TechRadar News

• Asana AI-powered tool had a bug which exposed user data to other users
• It was fixed after a month, but users should be on their guard

Popular project management platform Asana is warning users a newly-introduced tool may have leaked their data to others on the service

Research from security experts UpGuard noted in early May 2025, Asana introduced Model Context Protocol (MCP) server, a tool that lets AI products such as ChatGPT or Copilot interact with Asana’s Work Graph.

This allows users to query for information using natural language, manage their tasks and projects with the help of AI, and get real-time updates using the MCP standard.

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A month of leaks

However, the tool was implemented with a bug that exposed data from Asana instances to other MCP users.

Not all data was exposed, though, as it was limited to each user’s access scope.

Still, given that many enterprises rely on Asana when managing important tasks and large projects, it could mean sensitive information was leaked (such as project metadata, team details, discussions, uploaded files, and similar).

Asana apparently discovered the bug on June 4, meaning the platform was leaking data for a month - the company is sending out notices with links to communication forms to impacted organizations, but apart from that it’s staying relatively silent on the matter.

We don’t know if any users suffered any meaningful damage as a result of this flaw, but the company did tell BleepingComputer that it impacted roughly 1,000 customers. It has more than 130,000 paying customers all over the world including, according to some sources, heavy hitters such as Spotify, Uber, or Airbnb.

In any case, users should review Asana logs for MCP access, review generated AI summaries, and report to Asana if they see information seemingly coming in from a separate organization.

Furthermore, users are advised to set LLM integration to restricted access and pause auto-reconnections and bot pipelines for the time being.

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Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, June 18 (game #472).

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

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Life is a highway

NYT Strands today (game #473) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• MOLE
• ROLE
• MORAL
• SCENE
• COAT
• HOOT

NYT Strands today (game #473) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 8 letters

NYT Strands today (game #473) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: bottom, 4th column

Last side: top, 3rd column

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

NYT Strands today (game #473) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #473, are…

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

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

The theme clue rather gave this one away, so it wasn't a particularly tough strands to complete, but it did make me think about planning my own next ROAD TRIP.

I do love a nice road trip, although the ones you do in the UK are not really on a par with those in the US, given that you could drive from the far north to the far south in a day, albeit a long one. In the States, of course, you could drive for a week and not get across the country (unless you didn't stop to sleep).

All the more reason why you might need a good PLAYLIST, plenty of AUDIOBOOKs, some GAMES for the kids in the back and lots of breaks to take PHOTOS of the SCENERY.

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

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Wednesday, June 18, game #472)

• BLUE
• GLOOMY
• TEARY
• DOLEFUL
• WOEBEGONE
• MELANCHOLY
• SPANGRAM: SADNESS

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 NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Wednesday, June 18 (game #738).

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 #739) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• FINAL
• DESTINATION
• TRAIN
• STOPS
• BLOCKS
• BALL
• MASKS
• PAPERS
• FOILS
• JACKS
• JACKETS
• ROUTE
• ATTENDANCE
• GLOVES
• STARTING POINT
• HOMEWORK

NYT Connections today (game #739) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Student essentials
• GREEN: Sat-nav staples
• BLUE: Play time
• PURPLE: Stick em with the pointy end

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 #739) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: COMPONENTS OF ONE’S GRADE
• GREEN: MAP APP OPTIONS
• BLUE: CLASSIC TOYS
• PURPLE: FENCING GEAR

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

NYT Connections today (game #739) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #739, are…

• 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

• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 1 mistake

I couldn't live without my sav-nav app. I can't imagine how people managed to get themselves to the right place without them, particularly driving – and particularly driving in a city.

I guess the answer is that they sometimes didn't; I'm old enough to remember plenty of road trips with my parents spent sitting in the back seat while they argued over a map and found themselves stuck in a one-way street to the wrong side of a town. Happy days.

Maybe that's why I solved green, MAP APP OPTIONS, first, with DESTINATION, ROUTE, STARTING POINT and STOPS all jumping out at me early on.

After that I was a little stuck and got 'one away' with purple before correctly identifying that FOILS, GLOVES, MASKS and JACKETS were all types of FENCING GEAR.

Yellow was COMPONENTS OF ONE’S GRADE, but that one confused me slightly; is ATTENDANCE really a part of a grade? I guess it is in the sense that if you never go to school you won't get a good mark, but it's not like anyone gets a B rather than an A because they had an extra couple of days off sick. Maybe this one got lost in translation between the US and UK…

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

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Wednesday, June 18, game #738)

• YELLOW: QUALITIES OF A RAINY DAY COLD, GRAY, WET, WINDY
• GREEN: SQUARELY DEAD, EXACTLY, RIGHT, SMACK
• BLUE: CONTENTS OF A POD ASTRONAUT, COFFEE, PEA, WHALE
• PURPLE: BODY PART PLUS A STARTING LETTER BARM, LEAR, RANKLE, SHIP

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 Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Wednesday, June 18 (game #1241).

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 #1242) - hint #1 - VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?

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

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

Quordle today (game #1242) - hint #2 - repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 0.

Quordle today (game #1242) - 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 #1242) - 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 #1242) - hint #5 - starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• B

• I

• F

• P

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

Quordle today (game #1242) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1242, are…

• BRUSH
• ISLET
• FRUIT
• PRIVY

I had no major problems with today's Quordle, on account of their being no repeated letters, no uncommon letters and no particularly obscure words.

ISLET was probably the hardest, even though I had all five letters for it; assembling them into a word proved a surprisingly tricky feat. But I got there in the end. The Daily Sequence, meanwhile, was a much harder beast on account of PUPAL and GAUZE being included.

