Technology

• There are reports of a bug with the August update for Windows 11
• It can seemingly cause SSDs to fail in a small number of reported cases
• We can't jump to conclusions that this is Microsoft's fault yet - but this is a worrying-sounding situation that bears monitoring

Windows 11 may have run into trouble with its latest update possibly breaking some SSDs, but at this point, we need to be very cautious, as there are just scattered reports of this issue.

This comes from Wccftech, which noticed a post from a Japanese Windows 11 user (Necoru_cat) on X flagging the problem.

To summarize the reported bug, we're told that it's caused by KB5063878 (the Windows 11 update for August, which has been out for a week), and that an affected SSD will disappear completely from Microsoft's OS.

This "occurs during heavy write operations," apparently, meaning a large installation or patch, with the report suggesting that the bug can be triggered by 50GB of continuous write activity on the drive. Necoru_cat encountered the issue when applying a big patch for Cyberpunk 2077.

The X user points the finger of suspicion at this being a problem with the drive cache, and has seemingly carried out a bunch of testing, which suggests that SSDs with Phison NAND controllers may be more prone to this bug.

As mentioned, if an SSD is affected by this glitch, it's no longer recognized by Windows 11, and the drive partition disappears. Worryingly, we are told that if this happens, there is a "high likelihood of file corruption," but again, season that - and this whole report - liberally.

(Image credit: Shutterstock)Analysis: don't be alarmed - yet - but do be cautious

As I've already indicated, we need to be very careful jumping to conclusions here. Is this really a problem that can be blamed on the latest Windows 11 update? We don't know that, and we certainly can't go by a single report of the bug (albeit it was seemingly a comprehensive dive into the glitch).

However, I've been doing some searching for other reports of this problem, and I've turned up some bewildered folks who've seemingly run into it. There are multiple people in this Reddit thread who say they have been affected by this bug, including a report of an Adata SP580 SSD going down in flames.

As far as affected models go, according to a list from NichePCGamer that Wccftech pointed out, as well as SSDs with the Phison PS5012-E12 controller, the following models could be affected: Corsair Force MP600, Kioxia Exceria Plus G4, Fikwot FN955, and the SanDisk Extreme Pro M.2 3D SSD - so we can add the Adata SP580 to that list.

There may be "similar symptoms" with hard drives as well, we're told, but all reports seem to be SSD-related as far as I can see.

At any rate, while this still appears to be a niche problem, there's enough here that my bug senses are tingling, as it were. And given how nasty this glitch sounds, I think it's worth making people aware of it. Indeed, I think it's a wise precaution to perhaps not perform any big installations or patches for the time being, if you're running the latest Windows 11 update - if you can avoid it – at least until we hear more about what might be going on here, or some official word from Microsoft.

Some have raised the theory that, rather than an actual flaw in the Windows 11 update for August, it's a case of what the update does - in terms of its writing activity to the system drive - that triggers a bug in some SSDs (Western Digital models to be precise). But that doesn't explain why different SSD types would be affected (or indeed hard drives, apparently).

We need to hear more from Microsoft on this, and hopefully, the company will be on the case and investigating these reports. I've contacted Microsoft about this bug, and I'll update this story if I hear back.

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• Phishing emails with malicious URLs are used four times more than ones with attachments, Proofpoint survey claims
• ClickFix attacks also spiked 400% year-on-year
• A layered approach to security is the best way to defend

Phishing scams and malicious URLs continue being the bane of the business world, increasing year-on-year, and getting more dangerous by the minute, new research has warned.

A new paper from Proofpoint, based on data from the company’s threat intelligence platform, argues phishing emails with URLs, rather than attachments, are rising in popularity; that ClickFix is currently the number one method of tricking victims into getting infected; and that most criminals are interested in stealing login credentials.

Phishing emails have always been the number one initial attack vector, for their simplicity, low cost, and omni prevalence. However, delivering malware via attachments is not that straightforward any more, with different email security solutions getting rather good at scanning and filtering malicious content.

ClickFix, QR codes, and SMS messages

The cybercriminal community responded by pivoting to URLs - these days, they are used four times more than attachments. This is because they are easier to disguise, and more likely to evade detection, Proofpoint argues. The miscreants would embed them in messages, buttons, even inside benign attachments such as PDFs or Word documents.

In many cases, the URLs lead to sites with a ClickFix popup. ClickFix is a phishing technique where the victims are shown a fake error, and are given the means to “fix” the problem immediately. These attacks, too, increased by nearly four times year-over-year.

Proofpoint also said that most threat actors are interested in stealing logins, as it spotted 3.7 billion URL-based attacks aimed at stealing such secrets. This is mostly because infostealing-malware such as CoGUI or Darcula are low-skill phishing kits that can be easily obtained and deployed.

Other notable methods include QR code phishing threats (quishing), and SMS phishing (smishing), with the latter spiking 2,534% year-on-year.

“The most damaging cyber threats today don’t target machines or systems. They target people. In addition, URL-based phishing threats are no longer confined to the inbox, they can be carried out anywhere and are often extremely difficult for people to identify,” said Selena Larson, senior threat intelligence analyst at Proofpoint.

