Technology

ChatGPT, Gemini and company are going down the rabbit holes so you don't have to.

Buying one of the best student laptops isn’t always easy, especially if you’re eyeing up one of Apple’s MacBooks and are working to a tight budget. MacBooks are some of the most expensive laptops out there, and while they’re packed with features and practically last forever, your finances can still take a hit.

Apple offers student discounts across its range of products, yet these aren’t the most generous offers you’ll see. But what if I told you there’s another way to get a cheap MacBook without compromising on quality or buying from a dodgy third-party website? In fact, you can score a top-quality MacBook directly from Apple while saving hundreds in the process.

I can vouch for this method, too, as I’ve done it myself and am still pleased with what I got years later. Try it out yourself, and you’ll get an excellent new Mac for college without breaking the bank.

Apple’s education store

(Image credit: Apple)

The most conventional way to get one of the best MacBooks for college is to use Apple’s education website. This houses various deals for students on devices like Macs and iPads, and Apple often throws in free extras (like a pair of AirPods or an Apple Pencil) when you buy through this store.

The problem is that the deals you’ll find there aren’t always that attractive. Most Macs only come with $100 off – the MacBook Air is priced at $899 through Apple’s education storefront, as opposed to its regular $999 price, for example. A 10% discount is fine, but not earth-shattering.

If you’re in the market for an Apple device and were planning on buying one of the accessories that the company bundles in for free anyway, it’s worth a look. For instance, if you were going to get a MacBook and a new Magic Mouse, you can get the latter for free from Apple, which is a great deal. But these offers don’t last forever, and if you can’t get one – or would rather save even more money on a laptop than have an accessory you don’t need – there’s another place you should be looking.

Don’t get me wrong, any saving is welcome, and you’d do far worse than to accept the $100 off that Apple’s education store provides. But I know we can do better than that.

The refurbished alternative

(Image credit: Farknot Architect / Shutterstock)

Enter Apple's Certified Refurbished store. There, you’ll find a whole host of Apple products that have been returned by previous customers, fitted up and repaired by Apple, then sold on at a steep discount.

I know what you’re thinking: why would you buy a refurbished product when you can get a brand-new one from Apple? Aren’t refurbished ones full of dents, scuffs, and other problems?

That might be the case when you buy from third-party refurbished stores, but not from Apple. Apple’s refurbishment process is rigorous: the company cleans, tests, and inspects each device, replaces any faulty parts with genuine replacement components, and ships it to you for free in a new box with new cables and accessories. You get a one-year warranty, too, with the option to insure your device with AppleCare.

I bought a MacBook Pro with the M1 Pro chip from Apple’s refurbished store a few years ago. When it arrived, I simply wouldn’t have believed that it wasn’t a new laptop: from the new, sealed box to the spotless body without a scratch on it, nothing indicated that this was anything other than a brand-new product.

Discounts on discounts

(Image credit: Apple)

With the refurbished route, the real kicker is the price. While Apple’s education store is selling the entry-level M4 MacBook Air for $899, you can get the same device on the refurbished store for the even lower price of $849. Saving even more money for something that is essentially indistinguishable from a new MacBook seems like a no-brainer.

Sure, you might be able to find a Mac even cheaper by scouring eBay or Facebook Marketplace, but you won’t get anywhere near the same quality, and certainly not the same warranty.

The only caveat with the refurbished store is that some websites discount new Macs to similar prices to what Apple offers, so it’s often worth checking major retailers from time to time to see how they match up. If you can get a brand-new MacBook for less than one of Apple’s refurbished ones, that’s naturally the better option.

But if you just need something right now and want to score a discount without having to sacrifice your peace of mind, Apple’s refurbished store is a great place to look. It could leave you with a top-quality laptop for college and a little more change in your pocket, too.

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The Sage Luxe Brewer Thermal is an advanced drip coffee machine that launched earlier this year and is a new version of the original Luxe Brewer with an insulated carafe to keep your freshly brewed coffee hot for up to four hours. I'm currently testing it to find out whether it can earn a place in TechRadar's list of the best coffee makers, but I wanted to bring you a few of my first impressions.

The designers at Sage (known as Breville outside the UK) clearly realize that first impressions matter, and not only does the Luxe Brewer Thermal look smart with its smooth lines and silver finish, it also has a surprisingly small footprint. With a base measuring 14.7 x 7 inches, 37.24 x 17.7cm, it's about as small as a full-size drip machine can be.

