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Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Saturday, July 19 (game #1272).

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 #1273) - hint #1 - VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 5*.

* 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 #1273) - 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 #1273) - 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 #1273) - 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 2.

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 #1273) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• G

• C

• E

• G

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

Quordle today (game #1273) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1273, are…

• GRACE
• COUNT
• EGRET
• GIANT

I don’t think I’ve ever had a more straightforward round than this one, with every word ending up being a very easy-to-solve anagram.

EGRET was the only one of the quartet that required me to do a small bit of thinking, but with G-R-E-T in the correct positions it was hardly a stretch. 

Daily Sequence today (game #1273) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1273, are…

• DROVE
• IMAGE
• HORSE
• FILLY

Quordle answers: The past 20

• 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
• Quordle #1261, Tuesday, 8 July: PLIED, PRANK, GAWKY, OXIDE
• Quordle #1260, Monday, 7 July: DROLL, TRUCE, TWIRL, SINCE
• Quordle #1259, Sunday, 6 July: AMPLY, SPAWN, EXTOL, RIDGE
• Quordle #1258, Saturday, 5 July: HAVEN, SNAKE, DREAM, TORUS
• Quordle #1257, Friday, 4 July: FAVOR, SKUNK, GAWKY, FLUFF
• Quordle #1256, Thursday, 3 July: DANCE, EYING, GLAZE, EGRET
• Quordle #1255, Wednesday, 2 July: INANE, SCOUR, ELITE, ULCER
• Quordle #1254, Tuesday, 1 July: REBAR, YEARN, FORTH, CROWD

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 Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Saturday, July 19 (game #769).

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 #770) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• ВОР
• DRAW
• CROSS
• BUZZ
• DRY
• LOAN
• PULL
• SWAY
• BOUNCE
• TWIST
• DRAG
• SHAKEN
• PASS
• GROOVE
• GIN
• PUFF

NYT Connections today (game #770) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Almost dancing
• GREEN: Breathe in
• BLUE: Not stirred
• PURPLE: Add a word

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 #770) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: MOVE TO THE MUSIC
• GREEN: INHALATION
• BLUE: MARTINI SPECIFICATIONS
• PURPLE: ___WORD

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

NYT Connections today (game #770) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #770, are…

• YELLOW: MOVE TO THE MUSIC BOP, BOUNCE, GROOVE, SWAY
• GREEN: INHALATION DRAG, DRAW, PUFF, PULL
• BLUE: MARTINI SPECIFICATIONS DRY, GIN, SHAKEN, TWIST
• PURPLE: ___WORD BUZZ, CROSS, LOAN, PASS

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 1 mistake

Today I got the idea stuck in my head that there was a group about a card game, so I had DRAW, PULL, PASS and CROSS. Fortunately, I abandoned this idea before I made any more mistakes.

Getting MARTINI SPECIFICATIONS helped narrow things down and led to me finding the green and yellow groups.

A good thing, as I would have struggled to find the fourth member of the purple quartet after BUZZ, cross and pass, but today I learned that loanword is a word adopted from a foreign language with little or no modification.

There are some obvious examples, such as safari, karaoke and guru, but also some surprising ones like cookie, which comes from the Dutch language, and cartoon – which originated in Italian.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, July 19 game #769)

• YELLOW: SOURCES OF DRINKING WATER RAIN, SPRING, TAP, WELL
• GREEN: THINGS YOU CAN DO WITH A FOOTBALL PASS, PUNT, SNAP, SPIKE
• BLUE: SHARP FASTENERS BRAD, NAIL, PIN, TACK
• PURPLE: STARTS OF TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES DON, LEO, MIC, RAP

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 Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, July 19 (game #503).

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Shore thing!

NYT Strands today (game #504) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• BEAR
• HATS
• DATA
• CHAT
• PAGE
• SONG

NYT Strands today (game #504) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 11 letters

NYT Strands today (game #504) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 3rd row

Last side: right, 8th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #504) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #504, are…

• WRAP
• BIKINI
• SARONG
• TRUNKS
• SANDALS
• SWIMSUIT
• SPANGRAM: BEACH ATTIRE

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

An easy search today. One that we could do from the safety of a sun lounger without having to tax our brains too much, although initially I did think we were looking for ocean geography.

Some people have very different ideas about BEACH ATTIRE to the ones we searched for.

I don’t think I’ve ever worn anything other than shorts and SANDALS whenever I’ve visited a beach. This is not the case with my whole family, as my grandparents would wear their regular clothes to the beach – and my grandfather’s idea of regular attire was a three-piece suit.

The one concession to their whereabouts would be to place knotted handkerchiefs on their heads, but their cardigans and jackets would stay firmly on regardless of the weather.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, July 19, game #503)

• STICKY
• BALMY
• MUGGY
• SCORCHING
• SWELTERING
• SPANGRAM: SUMMER WEATHER

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.

It's almost time for the final Marvel movie of 2025. The Fantastic Four: First Steps launches worldwide in late July, and before it arrives, you might be wondering who's in the upcoming superhero film.

Below, I've compiled a list of the most prominent cast members who'll appear in the first Marvel Phase 6 project. I'll also tell you which characters they're playing and where you might have seen these actors before.

Before we begin: this article only contains actors confirmed to appear and whose role hasn't been cut from the final film (RIP John Malkovich's Red Ghost). My ultimate guide to The Fantastic Four: First Steps provides more information on that character's absence and looks at some big cast rumors, so read that once you're done here.

Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic

Man-of-the-moment Pedro Pascal will play Reed Richards' latest live-action iteration (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

One of the most popular and prolific A-listers of recent years, Pascal was rumored to be Mister Fantastic way back in November 2023. Last February, he was all but confirmed as Reed Richards before Marvel officially unveiled who'd be playing The Fantastic Four in the group's latest big-screen reboot.

For those unfamiliar with the character, Richards is the de facto leader of Marvel's First Family. He's also an incredibly intelligent individual with an ego to match that of Tony Stark's. Unlike his fellow genius, though, Richards can lack the ability to emotionally connect with people, so he often comes across as cold. Oh, and he can stretch his body and limbs, too. Richards acquired this superpower when he and the rest of The Fantastic Four encountered cosmic radiation that altered their DNA and imbued them with superhuman abilities.

Following his breakout TV roles in Narcos and Game of Thrones, Pascal has appeared in numerous big films and shows, including The Last of Us, Gladiator II, The Mandalorian, and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.

Most recently, he's starred in the A24 movie duo Materialists and Eddington. He'll next be seen in the Star Wars film The Mandalorian and Grogu and Avengers: Doomsday, which arrive in March and December 2026.

Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman

The team's matriarch will be played by The Crown and Mission: Impossible alumnus (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

After Kirby dropped a huge hint about her involvement in First Steps – she told me it would "be an honor" to play Sue Storm in August 2023 – it was inevitable she'd be cast as the super-team's only female character.

Also known as The Invisible Woman, Storm is one of the most powerful beings in the entire Marvel Universe. In the comics, she can turn invisible, fly, and create force fields to protect or catch objects. Numerous teasers, including First Steps' official trailer, revealed she'll possess some of these powers and confirmed a big fan theory about Sue Storm that's ended up being one of the movie's two worst-kept secrets.

Kirby rose to fame for portraying Princess Margaret in seasons 1, 2, and 5 of the hit drama The Crown. Since then, she's appeared in three Mission: Impossible movies, Pieces of a Woman, Apple Movie Original Napoleon, and various other big- and small-screen projects. Following First Steps, viewers can see her in Night Always Comes and Avengers 5.

Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch

Flame on! The hot-headed Johnny will be portrayed by a former Stranger Things star (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Sue's hot-headed brother, who was portrayed by former Captain America star Chris Evans and Black Panther actor Michael B. Jordan in prior Fantastic Four live-action films, will be played by Stranger Things alumnus Joseph Quinn in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Given his impulsive nature and 'Human Torch' superhero alias, it'll come as no surprise to learn that Johnny Storm has pyrokinetic abilities. Indeed, he can create fire – in environments where oxygen is present, anyway – to use as a weapon against his foes and/or enable him to fly. He also possesses the ability to absorb heat energy, which would be a handy ability to have if he ever became a firefighter.

