Technology

Adobe's Indigo camera app brings powerful upgrades and AI enhancements to the iPhone's camera.

• AMD ships Pollara 400 AI NIC for open high-speed AI networking
• Supports Ultra Ethernet standard with RDMA and RCCL for efficient communication
• Future Vulcano 800G AI NIC targets PCIe Gen6 and rack-scale GPU clusters

AMD has begun shipping the Pensando Pollara 400 AI network card, part of the company's push for open, high-speed data center networking.

Designed for PCIe Gen5 systems, the card supports the Ultra Ethernet Consortium (UEC) standard, which aims to transform Ethernet for AI and HPC at scale.

The card offers RDMA support and is optimized for scale-out collective communication using RCCL, AMD’s alternative to NCCL.

Vulcano 800G AI NIC targeting a 2026 launch

AMD says Pollara delivers around 10% better RDMA performance than Nvidia’s ConnectX-7 and about 20% better than Broadcom’s Thor2. In GPU-heavy clusters, these gains help reduce idle time and improve workload efficiency.

The NIC uses a custom processor with support for flexible transport protocols, load balancing, and failover routing. It can reroute traffic during congestion and maintain GPU connectivity during failures.

The card features a half-height, half-length design and supports PCIe Gen5 x16, offering multiple port configurations including 1x400G, 2x200G, and 4x100G. It supports up to 400Gbps of bandwidth and integrates monitoring tools to improve cluster-level observability and reliability.

AMD claims performance boosts of up to 6x in large-scale deployments, especially when scaled to hundreds of thousands of processors.

For individual workloads, the company reports up to 15% faster AI job performance and up to 10% improved network reliability through features like fast failover, selective retransmission, and congestion management.

With UEC Specification 1.0 now finalized, the company is targeting hyperscalers. Oracle Cloud will be among the first to adopt the technology.

Looking to 2026, AMD says it intends to launch the Pensando Vulcano 800G AI NIC for PCIe Gen6 systems (Pollara and Vulcano are the names of two volcanoes in Italy).

That NIC will support both Ultra Ethernet and UALink to enable scale-out and scale-up networking for large AI workloads. Vulcano is part of AMD’s Helios rack-scale architecture, set for 2026.

AMD is positioning Vulcano as an open, multi-vendor alternative to Nvidia’s ConnectX-8. Its success may depend on how quickly the broader ecosystem can adapt to and support the new networking standards.

Writing about the two networking cards, Patrick Kennedy at ServeTheHome observes, ”At the end of the day, if you want to play in 2026 AI clusters, you need not just AI chips, but also the ability to scale up and scale out. AMD having a NIC may sound a lot like Nvidia’s playbook because that is needed. On the other hand supporting open standards is very different from what Nvidia is doing by leaning into multi-vendor and open standards.”

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Hisense's superb mini-LED TVs are available with some great prices for both US and UK buyers right now.

In the US, Amazon is offering the Hisense U7N 75-inch mini-LED TV for just $799.99. That's the lowest we've ever seen, and far below the $1,499.99 launch price back in October 2024.

Meanwhile in the UK, Amazon is also offering low prices on Hisense. The 55-inch Hisense U7N is £599 on Amazon UK. Once again that's far below the original launch price, which was £1,299 last summer. It's been this low for a few weeks now, and it's a lot of TV for not a lot of money.

Today's best Hisense U7N deals

This is a very impressive specification for an equally impressive price. The U7 Series is a mini-LED TV with up to 1,500 nits of brightness, quantum dot colors, 4K 144Hz game mode, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, IMAX Enhanced and Filmmaker Mode. It also has AI-powered upsampling and detail enhancement. It has a good mini-LED backlight for impressive and even contrast, which means the picture quality will hold up at 75 inches – not true of all affordable TVs.View Deal

This great TV is now £700 less than when it launched last year, and it's no less impressive a year on. It has quantum dot technology for vivid colour reproduction, IMAX Enhanced, Dolby Vision IQ and Dolby Atmos, and of course it comes with all the key streaming apps. This price is for the 55-inch model but there are good prices on other sizes too, so for example the 85-inch model is down from £1,599 to £1,400 and the 65-incher is down from £849 to £799. Click through to the deal to see those options on the Amazon page.View Deal

Why this Hisense makes sense at these prices

Pretty much all TVs are at their most expensive when they launch and then plummet quite dramatically within a fairly short space of time, and that's exactly what's happened with these sets: they launched in 2024, and both are now available for a fraction of what they cost then.

And the tech inside them hasn't really dated: you're looking at mini-LED quantum dot displays with fast refresh rates for gaming, and all the key audio and video features such as Dolby Atmos, IMAX Enhanced, Dolby Vision IQ and so on.

Both TVs here have 40W sound systems with built-in subwoofers, smart audio decoding and Hisense's Hi-View Engine Pro, which uses the power of AI and deep learning to constantly optimize the picture to deliver the best color, clarity and detail. And both have 144Hz Game Mode Pro.

The 75-inch US deal is particularly good because we've never seen this TV at this size at this price: it's nearly half off, and that means you're getting a massive TV with a very impressive spec for a very low price.

That mini-LED screen is very bright, delivering over 1,500 nits of brightess, and as a mini-LED TV owner myself I can attest that such screens are excellent for gaming, TV, movies and sports in all lighting conditions.

The risk with large cheap TVs is that the LED lighting isn't premium enough to maintain a good-looking picture at that size, but that's not the case here – it's a great-value big TV.

The UK 55-inch deal isn't to be sniffed at either: once again it's half the price you'd have paid last year. £600 is a relatively tiny sum for a 144Hz mini-LED with Filmmaker Mode, IMAX Enhanced, a built-in subwoofer and gamer-friendly features such as ALLM and VRR. There are two HDMI 2.1 ports for your next-gen consoles or PC, all the key streaming apps, and hands-free control too.

As someone who's been knee-deep in the Apple ecosystem for the better part of four years, I’m now making up for lost time by discovering all that I’ve missed in the world of Android.

Since becoming a freelance writer, I’ve dived headfirst into the Android phone market to test the latest and greatest handsets. My recent review of the Honor 400, for instance, made me see just how much value you can get from the best Android phones nowadays, particularly when shopping in the mid-range aisle.

With the iPhone 16e, Apple does still have a mid-range option for those who prefer the power of iOS, but the one thing the company doesn’t have is a device to compete with the best foldable phones.

So, until the long-awaited foldable iPhone actually comes to pass, I figured that it would make sense to see what Android phone makers have done with the foldable concept. And after using the OnePlus Open for a few weeks, it’s completely changed not just how I use Google’s platform, but how I use smartphones in general.

Foldables are the king of productivity

Multi-tasking on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

I’ve always tried my best to avoid using my phone for work, outside of taking down a few notes or reading a quick document on my way to a meeting.

The experience just feels too cramped for my liking, and I already know that I spend far too much time mindlessly scrolling through social media or watching YouTube videos, so I certainly don’t need to add any extra screen time to that process. Using a foldable phone, however, has completely changed my tune.

Recently, I’ve had to head into London a few times for various product launches, and even though I’ve had the OnePlus Pad 3 on my person, I’ve found it much easier to just dive into the interior display of the OnePlus Open and start typing. Part of the reason for this is because of OnePlus’ stellar Open Canvas software, which is designed with productivity and multitasking in mind.