“From QR codes in emails and fake CAPTCHA pages to mobile-first smishing scams, attackers are weaponizing trusted platforms and familiar experiences to exploit human psychology. Defending against these threats requires multilayered, AI-powered detection and a human-centric security strategy.”

How to defend against phishing

The best defense against phishing emails with malicious URLs is layered protection.

Businesses can start with an email security gateway that blocks suspicious links even before they can reach the inbox. Then, with browser isolation, or link writing, systems can “detonate” (trigger, basically), URLs in a safe environment.

Finally, every business should train their employees on how to spot phishing emails, how to hover over links to double-check where they lead to, how to verify senders, and avoid clicking unexpected messages. Finally, enforcing multi-factor authentication (MFA) is always recommended, as is keeping endpoint protection updated to catch malware if someone does click.

Finally, businesses should implement strict access controls and monitoring so that even if a link slips through, the damage remains contained.

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As of March 2025, 40% of global companies report using artificial intelligence (AI) in their business. While the benefits offered by this transformational tool can feel nearly limitless, the reality is that AI isn’t inherently secure, especially for companies dealing with sensitive information.

AI quickly analyzes vast amounts of data to figure out patterns and provide users with a response in the shortest amount of time possible. Any data shared with the tool will be used to train the model going forward, making it a dangerous place for sensitive information. For industries that handle extremely personal data, like healthcare or law, using AI could risk client privacy.

AI is designed to quickly analyze large datasets, detect patterns, and respond in real time. But many tools train on whatever data you provide. That means sharing private information—intentionally or not—can create long-term risks, especially in regulated industries like healthcare, finance, or law.

The benefits of leveraging synthetic data

AI works best with strong, structured, and relevant data. Whenever possible, real-world data is ideal—but that’s not always an option. Regulations like HIPAA and GDPR prevent teams from sharing personal data externally, including with AI models. That’s where synthetic data shines.

You’ll often see synthetic data used as a placeholder—especially when legal approvals or NDAs are still in progress. Instead of stalling development, teams can keep moving forward with stand-in data, then switch to production data later to validate the results. This keeps projects moving while staying compliant.

In other cases, synthetic data fills in the gaps. You might have real data, but not enough of it—or not enough variation to properly train your model. A good rule of thumb: you’ll need 10x more data samples than model parameters. When real data falls short, synthetic data can help augment and diversify your training set.

Considerations for using synthetic data

One common misconception is that synthetic data is just “fake” data. But in reality, it's often based on real-world information that’s been restructured, anonymized, or generated to mirror actual scenarios. Think of it like a flight simulator—useful for training and preparation, but it’s not the same as flying a real plane. Synthetic data can help teams test and train AI models, but it shouldn’t be seen as a complete replacement for production data.

That said, it does come with risks—particularly around re-identification. If synthetic data can be traced back to the original source, the whole premise of privacy falls apart. One of the most critical steps is to ensure the original dataset is no longer stored or accessible once the synthetic version is created. Simply having the two datasets in proximity to each other creates unnecessary risk.

Another challenge is outliers. These are extreme or unusual values that can not only skew model training but also serve as clues about the original data. For example, if you're generating synthetic banking data and one of the transactions is for $10 million while the rest are in the hundreds, that single value becomes a beacon. It’s both a modeling issue and a potential privacy concern.

In many cases, partially synthetic data can offer the best of both worlds. You might use real documents or datasets while anonymizing any personally identifiable information. For example, you could keep the visual data from an X-ray but strip out details like the patient’s name, the facility, or the diagnosis.

That way, you retain data complexity without exposing sensitive information. Finally, before using any synthetic dataset in a project, it’s worth having someone outside the core team take a final look. A fresh perspective can help spot anything you’ve missed—whether it’s residual identifiers, overlooked outliers, or subtle signs that the data could still be traced back to a real person.

Conclusion

Using synthetic data doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Many projects benefit from a hybrid approach—especially in early phases. In a world racing to adopt AI, it’s easy to move fast and overlook the risks. But safe, responsible model training is everyone’s responsibility.

Synthetic data isn’t just a workaround—it’s a bridge to building secure, innovative systems that respect privacy and compliance from day one.

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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

Having spent my career working in intelligence related to either terrorism or cyber threats, it’s safe to say I’m somewhat familiar with the absolute worst humanity has to offer. Combine that with the voluminous evidence of the deleterious effects social media has proven to have on young kids, especially girls, and it’s even more concerning (if you haven’t seen it, Netflix’s The Social Dilemma is worth a watch). As a result, I’m very cautious when it comes to social media and my children.

My instincts were further reinforced when my older daughter asked if she could post a game she had made in a children’s coding app for general use by other kids in the game.

There were no options for interactions or communication, simply posting the game so other kids could play it and in return, she’d get extra points she could spend on customizations for her character, so I said sure. A few hours later, she came back to me, upset that no one had “liked” her game after a few offers of it being posted… and it just truly drove the point home.