Aside from playing fan-favorite character Eddie Munson in Stranger Things season 4 on Netflix, a role that turned him into an overnight sensation, Quinn has also appeared in other TV projects like Dickensian, Catherine the Great, Small Axe, and Strike. On the big screen, he featured alongside Pascal in Gladiator II, and also had roles in A Quiet Place: Day One and Warfare. Like the above pair, he's also part of Avengers: Doomsday's initial 27-strong cast.

Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing

One of The Bear's biggest actors is playing Grimm/The Thing in Marvel's cinematic franchise (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

The Bear stalwart Ebon Moss-Bachrach is on board as the fourth and final member of the titular team, Ben Grimm/The Thing. The handsome pilot underwent the biggest physical transformation due to the galactic radiation the group encountered, and his skin turned into an orange, rock-like substance.

Grimm's mutated, rocky exterior allows him to withstand hits that would floor many other individuals. He also possesses superhuman strength, endurance, and stamina, and is effectively immortal in Marvel literature. Given how much it's been teased in various trailers and TV spots for one of 2025's most exciting new movies, don't be surprised if he utters his famous phrase "It's clobberin' time!" at some point, too.

Arguably most famous for co-starring in The Bear, aka one of the best Hulu shows and best Disney+ shows, Moss-Bachrach has also had roles in The Punisher, Girls, Andor, We'll Never Have Paris, and No Hard Feelings. He's also due to appear in Avengers: Doomsday.

Ralph Ineson as Galactus

Marvel is withholding a full reveal of Galactus until First Steps is publicly released (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

The planet-devouring cosmic entity known as Galactus will be First Steps' primary antagonist. His appearance was all but confirmed when Marvel teased key story details about the film last April. One month later, The Office UK star Ralph Ineson was tapped to play him, but it wasn't until late April that we got our first proper look at Galactus, albeit via a Lego toy leak. Indeed, Marvel didn't reveal Galactus' full form in First Steps' inaugural trailer and hasn't done so in other footage we've seen since.

A terrifying, immortal space god who feasts on planetary bodies to sustain himself, Galactus will be a near-impossible force for The Fantastic Four to overcome. Indeed, he maintains mastery over the Power Cosmic, a source of unlimited power that grants him an infinite amount of superhuman abilities, including, but not limited to, size alteration, teleportation, matter transmutation, energy projection, and creation of interdimensional portals.

Ineson was most recently seen in Foundation season 3 on Apple TV+, but viewers may also recognize him from appearances in Nosferatu, The Northman, The Green Knight, Ludwig, The Jetty, Chernobyl, and Game of Thrones, among many other films and series.

Julia Garner as Shalla-Bal/The Silver Surfer

Some viewers might recognize Garner from Netflix TV hit Ozark (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

The latest incumbent to portray Galactus' Herald, Julia Garner will play a female version of The Silver Surfer, whose real name is Shalla-Bal.

A surfboard-riding humanoid who reluctantly agrees to become Galactus' harbinger to save their world, Zenn-La, The Silver Surfer boasts superpowers that are also borne from the Power Cosmic, including super-strength and endurance, heightened senses, and the ability to traverse interstellar space and hyperspace via their surfboard.

Best known for playing Ruth in Ozark, aka one of the best Netflix shows, Garner has also starred in The Americans, Dirty John, Inventing Anna, Apartment 7A, and Wolf Man, among others. Her next major role will be in August's supernatural horror flick Weapons before she starts work on Madonna's film biopic, in which Garner will play the so-called 'Queen of Pop'.

Paul Walter Hauser as Harvey Elder/Mole Man

Hauser rose to prominence as the antagonist in Apple TV Original Black Bird (Image credit: USA Today/Marvel Studios)

Unlike Malkovich, Hauser will appear in a bit-part role in First Steps, with The Afterparty and Black Bird actor tackling the role of Mole Man.

Another member of The Fantastic Four's rogues gallery, Mole Man spends much of his time (in the comics, anyway) trying to conquer Earth's surface world. The scientific genius usually does so with the aid of the Moloids, mole-human hybrids who dwell in the subsurface nation of Subterranea and whom Mole Man rules over.

The aforementioned Apple TV Original aside, Hauser has also featured in Cobra Kai, Reno 911!, Kingdom, Inside Out 2, and Orion and the Dark. Post-First Steps, his next role will be the Jeremy Allen White-led Bruce Springsteen biopic, which comes out in October.

Matthew Wood as H.E.R.B.I.E

Wood is most famous for voicing various characters in Star Wars (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

The eponymous supergroup's robot assistant, H.E.R.B.I.E will be voiced by Matthew Wood. H.E.R.B.I.E isn't a fully CGI creation, either – indeed, Marvel created a fully functioning robotic puppet that could interact with the iconic quartet, and my colleague Jacob Krol even got to meet it in person!

But back to Wood. The sound editor/voice actor is best known for playing General Grievous in Revenge of the Sith, i.e., the third and final installment in Star Wars' prequel film trilogy. He's also had various small voice roles in other Lucasfilm and MCU projects, such as Star Wars: Visions, What If...?, and Willow.

Natasha Lyonne as Rachel Rozman

Natasha Lyonne, seen here in Poker Face season 2, isn't playing the character we thought she was (Image credit: Peacock)

Following her addition to First Steps' cast last May, MCU fans were convinced Natasha Lyonne was the perfect hire for a specific Marvel character in Alicia Masters. Having seen some of the movie, though, I can confirm she's playing someone named Rachel Rozman. No spoilers for what role she'll play, though.

Lyonne is the star of Netflix's brilliant time-travel-inspired Russian Doll TV Original and the Peacock whodunnit series Poker Face (its second season has just ended). She's also had roles in Orange is the New Black, What If...?, Portlandia, His Three Daughters, Ad Astra, and the latest Smurfs movie reboot. Lyonne's instantly recognizable voice will also be heard in The Bad Guys 2, which launches worldwide on the same day as First Steps.

Sarah Niles as Lynne Nichols

Niles was last seen in Amazon MGM Studios' Heads of State movie (Image credit: Dimitrious Kambouris)

Another ally of Richards and company, Sarah Niles has signed on as Lynne Nichols, the CEO of The Future Foundation. A stand-in for the United Nations in the alternate universe (Earth-828) that The Fantastic Four resides in, Nichols oversees the day-to-day running of The Future Foundation, which was originally set up by Sue Storm.

Best known as Doctor Sharon Fieldstone in the multi-award-winning sports comedy show Ted Lasso, Niles is slowly becoming a household name. Indeed, whether it's her appearances in films like the Brad Pitt-starring F1, or John Cena and Idris Elba's Amazon Original Heads of State, the rise of the Beautiful People and Catastrophe actor is long overdue. Up next for Niles is The Thursday Murder Club, Netflix's live-action adaptation of Richard Osman's best-selling murder-mystery book.

Mark Gatiss as Ted Gilbert

Ted Gilbert is the fictional host of a TV talk show that the iconic quartet appears on (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Another actor with a small role in First Steps, Mark Gattis is in line to play Ted Gilbert, the host of a TV talk show that Marvel's First Family appears on.

Known for co-creating and appearing in UK comedy horror series The League of Gentlemen, Gatiss' writing and acting credits extend to the BBC's modern-day retelling of Sherlock Holmes (the one starring Doctor Strange star Benedict Cumberbatch), Doctor Who, Game of Thrones, The Favourite, and Mission: Impossible 7. Most recently, Gatiss is the brainchild behind Bookish, a crime drama that's just started airing on various global networks, such as HBO Max and U&Alibi.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps arrives globally on Friday, July 25. The group's three other live-action movies are available to stream now on Disney+.

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• The Fantastic Four: First Steps is reportedly getting a sequel – and it isn't the only thing I've just learned about my most anticipated Marvel movie of 2025

• The iPhone 17 Air battery could be under 3,000 mAh
• This fits in with previous leaks about the handset
• iOS 26 could extend battery life to last an entire day

When Apple gets around to launching the new iPhone 17 series in September, it looks very likely that there's going to be a brand new model: the super-slim iPhone 17 Air. As per a new rumor, that slimness could come at the expense of battery capacity.

Well-known tipster Instant Digital (via MacRumors) says the iPhone 17 Air is going to come with a battery that's under 3,000 mAh in terms of its capacity. The iPhone 16, in comparison, is fitted with a 3,651 mAh battery.

Of course we don't know how that's going to translate into actual battery life, but it seems the new handset might struggle to match the time between charges that the current models offer. According to Apple, the iPhone 16 gives you 22 hours of video playback on a single charge, though more demanding tasks use up more battery life.