The OnePlus Open (Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)

Because of this well-refined bit of software, I’ve been able to have Google Docs open on one side, and a press release open on the other, so that I can research and write at the same time, without needing to quickly open up the app tray and move between them. There’s a similar degree of freedom on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, and it now has me convinced that the next time I have to go abroad for a work trip, I’ll be packing a foldable phone to try and maximize my output on the go.

Typing long-form is so much easier

(Image credit: Future)

As I mentioned before, any attempt at productivity on a traditional smartphone feels immediately hampered by the compact display, which is why typing anything longer than an email feels like a real headache. I know that there are ways around this, including the Clicks accessory, which is more than a nod to the BlackBerry keyboards of old. But for my money, the only true remedy is a foldable phone.

While you can configure the keyboard in any number of ways on the OnePlus Open, by default, it’s split down the middle and given more width so that each thumb can comfortably reach the keys. Those keys have also been made larger, and so I’ve found myself incurring fewer instances of typos, which, as you can imagine, has led to far less time being spent on corrections after the fact.

When I have needed to tweak something in the copy, however, that too has been a breeze thanks to the greater amount of space afforded to the document itself.

Unlike when using the exterior screen, pulling up the keyboard doesn’t inadvertently block my view of the most recent paragraph, and so if I take a pause to collect my thoughts and think about how to proceed, I can easily see where I left off.

Reading isn’t just better, it’s enjoyable

(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)

If, like me, you’re an avid reader, then chances are that you prefer to pick up one of the best ereaders or a paperback before ever loading up the Kindle app on your smartphone.

Sure, I can’t deny just how easy it is to access your Kindle books on the device that you’re guaranteed to always have on your person, but I find it far too tempting to have a quick check of social media if I have my phone out, which is why I try and avoid it.

If you want a phone that gives you the tools to be more productive and steers you towards more fulfilling ways to pass the time, you should seriously consider a foldable.

You can imagine my surprise, then, when I gradually started to notice that I didn’t actively hate reading on the OnePlus Open’s 7.82-inch interior display. The obvious boon is that, in having more screen space, you can fit more words on the page so the experience does start to feel more like that of an ereader. But there’s something else at play here, too.

When you have to use the phone two-handed, it’s not quite as easy to jump from one app to another, so I’ve found myself less interested in checking out social media when the interior display is open.

All of this is to say that, if you want a phone that not only gives you the tools to be more productive with better multitasking and improved typing, but also steers you towards more fulfilling ways to pass the time, such as reading, then you should seriously consider a foldable phone as your next upgrade.

Unless I absolutely have to, I can't see myself going back.

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• Researchers compared pre-GPT era spam, with the ones that came after
• Most spam messages today are AI-generated
• BEC emails require more precision

The majority of spam emails being sent out today are being written by Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), new research has claimed.

A report from Barracuda has argued cybercriminals are not using AI to change their attack tactics, but rather to refine them and make them more difficult to spot.

The study compared emails sent before the emergence of ChatGPT (pre-November 2022), to the ones sent after, and noticed a significant change - namely criminals are mostly using GenAI in spam.

Increasing credibility

By April 2025, 51% of spam emails were generated by an AI, rather than a human, they determined.

“The majority of the emails currently sitting in the average junk/spam folder are likely to have been written by a large language model (LLM),” they explained

On the other hand, criminals don't seem to be that eager to use AI in Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks. As per the researchers, these types of attack involve precision and typically target a senior person in an organization. As a result, by April 2025, just 14% of BEC attacks were generated by an AI.

As one might expect, AI-generated messages are better written. They have a higher level of formality, fewer grammar errors, and greater linguistic sophistication. Therefore, they appear more credible and professional to the victims, increasing the likelihood of them falling prey.

It also means that cyberattackers whose native language is not English will have an easier time targeting businesses in English-speaking countries. Finally, crooks seem to be using AI to A/B test different spam variants, trying to determine which wording variations perform better in real-life environments.

The best way to defend against AI-generated spam messages is with AI-powered email security solutions. In the pre-GPT era, one could spot phishing and spam by simply proofreading the email - these messages were usually filled with spelling and grammar errors, while the language was crude and out-of-character most of the time.

Since AI eliminated these red flags, an advanced email security solution, equipped with multilayered, AI/ML-enabled detection, is “crucial”, the researchers concluded.

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Ironheart is almost ready to engage her power armor's thrusters and take flight on Disney+.

The final Marvel Phase 5 TV show will make its debut on June 24 in the US, and June 25 in the UK and Australia (NB: it'll air in other nations on one of these dates, too). So, there's no time like the present to learn more about who's part of its cast.

I briefly covered the actors and characters you'll see in my dedicated Ironheart guide. However, this article reveals more about each star, where you might have seen them before, and who they're playing.

Some housekeeping before we begin. First, I haven't included actors that Marvel hasn't confirmed to appear, so there'll be no spoilers about characters who are rumored to turn up. That said, slight spoilers follow for some character backstories in Marvel comics, which have been adapted for this show. Turn back now, then, if you don't want to ruin your viewing experience.

Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams/Ironheart

Throne reprises her role as Riri Williams in the character's standalone TV show (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

Almost three years after making her live-action debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Thorne's Williams will finally front her own standalone TV series.

Following her "overseas internship" in Wakanda, Williams returns to MIT to continue her studies – or so she thinks. Expelled for helping other students complete their assignments, the eponymous hero heads back to Chicago. After crossing paths with The Hood (more on him in a moment) in her home city, Williams soon finds herself torn between the ambition to create a suit to rival that of Tony Stark's Iron Man with The Hood's financial help, and her heroic desire to make the world a better and safer place.

Last seen in Lionsgate's crime comedy anthology flick Freaky Tales, Thorne has also appeared in Judas and the Black Messiah, If Beale Street Could Talk, and What If...? season 3.

Anthony Ramos as Parker Robbins/The Hood

Ironheart marks the live-action debut of The Hood in the MCU (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

The Hood – real name Parker Robbins – is a Chicago native who convinces a reluctant Williams to join his gang of criminal activists and help them carry out heists.

As his villainous alter-ego implies, Robbins wears a hooded cloak that's imbued with dark magic. The mystical artifact grants him abilities including teleportation and invisibility, and allows him to channel chaos magic through his dual pistols.

Following his breakout role in Netflix's TV adaptation of She's Gotta Have It, Ramos has featured in various tentpole movies, including In The Heights, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, and Twisters. He's also made appearances in other small-screen ventures, such as Will & Grace and In Treatment.

Lyric Ross as Natalie Washington

Natalie was Riri Williams's best friend before the former's tragic death (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

Williams' best friend before she was accidentally killed in a drive-by shooting, Ross has a dual role in Ironheart. Indeed, not only does she portray the real-life Natalie in flashbacks, but she's also as the artificial intelligence (AI) assistant – known as N.A.T.A.L.I.E – that Williams creates after she's thrown out of MIT.

Best known for playing Deja Pearson in This Is Us on US network NBC, Ross' other credits include Wendell & Wild, Canal Street, and Chicago Fire.