Social media is designed to take advantage of our hardwired psychological need for approval… that’s dangerous enough if you’re an adult who is ostensibly equipped with the emotional tools needed to assess and regulate your response, but if you’re a child who is just learning to navigate the world and understand that social media isn’t “real life,” the effects, both short- and long-term, can be devastating.

Since then, I’ve put a considerable amount of time into thinking about how and when my kids will be introduced to social media. While I think there are definitely some positive aspects to social media, when considering it for my kids, I should view it as a threat that needs to be mitigated. As such, I think it’s generally instructive to split the approach into two categories: psychological defenses and technological defenses.

Nurturing psychological resilience in a digital age

I won’t belabor this as there is already plenty out there on the importance of teaching your kids to think critically and not believe everything they see online as well as the importance of instilling self-confidence and self-esteem as armor against some of the cruelty that can be found on social media and the internet in general.

It’s also becoming an increasingly common recommendation to avoid social media access for your kids for as long as possible -- the evidence is overwhelming that the longer kids are separated from social media, the better it is for their mental and emotional health.

Especially for older kids who are starting to engage more directly with social media and/or the larger internet, talk to them about the threats that are out there. Internet scammers rely on naivety and lack of understanding, so kids are a key target for them. Sadly, too many children have fallen victim to scams like sextortion texts or the like, all too often with devastating results.

Explaining to your children what threats are out there and emphasizing that they can always come talk to you if they see something scary or confusing or, even worse, are being targeted by some of these scams, can help create a feeling of safety and security for them (and for you).

Your technological toolkit for online parenting

No matter how decisions are made, the internet and social media can’t be avoided entirely. Digital literacy is an important life skill and kids need to be able to navigate the cyber environment. Here are some of the technological defenses I’ve found useful in protecting my own children.

Parental controls are your friend: Nearly every device has the option for parents or guardians to set device limits on kids from everything from screen time to what sites can be visited to allowed apps. Familiarize yourself with these tools (and make sure those prying eyes don’t see your passcode!).

Start with the most draconian restrictions in place (e.g., many devices will allow you to block entire categories of sites or internet connections, such as those that allow chat functions, and you can also resort to simply allow listing any sites your children can visit rather than trying to investigate every site they want to access) and back off as you are more comfortable with your child’s ability to use the internet responsibly and understand the risks.

It’s easier to let out the reins slowly than it is to try and pull them back in once they’ve already been let go. The nice thing about this approach is that it’s at the device level, so your kids are protected whether they are on your home WiFi, using a cellular connection, or some other internet access point.

Set up parental controls around your online shopping accounts, as well, either using PINs or other protections, particularly for any voice assistants. At one point, my then 2-year-old asked Alexa to “buy the Fart app” from her crib when she was supposed to be napping and wouldn’t you know, it worked. I still watch the video of her doing that in awe. And, I am sad to say, we still have the app. That’s $2.99 I’ll never get back. So trust me on this one.

Secure your home Wi-Fi: Many home networks will allow you to set up profiles that will block certain connections at the router or gateway. For instance, you can create a profile for your child and block access to sites categorized by your provider as “Adult” or “Gambling.”

This adds another layer of protection for your kids. It also goes without saying that you should make sure you aren’t using a default password on your router or Wi-Fi or you are leaving the door open to hackers (or your own kids!) getting in and changing settings or conducting other malicious activity, like stealing personal data.

Help your kids establish basic cybersecurity practices: Get your kids used to practicing good cyber hygiene. Set up unique and complex passwords for every account and explain why. Show them how to use a password manager to create and store these passwords.

Teach them to update their devices when they get alerts that a new software update is available. Once they are old enough for email, talk to them about phishing and other scams. This is all part of the digital literacy children will need to operate safely online as they grow up.

While my generally skeptical and misanthropic nature drives me to focus primarily on the negative aspects of the internet, there are a lot of positives, too. When I’m in one of my old man moods, I marvel that “kids these days” have the vast majority of recorded music at their beck and call and can get answers (sometimes even accurate ones!) to most questions they can think of just by shouting it out loud.

However, the cyber threat environment is dynamic and it’s hard for even professionals to keep up with it. Understanding the overall concerns and following these basic steps can help you protect your children from the digital world they will have to live in.

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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

Reports suggest streaming services are vying to air the Oscars after ABC's deal ends in 2028.

Not only could the new AR glasses arrive sooner than expected, they're rumored to be cheaper than expected too.

Congress didn't just reshape tax codes with the "One Big Beautiful" bill; it also quietly reshaped the future of artificial intelligence. A lesser-known provision of the sweeping legislation is now on its way to becoming law: a 10-year freeze on state-level AI regulation.

In other words, no individual state can pass rules that govern how businesses develop or use AI systems. The message is clear for companies rushing to embed AI in daily operations: govern yourselves or risk learning the hard way why guardrails matter.