As per the same tipster, the power saving mode on the iPhone – which is being enhanced with a new adaptive mode in iOS 26, also due in September – will mean you can get through a day's moderate use with the iPhone 17 Air.

Battery size and battery life

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is another ultra-thin phone (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

It's perhaps no surprise that the iPhone 17 Air is going to come with a smaller-than-normal battery. It makes sense that if the thickness of the chassis is shrinking, then there's going to be less room for a battery to power the handset.

Previous leaks have put the iPhone 17 Air battery size at 2,800 mAh, which fits in with the new information. However, there have also been rumors around upgraded battery tech that could enable more battery life to be provided by smaller batteries.

It's also worth mentioning that battery capacity isn't the whole story when it comes to battery life, though it does of course have a major role. iPhones typically have smaller batteries than the best Android phones, but can maximize battery life through design efficiencies and software optimizations.

Bear in mind that none of this is certain until Apple makes it official. If you're wondering what a high-end, ultra-thin phone might actually be like to use in 2025, check out our Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review.

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• Group-IB Sustainability Report reveals a significant saving in emissions
• Fighting cybercrime unsurprisingly helps cut emissions
• This comes at a time when tech emissions are at an all time high

Fighting cybercrime and dismantling malicious networks is having a surprising effect on removing harmful emissions, new research has claimed.

Group IB-s Sustainability Report has revealed the organization’s work in dismantling cybercrime networks and removing criminal control over corrupted computers has caused 10k tCO₂e in emissions has been saved

This is the equivalent of a petrol-powered car travelling up to 52 million kilometres, or the carbon captured by 48,000 tree seedlings grown for ten years - or 22.4m kWh of needless electricity consumption.

Tech sustainability concerns

In 2024, Group-IB contributed to local and international law enforcement efforts and operations to dismantle 207,442 compromised computers and removed them from criminal control.

Alongside this, over $2.7 billion was prevented in social engineering losses, and 65 million potential victims were protected, as well as 1,221 criminals arrested.

This comes at a time where emissions are coming under significant scrutiny, as AI and data center developments have led to a serious increase in tech sector emissions, now accounting for 3% of global carbon output, which is predicted to rise to as much as 13% by 2030.

“Cybersecurity must safeguard more than data—it must safeguard our shared future,” said Anastasia Komissarova, Deputy CEO of Group-IB.

With the energy consumption from data centres now roughly equivalent to Japan’s total energy usage, and Google’s data centres alone having used over four billion gallons of water in 2021 alone - it’s easy to see why tech firms are so eager to prove any sustainability wins.

“We are refining our product architecture to cut energy use, powering offices with renewables, deploying AI only under strict ethical and privacy controls, and shaping a workplace where diverse talent can excel," Komissarova added.

"By making our progress public, we aim to prove that innovation, security and sustainability can advance together, and to raise the bar for the entire cybersecurity industry.”

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If there’s one thing about Nothing’s entire philosophy as a company that rings completely true, it’s that modern tech looks boring. With focus applied to manufacturing efficiency and broad appeal, the most impressive aesthetics we can get from mainstream phones these days come down to a handful of colour options or an interesting camera bump, with clean-looking backsides to match equally sparse glass screens. The Nothing Phone 3 tries something quite different, mixing practical minimalism and an eye-catching design language into a solid flagship.

I’ve seen folks praise these phones for their focus on reserved user interfaces, while others applaud the unique aesthetics – looking more cassette-futurism than simply sci-fi – but both descriptions apply well across the company's family of products. With the Phone 3, Nothing wants to draw people in with a far-reaching design that is paradoxically both simple and extra with its most powerful device yet.

The exterior, adorned with plenty of plastic to invoke a faux see-through look, along with a pixelated ‘Glyph Matrix’ on the back that can run several animations with varying levels of practicality (and fun), feed into an extremely deliberate style completely unique to Nothing’s tech.

(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly / TechRadar)

Conversely, the company’s Android version ‘Nothing OS’ goes for a bold monochrome look, completely foreign to any other consumer-oriented user interface. It shifts between New Roman-like fonts and dotted lettering, while the system is ultimately built around a focus on disconnecting from your tech. The ‘Essential Key’ below the standby button on the right side of the handset allows you to take quick voice memos and jot notes down to then access later in one unified ‘Nothing Space’ app, incentivising minimalism by treating the phone as more of a reminder box.

This approach is growing on me, but I’m not sure the Nothing Phone 3’s point of difference is compelling enough to pull me away from phones like the Google Pixel 9, the Samsung Galaxy S25, or even Nothing’s own Phone 3a Pro, which was released in March 2025.

To be clear, I don’t think the Phone 3 is a bad phone, but I do think it’s risky for a niche brand like Nothing to get in direct competition with the market-leading flagships, which outmaneuver it on spec and wider support. Nothing will surely have its fans with the Phone 3, but it also lacks the broad appeal of the phones it’s trying to compete with.

Nothing to see here

(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly / TechRadar)

The Nothing Phone 3 has such a divisive exterior aesthetic to it. The layout of the camera array seems kind of ridiculous. The lenses are positioned seemingly nonsensically, with the microphone and telephoto lenses positioned off-centre in the top left corner, and the wide and ultrawide lenses below it.

It’s only when taking in the rest of the exterior that it makes a little bit more sense, but even then you’d have to really want the Nothing Phone 3 to like this aesthetic. I adore it – it evokes an 80s-90s cassette futurism vibe that makes me think of the chunky computers from Starfield, Alien or 2001: A Space Odyssey. A red square on the back flashes as a video recording icon, while the lines and shapes are meant to evoke the imagery of the handset’s circuitry and internal parts. This approach to aesthetic maximalism is best exemplified by the Glyph Matrix, though.

This is a really weird feature for a smartphone. This small circle of large pixels can run through several features (interactive with the back button below the panel), such as displaying battery life, acting as a level, offering advice as an eight ball and functioning as a stopwatch. The most useful feature I’ve found is using the panel to view a pixelated depiction of yourself, allowing you to take selfies using your rear cameras. It’s a neat feature!

(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly / TechRadar)

Is any of this necessary? Nope, but that’s not the point. Nothing’s pretty explicit about wanting to make a ‘fun’ phone that’s as exciting as it is useful, and this third generation of the glyph matrix idea, evolving from simple flashing lights on previous handsets, hits the nail on the head. That said, I find the near-minimalist operating system to not gel as well with this design, and the user interface doesn’t have much of the flair it needs to truly be iconic.

I’ve tried really hard to commit to the operating system offered here. I’ve migrated my standard smartphone use over almost entirely to the Phone 3, applied the brand’s iconic ‘glass’ wallpaper filter, switched the icons to Nothing’s monochrome (as opposed to Android’s standard Material You coloring, which is also available) and have even taken advantage of the brand’s exceptional widgets.

Nothing’s approach to widgets is second to none. Having quick action buttons such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Airplane Mode and Hotspot accessible from the Home Screen without having to swipe the quick settings menu down is really cool. The same goes for all of the other widgets offered by Nothing – the company’s weather widgets look great, and the inbuilt media player widget is exactly what I’ve wanted from Google and Samsung for years.

But then the phone rubs up against the rest of Android – the stuff it has limited ability to change – and you start to see the cracks forming, with Android’s neutral design visible in some menus. But while this breaks the immersion, the thing limiting Nothing’s success more is its ambitious position in the market.

Nothing to it

(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly / TechRadar)

The Phone 3 is properly separate from the rest of the Nothing range, as it’s the only smartphone designed and priced to directly compete with flagship handsets offered by Apple, Samsung and Google – but it feels like we’re veering off course from what Nothing is actually trying to do in the smartphone market.

Make no mistake, the powerful camera set, Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 processor and gorgeous display put the Phone 3 well above Nothing’s previously released handsets in terms of quality and capability, but compared to other leading brands, the phone underperforms.

I’d argue the more premium price point and specs kind of diminish the whole point of a Nothing phone. Take the Essential Key, a multi-button for writing notes, recording voice memos, taking screenshots and launching the Nothing Space, where you can view all of these things. This tool doesn’t actually require much processing power to work smoothly, and indeed it fits quite well into the ecosystem of the considerably cheaper 3a and 3a Pro. It’s a good feature, but it doesn’t feel like the higher price point is doing much to improve it (though, as I wrote in my 3a Pro article, I would like the choice to remap the button).