Alden Ehrenreich as Joe McGillicuddy

Joe McGillicuddy has to be an alias, right? (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

Little is publicly known about this character, who'll be portrayed by Star Wars alumnus Alden Ehrenreich. Ironheart's official trailer suggested he'll be an acquaintance of Williams, but Ironheart's first trailer also implied he'll be some form of black market arms dealer. Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) fans, then, think there's more to him than meets the eye.

Most famous for playing a younger Han Solo in 2018's Solo: A Star Wars Story, Ehrenreich has also had roles in movies like Oppenheimer, Cocaine Bear, and Hail, Caesar!. He's also appeared in Peacock TV Original Brave New World.

Manny Montana as Cousin John

Cousin John is the Young Lords' second-in-command (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

The Hood's right-hand man , Cousin John is second-in-command of the Young Lords and helps the group's leader to plan their next hit.

More of a TV actor than a big-screen star, Montana has held main cast roles in USA Network's Graceland, ABC's Conviction, and NBC's Good Girls. He's also featured in Mayans M.C on FX via Hulu, Westworld on HBO and Max, and Miles from Tomorrowland on Disney Junior.

Matthew Elam as Xavier

Elam will play Riri's long-time friend and Natalie's brother (Image credit: Max Eremine)

A close friend of Williams who the latter reconnects with upon her return to Chicago, Xavier's backstory has been altered from his comic book counterpart for this MCU production. Indeed, in Marvel literature, he's just a neighbor of Williams but, in Ironheart's TV adaptation, he's also Natalie's brother.

Last seen in 2024 indie drama Exhibiting Forgiveness, viewers might recognize Elam from small-screen projects including 61st Street and FX's Fargo TV reimagining. He also played Ray Ray in The Sopranos prequel film The Many Saints of Newark.

Anji White as Ronnie Williams

Ronnie Williams has a somewhat difficult relationship with her daughter (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

Another Fargo and 61st Street alumnus, Anji White is set to play Ronnie Williams, aka Riri's mom, in Ironheart. Ronnie was in a relationship with Riri's stepfather Gary (more on him shortly) before Gary was killed during the same incident that led to Natalie's death.

As well as the aforementioned TV shows, White's resume includes appearances in USA Network's The 4400, NBC's Chicago Med, and Showtime's The Chi, the last of those of which can also be streamed on Paramount+ in certain nations.

LaRoyce Hawkins as Gary Williams

Gary Williams was killed during the same incident that Natalie was (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

As I mentioned, Gary was Riri's stepdad before he was gunned down alongside Natalie. A car mechanic by trade, he'll be seen in various flashback sequences throughout the show and be played by LaRoyce Hawkins.

Like White, Hawkins has made a couple of appearances in Chicago Med as Kevin Atawer. He's most well-known for portraying the same character in other installments of Dick Wolf's Chicago franchise, though. Indeed, Atawer has a recurring role in procedural drama Chicago Fire and is a major character in its popular police-centric offshoot Chicago P.D.

Regan Aliyah as Zelma Stanton

MCU fans are curious about what role Zelma will play in Ironheart (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

Like Ehrenreich's McGillicuddy, very little is publicly known about Aliyah's character. Marvel has confirmed the actor is part of Ironheart's cast and, having seen all six episodes of the series, I can confirm Zelma Stanton in the show. Nonetheless, I won't spoil what her role is in proceedings here.

Aliyah will be a familiar face to anyone who's streamed XO, Kitty on Netflix, aka the world's best streaming service. She's also had roles in Indian Telugu-language rom-com flick BF For Hire and Tubi's psychological horror film Please Don't Feed the Children.

Cree Summer as Madeline

Cree Summer has been a fixture of the entertainment industry for over 40 years (Image credit: River Callaway)

A friend of Ronnie's who runs a confectionary shop (it's not really, but I'll spoil a big part of the plot if I say what she actually does!), Madeline is also a spiritual individual who uses burning herbs to cleanse people, such as Riri, who are apparently a breeding ground for 'bad energy'.

Widely known for voicing Susie Carmichael in '90s kids TV show Rugrats, the multitalented artist's incredibly varied career also includes roles in Abbott Elementary, Atlanta, The Legend of Vox Machina, Puppy Dog Pals, and many, many others.

Eric André as Stuart Clarke/Rampage

André is one of the more recognizable faces who'll appear in Ironheart (Image credit: Maya Dehlin Spach)

The Young Lords' so-called tech wizard before he's dumped in favor of Riri Williams, Clarke/Rampage is portrayed by the multitalented Eric André. He's a character with a Marvel history, too – indeed, Rampage is a former supervillain who created his own super-suit that granted him enhanced strength and durability. More recently in Marvel's literary works, he's become a close ally of The Punisher.

As for André, he's appeared in a whole host of movies and TV shows. Disenchanted, Don't Trust the B**** in Apartment 23, Jackass Forever, and Trolls Band Together are just some of the projects he's appeared in. He's best known for his self-titled The Eric André Show, though, which spawned the infamous 'Let Me In!' meme that's still used to this day.

Add in a couple of albums and numerous stand-up comedy specials, and André is one of Ironheart's more recognizable faces.

Sonia Denis as Clown

Clown's a firestarter, a twisted firestarter (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

Another member of the Young Lords, the individual who goes by the codename Clown is a rowdy, pyrotechnics fans who loves to antagonize her fellow criminals.

Known for writing various episodes of Guilty Party and A Black Lady Sketch Show, Denis has also starred in front of the camera in projects like Birdgirl, Sweatland, and Ring It Up.

Shea Couleé as Slug

Slug is the Young Lords' hacker extraordinaire (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

A former Drag queen who wants to steal from the rich in Chicago, the hacker known as Slug is an integral member of the Young Lords.

Couleé, whose big break came by finishing third in season 9 of RuPaul's Drag Race, went on to win season 5 of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars and has appeared as a guest on various other iterations of the hit reality series. Most recently, the Chicago native played Lisa Condo in Abbott Elementary, aka one of the best Hulu shows in the US and best Disney+ shows internationally.

Zoe Terakes and Shakira Barrera as Jeri and Roz

Roz (left) and Jeri (right) are the brawn to Cousin John and The Hood's brains of the operation (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)

The Hood's hired muscle, Jeri and Roz deliver beatdowns aplenty to anyone who gets in their way during the Young Lords' heist missions. When they're not making people catch their fists, the pair are pretty laidback and enjoy the company of their fellow thieves.

Terakes is arguably the more famous of the duo. The Australian actor will be familiar to fans who have seen A24's psychological horror film Talk to Me, Nine Perfect Strangers season 1 and The Office Australia on Prime Video, and Wentworth on SoHo/Fox Showcase.

Meanwhile, Barrera was part of the main cast on Netflix's It's Bruno! and GLOW Tv shows. She's also had bit-part roles in Star Wars: Ahsoka, Hacks, and the US remake of British comedy drama series Shameless.

Harper Anthony as Landon

At just 12 years of age, Anthony is the show's youngest cast member (Image credit: Instagram)

The youngest member of this show's cast, Harper Anthony will portray Landon, a young kid who has a wheeled cart-based snack stall that he makes his allowance out of. He crosses paths with Riri a couple of times when she needs to borrow his child-friendly wagon.