Something else I particularly like about the Luxe Brewer Thermal is that its water tank is removable – a feature that makes it much easier to fill and clean than most drip machines. The tank also has a wide opening, making it easy to fill from a tap, and is supplied with a water filter complete with a counter so you can see when it's time for a replacement.

The tank has a small handle, which you can loop a finger through to keep it steady, but you'll need to support the tank with your other hand underneath the body of the tank once it's full. A larger, thicker handle that you could get your whole hand around would make it easier to carry, but since you already have big handles for the basket and the pitcher on the right-hand side, I can understand the designers not wanting to add yet another on the left.

The water tank is removable, but its small handle means you'll need two hands to carry it when it's full (Image credit: Sage)

The Luxe Brewer Thermal has options for both hot and cold brewing. I've not yet experimented with the cold option (though with warm weather approaching, I plan to do so very soon), but my first results with the hot mode were excellent.

The instruction manual includes a table explaining the optimum weight of coffee and quantity of water to use, depending on how many cups you want to brew. Helpfully, the coffee measurements are provided in both grams and scoops. I have an electronic scale for weighing coffee, but if you don't, there's a long-handled scoop included with the machine, so it's not a problem.

Time to brew

I'm trying to avoid drinking too much coffee in the evenings (not always easy when you test coffee machines for a living), so I was particularly keen to try the Luxe Brewer Thermals' delayed start function. A jug full of freshly brewed filter coffee is the perfect way to start the morning, in my opinion.

Setting the timer on the machine is very simple – just tap the button, turn the dial to set the time you want to start brewing, and press it in to confirm. The set time will appear on the display, and you can head to bed.

(Image credit: Sage)

I didn't hear the Luxe Thermal Brewer at all when it started working at 7am, and when I entered the kitchen half an hour later, I thought it might not have worked because the outside of the carafe was so cold, but that was just the result of its excellent insulating properties. It was full of perfectly brewed, piping hot coffee, ready to be enjoyed.

I've yet to test just how long the Luxe Thermal Brewer's pitcher can keep drinks hot, but so far it seems to perform better than the Fellow Aiden Precision Coffee Maker, whose jug became noticeably warm on the outside and soon allowed drinks to become lukewarm.

Overall, an excellent experience. So far, the only drawback was that the instruction manual seems to be written for a global audience and mostly uses Ikea-style diagrams, which aren't always completely self-explanatory. Thankfully, Sage's website contains a much more detailed user guide, which covers all the machine's features in much more depth.

I'm looking forward to putting the rest of its features to the test very soon, and finding out whether it can earn a place in my complete roundup of the best drop coffee makers. Watch this space.

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From French developer Sandfall Interactive, with a relatively small team, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has taken the gaming world by storm. Wonderfully, 33 days after its release, it had sold 3.3 million copies: you couldn’t write a better stat!

Naturally, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is often compared to the likes of Persona, Dragon Quest, Chrono Trigger, and the Tales series to name a few. But it’s Final Fantasy, one of the best role-playing game (RPG) series, where the comparisons mostly come back to. But why is that?

Well, if you haven’t checked in on the Final Fantasy series for a while, it abandoned the concept of traditional turn-based combat a while ago. Players hark back to the 90s-2000s era where Final Fantasy had arguably one of the greatest runs in gaming - from Final Fantasy 6 all the way to Final Fantasy 10 (and there’s a lot of love for 4, 5, and 12 as well).

Final Fantasy has now taken on a more action-based style in recent years, especially with its most recent releases of Final Fantasy 16 and the Final Fantasy 7 Remake series, and needless to say, this has been met with mixed reactions from longtime fans of the beloved series. Expedition 33 gives these fans that turn-based combat high they’ve been chasing.

Crucially, however, Expedition 33 innovates in simple ways not just in this tried-and-true combat formula, but it delivers in other key areas, and as a Final Fantasy fan, I think there are a few things the old dog of JRPGs could learn from this young pup.

Same, but different

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 offers a fresh take on the turn-based combat formula with its dodging and parrying system. (Image credit: Sandfall Interactive)

Traditional turn-based combat has players taking turns to select an action, and once that action is executed, it’s the enemy's turn. It necessitates planning and strategy for what the enemy could throw at you, while praying they don’t. Many a time in Final Fantasy have I stared at a character’s sliver of health, praying the boss doesn’t annihilate them (spoiler: they often do).