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

Daily Sequence today (game #1242) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1242, are…

• TEASE
• MOVIE
• PUPAL
• GAUZE

Quordle answers: The past 20

• 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
• Quordle #1222, Friday, 30 May: RAJAH, CAUSE, BLACK, ETUDE

• Leica has announced a new 35mm film
• Monopan 50 is a fine-grain monochrome film
• Priced at £10 (around US$13 / AU$20) for 36 exposures

Leica’s decided to celebrate its centenary with a surprise. To honor 100 years since the first production Leica camera, the brand with the red dot is dropping its first-ever 35mm film. A fine-grain monochrome roll with 36 exposures, it’s a niche product to launch in 2025. But the bigger bombshell is the price: the Monopan 50 costs just £10 (around US$13 / AU$20).

Leica isn’t a brand often associated with affordability. Its camera gear is known for quality craftsmanship that’s priced to match. When I tested the Leica Q3 43 last year, I was both awestruck by the build quality and terrified of damaging it. Because it costs $6,295 / £5,900 / AU$11,890. Leica is and always has been an unapologetically premium brand.

For most people, the prospect of buying or shooting with anything Leica sits somewhere between bucket list and lottery win territory. Until now, the most affordable way to shoot Leica has been the D-Lux 8 – a premium compact with a Micro Four Thirds sensor, which you can buy today for $1,595 / £1,450 / AU$2,790. Or cross all your fingers and toes in the hope of finding a secondhand analog Leica bargain.

The Monopan 50 changes that. Granted, it’s a 35mm film, not a camera. But it also feels like the first Leica product that’s accessible enough for stills photographers to use on a daily basis.

Leica for all

The Monopan 50 lands 100 years after the Leica I, the camera that effectively invented 35mm photography as we know it. Unlike most Leica releases, the new film feels like something to be used, not collected.

That’s not to say it isn’t special. The Monopan 50 is a fine-grain monochrome film made for black-and-white enthusiasts. With a resolution of up to 280 line pairs per millimetre, it promises gallery-grade detail. Its ISO rating of just 50 makes it a low-sensitivity film, inspired by the the original rolls around when the Leica I launched. In that sense, it’s as Leica as it gets. But crucially, it’s not outrageously expensive. In fact, quite the opposite.

Even for someone like me who doesn’t regularly shoot film, that’s a compelling proposition. It’s even more appealing for those who do, of which are there more and more.

Film photography isn’t just back: it’s quietly booming. Prices for vintage cameras have surged and new analog releases are arriving in greater numbers. Fujifilm is rumored to be resurrecting color stocks, Kodak is upgrading its factories to meet demand and Pentax dropped its new half-frame film camera last year. All of which speaks of a new generation rediscovering film.

It’s into this analog revival that Leica steps. The company still produces three fully mechanical 35mm film cameras, the M-A, the MP and the re-released M6. Equipped with high-quality optics and designed for a deliberate approach, all three are expensive models which cater to purists.

In that sense, the Monopan 50 is a natural companion. Feeding those cameras with a fine-grain black-and-white film will yield gorgeous results, while leaning into the slower, almost meditative experience of shooting with a 35mm rangefinder camera.

But the wider appeal of Monopan 50 film will lie in the fact that it’s democratic. With roll prices for standard emulsions creeping past £10 a pop, a tenner for 36 exposures of premium monochrome film feels like a bit of a steal. That it comes from Leica only sweetens the deal.

(Image credit: Leica Monopan)

Next to the metal-bodied cameras that made its name, there’s something refreshingly humble about the most attainable Leica product in recent memory being a roll of plastic-coated acetate. But it also makes sense. As film becomes more mainstream again, brands are waking up to the fact that the audience has shifted.

It’s no longer just enthusiasts developing Ilford rolls in a home darkroom. It’s Gen Z photographers looking for slower, more tactile ways to create. And if they’re going to spend their cash on film, why not give them a reason to spend it on Leica?

Yes, the real cost of shooting Leica body and glass is in the thousands. But Monopan 50 at least opens the door. More than a nod to Leica’s past, it might be a sign of a different future for the brand, where more people are able to handle and shoot something with the Leica name on it.

Obviously, Leica would love you to pair Monopan 50 with an M-A or an MP. Maybe a vintage M6. But even with a Nikon F, or one of the best second-hand film cameras, its potential for fine detail and tonality is exciting.

Either way, I’m intrigued. Low-ISO film isn’t always easy to shoot, especially in the UK, where overcast conditions are the default. But the Monopan 50 feels like a film worth trying. Not just for what it can do, but for what it represents: Leica, leaning back towards the medium it helped to define a century ago, in a way that’s unexpectedly accessible.

So I didn’t expected to be buying Leica stock this year. But now I’m planning to.

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• AWS has managed to enforce MFA for 100% of root users
• The achievement is a great advancement for the AWS cloud platform
• More major security announcements were made at re:Inforce

Amazon Web Services (AWS) says it has managed to get 100% of root users to enforce multi-factor authentication across all account types.

The news represents a significant milestone in security posture, with AWS fully meeting its past commitment to enforce the use of MFA for management and standalone accounts with root access.

Chief Information Security Officer Amy Herzog made the milestone announcement at the company's AWS re:Inforce conference, stating, “I'm so happy to say that we now have 100 percent MFA enforcement for root users.”

AWS continues voluntary commitments

As an achievement on its own, this is major, but what makes it even more impressive is that the 100% MFA root user account milestone is part of AWS’ voluntary commitments to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Secure By Design initiative.

Multi-factor authentication has become a key part of most organizations' security structure, offering a phishing resistant verification method that can stop an attacker in their tracks even if they’ve got their hands on a stolen username and password.

This wasn’t the only significant security announcement made at re:Inforce though – as AWS also announced some significant new feature that has been added to the platforms Identity and Access Management hub. Within the Access Analyzer, you can now check which users have access to critical resources on a central dashboard.

The AWS Security Hub now offers notifications and signals ranked by their significance to help security teams deal with the most pressing issues first.

“For example, Security Hub can combine the multi-stage threats detected by GuardDuty Extended Threat Detection with other signals like vulnerabilities, and prioritize critical security issues and help you simplify your overall cloud security operations across your entire organization,” Herzog said.