He might only be 12 years old, but Anthony has already got seven acting credits to his name, including an appearance in Chicago Med and roles in the Vulture City and City of Vultures film franchises.

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• Multiple references to Lossless were found in the desktop app's latest code
• Better than CD quality at "up to 24-bit/44.1kHz"
• No official announcement has been made just yet

Sometimes promises take a while to be delivered, such as Elon Musk's promises of full self-driving (FSD) in Tesla cars. And in all honesty, I'd filed Spotify Hi-Fi, Spotify Supremium or Spotify Music Pro alongside that, missions to Mars and the Hyperloop as exciting things announced and then never delivered. But it looks like I'm about to be proved wrong on that count.

Newly unearthed code suggests that Spotify's lossless tier is imminent, or at least it's close enough to imminent for it to be baked into the latest Spotify desktop app.

Could Spotify Hi-Fi arrive in the same way that Tesla's 2018 mission to Mars... didn't?

Spotify lossless audio: what we know so far

According to tech expert Chris Messina, there are multiple references to "Lossless" with a capital L in the latest code for the Spotify desktop app.

The references largely refer to promotional messages inside the app – "The best way to listen in Lossless is with Spotify Connect" – and alerts such as "we're sorry, this track isn't in Lossless yet" or "Looks like your internet connection is having a hard time supporting Lossless right now."

One message indicates the quality the service streams at, promising the "best sound quality on Spotify for music in up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz.”

A similar message was found by Reddit user bendotlc, who said they found the message “Say hello to the best sound quality on Spotify. Listen to high-fidelity music in up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz" and that the feature was already in the app but currently disabled. Techcrunch has confirmed that that claim appears to be true.

Also notable is the message "The best way to listen in Lossless is Spotify Connect," because Apple's AirPlay 2 wireless streaming doesn't support higher-res codecs, so iPhone users might be able to become more acquainted with Spotify's own wireless option.

Spotify has neither confirmed nor denied anything, but it looks like all the pieces are falling into place; earlier this year Spotify signed new deals with the biggest record labels that seem to help prepare for the higher-quality tier's launch. It's expected to include not just higher-quality streaming but also music remixing and AI features too.

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• Steam is upgrading its in-game frame rate counter to be a full overlay
• This will provide a lot more details on what's going on under the hood with any given game, and your CPU and GPU's status too
• That includes whether frame generation is being used, exposing situations where it's been stealthily enabled, hidden in the background

Valve is beefing up Steam's built-in frame rate counter - which displays the frames per second (FPS) in the game you're playing - to provide a lot more info, including whether frame generation is being employed.

Frame generation is the tech used to boost FPS by adding in AI-generated extra frames - often called 'fake frames' by those who are less keen on the feature - as seen in Nvidia's DLSS, AMD's FSR, and Intel's XeSS.

Notebookcheck.net spotted that Valve has released a new beta of the Steam app where the basic in-game FPS counter has become a full in-game overlay performance monitor. Remember, this is still in beta, so you won't see it on your Steam client yet, not unless you're a beta tester.

In addition to a real-time FPS readout, the new overlay provides detailed information on both CPU and GPU performance, including utilization levels, clock speeds, and temperatures, as well as the amount of video RAM being used by the currently running game (system RAM monitoring is also included).

Along with this, Valve has added the ability to display whether DLSS or FSR is active, and whether those technologies are currently using frame generation, as mentioned at the outset.

To begin with, the full feature set will be for Windows PCs only. However, other platforms (SteamOS) will get most of those capabilities, and whatever isn't in the initial release should be provided for other operating systems at a later date. In a similar vein, some info will only be displayed for PCs with certain pieces of hardware.

Here's a full explanation of the new overlay as crafted by Valve, which goes into some detail, but let's clear up a couple of points next, including why detecting frame generation could be very useful, in light of a recent controversy in the world of PC games.

Analysis: Frame blame game

(Image credit: Studio Wildcard)

Okay, first of all, what about if you don't want this heap of new info? When you switch on the overlay, are you just going to get annoyed at all the extra 'garbage' (as far as you might be concerned) cluttering up the screen now?

The good news is that you can dispense with the full readout, and adjust the overlay down to a bare minimum if you want - so it shows only the FPS counter (just as things are now). So don't fret on that score, plus there'll be customization options like adjusting how see-through the overlay is, and where it's placed.

Moving on to frame generation: why is having that displayed a big deal? Well, this is interesting timing actually, as there's been a lot of controversy that's surfaced this week about a game that switches on frame generation without letting the gamer know.

This is ARK: Survival Ascended, which has AMD's (FSR) frame generation on by default, something that reportedly happened a while back (when players observed a major boost to FPS after a patch - which would, of course, happen with frame gen, that's what it does). The thing is, this wasn't announced in the patch; it was a stealth move in the background, and moreover, there isn't even an option for frame generation in the graphics settings.

In other words, there's no way to know it's enabled, or indeed to turn it off in ARK (it's only possible to disable using a console command).

So, you might be playing a game, thinking that the frame rate feels a bit unsettled and jerky, despite a high FPS reading, and that's because frame generation is on when you didn't even know it. I should note: jerkiness isn't inherent to frame generation tech, far from it, but in some scenarios, and especially when you're trying to inflate a lower frame rate - say, 30 FPS - a feeling of choppiness can be a side-effect. This is why 'fake frames' can be called out in a negative way, as I mentioned before.

At any rate, in the case of ARK: Survival Ascended, if you popped the new Steam overlay on, you'd immediately see that it has frame generation active. Furthermore, the new overlay will also highlight incidents of micro-stutter where the frame rate plunges temporarily to very low levels, causing jerkiness. (Which can be one of the downsides of using frame generation, again in certain scenarios - don't write frame generation off due to any of this, by the way, it can be very useful indeed).

As you might have gathered by now, contemporary graphics technologies and understanding frame rates is a complicated business with a lot of nuances. But at least you'll be armed with more knowledge of what's going on with the extra details that Steam's new in-game overlay furnishes you with, assuming you want to get to grips with it all. And if you don't, just turn it off and have the bare frame rate on-screen.

On a final note, as you may be aware, you can already get this kind of functionality with third-party tools (such as Rivatuner, known as RTSS), but Valve bringing this in for Steam is convenient in terms of having it integrated right there, no extra installation required.

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Sam Altman has appeared in the first episode of OpenAI’s brand new podcast, called simply the OpenAI Podcast, which is available to watch now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

The podcast is hosted by Andrew Mayne and in the first episode, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman joins the host to talk about the future of AI: from GPT-5 and AGI to Project Stargate, new research workflows, and AI-powered parenting.

While Altman's thoughts on AGI are always worth paying attention to, it was his advice on AI-powered parenting that caught my ear this time.

You have to wonder if Altman’s PR advisors have taken the day off, because after being asked the softball question, “You’ve recently become a new parent, how is ChatGPT helping you with that?”, Altman somehow draws us into a nightmare scenario of a generation of AI-reared kids who have lost the ability to communicate with regular humans in favor of their parasocial relationships with ChatGPT.