(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly / TechRadar)

Conversely, the cameras absolutely need improvement, and I would have happily traded the more powerful processor for better photography. I’ve included reference images below of a car I’ll be reviewing soon, the Porsche Macan 4 electric, but know that there’s detail missing from the shots that I don’t believe would have been an issue had I captured the same images with the Google Pixel 9 or the iPhone 16.

Perhaps the Nothing Phone 3 is holding court until the arrival of an even better equipped Phone 3 Pro to take on the iPhone 16 Pro and Galaxy S25 Ultra. For now, these cameras don’t really keep up.

Image 1 of 4

(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly / TechRadar)Image 2 of 4

(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly / TechRadar)Image 3 of 4

(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly / TechRadar)Image 4 of 4

(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly / TechRadar)

I’m taking a hard stance on the Nothing Phone 3 because, while I love what the London-based company is trying to do and am indeed swayed by the aesthetics, I believe this phone could have benefited from a slightly more competitive, or conservative, arrangement of features.

The cameras are fairly unimpressive and the processor, for its added performance, still doesn’t keep up as well as with more established rivals (and even cheaper handsets from mentioned rivals). It kind of feels like Nothing’s tied up – when your goals are minimalism and maximalism, how do you find the right fit?

A premium price makes the device more of an eyebrow-raiser to casual customers, but looking at Nothing’s focus on a healthier relationship with technology, the extra additions don’t feel substantiated, particularly for an inherently niche userbase that Nothing is restricted to by virtue of its divisive aesthetics.

Should you buy Nothing?

(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly / TechRadar )

Nothing has created an awesome handset with the Phone 3. One that truly challenges the Galaxy S25 and Pixel 9 families. However, its strong commitment to niche aesthetics makes it exactly that – niche.

I’m among the folks that love this design approach – one that does accomplish the goal of make tech fun-looking – but as someone who needs broader utility from a flagship handset, I don’t think the Phone 3 is for me.

The Nothing Phone 3 will be a capable handset for those craving fast recharging speeds, great on-device processing performance, high framerate gameplay and even some casual photography. And, if you like the aesthetic, then you’ll be pleased to know that the Phone 3 is cheaper than all of its major competitors.

That being said, the underwhelming array of cameras certainly leaves something to be desired and, although it’s a fairly cost-effective handset, I would highly recommend waiting for it to go on sale.

Major phonemakers are likely not too worried about Nothing at the moment, but it's getting close to a perfectly balanced device here.

If you like the Nothing approach to handsets and want to save some money, I recommend reading our Nothing Phone 3a Pro review.

You might also like...

• I went hands-on with the Nothing Phone 3, and it might just be the most interesting phone of the year – here's why
• ‘We're not just chasing whatever competitors are doing’: Nothing’s AI chief explains why the Phone 3 uses the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4, not the 8 Elite
• ‘Our relationship with phones has grown unhealthy’: Nothing’s AI chief explains how the Nothing Phone 3 will ‘help you be more human’

The Studio season 2: key information

- Officially renewed in May
- Filming reportedly due to begin in December
- No official trailer just yet
- Main cast all set to return
- Plot details kept firmly under wraps
- Hopes for more incredible guest star appearances

The Studio season 2 was officially renewed on Apple TV+ in May – before season 1 of the self-described 'workplace comedy' had even finished. No surprise given The Studio had 100% on Rotten Tomatoes from critics before the show was even released (now, a still incredible 93%).

And it easily made it onto our best Apple TV+ shows list, thanks to its fun, satirical look at the movie industry with a star-studded cast to boot. So, as Matt Remick and the team at Continental Studios are set to return for another series, we're more than ready to strap in for more. And I'm pretty hopeful it'll have a similarly incredible list of guest stars and cameos as season 1.

Here's everything we know about The Studio season 2 on Apple TV+ from release date prediction, trailer, expected cast, plot rumors and more.

Potential spoilers follow for The Studio season 1.

The Studio season 2 release date predicition

A post shared by Apple TV (@appletv)

A photo posted by on

The Studio season 2 was officially renewed on May 6. In an Instagram post by Apple TV, Seth, Ike and Chase Sui are seen discussing the return of the show with their 'winning formula', or as Seth puts it: "a structure that we 100% know works, so we're going to do it over and over again".

And, according to a post on the Film & Television Industry Alliance, season 2 is already in pre-production with a possible filming date of December 3. For season 1, they filmed in March 2024 and the show started streaming a year later. So, I'd say for my The Studio season 2 release date prediction, we're looking at late 2026.

The Studio season 2 trailer: is there one?

No The Studio season 2 trailer just yet, but filming may begin in December (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

There's no The Studio season 2 trailer yet, and I don't expect we'll see one until late 2026. The season 1 trailer dropped only a couple of weeks before the show dropped on Apple TV+.

So, considering what I've already mentioned about a potential release date, it's a while off yet. I'll be sure to update here as soon as one drops though.

The Studio season 2 predicted cast

Here's hoping The Studio season 2 cast will be full of more iconic guest stars (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

Full spoilers follow for The Studio season 1.

Given how The Studio season 1 ended, I'd predict all of the main cast to return, as follows:

• Seth Rogen as Matt Remick
• Catherine O'Hara as Patty Leigh
• Ike Barinholtz as Sal Saperstein
• Chase Sui Wonders as Quinn Hackett
• Kathryn Hahn as Maya Mason

The Studio became quickly well-known for its incredible roster of guest stars and cameos who appeared throughout season 1. These included Bryan Cranston, Zoë Kravitz, Martin Scorsese, Charlize Theron, Ben Stiller and so many more.

I actually can't list all of them because we'd be here all day, but I'm sure more seriously standout names will be making an appearance in season 2. Though, in conversation with Deadline, co-creators Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg may have run out of people to ask. Rogen said: "We've called in all our favors many, many years ago. We got everyone who was only willing to do this stuff because we were friends with them".

And Goldberg added: "And that was by far the hardest part of the show, delivering those cameos. It was exhausting. Every single day at lunch during pre-production, we had to go and do a phone call with a different celebrity of some nature, or the filmmaker. And it was really draining".

The Studio season 2 potential plot synopsis and rumors

The Studio season 2 plot is being kept under wraps (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

Major spoilers follow for Slow Horses seasons 1 through 4.

The Studio season 2 is in pre-production and I'm sure the plot will be kept firmly under wraps until it's available to stream on Apple TV+. But, Goldberg did tell Deadline there's one episode that's leftover from season 1: "We actually have on script that I assume will be in season 2, that's finished, called 'The Test Screening'. We worked on it for months because it required a very specific actor, and we almost got that actor, but then they were too busy, so we had to move on".

We also know from the season 1 finale that Continental Studios were at a bit of an impasse with Amazon trying to buy them out and Matt pitching at CinemaCon to stop the sale (and hopefully save their jobs).

And since CinemaCon has been done, there seems to be scope for even bigger. Speaking to The Direct, write Peter Huyck said: "I think one thing we want to do is the big international film festival. That would be a dream to do an episode set there".

Plus, considering the Kool-Aid movie was a big part of season 1, we might find out if all that hard work finally pays off – and hopefully we'll actually get to see it.

Luckily, from the success of season 1, the stories now seem to be coming to them: "This show has legs. It just keeps writing itself. Things keep happening. We're in an industry that is ever-evolving. Before, we sat with studio heads and heads of marketing to get their input to help us. Now people are just coming up to us, telling us stuff. So, the influx of stories is never ending".

And I'm sure The Studio season 2 will be full of these movie-centric stories crafted beautifully for Apple TV+ in the way Rogen and Goldberg know how.

Will The Studio get more seasons on Apple TV+?

Can we dream of more seasons of The Studio? (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

Given The Studio season 2 is still revelling in its own renewal status, it's unlikely we'll hear about more seasons any time soon. Season 2 received its renewal before season 1 wrapped, so if I was to predict when we'd hear, I'd say when the show is back streaming on Apple TV+. I'll be sure to update here though, if and when news arrives.

For more Apple TV+ coverage, read our guides on Ted Lasso season 4, Foundation season 3, Presumed Innocent season 2, and Silo season 3.

We've had quite the week this week, so to help you catch up on all the latest tech news, we have this handy one-stop guide to the seven biggest stories of the past seven days.

From Elmo getting hacked to ChatGPT Agent arriving on the scene, we have your firmware update for it all.