Additionally, GuardDuty Extended Threat Detection now offers support for container-based applications running on Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service.

AWS Shield has also been boosted with a new network security director that looks for misconfigurations on the network that could be exploited during a distributed-denial-of-service attack, or SQL injection.

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• The Sitecore CMS had an account with a hardcoded password
• Threat actors could use it to upload arbitrary files, achieving RCE
• Thousands of endpoints are potentially at risk

Sitecore Experience Platform, an enterprise-level content management system (CMS) carried three vulnerabilities which, when chained together, allowed threat actors full takeover of vulnerable servers, experts have warned.

Cybersecurity researchers watchTowr found the first flaw is a hardcoded password for an internal user - just one letter - ‘b’ - making it super easy to guess.

The account does not have admin privileges, but watchTowr found malicious users could authenticate via an alternate login path, which would give them authenticated access to internal endpoints.

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Patching the flaws

This sets the stage for the exploitation of the second flaw, described as a “Zip Slip” in the Sitecore Upload Wizard.

In a nutshell, the now-authenticated attackers can upload malicious files due to insufficient path sanitation, and the way Sitecore maps paths. As a result, they can write arbitrary files in the webroot.

These two issues alone could be enough to cause some serious damage on the compromised server, but the problems don’t stop there.

If the website has the Sitecore PowerShell Extensions (SPE) module installed, which is commonly bundled with SXA, attackers can upload arbitrary files to specific paths, bypassing extension or location restrictions and resulting in a “reliable RCE”.

All Sitecore versions from 10.1 to 10.4 are apparently vulnerable, which translates to roughly 22,000 publicly exposed instances, at press time - but just because they’re all accessible and running these versions, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re all vulnerable.

"Sitecore is deployed across thousands of environments, including banks, airlines, and global enterprises — so the blast radius here is massive," watchTowr CEO Benjamin Harris told BleepingComputer.

"And no, this isn't theoretical: we've run the full chain, end-to-end. If you're running Sitecore, it doesn't get worse than this – rotate creds and patch immediately before attackers inevitably reverse engineer the fix."

So far there were no reports of abuse in the wild, but a patch is available now, so users should update as soon as possible.

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• Satellite communications giant Viasat was also targeted by Salt Typhoon
• The company found unauthorized access via a compromised device
• Breadth of attacks highlights Salt Typhoon's threat to US comms

Another victim of the massive Salt Typhoon cyberattack which targeted US telecommunications giants has been identified as Viasat.

Bloomberg News reports the company found a breach in its systems earlier in 2025 linked to the wider attacks against US communications infrastructure, as the satellite communications company was working with the country's government.

Viasat has numerous contracts and partnerships across the maritime, aviation, and networking industries, alongside several contracts with the US Department of Defense and US Space Force.

Satellite comms targeted by Salt Typhoon

The attack in 2024 saw the Chinese-linked Salt Typhoon group hack into numerous networks belonging to telecommunications companies such as Verizon, AT&T, and Lumen, which likely gave the hackers access and record calls and messages. The group also allegedly breached a backdoor system used by US authorities to carry out court-ordered wiretaps.

Moreover, the Salt Typhoon group also hit the presidential campaigns of both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump in the run up to the 2024 US presidential election.

China has frequently denied having any links to the hacking group, even going so far as to accuse the CIA of being behind attacks committed by another Chinese-linked group, Volt Typhoon.

Following Viasat’s investigations into the breach which occurred via unauthorized access through a compromised device, the company said it had found no customer impact following the attack.

“Viasat believes that the incident has been remediated and has not detected any recent activity related to this event,” the company said.

The full impact of the Salt Typhoon attack may never be known as huge cuts to government departments and advisory boards were made immediately following President Trump’s return to the White House.

The main investigation being pursued by the Cyber Safety Review Board (CSRB) was cancelled after the advisory board was axed to “eliminate a misuse of resources,” according to former acting Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Benjamin C. Huffman.

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• Garmin has unveiled a new sleep tracking wearable
• It's yours for $169.99 / £149.99 / AU$299
• The band is able to track multiple metrics while you sleep

Much as I love my Garmin Instinct 3, I don't like wearing it while sleeping – it's not uncomfortable, but it's too chunky and heavy for bed. Now there's an alternative for me and everyone else who owns one of the best Garmin watches: the Index Sleep Monitor.

The newly unveiled wearable looks like an oversized Whoop tracker. Crucially, it's screenless and lightweight, so it shouldn't interfere with a good night's sleep – and it can last a week between battery charges. There are even two sizes to choose between, either small/medium or large/extra large.

This isn't a totally unexpected development: earlier this month we saw a leaked video showing off what we now know is the Garmin Index Sleep Monitor in action. Details such as the week-long battery life were leaked too.

It's a wearable for sleep tracking and sleep tracking only, and it's available now for $169.99 / £149.99 / AU$299 on the Garmin website – though at the time of writing, shipping times are listed as 3-5 weeks (US and UK), and 4-7 business days (Australia).

9 key features to know about

Garmin watches like the Instinct 3 can track sleep, but aren't the most lightweight (Image credit: Future)

Garmin wearables are usually some of the most comprehensive around when it comes to features, and the Index Sleep Monitor is no different. There are a total of nine different metrics tracked by the armband.

They are sleep stages (light. deep, and REM), heart rate variability, blood oxygen saturation, breathing variations, respiration rates, skin temperature (including extra menstrual cycle tracking for women), what Garmin calls Body Battery energy levels, and stress tracking. The ninth and final metric is an overall Sleep Score.

Add in a smart alarm feature that gently vibrates you at a time to fit in with your circadian rhythms, and it's an appealing overall package. As usual with Garmin devices, everything syncs back to the Connect app on your phone.

Garmin has also addressed another issue with sleep trackers: cleanliness. The Index Sleep Monitor band can be washed in a gentle cycle, once the actual monitor is removed, so it stays as fresh as your pajamas.