AI tools are showing up in every workflow. with or without oversight

AI isn't a side project anymore. It's already embedded in cybersecurity platforms, CRMs, internal chat tools, reporting dashboards and customer-facing products. Even mid-size organizations are training AI models on proprietary data to speed up everything from supplier selection to contract analysis.

However, the adoption curve has outpaced internal checks. Many teams are greenlighting tools without understanding how they were trained, what data they retain or how outputs are validated. IT leaders often discover AI use well after it's already operational. This kind of shadow Ai creates a major risk surface.

And now, with state-level oversight blocked for a decade, there's no outside pressure forcing organizations to establish policies or baseline rules. This shift pushes businesses to take even more responsibility for what happens inside their walls.

Without guardrails, AI can drift; fast

AI models aren't static. Once deployed, they learn from new data, interact with systems and influence decision-making. That's powerful but also unpredictable.

Left unchecked, an AI-driven forecasting tool might rely too heavily on outdated patterns, causing overproduction or supply chain bottlenecks. A chatbot designed to streamline customer service could unintentionally generate biased or off-brand responses.

Meanwhile, generative models trained on sensitive business documents can inadvertently expose proprietary information in future prompts. For example, a study released in January 2025 found that nearly 1 in 10 prompts used by business users when interacting with generative AI (GenAI) tools could inadvertently disclose sensitive data.

These aren't abstract dangers; they've already appeared in public incidents. But it's not just PR damage that's at stake. AI errors can affect revenue, data security and even legal exposure. The absence of regulatory pressure doesn't make these issues go away – it makes them easier to miss until they're too big to ignore.

The smart play is internal governance: before you need it

Organizations are eager to integrate GenAI, with many teams already using these powerful tools in daily operations. This rapid adoption means that just passively monitoring things isn't enough; a strong governance structure is crucial, one that can adapt as AI becomes more central to the business.

Setting up an internal AI governance council, ideally with leaders from IT, security, compliance and operations, offers that vital framework. This council isn't there to stop innovation. Its job is to bring clarity. It typically reviews AI tools before they're rolled out, sets clear usage policies and works with teams so they fully understand the benefits and limits of the AI they're using.

This approach reduces unauthorized tool usage, makes auditing more efficient and helps leadership steer AI strategy with confidence. However, for governance to be effective, it must be integrated into broader enterprise systems, not siloed in spreadsheets or informal chats.

GRC platforms can anchor AI governance

Governance, risk and compliance (GRC) platforms already help businesses manage third-party risk, policy enforcement, incident response and internal audits. They're now emerging as critical infrastructure for AI governance as well.

By centralizing policies, approvals and audit trails, GRC platforms help organizations track where AI is being used, which data sources are feeding it, and how outputs are monitored over time. They also create a transparent, repeatable process for teams to propose, evaluate and deploy AI tools with oversight so innovation doesn't become improvisation.

Don't count on vendors to handle it for you

Many tools advertise AI features with a sense of built-in safety, which includes privacy settings, explainable models and compliance-ready dashboards. But too often, the details are left up to the user.

If a vendor-trained model fails, your team will likely bear the operational and reputational costs. Businesses can't afford to treat third-party AI as "set and forget." Even licensed tools must be governed internally, especially if they're learning from company data or making process-critical decisions.

The bottom line

With the U.S. blocking states from setting their own rules, many assumed federal regulation would follow quickly. However, the reality is more complicated. Draft legislation exists, but timelines are fuzzy, and political support is mixed.

In the meantime, every organization using AI is effectively writing its own rulebook. That's a challenge and an opportunity, especially for companies that want to build trust, avoid missteps and confidently lead.

The organizations that define their governance now will have fewer fire drills later. They'll also be better prepared for whatever federal rules eventually arrive because their internal structure won't need a last-minute overhaul.

Because whether or not rules are enforced externally, your business still depends on getting AI right.

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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

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 Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, August 18 (game #533).

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 #534) - hint #1 - today's themeWhat is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Dash it!

NYT Strands today (game #534) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• DATE
• PEEP
• HOTEL
• PLATE
• LILY
• SLIP

NYT Strands today (game #534) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 10 letters

NYT Strands today (game #534) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 5th row

Last side: right, 5th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #534) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #534, are…

• HOITYTOITY
• PELLMELL
• HOCUSPOCUS
• WILLYNILLY
• SPANGRAM: HYPHENATED

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 hints

I found today’s Strands really difficult. Firstly, because hyphens always put me into a kernel panic, as I’m unsure whether to use them or not – it’s one of the biggest points of difference between US and British English.

Secondly, because after getting the spangram I could see nothing but a jumble of letter Ls and Ys.

Even with the help of two hints I still struggled to put the words together – there were so many ways to do WILLY NILLY and I explored all of them!

Despite its difficulty, this was a fun search and very satisfying to complete shortly after I pulled my hair out and screamed into a bucket.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Monday, August 18, game #533)

• CLOG
• SNEAKER
• ESPADRILLE
• SLIPPER
• SANDAL
• LOAFER
• SPANGRAM: FOOTWEAR

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.

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 Monday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Monday, August 18 (game #1302).

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 #1303) - hint #1 - VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 2*.