And once you're up to speed, be sure to read our guide to the 7 new movies and TV shows to watch this weekend (July 18).

7. Marshall’s new Bluetooth speaker rocked our world

(Image credit: Future)

We’ve been testing the new Marshall Kilburn III, and our reviewer Harry Padoan had a lot of positive things to say.

“The Marshall Kilburn III plates up a delicious meal, composed of well-seasoned audio, meaty features and a beautiful presentation,” adding, “with a 50-hour battery life, you’ll barely ever need to charge it.”

Though he did also highlight some faults, which is why it was half a star off a perfect five-star score, namely that it’s pricier and maybe not as rugged as some might hope.

• Read more: Our Marshall Kilburn III review

6. We watched Stranger Things Season 5…’s trailer

The first trailer for Stranger Things season 5 is finally here.

And if you’ve been worried about spoilers, series co-creator Ross Duffer shared that this first trailer “pulls from every episode except 7, but it’s mostly Volume One and just barely scratches the surface.”

Season 5 is being split into three parts, and this trailer is mostly taking clips from the first drop coming on November 26, so it shouldn’t give too much of the game away.

• Read more: Stranger Things season 5 trailer launch as it happened

5. Fitbit went down with sync and login issues

(Image credit: Future)

Fitbit users were left high and dry this week, as a huge spike in Downdetector reports heralded a big outage for Fitbit's mobile app and web API, leaving Fitbit users unable to sync their devices. When the Fitbit Help Center steps were followed, users ended up locked out of their accounts.

Fortunately, Google soon resolved the issue and reached out to us to confirm that a fix was in progress. However, it's not worked for everyone: there is still what seems to be a relatively small percentage of users who are left high and dry, unable to effectively use their devices. S

ome of them have reached out to us via email, while others have taken to Reddit to voice their displeasure and warn other users. One poor Reddit poster has even seemingly lost all their data since 2018!

• Read more: Here's what happened during Fitbit's "major outage"

4. Elmo got hacked and taught us a lesson

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The Twitter account for the lovable fuzzy red Muppet was hacked this week and proceeded to spew several deeply offensive posts onto the platform.

Arguments aside that those kinds of posts are maybe more at home on Elon Musk’s rendition of the social media platform than Elmo’s usual messages of love and hugs, the hack reminded us why two-factor authentication is so important.

It’s not a completely foolproof solution, but it can make it significantly less likely your account will get taken over.

• Read more: Don't be like Elmo, turn on 2FA

3. ChatGPT Agent entered the game

(Image credit: OpenAI)

Sam Altman, OpenAI CEO, has just announced the latest addition to ChatGPT. It’s called ChatGPT Agent, and it’s designed to perform tasks for you, no matter how complicated. If you can do it online, then ChatGPT Agent can get it done.

The entire concept is a unified agent that can handle the legwork, make informed decisions about which websites to use, and navigate the web independently. Think about things like planning a wedding, booking your car in for a service, making an app to solve a problem, or planning and booking a holiday. ChatGPT Agent can do it all, and you can even watch it work if you want to.

If you’re a Plus, Teams, or Pro user, then you can click ‘Agent’ right from the tools drop-down menu to use the new tool. The Agent uses its own virtual computer to perform its tasks, starting by setting up its desktop environment, and then proceeds to understand the prompt you’ve given it and gather the necessary information. It will sometimes ask for more information or a clarifying question.

• Read more: The autonomous AI promises to handle every click and open tab in your browser

2. We went bananas for Donkey Kong

(Image credit: Nintendo)

While interest at its announcement was somewhat tepid, it turns out Donkey Kong Bananza is the greatest Nintendo Switch 2 title to date, according to Dashiell Wood, one of our expert game reviewers.

That’s because the title “harnesses the powerful Nintendo Switch 2 hardware to offer a gigantic, open-ended world with dazzling destruction that lets you bash, smash, and crash through practically anything.”

• Read More: Our full Donkey Kong Bananza review

1. Google set a date for its Pixel phone drop

(Image credit: Twelve South)

The eagerly anticipated Mage by Google product launch event will happen on August 20 at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST / 3am AEST, and it looks to be a product-packed event.

We're expecting not only the Pixel 10 phone line (so the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, and Pixel 10 Pro XL), but a new Pixel 10 Pro Fold, which now has a tough act to follow given the 4.2mm-thick Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7. At least they'll both be running Android 16.

A new, possibly redesigned, Pixel Watch 4 is also expected, but we don't have many details for no,w so we’ll have to wait a little longer to have an idea what Google has up its sleeve.

• Read more: We're getting Made By Google in August

An unfortunate couple excitedly traveled for hours for a chance to take a mountaintop cable car called the Kuak Skyride. They’d seen it online, complete with smiling tourists gliding along and a TV journalist narrating the whole video.

However, when the couple arrived, there was nothing but a small town and confused locals unaware of what they were talking about. Turns out it was all an AI-generated video that they had believed was real. That story, detailed in a report by Fast Company, sounds like it would be unique, but I suspect it's something everyone will have to consider when perusing the internet for ideas of things to buy or places to visit.

A small logo in the corner of the video indicates the video was made with Veo 3, Google’s newest AI video engine, and it's hardly the only indicator that the video is made with AI. The appearance of the people and the structures all has that AI sheen of unreality to it. However, if you're not well-versed in deepfakes or looking for the signs, you might not have noticed, as it would seem silly to be suspicious of a well-made tourist video.

However, our new reality is that AI can now sell you not just a product, but a place – and that place might never have existed before. Slightly wrong spelling and suspicious URLs are practically quaint in comparison. It wasn’t even clear whether the video was malicious or just someone’s misguided attempt at content creation. It’s easy to roll your eyes and say, it would never happen to you. But we all have blind spots. And AI is getting really good at aiming for them.

This is obviously a much more problematic use of AI video than showing cats as Olympic divers. Still, the necessity of really paying attention to spot the clues of an AI creation is universal.

AI travel tricks

We’re past the visual age of trust. In the AI era, even seeing is just the beginning of the vetting process. Of course, that doesn’t mean you should abandon all travel plans. However, it does mean that the average person now needs a new kind of consumer savvy, calibrated not just for Nigerian princes and surprise crypto pitches, but for video illusions and AI travel influencers who can go places no human can follow.

And that's before considering real places with review sections flooded by AI-written, fake testimonials extolling places, almost certainly with AI-generated exaggerations of things to do that don't exist outside of their own hallucinations.

Dealing with it might mean having to be suspicious of things that look too good to be true. You might need to cross-check multiple sources to see if they all agree that something is real. Maybe a reverse image search or public social media post search would be necessary. And when it comes to images and videos, make sure they aren't too perfect. If no one is frowning or sneezing in a crowd shot, I'd be wary about its reality.

It's unfortunate. I don't like the idea of seeing a beautiful location in a video and doubting its reality instead of planning a trip there. But maybe that’s the price of living in a world where anyone can make realistic illusions of almost-real worlds. But you'll need to do more to ensure you're headed somewhere with a foundation that's more than just pixels and algorithms.

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• You can celebrate Disneyland's 70th at home via Disney+
• The streaming service has released 16 new Park POVs
• You can ride Radiator Spring Racers, Rise of the Resistance, and countless other attractions in exceptional quality

Disney Parks around the world are a whole host of fun, but what if I told you that you could experience and ‘ride’ some of the best attractions at Disneyland right from the comfort of your home? Well, that’s a possibility now for a handful of the best attractions, including classics and more modern debuts, as there are full ride POVs on Disney+.

These pro-shot, excellently edited ride-alongs for some of the most popular attractions at the original Disney park dropped this week in honor of the 70th anniversary of Disneyland, the same day the Walt Disney animatronic made its official debut. It’s also a massive expansion as Disney dropped a ride-along for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance for May the 4th, just a few weeks back.

This is a much bigger drop, though, providing anyone with a Disney+ account a taste of Disneyland. 16 more ‘Parks POVs’ as the streamer puts it, have arrived, covering classics like Haunted Mansion and Big Thunder Mountain to Radiator Springs Racers and a walk-through of Cars land. The total of Park POVs is now at 17.

(Image credit: Disneyland)

Whether you’re someone who frequents the parks, doesn’t go that often, or are in the lead-up to a visit, these are all pretty great. And the quality also bests what we’ve had on YouTube for years – you have the best seat with a camera in a rig (likely) right in the front row, and it’s all edited well, even turning to view something as you might on the ride.