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• Microsoft's ROG Xbox Ally handhelds could launch in October
• Some rumors suggest the ROG Xbox Ally will be $499, and the Xbox Ally X will cost $799
• A price point for the MSI Claw A8, using the same processor, is also unconfirmed

Handhelds are arguably dominating the console and PC gaming market, with the long-awaited Nintendo Switch 2 now available and Microsoft's ROG Xbox Ally slated for launch late this year. However, the latter may have one significant dealbreaker.

As reported by our reliable friends at Windows Central, both the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X are rumored to launch in late October. However, pricing is still up in the air, despite other rumors suggesting the base model will cost $499 and the more powerful Xbox Ally X will go for $799.

The ROG Xbox Ally X will join the MSI Claw A8 in being the first handheld gaming PCs to use AMD's Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor, except Microsoft's handheld will use an AI variant. It's not exactly clear if this will have an edge over the standard Z2 Extreme – but one thing that's becoming slightly evident is the reasoning for the undisclosed price point.

It appears as though a combination of uncertainty on tariffs on Taiwan and China (where Asus manufactures products), and MSI not announcing a price for the Claw A8, could be why we're left in the dark on the ROG Xbox Ally pricing for now.

We haven't seen the performance capabilities of the Z2 Extreme on handhelds, so perhaps Microsoft is waiting for MSI or even Lenovo (with the Legion Go 2 successor using the same chip) to set the pace before committing to a price point.

It's also worth noting that the Asus ROG Ally X recently saw a price hike from $799.99 (£799 / AU$1,599) to $899, so concerns about a potential outrageous price (at least for the ROG Xbox Ally X) are warranted. The base model will use a new Ryzen Z2A processor – which is more aligned with the Steam Deck's chip in performance, using RDNA 2 architecture – so its price may be akin to the Nintendo Switch 2's.

Analysis: I'm not worried about the ROG Xbox Ally's price, but I'm very concerned about the ROG Xbox Ally X

(Image credit: Microsoft)

To put it simply, if the ROG Xbox Ally X ends up with a higher price point than the likes of the MSI Claw 8 AI+, Microsoft can kiss its success goodbye.

The MSI Claw 8 AI+ is priced at $900 / £899 / AU$1,799, which is already a very steep price tag that is enough to turn gamers away from a purchase. That isn't me downplaying the device's gaming capabilities, but it's a tough sell in this economy.

The ROG Xbox Ally X won't have an 8-inch screen (which is a huge dealbreaker to me), and is using the same processor as the Claw A8, which is indeed using an 8-inch display. Unless the AI Z2 Extreme outperforms both the standard Z2 Extreme, and the Claw 8 AI+'s Core Ultra 7 258V processor, then the ROG Xbox Ally X has no place costing over $900.

I'm expecting its weaker counterpart, the ROG Xbox Ally, to do just fine as a more affordable option, if it's under or slightly closer to the Switch 2's price ($449.99 / £395.99 / AU$699.99).

Handheld hardware is getting better each year, which obviously comes with a cost increase, but it's important that prices don't go out of whack away from affordability. There's a reason Ayaneo's handhelds aren't in the spotlight, because they cost over $1,000 – and Microsoft better not even think about going there.

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• Apple’s macOS Tahoe is the final version to support Intel chips
• That means the death of the Hackintosh is nigh
• It’s sad news for the community of tinkerers and custom PC builders

Apple lifted the lid on macOS Tahoe at its WWDC 2025 event earlier in June, and one thing that it announced during the Platforms State of the Union address was that this software update would be the last one to support Intel Macs. That’s had the effect of putting the final nail in the coffin of the humble Hackintosh, and this has left me more than a little sad.

In case you don’t know, a Hackintosh is a computer that runs macOS on custom PC hardware. Apple doesn’t support or condone these computers, so building one requires a lot of complex legwork and specific files that convince macOS that it’s running on Apple-approved components.

Part of the equation is that a Hackintosh usually requires an Intel chip. You can’t buy Apple silicon chips off the shelf, but with recent macOS versions supporting Intel processors, this was a go-to alternative.

With Apple dropping this support, it’s the end of the road for Hackintoshes.

We knew this day was coming

(Image credit: Future)

For many years, I was fascinated with the idea of building a Hackintosh. I’ve long been frustrated with the day-to-day quirks of Windows, but love building PCs too much to go all-in on macOS. A Hackintosh felt like the perfect way to get hands on, build a powerful computer capable of both work and gaming, and still get all the smoothness and rich features of macOS.

But with the constantly increasing difficulties in building a Hackintosh and the ever-more complex workarounds that were needed to get one to work, I never took the plunge.

Years ago, a Hackintosh was the best of both worlds: the hardware performance that Apple simply couldn’t provide and the software features and stability that Windows sorely lacked. But now that Apple silicon offers tremendous performance – even in demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077, something once deemed unthinkable for a Mac – the need for a Hackintosh has diminished.

Despite the news, not everyone in the Hackintosh community has taken the news badly. Even before Apple’s announcement, I would occasionally browse Hackintosh forums, and the advice was often the same: modern Macs do a lot of what Hackintoshes set out to achieve.

They offer far more bang for your buck than they used to (the M4 Mac mini is a good example), and unless you fill the specific niche of loving both macOS and DIY computer building and refuse to get a Mac and a PC, Apple’s own products do the job. Many of the more recent reactions are along the same lines.

Perhaps someone will find a way to get Hackintoshes to work on Apple silicon. But with the tough security measures Apple has built into its chips, that is far from guaranteed. While many in the community are taking the news well, I can’t help but feel disappointed for what we’re going to lose.

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Last month, Dyson unveiled the PencilVac – a new addition to brand's floorcare lineup, and apparently the world's slimmest vacuum cleaner. Yesterday, I had a chance to try one out, and it turns out this odd-looking vac is one heck of a smooth mover.

The PencilVac looks nothing like your standard cordless stick vacuum. The motor, filters and dust cup are all hidden within the broom-like handle, which clocks in at a diminutive 1.5 inches / 3.8cm in diameter. The floorhead is equally surprising, with its four cone-shaped, fluffy rollers.