* 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 #1303) - hint #2 - repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 2.

Quordle today (game #1303) - hint #3 - uncommon lettersDo 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 #1303) - 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 0.

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

Quordle today (game #1303) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• K

• S

• C

• M

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

Quordle today (game #1303) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1303, are…

• KNAVE
• SMART
• CARRY
• MAMMA

My infatuation with the letter V paid off today, but it still hurt my brain trying to think of words containing N, A and E. 

I really should have gotten it sooner, as my favorite book is Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines – a wonderful, darkly comic tale of a young lad’s obsession with a bird of prey; a bit like me and the letter V.

Daily Sequence today (game #1303) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1303, are…

• SQUAT
• WHALE
• WISER
• CRANE

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1302, Monday, 18 August: FIBER, TRADE, RAYON, TEASE
• Quordle #1301, Sunday, 17 August: FUNGI, AMITY, DRIER, CHECK
• Quordle #1300, Saturday, 16 August: OWING, QUAKE, SLIDE, ELITE
• Quordle #1299, Friday, 15 August: WHALE, PRISM, DRAKE, TEPEE
• Quordle #1298, Thursday, 14 August: LAPEL, IDIOM, RENEW, LIVER
• Quordle #1297, Wednesday, 13 August: CACTI, HOMER, EMAIL, ALBUM
• Quordle #1296, Tuesday, 12 August: SPOOL, TITLE, JAUNT, OVINE
• Quordle #1295, Monday, 11 August: ADULT, BROOM, PURER, CRUEL
• Quordle #1294, Sunday, 10 August: SCRUM, PIPER, TROLL, SPORE
• Quordle #1293, Saturday, 9 August: NOOSE, INLET, ELEGY, VIRUS
• Quordle #1292, Friday, 8 August: KNEEL, KINKY, RALPH, BOOZY
• Quordle #1291, Thursday, 7 August: PLUNK, PROXY, CURVY, PEARL
• Quordle #1290, Wednesday, 6 August: RISKY, APART, FAUNA, HANDY
• Quordle #1289, Tuesday, 5 August: ROAST, SLICK, AUDIT, BILLY
• Quordle #1288, Monday, 4 August: MACAW, SINCE, COLON, CHIRP
• Quordle #1287, Sunday, 3 August: MOTIF, LEERY, LOFTY, BURST
• Quordle #1286, Saturday, 2 August: WARTY, PUPAL, CLEAR, SLICE
• Quordle #1285, Friday, 1 August: ACTOR, MEALY, WIDTH, ADOBE
• Quordle #1284, Thursday, 31 July: STYLE, VALET, AGONY, ALLOY

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 Monday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Monday, August 18 (game #799).

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 #800) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• VERMOUTH
• PLYMOUTH
• CLASSIC
• DASHBOARD
• BLABBERMOUTH
• DARTMOUTH
• LITTLE
• PORT
• FLYWHEEL
• CHATTERBOX
• RUSHMORE
• MARSALA
• WINDBAG
• THE
• SHERRY
• PRATTLER

NYT Connections today (game #800) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: First with the gossip
• GREEN: Grapes with added spirit
• BLUE: Add a word that’s like a big stone 
• PURPLE: These begin with fast words

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 #800) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: QUITE THE TALKER
• GREEN: FORTIFIED WINES 
• BLUE: ___ ROCK 
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH WAYS TO MOVE QUICKLY 

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

NYT Connections today (game #800) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #800, are…

• YELLOW: QUITE THE TALKER BLABBERMOUTH, CHATTERBOX, PRATTLER, WINDBAG
• GREEN: FORTIFIED WINES MARSALA, PORT, SHERRY, VERMOUTH
• BLUE: ___ ROCK CLASSIC, LITTLE, PLYMOUTH, THE
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH WAYS TO MOVE QUICKLY DARTMOUTH, DASHBOARD, FLYWHEEL, RUSHMORE

• My rating: Hard
• My score: Perfect

A great puzzle today, with just the right level of difficulty – which I believe is demonstrated by the fact that I got the four groups in difficulty order.

Being something of a BLABBERMOUTH, the Yellow group was an easy spot. Next, I flirted with joining PLYMOUTH, DARTMOUTH and RUSHMORE as they all sound like American colleges, but fortunately my knowledge of FORTIFIED WINES is better than higher education, so I abandoned this diversion.

Finally, I was able to spot ___ ROCK from the remaining eight tiles, mainly thanks to THE – which made no sense until I saw the link with CLASSIC. Ahh, the sweet smell of success.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Monday, August 18, game #799)

• YELLOW: INDICATION CUE, NOD, PROMPT, SIGNAL
• GREEN: OPPORTUNITY BREAK, CHANCE, OPENING, SHOT
• BLUE: HOTEL AMENITIES BREAKFAST, PARKING, POOL, WI-FI
• PURPLE: WORDS BEFORE "WATCH" DIGITAL, POCKET, STOP, WRIST

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.

