Boulanger Electroménager & Multimédia, a French retail company founded in 1954 specializing in household appliances and multimedia products, offering a wide range of items through its extensive network of stores and online platform.

The post contained two links, one to an unparsed, and one to a clear dataset. The former contained a 16GB .JSON file with more than 27 million records, while the latter contained a 500MB .CSV file with five million records.

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A million rows

Safety Detectives reviewed the data and found that the clean dataset contains just over a million rows, with one customer taking up one row.

“While that’s still a considerable number of customers, it’s far smaller than the 5 million claimed by the author of the post,” they said.

The archive contains plenty of sensitive information that can be used in highly convincing phishing attacks, identity theft, wire fraud, and more. It includes people’s full names, postal addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers.

Further analysis confirmed that the data was stolen in 2024, when the company suffered a ransomware attack, together with a number of other retailers:

“Back in September 2024, Boulanger was one of the targets of a ransomware attack that also affected other retailers, such as Truffaut and Cultura,” Safety Detectives explained.

“A threat author with the nickname “horrormar44” claimed responsibility for the breach.” The data was initially being sold online for €2,000, but it’s unclear if anyone bought it or not.

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Prior to 1920, it was more common to buy well-made items and repair them. Over time, however, contemporary societies have come to thrive on the cost and availability advantages of the 'take-make-dispose' linear economy. As a result, successive generations have grown accustomed to expendability, with infrastructure geared towards supplying products that, in many cases, are designed for obsolescence. It is time to return to the traditional values of a circular economy. Our current linear approach is proving to be unsustainable—both environmentally and economically.

The circular economy is a model built on the principle of reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling to extend the lifecycle of products and raw materials. Take modern supply chains, for example, where linear thinking typically translates into systems optimized for throughput rather than sustainability. As every consumer has experienced, overproduction is commonplace as manufacturers and retailers prioritize forecasted demand. This often leads to unsold inventory, markdowns and waste.

Logistics and warehousing processes are similarly one-directional. Many are still designed to move products from source to shelf but not to process returns or products for recycling or reuse. Visibility is another key challenge, especially where supply chains lack full transparency into where materials come from, how products are used or what happens to them after disposal. As a result, companies routinely miss opportunities for recovery and resource optimization.

New rules are focusing minds

In this environment, waste becomes a by-product of operational efficiency to be managed reactively, rather than designed out from the start. Granted, global supply chains are built for scale, not sustainability, but today, it’s increasingly at odds with regulatory, environmental and commercial priorities.

Indeed, support for the underlying principles of the circular economy is no longer voluntary, with regulators increasingly active in pursuing sustainability objectives. In the EU, the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) is already in force, requiring manufacturers to improve product durability, recyclability and traceability and banning the destruction of unsold clothing and footwear starting in 2026.

The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) adds further pressure by mandating consistent, auditable ESG disclosures from a wide range of companies. In the US, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws are expanding, with new rules in California targeting textile and apparel waste.

Looking ahead, additional EU measures coming into effect by 2027 will restrict vague green claims and require clear information on product repairability and lifespan. Taken together, these developments reflect a broader regulatory shift: businesses must now redesign products and processes for sustainability, with full supply chain accountability.

Tech-led opportunities

These are important steps in the right direction, but at the same time, businesses must also be given the tools they need to adapt. Technology in general, and AI in particular, is playing a critical role in enabling circular supply chains. For example, tech-enabled insight and management tools can now provide end-to-end visibility, allowing companies to monitor and manage the environmental impact of their processes and supply chain partners. In practical terms, AI is also being used to help address overproduction and improve asset utilization, among other priorities, all of which help cut emissions and avoid unnecessary resource use.

But what does this look like? In the fashion and retail industry, brands are reducing overproduction with inventory planning tools that factor in seasonality, trends and localized demand patterns. In the grocery sector, retailers are using AI to forecast demand more accurately and apply dynamic pricing, helping to reduce food waste and improve shelf availability.

Elsewhere, reverse logistics systems are being used to recover returned goods for refurbishment or resale, while digital returns platforms are helping to eliminate packaging waste and streamline the return process. These examples demonstrate that circularity isn’t a future goal; it’s already being delivered by companies using the right mix of data, AI and operational strategy.

It goes without saying that there is still a very long road ahead. Scaling the circular economy across global supply chains needs more generalized support and increased investment. Businesses also need to embed circular thinking into core operations, backed by deeper collaboration with suppliers, particularly as regulations now demand much greater transparency across the full value chain.

At the same time, many organizations still lack the infrastructure to collect, analyze and report on sustainability data at scale. Building the digital foundations for these processes, including platforms that can aggregate supplier data and model environmental impacts, will be critical.