Expedition 33 changes this. During the usually ‘passive’ elements of the turn-based gameplay (the enemy's turn), players can dodge or parry enemies' incoming attacks to not only negate damage but depending on what Pictos and Luminas (Expedition 33’s semi-active abilities) players have equipped, they can earn back health, pull off powerful counterattacks or gain Action Points (AP) to execute stronger skills on their turn.

This simple innovation rewards the player’s skill and timing with instant bonuses. A quick heads-up for those who haven’t got around to playing Expedition 33 yet: you will die, often, especially against late-game bosses. The point is to learn your enemy’s moves, nail the timing, and reap the rewards. Yes, you will get frustrated (lord knows I did more than a few times), but when I finally killed off a comically large and difficult boss, the sense of achievement was staggering.

While the Final Fantasy series is now using an action-based, almost hack-and-slash approach in its newer games, which I have sometimes enjoyed, if it were to go back to turn-based combat, it could definitely take some pointers from Expedition 33’s style.

Bigger isn’t always better

Expedition 33 features an overworld reminiscent of classic JRPGs like earlier Final Fantasy games: and it feels good to be back. (Image credit: Sandfall Interactive )

One of the first things I noticed playing Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth on its release was just how massive the world was. Every area was interconnected with sprawling fields, towering mountains, and wide open spaces that got me so excited. I could hop on a Chocobo and make the trip from Kalm to Junon with this much detail and these gorgeous graphics?? Heck yes!

Then came the side missions from arguably gaming’s most irritating ‘companion’, Chadley. Scan this ten times, beat these enemies five times, etc. It sucked my enjoyment out of the world. Yes, I could ignore these missions, but when they’re plastered across the screen and Chadley often calls you to remind you about the them, it’s quite difficult to ignore. Also, I do blame the completionist in me for getting drawn in.

So, when I booted up Expedition 33 and made it to the game’s overworld for the first time, it was like being greeted by an old friend. Taking cues from its predecessors, areas were divided up into solitary, linear levels and dotted around the overworld, each taking on its own gorgeous, unique look. Crimson forests, underwater worlds, sprawling cliffs: each biome had its own identity, but felt effortlessly connected.

And best of all? No distractions. Expedition 33 leaves you to your own devices, sign-posting your objective but leaving you to enter other worlds and take on enemies as you see fit. And while Expedition 33’s world wasn’t as big as other RPG’s, no space was wasted. Its world is visually striking in every corner. Final Fantasy 16 players will know where I’m coming from: big, open fields with next to nothing in them are too common a sight.

The story, the music

Expedition 33's music and story are breath-taking, emotive and engaging, capturing the feeling you used to get with classic JRPG titles. (Image credit: Sandfall Interactive)

Final Fantasy has always excelled is in its phenomenal scores. From Nobuo Uematsu’s legendary compositions, such as One Winged Angel from Final Fantasy 7 and To Zanarkand from Final Fantasy 10, these soundtracks are special. His successors, who include Masashi Hamauzu, Yoko Shimomura and Masayoshi Soken, have done more than enough to fill his shoes since. Final Fantasy is arguably the standard bearer for video game scores.

Expedition 33 smashed it out of the park with its score. Haunting, heartbreaking, beautiful, powerful, calming - Expedition 33’s soundtrack captures every emotion. Alicia gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. Une vie à t'aimer is an 11-minute masterpiece that stuns with its soaring vocals, captivating strings, and shredding electric guitar solo. Crucially, it does all this with a unique sound that is unmistakably French, giving it that twist again.

Final Fantasy’s stories have always been epic tales of 'good vs evil' in fantastical worlds that aren’t afraid to stray from the path. But I can’t help but feel that recent mainline entries such as Final Fantasy 15 and 16's stories lacked the unique flavor that each story used to have. 15 had an excellent dynamic between its four lead characters, but the antagonist felt absent for large parts of the story and the pacing was off, with the start feeling slow and the ending feeling rushed. 16 was an improvement with some excellent character depth, but the pacing again felt off and the numerous antagonists felt as memorable as past villains like Sephiroth (from 7) and Kefka (from 6).