“My kids will never be smarter than AI.”, says Altman in a matter-of-fact way. “But also they will grow up vastly more capable than we were when we grew up. They will be able to do things that we cannot imagine and they’ll be really good at using AI. And obviously, I think about that a lot, but I think much more about what they will have that we didn’t…. I don’t think my kids will ever be bothered by the fact that they’re not smarter than AI. “

That all sounds great, but then later in the conversation he says: “Again, I suspect this is not all going to be good, there will be problems and people will develop these problematic, or somewhat problematic, parasocial relationships.“

In case you’re wondering what "parasocial relationships" are, they develop when we start to consider media personalities or famous people as friends, despite having no real interactions with them; the way we all think we know George Clooney because he’s that friendly doctor from ER, or from his movies or the Nespresso advert, when, in fact, we have never met him, and most likely never will.

Mitigating the downsides

Altman is characterizing a child’s interactions with ChatGPT in the same way, but interestingly he doesn’t offer any solutions for a generation weaned on ChatGPT Advanced Voice mode rather than human interaction. Instead he sees it as a problem for society to figure out.

“The upsides will be tremendous and society in general is good at figuring out how to mitigate the downsides”, Altman assures the viewer.

Now I’ll admit to being of a more cynical bent, but this does seem awfully like he’s washing his hands of a problem that OpenAI is creating. Any potential problems that a generation of kids brought up interacting with ChatGPT are going to experience are, apparently, not OpenAI’s concern.

In fact, earlier when the podcast host brought up the example story of a parent using ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode to talk to their child about Thomas the Tank Engine, instead of doing it themselves, because they are bored of talking about it endlessly, Altman simply nods and says ,“Kids love Voice Mode in ChatGPT”.

Indeed they do Sam, but is it wise to let your child loose on ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode without supervision? As a parent myself (although of much older children now) I’m uncomfortable with hearing of young kids being given what sounds like unsupervised access to ChatGPT.

AI comes with all sorts of warnings for a reason. It can make mistakes, it can give bad advice, and it can hallucinate things that aren’t true. Not to mention that “ChatGPT is not meant for children under 13” according to OpenAI’s own guidelines, and I can’t imagine there are many kids older than 13 who are interested in talking about Thomas the Tank Engine!

I have no problem using ChatGPT with my kids, but when ChatGPT was available they were both older than 13. If I was using it with younger children I’d always make sure that they weren’t using it on their own.

I'm not suggesting that Altman is in any way a bad parent, and I appreciate his enthusiasm for AI, but I think he should leave the parenting advice to the experts for now.

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• Windows 365 Reserve is a new web-based Cloud PC backup for your physical laptop
• Users get to access the service for 10 days in any year
• Pricing unconfirmed, preview upcoming

Microsoft has unveiled a new service designed to provide temporary, pre-configured Cloud PCs to customers when a primary physical device is out of order – be it lost, broken or delayed.

Windows 365 Reserve gives users instant access to Cloud PCs from any device via the Windows App or browser, and they come ready to go, loaded with Microsoft 365 apps, corporate settings and the relevant security policies.

Managed through Microsoft Intune (like physical PCs), Windows 365 Reserve is designed for temporary use only, with a 10-day annual usage allowance (that can be split up or used all at once).

Windows 365 Reserve

Microsoft says the new service is designed to ensure business continuity during events like device theft, loss, delivery days or system outages. With the temporary access, workers can continue as normal or admins can choose to test new configurations away from their own, primary device.

The company describes Windows 365 Reserve as a "modern, secured and scalable offering designed for any type of worker across the entire organization to stay uninterrupted and productive, without the hassle or cost of managing cumbersome loaner PCs, temporary backup PC solutions or legacy VDI access."

Microsoft Modern Work VP Stefan Kinnestrand said 76% of customers have reported having been impacted by incidents of device theft in the last two years, citing third-party research.

No pricing details have been confirmed yet, and it's unclear whether the service will operate on a subscription-based model. Windows 365 Reserve is available in preview "soon," with an online application process for customers to gain early access.

At the same time, Kinnestrand lifted the wraps off other minor improvements to Windows 365 while introducing a 20% discount for first-time customers.

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You could be forgiven for thinking the vacuum cleaner market isn't particularly innovative. That's not the case though: in just over a year of testing and writing about vacuums I've seen vacuums with lasers, vacuums that are powered by AI, and vacuums that can tell you exactly what they're sucking up as they do so. And that's ignoring the more hum-drum but still impressive improvements to suction and battery life.

In all my testing, there's one feature that impressed me most... and it's even more notable because to start with, I was not sold on the idea at all: auto-emptying docks.

These are essentially a base that the vacuum slots into. Like any dock, it charges the vacuum up and provides somewhere for it to live when you're not using it, but it goes one step further than that by also emptying the onboard dust cup.

Pop the vacuum onto its perch and all the dust and debris accumulated on the previous cleaning session will whoosh out, via a closed system, into a larger bin in the base. You can see it in action in the video clip below.

I first saw one of these bases in action last year at a Shark press event. Auto-empty docks are an option on both the Shark PowerDetect Cordless and Detect Pro Cordless, and the Shark representative explained to me that this was going to be a big focus for the brand going forward. I was not sold at the time. Who would want one of these bulky docks in their home? And how hard is it to empty a cordless vacuum yourself, anyway?

(Image credit: Future)

A few months later I was sent a Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra, which has an auto-empty dock as standard. As I set about testing it, I was struck by just how easy the emptying process was. Literally nothing was required of me – I simply put the vacuum into its dock and it did everything for me.

But what really drove home the benefits was when I started doing testing to compare the Samsung Bespoke and Dyson Gen5detect, which lacks a self-empty base. Suddenly, even with Dyson's ultra-smooth engineering, manually emptying a dust cup felt like something from the dark ages. There was dust getting down the side of the bin liner, and more floating in clouds around me. I had to stick my fingers in and dislodge a clump of hair.

It occurred to me at this point that the self-empty system would be great for allergy-sufferers. Everything is being sucked out via a closed system, so there's no opportunity for dust and allergens to escape back into the air. You then only need to empty the dock dustbin once in a blue moon.

(Image credit: Future)

Another benefit is that it means the manufacturer can get away with shrinking the onboard bin. That, in turn makes the vacuum lighter and more streamlined – both useful traits for a cordless stick vacuum.

The self-empty approach is very common amongst today's best robot vacuums. These have even smaller onboard bins, and are designed to be hands-off solutions, so it makes a ton of sense to offer self-emptying functionality there.

Shark is very much embracing the auto-empty dock approach with its manual cordless vacuums already. Provided you have space for the dock, I think they're a solid investment, and something we'll be seeing a lot more of in the future.

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• Nvidia could have a new spin on its RTX 5090 graphics card
• This is rumored to be a new version of the RTX 5090 D for China
• A leaker says it'll pack a 'surprise', but the truth could be more mundane

Nvidia is rumored to be planning a new variant on its Blackwell flagship graphics card, potentially an RTX 5090 DD model – and it could come with a 'surprise' according to one leaker.

Tom's Hardware flagged up two separate mentions of this potential GPU (add seasoning with all this) on X, the first of which came from MEGAsizeGPU, who mentioned the RTX 5090 DD and how it will be for China only.

5090 DDGB202-240PG145 SKU 40*for China market onlyJune 18, 2025

So, the theory is that this is a follow-up to the RTX 5090 D (single D, not double D) for China, a different spin on the standard Blackwell flagship which was produced for that country to get around US export regulations.