• Workday has been targeted in a data breach
• The breach was part of a campaign of social engineering attacks
• The campaign has also targeted Google, Dior, and Adidas

Popular HR platform Workday has revealed it was been hit by a data breach originating through a social engineering campaign.

“We want to let you know about a recent social engineering campaign targeting many large organizations, including Workday,” the company confirmed in a statement.

“In this campaign, threat actors contact employees by text or phone pretending to be from human resources or IT. Their goal is to trick employees into giving up account access or their personal information.”

Further phishing risks

Fortunately, Workday says so far there has been ‘no indication of access to customer tenants or the data within them’, and the firm has added extra safeguards to mitigate the risk of similar incidents in future.

The statement adds the information the threat actor obtained was ‘primarily commonly available business contact information, like names, email addresses, and phone numbers, potentially to further their social engineering scams.’

It seems that this breach could be part of a wave of security breaches that are targeting Salesforce CRM instances through phishing and social engineering attacks. These attacks have used these tactics to breach Google, Adidas, Dior, and more.

The hackers are likely to have used these phishing attacks to link malicious OAuth apps to the company’s Salesforce instance - then downloading and stealing databases before using the information to extort victims, BleepingComputer reports.

“As this type of breach is technically easier to perform yet still highly effective, we could see even more threat actors adopting these tactics” Senior Manager of Cyber and Head of SecOps at Immersive, Kevin Marriott told TechRadar Pro.

“CRM tooling is often a key target for threat actors as they typically store limited, but valuable information that threat actors can either use themselves or sell on, with databases full of information that is useful such as email addresses and other personal information.

“If this attack is indeed linked to the broader campaign targeting Salesforce instances, it highlights how threat actors such as ShinyHunters are focusing their efforts on SaaS platforms that hold valuable customer data from a variety of organisations.”

Users should make sure they stay vigilant online following the incident, and be skeptical of unsolicited incoming messages, especially those that demand urgent action or threaten with a disaster.

These are, and will continue to be, the biggest red flag in phishing attacks.

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• Sol Rodríguez has revealed which DCU project she wants to appear in next
• Rodríguez is one of many new actors viewers will see in Peacemaker season 2
• The character she plays has big ties to one of DC Comics' most popular heroes

Peacemaker season 2 actor Sol Rodríguez has expressed a wish to appear in one of the DC Universe's (DCU) most anticipated productions.

Speaking to TechRadar, Rodríguez, who plays ARGUS agent Sasha Bordeaux in the returning HBO Max show, said she would "really love" to feature in The Brave and The Bold (TB&TB). That's the current title of the DCU's Batman movie, which slow but important progress is being made on.

Bordeaux (right) is positioned as ARGUS' new high-ranking officers in Peacemaker season 2 (Image credit: Curtis Bonds Baker/HBO Max)

Without spoiling anything significant about Bordeaux's backstory in DC Comics, the character has big ties to The Caped Crusader. Created by Greg Rucka and Shawn Martinbrough, she first appeared in the long-running Batman-led Detective Comics literary series in December 2000 and has been part of the wider DC Universe – the comics-based version, that is – ever since.

It might seem strange that Bordeaux makes her live-action debut in Peacemaker's sophomore season rather than a Batman-centric story.

Nevertheless, considering the John Cena-starring TV series and TB&TB are part of the DCU's larger storytelling tapestry, Bordeaux's appearance in the former doesn't mean she can't appear in the latter. After all, Justice Gang members Hawkgirl and Guy Gardner/Green Lantern appeared in James Gunn's Superman movie and will cameo in Peacemaker 2. Why can't Bordeaux do likewise in one of the best HBO Max shows' second installment and TB&TB?

The Brave and the Bold was announced as part of the DCU Chapter One line-up in January 2023 (Image credit: DC Studios)

The short answer is: she could, but only if Gunn says so. Indeed, while Rodríguez is extremely keen to see Bordeaux make the trip to Gotham City in the DCU Chapter One film, it's up to Gunn and his DC Studios co-chief Peter Safran whether she will.

When I asked if Gunn had spoken to her about Bordeaux's possible appearance in TB&TB, Rodríguez said: "No, he hasn't – yet. That last word is the key one that gives me hope, though. I hope she gets to go to Gotham and have some fun over there. I'd really love that with my whole being.

"I'm just focused on playing Sasha in Peacemaker [for now]," she continued. "I want to respect the fans so, when I got the part, I read everything about her [in the comics]. Then, when I saw the scripts, the essence [of the character] is still there, but I also feel like I brought my own thing [to the role] as well as what James had already written, so I hope everyone likes what I've done in this show."

Would you like to see Bordeaux show up in TB&TB? Let me know in the comments. And, before Peacemaker returns to our screens, read my dedicated guide to Peacemaker season 2 and then my Peacemaker season 2 review to see what I made of its first five episodes.

Peacemaker 2 arrives with a one-episode premiere on August 21 (North and South America) and August 22 (everywhere else).

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• NordVPN is killing its Meshnet feature, starting from December 1, 2025
• The provider has claimed the decision is due to a lack of usage
• NordVPN rolled out Meshnet in 2022 to give users a new, secure way to connect multiple devices

NordVPN has just announced it is killing one of its features due to a lack of usage.