Expedition 33’s story, where groups known as Expeditions must set out to defeat the Paintress after each Gommage (where masses of the population of a certain age disappear), with every attempt before this one unsuccessful. The story feels inspired by other RPGs in its beats, but crucially has that bold originality thanks to its spectacular world and frankly, macabre, somber tone. Journals of old expeditions add to the worldbuilding in subtle ways, and the phenomenal performances of the cast give this story a really dynamic, emotionally heart-wrenching, and engaging feel like no RPG I’ve played in a long time.

A sequel? We can only hope

(Image credit: Sandfall Interative)

Without giving anything away, it’ll be interesting to see whether Sandfall treats Clair Obscur as a linear or anthology series, the latter invoking Final Fantasy as a series of games connected only really by name. This is hoping we actually get a sequel, of course.

There aren’t many things I’d change about Clair Obscur: it’s marvelous. Exquisite design, gorgeous visuals, striking music, an emotionally charged, beautifully written story with familiar but original gameplay, it really did do it all. There are some minor changes I’d make, however.

A journal is a faithful companion in an RPG, to keep track of quests, the enormous amount of sub-bosses to beat, side quests, and so on, and Expedition 33 doesn’t really have this. Only a map and the audio logs of old expeditions. This would give players a sense of direction, and although it does hearken back to older games like The Legend of Zelda on the NES, which simply released you into the world, I’d like to see one included.

The Pictos and Lumina system, while a refreshing take on abilities, can be tricky to keep track of, especially if you want different builds. It would be great if you could save particular builds with certain abilities and weapons for certain situations, allowing you to easily switch in the Inventory menu.

Honestly, there isn’t much else I’d ask for differently. There are a few ways the story could go (a prequel of an older expedition, maybe?), and although it’s a challenging game, it’s equally rewarding for your efforts and persistence. Really, for me, it’s the 2025 game of the year.

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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 Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, July 27 (game #511).

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Inch by inch, row by row

NYT Strands today (game #512) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• MORPH
• BLEED
• PURE
• SHARP
• PHASE
• ROAST

NYT Strands today (game #512) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 15 letters

NYT Strands today (game #512) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 6th row

Last side: right, 7th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #512) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #512, are…

• GROW
• SEED
• RIPEN
• HARVEST
• BLOSSOM
• SPROUT
• SPANGRAM: VEGETABLE GARDEN

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 hint

Two notable things about today’s word search. Firstly, I don’t think I have ever seen so many five-letter non-game words lurking on the grid. Secondly, a return to whopping great long spangrams.

The 15-letter yellow snake that revealed VEGETABLE GARDEN didn’t make today’s game any easier, which is what usually happens when we have a long spangram. In fact it was satisfyingly tricky despite being obvious what we were looking for.

GROW I found easily enough but a lack of patience and that rich harvest of non-game words tempted me into claiming a hint. This same lack of patience is possibly why I like the idea of having a veggie garden, but my talents lay in killing plants rather than growing them.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, July 27, game #511)

• STUDY
• EXAMINE
• SURVEY
• WEIGH
• INSPECT
• SCRUTINIZE
• SPANGRAM: ANALYSIS

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 Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, July 27 (game #1280).

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 #1281) - hint #1 - VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.

* 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 #1281) - 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 #1281) - 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 #1281) - 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 #1281) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• C

• T

• S

• F

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

Quordle today (game #1281) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1281, are…

• CANDY
• TRYST
• SHIRT
• FORGO

Ouch! This one hurt my brain with two very difficult to find words in TRYST and FORGO.

That said, knowing there were no vowels available, the second word in today’s game had to have a Y. It still took me far too long to pull out of my head though. 

Daily Sequence today (game #1281) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1281, are…