This is especially important as regulatory focus shifts toward Scope 3 emissions, which are the indirect environmental impacts that occur across the supply chain. Measuring and reporting on these emissions remains a challenge for many businesses, but it is fast becoming a requirement, particularly in the EU.

Looking ahead, however, there are grounds for optimism. The challenge now is less about awareness and more about implementation, and technology will be central to bridging that gap.

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Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Wednesday, April 23 (game #1185).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

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 #1186) - 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 #1186) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1186) - hint #3 - 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 #1186) - hint #4 - 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 3.

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 #1186) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• C

• C

• F

• C

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

Quordle today (game #1186) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1186, are…

• CHOKE
• COLOR
• FRAME
• CAIRN

I am really glad I had a word beginning with C among my start words. Without it I wouldn’t have unlocked the magnificent headstart of getting the first letter of three words.

CHOKE was my only gamble and that came from a memory of it being used in Quordle before, while FRAME was the only option I had with the letters available.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Daily Sequence today (game #1186) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1186, are…

• SHEEP
• RAVEN
• WISER
• CLANK

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1185, Wednesday, 23 April: VALET, PUPAL, CREEP, DRIFT
• Quordle #1184, Tuesday, 22 April: POUTY, CHEST, BROOM, TEPEE
• Quordle #1183, Monday, 21 April: SHARD, PRINT, SUMAC, LEACH
• Quordle #1182, Sunday, 20 April: DINER, HORDE, SHONE, FUGUE
• Quordle #1181, Saturday, 19 April: GRADE, LAUGH, RAINY, EXULT
• Quordle #1180, Friday, 18 April: DEBUT, GLADE, BASTE, PESTO
• Quordle #1179, Thursday, 17 April: SPRAY, RAMEN, SHELF, COURT
• Quordle #1178, Wednesday 16 April: STUMP, GRAFT, CHORD, INPUT
• Quordle #1177, Tuesday 15 April: SLEET, MERIT, HARSH, FORAY
• Quordle #1176, Monday 14 April: DRAWL, CROOK, ACTOR, LANCE
• Quordle #1175, Sunday 13 April: SHALE, KINKY, SHORN, WHOOP
• Quordle #1174, Saturday 12 April: BLIND, OVOID, CACHE, THING
• Quordle #1173, Friday 11 April: FOLLY, PITHY, SCOWL, CURLY
• Quordle #1172, Thursday 10 April: LEAST, SEWER, UNTIE, NOOSE
• Quordle #1171, Wednesday 9 April: LITHE, LEFTY, KNOLL, MULCH
• Quordle #1170, Tuesday 8 April: WIDTH, VISOR, MEDAL, BROOK
• Quordle #1169, Monday 7 April: BROTH, SHOUT, BRUTE, CABIN
• Quordle #1168, Sunday 6 April: AMBER, GAUZE, STORE, SLICK
• Quordle #1167, Saturday 5 April: GUSTY, VAULT, WHINE, BEGAT
• Quordle #1166, Friday 4 April: OAKEN, LOOPY, CURIO, BUTTE

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Wednesday, April 23 (game #682).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

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

NYT Connections today (game #683) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• CORNFIELD
• ICEBERG
• BUTTER
• MILK
• BABY POWDER
• SCARECROW
• PITCHERS
• POLAR BEAR
• PENGUIN
• LEAF
• MUSICIANS
• BANE
• WALLS
• SNOW
• JOKER
• ROMAINE

NYT Connections today (game #683) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: A color in common 
• GREEN: Eat your greens
• BLUE: Enemies of the Caped Crusader
• PURPLE: What you hear with

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #683) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: THINGS THAT ARE WHITE 
• GREEN: KINDS OF LETTUCE
• BLUE: "BATMAN" VILLAINS
• PURPLE: THEY HAVE LITERAL/ IDIOMATIC EARS 

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

NYT Connections today (game #683) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #683, are…

• YELLOW: THINGS THAT ARE WHITE BABY POWDER, MILK, POLAR BEAR, SNOW
• GREEN: KINDS OF LETTUCE BUTTER, ICEBERG, LEAF, ROMAINE
• BLUE: "BATMAN" VILLAINS BANE, JOKER, PENGUIN, SCARECROW
• PURPLE: THEY HAVE LITERAL/ IDIOMATIC EARS CORNFIELD, MUSICIANS, PITCHERS, WALLS

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

After a brief dalliance trying to create a group with a cold climate as the common thread, I went for ICEBERG lettuce rather than the iceberg that has fallen off a glacier.

BUTTER and ROMAINE I was familiar with, but I gambled that LEAF was a variety. There are so many lettuce types to choose from. And let's face it none of them are particularly interesting.

There are also lots of THINGS THAT ARE WHITE to choose from – plenty of WALLS are white, including ones that have ears. Sorry, I’ll rephrase that – even walls that have "idiomatic ears".