(Image credit: Dyson)

Less obvious from the press photos is just how maneuverable this cleaner is. The cleaner head can swivel on the spot and it cleans from the front and from the back sides. Like all the best Dyson vacuums, it can lie flat to the ground, and because the handle is symmetrical, you can hold it from any side, too. You can do figure-eights on your floor if you can get your angles right.

The maneuverability is impressive, but there are plenty more cool features besides. The 'QuadConical' floorhead is new on this machine, and designed so that if it encounters long hair, it'll make its way to the narrow end of the cone and pop out as a bundle on the side, at which point it can be easily vacuumed up. The soft material is perfect for delicate hard floors, and the cones protrude out from the casing so you can clean right into the corners, and even give your baseboards a bit of a dust as you go.

(Image credit: Future)

Dyson has added its distinctive green laser (which first appeared on the Dyson V15 Detect) to the cleaner head. This helps cast shadows on debris on the floor, so you don't miss even the tiniest speck of dirt. Here, it's located in the center of both sides of the floorhead, and it's just as useful as ever.

Who's the PencilVac for?

While Dyson says the PencilVac can be used on carpet, it's really specialized for hard floors. The fluffy rollers are perfect for hard floors and the laser really comes into its own on a solid surface.

While it looks looks like a strong contender for TechRadar's best vacuum for hardwood floor roundup, the soft rollers won't agitate the fibers enough to offer a deep clean on carpet. The suction is also much lower than you'll find on the main flagship range – partly due to the motor and partly due to the more open floorhead design.

(Image credit: Dyson)

For many, it'll be a complimentary machine rather than your main vacuum, but if you want something for quick cleanups on hard floors, the PencilVac looks perfect. Full review to follow when I've had a chance to put it through its paces properly.

At time of writing, I don't have any pricing information for the PencilVac, but I know it's scheduled to go on sale in Australia in August 2025, before hitting the US and UK markets sometime in 2026. If you can't wait that long, you could check out the Dyson V12 Detect Slim, which is a – for our money, underrated – scaled-down vacuum for smaller homes.

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• Salesforce Enterprise and Unlimited SKUs are going up by 6% on average
• Slack Business+ jumps to $15/month, but Pro remains unchanged
• Salesforce says added value from AI has led to the higher prices

Salesforce has confirmed it will be raising prices by an average of 6% across a number of its core products, including Enterprise and Unlimited SKUs of Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Field Service and selected Industries Clouds.

Changes are set to come into affect from August 1, 2025, giving users just a few weeks to prepare for higher bills or find alternative solutions.

Foundations, Starter and Pro Editions are set to remain unchanged, with Salesforce blaming the incremental price increases on "ongoing innovation and [significant] customer value."

Salesforce rolls out 6% price rises

A month after announcing consumption-based pricing for its AI models, Salesforce has launched new Agentforce add-ons, starting at $125 per user per month, offering unlimited employee agent use for licensed users.

The packages include industry-specific, prebuilt AI agent templates, AI analytics (via Tableau), the company's Prompt Builder and more.

Agentforce 1 Editions sits above this tier, adding to it features like one million Flex Credits per year (replacing per-conversation pricing) and 2.5 million Data Services Credits per year. It comes at the cost of $550 per user per month.

Apart from the new AI models and a 6% average price hike across Enterprise and Unlimited SKUs, Salesforce has also updated its messaging platform.

The company says it hasn't changed Slack's pricing since 2022, but earlier in 2025, Slack Business+ users will end up paying $15 per user per month, up from $12.50.

A new Enterprise+ tier joins the mix, while Pro pricing is set to remain unchanged. Free users will also continue with access to their current features.

"These updates across our portfolio are designed to help organizations buy, use, and recognize value with the latest innovations throughout their businesses," Salesforce shared, launching a dedicated page for pricing across all its products.

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Summer is here, and if you're anything like me, you've found yourself longing for a refreshing cold-brewed coffee. Not only is it nicely cooling on a hot day, it has a different flavor profile to coffee brewed hot, with a smoother, more mellow taste even if you use the same beans.

There's only one problem: making it the traditional way means steeping your ground coffee overnight, or even longer to extract the full flavor. That's fine if you're super organized, but not much use if you just want your coffee right now.

Thankfully, modern coffee machines mean that's no longer a problem. I'm lucky enough to test heaps of the best coffee makers for TechRadar, and this year all the big brands have added cold brewing to their lists of features.

Ninja, Breville (or Sage, and it's known in the UK) and De'Longhi have all launched new machines that can brew using cold water in seconds rather than hours, and produce a very similar flavor to traditional cold brew.

The trick is allowing the coffee longer than usual to pre-infuse, or bloom, before forcing cold water through at high pressure – often in pulses rather than a continuous stream for a longer extraction time.

With the Ninja Luxe Café, De'longhi Primadonna Aromatic, and the updated Sage Barista Touch with Cold Extraction all pulling great-tasting cold shots, you're spoilt for choice, but for me one machine in particular stands out above the rest: the Jura J10.

(Image credit: Future)

Most coffee machines that can brew cold do an admirable job if you enjoy your drinks without milk, but only a couple can foam cold milk as well, and as a fan of a good latte macchiato, that's something I really appreciate.

The De'Longhi Primadonna Aromatic does an excellent job of texturizing cold milk (either dairy or plant-based) and comes with a special carafe for foaming it without the use of steam. It works brilliantly, but what gives the Jura J10 the edge is its ability to not only turn any kind of milk into a fluffy cloud of chilled froth, but to infuse it with syrup at the same time.

(Image credit: Future)

This system, called Sweetfoam, involves filling a small container with your chosen syrup, then gently pushing it onto the milk dispenser. The syrup (which can be any flavor, and sugar-free or not) is incorporated into the milk a little at a time as it's dispensed, distributing it evenly throughout your drink and meaning a little goes a long way; there's no need to pump huge volumes of syrup into your cup like a barista in a coffee shop might.