• SWINE
• BERTH
• DRAMA
• QUILT

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1280, Sunday, 27 July: TRAWL, BALER, PIANO, MINCE
• Quordle #1279, Saturday, 26 July: MUDDY, SAINT, KINKY, POLAR
• Quordle #1278, Friday, 25 July: BONUS, RESIN, CEDAR, MADAM
• Quordle #1277, Thursday, 24 July: AGONY, VERVE, GLEAN, MINUS
• Quordle #1276, Wednesday, 23 July: OZONE, PENCE, ROOMY, WIDER
• Quordle #1275, Tuesday, 22 July: OPTIC, GIDDY, VOCAL, ADULT
• Quordle #1274, Monday, 21 July: KNEED, SNAIL, PINTO, FEAST
• Quordle #1273, Sunday, 20 July: GRACE, COUNT, EGRET, GIANT
• Quordle #1272, Saturday, 19 July: EARLY, CLICK, TRITE, SPREE
• Quordle #1271, Friday, 18 July: CINCH, FOYER, FUDGE, TAFFY
• Quordle #1270, Thursday, 17 July: CRESS, TABOO, POWER, HATER
• Quordle #1269, Wednesday, 16 July: UNCLE, NADIR, REMIT, BROOM
• Quordle #1268, Tuesday, 15 July: VILLA, FLECK, TIGER, CRANE
• Quordle #1267, Monday, 14 July: SURGE, PIZZA, PAPER, POPPY
• Quordle #1266, Sunday, 13 July: KAYAK, DECRY, RUDDY, HATER
• Quordle #1265, Saturday, 12 July: WREAK, NANNY, CLASP, STAIN
• Quordle #1264, Friday, 11 July: LAPEL, DRAIN, FROND, GROSS
• Quordle #1263, Thursday, 10 July: CROSS, WHEEL, UNDID, PENCE
• Quordle #1262, Wednesday, 9 July: SHIRE, SIXTH, SINGE, IMAGE

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 Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Sunday, July 27 (game #777).

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 #778) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• TRACE
• INITIAL
• SIGN
• ORIGINAL
• STAMP
• BUDDY
• SILENT
• DATE
• RECORD
• EVIDENCE
• PRIMARY
• COIN
• FIRST
• COMIC
• CULT
• HINT

NYT Connections today (game #778) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: At the forefront
• GREEN: Proof
• BLUE: Part of a set 
• PURPLE: Types of film

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 #778) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: FOREMOST
• GREEN: INDICATION
• BLUE: ITEM IN A COLLECTION 
• PURPLE: ____ MOVIE

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

NYT Connections today (game #778) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #778, are…

• YELLOW: FOREMOST FIRST, INITIAL, ORIGINAL, PRIMARY
• GREEN: INDICATION EVIDENCE, HINT, SIGN, TRACE
• BLUE: ITEM IN A COLLECTION COIN, COMIC, RECORD, STAMP
• PURPLE: ____ MOVIE BUDDY, CULT, DATE, SILENT

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Today felt like an exceptionally easy day. Which makes me suspect that more tricky challenges may be lurking in the week ahead. Not that I don’t relish the chance to finish a round of Connections quickly and feel all smug about it.

But let’s be honest, today was a doddle. On any other day, the purple group could have passed as a yellow. 

The NYT even resisted the temptation of putting something weird in the ITEM IN A COLLECTION group because, let's face it, people collect anything.

Take me for example, I speak here as someone with collections of autographs on the back of cigarette packets, JD Salinger first editions, Portuguese sardine tins, 3D postcards from the 1960s (mainly poodles), and Japanese football shirts. Oh and all the normal stuff.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, July 27, game #777)

• YELLOW: "NOTHING TO IT!" CHILD'S PLAY, EASY, NO SWEAT, PIECE OF CAKE
• GREEN: OUTDOOR EVENTS BLOCK PARTY, FESTIVAL, PICNIC, TAILGATE
• BLUE: WORDS BEFORE "SCHOOL" ELEMENTARY, GRADE, GRAMMAR, PRIMARY
• PURPLE: ASSOCIATED WITH TRICKS CON GAME, HALLOWEEN, HEARTS, MAGIC SHOW

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.

• A GoPro Max 2 prototype is up for sale
• The early version is missing a screen
• A full launch for the camera is expected soon

The wait for a successor to the GoPro Max has been a long one – the 360-degree camera launched all the way back in 2019 – but a new leak gives us more evidence that a successor is finally on the verge of being introduced.

As spotted by Notebookcheck and a thread on Reddit, a prototype for the GoPro Max 2 has now appeared on a Chinese marketplace. One of the main giveaways that it's a prototype is that it doesn't have a screen, which the actual model will do.

We do get a look at the Folding Fingers mounting system that's present on other recent GoPro cameras, and at some of the inside components: the size of the heatsinks suggests this is a camera that might run quite hot.