Meshnet is set to be discontinued starting from December 1, meaning that all functionality associated with it will be removed.

Rated as TechRadar's best VPN, NordVPN, launched Meshnet in 2022 to give its users a new, secure way to connect multiple devices to securely share files, multiplayer gaming, or collaboratively remote working. A tool, however, that never quite picked up among the NordVPN community.

Saying goodbye to Meshnet

Meshnet lets you create a virtual network that up to 60 devices can join and use simultaneously to communicate with one another (Image credit: NordVPN)

"When we built Meshnet, our goal was to give users more control over their connections and networks. By offering it as a free add-on to NordVPN’s core service, we hoped it would become a valuable part of your online experience. But sometimes even good ideas don’t reach a wide enough audience," wrote NordVPN in an official announcement.

Discontinuing Meshnet, the provider explains, will free significant resources that the team would be able to use to focus on improving what most of NordVPN's users care about, namely faster speeds, stronger security, and smarter VPN features.

This is why starting from December, Meshnet and its functionalities will shut down for good. These include options like device linking, traffic routing through other devices, and personal mesh networks.

The provider ensures that the virtual private network (VPN) service will continue to work as usual, with the change affecting only Meshnet-linked features.

Finding a Meshnet alternative

If you're one of the few people who have been enjoying NordVPN's Meshnet, it is now a good time to look for alternatives.

The provider recommends that anyone who used Meshnet for secure file sharing switch to NordLocker instead. We also suggest looking into Proton Drive, as it comes with both free and paid plans.

If building your meshnet virtual tunnel for different purposes is what you're after, you should be happy to know that there are a few mesh networking solutions on the market you can switch to, such as Netmaker.

We approached NordVPN for other tips to support existing users with their transition, but are still waiting for a response at the time of publication.

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• AI with Gemini including voice activation, plus translation in real time
• The best battery life of any Galaxy Buds
• Buds 3 Pro looks and controls, including pinch and swipe gestures

It's not a leak, it's not a rumor and it's not another mishap: the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 FE (or Buds3 FE as Samsung likes to style it) are here.

This hasn't been an easy road: the buds were spotted on June 12, leaked on July 22, then actually launched prematurely by Samsung's Panama arm on August 7, but now they're officially officially here, as announced by Samsung.

So what's new? The first thing to note is actually something that's not new, and that's the Buds 3 FE's strong resemblance to the flagship Buds 3 Pro. And it's not just a pretty dress either: you also get the Buds 3 Pro's control functions, including pinch and swipe gestures (yes, you can swipe the blade to adjust volume).

Also, the Buds 3 FE are IP54-rated for dust, sweat and water resistance, which is a high rating for buds, and something I love to see.

Another thing I love to see? The longest quoted battery life of any Galaxy Buds to date, with up to 8.5 hours of uninterrupted listening in the earpieces (or 6 with ANC on), or 30 hours including case recharging (24 hours with ANC on).

On the subject of ANC, Samsung promises enhanced noise cancellation and call quality from the six-mic array, since one mic in each earpiece has been moved into the blade, closer to the mouth for clear voice pickup.

And although the buds still contain a solo dynamic driver under the hood – which also houses a Bluetooth 5.4 chipset with SSC (Samsung Seamless Codec) plus AAC and SBC support – it's a little bigger this time around for more immersive audio.

Big Galaxy x Gemini smarts

(Image credit: Samsung)

But let's get granular: what about AI? Like their Pro siblings, the Galaxy Buds 3 FE feature Google Gemini including voice activation, plus translation piped into the buds in real time via the Samsung Interpreter app – all part of the Galaxy AI suite.

To clarify (in case you're yet to be acquainted with this particular kind of Samsung-meets-Google tech), that means you'll be able to access Google Gemini for conversational AI assistance, but with the Galaxy AI Interpreter app you'll also be able to use Real-Time Interpreter through the buds or Live Translate to translate phone calls while they're happening.

Of course, this is Samsung, so the Buds 3 FE will work seamlessly with your Samsung TV, tablet, PC or phone, with Auto Switch for easy-breezy device switching – and as you'd expect, the Find My earbuds feature is here, so you can get the buds to emit a 'beep' should you misplace one.

The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 FE are available in two finishes – black and gray – with a matte dual-tone finish.

We can't vouch for the sound just yet, but if these 'Fan Edition' buds live up to the hype in testing, our best earbuds buying guide may well have a fresh contender… watch this space.

The Galaxy Buds 3 FE will go on sale in the US on September 4 at Samsung.com, as well as selected retailers, priced at $149.99 – that's around £110 or AU$230, although official prices for these regions are yet to be confirmed.

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Superman and Star Wars actor Terence Stamp died aged 87 on August 17, 2025, leaving an illustrious legacy of a lifetime of movies behind him. If you’re asking me, the jewel in his crown is undoubtedly The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (known as the latter name for short), following two drag queens and a transgender woman traveling across the Australian desert in a tour bus to take their cabaret show to a remote town. Over 30 years after its release, it still holds a Rotten Tomatoes critic score of 94%, and there’s a good reason why.