Disney shot all of these with either a Sony FX6, RED Raptor, or a Ronin 4D, and the decision was made based on the attraction or land that was captured. The Sony FX6 was great in low-light scenarios, likely Rise of the Resistance and Cars Land. Regardless of the camera, these were mixed and mastered at UHD quality with HDR and SDR, with audio either in 5.1 or 2.0.

Even though it’s not particularly brand new this drop, I’d start with Rise of the Resistance, whether or not you're a Star Wars fan. It’s a tour-de-force of an attraction that combines multiple ride systems and, let’s be clear, join the resistance. After that, you can roam around Galaxy’s Edge West – aka Batuu – and might just encounter a Stormtrooper or two.

(Image credit: Disney+)

All of these Parks POV are captured when the parks are empty as well, so you really get the feeling of a front row seat to the experience. After a trip into far, far away, I’d take a ride on Route 66 and check out Radiator Spring Racers – this is one of my favorite rides in all of Disney’s California Adventure.

You can see just how good the environment that Walt Disney Imagineering made, as the course really puts you into the film Cars – you can also stream that on one of the best streaming services, Disney+ – and after that, you can even mosey down the main boulevard of Radiator Springs and see the whole place come to life.

(Image credit: Disney+)

Also captured here with this drop of 16 Disneyland Park POVs are Pirates of the Caribbean – complete with an extra drop that Disney World doesn’t have – Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise with a skipper just for yourself, Indiana Jones Adventure, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, and even a walk down Main Street U.S.A.

Here’s a full list of the Park POVs dropped for Disneyland’s 70th on Disney+:

• 70th Celebration Nighttime Spectaculars
• Avengers Campus
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Cars Land
• Haunted Mansion
• Hollywood Land
• Indiana Jones Adventure
• Incredicoaster
• Jungle Cruise
• Main Street, U.S.A.
• Mickey's ToonTown
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Pixar Pal-A-Round
• Radiator Springs Racers
• Soarin' Around the World
• Tiana's Bayou Adventure

I watched a good few of these already, and can share that they were a hit with my nieces as well. So, definitely fun for the whole family, and I especially like that it brings a bit of the Disney Parks into your home with excellent quality.

The super-cut of the new nighttime spectaculars, including 'Paint the Night' and 'It's Wondrous', is a really nice touch. You can read more about those and other elements of the 70th celebration for Disneyland here.

Let’s just hope there are more of these coming. I, for one, would love to see Guardians of the Galaxy, Tower of Terror, or Kilimanjaro Safaris from Disney World.

You can read more about Walt Disney - A Magical Life and our first thoughts on the new animatronic here. And if you're anything like me, here are eight new shows to watch soon on Hulu and Disney+.

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• Mounting SSDs on a GPU limits your ability to upgrade graphics and storage independently
• Shared PCIe bandwidth creates more complications than benefits for most desktop system builders
• Colorful iGame Ultra mid-range GPU is trying to do too much with too little justification

Colorful has revealed a curious hybrid product at Bilibili World 2025: a graphics card from its iGame Ultra series which features two M.2 SSD slots mounted directly onto the PCB.

The integration of storage and graphics processing may appear efficient for compact systems, but it raises questions about practicality and long-term value.

Colorful has not confirmed the GPU’s architecture, although observers believe it is based on Nvidia’s GB206 or GB207 silicon, possibly aligning with the RTX 5050 or 5060.

An integrated approach to graphics and storage

This configuration positions the card firmly in the mid-range category, far from what most would consider the best GPU tier.

The standout feature of this card is the presence of dual M.2 SSD slots on its backside, near the I/O bracket, allowing users to install drives without separate cabling.

These slots are supported by mounting points for heatsinks and are cooled by the same dual-fan system that manages the GPU itself.

By using PCIe bifurcation, the card splits a single x16 slot into eight lanes for graphics and four lanes each for the SSDs.

This setup aims to preserve bandwidth for both functions while reducing the need for additional expansion cards.

For builders working with limited motherboard M.2 slots or compact ITX cases, this could seem like a space-saving solution.

The cooling arrangement also suggests that SSD thermals will be actively managed under load - however, the benefits of this layout may not justify the compromises.

Attaching storage directly to a GPU introduces additional layers of complexity in system configuration, including BIOS support, lane sharing, and upgrade constraints.

Storage and graphics are typically upgraded on separate timelines, and combining them on a single board limits that flexibility.

Visually, the card adopts a clean, matte-white aesthetic that stands apart from the more common darker GPU designs.

While this may appeal to custom PC builders who prioritize appearance, the core performance considerations remain unchanged.

The SSD slots are unlikely to support the largest SSD capacities or deliver the best SSD speeds on the market, and the GPU itself, based on its probable architecture, is not aimed at top-tier performance.

This puts the product in a narrow use case, offering integration without delivering leadership in either category.

As of now, the company has not provided detailed specifications or pricing, and without this information, the card appears more experimental than practical.

This device is technically interesting, but it is not yet clear why such a product needs to exist beyond novelty.

For users who care about maximizing storage capacity, pursuing the best GPU performance, or building for future flexibility, this design may offer more limitations than advantages.

Via Guru3d

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• ThinkPad X9 “White Moonlight” Edition’s Lunar Lake chips bring raw power, yet discrete GPU lovers are left in the cold
• Lenovo also removes red TrackPoint and physical buttons, erasing decades of ThinkPad identity
• Four ports on a premium laptop also feels like a design choice made without real users in mind

Lenovo has unveiled a new variant of its flagship ThinkPad business laptop range but has deviated from the black, boxy, and functional design principles which have sustained it for over three decades.

The new Lenovo ThinkPad X9 Aura “White Moonlight” Edition eliminates the iconic red TrackPoint and the physical touchpad buttons - in their place, this device offers a sleek white slab with only four ports.

The lack of a discrete GPU and premium price tag, starting around $1810, also make it a niche option rather than a broadly recommended pick.

Design and portability trade-offs

At just 1.4 kg and a svelte 6.8mm thick, the 14-inch model targets users who value extreme portability, and is one of the lightest laptop options Lenovo has ever produced.

It comes with Intel’s new Core Ultra chips based on the Lunar Lake platform (Core Ultra 7258V and Core Ultra 9 288V processors) and integrated Arc Xe2 graphics.

Combined with 32GB of LPDDR5x RAM and up to 2TB of PCIe-NVMe SSD storage, it can easily handle demanding business or creative tasks.

On paper, it checks off many of the features expected of a top business-focused device, as its 2.8K OLED display with HDR, 120Hz refresh rate, and 1ms response time should appeal to professionals who need clarity and speed.

Its on-device AI acceleration, up to 48 TOPS, is another nod toward the engineering and creative crowd, making it a contender for the best laptop for engineering students' needs as well.

Yet, practicality suffers because the drastic slimming down comes at a cost. With only two Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI 2.1 port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack, users who rely on multiple external devices like USB-A devices, SD cards, and Ethernet may find the connectivity underwhelming.

At least it supports the latest wireless connectivity options, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4.

The biggest sticking point, however, remains the design’s ideological shift - this machine feels less like a continuation of the ThinkPad ethos and more like a clean break.

The white finish and minimalist profile may attract new users, but long-time fans will wonder whether the brand has abandoned the very features that once made it iconic.

Via Videocardz

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• Netflix bosses have said they "expect advertising revenue to roughly double in 2025"
• This is due to the introduction of personalized ads in the second half of the year
• However, this decision could put subscribers off Netflix's ad-supported tier

The best streaming services are always adding new features and trialing new things, but Netflix's decision to focus on interactive ads might frustrate subscribers.

Speaking in a conference call, Netflix co-CEO Gregory K. Peters said: "The most immediate benefit from this rollout is just making it easier for advertisers to buy on Netflix. We hear that benefit, that ease from direct feedback talking to advertisers. They tell us that it's easier. We see it in our overall sales performance."

He added: "There's also leveraging advertiser and third-party data sources, which we definitely hear demand for as well. And it will ultimately allow us to improve the ad experience for our members, which is critically important. So that means better ads personalization."

This isn't the only change Netflix has teased, as they also discussed making their adverts more interactive for viewers.

Peters concluded: "We're also going to be introducing interactivity in the second half of the year. So that's exciting. So that's all to say this is a pretty significant milestone for us, one we're super excited to get behind us because now we can shift into the steady release cycle where we're dropping new features all the time, both for advertisers and for members."