The leak also gives us a good look at the size and the position of one of the front cameras. We'll have to wait and see how the image and video quality holds up against the Insta360 X5 and the upcoming DJI Osmo 360.

A long time coming

The GoPro Max 2 will take on the Insta360 X5 (Image credit: Future | Sam Kieldsen)

Considering this is clearly a prototype of the GoPro Max 2, we're somewhat limited in terms of what we can take away about the final version of the upcoming camera, but it's still an interesting leak that reveals some of what Google has been working on.

Our hopes were raised with an official GoPro Max 2 trailer at the start of the month, but we haven't heard anything from GoPro since about this camera. Presumably, a full unveiling can't be too far away now.

We did get some tweaks to the original GoPro Max back in February, but not the full refresh we've been waiting for. GoPro has gone on record as saying there have been production delays over the years, pushing back the GoPro Max 2 launch further and further.

Hopefully there's not too much longer to wait now –and we'd expect the 360-degree camera to go straight into our list of the best GoPros. As soon as GoPro says anything else officially, we will of course let you know.

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• AMD's Threadripper Pro 9995WX workstation processor hit 6GHz and set new world performance records
• ASUS overclockers took the 96-core CPU to new heights with a liquid nitrogen cooling setup
• New Threadripper 9000 series flagship combines extreme specs with unlocked overclocking potential

AMD’s new Threadripper Pro 9995WX is already proving itself to be the most powerful workstation CPU available.

The top-end offering in the freshly launched Threadripper 9000 series, the 9995WX features 96 cores, 192 threads, a 2.5GHz base clock, and boost speeds up to 5.4GHz.

It also supports 144 usable PCIe Gen5 lanes, 128MB of L3 cache, and 8-channel DDR5 ECC memory at up to 6400MT/s.

Breaking records

Now on sale, priced at an eye-watering $11,699 at Amazon and Newegg, the 9995WX is technically designed for high-end workstations, but it has already become a popular choice in the extreme overclocking scene.

Using liquid nitrogen and an ASUS Pro WS WRX90E-SAGE SE motherboard, ASUS overclocking team member CENS pushed the chip to nearly 6GHz across all 96 cores, reaching a Cinebench R23 score of 227,817, which is an all-time world record.

The CPU was cooled to -47°C during the session and powered by a 2,000W PSU.

Clock speeds held steady between 5,746MHz and 5,950MHz, allowing the chip to maintain full-core stability under sustained loads.

That performance beat the previous record of 210,000 points set by AMD’s earlier 7995WX chip, and positions the 9995WX firmly at the top of the HEDT segment.

In total, the 9995WX was part of eight new world records and first-place benchmark results across Cinebench, Geekbench, 7-Zip, HWBOT x265, and Y-cruncher.

ASUS overclockers CENS, OGS, SEBY, and others all used the same chip to take top spots in both global and hardware categories.

The 9995WX may be aimed at professionals, but its unlocked design and massive core count also make it a showcase for what current desktop CPU engineering can achieve.

Matched with a high-end board and liquid nitrogen cooling, ASUS demonstrates just how hard a workstation processor can be pushed.

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• Bots now dominate the threat landscape for travel platforms during peak booking periods
• Fake demand created by bots leads to inflated prices and fewer options for real users
• SMS pumping attacks are draining funds and delaying key notifications for travelers

As summer travel hits its peak, a new concern is emerging that has little to do with rising fuel costs or demand-driven pricing.

A growing volume of automated traffic is now being blamed for driving up flight prices, disrupting bookings, and damaging the experience for travelers, experts have warned.

The 2025 Thales Bad Bot Report claims the travel sector accounted for 27% of all bot-related activity globally last year, making it the most targeted industry.

Travel sector emerges as the top target for automated bot attacks

The report outlines several ways bots are interfering with online travel platforms.

One key issue is “seat spinning,” where bots initiate the booking process but do not complete payment - by hoarding inventory temporarily, they reduce availability and may create a false perception of scarcity, which can influence pricing algorithms.

In some cases, bots resell the tickets they secure through “ticket scalping,” pushing genuine customers toward inflated prices or unavailable flights.

These attacks also exploit messaging systems through what is known as “SMS pumping," which involves triggering high volumes of text messages to premium-rate numbers, increasing costs for companies and potentially delaying important customer notifications.

“Bad bots aren’t just causing chaos online anymore, they’re hijacking holidays,” said Tim Ayling, cybersecurity specialist at Thales.