Except the goalposts on those restrictions have been moved, and now rule out the RTX 5090 D itself as too powerful (for AI usage) to be shipped to China. It looks like the idea now is to further cut down the graphics card to again make it feasible to supply to Asia, and call it the RTX 5090 DD.

The purported cut-down specs were supplied by another regular on the GPU leaking scene on X, Kopite7kimi, as you can see below.

RTX 5090 DD?PG145-SKU40GB202-240-K*-A121760FP32384-bit GDDR7 24G 28Gbps575Wand there's a surprise.June 18, 2025

The key changes are a slightly lower-tier GPU chip (GB202-240, rather than GB202-250 as seen in the original 5090 D), and the video RAM has been dropped to 24GB with a narrower 384-bit memory bus.

That means a 25% hit on the memory bandwidth compared to the RTX 5090 D, but the core count and TDP remain the same (the latter is interesting, and I'll return to why shortly).

Tom's Hardware takes it as read that these two rumors are fully aligned – and they are from what we can see spec-wise – but note that Kopite7kimi has a question mark heading up their post on X, which begins: 'RTX 5090 DD?'

However, this is likely referring to questioning the name, and whether this will really be called the RTX 5090 DD, rather than doubting whether this is actually a new spin on a China-only graphics card. Although we should never take anything for granted from the rumor mill, and maybe the latter could be the case.

At any rate, the most intriguing bit here is Kopite7kimi's mention of a "surprise" from Nvidia with this GPU.

Analysis: Let the guessing games begin

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

When it comes to the name, yes, making it 'DD' sounds rather implausible, but remember – this is the company that brought you the RTX 4070 Ti Super graphics cards (and similarly clunky bouts of unimaginativeness in the past besides).

As mentioned, the surprise is what we really want to know about, and Kopite7kimi doesn't elaborate on what that might be with any kind of a vague hint, even. So, we're left to guess on that score.

Tom's Hardware theorizes that the surprise could be further cut-backs to the AI powers of the graphics card delivered via the firmware, and that sounds entirely possible. But equally it sounds entirely dull, and the way the leaker teases that "there's a surprise" feels like it's phrased to stoke a bit of excitement here. A minor chop to AI capabilities hardly qualifies in that respect, but what else could Nvidia possibly have up its sleeve here?

For me, this hints that Nvidia is planning a move like cutting the price of the RTX 5090 DD. Or perhaps, most excitingly, offering it outside of China, too? Yeah, okay, that seems unlikely (although as noted, with that question mark, it could be that Kopite7kimi isn't fully sure this is the mentioned Chinese variant). Perhaps more realistically, we could be looking at a fair old bump in clock speeds (hence the TDP staying the same, with the spec being cut down in some key areas).

Hopefully, we'll find out soon enough what Nvidia might be up to here, if anything, as this could all turn out to be so much smoke from the rumor mill (or plans from Team Green that never come to fruition).

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The UK’s Legal Aid Agency is among the latest high profile examples of a cyber-attack resulting in a significant data breach. The incident is all the more worrying because of the sensitive nature of the data accessed in the attack.

The Ministry of Justice reported in May 2025 that a “significant amount of personal data” of people who applied online to the Legal Aid Agency since 2010, including criminal records, was accessed and downloaded in a cyber-attack in April 2025.

Media reports on the incident suggest that more than two million pieces of information were taken, including details of domestic abuse victims, people involved in family cases and those facing criminal prosecution.

The Ministry of Justice confirmed that the data may have included addresses of applicants, dates of birth, national ID numbers, criminal history, employment and financial data such as debts and payments.

The recurring problem with data beaches of highly sensitive and special category data is not just the immediate exposure and vulnerabilities caused, it is the unknown future illicit uses of the stolen data, which can be surprising and very harmful to all involved.

Evolving cyber security threat landscape

The cybersecurity threat landscape is rapidly evolving, shaped by technological innovation, global instability and sometimes opportunism by cybercriminals.

The proliferation of AI, including Generative AI, AI bots, and co-pilots, is expanding the potential for digital attacks. The acceleration of AI adoption has outpaced governance frameworks, widening knowledge, solutions, and resilience gaps. In addition, cybercriminals are leveraging Generative AI to enhance social engineering attacks, making them more effective and harder to detect.

Geopolitical instability is also a rising threat. State-linked Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups from Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea are actively engaging in cyberwarfare, targeting critical national infrastructure with sophisticated campaigns.

These groups exploit supply chain vulnerabilities to maximize impact, often driven by political and economic motivations. For organizations operating globally, real-time threat intelligence and geopolitical awareness are essential, especially when working with unfamiliar partners or entering new markets.

Cloud infrastructure is under growing pressure as threat actors refine their tactics. CrowdStrike reported a 75% year-on-year rise in cloud intrusions, with attackers increasingly using stealthy, staged operations to establish footholds and move laterally across hybrid IT environments.

Supply chain insecurity remains a persistent concern. The 2024 Microsoft–CrowdStrike incident, which triggered one of the largest global IT outages to date, demonstrated the systemic risk of over-reliance on a few key technology providers. The fallout, which impacted a range of sectors from aviation to healthcare, underscored the urgent need to audit, monitor, and diversify supply chains, as well as share breach intelligence more effectively.

On a more promising note, AI is also proving to be a valuable defense tool. It enhances anomaly detection, vulnerability classification, automated patching, and configuration management. Large Language Models (LLMs) are augmenting the threat intelligence lifecycle, from analyzing attacker behavior to powering deception technologies like honeypots. As AI becomes more embedded in cyber defense strategies, it offers the potential for faster, smarter, and more adaptive responses to emerging threats.

Managing cyber risks

Cyberattacks of all kinds are rising. Any type of organization can be a victim. The cyberattack on the Legal Aid Agency serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for a holistic and proactive approach to cyber security.

When high profile cyberattacks occur, leaders often seek reassurance. They often request information about what can be done first or quickly. The urgent response is to go back to basics: check key data protection practices, review GDPR compliance, strengthen basic information security safeguards and encourage important suppliers to be on high alert. From a legal and operational standpoint, organizations, particularly those handling sensitive information and special category data, should prioritize the following measures:

1. Engagement at board level: Cybersecurity is no longer just an IT issue. It is a board-level responsibility. Effective resilience depends on cross-functional collaboration among leadership, cybersecurity specialists, legal advisors, internal auditors, HR, digital forensics experts, and crisis communication teams. A multi-disciplinary response capability is essential to manage both the technical, legal and reputational dimensions of a breach.
2. Continuous preparedness: To ensure a robust security architecture, organizations must look beyond having the right tools in place. It is vital to implement vulnerability management on a continuous basis, with timely patching protocols and a focus on regular training of employees.
3. Data Breach Practice and Preparedness: Practice makes perfect, and simulated incident response exercises, including table-top scenarios, are critical in ensuring readiness for data breaches. It is also advisable for organizations to have a learning and development mindset and extract lessons from near-misses and close calls, rather than seeking to brush these under the carpet and quickly move on.
4. Due diligence for AI integration: Generative AI is evolving apace, and it can be tempting for organizations to rush in to deploy it. However, innovation should work in partnership with security. Due diligence is vital. Before integrating new AI platforms or other emerging technologies, organizations should conduct comprehensive assessments of their security credentials and weigh up any additional cyber security risk exposure these systems might introduce.
5. Third-party risk management: Cyber resilience does not end at the network perimeter. Organizations must map, monitor, and regularly audit their supply chains to identify vulnerabilities. Where high-risk vendors are identified, mitigation actions should be taken swiftly. Mitigation may include stopping working with a supplier or limiting the amount of work with them. Every business should have a strong third-party risk management framework as a cornerstone in their cybersecurity environment.