Focus on ads might provide frustration for Netflix subscribers

Squid Game, Netflix's biggest non-English language series, recently came to an end in 2025. (Image credit: Netflix)

If you're currently on Netflix's "with ads" plan, you should expect to see these changes coming soon. However, while it's an exciting time for the streamer, viewers may not be as enthusiastic.

Subscribers are currently paying $7.99 per month for Netflix Standard with Ads. And when you look at ad-free streaming services like Apple TV+, which charges slightly more at $9.99 per month, it might make people wonder if they're getting the best value for money.

Ad-supported tiers are common now, of course, with rival streaming services like Disney+ and Hulu also offering this option. But constant ad-breaks are a pain, and one of the reasons many of us move away from linear TV.

Everyone will have their own opinion on this decision, as some people don't mind the ad breaks and use them as an opportunity to have a break themselves. We'll just have to wait and see how these personalized ads do once the rollout is complete.

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• FiiO wants you to know that hi-res audio's about to go 'truly mainstream'
• …and the QX13 is priced to reflect that
• Made from 21 layers of carbon fiber for a lightweight yet durable build

You know what my favorite kind of audio gadget is? One that makes people go 'What is that?' ideally with the follow-up question, 'And also, what do the numbers mean?'

This is one such piece of kit. It's almost like the handheld super-computer Ziggy in Quantum Leap – because while nobody really understands everything about it, everyone agrees it's a Good Thing. And with Spotify HiFi launch rumors gathering momentum (recent reports suggest it might land in late 2025, and be called 'Spotify Music Pro'), when hi-res goes mainstream, you don't want to be left unable to take advantage…

What you're looking at is the FiiO QX13, a pocket DAC and headphone amp for your phone, laptop, or games console – a gateway to the world of hi-res audio on the go. And although it is a flagship product and one that marks 18 years of FiiO’s audio expertise, it isn't particularly pricey either.

New to the world of headphone DACs? That's fine: every product you own that accepts and plays a digital music signal (your phone, wireless earbuds, laptop, Bluetooth speakers, and so on) has its own built-in DAC.

The thing is, many of them are inexpensive, and adding a standalone dedicated (read: better) option to the audio path can level up what you hear a lot. Additionally, the added amplification can help give oomph and volume to hard-to-drive headphones wired up to your phone or a portable player.

How does this particular DAC work? Add any audio source with USB-C, and you've got it. You just breathed new life into your wired headphones.

The QX13 can fully decode MQA music and is compatible with file formats such as DSD512 and 768Hz / 32-bit tracks. A 3.5mm and balanced 4.4mm headphone socket ensures wide compatibility with all headphones, too.

(Image credit: FiiO )DAC's right

And it's quite a looker, no? The QX13 is made with 21 layers of carbon fiber for a lightweight yet durable build to show off its "extra large" 1.99-inch hardened IPS color display.

The QX13 also introduces the flagship Ess Sabre Pro ES9027PRO chip, recommended for use in full-size hi-fi systems. However, FiiO has achieved a "micro DAC/AMP design" created to make the most of your headphones and IEMs. The chip features 8 channels set up in parallel, and is paired with two ultra-low-noise ES9312 regulators for precise output matching on each audio channel.

Of course, FiiO would point you towards its own IEMs to pair them with – possibly the FiiO FH19 (which are very good indeed) and FiiO notes that the QX13 arrives with an (optional) magnetic leather case, compatible with the custom FiiO power 'estick' pack for lightweight portability with powerhouse performance in Desktop Mode. Choose the magnetic leather case to combine both devices in one unit.

The QX13 is now available, priced $219 / £219 (around AU$450), and if that sounds a little rich for your blood, note that rival iFi's flagship DAC, the iFi iDSD Valkyrie, comes in at a cool $1,699 / £1,699 / AU$2,999 (approx). So, there's that option also…

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• Experts warn of malware running real apps in fake virtual environments
• GodFather bypasses security checks and overlays fake screens to steal credentials
• Targets banking and crypto apps globally with nearly invisible techniques

Zimperium zLabs has uncovered a new version of the GodFather malware that uses on-device virtualization to hijack real banking and cryptocurrency apps.

Unlike older attacks that showed fake login screens, this malware launches the actual apps in a virtual space where attackers can see everything the user does.

The attack begins with a host app that includes a virtualization tool - this host app downloads the targeted banking or crypto app and runs it in a private environment.

Moving beyond simple overlays

When users open their app, they are unknowingly redirected into the virtual version. From there, every tap, login, and PIN entry is tracked in real time.

Because the user is interacting with a real app, it is almost impossible to spot the attack by looking at the screen.

GodFather also uses ZIP tricks and hides much of its code in a way that defeats static analysis. It requests accessibility permissions and then silently grants itself more access, making the attack smooth and hard to detect.

“Mobile attackers are moving beyond simple overlays; virtualization gives them unrestricted, live access inside trusted apps,” said Fernando Ortega, Senior Security Researcher, Zimperium zLabs.

“Enterprises need on-device, behavior-based detection and runtime app protection to stay ahead of this shift toward a mobile-first attack strategy.”

Zimperium’s analysis shows that this version of GodFather is focused on Turkish banks, but the campaign targets almost 500 apps globally. These include financial services, cryptocurrency platforms, e-commerce, and messaging apps.

The malware checks for specific apps on the device, clones them into the virtual space, and uses the cloned version to collect data and track user behavior.

It can also steal device lock screen credentials using fake overlays that look like system prompts.

Attackers can control the infected phone remotely using a set of commands. These can perform swipes, open apps, change brightness, and simulate user actions.

How to stay safe

• Avoid installing apps from unknown sources - always use official stores like Google Play.
• Check app permissions carefully. If an app asks for accessibility access or screen overlay permissions without a clear reason, uninstall it immediately.
• Keep your phone’s operating system updated.
• Use mobile security tools from trusted developers.
• Avoid sideloading APK files, even if shared by someone you know.
• Rebooting your phone regularly can help thwart any persistent malware.
• Pay attention to unusual behavior, such as faster than usual battery drain and weird, unexpected overlays.
• If your banking app ever looks different or asks for login more often than usual, stop using it and contact your bank.

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Attention Hulu subscribers, for the time is almost here when the platform will remove the next group of movies from its library to free up some space for its next wave of new titles. All of the best streaming services do it, but Hulu seems to only target its lesser-known titles, which is a relief.

Over the next few weeks, a total of 16 movies will leave the service one by one and though this isn't a huge number, there's a handful of movies that we think you should catch. The main title we have our eyes on is Skinamarink (2022), a horror movie that shocked audiences despite its low budget, which leaves on August 1.

Additionally, the Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin comedy/ drama Moving On (2022) is set to be removed on August 13, shortly followed by the Bruce Willis action-thriller flick Vendetta (2022), and the French-language romance movie Anaïs in Love (2021), which has a 91% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Everything leaving Hulu in August 2025

Leaving on August 1

Skinamarink (movie)

Leaving on August 7

Just Super (movie)

Leaving on August 9

The Friendship Game (movie)

Leaving on August 13

Moving On (movie)
One True Loves (movie)

Leaving on August 16

Four Samosas (movie)

Leaving on August 18

The Last Son (movie)

Leaving on August 21

My Hero Academia: Two Heroes (movie)

Leaving on August 23

Hostile Territory (movie)
Nocebo (movie)

Leaving on August 24

7 Days (movie)

Leaving on August 25

Assailant (movie)
Vendetta (movie)

Leaving on August 31

American Rapstar (movie)
Anais in Love (movie)
Tell It to the Bees (movie)

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• The Department of Homeland Security says Salt Typhoon accessed National Guard systems
• Hackers were present between March and December 2024
• The group stole vital intelligence and personally identifiable information

A Chinese state-sponsored threat actor known as Salt Typhoon was lurking in the network of the US Army National Guard for nine months, the US Government has confirmed.

TheDepartment of Homeland Security (DHS) said the attackers were present in the networks between March and December 2024.

During this time, the group stole sensitive data from its victims, including administrator credentials, network traffic diagrams, geographical maps, and personally identifiable information (PII) of service members. Furthermore, the attackers accessed data traffic between the state’s network and every other US state, and at least four additional territories. This means that they could have pivoted to other networks as well, compromising even more government and military targets.