“Right now, travel websites are being overwhelmed by bots pretending to be real customers, snapping up tickets, scraping prices, and slowing everything down.”

As more transactions shift to mobile, the problem has become more visible, particularly for last-minute travelers relying on real-time updates.

The bots themselves are becoming easier to deploy, and there is a surge in simpler, more accessible bots, often driven by AI-based tools.

These are not the domain of sophisticated hackers alone. Low-skilled actors can now use basic scripts or free proxy setups to bypass traditional security.

Even the use of VPN and proxy services, typically associated with privacy, is sometimes manipulated to mask malicious traffic, giving bots the appearance of legitimate users accessing from different regions.

Another emerging problem is the targeting of APIs, which power search results, pricing engines, and loyalty programs.

Nearly half of all advanced bot attacks now focus on these areas, and they can interfere with backend functions, slowing down entire websites or even causing them to crash.

Attackers also use advanced techniques to mimic genuine human behavior, making it harder for traditional defenses to detect and block harmful traffic.

Methods such as CAPTCHA, once effective, are no longer reliable, often frustrating real users more than bots.

“Traditional defenses just aren’t cutting it. Travel companies need a smarter, layered approach, blocking credential stuffing attacks and securing vulnerable areas like logins and checkouts through continuous testing and threat monitoring.”

In a digital environment where automation now surpasses human web traffic, the challenge facing airlines and travel sites is less about visibility and more about precision.

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• Public transit routes are buggy on Google Maps
• It seems to be affecting some but not all users
• Google hasn't yet made any comment on the issue

Millions of us rely on Google Maps to get from A to B every day, so when something goes wrong with the app it can cause a serious headache – as seems to have happened with a new bug that affects searching for public transit directions.

As noted by Android Police, a lengthy thread on Reddit documents the experiences of many users who are seeing the Google Maps app for Android crash when they search for public transit directions to a direction.

It's difficult to assess just how widespread the problem is at the moment: the Android Police team was able to replicate the bug on one of their phones, but it's not an issue I'm seeing on my own Google Pixel 9 at the moment.

What's certain is that it's frustrating for those people who are seeing it, leaving them unable to use Google Maps to plot a route to their destination. As yet, Google hasn't said anything officially about the problem or a potential fix.

What you can try

Switching to incognito mode could help (Image credit: Future)

With no word from Google yet – and I'll update this article if there is – users are really left sitting and waiting for a fix. It sounds as though the issue has hit multiple Android phones, including those made by Google, Samsung, and Poco.

From the Reddit thread, it seems that putting Google Maps into incognito mode might help. You can do this by tapping your Google account avatar inside the app (top right), then choosing Turn on Incognito mode from the menu.

This apparently fixes the problem, though your searches and journeys obviously won't be saved in your Google account. It also suggests that the problem might be something to do with the way Google Maps is syncing to accounts.

It might also be worth your while checking out some of the alternative public transit apps available on Android, such as Citymapper and Moovit. There's also Apple Maps too of course, but this bug doesn't seem to affect Google Maps for iOS.

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The Devil Wears Prada 2: key information

- Filming began in July 2024 after the 2013 sequel script was shelved
- Releasing May 1, 2026, no trailer yet
- Production began on June 30, 2025
- Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci are all returning
- Kenneth Branagh, Simone Ashley, Lucy Liu, and Justin Theroux among newbies cast
- Plot follows Miranda Priestly's career decline as she faces off against Emily Charlton's luxury ad business

The Devil Wears Prada 2 is officially a go. Almost two decades after the release of the original movie, the sequel is actually happening.

I don't mean to be a hater, but Vanessa Williams keeping the IP alive through a musical just isn't cutting it for me. If you were a fellow tween in the 2000s, Disney's The Devil Wears Prada was one of the cinematic moments of the decade. You know all of Miranda Priestly's (Meryl Streep) iconic lines by heart, you watched the infamous Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) outfit transition scene more than you did your homework, and for the only time ever, you hated Emily Blunt because of her character (Emily Charlton).

I know, I can hear you saying: "why do we need another sequel of a by-gone classic that likely won't be as good?" I might be ever the optimist, but I firmly believe that this is the sequel that could end up being one of the best new movies of the decade.