Critical National Infrastructure cyberattacks like those affecting The Legal Aid Agency reminds us that cyber resilience requires ongoing commitment. Cybersecurity must be embedded across all levels of an organization, including boards, leadership teams, mission critical data sets to supply chain management.

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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

There’s a shift happening in global outsourcing. It’s no longer just about reducing costs, it’s about how businesses access talent and deliver specialist services at scale. That’s where Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) comes in. While BPO is already well established across sectors like customer service and finance, KPO is quickly gaining ground by applying the same industrialized approach to professional expertise.

Think legal research, fraud investigations, graphic design or medical diagnoses – processes that rely not just on execution, but on judgment. This is where KPO stands apart. From process to judgment

BPO is built on repeatability. Contact centers, finance operations, procurement and IT support all thrive when standardization is possible. These services are typically delivered by a well-trained, entry-level workforce supported by workflow tools and quality assurance mechanisms. KPO, by contrast, starts with expertise.

Rather than training staff into a process, it leverages qualified professionals from day one (engineers, lawyers, doctors, designers) and industrializes their output. But this shift introduces new challenges: how do you create a repeatable model for work that depends on professional judgement?

How do you ensure consistency when the answer isn't always clear-cut? This is the critical leap KPO must make: turning judgment-based work into a reliable, scalable service that can deliver consistent results at pace. And it requires a different approach to quality control, onboarding and process design.

Business sense

The benefits of getting it right are significant. KPO allows organizations to access hard-to-find skills at a global level, often at a price point far below what would be possible locally. It offers the ability to scale operations predictably, tapping into a talent base that includes highly educated, underemployed professionals in emerging markets like South Africa.

Just as BPO unlocked growth by handling routine tasks more efficiently, KPO enables businesses to scale specialist services without growing internal headcount. From claims processing to legal support, creative work to technical analysis, KPO brings scarce skills into a structured, cost-effective model. More importantly, it also supports business agility. By industrializing knowledge tasks, companies can respond faster to changing demands, launch new services more quickly and maintain quality across geographies.

The role of AI

While automation has disrupted many areas of BPO, KPO is less susceptible to replacement by machines. Why? Because it relies on human judgment. That said, AI still plays an important role. From document summarization to workflow optimization and quality control, AI enhances the KPO model rather than displacing it. It can support professionals by surfacing insights, flagging inconsistencies and helping scale oversight processes that would otherwise be manual and inconsistent. Used wisely, AI becomes a co-pilot for knowledge workers – not a substitute.

Industries experiencing the most growth in KPO include legal, medical, insurance and financial services. Legal Process Outsourcing (LPO) now handles vast amounts of documentation, reviewed offshore and signed off by local attorneys. In healthcare, digital providers are leaning on offshore professionals for diagnostics, exception handling and patient queries.

Insurance and fraud management also benefit, where complex workflows combine documentation, analysis, and customer interaction. These aren’t pure back-office functions. They often straddle voice and non-voice roles, requiring hybrid capabilities and end-to-end ownership of a case, rather than a single transaction.

The future of outsourcing

The global outsourcing landscape has undergone a significant transformation. What once revolved around basic contact center functions and collections has evolved into a model of full-case ownership. Today’s agents are not just answering calls - they are processing, consulting, resolving, and managing customer journeys from start to finish.

In collections, this shift has fostered long-term client relationships, with cases managed over extended periods using workflow tools, CRM systems, and deep domain expertise. This model is now being applied to areas such as fraud support and customer retention, driven by the same foundational infrastructure.

As KPO matures, South Africa has a real opportunity to become a leader in this space. Its strong education system, English fluency, and growing BPO sector makes it an ideal launchpad for specialized global services.

As digital services become more standardized, the demand for specialist human expertise will only continue to grow. By applying structured processes to complex judgment-based tasks, it’s possible to scale without compromising on skill - unlocking opportunities for professionals worldwide to engage in meaningful, high-impact work. The next era of outsourcing is already here - and it’s more intelligent, nuanced, and human than ever before.

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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 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 Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Thursday, June 19 (game #739).

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 #740) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• ROCK
• FILM
• SEAL
• SCISSORS
• POETIC
• PAPER
• BUTTON
• MUSEUM
• SNAKE
• SHOOT
• THREAD
• HITMAN
• RECORD
• NEEDLE
• UNDERTAKER
• TAPE

NYT Connections today (game #740) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Sew good
• GREEN: Commit to physical or digital media
• BLUE: Ring stars
• PURPLE: [Melting substance] blank

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 #740) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: ITEMS IN A SEWING KIT
• GREEN: CAPTURE ON VIDEO
• BLUE: PRO WRESTLING ICONS, WITH “THE”
• PURPLE: WAX ___

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

NYT Connections today (game #740) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #740, are…

• YELLOW: ITEMS IN A SEWING KIT BUTTON, NEEDLE, SCISSORS, THREAD
• GREEN: CAPTURE ON VIDEO FILM, RECORD, SHOOT, TAPE
• BLUE: PRO WRESTLING ICONS, WITH “THE” HITMAN, ROCK, SNAKE, UNDERTAKER
• PURPLE: WAX ___ MUSEUM, PAPER, POETIC, SEAL

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Look, I'll be honest here, even though it may upset some people, but I do not get pro wrestling. I simply don't understand it at all – what's the point? It's all staged!

Anyway, that didn't stop me solving the blue PRO WRESTLING ICONS, WITH "THE" group first, because UNDERTAKER, HITMAN and ROCK were all obvious and SNAKE seemed a far more likely fourth inclusion than 'The Museum' or 'The Button'. Sorry, Mr Snake, but I had not heard of you.

Green was an easy one, made easier still by the fact that FILM, RECORD, SHOOT and TAPE had lined themselves up on one line and therefore made them jump straight off the board and into my brain. Yellow was even simpler, to the extent that I can't believe I didn't spot it sooner, and though I didn't need to solve purple I think I might have done if I'd had to.

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Thursday, June 19, game #739)

• YELLOW: COMPONENTS OF ONE’S GRADE ATTENDANCE, FINAL, HOMEWORK, PAPERS
• GREEN: MAP APP OPTIONS DESTINATION, ROUTE, STARTING POINT, STOPS
• BLUE: CLASSIC TOYS BALL, BLOCKS, JACKS, TRAIN
• PURPLE: FENCING GEAR FOILS, GLOVES, JACKETS, MASKS

What is NYT Connections?

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

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

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

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

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Thursday, June 19 (game #473).