It works equally well with hot milk too, so when the weather cools down again you can enjoy the pumpkin spice latte of your dreams.

The syrup never enters the coffee machine itself, and the dispenser purges itself with hot water after use, so there's no need to worry about sticky mess. The container is easy to wash with soapy water.

(Image credit: Future)

In my opinion, it's the best espresso machine for chilled drinks. There's just one drawback: the Jura J10 costs (take a deep breath) £1,795 / AU$3,990, which works out at about $2,300. However sweet you make your lattes, that's a bitter pill to swallow. When I was loaned one to test, it came packaged in a padded flight case rather than the usual cardboard box with polystyrene inserts. It's not usually delicate – it's just that expensive.

The good news is that if that price is tough to stomach, any of the other cold-brewing coffee machines available right now can produce a smooth, well-rounded drink. You won't get the flavorsome foam, but you'll still be able to make refreshing, tasty chilled drinks in seconds rather than hours.

It's official: Nintendo has confirmed that its next Direct will be all about Donkey Kong Bananza!

Focusing on this big release alone, the upcoming Nintendo Direct will feature "roughly 15 minutes of information about the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 game".

Some fans may have been hoping for a bit more of a bombastic June Nintendo Direct - as has been the case in the past - but it seems like Nintendo is content to just focus on the next Donkey Kong game. It's the next major Switch 2 release, after all, and comes out in about a month's time on July 17.

It's the first new Donkey Kong game in over a decade, with the prior Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze releasing on the Wii U back in 2014. While ports of Retro Studios' Country titles have released on Nintendo Switch, Donkey Kong Bananza will be the ape's first original adventure in quite some time. It's also his first big 3D platformer outing since Rare's Donkey Kong 64 all the way back in 1999.

In the build-up to the Direct, we're going to share some of our thoughts and predictions for the game as well as all things Nintendo Switch 2, while also giving you the best information on how to watch the stream.

Donkey Kong Bananza Nintendo Direct date, start time, and length

The Donkey Kong Bananza Nintendo Direct will take place on June 18, 2025, and will begin at 6AM PT / 9AM ET / 2PM BST.

As officially confirmed by Nintendo, the broadcast will last for "roughly 15 minutes".

How to watch the Donkey Kong Bananza Nintendo Direct

The most reliable place to catch the Donkey Kong Bananza Nintendo Direct live stream is the Nintendo YouTube channel.

You can watch the embedded version below.

Hello and welcome to the start of my live coverage of the upcoming Donkey Kong Bananza Direct.

There's not long to go until the stream begins now, so sit back as I deliver a steady of updates, predictions, and everything that you need to know in the build-up to the event!

Save the stream in advance

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Here's a top tip that applies to basically any event that is streamed live.

Generally, YouTube allows you to wait for the broadcast a few hours before it begins - which is perfect if you want to keep it open in a separate browser window so that you definitely don't miss it.

Alternatively, you could bookmark the page in advance and come back later when the start time arrives.

I've embedded today's stream below, so that you can do just that.

Will we see Pauline?

(Image credit: Nintendo)

You might have missed this, but the Nintendo Korea page may have accidentally leaked something about the game weeks ago.

Some key art was visible on a website banner, showing Donkey Kong and what looked like a younger version of Super Mario character Pauline. This was quickly replaced by a version that lines up with the game's regular cover art (where the Pauline character is replaced by a purple rock creature) but not before users on the forum ResetEra spotted it.

This has prompted a fair amount of speculation that Pauline will feature prominently in the game. If you remember the original Super Mario Odyssey reveal, Nintendo deliberately kept the character Cappy hidden - revealing them at a later date.

This could also be the case here, with Pauline potentially revealed as part of the stream today.

But what kind of role could this young Pauline play?

My personal prediction is that she might be a companion character, potentially following Donkey Kong around and assisting in his adventure.

Her younger appearance might be a sign that she will take on an almost Diddy Kong-like role, riding around on Donkey Kong's back and maybe even granting the player a few abilities when she's there.

Users on the forum spotted that she is wearing a bracelet made of purple rocks in the banner's artwork. This will probably be part of the game's plot, which we already know will prominently feature rocks and a mining motif.

Catch up with the previous trailer

Haven't seen much of Donkey Kong Bananza so far?

You should definitely take a look at the latest trailer, which was shown off back in the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct.

It gives you a good idea of what to expect from the game, which seems very similar to Super Mario Odyssey in structure.

We see plenty of Donkey Kong smashing all kinds of objects, so expect destruction to be a very big focus.

How about some unfiltered gameplay?

Trailers are all well and good, but Nintendo has also released a lengthy gameplay video showing off the game. It was part of the Nintendo Treehouse: Live stream, and lets you see the very start of the game.

Time check: just 75 minutes to go

The stream is set to begin at 6AM PT / 9AM ET / 2PM BST. This means that there is just one hour and 15 minutes (75 minutes total) to go until it's underway.

We know that the stream is only going to be 15 minutes long, so make sure to keep an eye on the time if you don't want to miss it!

When is Donkey Kong Bananza coming out?

Donkey Kong Bananza is set to release on July 17, 2025.

The game is going to be a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive title, so those still using a Nintendo Switch console will not be able to play it unless they upgrade.

If you're simply desperate to play Donkey Kong Bananza, then you'll likely be pleased to hear that the game is already up for pre-order!

It costs $69.99 / £64.95 at Amazon right now for a physical copy. I'd recommend picking it up if you already know that you want the game, and want to maximise your chances of having it in your hands on the release day.

You can currently pre-order Donkey Kong Bananza at its retail price at Amazon in the US.View Deal

The game is also up for grabs at Amazon in the UK, for £64.95. View Deal

If you pre-order at Amazon in the US or UK, you will be covered by the pre-order price guarantee - which basically means that you will pay the lowest possible price if it changes ahead of the release day.

You can see the full terms and conditions on the site.