Why? The original cast is all returning, the plot seems genuinely solid and the behind-the-scenes photos already prove that the outfits are as iconic as they were 20 years ago. Add to this the inevitable A-list cameos that will be coming our way, and we've got what has the making of an unmissable hit on our hands. I'm already so seated that I'm 10 months early, but thankfully we already know a lot about what The Devil Wears Prada 2 has in store.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 release date

The infamous cerulean belt scene in The Devil Wears Prada. (Image credit: 20th Century Studios)

It's official! The Devil Wears Prada 2 will be released on May 1, 2026. Amazingly, this is one weekend before the MET Gala, though it's pretty clear which will actually be the fashion event of the season. It's like we'll see some crossover here too, with the cast attending in or out of character amazing PR for the sequel.

The Devil Wears Prada 2 trailer: is there one?

It might feel as though all of these set clips are good enough to make a full trailer themselves, but alas, there is no The Devil Wears Prada 2 trailer as of writing.

The movie went into production on June 30, 2025, which means filming has only just begun, so we're a way off of seeing any footage yet. While we've got no way of knowing when production is supposed to wrap, we can guess that a trailer won't make itself unknown until at least early 2026.

The Devil Wears Prada 2: confirmed cast

Anne Hathaway (Andy) and Emily Blunt (Emily) in The Devil Wears Prada. (Image credit: 20th Century Fox)

It wouldn’t be The Devil Wears Prada without the charismatic and electric quartet of Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci, who will all be returning for the sequel. We also have a confirmed new co-stars with Kenneth Branagh, Simone Ashley, Lucy Liu, and Justin Theroux. Plus, an abundance of hidden cameos will likely come out of the woodwork as time goes on.

Here's the confirmed The Devil Wears Prada 2 cast so far:

• Anne Hathaway as Andy Sachs
• Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly
• Emily Blunt as Emily Charlton
• Stanley Tucci as Nigel Kipling
• Tracie Thoms as Lily Ravitz
• Tibor Feldman as Irv Ravitz
• Kenneth Branagh as Miranda’s husband
• Patrick Brammal as Andy’s new love interest
• Simone Ashley
• Lucy Liu
• Justin Theroux
• B.J. Novak
• Pauline Chalamet
• Conrad Ricamora
• Helen J. Shen
• Caleb Hearon

Director David Frankel and writer Aline Brosh McKenna, who worked on the original film, are also returning for the sequel, alongside producer Karen Rosenfelt.

Hathaway's co-star in The Idea of You Nicholas Galitzine previously spoke about wanting to work with her and Streep in the sequel. "Listen, if Annie’s down for it, if they want to do a sequel of The Devil Wears Prada, I’ll be someone," the actor said in Elle's 2024 Hollywood Rising issue. "I’ll be the assistant who runs and gets coffee for everyone." Whether anything actually came from his pleas, however, remains to be seen.

Adrian Grenier, who played Andy’s boyfriend, Nate, will not be returning for the sequel.

The Devil Wears Prada 2: story rumors

Anne Hathaway (Andy) in The Devil Wears Prada. (Image credit: 20th Century Studios)

While Disney hasn't directly shared a synopsis for the sequel, Puck magazine reported: “The storyline being discussed focuses on Miranda Priestly, Streep’s Wintour-esque protagonist, at the end of her career, facing the decline of traditional magazine publishing. She’s forced to go head-to-head with her former assistant, Blunt’s Emily Charlton, now a high-powered executive at a Kering or LVMH-style luxury group, whose advertising dollars Priestly desperately needs.”

Of course, we know Hathaway's Andy is going to return too, but who Andy has grown up to be remains a mystery.

The sequel is likely to draw inspiration from the book Revenge Wears Prada, but with added elements not present in the original novel. In Revenge, Andy had recently turned 30 and was about to get married (we've seen a wedding ring on Hathaway's hand while filming). She'd become a successful magazine editor in her own right, working closely with her former Runway survivor Emily before Miranda re-enters her life.

It goes without saying that we all know Miranda is loosely based on Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour, who has recently stepped down from her position after a 37-year tenure. If we'll see nods to this in the sequel remains to be seen, but giving how closely Wintour's exit times with filming, it's not impossible.

• Stream The Devil Wears Prada in the US on Disney+
• Stream The Devil Wears Prada in the UK on Disney+
• Stream The Devil Wears Prada in Australia on Disney+

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