I originally paired SCARECROW with CORNFIELD before seeing the other more famous “BATMAN” VILLAINS.

This is another group with a huge cast to pick from. Bruce Wayne surely has more enemies than any other fictional character – the WIkipedia page “List of batman family enemies” contains well over 200.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Wednesday, April 23, game #682)

• YELLOW: PARTS OF A TREE BRANCH, LEAF, ROOT, TRUNK
• GREEN: CANINE/FELINE FEATURES FUR, MUZZLE, PAW, TAIL
• BLUE: COMEDIC ROUTINE ACT, BIT, GAG, SKETCH
• PURPLE: ____ POLE BEAN, FLAG, MAY, TAD

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, April 23 (game #416).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

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

NYT Strands today (game #417) - hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Coarse material

NYT Strands today (game #417) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• SNAP
• COOL
• SLOTH
• NEST
• SOAK
• FOOL

NYT Strands today (game #417) - hint #3 - spangram letters How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 10 letters

NYT Strands today (game #417) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: top, 3rd column

Last side: bottom, 6th column

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

NYT Strands today (game #417) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #417, are…

• SANDPAPER
• ROPE
• PUMICE
• BARK
• LOOFAH
• SACKCLOTH
• SPANGRAM: ROUGH STUFF

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Today's theme had me immediately searching for SANDPAPER and that was indeed the first word I found.

Several peculiar bathtime items made it into our search for ROUGH STUFF – LOOFAH and PUMICE. Both items that few under the age of 50 own, but with natural exfoliating abilities that have stood the test of time.

I used to think that loofahs were the remains of a seaplant, like sponges, but they are actually a dried gourd, a sort of long pumpkin primarily used for scrubbing backs. The pumice comes from a similar old-school place, a porous piece of volcanic rock that’s good for cleaning and polishing.

The bizarre wonder of the pumice was celebrated in song by elderly English songwriter John Shuttleworth recently, who marvelled at its otherworldly wonder and crooned “I loved it so, it worked a treat, in removing hard skin from my feet”. Every home should have one.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, April 23, game #416)

• PEACH
• CATERPILLAR
• CHENILLE
• DUCKLING
• SLIPPERS
• SPANGRAM: GET FUZZY

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

• AWS believed to be pausing future colocation lease negotiations
• Microsoft has also shelved a $1 billion Ohio project
• AWS VP said GenAI demand is still strong

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is reportedly reassessing some colocation lease negotiations, especially internationally, amid ongoing cost concerns.

Although the company looks to be pausing some future discussions, it appears that Amazon will not be backing out of any signed agreements, with confirmed projects set to continue.

However, it’s certainly a sign of the times, with Microsoft also recently confirming that it would be pausing a $1 billion project for a data center campus in Ohio.

AWS is also pausing some data center plans

Kevin Miller, AWS VP for Global Data Centers, confirmed in a LinkedIn post that the change was not indicative of reduced interest in artificial intelligence, but rather a shift in focus amid rising costs.

“First and foremost, we continue to see strong demand for both Generative AI and foundational workloads on AWS,” Miller explained. “This is routine capacity management, and there haven’t been any recent fundamental changes in our expansion plans.”

Billions have been knocked out of the stock market in recent weeks, with Trump’s tariffs playing a hefty role in economic fluctuations.

Companies like Amazon and Microsoft have had to reassess their strategies, particularly abroad where currency conversions may no longer be as favorable, but it looks like plans are just being put on hold until economies become more stable rather than being scrapped altogether.

In the case of AWS, changes to its colocation strategy don’t reflect the full story, because the company might also be shifting more compute in-house – more of a shift than an overall reduction, then.

Reiterating the company’s commitment to expanding its data center operations globally, Miller’s LinkedIn feed is full of shared announcements, icnlduing an $8.3 billion commitment in Maharashtra, India; the launch of a new AWS Region in Asia Pacific (Thailand); an $11 billion investment into Georgia and $10 billion in funding for infrastructure in Ohio.

Via The Register

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The 98th Oscars will be the first Academy Awards to have rules surrounding generative AI, and it means films can openly use the technology without hindering their chances of taking home a win.

Following the controversy involving The Brutalist and Emilia Perez's 2025 Oscar campaigns, which were impacted by the use of AI to improve speech and dialect, you'd think the new rule change would be the most controversial addition to the upcoming year's overhaul. You'd be wrong.

Instead, there's an even bigger issue that should be grabbing all the headlines and highlighting everything wrong with award ceremonies.

Wait... Why hasn't this rule always existed?

(Image credit: A24/Netflix)

While allowing AI to be used in any movie eligible for an Oscar win might sound controversial, the more controversial rule change highlights an issue that's plagued the Academy Awards for years.