Time check: just 45 minutes to go!

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Time is passing and the Donkey Kong Bananza Direct is getting nearer, with just 45 minutes left to go.

Now is the time to make sure that you have done everything that you need to ahead of the event.

I would normally recommend stocking up on drinks and snacks for the stream, but given this one is so short at just 15 minutes I don't think that will be necessary this time around. Still, a little glass of water definitely won't hurt - so do grab one now if you're feeling thirsty.

• Microsoft has a Start menu redesign in testing
• This introduces new layouts for the list of all apps
• One of those layouts is a category view, and we’ve had confirmation from Microsoft that it won’t be possible to customize this to your liking

We’ve just learned more about how Microsoft’s revamped Start menu will work when it arrives in Windows 11, and not everyone is happy about the new info aired here.

Windows Latest reports on an element of customization that falls short of what some Windows 11 users were hoping for, and it pertains to one of the new layouts being introduced for the list of apps.

As you may recall, with the redesigned Start menu – which is in test builds of Windows 11 now – the long list of apps installed on the PC can be set to a couple of more compact alternative layouts, one of which is a grid and the other a category view.

It’s the latter we’re interested in here, whereby apps are grouped into different categories such as Games, Productivity, Creativity, Social, Utilities and so forth. Each of these categories has a box in which up to four icons for the most commonly-used apps appear, and the full roster of apps is found within if you open the category – all of which allows for an easier way to locate the app you’re looking for, rather than scrolling through a lengthy alphabetical list.

So, what’s the beef that’s been raised here? Windows Latest has received confirmation from Microsoft that it won’t be possible to create your own category types.

Windows 11 will, of course, make the decisions on how to categorize apps and where they belong, but there are some interesting, and less than ideal, nuances picked up by Windows Latest here.

Any app that Windows 11 isn’t sure about will go in the ‘Other’ category, for one thing. Also, if there aren’t three apps for any given category – because you don’t have enough creativity apps installed on your machine, say – then a stray creativity app (like Paint) will be dumped in Other.

Analysis: improved customization could still be offered with any luck

(Image credit: MAYA LAB / Shutterstock)

If Microsoft gave folks the ability to make their own category folders, they could have a few alternative dumping grounds to Other – categories named so that the user could better remember what apps they contain.

However, with Windows 11 overseeing category allocation, it seems like Microsoft wants to keep a tight rein on the groups that are present in this part of the interface. Sadly, it isn’t possible to move an app from one category to another, either (as Windows Latest has highlighted in the past), should you disagree with where it’s been placed – and this latter ability is a more telling shortcoming here.

The new Start menu remains in testing, so Microsoft may make changes before it arrives in the finished version of Windows 11. That’s entirely possible, especially seeing as Microsoft has (again) been stressing how it’s listening to user feedback in order to better inform Windows 11’s design, the Start menu overhaul included.

So, simply being able to drag and drop icons between these categories is something we can hope for, in order to reclassify any given app – it’s a pretty basic piece of functionality, after all. We may eventually get to define our own categories, too, but for now it appears that Microsoft is taking a rather rigid approach to customization with this part of the menu.

Expect this Start menu makeover to be one of the central pillars of Windows 11 25H2 when it pitches up later this year.

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• NordPass now supports attachments of your most important documents
• Set reminders to update your copies when they expire
• The usual NordPass encryption methods still apply

Top password manager NordPass has revealed it is now supporting document storage to make sure all your most important files are kept safe and sound.

Starting today, users can now store documents (such as IDs, driving licenses and passports) in an encrypted vault.

Documents can be uploaded as scans, images or other file types, with the option to create custom fields for quick reference within he vault, too.

NordPass document storage

The company explained the new feature comes in response to insecure storage seen across the world – many individuals simply keep a photo of their sensitive information in their photo library.

"People struggle to securely store and manage their physical documents... These essential documents are often misplaced, hard to access when needed, or forgotten until they expire, leading to missed renewals and unnecessary stress," Head of Core Product Chandra Challa explained.

All stored data is encrypted using xChaCha20, which enables it to be available across all signed-in devices. Families can also use NordPass to store essential records, like marriage and birth certificates and insurance papers.

In its announcement, the company boasted about the built-in reminders feature. By assigning an expiration date, users will be reminded to update their documents once renewed so that the latest copy is always available in their vault, enabling seamless data retrieval for online purchases and more.

NordPass comes in three different flavors – Free, Premium (for individual users) and Family (for up to six users). Documents are available for all tiers, but Free users cannot upload attachments, a company spokesperson confirmed.

Although the ability to store important document details is not new (Dashlane, 1Password and Proton Pass all support secure notes), being able to keep a photocopy of those documents sets NordPass apart from its key password manager rivals.

In the years since it launched, NordPass has become so much more than a simple password manager, supporting multi-factor authentication codes and email masking.

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• Marvel has revealed the full schedule and episode titles for Ironheart
• My biggest fear about its release format has been confirmed
• The penultimate chapter's name might have spoiled a possible secret villain reveal

Marvel has unveiled the full release schedule and episode titles for Ironheart.

At the time of publication, the final Marvel Phase 5 TV show is less than one week away from making its Disney+ debut. And, to celebrate the countdown to launch, Marvel has revealed some key information about the Dominque Thorne-led TV series.

A post shared by Marvel Studios (@marvelstudios)

A photo posted by on

Let's start with that all-important episodic release format, which was officially confirmed via Marvel Studios' Instagram account (see above). We already knew that Ironheart would air with a three-episode premiere on June 24 in the US, and June 25 in the UK and Australia (NB: it'll arrive on one of these two dates in other nations, too). That much was made clear when the long-gestating Marvel TV Original's first trailer was finally unveiled in mid-May.

At the time, though, I expressed concern over Ironheart's rumored release format. Industry insiders had claimed its final three episodes would drop together one week after the show premiered. Now, Marvel has proved that leak was correct.