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Just a dusting

NYT Strands today (game #474) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• BABE
• BOAT
• MOAT
• CHIN
• CLING
• SING

NYT Strands today (game #474) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 7 letters

NYT Strands today (game #474) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: right, 5th row

Last side: left, 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 #474) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #474, are…

• BABY
• COCOA
• BLASTING
• BAKING
• CHILI
• TALCUM
• ITCHING
• SPANGRAM: POWDERS

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

ITCHING powder was a constant threat throughout my childhood. Along with quicksand and killer bees it was one of those things that comics, films and TV shows suggested would be far more widespread than it actually was – which, of course, was not widespread at all. To the extent that I do not know anyone who was actually dosed with it.

I have far more direct experience with all of the other POWDERS in today's Strands, apart from BLASTING. I don't actually know what that is, but I suspect that unlike COCOA, BAKING or CHILI it is not something you'd want to put on food (and unlike TALCUM or BABY, definitely not on a body!)

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Thursday, June 19, game #473)

• SCENERY
• GAMES
• PLAYLIST
• MOTEL
• PHOTOS
• AUDIOBOOK
• SPANGRAM: ROAD TRIP

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 Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Thursday, June 19 (game #1242).

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 #1243) - hint #1 - VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?

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

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

Quordle today (game #1243) - hint #2 - repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

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

Quordle today (game #1243) - hint #3 - uncommon lettersDo the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

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

Quordle today (game #1243) - 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 #1243) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• B

• D

• H

• L

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

Quordle today (game #1243) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1243, are…

• BRAID
• DULLY
• HASTE
• LURID

My three start words again came up trumps today, giving me all five letters for what became HASTE and LURID, and four each for DULLY and BRAID.

DULLY was the only mildly difficult one on account of having a repeated L, but it wasn't really tough for me because nothing else would have fit at that point. A real cinch of a Quordle.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1243) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1243, are…

• THROW
• SHAKY
• OWING
• LOAMY  

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1242, Thursday, 19 June: BRUSH, ISLET, FRUIT, PRIVY
• Quordle #1241, Wednesday, 18 June: MEDIA, SHARK, GUPPY, MOURN
• Quordle #1240, Tuesday, 17 June: LEAPT, PRISM, ADMIN, WHINE
• Quordle #1239, Monday, 16 June: RETRY, SCALD, DINGO, FEIGN
• Quordle #1238, Sunday, 15 June: SHOCK, STEIN, BROIL, COVEN
• Quordle #1237, Saturday, 14 June: STICK, FERRY, THESE, IONIC
• Quordle #1236, Friday, 13 June: REPEL, LARGE, SNIDE, CARRY
• Quordle #1235, Thursday, 12 June: SCANT, BATCH, UNDER, PARSE
• Quordle #1234, Wednesday, 11 June: CRAVE, ROOST, ANGLE, FLOOD
• Quordle #1233, Tuesday, 10 June: DECRY, CHEEK, FILET, EASEL
• Quordle #1232, Monday, 9 June: DERBY, LEMON, WRITE, HOVEL
• Quordle #1231, Sunday, 8 June: REBAR, ALERT, PAYEE, FLUME
• Quordle #1230, Saturday, 7 June: FLUNK, ESTER, SPITE, CHEAP
• Quordle #1229, Friday, 6 June: ELUDE, KHAKI, VISTA, SMOKY
• Quordle #1228, Thursday, 5 June: CHIDE, RABBI, GUSTY, LANCE
• Quordle #1227, Wednesday, 4 June: BANAL, STOUT, SEDAN, HIPPO
• Quordle #1226, Tuesday, 3 June: FUGUE, SYRUP, FLACK, WORST
• Quordle #1225, Monday, 2 June: THINK, BELLE, CRONE, BOULE
• Quordle #1224, Sunday, 1 June: POINT, MERIT, WHOOP, APHID
• Quordle #1223, Saturday, 31 May: CRUMB, ELFIN, DRIER, QUITE

You might be surprised by what your trips to the bathroom can say about your health, as gastroenterologists explain.

• Nintendo has provided instructions for how to fix the Switch 2 battery charge indicator issue
• This solution is for "for when the battery amount displayed and the actual remaining battery use don't match"
• Nintendo adds that if following these steps didn't resolve the issue, then the console will need to be sent in for a service repair

Nintendo has shared a solution for the common Switch 2 battery charge indicator issue.

The Switch 2 officially launched earlier this month, and if you're one of the users who have been experiencing a problem where your console is incorrectly displaying your battery percentage, thankfully, there's now a fix.

On the support page, Nintendo has provided simple step-by-step instructions "for when the battery amount displayed and the actual remaining battery use don't match."

All you'll need is your Switch 2 console, the Switch 2 AC adapter, and access to the internet. You can read the guide below.

1. Confirm that you're using an adequately powerful AC adapter to charge your console. The Nintendo Switch AC adapter (Model HAC-002) can be used to charge the Nintendo Switch 2 when plugged into the console directly. Due to power output differences, it cannot be used to charge the Nintendo Switch 2 when docked.
2. Confirm that your console has the latest system update.
3. Power off the console.
4. Press and hold down the volume up (+) and volume down (-) buttons, press the POWER Button once to turn the system on. 
5. Keep holding down the volume buttons until the menu for Recovery Mode appears. Navigating to this menu should reset the battery level meter.
6. Power off the console again by pressing and holding the POWER Button until it turns off.
7. Power the console back on and monitor the situation.

Nintendo noted that navigating to the Recovery Mode menu should be enough to reset the battery level meter, but if following these steps still didn't resolve the battery charge indicator issue, then the console will need to be sent in for a service repair.

If you're hoping to get your hands on the new console, you can check out our live coverage of Nintendo Switch 2 restocks for the US and UK.

You might also like...

• Nintendo Switch 2 review-in-progress live: my thoughts, reactions, and experience with the console and its games
• I’ve spent 150 hours with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and the Switch 2 Edition is an incredible upgrade
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• Episource confirms cyberattack with patient data stolen
• The theft happened in late January 2025, and includes policy and MedicAid information
• Customers are urged to remain vigilant

American healthcare data giant Episource has confirmed suffering a cyberattack in which it lost sensitive data on more than five million people.

In a data breach notification published on the company’s website, it said the intrusion was spotted on February 6, 2025, and after shutting down the IT network, bringing in third-party forensics experts, and notifying law enforcement, the company learned the miscreants took “copies of some data” between January 27 and February 6, 2025.

The data includes health plans/policies, insurance companies, member/group ID numbers, and Medicaid-Medicare-government payor ID numbers. It also includes health data such as medical record numbers, doctors, diagnoses, medicines, test results, images, care, and treatment, as well as other personal data such as dates of birth or Social Security numbers (SSN).

Increasing credibility

Cybercriminals often target healthcare organizations for their data, since it can be abused in phishing, identity theft, and other forms of scams.

Crooks can use the data to craft personalized, convincing emails, which can trick the victims into downloading malware or sharing login credentials.

At the same time, Episource filed a new report with the US Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights’ breach portal, confirming exactly 5,418,866 people were affected by this attack.

The company began notifying them on April 23, 2025, it was said. It did not state which providers it’s notifying, but stressed that not everyone was impacted by the attack.

Episource is a healthcare data and technology company that helps health plans manage risk adjustment, quality measurement, and clinical data through analytics, coding, and technology solutions.

It is urging impacted individuals to stay vigilant, and watch out for potential impersonation and scam attempts.

Via BleepingComputer

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