The statement on the Academy Awards website reads: "In a procedural change, Academy members must now watch all nominated films in each category to be eligible to vote in the final round for the Oscars."

At first, I had to take a second glance, and then my jaw dropped to the floor. Yes, now Academy members need to watch all new movies in a category before voting, which means that we've had 97 Oscar ceremonies so far where that was not a criterion.

How can anyone validate any Oscar win when, for almost a century, those who vote haven't even been required to watch the movies they are selecting from?

Now, I'm not naive, so I always knew Oscars campaigns and marketing budgets played a significant part in propelling films towards a gold statue. However, I, and I suspect most of the wider population, thought that movies still had to stand out versus the field to win.

Turns out, the Academy Awards are more of a popularity contest than I had ever realized, and up until this year, a good marketing campaign and getting your movie seen are probably enough to win.

Does this hinder credibility or benefit it?

(Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

As someone who watches the Oscars every year, hoping for my favorite movie to pick up a top prize, I'm not sure how I feel about the news that Academy members haven't needed to bother watching the nominations until now.

You see, I think it absolutely hinders the credibility of the Academy Awards in terms of how it's perceived by the general public. The regular people of the world, who tune in on TV every year, and have no ties to Hollywood, do not even know that there was no criteria in the first place.

That said, does this now give the 98th Academy Awards and all the subsequent award ceremonies increased credibility? Like, at some point, someone from the Academy would've known that this rule needed to be implemented. But it would always end up in backlash, so have they just been putting off the rule change, in the hope that when they do make the adjustment, it goes unnoticed?

I'm no insider, no Academy member, just a mere fan of cinema, and while now I'll look back at the last century of Oscar wins with a newfound skepticism, it does make me think that moving forward, the movies that deserve recognition are more likely to receive it.

The new AI rule might be grabbing all the headlines, but for us "normies," I think we should be focusing on the fact that the biggest awards in cinema haven't required those who make the selection to watch what they're voting for. It's absolutely baffling.

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• Cybercriminals are inviting victims to talk to "journalists"
• On the Zoom call, they're asked to grant permissions for remote access
• Those that grant the permissions lose their crypto

Hackers are abusing Zoom’s remote desktop feature to steal people’s cryptocurrency, experts have warned.

Cybersecurity researchers Trail of Bits claim to have seen the attack in the wild, focusing on “high-value targets,” people who the media would often contact for comments and discussion on everyday events. The attackers would reach out via social media (X, for example), and send them a Zoom invite via Calendly, pretending to be Bloomberg journalists.

On Zoom, the attackers would join with an account named “Zoom”, and request remote control over the victim’s account. The victims would see a popup saying “Zoom is requesting remote control of your screen” which, for those used to granting permissions without thinking twice, might seem like a legitimate request from a legitimate app.

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Elusive Comet

"What makes this attack particularly dangerous is the permission dialog's similarity to other harmless Zoom notifications," Trail of Bits said.

"Users habituated to clicking "Approve" on Zoom prompts may grant complete control of their computer without realizing the implications."

Once the access is granted, the attackers would move fast, deploy a stealthy backdoor or other means of retaining access, and then disconnect from the call.

The last step is to use the malware to access the victim’s cryptocurrency wallets and siphon out any funds found inside.

The researchers named the group “Elusive Comet” and said the methodology is most likely copied from Lazarus, the infamous North Korean state-sponsored entity that targets crypto businesses.

"The ELUSIVE COMET methodology mirrors the techniques behind the recent $1.5 billion Bybit hack in February, where attackers manipulated legitimate workflows rather than exploiting code vulnerabilities," Trail of Bits said in its report.

To mitigate the risk, it would be best not to grant people or apps remote access, unless you’re 100% certain the person is benign.

Via BleepingComputer

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Much like that scene in this week's The Last of Us season 2 episode (spoilers! So many spoilers! Also: spoilers!), we knew it was coming, we were dreading it coming and now it's here: the promised Max password crackdown is happening.

Max has launched a new add-on for its customers in the US, enabling you to add one person to your plan. It's available on all subscription plans and costs a flat $7.99 per month in the US. You can also only add one Extra Member per account.

How to add an extra member to your Max subscription

In order to add someone to your Max plan, you need to be the primary account holder. If they're under the same roof as you, an extra member account isn't necessary. But if they live somewhere else, you'll need to upgrade your account.

The Extra Member account will have its own login credentials and will deliver all the same best Max shows, best Max movies and features as the main account. But they can only stream on one device at a time, so they can't share their login with others in the same place.

If that person is already on your existing account, you'll be able to transfer their profile including their watch history, recommendations and settings to their new login.

For now, you have to be a direct subscriber to Max: bundle subscribers who get Max as part of a bigger package can't use the Extra Member feature. The Extra Member feature is only available in the US at the time of writing, but it's expected to rollout to more regions soon.

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