As Guy Pearce, Stamp’s co-star in Priscilla Queen of Desert, put it in his X/Twitter tribute following the news: "Farewell dear Tel. You were a true inspiration, both in and out of heels. We’ll always have Kings Canyon, Kings Road and F’ing ABBA. Wishing you well on your way ‘Ralph’!” Stamp indeed changed the game with his character Bernadette, still highly regarded as one of the most positive representations of transgender women in LGBTQ+ cinema.

“We talked long and hard about why he’d initially said no. It was fear,” director Stephan Elliot told The Guardian about the casting of the iconic movie. “And fair enough – you have got to remember we were coming out of the HIV/Aids mess. It was a taboo subject. I looked at the work that he’d done all the way through, like the Italian years when he worked with Fellini and Pasolini, and thought: this was a man who took chances. And I think he was at absolutely the right moment in his life where he was ready for another chance.”

But we’re only just scratching the surface of greatness here. You need to experience Priscilla Queen of the Desert in full to truly understand the magic behind what makes it so special, and luckily, it’s currently available to stream for $0 in the US. Not-so-luckily, it’s only free for the next two weeks, so this is your sign to run to Plex while you have the chance.

Why I recommend you watch Terence Stamp’s Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

It’s sad that death often makes us appreciate what we had after it’s gone, but frankly, I don’t think there’s any better way to honor Stamp’s sheer level of versatility as an actor than to watch Priscilla, Queen of the Desert . As Elliot revealed, Bernadette is a role many actors (including Stamp himself, briefly) would have passed up at the time, because any actor aligning themselves publicly with the LGBTQ+ community immediately risked their career.

While Elliot also stated Stamp complained Priscilla, Queen of the Desert was one of only two movies people wanted to talk to him about (the other being Superman), and would much rather have looked back on movies like 1967’s Far From the Madding Crowd, it’s easy to see why we couldn’t let this musical adventure go. It marks such a fundamental shift of the cultural dial while offering viewers an unfiltered dose of pure happiness and joy in something seldom celebrated (drag, that is). The movie also slotted perfectly into the 1990s wave of cool musical movies, with oddities like The Wedding Singer, Little Voice and Cats bravely following in the footsteps of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert . Being different was finally something to not be ashamed of, and we’ve got people like Stamp to thank for that.

Full to the brim with zingers, effortless chemistry between Stamp, Pearce and Hugo Weaving, and triumph in the face of adversity, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert packs a punch from the moment you start watching. While everything that happens is completely out of the ordinary, it only ever feels natural, and that speaks to the quality of what’s happening in front of and behind the camera. Proud of its own flamboyance, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert strikes an impressive balance between confronting tense social situations and simply having fun, meaning you can just sit back, relax, and trust that you’re about to watch something special. If you don’t want to perform ‘Finally’ along with the penultimate scene, I don’t know what to say to you.

If you miss Priscilla, Queen of the Desert on Plex, you'll also be able to catch it on Prime Video, Hoopla, The Roku Channel and MGM+ in the US. Those in the UK and Australia can also stream it on Prime Video.

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Your child will feel confident with this fun list of functional lunch boxes and backpacks to make the transition from summer to school year easier.

Apple's upcoming phone could be slighter bigger and more powerful -- and potentially pricer.

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• 100-inch Elite art TV
• 2,000 nits of brightness, 400+ included artworks
• New 75 and 86-inch Art TVs also revealed

Skyworth has unveiled the world's biggest art TV, the 100-inch Canvas Elite Art TV, alongside a slightly smaller 86-inch model. Both models are bigger than Samsung's largest The Frame Pro art TV, which tops out at 85 inches.

The panel here uses Skyworth's proprietary OmniView Matte technology, a three-layer setup developed in association with BOE that, according to Skyworth, delivers OLED-level performance from mini-LED displays.

If 100 inches are too big, Skyworth also has multiple smaller models in its Art TV collections. (Image credit: Skyworth)Canvas Elite Art TV: key features

The display is a 4K mini-LED with over 1,000 local dimming zones, 2,000 nits of peak brightness and a 144Hz refresh rate. There are three HDMI 2.1 ports with support for 4K/120Hz gaming, and the TV includes two 10W speakers.

The Canvas Elite runs Google TV with Google Assistant voice control, Google Cast and Amazon Alexa compatibility, and it supports Dolby Vision, HDR, HDR10+ and HLG, Dolby Audio and Dolby Atmos. The TV comes with the Art Time virtual art gallery and "400+" free artworks.

In addition to the 86-inch and 100-inch Canvas Elite models, Skyworth has also added a new 75-inch model to its Canvas Art range. That means the firm now has Art TVs of 55, 65, 75, 86 and 100 inches.

The 100-inch Canvas Elite TV has an MSRP of $4,999 and will launch at CEDIA Expo 2025 in September 2025.

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