Typhoon over America

It was not discussed how the breach happened, but DHS did say the group was known for exploiting existing vulnerabilities (CVEs) in Cisco’s routers and similar hardware.

Salt Typhoon is a known Chinese state-sponsored threat actor, part of the wider “typhoon” organization that includes groups such as Brass Typhoon, Volt Typhoon, and others.

These organizations were tasked with infiltrating different core organizations within the US, such as critical infrastructure organizations, communications firms, government, military, and defense organizations, and similar.

The goal of the campaign was to be present inside the networks should tensions between the US and China over Taiwan escalate into a full-blown war, giving it the ability to disrupt networks, and steal key intelligence.

Salt Typhoon is often in the media - with recent attacks against the likes of AT&T, Verizon, Lumen, Charter, Windstream, and Viasat, to name a few, often abusing unpatched Cisco routers to gain access, before deploying custom malware such as JumblePath and GhostSpider.

Via BleepingComputer

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• A Firefox engineer has flagged up an apparent issue with Intel Raptor Lake
• These CPUs are reportedly crashing more in the summer heat in Europe
• There's a greater prevalence of crashes in places where temperatures have spiked due to heatwaves, and the 14700K CPU is suffering in particular

Intel's Raptor Lake (and Raptor Lake Refresh) 13th and 14th-gen processors are struggling with the heatwave in Europe, which is seemingly causing these CPUs to crash more frequently with a popular web browser.

Tom's Hardware reports that Gabriele Svelto, a senior staff engineer on Mozilla's Firefox browser, flagged up the issue on Mastodon, observing that: "If you have an Intel Raptor Lake system and you're in the northern hemisphere, chances are that your machine is crashing more often because of the summer heat."

To clarify, these are browser crashes - as opposed to full system lock-ups - and Svelto adds that he's obtained this info thanks to Firefox crash reports coming from Raptor Lake PCs, which are tied to specific countries in the EU. There's a greater prevalence of crashes in places where temperatures have markedly spiked during the summer.

The issue is so bad that we're told that the level of crashes has become overwhelming, meaning Mozilla had to take action to disable the bot filing these reports.

Svelto notes: "Raptor Lake systems have known timing/voltage issues that get worse with temperature. Things are so bad at this time that we had to disable a bot that was filing crash reports automatically because it was almost only finding crashes from people with affected systems."

Another Mastodon user makes the assumption that this is related to the known degradation issues that hit 13th and 14th-gen Intel CPUs, with the heat exacerbating the problem. Svelto replies to agree that yes, this is true, while adding a caveat, saying: "Yes, though some of these bugs are very repeatable and predictable which is puzzling. They might be timing-related or even genuine consistent CPU bugs (we've seen a fair bit of those too)."

As the Mastodon thread progresses, the engineer suggests that Intel's most recent microcode update, codenamed '0x12F' for Raptor Lake (and Raptor Lake Refresh), actually made things worse, at least in terms of what Firefox is seeing here.

Svelto notes: "In particular microcode 0x12C had reduced the incidence of a number of bugs, but they've come back in full force when Intel released version 0x12F."

The 0x12F patch was pushed out in May 2025, a good while after the previous updates, as a fix for a more niche scenario where issues occurred with PCs that were left on continuously (for days at a time, running light workloads). Svelto is therefore suggesting that while this patch improved matters for those outlying scenarios, it made things worse for other folks.

According to the engineer, these crashing issues with Raptor Lake chips are happening the most with Intel Core i7-14700K models.

Analysis: Hot hot heat

(Image credit: Phuwadach Pattanatmon / Shutterstock)

Clearly, we need to be careful around pinning the blame here, though. Seemingly, something has gone substantially awry if Mozilla needed to disable a system because it was becoming overloaded with crash reports.

This certainly suggests Firefox is pointing to a chip-related problem - even if the cause could be (theoretically) partly down to buggy behavior with the browser, it's still only manifesting with certain Intel silicon (to an apparently profound level, correlating with hotter locations in Europe).

Cooling may play a role here, too, of course, in terms of the CPU coolers being used. The reason the 14700K may be showing up a lot more in these crashes could be because it's a more mainstream speedy chip, possibly coupled with a less effective cooling solution as a result. Whereas those running the even faster top dog 14900K (or indeed 13900K) have probably invested in an expensive cooler to go with the processor, and thus it may be less prone to overheating issues as temperatures climb, so there aren't as many crashes recorded. There won't be nearly as many 14900K chips out there, either, due to their more pricey nature.

What will be interesting to see is if other software developers are noticing a similar kind of pattern with their products crashing (browsers, or otherwise) - and now this report has been aired, others may have cause to investigate crash logs further, perhaps.

Of course, another factor to watch will be the performance of Raptor Lake CPUs if temperatures continue to rise (over the summer in Europe, or elsewhere - or indeed more broadly as the next couple of years roll on).

Even before this, my worry has always been what underlying degradation the instability issues may have caused with 13th and 14th-gen processors. As we know, these chips were running in PCs for some time in a problematic state, with the microcode fixes applied being preventative in nature - not a cure, meaning they don't reverse any damage that was already done. So, there could be undetectable deterioration under the hood of the chip that only manifests much later in its lifespan - a process possibly sped up by the processor running too hot, perhaps?

Now, the good news - as those affected no doubt recall - is that Intel did up the warranty coverage for these CPUs to five years. However, as I've pointed out in the past, what if in the sixth year, your Raptor Lake CPU starts going down the plughole in terms of recurring instability issues? You're out of luck in that case, which doesn't seem very fair - it's not unreasonable to expect a processor, the engine of a PC, to last longer than half a decade.

Of course, we can't go jumping to any negative conclusions yet, but this situation is certainly worth monitoring.

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• Apple TV+ has just released the first trailer for Platonic season 2
• It stars Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne, with Luke Macfarlane, Carla Gallo, Aidy Bryant, Kyle Mooney, Beck Bennett and Milo Manheim joining as newcomers
• The first two episodes are released on August 6, 2025

Buckle up, comedy fans! The hit Apple TV+ show Platonic season 2 is almost here, dropping its first two episodes on August 6. Starring Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne as best friends Will and Sylvia, we can expect a 10-episode run to take us all the way to the beginning of October. That’s a lot of laughs waiting for us over the next few months, and the new trailer is no exception.

The show follows the pair as they contend with midlife hurdles, whether that be at work or at weddings – they’re partners in crises. As Apple TV+ puts it: “The duo tries their best to be each other’s rock – but sometimes rocks break things.” We’ve got some new stars joining the roster this time too, with Luke Macfarlane, Carla Gallo Aidy Bryant, Kyle Mooney, Beck Bennett and Milo Manheim all adding their weight in gold to new episodes.

We all know Apple TV+ is one of the best streaming services around for original content, and the Platonic season 2 trailer proves that the studio can up the stakes of what we saw the first time around in 2023. All I need is a pair of novelty sunglasses and a Hawaiian shirt, and I’m ready to watch new episodes of the hit comedy when they drop.

Platonic season 2 is almost here, and Apple TV+’s first trailer already looks wild

Don’t get it twisted – Will and Sylvia are still very much besties as far as the Platonic season 2 trailer is concerned. However, it also hints that their friendship could be hitting the rocks sooner than we might like. "Will and I always get screwy when he's in a couple," Sylvia tells husband Charlie (Luke Macfarlane) in the clip. "I don't wanna lose him again. If I were to replace him now, it would take 25 years for me and this new friend to catch up to where Will and I are and by then I'm practically dead and who cares?"

But before we can even worry about getting that far, there’s a whole host of chaos coming our way. A greased up McFarlane is seen flexing his muscles in a white tank top while trying to get Will in shape (frankly, this is enough of a reason to tune in by itself), Sylvia throwing some shapes on a party dancefloor in a way reminiscent of Byrne’s Bridesmaids days, and an epic golfing accident turned into a buggy getaway mission, sporting a bleeding eye. The just over two minute trailer has enough twists that it will give you whiplash.

With such an enjoyable balance between flat-out comedy and relatability, everyone should be excited about having new episodes to binge. Rogan and Byrne’s chemistry is second to none, the writing is well-rounded and self-assured (though we were reminded of this recently by Rogen’s other TV show, The Studio) and as an ensemble, the performances are off the hook. We more than deserve a laugh this summer (for those of us in the northern hemisphere at least), so thank you, Will and Sylvia, for coming to our rescue.

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