So, why is Marvel giving Ironheart the Andor season 2 treatment by releasing it in dual three-part batches? Is it because the comic giant isn't confident people will watch it week-to-week? Or is it simply experimenting with how its small-screen projects are released on one of the world's best streaming services? I can't say for sure, but we'll find out if this release format is a success or not once its streaming data has been crunched in the weeks after its final three episodes have aired.

Better the devil you know

Is the devil in the details, or this is a fan theory with no substance? (Image credit: Marvel Comics)

Those aren't the only interesting questions that Ironheart's release schedule has thrown up. Indeed, eagle-eyed Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) fans have spotted something in the above Instagram post that might point towards the inclusion of a secret villain.

Look at the fifth episode's title – 'Karma's a Glitch' – and you'll notice that the 'm' has been written in different ink colors. The primary hue is black, but a red marker has also been used to spell out the word 'karma'. Even more crucially, the 'm' is the only letter in any of the spelled-out episode titles to get this treatment.

So, what's this got to do with a yet-to-be-revealed antagonist in Ironheart? MCU fans believe this is yet another sign that the Demon Lord known as Mephisto will be unveiled as the show's actual villain-in-chief.

Comment from r/marvelstudios

Until now, Anthony Ramos' Parker Robbins/The Hood has been positioned as its lead antagonist (read more about him and much more in my dedicated Ironheart guide). However, Mephisto has long been rumored to be the Big Bad who's puppeteering events from the shadows. In fact, Mephisto was first linked with a role in Ironheart way back in October 2022.

Add the show's dark magic versus technology-led story, plus more teases about a potential Mephisto appearance in Ironheart's official trailer, into the equation, and MCU fans are even more convinced that Marvel's take on the Devil is going to show up.

Do you think Mephisto will turn up in Ironheart? Or is this a fan theory that people have conjured out of thin air? Let me know in the comments.

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• Borderlands 4 won't cost $80, despite Gearbox CEO's previous comments
• It will cost $69.99, meeting the recent standard for most games
• It comes after a plethora of comments from users suggesting they won't purchase the game

Gearbox Software's fourth installment in the Borderlands franchise is just months away from launch on September 12, and concerns of an $80 (or more specifically, $79.99) price tag have been put to bed.

Gearbox CEO, Randy Pitchford, announced on X that Borderlands 4 will not cost $80 but the current industry standard of $69.99 / £59.99 / AU$119.95 (or AU$109.95 on PC) – and it's available for pre-order now for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (via Steam).

It comes after Pitchford's comments on the game's potential price tag; gamers were told that if they were "real fans," they would find a way to buy Borderlands 4 if it were priced at $80, considering Nintendo and Microsoft's shift to a $80 game price tag.

Unsurprisingly, that was met with a barrage of criticisms, and if I'm honest, those comments from a CEO weren't a pretty sight, to say the least (although not very surprising to see).

However, this is a prime example of what happens when consumers voice frustrations and essentially vote with their wallets; in this case, long before the game has even launched, as a significant portion of the criticisms were gamers promising not to purchase the game due to Pitchford's comments

Just don't buy it. Talk with your money. If you're a true fan, you won't accept them pricing people out. This one's 80 the next game will be 100 and continue to rise. Say no.May 20, 2025

While there wasn't a price tag set in stone, Pitchford's comments alone suggested that Borderlands 4 would follow the new $80 trend – and it appears as though the backlash has convinced 2K, Take-Two Interactive, and the seniors involved to stick with $69.99.

Unfortunately, that may not be the case with other games priced at $80, and Nintendo's Mario Kart World is the best example. However, the Nintendo Switch 2's launch is likely a significant factor in the new title's high sales.

Analysis: Stop saying 'there's nothing that can be done' and keep your voices heard

(Image credit: Gearbox / 2K)

Even if there are future cases like Mario Kart World selling well at $80, at the very least, ensuring that CEOs and senior management of game companies are aware of complaints regarding egregious pricing is incredibly vital.

Like I've seen over the years, if there's enough backlash and rejection of a move that fans don't like, change is more often the answer from game companies.

I can almost guarantee that the response to the Gearbox CEO's comments was a major factor in the $69.99 price tag – and frankly, some gamers could likely still turn away from a purchase as $69.99 is still frowned upon (and rightly so).

Nintendo's move has already set the dangerous precedent I feared, but Borderlands 4's case should be enough of an indication that the more you vote with your wallet by stating displeasure and actively avoiding $80 games, the more we'll see game companies take a step back...

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• Microsoft Teams working on adding noise suppression for calls
• Should cut out background noise like traffic or typing
• All Microsoft Teams users should benefit upon launch

One of the most painful issues when dialing into a Microsoft Teams call could seen be a thing of the past thanks to a new update.

The video conferencing platform has revealed it is working on adding noise suppression for participants dialing in to a call.

Once included, this should spell an end to potentially ear-splitting call interruptions, or participants being deafened by background noise from another person on the call.

Microsoft Teams noise suppression

Microsoft says as well as improving the user experience for everyone on a call, the new addition will also "enhance clarity and reduce distraction for all meeting participants".

In a Microsoft 365 roadmap post, it noted the feature will automatically filter out background noise (such as traffic, typing) for users who join meetings via phone (PSTN).

The feature is listed as being "in development" for the time being, with an expected rollout start date of September 2025.

When launched, Microsoft says it will be available for users across the world using Teams on Windows, Mac, Android and iOS - as well as Teams and Surface devices, and Teams on Web.

The launch is the latest in a series of recent improvements to Microsoft Teams announced by the company as it looks to improve the experience for users.

This includes a tweak that will allow multiple people to control slides being presented in a meeting or call.

Microsoft says the addition will mean that presenters are able to maintain "a smooth flow during meetings or webinars" - hopefully meaning the end of manual slide changes - and hopefully, the phrase "next slide please".

It also recently launched of real-time text (RTT) capabilities, allowing participants to type a message while someone else's speech is being transcribed, giving users who prefer typing to speaking another way to make sure their voices get out there.

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